Cantonese Braised Beef

I was going to make a hearty Goulash when I ordered in my beef, but suddenly I felt like having a hearty Chinese dish instead. Here it is my Braised Beef Cantonese style.

Ingredients:

500g diced lean Beef

1 red Onion, sliced

5 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 inch of Ginger, sliced

1 stalk of Lemongrass

1 Cinnamon Stick

2 Cloves

2 Bayleafes

1 Black Cardamon

2 Green Cardamon

2 Star Anise

500 ml Chicken Stock

2 tbs Soy Sauce

2 tbs Shao Shing Rice Wine

1 tbs Oyster Sauce

A sprinkling of White Pepper

In a dry pan toast the dry aromatics (Cinnamon stick, Cardamon, Cloves, Star Anise) lightly. Add a tiny bit of Vegetable oil and toss in the sliced Onion. Cook gently until softened and turning slightly brown. Next add the Garlic and Ginger and stir until they are fragrant also.
This dish is a lot about smell. Let the aromas guide you to when the next stage is.

The Beef goes in next and is stirred just until it gets a little colour.

Finally all the other ingredients go in, bring everything to a simmer, cover and cook low and slow until the beef is tender, about 2-3 hours.

If you have a slow cooker this would be a great dish to use it for.

 

Serve over Rice or Noodles with some green Veg on the side. I actually waited until the next day to eat my dish as the flavours intensify and deepen overnight.

Middle Eastern Aubergine Casserole

This dish goes fantastically well with the Tabouleh I posted earlier.

I've used low fat ingredients to make it a Weightwatchers friendly recipe, but as always feel free to chop and change anything to your liking.

Ingredients:

250g diced lean Beef

1 large Onion, sliced

10 chestnut mushrooms

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 tbs Tomato Puree

4 large Tomatoes, sliced 1/2 cm thick

2 Aubergines, cut off the pointy ends, then slice into 1/2 cm thick slices

1 tsp Paprika Powder

1/2 tsp ground Cumin 

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon 

1 Bayleaf

Salt & Pepper

Beef Stock

Spray the Aubergine slices with cooking spray and griddle on both sides until griddle marks appear and they are softening. This can and should take quite a while

Make the beef stew by frying the beef in a tiny bit of oil until browned, then add the Onion, Mushrooms and seasonings. Fry until the Onions are browned slightly then squeeze in the tomato puree.

Fry a little more then add enough beef stock to cover. Put on a lid and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. The pointy bits of Aubergine that were cut of earlier, can be diced and join the pot for the last 10 minutes.

Ladle the Stew into your baking dish ready to be topped decoratively with the Aubergine and Tomato slices. Then place a few Parsley leaves in and around the dish (Jamie style) :-) 

When you're ready place it into a 200C oven for about 40 minutes.

Minced Beef Dry Thai Curry

This pungent Curry was inspired by my visit to Thai Wok Restaurant in Male. Of coure this isn't the same recipe as they use,  it is my recreation using healthy ingredients. I've had something similar many years ago in my Backpacking days, when I was working in a Thai Restaurant in Koh Samui and was eating there with the Family every day. It's fiery hot and fragrant, perfectly balanced salty, sweet, spicy and sour from the Lime squeezed over at the table. As I was cooking it it reminded me of it's mexican cousin, the Chilli Con Carne. It must be a great combo - Chilli and Minced Beef!

Ingredients:

250g Extra Lean Minced Beef

100g Green Beans, cut into little rounds

6 Kaffir Lime Leafes, sliced into very thinstrips, like little needles (keep some for garnish)

2 Lemongrass Stalks, dry outer leaf discared, then chopped  finely

1 tbs  Red Thai Curry Paste

4-10 birds eye Chillies, sliced into small rounds

1/2 tsp Palm Sugar

Vegetable Oil

Lime to serve

Fry the Beef in a little Vegetable Oil until no longer red. Then add the Beans, Curry Paste, Lime Leaf and Lemongrass. Stir this around for a couple of minutes until the Curry Paste becomes fragrant, then add a glug of water and cover with a lid. Cook for a few more minutes, until the beans are just cooked.

I'm having a friend round for dinner tonight, so I am also making a Thai Green Curry, Sticky Rice, a Som Tam Salad and Stir Fried Spinach with Garlic. Can't wait!