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Posts Tagged ‘curry’

Friday Foodie Feature – Oxtail Stew

Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!

This week’s Foodie Feature is Slow Cooked Oxtail Stew

Oxtails or tails of cattle is a very popular dish in *South Africa and this bony, gelatin-rich meat is usually slow-cooked.  In our Delaware home as soon as the weather cools Oxtails are definitely on the menu-of-must-haves and this is how I slow cook mine.  

 Unfortunately the cost of Oxtails in the grocery stores can be outrageous which is why I stalk Dutch Country Farmer’s Market to get them!

Ingredients:

  • Oxtails 6-8 pieces
  • Vegetable Broth
  • Ground Ginger
  • Brown Sugar
  • Vegetables: Onions/Celery/Parsley/Carrots
  • Canned or Fresh Tomatoes – optional
  • Garlic fresh or minced
  • Oxtail Seasoning
  • Dry Beans or Lentils
  • Flour
  • Olive Oil

Put Oxtails into a plastic bag and pour in enough flour to coat, adding as little or as much of the Oxtail Seasoning, Ground Ginger and Brown Sugar according to your tastes.  Seal bag and rub all dry ingredients onto Oxtails.

Pour in just enough olive oil to cover bottom of a pan, heat on low and add coated Oxtails turning to brown on all sides.

In the meantime, chop and dice veggies

I also added a little Curry to the browning Oxtails, however, this is optional.

Remove browned Oxtails from the pan, then rinse the lentils or beans. Coat inside the Crock Pot with cooking spray for easier clean up.

Put in the Oxtails…

…add lentils or beans

…top with sliced and diced veggies

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Pour in 2 containers of broth or use water seasoned with Beef Bouillon Cubes – enough to cover all ingredients

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Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 depending on your Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

I had to work late and none of my men took pictures so I don’t have the finished product, but trust me it was good!  You can add any vegetable or potato or omit the beans and serve over rice.  No matter how you make it, it’s oh so good and filling especially on a cold winter’s night!

What is your favorite Slow Cooked Stew?

* This post was written only a few hours before Mr. Mandela’s death

RIP “Giant for Justice”

mr mandela

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Swahili Kitchen

Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!

Is your palate stuck in a rut…do you find yourself always ordering the same foods…pizza, cheese steaks or Chinese takeout?  Do you want something different while supporting a new local business, then I suggest you try Swahili Kitchen on Main Street in Middletown.

Swahili Kitchen specializes in East African cuisine, specifically recipes from Tanzania, and although the menu is new it’s actually the second part of Manhattan Bagel, also owned by Rishen Patel and his wife Heeral.

The concept of adding a different offering in an already thriving breakfast business was a great idea, Rishen stated that after 2 p.m. no one was coming in to buy bagels so he decided to offer his native foods.  In Middletown you can find every type of food except African style which is what motivated the Patels to open Swahili Kitchen.

On Sunday, hubby and I stopped in and decided to try the chicken and beef items from the promotional menu, which also included Pork Kebabs, but you know we don’t eat pork.  If you like mildly spicy foods you will definitely enjoy the Chicken dishes, especially the marinated leg quarters called Sekela.  There was just the right balance of seasoning including curry and the chips weren’t soggy even with the veggie topping.  The promotional prices, currently $5 and under were very reasonable considering the portion sizes which were more than enough for leftovers.

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The Chicken Mishkaki is listed as being served on a skewer, but since we had take out it was simply placed in a Styrofoam container.  The Tamarind Sauce was a perfect compliment to this dish of very tender chicken cubes, potatoes, green peppers and onions slices.

What are called “chips” in Africa are actually what we call “fries”, and they are topped with a veggie mix of shredded carrots, cabbage and red onions and a perfect blend of spices.

Chicken Pili Pili is a spicy BBQ leg quarter served with white rice and coleslaw

Dinner was excellent and the side sauce added just the right amount of “fire” for me!

So this weekend if you are in the mood for something different head over to Swahili Kitchen which is located at 400 W. Main St. and their hours of operation are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday)

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