Navigation Menu

[Vaughan]

BEEF CURRY

Packed full of flavour and with meltingly tender beef, this Easy Peasy Beef Curry is super quick and easy to prepare – then leave your oven (or slow cooker) to do all the hard work! Perfect for busy days, when you still want to eat well.

Course: Curry, Main Course
Cuisine: British, Fusion, Indian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 358kcal

Ingredients
Metric – US Customary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion sliced
3 cloves garlic crushed or grated
2cm (¾ inch) ginger grated
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 teaspoons garam masala
400 ml (14 oz) passata (or chopped tinned tomatoes)
200 ml (7 oz) coconut milk (I use light coconut milk)
Salt and pepper to taste
600g (1¼ lb) diced beef (It’s best to buy ‘stewing’ beef – often simply sold as ‘diced’ beef, as this is better for slow cooking)
1 red (bell) pepper chopped into bitesize pieces (See Note 1)
1 green (bell) pepper chopped into bitesize pieces (See Note 1)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped – plus extra for garnish

Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
2. Place the oil and sliced onion in a flameproof, ovenproof pan (see Note 2). Cook gently with the lid on for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and garam masala, and gently fry, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
4. Add the passata, coconut milk, salt, pepper, diced beef and chopped peppers. Stir and bring to the boil.
5. Put a lid on the pan and place in your preheated oven (see Note 2).
6. Cook the curry in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not getting dry.
(If it gets too dry, simply add a splash more water and stir, before replacing the lid and returning to the oven.)
6a. (Alternatively transfer the curry to your slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.)
7. Remove from the oven and stir in the fresh coriander (cilantro).
8. Garnish with extra fresh coriander leaves and serve with pilau rice and naan bread.

Notes
1. Do not cut the peppers up too small or they will almost dissolve into this curry – keep the pepper pieces a bit chunky!
2. Use a Le Creuset-style cast iron casserole dish, (AKA dutch oven) which can go on the hob and in the oven. If you don’t have a pan that can go on the hob and in the oven, simply start this curry in a regular saucepan and then tip it into a (lidded) ovenproof dish to go into the oven.
3. Suitable for freezing.

[Vaughan]

MUSHROOM PILAU RICE

This super easy mushroom version of pilau rice is ready in just 25 minutes and is virtually foolproof! But there’s absolutely no compromise on flavour – this recipe is a real crowdpleaser.

Course: Rice Side Dish
Cuisine: British, Fusion, Indian
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Steam Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 346kcal

Ingredients
Metric – US Customary
25g (¾ oz) butter (you can use ghee or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, if you prefer)
1 onion sliced
100g (3½ oz) chestnut mushrooms diced (See Note 1)
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods gently bashed to open
2 cloves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
300g (1½ cups) basmati rice
600ml (2½ cups) boiling water

Instructions
1. Melt the butter very gently in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Add the sliced onion, stir and cover with a lid. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until the onions are soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Turn the heat up to high and add the diced mushrooms – fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms and onions are lightly browned.
4. Turn the heat back down and add the cinnamon stick, bashed cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric, salt and bay leaves.
5. Fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Add a small splash of water if it gets too dry.)
6. Add in the basmati rice and stir to coat the rice in the onions, mushrooms and spices.
7. Pour in 600ml (2½ cups) boiling water and bring back to the boil.
8. Cover with a lid and turn the heat right down. Continue cooking for 8 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. (See Note 2.)
9. Turn the heat off completely (take the saucepan off the burner if you are using electric), but leave the lid on.
10. Allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes.
11. Serve with your favourite curry – eg Beef Curry. (Next Recipe)

Notes
1. This recipe will work with regular mushrooms, or indeed almost any kind of mushroom. However, for best results, use chestnut mushrooms.
2. Rice cooking times do vary, so be sure to check packet instructions. If you find your rice is not sufficiently cooked after following the instructions above, simply add a little more water (if necessary) and cook a little longer. However, take care not to overcook!
3. Suitable for freezing. (Take care to follow food safety guidelines when it comes to freezing, defrosting and reheating cooked rice.)

