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Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

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Roast Stuffed Turkey

In Recipes, Thanksgiving on December 4, 2011 at 4:01 PM

Ingredients:

20 pound Fresh Free Range Turkey
Dorothea’s Italian Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups of dry red wine

Preparation:

1.    Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and packaging about 2 hours before ready to cook.
2.    Remove the neck and gizzards from the turkey cavities.
3.    Rinse the inside and outside of the turkey and pat it dry.
4.    Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and position the rack so that there will be a couple of inches above the turkey for the air to circulate.
5.    When the oven temperature reaches 450 degrees, stuff both turkey cavities with the stuffing, being careful to not pack it too tight so that the heat circulates inside the cavities. Secure the stuffing in the neck cavity with the skin flap, using two small skewers.
6.    Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper.
7.    Place the stuffed turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan and place in the oven.
8.    Roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes to seal in the juices.
9.    Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and set timer for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
10.    After the two hours in the oven, pour 2 cups of wine over the turkey and rotate the pan 180 degrees. Continue roasting for 1 hour, then pour 2 more cups of red wine over the turkey and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. At this point the turkey will have been roasting for 3 hours and should be ready in about another 60 to 90 minutes. So set the timer for 30 minutes and then baste the turkey with the pan drippings every 30 minutes until ready to remove from the oven.
11.    The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 175 degrees, probably 4 & ½ hours
12.    Remove the rack from the oven and place it and the turkey on a large platter, cover with aluminum foil and prepare the gravy.

For the Gravy:

1.    Make a broth from the neck and gizzards. Place them in a 3 qt. pot, add 4 large whole shallots, 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cook until reduced to 2 cups. Strain and remove the liquid to a container and wash out the pot.
2.    When the turkey has been removed from the roasting pan, strain the drippings into a fat separator. Combine the de-fatted, strained drippings and the 2 cups of broth in the roasting pan. Place the pan across two burners on the stove and bring to a boil add 1cup of red wine and  whisk in 3/8 cup of Wondra flour. Stir and boil down to desired thickness.

Please also see: The Turkey that Keeps Giving

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Turkey Soup

In Recipes, Soups, Thanksgiving on December 4, 2011 at 4:00 PM

Turkey Soup with Cheese Tortelloni

Ingredients:

Reserved turkey carcass, skin, bones and meat scraps, as well as any stuffing and gravy that you don’t want to save for leftovers
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
3 stalks of celery, including leaves, cut into thirds
4 carrots, skin left on and cut into quarters

Preparation:

1.    Place all of the ingredients in a 16 qt. pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 1 hour.
2.    Remove cover and continue simmering for 2 more hours or until the meat falls of the bones.
3.    Strain the soup out and discard all of the solids.
4.    When cooled, place soup in refrigerator overnight.
5.    The next morning skim off and discard all of the gelatinous fat that has formed on the top.
6.    Heat the soup; add any cut up leftover turkey and gravy.
7.    Serve with separately cooked tortelloni, tortellini, ditalini, ditali, elbow macaroni or pastina, whatever is your choice, as well as grated Pecorino – Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Please also see: The Turkey that Keeps Giving

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The Turkey That Keeps Giving

In General Articles, Recipes, Thanksgiving on December 4, 2011 at 3:59 PM

Here it is nine full days after Thanksgiving and we are still enjoying the gifts given up by our 21 pound Plainville Farms Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey dinner and its side dishes are but a memory.  The leftovers of hot turkey sandwiches smothered in gravy, accompanied by re-heated stuffing and the counterpoint of tart cranberry sauce, as well as cold turkey sandwiches on rye bread slathered with homemade Russian dressing disappeared days ago; and now the last of the Turkey Soup is gone as well. I have had my fill of Tom Turkey and if I don’t meet him again until next Thanksgiving, that will be just fine with me. But it is remarkable how many meals one can squeeze out of a single bird.

