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Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon

Yield: 4 Servings
“Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

What’s to say, this is incredible.

  • 16-oz piece of chunk bacon
  • TBS olive oil
  • 3lb lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1carrot, sliced
  • 1onion, sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 2TBS flour
  • 3cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
  • 2-3cups brown beef stock
  • 1TBS tomato paste
  • 2cloves mashed garlic
  • ½tsp thyme
  • crumbled bay leaf

For the brown-braised onions (Oignons Glacés à Brun)

  • 18-24white onions, small
  • TBS butter
  • Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter tsp thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

For the sautéed mushrooms (Champignons Sautés au Beurre)

  • 1lb mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Bacon: cut into lardons (sticks ¼-inch thick and 1½ inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1½ quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Sauté lardons in 1 TBS of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Beef: Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

Vegetables: In the same fat, brown the sliced onion and carrot. Pour out the excess fat.

Coat & cook beef: Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust). Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325°F.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Onions: Heat 1½ TBS butter with one and one-half TBS of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add ½ cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Mushrooms: Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

Separate beef from sauce: When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Sauce: Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few TBS stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.

Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Spice-Roasted Carrots

Spice-Roasted Carrots

Yield: 4
Epoch Times

Lightly spiced carrots. Use rainbow carrots if you can find them, but any will do.

  • lb medium carrots with tops
  • 2TBS extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½tsp salt
  • ½tsp paprika
  • ¼tsp pepper
  • ¼tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼tsp garlic powder pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1TBS chopped fresh carrot tops, cilantro, mint or parsley (optional)


Adjust
the oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Trim green tops from carrots, leaving about 1 inch of greens attached; set greens aside and save for garnish or another use. Peel carrots and transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine oil, salt, paprika, pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder, and cayenne (if using). Stir mixture until combined.

Drizzle oil mixture over carrots. Use your hands to toss and rub carrots until evenly coated. Spread carrots into an even layer on the baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Remove foil. Use tongs to flip carrots over.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue to roast, uncovered, until the thick ends of the carrots are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and let carrots cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer carrots to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped carrot tops or herbs (if using). Serve.

Nana’s Colorado Granola

Nana’s Colorado Granola

Yield: 10 Servings
adapted from: theKitchn

Gayle makes this. It’s good though…

  • cup canola oil or other neutral oil, such as coconut or olive oil
  • cup local, raw, unfiltered honey or maple syrup
  • ½tsp ground cinnamon (rounded if you use Ceylon cinnamon)
  • ½tsp salt
  • 3cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1cup sliced almonds
  • 1cup raisins, Craisins or other dried, chopped fruit


Arrange
a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F.

Line a rimmed half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Measure and add the oats and almonds right into the oil mixture — don’t worry if you add a little more oats or almondsgranola is very forgiving. Stir thoroughly to coat well. A silicone spatula is great for this and helps with the next step.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. If the granola is clumpy, use the side of the spatula to gently break up the clumps and press lightly into the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and lightly stir and re-spread the mixture in the pan. Bake for 15 more minutes, about 30 minutes total. The granola is ready when golden-brown and the almonds have toasted — it will still feel slightly wet coming out of the oven but will dry as it cools.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the raisins or fruit. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. If you want clumps of granola, press and tamp down the granola before it cools, which will help it stick together. Cool completely before storing.

Transfer the cooled granola to an airtight 8-cup container, crumbling or breaking it up into clumps as you go. Granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Tip: I find making a double batch more convenient and it will store nicely in a gallon sized container. If you do so, make batches one at a time in two separate pans, switching oven shelves midpoint in the baking time.

Rustic Peach Galette

Rustic Peach Galette

Yield: one 10” Galette

King Arthur Baking

Flaky, buttery crust enfolds juicy peaches in this rustic tart. I’ve updated the recipe to add egg wash and sugar sprinkle to crust. The photo clearly has this, but it’s missing.

 

Crust:

  • cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1TBS buttermilk powder
  • ½tsp salt
  • 4TBS butter, cold
  • ¼cup vegetable shortening
  • 3-4TBS ice water

Filling:

  • 4-5large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced; or 6 cups frozen sliced peaches, partially thawed
  • ½cup sugar
  • 2TBS Instant ClearJel (or corn starch)
  • tsp nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • ½cup fresh raspberries

Egg wash & Sugar

  • 1egg yolk
  • 1TBS milk
  • 1tsp sparkling sugar (coarse sugar)


To make the crust:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, buttermilk powder, and salt.

