2018

My First Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington baked to perfection.

Over the holidays I decided to make my first Beef Wellington, and it was super delicious (eat your heart out Gordon Ramsay). Laura and Anthony are always happy to be my tasters, and since Anthony lived in Britain for many years I thought the dish would be appropriate for their British inspired Christmas dinner. Anyway they would be very forgiving if the dish didn't turn out well.

I found a recipe online and proceeded to gather all the ingredients that I would need. Aldi's was having a special on their beef tenderloin so I headed over there and bought a 2 lb. cut. The most difficult thing about the whole recipe was preparing the beef. I had to remove the chain (a piece of meat down the side of the tenderloin) and all the connective tissue. The task would have been easier if I had had a proper sharp knife. (Reminder to me: buy a good boning knife.)

After removing the chain, fat and connective tissue.

Searing in a cast iron pan.

Seared on all sides.

I seared the tenderloin in peanut oil until all sides were sealed.

After searing, I wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to assemble.

I made the duxelle by finely chopping mushrooms and a shallot in my food processor and then heating until all the moisture was removed. You end up with a semi-dry paste.

On several layers of plastic wrap place slices of Prosciutto to form a square and then in the middle of the Prosciutto place a layer of the mushroom duxelle.

Now it's time to add the chilled tenderloin that has been coated with mustard.

After rolling up the tenderloin, I tightly wrapped it in the plastic wrap and refrigerated. (I did this the day before I planned to cook it. )

I did not make my own Puff Pastry, but the bought one worked just as well. I removed the wrapped tenderloin from the fridge and after rolling out the Puff Pastry to a size that would just accommodate the tenderloin, I unrolled the meat from the plastic wrap and onto the pastry.

Ready to bake.

After enclosing the beef completely in the pastry, I made a few slices in the top to let the steam escape when cooking.

We all preferred medium, so I cooked it the specified time according to the recipe.

After resting for 4 or 5 minutes it was ready to slice.

Anthony did the slicing. Perfect!

It came out beautifully brown with a crusty pastry (not soggy.)

It sliced beautifully and it adorned the plate perfectly with a side of lemony green beans.

I won't have any hesitation about preparing Beef Wellington again. It really is quite easy and oh so delicious.

A Quick Soup for a Cold Day

Ground Beef Tomato Soup

Actually it is 70 degrees here on this second day of December, but I know that cold weather will be here soon. So I'm preparing for it. Today I made a simple Ground Beef Tomato Soup to freeze. I like to have on hand several containers of frozen soup for days that call for something warm and comforting.

Ground Beef Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or you could use turkey)
1 14 oz diced or whole tomatoes pureed
2 cups of tomato sauce (I used Ragu sauce because I had it on hand. )
1 tbs garlic flakes
1 tsp onion salt
1 tbs oregano
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups of pasta (I sued fusilli because that is what I had on hand.) *
shredded cheese for garnish optional

Directions:

Puree 14 oz can of diced or whole tomatoes

In a large saucepan cook ground beef on medium heat until meat is no longer pink.

Drain fat and return beef to pan.

Add pureed tomatoes along with garlic, onion and oregano.

Add tomato sauce and 3 cups of chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add 2 cups of pasta and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve in warm bowl and top with shredded cheese if desired.

Serves 6 to 8.

*If you are on a low carb diet you can omit the pasta, and the soup will be equally delicious.

These freeze quite well.

Ready to freeze for a cold day when warm soup is needed.

Chili the Al Roker Way

Al Roker's Chili

I'm enjoying the cooler autumn days, and this puts me in the mood for comfort food. There's no better comfort food than chili, and my favorite is Al Roker's chili. His recipe calls for diced cube steak instead of ground beef, and it is ever so much better. Three different kinds of beans are used which makes the chili a bit more colorful. This recipe takes a little more time, but it is well worth the effort.

