Sloooooow Braised Beef Ragu

Last week I was in Illinois with my mom. She had an off-week from chemo, and I am lucky enough that I can work from anywhere. After spending two days shoveling the 12+ inches of snow, I was craving a "stick to your ribs" meal. Something with more substance than meatloaf, and fancier than pot roast. My mom brought me a recipe from one of her Ladies Red Home Style magazines, and I saw a version of beef ragu that looks like it fit the bill. I made it tonight, and our guest food critics Maren and Savannah gave it two thumbs up. That's all the approval that I need. In fact, I wish that they would dine here more often. I need to work on that....

Chef's note: How you braise it is up to you. This is written for the crazy working family life in a slow cooker, but feel free to go old school in a dutch oven. I use an All-Clad slow cooker. I love this expensive little gem because I can cook in the crock over the stove to brown and deglaze, and then place it directly in the slow cooker to finish. I highly recommend it.

Sloooooow Braised Beef Ragu
Serves 4

1 1/2 trimmed stalks of celery
1 medium carrot
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp of olive oil (I use coconut oil)
1 beef chuck roast - 1.5 to 2 pounds (I used center cut)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. red wine
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
pinch of chopped dried rosemary
12 oz pappardelle, egg noodles, or your favorite wide cut pasta, cooked and drained
Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish
S & P to taste

Clean and cut the celery, carrots, and onion in to medium chunks. Put in a food processor with the garlic, and pulse into it is finely chopped, maybe even very finely chopped, scrapping the sides intermittently.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper and sear the roast on both sides. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker crock (or remove and set aside). Reduce heat to meduim, and add the vegetable mixture and a pinch of S&P (I call it a loose paste) to the skillet and cook until soft and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook about 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Lastly, add the wine and stir in well, scrapping the loose bits of flavor off the bottom of the pan. Pour over the beef in the crock, add the oregano, basil, and rosemary, and cook over low (very low) heat for about 8 hours. You know it's done when you have to carefully remove it to keep it from falling apart.

Set the beef aside, and place the sauce (however much you plan to serve, or about 1 cup per serving, in a skillet and let it simmer uncovered over medium low heat. Remove and fat from the roast and discard. Shred the roast into bite size chunks, and add back in to the sauce after it has slightly reduced, about 30 minutes.

Add the pasta to the pan and toss. Serve with Parmesan and enjoy!

Something Soft and Creamy

Abbey had her wisdom pulled on Tuesday. Four extractions total. If you have been there, you know it’s not fun.  Last Monday I made a double batch of a creamy bacon potato soup to prep for it. That turned out pretty darn good. Then yesterday I had major dental work done as well. Just as the dentist finished with one filling, and prepped for a new crown, she noticed a problem with an old crown right next to the other two. She pulled that crown, and as she started to do the prep for a replacement crown, I quickly realized that the Novocain was wearing off. Another shot (or two) later, and she was back it. She felt really bad about all the shots and drilling, and this morning, I just felt pretty bad.

So with my sore mouth, and Abbey ready for something with a little more substance than the potato soup, I had visions of mac and cheese. Not the Kraft from a box kind, but something a little closer to homemade. Lacking the ingredients for my awesome Prosciutto & Bacon version, I decided to raid the pantry and see what I could come up with. I had to get creative, but the end product was surprisingly good.

Slam Dunk Mac & Cheese

Serves 6

1 lb pasta (Rotini, shells, bowtie, or similar)

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cup milk (or sub 1 cup milk and ½ cup heavy cream) divided

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground mustard

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup chicken stock

1 cup grated gruyere cheese (or whatever you have on hand)

1 can (10 ¾ oz) Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese soup

1 can (10 ¾ oz) Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup

½ cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 F

Cook pasta to al dente firmness, drain and set aside.

In large pan over medium heat, melt butter and add 1 cup of milk, nutmeg, ground mustard, and cayenne. Stir until heated through, and add chicken stock and gruyere cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add both cans of soup and ½ cup of milk (or cream). Cook until soups are blended and heated through (or just starts to bubble), stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and combine with pasta, stirring until well combined. Place in coated casserole dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Potato Soup

Two things to consider before you start.

1. Do you want it all creamy and smooth, or with small chunks of potato.
2. Do you have a submersible hand blender, or a counter top version?

The answers to these will determine how you start. Most recently I used 4 small golden potatoes along with 2 medium russet potatoes. I peeled the golden potatoes, and one of the russets (I like the look of a few chunks with the skin on).  I boiled them in chicken stock in separate pans, cooking the leeks with the golden taters. I blended the golden potatoes, and then combined the mixture with the pan of russets. Add the milk and or cream and you are in business.

