Wine Braised Short Ribs

Wine Braised Short Ribs

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

5 lb. Bone-in Short Ribs, 2-inch chunks

as needed Olive Oil

2½ tbsp.  Kosher Salt, divided

3 tsp. Black Pepper, divided

¼ cup Olive Oil

3 cups Leeks, white and green part, chopped

3 cups Celery, chopped

2 cups Yellow Onion, chopped

2 cups Carrots, chopped

1½ tbsp. Fresh Garlic, minced

1 bottle (750 ml) Dry Red Wine

1 qt. Beef Stock

1 cup Crushed Tomatoes

1 bottle (11.2 oz.) Guinness Draught Stout

6 sprigs Fresh Thyme

Directions:

Place short ribs on a rimmed baking sheet (2 or more if needed) and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with 1½ tbsp. salt and 1½ tsp. black pepper. Place in a pre-heated 425-degree oven and roast for 20 minutes.  While short ribs are roasting, in a large Dutch oven, warm ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks, celery, onion and carrot.  Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Now add garlic and cook 1 minute or until fragrant.  Add the wine and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until liquid is reduced.  Add beef stock, tomatoes, Guinness and thyme sprigs tied in a bundle.  Also add 1 tbsp. salt and 1 1.2 tsp. black pepper.  Stir to combine and then add the short ribs with any juices and seasoning on baking sheet.  Bring back to a boil, cover and place in a pre-heated 325-degree oven.  Cook 1 hour and then uncover and cook another hour or until meat is tender.  Transfer short ribs to a platter with a slotted spoon.  Remove thyme bundle and any bones in Dutch oven.  Simmer sauce on stove top for 20 minutes.  Skim fat off top and return short ribs to pot.  Heat another 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  Sever in shallow bowls over an item of your choice (see notes below).

Notes:              Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, pasta (shape of your choice) rice or plain or flavored grits.  Blue cheese grits would be a good one.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Beef Stew with Paprika

Beef Stew with Paprika

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

5 lb. Boneless Beef Chuck Roast (see notes)

6 tbsp. Hungarian Sweet Paprika, divided

3 tsp. Kosher Salt, divided

1 tsp. Black Pepper

2 cups Beef Broth

¼ cup Tomato Paste

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1 large Yellow Onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp. Caraway Seeds, lightly crushed

1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 tbsp. Hungarian Hot Paprika

3 large Bay Leaves

2 tsp. Dried Marjoram

¼ cup Fresh Dill, finely chopped

1 tbsp. Cider Vinegar

as needed Sour Cream, to serve

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp. sweet paprika, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.  Season the meat generously with this mixture.  In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter.  Add the onion and 1 tsp. salt.  Cook until onion, stirring occasionally, is slightly brown, about 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the caraway seeds and flour.  Continue cooking, stirring, until flour begins to brown, about 2-4 minutes.  Stir in hot paprika and remaining sweet paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Slowly whisk in broth and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.  Stir in the beef, bay leaves and marjoram.  Bring this to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Cover, place in a pre-heated 325-degree oven and cook for 2 hours.  Remove from oven, uncover and stir before returning to the oven.  Cook another 1 to 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the meat has no resistance.  Remove from oven, stir and let stand 15 minutes.  Now remove bay leaves and add dill and vinegar.  Stir to combine and taste.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.  Ladle into bowls and serve with sour cream.

Notes:              Trim fat from roast and cut into 1½ -inch pieces.  Pat all the pieces dry with a paper towel.

Notes:              Place oven rack in the lower-middle position before turning on the oven.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Beef Comfort Food Dishes

Winter is hopefully coming to an end (although I’m not counting my chickens just yet).  So this week I have a couple of comfort food dishes that use beef as the main ingredient.

These beef dishes use a slightly tougher cut of meat in chuck roast and short ribs.  That just means it takes a little longer to cook.  But once done, they are tender and delicious.

Wednesday’s dish is “Beef Stew with Paprika” for you to try.  It calls for Hungarian paprika but any sweet and hot paprika will do and it calls for both.  Then try “Wine Braised Short Ribs” on Thursday.  These will melt in your mouth and are suggested to be served over several choices of side dishes.

