Korean Beef Bowl

Being a full time working mam I am always on the look out for really quick but flavoursome meals for week nights.  And to be perfectly honest the least pots and pans used the better - I am sure we will all agree on that.

Tonight's recipe is courtesy of a website I came across while menu planning for this week.  The site, Chew Out Loud, is magic.  Amy is very inspirational and like all of us, very busy with life's commitments. Go over and check it out.... you too will be impressed.

Like all Asian dishes the flavours are clean and the ingredients are fresh.  This dish came together in minutes and was bursting with flavour.  A combination of salty, sweet and spicy made boring old beef mince very enjoyable and made me want to eat a lot more than what my stomach could handle.  

A good tip from Amy is to mix the beef into the rice a little so there is no plain rice is sitting by itself at the bottom - wise words.

For such a simple dish this one ticked a lot of boxes - quick, easy and jam packed with flavour.

Korean Beef Bowl

(Recipe adapted from Chew Out Loud)

Serves: 4

1 1/2 cups rice of your choice

1/4 cup Tamari (GF, reduced sodium soy sauce)

2 tablespoons pure honey

1 tablespoon toasted dark Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

500 grams extra lean ground beef 

1 cup fresh bean sprouts, to garnish

1/2 bunch coriander, chopped, to garnish

2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to garnish

toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

extra crushed chilli flakes, to garnish

Cook rice as per packet directions, drain and keep warm.

In a bowl, combine tamari, honey, sesame oil and chilli flakes.  Stir to combine well. Set aside.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat until slightly smoking. 

Add onion and garlic, stirring 2-3 minutes or until aromatic and translucent. 

Add ground beef and stir while breaking the beef up into small bits, about 1-2 minutes or until just browned. 

Add your sauce mixture and stir to combine thoroughly with beef. Continue to cook until beef is  cooked through.

Serve immediately over bowls of warm rice, gently mixing the beef into the rice a bit. Garnish as desired with bean sprouts, coriander, spring onions, sesame seed and crushed chilli flakes.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Braised Beef Cheeks

We are back.... not that we really went anywhere!  More a case of being uber busy and overwhelmed with life.  Jobs (both hubby and mine) have been very intense of late - mine has been all year.  We have a teenager living out her last year of high school and in the midst of exams as I type and to top it all off we decided to move house.

Moving house has brought it's ups and downs. The ups being a bigger house, including an extra bedroom and a swimming pool, along with a bigger and brighter kitchen.  The downs obviously being packing and moving everything given that we were at the last house for 10 years.

The kitchen is pretty much sorted however the rest of the house looks like an episode of Hoarders.  Needless to say I manage to cook over the weekend which I was determined to do as I am totally over takeaways after the previous weekend.

Armed with my trusty slow cooker (well one of the four that I own) I decided some tender Braised Beef Cheeks and Garlic Mash would fit the bill nicely for an easy dinner.  And I wasn't wrong at all.  The beef cheek melted in your mouth not to mention the herb and chilli infused sauce married with them perfectly.  I left the seeds in the chillis I used as I have not been finding them to have a high heat rating of late but you can deseed them if you wish.  The trick for a richer sauce is to ensure that your brown the meat well.  The darker the tones on the cheeks at this stage, the richer the sauce will be.

Beef cheeks are something that you definitely need to cook low and slow - so obviously the slow cooker is perfect for this.  However the original recipe was cooked on a stove top (both instructions for cooking are below).

Braised Beef Cheeks

(recipe adapted from Good Food)

Serves: 4

salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large beef cheeks

1 brown onion, diced

2 tablespoons crushed garlic

2 long red chillies, deseeded (if desired) and finely chopped

2 tins diced tomatoes

560 ml bottle red wine

½ bunch rosemary, finely chopped

½ bunch thyme, finely chopped

½ bunch parsley, finely chopped

Season the beef cheeks, both sides, with salt and pepper.

Put a large cast-iron pot or large heavy based frying pan over a high heat. Add the oil, add the beef cheeks and brown them in the pot. Remove the cheeks from the pot and place in slow cooker vessel.

To the same pot add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the tomatoes, red wine, rosemary and thyme and bring to a simmer.

Add the tomato sauce to the beef cheeks, put the lid on and cook on low for 8 - 9 hours.

Serve with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and garnish with parsley.

Stove top instructions:

Season the beef cheeks, both sides, with salt and pepper.

