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Lobster BLT Sandwiches

Posted on April 7, 2011 by amydeline

Ding! Ding! Ding! Balloons are dropping from the ceiling all around you. The crowds are cheering. The sirens are ringing. Brightly colored bits of paper confetti are obscuring your vision. Your heart is racing with excitement and your mind is filled with utter bewilderment…

You MAY have just been the 100,000th visitor to this blog. CONGRATULATIONS! I’d send you a real prize if I could, but I have no way of determining who the actual 100,000th reader will be. So, simply beam with pride in knowing that it might be you and accept this celebratory recipe as your grand reward!

According to my stats, some time today, this little food blog will reach its 100,000th view. Yowzers! I can only hope that this milestone represents 100,000 happy customers, 100,000 delicious meals,  and 100,000 satisfied bellies!

In celebration of this momentous occasion, I’ve got a special little dish for you; elegant in its simplicity, an unassuming sandwich on a croissant. But between those flakey, buttery layers of golden croissant lies a decadent lobster salad, lightly tossed in a champagne tarragon dressing. A few slices of crispy applewood smoked bacon and some ripe red tomatoes complete the dish. It’s a BLT sandwich in every sense of the word, simply swapping the traditional lettuce for a bit of luscious lobster; the perfect way to raise the level of a classic BLT sandwich into a celebratory meal!

Pescetarians, rest assured. This dish is for you too! Simply omit the bacon for a luscious lobster salad delight!

Lobster BLT Sandwiches

Ingredients

For the Champagne Tarragon Lobster Salad:

  • 1 pound lobster tail(s), cooked and chopped*
  • 2 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (can substitute white wine vinegar or lemon juice)
  • 1/2 shallot, finely diced
  • 5-6 fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper

For the BLTs:

  • 2 croissants
  • 4-6 slices bacon, cooked
  • Tomatoes, sliced
  • Romaine lettuce, optional

Directions

To prepare the salad, whisk together the mayonnaise and champagne vinegar until smooth. Stir in the fresh tarragon and shallot. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as desired. Toss the lobster with dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To assemble the sandwiches, split a croissant in half. Place 2-3 slices of crisp bacon on the croissant. Top with fresh tomato slices and a generous scoop of lobster salad.

Makes 2 Sandwiches

* For ease and convenience, this recipe utilizes lobster tails. (You can use the meat from a whole boiled or steamed lobster, if desired.) My grocery store carries freshly frozen lobster tails in the seafood department. Defrost the tails in the fridge for several hours before using, until they are mostly defrosted and flexible. To roast the lobster tails, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Use kitchen shears to snip a slit through the top of the shell from the body end to the fan end. Carefully separate and lift the lobster meat from the shell, leaving it attached at the fan end. Rest the lobster meat atop the split shell. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the lobster reaches an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees. Adjust cooking time based on the size of your lobster tails and how frozen/defrosted they are.

10 Comments

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Boston Creme Cupcakes

Posted on April 5, 2011 by amydeline

I don’t have many cravings while pregnant; certainly nothing unusual like pickles with peanut butter. But, come to think of it, I have been eating a serious excess of egg sandwiches and Boston Creme donuts. In fact, I can’t seem to walk past the donut rack at my grocery store, without throwing one of those chocolate-glazed, custard-filled treats into my cart. They’re irresistible to me. I suppose my cravings could be weirder, right??

Earlier this week, I made Quadruple Berry Muffins to satisfy my ever-growing pregnant belly. These cupcakes, on the other hand, are going straight to my thighs! But that’s not enough to stop me from over-indulging in their sweet, creamy, chocolatey goodness. In fact, I’ll almost certainly eat way too many of these cupcakes and then blush with shame as I sheepishly step onto the scale during my next prenatal visit. It’s worth it though. I have no regrets.

As a lifelong, diehard chocoholic, I very rarely make vanilla cake. As such, I do not have a favorite, tried and true vanilla cake recipe to turn to. So, in need of a basic, homemade vanilla cake recipe, I turned to Martha Stewart, a reliable source for baking tips and recipes. I was looking for something simple with uncomplicated vanilla flavor, and Martha’s recipe fit the bill.

