Grill Interrupted

                                    

When fellow foodie Mia told me she was making a stop at Penzeys on a recent trip to Houston – I had to take her up on her offer to be a spice mule. I had her bring me back some fresh Ancho Chili powder and Smoked Spanish Paprika. Fresh spices FTW!

But what to make with my newfound ingredients…

The recipe below is a bit of work, but the ribs are fantastic, with great depth of flavour, and the mashed potatoes have a subtle horseradish flare that puts the whole plate over the top.

                                      

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South-Western Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Adapted from Fine Cooking and Williams-Sonoma

Serves: 6 

Ingredients:

5 to 5 1/2 pounds English-style beef short ribs (12-15 ribs)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 cup carrots, diced (about 1 1/2 carrots)
1 cup onions, diced (about 1 onion)
1 teaspoon pure Ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup beer
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup diluted beef broth (mix equal parts broth and water)
1 cup dry red wine
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes (recipe below)

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Add half of the ribs to the pot (or as many as will fit without overlap), and cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan.
2. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, carrots and onions to the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the aromatics are soft and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add chili powder, paprika, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Pour the 1/2 cup beer into the pot and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until the liquid is reduced to about 2 Tbs., about 1 minute.
4. Transfer all the ribs (and any juices that have accumulated) back into the pot. Pour the beef broth, tomatoes, and red wine and 1 cup water over the ribs and using tongs, arrange the ribs as evenly as possible and no more than two layers deep.
5. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes, until they are fork tender, about 2 3/4 hours. (The meat may fall off most of the bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean that the ribs are fully tender.)
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Serve the ribs over Horesradish Mashed Potatoes with the sauce spooned over, sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or soya milk
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature, cut into pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Fill a steamer pot halfway with water. Place the perforated insert inside the pot so it rests over the water. Set over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Place the potatoes on top of the insert, cover and steam until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the half-and-half, horseradish and nutmeg until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. 

3. Set the potatoes aside and dispose of the water in the pot. Turn the stove to Low and place the potatoes in the pot with the butter. Mash the potatoes and gradually add the half-and-half mixture, beating constantly with a large spoon until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Filed under: Recipe on March 8th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

                                                 

This recipe is so easy and the final presentation comes across so great – it’s a must try.

The sauce is simple but is full of flavour, and the herbs help take it up another notch.

Great date food with a glass of white wine!

                                                

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Tortellini with Garlic Sage Butter Sauce

Adapted from Food & Wine

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons salted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound fresh cheese tortellini
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation:

1. In a medium frying pan melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the sage, salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the tortellini until just done, as per instructions. Drain the pasta and return to pot.
3. Add the butter and parsley and toss over low heat until the pasta is thoroughly coated with the butter, about 1 minute.

Filed under: Recipe on March 6th, 2010 | Comments Off on Tortellini with Garlic Sage Butter Sauce

                                                  

Eggplant Parmesan is a guilty pleasure for a lot of people. It’s delicious, but alas, fried.

This recipe uses grilled eggplant to avoid the heavy frying, and adds some breadcrumbs to keep that bit of crunch you might otherwise miss.

The tomato sauce is spot on, and I thought this dish overall was a great alternative to its unhealthier cousin.

                                                           

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Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 large firm eggplants
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh basil (alternately, 2 tablespoons dried basil)
2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 cup dried Japanese breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill on High heat.*
2. Remove the stalks from the eggplants, slice them up into 1cm thick slices, and set aside. 
3. Put 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan on Medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and dried oregano and cook until the onion is soft and the garlic has a tiny bit of colour, about 8 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes to the onion, garlic and oregano. Stir to mix then put a lid on the pan and simmer on Low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Grill the eggplant on both sides until lightly charred then set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
5. When the tomato sauce is reduced, season it with salt & pepper to taste, and add in the wine vinegar and basil.
6. In a 9×13 inch lasagna dish put in a small layer of tomato sauce, then a thin scattering of Parmesan, followed by a single layer of eggplant. Repeat these layers until you’ve used all the ingredients up, finishing with a little sauce and another good sprinkling of Parmesan.
7. Toss the breadcrumbs in olive oil, to moisten, along with the freshly chopped oregano and sprinkle on top of the Parmesan.
8. Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, crisp and bubbly, about 30 additional minutes.

* Note: if a grill is not available, feel free to use your oven’s broiler

Filed under: Recipe on March 4th, 2010 | Comments Off on Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana