Perfect Pot Roast

For many, including myself, the wonderful film "Julie & Julia" was inspirational.  It introduced me to a medium for sharing my cooking adventures, this very blog. For others it inspired a desire to attempt foods they and many others considered intimidating. (I mean really after watching Julie tackle the duck deboning you almost have to feel you can conquer the world!) The film reminded many of the fun of seeing Julia Child in action on her groundbreaking cooking show and introduced a whole new generation to her culinary trailblazing and passion for great food.

As my blog has continued to develop this past year I have taken on many interesting dishes but there is one simple dish that I still felt needed work. That most traditional of entrees, the pot roast. 

My pot roast has always been nice but I had never reached that perfect fall apart, juicy and moist perfection. Until now.

This year for Christmas my husband bought me a number of cookbooks including " Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child. Page after page is filled with delectable main dishes that make you salivate as you read them and when I flipped to the section on Piece de Boeuf Braisee (Braised Beef Pot Roast to those of us with weak French skills) I knew I had to try it.  I had seen an almost identical recipe in her book "The Way to Cook" and since it incorporated tomatoes and left out some of the pieces I felt would be difficult to come by (split calves feet, and cracked veal knuckles) I used it, but either will do nicely.

Pot Roast of Beef

Ingredients: 

(serves 10 to 12)

5-pound fully-trimmed bottom round of beef

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh olive oil 

2 to 3 cups young red wine such as zinfandel or Chianti
1 cup each chopped carrots and onions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 to 3 cups beef stock, plus more if needed
1 1/2 cups drained canned Italian plum tomatoes (or if available, chopped ripe red unpeeled tomatoes)  A bouquet garni: 6 parsley sprigs; 6 peppercorns; 3 whole cloves; 4 allspice berries; 1 teaspoon thyme; 2 or 3 large cloves of garlic, smashed; 1 large bay leaf – tied together in washed cheesecloth
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch blended with 2 tablespoons red wine

Preparation:

Review the book for Julia's exact recipe I have altered it here to reflect the steps I took while preparing this dish.

Dry the meat in paper towels. If it has not been tied, secure loops of string (butchers twine) around the circumference at 1 1/2-inch intervals. Rub the roast with oil and brown on all sides in a large frying pan on medium high heat. Remove the meat from the pan.  Sauté the chopped vegetables in a frying pan to brown lightly, and place them in a large crock pot.  Arrange the meat on top of the vegetables and add the tomatoes and the herb bouquet. Add some wine to the frying pan to deglaze and pour the contents over the beef. Add the rest of the wine and enough broth so the liquid comes a third of the way up the meat.Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.

The beef is done when a sharp-pronged fork will go through it fairly easily – cut off and eat a piece to check: it will be some-what chewy but reasonably tender. Remove the meat to a board or tray and the vegetables to a serving dish. Strain the braising liquid into a sauce-pan, pressing juices out of the vegetables.

Thoroughly degrease the braising juices and bring to a simmer, skimming off any additional fat that rises. Taste very carefully for strength and seasoning; if the liquid is weak in flavor, boil down rapidly to concentrate it. You should have 2 to 2 1/2 cups of deliciously winey meat juices. Correct the seasoning, remove from heat, and whisk in the cornstarch mixture (cornstarch and wine). When blended, return to the heat and simmer 2 minutes. The sauce should just coat a spoon lightly, meaning it will coat the meat lightly – if too thin, thicken with another spoonful or so of cornstarch and wine. Pour the sauce over and around the beef.
 
To serve, remove the meat to a carving board or hot platter, and discard the trussing strings. Either carve it in the kitchen or bring it to the table for carving. In this case spoon a little sauce over the meat to glaze it, decorate the platter with parsley sprigs, watercress, or vegetables, and pass the sauce separately.

I really recommend getting your hands on a copy of the book to read it for yourself. There is something about the way Julia writes that just can not be passed along by others you have to experience for yourself the fluid musical quality of her writing. It truly makes the recipe come to life.

Speaking of coming to life, this recipe is sure to bring your Sunday dinner table to life with many requests for seconds and maybe even thirds!

The original recipe can be found in "The Way to Cook" Julia Child, 1994, Alfred A. Knopf.

