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Category Archives: Sauces

Cranberry Chipotle Cocktail Meatballs

Posted on December 11, 2011 by amydeline

I hosted a little cookie exchange this weekend. It was really just an excuse to engage in a bit of holiday cheer with a few of my best girl friends…as if we needed an excuse! We drank pomegranate champagne cocktails and warm mugs of mulled wine as we laughed by the light of the Christmas tree. Then we loaded up our trays with the assortment of delicious cookies and homemade bread before saying good night. I love the holiday season exactly for such festive gatherings.

Our evening was as educational as it was fun. We learned such things as:

  • When offering your guests mulled wine, it helps to say the word “mulled” slowly and clearly, so your guests do not believe you are offering them some sort of fancy French mold wine.
  • Carrots are not only delicious, but also an excellent source of small talk.
  • If your boot gets stuck on your foot as you pass through airport security, you will need to sit in the naughty passenger area until the boot can be pried from your foot. (Try to appear as if you’re ok with this situation.)
  • Alec Baldwin likes Word with Friends and Wegmans. And we still like Alec Baldwin.

I made a few snacks for my cookie party, including some spinach-gorgonzola triangles (think spanakopita, made with gorgonzola cheese instead of feta) and these cranberry meatballs. They’re inspired by a recipe I spotted in an advertisement for Ocean Spray cranberry sauce. Ocean Spray’s recipe calls for a combination of jellied cranberry sauce and chili sauce over frozen cocktail meatballs. It reminds me of the sweet and sour meatballs which my mom used to make with a combination of grape jelly and ketchup. It was one of her standard dishes to bring to potlucks and they were surprisingly delicious. You’d never have guessed the sauce was made from jelly and ketchup, of all things!

I knew there was something to this cranberry meatball idea. So, I made a few little tweaks to raise the homemade factor in the recipe and to kick up the flavor with a bit of chipotle heat. The result is sweet, savory, spicy, and surprisingly delicious. These tasty little meatballs are going to make a prompt reappearance on my Christmas Eve menu!

Cranberry Chipotle Cocktail Meatballs

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 1/2 medium onion, very finely diced
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pepper

For the sauce:

  • 2 cans jellied cranberry sauce
  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotle in adobo)

Directions

To prepare the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ground turkey, onions, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper until well-blended. Form into 1″ balls. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet which has been lightly rubbed with oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cooked through.

To prepare the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium/medium-low heat. (Use one chipotle pepper for mild/medium heat or two chipotle peppers for medium-hot.) Use a fork to smash up the cranberry sauce. Stir and cook for about 5-7 minutes until a sauce forms. Remove the sauce from heat and allow to cool slightly. Puree the mixture using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor. Pour the sauce over the cooked meatballs.

Meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated or frozen until use.

To reheat: Reheat the meatballs in a foil-covered baking dish in a 350 degrees oven, until the meatballs are heated through, about 25-30 minutes (frozen meatballs will take longer). Periodically stir the meatballs as they reheat. Alternately, the meatballs and sauce can be reheated in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in a slow-cooker.

Makes about 60 cocktail-sized meatballs

Tis the season for festive cocktails, like pomegranate champagne cocktails and mulled wine.

For the pomegranate champagne cocktails: Place a few pomegranate arils (the bright red seeds) into the bottom of a champagne glass. Pour a splash of pomegranate juice over the arils. Fill the glass with champagne. The arils sparkle like floating gems and are really fun to pop in your mouth as you enjoy your festive cocktail.

For the mulled wine: Mulled wine is warm, spiced and flavored wine…sort of a warm sangria. It’s typically made with red wine. The flavors and spices can vary. I combined 1.5 liters of Merlot with 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup of pomegranate juice, and two cinnamon sticks. Then, cut one navel orange in half. Squeeze the juice into the mixture, then place the orange halves into the liquid. Slowly warm the mixture to a very gentle simmer. Allow to gently simmer for about 20 minutes. Do not boil. Serve warm. You can prepare the wine on the stovetop in a saucepan or use a slow cooker.

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Favorite Thanksgiving Ideas

Posted on November 13, 2011 by amydeline

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. I’d better get my butt in gear and start preparing.

To be honest, I’d been struggling to come up with new Thanksgiving recipes to share with you. I’m just really in love with my standard Thanksgiving dishes. It’s a menu that’s evolved over the past several years and in my mind, it’s the perfect Thanksgiving feast. But, as my husband reminded me, Thanksgiving is very much about tradition.

