Category Archives: Meat

Beef log with Quinoa Salad

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Another simple Christmas lunch idea.  The meat is marinated in  red wine vinegar, cumin, ground fennel and chili flakes.  The fennel brings out the flavour of the meat.  The quinoa salad takes less than thirty minutes to prepare, cook the quinoa, add spinach,  nuts and drizzle red wine vinegar,  The red wine chilli sauce is a great sauce to drizzle over the beef and salad. 

To make this juicy beef log you need:

2.5kg beef log

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 tablespoon ground coriander

Method

In a large bowl add the vinegar, oil, soy sauce and spices.  Mix well.

Pour the marinade over the lamb and season with salt and pepper.  Cove the meat with cling wrap and place in the fridge and leave overnight.

Preheat oven to 220 degresss

Place meat in the baking tray and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours or to your liking.   

Remove the meat and let it rest for ten minutes than slice.

Tip

Before cooking the meat, make sure it is at room temperature after removing it from the fridge.

 

Quinoa Salad

The quinoa salad is a simple dish to make.  All you need:

1 cup Quinoa

Handful of spinach

1/3 cup olives

Handful of walnuts

Handful of dried cranberries

Method

Cook quinoa according to packet instructions.

Once quinoa is ready and cooled remove a salad plate and place the quinoa, spinach, olives, nuts and cranberries and mix.

To make the red wine vinegar chilli  sauce you need:

1/2 red wine vinegar

1 red chilli

salt and sugar to season.

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Taste to your preference.  

 

Kefta Shaksuka

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Today I tried another Moroccan dish.  Kefta Shaksuka, spiced meatball cooked in an aromatic tomato sauce.  I love Moroccan food because of the deep spicy flavours and the simplicity of making this dish.

Ingredients

500g extra lean beef mince

2 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.5 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup chopped coriander (for the meatball)

2 tablespoon chopped coriander (for the sauce.)

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon olive oil

400g canned chopped tomatoes

 

 

Method

For the Kefta Meatballs 

In a bowl, add the mince, one onion, ½ a teaspoon of the paprika and cumin.  Add the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and coriander.

Knead and make small round balls.

For the Sauce

Heat the oil on medium heat.  Add onions and cook for five minutes.

Add the remaining spices, garlic, bay leaves and coriander  and cook for 1 minute.

Add the canned tomatoes, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the meatballs, ¼ cup water and cover for 20-30 minutes.  Simmer ntil the sauce is thick and the meat is cook through.  If the meat is not cooked but sauce is thick add more water.

 

Note 

This dish serves 4

Serve this dish with couscous

 

Try these meatball dishes  

Poached Chicken Meatballs

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

Beef Patties with Mashed Potatoes

 

 

 

 

 

Tortellini with Roasted Pumpkin and Mushroom

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Tortellini is a ring shape pasta that has a filling.  I added roasted vegetables to this dish and mixed it with pesto.  The pumpkin adds the sweetness, the pesto has a tangy taste and mushroom has an earthy flavour.

Ingredients

4 cups tortellini

500g pumpkin diced

500g mushroom

2 cups spinach

3 tbsp.. olive oil

2 tsp. Italian herbs

Salt to season (optional)

2 tbsp. Nutty Pesto

 

Method 

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Line two baking trays with non stick papers.  Put pumpkins in the bowl add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and 1 tsp pf the Italian herb and mix.  Place on the tray evenly and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until  cooked through.

In another bowl add the 1tbsp pf olive oil and the remaining 1 tsp of  Italian herbs and mix.  Place in the oven.  Bake for  20-225 minutes or until browned.

Cook tortellini according to packet instructions.

In a saucepan heat the pesto with the remaining olive oil for a minute or two.  Make sure it doesn’t burn.  Add the pasta, mushroom and pumpkin and mix.  Put the heat off and let it cool.  Serve with spinach.

 

Note

This dish serves 4

Feel free to add other vegetables.

 

Try these pasta  dishes

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

Sardines & Chilli Linguine

Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli

 

 

 

Beef Patties with Mashed Potatoes

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This were the tastiest mash potatoes I ever made, baked the potatoes the same way I made the pumpkins in the   Pumpkin Mash and Steak dish.  Baked the potatoes in the oven instead of boiling them.  Added the rosemary, garlic, black pepper and salt to the potatoes.

The beef patties were yummy, marinated mince with garlic, onion, Italian herbs, red chillies, black pepper and seasoned with salt.

Made a simple tomato sauce to have with the mashed potatoes and beef parttiie.

 

Ingredients

To make the beef Patties

500g mince meat

1 small onion

4 garlics cloves

¾ inch ginner

½ red chilli

1 tbsp. Italian herbs

1 tsp black pepper

salt to season

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

To Make Mash Potatoes

500g  baby potatoes halved

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 garlic crushed

I tsp. black pepper

pinch of salt

 

To make the Tomato Sauce

1 onion

1 large capsicum

4 garlics cloves crushed

400g canned tomatoes

½ cup basil

½ red chilli (optional)

tbsp. oil

1½ cups water

Season with salt and pepper.

 

Method 

To make the Beef Patties

In a blender add the onions, ginner garlic, herbs chilli and black pepper. Blender until it’s almost a puree,  In a bowl add the meat and spice mixture and combine.  Let it marinate for two hours or more.

Heat a char grill pan. Reduce heat to medium and  add the olive oil.   Make six round Pattie balls and place them on the char grill pan.  Cook both sides for 20 minutes or to your liking.

To make Mash Potatoes

Preheat oven to 200ºC

In a bowl, add the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, black pepper,  salt and mix.  Add the potatoes and combine.

Layer a sheet of aluminum foil and non sticking baking paper on a baking tray, place potatoes on the foil.  Add another foil paper over the potatoes and fold the foil to make a parcel and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.

Once ready, use a masher to mash the potatoes.

 

To make the Tomato Sauce

Heat a saucepan on medium heat with olive oil. Add the onions, capsicum, chilli and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until soft.

Add the canned tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Add water and bring to the boil,  Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce is thick,

Chop basil and stir through and put heat off.

 

Notes

The dish serves 2-4

You can have the beef patties as a burger or in a sandwich for lunch.

 

Try these Mash or Patties Dishes

Mustard lamb with Cauliflower and Potato Mash

Grilled Beef and Mushroom with Broccoli Mash

Chicken and Vegetable Patties with Kale Salad

 

 

 

 

 

Moroccan Lamb and Chickpea Soup

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Nothing beats a cold winters day then a bowl of hot soup.  This delicious soup can be made during the weekend and stored in the freezer.  The longer the soup stays the better the flavour comes through.  Be patient when cooking the soup, leave in to simmer on the low for 2 hours.

Ingredients

500g fat trimmed lamb shanks

1 onion chopped

2 chopped celery sticks

2 chopped carrots

4 chopped tomatoes

1½ tbsp. Moroccan spices

4 cups water

2x400g canned chickpeas

250g frozen kale

salt for seasoning

 

Method

On a high heat, place a non stick saucepan.  Place shanks and cook until brown on both sides.

Reduce heat to medium and add the carrots, onions and celery to the saucepan.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add the Moroccan spices and cook for 30 seconds..

Add the water, tomato and salt and bring to the boil.  Cover the saucepan and reduce to a low and let it simmer for 2 hours.

After two hours remove the shanks and let it rest.  Increase heat to high and add the chickpeas and kale and cook for 15 minutes.  Using a fork remove the meat from the bones  and add to the saucepan and mix with the chickpeas and kale.  Put the heat off and let it cool.

 

Note

This dish serves 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pilau

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Pilau is a traditional dish from Mombasa Kenya where I grew up.  It’s a popular dish which consist of spices, potatoes and meat and sultana.

Ingredients

500g chopped chuck steak

1 cup rice

2 cups hot water

4 potatoes quartered

1 tomato chopped

1 onion chopped

3 grated cloves of garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

Handful of sultanas

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. cumin

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp black pepper

Pinch of cardamom

Salt for seasoning

 

Method

Add  the chuck steak in a sauce pan on medium heat.  Cook meat until brown and almost tender.  Remove the meat and set aside.

In the same  sauce pan add the olive oil, once oil is hotadd the onions cook until soft.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a minute.  Add the spices, cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the potatoes, mix evenly and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the meat and the rice and mix with the potatoes.  Add the hot water and sprinkle the sultanas over, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low to simmer and cover.

