Recipes, kitchen tips and tricks

[Sassy Colombian]

View attachment 121009

Lasagne tonight, my tip is just to make lasagne. All time favourite dish right there

Yummy, can I have a piece lol

I love lasagna too and also lasaña Colombiana, eventhough I know how you feel about that one.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

I was so pleased with how this turned out that I made an alternate Bolognese variation of it tonight. (also I had a load of beef skirt left over)

Fried off some smoked bacon lardons first to use the fat to fry the beef skirt in.
Added some diced celery to the onion and carrots.
Replaced the beef stock with tomato passata. Kept the whole cup of red wine in though
Slow cooked for 6 hours. Shredded the beef and returned it to the pot.
Served with tagliatelle pasta.
Garnished with fresh green olives, freshly grated parmesan and thinly sliced basil leaves.

It was absolutely tremendous. If you have the time to make this, do it!

Sounds pretty tasty and very ingenious of you making the most out of your beef skirt leftovers.

 

[Flynnthistle]

Just beans on toast for me. Dead simple Italian butterbean stew for when you don't wanna be slaving over a hot stove. Excellent for vegetarians/vegans or those looking to lose weight but keep their protein up... Recommended.

Fry off a chopped onion in a wee bit of olive oil slowly. As it becomes soft and translucent add 2/3 cloves of chopped garlic, let that sweat for a minute or so.

Then add about a teaspoon of paprika, a heaped tablespoon of tomato puree, still on a low heat cook and stir for a minute or so coating the opinion with the spice and tomatoe. Add a wee bit (pinch) of oregano and then one can of tinned plumb tomatoes (good ones) having first hand crushed them in a bowl. Season to taste, for me it's at least a teaspoon of salt and a good number of grinds of the pepper mill. And top with about a third of the empty tin of the 400g tomatoes with cold water, being sure to swirl it to get all the tomatoe out. Bring to boil and simmer for about 25-30 mins until the sauce is thickening.

Add spinach, any type really, approximately 300g, let that wilt into the sauce, but not fully wilted. Then add a good handful of chopped parsley and a slightly less, half a handful of fresh mint, again freshly chopped. Then add the butterbeans, for convenience just use a good quality can of them, I find them superior to the dried ones, and so much less of a hassle, particularly in this dish which is meant to be quick and easy.

Give it a good stir up and transfer to a casserole dish, or any oven compatible dish, top with a good drizzle of good quality olive oil and into a preheated oven at 160 degrees.

About 40 mins later è finito....

Serve with fresh toasted bread, rubbed with a garlic clove and topped with a touch of olive oil.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Just beans on toast for me. Dead simple Italian butterbean stew for when you don't wanna be slaving over a hot stove. Excellent for vegetarians/vegans or those looking to lose weight but keep their protein up... Recommended.

Fry off a chopped onion in a wee bit of olive oil slowly. As it becomes soft and translucent add 2/3 cloves of garlic, let that sweat for a minute or so.

Then add about a teaspoon of paprika, a heaped tablespoon of tomato puree, still on a low heat cook and stir for a minute or so coating the opinion with the spice and tomatoe. Add a wee bit (pinch) of oregano and then one can of tinned plumb tomatoes (good ones) having first hand crushed them in a bowl. Season to taste, for me it's at least a teaspoon of salt and a good number of grinds of the pepper mill. And top with about a third of the empty tin of the 400g tomatoes with cold water, being sure to swirl it to get all the tomatoe out. Bring to boil and simmer for about 25-30 mins until the sauce is thickening.

Add spinach, any type really, approximately 300g, let that wilt into the sauce, but not fully wilted. Then add a good handful of chopped parsley and a slightly less, half a handful of fresh mint, again freshly chopped. Then add the butterbeans, for convenience just use a good quality can of them, I find them superior to the dried ones, and so much less of a hassle, particularly in this dish which is meant to be quick and easy.

Give it a good stir up and transfer to a casserole dish, or any oven compatible dish, top with a good drizzle of good quality olive oil and into a preheated oven at 160 degrees.

About 40 mins later è finito....

Serve with fresh toasted bread, rubbed with a garlic clove and topped with a touch of olive oil.

Tbf when I read bean on toast I wasn't convince but then I read your recipe and saw the pic and I have never been more convince that I want to make this recipe

 

[summerisle]

I cooked Parisienne potatoes the other day : basically little balls of potato
You use a melon baller to make the balls - then there are a few ways of cooking them. The classical way is to start them off in a hot pan, add oil, cook for a couple of minutes, then add half a ton of butter and cook until browned and soft, about 15 mins. You get little buttery roast potato balls of goodness.