[Vaughan]

Released Wed 5 Jan 2023

Sexy Leather look costume by Archimede
Wild girl outfit. Can someone confirm if its a dress or a one piece shorts and top?
PRICE A$ 389.

AND

Sexy dresses by BreeStyle
Exquisite patterned dresses in 3 colours Light Brown, Deep Red and dark Blue
PRICE A$ 329.

Why not do an Outfit or Make up Review Here?

Topics (Forum Home Page) » Upgrades and newly added features » New added clothes to shop. Post pics & reviews to help our members.

[Vaughan]

PLAIN CAULIFLOWER RICE

Plain Cauliflower Rice is a recipe you NEED to have in your repertoire. This easy side dish is packed full of goodness, yet low in carbs, calories and fat… and it takes less than 10 minutes to make! Perfect for when time is short, but you still want to eat well.

WHY IS CAULIFLOWER RICE SO GOOD FOR YOU?
Cauliflower rice counts as one of your 5 a day and is packed full of goodness! It’s a source of antioxidants and choline (an essential nutrient we need for mood, memory and recall), rich in sulforaphane (which can reduce your risk of cancer), high in fibre and contains many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, Vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus.

It’s very low in calories (only 25 calories per 100g!) as well as being low carb and low in fat… so perfect if you are looking to cut down, without missing out on flavour!

HOW TO ‘RICE’ A CAULIFLOWER >#
The quickest and easiest method is to simply grate the cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater.
It’s quick and easy and you can just throw the grater into the dishwasher afterwards. Better still, you get the perfect texture!

If you prefer, you can use a food processor, but this method actually takes LONGER than grating it by hand (because you have to chop the cauliflower up first, then feed it slowly into the processor – plus it’s more faff to wash up!)… and if you are not careful it can cut the cauliflower up a bit too finely… so texturally it’s not really like rice any more. Grating is best.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, British
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 25 kcal

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower (roughly 400g / 14 oz)

Instructions
1. Grate the cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor, if you prefer).
2. Place a wok (or large non-stick frying pan) over a medium-high heat for one minute.
3. Tip the cauliflower into the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the cauliflower is piping hot.
4. For extra flavour, stir less and allow the cauliflower to brown slightly – this will give your cauliflower rice a slightly richer, nuttier flavour, reminiscent of roasted cauliflower.

Notes
Suitable for freezing.

[Vaughan]

Pilau Cauliflower Rice (Vegan)

A lighter, but no less tasty version of the Indian classic, this Pilau Cauliflower Rice is an ideal accompaniment to all kinds of curries. Not only is it low in carbs and calories, but it is also gluten and dairy free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans – plus a great way to get an extra portion of veggies into your life!

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 100kcal

Ingredients
Metric – US Customary
400g (14 oz) cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1 large white onion sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ a stick of cinnamon
4 cardamom pods bashed
2 cloves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
100g (¾ cup) frozen peas

Instructions
1. Start by whizzing up your cauliflower in a high speed blender or food processor until it resembles rice.
Alternatively chop the cauliflower finely with a knife or grate using a coarse grater.
2. Place the oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the sliced onion, cumin seeds, cinnamon, bashed cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric, salt and bay leaves.
3. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until the onions are very soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the cauliflower and frozen peas and stir to coat them in the onions and spices.
5. Turn the heat up and cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the cauliflower is soft and just starting to brown in places and the peas are warm.
6. Turn the heat off and serve with your favourite curry.

Notes
Not suitable for freezing.

[Vaughan]

Easy Lamb Dhansak

Love the lamb dhansak you get in your local curry restaurant? Now you can make it at home with this easy peasy Homemade Lamb Dhansak fakeaway recipe!

PREFER CHICKEN?
If you prefer chicken to lamb, simply swap the diced lamb for diced chicken thigh… otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
You could also use beef, or even pork, instead of lamb if you prefer.

