On Boxing Day I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time - next to the trolley where a rib of beef was being marked down  from £18 to £6.50.  So there was no choice, I grabbed it. 

We also picked up a very large free-range turkey (also greatly reduced), so decided that as the turkey was bigger then it would be the beef which would be put into the freezer for another day.

I didn't have a clue what to do with the beef, so it's been sitting there ever since.  But the day (week?) has just arrived.

The great Delia* suggests the following:

• The beef should be smeared in a mixture of mustard and flour then seasoned.   
• Place onto an onion which has been halved and put face down in the roasting pan. 
• Put into an oven on No 9 for 20 minutes, turn the oven down to No 5.  
• Cook the beef then for 15 minutes per pound for a rare beef, and 20 mins per lb for more well done.   (As our piece of beef was 3lb, it was cooked a further 45 minutes)
• Baste regularly and resist the urge to cut off tempting corner pieces! 
• Remove from pan and sit for about 20 minutes before carving.
• In the mean time, make the gravy by pouring off most of the fat, adding plain flour to make a roux and adding vegetable stock, herbs (and a stock cube if liked).

By the way, we have a gas oven these days which is unusual and quite a nuisance but there's no way of getting a large electrical cable to that part of the kitchen, so we're stuck with it for the moment.  

I followed the above Delia recipe and the beef was wonderful.  In fact it was so good that it's worth doing again and paying the full £18 price!

To go with roast beef it's imperative to have Yorkshire puddings, so here's the recipe I used.

70g plain flour, 2 eggs and 100ml milk.  Mix these together, with s&p. Cook at No 8 for about 20 - 25 minutes in individual greased pans.  Makes about 8.  Or if making only one or two then cook for slightly longer.  

They were lovely.  Another day I'm going to put some onions and sausages in and make toad in the hole.

* http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/meat/how-to-roast-beef.html

I bought a 3 kg bag of fusilli today - well it was half price, so am now looking for suitable recipes.  Here are a few we've now tried and rather like:

15th July: 
Pasta Carbonara
(serves 2)

200 g Fusilli
1 grated clove of Garlic
chopped Pancetta
olive oil
a splosh of White Wine
2 Eggs
60 ml Creme Fraiche
75 g grated Cheddar Cheese
25 g grated Parmesan
a pinch Nutmeg

1. Cook the fusilli in a large pan of boiling water.
2. Gently fry the garlic and pancetta in the oil.
3. Add the wine and continue cooking.
4. In a bowl mix together eggs, creme fraiche, cheeses and the nutmeg
5. Drain the pasta and add to the pan
6. Pour over the egg and cheese mixture cook for a minute.
7. Serve with a green salad.

16th: tonight we ate 
Pasta with Salmon

180g Fusilli
150g Salmon, cut into cubes
1 clove grated garlic
1 red Onion, finely chopped
1 large Mushroom
150g double cream
1 bay leaf
chopped parsley
(serves 2)

1. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water
2. Heat oil in pan add onion, chopped mushroom and garlic (if used) and cook gently
3. Add salmon a cook a couple of minutes
4. Add the cream and the bay leaf and cook the mixture a couple of minutes
5. Just before serving drain a little of the pasta water onto the salmon mixture
6. Serve with something green (we had broccoli, although a salad would be nice too)

17/18/19/20/21 July we had a rest from pasta as I'd bought an enormous sack of potatoes.

22nd July: Fusilli Bolognese

400 g Fusilli
500 g minced Beef
2 slices Bacon
1 Onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
Vegetables, such as celery, mushrooms, peppers, carrots - chopped finely
Tomato puree
Mixed herbs
a splash of wine
grated Parmesan
(serves 4)

1. Fry mince, remove from pan, draining any fat.
2. Fry onion and garlic gently, and bacon if used.
3. Add other vegetables.
4. Return meat to the pan and add some tomato puree, wine, herbs and some beef stock.
5. Cook gently, preferably in a slow cooker.
6. Serve with the Fusilli and some Parmesan (or other cheese) on top.

