PERUVIAN SPICY BEER MARINADE

Beer, spices and orange give cheaper cuts of beef a Latin American punch...

Wallet-friendly steak, Peruvian-style: spicy, fruity and with beer!
'The meat is so tender; the flavouring intriguingly subtle.'  Tester            (14/6/16) 
                                                                                                                                               

If you want a marinade that leaves cheaper cuts of steak tenderised, layered with flavours evoking heat, dust and lowing cattle, this is the one! 

It's Peruvian in style and designed for skirt, flat-iron, flank or Denver steaks.*  While the flavour of those cuts is excellent, they are better seared and served pink in the middle, the way (apparently real) men like their beef.  Overcooking will leave the meat chewy and tough.  

67 tested Denver steak, from a supermarket packet. The blogger is not a fan of beef that's still pink but (intrepidly!) tested the result. The steak was surprisingly tender and not at all raw in texture.  The kebabs, cooked slightly longer, were chewy - ok but marginally not.    

If texture is a worry, you could buy the least expensive standard steak, rump. Or take supermarket specials on beef roasts, which can sometimes be a little tough, slice thickly and marinade like steaks.  

The flavour of the marinade is gorgeous but for those who prefer more heat,  finely dice de-seeded red chillis and serve separately.  

The recipe was adapted from the internet but the site reference has been lost.  Who knew there were so many web addresses for Peruvian cuisine?

Costs: £7-10
Feeds: 3-4

Ingred:
   1 lb/1/2 kilo flank, skirt, flat-iron or Denver steak OR (more expensive) rump  left in a single piece
   2 large oranges, zest and juice  
   1/2 cup finely chipped cilantro/coriander or chives (67 used chives)
   1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 
   2 tsp salt-reduced soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
   1/2 tsp cumin
   1/2 tsp smoked paprika
   1 garlic clove, finely grated
   1/2 tsp oregano
   1/4-1/2 tbsp dried chipotle or a small dried chipotle soaked in water, drained and finely chopped
   1/2 mug Mexican beer (see below) or no-alcohol beer   (67 used a similar Czech Pilsner which was sold in singles, not 4-packs,  500 ml, £1.70) 

  Garnish: red chillis, de-seeded and finely diced 
  
Method:

HOW TO...PREP & FREEZE FANCY SANDWICHES FOR KID/ULTS OR TEA

Freezing complete & semi-finished sandwiches makes life a lot easier...

Sandwiches for lunchboxes & afternoon tea, all or part frozen in advance.
Peanut butter & jam pinwheels; ham & cheese fingers; tuna sweetcorn daisies

Here's a batch of sandwiches designed to make cook's life a lot easier with the help of the freezer and the willing hands of family/friends. 

The sandwiches have quite the novelty factor and will please kid/ults heading off with lunchboxes or ladies who take tea with crustless sandwiches.    

67goingon50 has posted suggestions for skinnier, healthier budget sandwiches in the past.  All of that advice applies here, though there is room for a little more richness in both spreads and fillings when it comes to frozen sandwiches.

When it comes to freezing wholly-made or part-made sandwiches, a few general rules might be helpful for best results: 

The Bread  

While all sandwiches can be made with plain all garden-variety sliced  supermarket bread (back in the vogue, one reads) 67 strongly recommends long loaves, laterally sliced, as below.

Stock Photo

Though a little more expensive, laterally sliced bread is uniformly thin, with a bigger surface that's much easier to stamp shapes out of.  You can also buy large supermarket loaves, which are much cheaper,  and slice them yourself with a heavy serrated knife.  They'll be okay if a little uneven (see below) but are a bit of a faff.

Finger sandwiches from home-sliced lateral bread 

Lateral loaves come in white, wholemeal and caraway.  Some bakeries are now producing novelty colours.   

If preparing sandwiches in non-standard shapes, any cookie cutter will be suitable -- daisy cutters or scone cutters or gingerbread men or whatever.  Get the kids to help.  Press down hard on the bread using the sharpest cleanest side of the cookie cutter, then twist.  Place on a tray or in a box, cover to stop the bread from drying out.  When you have enough shapes, spread them out on a baking tray; freeze flat.  Place frozen shapes into separate zip bags. (Leftover bread can be used to make breadcrumbs or turned into one of the many 67goingon50 delicious bread & butter puddings, on Nav Bar:Recipes 1/Frugal & Bakery)  

Stockists for lateral bread at the end of the post.

