I see no one has mentioned salt. Important to use salt when cooking and not add salt to the food as you are about to eat, that way you use less salt and it's distributed through the food so you are actually eating less salt
Salt bring out flavour in every thing without changing the flavour of what ever it is you are cooking. When cooking quality proteins, ie steak, lamb fish ect just seasoning it with salt brings out the flavour and lets you enjoy that protein for what it is.
In the subcontinent countries they don't have much in the way of quality proteins, infact their proteins are mostly poor quality and as such use lots of spices, herbs and curry to flavour the proteins to the point the protein could be anything. In those countries you could be eating cat, dog or rats and not know it LOL
Here is a quick and simple stew/casserole dish I do that with a little variation is great for Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Cuttle fish, Octopus and probably good with Rabbit and other proteins.
Basic ingredients for 4 persons
1 x large brown onion roughly diced
1 x large red capsicum roughly diced
4 x Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 x can crushed/diced tomatoes (can use a similar amount of pasta sauce)
approx 2/3 cup of Extra Virgin olive oil
Cooking salt to taste
1kg aprox of your choice of proteins
Wine/stock/water
Set the oven (fan forced to 175 degree) to pre heat
In a Pyrex dish, baking tray or Dutch oven add in this order
Half the onion
Half the Capsicum
Half the Garlic
Salt the protein and place on top of the above
On top of that add the rest of the Onion garlic and capsicum
Spread the olive oil all over
Pour the crushed/diced tomatoes on top
Add Wine/stock/water so it nearly covers the protein, make sure the baking dish tray is not over full
That takes 20-30 minutes to prep and then ready to go into the oven with a lid on
Bake for 45-50 mins aprox, take out turn over the proteins and check the tenderness. Also taste the sauce to see if it needs any adjustment
If Protein is already tender (chicken would be) back into the oven with out the lid, other wise with lid back on
Check after 15 mins or so, you want the lid off and temp down to 150 degrees after that
That is the basic base for the dish but you can experiment and make additions ie carrots, celery. If using a dutch oven or big enough dish you could add potatoes
Some variations for different proteins
Chicken Add sweet paprika Use white wine
Lamb Use red wine Add rosemary add bay leaves
Beef Use red wine and or stout Add bay leaves
Cuttle fish/Octopus Use white wine Add chillies Use fish stock instead of water
Salt gets a bad wrap these days but like most things it's fine in moderation and as I said us it while cooking not after.
Also with energy cost on the rise you should know that cooking in the oven is much more energy efficient than using a cook top because the heat is kept in the oven and the element switches on to just maintain the temp
Note I do not brown the meat, in days past I use to but don't think it necessary, save time and makes for a one pot dish
