Crockpot Bison and Barley Stew

As I mentioned earlier in the week, we gamed a LOT on President's day. We had a really nice lunch of Tomato Bisque and Roasted Chicken, and for dinner we utilized the magic of a Crockpot and came up with this magically dish. The bison, while it had a bit of connective tissue, was spectacular after a nice trimming and slow, long cooking. If you can get your hands on it, do it with that. If not, a cut of beef would do just fine.

Crockpot Bison and Barley Stew 
Ingredients
1 onion, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dried thyme
8 oz mushrooms, caps only
1 pound of fingerlings, cubed
1 can tomato paste
32 oz oz beef stock
2 pounds of bison
1/3 cup of Irish Whiskey
16 oz stock of choice
8 oz barley

Method

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the onions and carrots in oil and butter, on medium-high heat until they are translucent/soft.  Add the dried thyme and garlic and stir until garlic is fragrant. Put into Crockpot on low heat. Also, add the mushroom caps and cubed potatoes.

Mix 8 oz of tomato paste with 16 oz of beef broth, breaking up the paste and add to Crockpot.

Brown the bison (which you should salt and pepper liberally)  on a high heat to seal in juices in the sauce pan. Deglaze the pan with 1/3 of a cup of Jameson. Allow to bubble for 1 minute and add all of it to the Crockpot. 

Cover with enough beef stock until mostly covered. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

about 30 minutes before serving, heat stock of choice and cook barley with in it. Add cooked barley to crock pot and put to Hot until ready to serve. Serve with Irish soda bread and salted butter.

Why is this picture so awesome? Because I didn't take it. Kris did!

It was agreed, this was stupid good. We all promptly fell into silence as we ate this and, also, into food comas after dinner. I am very excited that I feel confident in the ways of "Crockpotery" before hitting pregnancy as I hear I will use it a heck of a LOT then.

Here is to carrots cooked all day in meat juices!

Cravings: Banh mi hot dog

While tooling along on the internet, specially Pinterest, this Real Simple Recipe popped up in front of my faceballs (eyes) and I got incredibly excited.

Banh mi Hot Dog

Ingredients

4 hot dogs (I used Turkey Dogs)

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Sriracha 

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 hot dog buns, split

1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, shredded

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions

Cook the hot dogs according to the package directions.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Sriracha, and sugar.

Place a hot dog in each bun and, dividing evenly, top with the mayonnaise mixture, cucumber, carrot, and mint.

Turkey dog for the win!

So Yums! Much Carrot.

This turned out DELISH! The sauce was excellent and the mint with the carrot made it very Vietnamese.  While the Hot dog bun was nowhere near the greatness of the baguette that is Banh Mi, it was a great substitute for my craving of a Vietnamese sandwich.

Until the next craving....

Back to the Classics: Steakhouse Edition: Steak au Poivre with Cognac Sauce

I realized a little too late that the two steak sauce recipes I had selected, were both cream pan sauces with a type of alcohol to deglaze the pan. I mean it is an excellent sauce maker, but I wish I had notice how similar they were before I had gone grocery shopping. Anyway, here is the second of the two creamy sauces.

Steak au Poivre with Cognac Sauce

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt

Two 1-1/2-inch-thick boneless New York strip steaks (about 2 lb. total), trimmed of excess fat and cut in half crosswise

1 Tbs. canola or grapeseed oil

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 cup finely diced shallot (about 1 large)

1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. Cognac or brandy

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

Crack the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. It's fine if some are just broken in half and others are smaller; the important thing is to crack them all. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, crack the peppercorns on a cutting board, crushing them with a meat pounder or the bottom of a small heavy skillet or saucepan.

Sprinkle 1 tsp. of the thyme and 1 tsp. salt evenly on both sides of the steaks and then pat the peppercorns on both sides to create a thin crust. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.

Turn on the stove's exhaust fan. Heat a heavy-duty 10- or 11-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil; when it's shimmering hot, arrange the steaks in the pan and cook until the bottom sides are nicely browned and release easily from the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the steaks and cook the other sides until browned, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook the steaks until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 125°F for rare, 130°F for medium rare, and 135°F for medium, 4 to 7 minutes. Transfer the steaks to a plate and tent with foil.

Pour off any fat left in the pan, but not the browned bits. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat to avoid any flare-ups and carefully add 1/3 cup of the Cognac. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until the Cognac reduces to a glazy consistency, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the cream, tarragon, the remaining 1 tsp. thyme, and any accumulated juices from the resting steaks. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced, 1 or 2 minutes more. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp. Cognac and season to taste with salt. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve.