But…to be completely honest, I am not in love. This will not be my go-to recipe for vanilla cake. And the next time I make these Boston Creme Cupcakes, I will almost certainly adjust the vanilla cupcake portion of the recipe. The flavor is delicious, but the cakes are somewhat dense; not the light, spongey cake I was hoping for. I suspect that the solution may be as simple as separating the eggs in the recipe, whipping the egg whites until firm, then folding the whipped egg whites into the batter at the very end. The proof will need to wait until my next vanilla cake baking endeavor. In the mean time, the vanilla cupcake recipe which follows (or your own personal favorite vanilla cake recipe) will do the trick!

Boston Creme Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cupcakes (From Martha Stewart’s Vanilla Cupcakes)

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups milk

For the Vanilla Pastry Creme

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • Pinch of Salt

For the Chocolate Ganache

  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Sprinkles and/or marashino cherries, for garnish

Directions

For the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tins with liners. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture and milk, alternating about a third at a time, until well blended. Fill each cupcake liner with about 1/4 cup of the batter. Bake for about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

For the Pastry Cream: Bring the milk, vanilla, and about half of the sugar to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently so that the sugar dissolves. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch, one tablespoon at a time until well blended. Stir in the salt. Gradually whisk about 1 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, starting with a slow drizzle. (Gradually incorporating the hot milk into egg yolks tempers the eggs, allowing them to slowly rise in temperature without scrambling.) Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk in the pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 3-4 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Transfer the hot mixture to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly against the cream (to prevent a skin from forming). Cool completely in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before using.

For the Ganache: Heat the cream, just to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Stir until smooth.

To Assemble the Cupcakes: Use a butter knife to dig a narrow trench into the center of the cupcakes, almost to the bottom of each cake. Transfer the pastry cream to a pastry bag and fill each trench with cream. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the warm ganache. Garnish with sprinkles and/or a cherry. Refrigerate to set the ganache and keep the pastry cream fresh.

Makes 24 Cupcakes


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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.

4 Comments

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Kielbasa and The Hecklers

Posted on March 24, 2011 by amydeline

Every year, on a Saturday near St. Patrick’s Day, a 15k run takes place in my hometown. The route of the race takes the runners up the road of my childhood home. For the past few years, my parents have been enjoying this annual spectacle seated on lawn chairs at the foot of my neighbor’s driveway, Bloody Marys in hand. As such, when this year’s big day arrived, my parents made their way over to the neighbors at the appropriate time, took up their annual seats, turned up the music, and awaited the sprinting masses.

This year, they waited for longer than usual for the first of the runners to pass. When, at last, the frontrunners arrived, they turned up the music, cheered and waved their Blood Marys in spirited support. A short time later, they repeated this routine as another pair of runners made their way up the steep, windy road. Moments after that, the third group of runners ran past; a man, two women, and two children. They were struggling their way up the challenging incline of my parents’ road. This was certainly not the type of group you’d expect to see leading the pack during a 15k race, gasping for breath, backs arched in weary fatigue. It was at this point that my parents began to suspect that something was amiss. But, as the group struggled to pass, my parents and their neighbors rose from their lawn chairs, turned up the music, and shouted cheers of encouragement, Bloody Marys raised in supportive salute. You can do it! Keep going! One of the women gave up her struggled run and switched to a walk as she passed.

I know from my running experiences that loud, peppy music and cheers of encouragement can be quite motivating during a race. I’m equally certain that the runners who passed my parents that morning would have been brightened up by their support…had it actually been the morning of the race. But, no…There was no race scheduled for that morning. The race would take place the following Saturday. My parents had not, in fact, spent their morning encouraging racers. They’d spent their morning drinking in their neighbor’s driveway and heckling innocent health-minded joggers.  My parents; the hecklers.  The following Saturday, on the actual morning of the race, they repeated their well-practiced routine.

This story is neither here nor there in regards to the following recipe. But I’ve been giggling for weeks over the thought of my well-intentioned parents harassing random joggers. This is what happens when all of the kids grow up and move out.

Today’s recipe is one-dish meal, which makes me think of camping, for some reason I can’t fully explain. Slices of kielbasa, potatoes, peppers, and onions are tossed in a bit of olive oil and roasted together in the oven; so simple that it’s more of a meal idea than an actual recipe. Enjoy this dish as a family-pleasing weeknight meal or make it for a crowd! It would even make a tasty snack to keep you well-nourished on those mornings where you find yourself heckling joggers from the comfort of your driveway. Serve with a spicy Bloody Mary.

