Eggplant Charm

I found myself falling fast in love with two different things Sunday as I prepped for last night's dinner and today's blog:  Mumford & Sons and The Eggplant.  I have been fans of both for about as long as I remember finding them, so this isn't a new love affair as much as it is rediscovering my affections for both.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the former, I encourage you to check them out, Mumford is in my opinion a pretty perfect balance of all things good and pure about songwriting and the sincerity of the emotions wrapped up in each song speaks to my heart with every note.

But plant your hope with good seeds
Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds
Rain down, rain down on me
Look over your hills and be still
The sky above us shoots to kill
Rain down, rain down on me
But I will hold on
I will hold on hope

Now, when reacquainting myself with the latter, the Eggplant is chock full of surprises.  Native to India, the Purple Fruit is often referred to as "King of Vegetables" where it is loved for its versatile properties lending itself to almost any dish in a heavily vegetarian culture.  The Purple Pear, as it is also nicknamed, is a member of the Nightshade Family.  Other members of this family include some of my favorite things on earth such as:  

Datura (A beautiful flower that reminds me of an equally beautiful friend)

Belladonna (The most lovely named she-villain in Marvel comics as well as a disarming name for deadly)

      

Capsicum (think Red Hot Chili Pepper)

Petunias (who I think look like they are just peeping 'hello!' whenever I see a group of yellow ones). 

Berry Interesting
Surprisingly this large Fruit is technically classified as a Berry, and the variations of this berry are more numerous than most are aware of.  India and Asia have many different varieties, and prefer the smaller round types in Thai cooking.  Most North Americans are familiar with the large versions bearing names like, Dusky, Black Beauty, Classic, and Black Magic.  White and Green Eggplants can also be found in different areas of the globe and have been called names like Louisiana Long, Casper and Easter Egg.

Growing Giant
Pretty and Purple, this plant can be grown 2-5' tall with large lobed leaves that can grow 4-8" long and 2-4" wide.  Wild variations can grow even larger, reaching up to 7' tall!  If you wanted to grow your own Eggplant you should start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last date for potential frost.  When choosing a fruit from the market, it should be firm and heavy if you press your finger into the skin it should not leave an indent.  Look for a bright green stem and smooth shiny skin texture.


Hearty & Healthy
Nutritionally, this oblong fella is a very good source of Fiber and Potassium weighing in at 3 grams of Fiber, 5 grams of Carbohydrates, and 5% of your daily recommended Potassium for every cup in a mere 20 calories!  The absence of calories, and the versatility this fruit has in any recipe is what makes it a Top Ten ingredient in Faith's Kitchen for sure!  Also referred to as Aubergine by the French, its health benefits are measured in far more than mere caloric content alone.  Phytonutrients, which act as Antioxidants are a big part of what this plant has to offer.  Nasunin is found to impact brain health by protecting cells found in brain tissue, while chlorogenic acid is being studied for its anti-cancer properties and ability to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol in laboratory testing.  The Black Magic variety is currently being studied by the US Department of Agriculture and has been recognized to have three times the antioxidants in other varieties.  One note to those folks suffering with arthritis, kidney or gall bladder problems, the Eggplant contains Solanine in small doses and should be avoided in large quantities.

So let's get to the fun with this fruit!  When Raw, eggplants are very spongy and bitter.  The spongy texture of the berry lends itself to hold a lot of water and when cooked, it becomes very complex, tender and also quite rich in flavor.  Popular dishes all over the world use eggplant, the French Ratatouille, Italian Parmigiana Di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan), Turkish Moussaka and Mid-Eastern Baba Ghanoush are all personal favorites of mine and will pop up in Faith's kitchen in late summer or early fall when the eggplant is especially in season.

Sunday Dinner to Monday's Lunch
I received a text from my good friend and fellow Whine, Wine & Dine expert, Heather.  I was happy to extend a session of good eats, drinks and some lamenting on the side as well as laughter for dessert.  I had been to the market earlier that day after a long run and a fantastic yoga class, and decided I wanted something hearty for dinner without sacrificing all the hard work I had done.  I decided some meaty grilled vegetables stacked on fresh baked, whole grain bread with a generous amount of hummus slathered on it sounded just fantastic!  I also picked up some baby spinach and Gorgonzola with designs for a yummy salad on the side beginning to form in my mind.  The inexplicably warm weather this week melted all traces of winter woes and I was in the mood for some lighter and more summery fare ... wishful thinking of course, that it might last a little longer.