Our Thanksgiving feast this year started out with a gift of more than two dozen deliciously sweet and briny East Dennis Oysters™ compliments of John and Stephanie Lowell of the East Dennis Oyster Farm and our mutual friend Serge. I first became acquainted with these briny delights in Biloxi, Mississippi while on the payroll of Uncle Sam and stationed at Keesler AFB. Having had a long established relationship with another hard-shelled creature of the sea, Cherrystone clams, I never felt the need to meet their cousin. But clams were not readily available on the Gulf Coast, while oysters were in abundance, thus began a long-standing conflict; clams or oysters or both!

I am an able-bodied clam shucker, but never developed the skill of oyster shucking, so have always had to depend on the kindness of strangers. Our son-in-law, having grown up on the North Shore of Boston and on Martha’s Vineyard, is a skilled oyster shucker. He was assigned the task of prying these creatures from their shells, and as you can see from the picture, did a remarkable job in doing so.

Original East Dennis Oysters™

My wife, bravely tried her first raw oyster, but happily for the rest of us, demurred from having a second. As a result, our two daughters, son-in-law and I finished them off in a flash, washing them down with a well-chilled bottle of Crémant de Loire.

By the time we finished off the oysters, the main meal was ready. The Roast Turkey, having been filled with Dorothea’s Italian Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing, was waiting to be carved.

Ready and Waiting for the Carving Knife

I dutifully performed that task while my wife readied the delicious Bourbon Sweet Potatoes and the additional side dishes of Brussel Sprouts Roasted with Hazelnuts and Cranberry Sauce. The latter was prepared by following the recipe on the bag of fresh cranberries, as opposed to opening a can.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Sitting around our harvest table, with no gift-giving, or tinsel, or Christmas music to distract my thoughts, I reflected upon how fortunate I was to be surrounded by the love of our ever-growing family, which over the past 40 years has grown from two to seven.

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Arugula Salad

In Recipes, Salads on November 23, 2011 at 4:20 PM

Ingredients:

1 bunch of arugula, also known as rocket, roquette, rugula and rucola
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sufficient to coat the arugula leaves – 1 to 2 tablespoons
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 lemon cut into wedges

Preparation:

1.    Rinse the arugula and dry it well, if not pre-washed.
2.    Add the arugula to a salad bowl, pour the olive oil over it and mix well to coat all of the leaves.
3.    Add salt & pepper and mix well again.
4.    Serve the salad with lemon wedges on the side for each

Easy to prepare for a quick salad. See A Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner

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Stuffed Artichokes

In Recipes, Vegetables on November 23, 2011 at 4:18 PM

Preparation time, 20 minutes; cooking time 45 to 55 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 artichokes
1 cup of Italian flavored breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Locatelli Romano cheese
2 tbsps. + 1 tsp. of finely chopped garlic
¼ cup of chopped parsley
½ tsp. black pepper
12 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
Juice of 2 lemons

Preparation:

1.    With a sharp knife, cut off the top 1 to 1&1/2 inches of each artichoke.
2.    Remove the outer bottom leaves and snip off all points of the other leaves with kitchen shears.
3.    Remove the stems, cut off the bottom 1/2 inch and peel and slice them lengthwise into quarters or thirds, depending on thickness.
4.    In a mixing bowl, add the breadcrumbs, cheese, 2 tablespoons of garlic, parsley and pepper and mix well.
5.    Pull back the leaves of each artichoke and drizzle 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the leaves of each.
6.    With a teaspoon, add the breadcrumb mixture to each leaf.
7.    Insert sliced stems into center.

Stuffed Artichokes Ready for the Pot

8.    Place stuffed artichokes in a 5 quart pot with a cover and add the chicken stock, white wine, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of garlic.
9.    Cover pot and bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and steam the artichokes covered for 45 to 55 minutes, until leaves are easily removed from the artichoke.

Stuffed Artichokes Ready to Eat

10.    Serve immediately.

Please watch video on How to Eat an Artichoke , but with our recipe there is no dipping required. Also see: A Pre-Thanksgiving Meal.