Kielbasa with Roasted Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions

Ingredients

  • 1 Polish kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4″ slices
  • 3 pounds baby red potatoes, cut into 1/4″ slices
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine kielbasa, potatoes, peppers, and onions on a baking sheet. Drizzle and toss with olive oil until evenly coated. Arrange the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the peppers and onions are tender and the potatoes and kielbasa are golden brown. Occasionally turn the mixture with a spatula to promote even browning as it cooks. Season with additional salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve with a warm, crusty baguette.

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Split Pea Soup with Ham

Posted on March 16, 2011 by amydeline

Still looking for something festive to make for St. Patrick’s Day, but corned beef and cabbage isn’t your thing? How about some smooth, green pea soup, slow-cooked with smokey ham hocks, and served with homemade croutons? Might that be your thing?

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ingredients

  • 4 cups dried split peas, rinsed and picked through
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
  • 10 cups chicken broth, water or vegetable broth
  • 2 smoked ham hocks
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to get tender. Add the carrots. Cook for a couple more minutes. Add the peas, liquid, and ham hocks. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the peas from sticking on the bottom. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The peas should almost completely break down as the soup simmers. Remove the ham hocks and set aside. Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the soup to your desired texture. If the soup is thicker than you prefer, add a bit more broth or water. If the soup is too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid. Season with a generous amount of salt (a few teaspoons should be about right) and pepper. Remove the skin, bone, and fat from the ham hocks. Pull apart or chop the meat and add it to the soup.

For the croutons: Cut French bread into chunks. (Slightly stale bread works best.) Toss in a bit of olive oil. Season as desired. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder work well. Bake in a 375 degrees oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. I prefer my croutons to be crispy on the outside and slightly tender in the center!

A couple other St. Patty’s Day dinner ideas:

Guinness-Braised Beef over Buttered Noodles

In Like a Lamb Shepherd’s Pie


8 Comments

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Just What the Doctor Ordered – Chicken with Matzoh Ball Soup

Posted on February 25, 2011 by amydeline

This has been a rough winter for my family in the general health department. I blame it on my three year old starting nursery school. Up until this year, my family has been in our own personal germ bubble. The kids stay at home with me and my husband works in an office by himself. Our biggest exposure to germs occurred sitting at the doctor’s office for well-visits. But now, with my little guy in school, we’re exposed to the full spectrum of winter viruses. We’ve become regulars at the pediatrician and it seems like one of us is always on antibiotics for some condition or another. Even our labrosaurus rex has endured a winter full of vet visits and internist appointments! Add that to the ever-accelerating schedule of my normal third trimester prenatal appointments and I’m pretty sure my family is solely supporting the medical community of the Central New York area. You’re welcome doctors, nurses, and midwives.

This week, we’re in the midst of dealing with another virus, which has knocked each of down in succession like a family of dominoes; first one kid, then the next, then myself, and then my husband. Three out of the four of us are still wrapped in blankets and using tissues like they’re going out of style. The contractor, who’s currently remodeling our bathroom, hasn’t removed his face mask in days and it’s got nothing to do with drywall dust!

When all the medicine in the medicine cabinet fails to heal what ails you, there’s only one thing left to try; homemade chicken soup! A few months ago, I shared my step by step guide for preparing a delicious, flavorful chicken soup from a leftover chicken carcass. The process is the same, even if you’re starting with a whole, raw chicken.

  • Throw the chicken in the pot with a bunch of rough chopped vegetables. Use whatever you’ve got on hand; celery, carrots, garlic, onion, shallots, parsley, etc.
  • Cover the chicken and veggies with water.
  • Bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 3-4 hours.
  • Strain the broth into a pot and set the chicken aside to cool. Discard the veggies.
  • Simmer the broth uncovered, if desired, to reduce the liquid and produce a stronger flavored broth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull apart all of the meat and throw it in the broth.
  • Add the veggies of your choice to the broth. (I used sliced carrots and leeks.) Simmer, just until the veggies are tender.
  • Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Voila! Chicken Soup!

**Click here to see the full step-by-step guide to making chicken soup.


Typically, I serve my chicken soup over cooked orzo pasta. Other noodles, pasta, or rice work well too. I recommend keeping your pasta or rice separate from the soup. Otherwise, it will absorb the broth, leaving you with undesirable, mushy pasta or rice.

