84: Braised Lamb Shanks in White Wine, Tomatoes, Greek Olives & Herbs / Creamy Polenta / Rainbow Chard Chiffonade

Any regular reader of my blog knows I love anything that is slow-cooked, and braised lamb shank is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Cooked in a delicious, intensely aromatic sauce for about two hours until the meat is so moist and tender, it's literally falling off the bone. I'm a big fan of lamb, always have been, and I was thrilled to see lamb shanks at my local grocery store. I asked my lady if she wanted mashed potatoes or polenta to go with it and polenta is what she chose.

I wanted to make it a little lighter, so I chose white wine instead of red wine to go with a copious amount of fresh chopped herbs. Normally I would add carrots, fennel, leeks, or celery to the braising sauce, but I decided to try it with just olives and tomatoes this time around. It was definitely lighter, maybe even a warm weather sauce, but there was no compromise in the flavor profile.

I sautéed rainbow chard, one of my favorite vegetables, to go with what was shaping up to be a Mediterranean-inspired dinner. Chard is very popular along the Mediterranean, and it is also one of the healthiest vegetables out there with over a dozen different antioxidants. The bitter, earthy profile went nicely with the rest of the dish.

Ingredients & Directions:

Lamb shanks-
2 lamb shanks, about 1.5 lbs total
1 cup diced onions
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1.5 cups dry white wine
2.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup Greek Olive mix, pitted and quartered
1 cup fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, tarragon)
Olive oil
Salt + pepper

Polenta-
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup water
1 cup half & half cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp butter

2 large rainbow chard leaves, stemmed and chiffonade

Lamb shanks and sauce—Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season shanks with salt and pepper, and heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven. Brown lamb shanks for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove shanks to a plate. Add onions and garlic to the drippings, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, or until translucent.

Add shanks back to this mixture, along with the white wine, herbs, chicken stock, tomatoes, and olives. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook in the oven for two hours. Turn shanks once halfway through the cooking time.

Remove shanks to a plate when done to let excess sauce drip off. Spoon sauce over top of the shank with a slotted spoon, so there is not a lot of sauce. Use a regular spoon to add sauce around the polenta.

For the polenta--Bring the water, cream and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water and begin whisking the polenta. Whisk for 4-5 minutes continuously to prevent lumps and create a smooth, creamy mixture. Add cheese to polenta, and whisk for another minute to blend it all in. Check seasonings, and add salt and pepper as needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Sauté chard in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes and serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

83: Braised Short Ribs / Broccoli Puree / Tomato-Parsley "Confit"

My favorite winter pastime is alive and well: slow-cooked meat. There is just something about a tender, flavorful piece of meat that is undeniably satisfying to this Midwestern boy.

I regularly see beef short ribs at the butcher shop, and I could not resist them anymore. This recipe requires a little bit of time, since there is an overnight marinade involved, but it is so worth the wait. Broccoli, cheese, and potatoes are also staples of my childhood, and they served as the inspiration for the broccoli puree. I added the tomato-parsley confit to hopefully brighten the flavor profile, but I think it added too much acid to the short rib, which was not lacking in that department because of the wine and stock. Nevertheless, your dinner guests will leave wanting more, and that’s not a bad thing.

We drank Perrin & Fils “Les Cornuds” (2007) with dinner, a 65% syrah, 35% grenache blend, but this wine was not big enough to handle the flavors. Go for a meaty bordeaux or big cabernet.

Ingredients and Directions:

For the meat-

1.5-2 lbs beef short ribs with bones

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery

3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

1 bottle of dry red wine

2 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs, 2 sage sprigs, 2 parsley sprigs

2.5 cups chicken stock

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

For the puree-

1 small red potatoes, peeled and diced

2 handfuls of broccoli florets, chopped

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 large spoonful of sour cream

1 tbs minced parsley

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

For the tomato confit-

6 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 tbs minced parsley

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

The short ribs— In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs well with salt and pepper. Sear meat in the hot oil, turning once, for about 20 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish in a single layer.