This sauce didn't have a lot of "umph" to it. It was ok, but I felt like I needed a little more spice or zing to it. I know why. It is because I didn't have fresh tarragon. I thought I could get away with dried and then when I got home, we didn't even have that. So I used chives and hoped for the best. le sigh. Perhaps I will try this one again and remember to get all the ingredients, but I think that I will stick with the Irish Whiskey version for now.

Until the next dish...

Back to the Classics: Steakhouse Edition: Steak with Martini Butter

Husband isn't a fan of olive so I ended up making this dish for a work lunch (fancy, huh?).

Here is how the olivey goodness was made:

New York Steaks with Martini Butter

Ingredients

4 9- to 10-oz. boneless beef strip steaks, about 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup drained pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives (martini olives), plus 4 olives, sliced, for garnish

2 Tbs. gin or vodka

1 Tbs. dry vermouth

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened

Directions

Generously season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot (if you don’t have a 14-inch skillet, divide the oil between two 10-inch skillets). Add the steaks and cook to your desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare (130°F to 135°F).

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the 1/4 cup olives, gin or vodka, vermouth, mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and pulse to coarsely chop. Add the butter and pulse to combine, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Transfer the steaks to a platter or plates and divide the martini butter evenly among the steaks, letting it melt a bit.

Garnish with the sliced olives and serve.

Butter, olives, and vodka? IN

Surprisingly, this was stupid yummy. I am very impressed with how well the vermouth translated into a sauce for this dish. I think that I will start calling this dish "Dirty Martini Steak" as that is what it tasted like. I can imagine that this wouldn't be a hit with everyone (ie my Husband), but if you like briney olives and butter meat, try this bad boy out.

Back to the Classics: Steakhouse Edition: Steak with Irish Whiskey Cream Pan Sauce

I like a nice pan sauce. It gets all the yummy bits and makes me very happy eater. I especially like a solid choice of deglazing alcohol. This one was a easy choice for my household as we have 2 bottles of 12 year Jameson (Thanks, Duty Free!). So here is a fine sauce of yummy yum yum nom ness coming your way:

Filet Steaks with an Irish Whisky & Cream Pan Sauce

Ingredients

4 1- to 1-1/4-inch-thick pieces beef tenderloin (about 7-1/2 oz. each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbs. vegetable oil (if not using a cast-iron pan)

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

3 Tbs. finely chopped shallots (from 1 large shallot)

1/4 cup Irish whisky, such as Jameson,

1/2 cup homemade or low-salt canned beef or chicken broth

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 to 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Season each steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy-based (preferably cast-iron) skillet that’s large enough to hold the steaks over high heat until quite hot. (Add the 1 Tbs. vegetable oil if not using cast iron.) Test by touching the edge of one steak to the pan surface; it will sizzle briskly when ready. Immediately drop in the steaks and sear one side for 2 minutes. Sneak a peek to see if the first side is nicely browned. If not, continue to sear that side for another minute or so. Flip the steaks and sear the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium high, cook for another 2 minutes, flip, and cook until a digital instant-read thermometer in the center of the meat reads 120°F for rare or 125°F for medium rare, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the steaks to the warm platter and let them rest, covered loosely with foil, while you make the sauce.

To make the pan sauce:

Return the unwashed pan to medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until fragrant and just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the whisky or brandy and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Add the broth and Worcestershire sauce, raise the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil. Whisk in the mustard and then the cream. Continue to cook at a boil, stirring, until reduced to a saucy consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve the steaks with the sauce.

Add caption

I think this sauce was perfectly balanced with zing while not covering the flavor of the meat. This sauce will probably be made again, if Husband and I made more meat at home. This month has been very strange departure of our typical diet.

Until the next sauce...

Husband's 31st birthday...I am married to an old man.

My Husband is my biggest cooking fan, I think. I do realize that it is directly linked to the fact that he benefits most from my love of cooking, but it is more than that. Yes, he gets to be a fat kid with the delights that I make before anyone else does. Yes, he has only "heated up premade frozen food" <Specifically, the Eggplant Cutlets from Trader Joe's> once since we got married. Yes, he is spoiled rotten thanks to the fact I prefer to be in the kitchen about 4-6 hours a week.

The REAL reason I believe that he is such a big fan is that I take him into consideration. I show my love by making things he would like and as well as inquiring about what interests his palate or not. So for his birthday I asked him what he wanted for his special dinner. It took him a while, but he finally landed on Beef Wellington* and (Whole) Baked Apple Dumplings. I took it a step farther and made a salted caramel sauce to top the apple dumplings with (and thus decided to not use the caramel candies inside the apples).

Here we go!

BEEF WELLINGTON

1 tbsp olive oil (not butter. Butter can burn to easily and this is a nice meal. No burny burn)

1 shallot, minced (you can sub onion, but shallot, though pricey, is worth it for this dish)

¼ lb mushrooms, sliced thin (shiitake are normally called for, but I don't have a refined palate for mushrooms, so I went with white, as that is what I had in my pantry)
1 clove of garlic, minced (don't add extra, trust me and this recipe)

2 8 oz filet mignon steaks (there were no Filets when I went to the store. I should have gone to handy market. 

Salt and Pepper

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.

Saute the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme in the olive oil until mushrooms are cooked.

Lightly flour a large board, and roll out pastry dough until square. Cut in half. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Salt and pepper the steaks, then over medium high heat, sear the steaks on all sides.

Place a seared steak on each half of the puff pastry dough. Top with mushroom mixture.

Fold pastry dough over the steak, folding over the edges to seal it. Press the edges down with a fork to make decorate.

Brush egg generously over each wellington.

Bake 20 min. uncovered. Serve immediately.

I served it with Oven Roasted Cauliflower covered in Bechamel. Not healthy, I know.

After searing the meat, let it rest for a bit to let the juices soak back up. 

Roll out the puff pastry so you have enough to wrap up the meat. 

Top with mushroom and shallot mixture.

The egg wash make the dough the pretty golden brown color.

This turned out very nicely except that I don't know how to make it medium versus the well done if came out.

Baked Apple Dumpling Recipe

Ingredients:

4 large granny smith apples, peeled and cored

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed <I used Pie crust. Turned out AWESOME>

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 caramel candies <I instead mixed brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract with butter for the core>

2 eggs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Salted Caramel Sauce for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the granulated sugar, corn starch, apple pie spice and salt in a shallow dish.

Cut both pieces of puff pastry in half so you have 4 rectangles. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out any cracks or creases. Then lay them on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Roll 4 peeled and cored apples in the sugar mixture and set one in the middle of each piece of puff pastry.
Unwrap the caramels and stick 3 caramel squares down in the center of each apple.

To wrap each apple, pull the short sides of the puff pastry halfway up the side on the apple and hold them there with one hand. Then lift the longer sides up to the top and pinch the seams together on each side (over the short edges) to completely cover the apple. Pinch the excess puff pastry together at the top to seal, then arrange the flaps in a pretty way.

Then whisk 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of water and brush the egg wash over each apple. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP... Place the baking sheet with the wrapped apples in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden the puff pastry. This will ensure your puff pastry bakes in place and does not sag to the bottom. But don't leave them in the freezer longterm. You don't want the apples to freeze.

Once the puff pastry is hard, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until puffy and golden. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle the tops with extra caramel sauce if you like!

Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Pour the water in a medium heavy-bottom sauce pot. Place over medium heat and add the sugar. Watch closely while the sugar dissolves and darken, 5-10 minutes.

The moment the sugar darkens to your desired color (somewhere between golden-brown and medium brown) remove from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream. *Darker caramels are really flavorful, but don't let the sugar get too dark, or you'll have to start over.

Once the cream is incorporated, stir in the butter, salt and vanilla until smooth. Serve warm, or jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Not a great color on the caramel sauce, but the flavor was great!

I didn't use the caramels so I added a bit of extra brown sugarness.

Wrapped up all stuff.

Egg wash then patted down with sugar and spice.

Beautiful baked apple!

Carameling...

I needed to let the sugar and water cook longer to get the right color brown. Either way, these turned out GREAT! Both Husband and BROTHER loved them. I will certainly be making these again, but I will half the apple to increase the pie crust to apple ratio.

In summation, a most happy birthday to my partner, my love, my husband. I will continue to cook for you through hard times and good, sickness and health, easy conversations and disagreements, the mundane and holidays, pregnancy and children. Everyday I am capable, I will do my darndest to demonstrate my love (even if that isn't cooking!). Even when we are so old we have no teeth and can't enjoy anything except clear broth, I will continue to make the best dang broth with you in mind.

I love a pun...

Until the next birthday...


*The Beef Wellington choice which is a bonus for me as a lifelong friend, Carol Ward, requested I make this for her education. Seriously y'all, if you need suggestions/want me to make it first so I can share my insights with you, leave a comment or let me know on my Facebook Page! I can't PROMISE that I will make it immediately (or ever, to be honest), but the chances are good that if it piques my interest, I will attempt it when my weekly menu allows it.

When my pantry attacks...and by attacks I mean that I want to get rid of some canned soup...

So this little gal was from my own brain thoughts and the Crockpot's power.