So, this Thanksgiving, we will be enjoying what has become our traditional Thanksgiving feast, but I have come up with a few new ideas to share. Over the next two weeks, keep your eyes out for a Pumpkin Vanilla Custard, How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust Photo Guide, Spiced Pumpkin Wontons, From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Crispy Onion Straws, Garlicky Creamed Spinach, a fun twist on a classic Apple Pie, and Braised Turkey Drumsticks.

Yikes! Ok…it’s probably unrealistic that I’ll be able to get all of that posted before Thanksgiving. But I’m gonna give it an honest effort. Let me know if there’s anything in that list you’re especially interested in seeing and I’ll try to prioritize that post.

In the mean time, take a look back at some of my classic Thanksgiving favorites:

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy

Spiced Sweet Potato Puree with Pecan Streusel 

Sausage, Apple, and Leek Stuffing

Cranberry Orange Sauce 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts 

Hot Doughy Buns 

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How to Prepare Fresh Pumpkin

Posted on October 3, 2011 by amydeline

Welcome, October! Quite possibly my favorite month of the year. Well, maybe except for December.

Because December means Christmas. And Christmas makes me burst with happiness.

But October means beautiful changing leaves, my birthday, Halloween candy, warm sweaters, soft hoodies, and pumpkins; lots and lots of pumpkins!

As I write, there are a few pumpkins roasting in the oven, making my home smell like autumn. I’m working on a new pumpkin recipe today. Think fresh, roasted pumpkin with rich cream, and perhaps a touch of caramel. Oh, and it’s not a dessert! Look for it later this week.

In the mean time, I thought you may want to brush up on your procedure for preparing fresh pumpkin puree by taking a look back at my no-fuss step-by-step guide. Click HERE to begin your pumpkin journey.

You may also want to check out these delicious pumpkin recipes:

Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Autumn Harvest Buns

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

Pumpkin Gingersnap Parfaits

Fettucine with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce 

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Chickpea Fries with Green Athena Sauce

Posted on September 2, 2011 by amydeline

Many years ago, I made a friend for life during my college orientation weekend. I don’t recall how we first met. We may have been seated next to each other during some presentation to incoming freshmen. However it happened, it was kismet, as they say. We became instant friends that weekend, as we explored our new school and the town which would be our home for the next four years.

We spent the rest of the summer sending handwritten letters to each other. Yes, this was before the time of facebook, widespread email, and texting. Freshman year we grew closer. And as roommates during our sophomore year, we were practically inseparable. In fact, the vast majority of my college memories in some way involve this particular friend; memories involving mermaids (and mermen), dance routines with a big finish, a glowing Red Dog clock, flooded suites, and self-directed midnight evacuation drills from our second floor dorm building. Note to self: Scaling the side of a brick building with your sheets tied together will result in holey sheets. And laughter. Lots of laughter.

College Memories

In the years after college, we moved in different directions, geographically. Separated by distance, our opportunities to share drinks, laughter, and miscellaneous mischief have become fewer and farther between. But we will always share a part in each other’s celebrations, successes, and challenges. She stood as my bridesmaid during my wedding and wore a pin I gave her in her hair as she celebrated her own. Though we now live, quite literally, on opposite sides of the globe, my dear friend will always remain close in my heart. I feel fortunate that our lives crossed paths.

Recently, my globe-trotting pal sent me a link to a Mark Bittman article, which describes a process for making a sort of chickpea fries; crisp on the outside with a smooth, custardy center. Yum! Only, the article is a bit vague on the exact procedure. My friend’s first attempt never made it to the taste-testing phase. Dying to love these little goodies, she sent a plea for help. I told you we’d always be there for each other’s challenges!

Vegetarians and gluten-free eaters rejoice! This recipe is right up your alley. In fact, this protein-rich alternative to French fries should make just about everyone happy! I based my recipe on Bittman’s description and a bit of trial and error. Your biggest challenge may be getting your hands on the chickpea flour necessary for this recipe. But if you’ve got a well-stocked grocery store nearby, you may be in luck. I was able to find the flour in the organic and natural foods section of my Wegmans. If you don’t see it in your grocery store, try asking at the customer service desk.

