Best Beef Stew

http://mswolfson.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/best-beef-stew/

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated Jan/Feb 2010 issue. I found it online at the above address also.

This beef stew is fantastic. Amazing. I adore it. It's the best beef stew I've made. I used 2 lbs stew beef meat (instead of cutting up a 4 lb chuck-eye roast as the recipe says). Also, I did not put in the peas and forgot to get pearl onions. Additional vegetables besides the carrots would have made this recipe even better. I used 1 tsp anchovy paste instead of the fillets. Also, I only had about 1 cup of red wine left, so added an extra 1/2 cup of broth to try and compensate. And I used russet potatoes instead of yukon gold. Otherwise, I did exactly what it said. You need to start this recipe a solid 3 hrs in advance, better to start 3.5 hrs ahead. It cooks in the oven most of that time. I used a 5 quart cast iron oval pot, with enamel coating. They sell them at Ikea or you could get a super expensive Le Creuset one. I love this pot.

I love this recipe. We ate it with a french baguette.

Notes: I usually add an extra quart of beef broth to this recipe because it gets so dry during cooking. Also I replace peas with cut up green beans that I put in with the pearl onions.

Calories: 404 per serving / serves 8 (not sure the serving volume). That's calculated using 2.5 lbs stew beef.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spaghetti-and-Meatballs-AllAmatriciana-356791

This recipe was a disappointment for me. I halved the whole thing, except I forgot to halve the onions in the sauce. Also, I had to finish in a hurry so the onions weren't as soft as they should have been. I left the bacon out of the sauce also.

I couldn't find panko breadcrumbs so used regular. The meatballs were sort of falling apart, but were good. THe sauce, however, was not that great. At all. and the overwhelming presence of sometimes crunchy onion made me dislike this dish. Of course, if I'd cooked it to perfection it might have tasted better, but I think there are better meatball and sauce recipes out there.

Chocolate Waffles

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-waffle-recipe/index.html

Since January 27th is the annual eat chocolate cake for breakfast holiday, DH and I ate chocolate waffles for our observance of this day. The recipe was good, but I used regular milk instead of buttermilk (because that's all I had, unfortunately) and chopped up bittersweet guittard pieces (unevenly chopped, I might add) instead of choc chips.

The lack of buttermilk was lamentable, because it could have been so much better. As it was, the batter was way too runny and the choc chunks weren't well distributed due to the uneven sizes.

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Layer-Cake-with-Lemon-Curd-and-Mascarpone-107898

I made this cake for a friend's birthday. It was definitely time consuming, and very rich. But it was very delicious. I only made 2/3 the recipe for the frosting because I did not decorate the top. That was the right amount to cover the cake. But the cake is too overpowering with so much lemon. I used the juice from 7 lemons to make the whole recipe, and about a dozen eggs. Whew!

Next time I make this, I think I'll just use a basic two layer vanilla cake recipe and pair it with the frosting. I'll skip the lemon curd and syrup in the layers. The frosting needs about 2/3 cup lemon curd in order to make a 2/3 frosting recipe.

Also--the recipe for lemon curd was really good. It tasted very similar to storebought lemon curd that I have purchased. I think it would be better with less sugar and lemon juice though. The consistency was perfect. The recipe makes 2 cups.

Aloo Gobi

http://www.recipezaar.com/Aloo-Gobi-84324

Of course since I watched Bend it like Beckham a few years ago I had to try and make Aloo Gobi eventually.

This is a great recipe. We both like it, I've made it a few times before. Bring on the spices!

Note on leftovers: You don't want to have many leftovers when making this recipe. The last time I made it I had tons, and the peppers (an overly spicy jalepeno) I put in got stronger and stronger and the consistency of the dish became less appetizing. Neither DH or I were excited about leftovers. Next time I would cut the recipe in half at least. (when making for two people).

Lamb Kofte

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lamb-Kofte-with-Yogurt-Sauce-and-Muhammara-356770

This is basically lamb meatballs with yogurt sauce and flatbread. It was fantastic! I made the yogurt sauce a few hours in advance and let it sit in the fridge. Then I did the rest later--it took a little over an hour. It would have been an hour or less if one of my burners hadn't been on the fritz.

