Flaky and Creamy

No, I am not going to give you another decadent chocolate dessert recipe for Valentine’s Day. They seem to be all over the place as it is. You don’t really need another one. Do you? On the other hand, what are you going to have for dinner before the dessert? Or is it going to be just dessert on your Valentine’s dinner? Have you thought about that? Do you have anything planned yet? If not, I got a lovely butternut squash galette for you.

Flaky, buttery, delicate crust and a savory-sweet and creamy filling. Do I need to say more? It’s so light and satisfying that you will have room for that decadent chocolaty dessert. Although I think vanilla might work better…

Now, a word about the dough. Ohhhh, and what a dough it is! So flavorful. I have already mentioned flaky, right?!
I always thought that the bottom of the pie/galette/crostata doesn’t get as much attention as it should have. See for example your typical cardboard tasting graham cracker crust for cheesecake. Don’t you think that cheesecakes deserve a better crust than that boring thing?! I really should do something about it. The dough’s potential is not stretched to the maximum. In this recipe, however, the dough gets an extra oomph from sage. I’m sure that thyme, oregano, and/or parsley, or any other herby friend will work excellent too in this recipe. You really really should try this.


Butternut Squash Galette
Slightly adapted (in *) from a recipe in Gourmet magazine, February 2009

For pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For filling:
1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2- by 1/4-inch slices (4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced crosswise
6 ounces soft mild goat cheese, crumbled
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked*
Pine nuts, partially toasted*

Make dough:
Pulse flour, butter, sage, and sea salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until it just forms a ball. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.) Gently press dough into a 5-inch disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make filling while dough chills:
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle. (I roasted it in a 425 F*).
Toss squash with sea salt and 1 Tbsp oil and arrange in 1 layer in a 17-by 12-inch shallow baking pan. Roast until golden brown on edges and undersides, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

Meanwhile, wash leeks, then cook in remaining 2 tablespoons oil with a pinch of sea salt in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Add squash, goat cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss gently.

Make galette:
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Arrange filling in an even layer in center of dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Cooks' note: Pastry dough can be chilled up to 1 day. Filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day!
Nurit

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Home Made Chai “Latte”

The sun is shining this morning. What a perfect light to take a photo. However, my throat feels a little like I swallowed a frog, so I really really wanted tea this morning and not my usual coffee. But I don’t have an espresso machine at home. My husband did buy me one for my birthday, but I had something else in mind that I wanted which I gave him big hints about, which he ignored. Can you guess what it was? Well, I’ll give you a hint. I had to buy it myself. And the espresso machine went back to the store. So anyway, back to the chai. I got a recipe for you.

I love chai latte. It’s my new addiction. Thanks to my friend L. who has introduced me to it a long time ago. But hers was from a coffee shop that starts with an “S” (no need to name names), so I wasn’t that impressed with the flavors. But I did get curious because she likes that drink so much. So I have tried it in other, better coffee shops, Seattle has many of those, and I got hooked.


Home Made Chai “Latte”
Makes 1 serving

1 big mug
One chai tea bag (I use Tazo decaf chai)
½ teaspoon (raw) sugar
½ teaspoon honey
Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) cinnamon
Pinch cardamom
½ cup boiling water
½ cup hot/warm milk

Put all the ingredients in the mug. Let tea bag swim in the mug for 5 minutes.
Take a sip.
Enjoy.

More tea please, Warm Winter Herbal Tea

Home-Made Cinnamon Ice Cream

I love that when I bake a cake at home the aroma of the cake can be smelled from the garage when someone comes home. It can be smelled even from the street. Imagine this – an aroma of freshly baked cakes coming out of each house on your street. Wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful?

But I have to travel out of town, so no time to bake a cake for the weekend this weekend.
My little guy expressed his concern for the lack of cake. He asked me if he can bake a cake with his dad. I said: “sure”. Mind you, this is the same boy who always chooses gummy bears over freshly baked cake!

There’s something about a homemade cake that, for me, turns a “place to live” into a “home”. My aunt always baked on Fridays, 2 cakes! And her home always seemed to me to be so… a place of family.

If I can’t, for any reason, bake a cake on Friday, it makes me go bananas. It’s like an addiction. I gotta to have cake. I don’t always eat it, but I’ve got to make it.
So I made a fresh batch of cinnamon ice cream instead.

You might have missed the recipe in my long post - 5 stars dinner at home, so I give it to you here, in a separate post, to make sure you have it.
So what if it snowed again when we have totally not expected it (‘cause we thought we have already had enough snow for this year)? It’s nice and warm in the house. The fireplace is on. It's ice cream time!

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Make this at least 1 day ahead just to be of the safe side that the ice cream has the right consistency.
Slightly adapted from Suzanne Goin, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”
Makes 1 quart

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 extra-large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
My additions:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon hazelnuts extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon for serving

Place the milk, cream, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the flavors infuse about 30 minutes.
Bring mixture back to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a ¼ cup of warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another ¼ cup of the warm cream, whisking to incorporate. At this point, you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and return to the stove.

Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minute, stirring with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken, and when it’s done will coat the back of the spatula. Off the heat, add the vanilla and hazelnut extracts.

