Beef and Tomato Bake

I love the simplicity of this one-pot-meal featuring beef, tomatoes, and BACON!! It’s comfort food with the volume turned up. Can also be used as a stuffed pepper filling. Yum!

We'll start by chopping some "rashers" (aka slices) of streaky bacon.

Saute the bacon in an oven-proof pan until it browns.

Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic.

Continue to saute until the onions and peppers are soft and tender, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from burning.

Add the "mince" (aka ground beef) and continue to saute until the beef is cooked through.

Ready for the next step.

Add the rice and stir for a minute or so.

Next we'll need chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.  Have you found tomato paste in a tube yet?  It's so much easier to use than the canned stuff.

I like to cook the tomato paste a little before adding anything else. 

Add the remaining ingredients - tomatoes, beef stock, dried basil, and ground black pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat off.

Cover the pan and place it in a preheated 180C oven (356F) for about 30 minutes.  

I added a few fresh basil leaves just before serving - it was super tasty.  We also discovered a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese finishes this dish off well.  Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• braiser https://amzn.to/2J2S79Z

• tomato paste in a tube https://amzn.to/3dlzMCT

• nakiri knife https://amzn.to/2Wvg2qA

---

Beef and Tomato Bake with Bacon

makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped

• 1 bell pepper, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 500g ground beef (just over 1 pound)

• 200g uncooked white rice (about 1 cup)

• 6 tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 beef stock cube dissolved in 300ml water (or 1 1/4 cups beef stock)

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 355F.

2. Saute bacon in an oven-safe pan over medium high heat until brown.

3. Add onions, peppers, and garlic; continue to saute until the onions and peppers soften.

4. Add the rice the cook for about a minute, then add the remaining ingredients.

5. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from heat and cover.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.

adapted from Searching for Spice

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Flavor, flavor, flavor - that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about this soup.  Then I think about how I can hide it in the fridge so I won't have to share it with anyone.  Shame on me.

Let's begin by sauteing cauliflower, onions, garlic, and a little kosher salt in extra virgin olive oil until the cauliflower begins to soften and everything caramelizes a bit.  This is going to add a lot of flavor to the soup.  

Yes - look at those yummy caramelized veggies, and even better, the all that yummy golden brown goodness stuck to the pan (technical term: 'fond').  Oh, I wish you could smell my house right now.  

Tip:  keep a little water or chicken stock close by so you can add a splash or two to prevent burned spots if needed.

Time to get all that yummy brown goodness (fond) off the pan and into the soup.  Do that by 'deglazing' the pan with chicken stock.  You can use store bought stock, but homemade is so much better.  The difference is remarkable.

You have made homemade chicken stock, haven't you?  If you haven't, it's really, really easy.  CLICK HERE to see my simple step-by-step tutorial.  I'm telling you, the stuff is liquid gold! 

Okay, pour the chicken stock into the pan and use a wooden spoon to loosen the fond.  It will basically dissolve into the stock.  Note the color of the chicken stock at this point.

And here's the color of the stock just a couple of minutes later.  See how much darker it is?   You can practically taste all the flavor already, can't you?  

Cover the pan and simmer gently  for about 30 minutes.  

After 30 minutes turn off the heat and carefully ladle all the liquids and solids into a blender.

I'm sharing this photo just so you can see how well the deglazing process dissolved the layer of fond on the bottom of the pan.  It always amazes me.

Before we blend the soup, we need to add the last few ingredients - ground black pepper, heavy cream, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Are you drooling yet?

Ready?  Go!

But don't go too fast.  Blend slowly until the soup reaches the consistency you like.  I like it to be smooth, but still maintain a little texture.  

I serve with some homemade croutons, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of freshly chopped chives.  This soup is so incredibly good.  I hope you'll give it a try soon. 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• vitamix https://amzn.to/3ck1qQ1

• braiser https://amzn.to/2SRH0WM

• my favorite nakiri knife https://amzn.to/2STJWSH

---

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

makes 4-6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 6 whole cloves of garlic, peeled

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 cups chicken stock (try my homemade)

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnish:

• croutons (try my delicious homemade croutons)

• extra virgin olive oil

• freshly chopped chives

Directions

1. In a 5-quart heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, saute onions, garlic, cauliflower, and salt in olive oil, stirring often, until caramelized. This should take about 15 minutes.

2. Add chicken stock and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

3. Lower heat, cover pan, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

4. Transfer everything from the pan into a blender jar.

5. Add cheese, cream, and pepper; blend on low until desired consistency is reached.

6. Pour into serving bowls and garnish with croutons, olive oil, and chives.