I took 2 cans of French Onion soup (Campbell's, that I got on sale like 2-3 years ago), a box of mushrooms (chopped and only a few of the stems), 1/3 cup of Worcestershire sauce, and a package of stewing beef and put them in my Crockpot on low for 8 hours. I then thickened the sauce with a bit of sour cream, milk, and flour, a quarter cup of each. I then let it cook for another 30 minutes while I cooked up some pasta (I know it should be egg noodles, this is what we had). I garnish it with Horseradish, because delicious. No other reason needed.

Not ready for the show "Chopped", but I am getting better!

BOOM! Created.

Until the next challenge...

A party without cake is really just a meeting. - My Mother's would be 70th Birthday

**This post is late because it is in real time**

Today would have been my mother's 70th birthday were she still with us. Though she is not with me physically, I know that those who knew her and loved her, will gladly join my joy in celebrating her memory. A woman of abounding love, energy, and joy. One thing she loved more than most was the French language, cuisine, and culture. So today I decided to make 2 of the best French dishes I know.
Boeuf Bourguignon and Reine De Saba (or Queen of Sheba) aka Chocolate and Almond Cake

< Also, humans landed a man made piece of technology on a comet and my friends released their new invention, so it is a pretty big day all around! >

Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients
4 oz bacon, shopped

3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2 inch cubes

1 sliced onion

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups (good quality) Pinot Noir

3 cups low-sodium beef stock

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp thyme

1 lb white or Cremini mushrooms

2 tbsp flour (SUB Cornstartch for GF friend)

Directions

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. While the oil is warming up, dry the beef in paper towels. (If the beef is damp, it won't brown!) Gently saute the beef until browned on all sides.

Add the browned beef and bacon to your slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Pinot Noir, Beef Stock, tomato paste, and thyme. Make sure the beef is completely covered (add water if necessary)

Cover and cook on low for 8 -9 hours. With 1.5 hours, remaining, add the mushrooms. I don't add the mushrooms till later in the cooking process, because I like them to be slightly firm.

When the beef is nice and tender, remove the meat and vegetables from your slow cooker and keep warm. To the remaining sauce in your slow cooker, whisk in the 2 Tbsp of flour to thicken.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables and enjoy!

The easy description is just calling it French Pot Roast.

I didn't follow the traditional recipe for the Boeuf Bourguignon, simply because this cat has to work to bring home the bacon. I figured as this is a slow cooked dish either way, that making it in the slow cooker only hurt the dish a tiny bit. So I went for it and it was well worth it. I browned the meat the night before while watching Parks and Rec and having a glass of "Chef Juice". Then this morning I awoke, cut up the veg, and put all the stuff needed for the first wave into the Crockpot (BEST Wedding present ever THANK YOU, DANA). Poor Husband was in pain the whole day with delicious scents wafting from our kitchen area, but nothing for him to eat yet. Muhahahaha! The Wife's Revenge! I ended up serving it with a small side salad and over potatoes as that is what was available in my kitchen.

After a long day of cooking, the meat was stupid tender and moist, the red wine sauce perfectly flavored and the mushroom, still firm and not that weird, squishy texture. It wasn't too much work, though to thicken the sauce, since I used cornstarch, I put it in a small saucepan and whisked over more direct heat to thicken. This was a great choice and Husband was more than happy to put it in his body. A friend of ours ended up coming for dinner, I left out the Bacon and Flour as she is allergic to pork and gluten. She loved it as well so I thinking this is a win win meal!

Juicy and meaty.

Reine De Saba (or Queen of Sheba) aka Chocolate and Almond Cake

Ingredients

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate melted with 2 tablespoon of rum or coffee

1/4 lb. or 1 stick softened butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs (separated)

pinch of salt

1tbsp caster sugar

1/3 cup pulverized almonds (I used almond meal)

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup cake flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 175 degree celcius (350 degrees Fahrenheit), butter and flour a 8 inch springform cake tin. Set the chocolate and rum or coffee in a small pan over simmering watering; let melt.

cream the butter and sugar together until pale yellow and fluffy.

Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until well blended.

Beat the egg whites and salt in separate bowl until soft peaks, sprinkle on a tablespoon of sugar and Beat until stiff peaks are formed.

Use a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in the almonds and almond extract. Immediately stir in one fourth of the egg white to lighten the batter. Delicately fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg white and more flour until all are incorporated.

Turn the batter into the cake pan, spread the batter all over and well level with a spatula. Put in the oven and bake in middle level for about 25 minutes.

Cake is done when it has puffed, and 2½ to 3 inches around the circumference are set so that a skewer plunged into that area comes out clean; the center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and the skewer comes out oily.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and reverse cake on the rack. Allow it to cool for an hour or two; it must be thoroughly cold if it is to be iced.

(Optional) Try and sprinkle with some sea salt on top before serving. <which I did>

The cake stand belonged to my Mother's mother. Generations!

