20130827 Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

The first time i use bacon bits in bolognese sauce and it tasted sooooo good! This recipe made quite a huge batch of sauce so I simply freeze half of it for "rainy days". 

Ingredients 

400g minced pork/beef

200g bacon blocks

4 celery stalks, finely diced

4 small carrots, finely diced

2 big garlic cloves, crushed

1 red paprika, finely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

2 X 400g cans peeled tomatoes with juice

2 rosemary stalks

1tsp dried oregano

Freshly grounded black pepper

Methods

1. In a pan, brown the bacon bits for about 5-10 minutes. Add minced meat and cook about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker. 

2. In the pan, cook the onions and garlic until fragrant. Transfer them to the slow cooker. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and give it a good stir. Cook on low heat for about 8-10 hours. 

4. Mix the sauce with your favorite cooked pasta, dump the mixed pasta into a casserole dish, scatter with a generous amount of grated cheese, and cook under a hot grill for about 5-10 minutes. Served with fresh ciabatta bread. 

20130807 New Potato and Mince Curry

I usually use about 150g of frozen spinach for this recipe. But as I ran out of spinach, I have replaced it with frozen peas instead. Yummy as usual! :-)

Ingredients:

350g minced beef

500g new potatoes, halved

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, pressed 

2tsp ground cumin

2tsp ground coriander 

2tsp kerrie powder

1tsp turmeric

1/2tsp paprika powder

1/4tsp chilli powder

500ml water

1cup frozen peas

125ml Greek yoghurt

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and brown the onion and mince. 

2. Add the garlic and spices, and fry until fragrant. Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour. 

3. Add the frozen peas and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the yoghurt. 

4. Served with basmati rice or naan bread. 

20130728 Taco

Ingredients

For the meat...

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp beef bouillon block, broken

freshly ground black pepper

salt

olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

500g lean minced beef

1cup water

And the rest...

8 taco shells

lettuce leaves, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 jar taco sauce

125ml sour cream

Grated cheese

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meat and onion. 

2. Add the water and rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil them simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Heat the taco shells as per instructions on the packet. 

4. Spoon the meat and basically any veggie you like into the taco shells, and top with taco sauce and sour cream and grated cheese. Eat right away and serve with Desperado!

20120721 Stuffed Red Peppers

As there was a buy one get two deal for minced beef at the supermarket, I bought a little too much minced beef. I wanted to make meatloaf but my husband pulled a dirty face at the sound of it. So I just made this simple dish instead.

INGREDIENTS
300g minced beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp dried thyme
salt and freshly grounded black pepper
a dash of Leicestershire sauce
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 200 degree C. Grease a casserole dish.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients (except the red pepper of course) together with hands.
3. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture, then lay them into the casserole dish. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 20 minutes.

20120718 Boursin Pasta

This is a really simple dish that can be ready within 30 minutes - okay, it took me about an hour as I have to entertain a 5-month-old in the meantime. If I would have cooked the broccoli and pasta in advance, the cooking time will be even less (and the oven does most of the work anyways). I thought of making a simple sauce with Boursin cream cheese, creme fraiche, and milk. But I discovered this wonderful Boursin Cuisine Garlic & Herbs at the supermarket - it is perfect and is actually cheaper than making the sauce with the Boursin cream cheese myself! An easy and flavorful dish that I would strongly recommend.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 broccoli, cut into florets, steamed
300g minced beef
300g pasta, cooked and drained
1 Boursin Cuisine Garlic & Herbs
grated cheese
salt and freshly grounded black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 160 degree C.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and brown the beef. Add the onion and fry until fragrant. Then add the broccoli and pasta, and season with salt and pepper. Finally add the Boursin Cuisine. Turn the heat down and let it cook for about 5 minutes until heat through.
3. Remove the pan from heat, and transfer the pasta mixture into a casserole dish. Generously sprinkle grated cheese all over the pasta. Leave the casserole in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

20120715 Beef Stew with Carrots and Onions

It has been a long time since I last cooked something new. I used to cook to relax, but haven't been able to do so with a baby to care for. Even though Olivia is not a fussy baby, she needs attention from time to time. I like spending an hour or two preparing food in the kitchen without any thoughts in my mind, so am still learning how to enjoy cooking while there are interruptions here and there. As my husband was home today, I was able to spend an hour in the kitchen to prepare this stew. Okay, it didn't need an hour but I took my time. Oh how much I miss cooking! This stew tasted good. I took a risk and used rosemary and thyme together. The result was good as the stew was so fragrant. And the crunchy fresh French bread certainly went well with the stew. I've got to plan ahead and cook more again from now on.