Strain in a fine mesh sieve and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. The base should be very cold before you churn it. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

If you want to bake a cake, click Cake for the weekend
This one seems to be a great hit - Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Leftovers: Creamy Orecchiette with Roasted Vegetables, Chicken, and Leafy Greens

Whenever I manage to create a beautiful dish out of leftovers, I think about my grandmothers. Strong, hard working, stubborn and resourceful women (I got those genes), they can cook something great out of anything (and those genes too). Back in the old days there was no such thing as throwing food away, right?!

I think my cooking style is a bit old-fashioned in that way. As much as I enjoy a gourmet this or that, mid-high end food and restaurants, and following top chefs’ cookbooks and magazines, my way of cooking is a “no-nonsense cooking” – as I like to call it – using the resources of ingredients and time wisely and carefully. And the most important thing above and all is, of course, having a family meal at the end of the day with my husband and my kids.

I felt very proud of myself with the result of this pasta dish. Orecchiette is my favorite shape of pasta because it has a fun & funny shape and a soft but chewy texture, it is like having plenty of little cups on your plate, each one has a bit of the filling and sauce that surrounds it. It works so well with a mish-mash or mix and match kind of dish just like this one.

I had so many different leftovers at home and I didn’t feel like reheating any of them and eating them again as is, and then I thought: “of course, Orecchiette!”

You can really do whatever you want with it and throw in any kind of leftovers you have and it’ll work. I think. I hope. Because I really don’t know what kind of leftovers you got at home. I added some crème fraiche to it which I hesitated about, not being sure if it will match with all the different flavors. But it worked like magic, binding and bringing everything together. So this is how it went:



Leftover:
½ onion, small chopped
1/3 roasted whole chicken, pulled/cut to large bite-size pieces
3 breakfast sausages, diced
3-4 cups roasted vegetables (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, rutabagas), diced if not already
Blanched kale and chard, chopped to large pieces
½ cup crème fraiche from the lovely onion tart in this post (substitute with heavy cream. Sour cream might work too)
1/3 cup grated cheese

Pantry items:
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ box of orecchiette or other kind of short pasta



Bring water and salt to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
Meanwhile, in a big big skillet sauté onion in olive oil until it softens. Add the garlic clove. Move to the side of the skillet and add the leftovers. Warm it all up good.
When pasta is ready, drain and add to the leftovers, add salt, ground black pepper, and crème fraiche. Mix and toss it all together. Serve with grated cheese.
That’s it!

Makes 6 servings



Tell me about your winner leftover & pasta recipes and I will post them here. E mail me at nurit AT familyfriendlyfood DOT com, or in a comment below.

More leftovers, please:

Leftover bread turned into Bread pudding with spiced rum sauce for dessert
Mashed Potatoes with Cheesy Crunchy Topping
Mashed potatoes turned into Light-as-a-feather potato pancakes
Black Forest Chocolate Roulade, using Leftovers Egg whites
Roasted Chicken

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: 5 Stars Dinner at Home… But Will the Kids Eat It?

Are you a foodie? Are you a foodie and a parent? Do your kids share your passion for food? Or do they give you a hard time?

I am a foodie and a picky eater in a choosy finicky, or conscious eating way. Since we got married, I got my husband all excited about food too. Our kids, however, are a different story. We have a one-year-old girl who is willing to try anything, almost, but changes her mind about what she likes and dislikes quite often. And we have a kindergartener who challenges us more.

I always try to cook family friendly food (hence the name and essence of my blog) that we will all like. I compromise a lot between what I really love to cook and eat and what kids usually prefer (we all know what THAT is). I really go a long way to make them happy but I draw the line when it comes to junk food. We have never ordered pizza or any other take-out and we never set foot, (or car), at any of the junk fast food places (Well, not willingly. Oh, how I hate those kiddies birthday parties at Chuck E Cheese). Once a month I might prepare an upgraded pizza (see recipe here) or a Mac and Cheese but then I use real wonderful artisanal cheeses.

My son can be a picky eater even when it comes to dessert. He always prefers a candy (from Halloween and birthday parties… ) over a fresh home-baked cake. Can you believe it?! (Click here to see the cakes). On one hand, this kid can tell the difference between goat cheese, feta, parmesan, Gouda, Swiss, Brousin, mozzarella, cheddar… and of course, a cheese stick. On the other hand, he is a typical 5 years-old. After a few years of trying different strategies with the kid, I have decided – enough. This is not really working anyway and I’m getting bored with the food that we eat. We’re going back to what mommy likes to cook and eat. So OK, no chilies and no Bobby Flay food yet, but a few weeks ago I cooked dinner and the menu was:

Young onion tart with cantal, applewood-smoked bacon, and Herb salad
From “Sunday Suppers at Lacques” cookbook


Butternut squash, butter lettuce, arugula and apple salad
Inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe from her new cookbook “Back to Basics”

It was heavenly.

Why this menu?

The choice of the menu was affected by our decision to eat less meat and chicken following a few posts I wrote about the cruel conditions under which animals are raised. (No, we’re not becoming vegetarians, just eating a smaller amount of animals and less frequently. If you care about conscious eating, see my second blog “Good Food and Bad Food”)

I knew the menu will be a tricky one with the kids. However, I decided to make it anyway because I was very curious about the recipes and I fell in love with “Sunday Suppers at Lacques” cookbook (there’s a short review at the end of the post). The food was so amazingly delicious. And this is an understatement. Really. It was like a 5 stars restaurant dinner but only at home. (And by “5 stars” I mean in flavor, not in labor-intensive preparations). The baby devoured the tart. She had crumbs all over her face and in her beautiful and funny hair. The kindergartener? He, surprisingly, ate the onions on the tart. The onions! He never eats onions. He declares a ban on onions, and onions, you know, are the base for many many dishes. He ate it and said that it was good! Then I told him: “you know, those are onions”. His answer: “no, this is a new kind of chicken”.

