Tag Archives: vinegar

Chimichurri BBQ beef

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in BBQ, Beef

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Chimichurri beef

Chimichurri beef

Now this dish is perfect for a BBQ! I first had this when I was in Nicaragua and ended up having it nearly every single night I was there it was so delicious. So obviously when I got home I tried it and it is really simple.

chimichurri blender

chimichurri blender

What you will need:

A big piece of sirloin steak sliced in half (other cuts of beef are also ok)
3 large handfuls of fresh parsley
Chopped chilli (to taste depending how hot you want it)
2-3 chopped cloves of garlic
½ cup olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In a blender add all the ingredients (except the beef) and blend. Put the beef in a bowl and a third of the chimichurri mixture to marinate. You can do this the night before or a couple of hours before depending on the time you have. Keep the rest covered in the fridge.

When it’s BBQ day cook the meat. You’ll have to decide on your timings depending on how hot your BBQ is and how red you want your meat but it really doesn’t take long – about 5 minutes on each side (medium rare for me!).

Once your meat is cooked cut it into slices on a large plate and cover it with another third of the chimichurri sauce and serve. The other third is for anyone who might like to add some sauce.

This is definitely a must try dish!
Enjoy!
Melanie

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Lamb shank with a twist

12 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Lamb

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Lamb shank

On Friday evening I went to Greensmith’s where there’s a great butcher. They have really good meat and it’s not over-priced. I decided to get some lamb shank and on Saturday we hade a nice roast. This is usually cooked with red wine but we didn’t have any, so I improvised. This is what I love about cooking, trying out new things, not knowing if it’ll work and when it does feeling proud of my new creation. Now I’m not saying my strange mixture is better than using red wine but it sure is a cheaper version and tastes pretty good.

What you need:
1 lamb shank per person
(the following amounts are for 2 lamb shanks)
2 sliced red onions
2 garlic cloves
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs red vinegar
1 tbs honey
Herbs – I used rosemary and sage
1/2 cup of beef stock
1 tsp olive oil

Heat your oven to 200C
Cut you garlic in two and make holes in the lamb and put your garlic in the holes. Do the same with some rosemary twigs (2 per lamb shank). With some string tie your herbs together – to make a bouquet garni – they will be easier to remove.

I used a normal cooking pot but if you can use anything with a lid that can go in the oven. Put the pot on the hob and add the olive oil, then add the lamb and brown every side. Then add the onions until they start to brown.

Lamb shank

Reduce the heat and add the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, beef stock and bouquet garni. Keep on the hob until the liquid boils, making sure everything is mixed well. Remove from the hob and cover with the lid and place in the oven for 2 hours (if they are large 2h30m). Check the meat half way through.

Remove your pot from the oven and remove your bouquet garni and the rosemary from the lamb. If you want your sauce to be nice and clear (a little messy) you can use a colander to drain the sauce through into a bowl, then pick out and bits of herbs then add the onions to your sauce.

We had yummy cheesy mashed potatoes with this. It all went down a treat and was really easy to make.

Place you lamb shank on some mashed potatoes and pour the sauce over it. Very yummy!

Enjoy
Mel

Slow Roasted Pork Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

30 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by in Pork

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Pork Rub:
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1-3 Teaspoons of Vinegar

Place all of your spices in a bowl and mix. Slowly add your vinegar. I cant remember exactly how much I used.
You want your spices to look like wet sand/paste so you can rub it on your pork and have it stick.

Crock Pot Ingredients:
1 Yellow Onion (chopped)
2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
1 (15-ounce) Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
4 to 5 Pound Pork Shoulder

Put the onion and garlic in first, then place your seasoned pork on top.
Next pour the tomatoes over it. Cover. Cook on High for 4-6 hours.

The pork will fall off the bone. That is how you know it is ready.
Remove the pork and shred into a separate bowl.

Cilantro Lime Sauce:
1/4 Cup Lime Juice (fresh)
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
1/2 Bunch Cilantro
1 Tablespoon of Honey
1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Clove Garlic (minced)
1 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 cups of Salad or Olive Oil

In a blender, mix your cilantro, lime juice and vinegar. Next add your garlic, sugar, honey and salt.
Add mustard. Then, slowly add your oil.

For Tacos:
Avocado
Corn Tortillas

The avocado is a must! The fatty avocado combined with the savory pork and the citrus sauce made this taco outstanding!

Enjoy

Joy

Sweet and Sour Chicken

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by in Chicken, Simple meals

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I’m hooked on Masterchef Australia at the moment and this sweet and sour was inspired by their sweet and sour pork. What’s great with sweet and sour sauce is that you can use any meat, prawns or just have it with vegetables and your meal will be ready in 15 minutes! I love sweet and sour takeaway but never knew exactly what was used to make it. What surprised me is  how simple it is and that it’s made with ingredients that can be found in any kitchen, that’s ketchup and vinegar! Now the quantities I’m going to tell you to use are a guideline as it really all comes down to taste and also how much sweet and sour sauce you want.

What you need:

Two chicken breasts – cut in small pieces
3 tbsp of ketchup
2 tbsp vinegar (any type is fine)
A small tin of pineapple (if you have fresh pineapple all the better)
Chilli flakes (if you like the heat)
1 large pepper (the colour of your choice) – cut in small chunks
Half an onion – sliced
1 clove of garlic – chopped
40g of finely sliced ginger

Rice or noodles

In a frying pan or wok fry your onions on a medium heat until they look soft and add in you chicken until it starts browning, then add in your pepper, pineapple (keep the juice to one side), garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir all the ingredients together and then add in your ketchup, pineapple juice and vinegar. Cook all the ingredients for about 5 minutes. Taste and add in more vinegar or ketchup depending on taste.

I used rice noodles which are super easy to make as all you need to do is place them in a bowl and pour over some boiling water and they are ready within seconds.

Serve up your sweet and sour chicken on top of your noodles or rice and there you have it -dinner in 15 minutes!

Enjoy 🙂

If you use fresh pineapple then you can caramelise it with a bit of sugar and also add in a bit of pineapple juice.

P.S I’ve just made Masterchef’s cheesecake but with a twist – it’s in the fridge so fingers crossed!

Mel

Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette

17 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by in Salads

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My husband brought home some cherries yesterday and they were SO sweet! I decided to add them to my favorite salad dressing and the result was delicious.

Here’s what I used:

30 pitted cherries (If you don’t have cherries, use strawberries instead)
2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Honey
Salt & Pepper
1/4-1/2 Cup of Olive Oil (The amount varies depending on how aged your vinegar is)

In a blender, mix the cherries, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Mix until the cherries are invisible.
Then slowly add your oil. I would start out with a 1/4 cup and then taste it. This is when you decide if you need more oil or honey.
If you have added a 1/2 cup of oil and the vinegar taste is too strong, add more honey.
At that point, if you continue to add more oil, you risk losing the cherry flavor.

I put this over mixed greens, goat cheese and toasted walnuts. YUM!

Enjoy!
Joy