32: Venison Sausage Rolls / Savory Mushroom Sauce / Sauteed Red Cabbage

What an incredible meal! Moved my girlfriend into my house today, and we worked up quite the appetite. Venison, or deer meat, is the pride and joy of this meal. Venison is leaner than beef, slightly finer in texture and richer tasting. It’s a little gamey as well, and only gets gamier tasting the longer you cook it. This dinner is similar to beef wellington because of the mushroom sauce, but it packs much more flavor. The phyllo dough, or puff pastry, adds some crunchy texture, while the savory mushroom sauce is divine. I rounded out the meal with sautéed red cabbage, an often overlooked vegetable. The cabbage is sautéed in apple cider vinegar with sugar to give it a delicately balanced sweet tart profile. This dinner is hands on, but we sat down to eat in an hour from the time we started the prep.  I decided to blog this dinner before the Oscars come on tonight. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients and Directions:

For the meat-

1 lb ground venison

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs each of rosemary, sage, and parsley – minced (for the whole meal)

2 eggs beaten, 1 for egg wash and 1 for adding to meat mixture

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 leek, finely chopped

1 sheet of phyllo dough, thawed and separated into two wraps

Olive oil

For the sauce-

4 oz of baby bella mushrooms, coarsely chopped (half of a package commonly found in stores)

1 cup of whole milk (half and half or heavy cream can be substituted)

Good pinch of herbs above

1 tbs butter

1 tbs flour

1 tbs leeks, taken from leeks above

1 tbs onion, taken from below

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the cabbage-

1/2 a head of cabbage, cored and chopped lengthwise

1/3 onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 spoonful of sugar

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients under the meat list in a large bowl. Be sure to save some herbs and leeks for the sauce as listed in the ingredients section of the sauce. Work the meat mixture petty good with your hands. Separate into two patties on the thick side in a circular form. Heat some oil in a large pan. Brown venison patties for 2-3 minutes per side, including the sides of each patty. This will help lock in the flavor and moisture as well as keep your mixture from crumbling when slicing the phyllo dough later. Coat the phyllo dough with egg wash, and roll up the venison in the dough in a crisscross fashion. Fold corners over, using egg wash to help seal the dough. Lightly brush egg wash on the outside of each roll now -- I didn't do this, so that's why mine look white in the picture. Add to a lightly oiled baking pan, and cook until golden brown – about 20 minutes.Cook longer if you need to. Nobody likes eating undercooked puff pastry.

Meanwhile, heat a decent amount of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add cabbage and sauté for another 4-5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the vinegar, sugar, and seasoning. Turn the mixture a couple times real nicely to coat cabbage in vinegar and sugar. Lower the heat until to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

In a sauce pot, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Now add the onions, leeks, and mushrooms, and sauté mixture for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add milk, flour, seasoning, and whisk together really well. Return to heat and cook until it thickens, whisking occasionally – about 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove venison rolls from oven, and slice the venison rolls to whatever thickness you prefer. I cook each into four pieces. Arrange on a plate, spoon sauce over the top, and add cabbage to the side. Garnish with herbs.

Enjoy!!

31: Swordfish Salad / Arugula / Tomatoes / Bacon / Olive Oil & Balsamic Dressing

I made this salad after a workout last week, and I decided to make it again today because it was just that good. This is a simple and hearty salad. It’s also versatile as you could swap any number of ingredients in/out, and it would probably still be good.

I chose swordfish because I like meatier white fishes with flavor, and the price couldn’t be beat at the market. You probably see a lot of salmon and tuna salads for the same reason I like swordfish on mine. Light fishes don’t work as well, in my opinion. I added crispy bacon bits because I just ran five miles, and I thought I would treat myself. It’s good to do that every once in a while. Plus, I think pork makes everything better. The fresh tomatoes provide a nice contrast to the cooked fish, and the crumbled pita chips provide a little texture. You could also sub any kind of nut for the pita chips for the same effect. Get creative with it!

Ingredients and Directions:

¼ lb swordfish, cubed (I bought a pound and cut 4 portions)

2 good handfuls of arugula

1 tomato, cut in eighths

1 strip of bacon (optional)

3 wholegrain pita chips, crumbled

Olive oil

¼ of a lemon

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Cut a piece of bacon in half, and cook over medium heat until crispy (about 5 minutes) in an eight inch pan. Wrap bacon in a paper towel, and use another paper towel to wipe the grease and pan clean. Break bacon into small pieces when cooled off.

Season swordfish with salt and pepper, and pat the seasoning into the skin. Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat in the same pan the bacon was cooked in. The pan should still be hot, so the oil will only need about 30 seconds to warm up. Cook swordfish for 2-3 minutes per side.

Place arugula in a bowl, add fish to the center, arrange tomatoes around the fish, and add the pita chips and bacon bits now. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to salad, drizzle olive oil and balsamic over the top, and squeeze the lemon over the whole dish.

Enjoy!

30: Light & Creamy Fish Chowder / Toasted Baguette

Here is another recipe from the Cooking for Two cook book my friend gave me for my birthday. You can read about the book here in the intro paragraph of my last recipe. This dish is light and creamy, and the saffron gives it a nice twist. Saffron is considered the world’s most expensive spice because of the labor that goes into producing a packet you can buy at the store. It can be purchased at any grocery store in the spice section. It’s not cheap (around $20), but it goes a long way.

The recipe, which is the 30^th recipe I’ve shared with you, is ready to eat in under an hour, including prep. The recipe calls for a firm white fish, and I just happened to have some swordfish chunks on hand. You could use halibut or cod as well. Swordfish is a meaty and full flavored, yet not fishy, piece of fish. This is a good time to try it if you haven’t before – try shark, too, if you haven’t yet. In Italian cooking, the “Holy Trinity” is carrots, celery, and onion. The “Holy Trinity” is the base for many soups and sauces. My “Holy Trinity” is carrots, fennel, and leeks, and, wow, this comes out incredibly delectable. Toast a baguette to go nicely with this chowder.

