Rich Beef Stew with Tomato Dumplings

British and Irish Cuisine
Savoury dumplings made from balls of dough are part of traditional British and Irish cuisine. The simplest dumplings are made from twice the weight of self raising flour to suet, bound together by cold water to form a dough. Balls of this dough are dropped into a bubbling pot of stew or soup, or into a casserole. They sit, partly submerged in the stew, and expand as they are half-boiled half-steamed for ten minutes or so. The cooked dumplings are airy on the inside and moist on the outside.You just can’t beat a deeply rich, dark, warming stew on cold winter evenings.

And you can’t have stew without dumplings can you? So I dug out a trusted recipe for the dumplings and rummaged around the cupboard for the basic ingredients. Then I came across a pack of that trendy ingredient without which no meal was complete in the 1990’s - sun-dried tomatoes. Now I know they’re a bit passé these days, but I thought, why not? This was the result - dumplings with sun dried tomatoes - can you believe it? Try serving with a good helping of pickled red cabbage on the side. That’s what I call real comfort food.

750g stewing steak, cut into chunks
2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
5-6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
300g mushrooms, quartered
300ml red wine
300ml beef stock
2 tbls plain flour
1tsp dried mixed herbs
Black pepper
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
For the dumplings
150g self-raising flour
75g suet
5-6 sun-dried tomatoes,chopped
7-8 tbls cold water

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180° C.

2. Sear the beef in a large frying pan with a little oil over high heat until evenly brown (you may need to do this in batches). Place the beef in a large ovenproof casserole and stir in the flour. Next, fry the onions until soft and just beginning to brown at the edges, then add to the casserole with the carrots, mixed herbs and Worcestershire sauce. Add the wine to the frying pan and heat until bubbling, add the stock and bring to the boil, then pour into the casserole. Season with pepper then cover the casserole and place in the oven for 1½ hours.

3. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. In a large bowl, mix the flour and suet then add the sun-dried tomatoes. Add the water and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough. Form the dough into 10 - 12 small dumplings.

4. Remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the mushrooms. Place the dumplings on top of the bubbling liquid, then cover the casserole and return to the oven. After 20 minutes remove the lid and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until the dumplings are just beginning to brown. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2½ hours

Fillet Steak with Tomato and Red Wine Sauce

Filet mignon....The fillet is considered to be the most tender cut of beef, and the most expensive. The average steer or heifer provides no more than 4-6 pounds of filet. As the muscle is non-weight bearing, it receives very little exercise, which makes it tender. The same cut of beef can also be called: * French: tournedos, filet de boeuf. * English (US): medallions, tenderloin steak.* English (UK & Ireland): fillet steak. * Argentina: Bife de Lomo.* Brazil: Filé Mignon.* Puerto Rico : Filete Miñón.

A tender fillet steak is a real treat but it needs a good sauce and this one is rich, red and robust. It will take an hour or so to prepare, but it’s well worth the effort.

2 fillet steaks
A knob of butter
Half an onion, finely chopped
A clove of garlic, chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
A sprig of rosemary
A couple of sprigs of thyme
A glass of red wine
200ml beef stock
A pinch of sugar
Black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and gently sweat the onion and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook gently until they begin to break down. Next, add the rosemary and thyme with the wine, stock and sugar. Simmer gently for about half an hour.

2. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and press out all the juices. Return the liquid to a clean pan and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes until you are left with about 6 tblsp of glossy, slightly sticky sauce.

3. Season the steaks with black pepper and grill or fry to your liking. Serve on hot plates with the sauce spooned over and around.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Grilled Lamb with Cous Cous

Cous cous is a much underrated accompaniment to grilled meats, perhaps because people think it’s bland. In this version the cous cous is heavily flavoured with diced Mediterranean vegetables and chicken stock and that’s all you need to go with simply grilled slices of tender lamb. You could spice up the cous cous by adding some finely chopped red chilli to the vegetables. Grilled Lamb with Cous Cous

2 thick leg of lamb steaks
Salt and pepper
Half a small red pepper, finely diced
Half a small green pepper, finely diced
Half a small courgette, finely diced
A small onion, finely chopped
A clove of garlic, chopped
75g mushrooms, finely chopped
Olive oil
125ml chicken stock
125g cous cous
A knob of butter

1. Heat a little oil in a small frying pan and fry the peppers, onion and courgette for 5-6 minutes until just cooked. Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry, stirring, for a further 5-6 minutes. Set aside.

2. Season the lamb steaks with salt and pepper and grill or fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. This will leave the lamb pink in the centre. Cook for longer if preferred.