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Fillet of Sole Francese

In Fish, For Moms on the Go, Recipes, Seafood on November 23, 2011 at 4:18 PM

Fillet of Sole Francese

Preparation time, 5 minutes; cooking time, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

3 fillets of grey sole or lemon sole
3 eggs
6 tbsps. grated Romano cheese
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup of flour
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps. unsalted butter
½ cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. chopped fresh flat (Italian) parsley

Preparation:

1.    In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs together with cheese and add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a rectangular Pyrex® baking dish, or something similar.
2.    Add the flour to a second rectangular Pyrex baking dish, or something similar.
3.    In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat and then add the butter.
4.    In the meantime, dredge the fillets in the flour, coating them on both sides and then dip them to the egg-cheese mixture.
5.    When the butter is melted, swirl in with the oil and add the fillets.
6.    Cook the fillets until browned, 1 and ½ minutes.
7.    Turn carefully with a long spatula and cook on the other side foe an additional 1 and ½ minutes.
8.    Remove the fish to a warmed serving platter.
9.    Add the wine and lemon juice to the pan, and stir until slightly thickened. Add extra flour if needed.
10.    Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Please see: A Pre-Thanksgiving Meal

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Broccoli Rabe Sautéed in Garlic and Oil

In Recipes, Vegetables on November 21, 2011 at 7:12 PM

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Broccoli Rabe (also called Broccoli di Rape, Rapini and Broccoli Rabb)
6 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1.    Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in 5 quart or larger pot.
2.    Rinse the Broccoli Rabe, discard the thick stems by cutting about 3 inches off the bottom of the bunch.
3.    When the water comes to a full boil, add the Broccoli Rabe and blanch it for 60 seconds.
4.    Strain Broccoli Rabe in a colander, and then plunge it immediately into a bowl filled with ice and cold water to stop the cooking and to retain its dark green color.

Blanched Broccoli Rabe Draining in Colander

5.    When cooled, transfer to a colander and drain until ready to sauté.
6.    In a sauté pan with low curved sides, heat the olive oil on high flame.
7.    When oil is shimmering, add the garlic and quickly sauté; do not let it brown.
8.    When the garlic is translucent* add the broccoli rabe and sauté for 3 minutes, tossing constantly with tongs.

Sauteeing

9.    Remove from the pan with tongs and serve immediately.

Eat it! It's Good for You!

*Variation: At this point add ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed chili pepper, depending on taste, to the oil-garlic mixture before adding the broccoli rabe.

Also see: Eat it! It’s Good for You!

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UNCLE FRED’S LENTIL SOUP

In For Moms on the Go, Recipes, Soups on November 19, 2011 at 11:47 AM

Uncle Fred’s Lentil Soup

Active time, 30 minutes. Soak lentils overnight. Cooking time, 1 hour.  Makes 6 quarts.

Ingredients:

2 1 lb. packages of lentils
1 medium onion, chopped fine, about 2 cups
5 cloves garlic chopped fine, about 2 tbsps.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small can (6 oz.) of tomato paste
1 package of Lipton Dried Onion Soup Mix
2 smoked ham hocks
2 9 oz. packages of frozen chopped spinach

Preparation:

1.    Add the lentils to an 8 qt. pot, cover with water to about 4 inches above the lentils and soak overnight.
2.    The next day, drain and rinse the lentils and rinse the pot.
3.    In the rinsed pot, heat the olive oil on medium, add the onions and garlic and lightly sauté until translucent, do not let brown.
4.    Reduce heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste, mix well.
5.    Add the contents of one Lipton soup envelope and stir.
6.    Add the lentils and mix well.
7.    Cover with water to about 2 inches above the lentils, about 3 quarts, and then add the ham hocks.
8.    When the water comes to a boil, add the spinach, reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
9.    When the soup reaches your desired thickness, remove the ham hocks and discard them, (see note). Add more water if too thick to your liking.
10.   Serve the soup with olive oil drizzled into it and warm crusty Italian bread on the side.
11.    Freeze the remainder in 1 or 2 quart containers to enjoy for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking.

