Mmmm.....FUDGE

Every year, I do different activities with the kids as we head toward Christmas.  We make goodies for bags to give to friends and neighbors; snowflakes; gingerbread houses....and today we made fudge!!


All the kids got to choose a recipe (well, the girls combined their efforts).  The older three read the recipe and made sure we had all the ingredients.  We didn't, so we had to run out and get some things.  When we got back home, they measured out all the ingredients, read the instructions, and got to work!


Caroline and Victoria made White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge.  It had a nice short ingredient list, and came together very quickly.


20 oz. vanilla chips (we used white chocolate chips...it tastes fine, but I think the vanilla chips would have melted easier)
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (it's about 4-5 large candy canes)
dash of red or green food coloring


Line an 8" square pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Combine chips and and milk in saucepan over medium heat.  Stir frequently until almost melted, then remove from heat and keep stirring until smooth.  When chips are completely melted, stir in food coloring, extract, and candy canes.  Spread in prepared pan, then chill for 2 hours.  


Peter is also fond of white chocolate, but he chooses White Chocolate Eggnog every year. Probably because eggnog is one of his favorite things!

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup dairy eggnog

3 (3 1/2 ounce) packages white chocolate, broken into pieces

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow fluff

1 cup chopped pecans (optional - he doesn't care for nuts)

1 teaspoon rum extract (we forgot to get it while we were out, so I used Southern Comfort)

Combine sugar, butter and eggnog in a heavy 2-1/2 to 3 quart saucepan; bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until a candy thermometer reaches 234 deg F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat; stir in white chocolate pieces and nutmeg until chocolate is melted.  Add marshmallow fluff, nuts and rum extract.  Beat until well blended.  Pour into buttered 8” or 9" square pan.  Cool at room temperature; cut into squares.  If fudge is too soft after cooling, chill.

Jonathan chose Rocky Road - it's always been his first choice!  What's not to love?  Marshmallows, peanuts, and chocolate!! 

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon table salt

1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup mini-marshmallows

1 cup chopped salted peanuts

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Cut 12" length extra-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil; fold edges back to form 7 1/2" width. With folded sides facing down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Toss chocolates, baking soda, and salt in medium heatproof bowl until baking soda is evenly distributed. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Set bowl over 4-quart saucepan containing 2 cups simmering water. Stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is almost fully melted and few small pieces remain, 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Remove bowl from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in marshmallows, peanuts, and chocolate chips. Transfer fudge to prepared pan and spread in even layer with spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove fudge from pan using foil and cut into squares.

TO MAKE DOUBLE BATCH:
Line 13 by 9-inch pan with two sheets of foil placed perpendicular to each other and double amounts of all ingredients. In step 2, use large heatproof bowl and Dutch oven containing 4 cups simmering water.

Toffee - not mine, Marilyn's

I found this toffee recipe on the Cook's Illustrated Bulletin Board a few years ago and it has become a yearly tradition.  We give it for gifts....if we don't eat it all ahead of time!

MARILYN'S ENGLISH TOFFEE
English Toffee

1 lb unsalted butter
½ tea. table salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. water
1 cup slivered almonds (do not use sliced almonds)
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (chips are fine)
1½ -2 cups lightly toasted pecans (or walnuts), finely chopped

Melt ¾ of chocolate over hot water or in a microwave oven at half power for 2-3 minutes. When melted, stir in remaining chocolate and set aside. Line a large jelly roll or half-sheet pan with heavy-duty foil and butter the foil.

Melt the butter with the salt in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the water about halfway through this process.

After all the sugar is added, begin testing the mixture to see if the sugar is dissolved. Place a drop of mixture on wax paper; allow it to cool and rub it between your fingers to make sure it doesn’t feel grainy. If it does, continue to cook and test again. The mixture will probably be boiling at this point.

When sugar is dissolved, add the almonds, and increase the heat to medium high. Cook to the hard-crack stage, or about 310-320 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring often to keep the candy from burning on the bottom. When it’s done, it should be a medium-dark amber color and have a caramel aroma. The almonds should have a toasted color but they should not burn. This is the tricky part, as there’s a thin line between perfect and overdone, and to some extent it’s a matter of taste.

Remove from heat and pour into the prepared pan, spreading as evenly as possible with an offset spatula. Be careful, this stuff is hot! Set the pan on a cooling rack. After 2-3 minutes, when toffee is just set, pour reserved chocolate on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, and press them in gently with a spatula or bottom of a glass to anchor them in the chocolate.

Allow the toffee to harden at least 6-8 hours—overnight is better. Break into pieces using a sharp pointed knife with a rigid blade, or you can use your hands. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Makes about 3 pounds.

Fall?!? Already??

Oh dear - it's been too long.  I guess I've been enjoying summer a little too much!

The weather turned quite brisk here this weekend and I have been so inspired to have soup, stew, and bread.  So much for that five pounds I've lost!

Here's a recipe for the soup I made today - it's a copy cat version of Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli.  It says it serves eight, but all six of us ate good portions and there's probably enough for six more.


1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 carrot, julienned or shredded (about 1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (I mean really - I use at least 5!)
1 15-ounce can northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
12 ounces V-8
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (depends on your taste)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon basil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
8 oz cooked ditalini pasta (or some other small kind of pasta and yes, it needs to be cooked - otherwise it soaks up a ton of the liquid of the soup)

Brown meat, drain.  Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add everything except the pasta and simmer for at least an hour.  About 15 minutes before serving, add the pasta and heat through.  Yum!

If you'd like to make this a crock-pot meal, brown the meat and then toss everything except the pasta in the crock-pot.  I would imagine keeping it on low all day would work.  

Enjoy!!

Zucchini Time!

Well, we all knew it was coming - the onslaught of zucchini has arrived.  If you don't have zucchini in your garden, I'm just SURE you'll get some from your neighbors.  Take it!  It's FREE FOOD!!  I take whatever I can get, whenever I can get it.  Here are somethings I do with it:

Zucchini bread (delish and a great way to hide some veggies in your food!), "stuffed" zucchini, zucchini casserole, steamed zucchini, fried zucchini, grilled zucchini, and even raw in salads.  Slice it nice and thin and you'll be surprised at how good it tastes.

None of these recipes are mine, but I hope you incorporate them into your summer menu planning.  You are still planning, aren't you???

Zucchini Bread

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Cut large zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon before shredding.

1 pound zucchini 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground allspice 

1/2 teaspoon table salt 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

1/4 cup plain yogurt 

2 large eggs 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously coat 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  Shred and squeeze zucchini in a clean tea towel to get out most of the liquid. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in large bowl. Whisk sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and butter in bowl until combined.  Gently fold yogurt mixture and zucchini into flour mixture using spatula until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool at least 1 hour. (Bread can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 3 days.)

"Stuffed" Zucchini
I have stuffed in quotes because I got tired of stuffing the zucchinis, so I just chopped them up and added them to everything else.  You can stuff them for a nice presentation if you'd like.  This is one of our family's very favorites...and everything can come out of the garden, if you have one!
4 medium zucchini (about 8 oz each), washed
salt and pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 medium potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped fine
5 large garlic cloves, minced
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)


Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and second oven rack to lowest position, then place a rimmed baking sheet on each rack and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, halve each zucchini lengthwise. With small spoon, scoop out seeds and most of flesh so that walls of zucchini are 1/4 inch thick. Season cut sides of zucchini with salt and pepper, and brush with 2 tablespoons oil; set zucchini halves cut-side down on hot baking sheet on lower rack. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl and spread in single layer on hot baking sheet on upper rack. Roast zucchini until slightly softened and skins are wrinkled, about 10 minutes; roast potatoes until tender and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip zucchini halves over on baking sheet and set aside.  Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cooked potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil, 1/2 cup cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Divide filling evenly among squash halves on baking sheet, spooning about 1/2 cup into each, and pack lightly; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return baking sheet to oven, this time to upper rack, and bake zucchini until heated through and cheese is spotty brown, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

OR, just chop up the zucchini and add to everything and skip the broiling.  Goat cheese is also a nice substitution for Monterey Jack.

Zucchini Casserole

So this is not so good for you, but it IS delicious!!  My MIL's recipe.

8 oz Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix

1/3 stick butter, melted

4 cups sliced zucchini
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cook zucchini 5 minutes (I usually cook in the microwave for a few minutes - just to get it started).  Mix stuffing with melted butter.  Put half in bottom of casserole dish (I usually use my Corelle oval dish).  Add remaining ingredients to zucchini and pour into casserole dish.  Top with remaining stuffing mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Steamed Zucchini

This isn't really a recipe - just telling you what my MIL does.  She slices the zucchini, chops an onion, and puts it all in a steamer basket in a pot with about an inch of water (don't forget that part!!).  She steams until it's pretty tender, then dumps the water, dumps the veggies into the pan with a bit of butter, and sautes it a little.  Yum!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

As those of you on Facebook might know, I had to "prove" to our pastor and his family how delicious a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie tastes. Our family had eaten a whole one, so I made his family one...and since I was making them one...I made our family another. Just to be sure it wasn't a fluke. Haha!

As we were making both pies, I had Peter help me. As we were finishing up, he said, "wow, now I know what it means when people say, 'it's easy as pie'...it really is!" The real trick to a delicious pie is the crust. Just don't knead it. Handle it as little as possible, and it will be tender and flaky. If you knead it too much, gluten develops - that's the elastic structure that makes great bread, but not such great crust. If you handle it too much, the heat from your hands melts the fat. The fat between layers of flour are what makes the crust flaky.

I'd love to be able to take credit for this recipe, but as I always say, I'm a good cook because I can read. That's it. This is Betty Crocker's recipe.

PIE CRUST (makes 2 crusts - top and bottom)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half and shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Roll one round on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

1½ cups sugar

½ cup flour

½ t. grated orange peel (optional - good, but I usually leave it out because I don't often have fresh oranges in the house)

2 1/2 cups cut-up rhubarb

2 1/2 cups cut-up strawberries

3 T butter

Heat oven to 425°. Prepare pastry.  Stir together sugar, flour and orange peel. Turn half the fruit into pastry-lined pie pan; sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining fruit and sugar; dot with butter

Cover with top crust with slits cut in it, seal and flute. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.  Let cool and enjoy with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  Whatever you don't finish, refrigerate and enjoy for breakfast!!

Spring has sprung!

I love spring - and not just because I hate winter!  I love spring for many reasons....daffodils, lilacs, tulips, irises, but most of all....fresh fruits and veggies!  I can STUFF myself with fresh produce from the market and it's GOOD for me!!  We just finished a lovely dinner of spinach and strawberry salad, sugar snap peas, carrots with the tops still on (my kids' favorite - "eh, what's up Doc?"), and kohlrabi.  Oh yeah, we had scallops too (on clearance at Aldi for $2.99/lb).

If you're not a fan of brassica veggies, you are missing out on a LOT.  There have actually been studies suggesting that brassicas are potent cancer fighters.  The most nutritious way to cook them, of course, is steaming (and yes, microwaving counts).  However....if you really want a yummy way to cook kohlrabi, here ya go.

Buy about a pound and a half of nice fresh kohlrabi, cut off the leaves (I don't know what to do with those) and peel.  Don't skip this step.  The outer skin of a kohlrabi is very fibrous and not fun to chew.

After peeling, cut in half, then cut into about 1/4" slices, and then cut the whole thing in half.  That's the size I like them, anyhow.  In a pan (the size depends on how much you have), melt about 2 Tbsp of butter, then toss in the kohlrabi.  Toss to coat.  Add about 1/4-1/3 cup of broth, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender.  Uncover and cook off the liquid.  Serve - delish!!

Tomorrow - strawberry rhubarb pie!!

What's your favorite spring veggie/fruit?

Can't wait until zucchinis are in season - I have LOTS to do with them!

Enchiladas

Mexican night is a perpetual favorite in our house.  Of course, I mean, we're part Mexican - can't you tell??  Haha!  Just kidding!  Tim makes AWESOME margaritas.

As an aside....the first answer on Jeopardy the other night was something to the effect of, "this tequila drink is also the given name of Rita Moreno".  All of my kids said, "margarita".  Hmmm....

ANYWAY!  Tim used to be a bartender and his margaritas are delicious and we can adjust the alcohol content up or down depending on the rotten-ness of the day.

The food varies....last night it was "enchiladas".  I used quotes because they weren't TECHNICALLY enchiladas, since enchiladas use corn tortillas.  We don't really care for corn tortillas, so I used flour.  I had some leftover hamburger, chicken, and shredded a whole bunch of cheese...yum!  Here's the "recipe".  I can't give exact amounts for anything because it's very much a leftover dish and whatever I feel like dumping in goes in!

Margarita (again, unexact)
Tequila
Triple Sec
Sour mix
Rose's lime juice
Ice
Salt (optional)

Use a shaker.  Fill about half-way with ice  It's about 3 parts tequila to 1 part Triple Sec, a splash of lime juice (depends on the sourness you like and the sweetness of the sour mix), and fill with sour mix and shake.  Dip your glass into water, dip into salt, then pour drink (with ice) into it.  Use a straw.  A big one.  ENJOY!

"Enchiladas"
Sauce
Tomato sauce - about a 12 oz can (or whatever they are!)
Chicken broth - the same as the sauce!
Onions
Garlic
Chili powder
Ground cumin

Filling
Beef, chicken, pork - whatever you like
shredded cheese - usually I have a mix of cheddar, monterey jack, colby, and some pepper jack
Tortillas

Toppings
Onions
Sour cream
Guacamole
Tomatoes
Lettuce

In a pan over medium-high heat, saute the onions in a bit of oil until softened.  Add garlic, about 2 Tbsp of chili powder, and about 2 Tbsp cumin (these vary according to YOUR likes and the strength of your ingredients).  Saute only until fragrant.  Add the tomato sauce and the chicken broth, stir and simmer for about 5 minutes until it reduces a bit.

Heat up your tortillas (I usually microwave them briefly).  Pull out your 9"x13" pan and put about a ladle-full of the sauce in the bottom and spread it around.  Working one tortilla at a time, put a spoonful of sauce in the middle of a tortilla, spread it around, add your meat and cheese (not too full!), roll up and put seam side down in the pan.  Repeat with as many tortillas as you want.  Now here's where it's going to depend on your family. My family likes the tortillas to have some texture - we don't like mushy.  I pop mine into a 375F oven for a few minutes until they're a tiny bit crispy.  Then I pour the rest of the sauce over the top, sprinkle with a bit of cheese, and back in the oven until the cheese is melted (peek inside the tortillas to be sure that cheese is melted too!).  If you don't like "crispy", then pour the sauce on before you put them in the oven.

Serve with the toppings you like and enjoy.  Don't forget the chips and salsa!

Julie and Julia

We recently had a free preview of the Starz channel and I watched Julie and Julia.  I've seen it before, but enjoyed it enough to watch again.  If you have ever tried to poach an egg, you'll laugh.  If you've ever been to Europe, you'll miss the food again.  If you love to cook, you will be inspired.

I was inspired to make....yes....Boeuf Bourguignon.  I've never made it before, but it looked delicious and they certainly enjoyed eating it in the movie.  Cook's Illustrated provided the recipe.  Now I've made it and I will tell you....

