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!

I was introduced to alfajores by my Uruguayan and Argentinian family. These cookies exist in both a home-made version and an industrially manufactured version. Oddly enough, both versions have practically nothing in common.

Me, I like the home-made version, not only because it reminds me of my grandma and my aunts, but also because it has an unique gustative experience, impossible to replicate in a factory.

Home-made alfajores consist of a sandwich of two crumbly, fragile cookies with a generous layer of “dulce de leche” in between, and rolled in grated coconut.

Dulce de leche deserves not a post, but a monument. If you like the flavour of caramel you will become addicted to this stuff. I can guarantee you that.

There are two ways of preparing dulce de leche: the first method is slowly simmering milk with sugar and stirring regularly until it forms a dense paste. The second method is the one I’m going to explain here; it can’t be easier but it requires a bit of time. If you live in the USA you can forget about this altogether and simply buy a can of Nestlé LA LECHERA dulce de leche.

To my utter delight, my first attempt at making alfajores was a great success. I used a recipe I found on an Argentinian culinary blog.

While I was trying the alfajores I closed my eyes and I was instantly back in my grandma’s kitchen in Montevideo, savoring every particle of dulce de leche in it.

Ingredients for the dulce de leche:

- 1 400gr/14 ounces can of Nestlés sweetened condensed milk

Ingredients for the alfajores:

- 200 gr/1.5 cup flour

- 300 gr/2 cups cornflour

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 200 gr/ 5.3 ounces margarine

- 150 gr/0.8 cup (a little bit more than a 2/3 cup) sugar

- 3 egg yolks

- 1 tbsp cognac (brandy)

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 tsp grated lemon skin

- dulce de leche

- 1 pack of grated coconut (you will not need much)

Cooking instructions for the dulce de leche:

Put the can of condensed milk in a cooking pan with enough water to cover the can entirely. Bring to boil.

The water will evaporate slowly, keep an eye on it and add more (hot) water whenever necessary, in enough quantity to keep the can fully submerged at all times.

I only remove the can from the water after 3 hours because I like the dulce to be thick, but my mum only keeps it for about 2h. No rules here, it is a question of trying and finding out which texture and flavour (more or less concentrated) you like more.

Now, this is very important for your safety: LET THE CAN COOL (until you can grab it with your fingers without burning yourself) before opening it.

Cooking instructions for the dualfajores:

In a bowl sift the flour, the cornflour, the baking soda and the baking powder.

In a separate bowl, mix the margarine with the sugar. Incorporate the egg yolks one by one while you keep on mixing. Then add the sifted (dry) ingredients. And finally add the brandy, the vanilla extract and the lemon skin. Mix well.

No need to knead. Spread the dough on a flat surface which has been sprinkled with some flour until the dough is 0.5 cm/0.2 inches thick, using a rolling pin.

Cut circles with either a cookie cutter or a glass. I used a champagne flute because the alfajores should have a diameter around the 4cm/1.6 inches.

Cover the oven baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the cookies on it.

Bake for 7 minutes at 160°C / 320°F. Then turn the cookies upside down and bake for another 3 minutes. The cookies should not get a golden colour, they are supposed to be ‘pale’. Get them out of the oven.

Bake the rest of the cookies using the same method.

Now take a cookie and delicately (because they are fragile) spread a good layer of dulce de leche on it. Top with another cookie to form a sandwich.

Spread a bit of dulce de leche on the outer rim of the alfajor.

Pour the grated coconut on a dish and roll the sides of the alfajor (as it was a wheel) on the coconut. The coconut should stick to the sides.

Now serve and enjoy!!

Great with mate, mate cocido/with milk, tea, coffee, milk…

I’m not a very carnivorous person, but when it comes to spareribs I know when I start to eat but I do not know when I will stop

This time I tried a recipe (with some small modifications) from Curiously Ravenous, who in turn, replicated a recipe from her Chinese grandfather.

I would encourage you to try it, it is literally and figuratively to lick your fingers!!

Ingredients:

- pork spare ribs (I used 2 regular racks, the ones you find in any supermarket)

- 1 inch/ 2.5 cm ginger, grated

- 1 cup / 235 ml water

- some freshly ground black pepper

- 2 whole star anise

- 1/2 Maggi cube (chicken stock cube)

- 2 tbsp black Chinese vinegar

- 3 tbsp soy sauce

- 1/4 cup Shaoxing cooking wine

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

Cooking instructions:

Cut the meat strips in individual ribs. Put them in a large pot, fill with water, boil for 1 hour.

Drain the ribs and dry them with some kitchen towels. The original recipe recommended to then fry the ribs in a wok with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, but I found that this step can be skipped without any major sacrifice of the taste, while it is a little healthier.

Alternatively, if you are short of time or starving to death, you could omit the boiling and just fry the ribs, but they won’t be as tender…

Now mix the rest of the ingredients to make the sauce (feel free to double the quantities if you are making lots of ribs or if you like them with lots of sauce), pour it in a wok together with the ribs and mix. Leave for a couple of minutes until the ribs are well coated in hot sauce.

Serve with plenty of kitchen towels

Enjoy!!

What can I say…who on Earth does not like pizza?!

This time I’ll share with you my mom’s recipe, which for me it is the most delicious in the world

The result is a pizza with a thick, yet extremely tender dough, a thick layer of tomato sauce and whichever toppings you fancy.

