Recipe: Re: Request: I Need Help Pleeease!!!

Cinnamon Beef Stew

1 lb cubed beef skirt/ braising steak
1 large onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
5 cloves
lots of ground cinnamon
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
good olive oil
nutmeg
salt
beef stock
1 cup red wine
flour to coat meat

Put the flour in a large bag, add the meat and then add 1 tsp ground black pepper. Shake well to coat. And then shake off the excess flour. Sprinkle the meat with ground cinnamon until liberally coated.

Heat about 3 tbs olive oil in a large pan and fry the cubes of meat a few at a time until browned all over. Transfer to a casserole dish and leave aside. Keep doing this until all the meat is browned. Don't throw away the oil in the frying pan though.

Reheat the pan gently, add the balsamic vinegar, bay leaves and cloves. Fry for a bit. Add the red wine, then the onions and garlic, plus 3 tsp ground cinnamon and the beef stock.

Simmer and adjust for seasonings.

Pour over the meat in the casserole dish. Add a pinch of nutmeg and cover tightly.
Cook in a moderate oven for at least 3 hours, then uncover, and add potatoes and carrots if you want to. The potatoes will soak up the juices nicely. The meat should be tender.

The stock varies between thin and thick with this bit of a movable feast I'm afraid!!

Sweet Potato Wedges with Curried Split Peas

15g/1/2 oz butter or use what ever oil you prefer
1 sweet potato about 450g/1 lb in weight peeled and cut into wedges
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion halved and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder
100g/3 oz spinach stems removed - take this out!! Use shredded savoy cabbage
420g can yellow split peas drained
juice of a lemon
salt and pepper
greek yoghurt to serve

Heat the butter in a large frying pan then cook the wedges for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Check if tender.
Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and the garlic until golden.
Stir in the curry powder and cook briefly.
Add 150ml/1/4 pint water and the spinach and cook for 30 seconds until the spinach just wilts.
Stir in the peas and lemon juice and heat through.
If it seems a bit dry add a spoonful or two of water.
Arrange a pile of potato wedges on a plate and spoon the curried peas over the top.
Serve with greek yoghurt.

Spring Onion (scallion) Fritters
from the Roig Robi Restaurant, Barcelona

18 fat spring onions (scallions)
150g/5 oz flour
1 tbs olive oil
1 egg yolk
200 ml water or soda water
salt
1 tsp baking powder
sunflower oil for deep frying

Peel off the outer skin of the onions and trim the ends.
To make the batter, mix the flour with oil and egg yolk and gradually beat in the water/soda to make a smooth cream.

Season with salt and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Then beat in the baking powder.

Dip the onions in the batter and deep fry, a few at a time, in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a good dipping sauce.

Meatballs
Keftedes

2-3 slices white bread, crusts removed
500g/1 lb minced beef or lamb
1 large egg
1 large onion, grated
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano

sunflower oil for frying
flour to coat

Soak the bread in water and squeeze it dry.

Mix all the ingredients together and work together with your hands for about 5 minutes until it has a soft, dough-like consistency.

With wet hands, form the mixture into walnut sized balls then flatten them slightly.
Flour the keftedes twice, so as to get a good crust.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan until it sizzles.
Fry the keftedes for 5-6 minutes, do not overcrowd the pan.
Turn them once so they are crisp and brown.
Drain and serve hot.

For parties these are made very small and by the ton!!!!

You can also bake them to reduce the fat content.
You can also use tofu for this and see if it works!!

Stuffed Leaves with Tomato Dressing

15 large whole savoy cabbage leaves
2 onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
12 tbsp olive oil
450g/1 lb pork sausage meat
1 tbsp cider vinegar
tsp dijon mustard
4 oz cooked puy lentils
4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
salt and black pepper

Blanch the leaves briefly in boiling water, cool and pat dry.
Finely shred three of the leaves.
Gently fry the onion and garlic in 3 tbs of the oil until softened. Transfer to a bowl.
Fry the sausagemeat in 1 tbs of the oil until browned and crumbly.
Drain, then add to the onions with half the shredded cabbage, season and stir.

Put four trimmed leaves, outer side down, onto a board.
Spoon an eighth of the sausage mix into the centre of each leaf.
Top with another leaf.
Divide the remaining mixture between the exposed leaves and top with the remaining four leaves.
Trim the two inner leaves lightly and ease the edges of the bottom leaf over the mound. Gently shape into a ball.
Heat through in a steamer, without the lid, for 5 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil, vinegar and mustard in a pan. Stir in the lentils and the tomato, and season. Add the remaining shredded cabbage. Stir fry until the cabbage is cooked and then serve with the stuffed leaves.

SPICED POTATOES

4 tbsp veg oil 1 onion sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves crushed 2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground coriander tsp ground turmeric
pinch of chilli powder tsp ground ginger
pinch salt 1 lb. potatoes in 1 cm dice

In a pan, warm the oil and add the onion garlic and spices and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the potatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes before adding 5-10 fl oz water, enough to almost cover the potatoes.
Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring gently until the potatoes are tender. This will take 15-20 minutes. The water will reduce as it is absorbed by the potatoes.