The Oscars ~ Steak Oscar Canapés

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Steak Oscar CanapésToday is Oscar Sunday! What would I like to nibble on while I watch the show? Steak Oscar, of course! 😉 I couldn’t think of anything more perfect!Steak Oscar CanapésSteak Oscar is typically an entrée consisting of a beef tenderloin steak, crab, asparagus, and Béarnaise sauce. I made mine into bite-sized canapés that would be perfect to pass around an Oscar party. I topped a small rectangle of toasted bread with a Béarnaise-inspired sour cream sauce, small slices of beef tenderloin, a little bit of Dungeness crab, and an asparagus tip. Serve on a pretty platter, and it is ready for the red carpet! 😉Steak Oscar CanapésSteak Oscar Canapés

High heat cooking oil, such as safflower

1 small shallot, minced

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 tablespoon champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced

4 slices artisan bread, crusts removed (I used The Essential Baking Company’s sliced Columbia)

Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

6 ounces beef tenderloin

1 bunch asparagus

2 ounces fresh lump Dungeness crab meat

To begin, make the Béarnaise sour cream sauce. Heat a small pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the high heat cooking oil and the shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Sweat the shallots with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until they are softened but not caramelized. Let cool.

In the meantime, mix together the sour cream, mustard, vinegar, and tarragon in a small bowl. When the shallots are cool, mix them into the sour cream mixture. Season to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut the bread into small rectangles. Place the rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the bread with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until warm and slightly crisp on the outside, about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat a small skillet over high heat. Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Add high heat cooking oil to the hot pan, and when the oil is hot and shimmering, add the steak. Sear on both sides, until caramelized and cooked to your liking. Once cooked, set aside on a cutting board, tented with foil, and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Cut against the grain into thin slices.

In a medium skillet with a lid, add the asparagus and a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper. Steam with the lid on until the asparagus is tender crisp. Cut off the tips, and reserve the remaining asparagus as a side dish for another night.Steak Oscar CanapésTo assemble:

Spread a small amount of the Béarnaise sour cream sauce on each piece of toasted bread. Top with a small slice of beef, a tiny mound of crab, and the tip of an asparagus spear.

Serve immediately.Steak Oscar Canapés

New Year’s Eve Party! ~ Beef Wellington Canapés

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Beef Wellington CanapésAs 2015 is coming to a close, I made these mini beef Wellington canapés as my last hurrah of the year. 🙂 These little Wellingtons had all of the flavors of their full-sized counterpart – puff pastry, mushrooms, beef tenderloin, and prosciutto. They were fun and festive, and oh so cute!Beef Wellington CanapésBeef Wellington Canapés

6 ounces crimini mushrooms

1 sprig thyme

1 splash dry white wine

1 sheet puff pastry, refrigerated

1 egg, beaten

4 ounces beef tenderloin

Approximately 5 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor, pulse the mushrooms until they are approximately the size of coarse breadcrumbs. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, cook the mushrooms (without oil) with the sprig of thyme until the mushrooms are dry. Add a splash of white wine, and cook until the pan is dry once again. Remove the thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface until it is about double in height and width. With a pizza wheel or pasta roller, cut the pastry into small squares. Place the squares on the prepared sheet pan. Cover the pastry with another piece of parchment, and cover the sheet pan with another sheet pan so they are nesting. This will ensure that your puff pastry won’t puff too much. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the top pan and top parchment paper. Let the pastry cool enough so you can handle it, and then lightly brush the beaten egg on each piece. Bake for 3 minutes more, or until shiny and golden.

Season the steak with salt and pepper. Sear until the meat is done to your liking. After it has rested for 5 minutes, slice as thinly as possible.

To assemble, scoop a small spoonful of the mushroom mixture on the top of each piece of puff pastry. Top with a thin slice of steak. Roll a small piece of prosciutto into a tiny tube, and place it on top of the steak. Serve immediately.Beef Wellington Canapés

A Reason to Celebrate ~ Brisket Braised in Stout

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Brisket Braised in StoutI love little holidays that give us a reason to celebrate, no matter how big or small they are. 🙂 Tonight is Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night in Great Britain, which has a long and interesting history. The holiday is celebrated with fireworks and bonfires on this autumn night. It is also International Stout Day! A fun little celebration set aside to appreciate that dark and unique style of beer.