Mix in the cold butter and shortening until the dough is crumbly.

Sprinkle ice water over the mixture 1 TBS at a time while tossing with a fork. After adding 3 TBS of water, gather the dough together into a ball. Add more water if it crumbles and won’t hold together.

Flatten dough into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

To make the filling:

Whisk together the sugar, Instant ClearJel or corn starch, nutmeg, and salt.

Add the peaches and a few of the raspberries, tossing to combine. Set aside.

Roll the chilled dough on a well-floured work surface or silicone rolling mat into a 14″ circle.

Use a knife or pizza wheel to trim the edges in a scalloped design.

Move the crust to a baking pan or pie pan; a giant spatula works well here.

Assembly:

Fill the center with the peach mixture.

Fold the edges of the crust up over the peaches, leaving the center uncovered.

Look for holes where you folded the crust. Galettes tend to leak syrup when they bake. Make sure you have a good solid seal on the edge of the crust.

Egg wash:

Mix the egg yolk and milk in a small dish and brush the crust. Sprinkle crust with sparkling sugar.

Bake the tart for 30 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with the remaining fresh raspberries.

Serve warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chicken Korma

Chicken Korma

Yield: 2 Servings
BBC

Leave the curry to stand for 30 minutes before reheating if you have time – it helps the aromatic flavors develop.

For the chicken

  • 4boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and quartered
  • ½tsp ground turmeric
  • 1TBS lime or lemon juice
  • 2tsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
  • ½tsp fine sea salt

For the sauce

  • 2TBS sunflower oil or 1 TBS ghee
  • 1tsp cumin seeds
  • 1medium onion, very finely chopped
  • 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
  • ½14 oz can chopped tomatoes, blended until smooth (alternatively use passata)
  • 1tsp tomato purée
  • 1tsp ground turmeric
  • 1heaped tsp garam masala
  • ¼tsp hot chili powder
  • oz ground almonds
  • 8oz full-fat milk
  • ½tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • freshly cooked rice and fresh coriander, to serve

Put the chicken thighs in a bowl with the turmeric, lime or lemon juice, oil and salt. Toss together well and set aside for 10 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat the oil or ghee in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook gently for 5–6 minutes over a low heat, or until well softened, stirring regularly.

Tip the tomatoes and tomato purée into the pan and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Next, stir in the turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, black pepper and a tsp of salt. Add the ground almonds and milk and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring regularly.

While the sauce is cooking, heat a griddle pan or heavy-based frying pan. Cook the chicken pieces for 8–10 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through, turning occasionally.

Add the chicken to the sauce, cover loosely and simmer gently together for 5–6 minutes, stirring regularly. It’s important to cover the pan as the sauce will splatter a little as it cooks. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water. If you have time, leave the curry to stand for 30 minutes before serving, then reheat gently. Serve with rice on the side and fresh coriander scattered over.

Lemon Garlic Herb Crumb Topping for Seafood

Lemon Garlic Herb Crumb Topping for Seafood

Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from ATK

Great for baked stuffed fish, shrimp, lobster… Top with a garlic, lemon, butter crumb mixture and it’s like being back east.

  • ½cup Ritz cracker crumbs (15 crackers)
  • cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2TBS minced fresh parsley
  • 2tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1tsp grated lemon zest
  • 3TBS unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼cup dry white wine
  • 2TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice


For topping:

Combine the cracker crumbs, panko, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Set aside.

Use:

Partially bake the seafood if it is thick. Remove seafood from the oven and pour the wine and lemon juice directly on the seafood. Pat the crumb mixture evenly on top, pressing gently to help them adhere. (Don’t worry if some crumbs get into the sauce!)

Return the pan to the oven for 12 minutes, until the seafood is just cooked through in the center. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices and lemon wedges.

Baked Cod with Garlic & Herb Ritz Crumbs

Baked Cod with Garlic & Herb Ritz Crumbs

Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from ATK

Cod. Not quite haddock, but darned good. Topped with a garlic, lemon, butter crumb mixture and it’s like being back east.