Now add carrots, onions, celery, and garlic to the same skillet, and cook mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the wine and herbs and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the hot marinade over the ribs, let cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Turn the ribs at least once in the marinade. There will be some fat build up in the pan, but don’t worry about it because it will be skimmed off later in the cooking process, or you may opt to remove as much as you can before finishing the cooking process.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the ribs and marinade to a large Dutch oven. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for 90 minutes. Remove the cover and braise for an additional 45 minutes.

Transfer the meat to a clean shallow baking dish, discarding the bones. Strain the sauce into a bowl and skim off as much fat as possible with a spoon, discarding veggies. This is somewhat tedious, but it’s incredibly important because your sauce will taste like fat instead of nicely flavored broth otherwise. Spoon the sauce over the short ribs after plating everything.

The puree—Boil the potato until very tender, about 20 minutes. Steam the broccoli for 12-15 minutes to get it nice and tender. Drain both potatoes and broccoli, and mash the potatoes with a fork. Add mashed potatoes, broccoli, sour cream, cheese, broth and salt and pepper to a food processor, and pulse for about 30-45 seconds total. Taste the puree and add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a pot and keep warm on low heat.

The tomatoes—Heat olive oil over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, turn the pan a couple times to coat the surface. Add tomatoes to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and lower heat to medium. Add parsley after 2 minutes and stir. Add tomatoes over short ribs using a slotted spoon.

82: Lemon Pepper Crusted Turbot / Brussels Sprouts & Wild Mushrooms / Celery Root Puree

We went grocery shopping earlier today and the idea for this dinner just popper into my head when I saw the fish. I knew I wanted to create something with a seasonal flare.

Turbot fish is absolutely amazing. It’s a big time food fish because of its delicate flavor yet meaty texture. The local markets only seem to have it for a short time over the summer, but I was able to score a couple fresh filets this time of the year.  Fresh grated lemon zest and pepper make for the perfect seasoning on the fish.

I love the delicate flavors of root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips, and celery root. I recently had rockfish with a celery root puree, and I thought it was such a great pairing that I recreated that pairing here. Milk helps enhance the mellow but full flavor of celery root.

I needed to round everything out with other vegetables, and the nutty and earthy play of brussels sprouts and cremini mushrooms worked nicely with the inadvertent theme of the dish: familiar flavors in different presentations.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 turbot filets

1 celery root head, about one pound, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup diced onion

8 brussels sprouts quartered

3/4 cup wild mushrooms, chopped

1 large lemon

1 cup milk

1 cup water

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

The fish— Season the fish well with salt and pepper. Using a microplane zester, zest the lemon well over both sides of each filet until it looks lightly coated. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the filets to the pan for 4-5 minutes on each side. It’s a meatier fish that will hold up to a longer cook time in the pan.

The puree—Bring milk, water, and salt just to boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add celery root cubes and onions, and bring to a boil once more. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until very tender. Drain cooking liquid from celery root, and then puree celery root to desired consistency.  Adjust taste with salt and pepper as you like.

The vegetables—Heat olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan, and add brussels sprouts and mushrooms once oil is hot. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté the mixture for about 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!!

81: Lamb & Veal "Bolognese" / Fresh Spinach, Beet & Egg Fettucine

It’s starting to feel a lot like the holidays! I wanted to make something that looked seasonal, and I also wanted to continue my winter tradition of slow cooking. Even though I made this in the "holiday spirit," this is really just a great cold weather meal.

I knew exactly what I was making when I saw the tri color fresh pasta at the grocery store. I mean, fresh pasta says it all. I’ve made a lamb or veal bolognese many times before, but I had never combined the two meats into one. The result: An incredibly tender and flavorful meat sauce that dances on the palate with the different types of pasta. The beet pasta was by far my favorite of the bunch. Any meat or Italian food lover will enjoy this dinner.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 pound ground veal

Will’s Holy Trinity

--1 leek, thinly sliced

--1 medium carrot, diced

--1 small fennel bulb, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cup dry red wine

1.5 cup chicken broth

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

Tomato paste, 1 good large spoonful

Bouquet garni of rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley

1 pound fresh tri color fettuccine pasta

Parmigiano-reggiano, large shred for garnish

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parsley, minced for garnish

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven, and sauté the Holy Trinity for about 10-12 minutes with good bit of salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and add veal and lamb to cook until browned, somewhere between 5-10 minutes. Stir to break up clumps.  Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, bouquet garni, and wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 – 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper as necessary. Discard bouquet garni.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 2 minutes; drain. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

80: Will's Beef Stew

I don’t know why, but I had a serious craving for beef stew. Maybe I just wanted to do more slow cooking in December. It wasn’t cold, but I was determined to warm the house with delicious smells.

