Meals for one

Pressure cooker ribeye roast

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

How are you? It’s been a good week; I even spent half a day in the office!

Thankfully the weather here in Canberra is getting warmer. Spring has sprung, and with it, the pollen count has exploded. Hay fever is the only downside of spring.

One of the many highlights of this week was receiving a gift from my daughters. They bought me a hand mixer for my birthday (yes, I know my birthday is in May and it’s October). I’m looking forward to using it tomorrow to make pancakes.

  • KitchenAid Hand Mixer
  • KitchenAid Hand mixer

Ingredients

  • Ribeye roast
  • Iodised sea salt
  • Master stock
  • Peppercorns
  • Potato
  • Red cabbage
  • Carrot
  • Red onion
  • Wasabi mayonnaise
  • Instant gravy

Instructions

Pressure cooker ribeye roast

  1. Remove the ribeye roast from the refrigerator about an hour or so before you plan to start cooking.
  2. Unwrap it from the plastic packaging.
  3. Dry the surfaces of the roast with some absorbent paper towel.
  4. Season the meat with salt. Be generous with the seasoning.
  5. Allow the beef to rest at room temperature.
  6. Sear the surfaces of the roast to get it brown.
  7. Place the ribeye into the pressure cooker and add master stock plus peppercorns and a potato.
  8. Cook the ribeye for one hour.
  9. Allow the pressure cooker to equalise and keep the meat enclosed for another 15 minutes. The resting helps keep your meat moist.
  10. Remove the roast from the pressure cooker and, with a boning knife, dissect away the fat cap for the meal. Place the rest of the meat into a container and put it into the refrigerator.

Slaw

  1. Lovingly sharpen your cook’s knife (as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend Proverbs 27:17 NLT).
  2. Slice the cabbage, carrot, and red onion.
  3. Mix with the mayonnaise.

Finishing up

  1. Make the instant gravy according to the instructions for use.
  2. Add the cooked peppercorns from the cooking liquor to the instant gravy and mix it through.
  3. Plate up the meat and slaw and slather with instant gravy.
  4. Give thanks to the Lord for His grace and mercy.

Cooking notes

Why did I use a boning knife to remove the fat cap? It feels more comfortable using a knife with a short distance between the spine and edge for dissecting between muscle planes.

Why did I reserve the fat cap for dinner? The fat cap is the best part of a ribeye because it is the deckle or spinalis dorsi muscle. It is tender and has a high amount of fat. We all know that fat means flavour.

Blog post questions

  1. Do you have hay fever? How do you manage it?
  2. What did you receive for your birthday this year?
  3. Do you like your meat fatty or lean?

Simul Justus et Peccator

I know many people think of October as Halloween month. All Hallow’s Eve has never really featured highly in my mind. I’m always amused to see all these big North American pumpkins in Coles.

When I think of October, I think of Martin Luther and his posting of his 95 theses on 31 October 1517. Reformation Day represents the onset of the protestant reformation.

I’ve been listening to Tim Keller this month preach on Galatians. On Thursday morning, I listened to a sermon he titled “Justified Sinner”. The text was Galatians 2:17–21. Tim explained how one of Luther’s most well-described formulae is Simul Justus et Peccator, Latin for a justified sinner. If you’re interested, the podcast is fantastic. Tim explains the heart of the gospel in this sermon.

  • Ribeye roast
  • Ribeye roast
  • Ribeye roast and iodised salt
  • Pressure cooker ribeye roast with slaw and instant gravy with extra peppercorns.
  • Pressure cooker ribeye roast with slaw and instant gravy with extra peppercorns.
  • Pressure cooker ribeye roast with slaw and instant gravy with extra peppercorns.
  • Pressure cooker ribeye roast with slaw and instant gravy with extra peppercorns.

Pressure cooker rolled lamb shoulder

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

I’m on a roll with my pressure cooker. I’m trying all sorts of cuts of meat. I think the only thing I’d probably baulk at would be fish, but then again, who knows? I may find a recipe I want to try using fish. The cooking time would be brief.

So today has been pretty glorious. I’ve enjoyed the sunshine and clean, fresh Canberra air. Zoom church was good. I also got to chat with a friend who lives in Houston.

Lake Ginninderra
Lake Ginninderra

Ingredients

  • Rolled shoulder of lamb with the bones removed
  • Master stock
  • Brown onion
  • Potatoes
  • Gravy
  • Iodised salt
  • Radish
  • Fennel
  • Red onion
  • Capsicum
  • Parsley
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil

Instructions

  1. Unwrap the meat from the plastic. I would use biodegradable wrapping.
  2. Dry the surface of the roast.
  3. Rub the lamb with iodised salt.
  4. Sear the surface to caramelise the outer meat.
  5. Add in the master stock, onion, and potatoes.
  6. You could also add some garlic, rosemary, and thyme for some extra flavour if you have it.
  7. Cook the lamb for one hour.
  8. Prepare the salad vegetables with a mandolin. I recommend using a safety glove to avoid losing significant portions of skin and blood.
  9. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil. Use this mixture as a dressing for the salad.
  10. At the end of the high-pressure hour, allow the internal pressure to drop to the ambient pressure.
  11. Keep the lid on for about half an hour to ensure the meat is tender and doesn’t dry out while it rests in the meat juices.
  12. Remove the meat and place it on a carving board.
  13. Lovingly sharpen your butcher’s knife (as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend Proverbs 27:17 NLT).
  14. Slice the meat with long slow, deliberate strokes of the knife and discover the lamb is so tender it falls apart along the muscle bundle planes. Set aside a couple of “slices” for dinner. Place the rest of the cooked meat into a container for refrigeration.
  15. Make the instant gravy according to the instructions for use.
  16. Prepare a dinner plate with slices of lamb and salad. Spoon gravy over the meat to keep it moist.
  17. Give thanks to the Lord for His grace and mercy.
  18. Eat the meal while listening to some fantastic music (I’ve embedded a couple of YouTube videos at the end).
Pressure cooker Lamb shoulder Gravy Radish Fennel Red onion Pars
Sunday dinner. Pressure cooker lamb shoulder, instant gravy, and a fennel salad.

Notes

I think the perfect cut of lamb for cooking and eating is the shoulder. If I didn’t live alone, I would buy a shoulder with the bones in. I like a whole shoulder because I like the knife work necessary to dissect and remove the bones and roast them alongside the meat.

When I refer to master stock, I mean the liquor from previous meals. Whenever I use the pressure cooker, I sieve the liquid and keep it refrigerated. Before using the refrigerated liquor, I remove the fat which has solidified. My master stock has juices from many species, including beef, chicken, lamb, and pork.

When I cook with a pressure cooker, I’ll use the cheapest potatoes I can find. I may not even eat them with that meal. I’ve discovered potatoes cooked this way roast well after refrigeration. 

Final thoughts

  1. Do you like mint sauce with lamb?
  2. What’s your favourite condiment with cold lamb sandwiches?
  3. Do you keep a master stock of old cooking liquor?

Feel free to leave answers in the comments 👍🙂

YouTube videos I love

Celtic Worship is a Scottish group of musicians who sing hymns and other songs.

Oh Holy Night

The Celtic Blessing

Naomi and Steph have marvellous singing voices. 

  • Australian lamb rolled shoulder roast
    Australian lamb rolled shoulder roast in plastic wrap
  • Master stock in a red plastic cup
    Master stock. Do you like the wobbly jelly-like consistency? It looked so cool as it wiggled and jiggled.
  • Australian lamb rolled shoulder roast
    Australian lamb rolled shoulder roast nude, sans plastic wrap.
  • Dick knife Dick butcher's knife
    Butcher’s knife
  • Pressure cooker lamb shoulder roll
    Pressure cooker lamb shoulder roll
  • Pressure cooker Lamb shoulder Gravy Radish Fennel Red onion Pars
    Sunday dinner. Pressure cooker lamb shoulder, instant gravy, and a fennel salad.