Once all the liquid is absorbed, and the rice is soft, put the heat off and cover the saucepan and let it cool.

 

Note

This dish serves 6.

Try these rice dishes

Lamb Tagine with Rice

Spinach Rice and Sambal Salmon

Bombay Chicken and Cauliflower Rice

 

 

 

 

Lasagne

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I had a  craving for lasagne and I decided to make one without using the white sauce and add some veggies. This dish has layers of meat, lasagne sheets and  a layer of spinach and ricotta  instead of melted cheese.  I didn’t miss the white sauce when I ate it.

Ingredients

To make the meat sauce 

500g mince beef

3 medium tomatoes chopped

213 g  canned tomatoes

40 ml tomato paste (2 tbsp.)

½ an inion’1 crushed garlic

½ a cup beef stock

1 tbsp. basil leaves

1 tbsp.. thyme

tbsp. oregano

tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper for seasoning.

 

To make the Spinach

500g frozen spinach, thawed and remove excess moisture by squeezing.

400g ricotta reduced fat

30g Parmesan cheese

1 egg

 

For the Lasagne

4 fresh lasagne sheets

 

Method

To make Meat Sauce

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic , cook until onion is soft.  Add the beef, remove any lumps, cook until browned.

Add the stock, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until mixture is thick.

Put hear off and add the herbs.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

To make Spinach

Beat egg in a bowl, add spinach ricotta and 15g of the parmesan cheese.  Mix until all is combined.  Set Aside.

 

To Make Lasagne

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Remove lasagne baking dish.  Pour a bit of the meat mixture at the bottom of the dish.  Add the first layer of lasagne sheet.  Pour the mixture over the Lasagne sheet.  Make sure it’s even.  Add another layer of lasagne sheet and pour the meat mixture.  Continue for the rest.

Once you reach the top layer, add the spinach evenly on the lasagne sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked.

 

Note

This dish serves 6

If there is remaining spinach, lasagne sheet, sauce and tomatoes make Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Try these Pasta dishes

Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli

Sardines & Chilli Linguine

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast Beef

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After my success with Roast Chicken I tried roast beef.  This time round, I didn’t add Indian spices, placed Italian herbs instead.  It was delicious and enjoyed the process.

Ingredient

I kg beef

1 tbsp..  rosemary leaves

1 tsp. basil leaves

1 tsp. thyme leaves

Salt and pepper for seasoning

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

Method

Mix the herbs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Marinate for 2-4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Place beef in a baking tray and cover with foil.  Add the beef in the oven and cook for 1½ hours or until cooked.  (I prefer my meat well done, therefore it takes longer,  check your meat earlier if you want it rare or medium rare.).

 

Note

Try these dishes

. Roast Chicken

Roasted Pumpkin and Beef

Pumpkin Mash and Steak

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican Bowl

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If you love spicy food this dish is for you.  I tried a Mexican dish today,  simple to make and packed with flavours.  I used black Beans for the very first time, not only is it a good source of protein, it is delicious.  Everything is baked and the mince meat is packed with flavour.  If you prefer a less spicy version reduce the cayenne pepper and chilli flakes.

Ingredients

To make the mince

500g beef mince

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

1/3 a cup tomato paste

1 tbsp olive oil

400g black beans drained and rinsed

1 tsp. chili flake

1 onion chopped

1 crashed garlic

Salt and pepper to season

 

For the side

2 corns cobs, husk removed

1 small capsicum

1 small sweet potato

Cayenne pepper for sprinkle

 

Method

To make the mice meat

Heat the olive oil in a pan on a low medium heat.  Add onions, cook for two minutes, add garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another  2 minutes.

Add the mince meat, break lumps with a wooden spoon, Add tomato paste and paprika and cook for 8 minutes, add black beans and cook for a further 3 minutes.  Make sure meat is cooked through.

 

For the side

Preheat oven to 180ºC

in a large tray, ( or two trays) add the sliced sweet potatoes, sprinkle cayenne pepper and oil.  Add corn and capsicum in another tray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Note

This dish serves 4.

Use the same recipe to make Nachos

 

Try these other spicy dishes

Chilli Lime Chicken and Stir Fried Rice

Lamb Cutlets with Spicy Potatoes

Spicy Grilled Steak

Chili and Honey Barbeque chicken