Voluptuous Red Velvet Molten Chocolate Cake

Voluptuous is defined as being full of indulgence in luxury, pleasure, and sensuous enjoyment and this cake is exactly that. This divine desert will keep your taste buds sinfully happy and it's perfect for a romantic dinner for two or for dazzling friends at a dinner party. Though it looks complex this desert was actually very simple to make. 

I am an admitted Food Network junkie and one of my favorite contributors is Chef Anne Burrell. Her wit and wisdom endear her to me and her recipes are outstanding. So, last year when she had her team on "Worst Cooks in America" make Molten Chocolate Cakes I thought, "Hey it can't be THAT hard". You can see how confident I was though since it took me a year to buck up and try them myself. Luckily Food Network offered a number of recipes for these including my favorite from Chef Anne. 

I didn't follow her recipe exactly because I wanted these cakes to be Red Velvet for Valentines Day, but I used her recipe as a base and the changes were minimal.

Red Velvet Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
Granulated sugar, for the ramekins
1/2 (6-ounce) bag white chocolate chips
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus a little more for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cake flour (Chef Annes' recipe calls for all-purpose flour )

Special equipment: 6 ramekins or aluminum souffle cups 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt 1/4 a stick of butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Paint the inside of 6 ramekins with butter and then coat them with granulated sugar. Set these aside for filling later.

Put the remaining stick of butter in a large mixing bowl with the chocolate chips. Set the bowl on a saucepan filled with about 1-inch of boiling water being sure the bowl does not touch the water. Gently stir the butter and the chocolate together until melted and the mixture is smooth. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.  (It is important you do not add this hot mixture directly to the eggs to avoid cooking them.)

Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. (This can also be done with a hand beater.) Beat the egg mixture until it doubles in size, and gets very thick and very pale. Add the food coloring. This will take quite a bit so be patient. (If you are uncomfortable with red food dye you can find natural alternatives, like beet juice or powder, in most health food stores. However, I have no experience in how these might affect the end result.)

Gently whisk the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently stir in the flour. Your batter should still be light and airy. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins. Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the ramekins, and arrange them on individual serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with a sliced strawberry. ( You may want to CAREFULLY run a butter knife around the edges of each cake to help it release from the ramekin.)

Serve these up with pride. The delightful flavor and luxurious texture will have your sweetheart, or guests, raving!

Delightful Dim Sum

 

 As we travel my husband and I enjoy taking part in local customs and especially the sampling of local cuisine. So it was a treat when we had the opportunity to visit London's Chinatown for the Chinese new Year. The streets were packed with people from all over crowding into the district to visit their favorite shops, enjoy the wares offered by street vendors and delight in the firecrackers and wandering Lion Dancers. After a bit of wandering we were lured into one Chinese restaurant by the tantalizing smells wafting from it's kitchens. Inside we enjoyed a delightful Chinese tradition, Dim Sum.
  

Dim Sum is a Cantonese term for a type dish that involves small individual portions of food similar to appetizers. In fact we often see some of these delightful goodies on menus as appetizers. However, the custom of going to "Dim Sum" or to "drink tea" is not a precursor to a larger meal but an event unto itself.  So for our Lunar New Year's feast I chose a tasty but simple selection of dim sum type treats. I have listed the ingredients I used for each of these samplings (not all my ingredients match the base recipe exactly) but I can not take credit for the "how to" portion and I suggest you follow my links to the sources I used when making each.

Asian Spring Roll

Ingredients:

Rice Paper Wrappers
Lettuce
Rice Noodles
Shredded Carrots
Cilantro
Scallions
Shrimp (or your preferred cooked meat)

To learn more on how to assemble this dish visit Itkman's channel on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ltkman#p/u/18/d4U-Zreo7ZU

When I make my spring Rolls I also add some sauce before rolling them. It can be a peanut sauce, chili sauce, or just some Hoisin. I also find it's nice to make it a contrasting flavor to whatever dipping sauce you use.

So now that we've got the easiest out of the way... Bring on the dumplings!