Note: As an alternative, if the hocks are particularly meaty, you can remove the meat from the bones, chop it coarsely and add it back to the soup, discarding the skin and bones. You may also wish to use fresh ham hocks, rather than the smoked variety, in which case the meat will be much more tender and definitely worth adding to the soup when thoroughly cooked, however the soup flavor will differ. Try it both ways, each method has its merits.

Please refer to: SOUP’S ON

Also See: Uncle Fred, The Godfather

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Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

In Recipes, Vegetables on November 10, 2011 at 3:56 PM

Ingredients:

4 to 6 Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and quartered
3 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsps. chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation:

  1. Per-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Fill a 3 qt. sauce pot with water up to 2 inches from top and bring to a boil.
  3. Add quartered potatoes and par-boil for 10 minutes.
  4. Heat olive oil in a cast iron frying pan over medium heat.
  5. Add rosemary and stir.
  6. Drain the potatoes and quickly add to the frying pan, stir to coat evenly with rosemary-olive oil mixture.
  7. Place frying pan with potatoes in oven and cook for 75 minutes, turning several times to evenly brown the potatoes.
  8. With a slotted spoon remove potatoes to paper toweling and toss quickly to eliminate excess fat. Serve at once.

Please see: Roast Loin of Pork

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Roast Loin of Pork

In Meat, Pork, Recipes on November 10, 2011 at 3:52 PM

Roast Loin of Pork

Ingredients:

1 Center Cut Loin of Pork, bone –in, about 5 lbs. (6 chops for 4 people)
½ cup flour
4 tsps. fresh chopped sage
4 tsps. fresh chopped thyme
4 large cloves of garlic, each sliced into thirds
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine

Preparation:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
2.    Rub pork roast with 1 slice of garlic.
3.    Make 8 to 10 incisions on top side of roast and insert garlic slices into incisions.
4.    In a large plastic bag, place flour, herbs and pepper, shake well to mix.
5.    Add pork roast to bag and shake to coat roast evenly with flour mixture.
6.    Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan and with your hands, spread some of the extra herbed-flour over the top of the roast.
7.    Place pork roast  in the oven and cook for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
8.    Lower heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking. After 2 hours, pour the wine over the roast and continue cooking for 15 minutes more. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of the roast, being careful not to touch a bone. The roast is done when the thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove the roast to a platter, cover it with foil and let sit for up to 15 minutes while you make the gravy.
9.    Pour off the liquid from the roasting pan into a fat separator and when the fat rises to the top, pour the juices back into the roasting pan. Place roasting pan on stove over medium heat, strain 1 tablespoon of flour into pan as you constantly scrape up the pan drippings. When gravy is thick enough to a spoon it is finished.

Serve with Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, prepared red cabbage and prepared apple sauce. A frothy glass of beer, such as a Weissbier, rounds out the meal perfectly.

Please see: Requiem for a Pig

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Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf

In Meat, Recipes on November 4, 2011 at 12:38 PM

Dinner is served

(Serves 4 to 6. Preparation time – 30 minutes; cooking time – 75 minutes)

Ingredients:

For the Meatloaf:

2 tbsps. minced garlic
1 cup finely diced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1 medium sized onion)
2 tbsps. of unsalted butter
½ cup of chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped sage
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
½ cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 lb. ground veal
1 lb. ground pork
1/3 cup of sour cream
3 eggs, whisked
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 12 oz. bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce
Freshly ground pepper

For the Gravy:

Two 28 oz. packs (6 cups liquid) of Swanson Beef Cooking Stock (no sodium or less sodium variety).
1 lb. sliced cremini (also called Baby Bella) mushrooms.
2 tbsps. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ cup dry red wine
¼ cup flour (Wondra, preferably, because it dissolves quickly)

Preparation for the Meatloaf:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.    Lightly sauté garlic, celery and onion in butter until softened.
3.    Add the meat to a large mixing bowl.
4.    Add the sautéed vegetables, chopped fresh herbs and breadcrumbs, mix well by hand.
5.    Add the sour cream, eggs, Worcestershire and Chili Sauce and black pepper, mix well by hand.
6.    Grease a 3 lb. loaf pan and transfer the meat loaf mixture to the loaf pan, patting it down to remove any air pockets.
7.    Cook in oven for 75 minutes until internal temperature is 160 degrees.

