Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Leeks
Here’s the recipe for my braised short ribs with leeks. It’s a recipe I adapted from one by Wolfgang Puck, but much simpler and more accessible. It came out beautiful and tasty.
Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Leeks
Ingredients:
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 beef short ribs
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 head garlic, peeled
4 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, rinsed, split and dried
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef (or chicken) stock
1 can beef consommé
Preparation:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large casserole, large enough to hold 6 ribs, over medium-high heat. Mix the flour, salt, ground ginger, and black pepper in a large plastic food storage bag. Two at a time, place the short ribs in the bag with the flour mixture, blow up the bag, tie it off, and shake well until the short ribs are coated with the flour (you can also use a traditional flour-dredging pan, but I prefer the plastic-bag method. It’s much neater). When the oil is hot, slip two ribs into the pot and sear for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until well browned.
Transfer the browned ribs to a plate and repeat with the remaining ribs, two at a time. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot; lower the heat to medium, and toss in the vegetables and herbs. Brown the vegetables lightly, 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to blend.
Add the reduced wine, browned ribs, stock and consommé to the pot. Bring to a boil; cover the pot tightly, and place it into the oven to braise for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until a kitchen fork pierces the meat easily and comes back out without lifting the meat. Every 30 minutes or so, lift the lid and skim and discard whatever fat may have bubbled up to the surface.
Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread
This is the vegan chocolate cake I made for dessert with last night’s supper for the in-laws. It’s perfect, simple, and surprising. Serve it with a small dollop of vanilla ice cream. My choice is Kim Zanni’s Vanilla Bean Gelato di Babbo. If you haven’t found Kim’s monstrously good gelatos, go out and find it, or demand your grocer get in into their store. Imagine this: it’s low-fat. On my Weight Watchers’ plan it is only three points, which offsets the hundreds of points the cake is (only kidding). Make sure you allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before you unpan it, as it is prone to breaking apart if you unpan it too soon. Still yummy, but you’ll be tempted to eat the broken parts (not necessarily a bad thing!).
Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a square 8-inch baking pan with oil or baking spray or dust with cocoa powder.
- Sift the cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar into a large bowl. Combine coffee and oil in a small bowl. Beat the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula or whisk. Stir in the crystallized ginger (if using), and quickly stir in vinegar.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick placed into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then turn the cake out onto the rack and cool completely. Serve, dusted with confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder, with hot tea, cider, or mulled wine.
Roasted Savory Cauliflower
I can’t believe how good this recipe turned out. It’s simple and delicious. I served this for supper last night, and incredibly, the kids ate all their vegetables! Use fresh Parmesan cheese for the last-step sprinkle.
Ingredients:
- 5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- Chopped chives, for garnish
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.
Pan-braised Chicken with Rosemary and Figs
Here’s a recipe I tried last night for company. Really good, and really simple. What makes it work is fresh rosemary. I think dried rosemary would overwhelm the delicate sweetness of the fig sauce. Made it for the in-laws last night with garlic roasted cauliflower and sweet potato fries. Great supper. Great recipe.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
15 fresh figs, halved
1 tsp sweet paprika, divided
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups red wine
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Sprinkle chicken with ½ tsp paprika, salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large pan. Add chicken breasts and brown both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add wine and figs, and sprinkle rosemary (reserving 1 teaspoon) and remaining ½ tsp paprika on top. Turn heat to medium, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
Move chicken from pan to a plate, and let it rest covered.
Whisk the butter into the pan sauce, turn the pan to low-medium, and let reduce without a cover for an additional 10 minutes, until thickened.
Divide chicken breasts among plates, place figs on top, and drizzle sauce over the chicken and figs. Sprinkle fresh chopped rosemary on top and garnish with a piece of a fresh rosemary sprig.
Way good!
Ellen and Babs’ Hearty Chicken Chowder
Here’s a terrific old family recipe for chicken chowder, passed down through my wife’s family. The only place I’ve seen it is on a stained recipe card. But it’s really good.