So with a bag full of fresh produce, a good bottle of wine and an impromptu call from a friend, we were on our way to a fun and spontaneous night, and on a work night no less.

Hearty Veg & Hummus Stack
2 Large Portobello Mushroom Caps Sliced in Thick 1/2"
1-2 Yellow Squash Ends Removed, Sliced Lengthwise 1/4"
1 Large Eggplant (Classic variety) Sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 Large Poblano Pepper Sliced Lengthwise 1/2"
1 Loaf of fresh baked Whole Grain Bread
1 Container of your Favorite Organic Hummus (or 1 Cup fresh made)
1 Lemon Wedge
2 Tbsp Capers

Faith's Favorite Spinach Salad
3-4 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves
1/3 Cup Jarred Harvard Beets or fresh made, Diced
1/4 Cup Crumbled Gorgonzola or your favorite version of blue cheese
1/4 Cup Crushed Walnuts
Sweet Beet Dressing (can also purchase your favorite raspberry or red wine vinaigrette)
1/8 Cup Juice from Beets
1/8 Cup Red Wine or Raspberry Vinegar
Juice from 1/4 Lemon

I have to thank my bestie's mom and lovely lady Pat for giving me the tip to soak the eggplant before cooking, I took that and researched further to find that a good prep step for eggplant is to 'sweat' them after slicing.  Cover with Salt and let sit which will remove excess water and help take out more of the bitter flavors, then soak the slices in water for at least 10-20 minutes and rinse salt off before cooking.

I used very minimal oil, since I decided I didn't need the added calories in my uber healthy dinner design.
I also kept a cup of water by the stove top at all times and added when the pan became too dry.  I have a really handy grill pan which is perfect for grilling veggies, and making paninis as well!  Instead of heating the oil on the pan, I knew I would be cooking a large amount of vegetables so I simply took a brush and very lightly coated the eggplant, squash, and mushrooms (less than 2Tbsp total). 


Grilling Veggies
(can do on outdoor grill as well, will simply need to coat all veggies and use cooking spray)
Heat pan on high heat and add 1/4 Cup water, it should steam when it hits the pan.

Water will steam and evaporate quickly

 Add Eggplant slices and cook for about 7 minutes adding water when necessary and checking for tenderness.  Turn and repeat for another 7 minutes.  I had to do in 2 batches for the amount of eggplant I was making.  

Next, set eggplant aside and continue method with Yellow Squash.  You will need only approximately 4 minutes per side with the squash.  Add Poblano Peppers (skin side down) and do the same, you can do simultaneously with squash if there is room in your pan.  Remember, to continue to add water as needed to keep the vegetables from burning.  Set aside finished vegetables, add Mushrooms and continue method needing 4-5 minutes per side for these as well.

Green Goodness
Toss Spinach, Diced Beets, Gorgonzola and Walnuts in bowl.  Whisk together liquid from beets, lemon, and vinegar, add salt or pepper to taste and drizzle over simple salad.

Chic Chow
Instead of equally and evenly distributing stackable sandwiches, I decided to plate everything Tapas style and let us build our own stacks.  This turned out to be an absolutely perfect way to dish while we dished!


Thanks Joe the "Captain" for the lovely serving set!



I arranged the grilled veggies together with the hummus spread, and sprinkled with Capers and a good squeeze from the Lemon wedge.  We gabbed and stacked our veggies for a Meaty Meatless Sandwich loaded with flavor and texture!

The grilled vegetables leftover kept well today for lunch, and the fiber content really leaves you feeling full on very few calories !

My Yummy Valentine ....

Although, truly in my heart of hearts I find Valentine's day to be a little more than cliche and corny, those that know me well know I love pretty much any excuse to be festive and creative and show love to my loved ones the best way I know how:  Home, Hospitality and Hugs! 


The only thing that I really like about Valentine's day other than a chance to snuggle up with the love of my life as it is so 'deemed' the day to do so (if you don't do it any other day of the year, then why have someone tell you that you should?), is the excuse to indulge in my absolutely favorite little cartoon creations.  Created by Jeff Thomas while still in high school, Pon & Zi are little watercolor stained embodiments of Love in Raw form.  I not only love that Jeff was in high school when he created these characters that blew up into Emo sensations, I also love that Jeff is standing up for who he is early in life and letting his individual star shine brightly, I hope it never dims!

