Bill Granger's Mirin Beef

I have often jokes that Bill Granger saved my relationship with Mr M, and although this is a bit of an exaggeration I truly believe his recipes did help us avoid a pretty ugly situation. As I have mentioned before cooking and being in the kitchen featured heavily in my upbringing, making me pretty confident in the kitchen and as many of my friends will tell you a bit of a tyrant. I am the first to admit that I can be pretty bossy when it comes to cooking and people tend to avoid offering to help me cook / asking me for help in the kitchen. About a year after we began dating Mr M moved city for his dream job and suddenly every second Saturday night dinner was being cooked in his kitchen! As Mr M got more into cooking we decided to give cooking as a couple a go but it became clear pretty quickly that we needed some unfamiliar recipes that neither of us was familiar with to stop me becoming a kitchen tyrant.

It was by chance that we caught a Bill Granger recipe on Saturday morning TV and decided to give one of his books a go. We invested in Simply Bill and pretty soon we were sharing kitchen adventures. Four and a half years later we still enjoy our time in the kitchen together and we try to keep our Saturday night cooking dates as much as possible. We often like to try new dishes, like Sushi or old favorites like chilli or pizza but every now and again we dip back in to one of Bills recipe books. This Soy- and Mirin-Simmered Beef on rice is from Holiday is a particular favorite as its easy to make, has very little washing up and can be made with ingredients readily found in our store cupboard and fridge. We have tweaked this recipe a little to suit our tastes but I have given you the book version below to allow you to adapt it to suit yours.

Soy- and Mirin-Simmered Beef on Rice
(Serves 4)

150 ml white wine
100 ml soy sauce
100 ml mirin
2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 white onion, thinly sliced
500 g rump steak, thinly sliced

To serve: steamed Japanese rice
baby spinach leaves
pickled ginger

1) Put the wine, soy, mirin, ginger, sugar and 100 ml water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook stirring to dissolve the sugar, bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
2) Add the onion, and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the beef and cook for 1-2 minutes until the beef is cooked through.
3) To serve, spoon rice and spinach into 4 bowls. Top with the beef and onions and ladle some hot broth over the top. Garnish with the pickled ginger

We tend to add extra ginger and onions when making this, and use whatever rice is in the cupboard (although this can be difficult to pick up with chopsticks!). In the version we made last night we substituted the spinach for a baby leaf salad that we had in the fridge which went surprisingly well.

Spicy Bean Stew

Whenever I come across a recipe that catches my eye I often jot it down on a piece of paper, or star it in my google reader. The best ones then migrate to a notebook or recipe card and their origins are often lost, although since writing this blog I have made a special effort to keep a note of where I find my recipes.

My Spicy Bean Stew started in my notebook as Chilli Black Bean Stew and with a few adaptations from the original it is one of our favorite store cupboard meals. The original recipe came from an article called The Winter Vegetarian from the Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine and can be found on their website. The stew is a perfect one pot supper and by substituting the dried beans with canned ones it can be ready in around 30 minutes.

Spicy Bean Stew
(serves 4)
150 g dried mixed beans
1 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, roughly chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp harrisa paste
120 g dried apricots, roughly chopped
2x 400 g canned cherry tomatoes

1) Soak the beans in cold water overnight, strain, rinse and cook according to the packet instructions until tender (45 min - 1 hour).
2) Heat the oil and cook the onion and chilli until soft (around 5 min), add the ginger and cook for 5 minutes.
3) Add the harrisa, apricots and stir in well, add the tomatoes and beans.
4) Cook uncovered for 5 - 10 minutes until piping hot.
5) Serve with a good dollop of natural yogurt and chopped coriander.

I love to eat this stew with lovely freshly made flat breads, which are far superior to any shop bought equivalent, as seen in the photo above. Mr M prefers corn bread, I always make for 4 and freeze the leftovers for another day and will post the most amazing corn bread recipe which I will make when I serve up the leftovers next week.

Tasty turkey pie

I don't do pastry, with the exception of pate brisee, which I don't count due to its simplicity - to me pastry is something that is tricky to make and often unsuccessful, and I have always felt that shop bought pastry is a tasty and cost effective alternative to making your own. The ease of this product is negligible, however if sourcing the pastry is difficult. Our recent move has taken us from a city flat with a nearby supermarket, plentiful delicatessens and an Asian greengrocers with every spice under the sun, to a village with a post office and corner shop and not much else. No more can I nip out for the missing ingredient for my creations at the last minute and when I decided the left over bacon and turkey in the fridge would be perfect in a pie the only way I could achieve this was by making my own pastry.