This stew is the ultimate winter season stew. I don’t use any flour or potatoes in the stew, so the sauce stays on the lighter side. I think the exclusion of flour and potatoes lets the natural flavors stand out. The addition of parsnips and fennel create a unique flavor base that is not typically found in traditional beef stew. The parsnips add a subtle sweetness, while the fennel adds that irresistible star anise flavor. I oven roasted sweet potato and green beans to go with this, but you could serve it with rice, or add potatoes to the stew for a more hearty profile.

Ingredients and Directions:

-1 pound stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

-1 cup onion, diced

-1 cup celery, diced

-1 cup parsnips, peeled and cubed

-1 cup fennel, diced

-1 cup carrots, diced

-1 cup dry red wine

-2 1/2 cups beef stock

-generous portion of chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced thin

-good handful of green beans

-olive oil

-salt + pepper

The Stew: Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven. When it begins to smoke slightly, about 5 minutes, add the beef and brown very well. Add salt and pepper as you brown the meat. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon once the meat is browned.

Lower heat to medium, and add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, and garlic with a good bit of salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine to deglaze bottom, and simmer mixture for about 5 minutes. Now add the beef, the beef stock, and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes. Add the parsnips, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes.

Veggies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange sweet potato and green beans on a dish, and toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast them in oven for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!

79: Butternut Squash Soup / Vanilla, Amaretti & Cinnamon

Here’s an update to a timeless classic soup around the holidays. This soup came out absolutely incredible. The vanilla extract and amaretti cookies add a delicate sweetness to the soup without making it sweet. This is packed with flavor, give it a try.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 three-four pound butternut squash, halved

1 large onion, diced

3 cups chicken stock

2 tbs of chopped sage

2 tbs of olive oil

1 cup amaretti snap cookies, crushed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast halved squash flesh side up for one hour. Scoop out seeds and discard when roasting is complete. Spoon out the pulp of the squash into a bowl, set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and sage after a few minutes, reduce heat to low. Stir often until onions become translucent, a good 10 minutes. Now add the stock and squash pulp, bring to a boil, and cook for a few minutes to meld the flavors. I used a hand blender to puree my soup in the same pot. Reduce heat to low and puree to your liking. Now adjust seasoning with vanilla extract, amaretti cookies, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to balance the flavor out. It will probably be a little starchy tasting before you add any seasoning. Garnish with minced sage or a dollop of mascarpone cheese.  

Note: The soup will thicken while refrigerated, so you may need to add a little water when/if reheating the soup.

Enjoy!!

78: Braised Turkey Tenderloin / Maple & Cinammon-Glazed Carrots / Cornbread Stuffing w/ Sage & Proscuitto

Happy Thanksgiving!! Amber and I usually don’t go home for Thanksgiving, as our families are far away, and this year was no different. We decided to get away for a few days at a bed and breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley. We came back Thanksgiving night, and this was our dinner.

As with much of my cooking, the traditional is given a modern twist. The turkey tenderloin is treated much like a chicken breast, the maple syrup and cinnamon bring the all familiar flavors to the plate, and the dish is made complete with a cornbread stuffing that features sage, celery, and prosciutto.

