melt in your mouth whole roasted beef scotch fillet

It was our wedding anniversary over the weekend, we its actually today but thats a work day and thats no fun!  Instead of going out we decided on  roasting a whole piece of scotch fillet. I grabbed as many of the herbs in the garden that stand up to cooking, like rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano and roughly chopped them up along with a few crushed cloves of garlic, a good glug of evoo, salt and plenty of black pepper.  Into a bowl it all went for a good half an hour, sitting on the bench.  Large pieces of meat like this really benefit from sitting out of the fridge but only for 30 minutes, think food hygeine/danger zone here.

I whacked the oven up to 240c for 20 minutes, then turned it down to 200c and put the meat in.  It was 1.6kgs and took around 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach 70 degrees on my meat thermometre.  It was cooked med-wellish, I'd prefer it a bit pinker, say 65 degrees, but you have to compromise with your loved ones!

I did it like I roast all my meat, over a wire rack with water underneath, it collects all the juices and you are left with a lovely stock you can use for gravy to serve with it or for another day.  Just make sure you drain it into a jug, put in the freezer for an hour or so and then skimm off the fat that will rise to the top.  You can throw this fat out, or keep it for your next batch of roasted vegies.

We had freshly dug spuds from the garden made into chippies cooked with some fresh rosemary.

Teamed with a simple garden salad of rocket, chickpeas, garden peas, fetta and walnuts, a delicious bottle of red wine, it was a wonderful anniversary dinner that I'll remember for years to come.  I will be making this again, I have an uncle who would die for beef, I think I might become the golden niece with this recipe!

We didn't exchange any gifts this year either, I asked hubby to humour me, and we exchanged an 'appreciation' letter to each other, and let me tell you it was a wonderful gift to receive and it didn't cost a cent.  

Ciao, Jan

Fathers day weekend cook up

It was fathers day here in Australia yesterday. Which also coincided with the first day of spring and we were treated to a gorgeous weekend of long overdue sunshine. Was great to get the arms out for some much needed Vitamin D.  I don't go much for Valentines day and any made up marketers 'days' but to me Mothers day and Fathers day are special. I always feel very blessed to have had wonderful parents. We aren't shy with the I love you's and hugs and kisses, we're a touchy feely bunch, but I always get them a card and write some special words just to let them know they are appreciated.  I'm instilling this tradition with my girl too, it doesn't take much to let people know you love them.

Ok, kleenex moment over, onto the serious stuff. Tomatoes!!!! Yay, I always know summer is well and truly on its way when they appear at the nursery.  We grow them from seed so its not exciting yet as they haven't poked there heads out of the soil, but I was thrilled to see these babies yesterday, get planting people!!

In between lawn mowing and gurnying, my new obsession, I popped on beef with red wine and mushrooms into the slow cooker for dinner tomorrow night.

I got some cheap stewing steak, a tough cut but perfect for slow cooking.

I popped it all, around 500g, into a freezer bag with 2 tbspns of plain flour, salt and pepper and gave it a good shake.  The flour will help thicken up the sauce.

Used my little barmix whizzer to blitz up a red onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 carrot, 1/2 a zucchini as I needed to hide some vegies in there. They will break down into the sauce and won't be seen.

Seal the meat in a pan with some oil, do it in batches as you want it to fry not stew, you are browning the meat to lock in the juices.

Into the slow cooker goes 2 x 430g jars of tomato passata, the blitzed vegies, and the browned meat.  Fry up some bacon cut into strips and halved mushies and brown them all too. I use swiss browns as they have loads more flavour than the bland button mushrooms.  Pop that in too, and deglaze the pan with 1 cup of good red wine and reduce it for a few minutes then add it too the slow cooker too.  Add a couple of bay leaves and turn onto high for 3 hours.

 

I leave it a bit runnier than a normal stew or casserole as when it cools in the fridge it will firm up but if you are eating it the same day, whack it on low a few hours longer will do the trick.

I also made some wicked lamb koftas with hummus and garlic pizza bread, but that recipe can wait til tomorrow.

Hope you all had a wonderful fathers day and let your loved ones know they are appreciated and loved!!

Ciao, Jan

Super duper Sausage Rolls

Puff pastry, such a wonderful thing isn't it. Can make a boring old thing into a pie or roll delight.  But making it from scratch can be challenging and labour intensive.  I need to run my freezer supply down and try some of this Careme Pastry which is a family run company in the Barossa Valley that uses all local ingredients, using traditional French techniques, do any of you use it? I can't wait to get some.

I've been making sausage rolls for the freezer for those nights when you get home late and need something quick and easy. Pair it up with some defrosted soup and you are on a winner.  I love adding a fair bit of extra vegies to them too, and served with my don't tell them its not pumpkin soup pumpkin soup, you'll be filling the kiddo's with loads of vegies, but that can be our little secret.  

I tend to use a mixture of beef, pork and veal but you could also make them with chicken mince. Try and buy good quality mince, lean is even better, I avoid sausage mince at all costs as I hate to think what has been blended up to make that hideous looking stuff. For an extra easy version, use a good quality sausage, like a pork Cumberland (Aldi do some rippers), and wrap them skin and all in the puff pastry and you will be in sausage roll virtuous heaven.

Sausage Rolls

1 kg mince - I tend to use a mixture of beef and pork or veal but could also make with chicken mince

3/4 cup or so  of half breadcrumbs and half cous cous(I use wholemeal) or just all breadcrumbs

squirt of tomato sauce or chilli sauce or bbq/hp sauce

1 egg

2 carrots 

1 zucchini 

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

handful of parsley

2 rashers of bacon, excess fat removed

s & p, be generous

4-6 sheets of puff pastry, I like to use one with less fat 

1/2 milk for brushing and sealing your rolls

Take puff pastry out of freezer to defrost.  Should only take a few minutes if you seperate them.  In a large bowl put mince, breadcrumbs/cous cous and eggs.  Blitz all the vegies and bacon in the food processor, such a time saver.

 Mix all ingredients really well.  Make the sausage rolls what ever size you want, but I normally get 2 rolls per sheet.  Brush the edges with milk before sealing.  

I re-roll them in the film that is between the frozen pastry sheets and freeze them in freezer bags.  

You can cook them and then freeze but definately a better result freezing in the raw.    When using frozen ones, defrost and then brush with milk and top them with sesame seeds or paprika or poppyseeds or cayenne pepper for a chilli hit.  Bake at 200c until golden brown, approx 20 mins. 

 I love them with my homemade chutney, but you will have to wait until summer to get that recipe....maybe.

Ciao, Jan