Kimchi pancake with beef and shiitake mushrooms

 

Continuing my Asian adventure with a kimchi pancake. Kimchi is Korean fermented spicy cabbage, which is a real staple of Korean cuisine. It can be used as a side dish of its own or be added to a variety of dishes like this one. When added to pancake batter, it gives it not only the flavour, but also it makes it beautifully orange. While ready-made kimchi is more and more readily available in Europe, it is actually much nicer and cheaper if done by yourself (it takes a few days but it is worth it). Kimchi is not only sour but also very spicy, yet the pancake batter works to cool it down. That's why it pairs well with the spiciness of shichimi hogarashi (Japanese 7 spice mix) and the sweetness of the brown sauce.

You'll need:
5 spoons of wheat flour1 egg
50gr of kimchi 
shiitake mushrooms
a beef steak
Japanese 7 spice mix (shichimi togarashi)
yuzu powder 
Japanese brown sauce
spring onion (for decoration)

 

1. Prepare the pancake batter by mixing the flour and the egg with some water. You will want to make the batter slightly denser than the batter for french pancakes, since the juice from kimchi will water it down a bit. Add the kimchi (cut into smaller pieces if using whole leaf kimchi) to the batter and put aside.
2. Warm up some oil on a pan and fry your steak seasoning it with shichimi togarashi, yuzu and some salt. Once done to your liking, put it aside to rest.
3. Slice the shiitake mushrooms and fry them on the same pan as the steak. To add variety to the plate one could also add shimeji mushrooms, but in covid times one has to deal with what's available.
4. Fry the pancakes on a separate small pan. Due to the fact that the batter has kimchi in it, it is more easily breakable, similarly to  okonomiyaki, so making them on a bigger pan might be more of a challenge. Thus, be careful when turning them over.
5. Slice your beef and start assembling the ingredients together. Pour some brown sauce over the pancake, beef and the mushrooms et voila!

Itadakimasu!

Polpette carote e porri

 

 

Another teaser from the meatballs series, this time meatballs with carrots and leeks. They have a super crunchy cereal bread crust but are extra soft inside. Some hearty spices that include cumin make them a great comfort food. An apple and leek salad adds to the zestiness of the dish.

Boules de Picolat

 

Boules de Picolat or Catalan meatballs - despite their name, they are actually a dish tipical of the southern French region of Roussillon bordering with Spain. A mixture of beef and pork, tipically served with white beans in a spicy tomato sauce, but mine are served with chickpeas instead. I added also one more secret ingredient into the meatballs themselves to make them unlike any other Catalan meatballs ;)

Here I give you just a teaser, since I decided to save my meatball recipes for a special collection that I'm putting together.

    *Pictures courtesy of KD.

Japanese beef and mushroom wok

I recently set off on a culinary journey to Japan and came back full of new inspirations, having discovered some new extraordinary flavours and ingredients that were previously completely unknown to me. So, today I propose a dish that uses some of the classical Japanese ingredients and plays on Japanese flavours, even if the end result might be far from authentic. I found pak choi and the different mushrooms in a supermarket around the corner, so depending on where you live, they might not be as difficult to get as it may first seem. Mirin and Japanese seven spice mix might be more difficult to get, but luckily I found a great Japanese store here in Brussels (to buy the former, I brought back with me lots of spices from Japan as is my usual habit when travelling abroad).

 Udon and soba noodles from a Japanese shop in Bxl (Tagawa, I highly recommend it)

You'll need:
a beef steak
soba or udon noodles
one baby pak choi
spring onion
one red chilli
4cm ginger, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
lime zest
Japanese 7 spice mix (shichimi togarashi)
epoki mushrooms
shiitake mushrooms
chestnut mushrooms
dark soya sauce
mirin
salt

1. Start off by preparing all of the ingredients, the cooking time is very short so there won't be time to prep while it cooks.

2. Season the beef in salt and shichimi togarashi and quickly fry on a hot pan. Remove from the pan and let it reston the side.

3. Put the sliced mushrooms on the same pan on which you just fried your beef. Add ginger, garlic, chilli and lime zest.

4. Boil the noodles. One minute before they are ready (follow the instructions on the packet, they should take a just a few minutes to soften) add pak choi and spring onion.

5. Slice your beef, add it to the pan with the mushrooms. Add soya sauce and mirin. Add noodles with the vegetables and stir so that the sauce covers everything, et voila!

Bon appetit!

