Beef Bourguignon

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Sometimes you got to try some dishes that seems a bit more posh than what you usually cook, so a while ago I decided to give a Beef Bourguignon a try.

Let's get cooking!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

600g casserole steak, cut into large chunks

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

6 rashes streaky bacon, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

325g carrots, peeled and chopped

300ml red wine

250ml beef stock

2 sprigs thyme

mashed potatoes, to serve

Heat some oil in a large frying pan.

Season the meat and cook in the pan for 6-8 minutes, until browned all over. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and put into a slow cooker.

Add a little more oil to the pan and add the onion and bacon and sauté for 4 minutes before adding the garlic and carrots, then cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

Pour in the red wine and stir to help de-glaze the pan, then add the stock and stir.

Next pour the liquid and vegetables over the beef in the slow cooker.

Add the sprigs of thyme to the slow cooker, and then cook for 8 hours on a low heat, or until the beef is very tender.

Serve with mash potatoes, and any other veg you would like.

This dish is definitely perfect as we start heading into the colder and darker evenings, especially with it being a slow cooker recipe. There's nothing better than coming home after work on a cold evening to a meal ready to tuck into, with the aroma's filling the kitchen.

I loved this dish, it was full of flavour and was really tasty, I served mine with sweet potato mash that worked perfectly. I definitely need to purchase a new slow cooker, ready to start enjoying this again in the upcoming months.

If you're interested in the original recipe then you can head over to Tesco's Beef Bourguignon recipe page.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

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안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

I know we've gone passed pancake day by a few months, but pancakes can be enjoyed all year round, you can have them as a breakfast treat or for dessert.

 I will be the first to admit that I am rubbish at making pancakes, I always either undercook them or burn them, I can never get them just right, but I am always happy to keep trying to make them, so when I cam across this recipe, I thought I'd give them a go.

Let's get baking!

Ingredients:

150g self-raising flour

2 medium eggs

2 tbsp honey

150 ml buttermilk

1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for frying

100g fresh blueberries or raspberries

Place the self-raising flour into a large bowl.

Next whisk in the eggs and honey, then gradually whisk in the buttermilk.

Then add the 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil to form a thick batter.

Now you're ready to stir in the fruit.

Next heat a little of the oil in a frying pan, and then depending how big you want your pancakes, spoon some mixture into the pan. Cook gently for 1-2 minutes each side, until golden and cooked through.

Repeat until you've made the number of pancakes you require/want.

Now you're ready to serve.

I served mine with some maple syrup and extra blueberries,

This is the first time my pancakes have turned out perfect, while Skye wasn't fond of the blueberries mixed into the batter, I on the other hand found these pancakes delicious, as well as juicy, refreshing and full of flavour from the blueberries.

This is definitely now my go to pancake recipe, and will happily try it again and try it with raspberries.

This recipe is really easy to follow and isn't time consuming.

If you would like to check out and follow the original recipe, then you can head over Tesco Real Food's Fruity Buttermilk Pancakes recipe page.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Everything always gets hectic for me as we get closer to Christmas as I spend more time at work and getting the house ready for the big day then I do preparing blog posts, but I've made sure to sit down and create today's post to share with you.

Today I want to share with you Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.

Let's get baking!

Ingredients:

For The Base:

150 g double chocolate cookies, crushed

50 g ground almonds

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

50 g butter, melted

For The Cheesecake:

125 g raspberries, fresh or frozen (defrosted)

250 g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp cornflour

900 g light soft cheese

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

300 ml soured cream

Start off by pre-heating your oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas Mark 3 and line a 20 x 30cm cake tin with baking paper.

Next add your crushed biscuits into and bowl and add your butter to a pan and melt, then combine them together., with the ground almonds and caster sugar.

Once the ingredients are combined, press the mixture into the base of your tin, then chill until needed.

Next put the raspberries into a small pan along with 25 g of the golden caster sugar, and place over a medium heat.

In either a bowl or jug, mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 1 tbsp cool water to make a paste and then add to the raspberry pan, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes, until the berries have broken down and thickened.

The aside to cool.

Next it's time to make the Cheesecake, mix together the remaining golden caster sugar and the remaining 1 tbsp of cornflour.

Next combine the sugar mixer with the soft cheese, beating until well blended.

Now add the eggs one by one, making sure to beat thoroughly after each addition.

Next add the vanilla and soured cream, mixing until just smooth, be careful not to overbeat or the cheesecake will be too airy.

Next pour half of the mixture onto your chilled base and smooth the top, then dot half of the raspberry mixture over the surface, then carefully spoon the remaining cheesecake mixture over the top and smooth out.

Once the last of the raspberry mixture has been dotted on top, using a teaspoon handle, gently drag through the raspberry mixture, creating a swirled effect, mine look tootally messy.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 130C/110C Fan/ Gas Mark 1/2 and cook for a further 25-30 minutes, until the cheesecake is set at the edges, but still wobbles in the centre.

Then turn off the oven, slightly open the oven door and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.

Cool completely and chill for at least 4 hours, before removing from the tin, slicing and enjoying.

I wouldn't say these are the best things I've ever baked, I don't think I mixed the sugar and soft cheese together enough as for me, while sweet, I could still taste the soft cheese. I also messed up on the raspberry mixture, I think I over cooked it as it seemed to congeal, hence the messy topping. While many things did seem to go wrong for me this time round, I'll happily give them another attempt at some point in the future.

I will say this recipe is really easy and simple to follow, if you're not stopping in between to take pictures, for blogging purposes, which I will blame on my downfall.

If you would like to follow the original recipe and make a better first attempt then myself, then you can head to Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake Bars on the Tesco Real Food page.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye