Chilli Steak-Bistec Con Chile

This is a simple chilli recipe,that uses stewing or flank steak to make a hearty chilli stew with a warming, but not a fiery kick..Try this with ripe plantain,fried sweet potaoes and boiled rice. I hope you try this and adapt this as necessary.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4-6

300g Grams of Stewing Steak cubed
1 Onion chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic crushed
1 teaspoon each of: Cumin,Coriander,Cinnamon,Pimentón Dulce and Picanté(Sweet and Hot Smoked Paprika),Ginger, Chilli Powder/2 Birdseye Chillies deeseeded and diced,and Salt and Pepper to taste.
2 Tablespoons of Fresh Rosemary
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes/2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
250 Grams of Rosecoco/Pinto Beans
Beef Stock to taste
Glass of Light Red Wine, such as Merlot or a Claret.

METHOD

Firstly wash and drain the meat, then brown in a pot , adding the onion and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes, then add the seasoning and beans. Cover the contents with stock, the wine and water. Cook for 2-3 hours on a low simmer,until both the meat and beans are tender. Serve with white rice,
salad and fried plantain or sweet potato. Enjoy!!

Sausage And Pumpkin Leaf Pasta-Pasta De Salchicha Y Hoja de Calabaza

Wow… Its been a while…Sorry for the lack of posts fans… I was busy thinking up and trying new recipes as well as being rather busy… So here is a recipe that will warm you up through this chilly springtime,and can be made with leftovers and dried vegetables,like the Pumpkin Leaves. Use good quality sausages for the meal and experiment with herbs to add flavour.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4-6 PEOPLE

4 Lincolnshire Sausages/Or Quorn Sausages,cooked and sliced
1 Small Onion and Half a Leek,diced
Half a Cup of Green Peas

1 Teaspoon of: Pimentón Dulce(Smoked Spanish Paprika),Coriander,Chilli,Black Pepper,Oregano.

2 Cups of Macaroni
1 Cup of Stock
1 Teaspoon of Cornflour
1/2 Cup of Dried Pumpkin Leaves-The dried pumpkin leaves can be found in an African Food Store. Simply rehydrate in hot water for 10 minutes and then rinse in cold water to eliminate grit.
If you grow pumpkins,or have access to fresh leaves,wash and chop,and cook as you would with curly kale.

METHOD

Firstly, fry the sausages until cooked, and then set them aside. Fry the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, then add the spices and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the cornflour and stock, and then the pumpkin leaves.

Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender if using fresh leaves. If using dried ones, cook until they are not chewy and are tender.. This may take upto 10 minutes extra to cook them. Add the peas during this time.

Boil the pasta, for the recommended time on the packet. Add the sausages, which should be sliced and warm through.. Reduce the sauce if desired and serve hot. Enjoy!

Pork And Chicken In A Coconut Tamarind Sauce-Carne De Cerdo Y Pollo En Salsa De Coco-Tamarindo

This recipe is another way of using exotic flavours and blending them to make a warming,flavoursome and fresh and easy meal,which is bound to make an exciting meal… Even during mid week dinner.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups of Diced Pork Shoulder,
1 Cup of Diced Chicken Thighs or 2 Thighs skinned and deboned.

1 1/2 Teaspoons of:
Coriander,Cumin,Cinnamon(1Teaspoon), Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Small piece of Tamarind Block and Coconut Cream,both dissolved in hot water.. Strain the tamarind in a tea strainer,collecting the fruit pulp.

1 Chilli chopped,and if desired,deseeded.
1 Teaspoon of Palm Sugar/Soft Brown Sugar

METHOD

Firstly,cut all the chicken off the bone or have a butcher do this for you. Cut the pork into pieces also and wash both in lemon juice and water. Fry the onion and spices for around 5-7 minutes,or until softened,on a moderate heat.

Add the pork pieces,and fry for two minutes or so until browned slightly. Add water to cover and cook for 20 minutes. After this elapsed time,add the chicken pieces. Add the *dissolved coconut cream. Add the dissolved tamarind,and sugar,and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve with rice,chapati/naan,and a salad.

*DISSOLVING TAMARIND AND COCONUT CREAM:

Cut a chunk of coconut cream,and boil a kettle, pouring over the hot water to cover the block of cream. Stir the block in the hot water gently to initially help dissolve the block. Then you can either put the mixture to further dissolve in a pan or a microwave. You can do this for the tamarind block also.