In honor of the day, this brisket braised in stout seemed like a fitting dish. It is a perfect meal to warm up before a chilly fall evening outside by a bonfire, and of course, stout plays a starring role! The original recipe was from Bon Appétit magazine. I used Guinness, since it pairs beautifully with beef. I also used oil rather than bacon fat, and trimmed the meat of as much excess fat as possible. It is one of the most delicious beef recipes I have made in awhile, and I would highly recommend giving it a try!

Brisket Braised in Stout

Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more if desired

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more if desired

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

6 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of all excess fat

2 tablespoons high heat oil, such as safflower

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed

12 ounces Guinness stout

6 whole pitted prunes

4 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

6 cups thinly sliced onions

8 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 pound medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus more if desired

It is best if the first part of this recipe is done the day before you are planning to serve the dish.

Day 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine all of the ingredients from the salt through the thyme in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the beef. Preheat a large pot over medium high heat. Add the oil, and wait until hot and shimmering. Add the beef and cook until caramelized on both sides. Once brown, move the beef to a plate. (It will not be cooked through.) Pour 2 cups of the chicken broth into the pot. Scrape the fond from the bottom of the pot, and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, add all of the ingredients from the stout through the sugar. Bring to a boil once again. Return the beef to the pot. Add the onion slices and garlic over the top of the meat.

Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise the beef for about 1 hour. Remove the pot from the oven, and remove the cover. Turn the beef over. (The onions and garlic will fall into the broth.) Return the pot without the cover to the oven. Braise for about 30 minutes more. After 30 minutes, add 1 more cup of the broth. Cover the pot again, and braise for another 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Transfer the beef to a plate. Add 1 more cup of chicken broth to the remaining liquid in the pot. Add the mushrooms and carrots, and then return the beef to the pot. You may need to add a little more broth to cover the vegetables. Cover and return the pot to the oven. Braise for about 45 minutes longer, or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spoon off any excess fat from the surface of the broth. Move the beef to a cutting board, and thinly slice across the grain. Bring the broth with the vegetables to a boil. Add the mustard and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and whisk to combine. If desired, season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar to taste. Add the meat back to the pan. Cover the pan with the lid. Place the pot in the oven and cook until everything is hot, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve.

British Wedding Anniversary Dinner ~ Pie 1 ~ Beef, Ale, and Mushroom Pie

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British PiesI decided to make a meat pie for the main course of our British anniversary dinner. There are so many to choose from, however! I couldn’t make up my mind…So I made 3! 🙂 I made these all ahead of time and froze them until we were ready. Now we have lots of leftovers to thaw whenever we want a special meal.

I used the same shortcrust pastry for all three pies. The recipe I used came from the BBC recipe website. I replaced the plain flour with ivory whole-wheat flour, and I ended up using a little more water than the recipe called for to properly moisten the whole grain flour. I ended up using 5 tablespoons, but add just enough for the crust to come together. This crust also freezes well for future use. I served my pies in little ramekins and just topped them with crust. Not only was it a cute presentation, but also I only needed a small amount of the rich pastry for each pie. To make the little interchangeable and removable crusts like I did, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the refrigerated crust to about 1/8 inch thick, and cut it into the shapes you want with cookie cutters. Brush the pieces with an egg wash and bake at 350 for about 15-18 minutes, or until golden, turning halfway through for even cooking.

The first pie I made was a beef, ale, and mushroom pie. I used a round roast, which is a fairly lean cut that braises well. I also used Canadian bacon rather than traditional bacon, and omitted the sugar completely. I replaced the chestnut mushrooms with criminis, since they are easier for me to find in the States. I also made several tweaks to the recipe for my American kitchen, converting grams to ounces and changing the temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit.