I decided to host a little Valentine's dinner (very casual, very unplanned) on Monday night.  After going out on Saturday I really didn't think I wanted to do the hustle and bustle of dressing and dining after work, and it turned out to be a great opportunity to try out a recipe on my vegetarian gal-pal Danielle and my overworked, underpaid sister Grace in need of some serious pampering. 
On the menu :
Lump Crab Cakes sans Fat Overload
Roasted Vegetables tossed in a garlic and shallot dressing
Vanilla Zucchini Cupcakes (Courtesy of Cook Yourself Thin a favorite of mine)

I will be giving the recipes out step by step its important to know the timing process should you ever want to attempt the entire meal together.  The first thing I did was make the cupcakes - icing first, cupcakes, then let cool.  While cupcakes are in the oven, and the icing in the refridgerator I then began working the Crab Cake mixture together and then let sit in the refridgerator for at least 30 minutes per the directions.  During that time I prepped by Vegetables and since the cupcakes were finished, I then began to bake the veggies.  A little cleanup before guests arrive, and then I was ready to start working the Crab Cakes on the stove.  It all seemed to come together at the same time nicely, though I did create quite a mess!  I think if you love to cook and still want to on Valentine's Day, let your sweetheart do the dishes knowing that maybe you weren't so mindful of how many you were making.  I was actually quite impressed with how easily these seemingly tedious recipes came together and how quickly.  I was able to leave work, pick up some groceries, run a few miles and chat with my lovely Valentine's and still put this menu together by about 7:30 which was just about when we had scheduled it for.  My key to a perfect Valentine's Day:  Don't stress it, and just do whatever you and the loves in your life truly want to do, and keep that advice in mind the day after, and the day after that.  <3

Crab Cakes
Ingredients
1/4 Cup Red Onion Finely Diced
2 Tbsp Parsley Chopped
3 Tbsp Mayo (Preferably Olive Oil or Canola Oil Mayo)
2 Tsp Dijon or Spicy Brown Mustard
3/4 Tsp Old Bay
1/2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Egg Whites Lightly Beaten
1 Lb Lump Crabmeat, drained and any shells discarded
1 1/2 C Panko Breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Cooking Spray (Preferably Olive Oil)

In a medium sized bowl, combine Red Onion, Parsley, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Old Bay, Worcestershire, and Egg Whites, add Crabmeat (fold gently to keep lumps from shredding too much).  Gently add half of breadcrumbs (3/4 Cup) and fold into mixture.

Use approximately 1/2 Cup to divide mixture into 6 portions.  Shape into about 3/4 inch patties.  Dredge patties in remaining (3/4 Cup) breadcrumbs.

Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Coat both sides of cakes with cooking spray.  Add crab cakes to pan 3-4 at a time and cook for about 7 minutes on each side (periodically move the pan from side to side to ensure the cakes do not stick).  Repeat with remaining Crab Cakes. 

Serve Immediately.

Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
4-5 Carrots Peeled and Cut into 1/2 inch Size Chunks
10 Small Red Potatoes Cut into Quarters
4 Medium Shallots sliced lengthwise
1/8 Tsp Sea Salt
8 Oz Haricots Verts (green beans) trimmed
2/3 Cup Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
3 Cloves Garlic minced
2 Tbsp Shallots finely diced
2 Tbsp White Wine
2 1/2 Tbsp Butter

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees.  Ensure vegetables are scrubbed clean, pealed and cut as noted above.  Combine Carrots, Potatoes and Shallots in a roasting pan.  Coat with cooking spray and toss with salt.  Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, turning once.  Add Haricots Verts to pan, toss and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

While vegetables are baking, prepare sauce.  Add stock, shallots,garlic and wine in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup (approx 4-5 minutes) and remove from heat.  Add butter and stir, toss with vegetables once removed from oven in pan. 

Serve with Crab Cakes.

Frosted Vanilla Zucchini Cupcakes (Courtesy of Cook Yourself Thin)

Ingredients

Frosting
2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded, peeled zucchini (about 2 small)



Frosting

Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a heatproof bowl.