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil
900g stew beef, cut into 5cm cubes
400g carrots, cut into tiny cubes
5 small onions, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thime
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly grounded black pepper
1 tbsp tomato puree
400g can of peeled tomatoes
3/4 cups red wine
1 cup beef stock

METHODS
1. Heat the oven to 150C. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown the beef.
2. Add garlic and dried herbs to the beef, and fry until fragrant. Add wine and bring it to the boil. Then add the carrs, onions, tomato puree, and tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes, and top off the stew with beef stock.
3. Bring tge stew to tge boil, cover tightly with a lid, andcook in te oven for about 3 hours. Stir the stew halfway through cooking. Serve with boiled potatoes or crunchy french bread.

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.

20120122 Chinese-style braised beef, v2

(SOURCE: BBC GoodFood - Chinese-style braised beef one-pot)

I made this dish a couple of months ago and loved its vibrant flavors. This time I moderated the amount of ingredients a little in a hope to make the dish a little less sweet. The key is the dark soy sauce! I got the dark soy sauce from a Chinese supermarket this time - it tastes more intense and less sweet than the soy sauce I got from the local supermarket. The meat was so tender and rich in flavor - thumbs up!

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1.5-inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1kg braising beef, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
3 tbsp dry sherry
3 tbsp dark soy sauce (from a Chinese supermarket)
500ml beef stock

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 150 degree C. Toss the beef in the flour. Heat the oil in a dutch oven and brown the beef in batches. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli to the pan, and fry until fragrant. Then add the five-spice and fry for another minute. Then add the beef and stir until combined. Splash in the sherry, scraping up any meaty bits.
3. Pour in the soy sauce and stock, bring to a simmer, then tightly cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 3 hours. Stir the meat halfway through.

20120103 Meatloaf

I have been craving meatloaf this week, but could not find the onion soup packet at the nearby supermarket and could not be bothered to drive to another supermarket for it. So I just used what I could find in the kitchen for this meatloaf dish. My husband is usually not a meatloaf fan, but he said this meatloaf tasted pretty good - so I consider this a success! Oh and I made some onion gravy to pour over the boiled potatoes and vegetables. The perfect dish to beat the rainy and super windy weather.

INGREDIENTS
For the meatloaf -
250g ground beef
250g ground pork
1 small onion, finely diced
1 large egg
1/4 cup ketchup, plus more for topping
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
salt and fresh ground black pepper
For the onion gravy -
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
400ml beef stock
salt and fresh ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 175 degree C.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Transfer the mixture into a small loaf tin, then cover the top with a thick layer of ketchup.
3. Cook in the oven for about 1 hour. Drain off the fat before serving.
4. To make the onion gravy, heat the oil in a small pan and fry the onions for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the brown sugar and cook for 5 minutes - keep stirring. Then add the flour and coat the onions evenly. Finally add the stock and let it bubble for about 5 minutes, until the gravy is nice and thick. Season well with salt and pepper.

20111215 Cauliflower Casserole

I wanted to cook loads of comfort food because of the winter weather. I wanted meatloaf, chilli, sloppy joe, beef stew...But on the other hand, I wanted to cook something healthy before stuffing our face with food during the holiday seasons. Because of this dilemma, I have been struggling to find cooking inspirations. So I made this casserole tonight - the tomato-y meat sauce and cheese topping satisfied (some of) my crave for comfort food, and the cauliflower and carrot helped to make the dish (a bit) healthier.


