♥︎Turkey stew with Oude Geuze

For ➍

300 g fresh pearl onions

a large knob of butter*

300 g smoked bacon**

2 cloves of garlic

250 g mushrooms

2 stalks celery

1 kg turkey leg (turkey cubes from breast or leg)

3 tbs  flour

3 dl Oude Geuze Boon

40 cl chicken stock*

2 tbs grain mustard

some sprigs of sage

a few sprigs of thyme

4 bay leaves

3 cloves

1 bunch of (young) carrots

pepper & salt

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

800 g pine cones potatoes***

a dash of cream****

Preheat the deep fryer to 170 °C.***

First soak the fresh pearl onions in a bowl of hot water and remove the outer skin of the onions.

Melt a large knob of butter* in a large stew. Cut the bacon into strips and stew. Peel and crush the garlic and add, followed by the pearl onions. Cut the mushrooms into pieces and stew them. Rinse the celery under cold water, finely chop the stalks and stew. Season the turkey cubes with salt and pepper. Stew them and sprinkle some flour over them. Stir well so that the flour is evenly distributed over all the turkey pieces and vegetables. Pour the Oude Geuze and the chicken stock into the stew. Add the mustard. Make a herb bouquet from the sage, thyme and bay leaf and add it together with the cloves. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat down. Let the stew simmer gently for at least 1 h. 

About 20 m before dinner time, peel the carrots and put them in a pot over a gentle heat with a good splash of water and a good knob of butter. Season the carrots with salt and pepper and some finely chopped fresh thyme. Cook for 10 to 15 m under a lid. In the meantime, fry the pine cones until golden brown in the deep fryer at 170 °C. 

Season the stew with a little extra salt and pepper. *****  

Add the pasta in small pieces to your sauce and let it melt. 

Finish the stew with a dash of cream. ****

Spoon some turkey with sauce onto a plate and add the fried carrots and pine cones***.

*replace with vegan

**replace with smoked turkey meat

***replace with heart-friendly alternative

****optional

*****If necessary, add some beurre manié to thicken the sauce by kneading 1 tbs flour  into a paste with a knob of butter*.

Cod on stewed cucumber

For ➋

400 g potatoes

2 cod fillets (140 g each), raw 

2 tbs fresh lime juice (or lemon) 

2 ts Dijon mustard 

1 medium cucumber 

40 g ham, raw or smoked 

1 ts oil 10x cl miso (or vegetable) stock 

(100 g cream cheese, light)* 

1 bunch of dill, chopped

Wash the potatoes and cook (with their skins on*) for 20 m until tender. (Or cook without peel*). 

Rinse the cod fillets, pat dry, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with lemon juice. Brush with mustard and leave to soak briefly. 

Peel the cucumber, halve lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut into slices. 

Cut the ham into strips. Heat the oil in a pan, fry the ham until crispy and remove from the pan. 

Add the cucumber to the pan, deglaze with stock, (stir in the cream cheese*) and season with salt and pepper. Place the cod fillets on the cucumber and cook for 10 m with a lid on the pan. 

Drain the potatoes (and peel them*). 

Sprinkle the cod and cucumber with dill and serve with the crispy ham and potatoes.

Poulet au fenouil (French fennel chicken)

For ➍
800 g boneless skin-on chicken thighs
1 ts salt
black pepper to taste
2 tbs flour
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion, sliced
baby fennel, trimmed & halved lengthwise (reserve any leaves for garnish)
1 bay leaf
25 cl dry white wine (like sauvignon blanc)
2 tbs crème fraîche*

Cut chicken into manageable pieces (10x10 cm).
Sprinkle the salt and pepper onto both sides of the chicken. Then dust evenly with the flour.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, skin-side down in a single layer (if all the chicken doesn't fit, divide it into two batches to brown). Let the chicken brown undisturbed until a brown crust forms on the bottom, about 4-5 m).
Flip the chicken and brown the other side (another 4-5 m). Transfer the browned chicken to a bowl and repeat with the rest of the chicken if necessary.
Add the garlic to the pot and sauté until fragrant.
Add the onions, fennel and bay leaf to the pot and then add the wine. Return the chicken to the pot. Partially cover with a lid and braise over low heat. Check the chicken after 20 m, if there is still a lot of liquid in the pot, continue cooking for another 10-15 m until the chicken is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
Add the crème fraîche to a small bowl and whisk in some of the hot braising liquid. This step tempers the crème fraîche and prevents it from curdling. Pour this tempered crème fraîche back into the pot and stir to combine.
Serve the chicken with some chopped fennel leaves.

