I'm in - but a whole month?? I can't keep quiet that long!!
How about the two week we usually go? the 22nd? gives us a little more than 2 weeks?
Stellar Swiss Steak
Makes 8 steaks and 6 1/2 cups sauce
C@H, Issue #68, page 19
Dredge; sear in 1/4 cup vege oil:
2 top round steaks, trimmed, tenderized, cut into 8 pcs, and seasoned with salt and pepper (2 lbs. total)
1/2 cup a.p. flour
2 T. veggie oil
Stir in; deglaze with:
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 T. tomato paste
1/2 cup brandy
Add:
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup chicken broth
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. paprika
Preheat oven to 325F.
Dredge steak in flour, than sear in 1/4 cup oil, in batches, in a Dutch oven or large pot over high heat until browned, 2 minutes per side. Remove steak from pot; add 2 T. oil and reduce heat to medium-high.
Stir in onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
Deglaze with brandy and simmer until nearly evaporated.
Add pearl onions, tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire, paprika.
Return seared steak to the pot and submerge in the liquids.
Cover, transfer pot to the oven, and braise until tender, about 1 hour.
ChowChow Relish
Makes 1 cup
Sauté in 2 T. olive oil:
1 1/4 cups yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
Off heat, stir in:
2 T. each: chopped fresh parsley, honey, and fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
Sauté bell pepper, onion, and garlic in oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until softened, 6-7 minutes.
Off heat, stir in parsley, honey, juice, mustard, s&p.
Stacked Apple “Pies”
With vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce
Makes 6 stacks
1 round purchased pie dough
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 T. coarse sugar ( such as Sugar in the Raw or Turbinado)
1 T unsalted butter
2 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1 recipe Caramel sauce
Vanilla ice cream
Preheat oven to 400F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unroll pie dough onto prepared baking sheet, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.
Using a pastry wheel, cut dough into 12 wedges and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 min. Remove from oven and set aside.
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add apples, raisins, cinnamon, and salt, and sauté until apples begin to soften, about 4 min. Add juice, simmer until nearly evaporated, then add 3/4 cup caramel, reduce heat to low and keep apple mixture warm.
To assemble, arrange 1 crust wedge on each of 6 plates, then top with 2 small scoops of ice cream and a spoonful of apples and caramel sauce.
Place a 2nd wedge on top with more ice cream and apple mixture. Serve immediately.
Creamy caramel sauce
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 T. corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 T. dark rum
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Boil sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally.
Cook until caramel is the color of iced tea, 10 min.
Add cream (be careful will bubble furiously) and rum, whisking to combine.
Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla.
Transfer sauce to a bowl to cool.
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Oh man, do you owe me, Lorraine!!!
)
shoot! The polenta is a whole grain so that's cool.