Freezing bread/partly completed sandwiches/whole sandwiches: 

   Slices - lay flat on a tray, freeze, stack in a plastic bag. If you want to get ahead of yourself, butter each slice lightly to the edges; freeze flat; store with a small square of greaseproof paper separating slices 

   Standard Sandwiches with freezable fillings  - store in a plastic box with an air-tight lid and with a square of greaseproof paper between each sandwich OR  wrap each sandwich in cling film OR place in sealable sandwich bags.  Defrost overnight as needed; add salad and dressing once defrosted.

   Fingers- make up triple layer sandwiches using freezable fillings (eg. ham or pastrami & dairy or vegan cheese); freeze in blocks without slicing, either wrapped in clingfilm or in a box with an air tight lid; defrost then cut into fingers.  (You may need to secure the block of sandwiches with cocktail sticks)

    Pinwheels - lightly butter bread; cover with a layer of clingfilm, roll up, wrap tightly in clingfilm; freeze and bag up or store in a box.  Once defrosted, unroll,  spread with fillings, re-roll tightly, securing with toothpicks, slice into portions. 

   Shapes - freeze flat; place tops and bottoms in separate bags; use as needed

 Freezable fillings has been posted elsewhere but is worth repeating:  

        (Note: don't freeze Mayonnaise, salad or cooked egg whites )

       - Cooked meat: meatloaf, pate, cold burgers, chicken, roast pork or beef, pastrami, kosher turkey deli meat, regular or air-dried hams    
       - Cheese: cheddar, camembert, brie, Swiss, feta (well drained)

       - Tinned Fish: plain tuna or salmon, well drained but no mayo before freezing 

       - Smoked salmon

       - Cooked egg yolk, not white

       - Peanut butter (but not jam)
       - Chocolate-hazelnut spread

       - Grilled eggplant and zucchini

       - Preserved sunblush or sun-dried tomatoes (well drained)

       - Onions: carmelised or as onion jam

       - Tapenade (olive paste)
       - Mustards
       - Chutney

       - Pickles 

(Sources: Frost bite, MOMables)

Freezing first-stage sandwiches

Make up your sandwiches using only freezable fillings.  Freeze, carefully label fillings to indicate the sandwiches are not complete.  After defrosting, add non freezable fillings such as mayonnaise and salad ingredients.  

Examples:

a)  Peanut butter and jam pinwheels: lightly butter and roll up bread; wrap tightly in clingfilm; freeze; when ready to use defrost overnight, spread with peanut butter and jam; roll back up and slice into portions. 

b)  Tinned fish: drain well, flake lightly, mix with finely diced red onion (opt); spread on buttered slices or shapes, top with buttered slice or shapes; freeze; after defrosting, add layer of mayonnaise and chosen additions such as corn or olives. 

c) Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: make up chocolate hazelnut sandwiches as usual, in shapes or fingers; freeze; after defrosting, add banana slices. 

d) Also try this part-finished freezing method with cheese (& apple); ham (& celeriac salad), or the popular hoisin chicken - make up sandwiches with chicken  only and freeze; defrost, then add celery, radish, mayo, hoisin and lettuce.

See Also: specific sandwich fillings (meat, fish, vegetarian) in the Archive

****

Stockists for Laterally Sliced Loaves

Bread Factory 0208 457 2088  
 - 800gm/28oz £.177
     1kilo/32oz £3.86
   - accounts
   - deliveries
   *call ahead for orders

Unsliced 600-800gm loaves, about £1.10'ish (2018)

Morrisons:  white, wholemeal & granary
Sainsbury's: white & multiseeded

Whole Foods says its bread slicers cut laterally as well as conventionally but 67 has not tested them.

Please leave a comment in the box below

This information has been provided by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises  and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.  Bright Sun accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  

MAKE AHEAD NO-KNEAD CINNAMON ROLLS: opt for freezing

A gift for the busy cook - cinnamon rolls easily prepared in advance...

There's not much better than home-made cinnamon rolls and the easy prep is a bonus!
'The best I've probably ever had' These are really good' Tasters

These wonderful mind-blowing rolls* - no-knead and pretty simple to put together - are  brilliant.  And so wallet-friendly.

Prepare them the night before they're needed and bake in the morning, serving them warm, if not hot.  

Although the recipe looks complicated, the steps are simple and easy to follow.  The results are worth it; you'll marvel at how soft and yielding -  how tasty! -  the cinnamon rolls are.    


Note on baking tins:

After making this recipe several times, the blogger found that baking them in a large (9inx13in/31.5x23.5cm) pan can leave the centre buns slightly underdone and the outer buns slightly overdone.   

