Braised Beef Short Ribs - Hunter's Style

Braised Beef Short Ribs Hunter's Style
From fineCooking Magazine

Printable Recipe

For other options – including how to customize your own braise, my three year old grandson, made an awesome choice to be tried after this one.

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Braising time: 2 ½ -3 hours
Ruth’s tip: because short ribs are so fatty, I like to make them the day before serving and keep them in the fridge to harden the fat, for easy removal.
Final reheating time: 30 minutes or so

Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 ½ - 5lb/ 2-2 ¼ kg British style short beef short ribs – about 2-3” long(8-12 ribs)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to season
2 cups total onions, carrots, fennel root (my choice) or celery, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
1-2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ oz/14g dried mushrooms, steeped in hot water & coarsely chopped – reserve the liquid
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup vermouth
1 cup mushroom soaking liquid
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 tbsp fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Choose an 8 quart/litre Dutch oven. If you’re lucky, you own an enamel coated cast iron roaster. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium heat. The pan should be hot before searing the meat.

2. Searing - Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add as many ribs as will fit in the pan without crowding or overlapping. ( I seared them in three batches) Cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides (3-4 minutes or so per side – the meat will no longer stick to the pan). Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan.

3. Cooking aromatics - Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the aromatics (onion, carrots, fennel root). Season with ½ tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the aromatics are soft and lightly browned (about 6-8 minutes).

4. Adding spices, herbs & flavor boosters - Add the thyme, paprika, tomato paste, dried mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring until well distributed and fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).

5. Deglaze the pot – pour vermouth into the pot and cook stirring to scrape up browned bits on the bottom and until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp (about 1 minute).

6. Braising - Add all the ribs and juices to the pot, and pour the broth, red wine, and mushroom soaking liquid over the ribs as evenly as possible. The ribs should never be more than two layers deep. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes until they are fork tender (about 2 ½ hours).

7. Best advice from fineCooking and me…cook this at least several hours in advance (my suggestion, the day before) and allow to cool to room temperature and then place overnight in the fridge. This allows the fat to congeal and you can scoop it off the meat and vegetables very easily. To reheat, arrange the meat to fit snugly in a baking dish, cover with foil and place in a preheated 350°F/170°C oven and reheat the sauce on top of the stove.

8. Finish and serve: transfer the ribs to a serving platter. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes and skim off any remaining fat. Season sauce to taste and finish with a sprinkling of parsley.

Quick Navy Bean Stew

Quick Navy Bean Stew
From Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

Printable Recipe

Prep cook time: 30 minutes
Final cook time: 8-10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 small red potatoes (about 10oz/284g), cut into ½” pieces
1lb/450g mushrooms, trimmed & quartered (I prefer Cremini)
¼ tsp dried thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups water
1 pkg (10oz/284g) baby spinach
1 can (15oz/425g) navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions:
1. In a large, deep skillet (I used a soup pot), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and potatoes and cook until the onion is lightly browned, stirring occasionally (8-10 minutes). Add the mushrooms and thyme, season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender (8-10 minutes).

2. Stir in tomato paste and water, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart (8-10 minutes).

3. Add half the spinach, cover and cook until wilted (about 1 minute). Add the remaining spinach and the navy beans, cook, covered until heated through (about 3-4 minutes). Stir in the vinegar, season with salt and pepper (Ruth’s note: I added a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce for a little kick).

Chinese Noodles with Sesame Dressing

Chinese Noodles with Sesame Dressing
From Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: time to boil water and cook noodles as directed
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
8oz/225g thin Chinese noodles
1 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp light brown sugar
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles as per package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cool. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with oil.

2. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Whisk in cilantro. Pour over noodles, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Great with Asian Salmon Patties

Asian Salmon Patties

Asian Salmon Patties
From Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time (in freezer): 20 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 minutes

Makes: 8 patties

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb/680g skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped (I use my food processor)
2 shallots, minced (thrown into the feeding tube of the food processor with the motor running)
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges for serving
Sesame Mayonnaise
½ cup mayonnaise
2 scallions, finely sliced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, gently combine chopped salmon, shallots, ginger, egg, red pepper flakes salt and pepper (about 1 tsp each). Form mixture into 8 equal patties about 1” thick, packing each firmly. Transfer to a plate. Freeze until just firm (about 20 minutes). Ruth’s note: I actually placed the bowl of salmon mixture in the fridge before shaping for about 15 minutes.

2. While the salmon patties are chilling, combine the Sesame Mayonnaise ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook salmon patties (you might have to do it in batches, depending on the size of your pan) until browned on both sides and just opaque throughout (4-6 minutes per side).

