A Manly Steak Dinner!



First of all, I want to apologise for my lack of blogging over the last few weeks -I'm a total idiot and fell asleep with my laptop on my bed... it fell off and has completely broke. I even got a techy friend to have a look and it seems it cannot be fixed so I am currently laptopless and will have to sneak in a quick blog whenever I get chance on someone else's! So frustrating because I've got sooo much to share with you!

Anyway, I'm currently blogging from my boyfriend's laptop and so I thought it would be fitting to share the recipe for the manly steak dinner I cooked him a couple of weeks ago!
 

serves 2

 

Ingredients

2 steaks (I can't honestly remember what cut we had but I would say try get it from a butchers and pick your favourite!)

salt and black pepper

olive oil

1 large sweet potato, chopped into wedges with the skin left on

about a teaspoon of paprika

a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (if you'd a bit of a kick!)

a handful of breadcrumbs (throw a couple of nearly stale slices in a blender)

1 clove of garlic, crushed

a sprig of thyme

a handful of grated parmesan

6 small portabella mushrooms

1/2 onion, chopped finely
about 150ml single cream

Preheat the oven to 200degrees. Get your steak out of the fridge and season both sides with salt and pepper, pressing it in with your fingers to massage the meat a little. Leave to one side.

 

Lay the sweet potato wedges on a baking tray, and coat in the paprika and cayenne pepper if using. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Mix the potatoes around the tray to ensure everything is coated evenly, then put in the oven for at least half an hour - if you want them soft then this will be enough, if you want blackened corners and a bit more of a crunch then leave in for another 10mins or so. Make sure you mix them around again about half way through cooking.

 

Put a griddle pan (or heavy bottomed pan) on the hob on a high heat and leave to become very hot.

Remove the thyme leaves from the stalk and mix together in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, garlic and half of the parmesan. Cut the stalks of your mushrooms and if you don't want to throw them away, then chop finely and add to the breadcrumb mix. Spoon the mixture into your mushrooms and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, then put in the oven for about 10mins, or until slightly crispy on the top.

Add some olive oil to a frying pan and gently fry the onions.

Put your steak onto the griddle pan and leave for a couple of minutes on one side, before turning over and cooking the other side. Once sealed all over then take off the heat and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving. I'm not going to go into detail on this because I'm not the world's greatest steak cooker and we like it fairly rare which will not be to everyone's taste... But just don't overdo it!

 

Once the onions are turning soft and golden, then add the cream and parmesan and a good twist of black pepper. You can also mix into the sauce the juices that have run out of your resting steak.

Serve your lovely rustic sweet potato wedges, flavourful stuffed mushrooms and steak onto plates, and dollop on the sauce in a manly fashion. Pop a couple of beers on the table and enjoy!

 

Beef Goulash

When I was traveling around Europe in the summer I couldn't help but bring back a load of local bits and bobs to cook with! One of the things I brought back was some goulash spices from the Naschkmarkt in Vienna, because after trying goulash in Prague (and later in Hungary) I was keen to make it myself!

Last night I made this for me and boyfriend and it was really delicious! As you probably can't make a trip to Vienna just to pick up the spices, I'd say to use paprika instead. It worked brilliantly served with just some crusty bread and a green salad, but you could always have a go at some dumplings to serve in the stew or it would be tasty with some rice!

 

serves 2

Ingredients

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped/crushed
1-2 teaspoons goulash spices/paprika
salt and black pepper
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
stewing steak (enough for two people), diced
1 beef stock cube
1/4 glass of dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
a small handful of fresh parsley, chopped (or a teaspoon of dried if you forget to pick up the fresh stuff like I did!)
2 tablespoons sour cream

to serve
crusty bread (I used part-baked rolls from the supermarket, but some nice bread from the bakery would be lovely as well!)
green salad leaves
 

Preheat your oven to about 130 degrees.

