Irish Stew

Serves 4 - 6

Traditional Irish stew as made by Travelling Ginger.
Original recipe can be found here.  

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg small red potatoes 
• 3- 6 carrots 
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 Kg Stew beef
• 1,2 cup flour
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion 
• 2 cans tomato cubes 
• 10 oz beef broth (1/3 can)
• 1 envelope Onion soup mix 
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 can of Guinness Stout

Preparation:

Cut the beef in cubes. Quarter the potatoes, and slice the carrot and celery. Put them all in a large pot and put the heat on low. Pour in the Guinness, beef broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper, soup mix and basil. Stir to combine.

Cover the beef with salt, pepper and coat in the flower. In a skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the beef until almost brown, and then add the onion. Continue browning and turning the meat until the onions are soft and translucent and the meat is fully browned.

Add the onions and meat to the pot. Stir in the tomato cubes and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to the lowest and cook for 3 - 4 hours. Be sure to stir every now and then so the ingredients don't burn to the bottom.

Serve with fresh bread and enjoy!

Mike & Leda

Mustardsoup

Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients

* 250 gram smoked bacon

* 40 grams butter

* 1 onion

* 30 to 60 grams flour

* black pepper

* 500ml milk

* 500ml stock or water (I used beef stock)

* 3 table spoons of coarse mustard

* 1 leek

Preparation

Slice the bacon in cubes, cut the onion finely and slice the leek in thin rings. Melt the butter in a pot and add the bacon and the onion. Put the heat on low as not to burn the onion and let the bacon slowly cook until crisp. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Let the mix cook so that the flour does not change colour. Carefully add the water/stock and milk to the mix and let it boil until the soup is lightly bounded. Now add the mustard and the black pepper according taste. Stir until smooth and boil slowly for a few minutes more. Before serving add the leek and cook for one minute more.

The soup is now ready to be served.

Enjoy!

Mike & Leda

Roasted Eggplant Curry

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

* 500g Eggplant

* 3 tablespoons olive oil

* Salt to taste

* 3 tablespoons coconut oil

* 2-4 medium sized onion

* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

* 4-5 chile de arbol (or any other dried chili/chiliflakes) to taste

* 8 green cardamom pods

* 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

* 4 large garlic cloves

* 1 thumb sized chunk of ginger

* 1 can of diced tomatoes

* 400 ML coconutmilk

* rice

Preparation:

Cut the eggplant in cubes and cover with salt. Mix with olive oil and put in a preheated oven/airfryer on 180 degrees celsius. Roast for 30 minutes, or until done. Make sure the eggplant is ready when you begin, we will add them soon.

Meanwhile cut the onions in cubes, the garlic in slices and the ginger in thin strips.

Mix the ground cardamom with the chile de arbol and put in a grinder/mortar to grind, set aside. Open the cardamom pods and shake the inside in the mortar, along with the peppercorns. Smash and mix with the turmeric. Set aside.

Heat up the coconut oil in a large pot or wok. Put in the onion and set to medium keep stirring and mix in the ground cardamom/chile mix. Leave the heat on medium and stir occasionally until the onions are soft. Now add the carlic, ginger and the next spice mix that has the turmeric/pepper/cardamom pod and cook for a while to toast the spices and really make the flavour spread. Now add the eggplant, tomatoes, and coconutmilk. Increase the heat and mix well. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn the heat low to simmer while stirring occasionally. Add salt to your liking and keep stirring.

Meanwhile prepare the rice, by now you should know my prefferred method; 1 cup rice, 1,5 cup water, bring to boil, lower the heat, let it rest for a minute, stir, and close the lid.

When the rice is done, add with the curry in a bowl/plate and serve with Greek yogurt on the side.

If you are a fan of coriander, you can add some leaves on the top.

Enjoy your meal!

Mike & Leda

Spinach-rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

* 1kg fresh spinach 

* 1 cup white rice

* 1 bunch spring onion

* 1/2 bunch dill

* 1/2 cup olive oil 

* 1 chicken or vegetable broth cube

* Salt & Pepper to taste

For serving:

* Feta cheese

* Fresh lemon

Preparation:

Chop the spring onions and finely wash the spinach.

Add the olive oil in a big pot and slowly add the spinach and the spring onion.

When it is all soft and about 1/4 of their beginning size, add the broth, salt, pepper, the rice 

and 2 cups of water. 

Mix, cover and once the water starts boiling, lower the temperature. 

Cook until the rice is done.

Fry one egg for every serving. 

Serving:

Serve with the egg over the spinach rice.
Add a generous piece of feta and a piece of lemon.

