Recipe: meat with orzo in the oven ("giouvetsi")

When with friends for dinner, I always make it a point to cook something a.  in the oven, that can be reheated while I entertain my guests and b.  coming from a recipe that can easily be doubled, so as to feed crowds.  I cannot go wrong with this version of  the Greek "giouvetsi", which should be cooked in a special terracotta dish:  in this quantity, however, I doubt I could find any available...

Recipe: Goulash stew

Over the hot stove, there was a stew bubbling away...

It's true - winter this time around has made its presence felt. Gone are the walks to nearby parks, moving around with a bike, being out in the fresh air.  Instead, nights by the hearth (or, whatever source of heat for that matter) are much preferred and cosy evenings are the name of the game... Inevitably, we all gather in the kitchen while cooking.  The heat of the stoves or the oven fix our primary need for warmth, but also the expectation from whatever is bubbling in front of us lets us know that there is a reward coming along... What a nice feeling and what a great way to gather everyone around!

Recipe: Reisfleisch

Confession:  I'm not a multiple-pan person.  When I cook, I don't want to have a pan for the protein, a pan for the vegetables and a pan for the starch, all bubbling away to make the one dish I want to eat - I don't enjoy the experience.  I'd rather have a huge pot, where I can cook all the ingredients, the one after the other, and have a warm, comforting, delightful dish as a result.  This is my recipe for a typical wintery German dish that shelters me from all evil (cold, work, traffic) like nothing else...

Weekend cooking: Roast chicken pie

Let me first explain the origin of this recipe: most times, I tend to pay the utmost attention to the quality of the food I eat and cook... Most times. There are times when I am just so famished/dead tired/with no time to waste/unwilling to cook that I ... hmm, will get the less than good quality, readily-available cooked meal in front me, just to satisfy my primal instinct of survival. That's how this recipe happened. I looked at the roasted chicken in front of me at the supermarket, bought it and went home. I had my portion which, of couse, I drowned in all sorts of condiments and I was satisfied. 

Weekend cooking - chili dinner menu

My sincere apologies before I begin to all those who know and use the original recipe for chili con carne - I only knew it from restaurants up to now.  Once I decided to make a recipe for it, I researched plenty of variations, and settled for those ingredients that I liked (obviously).  This is my recipe for chili, and those who have tried it seem to like it (or are extremely polite?):

Chili con carne - my style

red hot chili con carne

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 rash of bacon (about 1/2cm thick), cut in fine strips

3 half peppers (green/yellow/red) cut in small pieces (or a total of 1 1/2 peppers of your choice)

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

500gr beef mince

250gr red beans, soaked, boiled, left to cool

400g chopped tomatoes

100ml water

500gr sieved tomatoes (passata)

1tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili flakes (or as hot as you like)

juice from half a lemon

1 tbsp oregano

salt/pepper to taste

(it can only get better from now on...)

How to start:  I personally prefer to fry the mince apart and leave it cool.  Otherwise, in medium heat, start with the first batch of ingredients, i.e. the onion with the bacon, the peppers and the celery.  Once the bacon is sufficiently fried, toss the mince and either fry or reheat.  Add the red beans, reheat as well.  Add the tomatoes and water.  I usually wait between the steps until the temperature of the pot is back at hot.  Pour the passata and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook for about 20 minutes. (I know I should serve this with grated cheddar, but I could find none that day, so I used emmental - sorry!)

Corn muffins

pretty little corn muffins

Deborah from my book club gave me a corn muffin mix from the States, and I've been wanting to try it some time now.  She told me that she had also added a tin of cream corn to the mix, so I decided to do the same (well, almost):

1 240g pack of corn muffin mix

1 egg

80ml milk

a 230g jar of corn, boiled, mashed

The mix asked for 1 egg and 80ml of milk, so I mixed all these and added the mashed corn.  As the consistency was slightly watery for my taste, I also added 3 tbsp of polenta, but I suppose that depends on the mashed corn.  Pour in muffin tin (filling about 3/4 of the muffins) and bake at 170^oC for about 20 minutes.  Leave to cool.

I served everything with nacho chips and I also made a crunchy green salad.

pomegranate ice-cream with cherries

For dessert, I made a simple - but oh so good! - pomegranate ice-cream, using Nigella Lawson's recipe: 


200ml pomegranate juice
juice from one lemon
150g icing sugar
500ml cream


Whisk everything to soft peaks, pour in container, freeze.  Pure delight...

This post is my entry into Weekend Cooking, a weekly event hosted by Beth Fish Reads.