3. While the lamb is cooking, bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cooked vegetables and dry cous cous. Remove from the heat and stir in the knob of butter. Cover and allow to stand for a couple of minutes, then serve with the cooked lamb.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Pasta with Tuna and Tomato

This is a kind of Bolognese sauce but using canned tuna instead of meat. It’s quick and easy to prepare and ever-so-tasty. In this version I used tagliatelli, but you could use any pasta from chunky penne to fine spaghetti.

1 medium onion, finely chopped
Half a red pepper, finely chopped
400g canned tomatoes
1 tbs tomato puree
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp capers chopped (optional)
150g canned tuna, drained
Black pepper
150g dried tagliatelli or other pasta
25g grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil

1.Gently fry the onion and red pepper in a little olive oil until soft. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato puree, dried herbs and capers and heat until bubbling. Simmer for 6-7 minutes then add the canned tuna. Stir and season with a little pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

2.Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 7-8 minutes, drain and drizzle with a little olive oil then serve with the sauce spooned on top and sprinkle with the grated parmesan.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Dorada with Pepper Oil

Dorada (sea bream) is one of my favourite fish. It’s available all year round and is always cheap.

Your fishmonger should be willing to fillet the fish for you, but if not, find one that will or have a go yourself – it’s not that difficult. The infusion of oil, red pepper and chilli gives a few added flavours to the fish and it’s worth using your best extra virgin olive oil for this one.

I have suggested grilling and peeling the pepper and chilli, which is a bit time consuming, but it gives a sweet, smoky flavour to the dish.

2 medium dorada, filleted
½ ripe red pepper
¼ a red chilli
2 tbls olive oil
2 tsps white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

1.Place the pepper and chilli, skin side up, under a very hot grill. Leave until the skin blackens and blisters. Remove from the grill and place in a sealed polythene bag or covered basin and allow to cool. When cool, scrape the blackened skin away from the flesh (don’t worry if you leave a few bits, they will add to the colour of the dish). Cut the flesh of the pepper and chilli into tiny dice and set aside.

2.Season the fish fillets with a generous amount of salt and pepper and fry with a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the fish from the pan and keep warm.

3.Heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan and add the diced pepper and chilli. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the vinegar.

4.Serve the fish with the pepper oil drizzled around the side.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Stuffed Mushrooms

It’s not the first time I’ve used this combination of flavours, but they just seem to be made for each other. The result is divine.

6 medium, open capped mushrooms
2 rashers of bacon chopped
Half a small onion, finely diced
1 stick of celery, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 slice stale bread, in crumbs
half a teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Black pepper
A knob of butter
100g crumbly blue cheese
Chopped fresh parsley

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.

2.Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and finely dice them. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and brush some of the melted butter over the mushroom caps. Place these on a shallow ovenproof dish.

3. Fry the bacon with the diced mushroom stalks, onion, celery and garlic for 4 – 5 minutes. Add the thyme and season with black pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and a little more butter if required then crumble in the blue cheese.

4.Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with the fresh parsley.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Moussaka

Moussaka is one of those classic dishes that everyone has tasted on Greek holidays, but very few people cook it for themselves. The principal ingredient is aubergine and the Greeks would use minced lamb. This is my version using minced beef and the topping is a classic Béchamel sauce smothered with cheese.

2-3 large aubergines, sliced into rings about 1cm thick
500g minced beef or lamb
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1tsp dried mixed herbs
A 400g can of chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
50 g grated cheese

For the Béchamel sauce

400 ml milk
10 whole black peppercorns
A few parsley stalks
A small piece of onion
A bay leaf
40g butter
25g plain flour
½ tsp grated nutmeg

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Season the sliced aubergine with plenty of salt and pepper. Add a good measure of oil to a large frying pan and fry the aubergines for 3-4 minutes on each side until they begin to brown. (You may need to do this in batches). Set aside.

3. In the same frying pan, cook the onion and minced beef until the meat is just brown. Add the mixed herbs, garlic and tomatoes and heat until bubbling. Season with salt and pepper and set aside while you make the Béchamel sauce.

4. In a small saucepan, gently heat the milk with the peppercorns, parsley stalks, onion and bay leaf. Allow to simmer for a few minutes then strain the milk into a jug and discard the other ingredients. Melt the butter in the pan then remove from the heat and stir in the flour until you have a thick paste. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring all the while until you have a smooth sauce. Return the pan to the heat and whisk until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutmeg.

5. Now it’s time to assemble the dish. Place half the fried aubergine in the bottom of a shallow ovenproof dish, then cover with the minced beef mixture. Add the rest of the aubergines in a layer, then spread the Béchamel sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and then bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a crisp green salad.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Parcel Baked Salmon with Lemon and Green Peppers

Baking salmon in a parcel of foil helps keep it moist and really seals in the flavour of lemon and green peppers.

1 tail fillet of salmon about 400g
1 small green pepper, de-seeded and sliced
2 whole lemons, sliced
Olive oil
1 tsp mixed herbs
salt and black pepper

1.Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.

