Tag Archives: Recipes

Veal Roulades with a Flavorful Beef and Wine Demi-Glace (Paupiettes de Veau)

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Veal_Wraps (1 of 1)Perfect for a small gathering of dinner guests, this dish is amazing! It may seem strange — meat stuffed with meat, but it’s not an unusual dish in France (or Germany). And hey, how can you go wrong with meat stuffed with meat. Veal, in and of itself, has a fantastic flavor, and this dish is enhanced by the simple, but fantastic filling inside. The crown jewel of the meal, however, is the demi-glace — a delicious touch!. Serve with a green vegetable and a starch. I hope you’ll try the dish out for dinner guests this weekend!

Filling

1 oz butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, very finely grated or minced
8 oz lean ground pork
8 oz ground veal
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp dry white wine
3 Tbsp breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 boneless veal cutlets (about 1 3/4 lbs total), pounded into 5 inch by 8 inch rectangles (I like to pound to between 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness).

Demi-Glace

1 oz clarified butter (to make clarified butter, simply heat butter in a small pan over low heat until it foams. Skim off the foam/milk solids. This is important for this dish, as it allows the butter to cook at a higher heat without burning).
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tsp tomato paste
1 1/3 cups beef stock

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add shallots and cook 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cool, combine with the rest of the filling ingredients in a medium bowl.

To make the veal roulades, place a good amount of filling on each cutlet, leaving about 1/4 inch of room from each side of the cutlet. Roll roulades up length-wise, and gently secure with butcher’s twine on each end. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the demi-glace by heating half of the clarified butter in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat up to high and brown vegetables (about 2 additional minutes).  Remove from pan.

Heat the remaining clarified butter in the sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the veal wraps and brown on all sides (about 10 minutes). Remove from pan. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Deglaze pan for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, bay leaf, beef stock and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Add onion mixture and veal roulades. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove veal roulades from the pan and keep warm.

Strain the demi-glace back into pan, pressing down with a spoon to get all of the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Cook liquid until reduced by half, about 20 minutes.

Serve veal roulades, drizzled with demi-glace.

Serves 6.

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Pan-Cooked Chicken in a Fragrant Cumin-Carrot Sauce

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Chicken_with_Carrots_and_Cumin2 (1 of 1)Last night, we felt like making something that you might see on a menu in a Parisian bistro, so I made this delicious (and apparently classic bistro) chicken dish. To me, it is a cross between Indian and Moroccan flavors, but I’m guessing the influence is mainly Moroccan for historical reasons. Anyway, all of that is good (love the ginger and lemon in it!). Paired this with a nice pinot gris, simple green beans and nice crusty fresh bread — it’s a wonderful little meal, and I hope you’ll try it tonight!

6 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 Tbsp peeled and finely grated ginger
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Fill a medium sauce pan 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 2/3 of the carrots, and bring back to a boil. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp of the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and reduce heat to low. Sauté gently for 4 minutes. Add ginger and sauté another 1 minute. Add the remaining carrots and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, chicken stock, cumin seeds, 1 tsp of the salt and 1/4 of the pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 6 minutes. Pour contents into a food processor and process until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pour the carrot sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl (discarding any solids) and return to sauté pan. Stir in the reserved boiled carrots and the parsley, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover and keep warm while you prepare the chicken.

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Rub remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper all over chicken breasts. Add chicken to pan and cook on one side for 8 minutes. Turn breasts over and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. Transfer chicken to the carrot sauce and turn over a few times to coat. Place each chicken breast in a bowl and ladle the sauce over each. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, if desired. Serve with fresh bread.

Serves 4.

Chicken with Olives, Rosemary and Peas

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Chicken_with_Olives1 (1 of 1)This dish is from Rome, and is prepared with wonderfully fresh and simple ingredients that are typical of Mediterranean cooking. The key to this type of dish is the anchovy paste (or crushed anchovies), which adds a necessary depth of flavor that isn’t at all fishy in the final product. This recipe smelled so great while cooking that family members, cats and dogs were hanging out underfoot, waiting to sample it — I hope you’ll try it tonight!