Fish:

  • olive oil
  • 4center-cut boneless, skinless cod fillets (6 to 8 oz each)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Herb crumb mixture:

  • ½cup Ritz cracker crumbs (15 crackers)
  • cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2TBS minced fresh parsley
  • 2tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1tsp grated lemon zest
  • 3TBS unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼cup dry white wine
  • 2TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pour 2 TBS olive oil or 1 TBS oil and 1 TBS melted butter in a 9×9-inch ceramic baking dish (it should be just big enough to hold the fish) and tilt the dish to coat the bottom with oil. Place the fish fillets in the dish and turn to coat both sides with the oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the cracker crumbs, panko, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Set aside.

Coat with crumb mixture:

Remove the fish from the oven and pour the wine and lemon juice directly on the fillets. Pat the crumb mixture evenly onto the fillets, pressing gently to help them adhere. (Don’t worry if some crumbs get into the sauce!)

Return the pan to the oven for 12 minutes, until the fillets are just cooked through in the center, depending on the thickness of the fish. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices and lemon wedges.

Side dish suggestions:

Vegetables Starches
Sauteed Zucchini Parsley Potatoes
Green Beans Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli Baked Potato
Asparagus Noodles or Couscous

Sausage Gravy

Sausage Gravy

Yield: 4 Servings
Scott Nowell, Adapted from many

From a bunch of recipes, but mostly Ree Drumond’s. I remove the sausage before making the gravy so I can portion it for other uses such as breakfast pizza 😊

  • 1lb pork breakfast sausage
  • ¼cup AP flour
  • 2-2½cups whole milk
  • ¼tsp seasoned salt
  • salt and pepper to taste

Heat a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. If you are using link sausage, slit and remove the casing. Crumble sausage into skillet and brown until no longer pink. Remove to bowl.

Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle flour into remaining fat. Stir and cook for a minute or two to form roux.

Stir in milk and cook until gravy thickens. You can mix some of the sausage back into the gravy if you like.

Add seasoned salt and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.

Blueberry Cobbler

Blueberry Cobbler

Yield: 8 Servings

ATK

The secret to this cobbler is to bake the berry filling before topping the cobbler with the biscuit dough. Then bake it again to get fluffy, flaky biscuits. This works well because with the berry filling hot when the biscuit dough is put on top, it helps cook the biscuits from the bottom while the heat from the oven cooks the top.

For the filling

  • 1TBS cornstarch
  • tsp grated lemon zest plus
  • 1TBS juice, divided
  • pinch salt
  • ¾cup sugar
  • 6cups blueberries

For the biscuit topping

  • cups AP flour
  • tsp baking powder
  • ½tsp baking soda
  • ½tsp salt
  • 1TBS sugar
  • ¾cup buttermilk
  • 6TBS unsalted butter, melted


For the filling:

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together cornstarch, lemon zest, pinch of salt, and sugar. Add blueberries and lemon juice and gently toss to coat. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish. Place baking dish on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place baking sheet in oven. Bake until the filling is hot and starting to bubble around the edges, about 25 minutes.

For the biscuit topping:

While the filling bakes, in a second large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a liquid measuring cup, use a fork to stir buttermilk and melted butter until butter forms small clumps.

To finish the cobbler:

When the filling is ready, remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Increase oven temperature to 475°F and let the filling cool for 10 minutes.

Add buttermilk mixture to bowl with flour mixture. Stir until just combined.

Spray inside of a ¼-cup dry measuring cup with vegetable oil spray. Use greased measuring cup to scoop batter: Drop scoops of dough evenly onto warm berry filling to make 9 biscuits. Return baking dish (still on baking sheet) to the oven. Bake until biscuits are golden-brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes.

Place baking sheet on a cooling rack. Let the cobbler cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Yield: about 5 dozen cookies, 1 Serving 😊

Katie Houde

Thank you, Katie, these are incredible.

 

  • 1pkg (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • ¼cup butter, softened
  • 1pkg Super Moist lemon cake mix
  • 1box instant lemon pudding
  • 1egg
  • ¼tsp vanilla
  • 1can lemon frosting

Special Equipment

  • Digital scale

 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.

Mix about ½ of cake mix, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Add in the remaining cake mix, egg, and lemon pudding mix and mix for about a minute, scraping down bowl half way through. Batter will be very thick.

Portion out 15-gram dollops on a scale and roll into balls.  30 will fit on an ungreased cookie sheet, bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Cool.

Frost with lemon frosting and store in refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up frosting.  Store in a plastic container with layers separated by wax paper or parchment.

Best served chilled.