In the meantime make the gravy:

1.    In a 3 qt. sauce pot bring the 6 cups of beef stock to a boil, and reduce by ½ from to 3 cups.
2.    Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, sauté the mushrooms until golden brown.
3.    Add the dried thyme and wine to the mushrooms and reduce the wine to about ½.
4.    Transfer the mushrooms and wine to the reduced beef stock.
5.    Bring stock to a boil and slowly whisk in the Wondra or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

When the meatloaf is ready, remove it from the pan and set aside, keeping warm. Pour the pan juices into a fat separator (there may be as much as 12 oz.) and let the fat separate. Add the de-fatted pan juices and any solids to the gravy.

We served this with mashed potatoes and LeSueur Baby Peas, real comfort food for a chilly night.

A great wine to make this meal even more special is a fruity and intense Amarone Della Valpolicella!

Please refer to: Meatloaf for Dinner! Again?

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Berry Compote

In Dessert, Recipes on October 31, 2011 at 6:57 AM

Mixed Berry Compote Topped with Fresh Whipped Cream

preparation time: active – 20 minutes; passive – several hours

Ingredients:

6 oz. each of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries
10 oz. strawberries
1 tbsp. of sugar
¼ cup of sweet Marsala wine
Heavy cream to taste

Preparation:

1.    Rinse and drain the blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, place them in a mixing bowl.
2.    Hull the strawberries, rinse and drain them, slice them widthwise and add to the mixing bowl.
3.    Add the sugar and mix well.
4.    Add the Marsala and mix well.
5.    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the berries macerate at room temperature for several hours prior to serving.
6.    Serve with heavy cream as desired.

Please see: Sunday Chicken Dinner – No Leftovers!

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Fingerling Potatoes Roasted with Rosemary

In Recipes, Vegetables on October 31, 2011 at 6:57 AM

preparation time 10 minutes, cooking time including parboiling 1 hour. serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. of Fingerling Potatoes
2 tbsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.    Parboil potatoes for 15 minutes.
3.    Drain the potatoes and place in a mixing bowl.
4.    Pour in the olive oil, stir well, add salt and rosemary and stir again.
5.    Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, turning several times to brown evenly.

Please see: Sunday Chicken Dinner – No Leftovers!

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Roasted Herbed Vegetables

In Recipes, Vegetables on October 31, 2011 at 6:56 AM

preparation time 20 minutes, cooking time 1 hour. serves 4

Ingredients:

3 zucchinis, sliced ¼ inch thick
4 red peppers, remove seeds and cut into 1 inch squares
4 carrots, skin removed and sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 shallots, peeled left whole; if larger than a walnut, cut in half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Preparation:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Spread out on cookie sheet.
  4. Roast 1 hour, tossing several times.

Please see: Sunday Chicken Dinner – No Leftovers!

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Roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Lemon Zest

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on October 31, 2011 at 6:56 AM

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Bell & Evans roasting chicken, about 7 lbs.
4 tbsps. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 lemon
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black pepper
1 cup dry white wine