2.Fry the sliced pepper in a little oil until soft and slightly browned.

3.Place the sliced lemons in the centre of a large sheet of baking foil. Position the salmon on top of the lemons, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the mixed herbs. Add the cooked green pepper and drizzle with a little oil. Bring up the edges of the foil and fold over the seams to create a loose fitting parcel.

4.Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Divide the salmon in two and serve with the lemons underneath.

Steamed Sponge with Pear, Dates and Figs

Something comforting to follow a roast Sunday lunch. Well worth the time and effort involved.

115g butter.
90g sugar.
The grated zest and juice of an orange.
2 eggs.
115g self-raising flour.
100g dried figs, coarsely chopped.
100g dates, stoned and coarsely chopped.
1 medium pear, peeled, cored and diced.
1 tsp ground cinnamon.

1.Grease and flour a two-litre pudding basin (plastic or pyrex is best) and set aside.

2.Weigh out and prepare all the ingredients, then mix the diced pear with the cinnamon.

3.In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using a wooden spoon until you have a smooth consistency (you will find this easier if the butter is at room temperature). Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat, then add the orange juice and zest and beat some more (an electric mixer will help at this stage) until the mixture is light and fluffy.

4.Sift the flour into the mixture and beat again until you have a sloppy mix (it should just about cling to a spoon - add a little milk if the mixture is too stiff or more flour if too soft).

5.Fold the pear, figs and dates into the sponge mix and spoon into the pudding basin. Cover loosely with foil and tie with string then place in a large pan of boiling water so that the water comes half way up the basin (or use a steamer if you have one). Cover with a lid and steam the pudding over very low heat for 1½ - 2 hours until the sponge is set. Check occasionally and top up the water if necessary.

6.Turn out the pudding onto a large plate and serve with a blob of fresh cream or mascarpone.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

Duck with Port and Summer Fruit Sauce

I’m a real fan of combining fruit and meat and this recipe works particularly well because the sharpness of the fruit cuts through the slight greasiness of the duck. I managed to find a vacuum packed breast of Barbary duck for this recipe and it was more than enough for two people. The summer fruits came from a frozen packet containing black currants, red currants, blackberries, cherries, raspberries and strawberries.

1 breast of Barbary duck about 400g
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary coarsely chopped
150 ml beef stock
100ml ruby port
100g summer fruits

1.Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Using a very sharp knife, score the skin of the duck diagonally in opposite directions to form a diamond pattern. Place the duck skin side down in a hot frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin browns and the fat begins to run.

2.Transfer the duck to an oven proof dish and roast, skin side up, for 10-15 minutes. This will leave the meat pink. Cook for a little longer if you prefer well done.

3.Meanwhile make the sauce. Place the port, stock and rosemary in a small sauce pan and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes until you are left with about 2 tbls of slightly sticky liquid. Add the fruit and any juice and bring to a gentle boil.

4.When the duck is cooked, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing on the angle. Transfer the sliced duck to warmed serving plates and spoon the sauce over and around.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Rabbit (or chicken) with Almond Sauce

This dish is loosely based on a recipe that originates in the Balearic Islands and is still popular today. Traditionally, rabbit would be the main ingredient, but for those who have a dislike for eating fluffy bunnies, you could use chicken legs instead.

1 rabbit, cut into 8 portions
Salt and pepper.
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 tbls plain flour
100g ground almonds
2 large ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
A glass of dry white wine
1 tsp dried thyme
125 ml chicken stock

1.Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes in a large frying pan with a little oil until slightly browned. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole.

2.Add the onion and garlic to the frying pan with a little more oil and cook for a few minutes until the onion is soft. Add to the casserole and sprinkle with the flour, then stir and add the thyme.

3.Add the wine and chicken stock to the frying pan and bring to a boil then pour into the casserole.

4.Add the tomatoes, ground almonds and bay leaves and stir. Cover the casserole and place in the oven for an hour until the meat is tender.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Eat Out Costa Blanca

Rich Beef Stew with Tomato Dumplings

Serves: 4

Fillet Steak with Tomato and Red Wine Sauce

Serves: 2

Grilled Lamb with Cous Cous

Serves: 2

Pasta with Tuna and Tomato

Serves 2

Dorada with Pepper Oil

Serves 2

Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves 2

Moussaka

Serves: 4

Parcel Baked Salmon with Lemon and Green Peppers

Steamed Sponge with Pear, Dates and Figs

Serves 4

Duck with Port and Summer Fruit Sauce

Serves 2

Rabbit (or chicken) with Almond Sauce

Serves 2

More Articles ...

Bar and Restaurant Owners

Food Glorious Food

Costa Blanca Diners

Contact Us

Follow us