Serve with lime wedges and sesame mayonnaise.
Great with a mixed greens salad or Chinese Noodles with Sesame Dressing

Fennel, Cucumber & Radish Carpaccio

Fennel, Cucumber & Radish Carpaccio
From Pasta Et Cetera a la di Stasio

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise
6 radishes (I used more – just do whatever makes you happy)
1 long English cucumber
1 stalk of celery
10 black olives, pitted and finely chopped (I used oil cured)
¼ cup olive oil or lemon flavored olive oil
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice (I used lemon this time)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Drizzle of olive oil at the table
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, shards/shavings

Directions:
1. Using a mandolin (seriously, no one but a professional chef can slice that thin), thinly slice fennel, radishes and cucumber. Thinly slice the celery on a diagonal.

2. Arrange the vegetables on a platter.

3. In a small bowl, mix olives, oil and lemon juice. Drizzle over the vegetables. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and a little more good quality olive oil and garnish with cheese shavings.

Blueberry Banana Yoghurt Smoothie

Blueberry Banana Yoghurt Smoothie
From Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 3 minutes
Portion: 2

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana, cut in thirds
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw first)
1 cup yoghurt

Directions:
1. Combine everything in a blender, on high speed until smooth.

Salami Chips

Salami Chips
From Pasta Et Cetera a la di Stasio

Printable Recipe

Prep time: just as long as it takes to heat up the oven
Baking time: 10 minutes

Makes 12 chips (or as many as you desire)

Ingredients:
12 very thin slices of salami (this time I used chorizo, but this is a great way to do up your favorite salami)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C

2. Place the salami slices on a baking tray (I line mine with parchment paper for easy clean up).

3. Bake in the middle rack for 7-10 minutes, turning halfway through. Drain on paper towels.

Lime Budino

Lime Budino
From Pasta Et Cetera a la di Stasio

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup 15% cream
4-5 tbsp lime juice (about 60ml or a little more than ¼ cup)
Garnish:
Freshly grated lime zest
Blueberries or raspberries (I have to wait for summer for this garnish)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C

2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at medium speed. Add the cream and lime juice, mixing well.

3. Divide the custard equally into 4 oven proof ramekins ( ¾ cup/175ml). Place in a square 9” baking dish. Add boiling water to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. (Ruth’s note: I add the boiling water once the baking dish is already in the oven to prevent spilling hot water everywhere.)

4. Bake in the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. The budino will not be set in the middle.

5. Transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours .

Garnish and serve.

Josee’s Variation: Coffee budino: Replace lime juice with cooled brewed espresso or strong coffee. Garnish with chocolate covered coffee beans or grated chocolate.

Lemon Pasta

Lemon Pasta
From Pasta Et Cetera a la di Stasio

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes (time to boil the water and quickly cook the pasta)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1lb/ 454g spaghetti or other long pasta (Ruth’s note: normally I like to cook with multigrain or whole wheat pasta, but this dish really requires white pasta)
Finely grated zest of 2-3 room temperature lemons
Juice of 2 lemons
1 1/3 cups FRESHLY grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Handful of fresh basil, snipped

Directions:
1. Boil the pasta as directed in lots of salted water. Drain and reserve ½ cup cooking water.

2. While the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce in a large serving bowl. Add lemon zest and juice with cheese and olive oil. Mix well

3. Drain the pasta allowing a little water to cling to the noodles. Place over the sauce in the serving bowl, and toss well. Add the basil and pepper, toss and taste, adding some pasta water if necessary…I rarely find I need it, but always like having some handy just in case.

Some delicious variations from Josee di Stasio…
Lemon & Onion: In a skillet heat equal parts olive oil and butter over medium heat. Sauté 2 chopped onions until translucent NOT brown. Add pasta and lemon sauce, toss and serve.

Lemon Asparagus (I can’t wait until local asparagus season here): In the salted boiling water BEFORE you cook the pasta, cook trimmed asparagus until tender, remove with slotted spoon and rinse under cold running water, chop and reheat with pasta for the last minute of pasta cooking. Add drained pasta and asparagus to lemon sauce, toss and serve.

Lemon Seafood (as Josee says, usually Italians do not mix seafood with Parmesan cheese, but this sounds too good to pass up): While the pasta is cooking, heat oil (olive or lemon olive oil in a hot skillet, sauté shelled shrimps with a pinch or two of hot chili pepper flakes. Spoon over the lemon pasta and serve.

Roasted Orange Honey Glazed Salmon

Roasted Orange Honey Glazed Salmon
From Mangia with Quattro: Family-Style Italian from the Heart

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Roasting time: 8-10 minutes

Serves 2 (with extra sauce/glaze)

Ingredients:
salmon fillet (figure about 2” per person), skin on (I like to use a larger piece than I would need for a meal, because leftovers are wonderful cold in a salad)
Sauce/Glaze:
2 cups fresh orange juice reduced to ¼ cup
¼ cup grainy Dijon mustard
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
½ cup liquid honey
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven or barbecue to 400°F/200°C.

2. In a saucepan over high heat, reduce the orange juice (takes about 15 minutes – watch that it doesn’t boil over or scorch).