It is the best thing I've ever cooked and the best thing I've ever eaten.  Bar none.  Unctuous comes to mind.  It takes quite some time to make, but not too much hands-on.  It goes into the oven for several hours.  I highly suggest serving it with some good bread (NOT a loaf of sandwich bread!!!).  Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day is a good one and very easy.

Read through the WHOLE recipe and make a shopping list FIRST.  This is NOT tonight's dinner!!!  Don't forget the cheesecloth!!!

Beef Burgundy

Serves 6

If you cannot find salt pork, thick-cut bacon can be substituted. Cut it crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and treat it just as you would salt pork, but note that you will have no rind to include in the vegetable and herb bouquet. To make this dish a day or two in advance, see “Advance Preparation of Beef Burgundy,” below. Boiled potatoes are the traditional accompaniment, but mashed potatoes or buttered noodles are nice as well.

You will need cheesecloth for the “bouquet”!!!

Beef Braise

6 ounces salt pork, trimmed of rind, rind reserved, and salt pork cut into ¼”x ¼” x 1” pieces

10 sprigs fresh parsley leaves, torn into quarters

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 medium onions, chopped coarse

2 medium carrots, chopped coarse

1 medium head garlic, cloves separated and crushed but unpeeled

2 bay leaves, crumbled

½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed (optional)

4 - 4¼ lbs beef chuck roast, as much fat and silver skin removed as you possibly can (pull it apart if you need to!), cut into 2” chunks and patted dry

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ¾ cups canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 bottle red burgundy wine (750 ml) or Pinot Noir

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Onion and Mushroom Garnish

36 frozen pearl onions (about 7 ounces)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon table salt

10 ounces white mushrooms, whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large (I quartered all mine – we don’t LOVE mushrooms, so I wanted to make them smaller without adding cooking time)

2 tablespoons brandy

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring salt pork, reserved salt pork rind, and 3 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Boil 2 minutes, then drain well.

2. Cut two 22-inch lengths cheesecloth. Lay them out in an “x” shape, then put parsley, thyme, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, porcini mushrooms, and blanched salt pork rind in cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine  and set in 8-quart nonreactive Dutch oven. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

3. Set 12-inch skillet with salt pork over medium heat; sauté until lightly brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to Dutch oven; pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat and reserve. Season beef with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and brown half of beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes; transfer browned beef to Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup water into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.

4. Return skillet to high heat and add 2 teaspoons reserved pork fat; swirl to coat pan bottom. When fat begins to smoke, brown remaining beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes; transfer browned beef to Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup water into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.

5. Set now-empty skillet over medium heat; add butter. When foaming subsides, whisk in flour until evenly moistened and pasty. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has toasty aroma and resembles light-colored peanut butter, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and 1½ cups water; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened. Pour mixture into Dutch oven. Add 3 cups wine, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste to Dutch oven and stir to combine. Set Dutch oven over high heat and bring to boil. Cover and set pot in oven; cook until meat is tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours.

6. Remove Dutch oven from oven and, using tongs, transfer vegetable and herb bouquet to strainer set over pot. Press out liquid into pot and discard bouquet. With slotted spoon, remove beef to medium bowl; set aside. Allow braising liquid to settle about 15 minutes, then, with wide shallow spoon, skim fat off surface and discard.

7. Bring liquid in Dutch oven to boil over medium-high heat. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally to ensure that bottom is not burning, until sauce is reduced to about 3 cups and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 15 to 25 minutes.

8. While sauce is reducing, bring pearl onions, butter, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water to boil in medium skillet over high heat; cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, shaking pan occasionally, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and simmer until all liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and vegetables are browned and glazed, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to large plate and set aside. Add 1/4 cup water to skillet and stir with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. When pan bottom and sides are clean, add liquid to reducing sauce.

