Steak and Chips

Monday night is steak night for me, sometimes I'll make an effort to serve it different ways. Not tonight though.

Steak Sandwich

1 Ciabatta, baguette or other nice bread
1 Steak - rump, ribeye or sirloin
1 handful of rocket or watercress
Extra Virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
Djion mustard
Salt and pepper

Drizzle the bread with oil and warm in the oven
Heat a grill pan or frying pan until smoking hot
Flatten out your steak and trim a bit of the fat off
Season the steak
Cook the steak to your liking (2-3 mins each side for medium rare)
Squeeze the lemon over the steak and leave to rest on a plate
Half the bread, drizzle the oil over the bottom half, top with the leaves
Put the steak on top and spread with mustard
Pour the steak juices from the plate onto the top piece of bread and place on top

Serves 1 with a cold lager

Verdict

8/10 I got quite a nice steak from Tomo the butcher on the market which makes the difference.
Only takes 10 mins before you can apply it to your face.

If you havn't tried a quality steak, cooked correctly and rare. Do yourself a favour.
Always leave your steak to rest for the time it takes to smoke a fag.
Don't season your steak until your ready to cook it. The salt draws the moisture out.
Don't even think about using a George Fornby grilling machine, my spare room gets hotter.
You don't have to listen to me.

In other events this last weekend saw me getting out drunk by a girl on Friday (it was the weed I swear) and going to Gullies on Saturday which I gave a rating on the Hendometer scale of 2 ice pops out of 5.

Vegas 2006 Status - On Ice

Vegas 2006 is about me increasing my poker bankroll enough to live in vegas for a month, entering some of the big tournaments and going on many many adventures. I plan to use a laptop to play online poker when I'm there to keep my bills paid. If I last a month I'll come back to Grimsby and rent my flat out and set off on another adventure. Me + wireless internet + the world = Fortune and Glory.

Also look out for Repossession of Flat Status 2007

King of Mince

Ah mince, where would I be without you?
This was tea tonight (any excuse to open a bottle of wine). This is my cheaper version of spag bol sauce but tasty none the less. The secret is in the long cooking - Italian style.

Spag bol

1 Large onion
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
1 stick of celery
1lb Minced beef
1/2lb Minced pork
1 Large jar of passata
Tomato puree
1 Glass of red wine
Bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Pasta
Pamersan cheese

Fry the onion, celery and garlic in the oil for 3-4 mins until soft.
Add the mince and fry until brown
Add the wine and bubble it till you can't smell the alcohol
Add the tomatoes, puree, bay leaves and season well
Reduce the heat and simmer for a good 1-2 hours
Serve with pasta and grated cheese

Serves 4-6 with a green salad and garlic bread

Verdict

7/10 Tasted nice and easy to do. You can drink the rest of the bottle of wine while its simmering so it gets an extra point.

Tip - Always use the best quality ingredients you can afford
Tip - Don't use that shit pamersan powder, buy a block and it'll keep wrapped in foil for ages
Tip - Cook your pasta, al dente in plenty of boiling, salted water (they say the water should be as salty as the mediterranean)
Tip - Bay leaves - count them in, count them out!

Sausage Casserole

I stopped the Atkins diet at the weekend and come tonight i'd run out of food. A quick rummage around the cuboards and freezer I came up with this:

Sausage Casserole

1 Onion
1 Clove of garlic
Groundnut oil
6 Sausages - cut into chunks
1 Tin of tomatoes
1 Pinch of chilli flakes
1/3 Pint of Chicken Stock
1 Tin of butter beans
Salt and pepper
1 Large potato - cut into chunks and parboiled for 5- 6 mins

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil for 3-4 mins, then add the sausages. Fry until brown.
Add tomatoes, chilli, stock, beans, potatoes and season.
Simmer for 10 - 15 mins until thickened.
Serves 2 with veg (sprouting broccoli in my case)

Verdict

Weak 3/10. There was not enough sauce as I used to many pototoes but it tasted nice enough. It didnt look that appetising either. OK for storecupboard tastic.

Tip - Always warm your plates when serving leafy greens. Otherwise they go cold quickly.
Tip - You should always warm your plates!

Work, Satan and Magic

Sorry for lack of updates, I guess I haven't had anything intresting to say lately. I've been too busy trying to dig myself out my poker grave - which thankfully I nearly have.
I'm still working for the council in the cash office where I have absolutely nothing to do all day except serve about 50 customers, read and browse the interweb.

Apparently people are taking the piss out of using the net at work and they may freeze it but fuck them I’m only a shit temp and should be out of here well before Xmas.
My current favourite websites to look at a work are proxify.org, gizmodo.com, bbc.co.uk (best site ever), fark.com, and ebay.

I’ve just finished reading Mr Nice by Howard Marks, which kinda makes me want to become a drug smuggler. 1000 pills for £250, pick up in Hull and sell in 100’s in Town for £1500 sounds easy enough to start off with. Now I'm just skimming Potter IV before we go and see it on Friday.

Last weekend a few of us went to Skidbrooke Church about 2am for a bit of an adventure. For those of you who don't know Skidbrooke is an abandoned church which besides rumored to be haunted and a site for devil worshipping in the 80's, is actually a really cool building.
We lit a bomfire in the middle which looked amazing from 200 yards away, did a Ouija board which yet again didn't work. We're planning another trip on 6/6/06 if anyone is up for it!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lincolnshire/3405919.stm

In other news I've been looking at Magic cards again, after going to the GP in Nottingham last month sorta rekindled it a bit. It could be the fact that I saw a few people I'd not seen for ages or that I had some really good games ( I sometimes forget its a game, not a way to make money). Theres an extended PTQ in Donny on sunday too...

Vegas 2006 status - Back on the trail