Month: December 2022

French Onion Soup

Created on 12/28/2022

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
  • 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 thick slices French bread
  • 8 slices Gruyère cheese, at room temperature
  • ½ cup shredded Asiago cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 pinches paprika

Instructions:

Step One: Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in red onions, sweet onions, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy, about 35 minutes

Step Two: Stir in chicken broth, beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce. Bundle parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with kitchen twine; add to the pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard herb bundle. Reduce heat to low; stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover soup and keep warm over low heat while you prepare the toast

Step Three: Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until well toasted on both sides, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; do not turn off the broiler

Step Four: Arrange 4 large oven-safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice of toasted bread, 2 slices Gruyère cheese, and 1/4 of the Asiago cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one

Step Five: Cook under the hot broiler until bubbly and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal as it melts

Notes: You can substitute Italian bread for French bread, Swiss for Gruyère, and mozzarella for Asiago.

Christmas Prime Rib

Created on 12/24/2022

Ingredients:

  • 1 (6 pound) boneless prime rib roast
  • 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 small unpeeled onion, quartered and separated
  • 2 teaspoons concentrated beef base (paste)
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • Rosemary for garnish

Instructions:

Step One: The day before serving, remove the roast from the package and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Set roast on a baking sheet, and place in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to allow meat to reach room temperature. Rub the roast all over with horseradish and Dijon mustard. Mix kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, and garlic powder together in small bowl; sprinkle over the roast

Step Two: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place celery, carrot, and onion into the bottom of a roasting pan; place the roast on top

Step Three: Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and roast until the meat is browned and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 120 degrees F (54 degrees C) for medium-rare. Remove from oven, transfer roast to a platter, and cover with a tent of aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. The temperature of the meat will rise about 10 degrees during resting time

Step Four: To make au jus sauce: Skim excess fat from pan drippings in the roasting pan. Place the pan over a burner set to medium heat; stir in beef base and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, scraping and dissolving any brown flavor bits from the bottom of the pan. Strain out and discard vegetables. Combine cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl; whisk the mixture into sauce. Allow sauce to thicken slightly; pour into a gravy boat and serve with roast

Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

Created on 12/23/2022

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lbs chicken thighs, skin on, boneless
  • 1 large leek
  • Bamboo skewers
  • Green onion to garnish
  • ¼ cup sake
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • ¼ cup Japanese soy sauce
  • ¼ cup brown sugar

Instructions

Step One: For the teriyaki sauce, heat sake, mirin, soy sauce and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer on low for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Set aside until ready to cook.

Step Two: Thread chicken onto skewers. Then take 2-3 sheets of leek and roll into a cylinder. Thread the rolled leeks onto skewers.

Step Three: Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with a little oil. Cook chicken skewers for 2-3 minutes each side or until almost cooked. Brush chicken with a generous amount of teriyaki sauce. Turn and brush the other side. Keep turning and basting chicken until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through. Do the same with the leek skewers. Transfer skewers to a serving plate. Top with spring onion to serve.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

Created on 12/17/2022

Ingredients:

  • 2 – 3 lbs chuck roast
  • 1 lb small baby yellow potatoes
  • 6 carrots peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1/2 onion cut into chunks
  • 2 cups beef broth (half carton)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup water for the gravy
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Step One:

First cut all your vegetables into large chunks. You want them to be bigger so they will not turn into mush.

Step Two: Brown the roast on the stove. Brown all sides until a crust has formed.

Step Three: Add your roast to the crock pot and then place the vegetables around the roast.

Step Four: Add all your seasonings.

Step Five: Next add in the beef stock.

Step Six: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.

Step Seven: Shred the beef.

Step Eight: Now, time to make the gravy. In a small bowl whisk together the ¼ cup of water and the cornstarch.

Step Nine: Remove 2 cups of the liquid from the crock pot and place in a saucepan.

Step Ten: Whisk in the water and cornstarch mixture in with the beef juice.

Step Eleven: Bring to a boil, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes until it begins to thicken. It will thicken as it cools as well.

Step Twelve: Drizzle the gravy over the roast, potatoes and carrots. Top with parsley and enjoy.

Notes: Add additional vegetables to this recipe, like peas and corn. Just add them in the last hour of cooking so they don’t turn to mush.

Enchillada Sauce

Created on 11/26/2022

Ingredients:

  • 5 Dried Anaheim Chiles
  • 1 Ancho Chile
  • 2 Chiles de Arbol
  • ½ Onion
  • 4 Garlic Cloves
  • Water
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
  • ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavor
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Salt, optional

Instructions

Step One: Stem, seed and rinse all dried chiles. Cut onion into three pieces. Peel garlic cloves. Place in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover.

Step Two: Place pan on medium high heat and bring to a boil then reduce to low and cover with lid. Allow to cook until everything is heated through and chiles are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Step Three: With slotted spoon, remove all ingredients from sauce pan to electric blender. Add about 1 cup water so blender blades will move easily. Pulse until smooth. Strain out and discard solid pieces, leaving the liquid. Set aside.

Step Four: Rinse and dry sauce pan or use a different one. With a whisk, mix together oil and flour briskly until smooth. Place pan on stovetop at medium heat. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. (To make gluten free, see note below.)

Step Five: Stir in liquid sauce from blender until smooth. Slowly stir in three cups water. Be careful when you first start pouring. There will be a lot of hot steam.

Step Six: Stir in remaining ingredients. The bouillon already has a lot of salt so, if you want to reduce the sodium, leave out the extra salt.

Step Seven: Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.

Notes:

Makes 1 quart. Serving size is calculated at ¼ cup for nutrional information.To make gluten free, you can use GF flour or masa harina. Or, you can leave this part out completely for a thinner sauce.Use any leftovers at the table as a condiment, or save for another recipe later. Mexican gravy. To thicken this sauce for more of a Mexican gravy, slowly stir in ½ to 1 cup of your favorite cheese until fully melted near the end of cooking. Serve over tamales, burritos, nachos, tacos, chimichangas, everything.

Ranch Dressing

11/15/2019

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk
  • ¾ – 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon finely cracked pepper
  • freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste approximately 1-3 teaspoons, adjust to taste

Instructions

Step One: Whisk together the mayo, sour cream and milk until smooth. Add the spices and whisk until combined. Add the lemon and whisk again. Pour into a jar and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dressing will keep nicely in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!