ABC meals

In an attempt to get my co-cook and co-blogger back actually writing blog posts, we've chosen an #abcmeals theme for the next at least 26 weeks, give or take a few here and there.  The idea is that we work through the alphabet in order, and the dishes we cook need to have their main ingredient starting with each week's particular letter or we get creative and name them starting with that letter or if we get desperate from a country/town/area of that letter.  Some letters are going to be harder that others - I'm already thinking about x!

The other challenge I have set for myself is to see if I can source most of what I need for the meals I prepare from my local farmer's market, local seafood market (not that I cook too much seafood, I just don't like it that much), local bakeries and local fruit shops.  I want to know that my fruit, vege, dairy, bread, meat and seafood is made, produced, grown, caught or baked in the local area (or at the very least is from within Australia).  I want to support my local businesses, even if it costs a bit more.  After all if we stop doing that then the big supermarkets will definitely take over and many more local businesses, local producers and farmers will cease to exist, robbing us of the choice.

Okay, off my soapbox now and onto the letter B.

You may be wondering why are we starting at B?  It came about as I had some nice fresh beetroot, it was the second week back of our Wednesday night dinners (b is second in the alphabet) and Andy had cooked the first week and his name starts with A... Flimsy I know; we may come back and actually do 'A' ingredients after 'Z'.

My dinner - buns, beef and beetroot.  The first course was beautiful fresh duck buns, made less than 1km from my house by the wonderful chefs at a local restaurant, Embassy XO.  They have a stall at my local farmers markets and each week I try not to buy duck buns, and I also try not to buy a pork belly sandwich for breakfast either.  Sometimes I'm not successful - depending on your view!!  The duck buns were just steamed and served with a dipping sauce.  I did my usual dipping sauce of equalish parts of kecip manis (sweet), oyster sauce (salty), lime juice (sour) and sweet chilli sauce (hot, sweet).  And we ate them with our hands.

For main course beef fillet (from the markets) with beans, braised leeks and red wine and shallot sauce.  The recipes for the sauce and leeks are below.

Finally, I finished with beetroot cakes.  I haven't included the recipe as I wasn't really happy with them and am looking for a different recipe.  They were tasty enough, drowned in melted dark chocolate and with a dollop of cream on the side, but I can do better and will post when I do so!

Red Wine and Shallot Sauce
250g golden shallots, slice (these are the small onions, not the long green ones!)
4 tablespoons olive oil
cracked black pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary
100mL balsamic vinegar
400mL red wine
400mL beef stock
1 - 2 tbsp butter

1. Saute shallots with olive oil over high heat for about 3 minutes, or until a light golden colour. Stir often, so shallots don't burn.
2. Season shallots with pepper.  Add garlic and rosemary. Continue to saute and stir for another 3 minutes.
3. Add vinegar.  Cook down until vinegar is almost evaporated and it is syrupy.
4. Add wine. Cook down until reduced by two thirds.
5. Add stock and bring to the boil.  Allow to cook down again till reduced by about two thirds (about 250 - 300mL remaining).
6. Remove rosemary.  Add butter.  Add any steak juices too before serving.

Sauce recipe adapted from BBC Good Food 

Creamy Braised Leeks
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
60mL dry white wine
120mL double cream
salt and pepper

1. Gently saute onion with olive oil, until softened but not coloured.
2. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
3. Add leeks and allow to cook 1 - 2 minutes, until beginning to soften.
4. Add white wine and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. (Make sure you have a glass of wine yourself.)
5. Add cream and simmer for a further 2 - 3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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