Tasty Turkey Pie
(serves 2)

1/2 quantity flaky pastry (I used this flaky pastry recipe from the Be-ro cook book, the extra pastry freezes easily for later use)
2 turkey breast fillets, sliced
3 rashers lean bacon
1 garlic clove, crushed
Small onion, thinly sliced
250 g mushrooms, sliced
small leek, thinly sliced
thick white sauce (made with 1 tbsp plain flour, 1 tbsp low fat spread and around 200 ml skim milk)
olive oil
salt and pepper

1) Fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft (2-3 min), add the turkey and fry until browned.
2) Add the mushroom and leek and fry for 5-10 minutes until they are soft. Season the mixture to taste.
3) Spoon the mixture into a pie dish and pour over the turkey mixture.
4) Roll the pastry to a 2-3 mm thickness, to cover the pie dish and cover the turkey mixture.
5) Place into a very hot oven (Pre-heated to 200 oC) and turn the heat down to around 175 oC after five minutes. Bake for around 25 - 35 minutes until cooked through (I am still getting to grips with my new fan assisted oven so you should adjust the temperatures and times to best suit your oven).


This pie works equally well with a veloute by substituting the milk in the white sauce with chicken stock.

Vegetable Risotto

The last month or so has been pretty hectic in our household and I have sadly neglected our nutritional needs when it comes to the main meal. First packing our old, drafty flat and then moving into our new home has meant that not only have I barely had time to cook but every time I want to make something more complicated than a frozen pizza I have had to hunt through boxes and bubble wrap for the correct tools. The result of quick kitchen fixes was that by the end of last week Mr M and I were starting to feel a little run down and most defiantly in need of some vitamins.

Risotto is in my mind the kitchen cure-all. When you are feeling low it is comforting and warming and with the right ingredients it can be the most amazing mood enhancer. It is also the perfect way to pack in as many different vegetables as possible while still making a delicious and enjoyable meal. For my basic vegetable risotto I loosely follow Arrigo Cipriani's Risotto alla Primavera recipe from the Silver Spoon, although I have altered the vegetables used to suit our preferences and what could be found in the local supermarket (as my veg garden hasn't yet been started and we haven't managed to find a local veg box scheme yet). The recipe bellow is our veg choice with my own adaptations, although I fully recommend the original veggie suggestions.

Vegetable Risotto
(Adapted from Risotto alla Primavera from the Silver Spoon)
Serves 2

Vegetables:
1 tsp olive oil
1 crushed garlic clove
2 oz mushroom caps, sliced
1 tbsp onions, finely sliced
10 asparagus spears, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 small leek, white part finely sliced
75 g fine beans, sliced
salt and pepper

Risotto:
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely sliced
175 g risotto rice
1 l chicken stock (vegetable stock works just as well)
20 g butter

3 tbsp parmesan, finely grated
salt and pepper

Vegetables:
1- Heat the oil in a large frying pan, fry the garlic for 30 sec and remove.
2- Add the mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes untill softened. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3- Add the remaining vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened.
4- Season the vegetables to taste.
5- Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
Risotto:
1- Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat until soft.
2- Stir in the rice, lower the heat and cook for a few minutes until the rice is translucent.
3- Add the stock gradually, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil and continue to add liquid as each addition is adsorbed.
4- After 10-15 minutes add the vegetables and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes until the rice is tender and creamy.
5- Remove from the heat, stir in Parmesan and butter. Season to taste.

According to the recipe only 750 ml of stock should be needed for the amount of rice used, but I used closer to 1 l. With the exception of a no stir recipe, that I love making I never find the amount of liquid in the recipe to be enough. I have no idea if this is due to the type of rice I use or the way I cook the risotto. Does any one have similar problems or is it my own impatience?

Fruty Scones

My mother-in-law likes nothing better than a 'fine scone', one that is well risen, crumbly on the inside and crunchy on top. I have in the past joked that she could write a guide book to the scones of Scotland and we often visit her favorite scone locations when we head to the north east for a visit. It has long been an ambition of mine to discover the formula for a 'fine scone' to be able to recreate her favorites when she comes down to visit.

In the past I have used the simple Plain Scone recipe from the BeRo flour Home Recipes book and while the result tends to be tasty, dainty tea-party ready scones they do not tick any of the 'fine scone' boxes. I came across a recipe for Light Sweet Scones from Rachel Allen's book Bake, and adapted it into some tasty fruity scones using a fabulous Raisin, Cherry and Berry dried fruit mix that will make my mother-in-law proud.

Fruity Scones
(adapted from Light Sweet Scones from Bake by Rachel Allen)

250 g plain flour
1/2 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 rounded tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
65 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
13 g caster sugar
100 g Asda raisin, cherry and berry mix
1 beaten egg
135 g skim milk, plus extra
brown sugar for sprinkling on top

pastry cutter

1- Preheat oven to 220oC (425oF/Gas 7)
2- Sift flour, bicarb of soda, cream of tartar and salt. Rub in the butter to fine breadcrumbs using your fingertips. Mix in the sugar and add the dried fruit.
3- Add around half the egg to the milk and add to the flour mix. Mix to form a dough and bring together on a lightly floured surface. Press flat with the back of your hand until about 2 cm thick.
4- Cut out with pastry cutter (I got 6 scones out of the mixture) place on a floured baking tray. Add a small amount of milk to the remaining egg and brush onto the scone tops. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
5- Bake for 10-12 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack, although they are delicious warm.

