Raspberry ripple parfait with pistachios

And so Valentine's Day is upon us... We have no plans of going out. I'm not a Valentine's Day grinch, but apart from a festive meal at home, I don't bother with gifts or cards.
According to Olly Smith, "the key to winning the heart of the one you love this Valentine's Day lies in... a carefully chosen bottle of pink fizz". Well, I'm not sure about that. Personally I'd rather have a glass of prosecco or a good old Bellini.
My "Valentine" doesn't care much for pink fizzy drinks either. But he has a sweet tooth, so I will make an effort and cook a lovely dessert for tomorrow.
I haven't decided yet, whether it will be a chocolate cake or some berry ice cream concoction.
A while ago I have tried a delicious raspberry ripple parfait, and though it is a summer recipe, it is a great contender for Valentine's day. It is sweet, it has a red sauce and berries, so ticks off all the boxes.

The original recipe appeared in Delicious magazine (July 2015), and since then it has become available on their website - see Raspberry ripple and pistachio parfait for the full recipe. As I followed the recipe close enough and haven't adapted it, I cannot reproduce it on my blog without permission. Please click on the link above to find the recipe.
I have also skipped the honeycomb crumbs, only because I forgot to add them. I actually made my own honeycomb, but only realised I didn't add it to the dessert after we ate it all. So, honeycomb was eaten separately later.
It is a delicious dessert, refreshing and flavourful. The pistachios add a lovely crunch, and the raspberry sauce gives a necessary tart note to a sweet creamy parfait.

In case you are thinking of cooking a Valentine's Day meal and are looking for ideas, I may suggest a scrumptious Austrian chocolate cake Sacher Torte.
I also have a Valentine's Day menu (non-vegetarian), if you fancy having a look. There is another chocolate cake suggested as a festive dessert, made with Nutella.

Are you cooking a meal for your Valentine? Or do you have other plans?

The Lego Batman Movie (review) + Build your own Lego character with The Super SigFig Creator

The Lego Batman Movie is the latest superhero animation, directed by Chris Mckay and written by Seth Grahame-Smith.
Ever since we've seen the trailer months ago, Eddie begged me to take him to see The Lego Batman Movie. I could think of better ways of spending over two hours (ads + film), so went under duress.
I cannot say that the cinema hall was packed full, but it was a respectable 2/3. Usually when we go to the cinema with Eddie, more than two thirds of seats are left empty. Not surprising, as the prices are exorbitant - almost £19 for two of us.
I was one of a few women, as most of the kids were accompanied by Dads who guffawed through the film with great enthusiasm.

As much as I love Lego toys, I am not very keen on Lego films. The Lego Movie left me indifferent. But Eddie loves them all, he is happy to watch Lego Ninjago and Lego Nexo Knights for hours. The original plan was for my husband to take Eddie to see Batman, but he has not been well this weekend (conveniently, I should add), so it was my good luck.

When the film started, my eyes were beginning to glaze over. But it proved to be better than I expected. I even laughed a few times. As for Eddie, he was in Lego paradise.

The Lego Batman Movie is quite funny, though I suspect many jokes were lost on the younger audience. There are a lot of in-jokes, with references to the old Batman movies and TV shows. Add bits of psychoanalysis in regards to Batman's commitment-phobia as well as making fun of "You had me at Hello" scene, and it becomes an animation for grown-ups.
There are lots of villains and monsters, but thankfully, very little gore, since everything is made of Lego bricks.
You can almost feel the glee of Lego company. I would imagine the merchandise and tie-in Lego sets will bring them multi-million profits. Even we succumbed already and bought a Lego joker set, plus almost the whole set of the latest Lego mini-figures.

The Lego Batman Movie is darker than The Lego Movie. There is plenty of destruction and dark forces galore. Of course, they look mostly cute and harmless.