3. Combine the reduced orange juice, grainy mustard, dill and honey.

4. Lay the salmon, skin side down, on a foil lined, rimmed cookie sheet and spread with the glaze. (if you are lucky enough to barbecue, then encase the salmon in a lightly oiled foil package). I like my glaze sticky and crusty so I don’t cover it. I also have no BBQ at the moment, so oven it is.

5. Bake in the center of the oven for no more than 8 minutes. Open foil packet if using and test for doneness. It should be slightly darker pink in the center.

6. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and spoon over extra glaze.

Served here with Du Puy Lentils & Goat Cheese, Olives & Fresh Thyme, but it would be lovely over a Mixed Greens Salad.

Puy Lentils with Goat Cheese, Olives & Fresh Thyme

Du Puy Lentils with Goat Cheese, Olives & Fresh Thyme
From Everyday Easy: One Pot

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups Du Puy Lentils, rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 bay leaf
¾ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
3oz/85g goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Mixed baby green salad (optional)

Directions:
1. Place the lentils, carrot, shallot, thyme and bay leaf in a saucepan with 5 cups of water. Ruth’s note: there’s no need to soak the dried lentils before cooking. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

2. Drain the lentils well, transfer to a serving bowl, and remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Cool until lukewarm. Add the olives, goat cheese and olive oil and stir together. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

The book suggests serving with grilled spicy sausages, lamb chops or pork chops. I served it with roasted salmon. The leftovers were delicious as a simple cold salad.

Chicken & Chickpea Pilaf

Chicken & Chickpea Pilaf
From Everyday Easy: One Pot

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Pinch of saffron threads
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 thighs, cut into small pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
1 ¼ cups long grain rice
2 ½ cups hot chicken stock
2 bay le3aves
1 can (15oz/420g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup raisins (Ruth’s note: the book called for golden raisins, but all I had was Thomas – worked fine)
½ cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
3 tbsp Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Crumble saffron threads into a small bowl, add 2 tbsp boiling water and set aside for at least 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan (I used my Dutch oven) over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with coriander and cumin. Toss to coat and cook the chicken in batches, if necessary, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. The chicken should be mostly cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil to the pot and heat. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are soft, stirring often.

3. Stir in the rice, return the chicken and any juices to the pot and stir in the hot stock, saffron and its liquid, plus the bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the drained chickpeas and raisins. Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes.

4. Transfer to a warm platter and serve hot, sprinkled with almonds and parsley.

Potato, Rosemary & Cured Sausage Pizza

Potato, Rosemary & Cured Sausage Pizza
Inspired by The Southern Italian Table

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15 minutes plus the time to actually make the pizza dough (see California Style Pizza for my favorite recipe) or buy ready to use pizza dough – lots of supermarkets carry it.
Total Cooking time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes to preheat the oven and the baking stone.
Serves 2-4 depending on what else you’re serving. One pizza in my house covers a pizza peel (about 12”) and feed the two of us with a salad.

Ingredients:
California style pizza dough
Extra virgin olive oil (just enough to brush the surface of the pizza
2-3 small potatoes (I like Yukon Gold) boiled and thinly sliced
Handful or so of your favorite cured Italian salami like sopresseta, (for this dish I prefer ones cured in sausage form)cut into thin slices
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Cornmeal for preparing pizza peel
Handful fresh bocconcini/mozzarella, shredded (optional)
¼ - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Prepare pizza dough as directed.

2. Preheat at 450-500°F/230-260°C for at least 30 minutes (and since my oven is slow to reach the optimal temperature, I give it even more time) so timing is everything. If you’re not using a pizza stone, I would still preheat the pizza pans to give the crust a really good crispiness, but you probably only need 10-15 minutes. Lay the stone or baking sheet on the lowest rack for electric, on the floor of your oven for gas ranges.

3. Roll out the pizza dough (as per instructions) and shape as desired. Place on a pizza peel that’s been sprinkled with coarsely ground corn meal which acts as ball bearings and makes for easy sliding onto the pizza peel.

4. Brush all over with olive oil. And either…top with fresh mozzarella , or omit the cheese and just place a layer of cooked potatoes over the oiled pizza dough leaving ½” border around the edges. Sprinkle with rosemary and garlic and distribute sausage coins evenly. Do remember to only do single thin layers of potatoes and sausages or the pizza will be too heavy too heavy to slide onto the pizza stone. Brush the edges with a little more olive oil.

5. If you’re using a pizza peel, give it a quick shake to make sure it’s not stuck anywhere and then transfer to the preheated pizza stone with a good, quick jerking motion. Bake until the crust is golden –about 10 minutes in total. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and return to the oven for 2 minutes or just until the cheese melts.

6. Remove pizza to a wire rack (we just put it directly on the cutting board) and let stand for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cutting board or tray and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Slice and serve.