9. When sauce has reduced to about 3 cups and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, reduce heat to medium-low; stir in beef, mushrooms and onions (and any accumulated juices), remaining wine from bottle, and brandy into Dutch oven. Cover pot and cook until just heated through, 5 to 8 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling individual servings with minced parsley.

Advanced Preparation

Follow recipe for beef Burgundy through step 5. Using tongs, transfer vegetable and herb bouquet to mesh strainer set over Dutch oven. Press out liquid back into pot and discard bouquet. Let beef cool to room temperature in braising liquid in dutch oven, then cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 days.

With slotted spoon, skim congealed fat off top and discard. Set pot over medium-high heat and bring to simmer; with slotted spoon remove beef to medium bowl and set aside. Simmer sauce briskly, stirring occasionally to ensure that bottom is not burning, until reduced to about 3 cups and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream.

Continue with recipe from step 8.

Happy New Year!

So, I've been slacking.  I prefer to think of it as resting and pondering my next post.  Hahaha!

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year.  I know we did.  We had several little get-togethers, but kept it very simple.

This year, one of my resolutions is to do a better job menu planning and include either a meat-less meal or a fish meal once a week.  It's a trick, because my kids need protein, or they're starving early in the morning.  Here's our favorite meat-less meal...and yes, every single one of my kids loves it...and my go-to fish meal (it's super simple).

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Use kosher salt when salting the eggplant. The coarse grains don't dissolve as readily as the fine grains of regular table salt, so any excess can be easily wiped away. To be time-efficient, use the 30 to 45 minutes during which the salted eggplant sits to prepare the breading, cheeses, and sauce.

Eggplant

2 pounds globe eggplant (2 medium eggplants), cut crosswise into ¼” thick rounds

1 tablespoon kosher salt

8 slices high-quality white bread (about 8 ounces), torn into quarters

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tomato Sauce

3 cans (14½ ounces each) diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 generous tablespoon)

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup fresh basil leaves chopped

8 ounces mozzarella, shredded (2 cups)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)

10 fresh basil leaves torn, for garnish

FOR THE EGGPLANT: Toss half of eggplant slices and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt in large bowl until combined; transfer salted eggplant to large colander set over bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant and kosher salt, placing second batch in colander on top of first. Let stand until eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange eggplant slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off excess salt.

While eggplant is draining, adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions, place rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to fine, even crumbs, about fifteen 1-second pulses (you should have about 4 cups). Transfer crumbs to pie plate and stir in 1 cup Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; set aside. Wipe out bowl (do not wash) and set aside.

Combine flour and 1 teaspoon pepper in large zipper-lock bag; shake to combine. Beat eggs in second pie plate. Place 8 to 10 eggplant slices in bag with flour; seal bag and shake to coat eggplant. Remove eggplant slices, shaking off excess flour, dip in eggs, let excess egg run off, then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture; set breaded slices on wire rack set over baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.

Remove preheated baking sheets from oven; add 3 tablespoons oil to each sheet, tilting to coat evenly with oil. Place half of breaded eggplant on each sheet in single layer; bake until eggplant is well browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes, and flipping eggplant slices with wide spatula after 20 minutes. Do not turn off oven.

FOR THE SAUCE: While eggplant bakes, process 2 cans diced tomatoes in food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes; stir in processed and remaining can of diced tomatoes. Bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

TO ASSEMBLE: Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Layer in half of eggplant slices, overlapping slices to fit; distribute 1 cup sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Layer in remaining eggplant and dot with 1 cup sauce, leaving majority of eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; scatter basil over top, and serve, passing remaining tomato sauce separately.

FISH

Tilapia fillets (2 per person, since they're usually pretty thin)
Butter
Seasoned salt (I use Nature's Seasons)

Melt some butter, place tilapia fillets in, sprinkle with seasoned salt.  Cook till white on that side, flip and season.  Cook until easily flaked.  Delish!

Enjoy!