Favorite Classy Dish

[easy cheesy]

OK... not exactly in the "Classy" arena... but "Comfort Slop and Plop" is sometimes the ticket!

Macaroni and Beef


Ingredients

1-pound box elbow macaron
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon each dried basil, ground cumin, and dried oregano
2 to 3 cups grated Cheddar

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet; add the peppers, onion, and garlic, and saute until soft. Add the ground beef and saute until browned. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, to taste, and the basil, cumin, and oregano. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni and the beef mixture. Spread this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Top with the cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
Cook's Note: Ground turkey or chicken can be used in place of beef, if desired.

Got this one from the Food Network... it's cold as hell today and I felt like some grubbin' comfort food....

I don't use the canned crushed tomatoes though... I use Pomi and I eliminate the Cumin... bulk up on the garlic... add some hot red pepper flakes to taste

Gotta use Sharp Cheddar, not mild for me, and add some parmesan to the mix.

[easy cheesy]

This recipe hails from one of my all time favorite, yet now defunct, restaurants in Seattle.... Le Tastevin. Closed in 1993 this recipe lives on.... positively Yummy.

Serves 4

Poached Pears with Raspberrly Couli and Chocolate Sauce

(When in season, Bartlett Pears are a must for this dessert as their flavor is hard to beat and they hold their shape perfectly when poached)

Raspberry Couli
1 cup fresh raspberries, well rinsed and drained
1/4 cup of vodka

Chocolate Sauce
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate... chopped
1/4 heavy cream
1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee


4 pears, preferably Bartlett
3 cups (or more) water
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
zest of one orange
fresh mint sprigs

For Raspberry Couli....
Puree berries with vodka in blender or bowl of food processor fitted with steel knife. Strain through fine mesh sieve into small bowl, cover and set aside

For Chocolate Sauce...
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over gently simmering water. Stir in cream with coffee until well blended. Set aside and keep warm.

Pears....
Peel pears and place in bowl of acidulated water to deep from turning brown. Set aside.

Bring water, wine, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange zest to boil n deep, heavy large saucepan over high heat. Reduced heat to simmer.

Submerge pears in liquid, adding more water to cover, if necessary, and poach until they have little resistance when pierced with skewer..... about 12 minutes.

Swith slotted spoon, remove pears from liquid and cool completely with ice.

Halve pears and remove centers. Fan-slice halves. To serve, pool raspberry sauce on half of plate and warm chocolate sauce on other half. Arrange 2 fan sliced halves atop sauces and garnish with fresh mint sprig.

[easy cheesy]

I stlll have Freak Out's Mac and Cheese recipe and it is nom! I also had a "Foodie" group on another board so I am sharing some of the recipes I had posted over there- here, and this Mac and Cheese recipe is one of them. No two ways about it.... it takes a "genius" to screw up Mac and Cheese.... but apparently there are a lot of "Einsteins" out there! lol!

Macaroni and Cheese

From Gourmet Magazine, 2007


For topping
1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 cups panko (coarse Japanese bread crumbs) or 3 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from 6 slices firm white sandwich bread)

1/4 pound coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

For macaroni and sauce
1 stick unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 cups whole milk (I will sometimes use half whole milk and half heavy whipping cream depending on your decadence factor)

1 pound coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni

Make topping:
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
Melt butter, then stir together with panko and topping cheeses in a bowl until combined well.

Make sauce:
Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes, then whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in cheeses, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Remove from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper.

Make Macaroni:
Cook macaroni in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain macaroni in a colander. Stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water, and sauce in a large bowl. Transfer to 2 buttered 2-quart shallow baking dishes.
Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

I also like to switch it up by adding Fontina for creaminess and Bleu for bite. Lobster, crab or shrimp is another nice addition... then top with a slice or two of Brie.

[easy cheesy]

Chicken Veronique- You've GOT to try it!!!!

4 whole boneless, skinless breasts of chicken
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon dry tarragon
16 medium sized mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp cornstarch
4 tsps water
1 1/2 cups seedless grapes

Cook chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, turning until golden brown on each side.

Stir in marmalade, tarragon and wine. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer until chicken breasts are completely cooked.... about 15 minutes...Transfer chicken to a warmed serving dish, reserving juices.

In a second pan, saute mushrooms in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until done and liquid has evaporated... set aside...keep warm

Add cream to the original pan that the chicken was cooked in. Quickly bring to full boil over medium high heat. Mix cornstarch and water, stir into the sauce. Return sauce to a boil, stirring all the while. Add grapes. Return sauce to a boil again and pour over chicken. Garnish with Mushrooms.