Batman (Will Arnett) is Gotham's superhero, saviour with a husky sexy voice who enjoys all the worship, and wants it to stay that way forever. When Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) succeeds her father as a commissioner, she comes with a power-point presentation suggesting that Batman's ways of dealing with villains are dated, and there is no more place for all the vigilante nonsense. Everything has to be according to law.
Joker (Zach Galifianakis) is offended by Batman's attitude - because Batman refuses to name him as his main enemy. He even doesn't want to say "I hate you". There follow a lot of good one-liners like "I'm fighting a few different people, I like to fight around". Joker hatches a plan to take over Gotham and humiliate Batman, by surrendering himself and his cronies to the new commissioner.
Batman feels slighted, and decides to break into Arkham Asylum to steal the Phantom Zone projector to send the Joker and his mates to the Phantom Zone.
The villains' list covers all the famous baddies - from Joker to Dracula, from Gremlins to Daleks, from Lord Voldemort to New Goblin... You will find Godzilla, Sauron, The Matrix's agent Smith, Venom, Sandman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Clayface, Kind King, Scarecrow, the wicked witch and many more. It was nice to see so many badass female characters.
Will Batman be able to manage on his own? Or does he have to conquer his fears and accept he is better off, working as a team with Robin, Barbara and Alfred the butler?

Kids like my son, would enjoy numerous "butt" jokes, and Robin going out without pants. Grown-ups will relish the jokey references to the old films and shows.
This is a very fast-paced film, visually creative, colourful and amusing, and of course, this is a huge hour and forty minutes-long Lego ad.
If you are a Lego fan, you will love the way the Lego Gotham city is created, as  well as Batman's home Batcave.

To celebrate the release of The Lego Batman Movie, a new fun animation-related content has been created - The Super SigFig Creator. Using the website, you can create your very own Lego character, with its own name, skills and features.






Have fun, trying all the different combinations at creating your own Lego character. Eddie had a blast, building his Lego baddies.

Here is my badass girl.

Coffee, rum and walnut loaf cake

Thanks goodness, we are now on a midterm break for a week. No more early hectic mornings, when I run around the house, waking everyone up and nagging them to eat their breakfast faster "because we don't have all the time in the world". We don't have any big plans for the week ahead, just relaxing, maybe having some playdates and going out to cafes.

We were walking home after school today, and a few snowflakes were dancing in the air. Eddie and his friend J were trying to catch them. I wonder whether we'd get some snow after all. We haven't been able to build a snowman for several years.

To celebrate a mini-break from school, I baked a coffee cake. This is a twist on a classic coffee walnut cake, with an extra added booze. I have a bottle of Bacardi Oakheart spiced rum, which takes space in the drinks cabinet. I bought it last year for using in a recipe, but only needed a little bit. I imagine this rum will last a loooong time until I manage to use it all. 

Coffee, rum and walnut cake

Ingredients:

150g muscovado sugar

3 medium eggs

1tsp baking powder

60ml spiced rum

1tsp cinnamon, ground

200g self-raising flour

150g butter, melted and slightly cooled

3tsp instant coffee+ 3tbsp hot water

70g walnuts + more for the decoration

whipped cream frosting (about 3tbsp)

In a deep mixing bowl beat 3 eggs with muscovado sugar. Add the baking powder, rum, cinnamon and flour. Melt the butter, let it cool a bit, then add to the cake mix. In a small cup pour hot water over instant coffee. Add to the cake mix together with chopped walnuts. Mix well.

Spoon the cake dough into a buttered loaf cake tin. Place the tin in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 50+ minutes. Once the wooden toothpick comes clean, the cake is ready.

Let it cool before decorating with frosting and walnut pieces.

I was planning to make my own buttercream, but realised that I didn't have enough butter for that, so used the remains of the ready-made whipped cream frosting, left over from the cake I baked earlier this week.

Coffee flavours go well with rum and walnuts. It is a perfect cake to go with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. 

I used Little's vanilla-flavoured instant coffee in this recipe, which was one of the new products in the latest Degustabox. It is a delicious instant coffee with a warm sweet aroma and flavour of vanilla.
But if you don't have this flavoured instant coffee, any other variety will do. 

Adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout linky run by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

We're going on a bear hunt (DVD review)

"We're going on a bear hunt... We're going to catch a big one..." Sounds familiar?!

"We're going on a bear hunt" by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury has delighted several generations of children and parents alike since 1989. Some of those babies who discovered this book back then in the late 80s-early 90s, read this catchy narrative to their own babies now.
I remember reading this story hundreds of times, when Sasha was little. I think it's the rhythm, rhyme and repetition that appeal to children. We definitely knew it off by heart.

