The Menu
Beef Short Ribs over Polenta
Roasted Green Beans
Lemon-Almond Cake with Macerated Strawberries
The Recipes
Beef Short Ribs over Polenta
serves 4
There are a few sneaky tricks in this recipe that assist in the illusion of an all-day braise. The first step is to reduce a bottle of wine down to about one cup, concentrating the flavor of the wine. The next involves thoroughly browning the short ribs, then browning the shallots in the fat and juices rendered from the ribs. The shallots are removed and the ribs go back into the pot with the reduced wine and spicy Dijon mustard; the lid goes on and the ribs cook. The browned shallots are reintroduced after about an hour and a half. This way, they keep their integrity and all of that great browned onion flavor. A few raw tomatoes and nothing else. This recipe doesn't call for any herbs or spices—not even a carrot or a clove of garlic. The ingredients verge on austere but the flavor is huge, deep, and earthy.
Three hours for decidedly French and insanely wonderful, falling off the bone short ribs, c'est pas mal, mon ami.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/09/braised- short-ribs-dijon-mustard-gourmet-today-recipe.html
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine
4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 2 1/2-inch lengths by the butcher
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 shallots, trimmed, leaving the root ends intact, and halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Boil the wine in a 2-quart heavy sauce pan, uncovered, until reduced to about 1 cup, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, pat the ribs dry and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the ribs in 2 batches and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to a bowl.
Reduce heat to moderate, add the shallots to fat remaining in pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to another bowl.
Stir reduced wine and mustard into the juices in the pot. Add the ribs, meat side down, cover tightly, and simmer, for 1 1/2 hours.
Gently stir shallots and tomatoes into the braised rib mixture and continue to simmer, covered, without stirring, until meat is very tender, about 1 hour more.
Carefully transfer the ribs, shallots, and tomatoes to a platter. Skim off fat from cooking liquid. Liquid should coat a spoon and measure about 1 cup; if necessary, boil to reduce.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour over ribs.
Note:
The shallots can be browned and the ribs braised in the wine and mustard up to 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, skim off some of the fat from the surface of the braising liquid. Bring the rib mixture to a boil, covered, then gently stir in the shallots and tomatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 40 minutes.
Basic Polenta
serves 4,
What’s great about polenta is, unlike mashed potatoes, it is made entirely of items you either typically have on hand or can keep in the pantry. I actually think it has much better flavor and texture than potatoes as well
http://chaosinthekitchen.com/2009/12/beef-shortribs-ov er-polenta/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ ChaosInTheKitchen+%28chaos+in+the+kitchen%29
1 cup milk
2 cups water
pinch of salt
1 cup corn meal
fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Combine milk, water, and a large pinch of salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Pour cornmeal into boiling milk, whisking constantly until combined.
Bring polenta back to a boil then turn heat to low to keep polenta at a simmer.
Stir occasionally and cook about 20 minutes or until polenta tastes creamy.
Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and cheese.
Roasted Green Beans
serves 4
A great alternative to fast-food French fries, my family and friends love these as a snack or hors d'oeuvre. No matter how many I make, it's never enough!
http://www.food.com /recipe/roasted-green-beans-133821
2 lbs green beans
1 -2 tablespoon olive oil (or just enough to lightly coat beans)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste, may substitute with Mrs. Dash if desired)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste, omit if using Mrs. Dash)
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Wash, dry well, and trim green beans.
3 Put green beans on a jelly roll pan.
4 Drizzle with olive oil.
5 Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (I like them salty so I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and about 8-10 grinds of the pepper mill). *Mrs. Dash may be substituted for salt and pepper as desired.
6 Use your hands to be sure all the beans are evenly coated and spread them out into 1 layer.
7 Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until beans are fairly brown in spots and somewhat shriveled.
8 Serve hot or at room temperature.
Lemon-Almond Cake with Macerated Strawberries
makes one 10-inch cake
No one wants to bake when it's hot out. Thankfully, this lemon-almond cake from The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes From My Home Kitchen To Make Year-Round can be made days ahead of time; its use of oil instead of butter gives it a longer shelf life. Keep the berries cold and the cake warm, and you've got a glorious dessert. Cake sandwich, anyone?
Reprinted with permission from The Seasonal Baker by John Barricelli. Copyright © 2012. Published by Clarkson Potter. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/08/lemon-alm ond-cake-with-macerated-strawberries-recipe.html
For the Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar, for dusting
For the Strawberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9 by 2-inch cake pan with softened butter. Line the bottom with a parchment round. Coat the parchment and the sides of the pan again with softened butter; set aside.
To make the cake:
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk, olive oil, almond extract, and lemon zest and juice. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until the flours have been absorbed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet and bake, rotating the sheet about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan, then invert so that the rounded side is up. Let cool completely.
To macerate the strawberries:
In a small bowl, comine the sliced strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Chill for 2 hours, stirring every now and then. After about 1 hour, taste the berries, and if they are not sweet enough, add another teaspoon of sugar.
Sift the confectioner's sugar over the top of the cooled cake. Cut into wedges and serve with a spoonful of the strawberries.
