Beef Stew with Bacon & Vegetables

I’ve known for a few days that it was going to be cold today. And by cold, I don’t mean “Waaahhh, a coat ruins this outfit,” I mean “I am legitimately concerned for my extremities.”

As much as I complain about the cold, I can’t help but love the excuse to spend a day next to the stove. Yesterday, when the weather wasn’t so frostbitey, I planned in advance and bought the ingredients I needed to make a lovely slow-cooked beef stew.

This recipe makes a lot—and by “a lot,” I mean “Hey, East Coast, I’ve got enough for all of you!” Nah, just kidding—but this recipe definitely yields enough for 8-10 cold, hungry people! And it has plenty of healthy vegetables, which I think makes up for the fact that bacon fat is the key to the best flavor.


Beef Stew with Bacon & Vegetables

4-5 slices of thick-cut streaky bacon, sliced into ½” pieces
1.5 lbs. chuck steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 leafy stalks celery, diced, leaves set aside
3-4 carrots, diced
3 juicy tomatoes, diced
2-3 c. dry red wine
1 32-oz. box organic low-sodium beef broth*
1-2 turnips, diced
3-4 red potatoes, diced
1 large bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn into pieces
1 t. dried thyme (or half the amount fresh)
1 t. crumbled dried sage leaves (or 3 fresh leaves, minced)
½ t. ground ginger
½ t. garlic powder
1 lb. green beans, sliced into 1-inch lengths
Smoked sea salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste


Before you even start chopping, make sure you have a huge pot (I used my 6.75 quart Le Creuset risotto pot). Otherwise, you’re screwed.

Just before adding the liquid

Once your pot is ready, add the bacon over medium heat and cook it until the fat is melted away and the meaty bits are cooked but not burnt. Then, add the beef chunks and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the beef chunks are mostly browned. Then, add the onion, carrots, and celery stalk (make sure to keep the leaves separate and set them aside—they will be added later). Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened a bit.

Next, add the tomatoes (I added a few yellow cherry tomatoes, as you can see in the photo) and 1 cup of the wine. Turn the heat to high, and cook until the wine has reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Now, add one more cup of wine and the beef broth, the turnips, potatoes, and kale, and the thyme, sage, ginger, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the kale is completely wilted, add the green beans. If it seems dry, add the remaining wine (if you don’t need to add it, you should probably drink it). Cook for about 5 minutes until the green beans are cooked, then add the smoked sea salt and the cracked pepper. Give it a few good stirs until it is well-blended, then serve piping hot. This dish will stick to your bones!


* If you use pre-made beef broth, make sure to use low-sodium, and preferably organic. Of course, if you have your own beef broth, even better!

Not the prettiest, but it's wicked good!

Cold-Weather Cooking: Farfalle with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Roasted Red Peppers

When temperatures drop down to single digits, it’s only natural to be inclined to cook hearty dishes with rich, buttery sauces! This recipe, which uses dark meat chicken, roasted red peppers, meaty Portobello mushrooms, and fiber-packed chickpeas, is simple to prepare and immensely satisfying. Bundle up, head to the market and pick up these easy-to-find ingredients, and once you've thawed out, put this on the stove. Serve with lots of Chardonnay!


Farfalle with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Roasted Red Peppers

16 oz. / 455 g. dry farfalle
Splash olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1-2 large shallots, sliced
1 head garlic, roasted*
4-5 large Portobello mushrooms, diced
2-3 large red peppers, roasted and minced*
1 15-oz.can chickpeas (do not drain)
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
Pinch dried rosemary
½ c. Chardonnay
½ c. light cream
Pat butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)


Cook the pasta in heavily salted water. In the meantime, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chicken and brown for a few minutes, then add the shallot and garlic and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Next, add the mushrooms, red peppers, chickpeas, bay leaves, cloves, rosemary, and wine. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the chicken is fully cooked, add the cream, butter, salt and pepper, and cayenne (if using). Blend well, then add the cooked pasta. Mix well, and serve piping hot.

*Note: For instructions on roasting garlic and peppers, click here. When selecting peppers for roasting, choose peppers that are long rather than round and boxy. I don’t know why, but they seem to yield a more flavorful roasted pepper!

