A bit of a stressful week, though it's only a 4 days week. The bread and butter job involved some sort of management from above. I am leaving it for the time to pass by, then perhaps I will be fine with it.
It's American menu today. Southen in fact. Thanks to Filli bought me those lovely American cookery books from the big apple. I had originally requested one but then what a generous girlie! She took home 5 large books. Glad that she Fedex then over. Cannot image how she would have to balance on her 3 inches AM's heels while carrying all of those with her luggages.
Started with Hearty Beef and mixed vegetables soup. A perfect one pot meal if you are short of time and pots and pans in the kitchen.
This is what you need:
3 tbsp tomato puree
250g stewing beef
1 small onion
1 carrot
5 sticks of celery
6 medium size tomatoes or 1 tin tomatoes (400g)
1 potato
3 cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
and any kind of greens you might have in your fridges
salt and pepper
2 litres of beef stock
You will start with:
Peel the onion, carrot and potato. Cube them as you see fit, I tend to chop them to about 2 cm sizes. Cut up the celery sticks to almost the same size. Peel the garlic cloves and thinly slice them. As for the stewing beef, roughly check if they are the same size. Cut up the bigger pieces if needed. The greens; you might have some leeks. If so, half them lengthwise then slice them roughly. Shred all the other type: (not the baby spinach! they are small enough already. Besides, they wilted nicely as it is.)kale, cabbage (afraid the red ones would make a rather wintery and colourful creation.), courgette (thinly sliced), Brussels sprouts (what a revelation! They are great when you chop them up and even those people who swore they would never eat it, would in the end!) and the rest.
So take a large pan or pot, what ever you might have, just make sure that all that you've chopped would fit in nicely. With 1 tbsp oil in almost smoking high heat you sear all of those beef chunks. The trick is: after you throw them lot in, don't move them for about 30 secs. Make sure they are in almost one single layer in your pan. When the time is up, you take a spatula and turn just one piece to see if it is browned properly. If not, leave them all for another 30 secs until they are sort of semi burned in the side that's touching the bottom of the pan. You will then turn them one by one and sear them all sides. Next add the tomato paste in. Cook for about 2 minutes when you can start to smell those wonder tomatoy flaour. Throw in the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes then add the potato in. And finally add the tomato chunks and the garlic slices. You will cook them for another further 3 minutes before you add the stock into the pot. Bring the soup base to boil before adding the thyme sprigs. Cook for 30 minutes in medium heat. Add those lovely chopped greens and cook for another 15 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Chilli sauce or chopped chilli is optional. Add some more water to it if needed.
There you go, the hearty beef and vegetable. It's a meal on its own- according to my Virgo boss. I guess if I can please a Perfectionist such as her, you should be able to please anyone with it.
It's American menu today. Southen in fact. Thanks to Filli bought me those lovely American cookery books from the big apple. I had originally requested one but then what a generous girlie! She took home 5 large books. Glad that she Fedex then over. Cannot image how she would have to balance on her 3 inches AM's heels while carrying all of those with her luggages.
Started with Hearty Beef and mixed vegetables soup. A perfect one pot meal if you are short of time and pots and pans in the kitchen.
This is what you need:
3 tbsp tomato puree
250g stewing beef
1 small onion
1 carrot
5 sticks of celery
6 medium size tomatoes or 1 tin tomatoes (400g)
1 potato
3 cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
and any kind of greens you might have in your fridges
salt and pepper
2 litres of beef stock
You will start with:
Peel the onion, carrot and potato. Cube them as you see fit, I tend to chop them to about 2 cm sizes. Cut up the celery sticks to almost the same size. Peel the garlic cloves and thinly slice them. As for the stewing beef, roughly check if they are the same size. Cut up the bigger pieces if needed. The greens; you might have some leeks. If so, half them lengthwise then slice them roughly. Shred all the other type: (not the baby spinach! they are small enough already. Besides, they wilted nicely as it is.)kale, cabbage (afraid the red ones would make a rather wintery and colourful creation.), courgette (thinly sliced), Brussels sprouts (what a revelation! They are great when you chop them up and even those people who swore they would never eat it, would in the end!) and the rest.
So take a large pan or pot, what ever you might have, just make sure that all that you've chopped would fit in nicely. With 1 tbsp oil in almost smoking high heat you sear all of those beef chunks. The trick is: after you throw them lot in, don't move them for about 30 secs. Make sure they are in almost one single layer in your pan. When the time is up, you take a spatula and turn just one piece to see if it is browned properly. If not, leave them all for another 30 secs until they are sort of semi burned in the side that's touching the bottom of the pan. You will then turn them one by one and sear them all sides. Next add the tomato paste in. Cook for about 2 minutes when you can start to smell those wonder tomatoy flaour. Throw in the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes then add the potato in. And finally add the tomato chunks and the garlic slices. You will cook them for another further 3 minutes before you add the stock into the pot. Bring the soup base to boil before adding the thyme sprigs. Cook for 30 minutes in medium heat. Add those lovely chopped greens and cook for another 15 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Chilli sauce or chopped chilli is optional. Add some more water to it if needed.
There you go, the hearty beef and vegetable. It's a meal on its own- according to my Virgo boss. I guess if I can please a Perfectionist such as her, you should be able to please anyone with it.
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