aubergine parmigiana

Aubergine Parmigiana

Normally, on Wednesdays and Fridays, it will be either Fish or Vegetables or both. I am not a meat person, but I do not think I could be a vegetarian as well!
This is a very easy dish to prepare. This is my own take on the dish.

Ingredients:
2 large aubergines - cut into 1 cm rounds on the diagonal
1 or 2 garlic cloves - minced finely
1 large onion, sliced
button mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cube beef stock
2 tsp worcester sauce
grated parmesan cheese
grated half and half mozarella and cheddar cheeses
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Lightly oil a baking sheet or 2 and line them with the cut aubergines. Place in preheated oven, 200 deg C for around 20 mins or till soft. You may want to turn them over half way.
2. Whilst the aubergines are in the oven, pour the chopped tomatoes into a saucepan, add the beef cube, worcester sauce. Let it simmer for about 10 mins, then add in the mushrooms (if using) and simmer for another 5 minutes more.
3. Using an ovenproof dish, line the bottom of the dish with the tomato mixture, the a layer of the aubergines, then then the 2 different cheese and continue till the last layer on the top is the cheese layer.
4. Place in oven which has been heated to around 190 deg and bake for about 1/2 hour till the top is golden, crisp and bubbly.
5. Serve hot!

Meat Ball Spaghetti

Meatball Spaghetti
Another easy weekday meal which can be prepared in a hurry!

Have been cooking quite a few Chinese dishes lately and suddenly have this craving for spaghetti.

Ingredients:
(For meat balls)
6 Pork Sausages - I used cumberland sausages (remove from casing)
1 tablespoon panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
Salt and pepper

(For sauce)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 onion (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)
2 celery sticks (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced finely)
1 beef cube
1/2 cup red wine or white wine (your preference)
dash of worcester sauce

Method:
1. Mix sausage meat with panko and seasoning and stir well. Make into little or big balls as you like.
2. Heat oil in pan until hot. Add onions, carrot, celery and garlic and let it sweat for about 5 mins.
3. Add in chopped tomatoes, red/white wine, beef cube and drop in your sausage balls and let it simmer for about 15 mins. Remember smaller sized balls take shorter time to cook.
4. After about 15 mins, add dash of worcester sauce and add seasoning to taste.

Beef Stew



Liana had been badgering me to make beef stew for ages, so today thought had better do it as I have time to cook it properly.

Recipe taken from Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:
olive oil
a knob of butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
a handful of fresh sage leaves
800g/1¾lb stewing steak or beef skirt, cut into 5cm/2 inch pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
flour, to dust
2 parsnips, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and halved
½ a butternut squash, halved, deseeded and roughly diced
optional: a handful of Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and halved
500g/1lb 2oz small potatoes
2 tbsps tomato purée
½ a bottle of red wine
285ml/½ pint beef or vegetable stock
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
a handful of rosemary, leaves picked
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Method:
Preheat the oven to 160ºC/300ºF/gas 2. Put a little oil and your knob of butter into an appropriately sized pot or casserole pan. Add your onion and all the sage leaves and fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Toss the meat in a little seasoned flour, then add it to the pan with all the vegetables, the tomato purée, wine and stock, and gently stir together. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and just a little salt. Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then cook in the preheated oven until the meat is tender. Sometimes this takes 3 hours, sometimes 4 – it depends on what cut of meat you’re using and how fresh it is. The only way to test is to mash up a piece of meat and if it falls apart easily it’s ready. Once it’s cooked, you can turn the oven down to about 110°C/225°F/gas ¼ and just hold it there until you’re ready to eat.