The Menu
Beef Stroganoff
Hot, cooked egg noodles
Italian Roasted Snap Peas
garlic bread - Two Methods
Brown Sugar Peach Shortcakes
The Recipes
Beef Stroganoff
serves 4
To me, this is Steak Stroganoff. The Beef Stroganoff of my childhood is made with ground beef and has a bit of ketchup and Worcestershire in the sauce. However you make it, it is a great comforting weeknight meal that can be elegant and impressive at the same time. I used a little white wine to deglaze the pan here but you can use brandy or Marsala, or just a little extra beef broth.
http://chaosinthekitchen.com
1 lb top sirloin, trimmed of fat and sliced into thin strips
6 tbsp butter, divided
8 oz mushroom, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional, can use brandy, Marsala, etc)
1 cup beef broth
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp flour (if needed)
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
12 oz extra wide egg noodles, cooked
Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tbsp of butter and as soon as it melts and before it starts to brown add half of steak slices. Toss, then cook witout stirring for a minute or two or until well browned on one side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Flip steak pieces over and brown the other side, about one minute. Remove steak to a plate.
Repeat with another tablespoon of butter and the remaining steak. Reserve seared steak.
Repeat with 1 tbsp of butter and half of sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper. Reserve to the plate with the steak.
Repeat with another table spoon of butter and remaining mushrooms.
Turn heat down to medium and the last 2 tbsp of butter. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.
Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits in the pan. You can also use a small amount of beef broth if you don’t want to use alcohol.
Once wine has cooked off add sour cream and beef broth, stir and heat until smooth.
If the sauce seems too thin you can thicken it by removing a 1/4 cup of sauce and stirring in 1 tbsp of flour and adding it back in.
Add steak and mushrooms back into sauce. Stir and simmer until hot. Boiling the sauce heavily will result in the sour cream curdling but it isn’t so fragile that you can’t bring it to a nice simmer.
Taste and add salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley. Serve over egg noodles.
Italian Roasted Snap Peas
serves 4
This was a very easy and tasty recipe. However, in the high heat oven the leek strips burned black within ten minutes. I'm thinking maybe it would be better to add the leeks at the same time as the tomatoes so they don't cook so long.
http://w ww.eatingwell.com/recipes/italian_roasted_snap_peas.html
1 large leek, white part only, halved lengthwise and thoroughly washed
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut leek halves into 2-inch lengths and then very thinly slice each piece lengthwise, yielding 2-inch-long strips. Toss the leek strips, peas, oil and salt in a medium bowl. Spread evenly on a baking sheet.
Roast for 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Return to the oven and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes more. Toss with oregano and serve.
Garlic Bread
makes 1 loaf
There are several methods and twists for making garlic bread, the most simple being just rubbing a cut clove of garlic over slices of Italian or French bread, spreading the bread with butter and heating in the oven. Here are a couple of methods that make wonderful garlic bread, depending on how you like it, either toasty or soft.
http://www.simplyrecip es.com/recipes/garlic_bread/
1 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread or French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 heaping tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Method 1 -
Toasted
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Cut the bread in half, horizontally. Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture over the the two bread halves. Place on a sturdy baking pan (one that can handle high temperatures, not a cookie sheet) and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.
3 Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over bread if you want. Return to oven on the highest rack. Broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese (if you are using cheese) bubbles. Watch very carefully while broiling. The bread can easily go from un-toasted to burnt.
4 Remove from oven, let cool a minute. Remove from pan and make 1-inch thick slices. Serve immediately.
Method 2 -
Soft
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make the butter, garlic, parsley mixture as above. Make 1-inch thick slices into the bread, but do not go all the way through, just to the bottom crust. Put a teaspoon or two of the butter mixture between each slice. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and heat for 15 minutes in the oven.
Brown Sugar Peach Shortcakes
serves 8
Brown sugar-sweetened shortcakes with fresh, ripe peaches and a lightly sweetened cream topping that’s reminiscent of crème fraîche is the perfect ending to a summer meal.
http://www.eating well.com/recipes/peach_shortcakes.html
FRUIT
5 cups sliced ripe peaches (4-5 peaches)
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
SHORTCAKES
1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour (see Note)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon raw cane sugar, such as Demerara or turbinado (optional)
TOPPING
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
To prepare fruit:
Toss peaches with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a medium bowl and set aside, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
To prepare shortcakes:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
Place white whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter and oil and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Process until the dough comes together. (Alternatively, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; with your fingers, quickly rub it into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible. Add oil, buttermilk and vanilla and stir with a fork until the dough comes together.)
Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to a floured surface. Knead several times so the dough comes together. Pat the dough into an approximate 6-by-12-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 6 rounds with a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter) dipped in flour; press it straight down without twisting so the shortcakes will rise evenly when baked. Pat the remaining dough back into a 6-by-3-inch oval and cut out 2 more biscuits. (Discard any remaining scraps of dough.)
Place the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with water and sprinkle with raw sugar (if using).
Bake the shortcakes until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are beginning to color, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
To prepare topping:
Beat cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or whisk until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold in sour cream until combined.
To serve,
Split the shortcakes horizontally. Spoon the peaches and juice onto the bottoms, top with the cream mixture and replace the shortcake tops. Serve immediately.
TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip:
Prepare the shortcakes (Steps 2-5), cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Just before serving, warm in a 300°F oven. Prepare peaches (Step 1) up to 2 hours ahead. | Equipment: 3-inch round cutter
Note:
White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com. Store it in the freezer.