This is an excellent mixture which I also use for Cottage Pie or Lasagne.

Today I bought some mixed beef and pork mince (no horse that I know of) to make some burgers.  As I couldn't find a recipe so made one up:

Beef and Pork Burgers

• 1 lb (500g) mince
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1 egg
• 2 slices of bread, made into breadcrumbs
• seasoning - today I used thyme and a little garlic, salt, pepper mix.

Mix all this together and make into eight burghers, then cook on griddle.  Any unused will happily freeze.
(Note: They fell to pieces a bit on the griddle, so may use two eggs next time)

Coffee

When I was about 14 I discovered the delights of drinking coffee. In those days it was laced with sugar but I soon realised that the taste was much more intense without the sweet stuff.   

In the Guardian this week under the delightfully-named Flavour Thesaurus I discovered even more gems of wisdom about this popular beverage:

Roasted, the coffee bean contains notes of blackcurrant, clove, vanilla, chocolate and nuts, all of which make great flavour companions -

Coffee and Beef: Caffeinated red meat. Something to serve your most militantly health-conscious friends! Why not add a garnish of lit cigarettes?  Coffee is used in the southern US as a marinade or rub for meat.  It's also been spotted in fancier restaurants, perhaps because there's a well reported flavour overlap between roasted coffee and cooked beef.  But beware, this can give the beef a gamey flavour.

Coffee and blackcurrant: A mysteriously good pairing that often crops up in wine-tasting notes.  Captured in a vacherin - layers of meringue , blackcurrant sorbet, whipped cream and coffee ice-cream with a sprinkling of toasted almonds - it's absolutely delicious.
  
Or you could try a variant of pavlova - coffee-flavoured meringue with cream and a blackcurrant compote.  Or even blackcurrant jam in a coffee gateau.  This sounds akin to our old favourite, Black Forest Gateau (cherries and chocolate).

Coffee and hazelnut:   If you find yourself at an ice-cream parlour in France or Italy and you suffer an attack of selection anxiety, remember coffee and hazelnut is pretty good.

Tiramisu - garnished with coffee beans and basil leaves

Coffee and orange: Breakfast companions.  What about orange and coffee marmalade?  or burnt orange and coffee ice cream?  Also orange and coffee tiramisu is nicer than it sounds.   This could be made with the recipe for orange and coffee-bean liqueur (see below).

Coffee and Chocolate: Forget hot drinks.  Coffee and chocolate work much better in mousses, truffles and cakes.  Or use them as uncredited flavour boosters.  A little coffee flavour in chocolate dishes can make them taste more chocolatey - and vice versa.

Coffee and Cinnamon: Cinnamon has the strength and sweetness to cope with coffee flavours in baking.  In many places cinnamon is sprinkled or stirred into coffee.  Tastes good!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Orange and Coffee-Bean Liqueur - the '44' recipe:
Take a large orange and make 44 slits in the skin, then put a coffee bean into each orifice.  Put 44 sugar cubes in a jar, position the orange on top and pour over 500ml brandy, rum or vodka.  Leave to steep for 44 days, then squeeze the juice out of the orange, mix it back into the alcohol, strain and pour into a steralised bottle.

Steak in Ale
1 lb Beef

1 garlic clove
1 oz flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme
6 oz onions
1 tbsp oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 pt ale




Coq au Vin
4 chicken joints
6 oz bacon, diced
6 oz mushrooms
6 oz tiny onions
1 pt red wine
1 tsp cornflour
a bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp oil
s&p

Some recipes using beef

AUSTRALIAN BEEF HOT-POT

3 lb chuck steak
1 apple, diced
2 tsp medium curry powder
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tin chopped tomatoes
4 oz raisins
1 pt beef stock
2 level tsp brown sugar
4 tbsp oil
4 medium onions, sliced
2 level tbsp flour
s&p
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp mixed herbs, chopped parsley

1. Cut meat into 3 cm squares, brown in oil, add onions, apple, curry powder. Saute a few minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes, raisins, flour, stock s&p and sugar.
3. Simmer, covered, about 1 hr, until meat is tender, sprinkle in herbs and gm.
4. Garnish with parsley.
5. Serves 12

