Especially the beans.....

After the joy, fun and deliciousness that was Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 it is time to resume normal Don't Boil The Sauce broadcasting. Winter has hit Melbourne in all it's time for blankie snuggles glory and I bloody love it!
I also love a dish that can be breakfast, lunch or dinner so no matter what time you finally get out from under the covers it's an acceptable time to eat it.

 
This will make enough beans to feed both sides of the army and some left over. It needs to be started a day ahead to soak the beans, or use canned for a super quick version.

Slow cooker beans
Ingredients

• 2 cups borlotti beans dried
• 1 cup haricot beans dried
• 1 cup lima beans dried
• 1 cup cannellini beans dried
• 300g approx. pancetta
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 red onions rough diced
• 3 brown onions rough diced
• 4 celery stalks chopped finely
• 3 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 red capsicum rough diced
• 1 bottle passata  (approx. 600-700ml)
• 600g chopped tomato
• 120ml red wine
• 4 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. mustard powder
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar 
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 large sprigs rosemary
• 1 small handful of thyme
• Pepper to taste

Method

• Into a large mixing bowl or boiler of water add the beans.
• Leave to soak for about 8-12 hours or overnight, they will double in size.
• Drain the beans
• Chopped the pancetta into small strips
• Fry in a hot pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Add the onions, celery, garlic, capsicum, fry for about 3 minutes then add to slow cooker
• Into the slow cooker add beans and all remaining ingredients and stir well
• Cook on low for about 5-6 hours depending on your slow cooker and how mushy you like your beans
• Serve as a side with a chili/pepper steak, with eggs and home made crumpets or just on their own.
• You may need to add more salt depending on your taste, beans and pancetta, just remember you can add it but you can't take it away

• You could do this in an oven for about 2-3 hours on 160°C but I haven't tested this

• For the super quick version in a large pot add fry the pancetta, and vegetables as per recipe then add remaining ingredients and boil to reduce for 15-20 mins. Add drained canned beans and simmer for another 20 minutes (also not tested but this is how I would tackle it) 
• ok now back under the blankie!!

A thing of beauty

 

 

 

 

 

Crumpet recipe will be posted soon, I have some surprise tweaks to work on.

 
 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - San Marino

Let us shimmy all the way to San Marino one of our newest members of the Eurovision family. The only positive thing I can think of about not living in a Eurovision nation is come May the weather is perfect for Eurovision lounging and comfort food comas. As you may know I hate the heat so there is nothing better than watching Eurovision with a blanket (better known as blankie) tucked up on the lounge with AB and a big bowl of heart warming comfort food. While I love soup sometimes you just need a dish with more chunky, hearty richness and San Marino's pork and beans scores a massive douze points from me.
This will be San Marino's fourth time in the contest and they are yet to reach the finals. I think their first entry was the best so far but it placed the worst so what would I know?!?!

Miodio with Complice in 2008

This recipe was inspired by a recipe for pork rind and beans.

Pork and Beans
Ingredients

• 200g of dried barlotti beans
• 6 pork rashers
• 2 onions quartered
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp. lard
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 onions chopped
• 3 stalks of celery chopped
• 3 carrots chopped
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper

Method

• Soak beans over night in cold water
• Cook the beans in fresh salted water for about 1 hour till tender (use double the amount of canned beans to skip this step)
• In a large pot of cold water bring the pork rashers, quartered onion and garlic to the boil
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-1.5 hours till rashers are tender
• Slice rashers into 2 cm pieces
• Melt the lard with the oil in a large pot on high heat
• Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic and coat with lard/oil
• Reduce heat and add the drained beans and rashers
• Add the stock and tomatoes and simmer for about 30 mins till tender and reduced slightly.
• Season to taste
• Garnish with parsley and a splash of olive oil
• Hot buttery ciabatta would make the perfect mate for this dish

Valentina Monetta placed the highest of all San Marino past contests with the Social Network song in 2011, so they are packing her off to Malmö to try her luck again this year. Can her song Crisalide (Vola) place San Marino even higher this year?

 Buona fortuna!

It's a mystery

AB has been the inspiration for some of my best cooking triumphs, remember the meat lovers ice cream, well the chico ice cream was a success. No matter what is plated up there is always praise even though I may sit there and do my best Mary Berry or Manu Fieldel and over critic each element of the dish. "oh it's is verging on a soggy bottom" "mmm butter, but there needs to be more sauce" The only time I knew I had missed the mark and risked being eliminated is when I heard "it's a strong flavour". Really you couldn't buy support like that, although I will be in trouble for writing about it.
I will in the coming weeks bring myself to blog AB's favourite dish, Catfood, it will take some time. Till then he provided this mystery box challenge after I asked him to pick up some meat for dinner.
"what do you want?"
"i dunno surprise me"
"OK...I could make you do a masterchef mystery box?"
"bring it on!"

 

Pasta south of the border



serves 4-5 and on the table in 30 minutes
Ingredients as above

• 6 italian sausages
• 360g oyster blade steak
• 1 brown onion
• 1/4 of a pumpkin
• 200g green beans
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 bag pasta
• 1 red chilli*
• 250ml sour cream*
• olive oil*
• bottle of pasata*

*pantry item

Method

• Add boiling water from the kettle to a boiler with a good dash of salt
• Put steak and sausages into food processor and mince
• Dice onion and saute with olive oil in fry pan
• Add meat to onions
• Dice pumpkin and add to boiler
• Add pasta to pumpkin, try to cut pumpkin the same size as pasta or smaller.
• Add pasatato meat and season
• Cut green beans into 2cm pieces
• Drain red kidney beans
• Just before the pasta is cooked, add green and red beans to sauce.
• Drain pasta and pumpkin
• Stir through sour cream, save a bit to garnish
• Add pasta and sauce to boiler and mix through
• Serve with dollop of sourcream and sliced chilli

There seems to be way too many steps but it really is just chop, add, cook, eat. Can't wait for the next mystery box, although I know you are all still thinking AB's favourite dish is catfood.