Sod that for a game of soldiers though : blanch yer balls in boiling salted water for a few mins (depending on how big your balls are), drain, heat oven to medium. I put beef fat in a roasting tin to heat up, but you could use some fancy dan oil if you wish.

When hot, add balls and herb(s) of choice, I used rosemary and coat. Bung in oven, depending on your oven they'll be ready in 20-25 mins. Shake once whilst in the oven to ensure they're all nicely browned.They're a great accompaniment to loads of dishes, and taste like mini roasties.

They're a bit fiddly to do with the melon baller but worth it. The leftover spuds with loads of holes in can be used for mash. The results when using the classical recipe are, I admit nicer, due to the amount of butter you use, but not exactly healthy, and you have to watch over them. My 'recipe' involves not much effort, which is how I like it. They're really a version of parmentier potatoes but somehow taste nicer.

Have a look at some on online recipes.


What they should look like :

And these are Parmentier :

 

[Brisan123]

Risotto without all the hard work
I add Turmeric with the onions and garlic for a kick
There again I add Turmeric to most dishes where I can

 

[R.Reddington]

 

[Sassy Colombian]

View attachment 121517

Nice healthy dinner. We had almost the same dish last Sunday but we had baked sweet potato fries instead of bake potatoes. Is that ribeye?

 

[Sassy Colombian]

For St. Patrick's Day I'll be preparing for dinner a slow cook guinness beef stew from a recipe an Irish friend sent me. Hopefully it will be super delicious. I'm not big on parsnips so will be substituting it with another vegetable.

Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew​

PREP TIME 20 mins
COOK TIME 4 hrs 30 mins
TOTAL TIME 4 hrs 50 mins
SERVINGS 6 to 8 servings

If you would prefer to make the stew in the oven, cook everything in a large Dutch oven. After you add the liquid, bring it to a simmer on the stovetop then put it, tightly covered, in a 225°F oven for 6 hours (or a 300°F oven for 4 hours). Note that different people have different sensitivities to bitter flavors. If Guinness Stout tastes bitter to you, then the stew will taste bitter as well. If it doesn't taste bitter to you, the stew should not taste bitter. You can either use celery root, young turnips, or potatoes in addition to parsnips and carrots. If you use turnips, make sure you only use young turnips, which are smaller and sweeter than regular turnips. Regular turnips can be quite bitter.

Ingredients​

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds (900 g) well marbled chuck beef roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt
• 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pint (16 ounces, 475 ml) Guinness extra stout (make sure you use extra stout and not draught)
• 3 cups (700 ml) beef broth
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 to 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 pound (280 g) celery root, potatoes, or very young turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Method​

1. Brown the beef, transfer to slow cooker:
   Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the butter, starting with the fattiest pieces of meat, fat side down in the pan. This will allow some beef fat to render out. Work in batches as to not crowd the pan.
   Sprinkle salt over the beef as it browns. Once browned on all sides, transfer the beef pieces into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
2. Sauté onions and celery, transfer to slow cooker:
3. Add the onions and celery to the pan in which you just browned the beef. Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for a minute or two, then add a little of the Guinness, enough to make it easier for you to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
5. Transfer the celery and onions into the slow cooker.
6. Add Guinness, broth, root vegetables, thyme, salt:
   Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef broth, carrots, parsnips, celery root, and thyme to the slow cooker. Add two teaspoons of salt.
   
7. Cook in slow cooker:
   Cover and cook on "high" for 4 hours, or "low" for 8 hours. When done, add more salt to taste. If you want, sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

For St. Patrick's Day I'll be preparing for dinner a slow cook guinness beef stew from a recipe an Irish friend sent me. Hopefully it will be super delicious. I'm not big on parsnips so will be substituting it with another vegetable.

Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew​

PREP TIME 20 mins
COOK TIME 4 hrs 30 mins
TOTAL TIME 4 hrs 50 mins
SERVINGS 6 to 8 servings

If you would prefer to make the stew in the oven, cook everything in a large Dutch oven. After you add the liquid, bring it to a simmer on the stovetop then put it, tightly covered, in a 225°F oven for 6 hours (or a 300°F oven for 4 hours). Note that different people have different sensitivities to bitter flavors. If Guinness Stout tastes bitter to you, then the stew will taste bitter as well. If it doesn't taste bitter to you, the stew should not taste bitter. You can either use celery root, young turnips, or potatoes in addition to parsnips and carrots. If you use turnips, make sure you only use young turnips, which are smaller and sweeter than regular turnips. Regular turnips can be quite bitter.