Ingredients and Directions:

Turkey-

2 turkey tenderloins

Parsley, chopped

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup turkey stock

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Butter

Salt + pepper

Flour

Stuffing-

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of fresh sage, chopped

1/4 pound prosciutto, diced

Cornbread mix

1 cup turkey stock

Olive oil

Butter

Salt + pepper

Carrots-

1 baby carrots, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Dash of cinnamon

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Turkey—Season turkey with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat in a 10 inch pan. Cook until butter stops foaming, about 3 minutes. Sweat shallots with garlic until shallots are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove shallots and garlic, set aside. Now brown the turkey in the same pan, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove turkey, set aside. Add turkey stock and reduce by half. Now add parsley to the pan, and return the turkey, shallots, and garlic as well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove turkey and set aside when finished. Add a tablespoon of flour to the sauce and simmer on low for 5 minutes to create thickness with the sauce, stirring occasionally. Spoon sauce over turkey on plate.

Stuffing—Cook cornbread according to package, let cool, and then crumble the cornbread. Combine oil and butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Once melted, add celery and onions and season with salt and pepper. Sweat celery and onions for about 5-6 minutes. Now add the sage and prosciutto and stir to combine. Toss in the crumbled cornbread, and moisten stuffing with turkey stock. Bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, and cover with foil to keep warm until serving.

Carrots—Heat oil in a pan for a few minutes. Sauté carrots with salt and pepper for a few minutes more. Add maple syrup and cinnamon and bring to a sizzling simmer. Continue cooking, while stirring, for a few minutes more.

Enjoy!!

77: Braised Goat Neck / Roasted Asparagus / Wild Black Rice

I shop at many a place to find my meat, veggies, and fruit. I was surprised to find goat neck slices at Safeway, but I was more than intrigued with what I could do with the cut. Goat is generally a leaner meat, incredibly low in fat, so you can’t sear it with salt and pepper, or it dries out in a bad way. I knew I wanted to braise it to soften up what can be a tougher texture if only sautéed. Goat is practically made for slow cooking. The result is tender, succulent, and mouthwatering.

I looked around the pantry, and I found a box of wild rice. I also spied some asparagus in the fridge. Thus, I found compliments to go with the goat.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 goat neck slices, bone in, fat trimmed

1/2 shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 carrots, diced

1/2 cup celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

Bouquet garni (parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme)

1 cup hearty red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 cup fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 cup cultivated wild rice

Olive Oil

Salt + pepper

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven. Brown the neck slices for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate, and add more olive oil to the same pan. Sauté the shallots, carrots, celery, and garlic, with salt and pepper for 6 or 7 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in the red wine, bring to a boil, add goat slices back, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. The wine should have reduced by half at this point.

Now add the tomatoes and its juices and beef stock to the pot with the bouquet garni, and stir well to mix everything together, pushing the bouquet garni down into the juices. Bring to a boil once more, reduce heat as low as you can, cover and cook for 90 minutes. The end result should be incredibly tender veal and a somewhat thick sauce. Cook a little longer if need be.

Cook rice according to package. It should take about 50-60 minutes, so time it against the dutch oven. Roast asparagus spears in salt and pepper 6 minutes before plating the meal.

Enjoy!!

76: Cauliflower Soup

I first made this soup for a Thanksgiving dinner that me and a friend teamed up to cook for a couple years ago. The soup was a hit, just one of 11 courses, and I’ve made this a couple times since then. This is the first time, however, that I have hared it publicly. It’s generally quick for a soup, and it packs an unbelievable flavor. The soup keeps well, too. I also added a large sprig of thyme to the container while it sits in the fridge for each use. I kept some chopped cauliflower to roast as garnish. Give it a try.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 head cauliflower leaves and core removed, coarsely chopped

1 cup shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup fresh herbs, minced (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Sauté mixture until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine with half the herbs and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Now add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add in the remaining herbs, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held blender, puree the soup o desired consistency. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. Season the soup with salt and pepper as necessary. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

75: Orzo / Shrimp & Bacon / Roasted Tomoatoes & Broccoli / Pecorino Romano

I opened the refrigerator, and this recipe is what I created. I make a shrimp stock on the fly to serve as the sauce. This dinner comes out light and flavorful. The bacon adds a rich, crisp flavor, while the tomatoes add acidity and broccoli another layer of crunch and complexity, made complete with a little pecorino romano to round out the dish.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 cup (uncooked) orzo

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Handful of broccoli florets, chopped

Pecorino romano, grated

Fresh basil , chopped

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions, without salt or olive oil. There will be plenty in the rest of the cooking.

