Birria De Res Tacos

02/22/2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

Birria De Res Tacos are showing up everywhere. I’m sure I would have had them at a taqueria somewhere had I dined out in the last year. Since that is not the case, most of my “new to me” food comes from the internet, blogs, or YouTube videos.

This recipe takes inspiration from a mash up. First from Food 52 and second from Views On The Road. I like the preparation of the beef used in the Food 52 recipe. From Views On The Road, I like the Spicy Chili Oil. I did make the salsas included with the Food 52 recipe. I thought they were horrible and would not add anything to the taco. I suggest not wasting your time or money on the salsas. My brave neighbors concurred, after they gave them a taste.

I love the Food 52 marinade and will use it frequently. I think it would be great with flank steak or chicken. I also think the marinated and cooked meat would make a fine enchilada! I have not tried the meat preparation as seen on Views on the Road. However, I’m willing to bet the flavors of the Food 52 recipe are more pronounced due to the 48 hour marinating time, the complexity of ingredients, and the slow cook time.

Begin by making the marinade.

Birria Marinade

¹/₂ gallon water

20 chiles guajillo (destemmed and deseeded)

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

3 whole allspice

5 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

¹/₂ cinnamon stick

¹/₂ white onion

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sea salt

Place the 20 deseeded, destemmed chiles guajillo in a stock pot with 1/2 gallon of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and steep for 10 minutes. Add the cloves, allspice, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, cinnamon stick and sesame seed to the stock pot. Steep an additional 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the blender. Add all the ingredients from the stock pot and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need blend in batches.

For the birria de res tacos

2 ¹/₂ pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon sea salt

¹/₄ cup white vinegar

1-2 cups birria marinade

While the marinade is cooling, cut the chuck roast into 2 inch cubes. Once cut, rub with 2 1/2 tablespoons of seat salt. Nest massage in 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Please meat in bowl, cover with marinade. Cover bowl with saran wrap and marinade in fridge 24-48 hours.

I cooked the meat in the crockpot on high for 4 hours and low for two hours. The crock pot was very helpful in keeping the consommé warm as well. Alternately, you can cook the meat in the oven in a roasting pan at 325’ 2-4 hours. Remove the meat from the broth to a bowl, and shred using two forks.

To serve:

Corn tortillas

Reserved birria consomé

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 ounce Queso Oaxaca, shredded if you do not have Queso Oaxaca, you can substitute string cheese)

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Diced white onion

To assemble the tacos

Heat a little oil in a heavy frying pan. Dip the tortilla in the consommé. Lay the tortilla down in the oil and cook about 10 seconds. Carefully flip the tortilla. Add meat the meat and cheese to the tortilla. Fold in half, flip and fry a little longer, until crispy.

Add the cilantro, diced onion, or picked red onion, add a little of the chili oil. Serve with rice and beans. Enjoy!

Views from the Road Chili Oil

Chili oil ingredients 4-Guajillo Chiles + 1 extra for infusing

2-Bay leaves

1/2- Tablespoon Oregano

1/2-Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon

1/2-Teaspoon Pepper Corn or 1/2-Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4- Teaspoon Ground Clove or 2-Cloves

1/2-Teaspoon Granulated Garlic Powder

1/4-Teaspoon Sugar

1-Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil

Detailed steps to make the chili oil recipe here.

Bolognese…. for days

02/05/2020 by Laura 1 Comment

We were surprised when we didn’t find this recipe here on the blog, since it’s something we make a couple times a year. With a little searching, it turns out we had posted it “way back when”. It was not our best work…I hope you find this updated, refreshed post much more appealing!

This is a “go big, or go home” recipe. It’s a bit of work and is best when left to simmer all day. We’ve adapted it to our biggest stock pot*, by tripling the recipe. We like to stock our freezer with this sauce, for a quick meal or to make an extra special lasagna. Use the best ingredients you can afford, including imported Italian tomatoes…they do make a difference.