Set over (not in) a pan of simmering water.

Stir continuously over heat until the mixture is warm and the sugar is completely dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the heat.

Using a handheld electric or standing mixer, set on high beat until the mixture is entirely cooled, glossy and stiff, about 7 minutes.

Beat in the lemon zest, and add the butter cubes, a few at a time, beating until the butter is almost fully incorporated after each addition.

Beat until smooth – once smooth, take care not to over beat, or the mixture will get lumpy.

Let frosting set and cool in the refrigerator (at least 30 minutes) while making the cupcakes.

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; set aside.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla with a handheld electric or standing mixer until thick and light colored.

Beat in the zucchini on medium speed until fully incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl once with a spatula during beating.

Use a 1/3 cup measure to spoon into the muffin cups.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes, turning the pans midway through baking.

Transfer cupcakes onto a wire rack, and cool completely before icing with the chilled frosting.

I added Pink Sprinkles and Pink foil cups for my adorable Valentines!

Meatless Monday Musings

As I continue to progress and adapt my very personalized version of Operation: Clean Eating, I have really been unwittingly living a less meat-friendly lifestyle of late.  While Martha encourages Meatless Mondays with helpful recipes that are nutritious, as well as satisfying to just about any palette, Oprah's large group of studio employees embarked on a recent Vegan experience.   I have been gradually elminating more and more animal products from my daily diet without over-thinking it.  My aim is not to become a rigid Vegan or even Vegetarian, but to understand the difference between my body's nutritional needs and that which my environment has programmed into me as necessary to be considered a 'balanced meal'. 

The truth is, humans do not require meat to meet our nutritional needs.  Futhermore, the expansion of my very minimal knowlege on exactly what it is I have been consuming since childhood continues to concern, as well as disturb me.  Do not mistake my intention, it is not oppress myself with any sort of 'law' to abide on the subject of whether to Meat or not to Meat.  Simply put, the American population is consuming far too much animal product (along with our wonderfully refined and low quality processed foods) for healthy living. 

As an individual I really believe if we want to fix the healthcare problem of this country, we truly need to look at our responsibility to ourselves and our future generations to invest in a proactive approach to our wellness and nutrition.  Why should it be a priority to correct something on the back-end that I believe should really be addressed from the origin of the largest percentage of our collective health problems as a nation?  Lowered standards of food guidelines and cost of living a 'whole' food lifestyle is sadly, where those statistics of lower income demographics and high cholesterol, diabetes and heart conditions truly stem from.  I am not proposing some sort of grand idea on how to remedy these social issues.  I would like to provide some logic and information with my little experiment here on how we as individuals can begin to invest in ourselves.
  This may, for some of you, mean a shift in some of your priorities.  I have recently gone through some life lessons (still ongoing) that have afforded me just that, a chance to look at where my perspectives and priorities have been sitting and then compared them to where I feel they should be.  Spiritual, Mental and Physical health are what makes us who we are and I believe that a person's core philosophy really should be consistent in all three areas to really experience what it means to be balanced.

I will be adding some animal free recipes to the mix in future posts.  In the meantime, I encourage you to watch the video below from one of our better grade meat slaughterhouses that allowed Lisa Ling to go inside and see exactly what goes on in a beef plant.  Cargill, a company based out of Colorado is the largest producer of ground beef in the world.  Their standards are higher than most and they are one of the only that allowed an investigative reporter inside to view the entire process. 

Inside a Slaughterhouse

What really stuck out in my mind is the image of the animals just living this stagnant life being fattened up for the sole purpose of our consumption.  This includes chickens, pigs, cows, etc.  Any animal we are consuming at rapid rate will be processed this way  to meet the demand.  I'm not really comfortable with consistently filling my body with the carcass of something that was bred on unnatural foods that it is not in its nature to eat along with hormones and steroids.  I wouldn't put those things directly into my system, why is it any different if I'm eating something pumped with them.  We have this programmed ignorance in us that we tell ourselves "If I don't see it, then it must be poppycock".  Truly we eat so much that is not fit for consumption, and we put it on the tables to feed our families daily.  As I bring recipes I want to continue to keep these things in mind and ensure we talk about options.  I'm not going to stop eating meat, as I believe it is a choice as well as a natural part of our instict to do so.  However, I also believe as with all things, educating yourself is key.  The differences between things like Organic vs. Free Range when it comes to meat are huge, and I don't believe the general advertising and marketing firms out there giving us 80% of our information, along with the media outlets funded by the companies using those firms are providing it.  Its unfortunately, our job to take on the task of researching and learning for one's self.

