Thursday, October 29, 2009

Beef Stew

I've made beef stew many times before. I'm always looking to make my recipes better. I do so by adding a little of this and a little of that. Changing a few things up from time to time. I found a beef stew recipe from Aida. It turned out great. It was different because the recipe called for cayenne pepper which gave the whole dish little kick. Here's the recipe:

Beef Stew in Biscuit Bowls

Ingredients


For the stew:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

5 medium carrots (about 12 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces

5 celery ribs (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces

6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 medium bay leaf

3/4 cup dry red wine

1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups beef broth

1/3 cup minced fresh Italian parsley leaves



For the biscuits:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/3 cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing tops


Directions

In a small bowl, mix the flour, cayenne, and the salt and pepper until evenly combined. Pat the meat dry, then sprinkle with the flour mixture and toss to coat.


Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven (or oven-ready saucepan) over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add half of the meat and sear until brown on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are brown, about 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.


Add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf and stir to coat. Stir in the wine and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Add the potatoes and stir to coat.


Add the meat and any accumulated juices, and the beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the stew with a lid and transfer to oven. Cook until the beef is knife tender, about 1 1/2 hours.


When beef is almost ready, make the biscuits. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, thyme, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Stir in the cream until a loose dough forms. Lightly flour a clean work surface, turn the dough out onto the surface, and knead briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pat into a 1-inch thick circle and cut into 8 wedges.


Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the stew from the oven. Uncover the stew, and stir in the parsley. Top the stew with the biscuits and brush with a little cream. Return the pot to the oven bake until the tops are crispy and golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Portuguese Sausage Stew




Tonight I decided to make a stew from Aida on Food Network. When I saw the recipe it reminded me of a soup I use to eat as a kid called Portuguese Bean Soup. In fact a restaurant in Hawaii called Zippy’s is well known for that soup. I went ahead and made the stew and served it with a scoop of rice. Here’s the recipe:


Portuguese Sausage & Bean Stew

Ingredients


1 pound dried kidney beans or great Northern beans, rinsed and picked over or 2 (15- ounce) cans or kidney beans (I used canned beans)

8 ounces sliced smoked bacon, optional

8 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured spicy pork sausage), kielbasa or other spicy sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick coins (I used an Andouille sausage)
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 cups water

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 medium bay leaf


Directions

If using dried beans, add the beans to a large bowl, cover by 2 inches with cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and set aside. If using canned beans, drain and rinse.

Add the bacon, if using, to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and cook until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and return the skillet to the stovetop. Add the sausage and cook until browned. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a bowl and reserve.


Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet and return to the stove over medium heat. When the fat shimmers, add the onion and garlic, stir to coat in fat, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the potatoes and stir to coat in the tomato paste. Add the beans, chorizo, and all remaining ingredients, except the bacon, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors have melded and the dried beans are cooked through, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Crumble the bacon into beans, and season with additional salt, if needed. Remove the bay leaf, transfer the beans to a serving bowl and serve.

 
If you choose to make this, leave me a comment and let me know what you think or if you made any changes to the recipe. ^_^

Friday, October 23, 2009

Fun Friday Pizza


Tonights meal plan?? Pizza! Friday's are Family Fun Nights here at my house. It's a tradition we started and we look foward to spending fun time together. It usually consist of a movie but can, at sometimes, be bowling, board games, etc. Tonight we're ordering pizza and borrowing Monsters Vs. Aliens. We haven't seen it yet and are all excited!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Teri Glazed Pork Spare Ribs

Ok so last night I made Tyler Florence’s Teriyaki-Glazed Pork Spare Ribs. It wasn’t a hit with my family. How do I know this? When dinner is awesome at my table, my children ask for seconds and maybe even thirds. Last night, none of this took place. Before I get to the Why, let me tell you the How. Here’s the recipe:



Teriyaki-Glazed Pork Spare Ribs


Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Chinese five-spice powder

1 rack pork spareribs, trimmed of excess fat, cut in 1/2 through the bone so you have 2-inch length riblets

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, for garnish

Cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish

Green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish



For the Teriyaki Glaze:


1 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 fresh red chile, split

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 1-inch coins



Directions



-Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

-Mix the salt and pepper in a small bowl with the five-spice powder. Rub the mixture all over the ribs and arrange the ribs in a single layer in a roasting pan and slow-roast for 2 hours.

-To make Teriyaki Glaze: In a pot, combine the soy sauce, grapefruit juice, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, chile, garlic, and ginger over medium heat. Bring to a slow simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of Teriyaki Glaze in a small bowl and set aside.

-In the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste the ribs with the Teriyaki Glaze. When they are done, the meat will start to pull away from the bone. Just before you're ready to eat, baste the ribs with the Teriyaki Glaze again and stick them under the broiler for 5 to 8 minutes to make the spareribs a nice crusty brown. Separate the ribs with a cleaver or sharp knife, cutting at every second rib so there are 2 bones per piece. Pile them on a platter, and pour on the reserved Glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.



I made it just as it is written. My gripe would be all of the Chinese five-spice powder this recipe calls for. If I was to make this recipe again, I would use less 5 spice. Other than that, the meat was real tender and the Teriyaki Glaze was great. It gave it a real depth of flavor.



Recipe Stars: 2 out of 5

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

So this is my first

Ok here I am, finally blogging. I've thought about this moment for some time now. In this blog I plan on posting recipes and pictures of food I regularly make or am just trying for the first time. I have a passion for cooking and so I love to learn new recipes and make new ones of my own.