Lastly, if you are not a fan of cooking with leeks, try shallots. Nice flavor and not as strong as an onion or as much work as the leek.  For a twist, add diced cooked ham or bacon (or both) to the mixture after it’s been blended, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Basic Creamy Potato Soup

Serves 6

2 tablespoons butter

2 large leeks, diced (rinsed well to remove grit, pale green and white parts only)

5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (see notes above)

1 quart chicken stock, divided in half

½ cup milk (or heavy cream)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the leeks, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until tender or about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Boil the potatoes until tender and they just begin to fall apart, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer ½ the potatoes and stock to large mixing bowl if using handheld blender, or the pitcher of a full-size blender. Blend until the mixture has a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour back in to the pot with the remaining potatoes and stock.  Add milk (or cream) and cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cheese, chives, and/or bacon bits as desired.

My Best Chili EVER. And I gave it away.

Last week we learned that our neighbor passed away. She had been battling lung cancer for some time. I knew that she was not doing well when I heard that her high school best friend from the east coast was staying with them as her caregiver. I am saddened by her loss, and I feel for the family. But as her husband (John) said earlier today, she’s no longer in pain.

I really like John. He’s an easygoing guy that runs his own business and loves to golf. He borrowed my travel club bag when he went to the Caribbean, and brought me back a cap from the course he played, as a token of his appreciation. That was cool.

When I learned of Lisa’s diagnosis earlier this year, I made her some of my Mac & Cheese. She came by shortly after to drop off a graduation present for Abbey, and complimented the gesture. Do that, and I can’t wait to cook for you again. Unfortunately I did not cook for her again. I wish I had. But since her funeral is 3 days away, I thought that I’d make something and drop it off. I remember when Peg’s mom, and later my dad, passed away. It seemed like the food was dropped off by the truckload. But it disappeared just as quick, and man, was it appreciated.

Since the weather turned cold, I made up some chili and cornbread. I have been working on the chili recipe for a while. It’s a blend of two of my favorite recipes, and each time it gets better. Today it might have reached perfection. I say that because, gosh darn it, I (only) made exactly 1 bowl more than the volume of the containers I bought. I ate just enough to know that it was good! I think tomorrow I’ll see if I can repeat near perfection.

Because most families have “Some like it hot” and “Some like it not” AND very few slow cookers can handle the mass of what’s being cooked, here is what I do. Just before you add the flour/water mixture, divide the chili. Put ½ back in the pot used to cook the meat, and leave ½ in the slow cooker. Combine 1 tbspn flour/corn starch and 1 cup hot water, and add to the slow cooker. Add the same water/flour mixture to the pot over low heat. You will then add the cayenne/red pepper flakes to slow cooker only. Cook each for about an hour.

Mo Meat Chili

(Serves everyone, and then some or about 12 servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ lb thick sliced bacon (~ 5 slices) cut into ½” pieces

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 small onions, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped bell peppers (green and/or red) - Optional

4 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon paprika (smoked preferred)

2 tablespoon2 Chipotle salsa - Optional

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb lean (~90%) ground beef

1 lb sirloin steak - trimmed and diced in 1/2 “ chunks

¾ lb ground pork

1 bottle American Lager Beer (I use Land Shark)

½ cup tequila

1 can (25 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (25 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14 oz) dark kidney beads

1 can (14 oz) white kidney beans

1 can (14 oz) black beans

Cayenne or Red Pepper flakes, to taste (I use ¼ teaspoon cayenne or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for ½ of the batch)

2 tablespoons mesa (or corn starch)

2 cups water

Heat a medium stock pot and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it just starts to turn crispy. Add the garlic, onions, peppers, chili powder, and cumin until vegetables start to wilt. Add the ground beef and cook until it browns, stirring frequently to break it up. Add the paprika, oregano, salt and pepper, and pork, stirring frequently to break it up.

Drain and rinse the beans, and place in the slow cooker with the beer, diced tomatoes (with juice) and crushed tomatoes.  

Once the pork is cooked through, transfer all of this to the slow cooker with the beer, tomatoes, and beans. Add the sirloin steak to the same pan, and sear until browned. Add the browned steak and the tequila to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.

Combine the mesa/corn starch with the hot water, mixed well, and add to the chili. Add cayenne/red pepper cook for about 1 hour more. Serve with corn bread, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and lime wedges.