*Replace with yogurt

Waterzooi met griet en witloof (Flemish fish stew with endives)

For ➍
2 carrots, cut into small cubes
1 leek, into small cubes
6 endives
50 g butter
1 l fish stock*
1 kg mussels**
400 g fillet of brill (or lemon sole)
2 egg yolks
2 dl cream
juice of ½ lemon
3 tbs chopped parsley
pepper & salt
100 g North Sea shrimps

Cut 4 endives into small cubes. Stew the vegetables in ¾ of the butter. Pour over the fish stock and let simmer for 20 m.
Cut the 2 other endives in half and simmer in the remaining butter.
Prepare the mussels and remove them from the shell. Beat the egg yolks into the cream and set aside. Cut the fillets into strips and poach them for 2 m in the soup. Scoop them out and divide among 4 warmed plates.
Do the same with the vegetables from the soup, baked chicory and mussels.
Add the egg mixture to the soup and bring to the boil, stirring. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour into the plates with the shrimp.

*Use less to have a less 'supy' dish.
**Omit and replace with more fish.

Lamb tam tam

For ➍
1 kg lamb meat
1 cucumber (seeded)
2 tomatoes (peeled, seeded, diced)
coconut (ground)
2 plantains
cream
1 tbs white wine vinegar
oil (frying)
3 tbs olive oil (salad)
4 tbs olive oil (marinade)
½ garlic
½ tbs leaf parsley
2 red peppers
1 tbs paprika powder
1 tbs cumin powder
pepper
1 tbs salt (leveled)

Cut the lamb into cubes. Chop the garlic.
Cut the peppers into strips. Dice the cucumber.
Peel, seed and dice the 2 tomatoes.
Finely chop the onion. Mix the lamb with cumin, paprika, salt, garlic and olive oil. Let marinate for at least 1 h.
Mix all ingredients, the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, wine vinegar, pepper and salt, for the salad and set aside in a cool place.
Stew the red pepper in a pan with olive oil. Add the lamb and fry until nicely browned (10-15 m). Season with pepper and salt if necessary.
Heat some oil in a wok. Peel the bananas and cut them into slices. Fry them in the oil until golden brown and roll them in coconut powder.
Divide the tomato-cucumber salad on the plates. Add the lamb. Finish with fried banana.
Drizzle a little cream over the plates, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Battuto for meat stew or soup

For ➍
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 tbs celery leaves, chopped
1 tbs parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs chopped pork*
olive oil

Mix and brown in hot olive oil. 
Use as a base for a meat stew, or add some more vegetables and broth to make a soup.

*Optional.

In Roman cooking, a battuto is an initial preparation, that can be developed into a sauce, a stew or a soup. This basic battuto works also well a pasta sauce.
The ingredients are flexible, as in an Italian fish parcel.
The minestra col battuto soup uses a finely cut battuto, with onion, celery, garlic and a bit of parsley and basil added for more flavour. Read the Lazio variation.

Coniglio al Vesuvio (Vesuvius rabbit stew)

For ➍
300 g boneless rabbit
37,5 cl red wine
50 g plain flour, seasoned with salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, thickly sliced
4 celery stalks, thickly sliced
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
½ fresh chili pepper, finely chopped
200 g tinned green lentils
400 g Italian tinned plum tomatoes
50 g finely chopped parsley
25 cl water
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Place the rabbit in a bowl, cover with the red wine. Leave to marinate for 12 h.
Remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry. Dredge in seasoned flour and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan, add the olive oil and gently fry the onion, celery and carrots. Stir in the chili. Add the rabbit pieces and fry for 10 m, until golden brown. Add the lentils, tomatoes and parsley and season to taste. Add 2 glasses of water and simmer for 2 h until the sauce has reduced and thickened, adding a little more water if necessary.
Serve with the accompanying pea risotto.