Ingredients and Directions:

¾ lb swordfish, ½ inch cubes

2 slices thick bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium fennel bulb – halved, cored, and diced

1 medium carrot, minced

1 leek, cleaned well and coarsely chopped

¼ cup heavy cream

3 cups fish stock

Saffron

Baguette, sliced in half, lightly covered in olive oil

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parsley, minced for garnish

Cook bacon until crispy over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Transfer bacon to paper towel to drain. Pour off the bacon grease, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. The oil won’t take long to heat because the pan will be warm already. Add my Holy Trinity to the pan, with decent pinches of salt and pepper, and cook for about 8 minutes. Add fish stock and saffron threads. Preheat your broiler for the baguette. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Now stir in the cream and bacon, and simmer for a few minutes. Add fish to the pan, season with salt and pepper once more, and cook for another 10 minutes. Toast your baguette in the broiler for a few minutes per side. Ladle chowder into bowls and garnish.

Enjoy!

29: Braised Veal Chops / Root Vegetables

My friend, Carlin, bought me a cookbook for my birthday last week. It’s called Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs by Jessica Strand, and the theory behind the book is that two people cook together for each other in one meal. The author continues that this is a good book for those that regularly cook for two people because now the difficulty of adjusting recipes, which are normally meant for 4-6 people, is made simple. Some will argue that adjusting a recipe for two is a no brainer, something I agree with, but the book makes it easy. Plus, it was a sweet gift since I regularly cook for two, and I love braising meats  this time of year.

In my typical fashion, I do things a little different than what the recipe says should be done. The recipe calls for lamb shanks, and I had veal chops in the fridge. Marjoram, a wonderfully minty and citrus-y herb in the oregano family, is the spice in the recipe, but I used oregano (and thyme) since fresh marjoram was not available. I also add some veal stock during the cooking process, omit the bay leaf, and dice my own tomatoes instead of using the canned variety.

The braised veal chops came out magnificent. The veal was so tender a knife was not required – how you know, without a doubt, that you have braised your meat correctly. The broth was exquisite, bursting with flavor, and the seasonal vegetables were a nice touch.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 veal chops

1 ½ cups of a hearty red wine

½ cup veal stock (optional)

8 baby carrots

6 cippolini onions (or really small onions), peeled

8-10 fingerling potatoes, washed

1 ½ cups of diced tomatoes

Zest of an orange

Oregano (or marjoram if you got it)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 sprigs thyme

Olive oil

Parsley, minced for garnish

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Season veal with salt and pepper, and be sure to pat the seasoning into the chops.

Heat some oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown your veal chops for a few minutes per side, per inch, and set the chops aside. Add some olive oil to browned bits in the pot, and turn heat down to medium. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes after oil is heated. Add the chops, tomatoes, zest, oregano, thyme, and ¾ cup of the wine. Bring to a simmer, and let the flavors meld for 10 minutes.

Cover the pot, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Now add the onions, carrots, potatoes, and veal stock if you’re using it. Cook for another 30 minutes. Flip the chops in the broth, and add the remaining ¾ cup of red wine. Cook for another 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven, and season with salt and pepper.

Place the chops in the center of a plate, spoon broth over chops with a slotted spoon, and garnish.

Enjoy!

28: Filet Mignon / Swiss Chard / Roasted Beet Puree / Rosemary Balsamic Sauce

Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m not one to celebrate Hallmark Holidays, but I did cook this nice steak dinner for my valentine. This is a beautiful dish, with the steak being the bold centerpiece of the meal. I must admit that this dish is on the lighter side. You could easily include a starch here, like roasted potatoes, to make it more filling, especially if you don’t have fancy chocolate to eat after it like we did. Swiss chard has been a regular vegetable in my refrigerator for the past month, and I had a bunch of red beets that needed to be cooked. Truth be told, I wasn’t thrilled with the beet puree, but adding water to the food processor helps bring out some sweetness in them. This would be a perfect warm weather meal. Swiss chard not your thing? You could substitute spinach or arugula. I also made a rosemary olive oil/balsamic sauce to complement the meat.

Get a good cut of beef from a butcher if you can. It will make all the difference. I used filet mignon and ribeye would probably go well with this recipe. A nice hearty red wine would go well with this dinner.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb filet mignon

4 swiss chard leaves, roughly chopped and stems discarded

1 lb of beets

1 large clove of garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped rosemary

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets, unpeeled, in aluminum foil, and roast them in the oven for an hour. You know they are done when a knife easily pierces the skin. Open up the foil and let them cool for 10 minutes when they are done. Don’t turn off the oven because you will need it for the steak. Peel them, and puree to desired consistency in a food processor. Keep warm.

While your beets are roasting in the oven, you can make the rosemary sauce. Heat ½ cup of oil with ¼ cup chopped rosemary (save a pinch or two for garnish) over medium heat. The oil will simmer with the rosemary in it after a few minutes. Turn off heat and let the oil cool for 10 minutes. Strain oil through a sieve into a bowl, discarding rosemary. Let the oil completely cool now. Add in a couple tablespoons of balsamic when the oil is cool, whisk, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Heat a little oil over high heat on a cast iron skillet or some other oven proof dish. Sear the steak on one side only for 3 minutes. Flip over steak, and add to the oven for 7-8 minutes. Let meat rest for 5 minutes afterward. While meat is resting, wilt your leafy greens in a pan. Slice steak crosswise in thin pieces. Assemble the dish, drizzle sauce over meat, and garnish with rosemary.

Enjoy!