Beef Keema with Potatoes

Tasty, warm and filling - just the thing for a winter's evening.  Oh, and it can have a bit of a kick!    If you don't have have all the spices just put in the ones you do have, it won't be the same but it won't be too bad, although you do need the ginger, coriander and chilli.

• 500g  minced beef
• 1 onion - chopped
• 1 tsp ground ginger OR 2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled
• 3 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 2 Bay leaves  
• 4 cloves  or 1 tsp of ground cloves
• 4 cardamom pods - split them open slightly
• 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes OR 2 small chillis chopped and deseeded
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ¾ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped into fairly small chunks and parboiled
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• a little oil for frying.

• Peel the onion and cut it in half, then lay it cut side down and slice it thinly
• Heat the oil in a large pan (I find a wok is the best pan for this)
• Add the spices to the oil and cook for about a minute on a low to medium heat - be careful not to let them burn
• Add the onion and garlic to the oil, mix in with the spices and cook until the onion softens and looks translucent, stirring from time to time to ensure that they don't burn
• Add the beef and brown for a while - if it is very fatty beef, it may be better to brown it first and set it aside until you need it, having drained off the fat.
• Add the tomatoes and tomato puree ( rinse out the can with a little water and put the water in too)
• Add the potatoes and stir in well.  
• Cover and simmer on a low heat for about half an hour

Easy Chilli Con Carne

• 250g minced beef
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 can of  tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tsp chilli powder or flakes    *
• ½ tsp cumin                           *
• 1 tsp paprika                          *
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• Water

1. Chop the onions and garlic and set aside
2. Brown the minced beef in a large pan; when it is well browned drain the accumulated fat into the container the meat came in, or into another disposable container.
3. Add the onions, garlic,and spices and continue to cook until browned
4. Stir in the flour and let the mixture cook for a minute to ensure that the flour is cooked
5. Rinse the kidney beans, then add them to the mixture along with the tomatoes
6. Add a little cold water to the tomato can, swirl around to gather up the tomato juices which are clinging to the side of the tin, then add to the pan and crumble a stock cube into the mixture.
7. Stir well, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

*You can add more or less of the spices according to your own personal taste, but remember that although the first mouthful may not seem too hot, succeeding ones will be hotter, so when tasting, it may be better to put a little into a cup and eat a few mouthfuls.

Kedgeree

Kedgeree is usually thought of as a breakfast dish but for those evenings when you get back late and want a warming meal but don't want to wait too long, this is perfect.

• 100g rice
• 1 boiled egg
• smoked fish - (vacuum packed smoked mackerel from the supermarket is very good)
• handful of frozen peas
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp crushed dried chilli flakes
• 100g natural yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp cornflour
• Knob of butter/flora

• Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside to dry off but keep it warm
• Boil the egg, when cooked, cool it in cold water then peel and roughly chop.
• Whilst the rice & the egg are cooking melt the butter over a low heat and cook the onions and spices
• Flake the fish into the butter onions and spices & add the peas
• Put a little of the yoghurt into a cup and stir in the cornflour till it is all combined, then add the rest and stir it into the onions and fish.
• Stir the fish mixture and the chopped eggs into the rice and serve.

You can use more of the spices according to your taste - I have to confess that I use a lot more than the amounts specified.  If you want to make more of this, it is a simple matter to double up the amounts.

When the exams are over - celebrate with Coq au Vin

So you are heading to that dreaded time - exams.  I'm guessing no-one really has time to cook just now, and you are living on whatever you can grab fast.  Not great nutrition but fills a hole - gets the job done.
Once the exams are over however, it will be time to celebrate and you will have time to hang out with friends, maybe all get together for a meal.  For some of you, it may be for the last time if you are doing finals.  So - time to get the good stuff out - good hearty food, and maybe food to make a statement?