* Le Creuset #34, 13.25 quarts. Weight is 21 pounds. Not sure how many more years I’ll be able to toss this baby around the kitchen!

Bolognese Sauce

Adapted from Food & Wine, September 2003, 25 Favorite Classics, by Marcia Kiesel

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 celery rib, finely diced

1 pound coarsely ground beef chuck

1 pound coarsely ground pork

1/4 pound mortadella, cut into 1/4-inch dice (optional)

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

Two 28-ounce can Italian whole tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in the oil. Add the garlic, pancetta, carrot, onion and celery and cook over moderately low heat until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and pork and cook over moderate heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the mortadella and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, the stock, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley and basil and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick. I like to simmer this sauce at least 4 hours.

Reduce heat to very low, stir the cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley and 1 tablespoon of basil into the meat sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

We like to serve this over pappadrelle or buccatini pasta, alongside a tossed salad and great Italian bread. Buon appetito.

Skillet Steak with Pickle Salsa Verde and (not that big of a….) Hassleback Potatoes

01/15/2017 by Laura 2 Comments

I am sitting in my office surrounded by many things I love. Over 300 cookbooks, my camera gear, yarn and knitting supplies and my connection to ya’ll. On the dining room table is another pile of cookbooks, all fairly new releases, about 30 in total. On my corner of the couch are a dozen more cookbooks from the library, unread copies of Food and Wine, my I Pad with bookmarked blog pages, and a basket with 3, ok 5, current knitting projects. In spite of being surrounded by all this inspiration and creativity I still find it difficult to figure out what to make for dinner!

I am not brazen enough to say I’m making a NY resolution here, but I am going to share with you how we intend to get out of the “recipe rut” going forward. Dave’s idea actually! He came up with it one day when I was even more frustrated then normal, and really struggling to come up with “something for dinner”. Dave handed me a book from the top of the pile and said “open it, any page”. “There”, he said, “that’s what’s for dinner”. I might mention, that this is the same guy that chose his daily outfit by whatever was on top in the laundry basket and advised me to do the same when dressing for the day! Anyway, the book on the top of the pile was Sara Moulton’s newest book “Home Cooking 101, How to Make Everything Taste Better”. I had turned to a flat iron steak recipe, to be cooked in a skillet. Since our grill was acting weird; because of the sub-freezing temperatures effect on the propane, I thought the skillet approach was fabulous. I showed Dave the salsa verde recipe and he was not enthused. The book recommended a soft, baked polenta as a side…not Dave’s first choice. So, I flipped further into the book and chose Hassleback potatoes. I’d never made them before. They looked really good. What’s not to love about a potato basted with butter and garlic….crisp on the edges and soft on the inside? All set, decision made, we headed to the kitchen!

Again, all recipes adapted from “Home Cooking 101″ by Sara Moulton”

For the Pickle Salsa Verde

2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon finely chopped capers

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste, if desired)

1/4 quick light olive oil

Mix all the ingredients well. Add in

1 1/2 cups medium chopped, fresh parley leaves, and stir. Set aside while you prepare the steak and the potatoes.

For the Hassleback Potatoes

heat the oven to 400′

2 – 4 russet potatoes, or 1 potato per person

4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes. Drop each potato into a bowl of cold water. Work with one potato at a time, slice a small amount off the bottom of each potato to ensure it will sit flat. Place the potato between 2 chopsticks on the cutting board. (Sara’s genius advice!) slice the potatoes into 1/8″ slices, as shown. The chopsticks will prevent your knife from cutting all the way through the potato. Return the potato to the bowl of water until all are sliced. Remove from the water and dry well. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave with the garlic and thyme. Brush each potato with the melted butter, getting in between the slices as much as possible. Season with salt. Bake 30 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven. Gently separate the slices with a bread knife and baste between all the slices with the butter. Return to the oven, and bake another 30-40 minutes, until crispy on the edges and soft in the centers. Keep warm while you prepare the steak.