Since we loved the tart and salad so much, I wanted to make them again. Tonight I have recreated this dinner to show you: 1) the challenges foodie parents face with young kids at home, 2) how amazingly delicious these dishes are, 3) how fantastically simple and easy it can be to cook a 5 stars dinner at home, and, of course, 4) the funny comments and reactions from the kids’ point of view.

The menu:
* Onion tart with gruyere, applewood-smoked bacon, and Herb salad
* Butternut squash, butter lettuce, arugula and apple salad
* Good wine (not for the kids) – Meadow 2007, Ross Andrew winery, Oregon (Something local that the guy at the grocery store recommended with my menu. Thanks, Bruce! It is a lovely wine.)
* Home-made cinnamon ice cream (you have been so good to read this long post up to this point, so I give you a bonus – dessert. Actually, we always have dessert on the weekend, remember the cakes?)


The Recipes:

Young Onion Tart with Cantal, Applewood-Smoked Bacon, and Herb Salad
Don’t skip making the herb salad. It will be a huge huge mistake. It is so unique and to die for.
Slightly adapted from Suzanne Goin, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”
Serves 6-8

1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry (I used two 8*9-inch sheets)
1 extra-large egg yolk
½-pound sliced applewood-smoked bacon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced onions, red and white
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
½ cup whole milk ricotta, drained if wet
¼ cup crème fraiche
1/3 pound Cantal, Gruyère, or Comté cheese, thinly sliced

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
¼ cup tarragon leaves
¼ cup chervil sprigs
¼ cup 1/2-inch-snipped chives
A drizzle super-good extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, for juicing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Defrost the puff pastry slightly and unroll it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score a 1/4-inch border around the edge of the pastry.

Stack the bacon slices in two piles, then cut crosswise into 3/8-inch rectangles or lardons.

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and allow to heat another minute. Add the bacon, and sauté over medium high heat 4 to 5 minutes, until slightly crisp but still tender. Reduce the heat to low, and toss in the young onions, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together a minute or two, until the onions are just wilted. Toss in the onion tops, and remove to a baking sheet or platter lined with paper towels to soak the fat, and to cool a bit.

Place the ricotta, egg yolk, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in abowl and whisk until smooth. Gently fold in the crème fraîche and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Spread the ricotta mixture on the puff pastry within the scored border. Lay the Cantal over the ricotta, and arrange the bacon-onion mixture on top.

Bake the tart 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Lift up the edge of the tart and peek underneath to make sure the crust is cooked through. (If you underbake the tart, it will be soggy.)

Toss the herbs in a small bowl with salt, pepper, a drizzle of super-good olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Cut tart to wedges and serve with herb salad.

Butternut squash, butter lettuce, arugula and apple salad
Inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe from her new cookbook “Back to Basics”
Serves 4-6

1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut in 3/4-inch dice
Good olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sliced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula
½ head butter lettuce, torn into 2 bite-size pieces
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
3 tablespoons dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.

To make the vinaigrette, mix the cider vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Place the arugula and butter lettuce in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash and apple. Add the cranberries and walnuts. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten, and toss well.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Make this at least 1 day ahead just to be on the safe side that the ice cream has the right consistency.
Slightly adapted from Suzanne Goin, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”
Makes 1 quart

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 extra-large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
1 teaspoon hazelnuts extract*
Pinch ground cinnamon for serving*

Place the milk, cream, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the flavors infuse about 30 minutes.

Bring mixture back to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another ¼ cup or so of the warm cream, whisking to incorporate. At this point, you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady steam, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and return to the stove.

Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minute, stirring with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken, and when it’s done will coat the back of the spatula. Off the heat, add the vanilla and hazelnut extracts and mix. Strain (in a fine mesh sieve) and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. The base should be very cold before you churn it. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

*My additions.

Kiddies comments and reactions:

Herb salad
I put some salad on my son’s plate. He immediately burst into tears. E.: “I don’t like salad. Take it out of my plate. I want a new plate”. Me: “OK, I’ll take it out”. E. :”no, I want a new plate”. Me: “I’ll wipe it clean”. E.: “you can’t wipe out the flavor”. Me: “relax already. Here, see? It’s all gone”.

R., that’s the baby, on the other hand, didn’t try it at all. The minute she saw it, she threw it away from her tray and onto the floor. E. finds it very amusing and laughs loudly. She was however, very interested in a long stem of chives.

Butternut squash salad
Me: “how about this salad? This lettuce taste very nice”. E.: “no, I don’t like salad”. Me: “OK, what about eating the ingredients separately but not the lettuce?” E.: “OK”.

R. tried to eat the lettuce but had a hard time chewing on it since she has only 2 tiny teeth. She made a funny face and spitted it out. Well, at least she tried. She ate the squash but can’t eat the berries and nuts (choking hazards).

Onion tart
E. eats the bacon on top of the tart, and then stops. Me: “why don’t you eat all the “pizza””? E.: “it has onions. I don’t like onions”. My husband: “you ate the onions last time and liked it”. E.: “No I didn’t. I don’t like onions”. Me: “OK, just take them out and put it on the side of your plate and finish eating it”. Then he takes a bite and me and my husband see the onion hanging from the side. There’s a moment of silence… he ate it! Didn’t say a word.

