What's for Dinner?: Filet of Beef Bourguignon

Here is another terrific recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I have made this numerous times. Using high-quality beef tenderloin makes this a memorable meal.

INGREDIENTS

1 3 pound filet of beef trimmed (your butcher can do this for you)
Salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled
8-10 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into sections
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick (domestic or wild)


METHOD

With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat, saute the slices of beef in batches with 2-3 tablespoons oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the filets from the pan and set aside on a platter.

In the same pan, saute the bacon on medium-low heat until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all the fat except for 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.

With a fork, mash 2 tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms separately in remaining tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.

Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 5-10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season to taste and serve immediately.

This can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Allow the dish to come to room temperature before reheating gently.

Note: To peel pearl onions easily, first blanch them for a minute or two in boiling water.

What's for Dinner?: Chicken Marsala with Oven Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

A favorite from the Foster's Market Cookbook, this one's for you, Annie. Let me know if you like it! Sorry, no photo...

Roasting the mushrooms and the onions separately adds depth of flavor to the finished dish.

Chicken Marsala -- Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces pancetta, very thinly sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned
10 cipollini onions or shallots cut in half (or quartered if large
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sweet Marsala
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Flatten each chicken breast half by placing it between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pounding it with a mallet or the flat bottom of a heavy pan until the chicken is about 1/3 inch thick in all places.

Working with one flattened breast half at a time, spread 2 teaspoons of the mustard onto one side of each breast and press 2 sage leaves into the mustard side of the breast. Set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until it is crisp and lightly brown. Remove the pancetta and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Set the skillet aside.

Meanwhile, while the pancetta is cooking, place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar, mushrooms and onions into a baking dish and toss to mix. Roast in the oven about 30 minutes, stirring a few times during the cooking process.

Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet after the pancetta has been removed and lower the heat to medium. Dredge each breast in the flour to coat both sides lightly, shaking off any excess flour, and place in the skillet.

Cook the chicken breasts, turning once, 3-4 minutes per side (exact timing will depend on the size of the breasts), until they are golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Raise heat to medium-high. Add the Marsala to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir and reduce the Marsala by half. Add the cream, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil, and continue to cook 2-3 more minutes, until the sauce is slightly thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon.

Return the chicken and pancetta to the skillet with the sauce to reheat. Season with salt, pepper and the remaining mustard and sage (which I cut into thin strips). To serve, top the chicken with the pancetta, roasted mushrooms, and cipollini. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

If you are making this ahead, tent the cooked chicken with foil, prepare the sauce and roast the vegetables. Combine and reheat gently before serving.

French Onion Soup

Cold weather is starting to set in here in the mountains and soup is a satisfying meal. This recipe is from the Julia Child book The Way to Cook. Allow approximately 3 hours total for preparation.



INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (approx. 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon each salt and sugar (sugar helps the onions to brown)
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 quarts homemade beef stock, or best quality purchased stock, of which 2 cups of the stock should be hot.
4-5 tablespoons Cognac, Armagnac, or other good brandy
1 cup dry white French vermouth

METHODS

Browning the onions (approx 40 minutes). Set the saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil; when the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover the pan and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, raise heat to moderately high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25-30 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook slowly, stirring for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, the Cognac or brandy, and the vermouth. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Correct seasoning.

(Note: Soup prepared to this point may be cooled and refrigerated or frozen for later use)

Serving: Serve accompanied with grated cheese for garnish, french bread and a green salad or gratinee it -- put a toasted round of French bread in each bowl (or several into a large bowl) cover with grated Swiss cheese, 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese for garnish. Bake in oven preheated to 425 degrees until the cheese has melted and browned nicely.

What's for Dinner?: A Sushi Party

We were lucky to be invited to the home of friends, Chris and Erich, for a Sushi Dinner.

When we arrived we were put to work helping prep, slicing green onions, cucumbers, avocado, etc. I showed young Max my way of removing the pit from an avocado. He loved it!

Then Max showed me how to dip my fingers in water and spread the prepared rice really thinly on the seaweed.

Then, we used a choice of fillings tuna, shrimp, avocado, red pepper, green onions, sprouts, sauces, etc. and then carefully rolled the sushi, pressing the roll together using our sushi rolling mats.

It was a terrific feast!

In the pictures below, you see my rolling making my first sushi roll, our friend Peter (who looks a little intense rolling) and finally, the platter of delicious sushi rolls. Thanks, Chris & Erich!

What's for Dinner?: Italian-Style Chicken and Mushroom Soup

This soup is delicious! I am back in Jackson in my big kitchen and I was looking for a hearty soup to serve as a light dinner. This combination of chicken soup with roast mushrooms is great. The soup can be frozen by making the soup as directed but leave out the pasta. Then, when you thaw and reheat the soup, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks -- The Foster's Market cookbook. Evidently, there really is a place called Foster's Market somewhere in the south. Someday, maybe I will go there, but until then, I just enjoy making their food!

Preparation time is long...(an hour and a half or two -- depends on if you need to poach the chicken) but you don't have to stand by the stove the entire time!

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4-5 ribs celery, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
2 large chicken breasts, poached and shredded
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 whole heads garlic
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and, if large, sliced into quarters
1 cup small pasta (orecchiette pasta, bow ties or elbow)
1 cup canned cannellini or navy beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Fresh spinach (a handful per person)
Grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (to roast the garlic and mushrooms)

2. Start the soup. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the celery and cook about 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the broth, chicken, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. While soup is simmering, place both heads of garlic on foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Wrap them up and place in the oven to roast (about 35-40 minutes) or until the garlic is soft. Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms with the remaining olive oil in a baking dish, place in the oven, and roast 15-20 minutes, turning lightly a couple of times during cooking so that they are coated evenly. They should be a nice brown color when you remove them from the oven.