What about a good hearty Coq au Vin?  Sounds impressive huh?  Sounds complicated?  No!  It really isn't.  Sounds expensive?  Well I suppose it could be, but I know that you are on a budget and I always look for the less expensive option.
Whilst giving the instructions for this recipe, I will try to show the less expensive options alongside the more expensive ingredients, and you can choose which way to go.

For 2                                                  

• 2 Chicken breasts - or 3 thigh fillets - don't cut too small

         (a pack of 5 or 6 chicken thigh fillets costs around £3 and is more succulent)

• 6 shallots, peeled - or 1 onion peeled and diced
• 2 rashers of good smoked bacon, cut into slices (or a few thin slices of smoked sausage - like Mattessons - you can use the rest on pizzas, in spanish omelettes etc)
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt and pepper
• a good squeeze of tomato puree ( I always use ketchup - it is just better)
• 300mls of chicken stock (boiling water and stock cube will do)
• Red wine - about 1 small glass  
• 1 level tablespoon of flour
• Salt & Black pepper to taste
• 4 medium closed cap mushrooms cut into quarters
• Bouquet Garni - if you don't have one, use half a teaspoon each of parsley & thyme and a couple of bay leaves.  If you don't have those, just add a teaspoon of mixed herbs - I won't tell if you don't
• Chopped stalk of celery - if you must.
• A little oil 

For 6 people:

• You could use a whole chicken if you prefer - take a good pair of scissors and cut up the middle of the back of the bird alongside the back bone, then cut up the other side, removing the bone, then cut the bird into portion sized pieces.  If you would rather not mess around, just use thigh fillets.

• 3 rashers of bacon
• 10 shallots or 1 and a half onions

• 3 cloves of garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree ( I always use ketchup - it is just better)
• 500mls of chicken stock (boiling water and stock cube will do)
• Red wine - about 1 large glass  - some recipes call for a bottle, this seems excessive to me.  Either use whatever red wine you have left over or you can buy small bottles in the supermarket.  
• 1 good tablespoon of flour
• Salt & Black pepper to taste
• 8 - 10 medium closed cap mushrooms cut into quarters
• Bouquet Garni - if you don't have one, use a teaspoon each of parsley & thyme and a couple of bay leaves.  If you don't have those, just add a teaspoon of mixed herbs - I won't tell if you don't
• Chopped stalk of celery - if you must.
• A little oil 

Put the oil into a large pan, add the chicken pieces and cook until they are browned.

Remove the chicken from the pan and add the bacon, onions, mushrooms, celery - if using, herbs (not the bay leaves) & garlic, cook for a few moments to brown slightly.  

Add the flour and coat the ingredients, then cook gently for a moment or two before adding the tomato puree, wine, and stock.  

Cook those for a few moments then return the chicken to the pan.

Bring to the boil, then simmer gently with a lid on for at least 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.  Once the poultry is cooked, remove the lid and cook for a few minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.

Taste, then add the salt a little at a time, once the cooking is finished.  Adding salt before cooking can be detrimental to the quality of the food as it causes the meat to become dry.

Serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice.

It is worth saying that the better the wine you use in cooking, the better the outcome, but budgetary constraints will drive the choice and the inexpensive stuff I bought was ok     

       

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Spaetzle

This soft, German noodle is as delicious to eat as it is simple to make.  If you have a potato ricer you are well equipped but if not a colander will do the job, although ideally, you could do with a second one to store the spaetzle after they are cooked.

Spaetzle 

  

You can treat the noodles in the same way as any other fresh pasta, but the simplest thing to do is to grate some cheese and stir it into them whilst they are still hot.   For the dish shown, I diced an onion and some mushrooms, then fried them in some flora until the onion was quite brown and then stirred them and some grated cheese into the noodles.
You could simply chop up some garlic, fry it off gently in butter and stir that into the noodles, or you could chop some cooked bacon and stir that in ... the possibilities are endless and really do depend on what you like - experiment - have fun.