For the Skillet Steak

1 1/2 pound flank, flat iron or skirt steak, about an inch thick

Let the steak come to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Dry steaks and hot skillets are friends! Season the steaks as desired. My favorite is Kosher salt and garlic pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet. I think cast iron is the best for searing a steak. Sear the steak on each side, 3-4 minutes for rare, 4-5 minutes for medium rare. Remember, your steak will continue cooking a bit while it rests!!! Remove from skillet to a plate. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 8-10 minutes. Slice the steak across the grain and plate. Place a couple tablespoons of the salsa on each serving.

We enjoyed this meal very much alongside a broiled tomato and tossed green salad. I loved the salsa….I love salty briny things. It was not Dave’s favorite. Those potatoes though…MAKE THE POTATOES.

I hope you have a great evening. Thanks for stopping by.

Laura

The Best EVER Spaghetti and Meatballs

12/17/2016 by Laura 3 Comments

I have never been a big of a fan of spaghetti and meatballs, UNTIL NOW! I’ve made many meatballs in my time… all coming close to what I imagined, but never really “nailing it”. That all changed with this recipe. Inspired by a recent meal at our neighborhood Italian restaurant, we decided we must learn to make fabulous spaghetti and meatballs at home. Don’t get me wrong, the meatballs at the restaurant in the ‘hood were great… but, a plate of spaghetti and 2 meatballs for $16 is not sustainable! I set about researching recipes, and there it was on my own bookshelf! I found Frank Pellogrino’s, of the Rao’s family, recipe in my Fine Cooking – Italian cookbook! Since getting a table at Rao’s is virtually impossible…it’s great to have this recipe at hand.

For the meatballs:

We tripled the recipe…plenty for the freezer!

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

1/2 lb. ground veal

1 Tbs. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup finely grated imported Locatelli Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano (or half and half); more for serving

1-1/2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs, (I used fresh breadcrumbs made from a baguette)

1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup olive oil or vegetable oil; more as needed

1 lb. dried spaghetti

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Break up the ground meat into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, minced garlic, eggs, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, 1-1/2 cups water, and parsley. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly distributed, but don’t over mix. Shape into meatballs by gently scooping up a handful of meat and rolling it into a nice even ball; each meatball should weigh about 4 oz. and be about 2-1/2 inches in diameter.

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Gently set six of the meatballs in the oil and fry until they’re lightly browned on the bottom half, 5 to 6 min. Carefully turn them over using a slotted spatula and brown the other side. You are not cooking them all the way through. They will finish cooking in the sauce. This was a big lesson for me….I had always overcooked them, resulting in a dry, tough meatball!

Drain the meatballs on a few paper towels to soak up excess oil. Fry the remaining meatballs the same way.

For the marinara:

I changed this a bit, as we always have #10 cans of Italian tomatoes on hand…yes, seriously

1 #10 can, or 4 28 ounce cans, authentic San Marzano Italian tomatoes (I use Strianese Brand)

1/2 cup good quality, Italian olive oil (I use Partanna Brand)

10 cloves garlic, lightly smashed

2 Tbs. kosher salt; more as needed

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

optional – 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes – if you like a little heat

In a very large stockpot or heavy dutch oven, sauté the garlic in the olive oil, over low heat. Break up the tomatoes with your hands, while in the can. Add them to the stock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer 2-3 hours while you make the meatballs. Add the chopped fresh herbs during the last hour of cooking. Add the crushed red pepper flakes if using. Add the meatballs during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Simmer very gently.

for the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the meatballs and sauce have been simmering for about 20 min., add the spaghetti to the boiling water and boil until it’s just about al dente, undercooked a bit.

The next step is called the segreto method, and is key to the success of the entire dish. I had never done this before and it made a huge difference!

