Today we’ll do another good recipe from Blogchef…

I particularly like it because the beef stays tender and moist, because it contains yummy vegetables and because the sauce is delicious!

Ingredients:

- 750g / 1,65 pounds steak sliced into thin strips

- 3 tbsp cornstarch

- vegetable oil

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 red bell pepper, I sliced it in thin strips too

- 1 green bell pepper, also in thin strips

- 1/2 onion, in slices

Ingredients for the marinade:

- 1 egg

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp water

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

Ingredients for the sauce:

- 4 tbsp water

- 4 tbsp sugar

- 3 tbsp ketchup

- 1 tbsp vinegar

- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

- 2 tsp cornstarch

Cooking instructions:

In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the marinade together with the beef. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Then mix the ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl.

Add the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to the beef, and deep fry in a wok in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Remove all the oil from the wok except a couple of tablespoons. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add the peppers and the onion and stir fry as well, until you reach the desired level of “softness” for the vegetables. It should take less of 5 minutes though, or else the vegetables will disintegrate. Set aside the vegetables.

Remove all the oil from the wok and pour the ingredients for the sauce in it. Heat until it boils and remove from the heat.

Add the beef and the vegetables into the wok and coat them with the sauce.
I served it with some white rice,

Enjoy!

The “plantain” banana is a staple food in many tropical countries. This specific banana is not very sweet when consumed green, and it is very often fried, to serve it either as a side or as a snack.

Here in Europe I don’t think it is available in regular supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in shops selling African food products.

Today we are making “aloco”, or fried plantain as they named it in Ivory Coast. Aloco together with spicy tomato sauce (and grilled fish or meat) is a popular dish in West Africa.

Ingredients:

- green plantains

- vegetable oil

- coarse salt

- onion

- tomatoes

- optional: 1 chicken Maggi cube

- dried chili flakes, or sliced fresh chili

Cooking instructions:

To make the tomato sauce, first make a cross at the base of each tomato with the tip of a knife. Then submerge the tomatoes a couple of minutes in boiling water, peel them and chop them. Chop the onion as well.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet (in Africa they would add much more oil), and fry the onion on medium heat until soft. Then add the tomatoes, the Maggi cube (or some salt instead) and the chili. Let cook until the sauce thickens up.

In the meantime, peel the plantains, then slice them either in rounds or in the length. Sprinkle some coarse salt on top. Fry them in abundant hot oil until they are brownish outside and tender inside.

Serve the plantains together with the tomato sauce. I sprinkled a little bit of parsil on top for the visual effect.
You will see, this combination is absolutely irresistible!

Enjoy!!

Yes, I know, it has been a while since I posted, apologies for this. It so happens that mama came to visit us, and in between visiting and shopping, we also did some sewing and cooking.

Lately, whenever we spend time together I’m trying to absorb as much as I can from her domestic-tasks-wisdom. It is just great to learn those age-old tricks that she has accumulated through observation of the elder women in the family, friends and years of trial-and-error experiences. Every time I learn these tricks from her I feel so privileged…

Now, my friends, I feel that I have to share this goodness with humanity by explaining here her recipe for the Spanish tortilla de patatas, another book-case example of how a couple of good, yet simple ingredients can produce the most flavourful, amazing result.

This specific tortilla, the first pictured above, was without contest, the BEST tortilla I ever ate. Ever, ever, ever!!!

Hubby even said that it was so tasty that ‘no meat’ was needed with it, which coming from him it is a HUGE compliment, even more so because he had never said this about a dish before.

The second picture is from another tortilla I made later on, to which I added some strips of Spanish chorizo. Notice how the tortilla is gooey and soft  inside, this is the proof that you did not overcook it and that the tortilla will not be too ‘dry’, mmmmm…

Ingredients:

- potatoes, we used a bit over 1kg /2 pound, Nicola variety (hard)

- eggs, we used 6

- olive oil, we used about 6dl – 2 1/2 cups of the cheapest extra virgin variety (no need for fancy stuff)

- 1 small onion

- salt

The amounts can vary depending on how large is your frying pan, the one I used measures about 30 cm/11.8 inches, and the content (onion, potatoes and hot oil) represented about 2/3 of the volume of the pan.

