Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Here are four, simple-to-make dishes along with wine pairings that are sure to show your loved one(s) how much you care.

• Savory Cheese Tartlets with Blackberries paired with  La Marca Di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco ($12)
• Cream of Asparagus and Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese Soup  paired with  2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Pinot Noir ($65)
• Boeuf en Croûte (Beef Wellington)  paired with  2006 Stag’s Leap Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
• Simple Greek Yogurt and Berry Tart  paired with  2008 Heron Hill Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ($18)

BONUS – breakfast:  Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Cheers,

Veronique

Last night, I had some friends over for fondue night.  We don’t fondue as often as we should because when we do, it’s a great time.  There’s no better way to stretch out a meal than to fondue.

I served a cheese fondue made using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar from Vermont and Victory Headwaters.  Sharp cheese and beer – winning!  For dinner, I typically do a fondue pot with beefy, wine broth for shrimp, chicken and cheese cubes and a pot with hot oil for beef tenderloin.  The dinner fondues are served with three dipping sauces, this time: Sriracha and maple mayo, a Dijon mustard and tarragon mayo and a garlic mayo.  Just a fun concept and please ping me if you’d like fondue tips.

Today is football day at our home and we usually take it super easy on Sunday afternoons.  This means that I typically make dinner in the morning so we can just eat in front of the television later.  Today, I made my Grandma’s amazing meat sauce that we’ll eat with spaghetti.  I double the sauce recipe as it freezes beautifully.

Hope you’re having as great a weekend as I’m having!

Cheers,

Veronique

I know beef Wellington is pretty old-school, but I love recreating these types of recipes and I find that my guests really enjoy them – either for the first time or for the first time in a long time.

Although beef Wellington looks fancy and difficult to make, it is not, even for novice home cooks.  The dish is beautiful to present to special guests but straight-forward enough to make on any weekend night.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 ½ pound piece of beef tenderloin, patted dry with paper towels
• 1 tsp. each salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 large shallot, fined minced
• 1 pound Cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. each salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ½ tsp. dry thyme
• 4 ounces mousse of duck foie gras (1/2 an 8-ounce container)
• 1 sheet from a 17 ¼-ounce frozen puff pastry box, thawed
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour for dusting when rolling out the pastry
• 1 egg, scrambled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large frying pan, heat oil over high heat.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the surface of the beef and add to the hot pan.  Sear on all sides until deeply browned, about 5 minutes total.  Remove beef from the pan (reserve pan for later use) to a platter and allow to cool completely.
3. Melt butter in the reserved large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and thyme to the shallots and sauté until completely softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove the pan from heat, and allow to cool completely.  Drain any liquids that might have been released from the mushrooms and pat the mixture well with paper towels.
4. Add the mushroom mixture and the foie gras to a food processor and pulse until nearly smooth with a few small pieces, about 1 minute.
5. Spray an unrimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet, ensuring it adheres to the cooking spray.
6. Unfold a puff pastry sheet on a floured work space.  Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the pastry to enlarge the rectangular sheet by 2 inches in each direction.  Move the pastry to the baking sheet by rolling it over the rolling pin.
7. Place the tenderloin in the center of the pastry and spread the mushroom / foie gras mixture over it, patting down the mixture with your hand to ensure it coats the beef completely and evenly.  Fold the pastry over the beef and seal all the seams – there will be extra pastry that needs to be cut away using a sharp knife.  Delicately, turn the pastry-wrapped beef over so that the seams are beneath the Wellington.  Cut a few slits on the pastry top and brush the Wellington with the egg mixture.
8. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 425 degrees for 5-10 additional minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the tenderloin is a few degrees short of the desired doneness.  Let the Wellington rest for 5-10 minutes then slice into 4 portions with a serrated knife.

Serves 4.

Notes:  This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 8.  Don’t like or want to use foie gras?  Simply replace with softened butter.  Serve this dish with mashed potatoes and pepper / Béarnaise sauce.