R. loves this tart. No complains on her part.

Ice cream
Me: “today we have home-made ice cream!” E. – “I want a candy on the ice cream because ice cream alone doesn’t taste good to me.” Me: “you need to choose – ice cream or candy”. E: “then candy”. At the end he chose a Scooby Doo push up Popsicle, leftover from his birthday party last spring. Me: “how can you choose a Scooby Doo over home-made ice cream?” E.: “I’ll eat ice cream another time”. Me: “so why don’t you eat the Scooby Doo another time and tonight you’ll eat ice cream?” E.: “because that is what I chose”.

R. – this is the first ice cream she had in her life! She loved it. She even managed to feed herself with a teaspoon for the first time.

Some photos taken by E. who likes to take pictures and do some food styling

Conclusions:
For this kind of dinner, send the kids to someone else’s home, like grandma and grandpa, if you can. Open a bottle of good wine, dim the lights, and have a nice, quiet dinner at home with good adult conversation, because this is the best food. I tell ya. And young kids are just too… too young to appreciate it. One day I’m sure they will.

Good night... Bye bye...

The Cookbooks:

“Sunday Suppers at Lacques” by Suzanne Goin
I have heard about Lacques cookbook here and there, don’t remember exactly where… so I borrowed it from the library (that’s what I do before deciding if I am going to buy a book or not). There is something about that book that makes you fall in love with it immediately. I can’t quite tell what it is. I really love that it is arranged by seasons. (Already an excellent reason to love a cookbook). But there’s something beyond that. Could it be the simplicity of its sophistication or the sophistication of its simplicity? There’s something very earthy, rustic, yet terribly smart and chic about it. The recipes I have read seem to be pretty easy to make, the photos are gorgeous. Everyone should own a copy of this book.

“Back to Basics” by Ina Garten
The Barefoot Contessa… no need to elaborate what I love about her, like so many millions of people around the world. I thought that owning 4 of her cookbooks is enough but I just couldn’t resist buying the fifth one. It is just as good and beautiful as the previous ones.

Wow! You have made it this far! It is a loooong post. I admire you! I do.
Would you like to subscribe to my blog? Click here.

Thank you for reading! Nurit.

Thank you Foodbuzz!

Some links and related posts:

Good Food & Bad Food blog
Sometimes it’s Pizza for Dinner
A cake for the weekendHome-Made Food is the Best!
Cooking with Kids: “Feast Lesson”
Baking with kids: Chocolate-banana cookies, recreating the magic

Magical Lentil Soup

This is a soup for people with either big or small food budget. But no matter how deep are your pockets, it will make your heart big and your stomach full and satisfied. I got the recipe for this lentil soup from my dear and favorite aunt Eti. She cooks like they used to in the old-days, with common sense and common ingredients. Straightforward food of hard-working people. The secret ingredient – lots and lots of love. And why is it magical? Because when I made it, I felt like I’m making soup out of nothing. Well, almost.

I always have lentils in the pantry, but, as it sometimes happens, even with basic ingredients, I did not have all of them the night I made the soup. So I improvised a little here and there and now you get two versions for the recipe! Here they are side by side.

For more magical recipes, check out the new recipe page!

Magical Lentil Soup
Makes 4-6 servings

10 oz. red lentils, rinsed until the water is clean and clear
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, small chopped
1 celery stalk, small chopped/ ½ red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste/ (tomato pesto that I made 2 weeks ago)
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt
Black pepper freshly ground
½ tablespoon hawaij*/1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 large tomato, grated, or use canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup cilantro and /or parsley, on the stem or chopped
Optional: serve with sour cream, avocado, grated cheese, croutons… if you have it

Put lentils in a medium size pot with 10-12 cups of water. Bring to a boil and skim the foam that floats to the top. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook until lentils melt/break and soften. (I didn’t measure the time but I’d say about 20-30 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a separate pot or medium size skillet, sauté the onion, carrot, and celery over medium-low heat until they soften. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook for 10 minutes.

When lentils are ready, add the spice-tomato mixture to the lentils, add the parsley/cilantro and cook for 15-20 minutes for the flavors to combine. (add water if needed, to the desired consistency).
Serve with cream, avocado, grated cheese, croutons… if you have it.

UPDATE:
The original recipe I got from my aunt uses 1 tablespoon hawaij. I cut it to 1/2 Tbs. because it was a bit spicy for me.
I got some comments on this recipe in another forum. One person wrote: “ I found the spices overpowering… I made it again with 2 teaspoons of paprika, ½ teaspoon of hawaij, ½ teaspoon of curry. It turned out much more to my liking.”
Someone else suggested using Spanish smoked paprika.

* Hawaij is a spice blend, sort of like garam masala, from the cuisine of Yemen. There are many variations and recipes, of course. One recipe to make your own hawaij can be found here.

To see this soup from different perspective, check out my post about Portion Control (how can we NOT eat more than we really need ) on my other blog “Good Food & Bad Food”. Click here to see it.

Arugula, Bacon, and Gruyère Bread Pudding

What can I say? I love bread puddings, sweet or savory. It’s like old-world food. Basic ingredients. Using leftover bread. A warm and rustic dish. Golden crust. The best of comfort food.

