Apple and Dijon lamb stew

Oh the time to pick apples has arrived and what better thing to do than actually make meals with them! I love making stews in the Fall, it always warms me up and they feel like a big hug after a long day at work. The best thing about stews is that they’re easy to do and if you make a big batch, you’ll have great left overs and amazing lunches (your colleagues will be jealous!) for the following days. And your kids and hubby will be more than happy that you have more quality time to spend with them and less time to give in front of the stove!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 kg of lamb cubes

1 onion (diced)

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

1 bouquet garni (or 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, 1 thyme branch, 2 bay leaves)

salt & pepper

1 tablespoon of all purpose flour

5 cups of beef broth (or lamb if you can find some)

2 cups of apple juice (the homemade looking kind…)

Apple garnish

2 tablespoons of butter

3 apples (peeled & sliced)

Preparation

In a large casserole, add the oil and cook the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the lamb cubes and sear the meat on every side until it is evenly browned. It takes a few minutes but it’s worth it, the caramelized flavours are the secret! Add the flour, the broth and the apple juice. Then mix in the Dijon mustard and the bouquet garni.

Bring the pot to a simmer. Cook on medium heat for 1h45 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add broth or apple juice if needed while cooking.

For the garnish, once your meat is cooked, put the butter in a pan and caramelise your apples. Don’t cook them too long as you want the a bit on the crunchy side!

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Chili Con Carne!

Well, spring has arrived, and the warm weather as well, but there is never a bad time to make Chili!

I usually make Chili in the winter , when it’s cold and damp outside, and I just want to be comforted by a warm bowl of spicy Chili. But this week, I was busy, and having good food in the fridge for a couple of days was a must. Something, easy to make, something tasty, something…Chili!

The secret to this recipe is the ginger! 1 tablespoon makes a big difference. The taste is subtle but detectable, a pure delight!

The other secret: the garnish. This dish taste 10 times better with fresh cilantro, melted cheddar cheese, sour cream, and nachos!

So for all you Chili lovers out there, here is my recipe 🙂

Ingredients:

1 large can of tomato sauce (680 ml)

1 can of kidney beans

500 g of ground beef

1 oignon

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of ginger (grated)

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1/2  cup of water

1 packet of Chili spices (ex: El paso…)

Garnish:

Fresh cilantro

sour cream

Organic Nachos

Cheddar cheese

Preparation

In a casserole, cook the oignons with some vegetable oil. Add the meat, the ginger and the garlic. Once the meat is cooked, add the chili spices, he tomato sauce, the water and the kidney beans.

Cook on medium heat for 1 hour.

That’s it!!!

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