The sauce is a cross between a cucumber-yogurt tzatziki and a green goddess dressing, so I’m calling it my Green Athena Sauce. It’s works perfectly with these tasty chickpea fries and will probably leave you looking for other things to dip in it. Try pita, fresh vegetables, chips, bread, skewered lamb…

Chickpea Fries

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/8 cups chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more, if desired)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper (plus more, if desired)
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Line a 13×9 inch baking dish or baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Lightly rub the paper with vegetable oil to help prevent sticking. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and gradually whisk in the chickpea flour. The mixture will thicken quickly. Add the other ingredients. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add additional water if the mixtures seems too dry or additional flour if the mixture seems too runny. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish or baking sheet. Use a piece of wax paper to help press the mixture into an even layer. Cover with the wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Once cool, cut the mixture into the shape of fries or any other shape you desire.Heat a shallow (less than 1/4″) layer of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-medium high heat. Place the fries into the hot oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Green Athena Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber, peeled and grated
  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Bg handful of fresh parsley
  • Pepper, to taste
Directions
Squeeze the grated cucumber in your hands or in a piece of cheesecloth to remove as much liquid as you can. (Skipping this step will result in an overly runny sauce.) Combine the cucumber with all other ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until well combined. Add as much parsley as you desire, until the sauce has a nice green color. Taste and adjust seasoning, to taste. Refrigerate until serving.

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Fusilli with Braised Beef and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Posted on April 18, 2011 by amydeline

The closer I get to my due date, the slower all of my movements become. I’m normally quick and efficient at most tasks. I am now painfully slow and awkward. My every movement is choreographed to a soundtrack of grunts and other sounds of physical exertion.

Ok…thankfully it’s not quite that bad, though I’m definitely better suited to sitting on my couch writing this little post than bopping around the kitchen preparing meals these days. I suspect we’ll be enjoying a lot of takeout during these next few weeks.

With my due date rapidly approaching, I just don’t have the time, energy, or motivation to deal with lengthy ingredient lists and complicated cooking steps. As I waddle my very pregnant body around the kitchen, with two active toddlers running circles around me, simplicity is essential. Heck…I’ve got a low tolerance for lengthy, complicated recipes even on my best days!

Thankfully, mouthwatering dishes with fantastic depth of flavor don’t require long, complicated ingredient lists or intricate culinary techniques. A few well-chosen ingredients and a simple slow-cooked technique can produce an extremely satisfying meal with intense flavors.

Fusilli with Braised Beef and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 package fusilli pasta (or other pasta)

For the Beef:

  • 2 pounds beef short ribs (about 4-6 ribs)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups beef stock
  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper

For the Tomatoes:

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large oven-safe pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Place the short ribs in the hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Add the beef stock, tomato paste and garlic to the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and place the pot on the middle rack of the oven. Allow to cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. Then, partially uncover a corner of the pot and cook for 30 minutes more.
  • For the tomatoes, toss in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for the last 35-45 minutes of the beef’s cooking time.
  • Once the beef has cooked, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the short ribs from the sauce and set aside to cool slightly. Pour the sauce into a large measuring cup. (You should have about a cup or so of sauce.) Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes. The excess oil and fat will rise to the top. Pour off the excess fat or use a spoon to skim away the excess fat. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.
  • When the beef is cool enough to handle, cut off any excess fat or cartilage. Then, use your fingers or a fork to pull the meat apart.
  • To serve, cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Place some of the shredded meat and several roasted tomatoes on top of the pasta. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Serves 2-4


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Broiled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Posted on March 30, 2011 by amydeline
Broiled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

I’d like to begin this post with some interesting background on chimichurri sauce or perhaps some funny anecdote explaining the creation of this dish. I’d like to tell you about my love for skirt steak or how I adore the horseradish and cheddar I added to my smashed potatoes. I’d even like to explain how fast cooking at high heat produces the most tender, juicy steak. But, I can’t do any of that right now, since the only thing ringing through my head is…

Chim chiminey, Chim chiminey, Chim, chim cher-ee, A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be… Chim chiminey, Chim chiminey, Chim, chim cher-oo, Good luck will rub off when I shake hands with you. Or blow me a kiss and that’s lucky too…

So, I’m going to skip the background and the stories and get right to the recipes. Then, I’m going to close my computer, load Mary Poppins into the Blu-Ray player, and spend the rest of my day singing about chimneys and spoonfuls of sugar.

Today’s meal consists of a fast broiled skirt steak served over smashed red potatoes, loaded with cheddar and horseradish. Topping it off is a vibrant chimichurri sauce, oozing with the flavors of fresh parsley and garlic.

