20 Oct
Chili… On a Chilly Fall Day
Posted by Chelle as Beef, Mexican | 11 Comments
Fall seems to have taken a permanent hold over the last few weeks and as a result, I’ve been craving a warm and hearty comfort meal full of flavor. What cures that craving better than a big bowl of chili that has slowly simmered for hours? Not much, right? I have only ever made one other version of chili, which is the one my mom made growing up. While it’s certainly a great meal, it’s not quite authentic - it doesn’t contain much in the way of seasonings and includes rice. So I went off in search of a more traditional chili recipe.
08 Oct
Roasted Flank Steak with Olive Oil-Herb Rub
Posted by Chelle as Beef | 6 Comments
I had cut this recipe out of a Cooking Light issue more than a year ago and stowed it away in my stash of “to make” recipes, never to be seen again. I have an entire folder of recipes ripped out of magazines that I want to try (not to mention the hundreds that are starred in my Google Reader), and until last week I had all but neglected them. Last Wednesday morning after getting out of the shower our power went out. I work from home, so no power = no work. I decided that my “recipe shelves” (i.e. all of my cookbooks, magazines, and tear outs) were in desperate need of a purge and reorganization, so with the freedom of not being tethered to any electronics, off I went and I unearthed this recipe. I honestly wish the power would go out more often - it’s such a liberating feeling to know you can’t turn on the TV, surf the Internet, or do anything else than just “be”. Maybe I should make that more of a priority even when the power IS on! I digress…
25 Jul
Beef Wellington
Posted by Chelle as Beef | 16 Comments
I know, I know, I said that this blog didn’t have “fancy” recipes, but consider this one of my exceptions. I was first introduced to Beef Wellington when I went to Fleming’s Steakhouse a few years ago. While browsing the menu, it jumped out at me:
Filet mignon? Check!
Mushrooms? Check!
Wrapped in flaky puff pastry? Check!
It didn’t take me long to figure out what I was ordering, and I was in love. I hadn’t thought about it recently but then it was featured as a challenge on The Next Food Network Star competition, and I started craving it again, this time resolving to make it at home. The classic preparation of this dish involves searing a beef tenderloin and topping it with mushroom duxelles, a slice of goose or duck liver, and wrapped in puff pastry. I made individual servings by wrapping single servings of filet mignon in the puff pastry, and it was definitely one of the most gourmet meals I have made at home, and absolutely worth it! Served with garlic smashed potatoes and green beans, it was a fabulous meal. And to top it off, I can now cross Beef Wellington off of my “Top 100” list!
27 Mar
Beef Burgundy, Crockpot Style
Posted by Chelle as Beef, Crockpot | 0 Comments
This was another hit from the Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook. I have made this dish twice now in a very short amount of time, and I really enjoy it. The meat becomes very tender and the sauce is extremely flavorful. The whole pearl onions and mushrooms both cook down and really taste wonderful. And I’m totally sold on using my crock pot - it’s so nice to spend a little time early in the day and have dinner done and waiting for you when you’re ready to sit down and eat!
12 Mar
Pot Roast in the Crock Pot
Posted by Chelle as Beef, Crockpot | 26 Comments
I absolutely adore my crock pot. I love being able to devote a small amount of time in the morning in order to have a hot, hearty, and delicious meal done and waiting when it’s time to sit down and eat. It’s genius, really. That being said, I don’t use it nearly enough. Last Christmas my cousin bought me the Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook for our gift exchange, and it’s full of amazing recipes. I have finally begun to try to get the most out of it and try some new recipes. I can’t say enough good things about this cookbook - there hasn’t been one thing that I’ve tried that I haven’t loved.
I got a late start on getting this into the crock pot and as a result, it ended up cooking for 8 hours instead of 10, but it was still fabulously tender and falling apart. All of the vegetables were cooked to perfection - soft, and incredibly tasty. At first I found it odd that the meat was to marinade in soy sauce, as I was skeptical of an Asian pot roast, but you couldn’t even taste the soy sauce in the finished product. I also didn’t use dried mushrooms, but instead threw some creminis in with the rest of the raw vegetables and simply combined the beef broth with reserved marinade and tomato paste.
Lis over at La Mia Cucina is hosting this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge, and has chosen the theme of Crock Pots, Dutch Ovens, and Pressure Cookers. I couldn’t think of a better dish to enter into this blogging event! So go on and dig through your cookbooks and find a recipe that uses one of these great inventions, and shoot it over to Lis! Goodbye winter! Ta Ta!
