Stifado

 

Stifado

Stifado is a Greek beef casserole, ideal comfort food for chilly days. It can also be made with rabbit or pork. This version includes potatoes, for a one-pot supper. If you want to sound authentic, stifado is pronounced sti-fa-th-o.

Serves 4 

Ingredients

1kg/2lb 4oz braising beef or beef shin, cut into chunks

3–4 tbsp olive oil

750g/1lb 10oz baby onions, peeled

½ tsp ground allspice

2 heaped tbsp tomato purée

200ml/7fl oz red wine

600ml/21fl oz beef stock

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves

800g/1lb 12oz Cyprus potatoes, or other waxy potatoes, cut into 4cm/1½in chunks

3 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.

Season the beef. Heat the oil in a large casserole over a medium heat and brown the meat on all sides (in batches if necessary), then remove and set aside. Add the baby onions and fry for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

Stir in the allspice and tomato purée and fry for a minute, then add the wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let the wine bubble for about 5 minutes until reduced by half. Pour in the stock and vinegar, and add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves.

Add the potatoes and tomatoes and return the beef to the casserole with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and transfer the casserole to the oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the meat is very tender and falling apart.

Remove the lid and cook, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes. If needed, add a splash of water to ensure it doesn’t dry out. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a little more vinegar if you like.

 

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Rum

 

NOW this is my kind of cake, loaded with dark rum and delicious for afternoon tea or served warm as a dessert with a dollop of Devonshire cream or custard.

 

 

 Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Rum

Ingredients

    1 large can pineapple rings (8 rings), drained
    2 free-range eggs
    125g/4½oz caster sugar
    150g/5¼oz plain flour
    2 tsp baking powder
    2 tsp vanilla sugar (make your own by placing a split vanilla pod in some caster sugar)
    50g/1¾oz butter, melted
    ½ lemon, zest only
    75ml/2½fl oz milk
    3 tbsp good-quality dark rum

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/Gas 3.
2. Line the bottom and the sides of a large ovenproof dish or cake tin with the pineapple rings (cut the pineapple rings in half to line the sides).
3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until frothy.
4. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar together until well combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture and stir to combine.
6. Add the melted butter, the lemon zest, milk and dark rum to the mixture. Stir to combine.
7. Pour the mixture into the ovenproof dish over the pineapples. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
8. Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack. When it is cooled, cut into slices to serve.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Autumn Salad with Pears, Devon Blue Cheese and Caramelised Walnuts

Autumn is officially here and today I intend to make this delicious autumn salad. I love blue cheese, especially Devon Blue Cheese, but any blue cheese of  your choice would be perfect in this recipe.

Ingredients
2 ripe but firm dessert pears
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 small heads green chicory,
broken into separate leaves
2 small heads red chicory,
broken into separate leaves
40g watercress sprigs
50g radicchio leaves (optional)
100g de-rinded Devon Blue cheese (or any blue cheese)
The seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate

For the caramelised walnuts:
100g walnut halves
2 tbsp clear honey

For the dressing:
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp clear honey
1 tsp walnut oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the caramelised walnuts, preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Scatter the walnuts over a lined baking tray, drizzle with the honey and roast for 8-10 mins until toasted and caramelised. Leave to cool, then break into small pieces.

For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and honey, then gradually whisk in the oils. Season well with salt and black pepper.

Slice the pears away from the core, toss with the lemon juice and set to one side.
Toss the salad leaves with 2 tbsp of the dressing and divide between plates. Tuck the slices of pear and cheese in bet ween the leaves and scatter over the walnut s and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle a little more dressing over and around each plate and serve straight away.

• Incidentally, this is a delicious salad dressing that can be used in just about any salad.

 

Devon Blue Cheese

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

One-Pot Chicken Pasta

After a busy day at work, I'm sure, like me, many of you are looking for something easy and delicious to cook when you get home. This dish is really tasty and has the benefit of being healthy too.

One Pot Chicken Pasta 

 Ingredients 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1 large leek, trimmed, thinly sliced 

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

2 tsp finely grated lemon rind 

175g wholemeal penne pasta 

250g cherry tomatoes, halved 

200g broccoli, cut into small florets 

250g shredded cooked skinless chicken breast 

100g sliced kale 

1 thinly sliced courgette 

20g finely grated parmesan 

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Cook the leek, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and lemon rind. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the pasta and 500ml (2 cups) water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. 

2. Add tomato and broccoli to the pan. Stir to combine then cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until liquid has evaporated, pasta is al dente and broccoli is just tender. Stir through chicken, kale and zucchini until heated through and kale is wilted. 

3. Serve pasta sprinkled with parmesan. 

 

 Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

We can email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right.

Peach Fizz

 Summer is here and we are having glorious sunshine at the moment. Try this delicious non-alcoholic drink - although you can make it alcoholic with the addition of gin (see recipe) - as you soak up the rays in the garden. It's delicious and refreshing.

Peach Fizz

 

Ingredients

2 white peaches, stoned, finely chopped

1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

Thinly sliced peach, extra, to serve

Raspberries, to serve

1/2 cup (125ml) gin (optional)

Crushed ice, to serve

1.25L chilled sparkling lemon or lime mineral water

Mint leaves, to serve

Method

Combine chopped peach, lime juice and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 mins or until peach is very tender. Remove from heat. Transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Place in the fridge to chill.

Divide extra peach and raspberries among serving glasses. Combine peach puree and gin, if using, in a jug. Pour evenly among the glasses. Top with ice, mineral water and mint. (If not using gin, add extra mineral water or soda water.)

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

We can email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right.

Posh Potato Salad

Here's a fabulous version of the humble potato salad. New potatoes are in season at the moment and they really elevate the salad staple. This recipe, adapted from BBC Good Food, is delicious.

Posh Potato Salad

800g waxy new potatoes
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp muscatel or white wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot , very finely chopped
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp soured cream
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
¼ lemon, juiced
2 spring onions , finely sliced
handful of crispy fried onions

Method
STEP 1
Tip the potatoes into a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins until tender to the tip of a knife.

STEP 2
While the potatoes are cooking, whisk the mustard, vinegar, olive oil and chopped shallot together with a good pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel if you prefer, then halve, quarter or cut them into bite-sized chunks if large, then toss in the mustard dressing until completely coated. Leave to cool completely.

STEP 3
Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, soured cream, lemon juice and horseradish together. When the potatoes are cool, toss them through the mayonnaise mixture along with the spring onions. Tip into a dish and scatter with the crispy onions just before serving, or serve the crispy onions on the side for sprinkling over at the table.

 

 

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

We can email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right.

Chard with Garlic and Lemon

 

My neighbour is a brilliant gardener, which is lucky for me as she often gives me gifts of vegetables. At this time of year she brings round bags of chard. I love chard but the mainstream supermarkets rarely sell it. One place that does is veg box firm Riverford in Devon. I tried this recipe of theirs yesterday and it was delicious - fresh and zingy.

 Chard with Garlic and Lemon

Serves 2

Chard is best when the stalks and leaves are cooked separately. Always add the lemon just before serving as it will discolour the greens after prolonged contact. No lemon? A splash of good quality wine vinegar will work well.

Ingredients
1 head of chard
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lemon

Method
Step 1
Remove and discard the chard root. Strip the leaves from the stalks, washing both parts of the veg. Chop the stalk into small ½ cm dice. Roughly slice the leaves.
Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and gently fry the stalks for 8 minutes, until they have begun to soften. Add the garlic and fry gently for 1 minute before adding the leaves to the pan. Cook on a medium heat until wilted and tender; about 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Finish with a good squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

We can email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link.