Beef Bourgnion ?? Sweet..

"Talk of joy: there may be things better than beef stew and baked potatoes and home-made bread - there may be."

This quote reminded me... of course there is,  there is... 

I learned this the other day,

2 tablespoons butter
1 kg beef, pot pieces of some fine meat, like entrcote from moose, or just some beef, or like google suggested, just some Frenchwoman.
1 teaspoon salt or more if you prefer.
1.5 tsp black pepper, freshly ground or more, you know how you like it.
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
0.5 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups veal stock, all the seasoning is a process of trial and error.
4 cup red wine, of course you have to pour your self a glass before you commence this session.
280 grams of bacon
200 grams of mushrooms
2 garlic clove (s), roughly chopped
1 can (s), pickled onions, (no broth)
1 tablespoon herbs, French, it looks nice if these are fresh.

How to do it?    First you preheat the oven to 175 degrees. This isnt necessary, since you just can finnish the whole thing in the pot.  Heat the butter in a roomy pan  or a pot and brown the pieces of meat  in the pot, a few at a time so it gets fried and not cooked. Add salt and pepper. Stir in tomato paste and cook a few minutes. Sprinkle with flour and mix well.  Pour the balsamic vinegar and cook a few minutes. Add the veal stock and red wine. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes.  Shred the pork, wash and cut mushrooms into quarters and scale and rough chop the garlic cloves. Fry quickly in butter and pour the ingredients into the pot along with the onions and stir.  Let simmer for about 1.5 hours in the oven or in the pot and sprinkle with herbs for the last 10 few minutes. Serve with some home made mashed potatoes, turn up the heat and and forget all about the the cold cold winter outside… Have some more wine and enjoy!

Soup!

Beethoven once said that anyone who tells a lie has not a pure heart and cannot make a good soup!

Food is a very important feature in our everyday. One possibility is to just have some food and consumption are only to take away the feeling of hunger but, if you put just a little effort in your kitchen its easy to endure small culinary experiences at your own kitchen table.

Every now and then I cook some food that I appreciate a little extra and here is the recipe for a very good soup. It is actually very good even if it contains lentils....

What you need is:

2     Carrots

1     Red Onion

1/2   Leek

2     Garlic cloves

1     Red chili 

2     tbs of fresh Ginger

2     Lime leaves

1     tsp Fennel

2     tsp Coriander

1     Can of Coconut milk (400 ml)

1     l bouillon

1     dl Red lentils

2     tsp Thai fishsauce

2     tbs Fresh lime juice

1     dl of fresh coriander or thai basil

      Some curry or chilli paste (optional)

Peel and grate the carrots or slice it into pieces if you want a chunkier soup. Slice red onion, cut the leek and chop the garlic and the chilli. If you want it less spicy, remove  the seeds and finely chop the chilli flesh.

 
Fry the onions, carrots, chilli and ginger in oil for a few minutes. Stir in the lime leaves, the spices and dilute with coconut milk and add the bouillon. Add the lentils and cook until the lentils are ready. The lentils can be cooked seperately, if you want the veggies to be more crispy.

 
Season with fish sauce and lime. Serve with coriander or Thai basil on top.

Enjoy!