Today I wrote a review on Derval O’Rourke’s newly released cookbook titled ‘Food in the Fast Lane’; go buy it!! Here is my review http://andreacullenhealthsolutions.com/2014/09/20/derval-orourkes-new-cookbook-food-for-the-fast-lane/

Food for the Fast Lane

Cherished personalised signature 🙂

“Having talent is easy.
Getting out of bed and showing up every day, doing the hard graft, and believing in yourself during the moments of doubt or loneliness
is NOT easy.

I applaud everyone who achieves, no matter how big or small;
Because I see the person behind the success.
And truly that is all any person wishes for:
To be seen.
For every effort to be noted and appreciated.

The medal does not mark the day’s achievement but the culmination of months and often years of training.

I have been honoured to work with many of Ireland’s best athletes and when I say they worked for it; they worked hard for it.
Often unsupported, invisible, but always believing.

This is not a glamour gig; it is a financial, personal, physical, and emotional sacrifice.

This is what we applaud: athlete, professional, amateur or the unnoticed person plodding away.

We make note of every training session, every stretching session; every meal prepared at home and for the road, every physical therapy appointment, every doctor visit, every dreaded morning alarm clock because no one really likes to get out of bed when it is dark and cold outside….
every normal part of life, like the pub, club or social event and even skiing trips and sports that risk a mishap…
that had to be missed…

We see the person, the efforts, the determination, the true grit, the never giving up, the picking oneself up after every fall and doing it again and again and again; the belief in the dream.
Notice the people you love.
See your children for who they are.
Be inspired by your parents and role models.
Everyone holds extraordinary gifts and talents;
And everyone feels vulnerable…”

Andrea xx

Red Lentil and Beef Tongue Massaman Curry

This recipe has Beef tongue in it which links into several recipes and articles on offal meats that I have written about recently. Please see the following links:

• Beef tongue and vegetable curry
• Frugal eating, offal, and Paleo truths
• Lambs liver and lambs heart casserole with a spicy twist
• Hearty heart Bolognese 

I will again include the instructions for cooking beef tongue at the end of this recipe. If you prefer, then add beef, lamb, pork or chicken (fresh or as leftovers) to this dish or you may like to keep this meal vegetarian and omit any meat at all.

Red Lentil and Beef Tongue Massaman Curry Ingredients:

• Fat/ oil: butter, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or bone marrow fat
• 1 onion – diced
• Optional ½ to 1 leek – sliced
• A good chunk of fresh root ginger; at least 1-inch in size – finely sliced
• A good chunk of fresh turmeric (if available); at least 1-inch in size – finely sliced OR 2 tablespoons dried turmeric or both if you need additional healing support.
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic – crushed or minced
• Massaman curry paste – I used Thai Gold brand and I like it spicy so I used 5 teaspoons
• 1 courgette – diced into ½ inch cubes
• Vine tomatoes; I used 6 – diced
• ½ can or tube tomato paste/ puree
• 1 x 500g bag organic red lentils –rinsed through a sieve
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• Water or stock as required; approximately 1 to 1 ½ cans using the empty coconut milk can as a measure (add more as needed to prevent the curry thickening too much)
• Cooked beef tongue; I used approximately one-quarter of the cooked tongue which I had frozen in the freezer already diced into ½ to 1-inch cubes. You may prefer to substitute beef, lamb, chicken or omit meat altogether.
• 1 bag organic spinach – washed and torn or I take a short cut and chop the spinach with a scissors as I am adding it.
• Season to taste with Celtic, Atlantic or Himalayan salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• To serve: 
  • For lean string skinny beans serve on steamed leafy vegetables, root vegetables or cauliflower rice. Or stuff into cabbage or lettuce leaves as a cabbage wrap.
  • For mighty warriors serve on cooked grain such as basmati, wild or brown rice, quinoa, or millet with a side of vegetables or salad.
  • I served this with a generous few dollops of my herb blitz; wow. Greek yogurt will also work well.
  • Leftovers taste great served on a baked potato.
  • I also often use left-overs to fill Sushi Nori rolls along with mango chutney or hummus.

chopped vine tomatoes

Ground turmeric

Organic red lentils and frozen beef tongue in the background

Fresh organic spinach

Massaman Curry pasts and tomato puree

Chopped courgettes and tomatoes

Coconut milk

Vegetables

Ginger, garlic, turmeric

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions and leeks (if using) in your choice of cooking fat until starting to go translucent.
2. Add the garlic, turmeric, and ginger and cook for a further few minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, courgette, dried turmeric if using, and Massaman curry paste.
4. Add the rinsed red lentils and then the coconut milk and water. I initially added 1 coconut milk can equivalent amount of water but as the curry started to thicken I added approximately ½ to 1 can further of water.
5. Add your chosen meat; I used cooked beef tongue in this recipe and it tasted superb; very tender. Lamb, beef, or chicken will also work.
6. Bring the curry to a boil and then simmer on a low heat for approximately 40 minutes or until the lentils soften and the meat is cooked through. The lentils have a sneaky habit of sticking to the bottom of the saucepan so stir the curry through to the bottom of the pan occasionally. Add further water as required to keep a nice texture to the curry; the lentils will thicken as they cook.
7. Towards the end of cooking and when the lentils are soft add your spinach. I added a lot, the spinach will disappear into the curry as it wilts. Kale will also work well as an alternative.
8. Season to taste and serve as preferred with vegetables or cooked grains. I added a generous dollop of my herb blitz; freshly torn coriander will also taste divine with this curry as will a dollop of Greek yogurt.

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Here are some photos of the finished curry. As this makes a large portion I froze several portions for serving on busy days in the near future when I won’t have time to cook. This is a great curry to bring to work on a cold winter’s day in a thermos flask.

Cooked curry – yum

Feast for the masses!

Enjoy!

The following details how to cook beef tongue; see also here:

Where to buy and how to cook beef tongue

Where can you buy raw beef tongue?

Any good butcher that rears and slaughters their own meat should supply fresh beef tongue or at the very least be able to order it in for you. I purchased mine from the Butcher Boys in Limerick. I had a good chat with the farmer and owner and I was satisfied that he was a kind man, running a clean and ethical business. Here are his contact details.

Flavin’s and Garrett’s are also excellent butchers for those in the Limerick area.

To cook your beef tongue.

I used the following blog as a guide: http://thecuriouscoconut.com/blog/how-to-cook-beef-tongue

Basically I did the following:

1. Rinsed and patted dry the beef tongue; it was already very clean.
2. Placed the beef tongue in a large saucepan and covered with water.
3. Added cut leeks (I didn’t have any onions), carrots, dried oregano and black peppercorns.
4. I brought the pot up to temperature, and then simmered covered while keeping an eye on it for 2 hours.
5. I removed the tongue from the pot and once it was cool enough to handle I used a sharp knife to remove all the hard skin encasing the tongue. This took a bit of skill as the hotter the tongue then the easier the skin comes off.
6. Allow the beef tongue to cool and use as is, slice, dice or add to casseroles, bolognaises, curries, enjoy cold with a salad, or as you prefer!

Beef tongue and heart beside my hand

Beef tongue and heart

Raw clean beef tongue

Beef tongue in the pot

Cooked, peeled, cooled tongue

Diced beef tongue

 I don’t know what it takes to convince you about using beef tongue in your cooking. I was sceptic myself and after taking the plunge in the name of my clients I am hooked. Organ meats such as tongue are affordable, nutritious, economical and feed a large family for several meals!