Children are led on a challenging adventure by their big brother. They have to go through the high grass, a river, a thick oozy mud, dark forest, snowstorm until they reach a bear cave. The bear is startled to see them. Terrified, the kids flee back home, in reverse order, before finally hiding under the duvet in their big bed. They vow never to go on a bear hunt again. The poor bear who was woken up from hibernation in his cave, looks sad and desolate.

On the run to the last Christmas, I have bought a big issue of Radio Times and discovered that there would be a brand new animation based on the original story. How exciting!

We missed the screening of the animation, as we spent Christmas in Italy.
I remember coming home from Italy and reading many reviews of the animation, where people bemoaned the fact that the story was changed, that it has become very sinister and tragic, that this was not a Christmas TV material and so on.
So, it is with trepidation that I have put the DVD on.
Will I find it too unrecognisable from the original book? First of all, it takes maximum 10 minutes to read the book, even with all the sound effects, repetitions and pauses. The animation lasts about half an hour, so obviously there were a lot of things added to the story.

Starring Olivia Colman, Pam Ferris and Mark Williams, this animation is created by the team behind The Snowman and the Snowdog (one of our most favourite animation stories of the last decade). Hand-drawn animation is done in the classic traditions, without the modern high-tech visuals which many children's films use these days.

The story is darker indeed, with children missing their late grandpa. Their adventure is a symbol of "going through it", as in overcoming the grief.
One of the girls befriends the bear, which is also a new touch. She gives the bear her late Granddad's scarf and is reluctant to leave the bear behind.
The animation ends on a sad note, leaving you thinking about the bear, the children and life itself.

Have you seen this animation at Christmas? What did you think of it?

Disclosure: We received the DVD for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

January Degustabox

The first Degustabox of the year has been inspired by new year's resolutions and healthier eating plans.

We are always looking forward to our Degustabox delivery, which arrives every month and is full of foodie surprises. This monthly food and drink subscription box is an excellent way to discover products which have only just appeared in the shops or those which might have been around for while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Each time the box arrives, it's a total surprise, as you don't know what you might find there. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet and would like to have a go, I have a whopping £7 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time) - just use a code 8EVI8 when you place an order.

What did we receive in January Degustabox? Let's have a peek.

Chia seeds are one of the most popular superfoods among the healthy-eating community. The Chia Co is passionate about positive plant based nutrition. Bursting with fibre, omega 3 and protein, these are high quality chia seeds.
Sprinkle them over porridge or fruit salad to add a bit of crunch, or add to smoothies.

Fruit-tella's new offering is 30% less sugar. It tastes as fruity as the classic sweets, but has more fruit juice in it. No sweeteners. Made with natural flavours and colourings.
I still found it way too sweet, but my sons loved it, so the pack disappeared pretty fast.

Popchips, the fastest growing crisp brand in the UK, have launched a new ridged range. It comes in bold robust flavours. We have tried Smoky Bacon. Thumbs up from my guys (though I still prefer the original range, with BBQ being my top favourite flavour, which I buy most often).
Great as healthier crisps, Popchips come at under 100kcal per serving. Popcips are gluten free and vegetarian.

Yushoi Snapea is another healthier snack, which we enjoy. Made using green peas and baked, this snack is highly addictive. New Coconut & Chilli variety is flavourful, crunchy and delicious.

Mothergrain Express Quinoa is a handy addition to the pantry, for a quick and easy meal. You can eat it cold or hot (re-heated is tastier in my opinion). It comes in a sealed pouch, and is ready to eat.

I have used the express quinoa to make a simple vegetarian salad, with roasted cubed squash, chunks of mango, sliced cucumber and pre-cooked artichokes.

Finn Crisp is one of the most famous European producers of thin crispbreads. These are crunchy, crisp nibbles, with seeds and sea salt. They are high in fibre, have no added fat, and could be used as a perfect dipping "tool".

There was a voucher enclosed in the latest Degustabox, for a tub of The Collective yogurt. I have tried in the past a couple of varieties of this delicious yogurt. I really must put the voucher in my handbag, as I keep forgetting about it. There is a new limited edition yogurt that looks very enticing.