I used whole wheat pita bread and we ate all everything rolled up inside. The Muhammara sauce didn't work out quite right because I didn't even try to find pomegranate molasses, and instead tried to use pomegranate seeds instead. That didn't turn out quite right though. Also, I roasted my own red pepper instead of using some from a jar. But overall, it was fantastic--with or without the pomegranate seeds!

Fennel Gnocchi

For my wedding, someone gave me a recipe book by Rachael Ray called "2,4,6,8 great meals for couples or crowds."

I made a bunch of recipes from it the first couple months of marriage, and one of them we liked SO much that it became a regular meal that I make frequently.

The original recipe is for 6 people, but it makes way too much so I modified it. This makes enough for 3 big servings, or 4 servings with a side dish.

6 oz sausage (NOT ground. I use Saags Polish sausage because the flavor is fantastic. Whatever kind of sausage you use, make sure it isn't maple flavor. The original recipe calls for chicken sausage.)

1 onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 T tomato paste (I often have leftover paste from a can that I put in a ziplock bag and keep in the freezer. Or you can buy it in tubes.)

1/3-1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 pound gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings. Found in the pasta aisle)

1 oz cream cheese (except I hardly ever have cream cheese, so it is usually left out)

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. (the real stuff tastes so much better than what Kraft makes in the tall green can)

Put a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Then put in sliced sausages, onion, garlic, and fennel. Then heat on medium until onions and fennel are soft. Add the tomato paste and stir it in. Then add the wine and let it simmer for a couple minutes or so.

Meanwhile, boil some water. Add gnocchi and cook based on directions. Then strain. Ideally, the gnocchi will finish cooking just before it's time to add them to the skillet.

Add chicken stock to the skillet and heat until boiling. Add cream cheese. Simmer for a few minutes so sauce can cook down and become creamy.

Then add cooked gnocchi to the skillet and stir. Add cheese and parsley.

The end. This takes about 40 minutes once you get it down.

(P.S. To make the original recipe: double everything except the fennel, garlic, and paste.)

Fennel and Potato Hash

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fennel-and-Potato-Hash-356731

This was a great combination--fennel and potatoes. I only used one fennel bulb. We ate it with fried eggs. We both liked it quite a bit.

Tuna-Noodle Casserole

This recipe is from the New BHG cookbook.

3 cups noodles (4 oz.)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 T butter

1 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion (or just 1 onion chopped)

2 T butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cups milk

1 6-oz can tuna, drained (or 2 5-oz cans)

1/2 cup cheese cubes (2 oz)

1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

Cook noodles, drain. Combine bread crumbs and melted 1 T of butter, set aside.

Cook celery and onion in 2 T butter in large skillet until tender. Sir in flour, salt, dry mustard, and pepper. Add milk, cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Combine everything together (except crumb mixture) and put into 1.5 or 2 qt casserole dish. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake uncovered at 375 F for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and top is golden.

---

This was a yummy dinner. The original BHG recipe has twice the amount of tuna, cheese, and butter, but I wanted a lower fat version. It was very good.

Notes: This is great with whole wheat elbow macaroni & ww flour. The bell pepper is not essential, but it makes it more fun. The onion could be replaced with extra celery. This recipe is very forgiving.

One-Pot Spaghetti

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/one-pot-spaghetti/
One Pot Spaghetti

I really liked this recipe. I used fresh mushrooms, pork sausage, and beef broth.

This is from the New BHG cookbook.

Butternut Squash Risotto

http://thebittenword.typepad.com/thebittenword/2008/10/risotto-with-butternut-squash-and-sage.html

This recipe is from Bon Appetit Oct 2008 issue.

It's a fantastic recipe. Sometimes the risotto is not quite cooked at the end and you have to cover it and steam it for a few minutes. Make sure you stir it constantly. It should be VERY creamy at the end. The rice should be sticking together. I just have a basic white wine I use. Yes, I do cook with real wine. I generally get a "blanc" or "rouge" that is the store brand (blanc for white wine and rouge for red). Trader Joe's has great prices on wine.

