Oxtail Soup with Beetroot, Yoghurt and Gremolata
Serves 4
A robust meaty 'meal-in-one' soup, it is full of the goodness of winter's choicest vegetables. Prepare in two stages. Do the meat the day before - leave to cool, remove the fat from the soup and the add the beetroot for the final cook.
2 T (30 ml) canola oil
750 g oxtail (select smaller pieces)
Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning
1 large onion, chopped
4 large carrots, sliced into rings
2 T (30 ml) flour
4 cups (1 litre) water
2 x 25 g Ina Paarman's Liquid Beef Stock or 4 t (20 ml) Powdered Beef Stock
4 large beetroot uncooked - peeled
2 T (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
Ina Paarman's Vegetable Spice or Green Onion Seasoning
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman's Tomato Pesto
ACCOMPANIMENTS
Greek yoghurt
Gremolata (grated rind of half an orange, grated rind of one lemon, ¼ cup (60ml) finely chopped parsley, 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped)
Warm a large saucepan. Add the oil and half of the oxtail and brown. Transfer browned meat to a plate.
Season it lightly with Garlic Pepper Seasoning. Brown the remaining oxtail pieces and season as before.
Add the onion and carrots to the pot and stir-fry over medium heat until the onions are golden and glazed. Stir in the flour.
Add the water and Beef Stock to the saucepan. Bring to the boil. Return the meat to the saucepan and simmer very slowly for 2 hours.
Grate the peeled raw beetroot on the course side of a grater toss with balsamic vinegar and season lightly with Green Onion Seasoning. Cover and leave to stand in the fridge overnight. Add to soup together with the Tomato Pesto. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Pass yoghurt and Gremolata at the table.
Very good with French bread.
Minute Steak Sandwiches with Caramelised Onions and Cheese Sauce
Serves 4
Minute steaks are economical, but they can be tough and tasteless. This is the way to overcome both these problems.
6 minute steaks
Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning
olive oil or canola oil
3 medium onions, peeled and sliced into half slices
1 T (15 ml) sugar
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
1 T (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
1 chiabatta bread cut in half lengthways
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Cheese or Mushroom or Pepper Sauce
Season the steaks lightly on both sides with Garlic Pepper Seasoning. Drizzle with oil and turn to coat. Leave to stand at room temperature while preparing the onions.
Preheat a heavy non-stick frying pan. Add 1 T of oil. Add sliced onions, sugar and Green Onion Seasoning. Put a lid on the pan and cook the onions slowly, with the lid on, while stirring now and again (about 10 minutes). Add the balsamic vinegar and stir-fry, without a lid, until onions are well glazed. Remove from the pan and keep warm covered with foil.
Wipe the pan clean with paper towel and reheat until hot. Add the oiled steaks to the pan. Cook on one side until browned and only then turn to cook the other side very briefly.
While cooking the steaks drizzle or brush both sides of the bread halves with oil and toast it on a griddle pan.
Spread a generous coating of your preferred Sauce on the bottom half of the bread.
Pile the onions on. Slice the steaks into ½ cm wide strips and place it on the onions. Drizzle with any remaining Sauce. Press the top half of the toasted bread down over the filling.
Cut into 4 portions.
Delicious with Apple Slaw.
VARIATIONS
Ina's Ready to Serve Mustard Sauce is also excellent, on these toasted sandwiches.
Apple Slaw
Serves 4An interesting variation on the usual cole slaw. Delicious, on the side, with a burger or with our steak sandwiches.DRESSING
¼ cup (60 ml) Ina Paarman's Honey Mustard Dressing
¼ cup (60 ml) Greek yoghurt
SLAW
2 T (30 ml) seedless raisins
¼ green cabbage, very finely sliced
2 sweet eating apples like Pink Lady or Golden Delicious
2 T (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
½ cup (125 ml) chopped parsley
Ina Paarman's Green Onion or Vegetable Seasoning
Fill and boil the kettle.
Pour boiling water over raisins in a cup or small bowl and leave to stand for approximately 3 minutes. Place sliced cabbage in a colander and pour boiling water over to wilt the cabbage a little and to bring out the green colour. Slice the apples (skin on) into thin slices. Stack the apple slices and cut them into fine matchsticks. Toss with lemon juice. Toss together drained raisins, blanched cabbage, apple matchsticks and parsley. Season lightly with Green Onion or Vegetable Seasoning and toss with dressing.
Sticky Finger Chocolate and Caramel Biscuits
Makes ± 32 rectangular slices 6cm x 3.5cmA divine teatime or after supper treat. Even better the next day when the biscuit layer is a little softer.
SHORTBREAD BISCUIT LAYER
1 x 390 g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
125 g butter at room temperature
1 extra large egg at room temperature
Adjust oven rack to one slot above middle shelf.
Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 32cm x 22cm swissroll pan with baking paper.
Mix cookies according to package instructions.
Flatten the cookie mixture in the swissroll pan. Level the top with the back of a spoon.
Bake for ± 15 minutes until golden.
Leave to cool.
CARAMEL LAYER
1 x 360 g tin Nestlé Treat Caramel.
Blob spoonfuls of the caramel over the biscuit layer and spread.
CHOCOLATE LAYER
2 x 90 g slabs Cadbury's Dark Chocolate
Melt the chocolate over warm water and spread over the caramel layer. When half set, mark into portions and leave to cool before cutting and lifting out of the pan.
This month's wine sponsor: Rietvallei Wine Estate
Rietvallei Wine Estate are giving away two bottles of their wine to five lucky subscribers!
Wine Pairing:
Oxtail Soup with Beetroot, Yoghurt and Gremolata:Rietvallei Estate Natural Chardonnay 2011 or Rietvallei Estate Shiraz/Petit Verdot/Viognier 2009
Minute Steak Sandwiches with Caramelised Onions and Cheese Sauce:
Rietvallei Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Sticky Finger Chocolate and Caramel Biscuits:
Rietvallei Estate Red Muscadel 2010
Natural Chardonnay:
An Unwooded Chardonnay with amazing Tropical Fruit Flavours and refreshing to enjoy at lunchtime or as a wonderful Food pairing. The structure and profile of the wine allows it to pair very well with flavour and spice and a wide range of meats, fish and salads.
Shiraz/Petit Verdot/Viognier:
Fruit Driven, soft tannins and smooth finish with the spicy Shiraz flavours that comes through on the palate. The Petit Verdot and Viognier adding a very interesting dimension to this Shiraz dominated blend.
Cabernet Sauvignon:
One of the best Cabernet's that you will find. An explosion of Berry Fruit with a hint of mint, but an amazingly smooth Red wine with a lingering finish.
Muscadel:
Full Sweet Dessert Wine with the typical raisin character, but when young will have flavours of cinnamon and spice. Well Balanced sweetness with a firm acidity and a wine that isn't just a winter warmer or an after dinner drink. Enjoy over Crushed Ice with Strawberries, over ice cream or just chilled in the fridge.