Here’s a lovely recipe from Gourmet magazine that I made a few days ago. Eating more leafy greens is, ahemm ahemm, one of my New Year’s resolutions. I love arugula and am always looking for new ways to use it. This bread pudding was quick and easy to make, and made a very nice dinner together with a salad (more leafy greens). If you have any leftovers take them for lunch at work the following day. It can be easily reheated in the microwave.
(For more bread puddings recipes, click here).

Oh, another good thing about bread puddings – they reheat very well (in the microwave, or in the oven covered with foil) or you can assemble them ahead. Assemble the whole thing (with or without the bread, depending on how many hours it is going to sit) but don’t bake. When you return home from work, pop it in the oven, bake, and voila – dinner!

Arugula, Bacon, and Gruyère Bread Pudding

Slightly adapted from Gourmet, December 2008
Makes 4-6 main course or 6-8 side dish servings

Active Time: 20 min

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs
6 bacon slices, sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
5 ounces baby arugula
6 cups cubed (1-inch) country-style bread (1 pound)
5 1/2 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-qt (8*8 or 9*9-inch) baking dish.

Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Preheat 10-12 -inch heavy skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook bacon in a, turning occasionally, until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Cook shallot and garlic, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add arugula and cook, stirring, until it wilts. Let cool a bit.
Stir arugula mixture, bacon, bread, and cheese into custard. Transfer to baking dish and cover with foil.*

Bake 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake until golden in spots, about 10 minutes more.

* Next time I’ll make it, I will let it sit for at least 30 minutes (or longer) in the refrigerator so the bread soaks the liquids more.

More bread pudding recipes:

Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce & Savory Bread Pudding with Cheese

Cranberry Cake to Celebrate the Beginning of a New Year

I want to dedicate a cake to you. To celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. You deserve it. It has been tough lately. But it will get better, right?! It has to.

I usually don’t fuss over a change of digit when a year ends, but this year it feels a bit different. I’ve been blogging since July and I Love it. The blog grew nicely thanks to you, so here is another reason to give you a cake! (As if I need an excuse to bake a cake). It is simple to make, inexpensive but festive, and makes a perfect cake for the holiday served with whipped cream, or for an after holiday or weekend brunch, served with whipped cream!

Speaking of whipped cream… We have beautiful snow outside. It’s been out there in the past week and our street looks like this.

Our backyard looks like this.

We’ve been kind of stuck at home in the past few days. It’s snowing here like never before. The snow is about 15 inches deep. Some roads are closed, some businesses are closed, schools are closed which means that the kids are at home and need to be entertained and fed 24/7, as well as Mr. Husband. We’ve been doing all kinds of cooking projects here to keep ourselves busy and happy. (All the recipes will be posted next year.)

Onion Quiche

Lamb shanks with Whole Wheat Couscous, Beans, and Garbanzo Beans

We made so many desserts and treats (Marshmallows, nut cookies, doughnuts, cheesecake) that my son suggested that I start a dessert blog.

Very cool idea, but, no, I’m not going to do that. I already have too many blogs on my hands (this one which is also published at the Seattle P-I, this one: Good Food & Bad Food, also published on the Seattle P-I, and at some point I thought of starting a salad blog, but I have to think about it. Would you be interested in a salad blog?)
So no, no dessert blog, but I do plan on buying a new camera and taking some photography classes, and I hope I can show you better photos. I’m so excited about that!!!

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake*
From Martha Stewart

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
(I also added orange zest - N.)

1 3/4 cups cranberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice (and orange zest, if using - N). Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.

With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.

Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (I added an extra 20 minutes to the baking time - N.). Let cool on a wire rack for 20minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

For the whipped cream, click strawberry shortcake.

*A warning: Your baked cake is not going to look that bright red! I expected it to look that bright red, like the photo in the book/link, so I was a bit disappointed when I saw that it is actually a bit brownish-red in real life. That’s just the color of cooked cranberries. But, it is a very good cake, easy to make, and festive enough. Don’t forget the whipped cream!

I wish you ALL a very wonderfully happy New Year!!!!!

I am going to spend some time with my family and will be back in January.

Nurit

Previous December posts:

11 Tips for Eating Out (with Kids) While on Vacation
More than a Weekly Meal Plan – December
Holiday (or Birthday) Party Food – Appetizers
Time to Tell You What It Is

Gingerbread houses at the Sheraton, Downtown Seattle

Holiday (or Birthday) Party Food – Appetizers

Holidays season means… party time, and if you’re lucky, then it’s parties. Here are a few ideas to make your party stress free.
What you see in the pictures is what I served for my birthday party in August. That was outside in the backyard… But, regardless of the weather, all the ingredients I used then are available year round. This menu was easy to make, quick, and offered different types of food to serve every guest’s taste.

First, a nice platter of cheeses with seasonal fruits and nuts is classic, as it is elegant and casual at the same time. Served with different types of crackers it is loved by most people.


For the cheese platter:
Start with a nice platter, of course
Buy different kinds of cheese: yellow, white, blue, soft, hard, cubes, log, rounds, simple, sophisticated, etc
Add seasonal fruits and toasted nuts
Decorate with fresh herbs or edible flowers. Mint is a beautiful herb and always available, and you can also use it to make Warm Winter Herbal Tea, which I’m sure your guests will appreciate in this weather.
Accompany the cheese platter with some nice olives and more crackers with sesame, poppy, spices, etc, or small slices of bread.