Taco Soup

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/original-taco-soup-crockpot-recipe.html

I made this recipe with dried kidney beans that had been soaked overnight and then frozen. DH wasn't too excited about the corn, he didn't think it added to the dish. I didn't use the seasoning packets, but tried to instead add the ingredients that are in the packets (like onion, garlic, dill, chili powder, cumin, etc).

I don't think I'll use this version again. So many taco soup recipes call for a zillion cans, and I wanted to make it more from scratch. Dried beans are much cheaper.

It was good (though not as good as it could be) and is great with tortilla chips. Marra Brothers chips are the best if you go to JJ&F in Palo Alto!

Shredded pork tacos

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pork/quick-shredded-pork-tacos/

This would have been great if I'd had good shredded pork. I now have an awesome recipe for shredded pork from Cooks Illustrated that I will try soon.

I thought the pork was sort of gross (left over from a failed crockpot pork attempt), so I barely ate any of it. Also, the avocado I bought was brown so we didn't have any of that.

But. DH still liked it. With avocado and good shredded pork, it would have been great. So the rating takes this into consideration.

Mexican Moussaka

http://www.mixingbowl.com/message/recipe/view.castle?g=931007&m=3006186

This recipe left something to be desired. First, there was too much meat. And then there wasn't enough corn on top.

David liked the leftovers though. If I make this again, I'll make it with more corn and half the meat. The seasonings were good though.

This is from the New BHG cookbook.

Reuben Sandwiches

DH and I had Reuben Sandwiches.

I could not find any sliced corned beef, so I purchased roast beef instead.

This is what I did:

rye bread

Thousand Island dressing

swiss cheese

sauerkraut

roast beef

rye bread

In that order. And then I buttered (lightly) each side of bread that would be in contact with heat. We got a "Snackster" from DH's grandma for christmas. It is one of those sandwich pocket things. We put the sandwiches in the snackster and then crushed them into gooey oblivion. It would have worked just as well to grill them in a skillet.

Tuscan Lamb Chop Skillet

http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/recipe/lamb/tuscan-lamb-chop-skillet/

This recipe is in the New Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I got for Christmas from my bro-in-law Jonny.

The recipes calls for 8 lamb rib chops, but I used only 3. They were big chops! One chop per person was plenty. The chops shown in the picture on the website are probably half the size of what I used.

I liked the beans and balsamic flavor, but David isn't a huge fan of beans.

Salmon and Fennel Salad

I've never eaten raw fennel until now. I've used it many many times in a favorite dish I make that I refer to as fennel gnocchi, but it was cooked.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salmon-Salad-with-Fennel-Orange-and-Mint-356713

So. Let me say that raw fennel is fantastic. In salads it brings a wonderful flavor and crunch. When I say fennel I am talking about this:

Some grocers call it "anise". It smells like anise. Or black licorice. And you DON'T use the "fronds", only the bulb. I usually cut out the core as well since it's REALLY hard. You could always save the fronts and use it to make a veggie stock or something. Occasionally the recipe will tell you to use some frond, but not very often.

Anyway. The salad was really good. The salmon didn't cook all the way though, and I had to sear it in the pan. (However--I was pressed for time and didn't have time to let the salmon cool on it's own. It is possible it may have finished cooking during the sitting time). David and I both liked it quite a bit, but it is not very filling. We put it with a little butter lettuce and used no dressing. It had plenty of flavor already.

By the way, paying $3/lb for fennel is a rip off. In CA, it gets to at least half that price sometimes.

Cioppino Style Crab Stew

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cioppino-Style-Roasted-Crab-356769

This was sort of like a stew. It was good, and DH liked the crab. It is very mild and didn't have a smell. The spices were a big plus.

I purchased only one Dungeness Crab instead of two as the recipe calls for. They were on sale for $6/lb. David is sort of hesitant about eating crab, so I cracked everything ahead of time just in case it would turn him off to it. It was hard work! I need to buy a nutcracker.

I bought the crab (pre-cooked) at JJ&F. They cleaned it for me (removing lungs, mouth, top shell, etc). I watched a video on youtube that was really helpful about how to deal with crabs since it was my first time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHAgZ4i33Is