BEEF STEW USING TWO POWER LEVELS

Beef  Stew

 

 

 



 

 

 

Use the same recipe and make a delicious curry

BEEF STEW USING TWO POWER LEVELS

Ingredients you need:

30ml (2 tbs)  oil
2 medium-sized onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
250ml (1 cup) beef stock (use a beef stock cube)
125ml (1/2 cup) flour
300g stewing beef
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
5ml (1 tsp) marjoram
salt to taste
pepper to taste


1st power level 100% (high)


1. Place oil in a large casserole dish, add onions and carrots, toss well and microwave, uncovered, on 100% (high) power for six minutes.
2. Add stock.  Mix flour to a paste with a little water and stir gradually into vegetable mixture, taking care not to make lumps.
3. Add meat and microwave, uncovered, on 100% (high) power for eight to 10 minutes, or until simmering.

2nd power level 50% (medium)


4. Add potatoes, marjoram and seasoning.  Stir until salt has dissolved and microwave, uncovered, on 50% (medium) power for plus minus one hour, or until meat is tender.  Stir frequently during cooking cycle.
5. For best cooking results, bring potatoes to centre towards end of cooking time.

Variations

This is a basic recipe and you can add mushrooms, herbs and spices of your choice, peas.  It is also a good method to use to make a curry or a bredie.

Hints for success

To microwave a stew successfully you should bear two important points in mind.

*  \Never use a power level higher than 50% (medium) power once the stew has started to simmer.
*   Always keep the meat submerged in liquid throughout the cooking time.  A thickening agent such as flour, can be added at the beginning of the cooking cycle, but the stew should be stirred frequently.
*   Some varieties of potatoes cook more quickly than others, so keep an eye on them and remove them as soon as they are done.  Keep warm and add just before serving.

Serves 4 to 6

ASK JEAN

A question from Mirolene Fry who bought a Defy DMO 351.  "I have the owners manual that came with the oven, but am having difficulty understanding a lot of its contents.  Please can you help me?

Yes Mirolene I can and I also understand the frustration that many microwave oven owners have, understanding the manuals.  Why can't these manuals be more "user friendly."

Your DMO 351 is a 900 watt power output that means your range is between 800 watt and 1000 watt, always start by using less time and adding until you have the correct time for that specific recipe.

Looking at the control panel I can see an auto cook selection of Baked Potato, Pizza, Popcorn etc.  Unfortunately your selection is limited and may not suit your own family needs.  Personally I don't find this feature very useful unless you are a popcorn, pizza, frozen dinner fan!

However, there is a handy feature called a two-stage cooking.  Look on page 8.  Whenever a recipe requires starting at one power level e.g. 100% and then lowering to e.g. 70% or 50% you can programme this at the beginning.  This works very well for stews.

Basically the DMO 351 is a microwave oven which will microwave most recipes with ease needing only time adjustments.

I am going to post a recipe for two-stage cooking let me know how you managed.

Happy microwaving!

ASK JEAN

Nikki Foot bought a Defy 357 previously had a Dimension 4 National/Convection oven which as she wrote came with a cookbook and easy to understand manual.  She writes: "Now I have this Defy and  managed to cook things to a cinder,  I find it very frustrating."  I agree frustrating and expensive so let me see if together we can solve the problem.

First let us understand your model.

1. Power output is 1000 w that means microwaving is far quicker than e.g. a 800 w.

2. The display panel/window shows:

a) Microwave
b) Defrost
c) Grill
d) Convection
e) The % microwave power level indication

Page 9 in your manual shows this diagram.

Now for the confusing part the buttons and whistles so speak.

You have:

Language
Kitchen Timer
Less/More
Memory
Cake
Crusty
Auto Cook
Microwave
Grill
Combi
Convection
Auto Defrost
Dial Knob
Stop/clear
Start/Speedy Cook

Wonderful selection of features but let's concentrate on the feature that for the moment is the most important for you, that is COMBI or as we understand combination cooking.  This is the best of both worlds convection or ordinary oven heat and microwave energy combined.  Result quick with the browned results.  Your oven has 5 different COMBI settings if you go to page 15 of your manual you will see these settings clearly set out for you.  Of the 5 settings you probably will find COMBI 1 the setting you use the most.  You can roast your meats, bake your cakes even do small pastries or frozen and crumbed foods.

Ah! I know you are thinking that all I have said is fine but how long do you cook?  Ok, you select COMBI 1 setting then put in your time which should be about a third less than your conventional recipe.  Remember to use heat resistant dishes and place on the low rack and peep in the oven to see how your cooking is doing, if you need more or less time just add.  Easy!