While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. There should be a thin layer of water from the shrimp counteracting the oil. This is your shrimp stock. Saute shrimp for about 4-5 minutes. Strain shrimp into a bowl, reserving the shrimp stock.

Add olive oil to the same pan. Add onion, garlic, and salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, so the mixture doesn’t burn in the pan. Add tomatoes and broccoli now, and sauté for about 3-4 minutes.

Now stir in the orzo, shrimp, and basil until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately, and use additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Enjoy!!

74: Filet Mignon / "Cranberry Molasses" / Brussels Sprouts / Sweet Potato "Crustless Pie"

I had no intention of being creative with this dinner, but I am happy with some of the elements turned out tonight. The “cranberry molasses” doesn’t include cranberry at all, but I did use a hearty dry red wine with good acidity and tannins to balance semi-sweet marsala wine. It sure tasted like a cranberry sauce with that sweet and tart flavor. The “crustless pie” part of the sweet potato comes from accidentally using too much maple syrup and cinnamon. The puree comes out a little sweeter than I originally wanted to make it. Plus, there was no crust for what would’ve been a nice base for a sweet potato pie. I threw in the brussels sprouts to balance the sweet in the dish with something nutty and earthy. Add the main attraction of this dinner, filet mignon, and any steak lover will love this dinner. It’s a bit hands on, but I was able to get it done in an hour.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 filet mignons

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 shallot, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

10 brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise

2-3 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Healthy pinch of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 semi-sweet marsala wine

1/4 cup water

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

My new method of explaining directions is to break down each element of the dish to let you be creative with the timing. Tonight I will recite the steps I took as I went along to hopefully get you done with this dinner in an hour as I was able to do.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees before doing anything. Now start peeling your sweet potato, and chop the sweet potato. Fill a pot with water, salt and sweet potato and bring to a boil. Now you can get started on the rest of the prep. The oven should be close, if not done, preheating by this point. Be ready because this is where it gets really hands on.

After sweet potato are fork ready, place sweet potato, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add a little water if needed to this puree. Return to pot to keep warm.

Heat a dry cast iron plate over high heat for 3 minutes. Start 2 smaller pans on medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil – 1 pan for brussels sprouts, 1 pan for sauce. Sear steaks for 3 minutes per side of the steaks to lock in the juices. While steaks are searing, add brussels sprouts, pinch of shallots and garlic with salt and pepper to one of the pans. Roast these on low. Also while steaks are searing, sauté remaining shallots and garlic in the other pan, stirring often as to not cause them to burn or stick.

Add steaks to oven and cook for 8 minutes for medium rare, 10 minutes for medium, and well… shame on you if you’re cooking good meat past medium. Just kidding. Add wine to pan with shallots and garlic and reduce by half over high heat, about 4-5 minutes. Now add the marsala wine and reduce by half, about another 4 minutes. Remove steaks from oven and transfer to a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of water to the sauce and continue to reduce. Keep an eye on the sauce, though, because you don’t want it to burn. You do want it to be reduced down pretty much all the way. Reduce heat if needed. Plate steaks and pour whatever juices accumulated from the steaks resting into the sauce and stir. Spoon sauce over steaks, serve vegetables however you wish.

Enjoy!!

73: Osso Bucco / Tomato-Vanilla Broth / Braising Vegetables

It doesn’t get any better than a braised Osso Bucco, which translates into “hole in the middle.” The hole in the middle, of course, is the rich and succulent bone marrow that is the end prize of this fantastic dinner.

