Bone with a Hole
Apparently that is the direct translation of one of my favorite dishes… Osso Buco.
My Mother and Father in Law gave me a fabulous Le Creuset Dutch Oven for Christmas this year, and I’ve been absolutely itching to use it. We finally had a “cold front” come through and the temperature has been chilly… all they way down in the low 70’s at night! (Yeah, if you’re in Ohio, please don’t hate me!) I figured this was as good a time as any to break out the Le Creuset.
The recipe is adapted from The Joy of Cooking, which I love for its basic recipes. It was a very good recipe, but the only think I think it needed was a tablespoon or so of tomato paste to give the sauce more color and acidity. So I’ve taken the liberty to add it to the recipe, although I didn’t use it in my dish. You will thank me for it! :) I served the Osso Buco over soft polenta with a little Parmesan cheese stirred in.
Thank you Rolanda and Adrian (Mom and Dad) for the beautiful Le Creuset Dutch Oven! I wish you two were here to enjoy the Osso Buco with us. We toasted to you and your lovely gift!
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Saucy
I don’t usually make sauces as they tend to add excess calories to whatever they are covering. However… today I had an open bottle of red wine and wanted to use it up before it turned on me. Even more, I have brand new appliances (just delivered today!) and needed to break in my beautiful, shiny new stove. My old stove was uneven, and I basically gave up sautéing at home because of it. We’re in the process of updating the entire kitchen in the next month or so, and I’m beside myself with excitement! Stay tuned for before and after pics!
Anyway, I made sautéed chicken with a red wine pan sauce. Its quite simple, but you need to make sure all your ingredients are ready, as it cooks quickly. Always keep in mind that your sauce will only be as good as the wine… so if you have a bad wine, expect a bad sauce!
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Going Nuts
After Thanksgiving, I had quite a few pecans left and wanted to use them up before they go bad. After pondering a moment, I figured I’d make pecan crusted Mahi Mahi. I made it similar to how I make my schnitzel, but used half panko and half chopped pecans. It was a nice alternative to my usual broiled fish. I accompanied it with a tomato and avocado salad.
I also decided to try mashed turnips… and it wasn’t good. I was trying to find a healthier alternative to potatoes, and thought… hey, what about turnips? Yeah, it tasted like mashed cabbage, but worse. Note to self: Never boil and mash turnips… they are not and never will be potatoes. Lesson learned.
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Meat on a Stick
You just can’t go wrong with meat on a stick. Its not exactly the classiest thing to eat, but when made with a Thai flair, its delish! I’ve made a few different Chicken Satay recipes, but this is the combination of several, and I’m quite happy with the outcome.
I didn’t plan very well, and only had a little bit of fresh ginger left, so I put it all in the marinade. Although the sauce called for it, I was planning to skip it when I remembered I had some candied ginger left from Thanksgiving. So I added a chunk of it to the dipping sauce as it simmered… and it worked, you could taste the ginger! *Insert best Borat voice* Great Success! :)
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My Neighborhood Has Crabs!
A few weeks ago, I was walking outside my house and saw something odd scurrying across the road. After a little inspection, I realized it was a large blue crab. Strange… I have absolutely no idea how a crab got into my neighborhood, as I live about 4 miles from the beach. Maybe it got lucky and escaped someone’s crab boil? Perhaps it was tired of the Fort Lauderdale beach scene and wanted to head west to the ‘burbs? I suppose I will never know. Is it wrong that I licked my chops when I saw it, and thought ‘mmmm crab’? Not surprisingly, I have been craving crab cakes since I saw the little bugger.
This is my Asian inspired version of Crab Cakes, made with Panko breadcrumbs to keep with the Asian theme. I served it with Asian slaw.
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Beans and Franks Anyone?
This here isn’t your usual Beenie Weenies! No sir! Instead, this is spicy Italian sausage sauteed with Broccoli Rabe (AKA Rapini) and Cannellini Beans and served over polenta. Yummmmm. Stephan isn’t a big fan of it, but its one of my absolute favorite things to order at an authentic Italian restaurant. Broccoli Rabe has a very distinctive, bitter flavor. Some find it too bitter, but I love the flavor of it and even like it sauteed with a little garlic as a side dish.
Meat and ‘Taters
I’m a carnivore. I don’t try to hide it. I truly appreciate a good piece of meat… and like to *gasp* eat it medium rare. My husband, who is the griller (and chiller) in the house, gets a little grossed out by my bloody steaks, but has, over the years, perfected medium rare on the grill. He gets credit for the lovely steaks. Thanks honey! :)
What is the perfect accompaniment to a beautiful steak, you ask? Mashed potatoes, of course, and I make gooooood mashed potatoes. None of that skim milk and margarine nonsense… but real cream and real butter! Everything in moderation, right?
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Chicken Teriyaki
Now this is what I like to call a 30 minute meal… Perhaps even a 20 minute meal. Grilled chicken teriyaki, served with steamed jasmine rice and shelled edamame. Its a great healthy dinner that takes up maybe 5 minutes of your time to prepare. This is the dinner I make when I’m too tired to cook, and have no desire to go out to eat. I probably make this two or three times a month.
Do you Ragout?
I decided to recreate a fish entree I ordered at a restaurant recently that was pretty good, but lacked a little flavor. I love to attempt recreating restaurant dishes… and sometimes, I think mine is better!
The sauce is a chunky quick cooking ragout (pronounced ragoo.) I honestly just threw it together, hoping for the best. The result was a very flavorful, but uber-healthy topping for the fish. I served it with pearl couscous cooked with chicken stock and finished off with a generous tablespoon of pesto sauce and a bit of parsley.
Cut the Cheese
We eat a lot of cheese in my house, and every once and a while, it’s time to clean out the fridge. What do I make with all the random hunks of cheese in my fridge? Macaroni & Cheese!!! But, no fear, this isn’t the mac-n-cheese you remember. Its made with great, flavorful cheeses and topped with a crunchy panko crust. It was definitely the most fattening thing I’ve made in quite a while, but dangit, it was good! The recipe is adapted from Alton Brown’s on the Food Network.
I served it as a main course with a tomato, cucumber and red onion salad.
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