Put a large cast-iron pot or large heavy based frying pan over a high heat. Add the oil, add the beef cheeks and brown them in the pot. Remove the cheeks from the pot and set aside.

To the same pot add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the tomatoes, red wine, rosemary and thyme and bring to a simmer.

Add the beef cheeks, put the lid on and simmer on the stove for 2-3 hours.

Serve with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and garnish with parsley.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Beef and Balsamic Ragu

The world has been throwing everything possible at me as of late and while we have still been cooking up a storm in the kitchen and eating I have had little time to do much else besides work and be a mam.  I cannot believe my last post was 3 months ago... before we all know it the jolly man in the red suit will be coming down our chimneysI  Yikes!!!!

Everyone knows that I love reading cookbooks, cooking magazines or basically anything with a recipe in it or even on it!  Yes I have too many cookbooks, in fact the house is full and I have been banned several times from puchasing anymore!  However there is nothing more enjoyable than the feel of a cookbook, flicking through the pages reading and drooling over the stunning pictures. Not to mention finding a page of a recipe you have cooked before, once or many times, which has been splashed on or scribbled on as you've adapted the recipe.

Coles and Woolworths both produce a wonderful monthly magazine that's actually free and readily available at most service counters or checkouts. While there is quite a lot of product advertising there are always lots of really good recipes inside also.  Why am I promoting these magazines?  Well I can take them home and technically I didn't buy them so that's a win! And secondly because I have actually cooked some wonderful and tasty dinners from each of them.

When I cook Spaghetti Bolognaise it is jam packed full of vegetables much to my kids disgust.  There is always complaints about "why are there so many vegetables?" or "Can't you just make it plain?"  Listening to their pleas of agony I remembered that I had seen a recipe for a Ragu (which is pretty much the same as a Bolognaise) in a recent Woolworths magazine so I decided I would test this recipe out and see if it would appease the natives.

To my surprise it was well recieved, no complaints, no facial expressions as there were no surprise vegetable finds.  This nice, thick tomato based sauce laced with rosemary and a hint of the sweet yet acidic flavour of balsamic made for a very comforting meal.  While one would think that it had been slow cooked for hours to achieve the consistency and develop the flavours it was literally on the table within 40 minutes.

Beef and Balsamic Ragu

(recipe adapted from Woolworths.com.au)

Serves: 4
SmartPoints Per Serve: 14

325 gram pasta of your choice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 red onions, cut into thin wedges

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, plus extra to garnish

2 garlic cloves, crushed

500 grams lean beef mince

1/3 cup tomato paste

400 gram can crushed tomatoes

1 cup salt-reduced chicken stock

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

garlic bread, to serve

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to packet instructions. Drain and set to one side.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until tender and starting to caramelise.

Add rosemary, garlic and mince. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring to break up any lumps, or until mince is browned. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, stock and vinegar and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve with garlic bread (if desired).

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Goulash Tirolese aka Tyrolean Beef Stew

I know a lot of my friends and family think I am made for menu planning.  But although I look nerdy and to some a control freak there are benefits to being organised. A major benefit is that I have meals I want to try and know how long they are going to take to prepare and cook.  This means that I can not only work out which meals are suitable for weeknights and which meals take a little more time.  It also means that from menu planning I create a shopping list and therefore have all the ingredients needed in one shop to pull off a week of cooking.  Totally win win for me... sadly totally outrageous to others.

Needless to say I love finding new recipes to try and share with our friends and family and you, the readers of my blog.

Anyway - I would like to introduce you to Gennaro Contaldo. Gennaro was born in Amalfi, Italy, and came to public attention as the chef who inspired Jamie Oliver when they worked together at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street restaurant.  He also co-presents the BBC2 Two Greedy Italians series with Carluccio and has published several cookbooks, including the recently released Slow Cook Italian, from which he shares the following recipe for Goulash Tirolese (Tyrolean beef stew).

“This classic stew from the Trentino-Alto Adige or South Tyrol region of northern Italy is slow cooked with onions, cumin and paprika – its distinct central European flavour is influenced by neighbouring Austria,” he writes in the recipe introduction.

To read this recipe was a pleasure but I must say to cook it and stand in my kitchen just smelling the Goulash (occasionally tasting it because I had too) was an honour.  I am so glad that I tried this recipe.  The flavour matched the aroma that filled the house.  The ease of the recipe was unbelievable especially compared to the flavour.

A very robust goulash style stew with only a few ingredients.  The beef was very tender and the pieces of pancetta that laced the thick sauce were tasty and added a salty yet salty element to the dish.  As we are not a polenta loving household (I am the only one that likes it) we had mashed potatoes to make ensure comfort food status was achieved.

