Irish Stew

There are few finer things in life than a good Irish stew!  In the cold of winter a good Irish stew really hits the spot with it's rich flavours and warmth.

Ingredients
1 tbsp of olive oil, lard or similar
10 lamb or hogget shoulder chops
4 onions, roughly diced
6 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely diced
4 cups of good beef stock
2 Tbsps of soy sauce
2 Tbsps of Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsps of good tomato relish (homemade is best)
2 cups of chopped tomatoes or similar (1 can of condensed tomato soup or 1 can of savoury tomatoes works well)
4 carrots, diced
4 potatoes, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced - some leaves add extra flavour
1 cup of peas (more if you like lots of peas)
1 tsp of mixed, dried herbs or finely diced fresh chives
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp ground black pepper   
1/4 cup of cornflour and 1/2 cup of water (to thicken if necessary)

Directions
In a good sized electric wok or large, deep frying pan (or you can use a large saucepan) brown the chops on both sides for about 5 minutes. 

Remove the chops, add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes on a medium heat. 

Add the beef stock, tomato relish, chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, herbs and salt and pepper, then stir and bring to the boil. Return the chops to the pan.  Turn down to a simmer for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes add the carrots and potatoes, bring back to the boil and then turn down to simmer for another 30 minutes.  

Add celery and peas and simmer for another 20 -30 minutes.

Mix the cornflour and water to a paste if you think the stew needs thickening and add it into the stew, stirring briskly so it doesn't stick to the bottom.  Turn the heat back for a few minutes.

During cooking add more liquid as necessary or to achieve the consistency you prefer.

If you prefer you can leave the potatoes out of the stew and serve it with hot mashed potatoes.  

Serve with vegetables and enjoy!

Chicken Chasseur

It's a classic dish but as easy to make as it is delicious.  As a result it often features on the menu at our place.

I feel the addition of some good homemade relish really adds to the flavour.  I find that plum sauce enhances nearly everything so I often reach for our homemade plum chutney or this year's plum and peach sauce, but don't despair if you don't have your own - there are some good plum sauces available on the supermarket shelves or you can simply use tomato paste or tomato relish instead. 

Ingredients
3 Tbsp of butter (or oil)
10 chicken thighs
10 cloves of garlic, crushed and diced
3 large onions, finely sliced
1 cup of white wine
1 Tbsp of herbs, dried or fresh (mixed, parsley, chives etc)
2 - 3 cups of mushrooms (or more if you prefer), whole or diced in the size you prefer
4 cups of chicken stock (or use water and a stock cube)
2 cups of crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh)
3 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsps of good relish or sauce - e.g. plum or tomato
3 Tbsp of cornflour
Salt and pepper as you like it

Method
Melt the butter or oil in a pan and brown the chicken thighs on both sides.  Remove from the pan. 

Add onions and garlic to the pan and saute for around 5 minutes, then move to the side of the pan and add the wine.  Stir gently for another 5 or so minutes. 

Add the chicken stock, the tomatoes, the Worcestershire sauce, the relish and the mixed herbs and mix well.  Return the chicken thighs to the pan and simmer for around 40 minutes.  Add more liquid as needed. 

Add peeled, cleaned mushrooms and simmer for another 5 minutes. 

Add salt and ground black pepper as you like it.

Mix the cornflour into a paste with a little water - about a quarter of a cup. 

Remove the thighs from the pan and use the paste to thicken the sauce, stirring briskly. 

Return the chicken thighs to the pan, mix with the sauce, reheating if necessary until ready to serve.

Serve with rice and vegetables or whatever accompaniments you prefer and enjoy!

Accidental Lasagna

This is one of those dishes which makes 1 kg of minced beef go a long way and includes plenty of vegetables.  I called this "Accidental Lasagna" because when I first made it reminded me a lot of lasagna.  It's good to eat right away but after a day or two when the flavours have gone through it more it is quite delicious.

Brown 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of beef mince in a large wok or pan and then set aside.

Peel and chop 3 onions and 8 cloves of garlic  and brown in the pan.

Return the minced beef to the pan, combine and add about 3 cups of beef stock.

Bring to the boil while adding:
3 diced carrots
1 or 2 diced capsicums
1 can of creamed corn or corn kernels (around 1 - 2 cups)
2 cans of tomatoes (around 3 cups)
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1 tsp of curry powder
2 Tbsps of soy sauce
2 Tbsps of Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsps of sweet chili sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
 Simmer for around 30 minutes

Make sure there is enough liquid (you may need to add some more) at this point and then add:
4 cups (250 grams) of dried pasta spirals (or macaroni or other pasta)
1 Tbsp finely diced fresh chives (if available)
1 cup of frozen peas (or canned or fresh)
Salt and pepper according to your tastes

Simmer for around 15 minutes till the pasta is cooked al dente.

Spoon the mixture into pie dishes (mine will usually make 3 fairly large sized pie dishes), cover with grated cheese and grill in the oven until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. 

 

Sausage Pie

This sausage pie is one of Andrew's favourites and seems to be well liked by most people who try it.  It's very easy to make and also excellent value as I find it will make 3 large pies out of 2 packets or 1 kg of sausage meat.  It always seems very meaty to most people even though you can sneak quite a lot of vegetables into it!

Ingredients
3 onions
6 cloves of garlic
3 rashers of bacon
dash of oil
1 kg - or 2.2 lbs - of sausage meat
2 potatoes, peeled and grated
2 apples, washed and grated (no need to remove the skin)
2 carrots, peeled and grated
4 Tbsp of tomato relish (or sauce)
1 packet of dried mushroom soup
1 heaped tsp of curry powder
2 free range eggs
1 tsp mixed herbs
Salt and pepper
3 cups of grated cheese (approximately)
Red onions, tomatoes or mushrooms for the top (optional).

Method
1. Peel and chop the onions fairly finely. Peel, crush and finely chop the garlic. Remove any rinds and chop bacon into small pieces. Brown onion, garlic and bacon in oil for about 5 minutes, then turn off heat and cool.

2. Put sausage meat, potatoes, apples, carrots,  tomato relish, mushroom soup, curry powder, eggs, mixed herbs and salt and pepper into a very large bowl.  Add the cooled onions, garlic and bacon.  Mix the ingredients together thoroughly.

3. Press into pie or baking dishes. I find the mixture makes 3 regular sized large pies. Do not make the pies too thick - 1 to 2 inches is about right. You can sprinkle some extra mixed herbs on the top if you wish.

4. Sprinkle each pie with grated cheese and - if desired - layer slices of red onion, tomato or mushroom on top.

5. Bake at 180C for about 40 minutes.

Spicy Meatloaf

This is a very yummy meatloaf.  It makes a 500 gm pack of sausage meat and about the same amount of minced beef go a long way.

Ingredients

Loaf
2 onions, chopped
1 apple, grated (leave skin on)
1 carrot, grated
1 egg
1 cup of breadcrumbs or cooked rice or cooked pasta
2 teaspoons of curry powder
500 gms (1.1 lbs) of beef steak mince
500 gms (1.1 lbs) of sausage meat
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Put into two greased, medium sized oven-proof dishes.

Bake together at 180C or 350F for an hour, then remove from oven and drain off excess fat and liquid, cover with sauce and return to oven for another 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
4 tablespoons of vinegar
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 cup of brown sugar
50 grams of butter
2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder.

Method:

Combine and simmer in a saucepan on the stove for 5 minutes or otherwise combine and microwave on high for 2 - 3 minutes. 

This is very nice served with mashed potatoes and green vegetables. It's even better the day after and the day after that!