Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon
A New York Times recipe

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds beef chuck or other boneless stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes and patted dry
2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces lardons, pancetta or bacon, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 750-milliliter bottle of red wine
1 large bay leaf
1 large sprig of thyme
8 ounces pearl onions, peeled (about 12 to 15 onions)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved if large (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch sugar
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

PREPARATION:

Season beef with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and lardons are browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pot.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Raise heat under pot to medium-high and cook until fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between pieces. Cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining beef.
Reduce heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Stir in onion, carrot and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pot. Add browned beef and half the cooked lardons back to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Let cook until beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, turning meat halfway through.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine pearl onions, mushrooms, 1/4 cup water, the olive oil and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
To serve, scatter onions and mushrooms and remaining cooked lardodecns over stew, then top with parsley. 

Farro with Mushrooms and Shrimp

This is a New York Times recipe which I add more ingredients. 

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Cremini mushrooms
• 1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 ½ cups farro
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms or wild mushrooms (or a mixture of the two), cleaned, trimmed and sliced
• Salt to taste
• 2 large garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• Salt
• ½ cup dry white wine
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 to 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 pound of shrimp 
• 1 lemon quartered
• Shallots, diced

Preparation

1. Place the farro in a bowl, and pour on enough hot water to cover by an inch. Let soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain. Place the dried mushrooms in a large Pyrex measuring cup or bowl, and pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes.
2. Drain the mushrooms through a strainer set over a bowl and lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse in several changes of water to remove grit. Chop coarsely if the pieces are large and set aside. Add the broth from the mushrooms to the stock. You should have 6 cups (add water if necessary). Place in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt to taste.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste, the garlic and rosemary. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the grains of farro are separate and beginning to crackle, about two minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add all but about 1 cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 50 minutes or until the farro is tender; some of the grains will be beginning to splay. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously from time to time. Taste and adjust seasoning. There should be some liquid remaining in the pot but not too much. If the farro is submerged in stock, raise the heat and cook until there is just enough to moisten the grains, like a sauce. If there is not, stir in the remaining stock. If not serving right away, cover and let stand. Just before serving, bring back to a simmer, add the Parmesan, parsley and pepper, and stir together. Remove from the heat and serve.

 

 

Baby Back Ribs with Dry Rub

I got this dry rub recipe from Epicurious© and added on mustard powder.

Dry rub:

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon or less of cayenne pepper

1-2 tablespoons chili powder

mix it all up.

 

Cook the ribs: At 250 degrees, place the ribs wrapped securely in tin foil onto a cookie sheet and place them in the oven. cook for 2 1/2 hours. After 2 1/2 hours, pull them out and open the tin foil to take a look.

 

Optionally add some BBQ sauce and cook at 350 and put the ribs back in the oven with the tin foil open for 30 min.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread

I decided to make this recipe at midnight!  It was easy because I had all the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup vegetable oil, canola oil, or liquid-state coconut oil (melt in micro if necessary to liquify)
1/4 cup half and half
1 egg
2 tablespoons mild or medium molasses
2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray 3 5x3x2-inch mini loaf pans very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pans; set aside.
To a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and whisk together; set aside.
To a separate large bowl add the sugars, pumpkin, oil (I used coconut) milk, molasses, vanilla, and whisk until combined.
Pour the wet pumpkin mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
Evenly distribute batter between the 3 prepared pans, filling each about 2/3-full.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping – Evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each of the 3 pans.
Evenly sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over each of the 3 pans and place pans on a baking sheet (easier than dealing with 3 separate small pans in a hot oven).
Bake for about 40 to 43 minutes, or until tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Start checking at 30 minutes because all mini pans, ovens, and climates vary. Allow bread to cool in pans for about 15 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely. Bread will keep airtight at room temp for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Gai Pad Krapow - Thai Basil Chicken

Ingredients

3 to 4 tablespoons oil
3 Thai bird or holland chilies, de-seeded (if desired) and thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pound ground chicken
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth or water
1 bunch holy or Thai basil leaves

Instructions

In a wok over high heat, add the oil, chilies, shallots and garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the ground chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes, breaking up the chicken into small bits.Add the sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Stir-fry for another minute and deglaze the pan with the broth. Because your pan is over high heat, the liquid should cook off very quickly. Add the basil, and stir-fry until wilted. Serve over rice.

Escarole and Bean Soup with Sausages

For a crisp autumn day.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound escarole, chopped
Salt
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, diced
Cherry tomatoes, diced
1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the chicken broth, beans, and Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.