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December 2, 2008 by Lisa
I was looking for a recipe for a borsch similar to what I had at the very lovely Troikka in Helsinki some months ago. This, sadly, isn’t it. Nice, but not right. Part of the problem is that I couldn’t find fresh beetroot, only vacuum-packed, precooked. I also think that it would be nice if the vegetables were pureed prior to adding back the cubed beetroot.
Stock:
- 1 kilo stewing beef
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 liters water
Soup:
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 1 small head cabbage, sliced thinly
- 8 small cooked beetroots, cubed
- 1/3 red onion
- 250gm tomato paste
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons flour
- salt, pepper
- fresh dill
- soured cream
For the stock, cover the beef in water, add a bit of salt and bring to the boil. Skim off the scum that forms and reduce to a simmer. Add the carrot and celery and cook for at least an hour and a half. I actually cooked it for nearly three. When it’s done, put the meat aside and strain the stock.
Add the cabbage and cook for 15 minutes. Add the julienned carrots and onion and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add the cubed beetroot, tomato paste and lemon juice and cook another 15 minutes. Mix the flour with a little water and stir into the soup. Finally add the meat back to the soup and cook until thickened.
Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with dill and soured cream.
Category Dinner Menu | Tags: , beef, beetroot, beets, dinner, side dish, soup, stew | No Comments
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April 1, 2008 by Lisa
Tuna Tataki is simply fresh tuna seared lightly and sliced thinly. I like it with spicy ponzu sauce: light soy, lime juice, rice vinegar, dashi, 7 spices powder and a bit of tabasco for some extra spiciness.
Category Starters and Light Bites | Tags: , fish, japanese, spicy, sushi, tuna | No Comments
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December 6, 2006 by Lisa
Ooh, yum. My recent trip to the states gave me a taste for some American home cooking. I dragged a couple packets of corn bread mix home and made this easy chili with what I could find in the house.
Ingredients:
- 500gm beef mince
- 1 large shallot or half an onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can kidney beans
- 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped roughly or 1 can chopped plum tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoons water
- several good shakes Tabasco (I think I did about 10) or chili powder to taste
- 1 half a tube of tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
Brown the beef and shallots in the olive oil. Add the kidney beans, pasta sauce and fresh tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Mix the flour, cumin, tabasco and water into a paste and add it to the beef and beans. Cook an hour at low heat, stirring frequently. Longer is even better, when poss. Add more tabasco and salt and pepper as you like!
Category Dinner Menu, Lunch Menu | Tags: , beans, beef, chili, spicy, TexMex | No Comments
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November 20, 2006 by Lisa
Lovely, lovely, sweet red onions. No one in my household liked onions when I made this, so this made just enough for me, me, me (plus a little extra). Would have been nice with some sliced fennel grilled with the onions, I expect.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sized red opinion, sliced into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 clove minced or crushed garlic
- salt and pepper
Heat the vinegar, garlic and rosemary in a sauce pan until hot, but don’t let it boil. Let the mixture stand for 20 minutes. If it seems that a lot of balsamic has evaporated off, add another tablespoon or so. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Place the onions in a single layer in the pan and coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Fry over a medium heat for 4-6 minutes until the onions are soft and slightly browned. Toss with the vinegar mixture.
Especially nice with any sort of pork dish.
Category Side Dishes | Tags: , balsamic vinegar, grilled, onions, side dish | No Comments
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November 11, 2006 by Lisa
This is my take on the classic ragu of Bologna. Pretty close to the original, with the exception of veal and giblets and other meaty things that make it even more incredibly rich than this recipe using cream.
Ingredients:
- 500grams minced beef
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 45 grams pancetta, cubed
- wineglass of red or white wine
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk or cream
- salt and ground pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- half a tube of double concentrate tomato paste
- olive oil
Brown the pancetta in the olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add the carrots and shallots and cook until limp. Add minced beef and brown. mix together tomato paste, broth and wine and add to the browned beef. Add salt and pepper to taste (a couple of turns of the pepper grinder and a few shakes of salt). Cover and simmer for half an hour or so. Add the milk or cream a little at a time, stir and simmer uncovered a bit longer, maybe 15 minutes or so.
Serve with penne, or preferably, fresh tagliatelle.
