Chili con Carne

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: "Chili con Carne"

This mexican dish is originally made with red kidney beans but I decided to experiment with white beans and it turned out great!

1 tbsp lard

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

¼ red bell pepper, diced

¼ green bell pepper, diced

750g minced meat

1 can (390g) tomatoes

½ cup white wine

1 tbsp tomato paste

Salt to taste

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp dried oregano

½ tsp chili flakes

1 can (830g) white beans

Stir fry onion, garlic and bay leaf in the lard and olive oil. Add peppers and sauté over medium heat. Add meat and stir frequently to prevent meat cooking in lumps. Add tomato, including liquid, white wine, tomato paste, salt, sugar, oregano and chili flakes. Cover and let simmer for an hour. Add drained and rinsed beans and let simmer for a further ½ hour.

Frankenstein's Feet

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Os Pés de Frankenstein”

These “feet” are simply a meatloaf shaped into feet.  

                     

I used my “Swedish Meatballs” recipe and molded the feet directly on an oven-proof pan that I previously greased with olive oil. For the “ankle bones” I used a slice of onion. The “toe-nails” were also made of pieces of onion. I spread some mayonnaise and wine on the pan and placed in the oven at 170ºC for 1 ¼ hours. I checked it a few times and when it dried out I’d pour a little more wine. I served them with mashed potatoes.

Swedish Meatballs

 Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: "Almôndegas Suecas"

These meatballs are simply delicious!

For the meatballs:

1 small onion chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

A drizzle of olive oil

2 tbsp butter (1+1)

100g bacon cut up in small pieces

400g minced beef

400g minced turkey

50ml/ ¼ cup warm milk

60g bread

¼ cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

For the gravy:

1 tbsp butter

1 ½ tbsp flour

1 ½ cups water

1 beef bouillon cube

¼ tsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 natural yoghurt (115g)

1 tbsp chopped parsley

  

Tear the bread into little pieces and place to soak in a bowl with the warm milk. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, place the butter, olive oil, onion and garlic. Let them fry a little and then add bacon. Fry for 10 minutes, strain and remove to a bowl, leaving the excess fat in the frying pan. 

Add the meat, bread, egg, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper to the onion and combine very well. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Shape the meatballs into 3 to 4cm diameter.  

Into the frying pan where the onion was fried, add 1 tbsp butter and fry the meatballs so they get browned all over. Remove them to an oven-proof dish and set aside. To prepare the stock, heat the water, add the bouillon cube and sugar and mix until the cube has dissolved. Set aside.

In the same frying pan where the meatballs were fried, melt 1 tbsp butter, add the flour and mix into a paste. Slowly add the prepared beef stock constantly mixing until a creamy and lumpless gravy is achieved. Taste and if necessary correct seasoning. Return meatballs to gravy, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Return meatballs to oven-proof dish. Add yoghurt to the gravy, stir and pour over the meatballs. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, remove and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes.