Soul food. Comfort food. It’s all the same. Sometimes in amongst all the healthy craziness it’s nice to have something insanely dense and (I won’t lie) fatty in order to restore some zest into your palate. I love a good stroganoff and it’s one of my favourite winter warmers (despite the fact that it’s currently summer here in Melbourne). 

What you will need:

750g diced beef (I tend to opt for the gravy beef cut) 

flour (to coat the beef) 

1 onion sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

350-400g sliced button mushrooms

2 tbs tomato paste

1 cup (250mL) red wine

500mL (sometimes more) beef stock

250mL thickened (or sour, depending on your tastes) cream

2 bay leaves

1tbs paprika

salt and pepper to taste

pasta (to serve) 

This is how we do it:

1) make flour, salt and pepper mix

2) roll beef in the flour, salt and pepper, thinly coating

3) brown onion and garlic in heavy saucepan, remove from heat

4) brown beef in batches

5) combine all beef, onion and garlic in saucepan, add tomato paste, paprika, add wine and beef stock (to cover meat only). Bring to boil on medium heat.

6) Add bay leaves and mushrooms and remaining liquid. Simmer covered on medium heat for 2 hours or until beef is tender.

7) add cream, salt and pepper (to taste). Simmer for further 20-30 minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly.

8) serve with pasta

9) enjoy responsibly :)

Apparently I cook vegetarian food. Unlike many other Asians, I believe that vegetarian, means no meaty stuff, and nothing containing stuff that was made from animal. All too often I’ve eaten with friends at Asian restaurants, requested vegetarian food and it contains fish sauce, chicken stock or oyster sauce (…if we can’t see the meat, it must be vegetarian, right?).

Here’s one of the few vego meals I DO know how to cook (I’ll endeavour to learn more).

What you will need:

A pre-greased lasagna dish

500g ricotta cheese (can be substituted with low fat cottage cheese if you’re concerned about your behind) 

500g spinach, finely chopped

2 large onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely shredded

paprika

salt + pepper

1 egg, beaten

500g tomato, finely chopped

tomato paste

1/2 cup vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

mozzarella cheese

cannelloni tubes

This is how we do it:

1) preheat oven to 180C

2) mix in half the onion, garlic, ricotta, spinach, egg, salt, pepper and 1tsp paprika

3) fill cannelloni tubes

4) place filled cannelloni tubes into pregreased pan

5) place remaining onion & garlic into a preheated heavy pan

6) add tomato, tomato paste, herbs, bay leaves and stock

7) simmer for 15-25 minutes

8) remove bay leaves, cover cannelloni tubes with napoli sauce

9) sprinkle cheese

10) place in oven for 45 minutes

11) enjoy responsibly!

Allergic to dairy, nuts, egg & gluten? No problem! Here’s a soup to warm the soul.

You will need:

Approx 2l (depending on cooking time you will need more) chicken stock (need a method for stock? Let me know! If not, premade is forgivable)

2 leeks, thinly sliced

500g rindless shortcut bacon, finely diced

4 medium potatoes, diced

Salt, pepper (to taste)

2tsp paprika

Angostura bitters (about 5-8 dashes)

1tsp powdered chicken stock

Here’s how we do it:

1) heat 2tsp oil in a medium sized stock pot on med-high heat

2) add leek & bacon until bacon is slightly browned

3) add 1l, turn heat down to low. Slowly bring stock to a boil

4) when boiling, add potato, paprika, powdered stock

5) cook for 30-40 minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly, adding additional stock regularly

6) add bitters, salt and pepper to taste (little salt will be needed as cooking bacon slowly will extract flavour and awesome)

7) enjoy responsibly! 

Here’s a hot favourite. A recipe I’ve written down countless times for countless folks. Most definitely not for the faint hearted. It’s very intense, supremely flavourful and must be consumed with vegetables (steamed) on the side, maybe with some mash if you’re feeling sassy.

My number one tip for this pie is do not use salt. The stewed bacon will add enough saltiness to the pie filling and you may or may not die instantly if you add salt.

Here we go!

Here’s what goes in it:

1kg beef (I use chuck steak or gravy beef) diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

6 slices rindless shortcut bacon, finely diced

1 1/2 Tbs tomato paste

Triple brie cheese, sliced

1L beef stock (you probably won’t use all of it)

1L red wine (you probably won’t use all of this either. Enjoy the remainder of the wine with completed pie)

Pepper + paprika

Bay leaves

Puff pastry

Egg wash (lightly beaten egg with a little water)

This is how we do it:

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Grease a pie dish and line dish with puff pastry
3. In a hot saucepan, fry onion, garlic & bacon in a little olive oil til bacon is a little golden brown
4. Brown the beef
5. Add the tomato paste
6. Cover the beef with equal parts wine + beef stock
7. Add the pepper, paprika and 2-3 bay leaves
8. Stew the beef on medium heat, adding equal parts wine + stock as necessary until beef is tender. Evaporate the excess liquid so it’s not a soupy mixture. This process should take roughly 60-90 minutes
9. Remove the bay leaves
10. Put beef filling into the pie dish and lay the slices of cheese on top, covering as much of it as possible
11. Place puff pastry lid on the pie, seal the pie, skewer holes into the pastry lid
12. Brush the pie lid with the egg wash
13. Oven the pie for 30-45 minutes or until the pie is golden brown
14. Serve with steamed veggies and mash

This is an extremely high-calorie meal so don’t forget to output the energy you input with this pie ;) 

Enjoy responsibly! 

I get bored, and I cook. Tis a very tasty but also very fattening hobby. I find I’m bored often, so I’ve had several opportunities to hone my skills and perfect certain dishes. 

I tend to eat anything and everything and this includes animals and animal products. I’ll try to cater for my vegetarian/vegan friends/followers, but what I do have for these two dietary demographics is fairly limited. 

Any requests for allergy/dietary requirement recipes, please let me know :D