BEEF IN RED WINE

3tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic
13oz streaky bacon chopped
4 lbs stewing beef
5 tbsp flour
16fl oz red wine
½ water
3 bay leaves
20 tiny onions (pieces of onion)

1. Cook bacon and garlic in oil and butter, add beef and brown.
2. Add flour and wine, then bay leaves, pepper and onions.
3. Cook for ages, add ½ pint water if necessary.
4. Serves 14 - 16
   
   
   

Flemish Beef in Beer
3 kg chuck steak or thick flank, 3 tbsp oil
21 oz button onions
3 level tbsp flour
½ pt orange juice, rind of an orange,
½ pt water
1 ½ pt pale ale
3 sprigs rosemary
3 pinches grated nutmeg

1. Brown onions, put aside. Brown meat, add onions, Stir in flour.
2. Add orange rind and juice, water and ale, stir well. Add rosemary and nutmeg, season.
3. Bring to boil, stirring, transfer to casserole, cover and cook in oven at 170C for 2 hours.
4. Serve with potato.
5. Serves 18 - 20.

COTTAGE PIE - Serves 4

l lb cooked minced beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 level tbsp flour
1/2 tsp herbs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp parsley
1/2 pt hot beef stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
s&p, oil
Topping: 2lb potatoes
1 medium leeks, chopped
2 oz butter
S&p
Fry onions in oil, add carrot and mince, cook 45 mins.
Season add herbs, cinnamon and parsley.
Stir in flour, add tomato puree and stock, cook a few mins.
Cook at 200C (Gas 6) about 25 minutes.




BOLOGNESE SAUCE (from Delia)

12 oz lean mince
6 oz chicken livers, chopped
4 rashers unsmoked bacon, chopped
2 tsp dried basil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cl garlic
14 oz tin tomatoes
8 tbsp red wine
4 heaped tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp olive oil
Heat oil, soften onion, bacon and garlic. Turn heat up add chicken livers mince and brown. Pour in tomatoes, tomato puree, wine basil, season. Simmer with lid on for 20 mins, then with lid off for 20 mins.


Beef and Bean Chilli

1 small red pepper, chopped
1/2 small fresh red chilli, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 lb minced beef
1 level tsp paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 cloves garlic
400g chopped tomatoes
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp dried oregano
125ml/4 fl oz red wine or beef stock
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
400g canned kidney beans
Serves 5

1. Heat oil in large pan, fry pepper, onion, beef, paprika, cumin over moderate heat, stirring, until meat browns.
2. Add garlic, chilli, canned tomatoes and juice, tomato puree, oregano, wine or stock, salt and sugar. Cover, simmer 15 mins.
3. Add kidney beans, cook 5 mins and then serve.

Yesterday I had a cooking afternoon and made two meat loaves:

Scilla's Meat Loaf

1lb beef mince
4 oz breadcrumbs
1 onion, chopped
1 egg
1 tsp herbs
1 tbsp tomato puree
some stock

1. Fry onions gently, add other ingredients.
2. Cool and little then add beaten egg.  
3. Mix well, put into lined meat tin and cook for 1 1/2 hours.  

I didn't have a loaf tin so cooked the mixture in a pyrex bowl which was just as successful.  

Ham Loaf
1 cup oats
8 oz ham
1/2 cup milk
1 carrot
1/2 green pepper
1/2 onion
1 egg
herbs/pepper
1 tbsp flour

1. Blend all these together in the mixer.
2. Put into greased loaf tin.
3. Cook at 175C/Gas 4 about 35 - 40 mins.

This is a good way to eat ham for someone who normally finds it rather salty.

~~~~~

Whilst the oven was on I also added cooked chicken to some white sauce, seasoning and herbs - and a few almonds - with a topping of crushed crisps mixed with grated cheese.  This was cooked in the oven until the top was brown and crisp.  Yum.

Then I made some cauliflower soup and some vegetable soup - and now feel there's no need to cook for the rest of the week.