Beef Stew with Stout

INGREDIENTS
500g of beef, cut into cubes
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
4 Russet potatoes, also in large chunks
3 medium-sized onions, or 2 large ones, chopped
1 bowl of green peas
3 tomatoes cut into wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
1 piece of ginger (one-inch chunk)
2 cloves of garlic with skin removed
2 cans of stout beer
200 ml stock (you can make beef stock from bones, or vegetable stock, or you can just pick a pack of chicken stock off the shelf)
1 knob of butter
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour, sieved
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Sprinkling of paprika

SEASONING MIX
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
3 tablespoons of Worcester sauce
3 sprigs of rosemary
2 tablespoons of dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon of ground thyme
Sprinkling of salt and pepper, to taste

METHOD
If available, use fresh rosemary and thyme. Or grab the dried versions at your nearest supermarket. I would recommend that you get the oregano in leaf form, rather than the powdered form, though. Season the beef with seasoning mix. Leave it for at least the time that you take to clean and chop the vegetables.
Heat the sauce pan, add the olive oil and knob of butter. Saute the chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger, and bell pepper. Throw in a good dash of dried oregano. Add the beef cubes and garlic. Brown the beef cubes. Couple of dashes of paprika.
Pour in the soup stock. Cover. When it starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the carrots. And the stout (make sure you get to this stage before you drink the whole thing). Throw in the potatoes 15 minutes after the carrots as they cook quicker. Add more oyster sauce, Worcester sauce and salt to taste. Let it cook on slow heat for another 30-40 minutes.
Add the green peas 5 minutes before the cooking time ends. Before serving, stir in the flour in spoonfuls, and let it dissolve thoroughly.
Don't forget that sprig of coriander for garnish, and enjoy your stew with a nice long french loaf.

*Recipe from Hedy Khoo

Got this list of Interesting Golden Proverbs from a fren:

1. A strong kiss is a real bliss.
2. Marriage and mirage are tempting ones from afar.
3. A house plus love, only then it is a home.
4. A smile is a curve which sets the marital straight.
5. First mix together, rest sex together.
6. Marriage is a covered dish; divorce is a coward’s dish.
7. Men have sight; women have insight.
8. Men make houses; women make homes.
9. Never trust lover too far, nor as a bachelor too near.
10. A compliment a day keeps the divorce away.
11. If couple loves to understand the marriage, then she should understand him more than she loves him, and he should love her more than he understands her; there both understand to love in marriage.
12. Sex joins two bodies, but love joins two souls.
13. A hug, a kiss, a squeeze if there is a desire to please.
14. Wedding adds the two together, but egoism subtracts one from the other; marriage multiplies, whereas the divorce divides the two.
15. Dress-up and have fun together outside; undress and have fun together inside.
16. The greatest secret of successful marriage is to treat all disasters as incidents and none of the incidents as disasters.
17. The cure for love is marriage, and the cure for marriage is love again.

May everyone, including myself have a blissful relationship or marriage.

The Hedgehog

A sweet little gift from a fren to accompany me on the days i was at home nursing my post-surgery wounds. But Kylis likes it so much that she keeps hugging it. Even when i brought this back to my own house. The moment she finds it she wont let go.

Whitebait Omelette

(Fish & Eggs are high protein foods. Whitebait is a good source of calcium)

Ingredients

100g cooked whitebait
3 eggs, beaten
2 slices old ginger, shredded
1 stalk spring onions, cleaned & chopped
1 stalk coriander, cleaned & chopped
11/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Method

1. Rinse & Drain Whitebait. Season with ½ tsp light soya sauce.
2. Heat the Oil in wok, then add shredded ginger & fry til fragrant.
3. Lower heat, add whitebait & fry fish until light golden brown.
4. Pour the beaten egg over fish and cook until eggs settle into an omelette.
5. Sprinkle the Spring Onions & Coriander over omelette before serving.

Fried Eggs With Ginger

Eggs are a Complete protein food, which is good for nutrition especially if you don’t like eating meat dishes excessively. This dish invigorates the blood & improve complexion.)

Ingredients

2 eggs; beaten
old ginger; finely shredded
3 Tbsp sesame oil


Method

1. Heat sesame oil in wok till hot
2. Fry ginger till golden brown
3. Pour beaten egg over ginger and fry till cook. Ready to serve

Red Dates Tea

(Helps revitalise general health. This is supposed to replace plain water)

Ingredients

10 red dates
2 black dates
50g black beans; stir fried without oil
100g Dang Shen (codonopsis pilosula)
4 slices old ginger


Method

1. Rinse all the ingredients and put into a crackpot
2. Fill about 3/4 of crackpot with boiling water and boil for at least 2 Hrs

Ginger Fried Rice

(Traditionally, the 1st solid food offered to a New Mother. Helps to alleviate "wind" after delivery. New Mother is to eat this and drink Red Dates Tea)

Ingredients

old ginger; finely shredded

1 egg; beaten

1 bowl cooked rice

2 Tbsp sesame oil

Salt

Method

1. Pour 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil into a wok, fry beaten egg into thin omelette. Cut it into strips and set aside

2. Heat sesame oil and fry ginger till fragrant

3. Stir in cooked rice and fry well. Pour in egg and stir. Add salt to taste