h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's my turn to cook tonight.

Given that all the fridge had in it was an onion, we're having Stewed Thing. This is quite unlike the Baked Thing I made here: F132391?thread=8283932 . You need cream for baking Things. Stewed Thing involves wine and whatever protein you can find in the freezer with the possible exception of frozen egg-whites. Today, we're featuring diced stewing beef which has been lurking in there for month), onions, garlic, a tin of kidney beans (or whatever beans you like, really. Or chickpeas), tomato puree), red wine (red or white, either will do. I promise white wine with beef stew does actually work) and A Combination Of Spices and Flavourings. I'm going for vaguely North African spices (bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, chilli, cumin, coriander, rose petals) and honey.

You need a casserole dish that can go on the stove or in the stove (we were give a Le Creuset one as a wedding present. It's a to clean, but I love it). In it, I fried the sliced onions and roughly chopped garlic until golden, and chucked in a few cloves. Added the beef (I couldn't be bothered to defrost it, so it got added as a solid chunk. This is not necessarily ideal) and browned it on as many sides as possible. Or, rather, I broke the frozen chunks apart and accidentally flicked onions over the stove. When it was brownish on the outside(s) but raw in the middle, added the tomatopuree and some hot water, the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves, and the thoroughly rinsed beans. I stirred it all thoroughly and turned it to a simmer. Then I added the rest of the spices (I used Ras el Hanout, a rather good pre-mixed blend. I went a tad overboard and OH MY THE CHILLI) and couple of tablespoons of honey. I put it in the oven with a lid on, and wandered off for an hour or two.

I started it off in a hottish oven, and when I went back to check on it, a lot of water had evaporated and it was a tad... jam-like in texture. Ooops. I added a large glass of red wine and a tad more water and put it back in the now somewhat less fierce oven.

I will now go and cook brown rice and some green beans (again, I found them in the freezer. This meal is somewhat unhinged by poor shopping timing). And then we will eat while shouting 'It's Lalique, you fool! Oh, wait, no it isn't. Oops' at Antiques Roadshow.

Did quite simple chicken today: Cut a decently sized chicken (I don't do anything less than 1½ kg. Dixi) nicely into parts (it's so nice that I actually learned to do that properly with a knife and not having to resort to bone cracking poultry scissors). Into the oven with some oil, salt and pepper on top - quite a good amount of salt to get the skin crisp.

Served with pasta, steamed broccoli (but not more than it still has a distinct bite!) and chunks of red bell peppers (just raw).

Oh, and

is the thing.

Which Ras el Hanout blend do you go for. I've come across good ones and ones that are a bit, well, meh.

Then again at the local farmers market there is a chap who sells a lovely range of mediterranean tined and dried goods, herbs, spices and mixes (which are excellent). You'd think he was greek or turkish looking at the stall but no he talks with a proper good yorkshire accent

And last night was a roast dinner. Beef cooked just right (medium), roast spuds, carrots and parsnips. Some greenery from kale and a gravy made from finely chopped onion and mushroom and nearly half a pint of a very good strong dark beer (Croglin Vampire Doppelbock from Cumbria).