Ingredients​

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds (900 g) well marbled chuck beef roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt
• 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pint (16 ounces, 475 ml) Guinness extra stout (make sure you use extra stout and not draught)
• 3 cups (700 ml) beef broth
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 to 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 pound (280 g) celery root, potatoes, or very young turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Method​

1. Brown the beef, transfer to slow cooker:
   Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the butter, starting with the fattiest pieces of meat, fat side down in the pan. This will allow some beef fat to render out. Work in batches as to not crowd the pan.
   Sprinkle salt over the beef as it browns. Once browned on all sides, transfer the beef pieces into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Sauté onions and celery, transfer to slow cooker:
   Add the onions and celery to the pan in which you just browned the beef. Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes.
   
   
   
   Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for a minute or two, then add a little of the Guinness, enough to make it easier for you to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
   Transfer the celery and onions into the slow cooker.
3. Add Guinness, broth, root vegetables, thyme, salt:
   Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef broth, carrots, parsnips, celery root, and thyme to the slow cooker. Add two teaspoons of salt.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Cook in slow cooker:
   Cover and cook on "high" for 4 hours, or "low" for 8 hours. When done, add more salt to taste. If you want, sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve

Beef and ale is always a winner

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Beef and ale is always a winner

It is at our household for sure but so is tequila lol

 

[Efcjake]

For St. Patrick's Day I'll be preparing for dinner a slow cook guinness beef stew from a recipe an Irish friend sent me. Hopefully it will be super delicious. I'm not big on parsnips so will be substituting it with another vegetable.

Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew​

PREP TIME 20 mins
COOK TIME 4 hrs 30 mins
TOTAL TIME 4 hrs 50 mins
SERVINGS 6 to 8 servings

If you would prefer to make the stew in the oven, cook everything in a large Dutch oven. After you add the liquid, bring it to a simmer on the stovetop then put it, tightly covered, in a 225°F oven for 6 hours (or a 300°F oven for 4 hours). Note that different people have different sensitivities to bitter flavors. If Guinness Stout tastes bitter to you, then the stew will taste bitter as well. If it doesn't taste bitter to you, the stew should not taste bitter. You can either use celery root, young turnips, or potatoes in addition to parsnips and carrots. If you use turnips, make sure you only use young turnips, which are smaller and sweeter than regular turnips. Regular turnips can be quite bitter.

Ingredients​

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds (900 g) well marbled chuck beef roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt
• 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pint (16 ounces, 475 ml) Guinness extra stout (make sure you use extra stout and not draught)
• 3 cups (700 ml) beef broth
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 to 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 pound (280 g) celery root, potatoes, or very young turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Method​

1. Brown the beef, transfer to slow cooker:
   Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the butter, starting with the fattiest pieces of meat, fat side down in the pan. This will allow some beef fat to render out. Work in batches as to not crowd the pan.
   Sprinkle salt over the beef as it browns. Once browned on all sides, transfer the beef pieces into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Sauté onions and celery, transfer to slow cooker:
   Add the onions and celery to the pan in which you just browned the beef. Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes.
   
   
   
   Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for a minute or two, then add a little of the Guinness, enough to make it easier for you to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
   Transfer the celery and onions into the slow cooker.
3. Add Guinness, broth, root vegetables, thyme, salt:
   Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef broth, carrots, parsnips, celery root, and thyme to the slow cooker. Add two teaspoons of salt.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Cook in slow cooker:
   Cover and cook on "high" for 4 hours, or "low" for 8 hours. When done, add more salt to taste. If you want, sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve

I've made this exact recipe before and it turned out very well

I'm partial to red wine in my stew rather than ale but this was still delicious.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

I've made this exact recipe before and it turned out very well

I'm partial to red wine in my stew rather than ale but this was still delicious.

I'm sure the red wine is probably great too, how much do you add the same amount the recipe calls for beer? Do you serve it with anything else?

 

[Efcjake]

I'm sure the red wine is probably great too, how much do you add the same amount the recipe calls for beer? Do you serve it with anything else?

I just looked closer after your post and the one I made was a Guinness stew with Dumplings/biscuits

They biscuits were a big hit with the missus



For the wine replacement I'd say a full cup of wine for 3 cups of beef broth. I recommend deglazing the pan you used to brown the beef to cook off the alcohol before putting it in the slow cooker.

I would also sauté the veg in that beef pan first before deglazing it.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

I just looked closer after your post and the one I made was a Guinness stew with Dumplings/biscuits

They biscuits were a big hit with the missus



For the wine replacement I'd say a full cup of wine for 3 cups of beef broth. I recommend deglazing the pan you used to brown the beef to cook off the alcohol before putting it in the slow cooker.

I would also sauté the veg in that beef pan first before deglazing it.

This stew with the dumplings look so good that now I'm debating which one to make lol Thanks for the deglazing tips too.