Thai Beef Soup

This soup was amazing I think it was a Ken Hom soup:

450g/1lb fresh spinach (baby spinach would not work)
175g/6oz lean fillet steak, cut into thin slices about 5cm (2 in) long
For the marinade
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp fish sauce
freshly ground black pepper
For the soup
1.2 litres/2 pints homemade chicken stock or good quality bought stock (I used homemade Veg Stock)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 small, fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped

Method
1. Remove the stalks from the spinach and wash the leaves well.
2. Blanch the leaves for a few seconds in a large pan of boiling water until they are just wilted, then drain well and refresh in cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain again, squeezing out excess water. (if you over cook the spinach I think you may ruin the dish. It literally really does take 2 seconds).
3. Combine the steak with the shallots, garlic, one tablespoon of the fish sauce and some freshly ground black pepper, then set aside. (The soup can be prepared in advance up to this point.)
4. Just before you are ready to eat, bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan and season it with the remaining fish sauce, the lemon juice, sugar and chilli.
5. Add the blanched spinach and stir in the beef and its marinade. Bring the soup back to simmering point, add a few grindings of freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve at once.

Steak Casserole

From our new butcher we were sold some stewing steak, which was just one big piece of prime steak chopped up. No fat just pure steak cubes, which stewed amazingly.

This is what I did to to the beef:

Fried the beef along with 2 onions (sliced), added a beef oxo cube, fried some more then added a tin of sliced tomatoes (which already contained oregano and basil).

This was it, a let it simmer for a couple of hours and then served with some wild rice.

(The sliced tomatoes worked really well, I was supposed to buy chopped but we had picked up the wrong tin, although sliced were perfect as they clumped together nicely when cooking).

Batrum Cornish Pasties

Mike's Gran's recipe mixed in with Heather's family pastry:

"I don't have the specific pastry Big Mom used, so will give you the
Nicolson one which came from my Gran, its lovely and light, without all
the effort of traditional flaky pastry. Heather."

Soda water pastry:
1lb flour (2.5 cups)
1/2lb butter
Pinch salt
1 small bottle chilled soda water(about a cup)

Grate chilled butter into flour with coarse grater
Use 2 forks to mix slightly, pour the iced water over and mix again.
Roll out once only, wrap in greased paper and refrigerate until required

Filling:
Rump steak cut into small cubes
Potatoes, cut into cubes
Chopped onion
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Fill pastry rounds, close by wetting the edges with wet fingertips,
bring edges together pastie style and seal, brush with egg & bake at
200?C (400?F) for about 40 minutes

Mim's Lasagne Verde Alfono

When Warren saw this recipe was in the book he was very happy, therefore we can be assured it is a good one:

Ingredients (for 6):
500g Green Lasagne
250g bacon sliced
1clove garlic chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 large carrot diced
10 button mushrooms sliced
2 tsps butter
500g minced beef
250g chicken livers (optional)
65gm tin tomato concentrate/puree
1/2cup dry white wine
1 cup beef stock (optional)
1 level tsp caster sugar
salt and pepper and 2 tsp mixed herbs
1 cup bechamel sauce
1 cup grated cheese
1 Tbls Parmesan cheese

Melt half the butter in a large, heavy-based pan over low heat and fry bacon until fat runs, then add the veg. And fry them lightly. Crumble in the minced beef and add the cleaned and chopped chicken livers if used. Blend in the tomato concentrate. Continue frying, and stir continuously until the meat has browned. Add the wine and let the mixture bubble for a few minutes before adding the stock. Season to taste with sugar,
Salt, pepper and herbs. Cover with lid and simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile make a thick Bechamel sauce.
BECHAMEL SAUCE
1/2 pint milk 1/2 small bay leaf sprig of thyme 1/2 small onion 1/2 level tsp grated nutmeg 1oz butter
1 oz plain flour salt and black pepper 2-3 Tbls single or double cream (optional)

Put the milk with the bay leaf, thyme,onion and nutmeg in a pan, and bring slowly to the boil. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and leave the milk to infuse for 15 minutes. In a clean heavy-based pan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook the roux for 3 minutes. Strain the milk through a fine sieve and gradually blend it into the roux. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously, then simmer for 2-3 mins. Adjust season and stir in the cream.

NOW: Cook the lasagne in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes or until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta through a colander and drop it into a large basin of cold water to prevent it sticking together. Thoroughly butter a shallow ovenproof dish , about 10 in by 8in. Cover the base with a thin layer of the meat mixture, then Bechamel sauce and lastly the drained lasagne – add a handful cheese.
Repeat these layers until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with Bechamel sauce. Sprinkle the top with cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Bake in the centre of oven, pre-heated to 400 degrees F (mark 6) for about 15-20 mins or until the top is crisp and bubbly. Serve straight from the dish accompanied by a tossed green salad.

Mike's Double Up Salad

Spectacular salad for those who like to eat raw meat:

This salad has a basic base of ingredients and then you have the option of fruiting it up or meating it up. Although this may seem very similar to a famous Jamie recipe, the subtle difference is the amount of wine I drink whilst making it.

Ingredients – Serves 4:

The Base Ingredients
Bag of Rocket from Tescos (enough to cover each plate you are serving it on).
Red Chili
Buffalo Mozzarella - One ball
Olive Oil
One Half Lemon

Option One
Tin of Peaches (in juice not syrup)
4 slices of Parma Ham

Option Two
Joint of Beef (the perfect size is one you can fit your two hands around if you are making a circle with your thumbs and forefingers)
Pepper (Black and Red if you can get it)


Preparation:

Lay the rocket out on the base of a large silver-serving tray. Deseed the chilies and cut into very thin slivers. Sprinkle over the rocket.

Rip the mozzarella up into small bits and sprinkle them over the rocket as well.

Option One

Drain the tin of peaches, drink the juice, and spread the peaches over the salad. Cut long strips of Parma ham and delicately place over the salad as well. Drizzle over the olive oil and squeeze half a lemon on top.

Option Two

Take the beef joint and roll it in a tray of black and red pepper. Get a frying pan (ideally a griddle) very very hot and pour a thin layer of olive oil in. Place the joint in the pan and leave till the side is well done. Then turn until all the sides are well done. Take the pan of the heat and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Cut the very rare beef into very thin slices and place over the salad. Drizzle over the olive oil and squeeze half a lemon on top.