Kaukswe (Burmese chicken curry soup)

For ➍-➏
for the soup:
650 g boneless chicken thighs
1 tbs dried ginger
1 tbs dried turmeric
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tbs neutral oil, such as grapeseed
2 cloves garlic
2.5 cm piece ginger, peeled
1 shallot, peeled
1 dried hot chilli
1 bunch fresh coriander
5 cl unrefined coconut oil or a neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed
400 g cubed sweet potatoes
40 cl chicken stock
40 cl unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbs fish sauce
2 limes, 1 juiced &1 quartered
salt, to taste
for the crispy shallots:
1 peeled shallot, sliced thinly
20 cl neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed

In a food processor, mince the garlic, ginger, shallot, dried chilli, and the roots and/or stems of the bunch of coriander.  Cut the chicken thighs into about 2.5 cm pieces. Marinate overnight with the dried ginger, turmeric, coriander, and 1 tbs of neutral oil. (Or toss the chicken pieces with the spices before you start cooking.)
In the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, heat the coconut oil. Then add the cubed sweet potato. Fry until golden brown on at least 2 sides of each cube. Scoop out of the pan, leaving the oil, and set aside.
Add the chicken pieces (a few at a time so you can brown them without having them cool the pan down) and let them begin to brown. Season with a pinch of salt. When they are mostly browned, add the minced mix, stem mixture and let cook out a little.
Add a couple tbs of the chicken stock and let reduce until the mixture is soft and cooked. Add the rest of the chicken stock and the reserved sweet potatoes and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile fry the crispy shallots (this can also be done as much as a week ahead of time, as the shallots will keep in a closed container at room temperature for a week at least). In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the shallots and stir frequently. As the oil continues to heat, the shallots will start to color. When they get golden brown, scoop them out of the oil and drain on a paper towel. You want to pull them out of the oil a little before dark brown, as they'll continue to cook and crisp up on the paper towel.
Simmer the soup for about 30 m, until the chicken and sweet potatoes are close to tender. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and coconut milk and bring up to a simmer. Stir in a quarter cup of coriander leaves and taste for salt.
Serve garnished with the crispy shallots, a couple of sprigs of raw coriander, and the lime wedges. Add some noodles if you want.

Groene waterzooi met kabeljauw (green Flemish cod stew)

For ➋
2.5 cl full cream
pinch bicarbonate
½ bunch curl parsley, rinsed
1 bunch watercress, rinsed
2 pieces cod fillets (about 200 g each)
1.5 laurel leaves
1 twig thyme
½ zucchini, unpeeled, diced
1.5 stems celery, cut into 1 cm pieces
½ stalk leeks, cut into 1 cm pieces
dash olive oil
½ clove garlic, crushed into pulp
½ onion, finely sliced
300 g potatoes, diced
½ l fish fumet
pepper & salt
50 g samphire (optional)

Heat 4 dl of fish fumet.
Bring water to a boil in a jar and add a pinch of baking soda to preserve the green color of the herbs.
Add the parsley and the watercress (keep some watercress apart for decoration). Boil for 5 m. Scoop the greens with a slotted spoon from the liquid and collect everything in the cup of the blender.
Add a dash of the cooking liquid and puree the spices in the machine. Let the appliance run for a long time, until you have a fine pureed sauce.
Pour a dash of olive oil into a large pan with a raised edge. Heat the oil on a medium heat.
Put the potato in the pot. Simmer briefly (or until the potato turns opaque, probably 5-10 m). Add the onion chips, then the garlic pulp. Heat for a few m. Lower the fire, stirring occasionally.
Add leeks and the celery to the pot, raise the heat a little higher and stir.
Add the zucchini and simmer.
Add the leaves of laurel and the sprigs of thyme. Season the stew with freshly grinded pepper and a pinch of salt.
Pour the warm fish fumet into the pot, until the pieces are covered for ¾. Bring everything to the boil, preferably under the lid.
A few m later, put the portions of fresh cod on top of the steaming hot waterzooi. Put the lid back on the pot and let the pieces of fish poach for 5 m on medium heat. Turn the pieces of cod and leave the fish in the simmering stew for another 3-4 m. Pierce the fish to check the doneness. Do not overcook the noble cod.
Remove the pieces of cod from the pot and set aside for a moment.
Remove the sprigs of thyme and the leaves of laurel from the stew. Pour a little cream, followed by the green herb sauce of watercress and parsley.
Stir, taste and add enough pepper from the grinder and a pinch of salt.
Optional: stir the samphire in some oil for 1-2 m)
Serve a portion of vegetables with potatoes in the soft green sauce in a deep plate.
Place a piece of cod on top and finish the plates with a tuft of fresh watercress. (Optional: add some samphire for a more salty taste).

