Beef Stew

                     Ingredients:

500 grams of beef, cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon of all purpose Flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, cut into bite size pieces
2 big potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup of red wine
1 big carrot, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 celery, cut into bite size pieces
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
2,5 cups of beef broth
1 dried bay leaf, dried or fresh
2 teaspoons of oregano
2 teaspoons of dried rosemary, minced
1/2 cup of Frozen but thawed baby peas
Salt and pepper to season

                 Instructions:

Add the oil to a large pot and preheat it over high heat until the oil is so hot that it starts to smoke a little. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper, cook it for about 5 to 7 minutes or until seared well on all sides. Remove from the pan onto a plate and set aside. 

To the same pan with add the onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, and celery, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until the veggies develop some color. Add the flour and stir well, continue to stir wile cooking the flour for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan to lift off all those browned bits. 

Add the tomato paste and stir well, add the beef broth, the bay leaf and the thyme and rosemary and bring the mixture up to a boil. Add the browned meat back in and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 2 ½ hours checking on it periodically. 

After 1,5 hours, remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium high, taste for seasoning and adjust if you feel necessary, add the peas and cook for about 2 more minutes. 

We decided to serve it with plain buttered turkish style noodles and plain yogurt. 

                                         
                                                                                                      Bon appetit!

Green Chicken Kebabs and Baked Potatoes

               Ingredients for the green chicken kebabs:

100 ml (2 table spoons) natural yogurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger, ground cumin and salt
1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
Large handful of chopped coriander
Small handful of chopped mint
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
6 pieces of boneless chicken thighs, cubed

               Ingredients for the baked potatoes:

2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into thin rounds
3 teaspoons of red pepper flakes, dried basil, dried mint, dried rosemary, chili pepper powder
2 tablespoons of olive oil

               Instructions for the green chicken kebabs:

Place the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, salt, ground coriander, chili, chopped herbs, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and blend until fairly smooth.

Place the chicken in a mixing bowl, add the mixture on it.
When the mixture is all around the chicken cubes, thread the chicken pieces on to 8 bamboo skewers and place them on a large pan. Cook them for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently until they are cooked and browned.

             
                Instructions for the baked potatoes:

Place the potatoes onto a greaseproof paper and add the olive oil and the herbs on it
Mix them all until you season all the potato pieces fairly

Cook them in a pre-heated (200°C) oven for 30 minutes.
Enjoy your meal with a green salad.

                                      
                                                                                                 Bon Appetit!