Goulash Tirolese aka Tyrolean Beef Stew

(Recipe sourced from Indaily.com - Slow Cook Italian)

Serves: 4

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, sliced

100g pancetta, cubed

About 1 litre (4 cups) hot vegetable stock

1kg stewing beef, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed

1 tsp paprika

2 sprigs thyme

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sweat the onions on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent sticking, until softened. Remove and set aside.

Add the pancetta to the pan and cook on a medium heat until coloured but not burnt. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Return the onions to the pan, add about 3 tablespoons of stock and cook for a minute or so until the liquid has evaporated.

Add the beef, increase the heat and brown the meat all over.

Add 100ml (scant ½ cup) of stock, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook very gently for 30 minutes, then add another 100ml of stock and continue to cook for 30 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, thyme and pancetta.

Add 400 ml of stock, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for a further 1 hour, gradually adding more stock and stirring from time to time to ensure the meat doesn’t stick.

Remove from the heat and serve with creamy polenta or mashed potato or crunchy bread.

For a slow cooker

Cook the onions, pancetta and beef as above.

Once the beef is browned add 750 ml (3 cups) stock, the garlic, cumin, paprika, thyme and pancetta.
Bring to the boil, stirring, then transfer to a large slow cooker pot, press the meat beneath the liquid, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Meatball Tomato and Mozzeralla Tray Bake

It's that time of year again - football season and winter.   When meals need to be quick and easy due to weeknight footy training, not to mention Saturday is game day and then there is always our social life to fit in.  

So it officially started this weekend for us.  Two football matches on Saturday (one in Carrum Downs and the other in Hastings).  Needless to say Saturday was busy until around 2pm. Saturday Night we went out for dinner with our beautiful friends, Tanya and Pete, whom we actually met through football.  We were all being "restaurant Guinea Pigs" as I had chosen a restaurant that none of us had been to before.

We had some amazing flavours at the Sun Wah last night - definitely had the taste buds jumping.  Everything on the menu sounded delicious so we all settled for the "Our Chef Degustation Menu".  Eight courses of amazing flavours and the presentation - wow it was magnificent.  This was the second time we had sat down for a Degustation feast - the first time was at Ten Minutes By Tractor.  I have to say we really enjoyed our first experience of a Degustation menu at the beautiful restaurant and winery in Main Ridge so needless to say I was definitely eager to see how the Chinese laid it our.  Our feast at the Sun Wah was as follows:

Amuse Bouche

Duck & Pork Croquette w. black truffle mayo

First Course

Ginger pear scallops, crispy pork belly, golden pearl sago, chilli jam

Second Course

Blue swimmer crab dumpling, Yarra Valley salmon caviar, clear consomme

Third Course

Twice cooked lamb rib, chilli jam, coriander

Fourth Course

Hopkins River grass fed eye fillet, eggplant, snake green beans, snow peas, mushrooms. teriyaki jus

Served with Special Fried Rice

Fifth Course

Roast Peking duck, steamed crepe, pickles, cucumber, hoi sin

Sixth Course

48° poached salmon, black bean, soy dressing with

dry fried spicy green beans

Seventh Course

Stuffed chicken w. minced prawns and mandarin jus

Eighth Course

Indulgence sharing dessert platter

Followed By Coffee and Tea

and Petit Fours 

Tonight's dinner truly had to be worthy of a king to match up with the food we ate last night.  LOL I am only kidding - tonight's dinner needed to be the perfect homemade meal.  A balanced meat and vegetable dish with lots of flavours.  This is a dish I have made a few times and it always goes down a treat.  Not only is it really easy, a fabulous one pot wonder, it is quick and manages to disappear.

Meatball Tomato and Mozzeralla Tray Bake

(Recipe adpated from Weight Watchers Australia)

Serves: 4

Smart Points per serve: 9

500 grams lean beef mince

3 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon rind, finely grated

2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes

1/2 cup fresh wholegrain breadcrumbs (approx 2 slices)

1 egg

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 medium red capsicum, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

cooking spray

400 grams canned cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoons baby capers, rinsed, drained

100 grams bocconcini, torn

1/2 bunch fresh basil, leaves

Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced.

Combine mince, shallots, parsley, rind, chilli flakes, breadcrumbs and egg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  Roll level tablespoons of mixture into 24 meatballs.