Preparation:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2.    Zest the lemon to obtain about 2 tablespoons of zest. Retain the lemon for step 6.
3.    Using a fork, blend the chopped tarragon and lemon zest into the softened butter.
4.    Starting above the cavity, gently slip one or two fingers between the skin and the meat of the chicken’s breast to lift the skin and create a pocket.
5.    Take ½ the butter mixture and gently slip it into the pocket on one side of the breast bone, then do the same on the other side, spread the butter mixture by smoothing over the skin.
6.    Slice the lemon in half and place it in the chicken cavity.
7.    Generously salt and pepper the chicken skin.
8.    Place it on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes per pound (about 3 hours for a 7 pound chicken).
9.    About 90 minutes into the roasting, baste the chicken with the juices that have collected in the pan, pour the wine over the chicken and continue roasting for 30 minutes.
10.    Baste the chicken, raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 1 hour.
11.    Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, if it reads 175 degrees or more it is done.
12.    Remove the roasting pan from the oven, place the chicken on a platter and cover with foil, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
13.    Place the roasting pan on a stove top burner. Make a gravy by pouring the drippings from the roasting pan into a fat separator. Let the fat rise to the top, pour the drippings back into the pan, heat to a boil on low, whisk in several tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy to your desired consistency. If too thick, add more wine and boil off the alcohol.

Serve with Roasted Herbed Vegetables and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

The vegetables and potatoes can both be cooked at the same, during the last hour that the chicken is roasting at 375 degrees, and the prep can be done while the chicken is in the early roasting stage.

Arneis, a crisp, flavorful, Piemontese white wine from the Roero goes great with this dish, as its hints of lemon are in perfect harmony with the flavors of the chicken.

Please see: Sunday Chicken Dinner – No Leftovers!

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Papa’s Hearty Beef Stew a la Burgundy

In Beef, For Moms on the Go, Meat, Recipes, Stews on October 27, 2011 at 11:11 AM

Ready to Eat

Makes about 5 quarts-preparation time including stove-top browning is 1½hour. Total oven cooking time is 2½ hours. Please refer to A Hearty Stew for Those Chilly Autumn and Winter Nights for some preparation tips.

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
5-6 lb. roast (bottom round is an excellent choice) cut into cubes of about 1¼ – 1½ inches
½ cup of canola oil
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and coarsely chopped
5 cups of Pinot Noir or red Burgundy wine
1 quart of beef stock
2 lbs. of Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed to 1½ inches
24 pearl onions (about 1 lb.) outer skin peeled (see step 1 below)
1 16 oz, package of baby carrots
¼ cup of each of coarsely chopped fresh sage and fresh thyme
1 tbsp. whole black peppercorns, crushed
1¼ lbs. cremini mushrooms, stems removed, large caps halved or quartered
1 small (6 oz.) can tomato paste

Preparation:

1.    Prepare the onions – bring small pot of water to boil, blanch onions for 30 seconds, rinse and cool, cut off root end and peel outer skin layer.
2.    In the meantime, peel and cube the potatoes, prepare the mushrooms and chop the herbs and garlic.
3.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4.    Add flour, salt and pepper to a gallon size Ziploc® bag.
5.    Add beef, about 10 pieces at a time, to bag and shake well to coat with flour.
6.    Heat canola oil in a large casserole, preferably enamel coated cast iron French or Dutch Oven.
7.    Add the floured beef cubes to the casserole and brown them in one layer without crowding, for 8 or so minutes on high heat, turning the cubes several times.

Browning the Beef

Fully Browned Beef

8.    Remove browned beef and set aside, add more beef cubes and continuing browning until all the beef is done. If beef sticks to the casserole, or the flour base begins to burn, add a bit more oil.
9.    Add the garlic and lightly brown in the remaining oil and fat.
10.    Add one cup of wine and with a spatula, deglaze the pot. Add a second cup of wine and continue deglazing.
11.    When the second cup of wine has boiled down for about 1 minute, return all of the meat to the casserole to coat it well. Reduce heat to medium.
12.    Add beef broth and stir well, cover and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, stir well, cover and place in the pre-heated oven for ½ hour.
13.    Add the remaining three cups of wine and the onions, stir well and return to oven covered for another ½ hour.
14.    Add the carrots, herbs and black pepper, stir well and return covered to the oven, for a third ½ hour.
15.    Add the mushrooms and return covered to the oven an additional ½ hour.
16.    Add the tomato paste and return to oven uncovered for a final half hour ½ hour.