INGREDIENTS
300g potatoes, cut into large chunks
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
1 carrot, shredded (leave about 1 tbsp of carrots for garnish)
1 small onion, finely diced
300g lean minced beef
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp tomato puree
250g canned tomato blocks
100ml vegetable stock
75g grated cheese
salt and freshly grounded black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 175 degree C.
2. Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Cook the cauliflower in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. In a large pan, brown the beef in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion and carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the basil, tomato puree, tomato blocks, and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, and simmer for about 15 minutes with a lid on. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. In a large casserole dish, throw in the potatoes and cauliflower. Cover with the meat sauce and grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven. Garnish with some shredded carrots and serve.

20111109 Zoervleis

(SOURCE: AH.nl - Stap-voor-stap zoervleis volgens Robin Berben)

As I am not feeling 100% and it is getting cold, I wanted to make something warm and meaty tonight. I never had or even heard of zoervleis (literal translation: sour meat) before. It is a traditional dish from Maastricht - which is a stew of beef with onions, vinegar, ontbijtkoek, and apple (or pear) syrup. It is usually served with apple sauce, and (home-made) fries with mayo. Another way is to pour the zoervleis all over your fries, and serve it with a simply green salad. As I was feeling lazy, I simply served this with boiled potatoes and steamed broccoli. This recipe was picked as the "best recipe of traditional Dutch dish", but it just didn't work for me. I didn't like the sweet and sour taste at all, as in my opinion beef stew should always be hearty. Maybe I didn't cook it right, but no more zoervleis in my kitchen for sure!

INGREDIENTS
700g stew beef, cut into 3cm blocks
300ml red wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
3 cloves
butter
3 medium onions, cut into chunks
3 slices of ontbijtkoek (Dutch spiced cake), broken into crumbs
3 tbsp appelstroop (apple syrup)

METHOD
1. Add 300ml of water, vinegar, cloves, and bay leaves to a large bowl. Add beef, and season with salt and pepper. Let it marinate for at least 24 hours in the fridge.
2. Remove beef from the bowl and dab dry. Remember to save the marinade for later.
3. In a Dutch oven, brown the onions with some butter. Remove and set aside.
4. Brown the beef, then add the onions and marinade. Bring it to the boil, and let it simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally.
5. When the beef is done, add the ontbijtkoek crumbs to thicken the sauce. Season with appelstroop, and salt and pepper to taste.

20111012 Italian-style Beef Stew

(SOURCE: GoodFood magazine 101 Meals for Two)

I didn't feel like cooking but really wanted a proper home cooked meal, after surviving on takeaway and microwaved dinner for the last few days. I needed something that is easy to prepare and quick to cook. I flipped through a few cook books and finally found this one. I didn't have high hopes for this but was pleasantly surprised. The slightly bruised rosemary and thinly sliced garlic gave this dish such fragrant - what little bit of herb/spice can do! It was the perfect dinner for a lazy Wednesday evening.

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic clove, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
250g pack beef stir-fry strips
1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes
dried rosemary, slightly crushed

METHOD
1. In a large saucepan,soften the onion and garlic until turning golden.
2. Tip in the beef strips, pepper, tomatoes and rosemary, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the meat is cooked through, adding some boiling water if needed.

20110904 Chinese-style braised beef

(SOURCE: BBC Good Food - Chinese style braised beef)

I sometimes miss the braised beef noodle (牛腩面) in Hong Kong. My husband and I tried a few Chinese noodle places here in The Netherlands, but none of them got it right because the beef was not tender enough. Many chinese recipes call for many unfamiliar ingredients that I have no idea what they are and where to find them, so I never give chinese style braised beef a go. I found this simple recipe at BBC Good Food website by accident and decided to give it a try. It got thumbs up from both myself and my husband! Okay, it was a little sweeter than the braised beef in Hong Kong, but it was still really good. My husband had it with udon noodle, and I had it with rice - and both were fantastic!

