20100228 Lubia Polo

(SOURCE: ghazakade.com - Lubia Polo)

My first try at Persian cuisine. This is the perfect dish for a very cold evening! By the way, if you don't have time, it is okay to skip step 1.

INGREDIENTS
500g basmati rice
400g stew beef, cut into small pieces
400g green beans, cut into 2 to 3 cm pieces
3 medium onions, sliced
1 to 2 tbsp tomato puree
100g vegetable oil
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Wash rice twice and soak in salted warm water for 3 to 4 hours, then drain the water.
2. Pour water in a large pan until it is half full and bring it to a boil. Add rice and a spoonful of salt and continue boiling until rice slightly softens (about 5 minutes). Pour rice into a sieve and wash it with slightly warm water. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a stew pan and brown onion until golden. Add meat and fry over medium heat until color changes. Add 1 to 2 glasses of hot water and cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat, add more hot water if necessary.
4. Add tomato puree, salt and pepper, and cook for another 15 minutes on medium heat.
5. Add the half cooked and rinsed rice, mix well, then cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.

20100227 Ovendish with Hash Browns

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recipes - Ovenmaaltje met rosties)

If you have time, I recommend home made meatballs instead.

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
355g ready-made meatballs
3 small onions, quartered
250g brown button mushrooms
3 bell peppers of different colors
4 tomatoes, halved
600g frozen little hash browns (Rosties)
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 225 degree C. Mix olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add meatballs, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Mix well.
2. Add the meatball mixture and frozen hash browns into a baking dish. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes.

20100207 Spinach & Feta Cannelloni

(SOURCE: BBC Lifestyle - Spinach & Feta Cannelloni)

I took out the chopped olives as my hubby hates them.

INGREDIENTS
4 large sheets no-pre-cook lasagne
1kg frozen spinach, defrosted
200g pack low fat feta cheese
generous grating nutmeg
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes
25g grated parmesan

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C. Put the lasagne sheets in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze as much water as possible from the spinach, then mix with the feta, nutmeg and some seaasoning. Drain the pasta, then cut each sheet in half vertically. Spoon 4 tbsp of the filling along the center of each half, then roll up to enclose. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish.
2. Mix the olives, capers and tomatoes together in a bowl, season, then spoon over the cannelloni. Sprinkle with parmesan, cover with foil, then bake for 20 minutes.

20100131 New Potato and Mince Curry

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

INGREDIENTS
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp korma curry paste
500g new potatoes, halved
100g spinach leaves
150ml Greek yoghurt
450g minced beef
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

METHOD
1. Heat a frying pan and add the mince. Brown it all over, stirring to break it up. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the oil and onion to the pan and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, spices and curry paste. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add the mince, potatoes and 600ml water, bring to the boil, cover, then simmer for 30 minutes. Season.
3. Stir in the spinach and simmer for 1 minute, uncovered, until the spinach has wilted. Swirl in the yoghurt and serve.

20100130 Pork and Potato Hot Pot

(I don't remember where the recipe is from...still looking!)

20100117 Lasagne

(SOURCE: A friend)

INGREDIENTS
25g lasagne, cooked
MEAT SAUCE
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
500g beef mince
100g mushrooms, sliced
two 400g cans chopped tomatoes in juice
1 cup tomato puree
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
CHEESE SAUCE
50g butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup grated cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 180 degree C.
MEAT SAUCE
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan, and cook onion and garlic until onion is golden. Add meat and brown well. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, basil, and sugar. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes or until meat mixture has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until cool.
CHEESE SAUCE
3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook until frothy. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Set aside until cool.
LASAGNE
4. Place half the lasagne in a greased ovenproof dish. Spread with half the meat mixture and half the cheese sauce. Repeat the layers. Top with parmesan cheese. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and heated through.

20091228 Lemon Drizzle Cake

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

INGREDIENTS
225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
finely grated zest 1 lemon
225g self rising flour
(for the drizzle topping)
juice 1 1/2 lemon
85g caster sugar

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 180 degree C. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.
2. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a thin skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a fork, then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

20091228 Baked Pears with Amaretti

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

INGREDIENTS
4 ripe pears
100g ricotta
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp clear honey, plus extra to serve
8 amaretti biscuits

METHOD
1. Cut each pear in half and place on a large baking tray. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the cores and make a dip in the center of each pear. Put about 1 heaped tsp of ricotta into each dip, then sprinkle over the cinnamon and drizzle with a little honey.
2. Heat the oven to 170 degree C, then roast the pears for 10 minutes. Tip the biscuits into a food bag and lightly crush them with a rolling pin. Remove the pears from the oven, then scatter the crumbs over each pear. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the pears are soft and the topping is golden.

20091108 Chopped Fruit Salad

(SOURCE: Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson)

INGREDIENTS
250g strawberries, finely chopped
1 tsp pomegranate juice
100g diced mango
1/2 tsp lime juice
125g blueberries
150g vanilla yoghurt
2 tsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)

METHOD
1. Mix the chopped strawberries with the juice.
2. Spritz the mango cubes with the lime juice.
3. Using two tumblers, layer the ingredients: strawberry, mango, blueberries, yoghurt and, finally, the seeds.

20091107 Quick Chilli

(SOURCE: Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson)

This dish goes really well with a chilled bottle of Corona!

INGREDIENTS
150g chorizo sausage, halved lenthways and cut into 5mm half moons
500g minced beef
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cardamon pods, bruised
500g tomato and chunky vegetable sauce for pasta
390g mixed spicy beans
60ml sweet chilli sauce
1/4 tsp chilli flakes (more if your canned beans are not spicy)

METHOD
1. Put the sliced chorizo into a hot, heavy based pan and cook over a medium heat until the sausage crisps a little and gives up its orange-red oil.
2. Add the mince and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden fork to help it brown.
3. Stir in the spices and then add the pasta sauce, spicy beans and chilli sauce. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.