Steamed Dumplings

Ingredients:

1/2 Lb. ground pork
3 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded napa cabbage
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 egg

Dumpling wrappers (15-20)

To learn more on how to assemble this dish visit Itkman's channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ltkman#p/search/0/RI3bZ3kAwN4

Siu Mai

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup cooked shrimp, diced
1 cup carrots
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
pepper (to taste)
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
3 tsp cornstarch (used in 3 separate instances)
1 tsp salt

green peas (for garnish)
dumpling wrappers (15-20)

To learn more on how to assemble this dish with Cecilia Au-Yang from the Chopsticks Cooking Centre in Hong Kong, visit the cookingtipstv channel on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cookingtipstv#p/a/u/1/ushcvZV1k_Q

Steamed Meatballs

I had some leftover meat mixture after making the two pork dishes so I added some diced ginger, extra carrots, diced cabbage and green peas, formed them into balls and steamed them separately. Delicious!

For a sweet finale try this amazingly simple treat.

Sesame Balls

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/8 c rice flour
1/2 cup warm water (approximate, you may need more or less depending on humidity)
1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
sweetened red bean paste (or the filling of your choice, these can also be savory)
1 cup sesame seeds
oil for frying

To learn more on how to assemble this dish visit yeqiang's channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JREj3fq8h4

 

I also found this tutorial from dimsumrecipes to be very helpful for technique:

http://www.youtube.com/user/dimsumrecipes#p/u/27/DM1hecbIXHQ 

 I hope your experiments in making Dim Sum are as sweet as mine, but just remember to enjoy the adventure and of course the delicious results!

Addressing Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak yer place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my airm.

Address to a Haggis - Robert Burns

I don't remember when I first heard of Haggis but I do remember when I first learned what was in it. At the time it didn't sound appetizing at all. Now, years later, I find myself much more open minded and glad of it.

So, let us address the curious dish known as Haggis. This ancient meal is traditionally made with sheep's "pluck", or the heart, lungs, and liver mixed with the trimmings from the sheep, oatmeal and spices. This makes for a rich and savory pudding that is then steamed or boiled before being served. 

My first taste of this old world dish was at a "Burns Night Supper" in "The King's Arms" in Polebrook, England. My introduction began as it should, with Burns's "Address to a Haggis" given by a Scotsman who, true to the spirit of the poem, thrust the blade into the pudding with great enthusiasm making the delicious contents spill out ready to be spooned onto the waiting plates of the diners. This, served with Neps and Tatties and Cock a Leekie Soup, completed the night's fare. It was delicious and since then I have enjoyed reproducing parts of the meal but I'd never before attempted the centerpiece. The Haggis.

This year I felt inspired. I already had my Neps (turnips) and Tatties (potatoes) for Burn's night (January 25th) when an acquaintance clued me in on where to lay my hands on some ground lamb.  True Haggis cannot be sold in the US because of the inclusion of the sheep's lung. So unless you raise it yourself or are close friends with a farmer you are unlikely to have all the "pluck" close at hand. You may be able to get the heart, liver, tongue and stomach but if not, never fear. Traditionally Haggis is cooked in the stomach but again this was not something I had access to. That said, enough of what I didn't have lets get on to what I had and how you can use it to make your own "Mock Haggis". The recipe I used as a base was a traditional Scottish recipe published by BBC Food. I tried to stay as close to the original as possible.

Mock Haggis

Ingredients:

1/2 lb (8oz) ground lamb 

1/2 lb (8oz) liver (beef or sheep)

2 oz shredded suet or vegetable shortening (suet will provide better flavor)

1 onion, finely chopped

4 oz oatmeal, toasted

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground dried coriander

1/2 tsp mace

1/2 tsp nutmeg

some water (approximately 1/2 - 1 cup)

Other Items You May Need:

Sausage casing or parchment paper

Tinfoil

Steaming insert

Preparation:

