Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and black pepper

Olive oil

3 large carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 12 oz package of baby portobello mushrooms

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoons thyme 

1 6oz can of tomato paste

1 1/2 cups good red wine

2 cups beef stock

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Serves 8

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Take the beef and patch dry. Season the beef generously with kosher salt and pepper. Place the flour in a small bowl. Once the oil is heated, place a few pieces of beef in the flour and lightly coat, then immediately brown in the hot oil. Brown all of the beef in small batches. You may have to add a tablespoon of olive oil, in between each batch. Place the browned beef on a plate and set aside.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dutch oven. Add the carrot, celery, mushrooms, onions and garlic to the dutch oven. Season generously with salt and cook for about 5 minutes, till the veggies are soft.
4. Next add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. Next add the wine and stir till the stew is thick, about 1 minute. Next add the beef, beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and place in the oven.
5. Cook for about 2 hours and then add the potatoes. Cook for another 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and skim as much oil off the top as possible. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Perfect on a good day!

Dry the meat and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a small bowl.

Veggie prep!

Lightly flour the meat and brown in small batches. Don't flour till its just about to go in the pan.

Once all the meat is browned, place on a sheet and set aside. 

Heat olive oil and place the carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms and garlic.

Cook till the veggies are soft.

Next add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. Then my camera died, so after the tomato paste, add the red wine. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the beef, beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil and place in the oven.

After two hours, add the potatoes and cook for another 45 minutes. So yummy!

Open-Face Egg Sandwich

This is one of my husband's favorite breakfast dishes. I got the original recipe from Giada's Everyday Italian cookbook. This is a little similar take on it.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of a baguette

4 eggs

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

canola oil spray

1. Cut the bread in 4 slices and toast.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the eggs till medium. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place the two slices of bread on each plate. Spoon some of the heated tomato sauce on each slice. Top with two eggs and cheese. Repeat with second plate. 

Use half of a good loaf of bread.

Toast!

Cook the eggs till medium.

Pour some tomato sauce and microwave till warm.

Place two slices on each plate.

Top with sauce.

Next add the eggs.

Finally sprinkle generously with cheese.

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree

On a whim last week, I bought some eggplant at the grocery store. I wanted to try something besides eggplant parmesan, I found this recipe. Its actually super easy and cheap to make. I used a can of diced tomatoes, because fresh was a little too expensive right now. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 can diced tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

kosher salt

black pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 pound rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup grated parmesan

olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the eggplant, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Spread the veggies on the baking sheet in an even layer and place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Place the pine nuts on a small baking sheet and roast for a few minutes, till golden brown. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni till al dente. Keep about 2 cups of the pasta water. Place the pasta in a large bowl.

4. Once the eggplant is roasted, place in a food processor, with the can of tomatoes. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and puree till everything is nice and creamy.

5. Add the eggplant puree with the pasta and toss. Add the pasta water till everything is nice and saucy. Mix in the parmesan cheese and pine nuts. 

Toss the eggplant, oil, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes and garlic.

Spread on a baking sheet and roast.

Place the pine nuts on a small baking sheet and roast.

I toasted the pine nuts a little too much. :(

Add the canned tomatoes to the food processor.

Cook the pasta.

Remove the roasted eggplant from the oven.

Add to the food processor.

Puree the veggies.

Toss the pasta with the cheese, pine nuts, puree and pasta water.

Pulled Pork with Spicy Chutney

Since I've been trying to split my time between painting the interior of my house, cleaning up the back yard and find new fun things to cook, things have been a little crazy. My husband and I have been eating at home a lot lately, so I've been cooking lots of big batches to fun stuff, to get us through the week. Pulled pork is so easy and since you make a lot of it, you can use it all week in all kinds of dishes. Its also super cheap, when you think about how much you get out of it. A 6-pound pork shoulder was about $25 at my local QFC this week. For this recipe I used a jar of homemade chutney (which I'll have to find the recipe and post about it later), but it was based on Mrs Ball's African Chutney, which you can buy online.

Ingredients:

5-6 pound bone-in pork shoulder
1 jar Mrs Ball's Chutney
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
kosher salt and black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat a large dutch oven, over medium high heat. Make sure the pork shoulder is dry (tab with paper towels) and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Once the dutch oven is heated, brown the pork shoulder on all sides.

3. Once browned, place the pork shoulder, fat side up and add the water, chutney and bay leaf. Bring to a low boil, cover and place in heated oven.

4. Cook for about 3-4 hours, till the pork falls apart with a few pulls from a fork. Serve on potato rolls or any other kind of bread you want. Enjoy!

Seasoned with the salt and pepper.

After browned on all sides, add the chutney, water and bay leaf.

After roasting for about 3 1/2 hours. If only you could smell this thru the computer! So good!

Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding

I love Mexican hot chocolate. Its spicy, savory and sweet. I have lots of fond memories of drinking it while waiting to go into concerts in Los Angeles. This is my take on a classic dessert, but with a Mexican twist. If you aren't crazy about putting cayenne into your bread pudding, you can leave it out.

Ingredients:

2 large whole eggs

3 egg yolks

3/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

3 cups half-and-half

1 cup milk

2 ounces espresso, slightly cooled

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

I loaf Challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a blender, add the eggs and egg yolks and blend for about 30 seconds on low speed. While the blender is running slowly add all the sugar for about 30 seconds. Add the chocolate powder, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and blend for another 30 seconds. Next add the half-and-half, milk, espresso and vanilla extract and blend till just thoroughly combined.
2. Butter 13 x 9 inch baking dish, with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Place the challah bread in the buttered dish and then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Next add the custard mixture over the challah bread. Using a spatula, press the bread down so all the mixture gets soaked up. Leave at room temperature for about 2 hours or 8 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread pudding for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and turn on the oven broiler. Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter on top of the bread pudding and place back in the oven till its nice and golden brown, which will be quick, so don't walk away! Let the bread pudding rest for about 15-20 minutes and serve warm. Enjoy!

Challah bread!

Place the eggs and egg yolks in the blender. While the blender is running, slowly add the sugar.

Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and blend for another 30 seconds.

Next add the half-and-half, milk, espresso, and vanilla till just combined.

Butter a large dish.

Place the cubed Challah bread in the dish.

Add the chocolate chips on top.

Next add the custard mix and thoroughly soak all of the bread in it.

Brush the butter on top and brown under the broiler. Serve warm.

No Fuss Beef Chili

So I guess the short heat wave that I thought was spring was just a teaser, because it was in the low 30's this morning. That groundhog Phi was right; winter isn't over yet. My husband is working from home today, because of a flood in his work's basement. I decided to ease his pain of hanging out with me all day by making him some quick beef chili.

Ingredients:

1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 12 oz package of baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste (about half of a 6 oz can. Place the rest of the paste in a small bag and freeze for a later day!)
12 oz of beer
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Makes about 4-6 servings

Heat pot over medium heat. Once heated add ground beef, pinch of salt and pepper and cook till all beef is browned.

Next add chopped onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. Add another pinch of salt and cook till onions are translucent. About 5 minutes.

Next add tomato paste. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.

Cooked with tomato paste.

Next add the beer and cook for about 3 minutes.

Lastly add the chili powder, chili flakes, bay leaf, beef stock, diced tomatoes and black beans. Raise heat till a low boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Soooooo yummy!

Ladle into bowls and top with cheddar cheese. Enjoy!