Short Rib Beef Stew in Ale with Winter Vegetables

This recipe was mostly inspired by one I found in Simply Recipes. I love the taste of short ribs and have been longing for the comforting taste of a good hearty stew.

Ingredients

2 lbs. beef short ribs
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 strips bacon
1 onion
3 leeks
2 cloves garlic
1 bottle brown ale
1 can whole peeled plum tomatoes
2 red potatoes
2 parsnips
3 turnips
2 stalks celery
5 carrots
fennel bulb
1 can beef broth
1 package frozen peas
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Directions

Prepare the leeks by stripping off the outer skin, discard the green leaf part, slit the white leek down the center and slice horizontally, place the chopped leeks in water to soak.
Prepare the onion by removing the skin and chopping roughly.
Place 4 bacon strips in the bottom of a thick bottomed Dutch oven. Cook the bacon over medium high until the fat has been rendered. Remove and place on a paper towel.
While the bacon is cooking, trim excess fat off the beef short ribs and cut into 2 inch cubes. If you can only get short ribs on the bone, just trim excess fat.
Put 1/2 cup flour on a plate and mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the meat with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss the meat in the flour.
If there is not enough fat in the bottom of the pan, add a little oil and saute the meat until browned  on all sides. For a good browning do not stir the short ribs unless to turn.
Place the browned meat aside.
While the meat is cooking, remove the leeks and drain in a colander.
In the same pan the meat was cooked in, add the chopped leeks and onions. Saute until just starting to become translucent.
Chop two garlic cloves and add to the onions and leeks. Stir for two minutes.
Add a can of chopped peeled plum tomatoes and the juice to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Add the meat, chopped bacon and 1 bottle brown ale.
Simmer the meat mixture for two hours until the meat is tender.
At this point you can let the whole pot cool overnight in the fridge.
The next day, you can skim off any fat from the top. Skimming the fat is really important as the short ribs produce quite a bit.
Peel and chop 2 red potatoes, 2 parsnips, 3 turnips, 2 stalks celery, 5 carrots and 1 fennel bulb. Add to the pot. Add 1 can beef broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer covered until the vegetables are tender.
Just as I was tasting the stew, I decided to add a teaspoon each of coriander and cumin and 1/4 cayenne pepper. I then popped in a package of frozen peas.

French Madeleines

There is a stand at the Farmers Market which sells homemade soaps. The owners are from France and they also make the most exquisite madeleines. They are light and airy, with a touch of lemon, not too sugary. A huge favorite with our granddaughters! They are made on Fridays and if you don't get to the Market before 7 in the morning, they are often all gone. Much sadness if David returns empty handed. So I decided to try and make our own. Daniela and Nadia were helping on the first batch, they were a bit burnt and Daniela thought they were too hard. I think the oven was too high at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, so I went to another recipe which came out pretty close. . . this one by Dana Velden who has just published her first book, Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook sounds fiddly but you can melt the butter first and let it cool while doing something else, then prepare the batter and let it rest for at least an hour. The pans can be in the freezer. You need a madeleine pan, Dana calls for two pans but I only have one and it worked fine.

Ingredients
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Powdered sugar

Directions
Melt 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a pan. Pour into a bowl and reserve 3 tablespoons butter in a smaller bowl. Let the butter cool
To prepare the madeleine pans, mix 1 tablespoon flour with the 3 tablespoons reserved butter and stir until the mixture is well combined. Using a pastry brush, brush the interiors of the shells with the butter-flour mixture so that they are well coated.
Place the pans in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. In one bowl whisk together 1 cup flour and 2/3 cup sugar and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk 2 eggs with 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon lemon zest until the eggs are frothy.
Add the egg mixture to the flour, using a spatula until just combined, add the cooled melted butter slowly and continue to stir. It may take a minute for the butter to blend into the mixture but do not over mix.
Rest the batter in a covered bowl for at least 1 hour and up to overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the batter from the fridge and the madeleine pan from the freezer. Fill each well in the madeleine pan with 1 tablespoon batter.
Bake for approximately 13 minutes. The medeleines should be browning around edges and puffed up a little in the middle, Using your forefinger, press lightly on the center hump - when the madeleines are finished baking, it should spring back at your touch.
Remove the madeleines from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes.Tip the whole pan out onto a cooling wrack. Once cool, dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve.
If you are freezing or storing the madeleine, do not dust with the sugar until you are about to serve
store cooled madeleines in an airtight container for a few days or freeze them in a double wrapping of plastic wrap for several months. Let the cakes defrost before dusting with sugar.