Next, open-faced sandwich/crostini/bruschetta/tartine/whatever you want to name it, is a perfect finger food for a cocktail party, or any party.
The idea it to take bread and slice it thinly, then toast or grill it, usually brushed with olive oil, or butter. If you are short on time and your bread is fresh, just serve it as is without toasting.
Slice a baguette crosswise on a bias. Brush slices with olive oil or spread some butter, if you want. Toast it in a 350 F oven or grill it if you dare go outside in this weather (see Grilling in the Rain), until it is crispy or lightly browned (but not totally dry and don’t burn it like my husband did.) I prepared two kinds:

Eggplant Crostini – with eggplant marinated in herbs (recipe here), with feta/goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil on top.

Blue cheese, walnuts and honey Crostini – spread the bread with fig jam and top with crumbled blue cheese, toasted and chopped nuts (smoosh/press those firmly onto the bread with your hands),and a drizzle of honey (add the honey just before serving, if you can. If not ,don’t worry about it and do it ahead.)

For the guests who like simple or more familiar food, I served Guacamole and corn chips and Hummus with sliced veggies, like cucumber, peppers, with pita triangles (warm those in the oven).
I also served assorted nuts and more types of crackers, fruit and vegetables.

As for drinks, those depend on your crowd, do they like a nice wine, a cocktail, hot coffee, tea or spiced cider?

For additional ideas, visit my World Flavor web site and check out the “What’s cooking?” page for more menus I have catered to different parties and events.

Have a great party!
Nurit

More holiday food ideas:

Easy dinner party - Work & Cook: How to cook a dinner party for 6+5+2 on a conference day?
Season flavors - Thanksgiving-y Chicken Dinner

Orange-Colored Soup

A few months ago I was talking on the phone with a relative from Los Angeles. She said she likes my blog and read it almost every day, and she likes the recipes etc, and then she asked “why don’t you have recipes for soup?”. “SOoooUP?” I asked, “But it’s summer! And you live in California! You want soup?”
Well, now it is December, and it’s time for soup.

The recipe for this soup has been a part of my recipe collection in the past 15 years or so. Every winter I make it, at least once. It has seasonal ingredients, and is simple and easy to make.

Orange-Colored Soup
Makes 8 servings

2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 lb. pumpkin, peeled and diced
1 lb. yams, peeled and diced
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
Nutmeg, grated
Salt
Black pepper
Water/milk/heavy cream/chicken stock for thinning the soup – optional, if needed
Sour cream and chives, for serving

In a medium size pot, sauté the onions in the butter over medium heat.
Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil and then cook over low heat for 40-50 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
Let cool a bit. Mash with potato masher or puree in a food processor or using a hand mixer to desired consistency. Add water/milk/heavy cream/chicken stock to thin the soup, if needed.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chives.

Oh, I almost forgot – a few drops truffle oil just before serving (in each soup bowl, not in the soup pot), will add a heavenly touch.

Bon appétit,
Nurit

Sometimes Life Gives You Breadcrumbs

Do you have days when you don’t feel like cooking? Even if you are a foodie/chef/a person obsessed with food/can’t think about anything else but food all day and night? Do you always have something fresh in the fridge to cook dinner with? Hhmmm.

Well, I don’t. I know, I know, I have posted a few weekly meal plans before (for November, October, and September) but that is only one week in a whole month. And we have already covered that when we discussed pizza for dinner. Anyway, last night we had ravioli with breadcrumbs. Yes, you heard it right. Luckily, it wasn’t breadcrumbs with ravioli.

The first time I heard about breadcrumbs “sauce” for pasta was when I was in high school. That was the time when my culinary interest has started budding. The idea of breadcrumbs with pasta seemed too bizarre and out of this world to me, and I never thought of trying it. Until last night. That’s 20 years later! (Now you can do the math and guess how young I am.)

Sometimes life just gives you breadcrumbly pumpkin ravioli. You eat it and you enjoy it. With butter. I’ve decided to enjoy my fat and make a buttery sauce.


Breadcrumbly Pumpkin Ravioli

Makes 2-3 entrées or 4 servings as a side dish

1 package 10 oz. fresh pumpkin ravioli (look at the grocery store in the fridge section)
4-6 tablespoons butter
2 handfuls fresh breadcrumbs, with herbs or plain*
1 handful pine nuts, toasted**
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked off the stems
Salt
Ground black pepper
½ lemon

Bring water to boil + salt to cook the pasta while you make the “sauce”.
In a medium size skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat and cook the breadcrumbs with thyme, salt and pepper until it is toasted, and crunchy, and browned (but not burnt). Add the extra 2 tablespoons butter to make it more sauce-y.

Cook ravioli according to instructions on package. Drain it and add to the skillet with the breadcrumbs, and toss gently.
Serve with the pine nuts and squeeze the lemon on top.

* Click here to see my tips on fresh breadcrumbs. If using plain breadcrumbs, use some herbs for more flavor, like thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, mint, etc.
** toast pine nuts in a 350 F oven for a few minutes or in a skillet over very low heat.

As good at this ravioli turned out, I think maybe you should take a pick at one of the weekly menu plans. Even if you pick out only 2 recipes, that’s 2 nights you don’t have to worry about what to cook for dinner. Doesn’t that sound good?!


I’ll “see” you again after Thanksgiving.
Have a GREAT feast!