It’s somewhat of a traditional set up, plus a touch of vanilla that provides a silky texture. The gremolata looks a bit of overkill, but it actually doesn’t interfere with the flavor profile. In fact, it complements the flavors rather well, if I do so myself. Including the root vegetables the veal was braised in presents a layer of flavor uninterrupted.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 veal shanks, bone in

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup dry white wine, a floral white like pinot grigio works nice

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1 lemon, zested

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Bouquet garni – fresh sprigs of thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil, and halved garlic clove

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Osso Bucco—Season shanks with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a dutch oven. Brown shanks 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Braising Set Up—In the same dutch oven with the veal juices and bits, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and reduce heat to medium. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, and sauté for 10 minutes with healthy pinches of salt and pepper. Now add the white wine, return heat to high, and reduce wine by half. Add tomato paste and stir to break up, cook for 1-2 minutes. Now place the shanks on top of this mixture.  Add chicken stock, bouquet garni pushed down into stock, tomato paste, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 90 minutes. Remove shanks to plate, and drain vegetables of their liquid. Skim fat off the top of the braising liquid. Plate shanks with a couple spoonfuls of sauce. Serve vegetables on the side.

Gremolata—It’s important to chop this fresh parsley in the beginning of your prep, so the warmth in your kitchen helps dry the parsley out a little bit. Combine parsley and lemon zest in a small bowl. Spoon mixture on top of the veal shanks.

Enjoy!!

72: Veal Chops / Tomato-Olive Jus / Rainbow Chard & Strawberry Salad / Parmesan Saffron Orzo

I’ve wanted rectangular plates with ramekins for a minute now, but I was waiting for them to go on sale at Sur La Table or World Market before buying them. Amber beat me to it, and she surprised me with a set this past week. I thought this was a good excuse to make a nice dinner, as if I needed an excuse.

I picked up some veal chops, orzo, and rainbow swiss chard, and then I set out to make a meal. Dinner tonight is amazingly flavorful. Each element builds upon the next, ranging from familiar to exotic, sour and tangy to bitter and sweet. The mildly rich texture of the veal is perfect for the acidic tomato and olive jus, swiss chard and strawberry salad, and the saffron orzo that takes on a gourmet mac and cheese feel with a flavor lift right at the end of the palette courtesy of the saffron.

Drink chardonnay with this dinner, and you will be utterly pleased with the entire experience.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 veal chops, 1 inch thick

10 grape tomatoes, left whole

3/4 cup orzo

1/3 cup Greek olive mix, diced

2 tbsp rosemary and thyme, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup orzo

Pinch of saffron

1 cup rainbow chard, chiffonade

2 strawberries, sliced into 8 pieces total

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp butter

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Veal—Pat chops dry and dredge chops through 2/3 of the herbs and salt and pepper. Press seasoning into each side.  Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, Now add chops and sauté them for 4 minutes per side. Don’t move veal while it’s cooking. Transfer to a plate after browning each side.

Sauce—Add garlic to skillet with another tbsp of olive oil and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 30 seconds. Garlic should be fragrant now. Add the wine, tomatoes, olives, remaining herbs, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes. Gently press on tomatoes with spatula or spoon after 5 minutes. They should collapse easily.  Simmer for the remaining five minutes while stirring occasional.

Orzo—Boil well-salted water, and add orzo once water reaches a rolling boil. Add in orzo with saffron threads, and cook for 6-7 minutes. Drain well in a colander, return to pot, and stir in cheese and butter. Keep warm.

Salad—Heat oil over medium heat as orzo and sauce finish. Sauté chard for 2-3 minutes with a pinch of salt, turning often, until gently wilted. Serve strawberry slices over the swiss chard on the plate.

Reheat chops in sauce pan for 1-2 minutes. Plate the dinner as you like.

Enjoy!!

71: White Wine & Herb-Infused Chicken Noodle Soup

Yes, the unforgettable, the unmistakable and ever time-tested classic: Chicken Noodle Soup. This is my version, of course, with an updated flavor profile that will surely treat the senses. The woman and I had both recently been sick, and we were longing for the classic “I’m sick soup.” Taking a basic recipe, I update this classic with white wine and herbs.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb chicken breast, diced

1 large carrot, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 small fennel bulb, diced

1 small leek, diced

1 quart of chicken stock

1.5 cups egg noodles

1 cup of white wine

1 tbsp of minced rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley

1 tbsp of butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Chicken—Boil chicken in hot water for 10 minutes. This method allows the chicken to sweat out the impurities and mucus commonly found on chicken. Rinse with cold water in a colander. Set aside.

