Simply Stroganoff ~ Make your Kitchen into a Beef-stro!

Beef-stro 'Bistro'....

Get a small packaged round steak, have on hand: one onion, sliced mushrooms, heavy cream, sour cream, butter, wide egg noodles and beef stock.

Prep: Let the round steak set out sprinkled with meat tenderizer for 20 min before cooking.

Begin by sauteing one whole chopped onion in 3 tbs of olive oil. Add to that dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Once the onion is browned on the edges, push aside and add thinly sliced round steak to sear.

As the round steak finishes, add the mushrooms and a dash of garlic powder...

Finally, pour in 4 tbs of beef stock, 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 1 dollop of sour cream. Stir and let simmer for as long as it takes to prepare the egg noodle pasta.  Serve with a green veggie side, top with shredded Gruyere.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Savory Root Veggies ~ A Simple Harvest Time Side!

just sprinkle in organic garlic powder and fresh dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano...  saute in olive oil on med heat until tender and browned on edges.

Pork Shoulder with Carrots and Mashed Potatoes

Nothing could be more Midwest than this dish... and I am talking Iowa, the self proclaimed pork capital of the US.  This dish can be done in crockpot or in a covered enamel cast iron cookware for the stove top.  I prefer the stove top which on low works like a crockpot. You can walk away from it in the sense you don't have to stand by the stove to watch it for more than 90 min. But, I would not recommend leaving the house; though I have mowed the back yard while cooking this way. From time to time, I have used a crockpot in the past for this dish and it is just as delicious. I like to sear the meat in a hot black skillet though before putting it in the crockpot on low for 3 hours.

Today's preparation is for the stove top. To begin, on med heat saute one whole chopped onion in 3 tbs of olive oil and coconut oil. Add fresh dried herbs, stir until the onion begins to brown on the edges. Push aside the onion, turn up the heat and sear your pork shoulder on both sides. Reduce the heat to med and reintroduce the onion. To this, pour in 1/2 cup of beef stock or veggie stock. Add half a bag of baby organic or long garden carrots (washed/peeled), cover and let simmer for 90 min on low.

Just before the ninety are up, prepare yellow gold potatoes for boiling and mashing with fresh butter and cream. The kids will come to the table without calling. And, don't forget the homemade applesauce.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

A Swiss French Kitchen... Chicken Breasts in Raclette Cream Sauce

Along the French Swiss border one can find a blending of culture through language and food; Swiss French is a variety of French spoken in the French-speaking area of Switzerland known as Romandy. As for food, especially cheese, one has to note the preference for cooking with Raclette. Though traditionally Swiss, this semi-hard cow's milk cheese most commonly used for melting is often used by both sides of the border.

The smell is pungent, the taste is strong and yet also buttery. It all sounds wildly European, but this cheese is great for cooking, melting and can be bought here too. This dish like many or any of the brainy gourmet's is frugal as well as delicious. I just so happen to make a raclette fondue the other night using a very good raclette bought just over the border in Wisconsin. Looking into my fridge, there was a small amount left of the raclette fondue. And, I had left over pasta as well. On the fresh side, I had crisp green asparagus and Bavarian mushrooms.

To begin, on med heat I sauteed chopped onion in olive oil and 1 tbs of fresh creamy butter sprinkled with dried herbs. I then pushed the onion aside in the skillet and on high heat seared strips of chicken breasts (skinless/boneless). I reintroduced the onion, reduced the heat and added the left over raclette along with 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream. To that... the left over pasta and another tbs of butter then covering to let simmer while I prepared the mushrooms and asparagus... washing and slicing/cutting off ends. A quick stir fry in butter until browning around the edges appeared and then poured in about 2 tbs of chicken stock, turning up the heat to high for 4 min.

 ~ Tutti a Tavola!

French Cooking is About 'the' Sauce!

In French cooking, there are two basic beginnings for sauce: those made from a base such as roux (butter/flour paste) and or sauces made with broth or stock and heavy cream added to any meat fat from sauteing, broiling or roasting. From there, you can get as creative as you like adding mustard, cheese, spices/herbs, and even dried fruits.

The most important aspect of being a good judge of sauce is learning to judge sauce in terms of color and consistency. If it appears to be burning because it is too hot, then you can expect it to be too sticky, so either add more cream or butter or stock. If it appears too liquid, take the lid off and turn up the heat, adding a pat of butter and stirring until it thickens. 

Tonight's dinner is pork or veal medallions and smoked sausage in creamy mustard sauce with sun dried tomatoes and dried plums, served with sweet potatoes halved and green beans. This is really so delicious!

Begin by sauteing on med heat chopped onion in olive oil. Then push aside the onion once the edges are brown, add a drizzle more of olive oil and sear the medallions on both sides. Next, add as many 'chunk -bite' size cuts of smoked veal sausage as you like.  To this, add 1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes and the same of dried plums. Sprinkle in fresh dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano.

On med heat, stir and let these flavors blend before adding your heavy cream and Dijon mustard.  After 2 min, spoon in 1 tbs of mustard or more (to taste) and 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Stir while turning up the heat, let this bubble for 3-4 min. Cover and let simmer for about 15  min on low heat.

Prepare sides.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Bourbon Street Spare Ribs with Carmelized Cherry Tomatoes and Onions!

Mardi Gras road trip home... why not?

For this dish, you will need to buy a package of boneless pork spare ribs, 1-1/2 inch thick. A package of cherry tomatoes, and some bourbon or not... you can of course make this dish without it. Marinate the pork for at least one hour in a shallow dish covered with 1/4 cup of bourbon along with sea salt, garlic powder and black pepper as well as dried herb seasonings: mint, rosemary and oregano or basil.

In a heavy black iron skillet, sear your marinated pork in 4 tbs of olive oil and coconut oil. Then add some organic honey and fresh grated ginger along with a generous squeeze of lime. Cook on high for 3 min and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 6-8 min, depending on thickness of pork. Remove from heat and move the pork aside or to a serving plate and cover to retain heat. In that same black iron skillet saute onion and cherry tomatoes in a buttery olive oil combination letting them sizzle together with an extra dash of bourbon. As they near caramelizing, prepare another side... potatoes or couscous.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Chicken Cacciatore ~ Hunter's Style!

In Italian cuisine, alla cacciatora refers to a dish prepared "hunter-style" and the brainy gourmet style is with onions, tomatoes, dried plums and herbs: rosemary, mint, sage and oregano.

All you need for this delicious dish is a large skillet with lid, chicken thighs with bone in and skin on, one whole onion, one can of diced red tomatoes, dried plums and dried herbs. This dish can be done on the stove or in the oven; using a glass baking dish or a covered skillet. If you decide for the oven, follow a similar procedure for cooking in the skillet, turn the oven to 400f. Roast uncovered.

Begin by sauteing chopped onion on med heat in olive oil, about 4 tbs and be generous.  Next, move the onion off to one side of the skillet and add your chicken thighs skin side down; brown on high heat. Bring back the onion and sprinkle as much of the dried herbs as you want over the top of the chicken.

Reduce heat adding, bringing back the onion into the mix of things and pour in 1/4 cup of chicken stock and one can of diced red tomatoes. Let this simmer for 40 min on med/low heat, stirring occasionally.
















For a side, prepare a wild rice risotto rice or pasta ... even mashed potatoes.

Near the end of the 40 min, toss in as many dried plums as you like and olives but not necessary. Cover and let sit with no heat for as long as it takes to set the table. And, don't forget to put out the Parmesan cheese, please...

~ Tutti a Tavola!