Beef, Ale, and Mushroom Pie

Based on a recipe from BBC Good Food

1/3 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

3/4 cup boiling water

2-4 tablespoons high heat cooking oil, such as safflower

2 1/2 pounds round roast, trimmed of excess fat, cut into inch-sized cubes

1 large onion, diced

4 large carrots, diced

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

10 ounces dark ale, such as Guinness

14 ounces low-sodium beef stock

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 small bunch of mixed herbs (thyme, bay leaf, and parsley), tied together

6 ounces Canadian bacon, small diced

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

Cover the porcini mushrooms in the boiling water for about 20 minutes, or until they are tender. Then remove the mushrooms, squeeze out the excess moisture, and reserve the liquid.

Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Using a large pot with a lid and a heavy bottom, preheat on medium high heat. When it is hot, add some of the oil to coat the bottom, and wait until the oil is hot and shimmering. Add the beef in small batches, and brown on all sides. Set aside. Add the onion and carrots, and cook until caramelized and softened. Add the soaked mushrooms, and cook for about a minute more. Add the flour, stirring until it turns slightly golden. Place the meat and any juices back into the pan and stir well. Add the ale, stock, and porcini soaking liquid. Stir well to fully incorporate the flour into the liquid. Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste. Add the herbs. Bring the stew to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the oven for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork.

Meanwhile, preheat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add a little more oil. Add the Canadian bacon, and cook until caramelized. Then add the crimini mushrooms and cook until they release most of their moisture. Remove from the heat. When the stew is cooked, stir the bacon and mushrooms into the stew.

To serve, add the stew to small ramekins and top with the pre-baked shortcrust pastry.British Pies

Spice up your kitchen! ~ Bibimbap

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BibimbapWhen my menus start feeling redundant and boring, I find inspiration in new dishes and ingredients I’ve never tried before from countries all around the world. Cooking an exotic dish adds adventure to my table and also gives me a virtual culinary trip to another land. I also learn new things, which gets me excited in the kitchen again and revives my love for cooking. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday evening. 😉

Tonight I made a dish called bibimbap! (Fun to say, but more fun to eat! 😉 ) Bibimbap is a Korean dish that literally means ‘mixed rice.’ It is topped with a colorful group of vegetables, marinated beef, and an egg in the center. One key ingredient is a red pepper paste called gochujang that gives the whole dish a distinct and spicy flavor. It is available at Asian markets such as Uwajimaya.

BibimbapThis recipe is from a magazine called Edible Seattle. I only made a few small changes to make it a little healthier. I used brown rice, low sodium soy sauce, a couple extra carrots, and the leanest local grass fed beef I could find. First I made the quick pickles and marinated the beef. Then the final recipe at the bottom puts everything together. (The beef would also be delicious on it’s own with a simple side vegetable and some rice.)

BibimbapBibimbap

Based on a recipe from Edible Seattle

Quick Pickled Cucumber:

1 tablespoon sea salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 pound English cucumber

Stir together the salt, sugar, vinegar, and water until dissolved. Pour the liquid into a small bowl. Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible with a knife or mandoline.

Place the cucumber into the bowl of pickling liquid. Allow to sit 20 minutes. Remove the cucumber from pickling brine before serving.

Bulgogi Beef:

1 pound lean high-quality steak (I used sirloin)

½ Asian pear

6 garlic cloves

½ small yellow onion

2 teaspoons grated ginger

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup mirin

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 green onions, finely sliced

Trim any excess fat off of the steak. Cut into thin strips, about ¼ inch thick, against the grain.

Place all remaining ingredients, except green onions, in a blender or food processor, and run on high until puréed.

Pour the puréed mixture and the green onions into a gallon-sized zip lock bag, and add the streak strips. Close the bag, and massage the marinade into the beef. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least at hour.

Preheat grill pan on high heat. Remove the beef from the marinade, and lightly shake off excess liquid before grilling. Grill each side for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned.

Bibimbap:

(Final steps and assembly)

For the gochujang sauce:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup gochujang pepper paste

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

For the bowl:

2 cups medium grain brown rice

4 small carrots

3 sheets roasted nori seaweed

5 ounces mushrooms of your choice (I used crimini)

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

To make the gochujang sauce, dissolve the sugar into the water and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the garlic and gochujang paste, and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the sesame oil. Set aside.

Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Cook according to package instructions. Cover with a lid to keep warm until serving.

Shred carrots, and set aside.

Cut the nori into ¼ inch strips with kitchen shears. Set aside.

Slice the mushrooms. Preheat a medium sauté pan. Once it is hot, cook the mushrooms until they have released their liquid and begin to caramelize. Set aside.

Before cooking the eggs, set the table with side dishes. (The sauce, extra nori, extra pickles, etc.) Then prepare the individual bowls. Each bowl starts with a mound of rice in the bottom. Then arrange the toppings around the top of the rice to fully cover it. Toppings include the beef, pickled cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, and seaweed.

In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat about 1 cup of water until steaming. Place the cracked eggs in the water and cover the lid. Cook until the white is cooked through, but the yolk is still runny. (I call this shallow poaching. It requires no oil, and you don’t need to wait for a pot of water to come to a boil as you do for traditional poached eggs.)

Place a cooked egg in the middle of each bowl. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top, and allow each individual to add sauce and other extra toppings at the table.

Bibimbap

Family Dinner ~ Tuscan Sausage and Caramelized Onion Ragù

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Pasta SauceThe flavors of this dish will transport you to the beautiful Tuscan countryside. You can almost see the rolling hills from your spot at the dinner table as you eat al fresco under the grape arbor. 😉

This sauce is perfect for a dinner party since it’s a crowd pleaser, and it doesn’t need a lot of attention on the stove once everything is combined. The house will smell delicious when your guests arrive, and the sauce can simmer on its own while you chat with your company.

The original recipe was from a homemade pasta cooking class at Sur La Table. To make the dish a little leaner than the one from class, I used olive oil rather than butter, and I chose lean ground beef and chicken sausage rather than ground chuck and pork sausage.

Tuscan Sausage and Caramelized Onion Ragù

Based on a recipe from a cooking class at Sur La Table

Yield: 8 servings

For sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 large celery ribs, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed

2 (28 ounce) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes

1 cup dry red wine

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For onions:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

Sauce:

In a large pot or large, wide skillet, add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, stirring well to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables turn golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until paste turns a darker red, about 2 minutes. Add sausage and beef, stirring occasionally to break up large clumps, and cook until meat begins to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, and bay leaves, stirring well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and simmer sauce until thickened and reduced, about 40 to 50 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Keep warm.

Onions:

While sauce simmers, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, stirring well to combine.

Just before serving, stir onions into the sauce. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Use immediately with fresh pasta, or allow to cool and refrigerate up to 3 days. Any unused portions can be packed in an airtight container and frozen up to 1 month.

To make this meal even more authentic, make homemade fettuccine with your guests! It’s a fun and interactive project to do together, which is a nice icebreaker. The recipe for fresh pasta dough can be found here.

The time of the year for all things Irish ~ Individual Cottage Pies

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Cottage PieSt. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays, and I love to make Irish recipes every year to get into the spirit. Cottage pie is a classic Irish dish, likely dating back as far as 1791. If you change the ingredients slightly, it is a different dish altogether: Use lamb, and it is a shepherd’s pie, sprinkle bread crumbs on top, and it is a Cumberland pie, and if you use turkey and ham, it is a St. Stephen’s Day pie. Those could be fun alternatives to try later to mix things up. It is also a simple and quick weeknight dinner, which is perfect since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year. You can make it in one large casserole dish, or individual ramekins are very cute. The mash on top can be either traditional mashed potatoes, or better yet, steamed and puréed cauliflower.