Vindaloo aloo

Vindaloo is a Goan curry stemming from Portuguese carne de vinha d'alhos (meat with wine and garlic, which is served in Madeira as a Christmas dish). This special occasion curry can be found in most Indian restaurants in the UK where it is usually served as one of the spiciest dishes in the house. Myself, I usually prepare it as a rather mild curry, allowing ginger to dominate a bit more. The traditional version does not contain potatoes, but they are sometimes added, possibly through a mistake deriving from the name that contains the word 'aloo' (potatoes) in it. Since this version also contains potatoes I thought it would be best to call this recipe vindaloo aloo to avoid confusion. It is also most definitely a Europeanised version of the dish, since I use beef, rather than lamb or pork. The key ingredient, however, is the red wine vinegar in which the meat needs to be marinaded beforehand. Vindaloo done this way is a favourite recipe of Cristina, my landlady in Florence.

You'll need:

500g beef

5-6 medium potatoes
red wine vinegar
1 onion

2 spoons of sour cream

broth (optional)

4cm ginger

3 cloves of garlic

English yellow mustard powder

ground cumin

ground coriander

cinnamon

chilli

pepper cayenne
salt & pepper

oil

1. Cut the beef into cubes and marinade it in red wine vinegar, with some salt and pepper and a spoon of oil at least for 3 hours.

2. Chop the onion and fry over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and ginger and follow with the rest of spices, paying attention to not burning them.
3. Brown the meat, preferably in a thick den pot. When it's ready, add spiced onion and previously peeled potatoes cut into cubes.
4. Add water or broth to the mixture, enough to cover the potatoes and cook without a lid until they soften. The mixture will reduce itself quite a bit, so it might require a stir from time to time and possibly some more liquid.
5. Add sour cream, et voila!

Buon appetito!

Beef red curry

This holiday season break offered me many opportunities to widen my palate and discover new flavours. This deliciously comforting red curry is an outcome of my summer culinary adventures that brings to mind many good memories.

You'll need:

500g beef

2 sweet potatoes,

1 broccoli head

1/2 ripe mango

1 spoon red curry paste

400ml coconut milk

rice to serve your curry with

salt & pepper

1. Cut your beef into small goulash size chunks  and fry for 3-4 minutes on a pre-heated deep pan seasoning with it with salt& pepper.

2. Put your beef on the side and add the red curry paste on the pan, allow to fry for a moment together with a spoonful of coconut milk. Once the curry aroma starts to release add the remaining coconut milk. 

3. Add the beef back to the pan and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

4. In the meantime, peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into small 1cm squares. When the 15 minutes pass, add your sweet potatoes to the curry mixture and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes soften.

5. Separate individual broccoli florets from the broccoli head and boil in hot salted wated together with a pinch of sugar for around 4 minutes. The stalks are edible too, but they need a little longer boiling time, so add them first if you want to use them as well.

6. Cut your mango into small slices and add to the curry together with the broccoli et voila!

Bon appétit!

Beef burger with roquefort and grilled pears

An American classic prepared the European way with the famous roquefort blue cheese which can be made only in one of the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in southern France.

You'll need:
150g beef mince
1/4 pear
1 medium size onion
50g roquefort
balsamic vinegar
round bread-roll
salt&pepper
sugar

1. Since the other ingredients already give this dish very rich flavours, the meat does not require a lot of seasoning, just some salt & pepper should do. Mix the spices into the mince and carefully form a burger.

2. Slice the onion and fry on a grill pan, adding a pinch of sugar and a few drops of balsamico.

3. Put the onion on the side, covering with a lid, so that it stays warm. Proceed with grilling the meat and the pear (cut into thin slices).

4. Once the meat is done on one side, turn it and put crumbled roquefort on top. Allow it to melt (a cover might help).

5. Allow the meat to rest for a few seconds while warming up the breadroll (previously cut into half) on the same grill pan.

6. Assemble the ingredients: first the onions, followed by the meat and then pear slices on top, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Empanadas

Here's is my take on this Portuguese classic dating back to XVI century. Just like original empanadas have been influenced by Portuguese conquests (possibly they were inspired by Indian samosas), my version is a real mingle of culinary traditions - the filling has Latin American, Moroccan and Polish elements to it.