Fry the onion in a splash of olive oil for a few minutes over a medium heat. As the onion is starting to soften, mix in the garlic, spices and a generous twist of salt and black pepper. Fry for a further two minutes before adding your chilli and pepper. Once the peppers have started to soften, tip the contents of your pan into a casserole dish.



Add the steak to the pan and mix it around until it is sealed all over (this will only take a couple of minutes). Add about 100ml of boiling water to your stock cube (probably less than the packet will recommend) and pour into the pan. Mix in the wine, tomato puree, and chopped tomatoes. Heat through for a couple of minutes and then add to the casserole dish, mixing with the veg. You should have enough liquid for all of the ingredients to be just covered.






Loosely wrap some silver foil around the casserole dish (or use a lid if you have one) and pop in the oven for about an hour and a half, stirring half way through. About 10 minutes before the end of cooking, take out and add the parsley and sour cream. Mix and return to the oven without the foil. I put the bread into the oven at this point to bake for ten minutes to serve warm with the goulash.


Serve with your chosen accompaniment and enjoy!

Fabulous Food in Slovenia

 The sun's out and it's taken me back to my interrail tour around Europe in the summer... so today I thought I'd share a few of the delicious food experiences we had in Slovenia. This beautiful country was probably up there as one of my favourites - some of the scenery reminded me of Italy but without the price tag and some of the buildings reminded me of Austria! It was absolutely lovely and we managed to try a range of tasty dishes...

Interrail Stop 7

 

Street Eats

We stayed in the capital Ljubljana for a couple of nights, exploring Lake Bled and Lake Bohenj on one day and the city and castle the next.

Just around the corner from our hostel was a bakery called 'Dunajska Pekarna' that made the best chocolate croissant I have ever had. Seriously. It was warm and soft with melted chocolate in the middle and crispy pastry around the edge...  YUM!

 
On the topic of tasty sweets, we also sampled this traditional Bled cream cake: 'kremšnita'. Lake Bled (photo above) was probably the highlight of our stay in Slovenia. Famous for the island in the middle of the lake, the area has also got a name for this incredible cake. Looking at the photo you might think that it would taste sickly or stodgy, but you must trust me when I say this is just SO GOOD! Light, fluffy cream and custard in the middle, with a satisfyingly sweet pastry base and topping... I repeat, SO GOOD!

This next street eat is Börek (or burek) and doesn't just appear in Slovenia. With Ottoman origins, we came across it in the former Yugoslavia countries, each putting their own twist on the style. In Slovenia, the burek that we ate was meat filled and tasty! Shaped in a spiral and then shared between the two of us, this was a great meal on the go. We couldn't decide exactly what it was made from - it seemed to be a dough somewhere in between filo pastry and pasta (!!) - but whatever it was, it was delicious!

And last but not least, the smell of Nutella tempted us to try another pancake - very similar to those that we had in Belgrade, but this time we chose a sweet filling. I don't think that I need to say very much for you to know that this was just awesome!!

So by the end of our stay in Slovenia we had sampled several of the street eats and (though I may have left with a couple more pounds in weight!) none of it broke the bank!

Meal Out

 

As none of the food was particularly expensive (and all totally yummy!) we also treated ourselves to a meal out to a restaurant recommended by our hostel owner. The restaurant was called Gujzina and was not far from the main square and the triple bridge.

It was a beautiful restaurant and we were lucky enough to be seated at the window. We admired the loveliness of the whole thing and then proceeded to order the cheapest meal we possibly could (I know it's a bad way to choose from a menu but we were running out of money!!), settling for a set two course meal for two, including a white wine spritzer each! When the food arrived, believe me, we could not have been more delighted at the meal we had chosen!

A cold meat board starter with freshly baked bread was our first treat of the evening - a tantalizing selection of meats with smooth pate, a tuna mix, cheese and salad accompaniments - I don't think I could have picked a better starter than this, it was absolutely delicious!