Nurit


UPDATE: This part below was embedded in the post before Thanksgiving and was brought down over here after.

By the way, what are you planning for Thanksgiving dinner? No pressure, but you got 2 more days to plan. Since you are probably already flooded with recipes any way you look, I won’t post more recipes to confuse you. I’ll just share a little secret with you. It’s about the turkey.

This is year it’s going to be stuffed Cornish hens. Yep. I got the idea from Kari at Anticiplate blog and liked it a lot. Now I am plotting to tell the kids it’s, plan A - the tiniest baby turkey, or, plan B - a turkey seed (that you can plant in the ground and a turkey tree will grow by next year to give us more turkeys). Please cooperate with me here; do you think they will bite into it? I think it will be fun. Every person gets their own little “turkey”.

Warm Winter Herbal Tea

Making fresh herbal tea feels so refreshing and healthy. No need to use a tea bag, but you can if you insist. I love to use lemon verbena which has a delicate lemony scent and flavor and is one of my favorite herbs. I grow it in a pot in the back yard. It “dies” during winter (yeah, I know, when you need tea the most), but it comes back during spring. Then you can use it in ice creams and custards (more about that next spring).

In the photo you can see that I made the tea with a sprig of lemon verbena, a sprig of mint, and a thin slice of lemon. Added a teaspoon of raw sugar, and that’s it.
Sweetening the tea with honey is wonderful too. Don’t forget to serve with cookies or cake.

Related posts:

Vegetable garden

Cake recipes

Cookies recipes

Eat Your Brussels Sprouts

I used to hate Brussels sprouts, but I have already told you everything about it in Try something new: Brussels sprouts. So, let’s assume that you have tried it – as I said, and liked it – as I knew you would, and pick up from there?

For the past 3 years I’ve been making Brussels sprouts the same way – 375 F degrees, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil – and we liked it just like that. But last Saturday I thought – OK, enough, I got to try something else. I grabbed a few garlic cloves, sent the kid to cut some thyme sprigs from the backyard plant, chop chop, and – voila! A new variation was born. Yummy, just the same. Easy to make, just the same.

I eat these little devils as if they were peanuts; they are small and sneaky, and taste so good.
OK, I’m not kidding myself. I know some of you are still not convinced. I didn’t have much luck either trying to convert some people I know from mashed potatoes to Brussels sprouts. What can I tell you? It only means there will be more for me! Ha, ha, hah, hhhhhhhhhaa.

But seriously now, give it a chance.


Garlic & Thyme Brussels Sprouts

Makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 – 2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
A few garlic cloves, chopped
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked off from the stems

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.Cut off the ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any rough outer leaves. If they are big, cut in half. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle salt, black pepper, garlic, and thyme. Mix together.Roast for 30-40 minutes, until outside in browned and they are tender inside. Turn the sprouts halfway through the cooking time so they brown evenly.


Serving suggestion.

Serve with:
Balsamic and sweet roasted chicken
Fresh Wild Pacific Northwest Salmon
Thanksgiving-y chicken dinner
or any other Dinner tonight.

Balsamic and Sweet Roasted Chicken

I love Giada De Laurentis’s idea of adding balsamic vinegar to chicken marinade (isn’t she pretty?). In her new cookbook “Giada’s kitchen”, she has a recipe for sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks using this vinegar.

I liked the idea but I changed the recipe (quite a bit). I thought she put too much sugar and honey which will make the chicken taste waaaaay too sweet, the oven temperature too high which might (probably will) burn the chicken (because of the honey and sugar) and also cause the meat to shrink from the high roasting heat. So, here is my version. It turned out just perfect, as you will see in the end.

By the way, there is a poll here on the right side column where you can vote for your favorite protein. I see that for now, chicken is leading. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite candidate.

Balsamic and sweet roasted chicken
Inspired by Giada De Laurentis sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks recipe

Makes 4-6 servings

½ cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey (½ cup in original recipe)
¼ cup light brown sugar (½ cup in original recipe)
¼ cup soy sauce (I use low sodium soy)
3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked off the stem
5 garlic cloves, sliced
Salt
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 whole chicken legs, split to drums and thighs, or use 10-12 drumsticks

Combine all the marinade ingredients together in a big dish (like a 3 * 9-inch pan) which you will use for baking the chicken. Add chicken and mix well. Cover and marinade for 1-2 hours.

Roast the chicken with the marinade in a 350 F degrees oven for 50-60 minutes.
If you see that the skin is getting too dark, place an aluminum foil loosely over the chicken to prevent the skin from browning too much.

This chicken turned out delicious!

More chicken recipes:

Leftovers: Roasted Chicken
Roasted chicken with orange-mustard marinade, yellow jasmine rice, steamed broccoli
Whole roasted chicken with chardonnay-tarragon sauce, roasted potatoes and carrots
Chicken thighs, Israeli couscous, steamed cauliflower, and salad with feta

Coming up next: Garlic & Thyme Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Enjoy, and don't forget to vote for your favorite chicken.

Nurit

Pumpkins Seeds Roasted With Curry Seasoning

Sarah, a mom I know from my son’s school, gave me a little bag with roasted fresh pumpkin seeds she baked at home. They were very very tasty.

Pumpkin seeds make a nutritious and tasty snack, and have an extra oomph during the holidays. They make a good treat to serve to your holiday dinner guests without them losing their appetite from eating a more filling appetizer/s and then not having room in their bellies for the main meal.

