The Genius Idea that is Simply Cook (plus wicked Rendang Recipe)

I love buying presents for people.  Whether it is Christmas, a birthday or ‘just because’, I love finding the perfect present for someone – a gift that shows that I know them and accept them for who they are.  Occasionally when I am a little skint, I made biscuits or cake or biscotti or even soup as nothing says I love you quite like a homemade dish.  So when it came to finding one of my male friends the ideal Christmas present, I found Simply Cook.  

This is a genius idea whereby you get sent 4 x spices as well as recipes once a month so you can wander outside your foodie comfort zone and try something without worrying that you don’t have the essential ingredient.   He love the pack I gave him and – in fact – asked for their contact details so he could sign up himself.

With thanks to the goodwebguide.co.uk

However predictably, I forgot to cancel the subscription so I had 2 boxes to add to my already bulging list of recipes I wanted to try.  The first one I tried was Beef Rendang – this is essentially a spicy meat dish from Indonesia bursting with flavour and the richness of coconut milk.  And it was brilliant so let me share the recipe

Oil for frying

250g of braising beef

400ml can of coconut milk

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 large potato, chopped into cubs

Rendang Paste (1 tbsp fresh ginger, 1tbsp chopped galangal, 1tsp turmeric, 1 stalk of lemon grass, 6 long red chilis)

Garlic Puree

•  Add the oil to a frying pan and flash fry the beef until browned.
• Now set aside and create the Rendang paste by blitzing the ingrediants together until smooth
• Place the potato, onion and garlic into the frying pan and fry together for about 3 minutes
• Add the paste and fry for a further 2 minutes
• Pour in the coconut milk and cook gently for 10 minutes
• Add the beef and cook for a final 2 minutes
• Serve with rice

With thanks to FeastAsia

And enjoy this delightfully spicy creamy moreish dish

L xx

N.B. – The nice folks at www.simplycook.com provide you with the Rendang paste so I’ve included the ingrediants in case you can’t get hold of this.

P.S. – Follow me on Twitter @littleofwhatyou if you fancy hearing my thoughts on food and life

Portuguese Slow Cooked Octopus

Each weekend, I give myself a day off!  One day when I don’t need to feel guilty if I choose to stay in bed with an excellent book, a sleepy feline and a cup of coffee.   This weekend, I wandered off on the Sunday and had a pedicure (bright sparkling wizard of oz red, as you asked) and then committed a fatal foodie sin I wandered into a fish shop without knowing what I want.

Seduced by the array of produce, I bought an octopus!  Hell, I thought, I’ve never cooked it but if worse comes to worse, I can always order pizza.  So having done a little research online, I came up with this interpretation of a Portuguese recipe which was rich, warming and utterly delicious.

So herewith my interpretation of a dish I first had in Olhao:

• One Octopus (mine was about a kilo and a half)
• 100 grams of sliced chorizo, chopped
• 1 standard tin of plum tomato
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Half a bottle of full bodied red wine
• 100ml red wine vinegar (to taste)
• Big pinch of oregano
• Two teaspoons of pureed garlic
• 15 ml of Worcester sauce
• Oil for frying
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop the head off the octopus and fry the entire remainder until it turns pink

1. Remove the octopus and chop into bite sized chunks
2. Fry the onion in the oil until translucent and then add the chopped chorizo
3. After about a minute, add the garlic and fry it quickly before turning the heat right down and adding the tomato
4. Add the red wine and then slowly add the vinegar.  You want a slightly sour taste but you don't want it to make you wince.
5. Finally add the Worcester sauce and the oregano.  Then taste and add a little pepper and salt - the seafood is salty so you don't need much at all.
6. Leave to slowly cook at a low heat for about 2 hours or until the octopus falls apart.  This isn't an exact science and you just need to keep tasting.

Serve over crushed potatoes or with hot bread to dip.  This is salty and tart with a morish octopus taste that also has a hint of Chorizo.

So very very good

Enjoy

L x

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