I added twice as much fruit as recommended in the cook book and the effect was delicious. The one problem I had was that the scones were so fruit filled that it made cutting the circles out a bit tricky.

Daily Bread

Making bread is one of my favorite, and in my opinion most satisfying activities in the kitchen. Not only is homemade bread far superior to anything you will buy in a shop (with the exception of artisan bread I ate for breakfast in Aix en Provence, I haven't been able to create anything that delicious), but the process of bread making is one that you can completely immerse yourself in. From simple flat bread to a seedy wholemeal loaf I find bread making therapeutic and a great way of getting away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

In my quest for the perfect loaf I have tried both packet mixes and bread makers in isolation and combination and have come to the conclusion that convenience is the only advantage these methods give you. While packet mixes can be perfectly acceptable and often tasty they take away some of the pleasure from mixing the ingredients for a simple dough or the satisfaction and anticipation of experimentation with different ingredients such as seeds and herbs. As for bread makers no matter what the ingredients I have never tasted one that compares to a hand kneaded loaf for taste and texture. Saying that, the automatic temperature controls of a bread maker can be a lifesaver if you life in a draughty or hard to heat flat. Having lived in a particularly drafty rented flat for the last few years getting finding the perfect spot to prove my dough was always a challenge and often lead to disappointing loaves, it seemed only right therefore that my first major adventure in my new, well insulated home was to bake a lovely simple white loaf.

After searching high and low for a basic white bread recipe I have adopted the one below from Rachel Allen's fabulous book Bake as my favorite. The recipe bellow is for two loaves, although I tend make half quantities when baking for Mr M and myself alone. I have also given the dried yeast version, as I get great pleasure from watching the yeast, water and sugar mixture develop into a creamy foam (spot the microbiologist!). You can substitute dried yeast with 1.5 x 7 g sachets of fast-acting yeast if you prefer.

White Yeast Bread
from Bake by Rachel Allen
makes 2 loaves

2 tsp caster sugar
425 ml warm water (1 part boiling to 2 parts cold works best for me)
2.5 tsp dried yeast
750 g strong white flour
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
1 egg beaten
(seeds such as poppy or sunflower for the top of the loaf if desired)

1- Mix sugar, 150 ml of the warm water and yeast in a small jug. Stand in a warm place for around 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
2- Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the centre (add the oil to the remaining water) and add the yeast mixture and most of the water/oil mixture. Mix to a loose dough, adding more water if needed.
3- Knead for about ten minutes until the dough is smooth and springy to touch. Put the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover the top and leave somewhere warm until the dough has risen. (Everyone has there own method of covering rising dough, my personal favorite is a clean, dry shower cap (often acquired on hotel stays) as it is flexible enough to rise and stops the dough sticking to it, is airtight and easy to put over the top of the bowl with dough covered hands.)

This may take 2 or even 3 hours.
4- Preheat the oven to 220oC (425oF/Gas 7).
5- When the dough has more than doubled in size, knock back and knead for 2-3 minutes. Leave to rest for ten minutes before you begin to shape the bread.
6- Shape the bread into loaves or rolls (My personal favorite is a pleated loaf as seen in the photo above, as it looks impressive and is great for 'tearing and sharing' as part of a meal. I hope to blog how to do this with step by step instructions and photos soon.), transfer to a baking tray and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, until doubled in size.
7- Gently brush with egg and sprinkle with seeds or flour if you want.
8- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes for rolls or 30-40 minutes for a loaf. Turn the heat down to 200oC (400oF/Gas 6) after 15 minutes for the remaining cooking time. When cooked the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.

Me

I often joke that feeding people was inherited through my Irish Catholic genes, I get immense pleasure from feeding people and think that an upbringing centered around the kitchen is to blame. Food was always at the heart of our family from the evening meal to grand family celebrations and I have vivid memories of the women in our family frantic in the kitchen on the run up to large gatherings. Food brought our family together and the tradition continues to this day, my favorite event being Sunday brunch at my parents when my siblings and I are home with our partners.

My personal training in the kitchen began when I was old enough to stand on a chair at the kitchen work top watching my mother cooking and baking. Processes were explained, mixtures chopped and spoons licked until I was old enough to be let loose in the kitchen on my own. Initially I baked cakes and sweet treats which, with the exception of a few cracked Swiss Rolls, were reasonably successful. My first solo attempt at savory was an entirely different experience and one that still has me petrified of culinary failures. Entrusted with finishing Sunday lunch when my parents had to nip out I added 10 g of dried oregano instead of the same amount of fresh. The horrified look on my mums face when she returned to see my pouring in packets of the herb into her chicken stew still haunts me!

After leaving home to become a student I continued my kitchen adventures (an ex-flatmate recently reminded me of the upside-down veggie pizza incident - a story for another day) although ten years of cooking in rented flats has made it a little difficult. Finally I have a kitchen of my own and I am ready to open its doors and share my adventures.......