You'll need:
a packet of puff pastry
300g minced beef
2 eggs
2 sour cucumbers
1 onion
1 garlic clove
sweet paprika powder
chili powder
oregano
ras el hanout (Maroccan spice mix)
cinnamon
salt & pepper

1. First, boil the eggs.
2. While the eggs are boiling, chop the onions and fry on a medium heat. Add finely chopped garlic, sweet paprika, ras el hanout, and cinnamon.
3. Add the mince to the pan. Season with oregano and salt & pepper and brown. Add  also some chilli powder for the extra spice.
4. Once the eggs have cooled down, dice them and add to the meat mixture. Similarly, cut the cucumbers and add to the filling.
5. Roll out the pastry and cut out circles of around 10 cm diameter. Put the filling inside the pastry circles, leaving 1/2 cm edge. Fold the circles into half and glue the edges with your fingers.
6. Transfer your empanandas into an oven tray covered with oven paper. Put in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Bake until the dough rises and turns golden brown (so for around 10-15 minutes).

Bon appétit!

Chilli con carne

It's time for an all American classic that also happens to be an official symbol of Texas by virtue of the House Concurrent Resolution No. 18, 65th Legislature, Regular Session (1977) - chilli con carne! Already before the WWII chilli con carne could be easily bought at "chili joints" throughout the South-West. Since then its popularity has not diminished and it remains a popular fast food that can be served with rice, tortillas, or even as a top up for fries. Chilli con carne is probably the most popular material of cook-offs: according to wikipedia the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) sanctions over 550 chili cook-offs annually. There is also a world championship with regional qualifying events for those feeling brave enough, organized by the the International Chili Society (ICS). This of course means that there are perhaps as many versions of the dish as there are participants of those competitions - literally hundreds. Here's my take on it:

You'll need:

500g ground beef

600g red kidney beans (canned)

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 table spoons of tomato concentrate

1/2 red onion

1 onion

1 medium carrot

5 red chilies

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

fresh coriander leaves

cumin

oregano

smoked sweet paprika

Worchestershire sauce

sunflower oil for frying

sour cream (optional, to serve with)

dark chocolate (optional, for a more authentic Mexican feel)

1. Finely chop the onions. Peel the carrot and chop it into small pieces. Fry them all in a deep frying pan/non-stick pot with a generous dose of oregano and cumin for about 3-4 minutes. Towards the end of the frying add garlic and 2 finely chopped chillies.

2. Add the mince with a little bit of water to the frying pan and brown it. Add some salt as you do so.

3. As the meat browns, add sweet paprika, a few drops of Worchestershire sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato concentrate and the remaining chillies.

4. Turn the heat down and allow the mixture to simmer for 2 hours. As the moisture evaporates keep adding water (or beef stock) and stir from time to time.

5. Add beans during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time.

6. Chop the coriander leaves and stir into your chilli or just sprinkle on top.

7. Serve with rice/tortillas together with cream and/or grated dark chocolate (it will melt immediately on top of a hot chilli).

Bon appétit!

Beef steak with gorgonzola with grilled mushrooms and cherry tomatoes on the side

Despite a continuous stream of articles on the hazards of eating red meet, I still believe that there are few things in life that are better than a beef steak for Sunday dinner. A little guilty pleasure from time to time can do no harm, right? Today I propose a simple beef steak with gorgonzola together with a few tips on how to make a perfect steak.

You'll need:

One beef steak

25g of gorgonzola

salt & pepper

5 mushrooms

10 cherry tomatoes

salad of choice 

tarragon

butter

oil

1. TIP: Remove your steak from the fridge at least half an hour before grilling/frying. It has to be at room temperature to remain tender after grilling.

2. Rub your steak with a generous dose of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Make sure it's covered on both sides. Normally, I would also use garlic and some herbs (e.g thyme), but since this time it is to be served with gorgonzola on top I decided to keep things simple.

3. Heat up a grill pan with oil. Put your steak on the pan (always moving away from yourself) and grill it, making sure it spends equal amount of time on both sides. TIP: Add some butter for some extra flavour. TIP: the best way to get to know the temperature of your steak is by touching it. If it feels like the inner side of your palm - it's rare, if it feels like the inner side of your wrist - it's medium, if it feels like the mid-way point  to your elbow - it's well done.

 4. When you think that the steak is almost to your liking, put some crumbled gorgonzola on top and cover the pan with a lid. 30 seconds later it should be deliciously melted on top of your steak.

5. Remove the steak from the pan and allow it to rest for a few minutes.

6. Use the same pan to grill fry (previously washed and sliced) mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. This way you can get back some of that amazing flavour from the steak! Season with tarragon while grilling.

7. Assemble everything on a plate, together with some fresh salad in simple vinegrette, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Cheddar pasticcio

A Greek recipe with an Italian name and English cheese, a truly international mix! It's basically two layers of pasta covered in cheesy bechamel sauce with meat in the middle, baked in the oven. It's probably best the day after, reheated, but it's hard to resist it till then.