Category Dinner Menu | Tags: , beef, bolognaise, Italian, pasta, penne, ragu, sauce, spaghetti, tagliatelli | No Comments
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November 6, 2006 by Lisa
Sadly not terribly photogenic, so there’s no piccie, but was it quick, easy and delicious.
Ingredients:
- 4 skinless chicken breast fillets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- salt and pepper
Pound chicken breasts to about 1/4-inch thickness. Dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the chicken until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a platter and keep warm. Add vinegar, broth and garlic to the frying pan and cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce is reduced. Stir in the butter to finish. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Category Dinner Menu | Tags: , balsamic vinegar, breasts, chicken, quick, sauce | No Comments
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October 22, 2006 by Lisa
Ingredients:
- 3 large plums (8 oz or so), pitted
- 1 tblsp butter
- 1/2 small chopped onion
- 1/4 cup (scant) brown sugar
- 2 tblsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 tblsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 skinless chicken breasts
Puree the plums in a blender or food processor. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onions and cook until soft. Stir in the plums, sugar, chili sauce, lemon juice and soy sauce and cook uncovered until slightly thickened. Place the chicken breasts in an oven pan, lightly salt and pepper them and cover with 1/4 of the sauce.
Cook in a hot oven for 15 minutes, turn the chicken over and add another 1/4 of the sauce. Cook another 15 minutes or until cooked through. 5 minutes before the end, add the rest of the sauce.
Category Dinner Menu | Tags: , breasts, chicken, fruit, plums, sauce | No Comments
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July 6, 2006 by Lisa
I can’t seem to find decent ranch dressing in the shops anymore. Nevermind. I’ve figured out my own, very easy version. The only downside is that it’s quite thin, but is nice and subtle-tasting at least.
Buttermilk is often difficult to find (although Tesco now sell it), so I make my own by stirring a tablespoon of lemon juice into half a cup of whole milk and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, creme fraiche or sour cream
- 1/2 a vegetable stock cube
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 and a bit teaspoon dill
Mix or shake well.
Category Side Dishes | Tags: , buttermilk, salad dressing | No Comments
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June 17, 2006 by Lisa
Obviously you can put anything you like in couscous, but I was rather pleased with this combo:
- 250g couscous
- Boiling water
- knob of butter
- 2 ripe tomatoes, cubed
- 1/2 large cucumber, cubed (cucumbers in the UK are massive, so use a whole US sized one)
- crumbled feta cheese to taste
- handful of chopped fresh mint
- handful of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- juice from 1 1/2 limes
- 2 tblsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare couscous according to directions and let cool. Add the rest of the ingredients and chill for an hour.
Category Side Dishes | Tags: , couscous, herbs, mint, side dish | No Comments
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June 17, 2006 by Lisa
(AKA Pasta Fazool)
Not really a summer recipe, but a great one for when you have nothing fresh in the house. Wonderfully filling and lovely. Used dried beans if you like, but soak overnight first.
- 2 cans pulses (any sort: kidney, cannellini, flageolets or haricot)
- 125g cubed panchetta or chopped bacon
- 2 tblsp olive oil
- 1 shallot or a 1/4 – 1/2 an onion, chopped
- 1 carton or a can of chopped tomatoes
- stock cube (any sort)
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- large handful of chopped herbs – oregano, rosemary, marjoran and thyme are nice
- 200gms small pasta, like Conchigliette (tiny shell pasta)
- Salt and pepper
In a large saucepan, fry the pancetta and shallot or onion in the olive oil until the onion is soft. Drain about half the water from the beans and add to the pan with the chopped tomatoes and the stock cube and boiling water. Add the chopped herbs and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or more or until the beans are tender. Longer is better as some beans can remain hard. Watch it carefully as the water can easily cook away and you run the risk of burning the soup. Add additional water if required. 15 minutes before the end, add the pasta (and a little more water if necessary).
When the pasta is cooked, serve with crusty bread or polenta as desired. I like to make a double batch of soft polenta to serve the first time, then let it harden and slice and grill it for the next day’s serving. The second day is always the best.
Category Dinner Menu | Tags: , beans, pasta, sauce, stew | No Comments
I was looking for a recipe for a borsch similar to what I had at the very lovely Troikka in Helsinki some months ago. This, sadly, isn’t it. Nice, but not right. Part of the problem is that I couldn’t find fresh beetroot, only vacuum-packed, precooked. I also think that it would be nice if the vegetables were pureed prior to adding back the cubed beetroot.