Course Curry, Main Course
Cuisine British, Fusion, Indian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 375kcal

Ingredients
Metric – US Customary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic crushed or grated
2 cm ginger grated
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
400g (14 oz) chopped tinned tomatoes
400ml (14 oz) water (use the empty tomato tin to measure this – 1 tin=400ml)
100g (3½ oz) red lentils
Salt and pepper to taste
600g (1¼ lb) diced lamb leg (Can replace with chicken or other meat if you wish)
1 red (bell) pepper chopped into bitesize pieces (See Note 1)
1 green (bell) pepper chopped into bitesize pieces (See Note 1)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped – plus extra for garnish

Instructions
1.Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F.
2. Place the oil and diced onion in a flameproof, ovenproof pan (see Note 2). Cook gently with the lid on for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala, and gently fry, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes, water, lentils, salt, pepper, diced lamb and chopped peppers. Stir and bring to the boil.
5. Put a lid on the pan and place in your preheated oven (see Note 2).
6. Cook the curry in the oven for 1 hours 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not getting dry.
(If it gets too dry, simply add a splash more water and stir, before replacing the lid and returning to the oven.)
7. Remove from the oven and stir in the fresh coriander (cilantro).
8. Garnish with extra fresh coriander leaves
9. Serve with pilau rice and naan bread.

Notes
1. Do not cut the peppers up too small or they will almost dissolve into this curry – keep the pepper pieces a bit chunky!
2. Use a Le Creuset-style cast iron casserole dish*, (AKA dutch oven) which can go on the hob and in the oven. If you don’t have a pan that can go on the hob and in the oven, simply start this curry in a regular saucepan and then tip it into a (lidded) ovenproof dish to go into the oven.
3. Suitable for freezing.

[Vaughan]

A nice story to start off 2023
Respect to the People Of Scarborough, UK

[Vaughan]

Hope the New Year is everything you wish for and more

[Vaughan]

Pope Benedict.

Sat 31 Dec 2022 – New Years Eve. The former Pope Benedict, the first leader of the Catholic Church to stand down in 600 years, has died aged 95, a spokesman for the Holy See said.

“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.

RIP. God Bless. Pope Benedict.

[Vaughan]

RIP JO MERSA MARLEY.

Jo Mersa Marley – Burn It Down (ft. Yohan Marley)

[Vaughan]

Released Mon 26 Dec 2022

Sexy Christmas Dress by Nat_Kiss
Sex Red dress with white fur, matching gloves, panties, stockings and shoes and COMPLETELY FREE.

This is a great festive gift from Achat and/or the designer Nat_Kiss but only to change into on your profile and use in your private room.
(Please note the Santa hat is free but separate from this outfit)
Unless it is a glitch, no one can wear the outfit in public rooms.

Maybe, it is a new way to try clothes on; or maybe it is an error to allow F’s and S’s to wear on profiles and private rooms and should be priced as usual in the shop; or maybe its an error and Achat forgot to allow access to this outfit in public which is a shame.
I have asked Achat for clarification.

If anyone would like to do an outfit review or open a discussion topic, feel free.

Why not do an Outfit Review Here?
Topics (Forum Home Page) » Upgrades and newly added features » New added clothes to shop. Post pics & reviews to help our members.

[Vaughan]

Classic cheese scones

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Makes 5-6

Indulge in some cheese scones for afternoon tea or as part of a picnic. They’re also great served alongside soups and you can freeze them for later use

Ingredients
225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp baking powder
55g chilled butter, cut into cubes
120g mature cheddar, grated
90-100ml milk, plus 1 tbsp for glazing

Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a large baking tray inside.
Sift the flour, salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder into a bowl, then sift again to make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

STEP 2
Add the butter to the bowl and combine with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle 100g of the cheese into the breadcrumb mixture and rub together until evenly distributed.
Try not to mix too much as the heat from your hands may start to melt the butter.

STEP 3
Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in enough milk to give a fairly soft but firm dough.
Do not pour in all the milk at once as you may not need it all to get the right consistency.

STEP 4
Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to approximately 2cm thick.
Cut out the scones with a medium (about 8cm) cutter, then put on a sheet of baking parchment.
Glaze with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Slide onto the hot oven tray.

STEP 5
Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve with butter and a knife.