Place meatballs, capsicum and zucchini in a large baking dish. Lightly spray with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes or until meatballs have browned.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, paste, garlic and capers in a bowl.

Add tomato mixture to meatballs and stir to combine. Top with bocconcini and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and meatballs are cooked through.

Serve sprinkled with basil.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Lemongrass and Chilli Larb with Mint Salad

Alex and I are currently researching our family tree.  It's been and still is a very interesting activity not only for me but for Alex also.  We are trying to do both sides of her heritage so she has something to pass on when she is older to the future generations.  I had already started my family - the Davies' and the Lewis' - which has taken me back many generations.  

My blood line is definitely British - a combination of Welsh and English with no real surprises except the odd skeleton or ten in the closest.  However my children believe that I must have a hint of Asian, Mexican or Indian somewhere in history due to the food that I always cook.  Apparently "always" cook which was said in an interesting tone LOL!  To be totally honest, if I traced back and found another nationality I would be truly impressed.

When pregnant on both children I didn't really have any weird and wonderful cravings unlike many ladies - however I did eat Beef Vindaloo Curry (and mind you the hotter the better) like it was going out of fashion.  Every week hubby came home armed with a takeaway from our favourite Indian even detouring on his way home if he wasn't in that area.  Strangely my mother also ate lots of curry when she was pregnant on both my sister and I?  Obviously it runs in the family although I don't think my sister did this.  What cravings did you or your partner have?

Anyhow it's no secret that I really enjoy flavoursome foods and cooking with fresh produce, herbs and spices is my passion.  If I can make it rather than using prepacked packet or jar ingredients I am actually in my element.  Plus it's rewarding making things and experiencing all the flavours coming together.  So many countries have cuisines that truly make your taste buds tingle and your tummy just wanting more.  Thai food has that effect on me - I love the zesty sweetness, saltiness and hotness that comes with combining all the ingredients.  It's all wonderfully balanced and gives you so many flavour experiences in one mouthful.

This Lemongrass and Chilli Larb did exactly that.  Jam packed with lemongrass, garlic, chilli, fish sauce, lime and sugar each mouthful was a flavour explosion.  Served with a crunchy mint salad I was definitely reminded of my time spent in Singapore and of course, of when we go to dine in our favourite restaurant in Springvale and Clayton.  The freshness of the salad complimented the flavours of the Larb.  It's no wonder the Asian cuisines incorporate fresh herbs and salads into most of their meals - it's something that I really enjoy and indulge in quite often.

Once again another simple weeknight wonder that will get your family thinking you have been to a cooking school or that you should be on My Kitchen Rules.  Give it a go and let me know what you and your family think.... 

Lemongrass and Chilli Larb with Mint Salad

(Recipe adapted from Taste.com)

Serves: 6

SmartPoints per Serve: 10 

1/2 cup white rice

cooking spray

1 fresh mint leaves

1 red onion, cut into thin wedges

250 grams bean sprouts, trimmed

1 kilogram lean beef mince

2 teaspoons oil 

1 1/2 lemongrass stalk (white part only), finely chopped

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

4 tablespoons fish sauce

4 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook rice as per packet instructions.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine mint, onion and bean sprouts in a bowl.   Put in refrigerator until required.

Heat a wok over high heat. Spray with cooking spray.  Add 1/2 the mince. Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl, draining excess fat. Repeat with remaining mince.

Add oil to wok. Stir-fry chilli, lemongrass and garlic for 30 seconds. Return mince to wok with fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add coriander. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Serve mince with rice and mint salad.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Baked Curried Beef and Rice

Apparently I have been cooking too many curries lately.... this was a sad statement to be told.  Who in there right mind cannot have enough curry?  Further discussion led me to two decisions.  The first being my experimenting with making curry paste from scratch is not satisfying the kids and has possibly made me a little obsessive.  Or two I am not cooking enough Butter Chicken - a curry that they would all happily eat every day!!!  I think it's the later for sure but sadly I do think it's the fist reason.

Looking for a weeknight wonder, I came across this recipe which didn't involve making a curry paste but did however have the curry in the name.  Was I game to serve it up?  Hell yes.

Such an easy dish to make and really took no time at all.  Pop in the oven and voila you have a rice bake that had an Indian style flavour which not surprisingly they all loved. This curry was more a spicy tomato flavour than that of an authentic curry but due to the spices used it was very enjoyable and not that "Plain Jane"  Saying that it was quite mild curry so very kid friendly.  I added some carrots and capiscum to bulk it out and add extra vegetables.