2 lbs, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup flavorful black olives (such as Kalmata), pitted and halved lengthwise
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 cup peas
1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Combine chicken, salt and pepper in a bowl, and set aside.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, rosemary and wine. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in olives, anchovy paste and peas. Cover and simmer 15 minutes (cover partially for last 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in red wine vinegar and serve with fresh bread or steamed white rice.

Serves 4.

 

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder with Thyme

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Sweet_Potato_and_Corn_Chowder1 (1 of 1)This extremely tasty chowder warms the soul on a chilly autumn night. I enjoy any type of chowder (fish, clam, corn, you name it!), but I find this version particularly interesting because of its use of sweet potatoes, sherry and thyme, and the crème fraîche adds a delicious finishing touch. Long list of ingredients in this recipe, but it’s really easy to prepare — I hope you’ll try this chowder one night!

4 oz bacon, diced
2 Tbsp butter
2 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and finely chopped (white part only)
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, very finely grated or minced
2 – 3 medium red potatoes (tot. 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large sweet potato (1 lb), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb frozen corn kernels
6 Tbsp dry white wine
3 Tbsp dry sherry
3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus some additional for garnish
2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped)
3 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
5 cups beef or vegetable stock
4 oz crème fraîche

Heat bacon in a small pan over medium-high heat. Cook until bacon is crisp and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Reserve 1 tsp of the bacon fat.

Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks, shallots, celery and reserved tsp of bacon fat. Sauté about 8 minutes, until leeks and shallots are translucent (and not burnt). Add the bay leaf, garlic, red potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn. Cook 8 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the wine and sherry. Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes.

Stir in the parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer for about an hour, until the potatoes are soft, but not falling apart. Remove from heat. Stir in the crème fraîche and season with additional salt, if desired (I added another 1 tsp salt, which seemed about right). Pour into serving bowls, and garnish with chopped parsley and black pepper. I like to serve this dish with cornbread sticks.

Serves 6.

Chickpea and Pasta Soup with Sage and Rosemary

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Chickpea_and_Pasta_Soup1 (1 of 1)Here’s another hearty and deliciously satisfying soup for fall. We’ve had a few nights of frost, but I still have some healthy sage and rosemary in the garden, as well as the other ingredients on hand in the pantry. I decided to make this comforting soup, and I have to say, it was wonderful. The fresh herbs and dash of nutmeg make it — I hope you’ll give this one a try!
4 oz very small pasta (I used ditalini)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large leeks, trimmed, sliced once lengthwise (white part only), then thinly sliced crosswise
1 large clove garlic, very finely grated or minced
6 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 ground black pepper
Dash of ground nutmeg (little less that 1/8 tsp)
1 16-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package instructions, minus two minutes of cooking time. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add leeks and garlic, and cook 10 minutes. Stir constantly so nothing burns. Add 1 cup of the stock and deglaze pan for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the stock, sage, rosemary, salt, pepper, nutmeg, pasta and chickpeas. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired (I added another 1/2 tsp salt). Serve with healthy amounts of parmesan cheese and crusty country bread. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 6.

Leek and Potato Soup with Pearl Barley and a Hint of Nutmeg

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Potato_and_Leek_Soup1 (1 of 1)Here’s a hearty fall soup with German roots. It has two of my favorite ingredients:  leeks and nutmeg, which are key to this dish (well, so is the butter). The barley adds a very nice texture and flavor, as well. I’ve had this soup before where it is practically all white because of the broth that was used, but for this recipe, I prefer to use a dark, rich vegetable stock (I used Kitchen Basics). This soup is very easy to make, yet it is very flavorful — I tend to cook recipes with long ingredient lists, but I have to remind myself now and again that simple is elegant and often better! I hope you’ll give this dish a try!

8 cups vegetable stock
1 large leek, finely chopped (white part only)
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 lb red potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add vegetable stock and stir in leek, salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in potatoes, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in barley. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 45 minutes. Stir often, so that the barley doesn’t stick to bottom of pot. Stir in butter, and season with additional salt, if desired (I added another 1 tsp salt, which seemed about right). Serve hot, garnishing with parsley and plenty of Parmesan. Fresh, crusty bread is a must with this soup.

Serves 4.

Red Lentil Soup with Aromatic Spices

12 Replies

Red_Lentil_Soup (1 of 1)Last evening was blustery and cold here in New England. We even had some snow — it was the perfect night for this delicious version of red lentil soup! Red lentil soup seems to have various versions around the world, each with its unique variety of spices. The star of this international version is the spice, fenugreek, which has a wonderfully distinctive sweet smell that is similar to maple syrup. In fact, if you can’t find fenugreek (but please try!), you can substitute it in this recipe by omitting the sugar and adding 1 tsp maple sugar. The simmering of this soup melds the flavor of the fenugreek very nicely with the other spices in the dish — I hope you’ll try it tonight!

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 red Thai chili, minced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground fenugreek
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup red lentils
7 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Crusty bread

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in yellow onion, garlic, chili, cumin and coriander seeds. Sauté 4 minutes. Stir in carrots and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in fenugreek, sugar, tomato paste, red lentils and chicken stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 40 minutes with lid ajar. Stir occasionally while simmering.

Remove soup from heat. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning (I added another 1 tsp or so of salt, which seemed about right). Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with red onion and parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 6.

Savory Alsatian Tarte (Tarte Flambée)

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Alxastian Tarte1 (1 of 1)While on a business trip this past summer to Frankfurt, I dined on some fantastic Alsatian tartes (Flammkuchen in German, tarte flambée in French). As the name suggests, this tarte has its origins in the Alsace region of France that borders Germany (and was part of Germany in past history), but they are very popular in Frankfurt, as well (and Montréal, where I tasted them for the first time several years ago). I have to say, the Frankfurter version is absolutely delicious, so I did my best to recreate it at home! Rustic and wonderful — here it is…I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think!

1 1/4-oz packet yeast
1 c warm water
4 oz bacon, finely diced
14 oz flour (weight)
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/4 tsp salt, divided
7 oz crème fraîche
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
3 leeks, thinly sliced cross-wise (white part only)
2 oz grated Gruyère cheese
4 green onions, chopped

Preaheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, with a pizza stone on the lowest level.

Stir yeast into warm water and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes (do not overdo it on the stove top, as bacon will cook further in the oven). Remove bacon to paper towels with a slotted spoon.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, water/yeast mixture, olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, tuning once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area for 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together crème fraîche, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper and nutmeg.

Turn dough back onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a thin round piece, about 10 or so inches in diameter. Spread 1/4 of the crème fraîche mixture evenly onto each tarte. Repeat with the leeks and Gruyère.

Using a pizza peel, slide tartes onto hot pizza stone (I only had room to cook one at a time). Bake 10 – 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

Serves 4.

Indiana “Ham and Beans”

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Ham_and_Beans1 (1 of 1) Fall begins tomorrow in this hemisphere, so it’s time to switch to hearty, comforting dishes. This dish is from the state of Indiana. It is so common there that everybody and their grandmother knows about it, loves it and makes it without following a recipe. My readers know that I’m always up for “comfort food,” and this  ranks as one of my favorites. So simple and delicious — I hope you’ll try this in the coming months or so! Also, if you’re not intending to cook it for a crowd, a half recipe turns out just as tasty.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
8 cups chicken stock
6 15.5-oz cans great northern beans
1 lb diced, smoked ham
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg (optional RB)

Rinse and drain beans. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté 8 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add chicken stock, beans, ham, salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until creamy and thick. Serve with cornbread and coleslaw.

Serves 8.

Beef and Leek Sauce with New Red Potatoes

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Beef_leek_Sauce1 (1 of 1)Leeks are fantastic, but I typically cook with them only in winter. Not sure why. I think this sauce however, can be made year round — the large amount of leeks (and nutmeg, and gouda) are what make it! These are some of my favorite ingredients, all combined and cooked together to create this mouth-watering sauce. I served it here with boiled new red potatoes and some rye bread, but you can also serve it over pasta or mashed potatoes. Yum — try something new tonight (like this!)

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 leeks, halved length-wise, then thinly sliced cross-wise, white part only
1 large onion, diced
1 lb lean ground beef
5 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 c beef stock
1 c grated gouda cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once foam from butter subsides, add leeks and onion. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add beef to leek mixture. Stir to brown and break up meat, about 5 minutes. Add the next 6 ingredients (tomato paste through paprika). Stir 1 minute. Add beef stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in gouda cheese. Serve with dollop of sour cream and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.