Tortilla pies - beef and tofu (not together) - Britsih pie week day 4, pie 2

National pie week - so I thought I would join in the fun again, and see what I could rustle up from the fridge and cupboards.  Basically, I came up with 2 pies  - one with minced beef, and one with tofu - both were very well received.

Served with sweet potato wedges, saffron braised fennel with leeks and a simple salad.

For both pies:-

Tortillas (2 per pie)
Olive oil
Leeks
Celery
Garlic
Red pepper
Courgette
Mixed herbs
White wine
Grated cheese (I used a mixed of smoked and plain cheddar)
Mushrooms
Soya milk (or dairy milk)

For the meat pie:-

Minced beef

For the tofu pie:-

Tofu
Ketchup
Soy sauce
American mustard
Olive oil

For the sweet potato wedges:-

Olive oil
Sweet potato
BBQ seasoning

For the saffron braised fennel with leek

Olive oil
Leeks
Garlic
Fennel
Tomatoes
Saffron
Thyme
Pinch of chilli
White wine

1.  Start by marinating cubed tofu in a mixture of the ingredients from the tofu pie list above.  Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.
2.  Chop 3 leeks.  Split between 4 deepish frying pans, with a splosh of olive oil - 1 for the fennel, 1 for the veg mix for both pies, 1 for the tofu and one for the beef filling.  Sautee gently.

If you were doing all 4 dishes you need to continue with the braised fennel and leek, then the sweet potato, then the vegetables for the pie(s), then the meat and mushroom mixture, then the tofu and mushroom mixtture.  The grate the cheese.  Then build the pies, and bake them for 25-30 minutes.

 so ...

3.  To one lot of sauteed leeks add crushed garlic, stir in, and then add wedges of fennel.  Sprinkle in a couple of strands of saffron, a pinch of thyme and add a few chopped tomatoes.  Stir.  Cover with white wine and water and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Peel sweet potataoes and chop into wedges.  Toss in olive oil, salt and BBQ seasoning and roast for 45 minutes.

5.  To the next lot of sauteed leeks add crushed garlic, chopped celery, courgette and red pepper, with the herbs and a slosh of white wine.  Simmer gently until beg are a bit soft.

6.  To the third lot of sauteed leeks add minced beef and fry until browned.  Add the half of the chopped mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes.

7.  To the final lot of sauteed leeks add marinated tofu, toss about a bit on a highish heat until tofu is a bit browned, then add the rest of the chopped mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes.

8.  Grate cheese.

9.  Oil two pie dishes.  Line them both with a tortilla.  Layer the mixtures - veg, meat/tofu filling, cheese.  Top with another tortilla.  Wash with milk (plant based or otherwise) and bake for 25--30 minutes.

10.  Throw salad together.

11. Scoff, serve .... my goodness they were both good.

Chilli two ways, with GF cheesy cornbread

We had no potatoes!  We had recently had both rice and pasta, so I wanted something different on the carbs front - so - cornbread, why not?  This led quickly to the obvious decision to combine it with chili for dinner.  A minced beef one for the veg dodger, an aubergine based one for the veggie - and, of course, both for me!

Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Cumin
Chilli flakes
Mixed herbs
Paprika
Carrots
Minced beef
Aubergine
Courgettes
Red pepper
Kidney beans
Black beans
Passata
Soya milk
Dark chocolate
Sour cream
Lime (optional)

Corn bread

GF plain flour
polenta/cornmeal
baking soda
baking powder
salt
egg
soya milk
sour cream
grated cheddar

1.  Start the chillies.  In two separate pans sweat down chopped onion in olive oil.
2.  Add crushed garlic, herb and spices - we don't like things too hot so I held back on the chili flakes, you can add, but it's very difficult to take away (if you do over spice you need some sugar to counter balance, so a big squirt of ketchup can help).
3.  Add chopped carrot to both, and continue to sweat down.
4.  Add minced beef to the meaty version, and diced aubergine to the veggie version.  Stir.  Keep stirring every now and again until mince is browned, and aubergine is slightly soft.
5.  Add chopped courgettes and red pepper to both, stir in.
6.  Drain a tin of kidney beans and a tin of black beans, stir half of each into each chili.
7.  Then add a cup of passata and a cup of water - simmer - season to taste.
8. When they are cooked (about 20 minutes, but you can just keep simmering gently, just make sure that they don't get too dry, add more water if necessary), add dark chocolate and a splash of milk/soya milk (this just "softens" the chili slightly). Stir until chocolate has dissolved. Spritz with lime if you have any.


