Category: Comfort Food

Not Your Usual Lasagne.

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Who doesn’t like lasagne? The layers of rich meat sauce with cheese. Doesn’t just saying that line make you want to sink your teeth into it? It’s one of my source of comforts. Besides garlic mash, mac and cheese. haha okie. the list could go on. I think food, on the whole, is my comfort. hee.

When I was deciding what to cook for dinner, lasagne came straight to my mind. But I was hoping to cook something a bit healthier. so layers of vegetables was the only thing that I could think of! And as colourful as they can get! I think I got it all covered. Swede (yellow), eggplant (purple), zucchini (green) and the meat sauce (red/orange). I couldn’t help myself. (:

of course, I made a little bit of white sauce to combine all the veg together so that they could stay (kinda) in shape! Guilty! but SO GOOD! (:

Tomatoey goodness (: It was a big hit among the boys! They loved it. I know it looks heavy, but i only sprinkled a bit of mozzarella cheese on the top to melt under the grill for the last 5 mins before serving. It’s worth the extra calories, I say. haha

So here’s the recipe, a Food Made With Love original (:

Ingredients :

400g mince (beef or pork)

1 big onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbs olive oil

1 carrot, grated

1 green capsicum, finely diced

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

3 tbs tomato paste

1 can (400g) tinned chopped tomatoes

3 swedes, sliced thinly

1 large eggplant, sliced thinly

2 zucchini, sliced thinly

100g spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the simple white sauce :

150ml milk

50g butter

3 tbs plain flour

50g parmesan

salt and pepper, to taste

grated mozzarella, to finish

Steps :

1. After slicing the eggplant, salt both sides and allow it to stand on a rack for 30 mins. Pat them dry and set them aside. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celcius.

2. Heat a frying pan with the olive oil, fry the onion and garlic till soft and fragrant. Add the carrot and capsicum and fry for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add the mince and fry till brown. Make sure there are no chunks. Add the tomato paste and dried herbs, stir till well combined. Add the chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, stir and allow the liquid to reduce till almost totally dry.

4. In a baking dish, lay the eggplant at the bottom and top with the meat sauce. Top with a layer of spinach. Then layer the zucchini, another layer of eggplant and swede.

5. The white sauce : Melt the butter in a small pot over low-medium, add the flour and stir, allowing it to cook for 3 mins. Add the milk and using a whisk, make sure it is well combined and there are no lumps. Add the parmesan and stir until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. If it is too thick, just add a bit more milk.

6. Pour the white sauce over the baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes. Take the baking dish out and top with mozzarella cheese and put it under a grill for 5 minutes or until golden brown!

SERVE and ENJOY! (:

What is your favourite comfort food of all time ?

A Keeper : Beef Stout Stew

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Remember the post I did a couple of days ago on Yorkshire pudding? I knew after posting that I had to post the recipe of my favourite stew to have the pud with. I’ve made a few stews but I feel that this one is definitely a keeper.

I don’t know if it’s the stout, but somehow. It does make the stew yummier. Might be in my head. haha (My Mr loves stout!) In saying that, I’m sure it will be fine if you leave the stout out and just use more stock. It’s just one of those stews that you can put all your favourite ingredients in it and it will turn out great! Although it takes a really long time to cook, it is crucial just so the flavours will develop and you will get the thick and lucious gravy! The waiting time is worth it!

There are many things you could have with a stew. Besides the yorkshire pudding, one of my other favourite sides to go with a stew is a good mash. I made parmesan mash with this beef stew. And it was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! (:

So what is the favourite thing you like to go with your stew? SHARE! (:

Beef Stout Stew (Serves 6 or freezes well)

Ingredients :

1.2kg gravy beef, cut into 3cm pieces (can use chuck as well)

1/4 cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

3 carrots, cut into chunks

1 big onion, cut into wedges

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

6 small eschalots

8 mushrooms, cut into quarters

2 tbs tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

1 cup stout

2 bay leaves

Steps :

1. Lightly dust the meat with the flour, shake off and reserve the excess. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a casserole dish/claypot on medium-high heat and pan dry the beef in batches until browned all over. Remove and set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium and heat the rest of the oil, adding the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring for 3-4minutes until tender. Add the tomato paste and the rest of the flour and stir for a further minute.