• 250g plain flour
• 3 eggs
• ¾ teaspoon of salt
• 80mls cold water

• A pan full of boiling water

1. In a large bowl combine the flour, eggs and salt using a fork.  Add the water a little at a time, but be aware that the mixture gets harder to stir.  
2. Let the mixture stand for about 15 - 20 mins, during which time it will firm up.
3. Bring the water in the pan to a rolling boil (this means boiling with lots of bubbles)
4. Put a spoonful of the mixture into your potato ricer, or force it through the holes in your colander, letting it land in the boiling water.  
5. If the noodles land in a heap in the pan, just give them a gentle shake with the tip of a knife to separate them.  When they float to the top of the water, they are cooked, so just scoop them out with a straining spoon and either put into a colander, or if you are using your only colander, into a dish lined with kitchen roll.  I used the lid of the pan containing the water to cover the noodles in the colander to keep them warm whilst cooking the rest, but as it only takes seconds for them to cook, it isn't completely necessary.
6. Repeat the cooking process until all your dough is used.

When all the noodles are ready combine with whatever flavourings you are using and serve.  It can be served as a side dish to accompany your main course, or you could serve it as a meal on its own.

Tasty Breakfast or Brunch idea

Line the sides of a muffin pan with strips of bacon, beat some eggs and add grated cheese.  Pour the egg mixture into the centre of the bacon line muffin tins and put into a preheated oven (180°  or gas mark 4) for 35 minutes.

I used a silicone muffin tin with 6 holes and needed 6 eggs.  They are delicious, hot or cold.  You could make them the previous night if you need a very early breakfast for any reason. 

Cheaper versions of Bolognese

Here we are, heading towards the end of the week and the purse is empty, but the family still need feeding.    I have about 150g of minced beef leftover from a larger pack which I double wrapped in cling film and froze for future use.  So  It is time to rummage around in the fridge and see what I can come up with to go with it.  I have some leftover sausages, onion, & mushrooms.  The sausages would have made a wonderful sandwich for lunchtime, but I need them for dinner so I shall have to resist.  I also have some store cupboard items which I can put to it to make a tasty, nutritious meal for the family.  So I used ...

• Approx 150g minced beef
• 4 pork sausages - cooked and sliced
• A small handful of lentils
• 1 onion
• 3 or 4 mushrooms 
• 1 clove of garlic
• Can of tomatoes
• Splash of worcester sauce
• Tomato ketchup
• lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of flour

You can alter the amounts to suit your requirements and what you have available.  If you don't have sausage but do have a rasher of bacon, feel free to substitute it, or anything else for that matter.

1. Put the lentils into a pan of cold water and put on the hob to boil.  Keep an eye on the pan as it boils over very quickly and leaves a nasty looking mess on the hob.  Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to simmer, and cook the lentils until they lose their hard, dome shaped appearance and look fluffy round the edges.
2. Peel and dice the onion
3. Peel and crush the garlic
4. chop the mushrooms
5. Put a fairly large pan on the stove and let it heat up, then add the minced beef, ensuring that the strands are separated so that you don't have clumps of meat.  Keep the meat moving in the pan until it is all browned.  
6. Add onions, mushrooms, sausage and garlic. Stir until they are all mixed together well. Then let the meat keep browning.  I find that the longer the meat browns, the better the flavour.
7. When the meat is sufficiently browned sprinkle over a tablespoon of flour and stir it in.  Keep the pan on the heat,and keep stirring the contents for about a minute, to allow the flour to cook.  
8. Add chopped tomatoes, drained lentils and about 150mls of cold water.  Stir the mixture and which will start to thicken.  Add more water until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
9. Add a good splash of worcester sauce, a tablespoon of ketchup, a splash of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs to the mixture and stir well.
10. Bring back to the boil, then turn the heat down and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes and you have a cheaper version of Bolognese Sauce.

If you have no meat available this is just as good using lentils alone.  Use more than you would add to meat but prepare them in the same way.  Prepare your vegetables in the same way but use a little oil to cook the onions, mushrooms etc before going onto step 7.

Prepare your pasta according to the instructions on the packet.