Riene De Saba is a nearly flourless cake that is pretty much amazeballs. I have never made it before today, but have had several times in the past, at restaurants and made by my mother when she was living. I have seen it iced with a butter cream frosting from time to time, but I personally think that doing so is overkill. It is like trying to make oatmeal cry, why would you do it? This cake is spectacularly moist and dense without feeling like you are getting smacked in the mouth with Cacao.

So I made this cake in a 9 inch spring foam, as that is what I have in my cabinet, and I baked it for 20 minutes instead of 25 with a solid 15 cool time in the pan. oh man...words can't explain how good this cake is in my mouth. I am happy I didn't opt for frosting the cake as the cracked sea salt over the top was bomb.com. Even our friend who shouldn't do the gluten, did a little bit of gluten.

Make this. Make your life better.

You might notice the small cordial glass. That is filled with a dessert wine I got when I went to Callaway Winery in Temecula years ago and opened tonight in honor of 70 years. The wine is a late harvest Chenin Blanc and is called Sweet Nancy. Suiting, isn't it? While I think a late harvest Cabernet Sauvignon would have paired better, but it it would not have been called Sweet Nancy.

I think this is a valid tribute to my mother. No, it isn't a theatre named after her or a festival that she headed up to create, but it is reminds me of my mom. I figure it works.

Meatloaf Cupcakes... comfort food in disguise as a different comfort food?

I like comfort food. it is a nasty habit, but I really just can't get away from it. Then I found a recipe to add more veggies (specifically spinach!) into meatloaf which not only adds to the healthiness factor, but it also keeps it moist without having to add ground pork into the mix (more fat)! So I was all settled to make this wonderful dish and then I realized I didn't want it to cook for an hour so I combined that recipe with a Rachel Ray Classic!

Zesty Paleo Friendly Meatloaf Cooked in a Muffin Tin

Ingredients

2 lbs of ground beef –OR– 2 lbs of ground turkey

3 eggs, whisked

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 onion, chopped small

1 (10 oz) package of frozen spinach, thawed and water drained

1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped small

1 tsp of chili powder

1 tsp of salt

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 tsp of oregano

1 tsp of thyme

1/2 tsp of cayenne

2 tbs of olive oil (to sauté vegetables)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F

Sauté onions and peppers over medium heat in a saucepan with 2 tbs of olive oil just until tender

Add spinach, garlic, and spices to the sautéed vegetables in the pan, stir gently

Remove saucepan with vegetables from heat, set aside

Put uncooked ground beef (or) ground turkey in a large bowl

Pour the whisked eggs and almond flour and mix into the ground meat with your hands - no need to overdo it

Now take veggies from the saucepan and pour into bowl

Once again, mix the vegetables into the meat with your hands

Press equal parts of the meat loaf into a muffin pan for single servings (and a faster cook time!

Cook about 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Oven cooking times may vary.

Remove from oven and allow to set for about 5 minutes before serving

Serve hot and enjoy!

Both recipes claimed you needed BBQ sauce to make this dish good. I did not add any such thing as I wanted to keep it open to interpretation. Husband made up so very nice mashed potatoes which I then decided to "Ice" the "meat cupcakes" with, though I didn't serve them that way for dinner (I only have so much time in the day before I get hangry). I sometimes wish I were better and adept at using frosting tubes because that would have been sooooooper cool.

boom...

Nevertheless, this dish was very yummy and, also, quite picturesque.

Until the next comfort food...

A Hope/Bock Tradition: Repeat Dinner

So my long time friend, hopeforbeer, came to visit a couple weeks ago and we have a little tradition called Repeat Dinner. It is a very decadent meal. 

We rotate the side dishes, but the main point of Repeat Dinner is Steak with Port Reduced Red Onions and Blue Cheese.  

A basic outline of how we make this traditional meal.

Caramelize the onions in butter and salt. Add some garlic if you want.

Cover with good quality port and allow to reduce to a sticky, yummy mess.

Remove onions from the pan, heat a bit of butter over hot and sear steaks. Normally they are Filet Mignons, but with the cost of food in general, we opted for New York Strip.

This time for a side, we seared Brussels Sprouts. I cut of the fatty piece of the steak
and reduced the fat to give the sprouts a really nice flavor.

After steaks are seared, combine blue cheese and bread crumbs and then place on top of meat
and put under the broiler for 30 seconds to a minute. Bread crumbs mellow out the flavor of the blue cheese a little.

While not the prettiest of Repeat Dinners, it was most certainly a yummy one!

The big trick is keeping the meat Medium rare. It makes the meal all the more decadent.

Mini versions of things aren't always mini on flavor.

Today's taste explosion was something I pinned early in my Pinteresting "career", like the first week. I finally had an event that would accommodate such a snack. I give Mini Taco Cups!