I will end this little insight with a conversation I had with a close friend recently that I think begs the question "How far removed are we from where our food comes from?"

My pal, who will remain nameless had obviously read a few rantings about my thoughts and feelings towards "Evil Empires" such as McDonald's, Walmart, Home Depot and let's add KFC to the bunch.  He wanted to raise the point that "McDonald's is leading the way for nutritious fast food and that cannot be overlooked."  Let me first start out by saying, I am a believer in Capitalism as an ideal.  Let me also add there is a difference between Capitalism and Greed.  I will leave my politics aside other than to clarify that one point.

To this I say, it is not overlooked nor disputed.  It is, however, a day late more than a few billion dollars short.  McDonald's was exposed for what they are at their core a number of years ago, that is: a major corporation simply concerned with paving the entire world with as many Golden Arches as physically possible while making the highest net profit margin.  Note I said Physically possible, not morally acceptable, nor environmentally or humanely plausible.  I will do business with any company and remain LOYAL as well as promote and recommend them to people in my life based on two very simple criteria:
1) They believe in providing a Quality product to the consumer and hold THEMSELVES to a standard
while also netting a profit.
2) They believe that the treatment of their employees encourages growth and development, and understand  that keeping this in the top 3 company standards will encourage true pride and care of customers.

Simply put, have some kind of moral backbone.  Not religious in nature, but Humans respecting Humans this is what separates us from the animals.  Sadly, if you look at some species of animals, we actually can make a case that we are guilty of being less evolved in this way by our treatment of each other and where we live.

This is the example I provided my friend to really make my point:

  Let's say you have a local Pizza Parlor that you and your family or friends visit weekly for take out.  You know the staff, the owner shakes your hand knows your kid's names and you are a loyal customer who loves Pizza night every Wednesday.  You might even go so far as to say you can call and say, "I'll take the usual today Luigi!"
Now let's say a local news network gets a call from an ex-employee that claims Luigi's Pizzeria cuts their sauce with mothballs, its cost effective and no one seems to be able to taste the difference.  (obviously I have no idea what a mothball tastes like)  The station investigates and does a piece on the practices that have been going on at Luigi's and they are exposed.  What emotions do you think you will feel about Luigi's?  Outrage?  Betrayal?  Dissapointment?  Concern?  Let's take a stroll now 6 months later; Luigi is desperately trying to repair his image and has made major changes to his operation.  He is even using local organic produce and ingredients.  He adopts and "open kitchen" policy and takes walls down so customers can see exactly what is being put into the food he is feeding them.  Are you going to go back to Luigi?  I would say this is a personal choice still and while I believe everyone deserves a second chance, I can honestly say I would not.  This person betrayed my trust, and looked me straight in the eye while he poisoned me and my family to save himself a dollar.  His changes may have come from deep self-reflection, however I don't trust this to be true as he has broken that in our relationship, its just as likely he is simply doing what he needs to do to stay in business.

Luigi doesn't have billions of dollars to spend to repair his image, and dominate the advertising market telling you 'Things Are Better Now'.  Luigi also is a face that I can picture when trying to place responsibility of this misconduct.  Two facts that leave Luigi much less likely to even attempt to regain his image than McDonald's was able to. 

If you haven't seen the documentary which was the True catalyst for the change in not only the Fast Food industry, but also the general American mindset on What Is In Our Food, I highly recommend.  I also want to add that I do not blame McDonald's for the American health crisis, I do stress again that we as Individuals are responsible for ourselves and free to do and eat as we please.  I as an individual choose to take a second look at things before I engage in them and I don't like doing business with McDonald's or their eithical equivilants.  Below are some links if you are interested in getting your proverbial foot wet and really asking "Whats for dinner?"

Super Size Me
The Future of Food
Slaughterhouses and Processing

First Official Faith's Kitchen Dinner

First and foremost I want to thank everyone who came out and supported the first Official dine-in class in Faith's Kitchen this past Sunday.  I was incredibly nervous, and not quite sure about how the material would come across, but with my group of fabulous guinea pigs I not only had a really fun time, but also have a working list of improvements, starting with making sure I have a designated photographer to help capture the fun of the night hoping to book this fella for next time.  Special thanks to Jay for helping out with taking some pics for us while trying to juggle learning and eating as well!

