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.

Lamb Stew with Eggplant, Cherry tomatoes and Potatoes

Lamb stew is one of my favorites, especially on cold days. As the weather is warming up, I opted for a lighter version in the following recipe, which is a complete meal in itself.
The dish doesn’t require many ingredients and is very easy to assemble. Once done with the initial cooking, the braising in the oven doesn’t require much attention.

Lamb Stew with Black Beans

As the weather gets colder, hearty stews are often on the menu. Their initial cooking time is fairly short, and then all that is needed is to place the pot in the oven for a few hours.

Beef Ossobuco with Onions and Mushrooms

The following hearty dish, is perfect for a cold day. The Ossobuco steak (cross-cut beef shank, with the bone in the center), is one of the richest and tastiest cuts. Inspired by the traditional “ossobuco in bianco” (ossobuco in white sauce) dish, that originated around Milan, I’ve decided to cook it with smothered onions and mushrooms, beef stock, white wine, mustard, juniper berries and bay leaves. The result was a falling-of-the-bones tender meat and bone marrow, with rich and aromatic sauce.

Beef Stew with Beer and Spices

Beef stew is one of the best dishes to have on a cold winter day. It’s hearty, filling and warming from the inside.
In the stew I have here, I’ve used light beer as the cooking liquid, which gave the stew a unique, deep flavor.

Chili con Carne

Chile con carne is one of my favorite cold weather dishes. Over the years, I came up with the following recipe, that became my go-to recipe, but even this one keeps evolving.

Lamb and Fennel Stew

This quick and easy to prepare stew is the perfect dish for this season, when spring somehow refuses to fully arrive, yet the heavier winter’s stews are not as happily accepted.

Fennel is a wonderful vegetable, with a distinctive anise flavor, which is one of my favorites. Its fresh flavor pairs wonderfully with the relatively heavy lamb cut. To enhance this anise flavor, I’ve added fennel seeds and a bit of Ouzo, the Greek anise flavored liquor.

Lamb Stew with Tomatoes, Okra and Dried Apricots

This hearty and tasty lamb stew is very easy to prepare. Once all the ingredients are assembled in the pot, all that is needed is to bring it to the boil and then finish the cooking by baking it gently in the oven.
Served with fresh rustic bread or white rice (preferably Bastmai) it is the perfect dish for dinner on a chilly day.

Ossobuco with Red Wine and Citrus Gremolata

Ossobuco, a wonderful braised veal stew, is one of the best dishes for festive entertaining. It is easy to make and tastes even better after a day in the fridge.