20120219 Beef red curry

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten magazine - Scherpe rundvleescurry)

I was worried that I would not be able to make this beef stew while caring for a three-week-old baby. But it went really well as it took only less than 30 minutes to prepare. So I simply got everything ready immediately after I had put Olivia down for a nap. Then while the stew was bubbling away on the stove, I could continue to play with/feed/change Olivia. I consider this stew a success, though it didn't have much of a red curry taste as I had added too much water. Next time I will add 500ml of water only as the onions tend to produce quite some liquid too.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp butter
1kg stewing beef, cut into chunks
6 small onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp red curry paste
salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the butter in a Dutch oven and brown the beef over high heat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the onions and garlic, and fry until fragrant. Stir in the tomato puree and curry paste. Add 900ml of water and bring it to the boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 3 hours.

20120218 Tandoori-style chicken with buttered rice

(SOURCE: BBC GoodFood - Brian Turner's Tandoori-style chicken with buttered rice)

It has been a challenge to find the time (and energy) to try out new recipes since Olivia was born. My husband has been helping out loads and cooking simple meals. As we are getting more used to Olivia's needs and are learning to be flexible with our dinner time, I decided to cook something simple today. I prepared the ingredients during one of Olivia's afternoon naps, and then cooked the meal immediately after her feeding at 6pm. It was a miracle that our dinner was not interrupted. And of course, once we finished dinner, Olivia immediately asked for hugs - so our dessert had to wait. I can't wait till Olivia has developed more of a routine so we can better plan our meals around it. People say such a routine will be developed by the time babies are 6 weeks old...just 3 more weeks to go, fingers crossed!

INGREDIENTS
4 rounded tbsp Greek yoghurt
2 tsp tomato puree
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp medium curry powder
500g chicken fillets, cut into large cubes
2 tsp sunflower oil
For the buttered rice -
25g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
250g leftover cooked basmati rice
4 tbsp hot chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 180 degree C. In a bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients together and stir until the chicken is coated.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and quickly saute the chicken for 1 minute to seal. Cook the chicken on the top shelf of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and lightly charred.
3. Meanwhile, make the buttered rice. Melt half the butter in a pan and saute the onion over a high heat until soft. Add the rice and allow to just warm through, and then sprinkle over the stock. Season.
4. Grease four ramekins with the rest of the butter. Divide the rice between them and arrange on a baking sheet, then cover each one tightly with foil. Place on the second shelf in the oven and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.
5. Serve the buttered rice with the chicken.