Cooking instructions:

While this dish is not difficult at all to prepare, it is not easy to get the PERFECT tortilla: it can turn too hard, too salty, too dry… Therefore I’m sharing my mum’s tricks, which guarantee that absolute perfection. I’m also giving indications that will allow you to check whether you are on the right track or not. So here we go…

Peel the potatoes, wash them, chop them in very small dices, sprinkle some salt on top.

Chop the onion as well, in very tiny pieces.

Fill about half frying pan with the oil, put it on the stove. Remember that the volume of the oil will increase as it heats up, so do not fill the pan beyond two thirds of its volume.

When the oil is hot add the potatoes and the onion, which should be almost fully submerged in the oil (add more hot oil to the pan if this is not the case or else reduce the amount of potato and onion).

Trick #1: Do use the onion, because its flavour is slowly released in the oil, which in turn is partly absorbed by the potatoes, giving them a ’sweet’ flavour.

Trick #2: Do not fry the potatoes (until they get a hard crust). Instead cook them slowly in the oil at low heat, and turning them every now and then until they break easily when poked with a spoon. They should actually start becoming mushy. Then drain the onion-potato mix, but keep the oil in a container as it can be re-used for other tortillas or dishes.

Break the eggs in a bowl, add a bit of salt and whisk slightly.

Trick #3: Do not whisk the eggs for too long because this would make the tortilla ‘hard’.

Add the drained potatoes and onion to the eggs and mix well. At this point, if the potatoes and onion are not fully ’submerged’, add more whisked egg and mix again.

Now, because we noticed that the potatoes had ’shrinked’, we decided to pick a smaller non-stick frying pan, in order to obtain a tortilla of 2cm/0.8 inches of height.

So we put this smaller pan on the stove at medium heat, we added 2 tbsp olive oil, and when it was hot, we poured the egg-onion-potato mixture in it.

Trick #4: At this moment it is crucial not to overcook the tortilla or else it will be hard and dry. The result you are looking for: slightly golden outside and gooey inside.

In a couple of minutes the bottom of the tortilla hardens and becomes loose, you should now turn the tortilla upside down -carefully- with the aid of a plate. Cook the other side a couple of minutes more and then serve.

In Spain we eat the tortilla cold, hot, in a ‘tapa’, in a ‘montadito’ or in a ‘bocadillo‘ (in between a baguette cut in half in the length). We can eat it half-morning, for lunch, before and during dinner. Sometimes alone, sometimes with a salad, with other tapas or with cold cuts. My favorite: together with some slices of ripe tomatoes drizzled with virgin olive oil, salt and oregano.

Now, if this is not absolute HEAVEN…

Finally spring has arrived, nature wakens up, the days become longer, one feels like spending the day outdoors…It’s time to open the BBQ season!!

Here is the perfect complement, a BBQ sauce based on a recipe from The Perfect Pantry that has nothing to envy to the manufactured versions…

See for yourself…

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil

- 1 cup (125g) minced onion

- 2 tbsp minced garlic

- 28-ounces (800g) can crushed tomatoes

- 2 cups (500g) ketchup

- 1/2 cup (125ml) water

- 3/4 cup (175ml) Worcestershire sauce

- 1/3 (80ml) cup cider vinegar

- 1 cup (200g) brown sugar

- 2 tsp dried chili flakes

- 1/4 cup (60ml) mustard

- 2 tsp ground black pepper

- 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Cooking instructions:

Pour the oil into a large saucepan at medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and stir, cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Then add the rest of the ingredients, bring to boil, simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.

Cool or chill and then use to slather the meat when it is about to be grilled.

Remainings can be frozen, or else you can choose to halve the recipe

Enjoy!!

I love red kidney beans, and it turns out that they are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, so I frequently have them in order to limit the intake of meat.

This time I based myself on a recipe from Zaiqa, who writes in her blog about a special type of Indian cuisine. I will omit here below the curry leaves because they gave a rather bitter flavour to the dish, so I think it is better to skip them.

