Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

This recipe from Foolproof was not so different from the recipe I made up using kale last fall. Since it still feels like winter here (don’t even get me started), this was a nice warm, comforting meal. I used all sweet sausage instead of sweet and spicy, and I crumbled it instead of slicing it. You know it’s good when my husband apologizes for taking all the broccoli rabe when he dishes out leftovers for himself.

 

Completed/remaining:  422/264

Boeuf Bourguignon

I’ve used this recipe from Barefoot in Paris years ago, and I don’t remember it tasting nearly as good as it did this time. I had a long conversation with the guys at the meat counter about why chuck roast is the best type of meat to use for this type of dish, and I think they were right. I halved the amount of wine because I don’t like it too boozy, but I increased the amount of beef stock. It was even better the next day.

Completed/remaining:  421/265

Spinach in Puff Pastry

Every once in a while, I’ll find a recipe like this one, from Barefoot in Paris, that I can’t believe I’ve overlooked for this long. Don’t skimp on the onions – I think that the flavor would be pretty boring without them.  I like that it’s a vegetarian (if not vegan) recipe that can be made from almost all ingredients that can be pulled from the freezer, and it can  come out looking like this without a ton of effort.

 

Completed/remaining:  420/266

Rack of Lamb, Celery Root Remoulade, and Spinach with Feta

This is not the first time I’ve tried to make the Rack of Lamb recipe (from Parties!). I once undercooked it, hoping that it would be rare to medium-rare, and it came out practically raw. Because the recipe calls for some resting time, I was afraid to put it back into the oven for fear that the bacteria had already multiplied. I have a strong fear of poisoning my family.  So, this time, it was a little overdone, but the seasonings of mustard, balsamic vinegar, and garlic made up for it, and it wasn’t dried out or anything.

The celery root remoulade (from Barefoot in Paris) was way too rich or salty or something. It was good in small doses, but I wouldn’t have wanted more than a few bites. It’s possible that I oversalted it, but I’m sure I didn’t use more than was listed in the recipe.

If the plate looks like it lacks color, well, it wasn’t planned that way. I had planned to serve these with spinach with pine nuts and feta (from Foolproof). Unfortunately, I didn’t notice that the feta was moldy until I had dumped some of it on top of the spinach. Sad.

 

The cheese had a sell-by date a few weeks away, so I returned it for a refund. It was a real bummer because the spinach smelled so good cooking with the onions.

Completed/remaining:  419/267

Lamb Shanks with Orzo

Score one for comforting and decadent, all wrapped up in one tender package.

This recipe (from Foolproof) calls for one lamb shank per serving, but that is about twice as much as we wanted to eat.  This would be a good introduction to lamb for someone who is hesitant to try it. It’s tender, and doesn’t have the strong flavor of lamb that other cuts and recipes have.  The fact that it braises for a couple of hours would make it great for entertaining, too – there’s very little guess-work and virtually no last-minute preparation. Besides, who doesn’t love serving up a Fred Flintstone-like shank to friends and family?

Completed/Remaining: 409/277

Lobster Mac & Cheese

I will admit that I was biased against this recipe (from Foolproof) before I started it. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that lobster macaroni and cheese was appearing everywhere, including in the freezer section of Costco, when I was pregnant with our second child. That time in my life is best remembered as the time when I stopped watching network television because I couldn’t stand the commercials for chain restaurants with close-ups of their chili-guacamole-creamy-ranch sauce.

I decided to put those memories behind me and dive right into this recipe. I used langoustines because I couldn’t stand the thought of combining real lobster with macaroni and cheese.  As it turns out, I can’t really stand the taste of any shellfish with mac and cheese.  It’s too bad, because it was kind of pretty.

 

Completed/Remaining: 407/279

Slow-Roasted Filet of Beef

After years of following Ina’s (and everybody else’s) method of roasting beef tenderloin at a high heat for a short time, I admit I was scared to change anything, especially with such a pricey cut of meat.*  I wanted to make this for Christmas day, for us to eat early in the day, and then serve up on sandwiches for relatives flying in later that evening.  So, if anything went horribly wrong, I guess we could have scraped up something else to eat that day. There was no improvisation necessary on this recipe from Foolproof.  This may be my favorite new recipe for beef, and my husband (chief tenderloin taste-taster) heartily concurred. It was perfect, and there was no guess-work about its readiness after a short stint in a hot oven.

*I was excited that America’s Test Kitchen also recommends buying beef tenderloin at price clubs such as Costco (as I did here), where the quality is excellent but the price isn’t *quite* so scary.  If you don’t want to cook the whole roast at once, you can cut it yourself at home and freeze it in smaller portions.

I didn’t make the basil parmesan mayonnaise accompanying this recipe (it didn’t need a thing!), but I did make some hollandaise for the vegetables on the side.  My husband can neither confirm nor deny whether he may or may not have dipped some beef in the hollandaise, but if he did, it was sublime.

Completed/Remaining:  401/285

Seared Scallops with Potato & Celery Root Puree

Scallops are easily our favorite seafood, and this was our favorite way to prepare them.  The puree might as well have leeks in the title as well – they are an essential part of the flavor of the dish, and I could have licked the plate.  My food processor (10+ years old) died in the middle of the preparation, and I came down with a case of viral gastroenteritis within hours of eating this dinner, and yet … I still want to make it again.  That’s saying something!

Completed/Remaining:  398/288

Catching up: Post-Thanksgiving Redux

I can’t believe I didn’t take photos of the pumpkin pie or brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving (both from Foolproof), but I did manage to snap this of the “accidental” turkey. (No really, that’s what she calls it in Foolproof!)  The recipe was a bastardization of the new recipe in Foolproof and this recipe from a Cooking Light magazine several years ago.  The Foolproof recipe calls for starting the turkey in a 450 degree oven, and the Cooking Light recipe says 500 degrees (!!).  I used the 450 degree instruction, and turned it down after 30 minutes.  Despite the charred appearance, it was juicy and tender, and everyone raved about the results.  The cider brine makes the most delicious gravy I’ve ever made.

Another tradition of ours is to make the turkey a little bit in advance of dinner, and slice it up with some stock and kept warm in a counter-top oven/roaster.  The pressure is off for carving at the table, and you can start the stock while dinner is served.  Or, as has been the case for us, you can transport the turkey to another host’s home.

 

A word about organic, free-range turkeys:  I prefer them for a long list of reasons, but you should be aware that they are not bred for the same qualities that Americans love, namely a large amount of breast meat.  (Keep your jokes to yourselves, please, my mom is reading!)  If you have a crowd that prefers white meat, or you want leftovers for sandwiches, you may consider adding an additional turkey breast on the side.  (If you’re not going to make Ina’s, I love the turkey breast recipe from Cook’s Illustrated’s Slow Cooker Revolution, and it doesn’t require any oven space!)  In exchange for a little less meat on your bird, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting a local farmer, turning away from unnecessary antibiotics and hormones, and that the animal that provided your holiday life led a little bit more of an enjoyable and natural existence.  For more reading/watching on what has informed my views on turkey and other food decisions, I would highly recommend Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (she even talks about turkey reproduction!), Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, and the movie Food, Inc.  Be warned that they will make you want to cook dinner for your family!

I’m afraid I’ve given the brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic the short shrift.  Don’t brussels sprouts often get overlooked?  These were not your mother’s frozen, gloppy, boiled sprouts.  They were crunchy and salty and tangy, and just wonderful.  I even caught some of the self-professed sprouts haters taking seconds.

Completed/Remaining:  396/290

Thanksgiving Traditions!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

You’ll see reviews from Thanksgiving recipes here later in the week (from Foolproof mostly – Accidental Turkey, brussels sprouts, pumpkin pie), but today we’re just enjoying the day here.  We have some fun traditions in our family – there is always an extra pumpkin pie for my husband, who drowns it in whipped cream and enjoys it for breakfast.  We also love to listen to Lynne Rosetto Kaspar‘s Turkey Confidential on NPR.  One year, we listened to it on our way to my parents’ house, which was about a 90-minute drive.  We had the dogs (no kids yet) packed up in the back seat, and the radio show brought up the subject of mischievous pets getting into the Thanksgiving feast before the human guests had a chance to taste it.  Our little dog, Georgia, perked up, put her front paws on the console between us, and looked very interested in the conversation.  Every time we hear Ms. Rosetto Kaspar’s voice, we think of that Thanksgiving.

In Foolproof, Ina has a list of ten Thanksgiving tips.  My favorite is the tenth:  ”Finally, if you ever have the urge to make Turducken (a boned chicken rolled inside a boned duck, inside a boned turkey), lie down until the urge passes!”  Here’s a Thanksgiving interview with the Contessa herself, including her take on traditions and her mother’s insistence on order in the kitchen.

Finally, I’d like to express my thanks for all of you reading my little blog.  It’s been a great project for me to try new things and expand our repertoire.  Thanks for reading!

Good luck with those turkeys, everyone!  Happy Thanksgiving!