If you love beef, you will love these two recipes.

So until next week, “Happy Cooking” and please share with others.  Thanks.

Easy Sesame Chicken (GF)

Easy Sesame Chicken (GF)

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 tbsp. GF Soy Sauce

1 tbsp. Water

1½ tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil

2¼ tsp. Brown Sugar

2¼ tsp. Rice Vinegar

1-inch piece Fresh Ginger, grated

1 clove Fresh Garlic, minced

2 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

1 tbsp. Cornstarch

Chicken:

1 large Fresh Egg

2 tbsp. Cornstarch

pinch Salt

pinch Black Pepper

1-1½ lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 tbsp. Canola Oil

Directions:

To prepare sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  To prepare chicken, cut chicken pieces into 1-inch chunks.  In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken pieces, combine egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper.  Add chicken to this mixture and toss to coat.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil.  Add chicken and the egg mixture to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.  About 7-10 minutes and then drain off excess oil.  Pour sauce over chicken and toss to coat.  Sauce will begin to thicken as it hits the hot skillet.  Remove from heat when sauce has thickened.  Serve over your choice of cooked rice.

Notes:              You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts if you prefer.  Cooking time will be slightly different.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Garlic-Lime Chicken Skillet (GF)

Garlic-Lime Chicken Skillet (GF)

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

6 (4-6 oz.) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

¾ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Paprika

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

½ tsp. Dried Parsley

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

4 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

3 tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice

1 medium Lime, cut into 6 wedges

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, salt, paprika, pepper, cayenne pepper and parsley.  Sprinkle chicken pieces generously.  In a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and add olive oil.  Sear chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Add garlic and lime juice.  Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, basting with juices occasionally.  Serve hot with the juices and lime wedges.

Notes:              You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts if you prefer.  Cooking time will be slightly different.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Easy Cluten-Free Chicken Entrees

This week we have two easy chicken dishes that are gluten-free.  They will also satisfy anyone who can eat gluten too.

The recipes call for boneless skinless chicken breasts but work with boneless skinless chicken thighs too.

As with any gluten-free recipes, you want to make sure all your ingredients are gluten-free.  That means form cross-contamination as well as in the product.

So enjoy “Garlic-Lime Chicken Skillet (GF)” on Wednesday and “Easy Sesame Chicken (GF)” on Thursday.

Until next week, “Happy Cooking” and please help spread the link for this food blog to others.  Thank you.

Reuben Soup

Reuben Soup

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 medium Yellow Onion, sliced

¼ tsp. Salt

1½ cups Sauerkraut, drained

1½ tsp. Caraway Seeds

5 cups Beef Broth

8 oz. Corned Beef, chopped

¾ cup Sour Cream

3 oz. Swiss Cheese, shredded

6 slices Marble Rye Bread (see note)

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-heat, warm oil before adding the sliced onion and salt.  Cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the sauerkraut and caraway seeds.  Stirring, cook 1-2 minutes.  Now add beef broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in corned beef.  Simmer until corned beef is warmed through, about 10 minutes.  Turn off heat and add the sour cream stirring to combine.  Ladle into bowls and divide cheese and marble rye bread equally over top and serve.

Notes:              Toast the marble bread and then cut into crouton shaped squares.  You could also use dark rye or light dye breads.  Whichever you prefer or is handy.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Cheesy Lasagna Soup

Cheesy Lasagna Soup

6 (servings)

Ingredients:

1 can (28 oz.) Whole Tomatoes, drained

1 lb. Ground Chuck

1 clove Fresh Garlic, minced

1 tbsp. Dried Minced Onion

1 can (14 oz.) Tomato Sauce

3 cups Chicken Broth

2 tbsp. Brown Sugar

2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

¼ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

2½ cups Dry Lasagna Noodles, broken into pieces

1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Directions:

Puree the drained whole tomatoes in a blender and set aside.  In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, cook meat with garlic and dry onion included until done over medium-high heat.  Drain fat and to pan.  Now add pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 10 minutes.  Add the broken lasagna noodles and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and divide between 6 bowls.  Divide the mozzarella cheese equally over the bowls of soup and serve.