Ingredients:

- 1 pound/500g red kidney beans, cooked
- 1 28 ounces/450g can with peeled or chopped tomatoes
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried chili flakes
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- vegetable oil
- 5.6 fl ounces/165ml coconut milk

Cooking instructions:

In a saucepan, stir fry the onion in a bit of oil. When the onion turns transparent, add the beans, the tomatoes, the salt, pepper, coconut milk, chili flakes and garam masala. Stir and cover the pan, let simmer for 15 minutes. Serve warm with some rice.

Enjoy!!

Do not be fooled by the picture, they are the size of a large marble…These mini-meatballs are extremely easy to make, and quickly done. They are tiny, they are tender, they are tasty and they are cute! Perfect for children and picky eaters.

I based myself on a recipe from canarygirl, and I served them with some white rice and sweet chili sauce. Some lettuce or cucumber would have been lovely too, but when I made this dish I had ran out of greens!

Ingredients:

- 1 pound/500g of lean pork meat
- half onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- vegetable oil, to fry

Cooking instructions:

I put all ingredients in the food processor (except for the oil) to obtain a paste. I then took little portions of the meat and rolled it to make tiny balls, which I then fried. That is it! I told you it was quick and easy…

Enjoy!!

Pulses…another love of mine. Give me chickpeas, red, black, white beans, lentils…and you’ll make me a happy woman! Any other fans out there?

This is a creamy, velvety, delicious soup that will comfort your soul in the cold winter nights, and make you feel you are truly a better person

Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp ground pepper

- 1 pound split peas (500g)

- 2 Maggi cubes (I used the vegetables type)

- paprika

- some extra olive oil, to serve

- optional: some raw ham or fried bacon cubes

Cooking instructions:

Heat the oil in a big pot and stir in the onion until soft and transparent (a couple of minutes). Add the split peas, the Maggi cubes, the salt, the pepper, and enough water to cover the split peas + 3 extra fingers of water. Cover and let simmer until the peas are cooked through (30-40 minutes).

Puree the soup with a blender and serve with some paprika and a drizzle of olive oil. Some ham or bacon would be gorgeous with this soup!!

Enjoy!!

This time I’m sharing with you my friend’s Eric recipe for a delicious soup (thanks Eric, for your contribution!)

Ingredients:

- 1 red pepper per person, chopped

- 1/4 onion per person, chopped

- 1 Maggi chicken soup cube per 1/2l water

- 2 laurel leaves, salt, pepper, thyme

- Boursin cheese (fresh creamy cheese) to taste

Cooking instructions:

Sear the pepper and the onions in a casserole until soft.

Add the Maggi cube(s), water, seasoning. Bring to boil.

Remove the laurel leaves and mix. Then sift and add the Boursin, mix, bring to boil again and serve.

Enjoy!

Soft tomatoes, caramelized red onions, creamy goat cheese, puff paste. Yummyyyyyyy…

Ingredients:

- 12 Roma tomatoes

- a bit of olive oil

- 10 or 12 red onions, in rings (looks like a lot, but believe me, they will shrink to almost nothing when baked)

- 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I use the syrup-like stuff)

- 1 tbsp brown sugar

- basil

- 2 Chevroux (soft, spreadable goat cheese, comes in a 5 ounces-150g pack)

- ready-made puff paste

- salt and pepper

Cooking instructions:

Warm up the oven, at 150°C.

Make a cross with a knife on the bottom of the tomatoes and put them in a pot filled with boiling water. Leave them there for 5-10 minutes until you see that the skin starts loosening up. Then put them in another recipient with cold water. When cool, peel them and half them length-wise. Add salt and pepper. Put them “face up” on a baking tray, leave for about 3 hours in the oven.

Add a couple of spoons of olive oil in a skillet, heat up, add the onions and cook on a very slow heat for about 1 hour, until they are caramelized. Stir frequently, and a bit before they are ready add the sugar, the garlic and the balsamic vinegar. Remove from the heat.

Increase the temperature of the oven to 200°C.

In a baking tray, put the tomatoes in circles, face up, and in one layer. On top, put the onions, basil and goat cheese. Cover with the puff paste, make sure to put the edges of the paste into the tray. Bake for about 30 min, until the paste is golden. When ready, take out from the oven, turn around the tarte tatin on a plate, let cool to room temperature, serve.