4 tablespoons olive oil, 2-3 winter onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 500 grams of courgettes (cucumbers), 300 grams of small eggplants, 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, 4 tablespoons of red wine, 400 grams of canned tomato chunks, 2 tablespoons of puree of tomatoes, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of minced coriander (cilantro), 1 teaspoon of minced cumin. 1 teaspoon dried red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 4 steaks (loin or rump), each weighing 175g

Spicy steak chowderSpicy steak chowder with vegetables is prepared as follows:

1. Fill a large skillet with two tablespoons of oil and heat. Peel and mince the winter onion and garlic, add to the pan and toss over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

2. Cut off the useless parts of the caraway and eggplant, wash them, cut them into one-centimeter cubes, and pour them into the pan along with the thyme and oregano. Toss with the winter onion and sauté over low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Add the wine, diced tomatoes and juice, tomato puree and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer over moderate heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are cooked and soft.

4. While the vegetables are cooking, pour the ground cumin, dried red chili pepper, and red chili powder into a small bowl, season with a pinch of salt, and rub on both sides of the steak.

5. Pour the remaining olive oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet. When the oil is smoking, add the steak and fry. To control the doneness of the steak, use the following suggestions: 4-4.5 minutes per side for rare, 5.5-6 minutes for medium-rare, and 6-8.5 minutes for well-done. The thickness of the steak will also affect the cooking time.

6. Serve the steaks on individual plates with the Spicy Steak Chowder.