Ingredients (gives 4 middle size pizza’s):

- 2 pound / 1kg flour

- 3.5 ounces / 100 g yeast

- 1 tsp sugar

- lukewarm water (the temperature of the water is really important, if it is too hot or too cold the yeast will not “react”)

- 4 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tsp salt

- tomato sauce (explained in my gnocchi recipe in this blog)

- mix of Italian herbs: oregano, basil…

- the toppings of your choice: I used Gouda because I find it tasty and I like how it melts, and some cooked ham in strips

Cooking instructions:

Pour the flour in a large bowl and make a pit in the center. In it put, without mixing, add the yeast, sugar, oil and about 150ml lukewarm water. Leave to rest for a while until the yeast comes to the surface of the liquid, forming a big”cloud” or “stain” all over the surface (when in doubt, wait some more minutes).

Then add the salt, and knead the whole with your hands. Add more lukewarm water if needed, until you get a soft, tender and smooth dough.

Leave it in the big bowl in a warm place, covered with cling film, until it doubles the volume.

Then cut the dough in 4 equally heavy pieces. Spread each one, top with the tomato sauce, herbs, cheese and ham.

Bake the pizza’s in a pre-heated oven at 356°F / 180°C for 20 minutes.

Once cool, the pizza’s can be frozen, and later on, thawed in the oven.

Now, didn’t I tell you it was gorgeous?

Enjoy!!

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!!

Brownies…these little sinful squares, warm from the oven, with tiny bits of creamy chocolate oozing from inside are absolutely GREAT. The credit goes to the Gastronomers Guide.

Come on, let’s sin together…

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup  flour (85g)

- 1 tbsp cocoa powder

- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (150g)

- 1 stick butter, plus some to grease the pan (115 g)

- 1 tsp instant coffee (I used regular ground coffee and it was fine – coffee intensifies the aroma of the chocolate)

- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (150g)

- 1/4 cup brown sugar (55g)

- pinch of salt

- 3 large eggs

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (90g), chopped, or chocolate chips (I think the chips will work out better)

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven. Butter a pan.

Sift the flour and the cocoa powder.

Melt the butter “au bain Marie”, then add the chocolate and the coffee powder. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat, add the vanilla extract and let cool.

Mix in a bowl (or in the kitchen aid) the eggs, the sugars and the salt until frothy. Add the butter-chocolate mixture, the flour-cocoa mixture and the chocolate chips.

Spread batter in the buttered baking pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs (if toothpick comes out clean the batter is overcooked).  The recipe said to let cool completely before cutting the brownies, but I didn’t (too impatient) and they were gorgeous, with the chocolate chips melted until soft and creamy…

Enjoy!!

Get rid of your prejudices. Take my word on this. This cake is good!! Delicious for dessert, for tea, when craving something sweet…you name it.

I prepared it this morning and I think that it will be gone by tomorrow night (and there are only the two of us eating it, yes).

I adapted the recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  I actually halved her recipe and I also did not make the frosting which was suggested. I also kept or even increased the original proportions of baking powder and baking soda, because I looooooove fluffy cakes.

I really liked the result : sweet enough, moist, tender, FLUFFY…and for those of you who are still suspicious about it, no, it did not taste like carrot AT ALL, really!

Ingredients:

- 250g sugar

- 125 ml vegetable oil

- 2 eggs

- 250g flour

- pinch of salt

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1 sachet baking powder (15g)

- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 250g grated carrots

Cooking instructions:

Mix together the sugar, the eggs and oil in a large bowl. In another bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon. Add to the first mixture and combine. Then add the carrots and mix well.

Pour into a greased and floured pan, bake until done (mine took 50 min.). Let cool and enjoy!!

Darlings, this dish is SU PERB.  Sweet, salted, spicy…and oooooh so aromatic…

The cooking process is half the fun, the anticipation, the smell…And then the result!: we had this for lunch today and it disappeared in like 5 minutes flat.

Ingredients:

- 1.65 pound – 750g chicken breast, in cubes

- 1 tsp cumin powder

- 1 tsp coriander powder

- 1 tsp turmeric powder

- 1 stalk lemon grass (finely chopped)

- 1 shallot (finely chopped)

- 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

- 1 tbsp brown sugar

- salt and pepper to taste

- 4 tbsp coconut milk (for brushing)

- wooden skewers (soaked in water if you BBQ the meat, no need if you use a skillet)

Cooking instructions:

Marinate the chicken with the above ingredients for at least an hour.

Insert the chicken in the skewers. Brush the mat with some coconut milk before grilling.

Grill it either on a BBQ / oven / skillet (no oil needed), turning over often until the chicken is cooked.

Serve with the peanut sauce and rice (I used Basmati). A salad would also go well with this.

Ingredients for the peanut sauce:

- 8.5 ounces – 250g peanut butter

- 1/2 cup – 125ml coconut milk

- 1/2 cup – 125ml water

- 1 tbsp sambal oelek (or more if you are a fan of spicy food)

- 1 tbsp curry powder

- 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

- 1 shallot (minced)

- 1 tbsp brown sugar

Cooking instructions:

Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan. Add in garlic and shallot and stir fry until fragrant. Add in sambal and curry powder. Stir fry for a few seconds and add in the coconut milk.

Stir until everything blended well and add in the water, peanut butter and sugar.

Continue to cook until the sauce thickens (a couple of minutes more or less).

Serve the sauce with the chicken and rice.

Enjoy!