This is hugely popular around here. The only adjustment I've made is to saute the onions separately instead of mixing them in with the meat. Just accommodating picky eaters. We like it with rice and a veg, although mashed potatoes is more traditional. You have my permission to do what you like!
Ingredients
Meat and Gravy:
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick) or, coarse salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock
Directions
Combine meat, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Form 4 large, oval patties, 1-inch thick.
Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the meat patties to a hot pan. Cook meat 6 minutes on each side until meat is evenly caramelized on the outside and juices run clear. Remove meat and cover with loose tin foil to keep warm. Add 1 more turn of the pan extra-virgin olive oil and butter to the pan, then the onions. Season onions with salt and pepper and saute until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
To onions, add a sprinkle of flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in stock and thicken 1 minute.
Serve with potatoes or rice, a veg and, for our family, ketchup!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Chicken Potpie - Martha Stewart
Use a little extra seasoning while preparing this potpie; the flavors mellow as it cooks. Topping a potpie is easy when you use your rolling pin to set the pastry crust over the filled baking dish. Be sure to chill the dough before and after rolling it out, then curl it around the pin, and unfurl to cover the pie. Tuck the overlapping edges of pastry inside the dish to create a thick, rustic rim of crust.
Ingredients
Serves 6.
1 chicken (3 or 4 pounds)
4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 large yellow onion, cut in half
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 rib celery, cut into thirds
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
9 ounces red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 pearl onions, peeled and cut lengthwise if large
1 medium leek, white and light-green parts only, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and washed
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
6 ounces button mushrooms, quartered if large
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Directions
Combine chicken, chicken stock, yellow onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, 3 thyme sprigs, and celery in a stockpot, and add enough water just to cover the chicken. Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Pick enough thyme leaves to make 3 tablespoons. Combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon thyme leaves in the bowl of a food processor, and set remaining 2 tablespoons thyme aside. Add 10 tablespoons chilled butter cut into small pieces, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. While the food processor is running, add 3 tablespoons ice water and 1 egg yolk, and process until the dough holds together. Turn dough onto plastic wrap, flatten into circle, and wrap well; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Drain chicken, and reserve the stock. Remove the skin from the chicken, and remove all the chicken from the carcass. Shred the chicken into bite-size strips, and set aside. Strain the stock, and set aside 2 cups. Reserve the remaining stock for another use.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add red potatoes and pearl onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add leeks, carrots, and mushrooms, and cook 4 to 5 minutes more. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in reserved chicken stock and milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved chicken pieces, parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons thyme, lemon zest, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and the ground pepper; transfer to a large casserole dish. Set aside.
Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick, and transfer to a baking sheet. Allow to chill 15 minutes. Make an egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining yolk and heavy cream. Working quickly, place the dough over the top of the chicken mixture, and tuck extra dough around the edges. Cut slits on top to allow steam to escape. Brush with the egg wash, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.
This was amazing - Aaron declared it the best homemade dinner ever. Really easy to do in stages so you're not in the kitchen for hours at a time. I cooked the chicken this morning while we were having breakfast, then let it cool all morning. I made the crust and put it in the fridge. I cut up the veggies and put them in ziplock bags and in the fridge until it was time to cook everything. It came together pretty fast. This makes enough for two 8-9 inch pies. Make one, freeze the other!
Ingredients
Serves 6.
1 chicken (3 or 4 pounds)
4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 large yellow onion, cut in half
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 rib celery, cut into thirds
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
9 ounces red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 pearl onions, peeled and cut lengthwise if large
1 medium leek, white and light-green parts only, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and washed
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
6 ounces button mushrooms, quartered if large
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Directions
Combine chicken, chicken stock, yellow onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, 3 thyme sprigs, and celery in a stockpot, and add enough water just to cover the chicken. Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Pick enough thyme leaves to make 3 tablespoons. Combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon thyme leaves in the bowl of a food processor, and set remaining 2 tablespoons thyme aside. Add 10 tablespoons chilled butter cut into small pieces, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. While the food processor is running, add 3 tablespoons ice water and 1 egg yolk, and process until the dough holds together. Turn dough onto plastic wrap, flatten into circle, and wrap well; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Drain chicken, and reserve the stock. Remove the skin from the chicken, and remove all the chicken from the carcass. Shred the chicken into bite-size strips, and set aside. Strain the stock, and set aside 2 cups. Reserve the remaining stock for another use.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add red potatoes and pearl onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add leeks, carrots, and mushrooms, and cook 4 to 5 minutes more. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in reserved chicken stock and milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved chicken pieces, parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons thyme, lemon zest, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and the ground pepper; transfer to a large casserole dish. Set aside.
Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick, and transfer to a baking sheet. Allow to chill 15 minutes. Make an egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining yolk and heavy cream. Working quickly, place the dough over the top of the chicken mixture, and tuck extra dough around the edges. Cut slits on top to allow steam to escape. Brush with the egg wash, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.
This was amazing - Aaron declared it the best homemade dinner ever. Really easy to do in stages so you're not in the kitchen for hours at a time. I cooked the chicken this morning while we were having breakfast, then let it cool all morning. I made the crust and put it in the fridge. I cut up the veggies and put them in ziplock bags and in the fridge until it was time to cook everything. It came together pretty fast. This makes enough for two 8-9 inch pies. Make one, freeze the other!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Spaghettini with Crab and Spicy Lemon Sauce
Spaghettini with Crab and Spicy Lemon Sauce
Yield: Makes 4 servings
3/4 pound spaghettini
4 tablespoons butter
2 large garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Smidge of fresh thyme
8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over
3 ounces prosciutto, sliced crosswise (optional)
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons butter and garlic in large skillet over medium heat. Mix in next 3 ingredients.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta, 1/4 cup cooking liquid, chopped parsley, and crabmeat to skillet. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to large platter. Top with prosciutto, if desired. Add a pat of butter if you'd like and garnish with fresh chives and thyme.
This was oh so good! We are blessed with great friends who can go crabbing frequently. They sent us home with quite a bit of crab the last time we were at their house and it's been taunting me from the freezer ever since. I just didn't really know what to do with it. I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit, trading in the olive oil for butter (because with crab, butter is always better!), getting rid of parsley and adding the chives and thyme.
I do know why crabmeat is so expensive though - it's a bugger to get it all out of those legs! But well worth it if you have a crabbing friend. If not, buy the lump crabmeat.
And if you ever come to my house in crabbing season, I'll score us some! Aaron, William and I were the only ones to eat it - Laurel has decided she doesn't like crab (more for me!), but James took a few bites and I know he got some crab in there. So perhaps they might like it again. The lemon flavor is very nice, and it's not super spicy - just the right amount of heat to make sure it's not too rich.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
3/4 pound spaghettini
4 tablespoons butter
2 large garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Smidge of fresh thyme
8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over
3 ounces prosciutto, sliced crosswise (optional)
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons butter and garlic in large skillet over medium heat. Mix in next 3 ingredients.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta, 1/4 cup cooking liquid, chopped parsley, and crabmeat to skillet. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to large platter. Top with prosciutto, if desired. Add a pat of butter if you'd like and garnish with fresh chives and thyme.
This was oh so good! We are blessed with great friends who can go crabbing frequently. They sent us home with quite a bit of crab the last time we were at their house and it's been taunting me from the freezer ever since. I just didn't really know what to do with it. I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit, trading in the olive oil for butter (because with crab, butter is always better!), getting rid of parsley and adding the chives and thyme.
I do know why crabmeat is so expensive though - it's a bugger to get it all out of those legs! But well worth it if you have a crabbing friend. If not, buy the lump crabmeat.
And if you ever come to my house in crabbing season, I'll score us some! Aaron, William and I were the only ones to eat it - Laurel has decided she doesn't like crab (more for me!), but James took a few bites and I know he got some crab in there. So perhaps they might like it again. The lemon flavor is very nice, and it's not super spicy - just the right amount of heat to make sure it's not too rich.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Pasta Salad
A couple weeks ago I really wanted pasta salad and decided to see what I could come up with using only ingredients I already had in order to use them up. This pasta salad was my creation and it's very flavorful and tasty.
1 lb. tri-color rotini pasta
sea salt
olive oil
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1 or 2 tomatos, chopped
1/2 lb. or so cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes
Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (I add 1 - 2 tbls. extra since I like it vinegary)
1 tbls. dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
Cook the pasta according to directions, adding sea salt and olive oil to pasta water once boiling. Drain pasta and cool at least 1/2 hour. In a large measuring cup, add all dressing ingredients and whisk until blended. Pour half over pasta and stir. Assemble and chop vegetables and cheese and then add to pasta along with the remaining dressing. The salad is good served immediately, but it is even better if you make it the night before serving, or at least a few hours in advance. Enjoy!
1 lb. tri-color rotini pasta
sea salt
olive oil
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1 or 2 tomatos, chopped
1/2 lb. or so cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes
Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (I add 1 - 2 tbls. extra since I like it vinegary)
1 tbls. dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
Cook the pasta according to directions, adding sea salt and olive oil to pasta water once boiling. Drain pasta and cool at least 1/2 hour. In a large measuring cup, add all dressing ingredients and whisk until blended. Pour half over pasta and stir. Assemble and chop vegetables and cheese and then add to pasta along with the remaining dressing. The salad is good served immediately, but it is even better if you make it the night before serving, or at least a few hours in advance. Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
"French" Stew with Crusty Sourdough Bread
When I created this in my head while wandering the grocery store I decided to call it French stew. I really don't think it is in any way French...but it is a delicious beef stew that we enjoyed the first night by ourselves and then again the next night with my sister and her family.
