Winter Stew

It's cold out side so time to start making some winter warmers.

I love a good stew but a good vegetarian stew is hard to find when your out and about. This is an adaptation of a meat stew I used to make when I was a meat eater. Even in vegetarian form it's hearty and will chase away the winter blues in a single spoonful.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED.

1 Brown Onion

1 Carrot

1 or 2 Potatoes

1/2 Green Capsicum (bell peppers)

1/2 Red Capsicum (bell peppers)

1/4 cup Corn

1/4 cup Green Beans

1/2 cup Broccoli

3 Mushrooms

1 can Tinned Tomatoes

3 cloves Garlic

Basil

Oregano

Parsley

3 Bay Leaves

2 tsp plain flour (wheat free)

1 cup Stock

1/2 cup Red Wine

30g Margarine

WHAT YOU'LL DO WITH THEM.

Heat Margarine in a large saucepan then add flour stirring to mix them in. Add all the vegetables stirring to coat them in the margarine. put in a little water if needed. Add red wine and tinned tomatoes making sure you stir to get any of the flour off the bottom of the pan. Add stock, garlic and herbs then let simmer until potatoes are cooked and the sauce is thick.

Serve on Rice or with toast.

Curry Rice - Japanese style

I finally perfected my Japanese Curry Rice. Or at least I think I did anyway. The curry it's self is very easy so I really don't know why people bother with the Curry blocks that you can buy in most supermarkets. Made this last night and it was a hit.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp of Rice Wine Vinegar

half a carrot, grated

1 tomato, chopped

2 cups of stock

3 bay leaves

1 tsp of curry powder

1 tsp of garam masala

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 to 2 tsp of ginger, crushed

Olive Oil

Margarine

Flour (I use potato flour as it is gluten free)

Rice

WHAT YOU'LL DO WITH IT:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onions until they are soft. Add the Rice Wine Vinegar and stir. Set the onions to one side.

Heat the margarine and add the flour mixing it till the two combine. Add garlic and ginger and stir for just a few moments. Add the grated carrot and stir till soft then add the stock a little at a time making sure to stir it so the flour dissolves into the stock with out creating lumps. Once all the stock is in the pot put the onions back in along with the chopped tomato, curry powder, bay leaves and garam masala. Stirring, bring it to the boil then let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

This is the basic sauce and at this point you can put any vegetable you like in to cook. I like to add corn, peas, zucchini, egg plant, mushrooms, spinach and sometimes potato to the sauce but it's really up to you.

Serve with steamed rice.

肉じゃか without the 肉。

So first things first, a mini Japanese lesson. 肉　niku is Japanese for meat. じゃが　jyaga is Japanese for potatoes. So the litteral translation for this dish is Meat and Potatoes but in reality the dish would be called Japanese meat and potato Stew in English. But since this is with out the meat we'll call it 'Aussielungs Japanese Potato Stew'.

This is another one of those warming winter dishes. I found that it does not go to well as left overs though and don't even think about freezing it. Essentially the sauce that is being made is a teriyaki sauce. Traditionally there would be no garlic in this dish at all but I like it.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Potatoes
Onion
Carrots
Peas
Mushrooms
Rice Noodles
1/4 cup Mirin
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 cup Vegetable Stock
Olive Oil
Garlic

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO WITH THEM

First thing is to cut up the carrot, potato, mushrooms into bit size pieces and put to the side, then slice the onion. Pop a sauce pan on the stove and heat the oil then put in your onion and stir fry until soft. Pop in the potato's and carrot next and give them a stir until the carrot starts to brighten up. You don't want to cook the carrot all the way through before the soy, mirin and stock go in. Add the garlic and stir for one minute.

Add sugar (you can use less as the mirin is kind of sweet) then mirin and soy sauce, stir for a moment to mix them up then add enough stock to cover the vegetables. Cover and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the peas and simmer for another 5 minutes then add the mushrooms and simmer until the potato is cooked.

About 2 minutes before serving add the rice noodles to the pan and once they are cooked serve.

You may want to let it sit for a minute or two before eating because the dish can be hot. Also be warned, mirin is alcoholic so if you have something against the consumption of alcohol, even in cooking, don't make this dish.

Chili Con Carne

I love making this one, especially in the winter or when the bank account is looking a little on the skinny side. I used to make this with meat when I was younger. In fact this, Spaghetti Bolognese and my mum "disco" recipe where the first three things I learnt how to cook. The great thing about this chili is that is is filling. It will last for ages frozen and always taste better a day or two after it's been cooked.

You have two choices when it comes to the beans. You can either get the beans in a can or you can use dried beans and soak them over night.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Olive Oil
Red Kidney beans
Berlotti Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Carrot
Onion
Red and Green Capsicum (Bell peppers for the yanks out there)
Garlic
Red Chili
Cayenne Pepper
Sea Salt
Coriander
Thyme
Oregano
Cumin
Chopped tomatoes (tinned)

WHAT YOU'LL DO WITH IT:
If you're using tinned beans just drain and rinse the beans and leave to the side. If you're using dried beans let soak for 6 to 8 hours then boil for 20 minutes, once boiled drain and leave to the side.

Dice carrot, onion, capsicum, garlic and chili and fry up in a wok or large sauce pan. When the onion is soft add the other herbs and stir through till you can smell the aroma of the herbs. Add beans and two tins of chopped tomatoes. Add peas.

Simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste test to make sure the taste is right. You should be able to get a good kick from the chili and taste the other herbs. If you get more heat than flavoure add more herbs and mix again. The strongest herb smell should be the Cumin.

Serve with either mashed potatoes (my favorite) or rice.

Spicy Pasta

I was trying to recreate a pasta dish that my dad ex girlfriend used to make many years ago. The original recipe had hardly any vegetables in it and lots if chicken and oil so I have adapted it to be vegan but the spice with the pasta and the oil was to die for. As I didn't ask her for the recipe I had to experiment a lot to get the spices and tomato right but I finally got it.

For the celiacs reading make sure your using a gluten free pasta like me. As the gluten free past is generally also egg and dairy free this is vegan by default.

WHAT YOU"LL NEED:
Shell Pasta
1 Tomato
Asparagus
Broccoli
Carrot
Spring Onion
Zucchini
Oregano
Basil
Paprika
Chili Powder
Garam Masala
Coriander
Cumin
Garlic
Ginger
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper (optional)

Olive Oil

WHAT YOU'LL DO WITH IT:
First put the pasta on to cook as per packet instructions,

While the pasta cooks cut up the vegetables. Cook all the vegetables except for the tomato first. Add garlic, ginger and the herbs and stir through. Add the tomato last with a splash of water to create a light sauce.

Drain pasta and add to vegetables. Stir to coat pasta in the vegetables and sause. Serve.