Diane Davidson has won our first Reader recipe competition. Diane's recipe for borscht beef on green herb rice has won her a Marlborough experience for two including flights, luxury accommodation at the Bay of Many Coves and Marlborough Vintners Hotel, three-course dinners, tutored wine tasting at Brancott Estate (the pioneers of Marlborough sauvignon blanc), guided tours and a whole lot more. How did she win? Diane (who goes by dianed online) uploaded her original recipe in to the Reader recipe section and we chose our three favourite recipes to make up and try. Her dish sounded good from the outset, with its interesting flavours of caraway seeds and smoked paprika and the healthy addition of beetroot and capsicum. We were not let down when tasting. It was rich in flavour and colour and nice and easy to make — a meal that is special enough to serve to guests, especially when you match it with a glass of award-winning Brancott Estate merlot, as we did.
Congratulations Diane, enjoy that special Marlborough experience.
Serves 4
400g beef, in strips
1 large red onion, sliced in strips
1 Tbsp cornflour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red pepper, sliced in strips
1 medium beetroot, grated
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
½ cup red wine
1 cup water
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups vegetable stock
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Sour cream and beetroot relish, to serve
- Combine beef and onion in a strong plastic bag. Sprinkle with cornflour, salt and pepper and shake well to coat evenly.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the beef/onion mix and saute until browned. Remove from pan.
- Add another tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add grated beetroot, red pepper, caraway seeds, garlic and tomato paste and continue stir-frying just until it all begins to caramelise.
- Stir in the red wine to deglaze the pan then add the water. Return the beef and onion mix to the pan. Sprinkle smoked paprika over and bring to the boil. Lower heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until mixture is richly saucy.
- Meanwhile cook rice in the vegetable stock until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir through chopped parsley.
- Serve the borscht beef over the green herbed rice. Accompany with dollops of sour cream and beetroot relish.
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Be in to win a trip to New York courtesy of Silver Fern Farms by uploading an original recipe by 30 November. Those not entering can get favouriting — the top recipes will be those with the most likes.
