adventuresofasuperwoman

About being saucy…

For the past couple of months, there has been absolutely nothing but bad news pointing fingers at us, screaming headlines on every single lamp post, scarily and big-eyed, letting us know how we’re all doomed and not going to make it. Even the local marketing and advertising industry used this sad factor in their campaigns to sell, sell, sell – just think about car dealers willing to buy your car back if you’re the victim of a forced retrenchment.

And then this morning something really amazing happened… I had to smile and I have to admit that my heart finally felt just that little bit lighter. Instead of headlines warning of a poor economy, an inevitable recession, more crime and brutal murders, the biggest crisis that we have to face today (this week) is that the Blue Bulls are having a centre-player crisis – ladies and gentlemen, I kid you not! This morning’s headline read something along the lines of “Bulls centre crisis”! I’m certain that this may be regarded as devastating news for some, but it does seem a whole lot better than the rising crime statistics, petrol price increases and all the other gloom. And somewhere deep down I’m hoping that if this is the leading news of the day… it must mean that there isn’t any crime or recessions to write about – at least for today?!

So, on this lovely Monday we’ve been given some not-so-bad news, which, in my book, translates to good news! And what do we do here on adventures of a superwoman when we’re handed such good news…mmm??? I’ll tell you: We get saucy!!! And I mean proper saucy, not some packet of something that you bought a month ago because you can’t be arsed to make something from scratch. We’re celebrating (and yes, from now on we’re celebrating all the little things, medium things and big things!) and I’m going to tell you exactly how to do it!

For this super occasion I made something that I like to call Casserole11, it’s truly a saucy little number and a dish close to my heart. As with most things in life, I find that cooking is a process that doesn’t only involve food, appliances and utensils. It also desires a certain degree of passion, sillyness, an oversized drink and one or two relaxing moments – these are especially necessary when you’re creating something from scratch – you want to be centred and calm.

If you’re ready then, here’s how I make Casserole11:

You’ll need (for yourself): 

• Your favourite drink (no, not a shooter, preferably something you can savour for more than 3 seconds). Here’s a pic of mine…

• Set intervals for kissing your partner, a smoke break or just a leisurely look out of the window into the distance – whatever relaxes you!
• And even a couple of minutes to do something silly like lip-syncing to your favourite rock song – even if you embarrass yourself – do this! You’re worth a moment of rock glory!

 You’ll need (for the casserole):

• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic (you’re welcome to use slightly more or less)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Meat seasoning (I get potjiekos spice from the spice guy at the Farmer’s Market in Pretoria – it’s bloody amazing! And if you use this, you hardly need any other spices.)
• ¼ teaspoon finely chopped chillies (no pips!)
• Half a tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons of tomato paste
• ¾ cup of cream (use a full cup if you like your sauces really creamy)
• A single shot of brandy
• ½ cup of good red muscadel or dessert wine
• 250 g cut green beans ( I really like green beans and thought they’d work perfect as a veggie in this otherwise meaty dish)
• 250–350 g cubed beef (use goulash or even cubed fillet)
• A couple of drops of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce (for marinating the meat)

What you need to do:

This dish is done on the stove top at a high to medium heat level.

First, marinate the meat, spread it out in a flat dish and drizzle with the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce and let it rest for about 30 minutes (during which you can surprise your loved one with a quick kiss and a little quality time!). After 30 minutes, it’s time to fry the meat (you can do it in the same pot or casserole that you intend on making the dish in), you don’t have to cook it through, just brown it and make sure that all sides come into contact with the heat… It should look something like this:

 

Spoon out the meat, and in the same pot, fry the onion until soft, add the garlic and continue frying for another minute or so. Remember to sip on your drink every now and again. Add the meat, spices, shot of brandy and muscadel. Give it a good stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. This is the time when the ingredients get acquainted – allow them to sort themselves out! Now it’s time to add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and about half a cup of the hot water (you could use stock, but I find that this dish doesn’t really need it). Again, give it a good stir and leave it alone to appreciate what it is becoming. When the beef is nice and tender, add the green beans and keep it going for another ten minutes. (I suggest you use this time to pick out a timeless rock melody and get jiggy with it.) You may add little bits of the hot water to prevent it from loosing too much of its juice. It should look something like this:

When the beans are cooked and you’re positive the beef is soft and tender, it’s time to add the cream! Now we’re really getting saucy! Yippee, I get all excited at this point, almost like a little kid! Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool slightly (just wait for it to stop boiling) and then add the cream and stir it in with as much love as you can muster. Put it back on the heat and let it simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes. Give it a last taste to make sure you don’t need any salt or pepper, and then, super people, I’d say you’re about ready to enjoy Casserole11. I served it on brown rice and absolutely loved every bite! Hope it’s the same for you! (The editor also loved it.)

Caserole11 should look something like this:

Mmm… Or from a different angle…

Until we get more good news (and I know we will), take care, God bless and have a fantastic time!

PS: It’s about time I just said thanks to my anonymous editor who’s been proofing and editing all posts without even a bit of a moan – and I don’t pay her one cent; in fact, I eat her sandwiches and blackmail her into making me coffee. So… thanks babe, you’re a star! (Vonkel-vonkel-vonkel… ed.)