Moving onto drinks: Aspire Drinks are healthy energy, calorie free, sugar free beverages. Aspire's active properties include a premium grade green tea (EGCG) which provides healthy sustainable energy and helps support weight management.
The drinks taste lovely, but I would take the weight loss claims with a pinch of salt. I drink green tea daily for health reasons, and haven't noticed any weight loss. I don't think green tea as such helps to shift body fat. It is only a balanced diet and exercise that might help.

Chosan Hibiscus drink is completely organic. It is pleasantly gingery. Made with 100% natural ingredients, it has no artificial additives, preservatives or colouring. Containing 73kcal per bottle, it might be an interesting alternative to alcohol drinks for the occasions when you cannot or don't want to drink alcohol.

Crabbie's Raspberry Ginger Beer is a delightful refreshing drink. It could serve as a great base for a variety of cocktails including Crabbie's Raspberry Delight.
Crabbie's, the UK's number 1 alcoholic ginger beer is crafted for 6 weeks, using real ginger and spices. This product can also be found in a 500ml bottle format.

If you enjoy vanilla-flavoured foods and drinks, you will love Little's instant coffee with French Vanilla. It is very aromatic and slightly sweet. Lovely with a dash of milk.

Protein Boost (Strawberry flavour) comes in a handy size, to carry when you are out and about. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of protein drinks, so this one was offered to a friend, who found it pleasant enough.

Natvia is 100% natural sweetener, which is sweet as sugar, but without calories and artificial nasties. It is made from stevia plant and natural nectar. It is diabetic friendly, and has only 0.4 kcal per serve. You can use it just like sugar in baking, tea, coffee, smoothies etc. I haven't tested it in baking yet, so cannot share my thought on the matter. I have tried it in coffee and tea with lemon.

Pip's Real Hot chocolate is an artisan hot chocolate. Handmade in Wales, it is gluten and dairy free. Melt it in your favourite hot milk for a delicious cup.

Disclosure: I receive Degustabox for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Dried mushroom soup

Yesterday evening, as we were getting ready for bed, there was a loud bang downstairs. Thankfully, we were all upstairs, and nobody got hurt. I ran down only to see that part of the plastered ceiling has collapsed in the hall. Dust, bits of plaster scattered everywhere... We picked the bigger pieces and swept the rest into a big box. Alas, that was not the end of it. At 3am the bigger part has fallen down, scattering broken plaster all over the room.
It looked like a movie scene. You can almost imagine zombies appearing from the broken cracks...
So, I spent most of the day today, clearing the debris, dusting the bookshelves and putting books into boxes to take away. We had to throw away the rug, it was totally ruined. And now we need to find someone willing to break the rest of the plaster above, remove all the debris and re-build the ceiling.
That's the pleasures of living in an old house, there is always something needed to be repaired. And we only just had a garden wall repaired a week ago.

To cheer us up a bit, I cooked pancakes for breakfast. Eddie usually requests a "face" pancake, with banana slices for eyes, marshmallows as hair and whipped cream for a beard.

For dinner I cooked a simple vegetarian (or even vegan, if you don't add any cream) soup with dried mushrooms.

Dried mushroom soup (serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
2 shallots, finely chopped
2tbsp olive oil
20g dried mushrooms
1tsp butter
1 medium tomato, sliced
2 potatoes

Pour enough freshly boiled water to cover the dried mushrooms in a deep bowl, let them soak for 15 minutes.
Finely chop a couple of shallots, and fry in the olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the soaked mushrooms and chop them. Add to the onions, and keep frying for another 2-3 minutes, adding a bit of butter. Place the ingredients in a cooking pan, pour the mushroom liquid in, add a sliced tomato and cook for 15 minutes. Add two peeled and chopped potatoes, and cook for another 15 minutes.
Serve hot, with a spoonful of single cream or soured cream (or no dairy for a vegan meal).

I used a pack of dried mushrooms from Poland - called brunatny podgrzybek or the bay bolete in English. In Russia this mushroom is known as the Polish mushroom. I found these mushrooms in a Polish deli, they are less expensive than porcini.
They work very well in a soup, giving a strong earthy flavour.

I served soup with homemade wholemeal naan bread.