The Finished Product

When ready to serve the stew, serve it with a crust baguette and a good red wine, such as a Brunello de Montalcino.

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Brussel Sprouts Roasted with Hazelnuts

In Recipes, Vegetables on October 25, 2011 at 10:22 AM

Roasted Brussel sprouts with Hazelnuts

(serves 2: preparation time 5 minutes; cooking time 25 minutes)

Ingredients:

½ lb. of Brussel sprouts
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
¼ cup chopped, unsalted hazelnuts

Preparation:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2.    Trim off the stem ends of sprouts, as well as any yellow leaves.
3.    Rinse and dry the sprouts, and cut them in half lengthwise.
4.    Add cut sprouts to a mixing bowl.
5.    Add the other ingredients and toss well.
6.    Transfer to a cookie sheet with a raised edge, or a shallow roasting pan.
7.    Roast for approximately 25 minutes, turning once or twice to brown on all sides.

See Eat Your Brussel Sprouts for background information

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Insalata de Ceci

In Recipes, Salads, Vegetables on October 23, 2011 at 6:10 PM

Insalata de Ceci

Ingredients:

4 cups of canned garbanzos (chick peas) – (two 15 oz. cans) drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped red onion (about ½ of a medium sized onion)
1 cup peeled, chopped cucumber (one whole medium cucumber)
4 tbsp. pesto sauce
2 tbsps. of fresh squeezed lemon juice
10 twists of freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

1.    Place the beans, onion and cucumber in a medium sized mixing bowl and stir well.
2.    Add the pesto sauce and stir again.
3.    Add the lemon juice pepper and mix well.
4.    Let sit for several hours to allow the flavors to blend, cover and refrigerate.
5.    Serve chilled.

Please see Grandma Loved Ceci Beans for the background to this recipe.

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Uncle Fred’s Homemade Pesto Sauce

In Pasta, Recipes, Sauces on October 23, 2011 at 6:06 PM

(Makes about 2 cups of sauce)

Ingredients:

4 cups of basil leaves (stems discarded) packed tightly
5 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely, about 1/3 cup
1 cup pignoli nuts
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for preserving
¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation:

1.    Place chopped garlic and pine nuts in a food processor.
2.    Add the basil leaves and pulse-chop the ingredients, pausing after 10 pulses or so to push down the basil leaves with a spatula. Continue pulsing until all of the basil is chopped.
3.    Slowly add the olive oil while running the food processor.
4.    Scrape all of the ingredients from the sides with a spatula.
5.    Slowly add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and give it one or two quick pulses.
6.    Transfer the pesto sauce to a clean, pint-sized jar. When the pesto settles, slowly top it off with about ¼ inch of olive oil, which acts as a preservative air barrier and prevents the pesto from being exposed to air, turning brown and going bad. In this state it can be refrigerated for several weeks.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Angel Hair Pasta (Capellini) with Pesto Sauce

Capellini (Angel Hair Pasta)
•    1 cup of pesto sauce
•    1 lb. of Capellini
•    Cook pasta according to directions.
•    When pasta is cooked and before draining, remove 1 cup of pasta water, add it to a large bowl, drain and add pasta to the bowl and toss, add pesto sauce and mix well.
•    Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano – Reggiano.

Insalata de Ceci

Pollo con Pesto

Roasted Halibut with Tomato and Pesto

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Mediterranean Vegetable Spread

In Recipes, Vegetables on October 9, 2011 at 9:10 PM

Another use for leftover Ratatouille

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 4 cups of leftover ratatouille

Steps:

  1. Place sun-dried tomatoes with some of their oil in food processor and chop into a paste on ‘Pulse’.
  2. Add leftover ratatouille, 1 cup at a time, and continue ‘pulse’ processing until well blended with the sun-dried tomatoes into a paste.

Serve as hors d’oeuvre on thin slices of crusty Italian bread, or crackers, or in a cold antipasto combination plate.