In a dry pan toast the oatmeal until is is lightly browned, remove from the heat. In a medium saucepan boil the liver for about 5 minutes then remove from the water and set aside to cool. Do not discard the water. Finely chop the onion and in a large bowl, combine with the ground lamb, oatmeal, spices and shredded shortening. Finely dice the liver and add to the meat mixture with some of the water used to boil it. This mixture should be moist but not wet and you should be able to easily shape it. If you have sausage casings this is where you would place the mixture in the casings and seal as directed by the package instructions. I did not have casings so I lightly greased a piece of parchment paper with shortening, placed the haggis mixture on the paper and rolled it like a candy twisting the ends tightly. Then I placed this package on a piece of tinfoil and settled it on my steaming insert in a tall stock pot. Make sure to add enough water to the pot to reach the bottom of the steamer and steam, covered, for 3 hours. Check water level periodically adding water as needed. After 3 hours remove the Haggis carefully from the steamer and serve. I stayed with the tradition of Neps and Tatties and served mine with mashed potatoes, roasted and mashed turnips and an onion gravy.

Whether you have had Haggis dozens of times or are giving it a try for the first time I think you'll find this recipe delicious and a fair representation of the dish in spite of the substitution of many of the authentic ingredients. So be brave and take a shot at it, you'll be glad you did!

The Haggis Wrapped in Parchment Paper

The Steamer

Heart Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

There are few irresistible foods in this world, but for me Carrot Cake is in the top tier. You know the ones that really get the drool machine going, seven layers of carroty goodness with oozing cream cheese frosting between each layer and a delicious crust of nuts on the outside of the whole glorious tower of decadence...Oh YUM! Of course, as much as I love it, that same delightful dessert is also packed full of calories and fat (especially with all that glorious icing)! Just one slice of "The Joy Of Baking" version will cost you about 643 calories. So after some research, and inspiration from a fellow blogger, I have a version that not only cuts the fat, but also packs a powerful punch of flavor. So what's different?

First, it's downsized. Instead of the whole cake you have muffins and thanks to the brilliance of Christina Marsigliese over at "Form 5 Artisan", you get the icing too it's just inside instead of out! Second let's address the term muffin. General consensus seems to point to muffins being less sweet and more dense, and in my opinion the perfect candidate for some added nutrients courtesy of whole wheat flour. Couple that with the much lower oil content in Christinas' recipe from "Form 5 Artisan" blog and you have a muffin with less fat and more fiber. Using that recipe as a base I made some other changes, removing some ingredients and adding others. As good as these are though I think I can go further, but more about that after the main event. Here is a delicious, healthier version of that delectable dessert the Carrot Cake. Heck, it's healthy enough to qualify as breakfast food again!

Heart Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

Ingredients:
(Makes 12 Servings)

1 c  all purpose flour
3/4 c  whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp  baking soda
1 tsp  baking powder
1 tsp  cinnamon
1/2 tsp  allspice
1/2 tsp  ginger
1/4 tsp  nutmeg
1/4 tsp  salt
2 c  grated carrots
2/3 c  sugar
1/3 c  brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c  applesauce
1/4 cup  fat free sour cream
6 tbsp  canola oil
1 tsp  vanilla

Frosting centers:

4 oz  cream cheese
2 tbsp  powdered sugar
1 tsp  vanilla
1/4 tsp  ground clove

Preparation:

Make the icing in advance. One day ahead use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, clove, vanilla and powdered sugar. Spoon mixture into decorative ice cube trays and freeze. (You can use any ice cube tray in a pinch but it's easier to incorporate the frosting if it's frozen).

For the muffins:

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl combine the shredded carrots and sugars and allow to sit for a few minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well. In a third bowl gently whip the eggs, then incorporate the sour cream, applesauce, and oil. Add this mixture to the carrots and sugar and mix well. Gently fold in the dry ingredients making sure they are well incorporated but also being careful not to over mix the batter. Fill a cupcake pan 1/2 way. (I used a novelty shaped silicone pan but you can use a normal pan, just remember to use paper liners).

Remove the icing from the molds and press into the center of each muffin. Top the muffins off with more batter to make sure the filling is well covered. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the side comes out clean.

These are simply fantastic and only 253 calories apiece, a far cry from the traditional carrot cake and it's heavy calorie price tag.