I hope you like this recipe and enjoy your meal!
Leda & Mike

Yogurt kebab

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

For the kebab:

* 500 g ground beef (preferable one piece)

* 500 g lamp minced meat 

* 2 eggs

* 1 bunch of parsley

* Salt & Pepper to taste

* 1 tablespoon cumin 

* 1 tablespoon allspice

* 1 teaspoon chilli flakes 

* 1 teaspoon paprika mild 

* 1 medium red onion

* 1/2 litter milk 

* 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek 

* 1 teaspoon oregano

* 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder 

* 4-5 bread slices 

For the sauce:

* 100 ml olive oil

* 100 gr butter

* 2 tablespoons paprika mild

* 1 tablespoon tomato puree

* Salt to taste

For serving:

* Pita breads (1 p.p.)

* Greek style yogurt (1tbsp p.p.)

Preparation:

Let the bread soak in the milk and drain after. 

Finely chop the onion.

Mix all the ingredients and let rest for 2 hours.

Shape into medium balls and cook on the grill or deep fry.

In a small pan, let the butter melt and add the rest of the ingredients. 

Cook on low temperature until the tomato pure is sweetened.

Serving:

Cut the pitas into 4 pieces, add a tablespoon of the yogurt and then the kebabs.
On top, add a tablespoon of the sauce.

I hope you like this recipe and enjoy your meal!
Leda & Mike

Tonkotsu style ramen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the pork marinade:

* 400 g pork steak (preferable one piece)

* 1 tablespoon sake

* 1 tablespoon soy sauce

* 1 teaspoon oyster sauce

* 1 tablespoon honey

* 1 garlic clove, chopped

* Salt

* Pepper

For the soup:

* 1 liter stock (any kind will do, but I used dashi)
* 0.5 liter soy milk

* 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or more to taste)
* 1 teaspoon sugar

* 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated

* 2 garlic cloves, grated

* Noodles

* Optional: Sesame oil

For the topping:

* Pork
* Narutomaki (I used "normal" fish cake since I couldn't find it where I live)

* Spring onion

* Bamboo shoots

* Whatever you like

Preparation:

Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper on each side and heat up a skillet with some oil.
Fry the pork on each side until brown and set aside. Don't cook it through!

Now let the pork cool down and mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Put the marinade in the skillet and let it simmer until the alcohol from the sake is evaporated. Meanwhile cut the pork in slices. You will notice that it is probably still red on the inside, but this is ok.
Put the pork in the skillet with the marinade and fry until the pork sucked up some of the marinade, or, like I did, until a bit crispy.

Take out the pork and set aside. Now we start boiling our noodles while we prepare the soup.

Heat up a pan on medium heat andboil the stock. Add the rest of the ingredients and slowly warm the soup. Don't let it boil! Put in a teaspoon of sesame oil if you have it to enhance the flavour. Mix thoroughly and lower the heat to the lowest setting to keep the soup warm.

When the noodles are done, pour the water and rinse with cold water. Put the noodles in a bowl and pour the soup over them until they are almost under. Now add your favourite toppings in any way you like and enjoy your soup!


Mike & Leda

Piri Piri Chicken burgers

serves 4

Ingredients:

For the burgers

* 4 buns
* 600g Chicken breast
* 2 tomatoes
* 8 slices of cucumber
* lettuce
* 4 slices of cheese
* 1 tablespoon castor sugar
* 2 tablespoons balsemic vinegar
* 2 tablespoon olive oil
* piri piri herbs (see http://emiliosbistro.blogspot.nl/2017/06/piri-piri-chicken.html )
* juice of one lemon
* 1 large onion
* 4 tablespoons yogonaise

For the sweet potato oven baked fries:

* 4 medium sized sweet potatoes
* 2 Tablespoons corn starch
* 1 Tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
* Salt (to taste)

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1 cm fries. Put them in a bowl with water for 1 hour.

Now beat the chicken with a meat hammer or anything similar until evenly round. Now put the herbs in a bowl and mix with lemon juice and a bit of olive oil. In this recipe I used one tablespoon. Now mix your chicken with the marinade and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 220 C.

Now we will prepare some caramelized onions. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil and add the onion. Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the sugar. Stir fry for one more minute and then put the vinegar, turn the heat to low and let it simmer until the liquid is gone. Set aside.

Rinse and dry the fries. Now mix them in a bowl with cornstarch and add the oil. Toss them over again to evenly distribute the oil. Now add the rest of the herbs except for the salt and give them one good mix. Place the fries on a baking tray in the oven, evenly distributed and not too close together. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Now heat up a grill pan and put the chicken once it is hot. Cook thoroughly on each side, until you are satisfied.

Now the fries should be done. Flip them all over and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes more, or until crisp.

Open the buns and grill each side until it gets a bit crisp, but still soft.
Now put one spoon of yogonaise on each burger, followed by lettuce, onions, chicken, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, and the top of the bun.

Serve with the fries and possibly a nice soda!

Enjoy!

Mike & Leda