Cottage PieCottage Pie

Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine

For topping:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

3 tablespoons skim milk, or more for a smoother consistency

Earth Balance to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

For base:

1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon high heat oil, such as safflower or sunflower

1 pound leanest ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 large carrot, chopped finely

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Steam cauliflower florets in a medium saucepot with the lid on until tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower into a food processor. Add milk and blend until it is a smooth purée. Add Earth Balance, salt, and pepper to taste, and pulse to combine.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, heat until shimmering, and then add mushrooms. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Add beef, onion, and garlic to same skillet and cook over medium-high heat until beef is brown, breaking up with spoon, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrot, stock, parsley, and Worcestershire. Simmer about 4 minutes, or until the stock is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally.

Spoon the beef mixture into an 8-inch round baking dish or individual ramekins. Spoon the cauliflower purée over the top, and serve immediately.

Cottage Pie

Downton Abbey Valentine Dinner, Main Course ~ Mini Beef Wellingtons

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Mini Beef WellingtonMy Valentine requested his favorite dish for our Downton Abbey themed dinner – Beef Wellington. I have made a full beef Wellington as well as a salmon version on previous occasions, both with delicious success! This time I decided to try mini Wellingtons with pâté, and I think my Valentine was happy with the result. 🙂

Looking into the history of the dish, the origin is a bit cloudy. It may have been around during the Downton era, or it may not have. It may have British origins, or it may actually be American. (Gasp!!) Anyway, the dish is a favorite in our abbey, so we included it in our celebration.

I used a tried and true recipe from Martha Stewart. This mini version is much easier to make than the full beef Wellington. It can also be made ahead of time, which is a lovely feature! It is admittedly a rich dish, but the base of beef tenderloin is a very lean cut of beef. To make it a little healthier, I used less of the pâté than the recipe called for, and I also rolled the pastry thin and cut off the excess, so I didn’t use the entire sheet. Since it was Valentine’s Day, I cut out little hearts for the top of the Wellingtons with some of the extra puff pastry. Just stick them on with a little egg wash. I only made half the recipe, but I will include the original full recipe below:

Mini Beef Wellingtons

From MarthaStewart.com

1 beef tenderloin (5 pounds), trimmed and halved crosswise

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons safflower oil

2 packages (12 ounces each) all-butter puff pastry, such as Dufours

8 ounces mousse pâté, such as D’Artagnan mousse de foie de canard

2 large eggs

Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half of beef; cook, turning, until browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; repeat with second half. Let cool, 40 minutes. Cut each half into 4 equal pieces.

Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to a little larger than 16 by 12 inches. Trim edges; cut into four 8-by-6-inch squares. Place one piece of beef, cut-side down, on a pastry square; top with 2 tablespoons mousse, spreading evenly. Lightly beat 1 egg, then brush over edges of pastry, fold up corners to enclose filling, and gently press to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry, beef, and mousse. Arrange Wellingtons, seam-side up, on parchment-lined baking sheet; wrap well in plastic and then foil. Freeze up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, if you are not freezing the Wellingtons for later, wrapping is unnecessary. Just chill for an hour in the refrigerator before baking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly beat remaining egg, then brush over frozen Wellingtons. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake about 35 minutes for medium-rare. If your Wellingtons are not frozen, bake for only about 25 minutes. The internal temperature of medium-rare beef is between 130-135 degrees.

Remove Wellingtons from baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes before serving with mushrooms.

Serve with sautéed mushrooms (I made this recipe, which is the recommended pairing on MarthaStewart.com), and a salad.

Next course, Battenberg cake!

P1240983

Happy Birthday! ~ Beef Wellington, one more time around

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Beef WellingtonWe celebrated a special birthday at our house this week – Happy birthday to my hubby!

We enjoyed Beef Wellington with good friends to mark the special occasion. 🙂 I made the dish last year for his birthday, and it was such a favorite, that I made it again this year. It may become a birthday tradition from now on!

Beef WellingtonI tried something a little fancier to finish the dish this time around. I cut thin strips of puff pastry, and placed them in a cross pattern over the top. I think it really added an extra “wow factor” to the presentation, and it was so easy to do. 🙂

Beef WellingtonHere is the recipe I used once again:

Beef Wellington

Based on a recipe from BBC Good Food

2 lbs beef tenderloin

Olive oil

10 oz crimini mushrooms

1 large sprig fresh thyme

Splash dry white wine

12 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto

1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed

Flour for dusting

3 egg yolks beaten with 2 tsp water

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil in pan until it is hot, but not smoking. Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides until golden. Then place beef on a roasting rack and cook in oven for about 20 minutes. (It will not be cooked through.) Remove from the oven to cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

2. While beef is cooling, place the cleaned mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until fine. It should be the texture of coarse bread crumbs.

