A marvellous warm and filling soup, ready in less than 30 minutes! If you are in a rush, you can even substitute the meatballs with ready made fresh sausage, cut into chunks...but trust me, these meatballs are amazing!
Our take of the infamous Shepherd's Pie. Perfect for a comforting meal, and it also freezes well!
Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
6 big potatoes, peeled and quartered
800g minced beef
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
bay leaf
2+2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup beef stock
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
about 1/4 cup milk
salt
pepper
paprika
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions: Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Start by cooking the potatoes in boiling water. In the meantime preheat a large pan over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef. Season meat with salt and pepper, and add the bay leaf. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small pan over medium heat cook butter and flour together for about 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy for about 1 minute. Add gravy to the meat and vegetables, and stir in peas. After the potatoes are cooked and soft, drain from the cooking water and add the milk and butter, and season with salt. Mash through until smooth. Place the meat mixture in a 10x8 inch dish, and top with the mashed potatoes. Run a fork on top of the potatoes to provide some texture, and sprinkle with a little paprika and with the grated parmesan. Put in the oven until the potatoes have a nice brown colour.
This is a delicious Korean rice dish which does take some time to prepare but its absolutely delicious. You can make it with meat or even leave it vegetarian, and add or remove any of the other ingredients as you wish. Note that the sauce is a bit spicy! Make sure to cook the ingredients in the sesame oil, as its flavour makes all the difference.
This is my to-go recipes for gorgeous sizzling burgers. You can omit the chilli if you prefer the burgers without any spiciness. You can also add some bacon mince to add an extra dimension to the flavour. These burgers cook well on a BBQ or in a pan, and they also freeze well.
Ingredients: Makes about 12 burgers
500g beef mince
500g pork mince
1 chilli, chopped finely
1 onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (you can make your own by putting some stale bread in a blender and pulsing until in crumbs)
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup water
Directions: Mix all ingredients except the milk and water in a large bowl. Then, little by little, start adding the milk and water mixture until the meat mixture is smooth. Form into patties. You can then place on some baking paper on a tray to freeze.
This dish is perfect for a Sunday lunch or dinner. Serve with potatoes and a side salad. You can also prepare the rolls (after cooking the vegetables) and refrigerate them, then cook them the next day.
A great no-carbohydrate dish, easy to prepare and doesn't take too long to cook.
Ingredients: Makes 4 servings
4 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise and middle scooped out and reserved
350g ground beef
1/2 cup chopped red/yellow/green peppers in any combination
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup of water
1 tbsp taco seasoning
2 corners la vache qui rit or 2 tbsp cream cheese
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 green onion, sliced thin
Directions: Brown beef, peppers, onions and the middle part of the zucchini that was scooped out. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir and simmer a few minutes until seasoning is equally distributed. In a large bowl, add beef, la vache qui rit or cream cheese, and parsley. Mix well. Spoon mixture into each zucchini boat. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes until zucchini are done. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top with green onions and serve.
A grand way to present beef, ideal for a special occasion. The recipe can be adapted for a larger number of people. You just have to get a larger piece of beef and more mushrooms, parma ham, and puff pastry accordingly. Another idea is to do single servings of beef wellingtons for each person with a smaller piece of beef. Just don't skimp on the beef and get a good cut, and make sure to seal it well.
Ingredients: Makes 2 servings
300g fillet of beef
2 tbsp olive oil
125g Parma ham (you need enough slices to cover the beef)
125g mix chestnut and champignon mushrooms
1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp mustard (to brush the beef with)
1 packet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
1 egg yolk for brushing
salt and pepper
Directions: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Salt and pepper all sides of the beef. When the oil is very hot, seal the beef on all sides (about 1 minute on each side). Take the beef out of the pan, and brush with the mustard while it is still hot. Let it rest. In the meantime, chop the mushrooms very finely (they should have the texture of coarse breadcrumbs). Put the mushrooms in a hot dry pan (no oil), along with the garlic. Add the thyme leaves and the wine, and leave to reduce on medium heat until the mushrooms are dry and no liquid is left. This is important as any remaining liquid would make the puff pastry soggy during cooking. Then, set aside and leave to cool. The next step is to start assembling the wellington. Roll out some clingfilm and start layering the parma ham, overlapping them so that they appear to form a sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Now spread the mushrooms nearly to the end of the Parma ham, leaving a small border. Place the beef in the middle, and carefully use the clingfilm to wrap everything around the beef tightly. Use the clingfilm to help you roll everything into a cylinder. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up. Once it is set, remove the clingfilm from the beef. Roll out some clingfilm again and place the puff pastry on top. Place the beef in the middle, and start rolling. Cut the extra puff pastry of where the ends meet, and press the sides of the pastry together to seal the beef inside the pastry. Again, use the clingfilm to press the pastry tightly around the beef. Put it back in the fridge for a minimum of 5 minutes, but you can also leave it overnight to cook in the morning. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. In the meantime glaze the pastry with an egg yolk beaten with a teaspoon of water. Mark the pastry by running the back-side of a knife, making sure to not pierce through the pastry. Bake until the pastry is golden, about 25-30 minutes. This will give you a medium beef. Make sure to rest the beef for 5 minutes before you cut it.
A deceptively simple dish with an explosion of flavours.
Ingredients: For 4 persons For the kofta:
400g lean ground beef
1 tsp garam masala
1 small can cooked lentil (about 130g cooked or 40g uncooked)
1 green chilli
For the rice:
1 cup Basmati rice
1 bag green beans, tips removed and halved
5-6 cardamon pods
100g peas
For the curry sauce:
1/2 tin coconut milk (about 200ml)
3 tomatoes
handful of coriander
1/2 fresh red chilli
2 spring onions
stub of ginger, peeled
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp honey
2 tsp curry paste
Directions: Put beef in a bowl and season with salt and pepper and a heaped teaspoon garam masala. Add lentils and mix properly then divide into 12 portions. Roll into sausage shapes then flatten. Put into a pan with a tablespoon of oil and cook until browned and golden. In the meantime put rice in a pan with 2 full mugs of boiling water. Add cardamon and green beans and cover. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed into the rice. About 8 minutes into the cooking, add 100g peas in the rice. Throw everything listed in the curry sauce ingredients in a blender. Pour curry sauce in kofta pan and leave to simmer for some minutes. You can serve this dish with poppadoms, baked in the microwave for 2 mins laid vertically on the side of a bowl.
This is a very impressive dish which is perfect for a weeknight as it is very quick and particularly easy to do and can be done in one pan! Perfect with Basmati rice or noodles.
Ingredients: Makes 4 servings
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (about 1 inch)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp dark brown sugar
500g beef flank steak, sliced
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 bunch green onions, cut in 1-inch lengths
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Directions: Place the sliced beef into a bowl, and stir the cornstarch into the beef, coating it thoroughly. Allow the beef and cornstarch to sit until most of the juices from the meat have been absorbed by the cornstarch, about 10 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the garlic and ginger until they release their fragrance, about 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high, and stir 4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce boils and slightly thickens. Pour the sauce in bowl, and set aside. Put the other 1 tbsp oil in the pan. Shake excess cornstarch from the beef slices and put then in the pan. Stir briefly, and fry until the beef browns, about 2 minutes. Pour in the reserved sauce. Stir once or twice to combine, and add the green onions and sesame seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the onions have softened and turned bright green, about 2 minutes.