They are super easy. Cook up a pound of ground beef with taco seasonings and chopped onions Then using Scoop Tostada Chips, arrange meat in the "cups" and sprinkle cheese over. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa, dip, etc.

Nothing to shake a stick at, but it has a good flavor and my guests noticed the extra mile that was taken my building them. I served with with chipotle pepper tomato salsa, salsa verde, and a bit of left over sour cream mixed with salsa verde to make a little creamy dip.

Perfect for a movie night or, in our case, D&D night.

Golabki, Golumpki, Gawumpki (spelling?)

There are several Polish delicacies which I have heard both Husband and Kimmy G talk about regularly: Pierogi, Chrusciki, and Golabki. God help me, I have no clue if I spelled any of those correctly....

While some might think that stuffed cabbage rolls are the epitome of comfort food, my Germanic/Scottish heritage raised by a Francophile can’t bring itself to agree.

Typically the cabbage rolls are stuffed with pork and beef mixed with rice and are then cooked in the oven or on the stove until tender.

The Polish call them gołąbki (gaw-WOHMP-kee), which literally means "little pigeons."

There are two popular sauces are used to complete the savory wrapped bundles.

One sauce I found (but didn’t make) is pretty much beef stock gravy which you cook the bundles in and then garnish with a bit of sour cream. Sounds pretty nice, but Husband expressed that his Bapcia (Babcia is the universally acknowledged spelling) made hers with the tomato sauce. So I looked for a recipe following that line of thinking.

Here is the recipe from the best looking pin I found:

Gołąbki {Polish Cabbage Rolls}

 Ingredients

1 head of cabbage, cored
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
16 oz. tomato sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lb. lean ground beef (or half it with ground Pork)
1 cup cooked rice (I used brown)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the entire head of cabbage for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender enough for the leaves to be pulled off and rolled. Drain the cabbage and allow to cool while you prepare the filling and sauce.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions about 5 minutes, or until tender and translucent. Add the garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute more. Remove half of the onion mixture to a large bowl. Stir the tomato sauce, brown sugar and vinegar into the skillet with the remaining onion mixture stir together. Simmer over low heat while you prepare the filling and the rolls, stirring occasionally.

Add the ground beef, rice, egg, salt, and pepper to the onion in the bowl and mix with a fork or your hands. On a cutting board, peel off 12 or more cabbage leaves and cut out the hard stem from each leaf in such a way that you end up with two long leafs for rolling. Place about 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture in the middle of each cabbage leaf half and roll up. As you roll them, place them seam side down in a 9×13 baking dish sprayed with oil. Pour sauce on top, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Makes 20 gołąbki.

Per gołąbek (cabbage roll): 100 calories; 6 g fat; 7 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 5 g protein; 3 Points Plus

While this turned out very well, Husband did give me some pointers as did the oh so Polish, Kimmy G! It was agreed upon that it needed less rice and cinnamon/nutmeg and more sauce to good in as well as more cabbage leaves. I must have gotten a small head of cabbage because I only got about 10 bundles put together prettily. It was agreed by all that while is lacked this or that and needed more the A and B, it was good all in all. I ended up getting Bapcia's "recipe" (from the memory of Aunt Carol) in the long run and it turned out Bapcia did a gravy style of it as she didn't care for the tomato sauce. It was agreed between Husband and I that our family version of the Polish recipe would most certainly be with the tomato sauce.

Here's to new memories and traditions for our new family!

Until the next meal...

Have some more sloppy Joes. I made 'em extra sloppy for yous.

My main lady made it happen with this recipe.

Pioneer Women – Sloppy Joe’s

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup water
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder, or more as needed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more as needed
Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Start by browning the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drain off the fat.
Add in the green peppers and onions. Stir, and then add 1 cup water, the ketchup and garlic. Stir it around to combine, and then add the brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, and then cover and simmer over medium-low heat, about 20 minutes.

Cooking the meat and veg!

Just look at all fat! That ramekin is a full cup of ick!

Romaine Lettuce boats!

While the Ketchup and Brown sugar make it only less carb versus no carb, it is still an excellent choice to feed the need of comfort food when you can't go for the usual pizza or mac and cheese.

Until the next meal...


**today's title is from Billy Madison: Lunch Lady: Have some more sloppy Joes. I made 'em extra sloppy for yous. I know how yous kids like 'em sloppy. **

Chili represents your three stages of matter...

Chili Con Carne is Texas through and through. There are no (horrid) beans to contend with, just lost of great tomatoy taste and a lot of well seasoned meat.