3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms with the sprig of thyme in a dry pan with no oil, stirring often, about 10 minutes. When the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms, pour a splash of white wine into the pan. Cook until dry once more. Remove thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Overlap 2 pieces of cling film (otherwise known as Saran wrap for us American cooks :)) over a large chopping board. Lay the prosciutto onto the cling film, slightly overlapping one another, in a double row. Spread the cooled mushrooms over the prosciutto evenly. Remove the beef from the refrigerator, and pat dry with a paper towel. Place it in the middle of the cling film with the prosciutto and mushrooms. Use the cling film’s edges to draw the prosciutto around the fillet tightly, and then roll it into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of the cling film to tighten. Chill the fillet once again.

5. Dust your clean work surface with a little flour. Roll out one piece of puff pastry until it is large enough to wrap around the fillet. Unravel the fillet from the cling film and set it in the center of the pastry. Beat the egg yolks and water together for an egg wash. Brush the pastry edges and the top and sides of the fillet with the egg wash. Wrap the pastry around the beef as tightly as you can, overlapping slightly to cover the whole fillet. Tuck the sides in as you would a package, so the beef is completely wrapped. Use the egg wash as a “glue” to make sure it stays together. Trim with kitchen shears if need be. Glaze the entire package with the egg wash. Using the back of a knife, mark the beef Wellington with long diagonal lines taking care not to cut through the pastry. (Or, as an alternative to scoring the pastry with a knife, cut thin strips of a second rolled puff pastry sheet with a pizza cutter. Lay the strips over the top of the Wellington in a crosshatch pattern. Tuck under, so there are no loose ends on the bottom. Then coat the entire package with egg wash.) Chill for at least 30 minutes.

6. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the Wellington with a little more egg wash and cook on a rack until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes, or until it is done to your liking. (Ours was still pink, but cooked through.) Allow to rest for about 20 minutes once it comes out of the oven. Serve in thick slices.

Beef Wellington

Happy Birthday! ~ Beef Wellington

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Happy birthday to my hubby!

Every year he likes to have a fillet of beef dish for his birthday, so I decided to try beef Wellington this time around. I have tried several British/UK dishes this year, so this added to my collection. 🙂 He said it was within his top 1% of anything I have ever made for him, so I might make it a birthday tradition!

I used a recipe from the BBC, but tweaked it a bit for my American kitchen and for our tastes.

Beef Wellington

Based on a recipe from BBC Good Food

2 lbs beef tenderloin

Olive oil

10 oz crimini mushrooms

1 large sprig fresh thyme

Splash dry white wine

12 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto

1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed

Flour for dusting

3 egg yolks beaten with 2 tsp water

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil in pan until it is hot, but not smoking. Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides until golden. Then place beef on a roasting rack and cook in oven for about 20 minutes. (It will not be cooked through.) Remove from the oven to cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

2. While beef is cooling, place the cleaned mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until fine. It should be the texture of coarse bread crumbs.

3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms with the sprig of thyme in a dry pan with no oil, stirring often, about 10 minutes. When the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms, pour a splash of white wine into the pan. Cook until dry once more. Remove thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Overlap 2 pieces of cling film (otherwise known as Saran wrap for us American cooks :)) over a large chopping board. Lay the prosciutto onto the cling film, slightly overlapping one another, in a double row. Spread the cooled mushrooms over the prosciutto evenly. Remove the beef from the refrigerator, and pat dry with a paper towel. Place it in the middle of the cling film with the prosciutto and mushrooms. Use the cling film’s edges to draw the prosciutto around the fillet tightly, and then roll it into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of the cling film to tighten. Chill the fillet once again.