Beef Stroganoff
Hot, cooked egg noodles
Italian Roasted Snap Peas
garlic bread - Two Methods
Brown Sugar Peach Shortcakes
The Recipes
Beef Stroganoff
serves 4
To me, this is Steak Stroganoff. The Beef Stroganoff of my childhood is made with ground beef and has a bit of ketchup and Worcestershire in the sauce. However you make it, it is a great comforting weeknight meal that can be elegant and impressive at the same time. I used a little white wine to deglaze the pan here but you can use brandy or Marsala, or just a little extra beef broth.
http://chaosinthekitchen.com
1 lb top sirloin, trimmed of fat and sliced into thin strips
6 tbsp butter, divided
8 oz mushroom, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional, can use brandy, Marsala, etc)
1 cup beef broth
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp flour (if needed)
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
12 oz extra wide egg noodles, cooked
Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tbsp of butter and as soon as it melts and before it starts to brown add half of steak slices. Toss, then cook witout stirring for a minute or two or until well browned on one side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Flip steak pieces over and brown the other side, about one minute. Remove steak to a plate.
Repeat with another tablespoon of butter and the remaining steak. Reserve seared steak.
Repeat with 1 tbsp of butter and half of sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper. Reserve to the plate with the steak.
Repeat with another table spoon of butter and remaining mushrooms.
Turn heat down to medium and the last 2 tbsp of butter. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.
Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits in the pan. You can also use a small amount of beef broth if you don’t want to use alcohol.
Once wine has cooked off add sour cream and beef broth, stir and heat until smooth.
If the sauce seems too thin you can thicken it by removing a 1/4 cup of sauce and stirring in 1 tbsp of flour and adding it back in.
Add steak and mushrooms back into sauce. Stir and simmer until hot. Boiling the sauce heavily will result in the sour cream curdling but it isn’t so fragile that you can’t bring it to a nice simmer.
Taste and add salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley. Serve over egg noodles.
Italian Roasted Snap Peas
serves 4
This was a very easy and tasty recipe. However, in the high heat oven the leek strips burned black within ten minutes. I'm thinking maybe it would be better to add the leeks at the same time as the tomatoes so they don't cook so long.
http://w ww.eatingwell.com/recipes/italian_roasted_snap_peas.html
1 large leek, white part only, halved lengthwise and thoroughly washed
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut leek halves into 2-inch lengths and then very thinly slice each piece lengthwise, yielding 2-inch-long strips. Toss the leek strips, peas, oil and salt in a medium bowl. Spread evenly on a baking sheet.
Roast for 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Return to the oven and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes more. Toss with oregano and serve.
Garlic Bread
makes 1 loaf
There are several methods and twists for making garlic bread, the most simple being just rubbing a cut clove of garlic over slices of Italian or French bread, spreading the bread with butter and heating in the oven. Here are a couple of methods that make wonderful garlic bread, depending on how you like it, either toasty or soft.
http://www.simplyrecip es.com/recipes/garlic_bread/
1 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread or French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 heaping tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Method 1 -
Toasted
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Cut the bread in half, horizontally. Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture over the the two bread halves. Place on a sturdy baking pan (one that can handle high temperatures, not a cookie sheet) and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.
3 Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over bread if you want. Return to oven on the highest rack. Broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese (if you are using cheese) bubbles. Watch very carefully while broiling. The bread can easily go from un-toasted to burnt.
4 Remove from oven, let cool a minute. Remove from pan and make 1-inch thick slices. Serve immediately.
Method 2 -
Soft
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make the butter, garlic, parsley mixture as above. Make 1-inch thick slices into the bread, but do not go all the way through, just to the bottom crust. Put a teaspoon or two of the butter mixture between each slice. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and heat for 15 minutes in the oven.
Brown Sugar Peach Shortcakes
serves 8
Brown sugar-sweetened shortcakes with fresh, ripe peaches and a lightly sweetened cream topping that’s reminiscent of crème fraîche is the perfect ending to a summer meal.
http://www.eating well.com/recipes/peach_shortcakes.html
FRUIT
5 cups sliced ripe peaches (4-5 peaches)
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
SHORTCAKES
1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour (see Note)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon raw cane sugar, such as Demerara or turbinado (optional)
TOPPING
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
To prepare fruit:
Toss peaches with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a medium bowl and set aside, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
To prepare shortcakes:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
Place white whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter and oil and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Process until the dough comes together. (Alternatively, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; with your fingers, quickly rub it into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible. Add oil, buttermilk and vanilla and stir with a fork until the dough comes together.)
Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to a floured surface. Knead several times so the dough comes together. Pat the dough into an approximate 6-by-12-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 6 rounds with a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter) dipped in flour; press it straight down without twisting so the shortcakes will rise evenly when baked. Pat the remaining dough back into a 6-by-3-inch oval and cut out 2 more biscuits. (Discard any remaining scraps of dough.)
Place the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with water and sprinkle with raw sugar (if using).
Bake the shortcakes until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are beginning to color, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
To prepare topping:
Beat cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or whisk until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold in sour cream until combined.
To serve,
Split the shortcakes horizontally. Spoon the peaches and juice onto the bottoms, top with the cream mixture and replace the shortcake tops. Serve immediately.
TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip:
Prepare the shortcakes (Steps 2-5), cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Just before serving, warm in a 300°F oven. Prepare peaches (Step 1) up to 2 hours ahead. | Equipment: 3-inch round cutter
Note:
White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com. Store it in the freezer.
