Holiday Period Brunch - Green Chilaquiles With Eggs

I admire the work of Martha Rose Shulman. I first discovered her through her cookbooks, Mediterranean Light and Provencal Light. The cuisines are among my favorites, and although Shulman's specialty is making lighter, healthy fare, you never go away disappointed with her flavors. 



Chorizo and onions being cooked in chorizo fat

She is a regular columnist with the New York Times, with a column titled Recipes For Health. Don't be turned off by the Meh title. Check her out sometime.

I made an addition which turns this into a Recipe Not So Much For Health: browned chorizo sausage. Yum!

Mangia!

Green Chilaquiles With Eggs

Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman

Roasted tomatillos and chiles, ready for a spin

1 ½ pounds fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 to 4 jalapeño or serrano chiles, stemmed, to taste (seeded for a milder salsa)

12 cilantro sprigs, plus 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 small white onion, quartered and thinly sliced (about 1 cup sliced onion)

 Salt
 

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Juice of 1 to 2 limes, or to taste

12 ounces chorizo, crumbled and browned, drained on paper towels

6 large eggs, fried

12 thick corn tortillas, cut into wedges and deep-fried or microwaved until crisp (see note), or 1/2-pound thick tortilla chips from a Mexican grocery

½ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta
 

Ta da!

Heat broiler. Place tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet and set about 4 inches below broiler. Roast until dark and blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Flip over and roast on other side until tomatillos are soft and charred in spots and chiles are soft all the way through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer tomatillos and chiles to a blender along with juices on baking sheet. Add cilantro sprigs, then blend to a coarse purée.

Heat oil over medium heat in same deep-sided saute pan you used to brown the chorizo and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a little salt, stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Turn heat to medium-high and add tomatillo purée. Cook, stirring often, until salsa thickens and leaves a canal when you run a wooden spoon down the middle. Add broth and lime juice, bring to a simmer, and simmer 10 minutes or until salsa coats the back of a spoon.

Stir in tortilla chips, making sure they are completely submerged, and remove from heat. Sprinkle with chorizo, crumbled cheese, some chopped cilantro, green onions and the eggs and serve at once.

Tip

To make tortilla chips, cut tortillas into wedges and leave out so they dry for an hour or more. Heat 1 to 1 1/2 inches vegetable or canola oil in a wide, deep skillet or wok to 375 degrees. Add tortilla wedges a handful at a time and fry, stirring constantly with a skimmer or heatproof spatula, until dark brown and the bubbling has subsided, 45 seconds to a minute. Remove from the oil with a skimmer and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining tortilla wedges.

Christmas Eve Dinner - Rib Roast, Green Beans With Pancetta and Garlic, Herb-roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Sauteed Mushrooms with Shallots and Sherry

And in the grand finale (temporarily) of Our Month Of Beef, may I present our Christmas Eve dinner:
 

Rib Eye Roast

Roasted Herb Fingerling Potatoes

Green Beans with Pancetta, Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar

Sauteed Mushrooms with Shallots, Thyme and Sherry

Rolls

 

I picked up two two-bone roasts, about 5 1/2 pounds each, while they were at a very good price at Fry's. I froze one for later use, but we ended up cooking it a few days after Christmas because we had company for Christmas Eve, and we felt leftover-deprived. Leftovers not a problem in Round Two! Beef coma ensues!

Rib roasts look very impressive but they are surprisingly easy to turn out well. The potatoes re-heat well, so they can be done before the roast goes in, and if you have your prep done ahead of time, the green beans and mushrooms can be easily completed while the roast cooks.

 

The Colonel is big on King's Hawaiian rolls, so that was the bread of choice.

 

All massaged and oiled

Merry, merry!

 

Mangia!

Rib Eye Roast

5.5 pound, two bone roast

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced


 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves

Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

Set roast out at least 1 ½ hours before cooking to come to room temperature. One hour before cooking, mix the rub ingredients with the olive oil to form a paste and rub all over the roast. 30 minutes before cooking, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put the roast in a roasting pan. You don’t need a rack, just put the bone side down. Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Roast for about 15 minutes per pound. For medium rare, temperature should be about 120 to 130 degrees. For 5.5 pounds you’ll need to roast for about 1 hour and 22 minutes after the initial 15 minute period.