Beef Short Ribs over Polenta
Roasted Green Beans
Lemon-Almond Cake with Macerated Strawberries
The Recipes
Beef Short Ribs over Polenta
serves 4
There are a few sneaky tricks in this recipe that assist in the illusion of an all-day braise. The first step is to reduce a bottle of wine down to about one cup, concentrating the flavor of the wine. The next involves thoroughly browning the short ribs, then browning the shallots in the fat and juices rendered from the ribs. The shallots are removed and the ribs go back into the pot with the reduced wine and spicy Dijon mustard; the lid goes on and the ribs cook. The browned shallots are reintroduced after about an hour and a half. This way, they keep their integrity and all of that great browned onion flavor. A few raw tomatoes and nothing else. This recipe doesn't call for any herbs or spices—not even a carrot or a clove of garlic. The ingredients verge on austere but the flavor is huge, deep, and earthy.
Three hours for decidedly French and insanely wonderful, falling off the bone short ribs, c'est pas mal, mon ami.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/09/braised- short-ribs-dijon-mustard-gourmet-today-recipe.html
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine
4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 2 1/2-inch lengths by the butcher
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 shallots, trimmed, leaving the root ends intact, and halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Boil the wine in a 2-quart heavy sauce pan, uncovered, until reduced to about 1 cup, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, pat the ribs dry and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the ribs in 2 batches and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to a bowl.
Reduce heat to moderate, add the shallots to fat remaining in pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to another bowl.
Stir reduced wine and mustard into the juices in the pot. Add the ribs, meat side down, cover tightly, and simmer, for 1 1/2 hours.
Gently stir shallots and tomatoes into the braised rib mixture and continue to simmer, covered, without stirring, until meat is very tender, about 1 hour more.
Carefully transfer the ribs, shallots, and tomatoes to a platter. Skim off fat from cooking liquid. Liquid should coat a spoon and measure about 1 cup; if necessary, boil to reduce.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour over ribs.
Note:
The shallots can be browned and the ribs braised in the wine and mustard up to 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, skim off some of the fat from the surface of the braising liquid. Bring the rib mixture to a boil, covered, then gently stir in the shallots and tomatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 40 minutes.
Basic Polenta
serves 4,
What’s great about polenta is, unlike mashed potatoes, it is made entirely of items you either typically have on hand or can keep in the pantry. I actually think it has much better flavor and texture than potatoes as well
http://chaosinthekitchen.com/2009/12/beef-shortribs-ov er-polenta/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ ChaosInTheKitchen+%28chaos+in+the+kitchen%29
1 cup milk
2 cups water
pinch of salt
1 cup corn meal
fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Combine milk, water, and a large pinch of salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Pour cornmeal into boiling milk, whisking constantly until combined.
Bring polenta back to a boil then turn heat to low to keep polenta at a simmer.
Stir occasionally and cook about 20 minutes or until polenta tastes creamy.
Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and cheese.
Roasted Green Beans
serves 4
A great alternative to fast-food French fries, my family and friends love these as a snack or hors d'oeuvre. No matter how many I make, it's never enough!
http://www.food.com /recipe/roasted-green-beans-133821
2 lbs green beans
1 -2 tablespoon olive oil (or just enough to lightly coat beans)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste, may substitute with Mrs. Dash if desired)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste, omit if using Mrs. Dash)
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Wash, dry well, and trim green beans.
3 Put green beans on a jelly roll pan.
4 Drizzle with olive oil.
5 Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (I like them salty so I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and about 8-10 grinds of the pepper mill). *Mrs. Dash may be substituted for salt and pepper as desired.
6 Use your hands to be sure all the beans are evenly coated and spread them out into 1 layer.
7 Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until beans are fairly brown in spots and somewhat shriveled.
8 Serve hot or at room temperature.
Lemon-Almond Cake with Macerated Strawberries
makes one 10-inch cake
No one wants to bake when it's hot out. Thankfully, this lemon-almond cake from The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes From My Home Kitchen To Make Year-Round can be made days ahead of time; its use of oil instead of butter gives it a longer shelf life. Keep the berries cold and the cake warm, and you've got a glorious dessert. Cake sandwich, anyone?
Reprinted with permission from The Seasonal Baker by John Barricelli. Copyright © 2012. Published by Clarkson Potter. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/08/lemon-alm ond-cake-with-macerated-strawberries-recipe.html
For the Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar, for dusting
For the Strawberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9 by 2-inch cake pan with softened butter. Line the bottom with a parchment round. Coat the parchment and the sides of the pan again with softened butter; set aside.
To make the cake:
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk, olive oil, almond extract, and lemon zest and juice. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until the flours have been absorbed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet and bake, rotating the sheet about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan, then invert so that the rounded side is up. Let cool completely.
To macerate the strawberries:
In a small bowl, comine the sliced strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Chill for 2 hours, stirring every now and then. After about 1 hour, taste the berries, and if they are not sweet enough, add another teaspoon of sugar.
Sift the confectioner's sugar over the top of the cooled cake. Cut into wedges and serve with a spoonful of the strawberries.
