Recipe 33: Quick Stew - Joss Style

I used to love steak. Growing up on a farm allowed me to appreciate meat- knowing where it came from, how the animal was raised and ultimately how it was culled. However, ever since my pregnancy I cannot stomach the thought of steak. I can handle meat in stews etc, but not by itself.

So when hubby cooked up rump steak last night, I could barely stomach the thought of eating it. I didn't want to waste it, so what was left (which wasn't much after the man had a go at it) was quickly and easily made into a stew for lunch. 

Quick Stew

Left over meat - chopped
Frozen mixed vegetables
Boiled Potatoes (again left over from the night before)
1 tsp Gravy mix (or cornflour to thicken up)
1 cup Water
Pepper and Salt (for taste)
1 tsp Chilli powder



METHOD

1. Add Chopped meat with water bring to boil
2. Reduce heat and add frozen mixed vegetables, also add chopped potatoes. Cook for 6 minutes at a simmer until the veges are cooked.
3. Add 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp Gravy mix (I use gravox) to make a thick sauce (add more water if you want it more runny). Taste and add salt and pepper for taste.

Recipe 27: Sweet Runner Bean Stew

This stew goes fabulous with grilled fish or by itself. I use it as a lunch as a main and for dinners as a side dish with grilled fish resting on top. If you don't have fresh rosemary, just use a couple of teaspoons of dried rosemary instead.

Sweet Runner Bean Stew

600g runner beans, trimmed
olive oil
1x 100g jar of anchovy fillets, in oil
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 dried red chilli, crumbled
2 x 400g tins of crushed tomatoes
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon


METHOD

1. Heat a large saucepa, big enough to hold all the ingredients, and add 2 tbsp of olive oil plus the oil from the jar of anchovies.
2. Chop four of the garlic cloves and fry them gently with the anchovies and dried chilli until it all goes soft and the anchovies break down into a mush. 
3. Pour  in the crushed tomatoes and add the beans and rosemary.
4. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. 
5. Place a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes or until the beans are nicely cooked. (If the sauce gets a little dry, add a splash of water and give the beans a stir)

Recipe 9: Grassroot Irish Stew

Its hard to believe its summer. Another chilly day of 18c, when usually at this time of year average temperatures usually are about 31c!
Was completely stumped as to what I should make for dinner tonight, with the little one being grizzly I just didn't have time to sit around cooking something complex- I needed something fast.
So I hit the library in my study where all the recipe books I have collected over the years, but have done nothing with, lie gathering cobwebs. Rummaging through I found a couple of recipe books which I am sure will come in handy in the coming months- nothing like a one pot recipe which I can put in the slow-cooker and leave for a few hours whilst dealing with the little man!
I found this recipe through "Slow Cooker" by Sally Wise 

Grassroot Irish Stew

700g potatoes

2 onions

500g lean diced lamb

1 tsp salt

3 tsp cornflour (optional)

METHOD

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into 3cm chunks (although mine are slightly larger) Peel and dice onion. Put both into slowcooker
2. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Add also 3/4 cup of water
3. Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8/9 hours
4. When ready for serving, add 3 tsp of cornflour (have worked out that if you add cornflour with a bit of water to make a paste and then add to the slowcooker so the cornflour doesn't become lumpy) to thicken up the stew juices.

The Result: My husband has asked for me to please stop cooking from this recipe book! Although I followed the recipe exactly, it was bland and tasteless "ruined really good lamb" as my husband says. If I am ever to do this recipe again, I need to add a bit of stock, or a tsp of vegemite to add a bit of flavour. Perhaps even half the amount of potatoes so we can have some mashed on the side. A really depressing outcome, considering how beautiful the lamb was cooked. : (