The roast should rest for about 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to retreat into the roast. If you carve it right away, the juices will run out all over the carving board. No good. You carve it by slicing off the bones end, following the curve of the bone, then slicing the leftover boneless hunk of meat. Or in the instructions from Serious Eats, copied below (I couldn't agree more with the fat commentary):

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/how-to-carve-a-prime-rib-slideshow.html

REMOVE THE BONES

Stand the rested prime rib upright, holding the bones with your free hand (use a clean kitchen towel if you'd like). Using a long, thin-bladed carving knife, cut between the bones and the meat, following the curvature of the bones as closely as you can until you get to their base.

FOLD BONES OUT AND REMOVE

Once you get to the bottom, fold the bones outward as if they're on a hinge, then cut through the bottom to remove them completely.

READY TO SLICE

You should end up with a single solid block of bone-free meat, and a slab of bones ready to be split apart and picked at.

If you prefer, you can now remove the excess fat from the roast, leaving just an eye of meat. I prefer to leave the fat on as I carve so guests can make their own choices about whether or not to eat the fat and I can silently sort them into two categories in my mind for future judgment.

SLICE

Holding the roast steady with your free hand, carefully slice the meat into thin, even slices. For best appearances, try and saw back and forth as little as possible, instead trying to cut through in a few thin, even strokes.

DON'T CARVE IT ALL!

Carve only as many slices as you need, leaving the rest of the roast intact. This will help keep it warm for seconds, or if you have leftovers, make it easier to store.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes, or small red potatoes

1 tablespoon each finely chopped Italian parsley, thyme leaves, rosemary, basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Wash potatoes and if using red potatoes that are more than an inch of 1 ½ inches wide, cut in half. Toss with olive oil, herbs and salt/pepper. Roast in 425 degree oven on a baking sheet for about 20 to 25 minutes, tossing them halfway through. Pierce a couple of potatoes to make sure they are tender. If not, give them a few more minutes.

Green Beans with Pancetta, Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar

1 pound green beans, topped and tailed
3 ounces pancetta, diced
Two cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Cook beans in boiling, slated water to cover by a couple of inches, until crisp tender, 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan big enough to hold the beans, and sauté the pancetta until crispy, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to low and add the garlic. Sauté the pancetta and garlic for a minute or two to soften the garlic but not brown it. Take the pan off the heat and add the beans and vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Shallots and Sherry

1 pound Cremini or baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry Sherry
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold the mushrooms over medium heat. Add the shallots and thyme leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots start to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, about 5 to 6  minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add the Sherry. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the Sherry is almost evaporated.


 

Lazy Day Slow Cooker Pot Roast - Hooray For The Used Meat Section!!! Hooray For Holiday Beef Overload!!!

The beef emphasis continues. Thank you Used Meat section. The second of the great stew meat/pot roast buys gets utilized in a near-perfect little effort one pot meal Slow Cooker classic. Serve with buttered peas and refrigerated crescent rolls for a real Old School touch.

Mangia!

Lazy Day Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

1 (4 lb) boneless chuck roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible and blotted dry

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

4 large carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths

4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 large yellow onion, quartered

2 bay leaves

3 cups water, or half beef stock/half water (I also throw a tablespoon of tomato paste in)
1⁄2 cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Place roast in the slow cooker; sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add the carrots, potatoes, onion, and bay leaves. Pour the water and vinegar over the meat/vegetables.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a heated platter; cover with foil.

Turn the cooker to HIGH; you will have about 3 full cups of liquid.

In a small bowl, mash together the butter with the flour; add to the hot liquid in the cooker and stir with a whisk until melted and the liquid thickens. (It's faster to transfer the liquid to a stockpot and put it on to boil)

Ladle gravy over the meat and vegetables and serve the remainder in a bowl.

