Beef Stew with Beer

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds beef chuck tender roast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour, plus extra for dredging
• 1 red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons of Gourmet Gardens® Minced Garlic
• 5 red potatoes
• 36 baby carrots
• 4 cups beef broth/stock
• 1 bottle Honey Brown Lager
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoke sauce
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Chipotle Chile Pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 package Shenandoah Growers® Poultry Blend (fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme)

Directions:

Cube the beef.  Dredge with flour.  Divide into two piles and set aside.  Mince the red onion and set aside.

In a cast iron dutch oven, melt two tablespoons butter into two tablespoons olive oil.  Braise the beef in two (or more) batches, so that you can get a good sear.  Put the beef on a plate and set aside.

Place the onion and garlic into the pan and sauté until golden brown.  Add brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, smoke sauce, paprika, all the peppers, and salt.  Stir well and simmer a bit.  Add beer and broth.  Stir well.

Cut the beef into smaller pieces and return to the pot.  Be sure to scrap all the juice from the resting plate back into the pot as well.  Cover and simmer for 90 minutes, then start prepping the vegetables.

Cut the baby carrots into thirds.  Cut the potatoes into half inch cubes.  Mince the herbs.  [Since I know nothing about fresh herbs, I stripped the rosemary and thyme leaves from the stems and removed the stems from the sage and then minced everything together.]  Add the vegetables and herbs to the pot, cover,  and simmer 30 minutes more.

Remove the cover for the rest of the cooking.

Remove two cups of liquid to make a roux.  Melt two tablespoons butter into a sauce pan.  Slowly add two tablespoons flour, stirring constantly until well mixed and smooth.  Allow to brown a bit as you keep stirring.  Very, very slowly add the two cups of liquid, stirring constantly.  Once all is mixed together, allow to simmer for a minute or two.  Then return the roux to the pot and stir thoroughly.

Raise heat to bring the stew to a more vigorous boil.  Cook uncovered for 15 more minutes to finish reducing and thickening.

Serve with crusty bread.


Myrtle's Note:  I was trying very hard to stick to the advice in this article about the making of stew.  However, my stew looked nothing like the photos in the original recipe and I did want a thick stew.  So, I went with the roux route, as well as mincing a cup of the vegetables.  I am decidedly a savory and sweet person, and it struck me that I had the same sort of outcome as in Myrtle's Medley Black Eyed Peas.  In the end, I am enormously pleased with the stew because it is tailored to my desires:  thick, savory, sweet, heavy on the meat, and no celery!!

Yield:  8 Servings


Based on:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/beef-stew-with-beer-and-paprika/

Myrtle's All-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Lentils

Ingredients:

• 1 bag brown lentils
• 1-1/2 pounds cubed boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 cups broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 onion
• 2 large dollops of Gourmet Gardens® minced garlic
• 1 large dollop of Gourmet Gardens® minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cardamon
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Purée an onion into a fine mush.  Place the stick of butter, onion, ginger, and garlic in a large pot.  Sauté until the onion mush starts to turn brown.  Add all the spices and continue to simmer until the liquid from the onions is nearly gone and the mixture starts to look more like a paste.

Add broth, water, cubed chicken, and lentils.  Cover, bring to a hard boil, and then turn down to a vigorous simmer.  Cook for approximately 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cook an additional 15 minutes to reduce down the liquid.

Myrtle's Note:  I am not a spicy person, so I am very careful with hot pepper.  If you like a kick, then double the cayenne.  It is also my very decided opinion that lentils get better the longer they "stew" once they are cooked.  So, it is my habit to freeze the lentils for a few days before starting to eat them.  I freeze them in mason jars, three quarters full.  By the time I get to the final jar, I am beside myself with how good they taste!  Finally, as to spices.  I really do vary them.  You can add a bit more curry and turmeric than everything else to get one flavor or up the cinnamon and garam masala a bit to get another.  My lentils come out a bit different each and every time I make them because my habit is to stand over the pot and just shake spices into it, until I believe the surface is nicely covered.  This once, I went ahead and measured exact amounts because my friend Marie likes my lentils.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Everything in the pot starting to cook...

Cooked...

Cooling before going into the freezer...

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes with Whisky

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (1 tablespoon dried Rosemary) chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 tablespoons Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Honey Whiskey
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• sea salt
• McCormick® Peppercorn Medley

Directions:

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in hot water and boil for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in the pan on medium high heat.  Add potatoes and gently stir to coat with butter.  Season with cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  Turn heat to high and deglaze with one tablespoon whiskey.  Cook until caramelized on the bottom, stirring sparingly so as not to smash the sweet potatoes.  Once browned, flip the cubes, add another tablespoon whiskey, and finish cooking.