INGREDIENTS
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp shredded root ginger
3 tbsp oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
1kg beef, cut into large pieces
1tsp five-spice
2tsp sugar
3tbsp dry sherry
3tbsp dark soy sauce
500ml beef stock
2tbsp plain flour
salt and freshly milled black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 130 degree C. Toss the beef in flour, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat 2tbsp of oil and fry garlic, onion, ginger, and chilli until fragrant. Set aside.
3. Add another 1tbsp of oil to the Dutch oven, then brown the beef in batches. Set aside
4. Fry the five-spice and the ginery mixture over high heat until fragrant, then add sugar and beef. Stir well. Splash in the sherry and scrape up any meaty bits. Pour in the soy sauce and stock, and bring to a simmer.
5. Tightly cover the Dutch oven and cook for about 1 hour. Stir well, then cover and cook for a further 1 hour.

20110821 Braised Beef Goulash

(SOURCE: Delia's Complete How to Cook by Delia Smith)

This was SO GOOD! The meat was so tender! I find this kind of dish perfect for days when I work from home, as it takes only 20 minutes to prepare then I can get back to work while it is slowly stewing in the oven. I think this will be a perfect dish for a dinner party too as it allows you to multitask - while the dish is cooking away in the oven, you can clean the kitchen counter, prepare for the appetizer and side dishes, and set up the table for a cozy evening with friends/family. I served this with simply some boiled potatoes, so we could mash the potatoes on our plates to soak up all the finger licking sauce.

INGREDIENTS
1kg braising steak, cut into 4cm cubes
1 tbsp hot paprika powder
1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 bay leaves
650g can chopped tomatoes
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 medium red peppers, cut into strips (about 2x5cm)
salt and freshly milled black pepper
sour cream

METHOD
1. Mix the basil leaves into the chopped tomatoes, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a casserole over high heat until i is sizzling hot, then brown the beef in batches. They need to be a good, deep nutty brown color. Remove to a plate.
3. Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes until they carmelize at the edges. Then stir in the garlic and return the meat to the casserole. Sprinkle in the flour and papika powder, and give it a good stir.
4. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, and season well with salt and pepper. Let it all come slowly up to simmering point, then cover the casserole and cook in the oven for 2 hours.
5. Then stir the peppers into the goulash, cover and cook for a further 30 minutes in the oven.
6. Just before serving, take the casserole out of the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then stir in the sour cream to give a creamy effect.

20110805 Oven-baked meatballs

(SOURCE: SimpleDailyRecipes.com - Meatballs Baked in the Oven)

I mixed all the ingredients together and let the mixture sit in the fridge for an hour for "flavor melding". I thought of making meatballs as my husband usually has afternoon events at work on Friday and hence only wants snacks at night. So I thought I will have meatball spaghetti for dinner and my husband can munch on the meatballs. But as he didn't have any events tonight, I simply cooked a big pan of spaghetti and tossed the meatballs in some ready-made pasta sauce - dinner served! These meatballs were super garlicky, so I would recommend using 2 garlic cloves instead.

INGREDIENTS
450g ground beef
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp dried basil
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tbsp breadcrumbs
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 205 degree C. Lightly grease a sheet pan with olive oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients well together.
3. Use a tablespoon to scoop out meatball onto the greased sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until light brown.

20110803 Campers Casserole

(SOURCE: SimpleDailyRecipes.com - Campers Casserole)

It has been a while since I tried out new recipes as I had been feeling tired for the last months. I start to feel a bit more energetic these days, so it is time to get back into the kitchen. It has been grey and rainy all day, so I wanted something warm and filling for dinner. Looking at one of my favorite food blogs, Simple Daily Receipes, I found this dish that is so easy to make. Only 10 minutes of preparation, then the oven did all the work for you. As Jill suggested on her food blog that this dish needs a bit more spices, I have added some green bell pepper and fresh basil leaves. This was really yummy, but I find the combination of rice and cheese a bit odd.

INGREDIENTS
450g ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder
400g can of kidney beans
800g can of diced tomatoes
handful of basil leaves
1 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 175 degree C. Puree the diced tomatoes and basil leaves. Season with some salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Brown the beef, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in a pan over medium heat. Season with chilli powder, salt and pepper. Stir in kidney beans and rice. Transfer everything to a casserole dish.
3. Pour the pureed tomatoes over the casserole. Cover and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
4. Uncover, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.