1 pkg. beef stew meat (I think it was about a pound or so)
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
4 medium red potatoes, chopped in bite-sized pieces
2 16oz. cans diced tomatoes with sweet onion and roasted garlic
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
1 16 oz. can beef broth
3-4 tablespoons garlic herb olive oil (I used a specialty one we got at the farmer's market)
2 tablespoons steak seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and stew meat. Add 1 tablespoon steak seasoning and brown meat on all sides. Remove from pot and add the rest of the olive oil and the onions and saute for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add carrots and potatoes and the rest of the steak seasoning. Stir to combine and saute for another 5 minutes or so. Add the meat back into the pot along with the beef broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits at the bottom of the pot. Next add the rest of the ingredients - tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, onion salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and stir occasionally for at least 45 minutes to an hour. I served it with sourdough bread which I had cut horizontally, brushed with the garlic herb olive oil and cracked black pepper and cooked at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. It was absolutely delicious...enjoy! :)
1 pkg. beef stew meat (I think it was about a pound or so)
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
4 medium red potatoes, chopped in bite-sized pieces
2 16oz. cans diced tomatoes with sweet onion and roasted garlic
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
1 16 oz. can beef broth
3-4 tablespoons garlic herb olive oil (I used a specialty one we got at the farmer's market)
2 tablespoons steak seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and stew meat. Add 1 tablespoon steak seasoning and brown meat on all sides. Remove from pot and add the rest of the olive oil and the onions and saute for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add carrots and potatoes and the rest of the steak seasoning. Stir to combine and saute for another 5 minutes or so. Add the meat back into the pot along with the beef broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits at the bottom of the pot. Next add the rest of the ingredients - tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, onion salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and stir occasionally for at least 45 minutes to an hour. I served it with sourdough bread which I had cut horizontally, brushed with the garlic herb olive oil and cracked black pepper and cooked at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. It was absolutely delicious...enjoy! :)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Strawberry Spinach Salad
I love that it feels like summer and I get to make this salad again! I didn't used to like pairing fruit with my greens and realize others out there might feel the same. How glad I am that I kept tasting them at church functions, restaurants, and dinners with friends because I sure love it now! This is the one I make most often:
spinach
strawberries, sliced thin
sweet yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
pecan halves, I like to roast them with sugar first
I've added grilled chicken to this salad before too for a light, main-dish, summer supper. Yum.
Dressing:
½ Cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp raspberry vinegar (last time I used a pomegranate balsamic vinegar which was very good too)
1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
¾ tsp poppy seeds, optional
In blender, puree ½ cup strawberries till smooth. Add sugar and vinegar; blend well. Blend in yogurt. Stir in poppy seeds. Refrigerate until serving time.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Chicken Lemon Pasta with Green Beans
I modified my earlier post with the pancetta and broccoli to use what I had on hand. This was pretty tasty. So pardon the repeat (sort of) and lack of picture (I forgot!).
2 thin chicken breast pieces
1/2 bag frozen green beans
Thin spaghetti
5 cloves garlic
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 T. finely grated lemon peel
2 t. fresh lemon juice
pinch of dried thyme leaves
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper chicken. Heat olive oil in medium pan and saute chicken until cooked through but not dry. Remove and let stand on cutting board. Transfer to paper towels.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted (VERY salted) water until firm. Add green beans and cook until green beans are heated through. Drain pasta. Add garlic to oil in pan (you might need some more oil). Saute until light golden brown. Add butter, lemon peel and juice and thyme leaves to pan. Add pasta and toss to coat. Add sliced chicken and cheese; toss to blend. Season with pepper and serve.
2 thin chicken breast pieces
1/2 bag frozen green beans
Thin spaghetti
5 cloves garlic
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 T. finely grated lemon peel
2 t. fresh lemon juice
pinch of dried thyme leaves
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper chicken. Heat olive oil in medium pan and saute chicken until cooked through but not dry. Remove and let stand on cutting board. Transfer to paper towels.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted (VERY salted) water until firm. Add green beans and cook until green beans are heated through. Drain pasta. Add garlic to oil in pan (you might need some more oil). Saute until light golden brown. Add butter, lemon peel and juice and thyme leaves to pan. Add pasta and toss to coat. Add sliced chicken and cheese; toss to blend. Season with pepper and serve.
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