Another perfect weeknight wonder.......

Baked Curried Beef and Rice

(Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Australia)

Serves: 6

SmartPoints per Serve: 7

cooking spray

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium brown onion, finely chopped

500 grams lean beef mince

2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried saffron

3 teaspoons curry powder, mild

2 teaspoons ground all spice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 x 400gram can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups beef stock

2 carrots, diced

1 red capsicum, diced

2/3 cup frozen peas, boiled

150 grams Basmati rice

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Lightly spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. 

Add mince and cook, breaking up lumps, for 5-7 minutes or until browned. 

Add garlic, saffron, curry powder and allspice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, beef stock, carrots and capsicum and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in peas.  Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, place rice in a medium saucepan. Cover well with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or until rice is almost tender (you still want a little firmness). Drain.

Add rice to beef mixture. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg. 

Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Echidna Meatballs aka Porcupine Meatballs

Well I definitely surprised myself while menu planning this week!  Not because we planned a full week of super quick and easy meals to get us to Friday as we have a busy week but I was surprised, actually stunned, that I hadn't blogged this gem of a recipe!  And I cannot even begin to think why?

My mam had a variety of homestyle dishes that she cooked as staples when we were growing up as did everyone's mothers.  Ours always had a British twist as although we were living in Australia my parents were born and raised in Wales.  So we had Shepherds Pie, Bangers and Mash with Onion Gray, Lamb Stew, Curry Pie, Toad in the Hole and of course, Eggs Beans and Chips.  These were the meals that were regularly on the table and we all enjoyed them.  I can tell you that there were never any leftovers when these went on our table.  In fact I still get a little excited if I know any of these dishes are what we are having for dinner.

However, my kids, have had to deal with me creating my own list of family favourite dinners.  As easy go to meals especially during the working week items that can be found on the menu planner can include Hamburgers, Taco's, Penne Boscaiola, Devilled Sausages, homemade pizza (your choice of topping), Chicken Parmagiana, Echidna Meatballs and of course, Eggs Beans and Chips.

I understand many of you may have or not had any of the dishes I have just mentioned so just for the record Toad in the Hole does not contain any toads, Porcupine Meatballs do not contain any porcupine meat and Echidna Meatballs definitely do not contain any Echidna meat.  Are we clear?  I am happy now that we have that sorted!

Firstly this recipe is based on Porcupine Meatballs, an American dish that has apparently been a staple for generations.  As we live in Australia I changed the name to Echidna meatballs based on the fact that we don't have Porcupines down under.  The Echidna, or Spiny Anteater, is the equivalent to it's Northern Hemisphere counterpart.

So what is an Echidna meatball?  Basically its a beef meatball with raw white rice added during the mixing stage.  Once the meatballs start cooking the rice starts protruding from the meat.  This resembles a Echidna or a Porcupine.  It's quite a groovy cooking technique and look pretty cool, especially if you are a kid.

Echidna meatballs are a very comforting and easy dish to make. The tender meatballs flavoured with herbs are cooked in a delicious tomato sauce.  There is no need to brown up the meatballs prior as they keep their shape well.  Note there is not a lot of stirring required during cooking so please do not be tempted to continually stir as you will ruin the effectiveness of the rice poking from the meatball.

Like with most hand me down recipes, googles or cookbook searches you will find a multitude of different versions all claiming to the best.  This recipe is nice, tasty and very easy but is it the best?  We think so but I am unsure.  Many use canned tomato soup but we find that using a can of condensed soup seems to make the sauce very sweet.  We prefer to add some diced fresh tomatoes along with canned and passata.  Add some chilli flakes if you wish to spice up the tomato sauce or even some different herbs.  Its a great recipe to experiment with also.

This is a perfect one pot weeknight wonder, even more so for me tonight as the man of the house, Noel, cooked dinner.  It was wonderful to come home from work and smell the deliciousness as I opened the front door.

Serve with mashed potato or plain pasta and I am sure your family will love them.

Echidna Meatballs aka Porcupine Meatballs

Serves: 4

SmartPoints per Serve: 7

500 grams lean beef mince

1/3 cup raw long grain rice

1 teaspoon beef stock powder

salt

ground black pepper

1 egg white 

4 fresh truss tomatoes, diced

350 ml Italian passata

1 x 440g can diced tomatoes

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup water

2 teaspoons chicken stock powder 

2 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chilli flakes (optional)

In a mixing bowl add mince, rice, stock powder and egg white. Season with salt and pepper.  Using your hand, mix all ingredients together until combined.  Shape into twelve even sized meatballs.