The blogger now uses two 6.5x11.5 inch/17x29.5cm pans, forming the dough into 16 - not 12 - buns and bakes them 8 to a tray.  The buns are smaller but just as light and fluffy and, to the blogger's mind, easier and nicer to eat.

The pans are disposable, though they can be washed and re-used, and are not expensive.   

Cost: £3.00
Makes: 12 or 16

Ingred:
   
   250ml lukewarm whole or skimmed milk
     50g melted, cooled, unsalted butter
     1 tsp vanilla

     2 room temperature eggs, beaten with fork  

Yum! Homemade cinnamon rolls

  1 tbsp/9gm instant yeast
   2 tsp sugar 
   125 ml warm water

   600g/20oz plain white flour (not bread flour)
   3-4 tbsp sugar
   1 1/2 tsp salt

Extra quarter cup flour - maybe a little more - for shaping buns
  
Filling:    
        1/4 cup soft butter (opt)
        100gm/3.5oz brown sugar
         2tbsp cinnamon
         
         (OR for Christmas) fresh cranberries or dried cranberries or blueberries, blanched in boiling water and dried  PLUS/OR chopped walnuts and pecans
         
Icing (this recipe is for a light glaze but multiples easily) 
    70gr/2.5oz sifted icing sugar
    1.5-2 tbsp lime, lemon or orange juice 
     zest of half a lime, lemon or orange juice (opt) or for Christmas - bourbon, whiskey or brandy)

Method:

Buns

1. Gently heat milk & butter in a small saucepan over med-low heat until butter is melted; do not allow it to boil; set aside
2. Place yeast & 2 tsp sugar in a bowl; add warm but not hot water; mix with a fork, cover & rest 5 mins in warm place until frothy (if yeast does not froth up, start again)
3. Beat eggs well with a fork; set aside
4. Mix flour & salt in a large bowl stirring to distribute evenly
5. Make a well in the centre; add milk mix, eggs & yeast mixture.  Stir/whisk till completely combined; the dough will be thick & sticky.  Cover bowl with a clean, damp tea towel; place in a warm place free of draughts (near but not next to a heater is fine or in a cold oven) 2 hours until tripled in size 
6. Line a baking tin/s with greaseproof paper which rises above the rim, cutting corners to fit.  
7. When first rise is complete, punch down dough to deflate; have a small plate of flour ready.  The dough may be a little 'wet'.   
8. Dust work surface with flour; scrape dough onto it; roll lightly with a rolling pin that's been dusted with flour to flatten.  Sprinkle a little flour on top, working it into the dough with floured hands, adding a little more each time until the dough is soft and pliable and no longer sticky.  It's hard to gauge this; half a cup of flour may be needed 
9. Shape into a 8x12inch/20x30cm rectangle about 1/2inch/2cm thick.  Lightly spread the softened butter over the surface (opt)  Mix brown sugar & and cinnamon plus nuts & fruit if using; strew liberally over surface, leaving a 1/2 inch/2cm border 
10. Roll up into an even shaped log.  Cut into 12 or16 equal pieces.  Arrange in baking tray/s with a little space in between.  Spray surface of buns with veg oil; cover with cling film leaving room for buns to rise; refrigerate overnight or min 4 hours
11. Remove buns from fridge; take off cling film, rest in warm place until nearly double in size (30-45 mins).  Preheat oven to 180C/350f/gas 4.5 
12. Bake 25 mins till golden; the rolls sound hollow when tapped but remember to check the underside -- you may need to turn the buns upside down and bake a further 5-10 minutes
13. Cool 10 mins in pan/s then firmly grasp the greaseproof paper to place buns on a cooling rack
14. When completely cold, cover with a thin layer of icing 

Icing

1. Measure out & sift icing sugar, pushing any lumps through with the back of a spoon
2. Add 1.5 tbsp chosen juice or alcohol; stir; aim for a pourable but non-sloppy consistency
3. Add up to half a tbsp more of liquid if necessary
4. Dribble over buns 

Comments:

“The cinnamon buns are the best I’ve probably ever had, the texture is slightly moist and somehow dreamy, like eating a delicious pillow, and the glazing is just WOW! They also have the benefit of being very filling which means you don’t eat half a dozen before realising it like with most other cinnabuns. All in all I would give them a 9.6/10.  I really enjoyed them and am wondering how I can make these.