It’s a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious kind of meal!

Broiled Skirt Steak

Ingredients

  • 1 pound skirt steak (hanger steak would make a great substitute)
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat broiler. Trim any excess fat from the exterior of the steak. Season with salt and pepper. Place the steak on a baking sheet. Cook several inches under the broiler for about 10-15 minutes, to your desired doneness. Allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice diagonally against the grain.

Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, loosely packed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 small shallot, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more if desired
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more if desired

Directions

Combine parsley, garlic, shallot and white wine vinegar in a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, until well blended. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil until a sauce forms. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, as desired.

Cheddar and Horseradish Smashed Red Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into large, even chunks
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough water until the potatoes are just covered. Bring to a boil, then cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Strain. Add the butter to the hot potatoes and smash to your desired consistency. Add the milk, cheese, and horseradish. Stir until combined. Add additional milk, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.

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The Kids Cook Monday – White Garlic Shrimp Pizza

Posted on February 21, 2011 by amydeline
Don’t get me wrong…I love a traditional slice of saucy, cheesy pizza as much as the next person (preferably dipped in a bit of bleu cheese dressing). But there’s something about a slice of white garlic pizza which makes my taste buds do a little happy dance. And last week, my happy-dancing taste buds decided that a homemade white garlic pizza, with a generous topping of tiny shrimp, was exactly what we needed.
Truth be told, I made this pizza twice last week. I had initially planned to post the recipe on Friday, but my first take on the pizza was less than ideal. It was garlicky and delicious, but the proportions of sauce and cheese to the dough were off kilter. On top of being too heavily sauced, the ricotta layer cooked up into a bit of a mess. I figured that all it needed was a little reduction on the toppings and a touch of egg white to bind the ricotta. I was about to post the recipe with my theorized improvements, but made a last minute decision to run another test. There were no complaints in our household about having this pizza twice in the same week! The second run-through was a definite winner!
As part of our Kids Cook Monday series, I invited my little helpers into the kitchen. Pizza making is ripe with opportunities for young children to get involved. Stretching dough, spreading sauces, arranging toppings, and scattering cheese are ideal tasks for little hands. Kids benefit in a number of ways while cooking. They develop math skills while measuring, fine motor skills while spreading and arranging pizza toppings, health and safety skills while washing up before cooking, and language skills while following directions. But, in my opinion, there’s no bigger reward than the proud smiles on their little faces as our family sits down to enjoy the meal they had a hand in creating.
White Garlic Shrimp Pizza
Ingredients
  • 1 large pizza shell or pizza dough, prepared or homemade*
  • 2 cups salad shrimp, cooked
  • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For the Ricotta Layer

  • 3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Garlic Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 Tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Ground black pepper

*Click here to see my post on making homemade pizza dough.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using pizza dough, stretch the dough into a large round and arrange on a pizza stone or large baking sheet, lightly greased with olive oil.

Prepare the ricotta by combining the ricotta, egg white, garlic, parsley, and salt.

Prepare the garlic sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the butter. Cook for about two minutes. Add the flour to the mixture and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, until the milk begins to thicken. Turn down the heat. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

To assemble the pizza, spread a thin, even layer of the ricotta mixture over the pizza dough. Then, spread a thin, even layer of the garlic sauce over the ricotta. Scatter the salad shrimp over the sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

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Broiled Flank Steak with Pomegranate-Balsamic Reduction

Posted on January 21, 2011 by amydeline

Our garbage disposal threw its hands up and surrendered to the land of broken appliances. We fought it for awhile, clinging to the hope that our dear friend would stay with us. But, its conviction was strong and we’ve had to say goodbye. It’s funny, because I never had a garbage disposal growing up, yet I’ve somehow become so very attached to the one in our home that I hardly know how to function in the kitchen without it. A new, super monster of a disposal is waiting to be installed, but in the mean time, we’ve been learning to throw our scraps in the garbage.

No one has benefited more from the broken garbage disposal than our giant labrador disposal. We do not feed him people food. No, he just helps himself. And so, during he night, while the rest of the family is sleeping, our labrador sticks his giant head into the garbage bag and enjoys a midnight snack. His most recent snack included tender pieces of broiled flank steak drizzled with a pomegranate balsamic reduction and served with garlic-sauteed broccoletti and roasted sweet potato wedges. He greeted me in the morning with the enthusiastic tail wags of gratitude.