Place the tomatoes, passata, canned tomatoes, onion, water, chicken stock powder, garlic, oregano and chilli, if using, in a flameproof casserole dish or heavy based frying pan (with a lid). Mix well and bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Gently place meatballs in tomato sauce.

Put lid on casserole dish and gently simmer for 1 hour, stirring occassionally, until meatballs are cooked and rice is protruding.

Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta (add SP as required).

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Beef Cheeks with Thyme, Chilli and Ginger Beer with Saffron Risotto

And now for something completely different - LOL!! 

 

As always I am constantly on the hunt for a "different" recipe, dish or really anything to cook.  It's somewhat looked upon as an obsession, an illness perhaps but to be perfectly honest I don't care.  I enjoy what I do, it makes me happy and I take great pride in introducing my family to different foods, flavours, textures experimenting to find their likes and dislikes. 

 

I have mentioned before that this was the way I was raised by my parents - I was taught never to fear food but to taste and decided if I liked it or not.  Nothing was left far from the imagination - we always had food made from little or many ingredients and from many countries or regions.  My parents enjoyed their relationship with food and this was passed on to me - I believe everyone should have a good understanding of foods especially those void of all the added chemicals, additives and preservatives evident in many foods of today's world.

 

My kids have embraced the love of food - although there have been many times over the years that there have been pleas of "can we please have normal food for a change" and many nights where beans, eggs and chips have been served at our table.  However saying this I absolutely adore being at a restaurant and listening to my kids order their meals.  To my delight they often try something other than Parma and Chips.  I remember my daughter as an 8 year old sitting in the local Chinese restaurant boldly asking for Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup followed by Peking Duck.  The waitress was amazed and yelled to the chef telling him of her order.  I still chuckle when I think of that moment.

 

We have a new member in our household, our son's girlfriend.  She has been with us for several months now and I am impressed with her willingness to embrace our lifestyle and our food.  To date she has tried everything put before her and yes there are things that she wasn't a fan of but has had the openness and honestly to speak her thoughts.  I am very proud of her - she definitely belongs in our family.

 

Saying this, beef cheeks were on the menu last night and of course, I would not have done them justice if I had just slow cooked them in red wine.  Research completed and several recipes morphed together plus a few little twists of my own saw this creation - Beef Cheeks with Thyme Chilli and Ginger Beer served with Saffron Risotto.  This recipe is loosely based on a recipe that appeared in the August/September 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE but as usual I had to change ingredients and put the House Of Murray twist on things.

 

Beef cheeks must be slow cooked - there is no other way to cook them so don't even consider it.  Low and slow either in the oven or a slow cooker.  A quick fry is NOT an option of cooking these meat pieces - they will be tough.

A word of warning also - beef cheeks are a rick meat to start with and most recipes are served with a rich red wine jus or sauce in which they are cooked.    I wanted something different as much as love a good full bodied red wine sauce there was the need to experiment.  So I substituted half the red wine with white wine and also added a bottle of sugar free ginger beer.  The result was fantastic - although still a little rich which I did expect it wasn't as heavy as it would normally be.  Also added the subtly of fresh thyme and a little heat from chilli flakes. 

Overall, a truly hearty dish which served also side a Saffron Risotto was filling and well received at the table.

 

Beef Cheeks with Thyme, Chilli and Ginger Beer

(Recipe adapted from August/September 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE)

 

Serves: 4 - 6

1 litre beef stock

4 - 6 beef cheeks (approx. 250 grams each), trimmed

salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 large carrot, cut into large chunks

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 bunch fresh thyme

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups dry white wine

750 ml bottle sugar free ginger beer

2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

600 ml chicken stock

80 ml extra-virgin olive oil

200 grams risotto rice

1 brown onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons saffron threads

150 ml dry white wine

80 grams butter

Place beef stock in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the liquid reduces by half, or for about 30 minutes.

Season beef cheeks with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a large jug combine red wine, white wine, ginger beer and chilli.

 

Place beef cheeks in a large bowl and pour over wine mixture. Cover with cling film and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and separate beef cheeks and marinade.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook beef cheeks for about 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add vegetables to the pan and sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Transfer to a bowl.

Place stock and marinating liquid in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil then remove from heat.

Place beef cheeks and vegetables in a roasting dish and cover with stock mixture. Cover tightly with foil and cook in a preheated oven at 150C for 3- 4 hours or until tender.

