Steak & Guinness Pie

January 10th, 2013 § 0 comments § permalink

Dug up the buried yummy Guinness stew, yay! Happy New Year.

——————————

— Steak & Guinness Pie (serves 4) 

800g braising beef steak, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 black pepper

2 tablespoons plain flour

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

300ml Guinness

200ml beef stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

5 springs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

400g Puff pastry dough

1 egg, beaten

——————————

Season the beef with the salt and black pepper, sprinkle with the flour and toss around until coated.

Heat the butter in a heavy-based pan. Add the beef and fry until browned.

Add the onion and fry for 3 minutes, then add the carrot, celery and garlic, cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the Guinness, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaf in the pan. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 2 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.

Remove from the heat and place into a deep pie dish and leave to cool completely.

Heat the oven to 200C / 400F.

Roll out the Puff pastry on a floured surface until slightly larger than the pie dish. Cut off a thin strip of pastry, brash the rim of the pie dish with beaten egg and stick the pastry strip around the rim, pressing it down. Brush the pastry rim with more beaten egg and lay the pastry lid on the pie. Seal the pastry edges with a folk, cut a couple of holes in the pastry to let the steam escape. Brash all aver with the remaining beaten egg.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Scotch Broth

October 22nd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Cold, wet, foggy, sentimental and hungry. A Perfect day for soup.

————————————

— Scotch Broth (serves 4) —

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

400g lamb shanks

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 leek, sliced

2 small turnips, chopped

1 little vegetable stock

1 bay leaves

30g peal barley

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

————————————

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Sauté the onion until they are lightly golden brown. Add the chopped lamb and brown. Add the carrots, leeks, turnips and sauté for about 3 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock, bay leaf, and peal barley in the saucepan, bring to boil and reduce the heat to low. Season with salt and black pepper, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Stir through the chopped parsley.

Chocolate Croissant Pudding Cups

July 29th, 2012 § 2 comments § permalink

Butter, cream and chocolate. The fascinating collaboration of unhealthy foods.

Umm, bad things are so tempting and delicious.

——————————

— Chocolate Croissant Pudding Cups (serves 4)—

3 croissants

70g dark chocolate

3 eggs

50g sugar

200 ml single cream

150 ml milk

1 dash of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sugar for sprinkle

——————————

Cut the croissants and dark chocolate into small pieces.

Mix the eggs and 50g of sugar in a large bowl, and whisk in the single cream, milk and a dash of vanilla extract.

Divide the chopped croissants and chocolate between 4 ceramic tea cups (200ml capacity per cup). Pour the cream mixture over and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 340F/170C.

Sprinkle with sugar on top of each cup (1/4 teaspoon of sugar par cup). Put the cups in a oven dish and pour in enough hot water around the cups.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until the pudding is just set and golden.

Swedish Meatballs

July 24th, 2012 § 2 comments § permalink

By the way, I’ll never step into IKEA on the weekend again . . .

——————————

— Swedish Meatballs (serves 4) —

200g minced beef

200g minced pork

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

50ml milk

30g breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill

2/3 teaspoon salt

A pinch of ground pepper

A pinch of ground nutmeg

Olive oil for frying

Some chopped dill for garnish

Lingonberry or cranberry jam for serving

Mushed potatoes for serving (optional)

*****

— for the sauce —

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon white wine

1 tablespoon plain flour

200ml beef stock

100ml double cream

Salt and pepper

——————————

Heat some olive oil in a frying-pan and saute the finely chopped onion over medium heat until golden brown. Set aside.

Place the minced beef, minced pork, sauteed onion, egg, milk, breadcrumbs, chopped dill, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well with hands.

Form the mixture into smallish meatballs.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the meatballs over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown.

Remove the cooked meatballs from the frying-pan and spoon away excess oil from the frying-pan and then melt the butter, add the flour and stirring until smooth. Add the white wine and bling to the boil, then add the beef stock, double cream and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and continue to stirring until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the frying- pan and coat with the sauce.

Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, garnish with some chopped dill.

Toasted Camembert & Grape Sandwich

July 6th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

I love the combination of grapes and cheese.
Fresh, sweet grapes and mature, salty cheese.

Two different things that go together well. It’s like a good marriage.

