Hearty winter stew

When it's cold outside most people like stick to your ribs dinners that will keep you warm for hours. This stew is great for that and so easy to prepare.

1 lb good stewing beef, preferably organic free run but anything will work.
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 carrots
1 or 2 parsnips
2 potatoes
1 or 2 celery stalks if you want
2 medium tins of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
olive oil
dried oregano
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a pot or deep frying pan. Chop the onion and put it in the pot when the oil is hot, cook them just until they begin to get soft. Mince the garlic and add it when the onions are soft.

 Roughly chop the carrots, parsnip, and celery and throw them into the pot.

When the carrots are just starting to get soft add your stewing beef. Make sure you pat away any moisture from the meat or it will not brown. Make sure all the sides of the beef are browned before adding any liquid.

Once the meat is browned add the tomatoes and red wine. Chop the potatoes into small just slightly bigger than bite sized pieces and add them to the stew making sure they are submerged. Leave the bay leaves whole and submerge them in the stew. Add the sea salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste. Let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes remove the bay leaves and enjoy.

Chocolate-Carmel Cookie Bars

I saw this on the Martha Stewart website and just had to try them. Don't be frighted off by the fact that you will being making the caramel, it's really easier than you think.

Crust
4 1/2 ounces butter, plus more for parchment
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate Caramel

10 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

3 ounces butter

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs sea salt like Fleur de sel



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a square or rectangular baking pan with parchment paper so it has over hang. I found that if you trace the bottom of the pan and then cut along two sides so that the parchment paper will hang over. Do the same thing for the other side of the pan. Butter the parchment paper but leave the over hang butter free.

Start by creaming the butter and brown sugar in a bowl until it is fluffy, then add the flour and salt. The blended butter, sugar, flour and salt should have a sandy consistency.

Press the mixture into the pan so that it is even. I used a spoon but you can use your hand if you would like. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the cookie gets golden brown.

While the cookie is baking start to make the chocolate caramel. Chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl. 

In a saucepan heat the granulated sugar and water. Keep brushing the sides of the saucepan with water using a pastry brush so that sugar crystals don't form on the pan. Let the sugar water mixture bubble until it goes a nice caramel amber colour.

 

Take the pot off the heat and add the butter, salt and cream. Place the pot back on the heat and bring it back to a bubble and stir until smooth. Pour the caramel over the chocolate and stir until its all combined and let stand for about 10 minutes to cool. Pour over the cookie and store in the fridge for 4 hours or preferably over night. Top with Fleur de sel and cut into bars. 

Exam Time Meals

With the holiday's come exams. I have been busy with work and school and just have not had the time to post, so here are two posts together, both are simple and take around 40 to 50 mintes in tottal.

Spicy Italian Sausage Tomato Basil Sauce
This sauce is really nice and light and so simple to make. I put it over ravioli but it would be just as good on spaghetti or linguine noodles.

3-4 spicy Italian sausages
1 tin of diced tomatoes
1-2 good handfuls of fresh basil
1tbs olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and add the sausage to the pan. The sausage will need to be removed from the casing, this may sound hard but it's really easy. To remove from the casing hold the sausage in the middle and squeeze until the filling starts to come out, then you just keep squeezing out the filling until it's all out. Like this ...

Break up the sausage so it looks a bit more like ground hamburger

While the sausage is cooking chop the basil. It doesn't have to be minced or even neatly cut as long as it's small it will be fine.

When the sausage is cooked add the tin of tomatoes and your basil. Add the salt and pepper to taest and simmer for as long as it takes to cook your pasta and then spoon over the pasta and enjoy.

Stuffed Peppers
This dinner is as easy as it sounds. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, take your favourite meat spaghetti sauce heat it up or make it and fill the desired amount of peppers with it and top with cheese. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes. To prepare the peppers all you need to do is wash them and cut the top off.