The recipe was taken from www.about.com.

Pumpkins Seeds Roasted With Curry Seasoning

2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons olive oil (or other cooking oil)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoons curry powder (Gharam Masala)
1/4 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin shell using a spoon, scraper, or your hands. Place the seeds in a bowl. To clean the pumpkin seeds, remove and discard any strings or bits of clinging pulp.

Wash the pumpkin seeds in a strainer under running water to remove any remaining juices, or bits of pulp.

For immediate use, spread the seeds out on a shallow pan between paper towels and pat dry. To use the following day, spread the seeds out and allow to dry over night.

Place the dry seeds in a bowl and coat with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and spices. Stir the seasonings with a spoon to evenly coat the seeds.

Spread the seasoned pumpkin seeds out on a baking sheet or shallow pan in a single layer. Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes*. (Stir every 10 minutes.)

* After 30 minutes, check and stir the seeds every 5 minutes. They may begin to pop or crack and turn a delicate golden color when done. They will be crispy and crunchy when ready to eat. Let them cool for several minutes before tasting.

Thanks, Sarah!
Nurit

Thanksgiving-y Chicken Dinner

Our friends, the M. family, cook chicken every Friday. What a great idea! I used to drive myself crazy thinking what to cook for dinner every Friday. We like to have a nice dinner to celebrate the end of the week and beginning of the weekend. So, I embraced their idea and was looking for a recipe with home-style feel that will warm the heart and soul with seasonal spices and down to earth ingredients.

Dinner tonight was inspired by a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks “Nightly Specials” by Michael Lomonaco. I cook from this book very often for the reason that it has many wonderful recipes like: Philly cheese steak; Roasted corn chowder with shrimp and tarragon; Beef and porter stew; Moroccan lamb stew; Alpine baked pasta; Coconut-scented basmati rice; Paella with chicken and sausage; Toasted barley and butternut squash; Pan-roasted halibut with asparagus, fava beans, and thyme broth; Floribbean-style tilefish pan-fried with limes, chiles, tomatoes, and avocado; Steamed bass with lemongrass and chile-coconut broth; Bitter greens and honey almonds… The list goes on and on, you got the picture.

I’ll just mention that the book has a recipe for the best French fries ever! And a very nice Flourless chocolate cake.
Anyway… let’s move on.

There is a recipe in the book for “Braised chicken with butternut squash, walnuts and sage” that I wanted to make. But I made so many changes in it that I think I can call it my own by now. I decreased the amount of spices to give the chicken a milder flavor than the usual Thanksgiving-y robust cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg combination so typical to recipes for the holiday season. And of course, like always, I made a few shortcuts, and added more vegetables. The result was terrific.

Thanksgiving-y chicken
Makes 4-6 servings

1 onion, medium diced
4 carrots, peeled and cut to large pieces
½ butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced large
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced large
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole chicken legs, divided to thighs and drumsticks
2 tablespoon butter, cut to small pieces
Sage for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a big pan, toss the vegetables with salt, pepper, the spices, and olive oil.
Generously sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Add to the pan with veggies and mix so chicken gets some of the spices on it. Arrange nicely in the pan, chicken skin side up. Spread butter on top.

Roast for 50-60 minutes until nicely browned and skin is crispy. (If you like the meat falling off the bone, after 60 minutes of cooking time, reduce the temperature to 350 and roast for another 20-30 minutes.)
Add sage for garnish before serving.

Have a wonderful dinner.
Nurit

More dinner ideas:

A simple yet delicious fall stew

Grilling in the rain

Weekly meal plan - October 14th

Work & Cook: How to cook a dinner party for 6+5+2 on a conference day?

A simple yet delicious fall stew

As the temperatures drop down (sorry to bring this up), I feel that my energy levels go down too, and it makes me think of stew. But not just any stew. A stew that is easy to make, with good basic ingredients, a nice piece of meat that cooks fairly quickly, and an unfussy recipe.




Although cooking a stew for 3-4 hours will warm your house and warm your heart for 3-4 hours, it IS fall and I want to spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible and take advantage of a sunny day before the weather gets too cold.

Sunday was nice and sunny so we took the kids Farrel McWhirter Park in Redmond. It was really gorgeous there. See the little people and swings?




When we came back home I had half an hour to prepare the stew and 1 ½ hours to cook it in the oven. The recipe below was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Jool’s favorite beef stew recipe from his jamie’s dinners cookbook, with some shortcuts and a few changes that I’ve made to make it faster to make and bake.

A Simple Fall Stew

Makes 4-6 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, peeled and medium chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 ½ - 2 lb. beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 carrots, peeled and halved
½ a butternut squash, halved, deseeded and roughly diced
2 handfuls of Jerusalem artichokes, peeled
4 – 6 small potatoes, peeled and cut in half
a handful of fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 cups red wine (I used shiraz)
1 cup water (or use stock, if you have any)
zest of 1 lemon
a handful of parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
Put oil and butter into a large pot. Add onion and sauté over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add the meat and all the vegetables, the tomato purée, wine and water/stock, sage leaves. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and salt, and gently stir. Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then cook in the oven until the meat is tender, about 1 – 1 ½ hours, or until a piece of meat falls apart easily when you test it with a fork.
Before serving, sprinkle the lemon zest and chopped parsley and mix together.

Nice, isn’t it?!
Nurit