* Nutritional info: serves six. 624 calories, 16 g fat, 75 g carbohydrates, 47 g protein.

 

Barley-Stuffed Chicken Rolls with Rose and Whiskey Sauce

Recently, I found a jar of rose preserves—rose petals preserved with sugar and pectin—at a Russian market. Never having tried rose preserves, I obviously needed to buy it! I opened the jar and sniffed the marmalade-like preserves, then tried a spoonful and realized how wonderful it would taste when combined with whiskey. That was all the inspiration I needed for this recipe! Here, I’ve combined traditional Scottish flavors with the sweet, fragrant rose jam. Serve this alongside bitter greens, such as kale or broccoli rabe, which will complement the sugary jam. This is even better when served with a glass of scotch!


Barley-Stuffed Chicken Rolls with Rose and Whiskey Sauce

For the stuffing:
1 T. butter
½ medium brown onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, smashed with the side of a knife blade
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 small pinch cinnamon
½ c. pearl barley
1.5 c. low-sodium chicken broth

For the sauce:
¼ c. butter
½ medium brown onion, minced
¼ t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 pinch cinnamon
1/3 c. scotch
¼ c. rose preserves*
¼ c. low-sodium chicken broth

For the chicken rolls:
6 slices chicken breasts (approx. 1.5 pounds), pounded ultra-thin
1 batch stuffing
1 batch sauce

First, make the stuffing. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then add the onion, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

Add the barley, stir until each grain is coated with butter, then add the chicken broth. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.

While the barley is cooking, make the sauce. Melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion, thyme, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Once the onion has cooked, add the scotch, rose preserves, and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rose preserves have completely blended in.

Once the stuffing is done cooking, let it cool a bit, and then prepare the chicken. Lay the pounded chicken on a flat surface, and spread each piece with 1-2 heaping spoonfuls of stuffing. Roll up, starting with the largest end, and secure with kitchen string or silicone ties. Place each roll seam-side down in an ovenproof baking dish.

Pour the sauce over the chicken roll. Bake for 30 minutes, basting every 5 minutes. When done baking, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice, spoon the sauce over the slices, and serve alongside a green vegetable.

* Rose preserves can be found at Russian or Eastern European markets, at specialty retailers, and online. I used Kafkas brand. If you cannot find rose preserves, simply substitute an equal amount of orange marmalade along with1-2 teaspoons rose water.

* Nutritional info: serves six. 350 calories, 12 g fat, 24 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein.

Spreading the barley stuffing on the chicken

Basting the chicken rolls as they bake

Sliced and ready to serve

Orechiette with Fennel, Sausage, and Gorgonzola Wine Sauce

One Saturday evening, I was strolling through Boston’s Haymarket on my way to the train, checking out what was left after the day. I spotted some nice-looking fennel bulbs and asked the price; the merchant offered them to me for free since they were closing up shop for the night. Free fennel bulbs? Sure! I didn’t want to be greedy, so I took three. Thanks, merchant!

I wanted to do something different from my typical fennel/orange/arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette. But what? Maybe some sausage, some autumn vegetables…spice it up with some citrus and cinnamon? Worth a try.

I picked up a bottle Orvieto wine, a dry but fruity white from Central Italy, to use in the recipe and drink with the finished dish. I decided to add some color to the dish using lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan Kale or dinosaur kale. If you can chop, you can make this recipe—it’s very easy, and the flavors are incredibly unique! Try this in place of a more traditional autumn vegetable dish; you won’t regret it!


Orechiette with Fennel, Sausage, and Gorgonzola Wine Sauce

16 oz. orechiette
Splash olive oil
12 oz. hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 orange, rind grated, segments sliced into bite-sized pieces
10 oz. Orvieto wine
3 small turnips, diced
3 large fennel bulbs, diced
1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed, leaves shredded
1 T. pink peppercorns
1 t. dried chile flakes
1 t. dried rosemary
1 t. dried oregano
¼ t. cinnamon
1t. cracked black pepper
4 oz. gorgonzola, diced or crumbled

Cook the orechiette in salted water. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking apart large chunks. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the wine, orange segments and rind, turnip, fennel, kale, pink peppercorns, chile flakes, rosemary, oregano, and cinnamon. Stir to combine, then lower heat to simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of wine or a splash of the pasta cooking water.