Make soda bread

1.  Combine a cup of GF plain flour, a cup of cornmeal, 1/2tsp each of salt, baking powder and baking soda.
2.  Whisk together 1 egg, about half a cup of soya milk and a spoonful of natural yogurt or sour cream (you need a little acid to get the baking soda working).
3.  Mix a big handful of grated cheese into the wet ingredients.
4.  Combine the dry and the wet ingredients - kneed gently, but not for too long.  Juts enough to bring the mixture together.  Form into a round - with a sharp knife slash the top in a cross.
5.  Bake, on a floured tray, in a medium oven for about 30 minutes.

Serve, with sour cream .... scoff

Roast rib of beef, braised onion, boulongere potatoes (?), french peas and lettuce...

Christmas Eve in style

Roast rib - hot oven, season beef, roast for 20 mins per lb plus 20 minutes ... leave to rest

Potatoes - layer thinly sliced potatoes and onions - add garlic and stock - bake

Braise onions in olive oil and loads of red wine, with seasoning, thyme and bay - for ages

Peas - sautee onion, garlic add white wine, peas and shredded lettuce

Start with the beef and work down the list ... prep for the peas, but only add them 5 mins before serving.

I am full!

Curry... innit - with steak mince and veg

Longish day at work, got home about 7:30... hungry, but wanted something tasty.  Steak mince from my butcher mate needed using - could have done spag bol, chili or no end of other classics - but fancied more complex flavours.  Hunted in spice cupboard, and found a curry mix I liked the smell of, cumin, cardomon and hot stuff.  Probably a "waste" of steak mince, but it was yummy.

1 leek, chopped
1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g steak mince (doesn't have to be steak, obv)
1 tbsp spice mix (or mix your own)
1 pepper (orange this time)
Mushrooms
Fresh tomatoes
Green beans
Tin chopped tomatoes
Spinach

Chapatis - out of packet - microwave

1.  Gently sweat leeks in oil, turn up heat add mince, keep stirring around.
2.  When a bit browned (doesn't need a lot) make sure it's separated into mincy bits, not lumps.
3.  Add chopped veg, garlic and spices.
4.  Keep stirring, add water and simmer for a bit, chuck in tomatoes.
5.  Simmer, when veg is ready stir in spinach til wilted.
6. Scoff - I did, with chapatis.

Morrocan-ish pasta bake

Terrible pic - delicious dinner.  I have claimed it to be lower fat, because there is no thick cheesy sauce, some yogurt and some strong parmesan adding the savoury creaminess.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, chopped
400g minced beef
1 red pepper, chopped
1 courgette chopped
a few mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pinch chili flakes
pinch mixed herbs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato puree
500ml (ish) chicken stock
Big handful baby spinach
Small handful of pinenuts
100g feta, crumbed.
About 300ml natural yogurt
30g grated parmesan
Nutmeg
Pasta - about 200g

1.  Soften leek in olive oil.
2.  Add minced beef and brown.
3.  When mince is browned add chopped veg, garlic, herbs and chili, season.  Stir in for a couple of minutes.
4.  Cook pasta in boiling water.
5.  Add tomato puree, cinnamon and stock to mince mixture, stir in a simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
6.  Drain cooked pasta, chuck into meat mixture with spinach and pinenuts.  Stir in until spinach has wilted.  Stir in crumbled feta.
7.  Mix half of the parmesan into the natural yogurt, add a tiny grating of nutmeg.
8.  Put meat and pasta into oven proof dish.  Spoon over cheesey yogurt, and sprinkle with reserved parmesan.
9.  Bake for 20 minutes at 180C.

Spicy beef stir fry with noodles

A stir fry is not the best thing to make when you have a hurty hand as there is too much chopping involved, and vigorous stirring and flipping can be a challenge - but I managed.

I used peanut oil, cos I had some, but any neutral flavoured vegetable oil would be fine, avoid olive oil.



1 tbsp peanut oil
about 100g steak - in bite sized strips
1 small leek
Fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
Chili flakes
1/2 red pepper, in strips
1/2 Kholrabi, peeled and chopped into strips
Small handful green beans
4 mushrooms
Chinese rice wine
Chinese rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Sweet chili sauce
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 cup water
Beansprouts
Shredded chinese leaf
1 nest noodles
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil

1.  Heat wok, add peanut oil.  Sear beef in hot oil.
2.  After a couple of minutes flipping meat about add chopped leek, garlic, ginger and chili. (set smoke alarm off)
3.  When leek is slightly softened, chuck in harder veg - beans, kholrabi and pepper.
4.  Splash in chinese rice wine, chinese rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. Keep stirring around for a couple of minutes, add sliced mushrooms.
5. Add water, and boil quickly.
6.  Slake cornflour in water and stir in quickly to thicken sauce.
7.  Chuck in cooked, drained noodles, beansprouts and shredded cabbage.
8. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, scoff.