Dry The Beef!!!! - Julia Child's The French Chef and Her Boeuf Bourguignon

It's been years since I made Boeuf Bourguignon. When the movie Julie and Julia came out, I vowed to make it again, excited by the gorgeous food-filming in Nora Ephron's vision for the combining of the story by Julie Powell and Julia Child's My Life In France.

Yet, time went by with no execution.

But, it's been damned cold here in the Valley of the Sun, so beef stew sounds about right. I committed to a turn just a bit before before Christmas, even knowing I planned a rib roast for Christmas Eve, and also squeezed in a Slow Cooker Pot Roast because chuck roast and some bottom round made it into the Used Meat section at the Safeway. The Colonel and I do like our meat.

Around the time I planned it, I came across the first season of The French Chef, Julia's original cooking show. And guess what was featured for Episode One? That's right!!!

DRY THE MEAT!!!!!!

Ah, her gloriously goofy accent! I kept screaming "Dry the meat!" like a demented Dan Ackroyd yelling ""Save the liver!".

It requires several steps, but none of them are difficult. Except maybe peeling all those tiny little pearl onions, but that's nothing a glass of wine during prep time can't facilitate.

I served this with buttered egg noodles for a really great plate of beefy comfort. 

Mangia!

Boeuf Bourguignon

Adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking

Meat and veg living in happy harmony

6 ounces bacon, solid chunk, or thick sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)

2 -3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, mashed (you may choose to add more)

1 sprig thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dred thyme)

1 bay leaf

First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve. You won't have a rind with the thick sliced version. Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" long. Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve.

Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.

Put the tablespoon of olive oil in a large (9" - 10" wide, 3" deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.

Saute the lardons for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.

Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.

In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened.

Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.

Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.

Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.

Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.

Now, lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casserole from the oven.

Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and the bacon rind.

Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove.

Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours.

The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed.

For the Braised Onions

18 -24 white pearl onions, peeled

1 1⁄2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄2 cup beef stock

salt & fresh ground pepper

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

2 sprigs parsley

Onions

For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.

Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.

Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.

Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.

For the Sauteed Mushrooms

1 lb mushroom, quartered

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.

As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.

As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

To Finish the Stew:

When the meat is tender, remover the casserole from the oven and empty its contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve).

Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.

Skim the fat off the sauce and simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.

You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.

If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.

Taste for seasoning.

Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Christmas Cookies For The Neighbors....And Way Too Many Leftovers!

I'm not exactly a Martha Stewart when it
comes to wrapping things

Fired by what was apparently an overly-optimistic assessment of my holiday energy level, I decided to make a few different cookies and float to the neighbor's front doors to deliver them as a Benevolent Christmas Cookie Fairy. I imagined the look somewhat like Carol Kane in Scrooged, except maybe without the punching and kicking, but definitely including the floaty, gauzy dress and some ethereal wings. Or maybe just the cookies.

I settled on three recipes: a chocolate chip one with peppermint candies (because...Christmas), a very pretty shortbread thumbprint with raspberry jam and an icing drizzle, and Bourbon balls because nothing says holidays like booze. Then at the last minute threw in a fourth, just because I like them: chewy molasses cookies. Numerous sticks of butter, mountains of flour and a stroll down Toddler Memory Lane via Nilla Wafers* later, voila! Oodles of cookies.

I had never made Bourbon Balls before. I followed the recipe to the letter, and all I can say as forewarning is don't light any matches next to these darlings. Those are powerful.

Based on feedback later received, the shortbread cookies were the star. Need to make a double batch next time. And maybe tone down the booze infusion a bit.

Merry Mangia!

*Anyone for banana pudding???

Chewy Molasses Cookies

Epicurious

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

⅓ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup mild-flavored (light) or robust-flavored (dark) molasses

¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

Coarse sanding or raw sugar (for rolling)

Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 375°F. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk egg, butter, granulated sugar, molasses, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Mix in dry ingredients just to combine.

Place sanding sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop out dough by the tablespoonful and roll into balls (if dough is sticky, chill 20 minutes). Roll in sugar and place on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart.

Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until cookies are puffed, cracked, and just set around edges (over-baked cookies won't be chewy), 8–10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.