Next, add the black pepper, gorgonzola, and cooked pasta. Stir to combine and serve piping hot.


Nutritional info: serves 6-8. 568 calories, 15 g fat, 80 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein.

 

 

Turbot in Sherry Cream Sauce with Cranberries and Porcini Mushrooms

If you read Bacon, Butter & Booze on a regular basis, you know that there is little that excites me more than cooking with something I’ve never tried before. When I saw turbot featured in Mercato del Mare’s “Today’s Catch” newsletter, I couldn’t wait to try it!

Turbot is a flat fish, similar to flounder or sole, with a delicate flavored flesh and a texture similar to cod. Be careful not to overcook it, and you’re in for a real treat! Turbot is often simply cooked in a wine sauce, but I’ve dressed it up a bit in a Spanish-inspired cream sauce featuring seasonal touches of cranberry and porcini mushroom. This recipe is perfect to serve on a crisp, cold night with roasted potatoes and a glass of aged sherry.


Turbot in Sherry Cream Sauce with Cranberries and Porcini Mushrooms

For the Cranberries and Porcini Mushrooms:
¼ c. amontillado sherry
¼ c. unsweetened dried cranberries
1 T. dried porcini mushroom bits*

For the Turbot:
1 lb. /455 g. turbot fillets
¼ c. amontillado sherry
Pinch salt

For the Sherry Cream Sauce:
2 T. olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch saffron threads*
¼ c. amontillado sherry
2 t. fresh thyme
½ c. heavy cream
Cranberries and Porcini Mushrooms, as prepared above
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

A few sprigs fresh thyme, for garnish


Start by preheating the oven to 350, then prepare the cranberries and porcini mushrooms. Heat the sherry in a saucepan or in a microwave, almost to a boil. Pour over the dried cranberries and dried porcini mushrooms; set aside.

Now, place the turbot fillets in an ovenproof baking dish. Pour the sherry over the fillets and sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the garlic and the saffron. Saute, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant and turns golden. Do not let the garlic burn! Next, add the sherry and cook for a minute or so more, stirring constantly. Add in the thyme, heavy cream, the cranberries and porcini mushrooms along with the sherry that they soaked in, and salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir constantly for another minute or so.

Next, take the fish out of the oven. Using a fish spatula or a pancake turner, lift the fish from the baking dish and place on individual plates. Pour the sauce over each portion of fish, and garnish each plate with a sprig or two of fresh thyme.


* To purchase ingredients used in this recipe, click the link(s) below:

Fungus Among Us fam001 Fungus Among Us Organic Porcini Mushrooms- 2x0.5oz (Google Affiliate Ad)

Frontier Saffron 1 gram Bottle 18401 (Google Affiliate Ad)

Nutritional info: 313 caloreies, 16 g fat, 10 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein.

Butternut Squash Risotto, Cinnamon Spiced Chicken

“I could go crazy on a night like tonight, when summer’s beginning to give up her fight.” So goes the lyrics to my favorite Indigo Girls song. But as much as I love the beach, grilled food, and rooftop bars, I don’t go crazy when summer fades away. The shift in seasons means a shift in cooking. The beers we drink get a little darker and a little heavier. Oysters start to taste a bit crisper. Fresh beans and tomatoes give way to apples, squashes, and grapes, and the cooler temperatures mean more time that I get to spend indoors, particularly in my kitchen, where I love experimenting with autumn’s bounty.

Two recipes that showcase some of my favorite fall flavors are Butternut Squash Risotto and Cinnamon Spiced Chicken. These are perfect dishes to cook on that first fall day that’s chilly enough to make you wear a jacket!


Butternut Squash Risotto

4 cups chicken broth

2 T. butter
1 medium butternut squash, cut into cubes
1-2 shallots, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 t. nutmeg*
¼ t. cayenne pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 ½ c. grated pecorino romano
Handful chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan. Keep the broth simmering on low while you complete the remaining steps.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the butternut squash cubes and the shallot. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes, or until the shallot has softened.

