Left Over Beef Stew

Well I made a small mistake on this one, not to be repeated, so I am owning up as to prove that everyone makes mistakes from time to time. I made this stew with red skin potatoes with the skin, thinking more flavour and more roughage but I ended up with quite rough red skins well noticeable in my velvety stew, I now know not to use skin on potatoes in stew unless using new potatoes where the skin is so thin that is bearably noticeable (especially when I used old potatoes).
Everything apart from the beef in this stew was old and nearly going off, but it turned out one of the best stews I made so far, I can only assume this being due to the vast variety of veg that went in, the beef was braising steak cut into pieces.

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 400grs braising steak (diced)
• 50grs pancetta (or smoked bacon)
  
• 500grs red skin potatoes (cubed) please remove skin unless they are new potatoes
• 1pkt mushrooms brown cap (halved and quartered depending on size)
  
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced) + a pinch of garlic powder
• 6 spring onions (sliced)
• 1 celery heart (sliced)
• 3 carrots (sliced)
• 1pkt mangetout (cut into three parts)
  
• 1 pepper (diced)
• 1 chilli (chopped) 1 a pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tin plum tomatoes (chopped)
• 2 spoons of tomato paste (diluted in half glass of water)
• a pinch of paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil to taste

Very simple to make so is short and sweet. Put a pan on the stove with a little olive oil, once hot add the garlic, onion, chillies, (both) pancetta, salt and black pepper. Let these cook until the onions and pancetta are starting to go golden add the beef and stirring it occasionally until is sealed (you know this as should go brown all around), then add chopped tomatoes, put a lid on and let it cook for around 40 minutes on lowest of heat, then add the tomato paste and all the rest of the stuff you have left celery, potato, carrots, pepper , spring onion, mangetout, mushroom and paprika. Put the lid back on and let this now cook for around 25 minutes. Optionally at the end you may add some flat leave parsley. And that is it ready to eat.

The mushrooms were crinkly, the celery limp, potatoes were starting to grow roots, carrots had whiskers, garlic little sprouts, mangetout limp and so on this was the state of my veg as if I didn't use it would go to be compost, I am glad I did use it as it made one of the best tasting meals I ever ate (well made by me) I am in no way suggesting you use veg like these you can use fresh veg I am sure the result will be the same or better, I am only asking that you think before you throw anything away...As there are millions of people in the world starving that would eat those thing that you, me would throw away, lets not then. Thanks for reading. hope you enjoy this post.

Spaghetti Bolognese with Pancetta and Chorizo

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 500grs minced meat (beef)
  
• 400grs spaghetti
• 40grs Pancetta (or smoked bacon)
• 20grs chorizo (diced)
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (finely diced)
  
• 1 plum tomato tin (finely diced) best if "Italian"
  
• 1 soup spoon of tomato concentrate (diluted in 1/2 glass of water)
• 1 chicken stock cube
  
• enough olive oil
  
• bunch of coriander
  
• enough salt and black pepper

Put on the stove a frying pan with a little olive oil, once well hot add the onion, the garlic and cook these well until golden, and at this stage add the pancetta and chorizo fry them for a further 3 minutes stirring always, follow it them with the addition of the minced beef, and still stirring it this time occasionally cook until all of the beef is browned, at which stage you now add the tomatoes both plum and concentrate, once it gets to boiling point reduce the flame to minimum and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes.

Eleven minutes before the sauce is ready, place a pan of boiling water with little salt and vegetable oil (like 2 soup spoons), stick the spaghetti inside and this will be ready in 11 minutes should still be a little "al Dente" as it should, as is delicious if it offers a little resistance when you bite it, drain it in a colander pouring boiling water over it to remove the starch still draining it. Serve and eat is delicious, and very simple.