Tag: taste

Slow Cooker Red Curry Beef Pot Roast – Teaching Old Meat New Tricks

When shopping, I like to take a quick peek at the end of the
meat case where they sometimes have marked-down cuts that are past their prime.
I usually stay away from the smaller, thinner pieces, as they tend to go bad
faster, but once in a while I’ll find a big roast, like the one that inspired
this delicious red beef curry; and as the old saying goes, the only thing
better than a 3-pound chuck roast, is a half-priced, 3-pound chuck roast.

By the way, this “Reduced for Quick Sale” meat is generally
fine taste and texture-wise, but the surface of the meat has oxidized, so it
doesn’t look very appetizing. Other than that, it’s perfectly fine to use,
especially in a slow-braised recipe like this.

I cooked mine on low, for about 7 or 8 hours, until it was
fork tender, but if you’re in a hurry, you can do it on a higher setting.
Conventional wisdom is that the longer slower method is superior, but in all
honesty, I don’t think there‘s a huge difference, so suit yourself. No matter
what setting you use, simply do not stop until the meat is tender.

Some of the most frustrating emails I get, are the ones that
say, “I followed your braised-whatever recipe exactly, but the meat came out
hard.” Actually, no you didn’t. Every time I give an approximate cooking time
for something like this, I’ll always say, “or until fork tender.” So why would
anyone stop cooking it while the meat is still hard? I find it as mystifying as
I do annoying.

Anyway, assuming you don’t stop, won’t stop, until the meat
is succulent, you are in for a real treat. Feel free to add any vegetables you
like, and if you want, you can cook them separately and just add to the
finished dish. I generally don’t serve this over rice if I use potatoes, but
that’s just my personal hang up, so don’t feel like you need to deny yourself that
particular pleasure. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 giant or 6 regular portions:

2 1/2 or 3 pound beef chuck roast

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 chopped onion

1 or 2 tsp red curry paste, or to taste

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 cups chicken broth

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
1 can (10-oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (or any diced tomato product)

3 tbsp Asian fish sauce, or to taste

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp tomato paste

4 cloves minced garlic

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced

juice of one lime
2 bay leaves

1 1/2 pound small potatoes, halved

4 or 5 baby bok choy, sliced

1 rounded teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon
cold water

To garnish:

chopped roasted peanuts

chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Fish Stew – Sexy Is As Sexy Does

You often hear people describe food as “sexy,” but I’ve
always believed it’s really more the occasion and company that makes a meal
sexy. Put your Valentine across a candlelit table, pour a couple glasses of
wine, and no matter what you serve up, sexiness will ensue.

Having said that, it certainly doesn’t hurt to hedge your
bets and serve up a naturally sensuous dish like this simple, but
sophisticated fish stew. This is great for you less than confident cooks, since
your timing doesn’t need to be that precise. Did I mention there’d be wine
around?

You can actually do everything ahead, up until adding the
fish if you want. Since the pieces will cook in between 5 and 10 minutes, when
you’re ready to eat, simply bring the mixture to a boil, add the fish, and
simmer until done. You can also hold the stew over very low heat for a good
15-20 minutes without major problems, in case, well, you know.

By the way, make sure you check and see if your dining
partner likes fish and wine, as this would be a horrible choice if they don’t.
If they do, you’re in business. Almost any type of fish or shellfish will work
in this, as well as any small, cute potatoes. Just don’t forget to peel the middles, as it’s kind of a big deal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 tbsp butter

1 large leek, chopped

1/2 cup sliced shallots

1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

3/4 cup white wine

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sliced fennel root

1 pound small red potatoes

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup cream

1 pound boneless fish filets

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

Mushroom Ricotta Bruschetta – This Was Anything But Flat

Please do not take this post’s brevity for any kind of lack
of enthusiasm or excitement over this very handsome mushroom and ricotta
bruschetta. Time’s a little short today, as my car’s left-front tire was fatally
injured last night in a brutal pothole attack.

Everyone else is fine, but I didn’t want to delay the
uploading of this fine recipe until I had time to do a proper blog post. So
basically, I’m phoning this one in. Of course, my biggest fear isn’t that
you’ll be disappointed…it’s that you won’t notice that big a difference.

Anyway, this was super tasty, and very simple to make. I
show making the ricotta bruschetta part first, but as I mention, you’ll
obviously want to have your mushrooms cooking while you prepare the bases. I
hope you give this delicious, and very versatile dish a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Mushroom Ricotta Bruschetta

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

zest of one lemon

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper to taste
red chili flakes to taste

4 thick slices of lightly toasted bread

1 tbsp olive oil

For the mushrooms:

2 tbsp butter, divided (half to sauté, half to stir in at
end)

1 tbsp olive oil

16 large white mushrooms

1/4 cup green onions and/or 3-4 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup marsala wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley