Here’s my meal for one on Valentine’s Day that’s not of chocolate, heart and bright sparkling scenery or flowers. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I had have and I am sharing it with you.
Something that you really love to eat and most of the ingredients are at hand reached. This is one of my favourite meal; after I finished eating I can burp out aloud and there’s no one to offend.
It’s simple, quick, and easy under 30 minutes. There’s no hassle to get a hearty meal for one and yet enjoyable pleasing.
Ingredients
1 c medium grain rice washed in cool water 10 small slices roast beef ( bought) 2 c beef stock ( bought) 2 1/2 c water 1 medium carrot cut to bite size 1 handful baby spinach washed and dried 1 Tsp ginger powder 1…
Beef bourguignon to me is a beef stew braised in red wine, and beef stock, which are cooked with carrots, onions, garlic, and a bouquet garni, and garnished with onions, mushrooms, and bacon for delicious flavoursome meal as well as full meal.
This stew goes well with mashed potatoes, green beans, or a loaf of bread. When I am having guests, I would rather used mashed potatoes as a hearty comfort meal and of course with a glass of red wine. Since I am cooking it for Friday dinner; which in my family Friday we usually have pasta or lasagne or pizza. Most of the time eat out pizza.
My family wanted something different today, they don’t want meatballs in tomato sauce nor white sauce. I know for a fact, everyone in the world do have a hearty comfort meal of stew. There are many different styles of cooking so too the name of the stew.
So I search and found a handful of stew beef. I found this simple easy cooking called beef bourguignon from ilovepasta as it includes pasta. Well, I am always looking for ideas and recreated this ilovepasta to make my own version. The original linked is attached at the bottom.
My stew is as simple hearty comfort delicious and different to the normally Friday dinner meal. Let’s cook and enjoy pasta night with family and its a great union as now a days you seldom have family sitting down together to eat.
Ingredients
50 g unsalted butter
800 g beef rump, minced with food processor
2 Tbsp plain flour
120 g bacon with fat rinds, cut into sticks
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 thinly sliced carrot
1 leek, cut thinly ring shape
250 ml beef stock
1 bottle pinot noir or red wine such as sav/semillion
1 bouquet garni (bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage), tied with string
24 button mushrooms, sliced and stems trimmed
1 can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 spring onion cut to garnish
1 Tsp black pepper plus more to taste
½ Teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 packet spiral pasta, cook as per instruction on packet
Method
Heat butter in a large cast-iron casserole pot over medium heat and brown the beef minced for 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook for further 4 minutes, season beef with salt and pepper, then transfer with to a plate.
Cook the bacon in the same cast-iron casserole for about 3 minutes, then add garlic, onion, celery,and carrots to the pot; sauté until softened for about 7-10 minutes.
Return the beef to the pot, add diced tomatoes, tomato paste,the beef stock and bring to the boil. Add red wine and bouquet garni and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours over low heat, until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency. Add the mushrooms during the final 20 minutes of cooking, stirring continuously, for sauce to reduce further.
Allow to cool slightly before serving with the hot cooked pasta sprinkled with cut spring onion.
Note: you can use fettuccine or any pasta of your choice,or mashed potatoes. You can use any red wine of your choice. You can omit spring onions.
Recreated kofta curry from +maria nasir. I use bought chicken meatballs from IKEA to make this a delicious curry, I cook the chicken meatballs and vegetables in a rich, creamy and extra spicy curry.
I prefer my curry to be creamy and extra spicy to my palate and satisfied. Being creative I have also added Hen of the woods (fungus/mushrooms) to “gives it’s a distinct citrus flavour, and its a robust appetising citrus finish to the palate. It’s meaty, with a soft floral nose look, thus it’s more intense then the cultivated, as a result of it growing wild”.
Ingredients 20 chicken meatballs (bought) 2 medium size carrots, cut into bite size 2-3 kumato (green tomatoes), cut into wedges 1 medium eggplant, cut into bite size 1 small green capsicum, cut into bite size 1 small bunch of Hen of the woods (Fungus/ mushrooms)- given by friend (opt) 8 Tbs olive oil 2-4 Tbs XO chilli sauce, (given by friend) 2-3 star anise seed 1 Spanish onion medium, sliced 2 Tbs cayenne powder 1 Tbs garlic finely chopped 1 Tbs garam masala and mint powder 1 Tbs sweet Hungarian paprika 1 Tbs ginger powder 1/2 Tbs cumin powder 2 Tsp salt (adjust per taste) 1 Tsp coriander powder 1 Tsp cardamom powder 1 Tsp chilli flakes 1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes 1 small can 165 ml coconut milk 1 1/4 cup chicken stock ground white pepper Continental parsley for garnish
Method
Heat oil in a cast iron over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden brown. Then ginger and garlic; stir about 2 minutes. Next garam masala-mint, paprika, cardamom, cayenne,cumin, coriander, salt and mix well.
Once fragrance smell, add ground white pepper, XO chilli sauce, chilli flakes; stir 2 minutes. Next add carrots cook 3 minutes. Now add eggplants, chicken meatballs, green capsicum, diced tomatoes, green tomatoes,and make sure its cooked through.
Once meatballs and vegetables softened and cooked; add coconut milk and stir thoroughly. Add hen of the woods, which give a distinctive taste to this dish.
Last, add chicken stock and stir (adjust stock as needed). Let it simmer about 25 minutes; curry thicken and reduced a bit. Adjust seasoning and curry consistency as needed. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Sprinkle continental parsley leaves on the top. Serve with rice and a glass of red wine.
Enjoy!!!!!
Note: I cut hen of the woods into bite size. You may want drizzle cream or whipped yogurt on top. You may use brown, basmati rice or tandoori naan (Indian flat bread). You may place chicken meatballs in oven to cooked then transfer to curry. I decided to cook my chicken meatballs with the curry. Its gives a soft bite to the crispy meatballs if put in oven.
Search the meaning of hen of the woods on google for more information.
Recreated kofta curry from +maria nasir. I use bought chicken meatballs from IKEA to make this a delicious curry, I cook the chicken meatballs and vegetables in a rich, creamy and extra spicy curry.
I prefer my curry to be creamy and extra spicy to my palate and satisfied. Being creative I have also added Hen of the woods (fungus/mushrooms) to “gives it’s a distinct citrus flavour, and its a robust appetising citrus finish to the palate. It’s meaty, with a soft floral nose look, thus it’s more intense then the cultivated, as a result of it growing wild”.
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Ingredients
20 chicken meatballs (bought)
2 medium size carrots, cut into bite size
2-3 kumato (green tomatoes), cut into wedges
1 medium eggplant, cut into bite size
1 small green capsicum, cut into bite size
1 small bunch of Hen of the woods (Fungus/ mushrooms)- given by friend (opt)