When the spaghetti is done, drain it and return it to the pot it was cooked in. (DO NOT RINSE THE PASTA) Add a couple of ladlefuls of the marinara sauce to the spaghetti. Put the pot over high heat and, with a wooden spoon or tongs, constantly toss the pasta until each piece is coated with sauce, about 1 min. Transfer to serving bowls and ladle more sauce over the spaghetti, along with two to three meatballs. Serve with grated cheese.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Dave did…5 meals in a row!

Buona serata,

Laura

Corned Beef on Rye, please!

06/27/2016 by Laura Leave a Comment

Cooking officially turns into a project when it results in three trips to the store for ingredients, an hour searching for necessary equipment, and having the stove on all day. Dave did not realize what he had done by pulling a corned beef brisket out of the freezer on Saturday! I had bought it in March for a traditional St. Patrick’s dinner. He was not up to that kind of food, back then, so in the freezer it went. A traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner just did not sound good at the end of June.

What did sound good? Corned beef from Katz’s and Swirl Rye from Zabar’s! Since flying to NYC was not an option, I went in search of the swirl rye that shows up occasionally at one of our local supermarkets. No luck! With the corned beef simmering away in the crockpot, and the swirl rye determination of Jerry, I had no choice but to make the bread myself. I had everything on had except rye flour. For some reason Safeway had four different offerings of almond and coconut flour in three different sections of the store, and no rye flour anywhere. As a matter of fact – there were very few whole grain offerings, but that is another story. As an industry professional, I could fully explain the “reasoning” and/or “logic” behind what does and does not get stocked in the store, but you would all fall asleep in two minutes. So, off to Whole Foods I went. I easily found the necessary rye flour and some beautiful organic blackberries that I decided, on the spot, would go into a cobbler along with the “less than beautiful” apricots hidden in the back of our fridge. See – this is how it goes. All I wanted was a decent corned beef on rye, on a Sunday afternoon! Now I’m baking bread and making cobbler.

I consider myself a fairly accomplished bread baker, although I do not recall ever making a swirl rye. I used the recipe I found on line from Red Star Yeast. My biggest surprise was that darker dough is the same as the lighter dough, with the addition of some cocoa powder! The recipe can be found here.

Roll out the dark dough. Fold over and set aside

Roll out the light dough.

Place the dark dough on the light dough. Trim the sides and edges as needed.

Roll into a loaf. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet that has been oiled.

I made some mini bread sticks with the trimmings. The back deck is a great “proofer” in the summer. I got a great rise on the loaf.

Bake according to directions.

To assemble the sandwich, I sliced the bread a little thick. I spread both sides with mustard. I warmed the sliced corned beef in a small pan with Swiss cheese on top, until it got soft and gooey. I placed the meat and cheese on the bread. I served store bought coleslaw alongside.

I mentioned cobbler, didn’t I! Well, sharing this is going to result in coming clean with one of my short cuts. I use a cobbler mix. It’s fantastic. You can even make this with canned fruit and people will think you spent hours baking. There are a few mixes out there. I used one in a small bag that looks a lot like the fish fry product they also produce. Use any fruit you like. I used chopped apricots and blackberries. Bake according to the directions on the package. By the time I was ready to snap a shot of the finished product, half the pan of cobbler and a pint of ice cream had gone missing. Dave assures you, it was good!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Boeuf Bourguignon – Updated

08/30/2015 by Laura Leave a Comment

What a blustery, wintry weekend here in Seattle. We have not had heavy wind and rain like this for months. The weather put me in the mood for a comforting, hearty meal like Boeuf Bourguignon. I was really surprised when I brought this recipe up for reference yesterday. I could not believe it had been over two years since I first posted it! And, like may bloggers whose skills have improved over time, I was totally appalled by the earlier photos. So, here is one of our very favorite meals, looking a lot better than it did a couple of years ago.

Ingredients

Olive oil for sautéing

1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (Regular “Sunday” bacon is ok too!)

