Braised Pot Roast With Carrots And Mushroom Gravy

When the weather outside is nasty, there is nothing like staying in all day, drinking beer, watching football, and braising a pot roast all afternoon. The house smelled so good all day. Braising is a method of cooking meat where by you sear it on all sides real deep, then add some sort of liquid such as wine or broth and simmer over low heat for hours until the meat is tender.

1 English pot roast

1 onion chopped

1 package of fresh mushrooms

1 package of baby carrots

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped

1 bottle red wine

1 ½ cups beef broth

3 cloves of garlic - minced

Salt

Pepper

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS corn starch

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven until smoking. Cut roast into 2 inch chunks, place in Dutch oven, and sear on all sides about 3 min. a side. Pull out meat and add onions, mushrooms, thyme, and rosemary. Sauté 3 min. add garlic and sauté one more min. add beef broth, wine and finally the meat. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer on low heat for about three hours. Add carrots in the final 45 min. remove carrots, and meat.  Turn up heat to high. Add 1TBS corn starch to 2 TBS of water and Wisk into remaining pan juices to make mushroom gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Chocolate Sheba with White and Dark Chocolate Lattice

My wife’s cousin came over for dinner last night. That gave me an excuse to try this dessert I saw the other day on Emeril Live. It was a lot of work, but well worth it, Very rich and very delectable. Everyone loved it, and it is now my wife’s favorite dessert. I  took a step further and made a raspberry sauce out of raspberry preserves and brandy cooked down in a pan. You could also sprinkle some powdered sugar over the to as well, or a few sprigs of fresh mint. Give this a try, you won't be sorry you did.


Ingredients

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
10 large egg yolks
7 large egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1 cup chopped dark chocolate
1 cup chopped white chocolate

Directions

Melt the semisweet chocolate in a double boiler, stirring with a rubber spatula to facilitate even melting. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the butter to the chocolate. Stir to melt the butter and mix well. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and whisk to thoroughly combine.

In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat the whites to stiff, glossy peaks (do not overmix or the whites will dry out). Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Using a large spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream, folding just until the cream is incorporated. Do not overmix.

Line a 9-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap that over hangs by 4 inches on all sides. Sprinkle the pecan pieces on the bottom of the pan. Pour the mousse over the pecans and fold the plastic over the top of the mousse. Wrap the entire pan with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the dark chocolate and place in a small pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip. (Alternately, place the chocolate in a small resealable plastic food storage bag and cut 1/4-inch from the tip of the bag.) Drizzle the chocolate back and forth over the baking sheet in vertical strokes. Melt the white chocolate and place in another small pastry bag or plastic bag. Rotate the baking sheet 1/4 turn and drizzle the white chocolate over the dark chocolate in perpendicular strokes to form a lattice-like design. Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator to cool. When the chocolate has hardened, break the chocolate lattice into pieces as needed for garnish.

When serving, unwrap the sheba and cut slices with a hot, wet long, thin knife. A slicer works best for this. Place slices in the refrigerator until softened slightly before serving, about 20 minutes. When ready to serve, place the slices onto dessert plates andgarnish with a piece of the chocolate lattice. Serve immediately.

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

I’ve started buying Lamb Chops from my local market. I haven’t really had much lamb in my life, but I have to say I’m really starting to like it a lot. I found this recipe on http://allrecipes.com, and I have to say it’s off the hook! It’s a reduction sauce made with balsamic vinegar. If you have never worked with it, Balsamic vinegar is an Italian vinegar, made from balsamic wine, and when reduced turns into a thick sweet syrup that makes a great pan sauce. You could use this with veal or beef as well. Give it a try.

Ingredients

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4 lamb chops (3/4 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter



Directions

In a small bowl or cup, mix together the rosemary, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet, and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or continue to cook to your desired doneness. Remove from the skillet, and keep warm on a serving platter.
Add shallots to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, just until browned. Stir in vinegar, scraping any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then stir in the chicken broth. Continue to cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half. If you don't, the sauce will be runny and not good. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Pour over the lamb chops, and serve.

Steak Diane

Yes I know what you’re going to say, “It’s been a really long time since he has posted on his blog.” Apparently the summer time is not the time for me to maintain a blog. I would rather be pool side than inside cooking, and on the computer, so now that it’s too cold to be outside, it’s time to cook.

I can’t think of a better dish to start off a renewed passion for cooking than with Steak Diane. Named for Diane the goddess of the hunt, the dish used to be made with venison. Now it’s served in very fine restaurants with fillet mignon, and is served at the Delmonico in New Olean’s table side. This is probably my wife’s favorite dish, and I have made it many times. The recipe I use belongs to who else, but Emeril Lagasse. This dish is the ultimate fine dining dish and will make you look Technically Gourmet.