Cocotte de poulet au cidre (French chicken stew with cider)

For ➍
1 large chicken, cut in 6
pepper & salt
1 tbs butter or oil
250 g mushrooms, quartered
2 thick slices salted bacon, diced
3 celery stems, diced
50 cl cider
5 sprigs lemon thyme
2 leaves laurel
10 cl cream*
1 tbs mustard
parsley, cut

Heat the butter or oil in a large pot. Add the chicken pieces. Add salt and pepper. Brown lightly. Remove from the pot.
Add the mushrooms, bacon and celery to the pot. Sauté for a few m.
Put the chicken pieces on top. Add the cider. Add the thyme and laurel.
On low fire, cook for 1.5 h**, half covered.
Remove the meat and thicken the sauce. Add the mustard and cream. Add the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with parsley.
Serve with a crispy baguette*** to dip the sauce.

*Use fresh creamed goat cheese (or Philadelphia cheese) instead.
**Reduce cooking time with smaller or fewer pieces to 45-50 m, such as a pair of chicken legs of +/- 500 g.
***Bake or toast slices.

Frizzone (Italian vegetable stew)

For ➍-➏
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large eggplant, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium carrots, trimmed & chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 500 g can cherry tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 ts dried oregano
20 cl water
3 tbs fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup olives, chopped
¼ cup salted capers, rinsed
salt & pepper
2-3 ts aged balsamico vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide bottom saucepan.
Add the onion, celery, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 to 10 m.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, water, basil, and half the parsley, and cook until the stew has thickened, about 20 m.
Stir in the remaining parsley, olives, and capers.
Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the balsamico vinegar.
Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature.

Parelhoen met witloof & Trappist (guinea fowl with endives & beer)

For ➍
1 guinea fowl (1.5 kg)
salt & pepper
50 g bacon, cubed or sliced
50 g butter
10 shallots, sliced
3 dl Belgian beer, white or blond, blond Trappist recommended*/**
1 ts thyme
3 juniper berries
2 sprigs parsley
1 ts sugar*
6 endives***

Rub the guinea fowl with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a pan and bake the bacon for 5 m. Remove the bacon and brown the guinea fowl in the fat. Remove fowl and brown the shallots.
Add beer, thyme, laurel, berries, parsley (and sugar*). Mix.
Add bacon and heat the mixture.
Add the guinea fowl and let it stew on low heat for 45 m.
Heat some water to cook the endives for 10 m.
Add vegetables to the guinea fowl for the last 10 m of the cooking.
Remove the fowl and vegetables. Thicken the sauce, push through a chinois.
Cut guinea fowl into pieces. Put a piece on a warm plate with some sauce and with vegetables. Serve with boiled potatoes*** and blond Trappist beer.

*When using white beer or blond Trappist, don't add sugar. Blond Trappist should be a triple, like Westmalle or Leffe. When Belgian beers are not available, use pale ale instead...
**Add 10 cl fond de gibier to make a smoother sauce.

***Do not use hydroculture endives for a better taste. To have a smoother sauce, cut 1 additional endive into small chunks and put in the sauce from the start.
***Or serve with parsnip mash.

