Beef Bourguignon (Beef Stew With Red Wine)

Unfortunately, I do not know how to pronounce "Bourguignon." I wish I did. However, I do know that this soup, despite the rather intimidating name, is fabulous. My mom declared it "the best beef stew [she has] ever tasted." The red wine gives this dish such a rich, flavorful, and soul-satisfying taste that will be sure to impress a crowd. After making this, I not only fell in love with the soup, but I realized that I absolutely adore pearl onions! They are so sweet and tasty, with a satisfying crunch that I had never experienced before. Also, there are a few key details to remember when making the stew: Be sure to brown the meat well in the beginning, use a good quality red wine that you would happily drink, and, if possible, make it a day in advance to let the flavors develop. Unlike a soft, mushy, murky stew, the components of this bourguignon stay intact just enough - so that you know what you're eating, but it still feels cohesive. My family be making this in big batches all winter long. Yield: 4-6 servings Ingredients 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 teaspoon dried, crushed thyme

2 pounds cubed stewing beef (chuck or sirloin tip)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups red wine 1 cup beef broth

1 tomato, seeded and diced

2 cups pearl onions

1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/4 pound mushrooms quartered

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Buttered Egg Noodles (optional)

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or ovenproof stewpot, and sauté the onion, carrot, garlic, and thyme over medium heat until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. When the vegetables are nicely colored, transfer them to a bowl. Wipe out any little bits of vegetable clinging to the pan so they don't burn when you sear the beef.

Pat the meat cubes dry and season them with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the oil to the pan and sear the beef in batches over high heat until it is a rich mahogany brown on all sides. This will take approximately 5 to 7 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat. Cubes tightly packed in the pan won't brown properly. Clean out any juices which are released before the next batch. Over high heat add 1/2 tablespoon of oil for each batch, then sauté the meat until browned on all sides.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Return the vegetables and the meat to the pan, dust the meat and vegetables with the flour, and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Toasting the flour helps to develop the overall flavor of the stew. Add 2 cups of the red wine to cover the beef and bring to a boil. Add the tomato and season the stew with the rest of the salt and pepper. 

Place the stew in a crock put set for low and cook 7-8 hours, or until the meat is tender. (If as the stew simmers the wine reduces below the meat, add a little water.)

After at least 3 hours, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. To peel the pearl onions, trim the roots and make a small X with a paring knife in the other end. Boil the onions for 3 minutes, spoon them out, and set them aside to cool. Then squeeze the onions out of their skins. In the same water, blanch the bacon pieces for 3 to 4 minutes, and keep any grease.

Heat a separate medium skillet, add the remaining oil, and brown the bacon and onions. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat until golden brown. Pour any excess fat into the slow cooker.  Add the final cup of red wine to the vegetables, and simmer until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add this mixture to the slow cooker.

When the beef is tender, pour the stew into a warm bowl, dust with the minced parsley, and serve with buttered noodles if desired, or crusty bread.

Sausage and Lentil Soup

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• Hearty soups are an absolute favorite for me in the wintertime. Throw in some crusty French bread and a warm fireplace to sit near and I am a very happy gal. This robust one-pot dinner packs in lentils, sausage and plenty of vegetables, including mushrooms, spinach, onions and garlic. I love beef broth and red wine in soup; they give the dish an amazing richness that compliments the meat wonderfully and allow the food to be oh-so-comforting. Adapted from a recipe from Whole Foods, this recipe is nutritious, filling, and delicious.  A loaf of crusty bread is the only accompaniment you need for a complete meal.
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• Yield: about 6 servings
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• Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 pound sweet and/or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 pound mushrooms (such as white, cremini, shiitake, portobello and oyster), chopped
• 1 cup (about 7 ounces) dried French or brown lentils, picked through and rinsed
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 cup dry red wine
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/4 pound baby spinach, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add sausage and cook, breaking into small chunks, until it begins to brown. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms have released most of their liquid. Add lentils, beef broth, mushroom or chicken broth, tomatoes and their juice, wine and pepper flakes; cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30-45 minutes.

Add spinach and salt and pepper, stir well and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more; stir in thyme.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan. 

Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage and Tortellini Soup

This is the recipe that got my mom into liking chicken sausage.  I had tried it once at Trader Joes and loved it, but my mom said she only like sausage with pork or turkey.  "Chicken is definitely not sausage," she would say.  However, she caved and said yes when I asked if I could make this recipe, and she definitely did not regret it once she tasted this wonderful soup.  It's very hearty, filled with lots of veggies, cheesy tortellini, and flavorful chicken sausage (which is also healthier than pork).  The broth is very flavorful as well, with tomato juice, white wine, and chicken broth.  I recommend (just like any other one of my soup recipes, really) enjoying this soup with some [garlic bread] on the side for dipping. Yum(: If you like spicy things, feel free to add as much red pepper flakes as you want.  This is is such a great recipe for a chilly night, not to mention its easy and economical.

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package sweet Italian chicken sausage links (mine had roasted peppers in them)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup sliced carrots 

1 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup white wine

4 ounces canned, petite diced tomatoes (with juice)

2 14-oz cans low sodium chicken broth

9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini (I used half an 18-ounce bag)

3/4 cup fresh, chopped red tomatoes

8 ounces spinach leaves

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Garnish: Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat Dutch oven with 1/2 tsp of oil to coat and saute chicken sausage until browned and just cooked through. Remove from pan, let cool slightly, slice into small slices (about 1/2 inch thick) and set aside.
2. Heat remaining oil in pan, add carrots and saute for about 4 minutes.  Add onions and mushrooms, and saute about 8 minutes more, or until the carrots are tender.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, stir in wine, broth, and canned tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add tortellini. Cook for another 5 minutes and then stir in spinach and tomato. Cook until the spinach wilts, 2 minutes.
3. Return sauteed sausage pieces to the soup, cook for an additional 5 minutes, add the butter, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste and serve when butter is melted. Garnish with Parmesan if desired.

Carrot-Oat Cake Bars

Who doesn't love a yummy, healthy snack?  This recipe was originally submitted from Whole Foods (best grocery store ever!!) and I figured I would try it out because I had been wanting to make a healthy recipe, since my family and I have had a little too many unhealthy things lately. (especially sweets....shocker, right?).  I love the hearty texture of this cake/bar.  It kind of reminds me of the Carrot Cake Lara Bar...only my recipe is wayyyy better.  The only fat in it is the coconut and nuts (which are healthy fats!), and a tiny bit of butter in the powdered sugar frosting - if you choose to use it. Everything else is made with extremely healthy ingredients!  This can be served for breakfast, dessert, or simply an anytime snack.  I had it warm for dessert with a powdered sugar frosting from my heavenly spice cake bars (found here) and at room temperature the next morning for breakfast with my healthy, yogurt glaze from my incredible, healthy carrot cake recipe (found here).  These bars only lasted a few hours in my house!  They are so perfect for on-the-go snacking as well!

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins

orange juice - enough to completely cover the raisins

Cooking spray 

1 cup rolled or quick cooking oats 

1 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)

1 cup whole wheat flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 cups grated carrots 

1/2 cup pure maple syrup 

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup sweetened finely shredded coconut 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a (9-inch) square baking pan with cooking spray and set it aside. 


Cover raisins with orange juice in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, simmer for about 20 minutes, or until big and plump.  Drain and cool.


Pulse oats and nuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt and mix well. In a second large bowl, combine carrots, maple syrup, honey, applesauce, drained raisins, coconut and vanilla. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Transfer to prepared pan and bake until cooked through and deep golden brown, about 40 -60 minutes.  Set aside to let cool before cutting into squares.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Frost if desired.

Warm with the powdered sugar glaze...












Made in muffin tins with the Greek yogurt yogurt glaze, topped with nuts and raisins (chilled)....

Shepherd's Pie

     

 

Are you Irish?  Well, I am.  So Saint Patty's Day is pretty exciting to me.  My family always has an Irish dinner, and this year I insisted that we have Shepherds Pie.  One of my favorite meals ever is the Shepherds Pie at the Cheesecake Factory (my happy place).  If you've never had it, then get it...but it's HUGE.  Ever since I ate it, I get a major craving for it every now and then. I created this recipe for Saint Patrick's Day this year, and it was a huge hit. My mom, dad, and I each had thirds.  And it makes incredible leftovers (it didn't degrade at all in the fridge!!).  Unlike most Shepherd's Pie recipes, this one has a packet of gravy in the beef, which makes it super flavorful and juicy.  It also provides a nice gravy with the mashed potatoes if you like to mix it all together.  Just the thought of this Shepherds Pie gets my excited...you start with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth layer of mashed potatoes with an incredible >crust of cheese< on top, then you dig into the oh-so-flavorful and juicy beef and vegetables.  Mmm...I will definitely be making this very often, not just on Saint Patrick's Day.  And you don't need to be Irish to love it! ;)

Ingredients:

• 5 medium yukon gold potatoes (or russet), peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 packet brown gravy mix mixed with 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and gravy mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of carrots and sprinkle frozen peas ontop. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Puree of Apple-Rutabaga Soup

This is my new, all-time favorite soup recipe.  I recently went to a cooking class at a local country club, and the head chef made seven recipes for us.  Of all the recipes, this was my favorite.  It's super easy...the hardest part is just cutting up all the veggies.  But the recipe is so easy to memorize because the proportions are all almost the same.  This is so incredibly flavorful and the flavors are absolutely incredible together.  When you're cooking it, your entire house smells like fall...the wonderful aroma of fresh fruits and vegetables roasting in butter.  Mmmm.  My mom kept telling me she wasn't gonna like it because the thought of apples and rutabaga in soup grossed her out, but once she smelled it, she began to change her mind.  And then once she tasted it, she scraped her bowl clean and declared it "amazing."  My mom, dad and I had all of the soup in one sitting.  I'll definitely be making this again very soon.




Ingredients:
1 stick of whole butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup peeled, cored, rough chopped Granny Smith Apples
1 cup peeled, rough chopped Rutabaga
1 cup peeled, rough chopped butternut squash
1 cup peeled, rough chopped carrots
1 cup peeled, rough chopped sweet potatoes
1 quart rich chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste


Instructions:
1. Melt butter in a heavy gauge sauce pot.  Add onion, apples, rutabaga, squash, carrots, and sweet potato.
2.  Saute over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent (about 5-7 minutes).  Add stock and simmer until all vegetables are tender and cooked through (about 40 minutes).
3.  Puree in blender, food processor or using a stick burr mixer.
4.  Return to heat, add cream and syrup.  Season soup with salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Bring back to a simmer. Serve.

Carrot Cake Pancakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Oh yesss..I went there.  I converted the remarkable carrot cake into a pancake.  These are just as good as a big ole slice of carrot cake.  But these are slightly healthier!  They are very hearty and a great way to get some veggies into your breakfast.  Who knew you could be eating vegetables, fruit, breakfast, and dessert all at the same time?? Now I'm not saying these are the healthiest breakfast option (definitely very healthy if you omit the frosting though!), but who really cares???  It's CARROT CAKE for BREAKFAST.  I'm seriously thinking about going to make some right now...and it's 11:00 at night.   They were just that amazing.  It's everything you love about a typical carrot cake, but in pancake form.  There are just so many delicious flavors that [hit your taste buds] once you bite into these pancakes.  Cinnamon, pineapple, toasted nuts, coconut, orange juice, cranberries, cream cheese, maple syrup....oh~my~goody~goodness.  I had this with Archer Farms Coconut Macaroon Coffee on the side (found here) and I honestly felt like I was in Hawaii or something.  It was the most tropical, flavorful, super fantastic breakfast ever.  My parents and I ate sooo many of these pancakes; it was ridiculous.  Yet I legitimately cannot wait to make them again.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup Complete Pancake Mix (I used Hungry Jack)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup milk
1 heaping tablespoon applesauce

1/4 cup diced pineapple

3/4 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup toasted, chopped nuts

1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Instructions:

***Prepare frosting recipe below first, so you can spread it over the pancakes when they're still warm from the griddle.

1.  Heat orange juice in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add cranberries or raisins and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a medium-low heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes, or until cranberries/raisins are nice and plump.  Remove from heat, drain orange juice, and set aside cranberries/raisins.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together pancake mix and cinnamon. Add milk and applesauce and whisk until combined. Stir in plump raisins, pineapple, carrots, coconut, and pecans until well combined. 

3.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and grease it. Working in batches, form each pancake by dropping spoonfuls of batter onto the skillet. Cook until golden on bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer. Repeat with remaining batter.  Spread frosting over each pancake and serve with maple syrup.

Ingredients:  (this makes a very generous amount of frosting, so you may want to half it if you don't want a lot on your pancakes)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pure maple syrup 


Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
2.  Slowly sift the confectioners sugar and continue beating until all lumps are gone.  Add the vanilla and mix until fully integrated. Spread onto warm pancakes and serve with a generous amount of maple syrup.

Italian Sausage Soup

 

 

I made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge success.  It's very hearty and comforting; [perfect] on those chilly, winter nights.  I recommend using low sodium chicken broth and no salt added spinach, unless you like your soup really salty.  It's super quick to make; you don't need to cook it all day in a crock pot, like most flavorful soups.  It only took me about an hour to make.  If you're a fan of spicy foods, feel free to use all spicy sausage instead of the sweet.  You can substitute any flavors of sausage you'd like, but I prefer sweet and spicy.  This is fantastic served over small pasta (such as macaroni, rice, or orzo), and served with garlic bread (dunk it!).  I served it with garlic toasts (found here).  This was such a delicious and satisfying meal that I will make many more times.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Italian sausage (I used 3 links of sweet, 2 links spicy)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
• 2 small zucchini, cubed
• 1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish: Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Directions

1. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes, carrots, and onion powder, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
3. Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after about 10 minutes, or when spinach is not frozen and distributed evenly throughout the soup. Garnish with cheese if desired.