P.S. I never rate 10/10, not even with my own cooking. The best rating I’ve ever given something was a 9.7/10 (my dad’s lentil Dahl).' 13-yr-old Schoolboy

Tip:

• Use two forks to separate the rolls
• For a more sophisticated take, scatter coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts over the sugar cinnamon mix before rolling up; for the icing, replace juice with bourbon, whiskey or brandy
• OR freeze, double wrapped in cling film then a layer of foil; when ready to serve, defrost overnight; if you like, cover with more icing before serving (photo)

* adapted from Recipe Tin Eats for which many thanks (bottom page)

**How to Prepare Tins for Baking

 More bread on Nav Bar: Recipes I/Baking

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  

MEAT FEAST: MONGOLIAN LAMB, lower fat, easy peasy, make ahead (Archive)

Gutsy lamb dish that can be crispy or casseroled. Or both!

updated 1 May 2018

Mongolian Lamb, Crispy (Stock Photo)
Courtesy of Bing @ Copyright BBC Good Food and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence 

'I have been to Mongolia many times and (this) had a really authentic taste.' Taster

This recipe features lamb shoulder Mongolian style and it can be served in two equally delicious ways.  The classic crispy style is like duck pancakes but wrapped in lettuce instead.  The other style - which 67 prefers - serves the meat as a juicy casserole.      

The blogger didn't encounter Crispy Mongolian lamb until well into adulthood, in a European Chinatown.  The dish was gorgeous but the the fat levels were through the roof.    

67's version is skinny and healthy.  The fat is rendered out of the meat by braising or slow-cooking it in an exotic cocktail of Chinese spices and liquid. It's left overnight to cool and the (substantial) solidified fat is easily removed.

In the crispy version, meat is either shredded and grilled or baked until it is - magically - both crispy and tender.  It's served with the reduced, thickened braising sauce and 67's low-sugar Sweet Chilli sauce. The meat is wrapped in lettuce instead of Chinese pancakes (Pancakes will require a trip to a Chinese supermarket.)  It's a great dish for getting raw veg into kids and for impressing guests.

In the casserole version, the meat is shredded or cubed, heated in a gravy made from the braising juices and served over rice, with steamed veg. 

Note: Cook the day before serving 

Cost: £6-7
Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
   1 shoulder of lamb, 500-750 gm/18-26 oz
   2 inch/4cm piece of ginger
   2 garlic cloves
   4 tbsp 25-30% salt-reduced soy sauce
   1 tbsp 5-spice powder
   150 ml rice wine/dry sherry/white wine or grape juice OR
   100 ml good meat stock plus 50 ml rice wine/dry sherry/white wine/white grape juice ((67 used stock & sherry) 
   1 small red chilli, de-seeded
   1/2 tsp cinnamon
   1 star anise (opt)
   2 dried Chinese mushrooms (opt)

For Crispy Mongolian lamb: spring onions
                                        cucumber
                                        crisp lettuce
                                        oyster sauce (opt)
                                        sweet chilli dipping sauce (opt)

For casserole: white rice
                     steamed veg
                     sweet chilli dipping sauce (opt)
                     
Method:

1.  Mix all the braising ingredients together.
2.  Pour into a slow cooker or stock pot
3.  Add lamb; cover with tight-fitting lid
4. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-7 hours, turning the meat every hour. (Use the cover to Direct the steam away from you) 
5. If using the stock pot, cook on med heat for 3 hours,, turning the meat every half hour. 
6. The meat is ready when tender and falling off the bone
7. Remove meat and set aside; after an hour refrigerate
8. Pour braising liquid into a jug; leave for an hour, cover & refrigerate 
9. The meat and braising liquid can stay in the fridge up to 2 days after cooking.
10. When ready to serve, remove fat from braising liquid
11. Prepare preferred lamb as below. 

Crispy Mongolian Lamb

1. Preheat oven to its highest temperature
2. Put lamb in a deep roasting dish on a rack; bake 20-30 mins or until top is crispy (check at 20 mins to prevent burning)
3. Meanwhile, wash lettuce; separate leaves; shake or spin dry
4. Cut cucumber into matchsticks; 
5. Shred spring onions, white & green.
6. Arrange lettuce, cucumber & onions on a large plate
7. Bring braising liquid to the boil; reduce liquid by 1/3; thicken with a slurry of one tablespoon corn starch mixed with a tablespoon cold water.
8. Shred lamb
9. Serve wrapped in lettuce with cucumber, spring onion and braising sauce. 
10. Oyster and sweet chilli sauce are optional