4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes and patted dry with paper towels

Salt and Pepper

1 large onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced*

4 stalks celery, diced

6 sprigs of thyme

3 bay leaves

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish

1 bottle dry red wine, pinot noir preferred

12-15 small, button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

12-15 pearl onions – I like the convenience of the frozen ones

4 tablespoons of butter, divided, for sautéing onions and mushrooms

2-3 teaspoons of Bisto for thickening

Cook the bacon cubes in a little oil in a heavy Dutch oven that has a lid. When bacon cubes are crisp, remove from pan and set aside. Add meat in batches, not overcrowding the pan, and brown on all sides over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper while cooking. Remove from pan and set aside.

Turn heat down to medium and add onions, carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and parsley. (I tie the herbs together with a cooking twine, making it easy to remove the stems, when finished cooking.) Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add wine and simmer 5 more minutes.

Return meat to pan. Bring back to a slow simmer. Cover and cook about an hour. (Because I had extra cooking time available, I continued this phase about three hours. You could also transfer this to a crock pot and cook on low, 6 hours at this stage.)

In a separate pan, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter until they are browned. Do the same with the mushrooms.

Add the onions, mushrooms and bacon to the pan. Return to simmer and cook an additional 30-40 minutes.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste. I chose to thicken the stew up a bit with, you guessed it, a little Bisto. Serve with mashed potatoes, great bread and a hearty red wine. My absolute favorite Washington Syrah, from L’Ecole 41 pairs perfectly with this dish!

Have a wonderful evening,

Laura

*Here’s a mini dicing lesson….

Peel the carrots and then cut them into uniform lengths, based on their thickness.

Slice the rounded edges off to form a rectangular carrot. Slice the rectangle into planks. Cut the planks into strips. Proceed to dice.

Grilled Veggie Kabobs and Teriyaki Short Ribs

07/10/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I really do not mean to sound like a broken record but our fabulous summer just continues to be more and more fabulous! I have never had such great crops this early. I picked three cups of blueberries, a large cucumber, a batch of green beans, a couple dozen cherry tomatoes and more zucchini. I only have one zucchini plant and it is the small bush variety. However, it has produced 3-4 squash per week so far. With my commitment to use what I grow, I came up with this little veggie kabob. It was very simple and went perfectly with the teriyaki flanken style short ribs. There are no elaborate recipes or detailed instructions for this post. It’s too hot to cook, stage shots and spend a lot of time in the kitchen!

For the Veggie Kabobs

if using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water about 20 minutes, prior to placing the food on them

2 small zucchini, cut in bite size chunks

1 large red bell pepper, cut in bite size chunks

1 large, sweet onion (Walla Walla or Maui) cut in bite size chunks

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, core removed and cut into chunks

Place the fruit and veggies on the skewers in your desired pattern. Brush (or spray) the skewers lightly with coconut or olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a very hot grill, turning every 4-5 minutes until the zucchini is cooked through and the other vegetables and fruit are well-marked. When choosing ingredients for kabobs, make sure everything you are grilling together, will cook to the same doneness in the same amount of time.

For the Teriyaki Short Ribs

2 cups Soy Vay Island Style Teriyaki sauce (I LOVE their products and their story! As always, this is NOT a paid endorsement!)

2-3 pounds boneless or bone in, flanken style short ribs

Marinate the short ribs in the teriyaki sauce 3-4 hours or overnight. I place the meat in a zip lock bag, pour in the sauce and leave in refrigerator overnight. Bring the meat to room temperature prior to grilling.

Place the ribs on a very hot grill and cook to desired doneness. We prefer medium rare and we cooked them about 4 minutes per side.

Serve with rice and a little extra teriyaki sauce.

Dave’s Diner – The All American Burger!

07/06/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Dave has mastered the art of grilling a burger. He mixes 80/20 organic ground beef with salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and a little water. He heats the grill for a solid 15 minutes to ensure it is at the maximum temperature. The patties are seared about 5 minutes per side. He adds cheese the last few minutes, and lightly toasts the buns. Once removed from the heat, the meat rests at least 5 minutes. The best thing about grilling your own burgers? You can have it YOUR WAY! Mine was served with lettuce, tomato, dill pickle, purple onion, mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup. Oh, and a few sweet potato fries! My other favorite is with pepper jack cheese, grilled Anaheim chili, purple onion and avocado. Dave loves sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese on his. How do you like your burgers?