Chicken and leek pot pie

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

Hi there 😊 How are you? 

Canberra emerged out of lockdown on Friday (2021-10-15), well, technically, it was Thursday evening, but the functional changes took effect on Friday.

Not much has changed for me. Given I have no one to visit and no one comes to my place, no change there. I’m not that interested at this stage in eating out; as much as I’d like to see small business people keep earning an income, my contribution will effectively be nil. Not because I don’t want to, but because my interest is not contributing to any crowding anywhere. Crowding increases the risk of infectious disease transmission, and it’s not limited to COVID-19. 

I know some immunologically vulnerable people, and the thought of contributing to spreading infection is enough to stay at home as much as possible.

Capsicum, Celery, Cucumber, Fennel, Lemon zest, Parsley, Radish, Red onion

Ingredients

  • Chicken thigh meat
  • Leek
  • Mushrooms
  • Thyme
  • White wine or cooking sherry
  • Cream
  • Cheese
  • Puff pastry
  • Egg
  • Radish
  • Fennel
  • Red onion
  • Parsley
  • Celery
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil

Instructions

  1. Lovingly sharpen your cook’s knife (as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend Proverbs 27:17 NLT).
  2. Slice all the vegetables
  3. The choice of chicken can be a supermarket purchases roast chook or chicken meat you’ve previously cooked, or you can cook some chicken meat specifically for this meal. I had cooked some chicken thighs in a pressure cooker last week, and I used that meat for this dish. 
  4. Heat a skillet with some neutral oil. I use Queensland nut oil.
  5. Sauté the leeks and mushrooms and then add in the chicken meat and heat it through. Add in the thyme leaves too.
  6. Depending on how much chicken, leek, and mushrooms you used, you may find you have too much for your pie dish. Please remove what you won’t need and aliquot it to a container for refrigeration and use at another time.
  7. Turn off the heat and allow the filling to cool a little. 
  8. Place the filling into your pie dish. If you’re a wise cook, you’ll lubricate the inside surfaces of your pie dish with some butter or oil. While I make no claims to any wisdom, I used butter because I’ll use any excuse to use some butter.
  9. Add a little cream and some grated cheese and mix it through the filling.
  10. As an optional step, add a layer of basil leaves for a pleasant surprise when you cut through the pie.
  11. If you’re a keen and competent cook, you can make your puff pastry. Given that Yummy Lummy (i.e., me) is all about convenience cooking for singletons, I buy puff pastry from a supermarket brand.
  12. Thaw a sheet of puff pastry while that is happening, turn on the oven to about 180 °C. 
  13. Cover the pie dish with the pastry and crimp the edges.
  14. Beat the egg and, with a brush, ‘paint’ the pastry.
  15. Place the pie dish into the oven and cook until the pastry is a golden brown colour.
  16. While the pie is cooking, prepare the salad and dress with lemon juice and olive oil.
  17. Remove the pie from the oven and admire your handiwork.
  18. Take a portion of the pie and place it on a plate and add some of the salad.
  19. Praise God for the day and thank Him for the food.
  20. Eat and enjoy.

A word about love

It’s been a pretty good week. Work has been great. While it is busy, I have fantastic workmates who make everything we do enjoyable.

I’ve been enjoying listening to some audiobooks by Sam Allberry and sermons by Tim Keller on podcasts. I was also excited by last Sunday’s zoom church service. We’ve started a series on Peter’s letters. Coincidentally, the sermon series I’m listening to by Tim Keller is on Galatians and has a bit to say about Peter.

In one of the books this week, Sam mentioned a well-known passage of scripture commonly quoted at weddings.