Bourbon Balls

Food Network

2 cups pecans

2 boxes vanilla wafers

1 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa, divided

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Spread the pecans on a cookie sheet, and place in the oven for 3 minutes. For even toasting, turn the tray, front to back. Toss the nuts with a metal spatula and bake for another 3 minutes. You'll know they're done when they give off their fragrant aroma, and be sure to check them so they don't become overbaked or charred.

In a food processor, chop the vanilla wafers into crumbs. Add the pecans and process just until they are finely chopped. In a medium bowl, mix together the crumb-pecan mixture, 1/4 cup of the cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Add the corn syrup and bourbon. Mix thoroughly. Sift the remaining 1/4 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar onto a large plate. Form the crumb mixture into 3/4-inch balls and roll them through the cocoa-sugar to coat. Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days. If necessary, touch them up with a light dusting of the remaining confectioners' sugar.

Peppermint Crush Cookies

Relish.com

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½-3 cups self-rising flour

2 cups chocolate chips (mixture of semisweet and milk chocolate)

1 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes, processed into coarse crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine butter, sugars, eggs, extract and salt and beat until just combined. Add flour in 1 cup increments until well combined. If dough is sticky to the touch, add more flour in 1/4 cup increments until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop about 3 ounces of dough into your hands to form each cookie. Dip the tops into the peppermint candy. Place candy-side-up on insulated baking sheet one dozen at a time. If desired, decorate with additional chocolate chips. Bake in center of oven 10 to 13 minutes, until puffy and lightly tanned. Remove from baking sheet carefully with a metal spatula. The candy hardens quickly and will cause cookies to tear if using a rubber spatula.

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

All Recipes

1 cup butter

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.

In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Grilled Swordfish With Lime Garlic Butter and Baked Minty Rice With Feta And Pomegranate Relish

We continue in Pomegranate Season! Love, love, love them. Did you know they are a symbol of fertility? All those seeds? Catherine of Aragon had a pomegranate as part of her heraldic badge, along with a Tudor rose. The fruit didn't help her out too much but probably the bigger factor in her lack of success as a Royal Breeder was Tudor-era medicine. But no matter. It's here today for us to enjoy in the fall and winter.

We have a ginormous sack of basmati rice, dating from recent run through the Asian market. The Colonel loves rice, and I'm always looking for interesting rice recipes. I came across this baked rice dish in Bon Appetit. I have to say the baked part didn't work out too well for me, so I had to improvise the final cooking in a sauce pan. I would suggest going with a covered casserole rather than relying on aluminum foil. Too much steam escaped in my try.

I had some nice swordfish in the deep freeze, from a sale at Sprouts. The Colonel grilled them, and I made some lime garlic butter to put on top. That is too easy for a recipe. I used a couple of tablespoons of butter, juice of one lime and the zest and a clove of garlic minced and crushed into a paste. Grill swordfish steaks over a medium fire for about 5 to 7 minutes a side, depending on thickness.

The cole slaw is store bought. The Colonel likes slaw with his fish, and I didn't feel like making it from scratch. This was a nice dish to give a light break heading into the heavier cuisine of the holidays.

Mangia!

Baked Minty Rice With Feta And Pomegranate Relish

Bon Appetit

Pomegranate Relish

½ cup walnuts

¾ cup pomegranate seeds (from about ½ large pomegranate)

¾ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, coarsely chopped

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Rice And Assembly

2 cups basmati rice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

10 mint sprigs

8 ounces feta, sliced ¼-inch thick

Preparation

Pomegranate Relish

Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Increase oven temperature to 450°.

Toss walnuts, pomegranate seeds, olives, oil, mint, parsley, pomegranate molasses, and garlic in a medium bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Rice And Assembly

Combine rice, butter, and salt in a 13x9" baking dish, then pour in a scant 3½ cups water; top with mint sprigs. Cover tightly with foil and bake until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 30–35 minutes. Remove from oven; pluck out mint. Fluff rice with a fork.

Heat broiler. Arrange feta over rice. Broil until rice around edges of pan is browned and crisp and feta is starting to brown, 8–10 minutes. Spoon pomegranate relish over.