It’s all a bit confusing with the switching of the clocks in the UK.  What time is it there, what time is it here?

We are now 12 hours ahead of BST until next week when our clocks go back here in New Zealand and then we’ll be 11 hours ahead.  Last Friday we were 13 hours ahead.  Confused yet?

So rule of thumb, this week don’t ring after 9.30am BST if you want to speak to me.  It’s around this time by eyelids are doing battle with my book.  The eyelids usually win.  Next week don’t ring after 10.30am BST.

If you’re reading this blog from anywhere in the world…. OK, let’s not go there.  It’s too painful to contemplate!

But this isn’t.

Slow Roast ingredients

Since autumn is upon us we’re switching to warmer more comforting food.  When the sun goes down here the temperature plummets so I’ve been on the lookout for recipes to cook that will bring the after dark delights for the dinner table.

This week’s recipe swop fits the bill perfectly for us and I’m sure on a cold windy day in the northern hemisphere it will warm you up too.

Yesterday we made Slow Roasted Topside of Beef with Mushrooms.  Adapted from a Waitrose recipe.  Upper Hutt may be a metropolis (not) but it’s stretching the supermarket limitations to get porcini mushrooms.  If I’d had the foresight I would have picked some up at Bella Italia.  Although I’d have had to take a second mortgage out to buy them!

I fully expect my in-laws dismiss this recipe on the grounds that beef is just too expensive compared to here in New Zealand.  But I encourage them not to.  It was simply delicious.  A rare treat and a change from the usual roast beef. Go on, treat yourselves, I know you want to really!

All you have to do is seal the beef before frying off the onions, mix in the tomato paste before chucking in the rest of the ingredients and bunging it in the oven for 3-3.5 hours.

You’ll turn this….

Beef ready for slow roast

Into this.

Slow roasted beef

It was as succulent and rich as it looks.  I’d thoroughly recommend it with mashed potato and green beans.  Followed by some stewed apples with hedgerow blackberries and ice cream.  Yum.

I’ve frozen the spare sauce to use on some steaks at a later date.  The beef itself won’t last longer than a few lunches for me and no doubt a few treats for the bassets.

I followed my mother in-laws steak sauce recipe last week which was really very nice too. Well worth doing – very simple and oh so tasty. I forgot to take pictures but ask MT, he loved it.

—————————————————

Blue cheese and Walnut Steak Sauce – for 2

Knob of butter

2 spring onions

25g  stilton

15g walnuts chopped

100ml whipping cream

Salt and black pepper

Fry onions for 1 minute in melted butter.  Add stilton and walnuts stirring continuously until cheese melted.  Remove pan from heat and add cream then return to cook on a low heat for 3-4 mins to thicken the sauce.  Season with salt and peper and pour over steaks.  Enjoy!