This has been a project I've been buzzing about for some time.  A few of my closest friends suggested about a year ago that I start holding cooking classes instead of simply dinner parties so that everyone gets the recipe and a show.  I've done a few 'test' runs with family and my super supportive husband who kept encouraging me to go for it and finally decided to do one.  He even took the weekend to finish up a trim and moulding project that we had been putting off for quite a while, was able to power through and get the eat-in nook looking absolutely amazing! 

I did a 'dry' run with the Beef Stew recipe and put it in the slow cooker so that my guests could eat during the demonstration, which I thought might be better than waiting 3 hours (more like 4) to have dinner. 
While the Stew simmered on the Crock, we all had a few glasses of wine to warm up and started with some simple starters.

Herb & Chevre Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
4 oz semi-soft Goat Cheese (Chevre)
4 tbsp plain Greek Style Yogurt
1 tsp each of your favorite Herbs (Dill, Chives, Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary)
30 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes


Place your chevre, yogurt and chopped herbs into your food processor or blender until evenly combined.  Mixture should be creamy but firm, add chevre if mixture seems runny.  This will also firm once refrigerated as well.  With a sharp knife, cut the tops of the tomatoes off and discard the inside seeds, liquid and guts.  You can also discard the tops unless you want to use them, however they will be more messy as you won't want to eat the tops.  Also take a very small sliver from the bottom of the tomatoes so that they will sit upright without rolling over.  You can use 1/2 Tsp to spoon the filling in or you can use a piping bag to fill, the mixture should overflow just a bit.


Mel observing Colleen Piping Chevre Filling

So as I said you can keep the tops which do look adorable on top of the filling, but remember if serving at a party or dinner, its going to end up a inedible garnish on an otherwise easy finger food.

Now after some laughs and some nibbles on our tomatoes, we opened up the Slow Cooker and started serving some Stew ....

Still Bubbling

Now aside from the wonderful ways in which a Stew falls right in line with my Winter focus on hearty, healthy, belly-warming feasts, what is really amazing about stew is that you can use a leaner cut of meat without sacrificing taste.  The method of searing and then slow roasting or cooking the beef ensures a tender bite.  You don't however, want to go too lean as you still need a consistent marble of fat to ensure it coagulates and doesn't become stringy.  I suggest a Chuck cut, either a Chuck Eye or Chuck Blade.  Feel free to use Tenderloin for a leaner cut, just know it will be more expensive.  You can have your butcher (including the one behind the counter at your normal grocer) cut this into cubes for you or you can do it yourself.  Try to have the meat cut the same day you plan on using it, so less of your meat surface aerates in storage.  Your Butcher should remove the condensed fats, if you are cutting yourself, remove large areas of condensed fat and discard.

Classic Beef Stew
Ingredients
1Tbsp Whole Peppercorns
2 Large Bay Leaves
1-2 Dried Habanero Peppers
3 Dried Chile Peppers
3 Sprigs Thyme
3 Sprigs Rosemary
4 Springs Flat Leaf Parsley
16 oz Low sodium Beef Stock
2 Cups Red Wine
5 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 - 2lbs Beef Chuck or Tenderloin roughly cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (1/4 cup if using Slow Cooker)
3 Medium Parsnips roughly chopped
3-5 Cloves of Garlic minced
2 Medium Yellow Onions diced
10-12 Plum or Roma Tomatoes crushed or one 32oz can of no salt added
15oz Baby Portabello Mushrooms sliced
15 Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes
3 Cups Baby Carrots
2 1/2 Cups Frozen Peas

I used a new technique for flavoring the broth that takes some of the chopping out of a recipe already full of peeling, dicing and chopping.  Instead of adding your spices and herbs directly into the broth, I used cheesecloth and kitchen twine to make little pouches instead.  All of my lovely dinner guests also got to make their own and bring them home with them.



Rosemary, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Whole Black Peppercorns, Flat Leaf Parsley & Dried Peppers

I like to use more heat than most, however I had 2 Chile Peppers and one Habanero in the satchel for the Stew we ate for dinner and everyone agreed there was no apparent 'heat'.  Keep that in mind as you can be more liberal with dried peppers especially in a large batch and when using a pouch. 