Hearty Chicken Chowder
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, 3 pounds
5 cups water
1 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
½ pound sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons snipped chives
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup corn
¼ teaspoon dried (or ½ teaspoon freshly chopped) thyme
Shredded cheddar cheese
Preparation:
1. Place first 10 ingredients (chicken through ground pepper) in a soup pot; cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is tender, (about 45 minutes). Strain broth, reserving vegetables, discarding the bay leaf, and picking the chicken off the bones. Discard bones.
2. Mix broth and milk. In a saucepan, melt butter; add mushrooms and chives and sauté until soft, 3-5 minutes; add flour and blend. Gradually stir in broth, continuing to stir until the soup thickens. Add salt and thyme, corn, chicken, and reserved vegetables.
3. Simmer 10 minutes longer; then serve in heavy bowls, topped with cheddar cheese.
Nutty Pumpkin Bread
Here’s the pumpkin bread recipe I promised in my October 7 column. Morgan made it last week, and it’s wonderful. A great complement to a fall soup.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 12 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon EACH ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
2 cups cooked pumpkin (1 14- to 16-oz. can)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins
Preparation:
1. Soak the raisins 1/2 hour in warm water. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the first nine ingredients (AP flour thru spices) in a large bowl, mix well, then form a well in the center of the mixture.
3. Add the remaining ingredients into the well of the dry mixture and combine gently until the dry ingredients are moist. Do not overmix.
4. Pour the batter into two 9x5x4 loaf pans that have been sprayed with baking spray or canola oil.
5. Bake until the tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 – 50 minutes. Cool the loafs on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack to cool completely before serving.
Possible substitutions: Brown raisins or dried cranberries can be used instead of golden raisins; walnuts can be used in place of pecans, and cooked butternut squash can replace the pumpkin.
Serve with a nice thick, hot soup or toasted with butter or cream cheese, or just plain plain.
Yummy.
Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
I had a marathon cooking session the other Sunday, preparing eight dishes for the family and for the
freezer and for fun. I love doing this, and posting my progress along the way on Facebook. Great fun, gets followers to come along for the ride, and perhaps inspires a person or two to try it for themselves. One recipe I made last week captured a bit of attention, and I decided that it needed to be posted here and there so that people could try it for themselves.
So here is a wonderful split pea soup–not the green soup with a piece of smoked ham most people are used to–a different, more aromatic and herbal treat that is just perfect for these fall days when a chill is beginning to show up.
Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups split peas
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 cups ( 3 cans) vegetable stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
Preparation:
1. Sort and wash peas; cover with water to 2 inches above peas, and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and bay leaf; saute’ 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon rosemary, paprika, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates.
2. Drain peas and add to pot. Add stock and salt to onion mixture and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf.
3. In batches, place the soup in a blender and process until smooth; then pour the soup into a serving bowl.
4. Combine remaining oil, garlic, rosemary and parsley; stir into soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Apple Fritters from America’s Test Kitchen
Anyone who’s followed my work for any length of time knows my allegiance to America’s Test Kitchen, the kitchen/laboratory attached to my favorite cooking periodical, 
Cooks Illustrated. My experience is that any recipe they post, if followed to the letter, produces the best product in any food class. I feature stuff from America’s Test Kitchen a lot, because I have come to trust their effort and their results. I have several recipes here in Jeff’s Kitchen that are ATK-tested and recommended, and a couple of notes about stuff that is not.
Today, we’re featuring ATK’s apple fritters. I’ve scoured the Internet and looked at hundreds of apple fritter recipes, and I can say, without worrying about the recommendation, that these are the best ones I’ve come across. There are some pretty good fritter recipes out there, including one that includes fresh orange zest (I may feature that one down the road), but in terms of foolproof, great-tasting, great-looking, these are the ones to try. If I have one quibble with this recipe (and I usually have no quibble with ATK), it is that I like to mix up a sweet apple with a tart apple, so I make mine with a mixture of Granny Smith and HoneyCrisp apples (when the HoneyCrisps are in season), or Gala apples when they’re not.