4 (3-ounce) filet mignon medallions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 teaspoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup sliced white mushroom caps
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup reduced veal stock, or beef stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 drops hot red pepper sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon minced parsley leaves

Season the beef medallions on both sides with the salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook for 45 seconds on the first side. Turn and cook for 30 seconds on the second side. Add the shallots and garlic to the side of the pan and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 2 minutes. Place the meat on a plate and cover to keep warm.





Tilt the pan towards you and add the brandy. Tip the pan away from yourself and ignite the brandy with a match. (Alternatively, remove the pan from the heat to ignite, and then return to the heat.) When the flame has burned out, add the mustard and cream, mix thoroughly and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the veal stock andsimmer for 1 minute. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce and stir to combine. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn the meat to coat with the sauce.





Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions and parsley. Divide the medallions and sauce between 2 large plates and serve immediately.

Bacon Wrapped Grilled Pork Loin Chops with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

It’s starting to get warm enough outside that you can stand to be outside, and that makes me start thinking about grilling out. The cold never use to bother me, I would grill out in the middle of a blizzard, and I wouldn’t care. Now the older I get, the more I hate to be out in the cold. The other night it was so nice out I decided to fire up the grill for the first time this year. I didn’t have any steak, but I had some really nice pork loin chops. I wrapped them in bacon, then gave them a really nice sear on both sides, and cooked them through. I used the sauce from my first post as a garnish. As for an accouterment, I decided on these rosemary roasted potatoes. The recipe came from “The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cooking” cookbook that my lovely wife got me for my birthday. They turned out wonderful, and was a good complement to this fine meal. Give these a try, they are a simple way to change up ordinary potatoes.

2 pounds small potatoes washed and cut into chunks, peals on.
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS fresh rosemary leaves chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
Course sea salt

Preheat the oven 375, line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Toss the potatoes with 2 TBS of the olive oil. Spread them evenly on the sheet pan, and bake, turning occasionally until golden brown on the outside, and tender on the inside, about 30 Min. Remove the sheet pan, and drizzle remaining olive oil over the potatoes. Sprinkle the sea salt and the rosemary/garlic mixture, and toss together until the seasoning is warmed through, serve immediately.

Chicken Fried Steak

I made this dish a few nights ago, and as soon as I plated it there was no doubt in my mind I was going to blog it. This is a recipe I make once in a great while, and every time I do, I ask myself why I don’t make it more often. This is so rich, and savory. Every bite melts in your mouth, and you get just a little bit of heat right at the end. I love that. If you like authentic southern style comfort food you will love this dish Buon appetito!





8 slices of bacon chopped
2 cup plus 1 ½ TBS flour
2 to 3 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 to 3 cups whole milk
Four 6 oz cube steaks
Vegetable oil for frying
½ cup onion.
Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cayenne pepper


In a bowl whisk together buttermilk, egg, salt and pepper. In another bowl combine flour and ¼ tsp each of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. In a sauté pan render bacon down until crispy. Remove and let dry on a paper towel. Add onion to pan with rendered bacon fat, and sauté until translucent. Add 1 ½ TBS flour and make a roué. Whisk in milk, and add ¾ of the bacon back to the pan. Bring to a simmer until thick. Meanwhile heat oil in another sauté pan. Dip cube steak in buttermilk, and then dip in flour mixture. Next dip steak back into buttermilk, and back in flour mixture. Place in hot oil and fry until golden brown and nice crust forms. Serve steak over a bead of mashed potatoes, and spoon gravy over the entire dish, and garnish with remaining bacon bits.

Gnocchi

After traveling to Italy a few years ago for work, I developed an appreciation, and a passion for authentic Italian food. While in Italy I tried gnocchi for the first time. These little pillows of potato pasta where light and fluffy and tasted so wonderful. After returning to the states I found several recipes for gnocchi, and this is by far the best I have found. The great thing about gnocchi is you can make them with any kind of sauce. I made mine with a tomato cream sauce, but you can use a white pasta sauce of some type. Every time I make gnocchi it takes me back to Italy, and I remember seeing those little old ladies standing in the back of the Italian bistro, cutting fresh gnocchi and I long to return some day.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds Potatoes
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain, and mash with a potato masher until real fine and let cool. Spread potatoes out on a lightly floured work surface. Make a well in the center of the potatoes. (this is called the well method, and is how they make all types of pasta in Italy) Pour in eggs, sprinkle in 1 ½ cup of flour, the cheese salt, pepper, nutmeg. Using your hands, and working from the outside edges, knead until the mixture is just evenly blended, adding flour as needed.about 4 minutes. Do not over mix or the gnocchi will become tough and very dense. Good gnocchi should be light and fluffy. Lightly dust the dough and your hands with flour. Form the dough into a log about 4 inches in diameter. With a knife or dough scraper, divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder about ½ inches in diameter. Cut into 1 inch pieces, put on tray lined with waxed paper and dusted with flour, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and boil gnocchi in batches until they float on top of the water, about 3 minutes. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain. When all batches are cooked, add them to the sauce of your choice, and toss until well coated.