With the tamarind block,dissolve and then pour into a tea strainer,pushing,the pulp through to get as much of the fruit as possible.Use a back of a spoon,to help with this and then use the curved part of the spoon to scoop the pulp into a bowl. Get as much as you can from the pulp,seeds and fibres. Hope this has helped!

Black Bean Bites-Rabios De Frijoles Negros

This is another variation of the Dinies Beanie Bites… But made with black beans instead of chickpeas…These are easy to make  and can be prepared  a day in advance and served hot or cold.

INGREDIENTS

 250 grams of Black Beans(One quarter of a bag of beans)

1 Onion sliced

4 Cloves of Garlic crushed

2 Teaspoons of  Rosemary and Sage,Cumin,Coriander, or to taste

1-2 Jalapenos, deseeded, and finely chopped

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons of Ground Rice/Cornmeal Flour

Cooking Oil for frying

METHOD

Soak the black beans for 8 hours or overnight. Drain off the water and get rid of any stones/damaged peas. Add the beans,all seasonings and the ground rice and blend the mixture with around 200 mls of water. Add more water, if too thick. This mixture can then be chilled until ready to use, or can be used immediately, after leaving to stand for about 15 minutes. Heat some oil in a frying pan/deep fat fryer, and using a spoon, take some of the mixture and fry into large drops in batches of four, until golden brown and crisp, on a moderately high heat. This should take around 5 minutes or less. Serve hot with Mango Chutney, Lime Pickle or any dip of choice, as a snack or as part of a buffet. Enjoy!

3000 Strong And Growing!!!

This has made my day.. I thank all of the visitors to my blog for the past eleven months who have commented(Heartwarming,flattering or downright baffling sometimes!), and liked my posts.. A very big thank you for your ideas,comments and compliments… Te agradezco mucho!!/Thank you very much!!

Aromatic Citrus Seasoning

This is my seasoning recipe that I used on my roast chicken during  Christmas.. This can be used on pork and fish.. It is similar to the seasoning mix to the zesty pork belly recipe… With a few variations..

INGREDIENTS

Zest of 2 Lemons and juice of 1 1/2 Lemons
About 1 Level of Tablespoon of Nutmeg
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper,1 Tablespoon of each..Or add to taste
3 Cloves of Crushed Garlic
Small Bunch of:
Rosemary,Sage,Dill and Parsley,chopped.
Oil to mix into a dressing-like consistency..

METHOD

Wash the lemons,dry them and grate all of them. Put in a bowl,and grate the nutmeg,crush the garlic,chop the herbs and season with salt and black pepper. Taste to make sure all the seasoning is well mixed and there is a good spice,salty,and sharp flavour combination. Use on the meats,tofu or vegetarian,or fish of choice. Enjoy!!

Boiled Cows Tongue-Lengua De Res Hervido

Tongue..Isn’t the most likely meat to cook, but with some cultures and households, it is a hit! I was skeptical about this cut of meat..But, after giving it a try and finding out how versatile and tasty it was, I have decided to share my recipe with you guys! Please do not be put off by the fact that it’s an animals tongue.. If cooked correctly and seasoned just the way you like, then you can’t go wrong!

 

 

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1 Cows Tongue scraped and washed in vinegar and water.

 Half an Onion,peeled and sliced.

4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed/chopped.
Bunch of Rosemary, with the leaves stripped and chopped

1 Heaped Teaspoon each of:

Sichuan Peppercorns,Cumin,Coriander

3 Bay Leaves

1 Whole Dried Lime
Water to cover the tongue and other contents in the pot 

Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/2 of  A Scotch Bonnet Chilli

METHOD

Scrape and wash the tongue(Place the meat on a chopping board, and use a knife or cleaver and scrape away from yourself,in a forwards motion, to get rid of the thick residue.), trying to cut away the sinew. Add  meats, onions,garlic and spices to a pot. Leave to cook in a pressure cooker for 40-50 minutes. If using a slow cooker like I did 2 1/2-3 hours, or overnight on a low simmer. Leave to reduce when tender for around 30 minutes and add extra seasoning if needed. When you are about to prepare the tongue, reserve the cooking liquid, which has lots of flavour. Serve warm in sandwiches, or as part of a cold platter with ham, and other meats traditionally served cold.