Stuffed courgette

Tags

baked vegetables, courgettes, lunch, mince, stuffed vegetables, Veal

These stuffed courgettes are typical fare in France and especially in the South of France. There are numerous recipes for these famous stuffed vegetables, but this is one of my favourites. As we enter summer here in the northern hemisphere, we are starting to see all the typical summer vegetables start to arrive at the local weekly markets and courgettes are one of the most abundant and my favourites. I have used round courgettes here but you can use large beefsteak tomatoes, onions and aubergines too, it’s sometimes nice to stuff an assortment of vegetables this way, so your guests have a choice of which vegetable they prefer.

I made the stuffing in advance, assembled it all and popped it in the oven for 45 minutes once my lunch guests had arrived.

I used veal mince but you can use beef, pork sausage or ground chicken or even if you are vegetarian, omit the meat and add some cooked rice or quinoa in its place.

Serve these delicious stuffed vegetables with a green salad and a crusty baguette to mop up the juices and a glass of wine. voila – perfect, simple summer lunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 round courgettes
1 tablespoon olive oil
400g / 15oz ground veal
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 red or yellow pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C / 360F
Cut the tops off the courgettes, keeping them to use as lids and using a pointed spoon, hollow out the centres of the courgettes and keep the flesh
Place the courgettes in a baking dish and set aside
Heat some oil over medium heat in a sauté pan
Add the onions and peppers and cook until soft and translucent
Add the garlic, courgette flesh, tomatoes and meat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes
Add salt, pepper, cumin and herbs
Spoon the mixture into the courgettes and place the tops back on top of the courgettes Drizzle a little olive oil over and around the stuffed vegetables and bake for 45 minutes, or until well browned and the vegetables are soft, but still holding their shape
Serve hot or at room temperature
Enjoy!

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Asian beef with bok choy and rice noodles

Tags

asian, Beef, bok choy, quick dinner, rice noodles

 

 

This is a very quick and tasty recipe, perfect week night food.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 150g / 5oz thin rice noodles
• 250g / 9oz quality beef sirloin, thinly sliced
• olive oil or sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• about 10 medium button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 500ml / 2 cups organic chicken stock
• 2 bok choy, quartered

Preparation:

Boil some water and soak the noodles in the boiling water according to the packet instructions
Heat some oil in a hot sauté pan
Add the beef, salt and pepper and sear on all sides
Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms, stock and bok choy and cook another 1 to 2 minutes
Drain the noodles and add them to the pan
Mix gently and serve
Enjoy!

Beef short ribs in red wine and port

Tags

Beef, beef short ribs, braising, port, stew, wine

Beef short ribs are an inexpensive yet delicious cut of meat. They are richly marbled and need to be cooked long and slow to bring out the exquisite tenderness and flavour. The addition of port to the dish brings out a beautiful richness. It is a perfect recipe for a dinner party as it can be made ahead of time. The ribs are a natural with mashed potato or pasta.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 short ribs, each with a bone
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 carrots, sliced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
Bouquet garni
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bottle fruity red wine
2 cups ruby port
4 cups / 1 liter beef bouillon
Parsley, roughly chopped as garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 160C / 325F
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat
Season the short ribs with salt and black pepper
When the oil is hot, brown half of the short ribs until well caramelized on all sides, about 10 minutes
Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining short ribs
Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and reduce the heat to medium
Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes
Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer
Stir in the flour and continue to cook, stirring, for 3 minutes
Add the tomato paste
Add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping to release any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom
Pour in the port, stock, and bouquet garni, adjust the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil
Return the short ribs to the pan, along with any accumulated juices, then cover the pan and place it in the oven
Cook until the meat is fork-tender and beginning to pull away from the bones, basting the ribs occasionally with the braising liquid, 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Transfer the ribs to a large platter, discard any loose bones, and cover the ribs to keep them warm.
Skim the fat from the top of the braising liquid and discard
Gently strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, carefully transferring the vegetables from the pot to a platter
Discard the bouquet garni
Return the braising liquid to a clean Dutch oven and bring to a boil over medium-high heat
Simmer until the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes
Season the sauce to taste
Return the meat and the vegetables to the Dutch oven and simmer briefly until heated through
Sprinkle with the fresh parsley
Serve immediately
Enjoy!