Showing posts with label comforting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comforting. Show all posts

Beef Stew

5 November 2014



This is the ultimate comfort food. It is often said to serve it with mashed potato but I think a bowl of this on its own is plenty enough. It is definitely my go to recipe in the winter.

Ingredients:
Stew -
400g Diced beef
2 Celery sticks
2 Carrots
1 Onion
2 garlic cloves
1 leek
3 potatoes
1 tbsp Oil
Herbs
1 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 beef stock cubes
Dumplings –
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g suet
Water, to bring together the dough

Method:
Put the kettle on, put the celery, carrots, onion and herbs in the pot with the oil and butter. Soften for 10 minutes, then stir in the flour until it doesn’t look dusty anymore. Then stir in the tomato puree and stock cubes.




Gradually stir in 600ml of hot water, then add the beef and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for 2 hours.



Make the dumplings by sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the suet and water to make a thick dough. Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls and coat in flour.

After two hours, add the dumplings and cook for a further 20 minutes.





I'm asking for a slow cooker for Christmas, lame I know! But I definitely think some of my recipes will improve if I cook them in the slow cooker!



What I Love About The Current Season

3 November 2014

The Weather
I’m probably the only person in England that sort of enjoys the weather at this time of year. Obviously not the torrential rain, that’s just too much but the cold mornings, getting dark early and even the light showers of rain. I’m a strange one, I know!

Comforting, Warming Food
You may, or may not, have noticed that the last couple of recipes that I’ve written are “comforting and warming”. This fits perfectly in with what I love about the season, they aren’t quite my dad’s stews or my mum’s crumbles, but they’re the best that I can do and they are just what I love to eat this season.

Spending Time With Loved Ones
Cringe! But these nights in with these people are just what I love to do and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Sundays
I’m not working too many of the following Sundays and it feels like they finally have meaning again! Having a lazy Sunday, wander around town or around Richmond Park are just a few ways to have the perfect Sunday. Topped off with a roast dinner of course!

TV

Oh my, the TV at this time of year is when it’s at its finest! X Factor, all the reality tv shows are back, I can’t get enough of them!


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