Savory Dutch Baby

Portia found this recipe by Melissa Clark. I LOVED it, it’s sort of a mix between Yorkshire Pudding and an omelette, great for a brunch type of meal when you are not sure if it’s lunch or breakfast. Done in a cast iron skillet with high rim, it looks beautiful, cut into pizza size wedges, Portia served it with a dish of asparagus and fried eggs on top and a lovely light salad with apples. Just delicious.

Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
2 tablespoons minced chives or parsley
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Flakey sea salt for garnish

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons  flour, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Whisk 8 eggs and 3/4 cup whole milk in a separate bowl’
Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
Stir in 2 tablespoons thyme and 2 tablespoons minced chives.

Melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in a heavy 12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Let it cook until it smells nutty and browns, about 5-7 minutes, then swirl skillet so that the butter coats bottom of pan.

Pour batter into pan and scatter 3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and the flakey salt over the top. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Melissa serves this with Sriracha and lemon wedges, but I liked it without anything.

Karen's Rice (Riz ma Shireeyee)

Much loved by my grandchildren, they always request she make it, always disappointed if it isn’t on the table! Karen basically uses a cup of rice to two cups of chicken broth, brings it to the boil and then simmers covered, not taking the lid off. Perhaps it's the stick of butter and masses of cinnamon that makes it taste so delicious!

Ingredients

1 cup of rice (not instant)
2 cups chicken broth
1 stick butter
Angel Hair pasta, broken into 1/4 inch lengths (approximately)
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

Crush angel hair pasta into lengths approximately 1/4 in length, give or take until you have 1 cup
Melt one stick of butter in a saucepan, drop in the pasta and stir constantly until dark brown in color.Stir in 2 tablespoon cinnamon and add 1 cup rice and 2 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt.
Bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and leave covered for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid fluff rice with a fork.

Prime Rib Soup

One way to use the ribs after you have roasted the prime rib is to make this really delicious prime rib soup. It doesn’t take hours to make because the meat is already cooked and has all the delicious flavors

Ingredients

Use the ribs from a fully cooked prime rib roast, cut into separate pieces
4 carrots
4 celery stalks
1 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
6 sprigs parsley chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup of red wine
5 cups water
1 cup pearled barley
salt
pepper
1 package frozen lima beans
1/2 package frozen peas
1 can beef broth

Directions

Place the beef ribs in a large pot. Top and tail the carrots (do not peel) and slice in half. Slice celery stalks in half. Chop one onion. Add red wine, water, barley, the rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil covered, then simmer for approximately one hour until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the ribs and shred the meat off the bone, replacing in the pot. Discard the bones. Slice the carrots and celery. I did this afterwards in case they were overcooked and too mushy.
Add beef broth, lima bean and peas and continue to simmer until they are tender, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Chill in the fridge overnight, and the next day remove the fat from the top, it comes off really easily once chilled.
Reheat and serve with nice fresh crusty bread.

Roasting the Thanksgiving Turkey

The Turkey

I now get 13lb turkeys because Chris smokes the other two. However, I used to get a 26lb turkey and roast it covered in a very slow oven. It turns out extremely moist, I’ve written down the times and temperatures for both. We eat in the evening at 6 p.m. but you can recalculate if you eat at midday.

I generally pick up the turkey on Tuesday, I might prepare the turkey the night before, but make sure the stuffing is completely cooled before placing inside the turkey.