3. Add the stout, beef stock and bay leaves and stir till well combined. Bring to a simmer, cover and allow it to cook over low heat for 1hr. (Stirring every half hour just to make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom)

4. Add the mushrooms and eschalots and cover and cook for a further 1 1/2hrs or until the meat is soft and tender and the sauce is rich and thick. (Stirring every 30mins)

Serve with a side of your choice! (: ENJOY!

Beef Stroganoff : Masterchef Recipe

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Sorry for the lack of posts! Uni just started for me, and the amount of readings I have to do is unbelievable! Haven’t had much chance to cook or bake. But yes! I’m back!

Have you been catch Masterchef when it was on tv? I have! I caught as many episodes I could when I’m home and if I missed one, I would load it on the Masterchef website and watch it at my own free time! (: One dish that caught my eye and tummy was the beef stroganoff! the orangy creamy texture of the dish, topped on pasta, I think it’s a match-made in heaven.

so I got down to business. I didn’t have creme friache or the usual substitute of sour cream, so I “cleaverly” used thickened cream which wasn’t too good an idea, cause it became very starchy. But other than that, the flavours were really yummy and my baby really enjoyed it! (:

so here’s the recipe that is from this Masterchef series

Ingredients :

2 tbs sweet paprika
100g flour
500g piece beef eye fillet (from the tail end), sliced into strips
¼ cup olive oil
40g butter, plus extra to serve
200g Swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 eschalots, finely diced
2 tbs tomato paste
½ cup brandy
1 cup beef stock
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup crème fraiche (or light sour cream)
2 tbs extra virgin oil, to serve
baby parsley, to garnish

Steps :

1. For the beef stroganoff, combine paprika, flour and 1 teaspoon of sea salt in a bowl. Toss beef in the mixture to coat.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over high heat and sear the beef for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Remove and set aside.

3) Reduce heat to medium-high; add half the butter and remaining the olive oil. Cook the mushrooms until caramelised. Reduce the heat to medium, add remaining butter, eschalots and cook for a few minutes until softened.

4) Add the tomato paste, brandy, stock, Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium, stir in crème fraiche, reserved beef and juices, then season with salt and pepper.

5) Serve with either rice or pasta. DONE! (:

Comfort food.

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Winter. Cold winds, rain, super low temperatures. To conquer all these, to me, only means one thing : comfort food.

what’s better ya? the ultimate comfort food for me is mash. The creaminess and butter-i-ness texture of the mash just makes everything seem better. (: So everything with mash, would just be a kind of comfort to me. Last night, I decided to make Shepard’s pie!

Shepard’s pie has always been a family favourite. So of course, I immediately went to source for a recipe so that I could cook it for everyone to enjoy! (: I was pretty worried the first time I made it, and I remember my brother having to always taste my mash to see if it’s buttery enough or salty enough. And my mum would stand next to me to make sure the mince is in small pieces and not in chunks, and if my meat sauce is thick enough.

alright, did I say I miss my family and I’m home-sick? I didn’t? Well, I am. That’s why I needed comfort food, pronto.

So here’s my recipe, hopefully, it will be as comforting to you as it was for me! (:

Ingredients :

600g mince pork (you can always use chicken or beef)

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium size carrots, chopped into small pieces

1 leek, sliced into thin rings

10 button mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 tin of chopped tomatoes (can always substitute with 3 tbs tomato paste)

3 tbs plain flour

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs Worcester sauce

5 bay leaves

750ml chicken stock

8 potatoes, cut into cubes (for mash)

50g butter

50ml milk (or cream)

1 tsp nutmeg

Parmesan, to sprinkle on the mash before baking it

salt and pepper, to taste

Steps :

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan and add the garlic and leeks and fry till fragrant and the leeks are transparent, make sure they do not brown. Add the carrots and mushrooms and fry till carrots are soft.

2. Add the mince and fry till the meat is cooked and the pieces are small.

3. Add the flour and mix till well combined. Add the stock, the Worcester sauce, chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and mix and allow the mixture to boil before turning the fire down to small. Cook the mixture and allow the liquid to thicken till almost dry. (about 20-25mins)

4. While the meat mixture is reducing, cook the potatoes in a pot of salted water till tender and easier to mash. Drain, and put them back into the pot over very small fire. Add the butter, milk and nutmeg and mash till smooth. Season with salt and allow it to cool for about 5 mins.

5. Place the meat mixture into a baking tray and slowly pipe the mash on top of it. Sprinkle the Parmesan and flash it in the oven grill for 5 mins, till the top is golden brown.

6. Serve and enjoy! (: