Alex's Recipes

Simple Beef Stew

• 200g Stewing Beef, cubed
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Shallot, peeled and cut in half
• 1 small Red Onion, peeled and cut in half
• 2 Carrots, rough chopped
• Flour
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Red Wine
• Water
• Salt/Pepper/Basil/Hot Pepper Paste

Brown the meat with the onions in the oil sprinkling Worcestershire sauce over the meat and then lightly coat with flour when brown. Add the carrots and the wine until everything is about halfway covered. Top off with water and season to taste.

In a slow oven cook covered for 2 hours, then turn the oven up hot and continue cooking uncovered until the desired amount of liquid is left (I do it for about an hour – but my stew pot is tall and narrow), stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately with rice, potatoes or bread.

(Serves 2)

Chicken and Blue Cheese Risotto

• 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 1 medium Red Onion
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 small Tomato
• 1/2 Zucchini
• 4 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 200g Blue Cheese, crumbled
• 2 cups Risotto-style rice
• 6 cups Chicken Stock

Cube the chicken into bite size pieces. Dice finely the onion, pepper, tomato and zucchini. In a large deep saucepan, sauté the chicken in half the olive oil with the vegetables. When the chicken is done, crumble in the cheese.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl once the cheese has melted. It will be very liquid.

Add the rice to the saucepan with the rest of the olive oil and over a medium heat, thoroughly coat the rice. Adding the chicken stock half a cup at a time, stir the rice constantly until the stock has been completely absorbed before adding the next bit.

This process will take almost an hour of constant stirring, so be patient or take turns with someone.

Once all the stock has been used up, pour the liquid from the chicken and cheese mixture into the rice and stir it until absorbed as well.

Finally add in the chicken and vegetables, stir out the liquid, then cover with the heat off for 10 minutes to let the risotto absorb all the flavours.

(Serves 4)

Stuffed Zucchini

• 1 medium Zucchini
• 2 Hot Sausages
• 1 small Fennel
• 1/2 Red Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper & Dill Weed
• 1/2 cup grated Cheese

Cut the zucchini in half and scoop out the innards. Dice the innards, the fennel and the pepper quite small and sauté in the olive oil over a medium heat. Cut the sausage meat out of its casing and add the meat to the vegetables, separating the sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks. Add the salt, pepper and dill weed to taste and let it cook down until the vegetables are soft and there is no liquid left. If the sausages are fatty, either pour off the fat or add some breadcrumbs.

Divide the mixture in half. On a greased baking sheet line the zucchini halves up side by side and fill each one with half the meat mixture (it will overflow the zucchini). Top with the grated cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for half an hour.

(Serves 1)

Kamut Crepe Steak Quesadillas

Crepes:

• 1 cup Kamut Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Water (plus a bit more)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt

Whisk together the eggs, oil, milk and water. Add the salt the flour and make a well in it. Whisk in the liquid until totally smooth.

On a medium heat in a crepe pan or a non-stick frying pan pour out 1/3 of a cup of batter at a time and swirl it around making it as thin as possible. Cook for a minute on each side.

If you notice the batter thickening up, whisk in more water, a little at a time.

Makes 8 crepes.

Filling:

• 1/2 a Red Pepper, cut into strips
• 1 Shallot, sliced
• 1 clove Garlic, diced
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• Hot Sauce to taste
• 2 Grilling Steaks, cut into strips
• 1 Tomato, sliced
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1 Avocado, mashed
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream

Sauté the pepper, shallot and garlic in the olive oil, adding the chili powder and hot sauce. When soft, add the steak strips and cook until tender.

Taking pairs of crepes, fill with 1/4 of the meat mixture, a couple of tomato slices and 1/4 cup cheese. Grill the "sandwich" until the crepe is crispy and the cheese has melted. Serve with the mashed avocado and sour cream.

(Serves 2)

Turkey Biryani

• 150g raw Turkey breast, cubed
• 1 Shallot, halved then sliced
• 1/2 a Red Pepper cubed
• 1/2 a Green Pepper cubed
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 3 tablespoons Biryani Paste
• Cooked Rice

Soften the onion and brown the meat in the olive oil over a medium low heat. Add the peppers the yogurt and the Biryani paste with a little bit of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the meat is cooked and the peppers slightly softened.

Serve over rice.

(Serves 1 to 2 depending on the amount of rice used)

Fluffy Omelette

• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Fromage Frais (Quark) or Sour Cream
• 1 Plum Tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 Hot Pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Hard Strong Cheese (like Romano or Parmesan)
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Whisk together thoroughly the eggs and the fromage frais. Add the oil to a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in the eggs, stirring and filling in holes until the top begins to set (use a flexible spatula to keep the edges lifted).

Add the tomato, hot pepper and cheese and flip half the omelette onto itself. Cook, flipping once, until the cheese and eggs are at a desired consistency.

Top with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

(Serves 1).

Filling variation: In the frying pan before cooking the eggs, sauté one small shallot diced, the tomato, 1/4 cup diced bacon and some hot pepper paste (to desired heat) until the bacon is cooked, but not crispy and the shallot is soft. Remove from pan and add back (without the hot pepper and cheese) when the omelette is ready to be folded in half.

Sausage Ragout

• 3 Italian Sausages (your choice of spiciness)
• 1 Hot Pepper
• 1 medium Eggplant
• 1 medium Zucchini
• 1 small Onion
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 stalk fresh Basil
• 1 cup Red Wine
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch (dissolved in cold water)
• Salt/Pepper

Peel the eggplant and rough chop the meat and veggies. Mix them all together in a casserole dish with the basil, wine and salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 for one hour covered, stirring occasionally.

Take out of the oven and put on a burner, adding the cornstarch and boiling until the sauce just begins to thicken.

(Serves 2)

Wheat-Free Turkey & Chevre Quiche

(sorry, did this one on my scales so don't have imperial measurements for the crust)

Crust

• 300g Kamut Flour
• 150g Butter
• Pinch Salt
• Cold Water

Filling

• 1 Leek, diced and rinsed
• 1 piece of Turkey Breast Scaloppini, diced
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Hot Pepper Paste to taste
• 1 cup Fromage Frais (Quark) or Sour Cream
• 1 cup Milk
• 4 Eggs
• 3 sprigs of Fresh Chives, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded Emmenthal or other Strong Cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 log of Chevre (150g) sliced into 12 pieces
• 2 small Plum Tomatoes, thinly sliced

Add the pinch of salt to the kamut flour and blend in the butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers. A teaspoon at a time add the cold water until the dough just begins to form into a ball. Press the dough out into a buttered ten-inch flan pan or pie plate. Chill in the fridge.

Saute the leeks and turkey and hot pepper paste until cooked and chill in the fridge as well.

Whisk together the fromage frais, milk, eggs, chives and shredded cheese. Add the salt and pepper then stir in the leek and turkey mixture.

In the bottom of the pie crust, arrange the chevre slices evenly. Pour the filling into the crust and lay out the tomato slices on top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until the filling is set and the top begins to turn golden brown.

(Serves 6).

Cornmeal-fried Turkey and Veggies

• 1 small Eggplant
• 1 med Zucchini
• 2 slices raw Turkey Breast
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• Salt, pepper, paprika & dill weed
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Cherry Jam
• 1/2 cup Flavoured Mustard
• Hot Pepper Paste

Beat the eggs in one flat bowl, mix the cornmeal, salt, pepper, paprika and dill weed in aother.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.

Slice the eggplant and zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Dip each slice in the egg then in the cornmeal mixture. Drop the slices into the oil and cook each side for 4 minutes or until the cornmeal has browned. Place the cooked slices on a paper towel to drain and keep warm in a slow oven.

Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil – you may need to top up the pan.

Once all the veggies are cooked, coat and fry the turkey breast slices until cooked through, but not dry.

As a dipping sauce, mix the jam, the mustard and hot pepper paste to taste (yes this sounds strange but it's amazingly tasty). You can substitute the cherry jam for a grape jelly, but don't use a strawberry or raspberry.

(Serves 2)

Steak with Roquefort Sauce & Green Beans

• 1 eight ounce Steak
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1/4 cup Roquefort Cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon Martini Rosso (or other non-sweet alchohol - like Brandy)
• 1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
• 1 cup fresh Green Beans
• Salt & Pepper

Season the steak with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a fry pan and when sizzling, sear the steak on each side quickly then lower the heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side (or to desired "doneness").

Remove the steak and keep warm.

Add the cheese, the cream and the alcohol. Melt the cheese and bring to a boil.

Toss in the green beans and heat through stirring regularly.

Pour the sauce and green beans over the steak and serve immediately.

Make sure you have some bread to soak up the sauce!

(Serves 1)