...another winter-warming casserole: ox cheek stew

I picked up something different from Kingsleys Meats recently - ox cheeks at the very decent price of $19.99/kg. Ox cheeks (much like beef cheeks) are exceptionally tender especially when long slow cooked as a casserole using my simple but fool-proof 4 fold casserole formula:

1. Pastured meat: in this case ox cheeks
2. Herbs and spices: garam masala (a spice blend from About Life or other organic store) plus unrefined salt and cracked pepper
3. Liquid: beef stock (preferably home made from pastured beef bones) to just cover the meat, a splash of red wine and some tomato puree (from glass bottles not tins)
4. Vegetables: add whatever chopped veggies take your fancy like carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, potatoes etc. This time I simply added loads of diced garlic and onions.

Place all of the above ingredients into an oven-proof casserole dish (e.g. Le Creuset) or slow cooker and whack in a 80-120C degrees oven and forget about it for 8-24 hours. The temperature is dependent on length of cooking time (i.e. 80 degrees Celsius for 24 hours or 120 degrees for 8 hours). With a slow cooker put on the lowest setting.

Place 1-2 beef cheeks into each bowl and ladle loads of the broth on top. I served with steamed vegetables (like cabbage and zucchini) in the same bowl.

For more casserole recipes click here and here. Kali Orexi (that's Greek for good appetite!).

2-ingredient raspberry fool

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Someone recently asked me if I get more excited about making main meals or desserts. The pragmatist in me initially retorted with "mains" because they are the staple and hence should be the focus. Deservedly so. But truth be told, when it comes to excitement, desserts win hands down. Why? Because they are decadent. And sweet. And because I've got a naughty streak. And because they are a little like magic- the end product (be it the cake, muffin, tart, ice-cream etc) doesn't resemble at all the raw ingredients that you started with (eg eggs, butter, cream, fruit etc), much unlike a casserole or other main which pretty much looks the same as the pre-cooked version.

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Anyone who has been following my blog for some time will know that my food philosophy is all about teaming simplicity with nutrient density. Getting the most  nutrient-rich bang for as little possible time. Because we all have (and want) other things to do than spend all day in the kitchen! Any recipe that requires numerous ingredients or requires me to "beat egg whites until stiff" has lost me. Raspberry fool traditionally requires the cream to be beaten until stiff. You can certainly do this (and all the more power to you!) but I honestly don't think it's necessary for the time and effort spent and doesn't add much, if anything, to the flavour.

Here's my super quick 2-ingredient spin on this classic dessert:

2 cups (approx) of fresh or frozen raspberries (or mixed berries) 1 cup cream (or cream cheese or yogurt)

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Blend (with handheld blender) 1 cup of the berries with cream until well mixed. Alternatively layer the creamed mixture with the plain berries in a glass ending with a scattering of berries on top. This serves 3-4 depending on size of cups. I made  espresso cup sized one for my 2 kids (see photo).

Over the years I've gradually reduced the need for sweeteners to the bare minimum- my body no longer craves it - so I still enjoy desserts without all the sugar. This dessert is sweet enough for me. But if you find it too tart and want a sweeter taste, add a drizzle (up to a tablespoon) of unrefined sweetener (eg maple syrup or raw honey) to the cream before blending.

I buy frozen berries from Woollies (refer to the 2 brands in the photo on above) because they are 1/2 the price of the same ones sold in organic stores. Along with wild tinned fish, frozen berries are the only other food item I buy from a supermarket. The rest is from organic stores or farmers markets. And as much as I like to support family run organic stores and farmers markets, the price differential when it comes to berries is significant enough that I justify  buying whoever is cheapest given the large quantity we go through on a daily basis. (I add frozen berries to our morning smoothie).

Stay tunes for more recipes, hot drinks and other ideas to keep warm this winter!

Lamb neck casserole- a super-cheap and nutrient-dense meal

Many people have a pre-conceived idea that organic meat is expensive. It can be but it doesn't need to be. My rule of thumb is that anything less than $25/kg is pretty good value and the vast majority of the meat I purchase is well under that amount. Occasionally I will buy a prime cut steak that's about $30 or $40 a kilo but that's the exception to the rule. The lesser known cuts (like bones, organ meats, loin chops, chump chops and necks) are typically: (a) cheaper (b) have the bone in which makes them more nutirent-dense as the nutrients come out of the bone when cooking (c) fattier. Yes this is a good thing- and I appreciate it's controversial.

Despite what mainstream dietetics would have you believe, saturated fat from wild or grass fed and finished animals is essential for good health. It's needed for a range of functions including strong immunity and proper functioning of the nervous system, heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, hormones, cells and brain. It's also needed for mineral absorption, anti-stiffness and joint protection.  It provides the most ideal source of fuel for mankind by providing a slow-released steady-state source of energy throughout the day. (d) more flavoursome (because of the bones and higher fat content)

Recently I bought 2 large bags of lamb necks for $9.99/kg (from Kingsleys Meats) and made them into a delicious slow-cooked casserole (befitting of winter). There is white marrow inside the bones which I treat as potent medicine. Here's how I made it:

In an oven-proof casserole dish (e.g. Le Creuset) or slow cooker throw all of the following ingredients together:

1. Lamb necks
2. Herbs and spices: chopped up springs of rosemary and diced garlic, plus unrefined salt and pepper
3. Liquid: beef stock (preferably home made from pastured cows) to just cover the meat and a splash of red wine and balsamic vinegar. If you don't have stock just add filtered water and the slow cooking process will create a stock from the bones in the lamb necks.

Stick in 80-120C degrees oven and forget about it for 8-24 hours. The temperature is dependent on length of cooking time  (ie 80 degrees Celsius for 24 hours or 120 degrees for 8 hours). With a slow cooker put on the lowest setting.

You could add some vegetables in there too (chopped carrots, green beans, potatoes etc) for a complete meal (one-pot wonder). Otherwise just serve with steamed vegetables or salad separately. Leftover meat can be frozen for later use.

I'll warn you that there is a lot of bone in lamb necks but all of the nutrients in the bone come out during the long slow cooking process and the meat surrounding the bone is very tender. If your family members might freak out by all of the bones then take all of the meat and marrow off the bones before serving. My kids are used to my cave-women 'bones and all' style of eating (and I encourage them to suck, gnaw and chew on the bones to mineralise their body).

If you make this casserole let me know how you go! I'd love to hear what lesser-known / cheaper cuts of meats you buy and how you cook them.

I'll be running an organ meats class in mid July so stay tuned! Happy long weekend!