‘If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ‘

1 Corinthians 13:1–7.

He suggested comparing if we measure up to God’s standard, we should replace the word “love” with our name. I tried it, and let’s say it wasn’t good. 😳

The thing I did which did make sense was to replace “love” with “Jesus”. 

Final thoughts

  1. How do you feel about the combination of chicken and leeks in a pie?
  2. Do you make puff pastry from scratch?
  3. Would you immediately get out and about after lockdown ends?

Feel free to leave a comment 😊

  • Leek Mushroom
  • Leek Mushroom Chicken
  • Chicken Leek Mushroom Pot pie
  • Chicken Leek Mushroom Pot pie
  • Capsicum, Celery, Cucumber, Fennel, Lemon zest, Parsley, Radish, Red onion
  • Chicken Leek Mushroom Pot pie
  • Saturday dinner. Chicken Pot pie with Capsicum, Celery, Cucumber, Fennel, Lemon zest, Parsley, Radish, and Red onion salad.

Pressure cooker rolled roast with gravy, roast pumpkin, and baby green peas.

Posted by Gary

Pressure cooker rolled roast with gravy, roast pumpkin, and baby green peas.

Dear Reader,

I hope you’ve had a good week.

My week has been okay. Lockdown continues in Canberra while the situation in New South Wales improves as the infection burns out and the situation in Victoria worsens as peak infection numbers are yet to be realised.

We should be ending lockdown in Canberra at the end of this week. I hope the restrictions remain flexible to ensure maximum safety. I know workmates who desperately want their children back in school because homeschooling is doing their heads in. Other friends are more concerned for the health and welfare of their children and their community and don’t mind the burden of homeschooling.

My preference is for community safety and health, not just physical health but also mental health.

I know my mental health is improved by cooking because I find it relaxing.

One thing which is playing on my mind though is the high likelihood the premier of Queensland will close the border to Canberrans at Christmas. I would like to see my daughters and parents. I haven’t seen them since early December last year.

Sorry vegans and vegetarians, tonight is very meaty. Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker rolled roast with gravy, roast pumpkin, and baby green peas.

Ingredients

  • Rolled roast
  • Iodised salt
  • Master stock
  • Red wine
  • Leek
  • Brown onion
  • Celery
  • Red royale potato
  • Fennel
  • Kent pumpkin
  • Baby green peas
  • Instant gravy

Instructions

  1. Remove the rolled roast from the plastic wrapping.
  2. Dry the surface of the beef with an absorbent paper towel.
  3. Season the meat with a liberal amount of iodised salt.
  4. Slice the leek, onion, celery, potato, and fennel.
  5. Place the sliced vegetables into the bottom of the cooking vessel.
  6. Add the master stock and wine.
  7. Place the meat on top and close the pressure cooker by sealing the lid.
  8. Cook under pressure for one hour.
  9. Roast the pumpkin in the oven.
  10. Use microwave radiation for cooking the peas.
  11. Make the instant gravy according to the instructions for use.
  12. When everything is ready, plate it up.
  13. Give thanks to our Heavenly Father for this food.

Final thoughts

  • How are you coping with the pandemic where you live?
  • Do you like cooking roast beef in your pressure cooker?
  • What are your plans for Christmas?
  • Rolled roast
  • Rolled roast Salted
  • Sliced celery, fennel, brown onion, red royale potato, and leek
  • Rolled roast cooked
  • Sorry vegans and vegetarians, tonight is very meaty. Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker rolled roast with gravy, roast pumpkin, and baby green peas.
  • Sorry vegans and vegetarians, tonight is very meaty. Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker rolled roast with gravy, roast pumpkin, and baby green peas.
  • Sorry vegans and vegetarians, tonight is very meaty. Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker rolled roast with gravy, roast pumpkin, and baby green peas.
  • Sorry vegans and vegetarians, tonight is very meaty. Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker rolled roast with gravy, roast pumpkin, and baby green peas.