5. Add mushrooms to soup. Remove garlic from the oven, peels the cloves, chop them in half (so you are leaving pretty big chunks) and add to the soup.

6. Add the pasta to the soup and cook 10-12 minutes longer. Add the beans and heat through. Add rosemary and parsley and stir to mix.

To Serve: Place a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves in the bottom of a bowl and ladle soup over. Top with parmesan and serve immediately. Yum!

Nothing in the Refrigerator

Dinner When You Haven't Been to the Market

Sometimes your day can get busy and hectic and even though you know your cupboard is bare, you just don't have time to get to the market. Do you have any 'standby' simple meals? Or do you pick up the phone and order takeout?

Here are three quick things I make for a simple dinner -- I usually have something on hand...

Pasta with Cream Sauce
While your pasta cooks, melt a few tablespoons of butter in a skillet, throw in a couple of cloves of garlic, minced. Add a couple of sliced green onions, if you have them, or maybe a little bit of sliced onion. A few sliced mushrooms, too, if you have any. Saute these items until tender then add about 1/2 cup heavy cream and about 1/3 cup grated parmesan. Pour this sauce over cooked pasta.

Grilled Cheese
Take two types of cheese (cheddar, american, swiss, etc.) add a couple pieces of ham, cooked bacon or leftover pancetta, and a slice of tomato if you have one. Grill sandwich and serve with sliced apple or other fruit.

Omelette
If you have a couple of eggs, you have dinner. Pick easy fillings, in a combination you enjoy. Cheese, spinach, onion, tomatoes, ham, bacon -- whatever!

The more you cook, the more creative you will become with the contents of your refrigerator, freezer and pantry.

A Day Out of the Kitchen

Since I am here in New York City right now, I must confess that I am not cooking as often as I do at home. It is some combination of having lots of restaurants all around me and having a tiny kitchen with minimal equipment here.

Last night, I went out with girlfriends and we had dinner at Orsay, a nice French Brasserie on Lexington at 75th Street. If you go, plan on some selections from the antique trolley of appetizers that is presented tableside.

It was Tuesday, but we acted like it was a Saturday night and finished our night with drinks at the Hudson, an almost secret hotel near the Time Warner Center.

What's for Dinner?: Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Apples

Pork tenderloin is a versatile cut of meat. Here, the classic combination of pork and apples is enhanced by the flavors of onions and horseradish.





INGREDIENTS

1 pork tenderloin, approximately 1-1.5 pounds
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons creamed horseradish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced


METHOD

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Salt and pepper pork tenderloin and place in shallow roasting pan.

Mix together the heavy cream, sherry, horseradish and mustard.
Baste pork with this mixture and place in oven. Roast pork until slightly pink in center (approx. 140 degrees on a meat thermometer). The amount of time will vary with the thickness of the pork roast. Baste occasionally with creamy horseradish sauce.

About 15-20 minutes before the roast is done, melt the butter in a skillet and saute the onions and apples until the onions are transparent and the apples are soft.


Just before serving, slice the pork roast. Add the pan juices and any remaining creamy horseradish sauce to the skillet with the onions and apples and warm through. Serve several slices of pork per person with onion, apples and cream sauce on top of each portion.



Suggested accompaniments include rice pilaf (shown above) or mashed potatoes along with a green vegetable.

What's for Dinner?: Steak with Parmesan Butter, Balsamic Glaze, and Arugula

This is a quick weeknight entree.

Add a baguette and a glass of red wine, and you've got a meal!




STEAK WITH PARMESAN BUTTER, BALSAMIC GLAZE, AND ARUGULA
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese plus Parmesan Cheese shavings (use the best Parmesan that you can find; create shavings with a vegetable peeler, 4 shavings per person)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
4 cups (lightly packed) arugula or other salad greens, the more bitter greens are best for this recipe
2 large lemon wedges

Method:

Mix grated parmesan and butter in small bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside. Sprinkle steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add venegar, shallots, and sugarto skillet. Boil until reduced to glaze, stirring constantly about 1 minute.

Divide arugula between 2 plates. Add parmesan shavings to plate. Squeeze lemon over greens and cheese. Slice steak and place atop arugula. Top each steak with a bit of the parmesan butter. Drizzle glaze over steaks.

Recipe from Bon Appetit, October, 2008; Photo from www.epicurious.com

What's for Dinner?: Sole Piccata with Grapes and Capers

This genuinely delicious dish can be put together quickly. The capers add a nice contrast of flavor that doesn't over power the fish. Buy the small capers, about 1/3 inch in diameter. They keep for a long time in the refrigerator and they are a good way to perk up a dish.

Allow about 1/2 pound of the tender sole fillets per person.

SOLE PICCATA WITH GRAPES AND CAPERS










Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Dover Sole or petrale sole fillets (if the fillets are small get approx 1/2 pound per person)
All purpose flour
1 cup red grapes, cut in half
1/4 cup white grape juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Method:

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper to taste. Dust both sides of the fish with flour. Add to skillet and cook fillets until browed and just opaque in center. This takes just 2-4 minutes per side (depending on thickness of fillets).

Transfer fish to a platter and tent with foil. Add grapes, grape juice, wine and butter to same skillet. Bring mixture to boil, whisking up any browned bits. Add capers and parsley. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish and serve immediately.

This recipe was adapted from one originally printed in Bon Appetit (November 2006).

The lovely picture of the sole fillets is from the Seattle Fish Company web site.