Monthly Archives: March 2011

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Roasted Vegetables (Staple # 2)

Much like my recipe for garlic butter, I was very hesitant to share this idea for roasted vegetables.  Not only are they something that I suspect many people make without giving much thought to, this isn’t exactly a seasonal dish.   But roasting is a great way to liven up hothouse-grown peppers and we eat these every week without fail.  I promised to share our staples; roasted mediterranean vegetables are most certainly that.

I tend to make a big batch of them and have them as a side to grilled chicken (will share this “recipe” soon too) or a Friday night steak.  The leftovers are piled in sandwiches, stirred through pasta, tossed with lentils or spooned over my breakfast scrambled eggs.  The latter being a great way to get in some veg first thing in the morning.

Roasted Vegetables

(serves 4 as a side or two with leftovers for lunch/breakfast/whatever)

1 large aubergine, chopped into 2cm chunks

2 red peppers, chopped roughly

1  yellow pepper, chopped roughly

1 big red onion, chopped roughly

1 bulb of fennel, chopped roughly

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Dried oregano

  • Sprinkle the aubergine with salt and set  aside for 20 mins.  Using a tea towel, squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the chunks.  Scatter onto a baking tray (don’t have them all piled up on one another) add a sprinkling of pepper  and oregano then drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Toss immediately.
  • Add the onion, peppers, and fennel to a seperate baking tray (or two if they are looking too crowded).  Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle over a little oregano and, again, drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat the veg.
  • Roast in a 200 oC oven for 30 – 45 minutes, tossing occasionally.  The aubergine is roasted on a seperate tray as it can be a little temperamental.  The veg is ready when soft and the edges are slightly caramelised.
  • Good hot, warm or cold.  :)
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My Heaven: His Hell

D’s not a fussy eater but he does not like mushrooms at all and I don’t think there is a verb strong enough to express his loathing of blue cheese.  I, on the other hand, love both and had an utterly divine lunch featuring both today.   Can’t recommend it highly enough.  Unless you are D, of course.

Preheat oven to 200 oC.  Dot a field mushroom with butter and season.  Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, basting occasionally.  Remove mushroom from oven and top generously with blue cheese.  Place back in oven for another 5 minutes until the blue cheese is oozy and bubbly.  Eat in a floury bun topped with the roasting juices and large amounts of flat leafed parsley.

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Beef & Broccoli

I’ve been cooking impromptu meals for friends and relatives quite often recently.  No disasters to speak of but a few meals to be proud of.  So that’s nice.

On each occasion someone has usually asked if the recipe is on my blog and I’ve blushed (still very shy about talking about blogging in the “real” world) and said yes or no.  Surprisingly often, I’ve had to say no and I think I know why.  I tend to get excited about writing up new recipes that I’ve tried and loved in recent days/weeks and forget that I’ve never posted some of our home’s staple dishes.  So, starting here, I shall begin to rectify this situation…

Beef and Broccoli.  Let me begin rather negatively by telling you that I’m soooooo fed up of cooking this dish, I can hardly be bothered typing up the recipe.  It is, however, D’s very favourite dish of recent months and even though I huff whenever he requests it, I gobble it up happily once it’s made.  And it doesn’t take very long to make at all.

Beef & Broccoli

(serves 2)

Ground nut oil or similar (not olive oil)

250g rump steak, sliced as thinly as your parents’ horribly blunt knife will let you

1 tblspn chopped ginger

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets

For sauce:

1 tblspn sesame oil

2 tblspn oyster sauce

2 tblspn soy sauce

1 tblspn vinegar

1 tblspn sugar

50ml stock or water

  • Mix the sauce ingredients together.  Set aside.  Chop the beef and broccoli.  Cook your rice.  The next part will only take 5 mins.
  • Heat a splash of oil in a wok over a high heat.  Add the beef and stir fry for 30 seconds until browned.  Remove from pan.
  • Add another splash of oil, if required.  Add the garlic and ginger to the wok and cook for 10 seconds.  Add the broccoli and toss well.
  • Add the seared beef back to the wok along with the sauce and cook for 2=3 minutes, tossing often.  The broccoli should still have a bite to it.
  • Serve with rice.