BEEF STIFADO

 

BEEF STIFADO

This is traditionally a Greek winter dish and it's delicious!

Ingredients:

1 tblsp olive oil

100g butter

1 onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 mug dry red wine

1 tblsp wine vinegar

pinch cumin

pinch cinnamon or 2"piece of cinnamon stick

700g stewing steak

700g small white onions

2 tblsps tomato puree

1 tsp salt

1 large bay leaf

Method:

Heat 50g butter and the olive oil in a casserole pot and fry the onions and garlic for five minutes.

Gently brown the meat on all sides, then stir in the tomato puree for a further minute.

Now add the cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf and salt. Mix well.

Add the red wine, the wine vinegar and gently cook for five minutes. Now add enough hot water to almost cover the meat, cover and simmer on a low heat for about two hours until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile soak the small onions in hot water for five minutes and peel the skin off.

Drain well and fry the onions in the remaining butter until browned. Set aside.

Once the meat is cooked through add the onions and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

BEETROOT, FIG & RED ONION SALAD

 

BEETROOT, FIG & RED ONION SALAD

I copied this recipe from the Michael Moseley's Fast 800 diet book and it is delicious!! 

Ingredients. 

2 tblsp Olive oil

2 tblsps Balsamic Vinegar 

300g Cooked Beetroot cut into wedges

2 Ripe Figs quartered

1 Red Onion quartered

30g Walnuts cut into small pieces

60g Feta Cheese crumbled

Good handful torn fresh Basil

Method. 

Heat the oven to 200c

Spread the Beetroot and Red Onion in an oven proof tray with raised sides, 

Drizzle over the oil and Balsamic Vinegar. 

Cover the tray with foil and bake in the oven for 20 mins.

Remove from the oven and take off the foil, 

Scatter the figs and stir in the Walnuts, season with Salt and Pepper. 

Put back in the oven and cook uncovered for another 20 mins. 

Allow to cool down, then sprinkle over the Feta and stir in the Fresh Basil. That's it! 

Enjoy! 

Fiery Goan Chicken Jalfrezi

 

Fiery Goan Chicken Jalfrezi

OK, so this is a bit of a mashup, but, it's delicious! 

For this dish I used The Spice Tailor Fiery Goan curry pack. 

Follow the instructions on the pack, then in a separate pan, heat a tablespoon of oil until shimmering and add a  green pepper, in bite size pieces, a chopped onion in bite size pieces and a finely chopped chilli. Sprinkle over a Teaspoon of Garam Masala and fry until the onions start to brown on the edges. 

When the chicken is cooked, stir in the fried onions and pepper, garnish with coriander and serve! 

Tip: To zing it up a bit add a couple of slices of lemon 5 minutes before the end of cooking. 

Roasted Red Pepper & Butternut Squash Soup

 

Roasted Red Pepper & Butternut Squash Soup. 

This is a simple, deliciously healthy recipe, 

that you can eat as part of a low carb diet. 

Ingredients

2 tblsps Olive Oil

4 Red Pepper, de seeded and halved

400gr Butternut Squash, diced

1 Medium Onion, diced

500ml Vegetable Stock

½ tsp Chilli Flakes

Salt & Black Pepper to taste. 

Method

Heat oven to 180c

Place the peppers, onions and Butternut Squash in an oven tray. Season well and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of oil over. 

Cook in the oven until the edges of the peppers blacken ( 20-30mins).

Allow to cool, then dice the peppers. 

In a large saucepan, heat the remaining oil and add the roasted veg. Pour in the veg stock and chilli flakes. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25mins, until the veg is soft. 

Now just blitz it in a food processor, until smooth. Check for seasoning and serve. 

Delicious! 

Chickpea & Lentil Curry.

 

Chickpea and Lentil Curry. 

This is a very tasty side, or even a main dish if you prefer, packed full of flavour and goodness! 

INGEDIENTS

1 Tblsp Veg Oil

1 Tsp Mustard Seeds

5-6 Curry Leaves

1 Large Onion chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

2 Tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped

1 Red Pepper deseeded and sliced into strips

1-2 Fresh Green Chillies, finely chopped

2 tsps Garam Masala

½ tsp Turmeric

½ 400g tin Green Lentils, drained washed

½ 400g tin Chickpeas, drained & washed

1tsp Salt

1tsp Ground Black Pepper or to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil on medium and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. 

When the mustard seeds start to pop add the onions and fry until soft and golden in colour (about 5-8 minutes). 

Now add the garlic and green chillies. 

Fry for another 2 mins, then add the turmeric, pepper, salt and 1 tsp of Garam masala, stirring to make sure the spices don't catch, turn the heat down a little. 

Fry for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, red pepper and a splash of water. Cook the tomatoes until that break down to form a thick Masala sauce, add more water if needed. Now add the Chickpeas and Lentils and allow to cook in the sauce until it all comes together. Break down some of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon. 

Finally add the other tsp of Garam Masala, taste for seasoning, stir and serve. 

Tandoori Chicken

 

Tandoori Chicken

This is a delicious recipe.

The chicken is marinated overnight to infuse the spices. It goes really well with a nice salad and a yogurt & mint raita.

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin removed). 

1 tblsp cooking oil

Juice from 1 lemon

3 or 4 Garlic cloves

2cm piece of grated Ginger

1 Green chilli chopped

200ml of Greek style Yogurt

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Cumin seeds crushed

1 tblsp Red Kashmiri Chilli powder

1 tblsp Dried Fenugreek leaves. 

Method:

Slash the chicken a couple of times down to the bone. 

Blend or pound the Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilli to a pulp. 

Put the chicken in a large bowl and mix in the Garlic, Chilli and ginger mix. 

Now stir in the Lemon Juice and Cooking Oil. 

In a separate bowl mix the yogurt with all the other ingredients. 

Add this mixture to the Chicken and mix well using your hands. 

Once mixed, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 2 hours. 

Next, place under a hot grill and cook, turning occasionally, allowing to blacken slightly to give that authentic charred look. 

Make sure the Chicken is cooked right through and juices run clear. 

Enjoy! 

Healthy Ham and Cheese Salad

 

Healthy Ham & Cheese Salad

Serves 1.

Nice and easy, healthy lunch with a touch of the Mediterranean. 

Ingredients

1 little gem lettuce torn into pieces

3 Cherry Tomatoes halved

2 Spring Onions chopped

¼ of a Cucumber cut into chunks 

30g Hard Cheese (Cheddar or similar) cubed. 

3 slices of Ham cut into strips

A small handful of Pumpkin Seeds

4 or 5 Green Olives halved

Juice of half a Lemon

1 Tblsp Olive Oil 

3 Tinned Anchovies cut into pieces

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Spread the salad ingredients on a plate

Layer with ham and cheese

Mix the lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle over the top. 

Finally top with Anchovies, Olives and pumpkin Seeds

Season well and enjoy!