A Fairly Low-Fat Moussaka

 

Moussaka is a great Greek dish, of layered potatoes, fried eggplants and cooked meat, topped with a thick layer of either Béchamel sauce (milk based sauce, thickened with flour), or Mornay sauce (Béchamel sauce with cheese), creating a highly delectable and tasty combination.

Mushroom and Potato Venison Meatloaf

 

Meatloaf is a great easy way when it comes to casual entertaining. The mix can be prepared in advance, and baked before serving. There’s no need to worry about the doneness of each portion of meat, and leftovers are always welcome the next day, by themselves or in a tasty sandwich.

Pan Fried Beef, Onion and Parsley Patties, with Agristada Sauce

I’ve posted the recipe for Agristada – a Sephardic lemony sauce – a few years ago. In that post, the sauce was served with fried fish. However, the sauce is traditionally also served with steamed vegetables (such as artichokes or leeks), or with meatballs. When I made the following pan fried meat patties, I’ve decided to serve this tasty sauce with them.

Mushrooms and Red Wine Beef Ossobuco

Hearty and aromatic Ossobuco stew is an ultimate dish for serving on a cold day. The cross-cut shanks with the bone, are the base for the dish. They are first pan fried, and then cooked with different vegetables and liquids, depending on regional variations and personal taste.

Turkey Patties with Mushrooms, Parsley and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Although I rarely use store ground meat, I’ve had good experience with a local farm product of ground dark turkey meat, and decided to use it once more. This time again, I wanted to add some bold flavors to the somewhat bland meat, and at the same time, add more interesting texture to the patties.

Beef Stew with Okra and Herbs

As a fan of fresh okra dishes, I’m always delighted when they are in season again, and immediately start to use them in different dishes.  One of my most favorites is the Sephardic dish of braised okra (click HERE for recipe), which I make often. This time, I’ve decided to prepare a version of it, with the addition of beef and fresh herbs.

Beef Stew with Red Beans and Tomato Sauce

On a cold day, sometimes all that is needed is a straight-forward simple comfort food, without too much elaboration. The following stew is exactly that.

Braised Pot Roast with Pear Cider and Leek Gravy

After successfully using hard apple cider in a few dishes recently, I’ve found myself looking at a sparkling hard pear cider at the store, wondering if it will give a dish similar tasty results.

Minced Pork with Coconut Milk and Curry

Minced pork dishes are known in different Asian cuisines. This quick way of cooking the meat, with lots of flavors and fresh ingredients, makes it perfect for a light lunch.
The version I have here was heavily inspired by the Thai cuisine, but it doesn’t follow any traditional recipe, and cannot be considered authentic/ethnic by any means.

Turkey Patties with Pickled Lemon, Harissa and Parsley

Despite the fact I rarely use store bought ground meat, and always prefer to grind meat at home, when I saw a package of ground dark turkey meat from Koch’s farms a the store, I decided to still buy it, as I had positive experience with the product (recipe in THIS post).

Shredded Braised Skirt Steak with Tomato-Parsley Rice

Skirt steak is one of the most flavorful beef cuts. The outer part is mostly suitable for pan-searing or grilling (see recipe HERE), while the inside part is more suitable for slow cooking, which is the method I used in the following recipe.