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Tag Archives: Dinner
I am not sure about you, but the holidays seem to leave me in a whirlwind. They always sneak up on me, and just run right through our household. I never feel like we have enough time to really enjoy them. And every year, on January 1, I say the same thing, “this year will be different”. Now, I find myself staring at the calendar as I flip to December, wondering how I am going to get everything done, with no idea of where to begin. I hate it.
 
I do know, that having a couple meals planned out in advance seems to help. I am a big fan of one-pot meals, during moments when I feel like life is taking whirling by, and no better time then the holidays. Right? This is only one of many one-pot meals I love, and it is a favorite. My friend, Evelyn, introduced this to me, early in our relationship. When I first saw it, I thought she was losing her mind. I mean, prunes with chicken?! Then I tried it. I was sold. I have changed around the recipe over time. Now I add rosemary as well as fresh Meyer Lemons. Otherwise, it is the same comfortable meal, that I had for the first time 10 years ago.
This recipe is filled with flavors from zesty lemons, all the way down to gooey, sweet prunes. In my opinion there is nothing like slow-braised chicken fat, mixed with lemon, rosemary, prunes, and a little sugar; yum! I am sure if you put this on the table, even the pickiest of your eaters will love it!
Recipe: Chicken Marabella
* was developed and featured for Eat Boutique
WOWZA! I was really excited when I read about the March Charcutepalooza Challenge; brining. I have been wanting to brine a brisket, to make my own Corned Beef, ever since I received the Bi-Rite newsletter, last year. Cathy and Kim, our taste-buds thank you for picking this challenge.
This month’s challenge gave us two options to play with. The Apprentice Challenge, where we could simply brine a whole chicken or pork chops. The Charcutiere Challenge, where we could brine, and then corn, a piece of beef, such as brisket. I have brined a turkey before, so I decided to forgo, the Apprentice Challenge, and grab the Charcutiere Challenge by the horns.
It would be unlike me if I did not deviate away from the required suggested recipe, and this challenge was no exception. The recipe in Michael Ruhlman’s book Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing for brining has the addition of “pink salt”. As I have mentioned before, I have a problem with using pink salt, and especially after Dominique taught me, that I do not need to use it. I did omit it from this challenge. Brining is simple; dissolve salt, and sugar, in water, then add warm spices to it. I used unprocessed sugar, which gave my brine a nice amber color. The spices I used were juniper berries, black cardamon pods, bay leave and some yellow onion.
Since there are only two of us, and we don’t need to be eating brisket for days, I went with 2 1/2 pounds of beef. This would be enough for a traditional corned beef dinner as well as a little extra for hash. I picked up a beautiful cut of beef brisket at the market. Once my brine mixture was ready, I submerged the brisket into the salty bath, put a small plate on top of the meat, to hold it down, covered my pot, and put it into the fridge; out of sight, and slightly out of mind. I did check, every couple of days, to make sure the brisket was still well submerged. Finally, day seven approached, I could not wait. I figured the process would work, or I would risk making us sick or kill us for not properly brining meat. The brisket, was slightly pink in color, very firm, and definitely smelled like corned beef. I rinsed it very well, patted it dry, and simmered it long and slow, in a mixture of minced onion, garlic, tomato paste and white wine. After the brisket was done cooking, I let it cool, overnight.
I tossed around the idea of simply reheating some of the stock, and drizzling it over slices of the meat, but, I wanted more. I made a glaze using Jamesons Irish Whiskey, grainy mustard, honey, and brown sugar. I lightly painted the slices of corned beef, with the glaze and gently reheated for a few minutes. It reminded me of candy chicken with a “kick”.
