Shepherd's stew in pot recipe, pot-au-feu. First snow. Living at my boyfriend's. Home Sweet Home. Persimmon season
Funny thing, it's been 6 years but I still recall that November like now. The November when I fell ill and skipped Uni feeling ultimately happy and enjoying life. That was a time! Strangely, orange marigolds in the flowerbeds before our house had not faded yet, and under the first white cover of snow they looked like fires. Quite an incredible sight! The sky was unbelievably blue, more like in winter, on especially cold still days. I went to hospital to see a doctor, coughing and feverish, but despite the illness I felt good, in harmony, at peace. 6 years... I remember every detail of that month. I returned to this hospital the other day, coming there to have some papers signed. First snow around, cloudless sky above, same weather, same place, almost the same situation. I had a deja vu feeling, somewhat chilling, somehow making me slow down my pace as I entered the building. On that day, although being jobless, I didn't want to get sad, for such a wonderfully nice day was a great change from permanent nasty days, and so I smiled all the way back home.
Returning to unemployment, since this week I've been living at s/o's no wonder I slack it off, job hunting abandoned in favor of 'home sweet home'. More so the weather continues being awful, and what else would you want to do on days when it's raining without end, when it's dark from sunset till sunrise, when puddles in the street are so big you wish you had a boat to sail through to the nearest store. Going to bed long past midnight, spending the time lying in bed watching Harry Potter movies (very much in tune with gloominess outside, color-wise), waking up at 2pm, grudgingly peeking out of two thick blankets, only to make sure the weather calamity goes on, before giving another gray day a shot, filling it with cooking, going groceries, tidying up the space, drinking green and red tea all the while, after which having a dinner, and carrying on with HP film series. One day, however, the out-of-the-window view showed a difference - bright blue sky and houses lit with gold, no wind, and purely winterish air, crisp, fresh. And today it was snowing, only for a short while but a joyful change from constant murk.
Like I said, cooking took up the biggest part of my days, so yes, I did try a few tasty dishes. Stewed cabbage with potatoes and ham in tomato paste turned out fine as well as Shepherd's stew with pork in pot, the recipe of which I give below. And now that I'm home I'd better sit back on the diet and go heavier on vegetables than meat. I just cooked millet porridge, rather a picksome thing, and am going to eat it in the morning, with milk and curds.
Persimmons are in season, by the way ;)
Shepherd's stew in pot recipe.
Ingredients:
for 3 medium pots:
500 g pork
6 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
herbs (dill, parsley)
peppercorn
6 medium bay leaves
salt / pepper
vegetable oil
2 cups water
sour cream
tomato paste (optional)
Directions:
Wash the pork, cut into medium slices. Peel the potatoes, cut into large cubes. Cut 1 carrot into thick rings. One and half of onions cut into large rings.
Grate the other carrot, finely chop the remaining half of the onion, put carrots and onions into frying pan and fry in oil until golden brown.
Preheat the oven. At the bottom of each pot put in layers: onion rings, potatoes, meat, salt, pepper, tomato paste, carrot rings, peppercorn, 2 bay leaves, then repeat onions, potatoes, meat, salt, pepper, tomato paste, put the fried onions and carrot, add water, cover with tops, put in the oven (200 degrees heat) for 1-1.5 hours. When the water boils up, remove the tops.
Determine readiness by softness of the meat. Broth should not boil away, if necessary, water should be added.
5-10 minutes until cooked chop garlic and herbs, sprinkle on top, put in the oven again.
Serve the stew with sour cream.
Returning to unemployment, since this week I've been living at s/o's no wonder I slack it off, job hunting abandoned in favor of 'home sweet home'. More so the weather continues being awful, and what else would you want to do on days when it's raining without end, when it's dark from sunset till sunrise, when puddles in the street are so big you wish you had a boat to sail through to the nearest store. Going to bed long past midnight, spending the time lying in bed watching Harry Potter movies (very much in tune with gloominess outside, color-wise), waking up at 2pm, grudgingly peeking out of two thick blankets, only to make sure the weather calamity goes on, before giving another gray day a shot, filling it with cooking, going groceries, tidying up the space, drinking green and red tea all the while, after which having a dinner, and carrying on with HP film series. One day, however, the out-of-the-window view showed a difference - bright blue sky and houses lit with gold, no wind, and purely winterish air, crisp, fresh. And today it was snowing, only for a short while but a joyful change from constant murk.
Like I said, cooking took up the biggest part of my days, so yes, I did try a few tasty dishes. Stewed cabbage with potatoes and ham in tomato paste turned out fine as well as Shepherd's stew with pork in pot, the recipe of which I give below. And now that I'm home I'd better sit back on the diet and go heavier on vegetables than meat. I just cooked millet porridge, rather a picksome thing, and am going to eat it in the morning, with milk and curds.
Persimmons are in season, by the way ;)
Shepherd's stew in pot recipe.
Ingredients:
for 3 medium pots:
500 g pork
6 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
herbs (dill, parsley)
peppercorn
6 medium bay leaves
salt / pepper
vegetable oil
2 cups water
sour cream
tomato paste (optional)
Directions:
Wash the pork, cut into medium slices. Peel the potatoes, cut into large cubes. Cut 1 carrot into thick rings. One and half of onions cut into large rings.
Grate the other carrot, finely chop the remaining half of the onion, put carrots and onions into frying pan and fry in oil until golden brown.
Preheat the oven. At the bottom of each pot put in layers: onion rings, potatoes, meat, salt, pepper, tomato paste, carrot rings, peppercorn, 2 bay leaves, then repeat onions, potatoes, meat, salt, pepper, tomato paste, put the fried onions and carrot, add water, cover with tops, put in the oven (200 degrees heat) for 1-1.5 hours. When the water boils up, remove the tops.
Determine readiness by softness of the meat. Broth should not boil away, if necessary, water should be added.
5-10 minutes until cooked chop garlic and herbs, sprinkle on top, put in the oven again.
Serve the stew with sour cream.
About the Author
I'd rather be thin and dorky than fat and cool
1 comments:
This is healthy!