5. Dust your clean work surface with a little flour. Roll out one piece of puff pastry until it is large enough to wrap around the fillet. Unravel the fillet from the cling film and set it in the center of the pastry. Beat the egg yolks and water together for an egg wash. Brush the pastry edges and the top and sides of the fillet with the egg wash. Wrap the pastry around the beef as tightly as you can, overlapping slightly to cover the whole fillet. Tuck the sides in as you would a package, so the beef is completely wrapped. Use the egg wash as a “glue” to make sure it stays together. Trim with kitchen shears if need be. Glaze the entire package with the egg wash. Using the back of a knife, mark the beef Wellington with long diagonal lines taking care not to cut through the pastry. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

6. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the Wellington with a little more egg wash and cook on a rack until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes, or until it is done to your liking. (Ours was still pink, but cooked through.) Allow to rest for about 20 minutes once it comes out of the oven. Serve in thick slices.

PS. I also made a little puff pastry “bow” with the extra pastry. Since this meal was part of Rob’s birthday gift, I thought I should wrap it like a present. 🙂 Just cut the rolled puff pastry into a ribbon shape, and twist once in the middle so it looks like a bow. Brush with the extra egg wash. Bake with the Wellington, but separately, on the side. It will cook faster than the Wellington, so remove when golden.

PPS. Rob asked for my chocolate mint pudding for dessert, so I served it in martini glasses with a little whipped cream and a sprig of mint for a classy presentation, fitting for a birthday! 🙂 The recipe can be found here.

PPPS. I used some adorable little printable decorations to make his birthday table unique and festive. I found them on a website called CatchMyParty.com. So cute! If you need some festive decorations for a party, they are easy and free. 🙂 I wrapped his wine bottle with them, made little flags, made a banner, used a cupcake wrap around a little vase, and wrote little birthday notes on the place cards.

Happy wedding anniversary ~ Part 2 ~ Pepper-Crusted Steak with Horseradish Cream on Grilled Garlic Crostini

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We enjoyed an Italian steak dish to compliment our crab ravioli on our anniversary. Surf and turf :). We just wanted a little something to snack on as we lingered at the table, enjoyed the candles surrounding us, and sipped our wine. These were perfect.

The original recipe was from Epicurious.com. I replaced the heavy cream with light sour cream, which is a different flavor, but delicious all the same. I also trimmed the steak very well before I cooked it.

Pepper-Crusted Steak with Horseradish Cream on Grilled Garlic Crostini

Based on a recipe from Epicurious.com

For the crostini:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

15 1/3-inch slices cut from a French baguette

Italian parsley, minced

Mix the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl and brush lightly on both sides of the bread slices. To broil, position the rack so the slices are 2 inches from the top and turn when the crostini starts to brown at the edges. It will only take a couple of minutes, so watch them very closely.

For the cream:

1/3 cup freshly grated horseradish

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup light sour cream

Use a microplane grater to grate the horseradish root, and then mix the horseradish with the vinegar. Add the mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix again. Then fold into the sour cream.

For the marinated beef:

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, cracked

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

2 pounds London broil (top sirloin), cut 1 1/2 inches thick

Kosher salt

Combine the garlic, hot red pepper flakes, peppercorns, rosemary, and olive oil in a Zip-loc bag. Add the beef, coating it with the marinade. Squeeze all the air out of the bag so the marinade envelops the beef, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the grill or broiler for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle the steak with the salt and grill or broil to rare or medium rare, depending on your preference. (Our steak took about 6 minutes in the broiler to cook to our liking).

Let the steak rest for at least 20 minutes, to get the juices back into the meat, and then cut into short, very thin slices.

Arrange a few shaved slices of beef on each piece of bread, top with a dot of horseradish cream, scatter with minced Italian parsley, and finish with a little kosher salt.

The wine we paired with dinner was called Red Silk 2010 Shiraz by Oliverhill Winery in Australia. Since the traditional anniversary gift for the 12th anniversary is silk, this was our twist on it. Funny thing, out of all of the wines to choose from in the world, I chose this one for Rob, and my mom happened to choose the very same wine as a gift to us! What are the chances? 😉  So we still have one bottle to enjoy after our anniversary. Let the celebration continue!

