Beef Bourguignon with Mashed Potatoes & Summer salad with Blackberry vinagrette

it's been quite a while since i've cooked! >.< since my internship started, i barely had the time to do anything, let alone whip up a meal, cos i usually spend a LOT of time when i cook :P seeing that i'm gonna be going for exchange soon, i think i'd better learn how to cook simpler dishes haha. usually i spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen. something i can only do during the school holidays. anyway, quite proud of what i cooked this time! ;)

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:

900g braising steak, cut into cubes

175g streaky bacon rashers, chopped

12 small shallots

cornflour

300ml red wine

300ml beef stock

115g mini portobello mushrooms

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Fry the bacon in a non-stick frying pan until lightly browned. Drain on kitchen paper and transfer into a casserole.

2. Lightly rub the beef cubes with some cornflour.

3. Depending on how much fat is left from the bacon, add a little oil to the pan if necessary so that you have about 2-3 tbsp. Fry the beef in batches over a hight heat, transferring to a casserole when they're lightly brown.

4. Reduce the heat to a medium heat and fry the shallots. Transfer to the casserole and stir a little more cornflour into the frying pan. Pour the wine and stock into the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until smooth.

4. Add the mushrooms.Pour the contents of the pan over the meat and shallots in the casserole. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.

5. Serve hot with mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes

5 potatoes

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Boil the potatoes until they are soft.

2. Mash the potatoes, slowly adding the milk and butter in equal amounts, until the mixture is smooth.

3. Warm it slightly, and serve.

Summer Salad with Blackberry vinagrette

Ingredients:

Blackberry vinagrette

1 cup blackberries

4 cups mixed salad greens

1/4 chopped macadamia nuts

1. Wash the salad greens thoroughly and dry them.

2. Toss them together with the other ingredients and sauce. Serve.