Trappist monasteries were founded by the Cistercian monastery of La Trappe in medieval France. Of the world's 171 Trappist monasteries, only 7 produce beer. 6 of them are in Belgium, brewing the highly valued Trappist following strict prescriptions.
Read the cooking fowl tip. Try the quick version. Read a classic recipe to braise the endives.
Read the braising endives without water tip.
Read the cooking endives @ microwave tip.

Provençal redfish stew @ microwave

For ➍
4 200 g redfish fillets
4 tomatoes
4 shallots
250 g mushrooms
2 zucchini
1 red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
10 cl olive oil
roux (optional)
1 ts herbes de Provence
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt & pepper

Drop the tomatoes in boiling water, cool immediately in cold water. Peel and remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into strips. Chop the shallots finely. Crush the garlic. Cut the mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper into cubes .
Coat a microwave bowl with olive oil. Cover the bottom with the shallots, garlic and mixed herbs. Season with salt and pepper, cover and heat 4 m at 750 W.
Add the sliced ​​tomatoes, diced mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 m at 850 W. Coat another microwave bowl with olive oil. Spread the fillets evenly and cover with the vegetables. Cover and heat 6 m at 850 W. Let stand for 2 m. Bind with a light roux.*
Serve on warm plates. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pasta or fried rice.

*Discard the roux to get a more ratatouille side-dish.

Omani lamb & date stew

For ➍
1-2 ts crushed red pepper
1 ts ground turmeric
1 ts ground ginger
1 ts ground cinnamon
½ ts salt
1 kg boneless leg of lamb (or beef or camel meat),  cut into 2.5 cm pieces (or double weight with bones)
2 tbs olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 dl beef bouillon
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs cold water
225 g pitted dates (soaked in 5 dl water overnight, then mashed by hand or in a food processor*).
cooked white rice
30 g toasted slivered almonds*

In a mixing bowl combine the spices and salt. Coat the meat with the seasoning mixture. In a large, heavy skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, in the hot oil. Add onions and garlic, and stir to combine. Pour the broth over all.
Bring to a boil. Then, cover and simmer on the lowest heat for a couple of hours or till the meat is tender. Skim fat from the surface of the juices. Stir cornstarch into the cold water. Add to meat in the pan and stir.
Add the dates, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer another 15 m or till mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly.
Serve hot over white rice and garnish with toasted almonds.

*Optional.

Agnello alla menta con insalata calda (Italian lamb casserole with warm salad)

For ➍
4 lamb steaks weighing about 400 g in total, cut into 2 cm cubes
4 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
3 tbs white wine vinegar
3 tbs honey
salt & freshly ground black pepper
5 tbs Italian olive oil
2 large onions, cut into 2 cm cubes
100 g white mushrooms
3 celery sticks, cut into 2 cm cubes
2 large white potatoes, peeled & cut into 2 cm cubes
1 glass dry red wine
1 glass water
Italian warm salad

In a bowl, marinate the lamb steaks with the rosemary, mint, vinegar, honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 4 h.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and fry the onions, mushrooms, celery and potatoes for 5 m.
Add the marinated lamb with any juices from the marinade, mix well and cook for further 2 m. Add the wine and the water, allowing the wine to evaporate for 2-3 m. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover the pot with the lid and leave to cook on a low heat for about 90 m, stirring occasionally.
Divide the warm salad between plates, creating a nest in the centre. Serve the lamb in the centre of the vegetables.

Waterzooi met aardappelen (Flemish potato & chicken stew)

For ➍

500 g waxy potatoes
1 large farm chicken
1 onion
1 white part of leek
2 carrots
2 white parts of celery
2 dl cream
bouquet garni ( thyme, bay leaf parsley )
1 clove
salt & pepper
1 tbs cornstarch*

Divide the chicken in four. Pierce the onion with cloves. Then put the onion with the four pieces of chicken and bouquet garni in a large pot of water and bring to the boil .
Poach the fillets for about 30 m, the thighs for 45 m.
Peel the winter roots. Add to the chicken. Poach for 5 m.
Meanwhile, cook the peeled potatoes in plenty of salted water. Drain and keep warm.
Remove chicken, vegetables, onion and the bouquet garni from the water.
Reduce the sauce reduce until about 4 dl. Add the cream (and cornstarch*).
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken, potatoes and vegetables.
Warm briefly and serve.

