Polenta cakes With Braised beef and Horseradish Sauce

Tags

appetizer, beef, braise, horseradish, polenta, recipe, Slow cook

Hello fellow foodies! I know it has been a while since I’ve posted a new recipe.  What better way to get back into the swing of things  than this fantastic, delicious and easy to make recipe.  I originally made this recipe with the intention to serve as an appetizer during the Holidays.  It came out so good that now my friends are expecting me to make it every time we all get together.  Although, I have to agree with them- this  is a simple, quick, and easy to put together kind of dish – Try it! I am sure your friends will be raving  about it as well!

1. 2 Lbs of beef chuck.
2. 1/4 Cup of red wine.
3. 1/2 Cup of beef stock.
4. 1/2 cup of sliced onions (shallots work very well too).
5. 3 Tbsp of all purpose flour.
6. 3 Tbsp of tomato paste.
7. 3 Cloves of garlic (crushed).
8. 5-7 Sprigs of Thyme.
9. 1/2 Tsp of salt.
10. 2 Tbsp of fresh ground pepper.
11. 2-4 Tbsp of vegetable oil.

Horseradish Sauce

1. 8 oz. of sour cream.
2. 1/2 lemon juice.
3. 1/2 tsp of salt.
4. 1/2 tsp of black pepper.
5. 3 Tbsp of white wine vinegar
6. 1/4 cup of horseradish.

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and set in the fridge.  You can make this a day ahead as this will intensify  the flavor a lot better.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a dutch oven heat  2 Tbsp of oil then add the beef seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown the beef on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, set aside.  Add remaining oil to dutch oven along with the onions and garlic and cook till translucent (about 8 minutes). Add the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes until tomato paste becomes fragrant.   Mix in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the wine and beef stock using a whisk to dissolve any lumps and bring to a boil.  Add the remaining black pepper, thyme and the beef, cover and set in the oven.  Allow it to cook for 1.5 – 2 hours or until the meat is tender.  Remove meat from the dutch oven and shred with 2 forks, then add it back to the pot and mix it well with the sauce.

Polenta:

For this dish I chose to use store bought polenta.  This reduced the cooking time dramatically. All you have to do is slice the polenta about 1/2 to 1 inch thick and heat in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.  Arrange the slices in a serving platter and top each cake with the shredded beef and a dab of horseradish sauce, sit back and watch your friends go wild over them!! Cheers!

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Balsamic braised short ribs.

Tags

braise, dinner, Italian, recipe, short ribs, slow cooker

This a great recipe that I found in this great recipe book – The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. By far the easiest recipe for short ribs I have found, not to mention the bold flavor and the fall of the bone texture.  Enjoy these short ribs with a nice creamy risotto, or  fall vegetables such as butternut squash, or a nice cheesy polenta.  Happy Cookin’!

1/2 Cup of dry red wine.

1/3 cup of Balsamic vinegar.

1 Sprig of Rosemary

3 Cloves of garlic, rough chopped

1 Tbsp of olive oil.

Salt and black pepper to taste.

In a larger skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oils and brown the short ribs(about 5 minutes per side) repeat step is necessary and transfer them to the slow cooker. In same skillet, remove all excess oil, leaving one about one table spoon, and add the wine, balsamic vinegar and garlic.  bring to a quick boil and lower heat to a simmer, cook for about 5 minutes, then transfer  liquid to the slow cooker, and add the sprig of Rosemary.  Cook the ribs for 8 hrs on slow, or till fork tender.  Once cooked, removed from cooker, skim fat from liquid and transfer to sauce pan and cook till reduced by half, pour over the ribs and serve right away.  Enjoy!

Braised Chicken Thighs and Risotto

Tags

arborio rice, braise, braising, chicken, chicken thighs, dinner, Risotto, Slow cook

Now that  Autumn is here, what better way to celebrate the best season of the  year than with a fantastic braise.  Juicy tender chicken thighs cooked slowly in a perfectly seasoned broth with carrots, celery, onions and garlic to name a few. Served  with a silky, creamy and packed with flavor risotto.  Is your mouth watering yet?.  This meal is a perfect way to end a long weekend full of outdoor activities. So lets relax and enjoy this hearty meal with friends and  family along with a nice glass of red! Happy Cookin!

Risotto

1. 2 Cups of Arborio rice.
2. 4 Cups of low sodium chicken broth.
3. 1 Tbs of Olive oil.
4. 2 Tbs of butter (unsalted).
5. 1 Cup of white wine.
6. 1/2 Cup of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
7. 1 Small onion cut into small dice.
8. 1/2 cup of small diced carrots.
9. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Start by simmering  4 cups of chicken stock (do not allow to boil) in a small pot.  In a 10-12″ skillet heat one tablespoon of Olive oil and one tablespoon of butter, add the onions and cook until translucent(about 8 minutes), add the rice and diced carrots and cook until rice looks toasty or opaque, then add a cup of wine and stir constantly until wine evaporates completely. At this point start to ladle in the stock, enough to cover the rice half way, stir constantly until stock has been absorbed  by the rice, repeat process until rice is fully cooked (18-20 minutes) Rice should be “al dente”.  finally add the 1/2 cup of cheese, salt and pepper, and the remaining butter and serve right away.

Chicken Thighs

1. 8 Pcs of chicken thighs (skin removed).
2. 1 Onion roughly chopped.
3. 2Carrots roughly chopped.
4. 2 Stacks of celery roughly chopped.
5. 2 Tbs of all purpose flour.
6. 3 Cloves of garlic roughly chopped.
7. 1/2 Tsp of cinnamon.
8. 1/2 Tsp of salt and pepper.
9. 2 Bay leaves.
10. 2 Cups of chicken broth.
11. 1 Tps of pepper flakes.
12. 1/2 Tsp of powder ginger.
13. 2 Tbs of canola oil/ 2 Tbs of butter.
14. 1/2 Tsp of allspice
15. Juice of one lemon.

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, in a  10″-12″ dutch oven(any pot that holds good heat will do)heat one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of butter and  brown  chicken 4 pcs at a time, about 4 minutes per side, remove the chicken and set aside, repeat process with other 4 pcs.  Once chicken has been browned, remove and add the remaining  oil and butter to the pot  along with  onions and cook for 8 minutes.  Add the carrots, celery and bay leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes, then add the chicken stock and the rest of ingredients, bring liquid to a boil. Finally add the chicken thighs back to the pot and lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!!