Broth—Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Lower heat to medium, toss in all veggies and half of the seasoning and herbs, and sauté this mixture for 15 minutes, stirring often to soften the mixture.  Adjust heat to medium high again, add in wine, and simmer for 10 minutes with the butter. Now add chicken stock, chicken, egg noddles, and remaining herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

Enjoy!!

70: Rosemary Flat Iron Steak / Tomato Mushroom Risotto

I ended up with about a cup of leftover sauce from the Tuscan Veal Stew the other night, and I didn’t want such a flavorful sauce to go to waste. I had a couple flat iron steaks I needed to use, and found a cup of dry risotto in the cupboard. I also had two cups of chicken broth, so I came up with this dinner. I love nights when all I have to do is look through what I have and can come up with something blog-worthy.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 flat iron steaks

1 cup dry risotto

1/4 cup shallots, diced

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup leftover sauce (you’ll have to improvise here)

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup wild mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Olive oil

Butter

Salt + pepper

Risotto—Bring leftover sauce and stock to a low simmer in a pan. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms in olive oil with a little butter, salt and pepper. Turn off heat on mushrooms and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter in a pot over medium heat for a few minutes. Sweat shallots in this mixture for 3-4 minutes, and then add the risotto to the pot. Sauté for a few more minutes or until risotto is light golden brown. Turn heat to medium high, and add stock a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring continuously. You know you need to add more stock when the mixture in the pot seems dry, meaning the risotto has soaked up all the liquid, usually about 5 minutes. The whole process will take about 30 minutes. You must stir continuously, or your risotto will not come out nice. Stir in mushrooms and cheese for one minute before serving.

Steaks—Heat a dry pan on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes. Dredge steaks through a mixture of salt, pepper, and rosemary. Press the seasoning into the steaks. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and let warm for 1-2 minutes. Sear steaks on each side for 3 minutes per side for medium rare, depending on thickness. Our steaks were just over half an inch thick, so they didn’t need to cook long. Plate steaks up against risotto mound on plate.

Enjoy!!

69: Tuscan-Style Veal Stew Braised in Red Wine & Herbs

Amber's best friend, Mindy, was in town, and she asked me to cook for them. It’s been on the cooler side lately, so I thought this was another good excuse – not that I really need excuse because I just love it – to do some slow cooking. After a day of doing some sightseeing on The National Mall, including the new MLK Memorial, I headed home to prepare dinner while the ladies continued on to museums.

This dinner is a hybrid of sorts. I’ve cooked this Tuscan-style stew a couple times before, but I wanted to incorporate my Holy Trinity to add to an already flavor-packed stew. Additionally, I substituted veal for the pork. The result was mouthwatering, if I do say so myself.

I’ve been sitting on this 2002 Benotto Monferrato Nebbiolo for over two years. I thought this would be a good occasion to drink it, and it matched up well with the acidity provided by the tomatoes. The wine had nice hints of dark fruit and a balanced dry finish with pleasant tannins.

Ingredients and Directions:

2lbs veal shoulder, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

Will’s Holy Trinity

-1 cup leeks, thinly sliced

-1 cup carrots, diced

-1 cup fennel, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

1.5 cups hearty red wine

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (chop tomatoes, reserve liquid)

2 branches fresh rosemary

12 fresh sage leaves

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

Olive Oil

Salt + pepper

Day old baguette cut in half

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a 6 quart dutch oven. Sauté the Holy Trinity with minced garlic and salt and pepper for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the veal cubes with a little more salt and pepper, stir, and cook until it has taken on a slight golden edge, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the red wine with parsley next, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. The wine should have reduced by half at this point.

Slowly add the tomatoes and its juices to the pan, and stir well to mix everything together. Then add the rosemary and sage, ensuring you push the herbs down into the tomato juices. Bring to a boil once more, reduce heat as low as you can, cover and cook for 2 hours. The end result should be incredibly tender veal and a somewhat thick sauce. Cook a little longer if need be.

Preheat the broiler. While the stew finishes cooking, rub bread with halved garlic cloves. Toast the bread under the broiler, but be sure to keep a close eye on it as you will only need a couple minutes on each side to crisp it up nice enough. Remove the bread and coarsely chop. Serve the stew over the bread crumbs and garnish with cheese.