Traditional Corned Beef dinner is served with boiled cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. As I was getting ready to plunge my vegetables to their death, in a boiling pot of stock, that was left from boiling the meat; it hit me smack in the side of the head. We both hate boiled veggies, except potatoes; they are usually over-cooked, zapped of their beautiful colors, and left as a dirty, grayish heap of unidentified vegetables. Why don’t I roast them? I took the long, bright, orange carrots and drizzled them with olive oil. The chunks of cabbage, were also, lightly drizzled with olive oil, a little lemon, and a sprinkle of salt. I roasted both until sweet and lightly caramelized. I did boil the potatoes, but I added a healthy dose of crushed garlic to the boiling water. Once the potatoes were tender but still holding their shape, I tossed them with a pat of butter and a handful of parsley.
The caramelized vegetables were the perfect addition to my slightly salty corned beef. For the first attempt at brining a brisket, I was pleased. It was edible, pretty, and comforting. Incredibly most, tender, and juicy. Next time, I would rinse it a little longer, as we felt the meat was a bit salty, otherwise; Perfection!
Recipe: Corned Beef
* serve with Roasted Cabbage and Roasted Carrots
2 1/2 pounds beef brisket
3/4 cup of kosher salt
1/8 cup sugar
8 cups of water
1 teaspoon allspice berries
2 teaspoon juniper berries
2 black caradmon pods
3 bay leaves
1 yellow onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups chicken stock
olive oil
In a large stainless steel pot, bring the water, salt, and sugar to a low simmer, only until dissolved. Stir in the allspice berries, juniper berries, caradamon, 2 bay leaves, and half of the yellow onion. Save the other half of the onion for later or use in another recipe. Cool the brining mixture until cold. Add the brisket. You want to make sure the brisket is submerged. You may have to put a small plate on top of the meat to keep it under the brine mixture. Cover with a lid. Put into the refridgerator and forget about it for 7 days (up to 10). Remove the meat from the brine and rinse with cold water. Pat dry. In a large dutch oven, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Mince the other half of the onion. Add it to the olive oil, cook until caramlized. Add the tomato paste. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add 1 bay leave and the brisket. Add the chicken stock, you will want to add enough to submerge the brisket; may be 6 cups or a little less or a little more, depending on the size of your dutch oven. Cover with a lid. Cook over a low simmer, for 2 hours. Let cool. Put into the refridgerator over night.
Heat oven to 375. Remove the brisket from the refridgerator. Take out of the stock and disgard the stock, unless, you are going to use for your vegetables. Trim any extract fat from the brisket. Slice into slices. Lay the slices on a baking sheet covered with foil. Lightly paint the glaze over the slices. Bake for 6 – 8 minutes, until heated through. Serve. Eat.
Recipe: Irish Whiskey Glaze
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
Combine everything in a saucepan, over low heat, cook until sugar is dissolved. Set aside until ready to use.
We love lamb. Clearly we do not eat it enough, and we should change that. The other day we were craving some tender, young lamb; unfortunately, we did not have access to our favorite lamb, so I picked up some ground, New Zealand lamb from Wholefoods. We tossed around the idea of grilling up some lamb burgers with roasted red peppers, and feta. Or maybe something new, spicy lamb tacos. Or a hearty lamb meatloaf with roasted vegetables. Then it hit us, what about a lamb pie without the doughy crust.
I love combining citrus, very strong herbs and lamb together. They really go hand-in-hand. For this recipe, I used a lot of fresh Meyer lemons, rosemary and garlic for the base of the flavors. I added depth with some red-wine and fresh, heavy cream, to make it, well, creamy.
The topping of our “pie” was an old favorite potato, the russet. I sliced the potatoes very thinly, then over lapped layers, on top of the ground meat. The finishing touch was more fresh herbs, a drizzle of fresh cream and a splash of olive oil; baked to until bubbly, and creamy. It was rich, decadent and flavorful with every bite. Slightly citrusy. Slightly creamy. Very complex. Add a salad or roasted baby asparagus, and you have a perfect meal.
What is your favorite lamb dish?