Prosciutto and Bacon Mac & (5) Cheese

You know I really enjoy cooking. And you know I really enjoy trying out new recipes. I also love to cook for friends who, for whatever reason, could use some help with a hot meal. I usually fix chicken parmesan. I’ve found that if a food chain is in the works, there are likely more than a few meals of lasagna and/or spaghetti. Why not? They are fairly easy and are suitable for the idea of reheating. If that’s the case, I think they’ll welcome something different.

So lately I’ve been looking for the ultimate comfort food that is not real difficult. I think I’ve found it. I usually serve it with some panko chicken tenders. I made it a couple of times now, and I hear that it’s pretty darn good. I hope so, because after looking at the ingredients list, I’ve not made it for my house. If I can plan a night where I can hit the gym for an hour after dinner to cancel out some of the effects, maybe I’ll make it for the family. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Update 2013: my original recipe called for pasta shells and manchego as one of the cheeses. I've since switched to fusilli for two reasons:

1. The shells tend to "nest" when they cook, leaving them only partially cooked.
2. The more surface area to the pasta, the better for "grabbing" the cheese sauce.

So I'm not stuck any one pasta toe, but look for something that has a lot of surface area to soak in the cheesiness. 

I also switched from manchego to fontina. Fontina is much creamier. Since cheddar is a gritty cheese,  I found that combining it with manchego had too much grit in the combined sauce. Since switching to fontina, I've found the texture and taste to be perfect.

Prosciutto and Bacon Mac & (5) Cheese

(Serves many)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces thick cut bacon (or pancetta)

8 ounces prosciutto

1 pound fusilli pasta, or pasta of choice

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

1 cup Vidalia (or yellow) onion finely diced (or subtitute shallots)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 cups grated aged sharp Cheddar, divided

1 cup grated smoked gouda

1 cup grated gruyere

1 cup grated fontina

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, divided

Salt and pepper, as needed

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus additional leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat casserole dish with butter.

Place bacon on a baking sheet and cook in oven until half cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain off the grease and set aside. Once cool, chop into approximately 1" pieces. Do the same with the prosciutto, but baking for only 4 minutes.

Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Strain and toss lightly in olive oil, and set aside.

In a saucepan lightly coated with olive oil, sauté the bacon over medium-high heat until firm. Add the diced onion and cook until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for additional 2 minutes. Dust the pan with the flour, stir in the milk and cream. Continuing to stir, add the prosciutto, nutmeg and the mustard powder. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly for several minutes to avoid scorching. Stir in 1 cup each of Cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, manchego and half a cup of Parmesan. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add the pasta and parsley. Stir until well combined.

Place into buttered baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses and place dish on baking tray and place in the oven. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown,. Let cool about 5 minutes, garnish with the fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie (NOT)

Today was a snow day. Yesterday was a snow day as well. The Blizzard of Oz struck Overland Park, KS, leaving 10+” of snow behind. Everyone stayed home yesterday, sitting in front of the fire, watching movies, eating popcorn. You know the drill.

I was really looking for a “fill the belly on a cold day” comfort food dinner. Chicken pot pie came to mind. The problem - I was the only one that DIDN’T have a snow day. I still had to work. AND this house is on a health kick, with everyone watching the girlish figures, so to speak (I’m watching Peg’s girlish figure, and I likey). So time and health being against me, I took a few shortcuts. And it worked out just fine, thank you very much! Next time I’ll prep this in small casserole dishes and but the biscuit mix on top. Last night it was not so much Chicken Pot Pie, as much as it was Chicken on a Biscuit. Either way, it was a perfect way to end a cold winter day.

Chicken Pot Pie (Lite)

(Serves 6)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup diced carrots

½ cup baby peas

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup diced shallots (or yellow onions)

1 cup chicken stock

½ cup water

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon savory

Salt and Pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/3 cup skim mik (or sub heavy cream for non-lite version)

Biscuits

2 cups Heart Healthy Bisquick mix

2/3 cup skim milk

In slow cooker combine in order – chicken stock, shallots, carrots, celery, chicken breasts, peas, water, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and savory. Cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours, or high setting for 2 to 3 hours. When chicken is tender and easily pulls apart, remove from the crock pot. Add the flour, milk and soups to the slow cooker and stir well. Shred the chicken and stir back in to the slow cooker, and cook for additional 20 minutes.

Combine the Bisquick with the milk and mix well.

From here there are several options. You can spoon out the biscuits into four equal drop biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450F for 9 minutes. Spoon the chicken mix on top and serve.

OR….

Pour the chicken mix into a shallow casserole. Roll out the biscuit mix to 1/4” to 1/2" thick and place on top of the casserole. Bake at 425F until golden brown, or about 20 minutes.