Mongolian Casserole Lamb

1. Bring braising liquid to the boil; reduce liquid by 1/3; thicken with a slurry of one tablespoon corn starch mixed with a tablespoon cold water
2. Shred or cube cold lamb
3. Reheat in the braising gravy (thin with stock or thicken as preferred)
4. Serve with rice and steamed green veg with chilli sauce on the side

Comment:

This was delicious both ways! I have been to Mongolia many times and it had a really authentic taste. Had it as a slow cooked lamb dish first day - cooked it in the oven at 150C for 5 hours then served with whole grain basmati and quinoa mix and stir fried veggies. 2 - shredded lamb and reheated in 200 fan oven for 15 minutes covered in foil and 5 open. I sprinkled a chilli seasoning on before reheating. I used Chinese pancakes as I had some in the freezer. I would only ever use British lamb though - support our farmers and cut food miles please!  Anonymous middle-aged woman from the North

Tip: 
Fluffy white rice seems to be a better vehicle for the spicy savoury casserole but brown is ok

                                                     More lamb recipes on NavBar: Recipes II...

Please leave a Comment 

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission. 

MEAT FEAST: SPICED PERUVIAN BEEF IN FRUIT & BEER (Archive)

Spices, orange & beef give this budget-friendly steak a Latin American punch

Wallet-friendly steak, Peruvian-style: spicy, fruity and with beer!
'The meat is so tender; the flavouring intriguingly subtle.  Perfect to launch metal rock holiday.' tester
                                                                                                                                               

This savoury beefsteak is tender but full of body, layered with flavours evoking heat, dust and lowing cattle.  It's a Peruvian dish but more than stands on its own as a fab summer recipe, perfect for the grill or BBQ.  

And it can be prepared ahead!

It was adapted from the internet but the site reference has been lost.  Apologies to the site but who knew there are so many web addresses for Peruvian cuisine?   

Peruvian Beef Steak is designed for the cheaper cuts of steak -- skirt, flank or Denver.  These cuts are better seared and served pink in the middle, the way (apparently real) men like their beef.  The flavour is excellent but the meat can be chewy if overcooked.

67 tested supermarket Denver steak, in a packet. The blogger is not a fan of beef that's still pink but tested a slice (intrepidly)! It was surprisingly good; the meat was flavoursome and not at all raw.  The kebabs, cooked slightly longer, were chewy.  

If there are any qualms about texture, best buy the least expensive standard steak, rump. Or take supermarket specials on beef roasts, which can sometimes be a little tough, slice thickly and treat like steaks.  

The flavour of the marinade was gorgeous but some men might prefer more heat.  Try serving finely diced de-seeded red chillis in a separate dish. 

Costs: £6-7
Feeds: 3-4

Ingred:
   1 lb/1/2 kilo flank, skirt or Denver steak left whole OR the more expensive rump steak 
   2 large oranges, zest and juice  
   1/2 cup finely chipped cilantro or chives (67 used chives)
   1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 
   2 tsp salt-reduced soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
   1/2 tsp cumin
   1/2 tsp smoked paprika
   1 garlic clove, finely grated
   1/2 tsp oregano
   1/4-1/2 tbsp dried chipotle or a small dried chipotle soaked in water, drained and finely chopped
   1/2 mug Mexican beer (see below) or no-alcohol beer   (67 used a similar Czech Pilsner which was sold in singles, not 4-packs,  500 ml, £1.70) 

  Garnish: red chillis, de-seeded and finely diced 
  
Method:

SKINNY ARANCINI RICE BALLS, baked not fried; lower-fat, prep/make ahead

Everyone loves arancini but the Italian deep-fried rice balls are not exactly healthy.  Here's a version that's lower-in-fat, baked not fried and higher in fibre...

first posted 2017;updated 5/25

Italian Rice Balls but lower fat & not fried 
Nice flavour' 'these are good' Tasters

67 has taken liberties with the classic recipe* to make other changes, too.

Arancini usually takes the form of a thick crust of rice with a centre of meat or cheese.  67 combined the two -- each bite has rice and meat and sauce.  And the carb count is lower.   

Most arancini are fist sized; these are smaller, more elegant though no less crunchy and moist.

1st Course Arancini Balls

This recipe is for special occasions.  Fresh Parmesan is not exactly cheap nor is good low-fat beef.  

But you'll get up to 24 baby arancini suitable for the cocktail hour.  And it is for the festive season.  

They're better served on a plate with tomato sauce (opt) on the side.  

