Pulled Beef Pot Roast

This is a slow cooking recipe, very easy to make your own variation adding spices or herbs.

Ingredients for 6 people

• 1.500 gr. Stewing beef, in one piece
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, Pepper, chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1 tbs vinegar, any will do
• 200ml. red wine
• 200 ml tomato pasata 

To Finish: 

300 gr button mushrooms

In a large heavy casserole, gently brown the meat on all sides for a few minutes.

Meanwhile wash and cut the vegetables into large chunks.

Arrange the vegetables around the meat. Add your own mix of vegetables according to the season, I like to add tomatoes, carrots, red pepper and leeks. 

Season the meat with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. You will not notice the vinegar in the stew but it enhances the flavor.

Drop the bay leave into the casserole.

Add the wine and tomato pasata. The meat should be half covered with the cooking liquid.

Cover the casserole and bake in the oven at 150º Celsius for 2-3 hours.

Add the  mushrooms or for the last 15 minutes of cooking

To serve:

The meat will be very tender and you will be able to 'pull it apart' in the casserole to get strands of meat.

Serve hot with mash Potato
For a majorcan twist, saute 600gr peeled and diced potatoes. Tip them over the stew just before serving.

Dumplings for Stews

These vegetarian dumplings from taste delicious in an autumn stew

Makes 12 large dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
• 100g Butter or oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small bunch mixed fresh herbs, such as chives, thyme and parsley, finely chopped
• 2 eggs

Method: How to make herbed dumplings

1. Put the flour, breadcrumbs, suet, chopped herbs, and seasoning into a large bowl, mix thoroughly, and then make a well in the centre.

2. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork and pour into the well. Mix with a fork, bringing dry ingredients into the centre, to form soft dough. Take over with your hands, working the dough until just combined - do not overwork as this will make the dumplings hard.

3. Divide the dough into quarters, then make three round dumplings from each quarter.

4. Add dumplings to simmering stew half an hour before ready to serve, and cover with lid.

Tomato and Onion Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large beef tomato, peeled
• 1 small red onion
• a few fresh basil or mint leaves
• 2 tbs good olive oil, virgin is best
• 1 dsp white wine vinegar
• salt, pepper to taste
• Optional: avocado, canned tuna, olives.

The ingredients are very simple, but key in this salad is the way the vegetables are cut and presented. 

Using a sharp or even a serrated knife, thinly slice the tomatoes and the onion.

Chop the basil.

Arrange the tomato slices on a plate and season as you layer them. Top with the thinly sliced onion.

Sprinkle the Basil over the tomato and onion.  Season again. Drizzle with the vinegar and the olive oil.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Serve as a side dish, it goes particularly well with grilled meat.

Vitamins and minerals found in tomatoes:

• Vitamin C: An essential nutrient and antioxidant. One medium sized tomato can provide about 28% of the recommended daily intake.
• Potassium: An essential mineral, beneficial for blood pressure control and cardiovascular disease prevention (3).
• Vitamin K1: Also known as phylloquinone, vitamin K is important for blood coagulation and bone health (4, 5).
• Folate (B9): One of the B-vitamins, important for normal tissue growth and cell function (6). It is particularly important for pregnant women (7).

Healt benefits

Lycopene and the newly discovered bioflavonoids in tomatoes are responsible as cancer fighting agents. Not only raw tomatoes but also cooked or processed tomato products such as ketchup, sauce, and paste, are counted as good sources of cancer prevention. Tomato is also good for liver health. Tomato has detoxification effect in the body. Probably it is due to the presence of chlorine and sulfur in tomatoes.According to some studies, 51 mg of chlorine and 11 mg of sulfur in 100 grams size of tomato have a vital role in detoxification process. We know that natural chlorine works in stimulating the liver and its function for filtering and detoxifying body wastes. Sulfur in tomatoes protects the liver from cirrhosis, too. Tomato juice is known as good energy drink and for rejuvenating the health of patients on dialysis. 

Rustic Terrine - Meat Loaf

A perfect dish to serve at a summer pic-nic or even a Christmas buffet menu with other cold meats and salads.

Ingredients:

• 150 gr pork liver, minced
• 800 gr minced pork and Beef,  
• 1 tsp of salt, pepper and nutmeg
• handful of mixed herbs, chopped finely
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 slices day old bread, soaked in milk
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 180º centigrade.
Fry the onion in 2 tbsp butter until golden. Combine it with the rest of ingredients. Test the seasoning by frying a spoonful of the mix.
Place the meat in a greased 1 Lt. mold; cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Take the terrine out of the oven and let it cool, weighing down to make it easier to carve once it is cold; a glass jar or tin of beans will do. Refrigerate for 6 hours.
Turn the terrine onto a plate and serve with mustard, a green salad and crusty bread.

Thai Prawn Cakes

• 3 spring onions 
• 2 small red chillies 
• finely grated zest of 1 lime and 1 tbsp fresh lime juice 
• pinch of sugar 
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander 
• 225g shelled raw tiger prawns 
• 1-2 tbsp plain flour , for dusting 
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil 

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling over the cakes


Chop 1 spring onion and tip into a food processor. Slice the remaining 2 spring onions diagonally and set aside. Halve both chillies lengthways and discard the seeds. Put 1 chilli into the food processor, finely chop the other and set aside.
Add the lime zest, sugar, 2 tbsp of the coriander and a generous pinch of sea salt to the spring onion and chilli in the processor and whizz to a coarse paste. Add the prawns and whizz until everything is chopped but still has some texture.
Tip the mixture on to a floured surface and with floured hands lightly shape into 4 rounds, each about 1cm thick. (You can make ahead up to this point. Cover and keep refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Heat 2 tbsp of the sunflower oil in a smallish frying pan and start frying the prawn cakes - cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning them over when they become golden.

NOTE:  as a main course, serve with a large green salad and a rice dish. Try my egg fried rice.

Curried Mushroom Soup

ingredients

• 300 mixed mushrooms 
• 1 small onion
• 1 x 1cm piece of ginger
• 1 clove of salt garlic
• 1 tbs curry powder
• 1 small red pepper
• 500 ml milk
• 1lt chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon flour

directions

1. Stir fry the onion with the mushrooms and curry powder  in a little butter or oil for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. add the flour and stir for a few seconds.

3. add the milk slowly to avoid lumps in the sauce. Alternatively, use a can of coconut cream.

4. Place the red pepper, garlic and ginger with enough water to barely cover in  a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the soup and add the stock.

5. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Check the seasoning.

6. serve hot with flatbreads.

Cheese Puffs (Aigrettes)

• 80 gm. plain flour
• 55 gm butter
• pinch of salt
• 125 ml water and milk, mixed
• 2 beaten eggs
• 90gm grated cheese (cheddar, or mixed)
• Chili flakes, to taste

Sift the flour and the salt into a bowl.
Heat the liquid with the salt and butter, until the butter melts. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Throw all of the flour and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon. Beat lightly until the pastry comes away from the sides of the pan.
Beat the eggs in little by little until the pastry is soft and shiny.
Mix the cheese and cayenne into the pastry.

Drop teaspoonfuls of pastry into hot oil and fry until golden.
Serve hot, as a snack or part of a tapas dinner.
Makes about 30-35 puffs.