The picture below is one of the hummingbirds who lives in our back yard all year around. He loves the crocosmia, which is just outside of my office window. I caught this shot around dusk, while waiting for Dave to finish grilling our burgers.

Curried Flank Steak with Mushrooms and Low-Carb “Mock” Mashed Potatoes

01/10/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I am a big fan of cutting carbs to lose a few pounds. I have looked at the “Mock” mashed potato recipes every time I have dieted, and thought “eeeewwww”. I finally got around to giving them a try and I am thrilled to admit I was wrong about them. This is an absolutely delicious, low carb way to satisfy that, all too frequent, diet craving for something rich and creamy and comforting! We served them along side one of our all time favorites: Curried Flank Steak with Mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Curried Flank Steak, inspired by The Seattle Classic Cookbook, Junior League of Seattle, 1983

For the Flank Steak

1 large flank steak, or flat iron steak (2 pounds or so)

6 tablespoons of soft butter

3 tablespoons of Dijon style mustard

1 tablespoon curry powder, I like Madras style

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1/2 -3/4 cup dry sherry

1 cup sour cream

1 pound sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Make a paste of the soft butter, Dijon, curry powder, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Lay the flank steak in a large glass container. Spread each side with the paste, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sherry over the steak. cover with plastic wrap and marinate at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. turn the meat at least once. Let come to room temperature for 1 hour prior to preparing the steak.

Slice and sauté the mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add a little sherry if more liquid is needed. Set aside. Preheat the oven to broil. Broil the meat 5 – 6 minutes per side on an oven proof broiler pan, until medium rare. Remove the meat to a cutting board. Cover with foil to keep warm. Scrape the drippings from the broiler pan into the mushrooms. Sauté until the liquid has reduced a bit. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream. Slice the steak with a very sharp knife, diagonally against the grain. Serve three to four slices per serving. Top with the mushroom sauce and garnish with parsley.

“Mock” Mashed Potatoes, inspired by The South Beach Diet Super Charged Cookbook

For the Mock” Mashed Potatoes

1 large head cauliflower, broken into small florets

14 ounces chicken stock

2 tablespoon cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated cheese, I used low fat white and yellow cheddar

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

freshly ground salt and pepper

chives or green onions, sliced for garnish

Place the cauliflower in a stock pot pour in the chicken stock and cover with lid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes until tender. Drain liquid. Return pan to stove to ensure all liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. (You may want to drain on paper towels to ensure all liquid is removed.) Mash the cauliflower with a hand mixer or immersion blender. Add the remaining ingredients and mash again. Adjust for seasoning. Keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.

Braised Short Ribs II

11/09/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

It is no secret I love short ribs! They were not on my shopping list on Sunday, but when I saw these beautiful ribs; on sale, they jumped right into my basket. I procrastinated and did not get around to marinating them, as I usually do. I searched the internet and came across this “quicker” recipe. It is inspired by one Jenny Rosentrach and Andy Ward created at Bon Apetit.

For the Braised Short Ribs

2-3 pounds of beef short ribs, approximately 6-8

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3/4 of 750-ml bottle dry red wine

Tie the herbs together with kitchen twine, into a little bundle:

a few sprigs of sprigs flat-leaf parsley

a few sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 cups low-salt beef stock

Bisto for thickening

Preheat oven to 325°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add the herb bundle, garlic cloves and short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, about 3 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Remove the herb bundle. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard. I used my fat separator, to get as much fat out of the sauce as possible. I did not strain out the carrot, celery and onion, as the recipe suggests. Bring the sauce to a boil and thicken with a couple tablespoons of Bisto. Taste for seasoning. Serve with mashed potatoes. YUMM!