Recipe: Lamb Pie
3 pounds ground lamb
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, zested
1 lemon, juiced, use one of the lemons that was zested
2 sprigs of rosemary, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 pint heavy cream
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
3 russets, scrubbed and sliced thinly
olive oil
Heat oven to 425. Lightly oil a large baking dish. In a large frying pan, cook the lamb, over low-heat, until gray in color. Drain the fat from the cooked lamb. Add the garlic and rosemary, stir, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the wine, stir, and cook over low heat, until slightly reduced; about 15 minutes. While the meat is cooking, thinly slice, the russets. I use a mandoline, to get uniform slices. Pour the meat mixture into the baking dish. Squeeze the juice from one lemon over the top of the meat. Cover the top of the meat, with slices of potato, overlapping to create a seal. Pour the cream over the top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the zest from one lemon and a few pieces of rosemary over the top. Drizzle lightly with some olive oil. Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, and the juices from the ingredients are slightly bubbly; about 40 minutes. Serve. Eat.
If you liked this post, check these out:
Lamb and Turnip Pie
Slow Cooked Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Juicy Lamb and Purple Potato Pie
Summer kind of hung out for a couple weeks and then skipped right out the door. I cannot even say Fall is here; it forgot to stop by. Winter seems to have arrived. Wet. Gloomy. Soggy. Definitely soup kind of weather.
I whipped up this batch of what soon became a delicious soup by using only a few things I had laying around the house – stock, onions, carrots, some fresh mushrooms and a gorgeous bag of porcini mushrooms. It was sort of like a “old mother Hubbard, when to the cupboard” sort of meal. In fact, our cupboards are so bare (will tell you why I am letting them get bare another day), that I am even on the brink of no olive oil and had to used my prized tea seed oil. This is a vegetarian based soup as well. Unfortunately, I find vegetable based stocks rather bland but you add porcinis along with the rich, earthy broth that comes from soaking them, the soup takes on a whole other life. Balanced, dirty (“earthy but I like the word dirty) and deepen. Soup for the soul!
Before I go into the recipe, I am sure you are asking or wondering, what is tea seed oil? Tea seed oil is one of the greatest finds from Earthy Delights. It has the lowest level of saturated fats and is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, omega fatty acids and vitamin E. I love that it can be used at a high cooking heat as well, making it perfect for stir frys.
* served with a leafy green salad and fresh baked scones
How do you like to cook with barley?
Recipe: Porcini Barley Soup
1 yellow onion, small mince
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tea tree oil (or olive oil)
3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 oz. porcinis
1/2 cup warm water
8 cups vegetable stock
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced into medium slices
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon, white pepper corns
1 2/3 cup barley
Put the porcinis in a bowl with the warm water. Let set for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, stir and lower the heat to low. Let the onions cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, stir and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, the porcinis with their broth, the garlic and half of the sliced mushrooms. Bring to a low boil, season with salt and add the pepper. Lower the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the barley, stir, keep on low heat. Cover and cook until barley is cooked, about 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the rest of the mushrooms. Serve. Eat.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
Sassy Radish Porcini Barley Soup
Vegacious Chickpea and Porcini Soup
New York Times Mushroom Barley Soup
I made a soup the other night and instead of boring old muffins, biscuits or that “warm crusty” loaf of bread I decided to play around with my scone recipe (which I have never shared as of yet). I wanted them to be flavorful, not boring. I wanted them to compliment a warm mushroom based soup I was serving for dinner so they could not be over-powering. I did not have much on hand and did not want to run to the store so I used some grated Parmesan to give them texture and last minute I added some fresh cracked black pepper. Perfect!
Have you tried making scones; if so, what is your favorite way to spice them up?