I know it is frustrating to study your user manual but it is well worth the time spent.   My next post I will have a recipe you can try out using COMBI 1.  For those who don't have a Defy DMO 357 but another brand name, select for baking and roasting a combination setting of 30% or 40% microwave power.

Hope that helped?

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MICRO KIDS MAKE BREAD DOGS

I must admit I am amazed at how children operate and use modern technology, the microwave oven is not excluded if done under parental care.  Juan in the pictures actually made these Bread Dogs and I was the "film director", we both had fun.

Ingredients you need:

4 slices brown bread, crust cut off (Mum can do this)
butter or margarine for spreading
tomato sauce for spreading
4 slices processed cheese
4 Vienna sausages
A round plate without any gold or silver trimming (trimming sometimes causing arcing)
8 tooth picks

 

 

1. Butter bread on both sides, spread tomato sauce on one side of bread.

 

2. Place a slice of cheese on top.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Place a Vienna sausage diagonally across the bread, fold opposite corners over, and secure with one or two toothpicks to make a bread dog.

 

 

 

 

4. Place bread dogs in a circle on the plate, the centre part of the plate will be open.  Microwave on 100% (high) power, two to three minutes or until the cheese has melted slightly.

 

 

 

5. Serve as a light lunch or snack.

 

 

Serves four

 

 

Micro-care:

 

 

After microwaving, the cheese will be very hot, so make sure the bread dogs stand for one minute before eating.







TOFFEE APPLES

 

Toffee Apples

 

Making toffee apples in a microwave oven can be a bit tricky without a thermometer.  Toffee needs to reach hard-crack stage - 150 degrees Celsius.  Because microwave ovens vary in power output, this is difficult to determine by time alone but not impossible.  Make sure you use a heat resistant bowl and be careful the toffee gets very hot and a spill can cause a nasty burn.  Having said all that lets make toffee apples.

 

 

Ingredients you need:

 

 

8 small apples

8 wooden kebab skewers

250g light brown sugar

75ml (5 tbs) water

15ml (1 tbs) golden syrup

30ml (2 tbs) butter or margarine

30ml (2 tbs) white vinegar

few drops of red and green colouring

 

1. Skewer apples onto wooden skewers, set aside.

2. Place brown sugar, water, syrup, butter and vinegar in a large heat-resistant bowl, microwave on 100% (high) power, eight to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Microwave a further three to four minutes WITHOUT stirring or until hard-crack stage has been reached.

4. Add colouring.  Quickly dip each apple into toffee mixture to coat completely, place on greased wax paper, allow to set.

5. Wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon if  making for a fund raising event or even for children's party.

 

Makes eight



EXPLODED GEMSQUASH

Exploded Gemsquash

 

 

Don't just put the whole gemsquash in the microwave oven it will build up pressure an explode.  Piercing is a principle used in microwave cooking and sometimes we forget.  The correct way to cook a gemsquash would be to cut in half, remove pips, place in a dish with 60 ml (4 tbs) water.  Now the important part!  Pierce the outer skin in several places and microwave on 100% (high) power for four to six minute.

 

Oh I just want to mention that this picture was sent to me recently by Liezl who allowed Renier to help with the cooking, she had warned him to pierce the skin!!  Renier is a fantastic cook very knowledgeable and a wonderful host.  The amusing side to this story is that Renier is my son!!!!   

 

 





 

 

MEAT LOAF WITH APRICOT TOPPING

MEAT LOAF

Mareschal Willemse is looking for a beef mince recipe with a difference, not pasta or curry meatballs is her request.  I have been making this meat loaf for nearly 30 years and each time it comes up a winner, quick and easy cooked in less the 15 minutes.

What you need:

1 medium onion. chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
15ml (1tbs) margarine
500g lean minced meat
60g can tomato paste
1 egg
30ml (2tbs) flout
1 pkt brown onion soup
125ml (1/2 cup) sour cream or Greek yogurt

How to make the meat loaf

1. Place the onion, green pepper and margarine in a glass bowl, microwave on100% (high) power 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add mince and blend well with a fork.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and stir paste into mixture.  Blend well.
4. Place in a glass loaf dish, cover with cling wrap and microwave on 100% (high) power for 12 to 15 minutes.  Allow to stand for 6 minutes.

Variations

If you don't have a loaf dish you can use a round dish but put a glass in the middle to make a doughnut shaped dish.
Then for something special drain a 410g can of apricot halves and arrange on top,

Serves four to six

Beautiful Blaauwklippen

Most of you know I live in beautiful Somerset West surrounded by the mountains the vineyards, an ideal place for a Sunday drive or relaxing at one of the many wonderful restaurants along the R44 route.  Blaauwklippen was my choice today with food and craft stalls, music playing in the background children laughter and dog lovers walking with their "best friend".  The vibe and sunshine just drives out all the winter blues, lifts the fears that we sometimes have and we just feel happy to be alive and living in our beautiful country. "You can't see faith through fear neither can you see fear through faith".  This is a challenge to see what specs you are wearing, it can make the difference to quality of life.    