While I claim this as a Texas delight (which in the modern day, I believe it is) I found an interesting excerpt pertaining to the 17th century:

According to an old Southwestern American Indian legend and tale (several modern writer have documented - or maybe just "passed along") it is said that the first recipe for chili con carne was put on paper in the 17th century by a beautiful nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain. She was mysteriously known to the Indians of the Southwest United States as "La Dama de Azul," the lady in blue. Sister Mary would go into trances with her body lifeless for days. When she awoke from these trances, she said her spirit had been to a faraway land where she preached Christianity to savages and counseled them to seek out Spanish missionaries.

It is certain that Sister Mary never physically left Spain, yet Spanish missionaries and King Philip IV of Spain believed that she was the ghostly "La Dama de Azul" or "lady in blue" of Indian Legend. It is said that sister Mary wrote down the recipe for chili which called for venison or antelope meat, onions, tomatoes, and chile peppers. No accounts of this were ever recorded, so who knows? 

- From History of Chili, Chili Con Carne

Work had a bit taco cookout on Friday. Me being me, took as much of the delicious meat that was left over home to refashion into other dishes. This is the only one I had in mind when I called dibs on a try of meat.

Chili Con Carne

Ingredients
Left over Carne Asada from Work...about 4 cups

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 head of garlic (about 10 cloves), peeled, chopped

1 can Anaheim chiles

1 tablespoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 12-ounce bottle dark beer

28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoons tomato paste

Method

Put leftover beef into large bowl.

Heat pan to medium. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil and onion.

Sauté until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add garlic; stir 2 minutes.

Add chilies, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Put into Crockpot and put on high

Add beer into saute pan; stir 1 minute, scraping up browned bits, pour into crockpot. 

Add tomatoes with juice, oregano, and 2 teaspoons coarse salt.

Allow chili to cook on High for 3 hours.

Reduce heat to low, Stir in tomato paste. 

Allow to cook on low for another 45 minutes 

Serve in bowls and garnish with any of the following:

Coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese

Chopped green and/or red onion

Diced fresh tomatoes

Sour cream

Husband loved this dish.

Until the next meal...


**Today's title is super sciencey/pop culturey! From the mouth of Dan Conner (John Goodman) in 'Roseanne' TV series: Chili represents your three stages of matter: solid, liquid and eventually gas.**

The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.

I saw the episode with Julia Child making this when I was about 12. Not too long after, I made this dish, granted without the brandy at the time. I found it on the menu once when I was 14 and I ordered it right away. Unfortunately it showed up at my table with mushrooms in it...ICK. Well, I liked the flavor of the sauce, but I ate around the squishy texture of the actual fungus. Now, 16 years later, I like finally mushrooms and am fine with the texture.

This recipe has grown with me. From ingredients to style of preparation, I find that this dish will constantly change to what I enjoy eating and like to cook at the time which I cook it. As an younger, inexperienced cook, I relied on my mother to assist. I didn't tenderize and flatten out the steaks as I would today. I use to stick just to the recipe and not venture out. Today, I find that I am not intimidated by flambe-ing anything, or putting in a bit of extra work in the presentation. Also, shallots are still out of my price range normally and I really like onions so I used white onion instead of shallot. In the future when I have an even busier life (ie kids) I will probably find away to simplify it even more.

I think of the dish Steak Diane like a friend. A friend who is up to take an adventure, a night on the town, or just enjoy a night in. Much like my late friend Diane Maple. The year anniversary of her passing is upon us and I am still angry at the loss of such an exceptional woman. We, especially her daughter, have been robbed of a fiercely joy filled, trustworthy, and loving woman. I think of her often and remember our private jokes that will never reciprocated again. My heart is heavy as I write about this maternal figure I, all of us, have lost. This is the only problem with writing my blog in a free flow style, you all have to keep up with my thought process. I know I should write something hopeful and closure like here, but the wounds are still too fresh. I can and will say from experience, that is will be okay and it will get easier for myself and for those who were blessed by Diane.

Lindsay, I promise you it will. My prayer and love is for you today in your time of sorrow.

And now, I guess, it is time to get back to the recipe that inspired all of this.

Steak Diane (a la Julia and Cat's life experiences)

Ingredients

1/2 pound boneless steak, such as top loin or New York, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, and cut into 2 portions

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup brandy

15-ounce of mushroom broth
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 Juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Method

Season steaks on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add the steaks and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add mushrooms and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until golden brown and beginning to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Add brandy and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth and Worcestershire sauce, whisk, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine butter and flour in a small bowl to form a paste. When the pan sauce is reduced by half, whisk in mustard and lemon then gradually whisk in the butter-flour paste a few bits at a time and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Return the steak to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn to coat with the sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Top the steak with the sauce and sprinkle with chives.