Al Roker’s Chili Recipe

· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

· 2 lbs chuck steaks, cut into 1/2-inch dice

· kosher salt

· fresh ground pepper

· 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed and meat broken into 1-inch pieces

· 1 large white onion, chopped

· 6 garlic cloves, minced

· 1 tablespoon chili powder

· 1 tablespoon sweet paprika

· 2 teaspoons ground cumin

· 1(28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

· 1 cup water

· 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained

· 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained

· 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or soup pot, heat the oil. Season the chuck with salt and pepper.

2. Add half of the chuck and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chuck.

3. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage to the diced chuck.

4. Add the chopped onion to the casserole and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 4 minutes.

5. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

6. Stir in the chili powder, paprika, cumin and the chuck, sausage and any accumulated juices. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.

7. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the water. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat for 1 hour.

8. Stir in the beans and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt if desired.

Serve the chili in deep bowls, passing the cheese, scallions, sour cream and cilantro

Cubed steak diced and browned

Italian sausage.

Mix spices in with onions and garlic that have been sauteed.

Add meat and tomatoes back into pot and simmer for one hour.

Add beans cook for 15 more minutes.

Ready to serve topped with cheese or scallions.

Yes, this is definitely one of my favorite comfort foods for cold weather. Why don't you try it!

Walk Talk Taste Sip

Debbie and I in front of one of Michael Brown's murals on our food tour.

Although this blog is mainly about MY cooking, I like to venture out to new places where I can learn new dishes and so I can explore new ideas for my cooking.

Debbie waiting in the lobby of the Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill Waiting on tour guide. .

"Walk, talk, taste, sip" is how the Chapel Hill & Carrboro Walking Food Tour that Debbie and I enjoyed was described. And the description was apt. Our guide, Parry, met us and another couple at the lobby of the Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill. With only four in our group, it was actually like a private tour of some of the food and drink establishments in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. https://www.trianglefoodtours.com/

Parry our tour guide was fantastic.

Along the way Parry pointed out some of the murals and told us a little history of the area. Although I have been to Chapel Hill and Carrboro numerous times, I learned a lot on this three hour tour.

This is a Michael Brown mural entitled Trees.

Our first stop was at the Indian restaurant Mint. That was one of Dan and my favorite Indian restaurants in the Triangle, so I knew we were in for a treat there. Sure enough our sample plate included their Chicken Tikki Masala and their Mint Chicken Kabab Delish!!! http://www.mintunc.com/

Chicken Tikka Masala, Mint Chicken Kabab, a bit of salad, slice of Naan.

Although Crook's Corner wasn't one of our food stops, our guide Parry told us a bit of the history of the place as we passed by leaving Chapel Hill and entering Carrboro. I didn't know it dated back to 1940 where Rachel Crook had a fish store there and that years later Crook was murdered at this spot, http://www.crookscorner.com/history

Crooks Corner with the Pig.

On to Carrboro and our second stop at the Hickory Tavern. We sat out in the patio which was enclosed and heated on this chilly afternoon. Our small plate include a slice of their tuna and a Shredhead (fried shredded potato + bacon + cheese with sour cream and a dipping sauce) and a small glass of beer.

Enjoying a small glass of beer at the Hickory Tavern.

A Shredhead and a slice of tuna at Hickory Tavern in Carrboro.

On to Glasshalfull, where we were served wine from their extensive collection and a small bowl of Cream of Tomato Soup that was made using coconut milk rather than dairy. Again delish!! https://glasshalfull.net/

Cream of tomato soup garnished with creme fraiche.

Kept walking and talking and sipping at the Carrboro Beverage Company. We could choose from beer, wine, or sodas at this our fourth stop. I chose a ginger ale that was very spicy and sure cleared out my sinuses.

Drinking a very spicy ginger ale.

On to the Carr Mill Mall which is one of the oldest buildings in Carrboro and it has been converted to small shops and restaurants. Here we enjoyed pizza at the Carrboro Pizza Oven https://www.carrboropizzaoven.com/

Pizza at the Carrboro Pizza Oven in Carr Mill Mall.

A nice long walk too.

We were served three tasty slices of pizzas in the Carrboro Pizza Oven. The broccoli cheese was my favorite. After this, the fifth and final stop, we were certainly full and having walked a little more than three miles we were a bit tired. I highly recommend this tour, and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other Triangle Food Tours.

German Lentil Sausage Stew

With the recent cool weather at last, I'm ready for soups and stews. I recently received a recipe for Lentil Sausage Stew from Viking River Cruises. It seems that ever since I traveled on one of their cruises I get recipes from them. And the recipes are usually quite good as was the food on the ship during our trip. Lentils are a favorite of mine and they cook rather quickly compared to other dried legumes. This stew is chocked full with potatoes, carrots, onions and leeks. So I consider it healthful.

This German Lentil Sausage Stew seemed to fit the bill so here's the recipe.

Ingredients
8 oz (227 g) lentils
6 oz (170 g) smoked bacon
1 T (17 g) tomato paste
2½ C (592 g) low sodium beef broth
2 med carrots, peeled and diced
1 med onion, diced
2 med leeks, white and pale green parts only, diced
1 lg white potato, diced
¼ C (10 g) parsley, chopped
3 precooked smoked sausages, sliced
Apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Clean and rinse lentils and place in a medium saucepan with bacon, tomato paste and broth. Add water to generously cover lentils; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender but still intact. Add carrots, onion, leeks and potato; simmer 20 minutes more. Remove bacon, dice and return to soup. Add parsley, sausage, vinegar, salt and pepper and serve hot.

Lentils, tomato paste, bacon in beef broth.

Add vegetables.

Remove bacon and dice.

Cook for final 20 minutes with bacon added.

Add parsley.

Add smoked sausage when ready to serve.

Prep time: 8 minutes.Cook time: 50 minutes.Makes 6-8 servings.

This really hit the spot for supper during these cool (actually cold) evenings. So if you are looking for something new this fall/winter, I can heartily recommend this.

Sweet Potato Cake/Pudding

2

Sweet potato cake/pudding.

As a subscriber to NYT Cooking, I regularly receive recommended recipes to try. With Thanksgiving coming up this was suggested as a substitute for pumpkin pie. I like sweet potatoes, and this is much easier to make than a pie. It mimics Bebinca a traditional dessert from the Indian state of Goa. This is a trial run before deciding whether to use it at Thanksgiving.

o Ingredients:

2 2 to 3 medium to large sweet potatoes (1 1/4 pounds total) 1/2/3 pureed potatoes

· 6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

· 6 large eggs

· 1 cup/200 grams dark brown sugar

· ¼ cup/60 milliliters maple syrup

· 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

· ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

· ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

· 1 (13.5-ounce/400-milliliter) can full-fat coconut milk

1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a 400 degree oven bake the sweet potatoes until tender. Cool and discard the skins. Puree the flesh in a blender or food processor. Measure out 1 2/3 cups /400 grams). Save the rest for another purpose. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.

2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round baking pan with 2-in sides with parchment paper and grease lightly with butter. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

Puree the sweet potatoes.

Add sugar to pureed sweet potatoes.

3. Add sugar to pureed potatoes and mix well.

4. Add all the other ingredients except the flour.

Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly.

5. Add the flour.

Mix in the flour.

6. Mix the flour until it is well incorporated into mixture.

Ready for the oven.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes. The pudding should be firm to the touch in the center and light golden brown around the edges.

7. Let it cool completely on a wire rack, and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least for 6 hours.

Cool on a wire rack.

8. When the pudding has set, run a sharp knife around the sides of the pan, flip the pan onto a plate lined with parchment paper and tap gently to release. Peel the parchment off the top (actually the bottom). Invert over another dish and remove the second sheet of parchment paper.

Ready to serve.

Ready to eat. Yum!

I think I will make this for Thanksgiving this year. It's texture is reminiscent of a cheesecake,yet it is dairy free. And it will be a change from pumpkin pie.