Notes:              You can always use Italian sausage, ground pork or some other ground meat instead of the ground chuck.  On some combination of the meats.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Entree Flavored Soups

Early on this food blog, I posted a couple of entrée flavored soups.  They were “Stuffed Green Pepper Soup II” and “Stuffed Cabbage Soup” and had very good responses on them.

So this week I have a couple more of these type soups for you.  Wednesday’s is “Cheesy Lasagna Soup” followed up by “Reuben Soup” on Thursday.

All of these soups are easily doubled for larger groups.  They can also be frozen for later needs.  It’s always nice to have some containers of soup in the freezer for quick meals.

I hope you enjoy them.  So “Happy Cooking” until next week.  Remember, please share the link here with others.  Thanks.

Raspberry Chicken Amandine

Raspberry Chicken Amandine

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

Raspberry Sauce:

3 cups Frozen Raspberries

1 cup Water

¾ cup Honey

2 tbsp. Cornstarch

¼ cup Cold Water

to taste Salt and Pepper

Chicken:

2 large Fresh Eggs

¼ cup Milk

2 cups Crushed Smoked Almonds

8 (4 oz.) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded flat

6 oz. Brie Cheese

¼ cup Olive Oil

for garnish Fresh Orange Zest

Directions:

Bring raspberries, water and honey to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until raspberries begin to break up, about 3-4 minutes.  Ina small bowl mix cornstarch with cold water until smooth.  Add to raspberries and continue to cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.  Stain through a fine sieve and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.  Beat eggs and milk in a small bowl.  Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture.  Have the crushed almonds in a shallow pan and press each breast into them to coat both sides.  Cut Brie into eight, ¼ inch slices, set aside.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté both sides of breasts until cooked through and golden brown.  Place cooked breasts on a baking sheet.  Top each breast with a slice of cheese.  Place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven and bake until cheese is slightly melted, about 1-2 minutes.  Place 2 breasts together sandwich-style with cheese in the middle.  To serve, top with warm raspberry sauce and garnish with orange zest.

Notes:              This recipe can be cut in half if desired.  You could also use 3 oz. breasts to make a smaller portion if needed.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Stuffed Tenderloin Filet

Stuffed Tenderloin Filet

(2 servings)

Ingredients:

½ tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1 tsp. Dried Thyme Leaves

1 cup Green Onions, chopped

½ cup Shiitake Mushrooms

½ cup Smoked Cheddar Cheese, shredded

2 6 oz. Tenderloin Filets

2 strips Smoked Bacon

Directions:

In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter.  Sauté thyme, onions and mushrooms until soft, about 3 minutes.  Remove pan from heat, add cheese and set aside to cool.  Make a horizontal slit in each tenderloin, working knife around to create a deep pocket.  Stuff onion mixture into each filet.  Wrap each filet with a strip of bacon and secure with toothpicks.  Insert a meat thermometer in one filet and bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven until desired degree of doneness is achieved.  About 25 minutes for rare.

Notes:              This recipe can be easily doubled to allow for more people.  You can also adjust the size of the filets.  Go a little larger or even a bit smaller.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Valentine Dinner for Someone Special

Valentine’s Day is approaching and a whole lot of people go out to restaurants for that special dinner.  A whole lot of people!!  Restaurants are packed and the price of what you spend for two dinners can break the bank.

Why not stay home and have a quiet intimate dinner?  Besides not fighting the crowds and the noise, you can save a big chunk of change.  You could use that towards a nicer gift for the special one.

This week I have two recipes that might interest you for the occasion.  Wednesday’s is a beef dish, “Stuffed Tenderloin Filet” for a meat eater.  Then a chicken dish on Thursday with “Raspberry Chicken Amandine” to satisfy.

These dishes are not difficult to make and should make an impression too.

There are other appropriate dishes in the recipe tabs above too.  Check them out and see if one of those don’t meet your needs.  Don’t forget about side dishes too.  Plenty of them there as well.  There are even some very good dessert recipes for this night.

Have fun deciding what to do.  Remember it could be fun to make this dinner together.  Just don’t have too many glasses of wine or other drinks before getting the dinner done.  Enjoy.

Till next week, “Happy Cooking” and please share my link with others.  Thanks.