Another alternative to accompany your chicken soup are matzoh balls. To be honest, I have very minimal experience with matzoh balls. It is not something which my family ate often, if ever at all. I’ve ordered a bowl of matzoh ball soup from a deli at one point or another, but I honestly can’t recall the exact taste or texture of the balls. That being said, I’m clearly no expert in matzoh ball making, but I’m always up for a culinary adventure.

From what I gather, there are two schools of thought regarding the preferred matzoh ball texture; sinkers and floaters. Sinkers are more dense and require the edge of a fork to cut apart, whereas the floaters are lighter and more likely to fall apart on their own in your soup. As a matzoh ball novice, I have no strong personal preference. I pulled a few of the best sounding ideas from a variety of matzoh ball sources to develop my very own matzoh ball recipe. The result is a flavorful and tender ball, probably more in line with the sinker variety. Works for me!

Matzoh Balls for Chicken Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup matzoh meal
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Combine the matzoh meal with the salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the vegetable oil until smooth. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Then, fold the egg mixture into the matzoh meal, just until combined. Do not over mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour, until the mixture is firm. Form the mixture into 1 – 1 1/2″ balls. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully drop each ball into the water. Once the balls have risen to the surface, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid as it simmers.* Once cooked, remove the matzoh balls from the liquid with a slotted spoon. You can add the balls immediately to your soup or store separately and reheat with the soup, as desired.

*I’m not completely clear on why you’re not supposed to open the lid, but it seems to be common matzoh making advice, so I think we best obey!

Enjoy and stay well, my friends!

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Heavenly Beef and Peas

Posted on February 12, 2011 by amydeline

This idea was inspired by a slow-cooker recipe I’ve been told of, called Butter Beef. Butter Beef is apparently no more than stew beef combined with a stick of butter and a packet of onion soup mix, slow-cooked until fall-apart tender. I’ve yet to try this Butter Beef idea, but it’s the sort of simple dish you can practically taste just by thinking of. Slow-cooked beef in butter? Seriously tempting.

So, I began with visions of beef and butter in mind. Hey, I never claimed this was a low-fat, diet-friendly recipe blog! A fresh, chopped onion for flavor, along with a touch of tomato sauce and luscious cream blend together to form a rich, heavenly sauce which perfectly envelops the tender chunks of slow-cooked beef.

Slow-cooked, creamy, comforting, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Heavenly Beef.

Heavenly Beef and Peas

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Stew Beef
  • 1 small Onion, chopped
  • 6 Tablespoons Butter, divided
  • 1 cup Tomato Sauce
  • 1 cup Light Cream
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large dutch oven or oven-safe pan with a tight fitting lid, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Season the beef with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Add the remaining butter and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and place on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the cover and stir in the peas and cream. Turn the heat up to 375 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes uncovered, until the peas are cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. About 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt should do the trick.

Serve over rice or hot, buttered noodles.

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Guinness-Braised Beef

Posted on January 15, 2011 by amydeline

I was suffering from a major case of the lazies yesterday. I could try to blame it on being pregnant, in the same way that I gave myself full permission to wear sweatpants every single day since the day I got that positive test. But, the truth is that sometimes a case of the lazies just strikes out of nowhere and you can either fight it all day or just submit. Thankfully, this particular strain of lazies seems to have been contagious. The boys were equally content to snuggle on the couch with me for a good part of the day, watching an endless marathon of Nick Jr. and Disney programming, which would have been more tolerable if Nick Jr. weren’t airing the video of Big Time Rush’s, Big Night, during every single commercial break. I’ve heard the song so many times now, that it’s become the ongoing soundtrack in my mind and I’m almost convinced I actually like it. DJ, take me away… At one point, I muttered aloud about the song being stuck in my head, to which my three-year-old attempted to manually remove it from my mouth. Kids are so hysterically literal.

But, the family needs to eat, even on lazy days; perhaps, especially, on lazy days. Gathering the motivation to prepare a meal was a challenge, but I had the perfect, sleepy winter-day meal in mind. I’d picked up a tray of stew beef earlier in the week, with only a framework of a plan in mind; some sort of slow cooked beef over hot buttered noodles. Perhaps a stew of sorts? Only, I’m not really a big fan of stews. I love the tender chunks of meat, but can totally skip the thickened broth or the mushy carrots and potatoes which are typically found in a beef stews. Now, braised beef, on the other hand, with its equally tender chunks of meats and rich, comforting sauce, is an idea I can wrap my mouth around.