A warm, hearty stew of red meats and potatoes was our next treat - a prekmurski bograč - served in a delightful little dish hanging over a candle. The flavours were similar to that of a Hungarian Goulash, but not quite the same. The menu described it as a Slovenian stew, including pork, beef, venison, potatoes, onions, garlic, pepper and salt. I'd love to know what other spices they used to create this yummy dish!

And our final treat for the evening was the bill... 22.90 Euro for both of us, including the drinks!! So if you're ever in Ljubljana then make sure you try this restaurant!





Delicious food, friendly locals and amazing scenery, Slovenia is definitely one to go back to for a longer stay. To round off our trip to this lovely country, I just want to leave you with on last photo...

The Red Lion at Stone Edge

Sunday Bistro Dinner with Family

Photo from The Red Lion Website

As a celebration for my grandparents finally moving into the cottage next to us, we went out for a delicious pub dinner at The Famous Red Lion at Stone Edge. If you have ever visited Derbyshire then you have probably visited the pub-come-functionroom-come-bistro. Or if you are ever in the region then it is well worth a visit for quality food and a lovely rustic setting.

Right up on the hillside between Chesterfield and Matlock, in a lovely stone building with rich wooden beams and furniture inside, The Red Lion at Stanage (as everyone calls it) is relaxed and typical of the area, while still upholding a sense of quality. Luckily for me, my parents house is close enough to this pub that I can call it my local!

As there was a large group of us, we managed to test most of the small Sunday Bistro menu. One thing to be aware of with this pub, though, is that they change their menus regularly so don't have your hopes up for one of these tasty looking dishes!!

Starters

We had a selection of starters ranging from Foie Gras to Fishcake, Black Pudding and Poached Egg to Salmon Tartare, and even a good ole Tomato Soup.



I had the salmon dish which was served with quails eggs and onions - it was absolutely delicious. The salmon had a great texture, not too rubbery as it sometimes can be when its uncooked, and a lovely flavour combination with the delicate eggs and my favourite ingredient, onion.

Everyone enjoyed the starters, but I think there were some envious of my Salmon Tartare... Comparing it to the tasty but not particularly special fishcakes, it seemed to be in a different league!!

 Mains

The main course was a lot more like the typical pub food that we might expect from an English countryside pub. A couple chose to try the roast dinner dishes, from tender beef to tasty pork with apple sauce, both served with crispy Yorkshire puddings.

Others were tempted by gammon steak with fried egg and chips, or the more delicate mushroom risotto or sea-bream with capers.

I opted for a very basic, but very yummy fish and chips - the chips were fat chunks of potato with a gorgeous colour and a crunch to match, while the haddock was flaky and delicious with a light and crispy batter, and the best part of the dish was the proper mushy peas which hid under the fish.

Desert

And this needs no introduction...

All in all a great family meal, a fabulous pub and a relaxed place to go for a good quality meal. The Red Lion at Stanage... proving that sometimes the local is the best! 

BBQ with the Girls

I meant to post this yesterday afternoon, sorry folks! But here it is, just in time for your Sat night BBQ!

Who said BBQs are a man's job?

http://www.crazywebsite.com/Pg-Free-Clipart-Graphics/pg-Celebrate_Labor_Day_Weekend/Funny_Barbecue_Clip_Art_Free_BBQ-2.html

 

Everyone assumes that the BBQ is a man's job - hilarious as it is (usually) the woman that does all the shopping for the food, marinating the meat, salad prep, taking out all of the food, plates, salad dressings etc. and the man just plonks the already flavoured meat onto the BBQ and nearly ruins it by either undercooking or burning it!! But on Thurs night I did a BBQ for the girls, and there wasn't a man in sight... as a result it may have been a little salad heavy and lacking in burgers and sausages! So if you fancy a refreshing change from the BBQ norm, then here are a couple of recipe ideas...