Explaining Pouch contents and Heat of Peppers

So you will want to cut cheesecloth into a 4-inch square and place your Herbs, Peppercorns, and Peppers in the center and pull the sides up.  Use kitchen twine to tie around securing the contents inside and form a small pouch to place into your stew.  After cooking, you simpy remove pouch and discard.  Whole peppercorns add fuller flavor and this way you aren't looking for bay leaves floating in your stew.

So as my guests made their take home flavor pouches, I began the next batch of stew.  Preheated my Oven for this batch to 325 Degrees as I finished this one in the oven.

Place Flour on a large piece of wax paper or you can use a bowl.  You will want to lightly coat your Beef Cubes in the flower and also pat them to remove any excess.  Heat 2 Tbsp of Oil on Medium High Heat in Dutch Oven (if using oven to finish) or can use a large heavy pot for this part (if transferring to Slow Cooker).  Add half of Beef Cubes (will need to do 2 batches with this amount of meat), sear all sides for 1 minute each. 

 You only want to sear the meat to seal in the juices, not cook it through so you want to work fast.  Transfer Beef to a bowl and use a small amount of water (about 1/8 cup) to pour into pot, scrape any brown bits with wooden spoon and pour liquid over meat in bowl.  Repeat with remaining Beef.  Set aside.

I like a little Drama in my Cooking!

Next take your remaining Flour and whisk in bowl with your Beef Stock.  Heat 1 Tbsp of Oil at a medium heat and add garlic and onions stirring to sweat until they become translucent.  Add Red Wine and let reduce for about 5 minutes.

**At this step if you are going to use the slow cooker you will want to place your Potatoes, Vegetables, Beef Cubes into your Crock Pot.  Add your Stock mixture and Tomatoes into your pot with the Onions and Garlic and mix until just incorporated. Pour into Slow Cooker, add your satchell and cook on Low 6-8 hours***



Introducing the Parsnip to unfamiliar guests.

 Next, you will want to add your Parsnips and Carrots to your Garlic and Onions and allow to absorb moisture and flavors from the pot for about 3-4 minutes stirring frequently.  Next add crushed Tomatoes and Stock mixture, add Flavor Pouch and bring to a boil.  I like to add some Chili Powder at this point but I also like heat in my recipes at all times, so I will leave that to you.



Discussing what local grocers carry dried peppers

 Add your Beef Cubes and Sliced Mushrooms, cover with lid and transfer to Oven.  After one hour, add Potatoes, stir and continue to cook in oven for an additional hour.  Add your frozen peas at the end cover and let sit in oven for a final 10 minutes. Remove Flavor Pouch and serve immediately.

A simple yet lovely table setting.



We found the oven recipe gives a thicker broth and more tender meat.



A hearty,  fresh rustic bread completes this meal.

We finished this meal with a simple classic gentleman's cocktail for those that have someone who likes a good scotch whisky every now and then.  I found a similar version and made a few changes and it passed the test with John my husband who likes his scotch neat and doesn't like a lot of embellishments.

Gentleman's Cocktail
3 oz your choice Scotch Whiskey (we used Glenfiddich)
2 tsp honey
1 Apple Slice (we used Braeburn)
1 Cinammon Stick

Mix Scotch with Honey in a Whiskey, Scotch or Rocks glass.  Stir together with Cinammon stick, add ice to your liking and finish with Apple slice in drink.  The aroma hits you first and you cannot help but close your eyes and smile, even if you aren't a big Scotch fan.  We had Jay, our male guinea pig of the evening give it a try and he seemed to approve.


Instant Smiles as Jay sips his Gentleman's Cocktail

We all had a little sip but the rest of the ladies and I emptied my Red Wine reserve instead.

Only white left, time to restock!

Again I want to thank Mel, Colleen and Alissa for joining and adding great tips and assisting - you ladies really made it fun!  A special thanks to Jay for acting as my assistant and Aurora for volunteering to help with cleanup, so very appreciated.  This was a lot of fun and looking forward to doing another soon.  I hope to have more readers join me, and bring friends as there is always room at my table.  Feel free to ask about scheduling a girls night, or small celebration if you are interested in a unique way to dine and learn!