Braised Beef Short Ribs with Tomatoes and Red Wine and Challah

Well we are one week into the new year and it's been a great week. I am still absolutally loving my new schedual. Getting home between 6:45 and 7:15, depending on the traffic is so much better than 8:30/9. And last Saturday after work Jordi Williams came up to visit and celebrate her recent engagement. Where we noshed on Sweet Potato Fries and Cheese Fries. I also tried a white Sangria, White wine, brandy, peach schnapps, peach nectar and fresh cut fruit. Sunday we looked at a house in Manassas and went to Dogfish for lunch. It was very yummy. This week the house hunt had continued. Made all the harder by my budget and wanting to get a puppy. This week we have two recipies. The first is based of a recipie from Wolgang Puck and can be found here. http://www.ihavenet.com/wolfgang-puck-recipe-Braised-Beef-Short-Ribs-with-Tomatoes-and-Red-Wine.html. The second come to us courtesy of the cookbook Barrett, Marcy, and Trent gave me for Christmas; The Joy of Cooking!

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Tomatoes and Red Wine

~ Inspired by Wolfgang Puck, created by Me

4 to 5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs

Salt

Ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

4 garlic cloves

3 cups dry red wine

1 tomatoe cut into 4

3 bay leaves

Thyme

Parsley

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 can beef broth

Splash chicken broth

1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper to taste. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add short ribs and sear until browned, place on plate to the side.

2. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.

3. Add wine and bring to a boil.

4. Place short ribs in bottom of slow cooker. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and pepper corns. Add beef and chicken broth.

5. Cook on high for 5 hours.

6. Remove short ribs and place on serving dish. Skim Fat off liquid. Use salt and peper to taste. Spoon sauce and tomato over ribs. Serve.

Challah

~Joy of Cooking

1/2 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

3 cups bread flour

3 large eggs

2 large yolks

3 TBS vegetable oil

3 TBS sugar

1 1/4 tsp salt

Cornmeal

1. Combine in a large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and let stand until the yeast is disolved, about 5 min, 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 2 yolks beaten, vegitable oil, sugar, salt. Mix by hand or on low speed until thoroughly blended.

2. Gradually stir in 2 1/2 cups bread flour.

3. Knead for about 8 min by hand until dough is smooth and elastice and no longer sticks to your hands or the bowl.Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it once to cover with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.

4. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, and return to the bowl. Refridgerate, covered, until it has nearly doubled in volumn.

5. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. On and unfloured work surface, roll into balls. Let rest covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll each ball into a 13/14 inch long rope. Dust the 3 ropes with flour.

6. Place the ropes side by side, pinch the top ends together. Braid the entire length until you reach the ends. Tuck both ends underneath and set it on baking sheet. Whisk togehter 1 egg and a pinch of salt and brush over top of the loaf.

7. Loosely cover the braid with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 375.

9. Brush the loaf again with egg wash. Bake until crust is golden brown. about 30-35 minutes. Cool on rack.

This was a really fantastic dinner. The beef was so tender. And I loved dipping the challah into the sauce. This is something that I would definately make again.

Lobster Pot Pie (Surf and Turf Pot Pie)

Happy New Year! I'm so excited about it being a new year. 2010 is going to be great. I'm going back to school, moving to hopefully my own apartment with no roomies. Yes it's a brand new year. I also had a great holiday season. I hope everyone else did as well. Christmas day, instead of being at work I went to Daniel's family. Which was fun. Got lots of stuff for going back to school! Then Saturday I went down to Lynchburg and had Christmas with the family. Which was amazing as always. My parents got me an amazing bedding set. I now am the proud owner of 8 pillows. My brother and sister in law got me a new cookbook to further my cooking exploration. And it is the best reading I've done in a long time. And my sister got me a swiffer! I love spending time with my family, it just made me sad that it was so short. Now this weeks recipe comes to us courtesy of Emeril Lagasse and The Food Network. I got the idea to make Lobster Pot Pie, however, when I was watching an episode of Gilmore Girls. It just sounded so good.

Basic Savory Crust

~Emeril

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups cold lard

4 to 5 TBS ice water

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.

2. Add the lard and work it in with your hands until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, working it with your hands. Add only as you need to make a smooth ball of dough.

3. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 min.

Lobster Pot Pie

~Emeril

6 TBS butter

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery I used 1 full cup

salt

ground white pepper

6 TBS flour

3 cups seafood or chicken stock

1 cup milk

2 cups diced potatoes, blanched

1 cup diced carrots, blanched I did not put these in

1 cup sweet peas

1 cup diced baked ham I substituted steak

1 lb lobster meat, cooked and diced I only used 7 oz

1/2 to 1 cup water

1/2 recipe Savory Crust rolled out to the size of the pan

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a rectangular baking dish.

2. In a large saute pan. melt the butter. Add the onions and celery and saute for 2 minutes. I used a full cup of celery. I like celery and I figured you can never have to much! Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes for a blond roux. roux: A mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used as thickening.