Pressure cooker beef brisket

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

You nearly received a post about corned silverside tonight, but it’s not to be. 

I wanted to make corned beef this weekend and went to find a nice piece of silverside. I couldn’t find one with a decent layer of fat on it.

I came across this lovely piece of brisket, and I thought I might cook it in the pressure cooker.

I’ve usually cooked brisket in the slow cooker; however, I’m in a bit of a pressure cooker frenzy at the moment. I figure it’s worth having a go. 

Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.

Ingredients

  • Beef brisket
  • Black whole peppercorns
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Red wine
  • Beef stock
  • Brown onion
  • Royale red potato
  • Hot chilli flakes
  • Kent pumpkin
  • Purple broccolini
  • baby asparagus

Instructions

  1. Lovingly sharpen your cook’s knife as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend Proverbs 27:17 NLT.
  2. Quarter the onion and potato
  3. Place the beef into the pressure cooker.
  4. Add the peppercorns, barbecue sauce, chilli flakes, and some red wine in a large measuring cup with the beef stock.
  5. Mix everything in the cup.
  6. Pour the contents of the cup into the pressure cooker.
  7. Add in the onion and potato pieces.
  8. Check the seals of the lid of the pressure cooker, place it on the body of the pressure cooker, and set the seal.
  9. Cook the brisket for 1 hour.
  10. While the brisket is cooking, turn on an oven to 180 °C.
  11. Prepare the pumpkin by gently rub a little oil over the pumpkin’s surface, including its skin.
  12. Cook the pumpkin in the oven for about an hour.
  13. Place the broccolini and asparagus into a bowl and douse with olive oil, and season with iodised salt.
  14. When there are ten minutes left for the pumpkin to cook, add the broccolini and asparagus to the oven.
  15. If you want some gravy, go ahead and use the instant kind, no one will judge you. I certainly won’t think less of you. Instant beef gravy is delicious, and it is easy to make, and there is less of a hassle to wash up.
  16. Once the pressure cooker has finished doing its thing, remove the lid and allow the meat to rest in the cooking liquor for 15 minutes.
  17. Remove the potato, onion, and brisket.
  18. Allow the meat to drain a little.
  19. Carve the beef with your sharp cook’s knife. If you’re feeling decadent, cut lusciously thick slices.
  20. Serve everything on a warmed dinner plate and pour a liberal volume of gravy on the meat and vegetables.
  21. Give thanks to God for all things and your daily bread.

Final thoughts

  1. Have you ever cooked a brisket in a pressure cooker?
  2. Do you prefer instant gravy or gravy made from scratch?
  3. What are your favourite vegetables to enjoy with beef?
  4. How has your week been?

My week

My week has been good. It was busy, and I enjoyed some engagements with international colleagues. On the Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I had 6 am meetings, and on Tuesday night, I had an 8 pm meeting. Long days, but rewarding and edifying. I was in discussions with people from India, Japan, the USA, Canada, Switzerland, and the UK.

There was also good news about a friend who had an investigation. Praise God the result was good.

  • Coles Beef Brisket
  • Kent pumpkin, brown onion, and red royale potato.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.

Custard addiction

I’ve been enjoying some custard too 😉

  • Friday lockdown second breakfast. Happy Friday! 😊 Dobinsons Cherry Danish with custard! Atlas coffee to keep alive 😉 Praise God! It’s Friday!!!
  • Dobinsons Cherry Danish cut to expose the custard and cherry filling.
  • Saturday lockdown second breakfast. I love the lushness in my mouth of slightly sweet soft vanilla custard. Lick-able with the tip of my tongue but not dripping, encased in delicate and slightly chewy buttery croissant. Dobinsons custard filled almond croissant and Atlas coffee make for a magnificent marriage in my mouth.
  • Dobinsons Almond Custard Croissant
  • Dobinsons Almond Custard Croissant