Day Recipe Food Community

May 10, 2009

Greek-Style Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , — Anna @ 10:07 pm

At the restaurant, orzo (rice-shaped pasta) is served alongside the gravy-rich lamb.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 612- to 14-ounce lamb shanks
  • 2celery stalks, chopped
  • 1large onion, chopped
  • 1large carrot, chopped
  • 6large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3drained canned anchovies
  • 2cinnamon sticks
  • 2small bay leaves
  • 2fresh thyme sprigs
  • 5juniper berries or 2 tablespoons gin
  • 1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1750-ml bottle merlot
  • 114-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
  • 114-ounce can low-salt beef broth

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot (wide enough to hold lamb in single layer) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. Add lamb to pot and sauté until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to plate. Add next 10 ingredients to pot. Sauté until vegetables brown, about 20 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add wine and all broth; boil until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to pot, arranging in single layer; add any accumulated juices. Bring to boil.

Place lamb in oven and cook uncovered until tender, basting and turning occasionally, about 2 hours. Transfer lamb to plate. Skim any fat from top of roasting liquid. Press all liquid and enough of vegetables through sieve set over large bowl to make sauce with gravy consistency. Return gravy to pot; add lamb. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.) Rewarm lamb over low heat. Transfer to platter and serve.

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Short Ribs Provencale with Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , , , — Anna @ 10:06 pm

This sensational dish is best when made with meaty short ribs that are three to four inches long. Serve with a simple green salad and glasses of good Zinfandel.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2tablespoons (or more) olive oil
  • 6pounds meaty beef short ribs1large onion, finely chopped
  • 1medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 12whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1tablespoon dried herbes de provence*
  • 2cups red zinfandel
  • 2 1/2cups canned beef broth
  • 114 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoesin juice
  • 1bay leaf
  • 1/2cup (about) water24baby carrots, peeled
  • 1/2cupniçois olives,** pitted
  • 3tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • crème fraîche mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and brown well, turning often, about 8 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer ribs to large bowl.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot or add oil as necessary to measure 2 tablespoons. Add onion, chopped carrot, and celery and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, flour, and herbes de Provence; stir 1 minute. Add wine and 2 cups broth; bring to boil over high heat, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes with juices and bay leaf. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot. If necessary, add enough water to pot to barely cover ribs. Bring to boil.

Cover pot tightly and transfer to oven. Bake until ribs are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Add remaining 1/2 cup broth, peeled baby carrots, and Niçois olives to pot; press carrots gently to submerge. Cover, return to oven and continue cooking at 350°F until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer short ribs and carrots to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. If necessary, boil sauce to thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over short ribs. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes.

* A dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some markets. A mix of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds can be substituted.
** Small brine-cured black olives; available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

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Big Chunks Of Steak Stew

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , — @ 5:37 pm

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This is a real family pleasing stew that needs no tending to once it’s on the go.  If your sure to select beef that has marbeling (fat streaks) in it the meat will be moist, tender and very flavorful. Best served with hot baking powder biscuits, Yumm!

SERVES: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 teaspoons cooking oil
  • 2 lbs beef cut into large chunks, use a less expensive cut that has some marbeling in it
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces (don’t forget to include the leaves if there any)
  • 1 carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 onion, sliced into 8 wedges
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix
  • 1 teaspoon Worchesteshire Sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 3-4 grinds of black pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot.
2. Add the beef and brown well on all sides
3. When beef is beginning to brown nicely add the fresh mushrooms and onion wedges.
4. When the mushroons and onions almost cooked add in the celery and carrot.
5. Stir well and add the can of mushroom soup and onion soup mix, Stir well
6. Pour in beef broth, Worchesteshire Sauce and season with fresh ground black pepper if desired.
7. Continue cooking on the stove top at low heat until the meat is tender (about 3-4 hours).
9. Or transfer to a crock pot and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 4 to 6 hours.

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Chili-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs with Espresso Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Anna @ 2:27 pm

Debra L. Warren of Lake Forest, Illinois, writes: “I have often indulged in Jay Lovell’s phenomenal cuisine at his Lovell’s of Lake Forest restaurant, and the ribs he prepared for an event I attended were out of this world. Could you possibly persuade the chef to share the recipe?”