3. Stir in the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the milk and continue to cook for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.4. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, peas, ham, and lobster. I used potatoes, peas, steak, and lobster. Thus turning it into a surf and turf pot pie. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the filing thoroughly. If the filing is too thick, add a little water to thin it out. 5. Pour the filing into the prepared pan. Place the crust on top of the filing. Make sure to have several slits in the crust.
6. Place the dish in the oven and bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

This tasted so good. And was definitely too much for just two people. We'll see how it reheats tomorrow for lunch. Have a wonderful start to your new year everyone!

Gringo Chicken Enchiladas

Well it's been quite a while since I posted. Things have been rather hectic around here. And it being the holiday season hasn't made it calm down at all. I unfortunately did not get anything for Thanksgiving as I had a nasty bout of Bronchitis and Pneumonia. I was out of work for a week. And let me tell you I stayed in bed and slept the entire time, it was horrible. Then while I was out of work I got a message on facebook from a co worker that my shift change had been approved. So I went back to my 9-7 shift for a measly three days after being sick. My new shift is 9-5:30 M-F and every other weekend. So I've been recovering from being sick and getting used to this new schedule. And let me tell you it was awesome last weekend actually having Sat off. SO that's pretty much been my life. Not to mention hanging out with the fantabuous Jordi and Edwin. Seriously people need to stop moving out of state. I'm stuck here you all should be to. So today's dish has been brought to us by Rachel Roskelley Carter. She's been "bugging" me that I haven't made any of the recipes that she submitted. And let me tell you that I truly am mad at myself after having made this fantastic meal. I've been missing out.

Gringo Chicken Enchiladas

~ Rachel Roskelley Carter

12 Flour tortillas
1 lb cheddar cheese
1 lb Monterrey Jack
2-3 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 container of sour cream
1 soup can of water
1 can chopped green chilies
Chicken, cooked and shredded

(over 350)

1. Mix together soups, water, sour cream, and chilies.

2. Thinly coat the bottom of a 9x13 pan with mixture.

3. Fill tortillas with soup mix, chicken and cheese.


4. Roll and place in pan. Repeat until the pan is full.


5. Pour remaining soup mixture over top. Top with cheese.


6. Bake until cheese bubbles and melts. Approximately 20-30 min








And no I did not put the chilies in. I just wasn't in the mood for spice, but I can see where they would make the dish even more amazing!

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Grandma Wickham's Beef and Biscuit Casserole

Its been a very busy week since I last posted. Ryan and I went to a dinner theater showing of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was very good and I would totally recommend going and seeing it, or going to another one of there productions. Check out http://www.riversidedt.com/ for more information. Also I have re-enrolled at GMU. And will be going back to school come January! And as of a few hours ago I am the owner of a 1996 Oldsmobile. I call her Helga. I decided on today's recipe mainly because Ryan made it for her family earlier this week and it really made me want some. Plus it's a good hot dish that will travel well so I can take it to work with me as well. And this week's recipe is brought to us by My grandmother Helen Wickham

Beef and Biscuit Casserole

~Helen Wickham

1 to 1 1/4 lb ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup diced green pepper

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 can (8oz) refrigerated biscuits
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterrey jack)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg, slightly beaten

1. Brown beef, onion, and pepper. Drain. I used a bit more meat than this called for...and it still tastes amazing!

2. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder, and garlic salt. Simmer while preparing dough.

3. Separate biscuits in half, press bottoms in bottom of the greased 8 or 9'' square baking pan. I used home style biscuits on the bottom.

4. Combine 1/2 cup cheese (save the rest for the top), sour cream, and egg. Mix well.

5. Remove meat mixture from heat. Stir in sour cream mixture.

6. Spoon over biscuit dough.

7. Top with remaining biscuits. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. I used home style with butter flavor for the top. And I also used quite a bit more cheese than the one cup the recipe calls for.

8. Bake at 370 for 25-30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

This was a really yummy dinner. And I'm looking forward to having more for lunch tomorrow. Hope everyone has a great week!

Beanless Chili

After last weeks absence I'm back with new recipe! Since it has been rainy and cold; and just overall miserable the past few days I decided to go with chili. And I found this wonderful recipe at Cooks.com More on the car saga: I stood out in the rain yesterday to look at a car a 1996 Oldsmobile. I may once again my have my own transportation! And let me toll you I definitely could have used this chili yesterday after getting drenched!


Beanless Chili
~Cooks.com

1 TBS olive oil
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (46oz) tomato juice

1 can (46oz) tomato juice
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
4 TBS instant onion
4 TBS chili powder

4 TBS celery flakes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp powdered mustard
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 cans green chilies, drained and chopped

1. In a large saucepan heat oil until hot. Add beef and stir until browned, about 10 minutes. 2. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer covered, stir frequently approximately 3-4 hours.

This chili was delicious, just what the rainy day called for. The only thing I may mention is the whole time I was eating it I was wishing that I had made some cornbread to go along with it.