Curried Beef Fried Rice

 

I had to create/cook/photograph a recipe for an online site I write for yesterday and I had a quantity of leftover browned ground steak leftover.  I didn't want it to go to waste, and I wanted to create something tasty and slightly different with it.

 

Oh, I know I could have used this in a bolognese, but Todd's not a fan of pasta . . .  and I could have used it in a cottage pie, but again, I've done that many times on here.

 

Todd loves curry anything . . .  anything. If it has curry in the title he is first in line. He is so British.  The Brits love curries. Surprisingly, Curry is consistently in the top ten of British favourite foods, second only to fish and chips!

  

I confess it was a British friend who introduced me to curry about 39 years ago now.  My ex and I were stationed at the BATUS (British Army Training Unit Services) base in Suffield, Alberta.  We made some great friends with the British.

 

Some of our best friends were Cathy and Mick Giles, both from Liverpool area.  It was Cathy that introduced me to a curry and I have to say I fell in love at first bite!

 

I had leftover cooked rice from yesterday as well, so it only seemed natural that I create a Curried Beef Fried Rice.  Well, natural to me anyways.

 

New, fresh and delicious.  Exciting even!  I added a quantity of lightly sauteed vegetables.  I had a cauliflower in the refrigerator that needed using, so I chopped up some of that . . .

 

I also chopped up some carrot.  I did cut a few slices into flowers for a super pretty garnish!

 

Its not hard to do. Just peel your carrot and then cut a few wedges out around the outside down the length of it.  When you cut it into slices you have cute little flowers.

 

Aside from the carrots and cauliflower, I added cabbage, and I admit a small piece of swede that I cut into tiny bits.  I just wanted to use it up.  Does anyone else find themselves not wanting to waste anything in this pandemic situation we find ourselves in?

  

I do not let anything go to waste anymore if I can help it. You never know when you are going to be able to get more!  In all truth, we should not be wasteful about anything anyways, and I am ashamed that I ever was.

 

I also added a handful each of frozen corn and frozen peas.  I always use Bird's Eye frozen peas and corn.  I have tried other kinds and I don't like them. Not at all. More often than not the peas are woody in other brands, especially store brands. Its like they package the rejects from Bird's Eye.

  

A couple scrambled eggs, shallot and some spring onion finish the picture.  Oh yes, along with some soy sauce and curry powder.  I used a heaped teaspoon.

Curried Beef Fried Rice

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: cook time: total time:

This is delicious.   It's also quick and very easy to throw together.   A fabulous simple supper.

Ingredients:

• 2 large free range eggs, beaten with 1 TBS cream
• olive oil for cooking
• 125g cooked ground steak or hamburger, crumbled (1 cup)
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• a few florets of cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• six savoy cabbage leaves, heavy centre veins trimmed away and discarded, and cabbage thinly sliced (Roll up tightly and slice, easy peasy)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 heaped tsp of curry powder
• 1 (2 serving) sized pouch of ready cooked rice or 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• a proper handful each of frozen petit pois, and frozen corn
• chopped spring onions to garnish

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs and cream together. Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and heat. Dump in the eggs and quickly scramble them. Remove the scrambled egg to a bowl and keep warm. Add a bit more oil to the pan. Add the chopped onions, garlic and shallot. Cook to wilt and then add the carrots, cauliflower and cabbage. Cook, stirring, until wilted and crispy tender. Add the beef, curry powder, salt, pepper and soy sauce. Stir in the rice and return the eggs to the pan. Stir in the frozen peas and corn. Heat through. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Serve hot and garnished with the spring onions

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Todd enjoyed this so much he ate half of it all by himself.  That makes me happy when I can make a dinner for my husband that he really enjoys.  Mango chutney goes really well.   Enjoy! 

 

 

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Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding

 

Rice pudding is a dessert that we are awfully fond of in this house. In fact I would have to say that it is one of Todd's favourite desserts of all time.

 

We are also really fond of Sticky Toffee Pudding, and who isn't  . . .  with its moist date cake and lush toffee sauce!  Its just wow.

 

The shop where we buy most of our groceries  puts out a little magazine each month filled with content particular to whatever  month it might be.  Its free.

 

I always pick it up and bring it home to have a look through.  Sometimes I see recipes I would like to try, sometimes I don't.

 

In the October issue there was a recipe for Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding.  It immediately caught my attention!

 

I knew that Todd would really enjoy it. He's always asking me to make him rice pudding . . .

 

Today was the day. There is no sugar in the rice pudding itself. It relies on the sweetness from chopped dates to flavour it, and some vanilla.

 

You really don't want it to be extremely sweet anyways, as there is a sticky toffee sauce to spoon over top when you serve it along with candied pecans.

 

None of it is hard to make or time consuming.  I made the nuts and sauce while the rice was cooking.

 

You do have to caramelise sugar for the nuts. This can be a bit tricky but if you follow a few rules you shouldn't have a problem

  

First use a heavy bottomed pan so that the caramel doesn't cook too fast.  Second don't stir it at all when cooking it . . .  swirl the pan to move the contents only  . . .

 

Third, remove it from the heat as soon as it starts to turn golden brown.  It will continue to cook from the heat of the pan and you don't want it to burn.  It can burn in an instant, so beware!

 

Stir in the nuts and tip them onto a paper lined baking sheet, tearing them apart with two forks as you can.  Let cool completely. It will be really hot.

 

The Toffee Sauce is also very easy to make.  You just bung all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook them, stirring occasionally until they thicken and form a syrupy sauce.  Easy peasy.

   

Altogether, this is really, really delicious. Todd was in rice pudding heaven!

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding

A deliciously creamy rice pudding, studded with sticky dates and topped with a lush toffee sauce and candied pecans.

ingredients:

For the rice pudding:

• 125g pudding rice (9 1/2 TBS short grained rice, such as arborio)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g chopped dates (1/3 cup)
• 600ml whole milk (2 1/2 cups)

For the candied pecans:

• 40g caster sugar (1/4 cup)
• 1 TBS water
• 60g chopped pecan nuts (1/2 cup)

For the toffee sauce:

• 50g soft dark brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
• 50ml whole milk (3 1/2 TBS)
• 20g butter (1 1/2 TBS)

instructions:

How to cook Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding

1. To make the rice pudding, measure the rice, milk, dates and vanilla into a saucepan. Bring just to the simmer, then reduce to very low, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Set aside to cook for about 10 minutes.
2. While the rice is cooking you can do the nuts and the sauce. 
3. Have ready a baking pan lined with baking paper for the nuts.  Measure the sugar and water into a heavy bottomed saucepan.  Heat on low until the sugar has melted and then turn up the heat and allow to boil, swirling the mixture (don't stir) until the mixture begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat immediately as it will continue to cook and you don't want to burn it.  Tip the chopped nuts into this and swirl the pan to coat them well and then pour out onto the lined baking pan.  Cool completely and then roughly chop.
4. For the toffee sauce, measure all of the ingredients into a saucepan. and simmer gently, whisking occasionally until the mixture turns thick and syrupy.
5. To serve, spoon warm rice pudding into bowls. Drizzle with the toffee sauce and sprinkle on the candied nuts. Serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

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I love simple desserts like this.  They spell home sweet home to me!

Up Tomorrow:  Pizza! 

 

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