The espresso powder gives the sauce great depth of flavor.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2tablespoons hot mexican-style chili powder
  • 1tablespoon paprika
  • 1tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 1/2teaspoons salt
  • 3/4teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4pounds baby back pork ribs112-ounce bottle dark beer118-ounce bottle good-quality barbecue sauce
  • 1/2cup water
  • 2tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1tablespoon instant espresso powder

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Rub spice mixture all over ribs. Place ribs in heavy large roasting pan.

Boil beer in medium saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour beer around ribs. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake ribs until fork-tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Combine barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, and espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer until flavors blend and sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. (Ribs and barbecue sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover separately and refrigerate.)

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush ribs with some barbecue sauce. Grill ribs just until heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to platter. Bring remaining sauce to simmer. Brush ribs with more barbecue sauce. Serve ribs, passing remaining barbecue sauce separately.

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Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , — Anna @ 8:28 am

“I’ve always loved to cook,” writes Mary Gareffa of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts,
“and though at eighty-nine I’m slowing down, I still love it. My grandfather and my father were both cooks in a monastery in Reggio Calabria, Italy, before they moved to this country, and luckily for me, my father was my cooking teacher. He showed me how to make the tomato-and-sausage sauce for the pasta. When my son was young, he used to tease me for standing over the pot of sauce, stirring and simmering it slowly, but that’s the way my father showed me. A sauce is like a baby; you have to be gentle with it. And I know I must be doing something right, because my grandson, Jason, called me just last week to get the recipe.”

Tender meatballs — bound with bread softened in milk — in a good old-fashioned Tomato-Sausage sauce.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 33/4-inch-thick slices italian bread with crusts (each 3×5 inches)
  • milk
  • 1pound ground sirloin
  • 2tablespoons (packed) grated parmesan cheese
  • 1large egg
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh italian parsley
  • 1large garlic clove, minced
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1/2teaspoon ground black pepper2tablespoons olive oil
  • tomato-sausage sauce1pound spaghetti, freshly cooked
  • additional grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS Place bread in medium bowl; cover with milk. Let stand until bread is soft, about 10 minutes. Place meat in large bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons cheese and next 5 ingredients. Squeeze bread almost dry; discard milk. Blend bread into meat mixture. Using 1 rounded tablespoon for each, shape mixture into 24 meatballs.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; sauté until brown and cooked through, turning often to hold shape, about 15 minutes. Add meatballs and drippings in skillet to pot of Tomato-Sausage Sauce. Simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.

Place pasta in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups sauce and toss to coat. Top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

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Red Pesto Cucumber Cups ~ Appetizer

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , — @ 8:07 am

I wanted to come up with something a little different to serve as a light, refreshing appetizer & decided that these little cups might just do the trick.

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Serves 5.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 & 1/2  English cucumbers
  • 2oz wholewheat conchigliette pasta
  • 3 & 1/2 tsp red pesto (the best quality bought or homemade)
  • pinch of salt
  • 15 leaves of fresh basil or parsley

 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Trim the ends of the cucumbers, then slice the cucumbers into 1″ rounds. With a thin bladed knife, remove the peel in strips to create a striped effect.
  2. Cook the pasta until it is tender, drain well & mix in the red pesto & pinch of salt until the pasta is thoroughly coated.
  3. Take each piece of cucumber & carefully remove the seeded central part – making sure to leave a base of about 5mm left at the bottom of the cucumber (otherwise the pasta will fall straight out!)
  4. Then fill each hollowed out cucumber ‘cup’ with the pesto pasta & finally top with the basil / parsley leaf.
  5. Serve 3 cups per person for a dainty appetizer.

 

TIP:

  1. For a special touch, drizzle a little olive oil over each cup & top with 2-3 lightly toasted pine nuts – you could even add a tiny sprinkle of finely grated parmesan cheese.
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Guinness Stout Ginger Cake Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , — Anna @ 6:42 am

The recipe for this moist, dark, fragrant gingerbread pays tribute to Dona Abramson and Stuart Tarabour at the Bright Food Shop, a terrific little Mexican-fusion café in Chelsea where I spent some time. This was my favorite of their desserts, and it has since become a seasonal classic at Gramercy Tavern, though I’ve made a few adaptations and embellished a bit. My recipe has just a touch of cloves, and instead of just the ginger and cinnamon in a typical gingerbread, I use a panoply of spices, including cardamom, nutmeg, and a lot of fresh ginger, to give the cake a racy, intriguing flavor.