 

Meanwhile heat the chicken stock in a saucepan over low heat.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add rice and cook, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes. Add shallots, garlic and saffron and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add white wine and shake pot occasionally until wine begins to reduce or for about 3-5 minutes. Add stock a ladle at a time until stock just covers the rice, making sure it continues to just cover the rice. After rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, stir for 2-3 minutes.

Check rice is al dente, remove from heat, stir in butter and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

 

Serve risotto immediately with beef cheeks, vegetables and sauce.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Slow Cooked Beef and Pancetta Ragu

Italian food - food for the soul.  Let's face it everyone loves pasta even those low-carb diet followers secretly love pasta.  I honestly have never met anyone that does not like pasta.  Have you?

 

This wonderful Italian number shines at the top of the comfort food list... slow cooked tender beef with pancetta in a thick tomato and herb sauce is perfect especially on a cold winter's night. 

 

Now this recipe does take quite a few hours on the stove top but I am sure that it would work perfectly well in a slow cooker.  I was home all day so it was easy for me to keep an eye on the pot on the stove top.  A slow cooker would definitely be easier though.

 

Fresh thyme and rosemary are perfectly placed in this sauce - please ensure you do try and use fresh herbs anytime you can the chance.  The flavour is much fresher and bolder than dried herbs in packets.

 

This ragu can be made ahead of time.  Allow to cool and it will last in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container.  It's perfectly good to freeze also. 

 



Slow Cooked Beef and Pancetta Ragu

(recipe adapted from Taste.com)

Serves: 8

 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1.25kilograms gravy beef, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces

1 large brown onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 red capsicum, finely chopped

100 gram pancetta, finely chopped

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons plain flour

3/4 cup red wine

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 cup beef stock

410 gram can crushed tomatoes

750 grams dried pappardelle pasta

50 grams  butter, chopped

Grated parmesan to serve

Chilli flakes to serve (optional)

Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook the beef, in batches, until browned all over. Transfer to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining oil in same dish. Add onion, carrot, capsicum, pancetta, rosemary and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables just begin to soften.

Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until vegetables are coated. Stir in wine. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 minute or until reduced slightly. Add tomato paste, stock and tomatoes. Stir to combine.

Return beef to dish. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours, or until meat is very tender and sauce thickens. Use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to break up meat.

Cook pasta following packet directions. Drain well. Return to pan. Add butter. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Serve ragu on pasta, sprinkled with parmesan and chilli, if desired.

 

 

 (Click here for a printable version of this recipe) 

Beef and Mushroom Casserole with Parmesan Dumplings

Another winter warmer to make an appearance on this blog is Beef and Mushroom Casserole with Parmesan Dumplings.  

Who could want more on a colder evening that fills you to your toes? A nice thick rich beef casserole with mushrooms and thyme as the main stars with secretly hidden carrots and zucchini complimented with nice soft dumplings laced with Parmesan cheese.  

This recipe was slow cooked in the oven but could easily be cooked in a slow cooker for those that need to be prepared (normally I have the slow cooker on at least 3 times a week in our house).

Beef and Mushroom Casserole with Parmesan Dumplings

(recipe adapted from Taste.com)

Serves: 8

1.5 kilograms gravy beef, cut into 2cm chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onion, chopped

10 bacon rashes, chopped

500 grams button mushrooms, halved

4 whole garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 cups beef stock

1 cup red wine

2 cans 400 grams chopped tomatoes

1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs

4 carrots, peeled and grated

2 zucchini, grated
salt
freshly ground black pepper

75 grams butter

3 cups self-raising flour

3/4 cup fresh parmesan grated

1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius.

Brown diced beef in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Transfer to plate.

To the same pan add onion, bacon, mushrooms, garlic and cook until soft. Stir in flour.

Add beef stock, red wine, tomatoes, thyme and smoked paprika. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, add carrots and zucchini.  Return beef to the mixture and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon into a large ovenproof dish.

Cook covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally or until beef is tender.

Increase oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl rub butter into self-raising flour. Stir in Parmesan and milk. Bring together. Roll into 24 balls. Place on casserole mixture.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Alternatively slow cooker directions:

Place in beef mixture in a slow cooker vessel and cook on low for 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Transfer mixture into a large oven proof dish.