20110519 Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joe is so easy to make and no recipe is needed - just throw in whatever you can find in your fridge/freezer! I used green bell pepper this time, but 1/2 cup of frozen mix vegetables would do the work too. Sloppy Joes are best served with potato chips and a cold beer!

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
500g minced beef
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small green bell pepper, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 rounded table spoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of cheese
Worcestershire sauce
Tobasco sauce
4 Freshly toasted buns

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat, and brown the beef. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Add ketchup, brown sugar, chilli powder, tomato paste, and water. Combine well and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with Worcestershiree sauce, Tobasco sauce, salt and pepper.
2. Spoon meat mixture over the buns, and top with a slice of cheese.

20110518 Beef Soup Udon Noodles

I got some frozen, thinly sliced beef from the Chinese supermarket and wanted to make something like the Vietnamese pho. But as I forgot to get rice noodles, I used Udon noodles instead and threw in a few fishballs. If I had some spring onions and deep fried onions, I would have garnished the dish with them too.


INGREDIENTS
400g instant Japanese Udon noodles
200g Chinese broccoli
400g frozen, thinly sliced beef
4 fish balls
800ml + 500ml beef stock

METHOD
1. Bring 500ml beef stock to a boil in a saucepan. Cook the Japanese Udon noodles as per instructions on the package. Remove the noodles into two big bowls.

2. In the meantime, in another saucepan, bring 800ml beef stock to a boil. Add the Chinese broccoli and fish balls, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the broccoli and fish balls from the pan into the big bowls. 

3. Bring the beef stock to the boil again, then add the frozen beef and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the beef to the big bowls, and spoon the hot beef stock over them.

20110416 Beef Enchiladas

(SOURCE: BigOven.com - Enchilada Casserole)

I modified the recipe quite a bit to make the enchilada filling a bit more cheesy and a bit more spicy and a bit less beefy. Oh man, is this dish filling or what?! I should have known as refried beans could be so filling. Next time I may halve the refried beans, and add a spoonful of fresh guacamole to each enchilada instead. And maybe a dash of lime juice and some roughly chopped coriander leaves too. Note to self - next time I should cut the enchiladas into halves to make a nicer picture!

INGREDIENTS
500g ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
410g can refried beans
salt and pepper
chilli powder
tobasco sauce
1 tbsp sunflower oil
6 corn tortillas
1 tomato, diced
100g grated cheese
For the cheese sauce -
200g grated cheese
45g butter
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
tabasco sauce
2 cups milk
420g taco sauce

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 175 degree C. In a large pan, brown the onion and beef, then stir in refried bean and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes. Season with chilli powder and tobasco sauce.
2. In the meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter then blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat till smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and taco sauce. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Add tobasco and cheese, and stir until cheese melts. Set aside.
3. Set up an assembly line for enchiladas: a skillet warming a corn tortilla, the pan of meat mixture, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, a lightly greased casserole dish.
4. Warm up each tortilla in the skillet over low heat. On each warmed tortilla, spoon the meat mixture in the middle, top with some diced tomatoes, and sprinkle with some grated cheese. Roll it up tightly, and place rolled tortilla - seam down - in the casserole dish.
5. When all the tortillas are lined up in the casserole dish, pour cheese sauce over the top. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.

20110412 Beef and Lentil Stew with Tarragon

(SOURCE: TastyKitchen - Beef and lentil stew with tarragon)

The sauce tasted really good, but I found the beef not soft enough. I like my beef so soft that it simply melts in my mouth, and this one just didn't do. So next time I may stew the beef for 60 to 90 minutes first, and then add the lentils and simmer for another 45 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp oil
1 whole onion, chopped
750g beef, cut into cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
240g carrots, sliced into thin rounds
4 whole celery sticks, chopped
1 cup dried red lentils
800g can crushed tomatoes
1L beef stock
1 cup red wine
3 whole bay leaves
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried tarragon
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute the onions, then add the beef and garlic. Brown the meat, stirring regularly.
2. Add the carrots, celery, lentils, tomatoes, beef stock, wine, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne pepper, and salt.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.