The most unusual thing about this recipe is that stout is substituted for the water or coffee used in most gingerbread recipes. I find it adds a lot of richness and underscores the spices. Since it is made with oil, this cake will stay moist for several days. Dress it up or simply enjoy it on its own, with coffee, tea, or a beer!

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup guinness stout
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon grated, peeled fresh gingerroot

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- X 5-inch loaf pan, line the bottom and sides with parchment, and grease the parchment. Alternatively, butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt pan.

2. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the stout and molasses and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the baking soda. Allow to sit until the foam dissipates.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs and both sugars. Whisk in the oil.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.

5. Combine the stout mixture with the egg mixture, then whisk this liquid into the flour mixture, half at a time. Add the fresh ginger and stir to combine.

6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the top springs back when gently pressed. Do not open the oven until the gingerbread is almost done, or the center may fall slightly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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Spicy Turkey Paella Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , — Anna @ 4:38 am

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 12ounces spicy smoked sausage (such as linguiça, andouille, or hot links), cut into 1/2-inch slices1/4cup garlic-flavored olive oil
  • 2large yellow onions, chopped
  • 1large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2cups long-grain white rice
  • 1/4teaspoon saffron
  • 4cups low-salt chicken broth
  • 4large plum tomatoes, quartered
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 1/2cups cooked leftover turkey, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat olive oil in 6 1/2-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add bell pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in rice and saffron, then next 5 ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 15 minutes. Add sausage, turkey, and peas to rice mixture. Bake paella 10 minutes and serve.

Test-kitchen tip: If you can’t find garlic-flavored olive oil, simply add a clove of minced garlic when you stir in the rice.

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Chocolate Cups with Ice Cream and Peanuts Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , — Anna @ 4:31 am

We particularly like this dessert made with coffee ice cream, but youcan use any flavor that goes well with chocolate and peanuts.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Makes 12 frozen petits fours.

INGREDIENTS

  • vegetable oil cooking spray
  • 4oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
  • 1pt superpremium ice cream, slightly softened
  • 1/4cup chopped cocktail peanutsspecial equipment: a mini-muffin pan with 12 (1/8-cup) cups; 12 paper-lined foil mini-muffin liners* (1 1/4 inches across bottom and 1 inch high); a small watercolor paintbrush

DIRECTIONS Line muffin cups and lightly spray liners with cooking spray.

Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Spoon a scant teaspoon chocolate into each cup and use paintbrush to coat bottoms and sides evenly. Freeze cups until chocolate is firm, about 5 minutes, then repaint any thin spots, especially around top edges, with some of remaining chocolate and refreeze until firm, about 5 minutes.

Spoon remaining melted chocolate into a small sealable plastic bag, pressing out excess air. Twist bag firmly just above chocolate and set aside.

Working in 3 batches, scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons ice cream into each cup and gently press into cups with a small offset spatula or back of a spoon to fill cups evenly. (You will have some ice cream left over.) Refreeze cups to firm ice cream, at least 5 minutes. Sprinkle cups with peanuts, then snip off a minuscule portion of 1 bottom corner of plastic bag with scissors to form a very small opening and decoratively pipe remaining chocolate over peanuts. Freeze desserts until chocolate and ice cream harden, at least 30 minutes. Remove petits fours from freezer 1 at a time and carefully peel off liners, then refreeze on a tray until hardened, about 30 minutes more.

Cooks’ note:Petits fours can be frozen up to 1 day (cover with plastic wrap after completely hardened). Let desserts stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 2 minutes, before serving.

*Available at New York Cake & Baking Distributor (800-942-2539).

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Asian Noodles with Pan-Seared Flank Steak Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , , — Anna @ 2:35 am

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1teaspoon honey
  • 1/8teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 18-ounce piece flank steak2tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2teaspoons oriental sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
  • 2garlic cloves, mincednonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 19-ounce package fresh angel hair pasta or 9 ounces thin spaghetti
  • 2medium carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
  • 4ounces fresh snow peas, trimmed, halved diagonally
  • 1/3cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 5tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce, honey and crushed red pepper in glass pie dish. Add flank steak; turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate up to 4 hours, turning occasionally.


Whisk 4 teaspoons soy sauce, rice vinegar and next 4 ingredients in large bowl for dressing.


Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; heat over medium heat. Add steak and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until almost tender. Add carrots and peas; cook until vegetables and pasta are just tender, about2 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl with dressing. Add onions and 4 tablespoons cilantro; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice steak crosswise. Arrange steak atop pasta, spooning any juices over. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cilantro.

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