Make dumplings as above and place on casserole mixture.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Serve with steamed vegetables.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Chilli Con Carne Tortilla Stack

Mexican is always one of my go to comfort foods but then again so is Chinese, British - oh who am I kidding most food is my comfort food!!  What can I say as you have probably gathered I love food, not just eating but cooking whether its following a recipe and making it up as I go along.

 

With that being said let me start this again...

 

Mexican is one of my go to foods when I want to cook something so full of flavour and something that is generally quick and easy.  This Chilli Con Carne Tortilla Stack is a recipe that covers both taste and fits perfectly into a midweek wonder.

 

Layers of the soft flour tortillas and a slightly spicy sauce filled with meat, vegetables and kidney beans make for a different dish rather than taco's or burritos.   I use our Homemade Taco Seasoning, which is hotter than the packet mix, which needs to be half the packet amount.  You can however, use more and enjoy a spicier version.

 

This simple yet flavoursome meal will definitely please and will have your family asking you for more.... mine enjoy it that much that I actually make two every time.

Chilli Con Carne Tortilla Bake

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

500 grams extra lean beef mince

15 grams homemade taco seasoning or 30 grma packet taco mix

2 x 410 gram can diced tomatoes

420 gram can red kidney beans, drained

1 cup water

1 green capsicum, diced

1 red capsicum, diced

½ cup frozen corn kernels

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

8 extra light flour tortillas/burritos

200 gram jar mild taco sauce or salsa

1 cup grated reduced fat tasty cheese

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.

Add mince and taco seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until browned.

Add tomatoes, beans, water, capsicum and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until capsicums are soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Line a 22cm deep spring form pan with baking paper and spray with cooking spray. Place one tortilla at the base of the spring form pan. Place two ladleful's of the beef mixture in pan. Top with another tortilla. Continue until the top layer is the last tortilla.

Top stack with taco sauce or salsa and sprinkle with cheese.

Cook in oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and golden. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Place on serving dish and remove spring form pan sides.

Serve with mixed salad leaves, sour cream and extra salsa if desired.

(Click here to get a printable copy of this recipe)

Oven Baked BBQ Beef Ribs

To say that we really enjoy pork ribs is an understatement - this house goes mad for them.  However there is also a sneaky admiration for thick cut beef ribs (or short ribs as they can be known by). There is nothing more enjoyable than slow cooked beef ribs that are tender and melt in your mouth.  Now normally I would marinade them in an Asian influenced style sauce and slow cook for 8 hours in my trusty slow cooker but this time I decided to try an American BBQ based recipe and I am so glad that we did.

Half way through making the dry rub, when I realized that I didn't have any Cajun Seasoning and had to make my own (lol a recipe within a recipe), I knew just from the combination of the herbs and spices that these beef ribs were going to have so much flavour not to mention a little kick of heat with having both chilli and cajun seasoning in the mix.  I marinade these overnight to allow the flavours to develop.

Slow cooked in the oven on a very low temperature for 4 hours ensured that these nice plump beef ribs were tender and fell off the bone.  The addition of the BBQ sauce in the last step not only added the sweetness but also the stickiness that gave you a reason to lick your fingers to ensure you savour every mouthful.

It was the AFL Grand Final today and these ribs would be our dinner after watching the match. Not really an traditional Aussie meal (we ate party pies during the game) but OMG I enjoyed these ribs, and so did the others, and will definitely be cooking them again.     

Oven Baked BBQ Beef Ribs

(Recipe adapted from Diva's Can Cook)

Serves: 8

2 kilograms meaty beef ribs

 2 - 3 tablespoons Liquid smoke (optional)

2-4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoon cajun seasoning

4 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon paprika

4 teaspoons oregano

 4 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ Sauce

Rinse ribs and dry with paper towels
.
Douse dry ribs with liquid smoke if using.

Lightly coat ribs in olive oil.

Mix together seasoning and sprinkle generously over ribs, front and back.

Massage the spices into the ribs, adding more olive oil to help distribute the spices well if needed.

Place the ribs in a large ziplock bag or covered bowl and marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees Celsius.

Place the ribs on a foil lined baking tray in a single layer.

Add another piece of foil on top to create a pouch for the ribs to cook in. Be sure to seal the edges of the foil so that it's tight and steam won't seep out.

Bake on the middle rack of 3½ -4 hours. Check on it after the 3½ hour mark.

When the ribs are done to your liking, drain off the excess fat.

Brush the ribs with desired amount of BBQ sauce.

Grill until the sauce is sticky.

Serve with oven baked potato wedges and coleslaw.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)