BBQ Bible

I used this book for recipe inspiration - BBQ Bible, published by Parragon years ago and probably not available any more. But if you can get your hands on it, it's a fabulous book! Colourful, full of different ways to cook meats and fish, with some very easy sauces and dressings; it's a good one to flick through and know that you will already have most of the ingredients in stock! The only sections that are uninspiring are the salad and veg dishes - but either you're a 'meat-only-BBQer' and this will not bother you, or a 'salads-make-the-BBQ' kind of chef, in which case you will probably have your own recipes! And the deserts section - but if you have room for desert after a BBQ then you're doing it wrong!

So I'll start with the meat recipes that I took from the book - Mustard and Honey Drumsticks and Middle Eastern Koftas.

Mustard and Honey Drumsticks

I used a combination of the marinated drumstick recipe in the book and a separate recipe for the honey mustard marinade, which I thought sounded like it had more flavour! So these measurements are copied from the book, but totally inaccurate as I just splashed in a bit of this and that!!



Ingredients
8 chicken drumsticks
125ml clear honey
4 tbsp Dijon Mustard
4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Recipe
Combine all the ingredients except the oil into a large Tupperware.

Gradually add the oil, mixing it as you go until it is all absorbed.

Put the drumsticks into the marinade and coat them in it, then leave to absorb the flavours in the fridge for as long as you can (ideally make in the morning and leave all day before you BBQ).

When you BBQ, make sure that you cook the chicken all the way through but keep turning it so that one side doesn't burn (it will blacken because of the marinade, but you shouldn't get that charcoal taste!!)

Middle Eastern Koftas

Ingredients
750g minced beef (or lamb)
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
generous pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Recipe
Blend the meat, onion, garlic, parsley, spices and seasoning to a smooth paste in the food processor. Or, if like me you can't find the food processor, then use ready ground coriander, cumin and black pepper, and just mix in your hands!

Gently roll the mixture between your hands and wrap around a flat skewer into a sausage shape.

The book then also instructs to marinate the kebabs in a Minted Yoghurt Marinade, which would have kept them nice and moist but I forgot to do... we had minted yoghurt as a side dish instead! (Recipe for that below)
 
So I would recommend to do that, then cook on the BBQ for about 10-15mins (depending on the thickness of your kebabs) and turn regularly. Worked well served with some ripped up naan bread, heated on the top BBQ rack for a few minutes!


The chicken will take a lot longer than the koftas, but I actually cooked them at the same time so we could eat the kebabs with some salads and have the chicken with corn on the cob afterwards!




Right, now that the meaty stuff is marinating and ready to go on the BBQ this evening, you can prep the salads!! It was so warm and lovely yesterday that I took everything outside with me and sat prepping in the garden! I used the Minted Yoghurt Marinade recipe from BBQ Bible as the dressing for my potato salad, and then also did a green salad and tomato salad.

Potato Salad

Ingredients
handful of new potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pinch of salt
4 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped (or more if you love the flavour like me!!)
225ml natural yoghurt
1 tsp ground cumin, coriander or cinnamon, optional
handful of spring onions, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/2 small white cabbage, shredded

Recipe
Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and leave to cool.

Mix the garlic, salt, mint, yoghurt, and ground coriander (this is what I used but its your choice!) in a bowl.

Add the potatoes, spring onions, cucumber and cabbage and mix until everything is coated in the dressing. I also made a little extra to have as a dressing on the side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Salads

I made a couple of other salads to keep the BBQ light and fresh, as well as some corn on the cob cooked on the BBQ, so here are the ingredients I used!


Green Salad Ingredients
handful of iceberg lettuce (chopped), lambs lettuce and rocket
1 avocado, chopped
1/3 cucumber, chopped
100g feta cheese, crumbled






Tomato Salad Ingredients
3 tomatoes, sliced (probably need more, but there was only a couple of the girls that like them!)
few leaves of fresh basil, chopped finely
dash of olive oil
black pepper
(and some red pepper, for good measure!)

So there you have it!!! A huge BBQ with lots of fresh flavours, and one that you could take your time over and keep coming back to pick at! Try out one or two, or all of the recipes, and I hope they work just as well for you!