You'll need: (a portion for around 6 ppl)
500g of mince beef
a packet of penne rigate (the exact proportions depend on the size of the casserole dish ;))
100g of chopped canned tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
a sip of red wine
3 spoons of tomato cocentrate
1 egg
basil
50g of butter
4 spoons of flour
milk
300g of cheddar
nutmeg
pepper cayenne (optional)
oil for frying

cheesy bechamel

1. Chop the garlic and fry swiftly on a hot pan with oil. Be careful not to burn it as it will become bitter. Add basil and mince beef. Add salt and pepper for taste and a little bit of water. 

2. Once the meat turns brown, add some wine and, shortly afterwards, chopped tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Then add the tomato concentrate and allow to simmer for a few more minutes.

3. In the meantime prepare the sauce for the pasta. Start by melting butter in a pot. Then add flour and milk, just like with standard bechamel sauce, the only difference being that it's supposed to be slightly more runny. Then add 250g of crumbled or grated cheddar and allow it to melt into a smooth mixture. Add nutmeg and pepper cayenne.

4. Boil the pasta al dente and mix it with the sauce.

5. Allow the meat filling to cool down a little and add the egg.

6. Spread half of the pasta on the den of a casserole dish, put the meat on top of it and then cover with another layer of pasta on top. 

7. Grate the rest of the cheese and sprinkle on top.

8. Put in the oven set to around 200 degrees for 15 minutes, et voila!

 

straight from the oven

Bon appétit!

Beef in blue cheese and mushroom sauce

Guess what? It's beef time again. This is my lastest take on it. It's quick, it's easy, and it's yummy!!!

You'll need:
150g beef
8 mushrooms (champignons de Paris)
150ml sour cream
40g blue cheese
lemon pepper
(olive) oil  
salt

1. Cut the beef into small cubes, mushrooms into quarters.
2. Make sure the olive oil on the pan is hot before you start frying. The easiest way to check if it's warm enough is to pour a few drops of water on it and see if there is any effect. When ready, transfer your beef into the pan and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Stir. Fry it for 3-4 minutes.
3. Once ready, transfer the contents of the pan into a plate and cover so that it stays warm.
4. Fry the mushrooms. Mushrooms like salt, but this time watch out not to add too much because blue cheese is already rather salty.
5. Add cream to the mushrooms and then blue cheese.Wait for the cheese to melt.
6. Pour the sauce over the meat. The juice from beef will nicely mix with the creamy sauce.
7. This dish tastes great with fresh cucumber on the side.

Bon appétit!

Beef theme continues...

This ain't a traditional English beef stew, or Polish gulasz or Hungarian pörkölt - though all of them served as inspiration.

You'll need:
400g beef
1 yellow paprika
200g mushrooms (champignons de Paris)
1 chopped tomato can/carton
1 glass of red wine
30 black olives
chilli
salt & pepper

1. Cut beef into small cubes, paprika into thin slices and mushrooms into quarters. Fresh mushrooms are firm and their underside is pinkish brown rather than dark brown.

2. Start by frying beef. Add some salt and pepper. No other spices are needed. Don't fry the meat for too long.

                                                    (Can there be anything better than the sight of raw red meat?)

 3.Once it turns brown add the tomatoes and soon after a glass of red wine. Allow to simmer under lid for 15 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, paprika and chilli. Leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the olives at the very end, et voila!
4. Serve with fresh white bread.

Bon appétit!

PS. It tastes very differently on the second day as paprika becomes more dominant.

Meaty feast for a rainy autumn evening

A perfect recipe for a depressing rainy day. I think that this new invention of mine could be a deserving replacement of a Sunday roast. All in all, what could go wrong if there is wine involved? ;)

You'll need:
2 medium size potatoes
150-200g of mince beef
75g of chopped tomatoes from a can/carton
50ml red wine (I usually use dry wines for cooking)
blue cheese
fresh basil
cinnamon
salt & pepper

1.Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into 5mm slices (normally I wouldn't mention the need to peel, but living in England has taught me that everything is possible). Boil them in salted water until they are nearly ready.
2. Fry the mince. Adding some water will prevent it from from collecting in bigger lumps and will make it softer. Only add salt & pepper for taste. Once it turns brown, add tomatoes, and after 30 seconds or so add the wine. The mixture will be very watery at this point, so you will need to reduce it quite significntly.

3. Spread the potato slices on the bottom of a heatpoof dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

4. Transfer the contents of the pan on top.
5. Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and freshly cut basil leaves.

6.Put in the oven set to 200 degrees for 10-15 minutes, et voila!

Bon appétit!