A whole turkey requires 15 minutes to prepare for roasting.
Prepare stuffing separately a day ahead, keep stuffing in a covered casserole in the refrigerator. You can stuff the turkey, but you can also bake the stuffing with the turkey during the last hour of roasting time.
Refrigerate turkey below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
A frozen turkey can be kept in a freezer for up to a year, so long as it is in its original wrapper and has never been defrosted.

To thaw a turkey, there is no hurry, place the turkey in its original wrapping in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours per 7 pounds to completely thaw.
Or for a faster thaw, place turkey in its original wrapping in sink and cover with cold water. Allow about half an hour per pound of turkey to completely thaw. Change water every 30 minutes. Refrigerate or cook once turkey is thawed. Never re-freeze a defrosted turkey.

The best size is about 13 lbs for a turkey, this is good for about 10 people and leftovers the next few days. I buy two 13 pound turkeys for 20 people.
If you are having 30 to 35 people, and only one oven, then you need a large turkey weighing 28 lbs.
I’ll give you the directions for both sizes.
I generally order the fresh turkey(s) from Nichols a month ahead and arrange to pick up on Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Make sure you have all the ingredients needed ahead of time.
You will need heavy duty wide length silver foil, turkey pins, a large roasting pan, kitchen string for trussing, Pam spray, 1/2 cup butter, 1 package of bacon.


Ingredients for the stuffing

1 package croutons
1 pound Gianelli sweet sausage
1 stalk celery chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup (Campbell’s)
1 package slivered almonds

Directions for stuffing

Remove the casing from the sausage, break up the sausage meat and saute in two batches in a pan.
Mix all the ingredients together and place in the refrigerator covered.
This can be made the day before.
Never stuff the turkey until the stuffing is completely cooled.

To Prepare the Turkey:
Remove the neck from the breast cavity and the giblets from the neck cavity. Rinse the outside and inside of turkey with water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Rub cavities with salt and pepper, stuff both cavities with the cooled stuffing.
Secure the ends with pins, using string, tie up the turkey (known as trussing the turkey) so that the legs and wings are secure to the sides of the turkey.
Rub the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup butter sliced into chunks on top of the turkey, then cover the whole turkey with strips of bacon.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan and cover with silver foil, so that the foil is slightly tented, but tightly sealed so that no air escapes.

Turkey done this way is moist and tasty every time,

For a 13 pound turkey....
To eat at 6 p.m.......
9:30 a.m. preheat the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
10 a.m place turkey in oven.
3:00 p.m. turn oven up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, keep turkey covered.
4:30 p.m. remove foil, brush turkey with butter, turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5:00 p.m. remove turkey from oven  and let stand for one hour before carving.

For a 26 - 28 pound turkey
To eat at 2 p.m. a large turkey is started the night before, well really in the early morning! Preheat oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit at 12:30 p.m. night before.
1:00 a.m. place turkey in oven covered
7:00 a.m. turn oven up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, keep turkey covered
12:30 p.m. remove foil, brush turkey with butter, turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
1:00 p.m. remove turkey from oven and let stand for one hour before carving.

For 26-28 pound turkey
To eat at 6 p.m.
7:00 a.m. place turkey in oven covered at 275 degrees Fahrenheit
1:00 p.m. turn oven up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, keep turkey covered.
4:30 p.m. remove foil, brush turkey with butter, turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
5:00 p.m. remove turkey from oven and let stand for one hour before carving. 

Smoked Turkey for Thanksgiving

Our cousin, Chris, smokes the turkey for us at Thanksgiving. It is moist, tender and absolutely
delicious!

We had 2 13 lb birds, he stuffs a whole orange in each turkey, on the third rack he has a silver foil pan, filled with onions with the skins on and quartered, apples
slices in half, celery and a large dollop of red wine.

He also pours more red wine around the turkeys and checks during smoking time to make sure that none of the liquids dry out.

He may add more wine during the cooking time.


Chris smokes his turkeys for a good four hours, checking to make sure the meat is tender and falling away from the bone.