Interested in pleasing your canine friend? Here’s how it’s done…

P.S. Humans will also enjoy this tasty meal.

Broiled Flank Steak with Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

  • 1 Flank Steak (about a pound)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 3/4 cup Pomegranate Juice
  • 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

Preheat broiler. Season the steak with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place it on a baking sheet and broil a few inches below the broiler, for 10-15 minutes, depending on your desired doneness. Allow the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

For the reduction, combine pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the mixture has reduced by 3/4. Spoon the warm reduction sauce over your cooked slices of steak.

Garlic Sauteed Broccoletti

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of Broccoletti (or broccolini, rapini, rappi, broccoli rabe)
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Insert the broccoletti and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Strain. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the broccoletti to the pan and toss in the olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Ingredients

  • 3 large Sweet Potatoes
  • Olive Oil
  • Cajun Seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes and cut in half across the middle. Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for about 5 minutes. The potatoes should still be quite firm at this point. (Microwaving the potatoes for a few minutes will help to reduce the roasting time and makes the potatoes softer and safer to slice into wedges.) Allow the potatoes to cook for a minute, then slice each potato half into wedges. Toss the wedges in olive oil until well coated and season with cajun seasoning. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

Serves 4 Humans (with enough leftovers for one large dog)




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Post Christmas Recovery and Recap

Posted on December 28, 2010 by amydeline

Well, the big day has passed. The carefully wrapped gifts have been enthusiastically unwrapped. The cookies, pies and festive dinners have been prepared and consumed, with minimal leftovers to speak of. New toys have been put through their paces and new clothes have been worn and washed. Our house guests and house pets have all made their way home and all that’s left is to launder the sheets and towels. It was a beautiful holiday filled with laughter, love, and smiles.

And now, things are gradually returning to normal. We’re slowly reclaiming the house from the holidays, sweeping up the pine tree needles, and finding places to stash the new toys. As much as I thrive on the Christmas festivities, I’m looking forward to a bit of normalcy. I’m ready to pack away the cookie sheets for a while and get back to our normal day-to-day cooking and routines.

I must admit, I’ve been feeling a bit of post-holiday indulgence remorse. I ate way too many cookies and slices of eggnog pie “for the baby”, which I’m pretty sure went straight to my hips instead. The measly remainder of holiday cookies have been officially exiled from the house and I’m looking forward to some light, nutritious meals for the sake of my hips. But speaking of the baby, we found out yesterday morning that we are expecting our third boy! Looks like my husband just formed himself a foursome for golf!

I’ll be whipping up some healthy new recipes soon. But first, here’s a quick recap of some of the goodies we enjoyed with our holiday guests.

We started on Christmas Eve Eve (does that make sense?) with a request from my brother-in-law for my Steak Bordelaise Pizza. I’ve shared this recipe for you before, back in my Pizza Dragons and Chairs of Stock post. I guess you can say this is one of my signature dishes. It’s sort of a steak dinner on a pizza crust. This is definitely not your run of the mill pizza. My pizza traditionalist father would be reluctant to call it a pizza at all, but we’re all big fans of the dish around here.

On Christmas Eve, I cooked up a Chicken Parmigiana dinner, complete with spaghetti and toasty hot garlic bread. I’ve been cooking Chicken Parmigiana on Christmas Eve in this house for many years now, long before my husband and I were married and long before this house was our house. I’ll give the Chicken Parm it’s own post with a proper recipe soon, but for now, you can take a look back at my recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana. My Chicken Parm follows the same basic recipe, only substituting breaded thin-cut or pounded chicken breasts for the eggplant. It’s a delicious meal that can be almost fully prepared ahead of time. It’s definitely a satisfying crowd pleaser!

On Christmas, we started with two easy appetizers of Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes with Basil Pesto on Baguette and Shrimp with Spicy Cocktail Sauce. You can find my recipe for Basil Pesto back in my Toasted Caprese Sandwich post. For the shrimp, simply boil large de-veined shrimp for a few minutes until they curl and turn bright pink. Or, take the easy route, as I do, and buy a large bag of frozen, peeled, tail-on shrimp and allow them to defrost in the fridge overnight. Make a quick, delicious cocktail sauce by combining about a cup of ketchup with a healthy dose of horseradish (a few heaping tablespoons), a splash of Worchestershire Sauce, splash of Lemon Juice, and splash of Tabasco.