Today’s a rainy, gloomy day where I live and weather like this always causes me to crave a warm, hearty soup.  While at the grocery store, I found beautiful center cut beef shanks that screamed to be used to make beef mushroom barley soup.  Here’s the simple recipe for this comforting dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 pound beef shanks
• 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped into small dice
• 5 celery ribs, chopped into small dice
• 1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
• 2 32-ounce cartons of beef broth
• 1/4 cup dry Marsala wine or white wine (optional)
• 3/4 cup barley, rinsed in cold water
• 4-inch long piece of Parmesan rind

Directions:

1. Pour the oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat, and heat up for 30 seconds.  Add the beef shanks in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until browned.
2. Add the onion and celery to the beef in the pot, reduce heat to medium-high heat and cook the vegetables for 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook and additional 3 minutes.
3. Add the spices, the broth and the wine, if using.  Bring the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.
4. Add the barley and the Parmesan rind, if using, to the pot and simmer partially covered for another 30 minutes over low heat.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: If you can’t find beef shanks, simply replace with easy-to-find beef bones.

The following five steak grilling tips prove that you don’t have to be a grilling or steakhouse professional to serve your guests steaks that taste like you are.

Bone In Ribeye

1)  Buy the Right Cut of Meat

When you think of the best steak you’ve had at a steakhouse, you likely think of how juicy and flavorful the meat was, right?  In an attempt to recreate this savory experience, you must buy the right cut of meat.  This means that you must stay away from the overly lean filet mignon and try one of these top 5 cuts of meat for grilling:

Rib Eye:  The king of steaks, in my opinion.  The marbling of this cut is screaming for a hot grill.  With just a cracking of pepper and a generous coarse salt coating, it will be the best steak you’ve had, especially if still on the bone.

NY Strip:  This is a classic with the right amount of fat and chewiness.

Porterhouse (T-Bone):  Those of you addicted to the filet mignon will still be able to enjoy it while getting a juicy and flavorful NY strip along with it.

Skirt Steak:  This inexpensive cut of meat is ideal for a dinner party.  It’s affordable, cooks quickly and is ultra-flavorful, even without being marinated.

Tri-Tip:  Also known as Santa Maria steak, is the triangular section of the sirloin primal and has become popular with grillers because it’s flavorful, costs less than other prime cuts of meat and is typically about 2 ½ pounds hence perfect for feeding a crowd.

2)  Get a Meat Thermometer

Chefs on cooking programs constantly show folks how to ball up or stretch out their hand to compare the resulting tautness of their skin to what a steak should feel at various cooking temperatures.  How the heck can remember this stuff, and who needs to?!

Get yourself a meat thermometer for $5 – $10, actually use it and you’ll never fail again when mom asks for medium and spouse asks for rare.  I recommend taking the steaks off the grill five degrees before they reach each of the below temperatures as the meat will continue to cook as it rests:

• Rare: 130 degrees
• Medium-rare: 135 degrees
• Medium: 145 degrees
• Medium-well: 160 degrees
• Well: Not provided as meat should never be cooked well done

Once you get comfortable using the thermometer, you’ll get to understand how the meat should look and feel at various doneness and can do away with the handy tool.  This might take you a couple of grilling seasons, but you’ll get there.  In the meantime, arm yourself!

Strip Steak

3)  Allow Steak to Come to Room Temperature

This is possibly the most crucial step to a goof grilled steak.  Remove you steak from the refrigerator at least 30-60 minutes prior to grilling.  Not doing this will result in a steak that’s overcooked on the outside and has a “bullet” of raw/overly-rare meat on the inside.

4)  Steak Grilling Tip – Season your Meat

One of the biggest mistakes home cooks make when grilling steak is to under season the meat.  Marinating some cuts of meat is a good idea, but even more important is to generously coat the entire outside of the meat with olive oil then with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper.  I’m not talking a sprinkling of salt and pepper folks!  I mean a COATING.  Also, seasoning the meat after it’s grilled won’t do the trick – do it prior to grilling.

5)  Steak Grilling Tip – Let the Meat Rest

Most of us have heard of letting a steak rest after grilling, but how many actually have the patience to wait for a perfectly-grilled steak to rest 5-10 minutes!?

As the saying goes – just do it!  Get your steaks off the grill and onto a plate, then cover them with a piece of aluminum foil and have a cocktail to get your mind off cutting into those ribeyes.

Allowing the steak to rest will help the natural juices to redistribute within the meat without flowing out of the steak when you cut into it causing a dry, tough chewy experience.

Do you have steak grilling tips I’ve missed here?  Please share them!