Now earlier I said I thought I could do better, and I do. The sour cream undoubtedly accounts for some of the reduction in oil but I think the next time I make this I will cut the oil again and increase the applesauce to 1/2c. Additionally I intend to switch the flour amounts to 1c Whole Wheat flour and 3/4 c All Purpose Flour. I also intend to double the allspice and ginger. When I made the filling I found I had about 2 Tbsp too much so, if you cut back to 3 oz instead of 4oz I think you'll still have enough to be satisfying but loose some fat. Be careful when adding the applesauce that you don't choose a brand high in sugar. I actually used home made apple butter in this batch which I know was low in sugar but unless you make your own, just be sure to read your labels or you could defeat all your best efforts to reduce calories by substituting.

I hope you have fun with this and make your own adjustments, so until next time, happy baking and happy eating.

Nifty New Year's Nibbles!

A few years ago my husband and I decided to mix it up for the New Year's holiday and instead of cooking a big meal so soon after Christmas we make an array of appetizers and finger foods to munch on throughout the evening.

This year, after eating leftover ham what feels like 14 different ways, I decided go with something fun and a little different. Buffalo Turkey Sliders! These delightful little sandwiches are just the right size for a light lunch or a hearty appetizer and they're a cinch to make.

Buffalo Turkey Sliders

Ingredients:

1 package (12 count) dinner rolls
1 pound ground turkey
1 stalk celery
1 medium onion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp mayonnaise
buffalo wing sauce of your choice

Preparation:

In a medium bowl grate the celery and 1/2 the onion. Add the turkey, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp of cayenne pepper, the remaining spices and mix well. Preheat the oven to 375c Spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with non stick cooking spray and spread meat mixture evenly in the pan. Bake in oven until the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. While the meat is cooking I like to heat a griddle pan on the stove, slice the dinner rolls and toast them. Mince the remaining 1/2 onion and place in a small skillet on the stove with 1/2 tbsp of butter. Saute until the onions are soft but not browned. When the meat's juices run clear remove it from the oven and allow to rest before cutting into 12 pieces. Mix the remaining 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper into the mayonnaise and spread a small amount on each bun before topping them with some of the sauteed onions and a slider. Top the sandwiches off with your favorite wing sauce and serve.

These little beauties will fly off the plate and you may just have to make a resolution to add this healthy and fun food to your everyday menu instead of saving it just for special occasions!

If you don't have wind sauce on hand you can whip up your own with some Tabasco or similar hot sauce and a bit of butter. Stick to the ratio of 2:1 and you'll be golden. For example, two tablespoons of hot sauce to 1 tablespoon of melted butter, mix well and voila buffalo wing sauce.

Spice up the Holidays

One of my favorite memories of Christmas is making goodies with my mother.
Cookies, Candied Citrus Peel, Hard Tack Candy, and Colorful Chocolates are just a few of the delectable treats we used to make. Then, after everything was done, we'd pile the goodies on plates and dress them up with ribbons and bows to be given to friends for the holidays.

Now that I am older I find myself nostalgic for those homespun Christmas traditions and I am keeping them alive with my own family. Friends, family, and visitors can expect tasty holiday treats made with tons of love!
 

This year I added a new treat to my repertoire, Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts. These will add some spice to your holidays and make a delightful gift or Hors D'Oeuvres for your holiday festivities.

Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts

Ingredients:

2 cups Roasted Mixed Nuts
1 recipe Spice Mix
1 recipe Glaze

You can roast your own nuts or purchase pre-roasted mixed nuts. I use pre-salted nuts and omit salt from the spice mixture. If you choose to use unsalted nuts you will want to add about a teaspoon of salt to the final spice mixture.

Spice Mixture:
 
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less to taste)

Glaze:

1 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon canola or corn oil

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
   
2. In a small bowl, stir together the spice mixture.
   
3. In a saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients and bring them to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the roasted nuts and continue to stir until all the nuts are well coated with glaze, about 1 to 2 minutes. Move the glazed nuts to a mixing bowl, sprinkle on most of the spice mix (reserve about 1/2 tbsp), and toss them well to coat. Spread the coated nuts on a foil lined cookie sheet and place them in the oven for about 5 minutes; checking regularly to make sure they don't burn. Remove and let cool stirring often so they do not stick to one another or the foil. Once nuts have cooled place in a clean mixing bowl and toss with remaining spice mix.  Makes 2 cups.

Dress these up prettily in decorated treat bags or quaint paper cones when giving as gifts.