The actual preparation time for this recipe is minimal. The ingredient list is pleasantly restrained. The technique is simple. Once it’s in the oven, just sit back and let your house fill with the scent of warm, beefy goodness. We’ll start with some chunks of beef. Many grocery stores will sell packages of pre-cut meat labeled simply as Stew Beef. I used a package of lean, no external fat, stew beef. You can use just about any cut of beef, but tougher cuts, such as beef chuck or round work particularly well for braising. The beef is quickly browned on the stovetop, then combined with braising liquids, covered, and slow-cooked in the oven. Towards the end of the cooking time, we’ll throw in a bit of vegetables. I stuck with pearl onions and mushrooms, but you can adapt the recipe to your tastes by adding any variety of vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, green beans, or peas would all work nicely.

The end result is a comforting mix of tender chunks of beef coated in a thick, flavorful sauce served over hot buttered noodles. Perfect, lazy-day comfort food.

Guinness-Braised Beef

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Stew Beef
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 3 Tablespoons Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Beef Stock
  • 1 cup Guinness Draught (or additional beef broth)
  • 2 cups Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups Frozen Pearl Onions, defrosted
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Fresh Parsley, for garnish
  • Hot, Buttered Egg Noodles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe dutch oven pan over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pan and cook for a few minutes to brown on all sides. (Do not overcrowd the pan. You want to beef to brown quickly in the oil. If necessary, brown the beef in batches.) In the pan, sprinkle the cooked beef with flour. Stir to evenly coat the beef in the flour. Cook for a minute or two. Add the beef stock and Guinness. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about two minutes. Cover the pan and place it on the middle rack in the oven. Cook for about 2 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, add the mushrooms and onions (or your vegetables of choice). Remove the cover during the last 15 minutes of cooking time to help the sauce to reduce and thicken. Remove from the oven and season with a good amount of salt and pepper, to taste.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over hot, buttered egg noodles.

**Tip** If you do not have a large, oven-safe dutch oven pan, you can start the recipe in any pan, up to and including the simmering step, and then transfer the mixture to an oven-safe pan or baking dish. Use something with a tight-fitting lid or securely cover the dish with foil before placing it in the oven.

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Sausage, Bean, and Rapini Soup

Posted on October 26, 2010 by amydeline

I’d be lying if I claimed to love soups. It’s not that I don’t like soup. There are several soups that I enjoy quite a bit, most notably French onion soup (smothered with cheese, of course) and New England Clam Chowder. Homemade chicken soup with orzo or any type of seafood bisque are high on my soup list too. I guess I just don’t really think too much about soup. I never crave it. I rarely get the itch to make it. This is my own loss.

But, on a rare and sudden impulse, I got it in my head that yesterday was a perfect day for soup. I went back to a recipe which I shared with you a few months ago; a Ragout of Sausage, Beans and Rapini. With a few simple adjustments, I turned that ragout into a simple and insanely flavorful soup. I’m pretty sure they should put a picture of this soup next to the definition of comfort food.

This quick and easy soup is bursting with flavor and oozing in nutritional value. You can really feel good about eating this soup. Rapini, also known as Rappi or Broccoli Raab, is one of those bitter greens which is dripping in vitamins and minerals. Combined with savory, spicy sausage and creamy cannellini beans, this simple soup will have you singing.

Sausage, Bean, and Rapini Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1.5 pound Spicy Italian Sausage, removed from casings
  • 1 1-pound bunch Rapini/Rappi
  • 2 15-ounce cans Cannellini Beans
  • 1 quart Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the sausage meat. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the sausage is fully cooked, using a spoon to break up the pieces as it cooks. Pour in the liquid from the cans of beans. Cut off the tough ends of the rapini, then chop the stalks and leaves into small chunks. Add the chopped rapini and chicken broth to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the rapini leaves are wilted and the stalks are slightly tender. Add the beans to the soup and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, as desired.

Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a hunk of doughy French bread.