Happy grilling,

Veronique

Not sure what to make for your Memorial Day get-together?  Tired of fixing the same old stand-by dishes?  Mix it up a little by serving these five simple and tasty Memorial Day side dishes:

1. Maple Glazed Parslied Baby Carrots
2. Queso Fresco Grilled Corn on the Cob
3. Quick and Easy Pan Fried Smashed Potatoes
4. Chorizo and Manchego Bites
5. Zesty Guacamole

If you try any of these recipes, please post a comment to let me know how you and your guests liked them.  Enjoy the long weekend while keeping in mind that there’s more to Memorial Day weekend than the food and celebrations.

Happy Memorial Day!

Veronique

Martha's Meatloaf

If you’ve seen me cook, you know that I mostly use the “throw a little of this and a little of that” in the pan mentality.  Even when I use a family recipe as a guideline, I modify the ingredients, measurements and techniques to make the final dish my own (okay, I follow my grandma’s meat sauce recipe to the letter).

With this in mind, I tested Martha Stewart’s Meatloaf 101 recipe years ago and have never veered off from the original – it’s simply the best meatloaf I’ve ever eaten.  It’s all that a meatloaf should be: comforting, moist with a caramelized, crusty topping.  I’m willing to be proven wrong if you feel your favorite meatloaf recipe is better than this one.

Martha Stewart Meatloaf 101 (first published January 2006)

Ingredients:

• 4 slices white bread, torn into pieces
• 1 3/4 pounds ground beef
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into eighths
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 4 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse bread until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl; add ground beef and ground pork.
2. Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add to beef mixture; combine using your hands. Add egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt, and pepper; combine thoroughly, using your hands. Place in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 teaspoons dry mustard, and the brown sugar; stir until smooth.
4. Brush mixture over top of the meatloaf. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch drippings, and transfer to oven. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. (If the top of the meatloaf gets too dark, cover with foil and continue baking.) Let meatloaf stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Yields 8-0 servings.

Ragu alla Bolognese

This comforting sauce is best served with rigatoni or gnocchi and would be delicious in a lasagna.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 medium carrots, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 3/4 pound ground veal
• 3/4 pound ground beef (20% fat)
• 2-28 ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, chopped
• 1-6 ounce can of tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup chicken or veal broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp each, dry oregano and basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Increase medium-heat to high, add meats and sauté until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, broth and the spices and stir well.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.

6 Servings.

Notes:  It’s fine to replace veal with beef if you prefer.  You could use white wine instead of red wine.  This sauce freezes very well, so feel free to double up the recipe!

Beef Short Ribs

This comforting dish is one that even self-proclaimed non-cooks can whip up for company.   The tender beef with its rich sauce are best served over mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Spanish onion, sliced into medium rings
• 4lb boneless beef short ribs
• 1 pound button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp each – salt, pepper
• 1/2 tsp each – onion powder, garlic powder, ground thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup red wine, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 14-ounce can low sodium beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs flour
• 1 tbs butter, softened

Instructions:

1. Place the onion rings in an even layer in a 7-quart slow cooker (crock pot).
2. Place short ribs over the onions, ideally in a single layer.
3. Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker, over the beef.
4. In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper and all the spices.  Sprinkle over the meat.
5. Pour the wine, broth and Worcestershire sauce around the beef.
6. Cook on LOW for 9-10 hours, then carefully remove the beef from slow cooker onto a platter.
7. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and bring cooking liquid to a simmer.  Using a ladle, remove the oily layer of fat from the cooking liquid and discard.
8. Combine softened butter and flour to form a paste in a small bowl.  Add to liquid in the slow cooker and whisk to form a slightly thickened sauce, about 5 minutes.  Return the beef to the slow cooker to warm up, then serve making sure to discard of the bay leaves.

6 Servings.

Notes: For maximum flavor, sprinkle 1/2 cup all-purpose flour over the uncooked beef then brown the beef in batches in vegetable oil in a sauté pan prior to adding to the slow cooker.  For an interesting twist, add a cup of baby carrots over the onions before cooking.

Berry Cobbler

It’s nearly Summertime and all of us are looking for simple dishes to make while entertaining friends and family.  Here are five dishes to try throughout the Summer that won’t keep you away from the party.

Beef Chili for a Crowd: http://bit.ly/96QARr

Quick and Easy Pan Fried Smashed Potatoes: http://bit.ly/cQRipt

Whole Grilled Chicken for the Non-Cook: http://bit.ly/bNYU1z

Zesty Guacamole: http://bit.ly/b0PYgj

Very Berry Cobbler: http://bit.ly/bP2yIL