food for winter months

image001

Tired of the same old recipes? Welcome to Comfort Food 101! We will warm you up and share new dishes.

I chatted with my author friend, Joanne Rawson, and she suggested we team up to do something together. She has a food blog so it was a no brainer. I said, “Let’s do comfort food.” She immediately was on board.

Most of us are enjoying winter weather. It’s a great time to try our new recipes. Starting today, Jo and I will share comfort food recipes from fellow authors on our blogs. Our friends are near and far so hopefully we’ll have a variety of recipes.

First author up is Joanne Rawson. Jo spends her time between England, Goa and Malaysia. She’s definitely had food experiences. Let me turn the blog over to her.

When Nancy asked me to take part in the Comfort Food blog, I found myself stuck for a choice.

Casseroles are my favourite food, especially when cooked in a slow cooker.  The log cooking brings out all the flavours, and the meat so tender it almost melts in your mouth. I also think casseroles are brilliant for entertaining, quick and easy to make and now messing around in the kitchen when the hostess needs to be entertaining her guests.

Jo’s Slow cooked Beef and Aubergine Stew

This is an ideal casserole to cook for a dinner party served with pan-fried rosemary vegetables.  (If you want to make the serving size smaller for 3-4 then half the quantities given)

Serves 6-8

2lbs/ 900g lean stewing beef

2 medium onion thinly sliced

2 clove garlic crushed or 1/2 teaspoon garlic puree

¼ cup olive oil

2 large aubergine (eggplant) or 8 Japanese eggplants

1 cup beef stock

1lb/ 450g tin or carton of tomato puree

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup minced parsley

  1. Wash the aubergines, and with their skins on cut into 1 inch thick cubes
  2. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the oil and brown the beef, onions, garlic and aubergines.
  3. Remove with a slotted spoon and put into the slow cooker, leaving the meat juices behind.
  4. In the pan with the meat juices add the beef stock, puree, wine vinegar and the rest of the ingredients bring to boil then pour over the meat and aubergines, giving a gently stir.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 8- 10 hours. You can cook on high for 4-5 hours but the meat is not as tender and the flavour is not the same.

image005www.authorjoannerawson.blogspot.com

www.authorjoannerawsongoaandbeyond.blogspot.com

Melange Books   Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn  Amazon

Amazon Uk   Smashwords   Bookstrand   All Romance eBooks

A little plug for Jo. If you love light-hearted romance her book, Zoe North, is for you! Read my review of her novella here: Goodreads zoenorth

Read more