Braised Beef Olives

Ingredients

600 gram beef schnitzel

Stuffing:

• 1 small green red or yellow capsicum
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 3/4 cups soft breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soft butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 3/4 cups tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon flour

Method

1. Pound beef with a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten and thin it slightly.
   
2. Trim off any fat. Cut into pieces roughly 12-15cm square.
3. Deseed and chop capsicum. Mix in the remaining stuffing ingredients and spread the stuffing on beef.
   
4. Roll up and tie with string or secure with cocktail sticks.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and brown beef rolls evenly.
   
6. Place into a casserole dish with a bay leaf.
7. On a low heat, add 1 cup of tomato juice to the frying pan then whisk the remaining juice with the flour and stir in until simmering. Pour over beef olives.
8. Cover the casserole and place into the oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 1 1/4 hours.
9. Remove string or toothpicks and serve either whole or in slices with the sauce laddled over.
   

...A Bit of Random Food History on Miso

Miso's origins can be traced to China as far back as the 4th century BC. A seasoning, called Hisio, was a paste resulting from the fermenting a mixture of soybeans, wheat, alcohol and salt. The written word, miso, first appeared around 800.

In Japan, miso was introduced the 7th century by buddhist monks. The process of making miso was furher refined and it became a necessary part of the samurai diet. With the widespread cultivation of rice, miso has become a staple food for Japanese people. Over the centuries, different types of miso were developed, often named after the province whre it originated. Well know varieties are shiromiso native to Kyoto, hatchomiso native to Aichi Prefecture and Shinshu miso produced in the Nagano Prefecture. According to Japanese mythology, miso is a gift to mankind from the gods to assure health, longevity and happiness.

Around 1960 miso was introduced in Europe by George Ohsawa. Miso was mainly an ingredient for the macrobiotic kitchen.

Japanese Miso Soup

Ingredients

2 cups dashi or water
2 tablespoons dark miso paste
4 medium or 2 large mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and very finely sliced
1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced
1/3 cup dried chopped seaweed, torn watercress, or torn baby spinach
45 grams silken tofu, cubed
Snipped chives to garnish
Method

1. Warm the dashi or water in a medium saucepan.
   
2. Place the miso in a bowl, and ladle in about 1/2 cup of the warm dashi or water. Mix with a fork or whisk until the miso is well blended.
3. Bring the remaining broth or water to a simmer (not a boil), and add the dissolved miso. Mix together but do not allow to boil.
   
4. Add the, mushrooms, tofu, spring onion and seaweed, watercress or spinach. Bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat.
   
5. Garnishing each bowl with chives and serve immediately.