Rich Beef Stew and Fennel Fried Rice

Rich Beef Stew
Ingredients

* 1 – 1 ½ (one-half) lbs beef (sirloin) strips
* 2 onions, roughly chopped
* ¼ (quarter) bulb fennel, roughly chopped
* ½ (half) can plum tomatoes with juice
* ½ (half) green pepper, diced
* 1 large potato, chunked
* 1 knob ginger, peeled and shredded
* 4 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 green chillies, de-seeded and sliced
* 3 cups chicken/ beef stock (pref. if homemade with cumin, coriander, black pepper)
* 1 tbsp mint leaves, shredded
* 1 tbsp marmalade
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1 tsp coriander powder
* 3 tbsp Olive oil
* Salt
* Pepper
* Juice of ½ (half) lemon (approx)
* 1 tbsp ketchup (optional)

How to Cook

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Shakespeare rewritten

The great British playwright said, “If music be the food of love, play on.” GJ says, “If spices be the food of love, let’s get some heat on!” ;)

Breakfast Menage-e-trois

Sun dried tomato, goat cheese and basil omelette
Ingredients

* 4 eggs
* 1 tbsp evaporated milk/cream/ 2%
* 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped roughly
* 4 tbsp soft un-ripened goat cheese
* Olive oil
* Pepper
* Small handful of fresh basil leaves

How to Cook

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Lamb and beet tagine. Laura Calder called it ‘art on a plate’

Last year I entered a contest: Recipe to Riches Toronto… One of my favourite female celebrities Laura Calder was there! So, what did the judges have to say about my Lamb & Beetroot Tagine with Honey, Preserved Lemon, Clementine & Pomegranate? That is was delicious, original and looked like art on a plate!

Laura said that although she’s spent a lot of time in Morocco, she’s never seen a tagine with beetroot! Mine was a totally original recipe that works, was really flavourful and she’d eat it if it were served to her. My friends – and strangers who became friends – thought so as well! A group of eight of us polished off the tagine in glasses. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy! [And please respect copyright, I'm going to be entering it into other contests too.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Piedmont Eggs and other things

Inspired by Laura Calder’s Piedmont Eggs recipe, I decided to make some of my own. No anchovies or parsley in the house. No worries! I simply substituted fresh mint and cilantro for the parsley, added in some lemon juice instead of anchovies and voila, a sumptuous, tongue smearing, lip smacking pickling sauce!

Basically whisk together olive oil (75% extra virgin, 25% regular), garlic, lemon, mint, cilantro, tomato paste, salt and pepper to form a thick dressing/ sauce. Boil some fresh eggs, pour the sauce over and jar them for 24 hours. Eat with crusty bread!

It was almost lunch time as the eggs were boiling, so what did I do? Toast a couple of slices, spread some salted smooth ricotta cheese and a tablespoon of the Piedmont dressing on top. Yummy lunch!

Thanksgiving Leftovers #3: Turkey Tortilla Soup

Drats – another one without a picture (and recipe)! You need a good quality stock for any good soup. The best part about thanksgiving for me is making the homemade turkey stock. So to a turkey carcass I add carrots, onions, parnships (just happened to have some in the roast veggie bake that were a bit tough), celery, salt, pepper; cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and you’ll have yummy homemade stock! I don’t let a single piece of turkey go to waste, and managed to get 2-3 cups of shredded meat from the carcass too!

Anyway, to make the soup, you need to sauté some onions, green peppers and celery in some olive oil. Once translucent, sauté some chopped garlic (to taste), add shredded turkey and fry for 2 minutes on medium heat. Pour in equal amounts of turkey stock and chopped canned tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 25 minutes or so. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle on some chopped cilantro and crush a handful of tortilla chips into the soup. Serve immediately (or add the chips at the table if serving later). The chips add a crunch and body to the soup. Enjoy!