Irish Week ~ Guinness and Beef Stew

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Since Saint Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, I was in the mood for something a little Irish. To celebrate, I made Guinness and Beef Stew tonight. It’s one of those dishes that simmers on the stove all afternoon and makes the whole house smell inviting until the beef falls apart with a spoon. My Irish hubby said it’s one of the best stews he has ever had. I hope you’ll give it a try!

I followed the recipe from Cooking Light pretty closely, since it was already a fairly healthy dish. The biggest adjustment I made was replacing the chuck roast with a round roast of beef, since it is a little leaner cut of meat that also braises beautifully. I also omitted the raisins, simply because I don’t like raisins in most dishes. I found that I didn’t need the full amount of salt, either. Just taste as you go.

Guinness and Beef Stew

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 pounds boneless round roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth (my favorite store bought beef broth is from Kitchen Basics)

1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)

1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)

1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and beef.

Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in salt, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Memorial Day Weekend ~ Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

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It’s Memorial Day weekend! The unofficial beginning of summer. 🙂

To celebrate this weekend, I tried making my own version of Chicago style Italian beef sandwiches. My husband is from Chicago, and this is one dish that is very hard to come by outside of the city limits. He misses his occasional beef sandwich in Seattle.

I found a recipe from Cook’s Country magazine that sounded promising. They do such a nice job testing recipes at that magazine, so I thought that would be a good place to go for an authentic dish. I would highly recommend subscribing to their magazine, or to their sister magazine, Cook’s Illustrated. They are definitely a trusted source in my kitchen.

We ended up sharing the beef with another of Rob’s friends from Chicago, and both he and Rob thought this recipe was very close to what they remembered from their childhoods!

I did change a couple of things from the original recipe to make them a little healthier and to make them a little more authentic. My butcher trimmed the beef very well, so very little fat remained. I also used kosher salt instead of table salt to reduce the sodium. The original recipe asked for the giardiniera to be blended with mayonnaise, but that’s not what I have experienced in Chicago, so I didn’t follow those instructions. I also didn’t put the giardiniera liquid into the jus for the same reason. The jus had a ton of flavor all by itself. One final thing I added was a bell pepper to include a vegetable and to stay authentic.

The whole dish only took a couple of hours, and most of that time was just roasting the beef (so I could go off and do other things.) It is definitely an easy recipe to repeat over and over again.

Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

4 teaspoons garlic powder

4 teaspoon dried basil

4 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground pepper

1 4-lb top sirloin roast, trimmed of most of the fat

2 tablespoons oil (canola, grape seed, or vegetable)

1 finely chopped onion

3 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

2 cups low sodium beef broth

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 ½ cups water

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1 inch strips

French bread for serving

Giardiniera packed in oil for serving

(If you are in the Seattle area, De Laurenti Specialty Food and Wine has a nice selection of authentic giardiniera. That’s the only ingredient that’s a little tricky to find.)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the garlic powder, basil, oregano, and pepper in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium high heat until it is almost smoking. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, and brown on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan with a V-rack to keep the meat from resting on the bottom of the pan.

Add the onion to the remaining fat in the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, flour and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix. Cook about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the broths and water, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Then add the liquid mixture to the roasting pan.

Stir 1 tablespoon of oil, red pepper flakes and salt into the remaining spice mix. Massage the mix all over the meat.

Roast for about 90 minutes, covered, and then transfer the meat to a cutting board. (It should still be a little pink in the middle). Tent with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Pour the jus through a fine mesh strainer into a pan, and keep at a low simmer.

Microwave the sliced bell pepper for two minutes to give it a head start. Then add it to the jus, and let it soften.

Slice the meat as finely as possible, and place it in the jus on the stove. Cook until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Serve the beef on French bread slices, with spicy giardiniera. We also like to serve it with a little bowl of jus to dip.

Take a bite and imagine you are at the shores of Lake Michigan on a picnic blanket on the beach!