Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Comfort Food
We definitely need comfort food today. The weather here has changed and looks more like home but rain is desperately needed but the last two weeks have been so beautiful and warm with blue skies and hot sun in the middle of the day that I really can't complain. In Manchester the rain is unremitting and we don't get much of a break from it, here the rain is blessed and very welcome because of the draught.
Yesterday our little cousin Rut passed away at the age of 8, and returned her beautiful Neshama to her creator after fighting cancer for half of her life. I have never been to such a sad but beautiful and spiritually uplifting funeral. It was truly heartbreaking but the courage of her parents and immediate family and their unshakeable faith and belief was something I have rarely witnessed before and I felt truly humbled.
We were exhausted last night when we got back and all I wanted to do was cuddle Eliana and feel her soft warm skin next to mine and I was comforted.
Which brings me to comfort food. Stressful and upsetting situations always create a rush of energy in me, so this morning I went for a swim, did some shopping and I have spent the last couple of hours cooking dinner. Rainy days mean cottage pie, I usually use the Evelyn Rose recipe book but there are no cookery books yet in my Jerusalem kitchen and the ingredients here are slightly different so this is how I made it.
Potato Topping
I used 3 large white potatoes and 1 large sweet potato
Boil the potatos till soft in salted water and mash with olive oil or margarine and soya milk.
Leave to cool
Meat Layer
1 kg minced steak
1 onion diced
mushroom soup, onion soup mix or 2 tbsps flour
1 small tub tomato puree, or about 5 oz
soy sauce
Fry the onion till soft and golden
Fry meat in the onion till broken up and has lost its redness
Add the soup or flour (to thicken) and fry for a couple of minutes more
Add tomato puree and soy sauce, cook a few minutes more.
Turn heat off and leave to cool
Preheat oven to 200C
Put meat mixture in a large ovenproof dish and top with mashed potato. Bake in oven till top is brown and crispy. Serve with green beans in tomato sauce.
Green Beans in Tomato Sauce
In the local greengrocer today there were lovely fresh runner beans. This is how I cooked them.
1kg runner beans
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic
1 large tin tomatos
salt, pepper and 1tbsp to taste
basil, oregano
Fry onions and garlic in olive oil till soft and brown
Add tinned tomatoes and seasoning
Add topped and tailed beans, cut into pieces
Simmer for about 1/2 hour, while the cottage pie is cooking
Serve with a nice glass of red wine
YUM!
Yesterday our little cousin Rut passed away at the age of 8, and returned her beautiful Neshama to her creator after fighting cancer for half of her life. I have never been to such a sad but beautiful and spiritually uplifting funeral. It was truly heartbreaking but the courage of her parents and immediate family and their unshakeable faith and belief was something I have rarely witnessed before and I felt truly humbled.
We were exhausted last night when we got back and all I wanted to do was cuddle Eliana and feel her soft warm skin next to mine and I was comforted.
Which brings me to comfort food. Stressful and upsetting situations always create a rush of energy in me, so this morning I went for a swim, did some shopping and I have spent the last couple of hours cooking dinner. Rainy days mean cottage pie, I usually use the Evelyn Rose recipe book but there are no cookery books yet in my Jerusalem kitchen and the ingredients here are slightly different so this is how I made it.
Potato Topping
I used 3 large white potatoes and 1 large sweet potato
Boil the potatos till soft in salted water and mash with olive oil or margarine and soya milk.
Leave to cool
Meat Layer
1 kg minced steak
1 onion diced
mushroom soup, onion soup mix or 2 tbsps flour
1 small tub tomato puree, or about 5 oz
soy sauce
Fry the onion till soft and golden
Fry meat in the onion till broken up and has lost its redness
Add the soup or flour (to thicken) and fry for a couple of minutes more
Add tomato puree and soy sauce, cook a few minutes more.
Turn heat off and leave to cool
Preheat oven to 200C
Put meat mixture in a large ovenproof dish and top with mashed potato. Bake in oven till top is brown and crispy. Serve with green beans in tomato sauce.
Green Beans in Tomato Sauce
In the local greengrocer today there were lovely fresh runner beans. This is how I cooked them.
1kg runner beans
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic
1 large tin tomatos
salt, pepper and 1tbsp to taste
basil, oregano
Fry onions and garlic in olive oil till soft and brown
Add tinned tomatoes and seasoning
Add topped and tailed beans, cut into pieces
Simmer for about 1/2 hour, while the cottage pie is cooking
Serve with a nice glass of red wine
YUM!
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