You can serve with more rosemary sprinkled on top or with a splash of whiskey.


Myrtle's Note:  I halved the original recipe, save for the whiskey and brown sugar.  Yes, I have a sweet tooth.  I also put in my new love, McCormick® Peppercorn Medley and skipped the shallots since I am frankly not an onion person.

Yield: 3-4 servings

Source:  http://rosemarried.com/2011/11/16/sauteed-sweet-potatoes-with-whiskey-brown-sugar-cayenne-and-rosemary/

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:

• Asparagus (pencil thin)
• Proscuitto
• Olive oil
• McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• Kulp Spices' Organic Garlic Seasoning Salt

Directions:

Snap ends off of asparagus.  Line up the asparagus on an aluminum backing pan/sheet and drizzle olive oil over them.  Season to taste.  Roll asparagus back and forth with your fingers to coat them thoroughly.  Move asparagus to a plate.  Cut proscuitto slices in half length wise and spiral wrap from one end of the asparagus to another.

Place in an aluminum pan and broil on high for 3 minutes.  Turn the asparagus.  Broil an additional 3 minutes.  Frankly, the crispier the better.


Myrtle's Note:  I prefer pencil thin asparagus, so I split the prosciutto slices so as to balance the ratio between the two main ingredients.  Since this was served as an appetizer whilst waiting on a feast, I played around with presentation before taking the photo.  Definitely, these could have been crispier, but they were still tasty.

Source:  http://www.chow.com/recipes/30697-crispy-prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 3 large heads of broccoli
• 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens minced garlic
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large dollop McCormick® fresh basil paste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Directions:

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or so of stalk attached to the florets if desired, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces of florets through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart.  Whisk together 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and one dollop minced garlic.  Toss with the florets in a shallow bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.   Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Near the end of the roasting time, whisk together 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and basil. Once the florets are finished, place in a serving bowl and toss with the mixture.  Serve hot.


Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe calls for roasted pine nuts.  Caring not for them, I omitted them.  I also adjusted the proportions.

Yield: 4


Modified from:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/index.html

Baked Apple Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 large Granny Smith apple
• 1 pat butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
• Sea salt
• McCormack® Peppercorn Medley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Directions:

Peel and cube one Granny Smith Apple.  Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and syrup. Place chicken breast in individual French Oval baking dish.  Salt and pepper the top and then brush with mixture.  Flip and repeat.

Place the apple pieces around the side and over the top of the chicken.  Cut the pat of butter into tiny pieces and disperse in-between the apple pieces along the top of the chicken.  Brush with remaining mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Myrtle's Note:  I really like baking in the individual French Ovals.  You can cook and serve in them.  Plus, when you serve the dish in them, all the juices/sauce stays with the dish.  In this case, the chicken was incredibly moist.  Even so, I cut it up into bits so the bits could sit soaking up the sauce as I ate my way through it.

Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (2 lbs)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Salt
• McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• 3 oz. aged goat cheese
• 60 wonton wrappers
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Directions:

Cut squash in half length wise and scoop out seeds.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until the flesh is very tender.  Approximately 30-35 minute.  Allow to cool.  Turn off the oven.

Scoop out squash flesh into a medium bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.

Melt the tablespoon of butter in a 10 inch skillet over moderate heat.  Add onion, sage, salt, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until onion is golden brown, approximately 5-8 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook, approximately 1 minute.

After allowing the mixture to cool, add it and the goat cheese to the squash and blend together.

To make the ravioli, set one wonton wrapper on a lightly floured surface.  Place a dollop of the squash mixture into the center.  Dip your finger in water and went the surface of the wonton all around the dollop of squash.  Place a second wonton on top and press together, allowing all the air to escape.  Trim the edges, if desired.  Transfer the ravioli to a kitchen cloth (not terry cloth) to allow it to dry.  Repeat until the filling is finished.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a 10-inch skillet, cook hazelnuts in the stick of butter until the butter begins to brown.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and keep warm.

Add 1/3 of the ravioli to a gently boiling pot of salted water (approximately 1 tablespoon per every 4 quarts) and cook until they rise to the surface and are tenter, approximately 6 minutes.  Do not allow the water to return to a vigorous boil once you have started cooking the ravioli.

With a slotted spoon to drain off excess water, transfer the cooked ravioli to a buttered baking sheet with sides, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven. Cook remaining ravioli in two batches.

Divide ravioli among six plates and top with sauce.

Myrtle's Note:  I minced the onions (to mask them) and minced the hazelnuts into as fine a ground as possible.  I also added cream to the brown butter sauce.


Yield: 6

Source:  The Gourmet Cookbook (2004), Ruth Reichel ed., p. 236-237