Commitment to the process is required. The rice balls are slippery and some mess inevitable when rolling them in flour, egg & breadcrumbs.  

Prep starts at least a day in advance.  They freeze well.  

Cost: £9'ish (2025)
Makes: 24

Ingred:

   1 cup cooked brown rice (according to packet instructions plus 5-10 mins more; the rice is sticky, not soggy)

   1 tbsp olive oil
   1/2 med onion or equivalent well-cleaned fennel or celery, finely diced
   2 med cloves garlic, finely grated or minced (opt)
   
   400gm/14oz 5-10% fat beef mince
   175gm/6oz coarsely cubed mushrooms

   1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped med fine

   3/4 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme
   1/2 tsp dried oregano
   1/2-1 tsp salt
   1/2 tsp coarsely milled black pepper
   
   3/4 cup Classic Tomato Sauce (recipe below) OR deli tomato sauce OR pureed fresh or tinned tomatoes OR passata 

  
   1 cup grated Parmesan

Coating
    1/2 cup plain flour seasoned with salt & pepper 
    
    3 eggs
    
    2 cups breadcrumbs
     
    basil

Olive oil

Method:

1. Heat a med heavy-bottomed pan over high heat
2. When pan is hot, add olive oil & turn heat down to med high
3. Add onions & garlic; sauté 2 mins until soft
4. Add beef; use a spoon to break it up and stir occasionally; when the beef is  still a bit pink in places, add mushrooms
5. Cook until mushrooms have reduced in size
6. Strain off excess fat & liquid; discard
7. Return beef and mushrooms to pan; stir in parsley; cook 3 mins
8. Add thyme, oregano, pepper & salt; stir; take off heat & allow to cool slightly
9. Stir in chosen tomato sauce 
10. In a separate bowl, carefully mix rice & parmesan, distributing parmesan evenly.  
11. Scoop out balls using a 40gm hinged ice-cream scoop or equiv; arrange on baking sheets lined with greaseproof paper and cover with a damp clean tea towel or j-cloth
12. One by one (and with clean hands!) place an arancini ball in the palm of your left hand, flattening and spreading it to about 1/2 inch/2cm.  (It helps to experiment with one first). Bring your fingers up slightly to form a cup; fill it with a min tablespoonful or so of the meat/tomato mix.  There should be enough of an overhang of rice patty to bring the edges up and around the meat to form a tidy ball. (Aim for a generous portion that won't cause the arancini to burst when it cooks.)  
13. Refrigerate several hours or prefereably overnight

Coating:

1.  Line up wide bowls/deep plates like an assembly line for :

• Seasoned flour
• beaten eggs 
• breadcrumbs mixed with basil

2.  Roll balls in flour, shaking off excess, then in egg (two forks are useful here), then breadcrumbs, pressing crumbs on if necessary. 

3.  Refrigerate or freeze

4.  When ready to cook, preheat oven to 180c/350f/gas 3.  Spray arancini generously with olive oil; bake 20 mins or until golden

5.  Serve warm or hot

Classic Tomato Sauce  

  1 good-sized onion /1 med carrot/ 1 large celery stick, all coarsely processed or in med dice/ 1 large clove garlic minced/2 tbsp olive oil/ 2x400 gm tins good Italian chopped tomatoes/2 tbsp tomato puree/1/3 cup red wine/grape juice or water/2 tbsp tomato puree/1/3 cup red wine/grape juice or water/ handful torn basil leaves/1 bay leaf/pinch salt & pepper       

Method:

1. Saute but don't brown onion, carrot, celery & garlic in olive oil over med heat 10 mins
2. Add tomatoes, tomato puree and water; stir
3. Add basil, bay leaf, s&p
4. Increase heat to high until bubbles appear around the edge; reduce heat to low; cover & cook 40 mins, stirring occasionally (Or cook in a slow cooker on low 3-4 hours)
5. Remove bay leaf; blend until your choice of chunky or smooth
6. Cool
7. If freezing, defrost overnight; reheat gently, check seasoning 

Comments:
'I really like these; they're plain but good.  I wouldn't mind a bit of chilli in them.' Office Administrator
'Nice flavour but unsure about the consistency and the mushrooms.  Not to my taste.' Political Agent

Tips:

• Frugal: reduce beef by 1/4; replace with cooked peas
• the tomato dipping sauce is optional but 67's tasters preferred the arancini with it 
• if you must, replace brown rice with arborio  

                                                                             *adapted from Martie Duncan Food Networ     

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This recipe has been developed by B Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.