4 servings

[easy cheesy]

This recipe is sooooo simple but soooo good! If you like shrimp and cream cheese that is! This batch will make enough for about 14 servings as a party app supplement. Just cut it in half for a smaller gathering.

Shrimp and Cream Cheese Whatever Dip Cracker Thingy Recipe

2 (8 ounce each) large packages of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce... Tobasco, Frank's... whatever floats your boat

1- 12 ounce bottle of tomato based chili sauce

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish.... straight, not the creamed stuff

3/4 pound of cooked bay shrimp

assorted crackers


In a bowl beat cream cheese, Worcestershire, lemon peel, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce until smooth. Spread on a 10" or so rimmed serving dish or whatever the hell kind of serving vessel you so desire. At this point it can be covered and refrigerated until the next day if you so desire.

Just before serving, stir together chili sauce and horseradish in a small bowl, spread over cheese mixture. Top with shrimp and serve with crackers.

If you're really lazy and just want an even simpler version...

Take one block of 8 ounce cream cheese and plop it on a plate.

Open a jar of cocktail sauce or chili sauce, pour about 6 ounces of it (or whatever ratio looks good to you) over the cream cheese brick, (gotta add some horseradish to the cocktail sauce or chili sauce though- just gotta!) top with shrimp... grab crackers, dig in and... voila... good stuff.

[easy cheesy]

Another dish that might not be considered so "classy" or glam.... but it's good and it's easy...

Easy Baked Chicken

(serves 4-6)

1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup hot/spicy barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 pounds chicken pieces- skin on
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine marmalade, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice... mix well...

Place chicken skin side up in a 9"x13" pan (I have a pyrex and a non stick... if you don't have a pan that facilitates easy clean up... line the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil- Reynolds has that non-stick stuff now)

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper as desired. Pour sauce over the chicken and bake one hour, basting occasionally... increase heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer.

[easy cheesy]

Flank Steak with Sauce Chasseur

One 2 pound flank steak
2 tablespoons peanut, vegetable or corn oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat a broiler rack the the broiler set on high

Rub the flank steak on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper... being a bit more liberal with the pepper than the sodium

Place the meat on the broiler rack and let it cook about four or five inches from the source of heat. Broil about 3-5 minutes on each side... depending on the desired degree of doneness.

Transfer to a hot platter and dot with butter. Let the steak stand in a warm place about 5 minutes to redistribute the internal juices of the meat. Juices will accumulate as the steak stands. Add these to the Sauce Chasseur. Carve on the diagonal and serve with the sauce...

Sauce Chasseur
1/3 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes or use POMI brand
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh or canned beef broth (I use low sodium... because I like the flavor better)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon arrowroot or corn starch
2 teaspoons water

Set the mushrooms and tomatoes aside in separate bowls

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the mushrooms, shallots, salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 10 minutes.

Add the wine and simmer briefly over high heat. Add the tomatoes, beef broth and tarragon. Cook about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Blend the arrowroot and water. Stir into the sauce. Cook briefly and serve.

[easy cheesy]

OK... being from Nashville, I have to share this recipe. It is in no way in the "classy" ballpark but it originated at the Hermitage- Home to President Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel... through the years it was served to FDR and Lady Bird when they visited the Hermitage during tours through Nashville....

Turkey Hash

Steam a large turkey with enough water for the turkey not to become dry. Put diced celery and onion in water for flavor. When the turkey is tender, remove and chill. Strain the liquid into another container and chill long enough for all fat to rise to the top. Skim away fat. Meanwhile, remove trukey from bones and cut best parts into rather large pieces, being careful to remove al skin, bones and gristle.

Make a rather stiff sauce of butter, sifted flour and turkey liquid. Flavor with salt, white pepper and Worcestershire sauce as desired. Allow 2 cups of heavy sauce to 1 cup of large pieces of diced turkey. Keep hot in double boiler until ready to serve.

Base?... yes... good, classic, simple Southern?... double yes...

[easy cheesy]

Julia Child's recipe for Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 white onions, small
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered


Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.
Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).
Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.
Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.
Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.
Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.
Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.
Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.
Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.
Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.
Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.
Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

[easy cheesy]

Again... not necessarily "classy" but goooood!!! Grab a glass of Montepulciano and dig in!