Beef burger casserole

Well, I love a bargain - and yesterday it was bargains galore in the supermarket.  If you get there at the right time things which are out of date that day get their second discount... and this particular supermarket doesn't remove the 2 for £4 etc calculation - so you get even more money off - let me explain - 2 lots of 4 burgers at 2 for £4 reduced to £1.25 per pack.  They usually sell for £2.59 so you also get £1.18 extra back - which brings the pack price down to 66p ... chortle.  so, one pack for tea, one pack for the freezer - job's a goodun.  However, I did not fancy burger (per se) for tea, so chucked a load of stuff in a pan and called it casserole.  Most of the other stuff were fantastic bargains too, so it was a casserole dictated by bargains, rather than anything else.  Add the side of sweetcorn cost 2p using the same mechanism.

Served 5:  To cook:  45minutes cos I just bunged it in and left it.  Approx price per portion:  28p

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 chopped onion
4 Aberdeen angus burgers
1 pack runner beans, sliced
7 baby courgettes, chopped
1 tin tomatoes
1 pint chicken stock

Steamed rice
Sweetcorn

Method

Sautee onion in olive oil, when a bit soft add chopped up burgers and garlic.  Add veg (whatever you are using), stock and tomatoes - lid on, simmer or stick in medium oven for a while.  I was watching Corrie so it stayed in for half an hour (Tyrone should not be taking Kirsty back IMHO).  Meanwhile I had cooked rice and sweetcorn.  Yum.  Victim looked at it quizzically but did not complain - and the plate was cleared.

Beef and pumpkin curry

This was really tasty - made with beef and rogan josh paste, which I know is not the done thing - but it was good.  Chopped and sweated off 2 onions, celery, red pepper and 2 crushed cloves of garlic.  Added bite sized pieces of steak and pumpkin, tinned tomatoes and half a jar of curry paste.  Served with steamed rice, yogurt and tangy chinese leaf and radish salad (chinese leaf, radish, red onion in tangerine juice and splash of olive oil, season).  Scoff, scoff - victim had seconds, but predictably said it could have been hotter. Phooeee.

Spicy beef stew

Bargain spicy sauce for beef, and some bargain silverside came to together into a very pleasant chili - fried onions and browned beef added carton of spicy sauce, more tomatoes and cup of water - simmered for ages - added tomato ketchup 10 minutes before the end to counteract smoky flavour of sauce.  Served with brown rice, and leeks and cabbage in white wine. Was OK - victim offered no opinion, but did eat green stuff.

Souper december: Grandma's hotpot (with Kale)

My Grandma used to make hotpot every Saturday - and we loved it when we went to visit.  Grandad made it occasionally too - but he put carrots in his.  I have committed an even worse crime and added kale.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil, add chopped beef, brown, add stock.  Simmer for a while, add potatoes, simmer more - season.  About 10-15 minutes before serving add kale.  Slurp, get instantly transported to kitchen in Stockport circa 1978.  Victim loved it too (except for the kale, of course).

Suppa chili con carne

Keeping to the spirit of souper December, coupled with the very stormy weather today made me think of chili - and I had seen it on a blog a while ago so feel justified (http://simply-delicious.co.za/2011/06/15/chilli-con-carne-soup/) in claiming it as a soup.  What is the definition of soup anyway?  According to the Free Dictionary "A liquid food prepared from meat, fish, or vegetable stock combined with various other ingredients and often containing solid pieces."  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/soup OK - it counts. Chop onion, celery and red pepper;  saute in olive oil.  Add chopped mushrooms, crushed garlic and chili spices.  Add mince and brown a little, add two tins of chopped tomatoes, some stock and simmer.  Simmer a bit more.  Add drained kidney beans and simmer a bit more.  Serve topped with avocado, natural yogurt and chili and a squirt of lime juice.  Victim scoffed happily, but claims again that I am a wuss with the chili.  

Mongolian beef

Mongolian beef with rice.  Grated thumb size piece of ginger & 2 large cloves of garlic - cooked with about half a cup soy sauce and the same amount of water.  Added splach of rice wine and heated, stirred in spoonful of chili paste and handful of dark brown sugar - simmered for 10 mins.  Steak cut into bite sized pieces and tossed in cornflour.  Veg - carrots, red pepper and mushrooms - steamed.  Fried off beef, added veg and sauce and spring onions - simmered for another couple of minutes. Sprinke with sesame seeds. Nice and a change, but would be better as a small dish with a number of others as the sauce is strong and could benefit from releif from spicy stickiness.  Victim likes Chinese, so slurped it up, but thought it would be better as part of a suite of dishes.  And, it is Great British Beef week, so it was fitting, http://www.nfuonline.com/News/Celebrate-Great-British-Beef-Week/.  3 eggs today - Sophie, Rosemary and Clarissa.