Asparagus & Mushroom Tart

Preparation Time: 15 minutes / Cooking Time: 4 minutes / Baking Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

• 2 tsp oil 
• 2 shallots, sliced 
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• Pinch each salt and pepper 
• 1 sheet butter puff pastry, thawed 
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 cup shredded Havarti cheese

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes. Add asparagus and garlic; cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Unroll puff pastry and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush mustard over surface. Poke entire surface with fork. Arrange asparagus over pastry and top with mushroom mixture, leaving 1/2-inch (2.5 cm) border; sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 400°F oven 18 to 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand on sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

 

Goulash

2½ lbs beef
3 tbsp cooking oil
3 medium onions
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp paprika
½ tsp marjoram
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 cup sour cream
Flour
Boiling water
Hot buttered noodles or boiled potatoes

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dredge meat in flour.
2. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan and brown onions lightly. Remove onions.
3. Brown meat in remaining oil (add a little more oil if required to prevent burning).
4. Add onions, salt, pepper, paprika, marjoram, garlic and caraway seeds.
5. Add enough boiling water to cover meat. Cover and cook over low heat for about 2 hours, or until meat is tender.Remove cover for the last 30 minutes to allow gravy to thicken a little if desired.
6. Add a little of the hot mixture to the sour cream and stir to blend. Stir the sour cream back into the saucepan and heat, but do not allow it to boil.
7. Serve with buttered noodles or boiled potatoes. Serves 6.
   

Provençal Beef Stew

One of the most ancient of Provençal dishes, this simple beef stew is made glorious by the slow simmering that transforms the meat into tender, richly seasoned morsels. Authentic recipes will call for five to six hours cooking time; we’ve achieved delicious results by oven baking the stew for four hours at a low temperature.

3 tbsps olive oil
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
2 medium-size onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
5 carrots, peeled and quartered
6 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
8 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped, or 1 tsp dried sage leaves
1 tsp dried herbes de Provence or thyme leaves
4 whole cloves
3 (½-inch-wide) strips orange peel
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
Fresh parsley, chopped
Water

1. In ovenproof 5-quart Dutch oven or casserole, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat; brown beef in batches on all sides. With slotted spoon, remove beef and set aside.

2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, tomatoes, sage, herbes de Provence, cloves, orange peel, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour red wine over all; add browned beef and enough water to cover and stir to blend. Heat mixture to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, heat oven to 250°F. When mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, cover, and bake 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover stew and bake 2 more hours, or until beef is very tender and stew thickens. Serve and sprinkle with parsley; or cool, cover and refrigerate—it will taste even better the next day!

Swiss Cheese Fondue

The original classic made with authentic Swiss cheese.

1 clove garlic
2 cups dry white wine
½ lb Emmenthal cheese, grated
½ lb Gruyère cheese, grated
3 tbsp flour
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 loaf crusty bread
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup kirsch

Rub the inside of an earthenware casserole with the garlic. Turn the heat to low and add the cheeses which have been mixed with flour. Add seasonings. Stir well until cheese is melted and thoroughly blended. Mix in the kirsch. Cook one minute longer and transfer to a brazier on the table to keep warm.

Cut crusty bread into 1 inch cubes. Use fondue spear to hold bread cubes for dipping.

Cajun Beef Ribs

by Justin Wilson (the Cajun chef)

6 lbs beef ribs
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups BBQ sauce
1 tbsp dry mint
Cayenne pepper
Salt
2 tbsp flour
1 large oven bag

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Flour the inside of an oven bag and place on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle the ribs with the salt and pepper and place in the oven bag in a single layer. Sprinkle the mint leaves over the ribs. Mix the white wine and BBQ sauce and pour into the bag but not over the ribs.

Tie up the bag and poke about 20 holes in the bag with an ice pick (to let steam escape).

Cook for about 1½ hours for medium.

Justin Wilson

Bean Dip

Ingredients
1 can refried beans
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp Mexican chili
¼ cup minced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
3-4 slices bacon minced
Salt to taste

Saute the bacon in a fry pan. Remove the bacon and retain the grease. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the jalapeno and cook until tender but not browned. Add the garlic but do not overcook.

