2011 - A New Year and A Bonus Recipe!

Hello my fellow food fanatics and a Happy New Year to you all!

I never intended to be away from this blog as long as I have been but with one thing and another the days have quickly run into weeks and now I realise it has been 3 weeks since my last post. I have missed it!

The run up to the christmas break was quite frantic for me with a huge amount going on at work, I worked right up to and including christmas eve and then my husband was ill with flu which I subsequently came down with between christmas and new year (along with most of the UK it seems!) and I am only just getting back to normal now.

I was positively craving 'normal' (non buffet or massive family meal) food by the start of this week and on Monday I cooked a slow cooker Quorn Stifado which I will give the recipe for here as a bonus - this is not one from the Quorn cookbook but is one I adapted from a meat version and which works very well with the quorn steak pieces. It is also very simple and incredibly hearty and satisfying because you literally just chuck it all in the slow cooker and let it go!

Apologies - I forgot to take a photo of the stifado as I didn't think about it til it was too late!

Onwards and upwards for 2011, I expect this year to be challenging (financially and mentally at work) but also exciting with some big holidays and adventures planned. I look forward to completing the Quorn cookbook and sharing it with you on this blog, I really hope you will continue to enjoy reading about it and sharing your thoughts too.


Quorn Stifado
300g Quorn steak strips or beef pieces
250ml red wine (big flavours like rioja work best)
2 tblsp cornflour
2 onions chopped
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 tblsp red wine or cider vinegar
2 tsp clear honey

Right, first chuck the frozen or fresh steak/beef pieces in the slow cooker and then put the cornflour in and mix around until all the pieces are coated.

Now put all the other ingredients except for the wine in and give it a good stir til everything is well mixed together.

Finally tip the wine over, it should just about cover everything in the bowl, add a bit of water if it doesn't. Switch your slow cooker to high for around 5 hours or leave on low all day for the same result. Stir every few hours if you get the chance but don't worry if you don't.

Serve with garlic mash, rice, pasta or just some crusty bread. Delicious!

Meat eaters can use 600g of casserole steak instead of the quorn for an equally tasty carniverous version.