Add the Arborio rice. Stir until each grain of rice is coated with the melted butter. Reduce heat to low and add the wine, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir constantly until all of the wine is absorbed.

Add 1 cup of the chicken broth. Again, stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step, adding more chicken broth, until the rice is fully cooked through but not mushy.

Once the rice is cooked, add the olive oil, pecorino romano, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted.

Serve piping hot, alongside Cinnamon Spiced Chicken.


Nutritional information: serves four. 300 calories, 14 g fat, 36 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein.


Autumn Spiced Chicken

½ t. cayenne pepper
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. nutmeg*
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. chicken breast tenders, pounded thin

First, preheat the oven to 400. Next, combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Blend well, then rub the spice blend into the chicken until the chicken is fully coated.

Place the spice-coated chicken strips on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes. Serve alongside piping hot Butternut Squash Risotto.

Nutritional information: serves four. 124  calories, 1 g fat, 0 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein.


 
* You can use ground nutmeg in these recipes, but that stuff is practically flavorless – you’ll get a much brighter flavor if you buy whole nutmegs and grate them with a microplane grater just before use. To purchase a microplane grater, click the link below:

Soft-Handle Microplane Zester Grater, Green, 12" (Google Affiliate Ad)

 

 

Ingredient Spotlight - Beets

For many years, beets were not popular in American cuisine, but sometime during the past decade, a visionary chef decided to throw a few roasted baby beets on a plate with a handful of lettuce and about an ounce of some goat cheese made by ex-yuppies who now own a farm but still drive BMWs. A star was born! The baby beet salad soon became the trendy, modern bistro salad menu's Tickle Me Elmo - everyone had to have it. 

Soon, another chef decided to one-up the original beet salad guy by using golden beets, and shortly after, shaved fennel, shaved parmesan, shaved truffle, shaved endive, shaved whatnot appeared. Meanwhile, the French, the Italians, and the Russians were most likely cracking up laughing, collectively cackling, “You A-holes JUST thought of that?!?” The French have been making salads of crisp lettuces, soft cheeses, and roasted root vegetables for eons. The Italians use beets to dye pasta and risotto, and they use the leaves in savory pies. And the Russians? Just ask NHL superstar Evgeni Malkin, who swears that his mom’s borscht brings him good luck. 

Beets came into the spotlight for a while, but soon their small-plate dynasty was displaced by the ubiquitous mesclun salad with watermelon and feta. I hope that chefs continue to find creative ways to use beets; they’re lovely. Nutritious, sweet, and like a drag queen Midas, everything a beet touches turns hot pink (including your pee - I hate to be crass, but the strong red pigment in beets can affect the color of some people’s urine, so if you tinkle pink, don’t panic - it might just be the beets saying goodbye). It is a little-known fact in the U.S. that beets’ leaves and stems are not only edible, but delicious - cook them like you would cook chard. The recipe below uses the entire plant - the bulbs, stems, and leaves. Its bold flavor and fantastic magenta color reminded me of iconic fashion design legend Betsey Johnson, and if I ever had the opportunity to cook for her, this is what I would serve. 

Next time you’re at the market and you see beets with their leaves attached, put them in your basket and try this rich, colorful, stick-to-your-bones pasta - you might fall in love. 

Pasta with Beets and Polish Sausage

1 lb. Dry fusilli or rotini
1 T. butter
12 oz. Polish sausage (Wellshire brand is fabulous!)
1 onion, sliced
3-4 beets with greens, beet bulbs diced, stems and leaves chopped
2 t. caraway seeds
½ t. garlic powder
¼ t. finely ground white pepper
1 t. smoked salt
Handful chopped fresh dill
8 oz. Sour cream

Cook the pasta. In the meantime, heat the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot.  Once the butter has melted, add the sausage, onion, diced beet bulbs, and caraway seeds. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until onion has softened up a bit. Add the beet greens and stems, garlic powder, white pepper, and smoked salt, along with a splash of the pasta water (approx ¼ cup). Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10-15 minutes. 

Once the beets, greens, and sausage have cooked, add the cooked pasta, the dill, and the sour cream. Stir, blending well until all the pasta is coated and has turned a bright shade of magenta. Serve with an extra dollop of sour cream and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.