Stir in the refried beans and add just enough water to be able to mix. Add the cumin and chili and stir. Keep stirring until all is bubbly. Salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Bourride Fish Stew

Bourride is a silky white fish soup, flavoured with aïoli and made with monkfish or cod and lots of white wine. Garnish with herbs and tiny diced tomatoes. It is a Provençal specialty.

Ingredients
2 lbs monkfish or cod
4 cups fish or chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2 leeks, white part sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 cup sliced fennel
2 bay leaves
One 2-inch strip of orange peel
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1½ cups aïoli (see below)
8 slices French bread, toasted
1 cup peeled & seeded tomatoes, diced

1. Slice fish into ½ inch cubes
2. Combine stock, wine, leeks, carrot, fennel, bay leaves, orange peel, thyme, parsley and garlic in a large pot. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes. Strain broth into a clean pot.
3. Bring broth to simmer and immerse fish. Poach 12 minutes or until fish is tender. Season to taste. Remove fish, cover and keep warm.
4. Place 1 cup aïoli in a bowl. Slowly add hot soup, whisking constantly. Return soup to pot and retreat gently but do not boil.
5. Place toasted bread in soup bowl. Top with fish and pour over soup. Garnish with diced tomato. Serve with extra aïoli on the side.

Aïoli

2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1½ cups olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor combine garlic, Dijon mustard, egg yolks and egg. With machine running, slowly add olive oil until mixture emulsifies. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Gazpacho

Ingredients

1½ lbs vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ cup red bell pepper chopped
½ cup Spanish onion
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced or made into a paste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsps fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions

Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.

Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.

Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1½ cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Pass through a fine sieve and press mixture through. Cover and chill for 6 hours or overnight. Serve with a chiffonade of basil.

Thai Coconut Chicken and Shrimp Soup

Ingredients
2 cups shrimp, fish or clam stock
2 cups water
3 stalks lemongrass, (white part only, pounded)
2-inch piece galangal, sliced
12 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
1-3 tbsp Thai chili paste
½ lb skinless chicken breast, cut into slices
½ lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 oz black fungus mushrooms
1 red chili, deseeded, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1 large lime, juiced

Instructions

1. Add the stock and water into a pot on high heat. Add the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chili paste (amount depends on desired heat level) into the broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Add the chicken, shrimp, mushroom and red chili. When the chicken and shrimp are cooked, add fish sauce, coconut milk and lime juice. Stir to combine well. Turn off heat and serve immediately.

Lambchops with Mint Chutney

This is my mom’s favorite: grilled lamb chops over mint sauce/chutney.

Ingredients
12 pieces medium size lamb chops
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp turmeric
½ salt (or salt to taste)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Garam masala
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp cayenne powder
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste*
Black pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a bowl add salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, lemon juice, garam masala, cayenne, black pepper, ginger garlic paste and olive oil and mix to a paste.
2. Rub the paste evenly to lamb chops.
3. Marinate it overnight for more flavor.
4. Before cooking, let the lamb chops sit at room temp for about 30 minutes.
5. Grill over medium heat.
6. Cook the lamb chops as you prefer. Cook to an internal temperature of 140°F (63°C) for medium well.

Mint sauce/chutney
1 batch of fresh mint
1 tomato
¼ of 1 medium size red onion
½ clove of garlic
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until you reach a smooth sauce like consistency.

* - make paste from 1 inch of ginger pealed and grated, and 8 garlic cloves grated.

Source - @flavorsnlife on Instagram.

Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine

If you are looking for a meal for an intimate gathering this holiday season look no further. This beef short ribs are slow cooked winter escape. Recipe below.

Ingredients
6-7 beef short ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 tomatoes diced
1 large onion diced
Thyme and rosemary sprigs
2 tbsp tomato paste
8 garlic cloves

Directions

• 1. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper
• 2. Sear all the sides of short ribs
• 3. Use the tongs to remove the ribs once all the sides are brown.
• 4. In the same pan, sauté onion, tomatoes, salt, pepper, red wine, beef broth. Once it comes to boil add the seared beef short ribs.
• 5. Place the Dutch oven in a preheated oven 325°F.
• 6. Bake it in the oven for 2 ½-3 hours.

Source - @flavorsnlife on Instagram.