[Vaughan]

Classic Scones with Jam & Clotted Cream

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Serves 8

You can have a batch of scones on the table in 20 minutes with Jane Hornby’s store cupboard recipe, perfect for unexpected guests.

Ingredients
350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
85g butter, cut into cubes
3 tbsp caster sugar
175ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional – squeeze lemon juice in the milk to sour it slightly.
Beaten egg, to glaze

To serve
Jam and clotted cream

Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder, then mix.

STEP 2
Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs.
Stir in the caster sugar.

STEP 3
Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot.
the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.

STEP 4
Put a baking tray in the oven.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first.

STEP 5
Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out.
Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother.
Pat into a round about 4cm deep. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour.
Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones cut out.
You may need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four, so 8 rounds in total

STEP 6
Brush the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray.
Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top.
Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream.

If freezing
If freezing, freeze once cool.
Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few minutes to refresh.

RECIPE TIPS
1. Adding a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk sours it slightly, mimicking sharp-tasting buttermilk, often used in scones but sometimes tricky to find. The slightly acidic mix gives a boost to the raising agents in the flour and baking powder.

2. Scones are so quick to make. A good tip is using warm milk.

3. TOWERING TALL. For toweringly tall scones, always pat the dough out a bit thicker than you think you should. Pat rather than knead because scones are essentially a sweet soda bread and like other soda breads, will become tough when over-handled.

4. Kick-start the scones’ rise with a hot baking tray and don’t leave the dough sitting around.

5. If you like your scones with lots of juicy fruit, stir 85g plump sultanas into the mix at the same time as the sugar.

Cornwall versus Devon way of eating a scone.

This has been part of many a debate…

Traditionally, the Cornish method is to split the scone in two, spread the jam and then add a spoonful of clotted cream, because apparently jam smothers the taste of the cream when applied the other way round.

In contrast, the Devonshire method is to split the scone in two, but cover each half with clotted cream then jam. The thinking behind this method is that cream is a dairy product, like butter, so it makes sense for the cream to go first.

So, which is right?
Depends which part of the UK, you live in but either way, you choose and enjoy.

[Vaughan]

Ultimate chocolate cake

Prep: 30 mins – 40 mins
Cook: 1 hr – 1 hr and 30 mins
Plus baking and cooling time
Cuts into 14 slices

Indulge yourself with this ultimate chocolate cake recipe that is beautifully moist, rich and fudgy. Perfect for a celebration or an afternoon tea

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake
200g dark chocolate (about 60% cocoa solids), chopped
200g butter, cubed
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
85g self-raising flour
85g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g light muscovado sugar
200g golden caster sugar
25g cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
75ml buttermilk

To decorate
50g grated chocolate or 100g curls.

For the ganache
200g dark chocolate (about 60% cocoa solids), chopped
300ml double cream
2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).

STEP 2
Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.

STEP 3
Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.

STEP 4
Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted – don’t overheat.
Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.

STEP 5
Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.

STEP 6
Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.

STEP 7
Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.

STEP 8
Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 – 1hr 30 mins.
If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don’t worry if it cracks a bit).

STEP 9
Leave to cool in the tin (don’t worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.

STEP 10
To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl.
Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.

STEP 11
Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate.
Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.

STEP 12
Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache.
Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.

STEP 13
Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls.
The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

[Vaughan]

Classic Victoria Sandwich Sponge.

Prep:40 mins
Cook:20 mins
plus cooling
Cuts into 10 slices

Ingredients
200g caster sugar
200g softened butter
4 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
For the filling
100g butter, softened
140g icing sugar, sifted
drop vanilla extract (optional)
half a 340g jar good-quality strawberry jam
icing sugar, to decorate

Method
STEP 1
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper.

STEP 2
In a large bowl, beat 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 beaten eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk together until you have a smooth, soft batter.

STEP 3
Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

STEP 4
Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.

STEP 5
Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

STEP 6
To make the buttercream filling, beat the 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in 140g sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract (if you’re using it).

STEP 7
Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges.
Top it with 170g strawberry jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.

STEP 8
Dust with a little icing sugar before serving.
Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.

[Author]

Posts