Enjoy!!

68: Roasted Branzino Filet / Lemongrass Fennel Sauce / Artichoke Hearts & Bell Pepper / New Potatoes

I’m really surprised that this is the first branzino recipe I’ve posted, given how much I love the fish. Branzino is Mediterranean Sea Bass. The branzino in the US often comes from Greece, and it is farm raised over there. It’s a true delight. It’s somewhat fatty and oily like salmon, but it has a richer feel with a mild flavor. I round out the fish with the citrus infusion of lemongrass, subtly sweet star anise of fennel, and butter. Add some sautéed artichoke hearts and red bell pepper in garlic, and this dish is packed with flavor. I boiled some red potatoes for good measure, dusted with salt and pepper on the plate.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 branzino filets

1/3 cup shallots, minced

1/3 fennel, diced

1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 can artichoke hearts in water (yup, I cheated)

2 red potatoes, quartered

1 lemongrass stalk, julienned and pounded to release flavor

1/3 cup clam juice or fish stock

1/3 chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced and separated

Olive oil

Flour

Butter

Salt + fresh ground black pepper

Potatoes—Boil potatoes in well salted water until fork tender. Drain potatoes, and return them to the pot and keep covered while everything else cooks. Dust with salt and pepper when you plate the meal.

Fish—Dredge filets in flour that is well seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat a pan dry over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes. Add a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter, and let them coalesce for 1-2 minutes. Gently place filets down in pan, and sear on each side for 3 minutes over medium heat. Remove fish from pan and set aside.

Sauce—In the same pan you cooked the fish, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add shallots and fennel with good dose of salt and pepper. Sweat until shallots are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Now add chicken broth, clam juice, lemongrass, half of garlic, and reduce liquid by half over high heat. Add fish back to this pan, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until artichokes are ready. You will spoon the sauce over the fish with a slotted spoon when ready to plate.

Veggies—Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add artichoke hearts and bell pepper with salt, pepper, and the rest of the garlic to sauté for 5 minutes. Try not to stir the veggies that much to give them a slight char that really helps bring out the flavor.

Enjoy!!

67: Split Pea Soup / The Start of Soup and Slow Cooking Season 2011

What does my dog shedding and my making of soup have in common? The start of cooler weather and slow cooking season! It was unseasonably cold in DC today, only about 60 degrees and rainy. I would normally frown upon such weather, but I’m happy it prompted me to make soup. Making soup is my second favorite thing to do when it gets cold out. The first is obviously slow cooking and braising meat. Of course, it could actually be a couple months before it gets and stays cool here.

Split pea is soup is usually made with ham hocks, but I still had leftover smoked turkey legs from this dinner that had not gone bad in my fridge. The soup turned out incredibly flavorful with just enough of the smoked turkey legs in the flavor. Without further adieu…

Ingredients and Directions:

2 1/4 cups green split peas

1/2 large onion, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken stock

5 cups water

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large leek, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

3 large clove of garlic, halved

2 smoked turkey leg bones

1-2 tablespoons of flour (optional)

Thyme

Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

Butter

Soup-- Pick over the peas and remove any stones. Wash and drain peas, twice. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil and butter over medium high heat in a 4 quart pan. Add veggies once utter is crackling. Sauté veggies until onions are translucent, 5-6 minutes. Now add the vegetables, seasoning, stock and water. Bring to a simmer. Skim the scum (a film residue that forms and easily identifiable bc of the foam) off the top of the soup for several minutes, until the scum ceases to rise, about 12-15 minutes. Cover the pot loosely and simmer about 1.5 hours, or until peas are tender. Remove the turkey legs from the soup, scraping whatever leftover meat is on the bones into the soup pot. Purée the soup with a handheld immersion blender until liquefied. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. 

(Optional: For a thicker soup, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the pot 20 minutes before finished, stir in well. See how thick it gets after about 5-6 minutes, and decide if you want it thicker. Add another tablespoon of flour if you desire. I did.)

Enjoy!!