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

Tomato sauce:
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained (If I can't use fresh tomatoes I use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes, as I've said before- no sodium- really good... tastes very fresh... not like canned!)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

(I also add hot red pepper flakes because I like a little spice!!!)
Chicken:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I use only whole milk mozzarella... it's my cheese weakness! I also add shaved parmesan and asiago cheeses when I bake it- and lots of it!)
3 cups hot cooked linguine (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta) (I prefer Spaghetti... use whatever ya' like!!!)

Preparation

To prepare tomato sauce, combine sun-dried tomatoes and water in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and finely chop tomatoes.Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion; sauté 7 minutes. Stir in canned tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, basil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic.
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare chicken, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish. Place each breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dip each breast half in egg white; dredge in flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Arrange in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve over linguine.

Yield

4 servings

[easy cheesy]

Bourbon Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup bourbon
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon plum sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 2 1/4- to 2 1/2-pound racks baby back pork ribs
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice


Preparation

Whisk first 11 ingredients in small bowl.

Do ahead: Glaze can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place long sheet of heavy-duty foil on each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle rib racks on all sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 rib rack on each foil sheet. Fold up sides of each foil sheet around rib rack to form boat-like shape. Pour 1/2 cup pineapple juice over each rib rack. Fold up foil to seal packets. Bake until ribs are tender, about 1 hour. Remove ribs from foil packets. Transfer to roasting pan; pour any juices from foil over and cool.

Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Cut each rib rack in half. Grill until browned, brushing frequently with glaze and turning often, about 10 minutes. Cut racks between bones into ribs.

*An Indonesian hot chili paste; available at many supermarkets, at Asian markets, and from mingspantry.com.

Class where I come from...lol!

[easy cheesy]

Prawns in Mustard Sauce

(4 Servings)

1/4 cup of butter
24 shelled, raw jumbo shrimp
2 tablespoons brandy
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tsps.Grey Poupon or French style mustard
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Heat the butter in a skillet and cook shrimp for just a couple of minutes. Warm the Brandy, pour over the shrimp and flambe.

When the flames have subsided, stir in the cream then season to taste with the mustard, salt and white pepper

Simmer very gently for 4-5 minutes or until the shrimp are tender, they can go tough REAL QUICK... you can always remove from the pan and reintroduce to the sauce/heat right before serving.

Squeeze a fresh wedge of lemon into the pan right before serving...

Luxuriously rich but soooooo goooood!!

Serve with boiled rice or orzo and vegetable or salad of choice

[easy cheesy]

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces button mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large shallot, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons whipping cream

(Caramelized onions are a good addition too... but that's just me)



Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft and dry, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet, then shallot. Sauté until shallot is soft, about 4 minutes longer. Add nutmeg. Season mushroom filling with salt and pepper. Cool. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out puff pastry onto lightly floured surface to 12x15-inch rectangle. Cut one 12x5-inch rectangle, two 11x1/2-inch strips and two 5x1/2-inch strips from pastry. Place rectangle on prepared baking sheet. Pierce all over with fork. Using pastry brush, brush all strips with egg.

Place short strips, egg side down, atop ends of pastry to form raised crust edge; place long strips, egg side down, atop long sides of pastry. (Mushroom filling and tart shell can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake tart shell until golden, about 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Spread cheese evenly over bottom of hot tart shell. Top with mushrooms. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with cream. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

[easy cheesy]

Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe from the Food Network... this is da bomb!!


6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed (I prefer Fresh Spinach though)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I always use more cheese!)
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet. Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

[easy cheesy]

I felt like some more sort of comfort food so... here goes...

Beef and Biscuits

2 pounds cubed, lean beef stew meat
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
4 carrots, pared and sliced
1 large onion, cut into small wedges
6 potatoes cut into wedges
2 cups diced or stewed tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved (Use the POMI!)
1 herb bouquet with 1 tablespoon each of dried basil, chervil, marjoram and savory tied up in cheesecloth)
12 buttermilk biscuits

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl (I actually use disposable 1 gallon zip lock bags so that I can just throw away afterward... that's just me though)
Drop the meat into the bag and shake to cover or dredge through the mixture in the bowl. Reserve the leftover flour mixture.

Heat the bacon drippings in a large skillet. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Removie the beef with a slotted spoon and place in a casserole dish. Add the carrots, onion, potatoes, drained tomatoes and herb bouquet.

Add the leftover flour mixture to the bacon drippings and blend thoroughly. Lightly brown and stir in the reserved tomato liquid. Simmer for three minutes. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Bake, covered for three hours. Serve over biscuits.