——————————

— Toasted Camembert & Grape Sandwich (serves 2) —

4 thin slices of bread

Some butter, softened

150g camembert cheese, thin sliced

a handful of red seedless grapes

——————————

Butter each slice of bread on one side only.

On the unbuttered side, arrange the slices camembert cheese, top a few grapes, pressing into the cheese, and arrange the slices cheese onto the grapes. Put the other slice of bread on top, buttered side out. Press together gently.

Heat a frying-pan over medium-low heat, fry the sandwich for about 2 minutes each side until golden brown.

Roast Potatoes

June 15th, 2012 § 2 comments § permalink

Potatoes are very friendly. They can get on well with almost everything.

——————————

— Roast Potatoes —

1kg floury potatoes, peeled and quartered

Extra virgin olive oil

1 bulb of garlic

Handful of  fresh rosemary sprigs

Sea salt and pepper

——————————

Preheat the oven to 425F/220C.

Break the garlic bulb into cloves (unpeeled), lightly crush them. Pick the rosemary leaves from the stalks.

Place the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 6 minutes.

Drain well and let dry for two minutes then Return the potatoes to the hot pan and shake it around to chuff up the edges.

Place the potatoes, garlic and rosemary into the roasting tin.

Drizzle the olive oil generously over everything and toss with your hands.

Season well with sea salt and pepper.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Egg & Soldiers

June 5th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

This cute British snack is one of my favourite breakfast.

Simple, adorable and fun to eat. It makes me happy and smiley in the morning.

——————————

— Egg & Soldiers —

eggs

breads

butter

A pinch of salt

——————————

Toast breads and spread butter. Slice into strips.

In a sauce pan, bring some water to the boil. Using a spoon, carefully place the eggs in the pan. Cook them for 4-6 minutes.

Place the boiled eggs into egg cups. Slice off the top of the egg with a knife and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Serve with the toast strips.

Baked Chocolate Pudding

February 22nd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Even though I have to do a lot of exercise to burn off the excess calories tomorrow, I can’t resist chocolate pudding.

——————————

— Baked Chocolate Pudding (serves 4) —

160g dark chocolate

100g butter

3 eggs

50g caster sugar

2 tablespoons plain flour, sifted

Thick double cream to serve

——————————

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and cut the butter into small cubes. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Stir until smooth.

Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk with electric mixer for about 8 minutes until pale and firm. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture and the flour. Take care not to over mix.

Spoon into 4 lightly greased ovenproof dishes, bake for 12-15 minutes until the pudding is puffed.

Top with the cream to serve.

Creamy Potato Bake

February 12th, 2012 § 1 comment § permalink

——————————

— Creamy Potato Bake (serves 2-3) —

500g floury potato (such as King Edward or Desiree)

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

150ml milk

200ml single cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

A pinch of black pepper

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

——————————

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.

Peel and slice the potatoes into thin slices about 1/8 inch thick.

Heat the butter in a large pan, stir-fry sliced onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, stir-fry for further 1 minute. Pour the milk, cream, salt and pepper and heat through.

Place the sliced potato into a pan, add 1 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese and thyme leaves, carefully mix until the potato slices are coated.

Transfer the potatoes in a baking dish. Smooth over the top, cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese, cook for further 20 minute until tender and golden brown.

Bacon & Egg Toast Cups

February 7th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

This is a nice and warm breakfast on a cold day.

London was covered with snow over the weekend and there were a lot of snowmans in the town. They made me feel nice and warm too.

——————————

— Bacon & Egg Toast Cups (6 cups) —

6 slices white sandwich bread

6 slices bacon

6 small eggs

30g shredded cheese

A pinch of salt and black pepper

Some Olive oil

——————————

Preheat the oven to 400F/ 200C.

Cook bacon strips in a frying-pan over medium heat until almost crisp and drain excess oil on kitchen papers.

Lightly grease 6 muffin cups with olive oil.

Cut out rounds of bread slices about 3.5 inches in diameter with a cookie cutter or a wide-mouthed glass. Press the bread rounds into the muffin cups.

Curl bacon strips into the bread cups.

Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese to the edges of bread cups.

Crack eggs and drop into the bread cups, sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste.

Bake until egg white are just set, about 8-10 minutes.