Beets in Vinaigrette

I grew up with a disdain for beets.  I suppose it’s because my mother only ever served them pickled, right from the jar.  My dad loved them; I held my nose and tried to choke them down.  That was my one and only experience with beets.  It left a scar.

Decades later, enter Melissa’s Produce and their Peeled and Steamed Baby Beets. I was wary of tasting them but, wow, what a revelation!  As Tony the Tiger would say, “They're great!”  With a fresh-from-the-garden taste, these French-grown beets have a slice-and-serve convenience that every busy cook will appreciate.  Serve them warm, toss them into salads, or whip up this very simple vinaigrette and leave them in the fridge until you're ready for them.  They add a splash of color and a touch of elegance to any meal.  Your guests will be amazed. 

Beets in Vinaigrette

Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet, January 2008

1 8-oz. package Melissa’s Peeled & Steamed Baby Beets

2-1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Cut beets into ¼” slices and arrange on a plate (if serving immediately) on in a container (if storing in the fridge).  Set aside.

Whisk together vinegar, onion, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Add oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly to emulsify.  Stir in parsley.  Pour over beets.  Garnish with kale sprouts and serve.

Leeks au Gratin

Leeks are a vegetable more uncommon than they should be. I grew them when I was in college, fascinated by just how large this thing that looked like a giant scallion would grow. One bite of its sweet, creamy, hint-of-garlic, slightly oniony taste, and I was hooked. Since that time I have been acquiring as many recipes as possible in which leeks are used as the main ingredient.

The French call this dish Poireaux au Gratin. The Irish call it Leeks au Gratin. I simply call it delicious. If you haven't tried leeks yet, now is the time.  An easy, make ahead, superior side dish for your St. Patrick's Day buffet, it also serves well as a main course.

This recipe is from the book, The New Irish Table, by the wonderful Margaret Johnson, provided by Marigold Allen, hostess of the Beeches Country House, County Antrim in Ireland.

Use good quality leeks.  I suggest Melissa's Belgian Style Trimmed Leeks as they are nicely trimmed, pre-washed, and peeled, and an absolute dream to work with.

I halved the recipe, and while I did cut the split leeks into six-inch lengths, I think the next time I'll cut them into smaller, bite-size pieces.

Leeks au Gratin

8 large leeks, white part only, halved lengthwise

½ cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used Kerrygold Irish Aged Cheddar)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

½ cup fresh seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter an ovenproof baking dish.

Cut each leek half into a six-inch length and rinse well under running water. Cook in salted boiling water for 4 minutes, or until slightly tender.  Drain.

Place the leeks, cut side up, into the prepared baking dish, pour in the cream, and sprinkle with the cheese, salt, and pepper.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cream has thickened and the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and preheat the broiler.  Sprinkle the leeks with breadcrumbs, then place the dish under the broiler, 4 inches from the heat source, for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Serves 6.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday 

 Seasonal Sundays

Slow Cooked Short Ribs

This is the easiest meal you will ever prepare, and certainly one of the most delicious.  You will win the hearts of the beef eaters in your family, so get ready to hear moans of appreciation. The meat is fork tender, intensively flavorful, with a richness that exceeds this simple cut of beef.

I used to prepare this just for Mr. O-P and me, because it was just so easy that it seemed unworthy of being served to company.  Then one night we had a friend over, it was already simmering in the Crockpot, so what could I do but serve it atop a mound of creamy mashed potatoes?  This was three years ago and he is still talking about that meal to this day.  I’ve never written out a recipe for it before – it is that easy --, but having been asked numerous times, here goes.

Slow Cooked Short Ribs

1-2 pounds boneless short ribs

1 package Lipton dry onion soup mix

½ cup brewed coffee, cooled

1 cup red wine (preferably Chianti)

6-8 Melissa’s Boiler Onions, peeled

Place short ribs into the bottom of a 2.5 quart Crockpot.  Pour dried onion soup mix over the top, followed by the wine and coffee.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  One hour prior to serving, toss in boiler onions (you can really use as many or as few as you like here).  You may also use whole button mushrooms in place of, or in addition to, the onions.  To make it an entire meal, toss in baby carrots or some tiny potatoes.

Serve to your happy guests.  This recipe may be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc.  Just increase the size of your slow cooker.

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday

The Scoop

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday
Clever Chicks Blog Hop

Panera Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from my daughter-in-law.  It very closely replicates the delicious cookies sold at the St. Louis Bread Company (Panera to those of you not in the St. Louis metro area), and there is not a thing at BreadCo (as we locals fondly refer to it) that I do not like.  Truth be told, I would like the recipe for every single thing that they serve.  This is a good start.

If you like a cookie that is thick, chewy, studded with mini chocolate chips so that the chocolate flavor runs throughout, and doesn’t leave you hungry after eating one, then this is the recipe for you.  Each cookie is pretty much a meal in itself, and that is the way a good cookie should be.

Copycat Panera Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 extra-large eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 bag mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In the work bowl of a stand mixture combine butter, shortening, and sugars.  Mix at high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla, and beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on the lowest speed, gradually add dry mixture, scraping down sides as needed.  Continue to mix until all dry ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour in the bag of mini chips and beat for 30-45 seconds at medium speed until they have been fully distributed.

