There’s also not as much to do in the evening since there’s not a house to maintain and we’re not preparing for a wedding and a move. In the last week we’ve had roast chicken, rigatoni with tomato vodka sauce, chocolate chip cookies, beef and lamb stew (see below), and spaghetti with tuna, caper and tomato sauce.
Needless to say we’re eating much healthier now, which is funny if you consider some of the British cuisine. My favorite was the traditional dessert that one celebrity chef made on TV. It was basically lemon flavored fat with a little flour. The actual name was something on a pond with the pond being the lemon flavored fat. How that was appetizing is still unknown to me.
But that’s the bad of British cuisine. There are some good things. The fish and chips is great, and beef and ale pie is very tasty, especially if there are mushrooms included. And there’s always bangers and mash or liver, bacon, and mash, neither of which Wife will eat.
When it comes down to it, though, any more we’re just as happy cooking dinner at home. It’s been really nice having time to do things like make stock. Wife is taking on one baking project a week and is getting more interested in cooking. Now we have to each have nights where one of us cooks.
But that’s enough rambling from me. Here’s the stew we had tonight.
Cheers,
Frog
2 comments:
Aaron -- You need to share the stew recipe! AND keep up on this blog -- it is a SAD SAD blog that doesn't get updated for a coupe of MONTHS!
Okay, since Rebecca asked for the stew recipe here's a rough approximation since I just kind of through it together.
1 lb. beef stew meat (or leftover roast like I used), cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 lb. lamb, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
flour
4 T. and 2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. mushrooms, halved
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 carrot, copped
1/2 lb. potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/2 lb. carrots, quartered
1 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup red wine
3 T. tomato paste
6 cups beef stock
Bundle of fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley
salt and pepper to taste
ground arrowroot or cornstarch (optional)
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
In a large dutch oven heat the oil over medium heat. Season the meat, dredge in flour and shake off any excess. Brown the meat in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pan.
After all the meat is browned, add the remaining oil and saute the mushrooms briefly. Remove the mushrooms and add the onions, celery, and chopped carrots. Saute until the onions are transluscent.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, making sure to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste, stock and herbs. Bring to a simmer then cover and put in the oven for an hour.
Remove the herb bundle. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. If the stew isn't as thick as you like it, dissolve 1 T. of cornstarch in a 1/4 cup of water and stir into the stew over medium-low heat. Repeat until the desired thickness is achieved.
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