Ingredients
FRITTERS
- 2 Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil
GLAZE
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- 1. Spread prepared apples in single layer on paper towel–lined baking sheet and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl. Whisk cider, eggs, and melted butter in medium bowl until combined. Stir apples into flour mixture. Stir in cider mixture until incorporated.
- 2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Following step 1, use 1/3-cup measure to transfer 5 heaping portions of batter to oil. Press batter lightly with back of spoon to flatten. Fry, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees, until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining batter. Let fritters cool 5 minutes.
- 3. Meanwhile, whisk confectioners’ sugar, cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg in medium bowl until smooth. Top each fritter with 1 heaping tablespoon glaze. Let glaze set 10 minutes. Serve.
Jacques Pepin’s Apple Fritters
Here’s the simple approach to making killer apple fritters, the full monty, system-killer variety. You can try it difficult or you can try it simple. I prefer simple.
When I was the producer of the Larry King show in Washington, D.C., I had the pleasure of meeting Jacques Pepin, and then interviewing him several times. Each time he brought wonderful foods with him to share with us and to talk about. It being radio, it was pointless to demonstrate cooking techniques, so rather he simply brought with him those things about which he would talk, and let our enthusiasm for the food carry the narrative. Needless to say, he was one of our most requested guests. Radio carries with it such a strong component of conjuring up visions in each listener’s imagination that a wonderful man like Jacques and his sensory-overload recipes played incredibly well on the radio. Try to imagine Jacques Pepin discussing the making of apple fritters in his inimitable charming French accent and his over-the-top personality.
Serves 4 to 6 (makes about 12 fritters)
Apple fritters sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and eaten piping hot are simplicity itself. The fruit can be cut into sticks or slices or fan shapes and dipped into the batter and fried, or it can be coarsely chopped or cut into julienne.
If you are making the fritters ahead, be sure to cook them until they are crisp and well browned. Then reheat and recrisp them in a toaster oven or under the broiler just before serving them heavily dusted with sugar.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 cup ice-cold water
1 pound apples (any variety; about 3)
1 cup canola oil
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Vigorously mix the flour, egg, and 1/3 cup of the water in a bowl with a whisk. The mixture will be fairly thick. When it is smooth, add the remaining
2/3 cup water and mix again until the water is incorporated and the batter is thin and smooth.
One at a time, stand the unpeeled apples upright on a cutting board and cut each one vertically into 1/2-inch-thick slices, stopping when you reach the core; pivot the apple and cut again, and repeat until only the core remains. Stack the apple slices and cut them into 1/2-inch-thick sticks. (You should have 4 cups.) Stir the apple sticks into the batter.
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet. When it is hot, pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan for each fritter, making 4 or 5 at a time. Using two forks, spread the batter out so the fritters are no more than 1/2 inch thick. Cook for about 4 minutes on one side, until brown and crisp, then turn and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side. Drain the fritters on a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the fritters liberally with the sugar and serve.
Braised Chicken in White Wine Sauce — Weight-watchers Style
I’ve got to tell you about this chicken recipe. There’s three things to recommend it: 1) it’s about the simplest hearty chicken dish I’ve ever made; 2) because it’s weight watchers, it’s a guilt-free supper, being extremely low in fats and carbs; and 3) it’s so wonderful and tasty to eat that I make it about once a week. You won’t ever find a more tasty, simple, and filling dish, great for a busy family like mine.
Ingredients
- 3 slices turkey bacon, chopped
- 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces, skin removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 pound cremini or white mushrooms, sliced (cremini mushrooms add a wonderful layer of flavor)
- 1 cup frozen small onions
- 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 pound small red potatoes, quartered
- 4 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Add chicken to pan in two batches, and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion, celery and garlic to Dutch oven; cook, stirring, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add mushrooms and frozen onions; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, wine, potatoes and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot.
- Return chicken and bacon to Dutch oven. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together flour and water in small bowl. Stir in about 1⁄4 cup of hot stew liquid until blended. Add liquid to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid bubbles and thickens, about 3 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Cheffzilla’s Kitchen 