Dark chocolate & strawberry cake mix cookies

After spending almost a week in bed with a rotten cold-flu thingy, I'm slowly getting back into the world of the living. My guys had to live on sandwiches and soup, as I wasn't well enough to cook. Now that I'm feeling better, I thought it's time to bake something today, albeit very simple.
Cookies never last long in this house, but I'm a tad bored of making the same choc chip oat cookies.
For being a foodie, I have a strange fascination with cake mixes. It might be the association with childhood and baking cakes as a kid, I cannot explain why I have a fondness for them. It's not like I cannot bake anything from scratch. I even have a board on Pinterest dedicated just to recipes with cake mixes.
I also know perfectly well that they are not exactly health food, if anything, quite the opposite. Yet buy them I do, and often enough.

Having a rummage in my kitchen, I took out a box of strawberry cake mix, remaining half a bar of dark chocolate, mild olive oil and a small sachet of oats.

Dark chocolate strawberry cake mix cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 box of strawberry cake mix (220g)
45ml mild olive oil
1 medium egg
30g oats
50g dark chocolate, chopped

In a medium bowl mix together all the ingredients - cake mix, olive oil, egg, oats and chopped dark chocolate. Divide into walnut-sized pieces, roll into balls, then flatten them and place on the baking trays lined with kitchen foil or parchment paper.
Bake for 12+ minutes until lightly golden. They will still be soft when you take the trays out.
Cool on the wire rack.
Eat warm or cold, with milk, tea or coffee.

I always have a stash of chocolate bars in the kitchen, mostly dark, as milk and white chocolate doesn't last long here (my guys love white and milk chocolate). I enjoy just a little bit of dark chocolate at a time, and love different flavours, so you can find several opened bars in the kitchen at any given time.

Adding this post to #KitchenClearout linky run by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

365 Little Things 500-piece jigsaw puzzle from Ravensburger

If you enjoy jigsaw puzzles with intricate patterns and great attention to detail, you will be thrilled to discover a new addition to Ravensburger range - 365 Little Things 500-piece jigsaw puzzle.
I'm a huge fan of jigsaw puzzles, and find them a very relaxing hobby. My favourite puzzles are with lots of details.

365 Little Things is exactly that - a big pattern of knick knacks, curios, trinkets and mini ornaments  one for every day of the year. Here you will find a selection of netsuke, gaming pieces, antique coins, seashells, rocks and crystals, marbles, thimbles, badges
This wonderful illustration of a collector's stash of mini objects was created by Mike Spike. The design is intricate and complex. As you go along, adding piece to piece, you discover one fascinating detail after another including worry dolls, an old walnut, a fluffy feather, miniature food items for the dolls' house...

The image is bright and colourful.
Once finished, the puzzle measures 49x36cm.
It is suitable for ages 10+. Ravensburger puzzles are well known for their high quality premium grade cardboard jigsaw pieces which easily slot together. The cardboard has a linen finish print to minimise glare on the puzzle image.

This was the first time I worked on Mike Spike's design, and I have totally enjoyed it. I will be looking forward to getting to know more of his artwork for jigsaw puzzles. In fact, as my birthday is coming by the end of this month, I might just put some puzzles on my wish list.
It was a real pleasure to assemble this jigsaw puzzle. I imagine any puzzle lover will be happy with such a beautiful gift.

Disclosure: I received the puzzle for purposes of reviewing. All opinions are entirely my own.

Teksta Micro Pets Adventure Park - Dino

Robotic pets might sound futuristic, but they are here, and they are taking the world by storm.
Teksta have launched a new generation of micro pets which are smaller and more interactive than before. We first came across Teksta micro pet robots last year, when we reviewed a Teksta Puppy.
Four new Teksta Micro Pets include Dinosaur, Puppy, Kitty and Raccoon. All four robotic pets look very cute.

Image credits: Teksta

These smart toys respond to your touch and voice. Their eyes light up, they make funny noises and zoom around the play set, or just on the smooth surface.
You can collect all four sets, join the playsets together, turning them into one big play world.

The animals are supposed to produce realistic sounds, but with a dinosaur it is a bit of a poetic license. Our Dino sounds like a crow in the cold weather, it makes a hoarse rattling cawing sound, but then that might be a genuine dinosaur noise. Anyway, he is pretty cool and cute.