Our Christmas dinner featured Roasted Beef Tenderloin with two sauces. I trimmed and tied a 5 1/2 pound beef tenderloin, rubbed it with olive oil, generously sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roasted in a 425 degrees oven for about 45 minutes. Smaller roasts will cook quicker. On the side, I served a Horseradish Cream Sauce (made with sour cream, a generous amount of horseradish, dash of white wine vinegar, salt and pepper) and a Red Wine Mushroom Sauce, which was simply an adaptation of the Bordelaise Sauce used on my Steak Bordelaise Pizza; a little less wine, slightly less reduced, with sauteed mushrooms added at the end.

On the side, we enjoyed my Cheddar Garlic Biscuits, Spicy Utica Greens, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts. Every bit was enjoyed. The brussel sprouts even managed to surprise a few apprehensive diners. For dessert, we enjoyed massive platters of cookies and Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Pie. Overall, it was a simple meal to pull off for a large group, which gave me plenty of downtime to enjoy with the kids and our guests.

It was another truly wonderful Christmas season, topped off by the revelation of our third baby boy! We are so very thankful for all of our blessings. Stay tuned for new recipes, coming up soon!

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Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomato Polenta

Posted on December 2, 2010 by amydeline

Last weekend, I received a recipe request from my uncle. We were seated around a table at the Venus Restaurant, a little diner where my grandmother has breakfast each and every morning. Each day, my grandmother is joined by at least one, and sometimes many, of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Whenever my family travels to Long Island, we’ve made it a routine to join the group at breakfast before we hit the road for home. I get the corned beef hash and eggs every time; eggs cooked over-hard, rye toast, and fries.

Well, this past weekend, as I was eating my corned beef  hash and eggs, my family was discussing some of their favorite recipes from this very blog. It thrills me to know that the people I love are enjoying my little work of culinary joy. We talked of gravies, soups, and macaroni and cheese. And then my Uncle Gene asked if I take requests. I absolutely take requests!! In fact, I love requests. His request was clear and precise; braised short ribs with polenta. My mouth watered at the thought. It didn’t take me more than a minute to formulate a plan.

Braising is a wonderfully simple technique which produces extraordinary results. During braising, meat is typically seared over high heat and then cooked slowly in a bit of liquid at a lower temperature. The slow cooking process breaks down the connective tissues of tougher cuts of meat, resulting in a very tender and flavorful result. As the meat cooks, the braising liquid reduces and thickens into a ready made sauce for your completed dish. Combine whatever liquids and seasonings strike your fancy. For the braising liquid in this dish, I chose to use a simple combination of beef stock and red wine, combined with accents of tomato paste, garlic, and onion. Perfection in simplicity.

My uncle requested polenta to accompany the braised short ribs. Polenta is, quite simply, boiled cornmeal. A basic polenta is made from yellow cornmeal, simmered in boiling water or stock until it’s smooth and thickened. To add a bit of rich creaminess to our polenta, I incorporated butter and cream at the end. The addition of parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes makes this polenta the perfect partner to our tomato accented short rib sauce.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

  • 6 Beef Short Ribs
  • 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Onion, finely diced
  • 2 cups Beef Stock
  • 1 cup Red Wine
  • 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over medium/medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Add the short ribs to the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side until nicely browned. Remove the short ribs from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft and golden. Add the red wine, beef stock and tomato paste. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and allow the mixture cook for about 3-5 minutes. Place the short ribs in the liquid. (They will not be fully submerged.) Cover the pan and place it in the oven. Cook for about 2 hours.

After two hours, remove the pan from the oven. The meat will have pulled away from the bones. Remove the short ribs from the liquid and set aside. Discard any bones which have fallen away from the meat. Strain the sauce. Allow the sauce to sit for a couple minutes so that the excess fat will rise to the surface. Skim the excess fat off of the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If you desire a thicker sauce, pour the sauce into an uncovered saucepan and simmer until the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency.

Serves 2-3


Creamy Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomato Polenta

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Water, divided
  • 1/2 cup Coarse-Ground Yellow Corn Meal
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1/3 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup Light Cream
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining water, corn meal, and salt. Once the water is simmering, slowly stir in the cornmeal mixture until smooth. Continue stirring and cooking over low heat for a couple minutes until the mixture thickens. Cover and allow to cook over low heat for 5 more minutes. Stir in the butter, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and cream. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serves 2-4

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Posted in Beef, Cheese, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Sauces, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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