Using a large cookie scoop or ¼ cup measure, scoop out dough and form into a ball. Place balls on a cookie sheet.  Continue until all dough has been used.

Place cookie sheet of dough balls in the freezer for 2 hours (or up to 3 months).

To bake:  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place frozen cookies onto parchment or Silpat®-lined baking sheets and bake for15 minutes.  Remove from oven, flatten slightly with fingertips, return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more.

Allow to cool 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 large cookies

This post is linked to:

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Wow Us Wednesday
What’s In The Kitchen 
Work It Wednesday

CHAMP

Are you ready for another super easy, super delicious St. Patrick's Day side dish? Well, here it is in all its simplistic, comfort food glory...Champ!  An Irish dish comprised of mashed potatoes, spring onions, butter, and milk, it is a “champ” among simple, homey dishes.  Traditionally, it is served in a mound with a well in the center for melted butter; this enhanced version of mashed potatoes will have you discarding your former method in favor of this one. It is every bit as easy as plain old mashers, but ever so much more creamy and flavorful.

Good quality ingredients are the real secret to making this traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. I used Melissa's Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes and fresh, organic scallions. A recipe is really unnecessary to make these, but for those of you prefer to have things written down, here it is:

CHAMP

2 pounds Melissa’s Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, 

peeled and halved

1/3 cup half ‘n half

6 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup sliced fresh scallions, both white and green parts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until fork tender, 12-15 minutes.  Drain potatoes and return to the pan.  Set pan on the hot burner to allow excess water to evaporate.  Mash potatoes; set aside. 

In a medium saucepan, bring half ‘n half to a simmer, stir in 4 tablespoons of the butter and stir until melted.  Add scallions and cook until tender, 2-3 minutes.  Pour the hot milk/scallion mixture over potatoes and whip together until blended. 

Spoon potatoes into a warmed bowl.  Make a well on top and place the two remaining tablespoons of butter. Serve.

This post is linked to:

Amaze Me Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

Marvelous Mondays

Cream of Asparagus Soup

I start planning for St. Patrick’s Day shortly after the New Year because it, like Thanksgiving, is a good-time “foodie” holiday where you leave both gifts and guilt at home, and eat, drink, and be merry.

Basically I make the same, traditional meal of corned beef, colcannon, and Irish soda bread, but I do try to mix things up where I can, such as in the soup starter. Most of the time it’s Potato-Leek, but this year I’m trying something different with this fragrant, rich and creamy asparagus soup.

It’s from the cookbook produced by one of my favorite local restaurants, Magpie’s on Historic Main Street in downtown Saint Charles, MO.  Whether you eat in the cozy interior, or the delightful patio along cobbled Main Street, the food is always good, and the experience always pleasant.  As I’d enjoyed this soup many times at the restaurant, I was thrilled to see it in the cookbook.  I was equally thrilled to see how quick and easy it is to prepare.  Delicious when served cold, warm, or hot, it is the perfect all-seasons soup.

Here is the recipe as it appears in the cookbook, but I cut it down by thirds (so, 1 bunch of Melissa’s fresh asparagus tips. 1 quart chicken stock, 10 ounces of cream, etc.).  Wonderful!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Magpie’s Restaurant, Saint Charles, MO

3 bunches asparagus, woody stems removed, tips cut off and reserved for later (Cut the rest into 2” pieces)

3 quarts homemade chicken stock

1 quart 40% cream

2 tablespoons dried tarragon

¾ cup cornstarch dissolved in1cup cold water

3 tablespoons butter, cut into ¼” thick pieces

Pour chicken stock into a heavy stock pot and add asparagus, excluding the tips.  Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, purée mixture until smooth and creamy.  (If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a stand blender or food processor, but allow mixture to cool slightly before doing so, and puree in batches.)

Return puréed mixture to stock pot, and add in reserved asparagus tips.  Stir in the cream and tarragon.  Return to a low boil.  Thicken with the cornstarch dissolved in water, stirring constantly.  Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes after it has thickened, then add the butter, stirring until butter has melted.

Makes about 5 quarts.

This post is linked to:

Be Inspired Friday

Foodie Friday

New York-Style Coffee Cake Muffins

One of my most viewed recipes is this one for New York-Style Crumb Cake, and with good reason, it is delicious.  So when I spotted this recipe for the same type of cake in muffin form, I had to try it.  From Cook’s Illustrated, this recipe is the answer to my muffin prayers.  The same delicious coffee cake in a small, portable form.  Perfection!  Now the fear of having a morsel of coffee cake going to waste is no more.  These freeze beautifully, so you can always have them on hand when you get the craving for the queen of all coffee cakes.

New York-Style Coffee Cake Muffins

For the crumb topping:

⅓ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp. salt

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1¾ cups cake flour

For the muffin batter:

1¼ cup cake flour

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened slightly

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

⅓ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray muffin pan lightly with cooking spray.

In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the butter over top and pulse 3-4 times until incorporated. Add the cake flour and mix until mixture resembles a thick dough. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed just until combined. With mixer at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix until all has been incorporated and batter is light and fluffy.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each well of your prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle a generous amount of the crumb topping on top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until crumbs are golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Let muffins cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

This post is linked to:

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Wow Us Wednesday
What’s In The Kitchen 
Work It Wednesday