Hot grain salad and braised beef with mushrooms and rosemary

Ingredients

• Brown rice/wild rice/brown lentils/pearl barley
• Water
• Black pepper
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
  
• Dash of olive oil (1 tsp for analysis)
• Juice of half a lemon
• Sesame seeds and parsley to garnish (1 tsp for analysis

Method

1. Rinse rices, lentils and barley under running water.
2. Combine the brown rice and barley in a saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil. Simmer until cooked.
3. Combine the lentils and wild rice in another saucepan, add 3 cups of water, and bring to the boil. Simmer until cooked.
4. You will know when the grains are cooked when they are soft to the bite. This should take about 20 minutes.
5. Pour the grains into a colander and allow to drain.
6. While the rice and lentils are cooking, chop the parsley, mint and spring onions.
7. Mix the chopped parsley, mint, spring onions, oil, lemon juice and pepper in with the grains.
8. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped parsley.

Ingredients

• 1kg topside of beef or another fairly lean cut
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 3 sticks of celery, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1x400ml tin of tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 100ml red wine
• 200g mushrooms
• Pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 120 degrees Celcius.
2. Heat a thick enamelled casserole dish; add the oil when it is smoking and add the meat to the pan. Fry the meat on each side until brown.
3. Remove to a warm plate.
4. Add the vegetables to the pot. Turn down the heat and cook slowly for 1-2 minutes.
5. Stir in the wine and cook for a minute.
6. Add the purée, tinned tomatoes and herbs.
7. Bring to the boil, season with pepper.
8. Replace the meat in the pot.
9. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1.5-2 hours, or until tender.
10. Remove the bay leaf. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.