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Posted in Appetizers, Food, Main Course, Pork, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Posted on September 15, 2010 by amydeline

Winter comes on fast here in Syracuse. It seems like one week you’re sweating in 90 degrees weather at the fair and the next week you’re rummaging through the house trying to figure out where you stashed your scarf when winter finally ended in June. It’s a long, cold, snowy winter ’round here, predominated by gloomy, gray skies and frostbitten noses.

But, there’s a short period of time between the summer and winter, where the sun is still shining, but the air carries just a touch of chill; sweater weather. The leaves turn a beautiful rainbow of rusty reds, burnt oranges, and golden yellows. Apples are ripe for picking. It’s perfectly autumn.

And though I don’t particularly care for the long periods of Syracuse winter gloom, I feel a buzz of excitement on the day I wake up to that perfectly autumn weather. To me, the first cool day in September is shouting one thing, loud and clear… Welcome to Comfort Food Season!

Comfort food season. It’s the time for spending a little longer in the kitchen. Time for heating up the oven and letting the warm aromas permeate the house. Time for hot, cheesy dishes, casseroles, and slow-cooked meats with roasted potatoes. Time for forgiving stretchy pants and bulky sweaters. Comfort food season makes this Gourmand Mom a very happy girl.

So, in honor of comfort food season, I’m making one of my childhood comfort food favorites. You see, I’m Irish, Scottish, and Armenian by heritage, but a good part of my family is Italian. I was raised on Italian food. There may not be a drop of Italian blood in me, but there’s the heart of an Italian cook hiding in there. And, as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t get much better than Eggplant Parmigiana. Breaded and fried eggplant, layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked until perfectly hot and delicious.

My recipe is based on the recipe I was raised with. The secret comes from the combination of three different cheeses between each layer of eggplant; parmigiano-reggiano, mozzarella, and ricotta. The ricotta’s the real key, if you ask me. You can use any kind of tomato sauce in the dish. Homemade marinara or a high-quality store-bought sauce would be fine. I’m using a jar of Bertolli’s spicy Arrabbiata Sauce, which I received in the welcome gift bag over the weekend.

My process for making eggplant parmigiana begins with salting the eggplants. If you’re using freshly picked or baby eggplants, you can probably skip this step. For larger eggplants, which have been off the plant for a few days, salting serves a dual purpose. The salt draws out the bitter liquids which can accumulate in older eggplants, leaving you with a better flavor. Also, as a result of removing some of the liquid, you’ll have a firmer eggplant which will absorb less oil during the frying process.

The entire process of composing the eggplant parmigiana is a little time-consuming, but not complicated. The great part is that is can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready to eat. If baking from refrigerated or frozen, be sure to add some additional cooking time to ensure that the dish gets thoroughly heated through.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients*

  • 2 medium/large Eggplants, sliced into approximately 1/3″ slices
  • Salt
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 3 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 cups Tomato Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups Ricotta Cheese

* All measurements are approximate. Adjust according to the size of your eggplants and your preferences.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Generously sprinkle the slices with salt. Allow the salted eggplant to rest for 15-20 minutes. You will begin to see droplets of liquid forming on the eggplant. Rinse the eggplant slices and pat dry.

Then, set up a dish of flour, bowl of the beaten eggs, and a dish of bread crumbs. Press both sides of each slice into the flour, dip in the beaten eggs, then press into the bread crumbs to thoroughly coat. Repeat this process with all eggplant slices.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Places slices of eggplant in a single layer in the pan. Cook for about two minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for two minutes. Both sides should be a golden brown. Place the slices on layers of paper towels to drain. Continue this process, adding more oil as necessary, until all of the eggplant has been cooked. If the bread crumbs remaining  in the pan between batches begin to burn, wipe out the pan and replace with fresh oil before beginning the next batch.

Pour a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. To compose the eggplant parmigiana, spread a spoonful of ricotta onto a slice of eggplant. Place the slice on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano and mozzarella. Then drizzle a small spoonful of tomato sauce on top. Repeat with additional eggplant, cheese, and sauce to create layered towers of eggplant, cheese, and sauce, each without about four eggplant slices. After placing the final slice of eggplant on the tower, top with sauce, then parmigiano-reggiano and a generous amount of mozzarella.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes. For a firmer cheese crust, leave the baking dish uncovered. For a meltier, gooey cheese topping, cover the baking dish with foil for the first 25 minutes or so.

Serve over spaghetti with extra sauce and cheese.


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Posted in Cheese, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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