Recipe: Savory Parmesan and Black Pepper Scones
2 cups ap flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, I like to use Kerry Gold for scones
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, more or less upon your taste-buds
Heat over to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. In a food processor, add the flour, salt and baking powder, give it a whirl just to combine the ingredients. Feed the butter into the food processor a couple pieces at a time, while it is running. Continue to do so until all the butter is added and the mixture is crumbly. Add the cheese and pepper, give a couple whirls. Drizzle in the buttermilk just until is comes together. It will be a little crumbly but when you knead with your hands it will come together. On a floured service, knead the dough for a couple minutes, to bring together. Form into a ball and roll into a circle that is 3/4″ – 1″ high, cut the circle as you would be cutting a pie, you should have 6 – 8 sections, depending on the size you like. I go for 8. Put onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20- 25 minutes, until golden. Serve. Eat.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
Dana Treat Savory Scones
Farm Girl Savory Cheese and Scallion Scones
Lara Ferroni Savory Cream Scones
Hay Hay it’s Donna Day is back after a short but sweet summer break. The past couple weeks I have been tweeting and asking, what do you want. Sweet? Savory? Everyone came back with savory. Savory it is. I picked an easy and delicious spicy chicken dish with pumpkin. Vegetarians – let’s see your take on this recipe, maybe a little tofu or just an extra dose of pumpkin? Don’t have pumpkin available in your part of the world, maybe add some butternut squash or kabocha?
* photo courtesy of Donna Hay
Please have your entries in to me by midnight of the 31st of October. Complete rules can be found here. Please keep in mind: Participants may make that exact same recipe as is, or put their own spin on the same recipe by altering an ingredient or two, while remaining within the theme.
Recipe: Spicy Chicken, Pumpkin and Roasted Garlic Rice
- 2 x 200g chicken breast fillets, skin on
- 350g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 2cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup torn basil leaves
- ¼ cup (60ml) white wine vinegar
- 2tablespoons olive oil, extra
Preheat oven to 220ºC (425ºF). Place the chicken, pumpkin, garlic, olive oil and chilli on a baking tray and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and place in a bowl with the pumpkin, rice, basil, vinegar and extra olive oil. Mix well to combine. Slice the chicken and serve with the rice. Serves 4.
Short ribs are available year round so why do I only make them in the summer months? I love them, I should be making them year round. Now I cannot blame it on the balmy sunny summer weather for peaking this interest in me as we live in San Francisco. I really should be making these more often as they are amazingly delicious. Slightly spicy. Slightly sweet. And a little bit zippy thanks to the addition of fresh ginger.
I am going to apologize immediately for the recipe as it is made by taste. I don’t measure anything, I just pour, mix and pour a little bit more. We prefer them a little spicier so I add a lot of sriracha as well we love ginger so I go a little heavy on that. I feel the longer you marinate them the better, so allow at least 3 hours if not overnight. Then fire up the grill and cook them to perfection. These ribs are perfect served with grilled white corn or a hearty green salad. No matter what you serve with them you are going to love sinking your teeth into their meaty and juicy goodness.
Enjoy! Have a safe and memorable long weekend!
What will you be grilling this Memorial Day Weekend?
ps… recipes are below. Having problems with google docs & PDFs … no pretty pictures but the recipes are there. Will try to fixed next week!
Recipe: Sriracha Marinade
Recipe: Grilled Corn
We had an impromptu dinner party a couple weeks ago. I wanted something good, fast and easy to make, so I used one of my fall on tomato sauces. You know me I always have to take it to another level, so we did make fresh pasta, bucatini, to go with the sauce. Our friend Chelsea wanted to learn how to make pasta using our new gadget so it was the perfect excuse for a mini lesson and dinner.
I have two tomato sauces I use if all else fails or for last minute dinners. I like this one as it combines pancetta and carrots – something wonderful about adding carrots to your pasta sauce, it adds a nice depth. We like this sauce spicy so we do add extra heat, but adjust to your liking. Whenever I make this particular sauce, I usually add a handful of arugula to this as it not only looks pretty but it gives it an extra zippy bite. This time, though, I made a nice salad with an aged balsamic dressing.
Add a couple bottles of Italian wine, some bread, a bowl of olives and you have the perfect impromptu meal!
Recipe: Spicy Tomato Sauce
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