Recipe LXXVII - Stuffed Beef Olives with Roasted Vegetables

This is an easy recipe, and a tasty one too. It requires about 45 minutes' preparation, but the results are really worth it. There's something about roasted veggies that give them extra special powers of tastiness.

Ingredients:
2 long pieces of thinly-sliced beef (any cut should be fine)
4 carrots
1 leek
1 courgette
But I'm sure you'll choose your own vegetables!

For the stuffing:
About two hands full of yesterday's bread, broken into very small pieces
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
Some fresh herbs (basil, thyme or oregano should be good)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A binding agent like lemon juice or white wine



Instructions:
Turn the oven on to about 160°C. Put the stuffing ingredients (except the bread) into a mixer and give it a thorough blitzing.
Then add the bread and turn it into a pâté-like consistency.



Spread it out over the beef, making sure not to get too close to the outeide. Once rolled up, it will spread out itself.



Cut up some vegetables. I used carrots and leeks, and later on I added some courgettes. Pour some oil in a baking tray, put your vegetables in it and the beef on top, making sure most is covered in the oil.



Put it in the oven for about 45 minutes, and add the courgettes for the final 15 minutes. Sorry for the quality of the photo below, but the kitchen light plays havoc with the brightness and contrast...



In any case, enjoy!

Recipe XV - Beef and Buffalo Mozzarella Roulades with Fresh Herbs in a Red Wine Sauce

As every good cook's hands should smell of onion or garlic, the kitchen should contain a cheap bottle of wine for cooking purposes. This dish takes about 45 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:
3 thin pieces of beef flank steak
120g buffalo mozzarella
1 onion
Fresh oregano, basil and thyme
6 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
2 glasses of red wine




Instructions:
Take the beef and spread it flat on the preparation dish. Rub some salt and pepper into it on both sides.
Cut up the onion and put it in a blender along with the herbs, garlic and some olive oil until it becomes a pulp.



Spread the mixture on top of the beef like butter onto bread.
Slice the mozzarella into three pieces and place one in the centre of each steak.


Pick up the longer sides in the middle and envelope the longer tongues over the top, sealing with cocktail sticks in strategic places.




Cooking:
Heat a large, high-sided frying pan with some olive oil and place the roulades inside, frying gently until all the sides are sealed.
Add your red wine and put on the lid of the pan. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes on a medium heat. Check it every ten minutes.
Some of the mozzarella, onion, garlic and herbs will have leaked into the wine, making a delicious sauce.




Accompaniment:
We had boiled potatoes with chives and melted butter, but a nice tomato and rocket salad would go really well too.