Have a Brainy New Year... Make Beef Burgundy!

 

"Beef Burgundy", is a beef stew braised in red wine, often red Burgundy, along with beef stock, generally flavored with carrots, onions, garlic, pearl onions, and mushrooms. Its a traditional countryside but elegant French dish.

The simplest recipe if you need one... is this famous Julia Child recipe. She called it the best beef dish ever concocted by man. And, it just so happens to be the one I use to cook up this delicious beef dish. 

3/4 lb boneless beef sirloin cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (for a cheaper cut try chuck roast)
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 cup sliced mushrooms 

You can cook the beef and mushrooms in a skillet on the stove while you roast in a glass dish in the oven some garden fresh carrots, asparagus and tiny new potatoes.  

Sear the beef cubes in olive oil, add the salt and pepper and dried herbs of your liking... I recommend rosemary, mint, oregano and thyme. Add to that, 1/3 cup of beef stock and 1/4 cup of red wine. You may wish to add a little more of either stock or wine depending on your preferences.  

Personally, I like to cook the mushrooms off side in another skillet in butter and cream with a dash of red wine and dried herbs; same as above. Lastly, adding them to the beef just before serving.  

~ Tutti a Tavola!

 
*For desert... a crepe Suzette is the perfect end to a delicious meal. If you want to be Brainy frugal about it you can use leftover pancakes fried in butter with splash of brandy. Serve on a plate with heavy cream and homemade raspberry jam or halved ripe red plums or cherries. 

 

Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Mashed Potatoes for Christmas...

Yes, why not for Christmas... Rosemary is a special herb and its a Christmas herb.

Roasted Tuscan garlic chicken with rosemary marinated in lemon juice and served with potatoes mashed with Parmesan cheese and garlic. You will need to buy: a package of chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on. Fresh garlic, one lemon, fresh rosemary sprigs or use dried, yellow gold potatoes (six or seven med. size) and Parmesan cheese.

To begin, marinate the chicken thighs in a glass baking dish using the juice of one lemon, toss over the top 3-4 peeled and diced garlic cloves, drizzle on some olive oil and lay on your rosemary sprigs or sprinkle generously dried rosemary. Heat your oven to 425F.

After 12-15 min. of marinating time, place the chicken in the oven and roast for about 30-40 min uncovered. Check to see if the skin is crisping and if yes, turn over the thighs, return to the oven for 5 min. After five minutes or so turn the thighs back over and consider adding a few fresh washed red cherry tomatoes and a generous handful of your favorite olives (use low sodium).

Return to the oven covered, reduce heat to 350F and let roast for another 15 -20 min. Take this time now to prepare the potatoes. Wash, peel and halve, the potatoes. Add to boiling salted water and cover. When tender, drain and mash using 3 tbs of butter, the same of sour cream, a dash of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp of minced garlic and 1 tsp of dried herbs - Italian blend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

The Appian Way to a Brainy Christmas Gourmet Dinner...

Show me the 'Appian' way to go home...

Turn on the oven to 400, drizzle a glass baking dish with olive oil, lay in as many chicken thighs, bone in skin on, as you will need to serve. Sprinkle over the top: garlic powder, red pepper flakes and dried herbs - rosemary, mint, oregano and sage. Also, dice up 3 cloves of fresh garlic and lay on the thighs. Bake/roast for about 45 minutes or until fully cooked and crispy skin side up. For the final step, a little secret ingredient... spoon over the top honey flavored open pit barbecue sauce and return to the oven for 5-6 mins.

In the meantime, microwave a whole small butternut squash until tender. Wash, peel and boil as many yellow gold potatoes as you will need. When tender, drain and mash with butter, heavy cream and sour cream until smooth.

Put it all together and put it on the table; a delicious meal for any time, even this Christmas!

~ Tutti a Tavola!


*Appian way - queen of the long roads... this dish takes you back along a road you don't want to depart from

Brainy Gourmet Hot and Spicy Asian Pork...

Who thinks chili peppers when someone mentions Asian food, right? Well, a lot of Asian cuisine is hot and spicy. Schezwan is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan Province. It has bold flavors, particularly the pungency including an oiliness (peppercorn oil) and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers.

This is certainly a dish to heat of the middle of any week or weekend. To prepare, you will need: preferred meat of choice (cut into strips) or ground turkey made into meatballs. One onion, one roasted red chili pepper (alternative-jarred roasted red pepper), one green zucchini or any green veggie. To begin, in a large skillet, saute chop onion and roasted red pepper in coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil or the traditional peppercorn oil if you have. Toss in julienne sliced zucchini and stir until just browned on all edges; set aside.

Since ground turkey (+ 1 egg optional) was used, a meatball mixture was made in advance. In the same skillet, brown the meatballs on all sides. Pour in about 1/4 cup beef or veggie soup stock. Let this bubble up covered.

Once the stock reduces, add 2 tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 half tsp of ground ginger, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and the same of chili powder. For extra zing, 1 tbs of molasses or honey with a either a squeeze of lime juice or lemon.  An alternative to the citrus is to use apple cider vinegar. Let this simmer while you prepare the rice noodles.

Bring back the sauteed veggies and allow to sizzle until the sides begin to get sticky. Serve on top of the rice noodles (or linguine pasta) and top with shredded coconut and crushed peanuts...and put out the hot and spicy sauce; never enough when it comes to Schezwan!

and or with Pork Medallions...

~ Tutti a Tavola!