The Dino comes with its own adventure park, which you can assemble in different ways, either as a wavy track or a big wheel. There are instructions enclosed with the set. I'm not very good with assembling, but my 6-year-old has built the track with some help from friend.

To make it move, turn the switch on and clap your hands. The Dino will happily play football, zooming around the room.

Pros: a cool modern design; small size - convenient to carry around; compatibility with the other sets.
Cons: not as interactive as you'd like it to be.

This toy might make a lovely present for a techie-minded child. To check out the other Teksta toys, visit Character.

And now comes the bit where you say: Don't do this at home! Or if you want to put a micro pet on your head, don't forget to switch it off, if you don't fancy your hair to be pulled out by the moving wheels.

Disclosure: We received the Teksta set for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Beef biltong stew for Mr Matekoni (Precious and Grace by A.McCall Smith)

Precious and Grace is the seventeenth novel from the much loved series No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I have read all the books in the series, and always look forward to a new book.
There is not much of a mystery involved in this installment, but there is a usual dose of kindness and philosophical thoughts on life, humanity and forgiveness.
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi help a Canadian woman find her past. She spent her childhood in Botswana 30 years earlier, and wants to re-discover her past.
The case, though simple enough, is threatening to shake Precious and Grace's friendship. Will they fall out over the case?
Then there is a pyramid scheme, in which Mr Polopetsi is involved, a lost dog who wants to be loved, Mma Potokwani with her delightful fruit cake and much more.
There is a certain idealism in all the No 1 Agency novels. In Precious we see a symbol of Mother Africa, traditionally built, kind, wise and patient. She always finds good in people.

Reading Precious and Grace, I came across a detailed description of one of the meals Mma Ramotswe cooks lovingly for her husband. I was intrigued, and tried to google it.
I couldn't find any exact recipe. There is plenty of recipes for beef biltong stew, but none of beef AND biltong stew, so I had to "invent" it. This recipe is based on the authentic biltong stew recipes, but cooked with beef too, so it's a mix of several different variations of the stew. I hope Mma Ramotswe would approve.

"Mr J.L.B.Matekoni sniffed at the air. There was no doubt about it - Mma Ramtoswe was making his favourite stew. The aroma, detected even as he set foot on the stoep, was unmistakable...
Onions were the key to that: the recipe, developed specially for him by Mma Ramotswe, advised by Mma Potokwani, involved onions chosen for their smallness and sweetness - "not these football-sized onions they try to sell us", warned Mma Potokwani. These were gently softened in sunflower oil flavoured with a pinch of chilli flakes, and then the beef, fine Botswana grass-fed beef... was added in small pieces. this was then sealed before the addition of stock and a small quantity of chopped ostrich biltong, the dried and salted meat that people considered such a delicacy."

Beef biltong stew
Ingredients:
3tbsp mild olive oil
1tbsp chilli olive oil (optional)
5 shallots, finely chopped (about 150g)
450g beef, cubed
1tsp plain flour
1tsp ginger, grated
2tbsp tomato puree
2tbsp peanut butter
a mug of beef stock
1 tin of plum tomatoes (Cirio)
35g biltong (a pack of King's biltong)

In a deep frying pan heat 2tbsp of olive oil.
Finely slice the shallots and cook in the frying pan until translucent, stirring regularly. Once cooked put the fried onion in a big pan or pot where you're going to cook your stew.
Add more olive oil to the frying pan, and brown the beef cubes (dust them with flour before cooking). Season with salt, but not too much, as the stock has added salt. Put all the ingredients in the pot - chilli oil, grated ginger, tomato puree, beef stock and tinned tomatoes.
I used Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients beef stock. Place the pot in the oven preheated to 200C. Cook for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to 180C, and cook for an hour+, occasionally stirring.
You might need to get a bit more water if the stew becomes too thick. Add the biltong in the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Serve hot.
Biltong adds an interesting strong flavour to the stew, and more chewy texture. Mma Ramotswe used ostrich biltong. I couldn't source it locally, but even if it were available, I don't think I am very keen to try ostrich.

In this recipe I used two products from Cirio - tomato puree and plum tomatoes - which work perfectly in this rich flavoured stew.
I used chilli flavoured olive oil, but if you don't have it, a teaspoon of chilli paste or flakes would be a good substitute.