My partner Carole and I are avid foodies who love sharing all things to do with food. Our love of sharing recipes and food experience brought us together on the BBC Food boards which no longer exist due to cuts in the BBC budget. We have since got together and now want to share our recipes and experiences with you.

We are always looking for new recipes and food experiences from around the globe and you can also join us in our quest with like-minded foodies at http://www.carta.co.uk where you will find a friendly community who love to talk about everything food related.

Saturday 17 November 2012

Pork Tenderloin with sautéed potatoes

This is one of my favourite dishes and has been tried and tested by people who have read my recipe on different food forums. This one also comes with a delicious home-made pepper sauce.

Ingredients:

Pork tenderloin fillet 1
Potatoes 600 gms
Onions 2
Mushrooms 200 gms
Peas 200gms fresh/frozen or a can
Garlic 5 cloves
Rosemary 1 tsp
Olive oil & butter

Method:
Cut slits into the tenderloin about 2 cm apart and about ¾ of the way through. Crush 2 cloves of garlic and add 1 tsp of rosemary together with a little olive oil.Rub the mixture all over the tenderloin and set to one side.
Next peel, wash and cut the potatoes into chunks, cut the mushrooms into halves or quarters depending on the size and peel and slice the onions.
Gently fry the remaining garlic in a pan with olive oil and butter to add some flavour and then remove it from the pan, then sauté the potatoes in the garlic infused oil and butter. Fry the mushrooms and onions when the potatoes are almost cooked.










To cook the tenderloin simply pan fry it in hot olive oil and butter until it is brown all over, then transfer it to a hot oven 150°c for 10 mins.                                                                                                                          
After 10 minutes remove the tenderloin from the oven and place on a warm plate and cover with foil to allow the meat to rest. Put the peas on to cook whilst the meat is resting. Now it's time to make the sauce using the same pan that was used to pan fry the tenderloin.                                                                            
Quickly fry off a few finely chopped mushrooms in the meat juices, grind a teaspoon of whole peppercorns in the pestle and mortar and add to the juices of the pan, then cook the crushed peppercorns for about 1 min. add a splash of water to slightly de-glaze the pan, followed by about 3 to 5 tablespoons of dark soy sauce.
Allow to reduce ever so slightly slightly, remove from the heat and then add double cream to get the texture of pepper sauce. Whisk everything together over a low heat and serve over the tenderloin or transfer the sauce to a warm gravy boat for self service.

 
There you have it, pork tenderloin with sautéed potatoes, mushrooms, onions and peas in a pepper sauce.

Sunday 4 November 2012

Beef Stew.

Beef stew has to be one of our favourite Autumn/Winter meals. Everything used is seasonal which makes it a cost effective and hearty meal.

Ingredients:

Potatoes 500 gms
Parsnips 2
carrots 2
Swede ½
Celeriac ½
Onions 1 (large)
Beef stock cubes 2
Plain flour 2 tablespoons
Braising steak 300 gms
Red wine ½ a glass
Gravy browning 1 tsp


Remove excess fat from the beef and cut into chunks and roughly dice the onion, then brown the beef in a little oil and add the onions until they are soft.










Add about ½ a glass of full bodied red wine and allow to reduce. Then add the flour to make a roux followed by the beef stock and about ½ a litre of boiling water and the gravy browning. If the gravy is too thick add more water and then cover the pan and allow everything to cook on a low heat for 2 - 2½ hours until the meat is tender.
Meanwhile chop all the vegetables  into chunks and when the meat is tender add the carrots and swede to the pan and cook for another 10 mins. before adding the celeriac and parsnips. If you are using waxy potatoes you can add them now as well, but if you are using floury potatoes allow evferything to cook for a further 10 mins. before adding them.










Cover the pan and allow your stew to cook on a low heat for a further 30 - 40 mins. or until all the vegetables are cooked. Serve in a warm dish with some crunchy bread rolls on the side if desired.

The stew can be made before hand and left overnight in the fridge to reheat and serve the next day. Some prefer it served the next day as all the flavours get a chance to infuse overnight and intensify the taste of the dish.