As usual, even though it is my recipe, I changed it up a bit this time. I ended up cooking the mushroom and onion and garlic in the Crockpot to make some really good mushroom broth (which I used instead of beef broth) while I was at work for the afternoon. Not amazing, but it was two birds, one stone. 

Husband requested something green on the side. So I went with the lowest calorie delicious green thing.

Roasted Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans

drizzle of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Add green beans to a bowl and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on them. Mix with your hands to coat each green bean. Lay them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping once during cooking.

In the words of husband "Holy crap! Those are the best green beans I have ever had...You know, without being smothered is some kind of sauce."

Make these. Low calorie and just about the most delicious thing ever.

Husband was over the moon with this meal as was I. It was stunning.

Until the next meal...

**Today's title is from the wonderful Chef, Julia Child.**

I admit I was drinking a Guinness...

I have been down in the dumps lately. I am not sure why. Perhaps it is because the brothers (and families) are both back at their respective homes. Maybe it could be because there are a lot of changes at work that are stressing my heart. Possibly I am just in a funk that I need to pull myself out of because I miss my Husband who is working a lot this week. Whatever the case may be, I find silence while cooking has been helping. I am in control of my ingredients and technique and when there is flour on my hands, there is a smile in my heart.

Another this that has helped perk me up a bit was the “rain”. We finally had a little rain (more of a sprinkle) out here in sunny downtown Burbank and bot do we need it. I have already seen a few, albeit small, wild fires springing up. This summer and fall will be a tough and dangerous one.

Yet with this rain came a “cold” snap. I know what you are thinking…”Cat, come over to NYC and you you’ll see cold!” or “Seriously, CE, look at your life. Try Chicago/Milwaukee/any place other than SoCal and then you can talk!”

You have to sympathize a little with me here. I KNOW that 50 degrees isn’t cold. It is sweater weather at most, but considering it has already slip up to the low 90s this year, the 50s does seem nice and brisk. So with this “chilly” weather,  I decided to take advantage and make something I have always enjoyed when visiting either The Field with Leah and Cindy or Dublin Square with Husband and Comic-Con Aaron: Guinness Stew.

Here is the recipe I went with for Slow Cooker Guinness Stew

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp butter

2 pounds well marbled chuck beef roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (I used 1 1/2 pounds angus stewing beef)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups chopped onion

2 celery stalks, chopped (I totally forgot to add these)

2 Tbsp tomato paste (I used the whole small can)

1 pint (16 ounces) Guinness (Some cooks have a strong opinion about extra stout vs draught. I used draught and it turned out great)

3 cups beef broth (I used chicken because that is what I had)

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup of mushrooms, stemmed and large caps cut

1 ½ pounds of potatoes peeled and cut into chunks (Or you can opt for some parsnips and/or young turnips)

2 teaspoons dried thyme ( put mine in my tea steeper and through it in the crockpot)

Salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

METHOD

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the butter, starting with the fattiest pieces of meat, fat side down in the pan. This will allow some beef fat to render out. Work in batches as to not crowd the pan.  Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over the beef as it browns. Once browned on all sides, transfer the beef pieces into the slow cooker.

Add the onions and celery (If you remember) to the pan in which you just browned the beef. Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for a minute or two, then add a little of the Guinness, enough to make it easier for you to scrape up any browned bits (the real flavor adders) at the bottom of the pan. Transfer the celery and onions into the slow cooker.

 Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef (or chicken) broth, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes (or other root veg), and thyme (satchel) to the slow cooker. Add two teaspoons of salt. Cover and cook on "high" for 4 hours, or, for the best results, "low" for 8 hours. When done, add more salt to taste. If you want, sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

This must be cooked for as long as possible. Husband and I had some after it cooked on high for 4 hours, and maybe it is my crockpot, but the taters and carrots weren’t cooked till soft and the meat was a bit tough. I then left it on low for 8 hours. I scooped the veggies and meat and such into one container and the liquid and juices into another. When dinner time rolled around, I added a ¼ cup of flour to the juices and stirring constantly with a whisk, I brought it to a simmer and allowed it to thicken and the flour to cook a bit. I then poured the liquid of the stew over the veggies and meat, served the amount Husband and I wanted to eat that night, reheated it stove top. BINGO like a Nun on a Wednesday night!

The extra time made everything soft and fall aparty. While the juices didn’t NEED to be thickened, I like a thicker stew so I went for it.Husband was thrilled, I felt like I had regained a little control on my life and I am hoping to escape this funk of the last 2 weeks soon. I feel like a rope has finally been thrown down to my little hole. See you all on the outside.

Until the next meal... 

**Today's title comes from the legendary Kinky Friedman: I admit I was drinking a Guinness... but I did not swallow.**