*Optional.

Boeuf en daube (French beef stew)

For ➋
350 g beef chuck roast, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
for the marinade
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small stalk celery, finely chopped
5 peppercorns
1 sprig fresh thyme, bruised in hands
1 sprig fresh rosemary, bruised in hands
20 cl strong red wine
1 ts red wine vinegar
2 strips orange rind
1 ts salt
for the daube
50 g salt pork, cut into strips
10 cl beef stock
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper to taste

Combine marinade ingredients in a large zippered storage bag. Add beef. Marinate for 8 to 48 h in the refrigerator, turning bag over to redistribute marinade every 4 to 6 h.
Pour marinade through a strainer into bowl and set aside, discarding everything except the meat.
Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oven to 150°C.
Place a dutch oven or closed pan over medium heat. Add the salt pork and oil. Cook until fat is rendered and pork is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Increase heat to medium high. Brown beef in 3 or 4 four batches (to avoid over-crowding) and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium low and cook onions stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown.
Return beef and salt pork to pot and add reserved marinade, beef stock, and bay leaf. Increase heat to high, bring just to a boil, then immediately cover and place pot in the oven and cook for 2 - 2½ h. The liquid should not quite cover the meat.
Serve with boiled potatoes or polenta.

A lighter version of a daube.
Try other slow-cooking recipes: roast beef & yoghurt or lamb & pomegranate salad.

.

Daube provençale (French beef stew)

For ➍
1.5 kg beef shank, with or without bones, cut in large chunks
1½ large red onions, sliced
3-4 tbs olive oil
10 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded & diced, or 2 cans of diced tomatoes
6-7 carrots, peeled and sliced
15 cl red wine
1 tbs herbes de Provence, or mix of dried thyme, marjoram, sage, rosemary, basil,
1 tbs whole anise seeds
salt & pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, add the meat chunks and brown them on each side.
Remove the meat from the pan. Set aside for later.
Add the onions slices to the pan. Cook until caramelized.
Add the browned meat chunks back to the pan with the onions
Add the tomatoes, carrots, wine, herbs, anise seeds, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 2 to 3 h or until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
Serve with warm pasta. Or rice.

Try a slow-cooking, marinated version.

Easy nikujaga (Japanese beef & potato stew)

For ➍
1 tbs oil
500 g beef, thinly sliced or cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, sliced
4 large potatoes, (or 400 g pumpkin), cut into bite sized pieces
1 carrot, cut into bite sized pieces
5 dl dashi (or water or beef stock)*
3 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs sugar
2 tbs sake
1 tbs mirin
1 green onion, sliced
shichimi togarashi** to taste (optional) (or some shredded ginger)

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the beef and brown on all sides.
Add the onion, squash and carrot and sauté for 5 m.
Add the dashi, soy, sugar, sake and mirin, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender (30-40 m).
Serve immediately.

*Nikujaga is often simmered until most of the liquid has evaporated, but some prefer to have some liquid left.
**Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese condiment that is made from a blend of chillies and other things like sesame seeds, nori, etc.

Try a richer version or a fusion tomato version.

♥︎Stewed fennel with carrots & orange

For ➍
2 ts olive oil
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 ts dried rosemary, crumbled
1 strip orange zest
½ ts salt
1 bulb fresh fennel with stalks
500 g carrots, trimmed, peeled, cut into 0.5 cm slices
5 cl/4 tbs orange juice

Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion, garlic, rosemary, orange zest, and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is lightly browned and very soft, about 8 m.
Cut stalks from fennel bulb and thinly slice stalks. Cut bulb in half and remove core. Cut bulb into 1 cm thick wedges.
Add fennel, carrots, and orange juice to skillet, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cover skillet tightly and simmer until carrots and fennel are tender, 15 to 20 m.
Serve with a mild-tasting fish such as cod, haddock, or halibut.*

*For a main course, spoon over brown rice, or whole-wheat noodles or pasta.
*Or serve as a salad or at room temperature.
*Can be kept 2 days in the fridge.