Happy Woman's Day

I hope all you ladies young and old are enjoying today?  Hope you feeling special because you are special.  I salute the many women I know who have made an impact on my life cheered me along my own journey.   My daughter and granddaughter are two such women.  I have seen the strength of women.   I know we not perfect but it is when we accept who we are that we are able to reach out and make that difference in our world.  I guess many would say: "I can't do it"  Yes you can, no matter how old, how young, how rich, how poor whatever how's......YOU CAN!

Make your own dream come true, and if you don't have a dream then dream.  Many times I hear the older women saying that time is up they sitting in the departure lounge.  Well if that is where you want to be then I am sure you will find something exciting and fulfilling to do with contentment.   I just don't think getting older should stop the purpose, plan and dream you have, neither should it be a hinderance in achieving.  Look at my profile picture and that will tell you I am nearer to 3/4 century than to 1/2.  May take me a little longer to do some of the things I could do with ease when I was younger, but oh my oh my I've got some exciting things up my sleeve.  You probably saying: "Well what if I fail?"  So what, I have failed many times just get up again and start again eventually you discover you have become a  "professional non-failure" person.  I don't only think outside the box I am living outside the box.  If you are box minded then JUMP OUT! 

This Woman's Day decide to believe in yourself and start dreaming big or small but dream, dreams do come true.  I know my own journey is proof.

Meet my blog photographer and video maker

Alexandra Jane Arendse

 

 

A picture tells a thousand words.  Creative artistic talented Alexandra, looking not through the lens of her camera but into the future of this blog with apprehension, doubt or simply....." WOW what delicious food did you really make it in the microwave oven?"  



Traditional Bread Pudding

 

Traditional Bread and Butter Pudding

 

 

 

I've shown you on the Pasella video how to make a bread pudding in a cup, here is the traditional bread pudding made in your conventional or combination oven.  Use day old bread, cut the crusts off. Butter and spread with apricot jam. Cut into triangles, arrange in a heat resistant square dish and sprinkle a handful of seedless raisins over.  For six slices of bread beat together four eggs and 500ml full cream milk and 60ml (4 tbs) white sugar, you can add more sugar but I find the apricot jam enough sweetness, this is a personal choice.  Pour carefully over and allow to soak into the bread.  Now a hint that works well to give the edges that crispy look, melt 30ml (2 tbs) butter or margarine in the microwave oven and brush the ends of the bread.  Now the tricky part, how long and what setting. If you choose a combination setting of 160 degrees/50% microwave power, bake for 18 minutes.  If you use 200 degrees/10% microwave power, bake for 25 minutes.  Don't forget to place the dish on a low rack before baking.  Of course using just the convection oven then you need to preheat the oven on 150 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes.  I nearly forgot sprinkle cinnamon over just before baking.  That does it, delicious served with custard, ice cream or cream.

 

Serves four to six

 

 

What you need

 

 

6 slices white bread

Butter and apricot jam

4 large eggs

500 ml full cream milk

60 ml white sugar

Handful seedless raisins

Cinnamon

 

 

 



 

The winter puddings featured on the Pasella program

ASK  JEAN

Lourene Erasmus sent me this query, she has a Defy combination microwave oven.

Q:  "I just want to know on what Combi setting and for how long must I cook my lasagne?
It's not frozen, I just want to bake it.  Thanks."

A:   I suggest you use the Combi 1 setting which is the setting for roasting meat and baking cakes.
Place the dish on the low rack, set your time and remember you are using microwave energy and
convection so I would suggest you set the time a third less than what you would normally bake in
a conventional oven.   The nice part is you can always check, see if you need more time or less this depends on the weight of the lasagne.

Well I have tried to get this blog up and running and just when I thought I am winning I discover no way.........just look at my profile then you will understand what I mean.  I'm really comfortable in the kitchen and I know my flops can always be disguised, doing this blog is going to take more than that......practice, practice.  That reminds me so many times we give up on microwaving because we just don't understand how the microwave works and we really don't have the time to read the manual.  Well I hope I can help, post me a question and I will talk you through until you understand.  Using your microwave oven is going to save electricity and that is a big plus factor.

Hello I'm  hoping to get this blog up and running, actually I am really excited about this blog.  I managed to download the video from the Pasella program so those of you who missed the program  can take your time and view how to make those delicious winter puddings.  It  is cold enough today for a delicious hot pudding.