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Menu Plan for Fall II: Week 6, Saturday
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Daily Recipes:
Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Prosciutto
Boeuf Bourguignon
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
Cooking time: 3 1/2 hours for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
This is classic French Bistro fare and one of those long-cooking dishes that I love doing during the winter. It simmers while you get on with your life, You could actually let it cook for 4 - 5 hours and it would be fine - maybe even better.... And, it's enough for two meals. As we have lentils to start, shallots with the beef and onions with the potatoes.... No additional vegetable with this meal.
Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Prosciutto
Total time: 30 minutes
We sautéed the walnuts and half of the ham in butter to enhance the flavor and add crunch to the salad. I use the tiny green French lentils - du Puy. You could use larger brown lentils but not the red ones, they get too mushy.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup lentils
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) beef stock
- 1/2 (4oz, 120ml) cup water
- 4 slices Prosciutto or other dry-cured ham about 3oz (90gr)
- 1/4 cup whole walnuts about 1oz (30gr)
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbs fresh snipped chives substitute 1 tbs dried
- 2 tbs fresh snipped parsley substitute 1 tbs dried
- 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tbs salad olive oil
- 1 tbs walnut oil
- 1 tbs sherry vinegar
Instructions:
- Rinse and pick through lentils (in case quality control missed the odd stone).
- Put in a small sauce pan along with stock and water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and cook until done - about 20 minutes. Taste to determine when done properly.
- Drain any excess cooking liquid and set aside.
- Heat butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and sauté about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Roughly chop 2 slices of Prosciutto and add to walnuts. Sauté until Prosciutto is crisp, another 4 - 5 minutes.
- Remove and break walnut halves in half.
- Snip herbs.
- Just before serving mix oils, soy sauce, mustard and vinegar in bowl large enough to hold lentils.
- Add lentils, chopped ham, walnuts and herbs and mix well.
- Cut remaining 2 slices of Prosciutto in half the long way. Arrange in a circle on 2 plates.
- Spoon lentil salad in the center and serve.
Boeuf Bourguignon
Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes Earlier in the day: 5 minutes, Afternoon: 15 minutes, Simmering time: 3 hours
I finally discovered the secret to the rich, unctuous red wine sauces in Boeuf Bourguignon and Coq au Vin: cocoa. This will make enough for 2 meals. The original version calls for pearl onions but I normally have to buy a huge bag to get the few I want so I use shallots.. plus I like the taste better.
Ingredients:
- 24oz (720gr) beef, suitable for braising or stewing
- 1 bouquet garni you can buy these ready made in little sachets in the spice section
- 1 bottle (750ml) robust red wine preferably a Burgundy
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1 carrot
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 3 - 4 strips bacon, 3oz (100gr)
- 8 - 10 shallots
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1 tbs cocoa pure cocoa powder, nothing added
- 3 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 3 tbs water
Instructions:
- Earlier in the day:
- Trim beef and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) cubes. Put into a small, deep bowl or sauce pan.
- Peel the carrot and cut in thirds.
- Peel the garlic.
- Add the carrot, garlic and bouquet garni to the beef.
- Add the red wine and the vinegar, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Late afternoon/Early evening:
- Take the meat out of the marinade and let it drain, reserving all of the marinade.
- Heat oil in small stock pot or Dutch Oven. Add beef and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Pour the reserved marinade over the beef, along with the carrot, garlic and bouquet garni. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and let simmer for at least 3 hours.
- 50 minutes before it's done:
- Clean mushrooms and shallots.
- Cut mushrooms in half or quarters if large.
- In nonstick skillet sauté bacon until crisp. Remove and crumble (don't eat!)
- Add mushrooms and shallots to skillet and sauté over medium heat until nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, shallots and bacon to beef. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Finishing:
- With slotted spoon take everything out of the sauce (don't worry about the bacon) and put on a small platter.
- Discard bouquet garni and carrot.
- Keep warm in the oven while you finish the sauce.
- Bring sauce to a boil over medium - high heat. Whisk in cocoa and let reduce for 5 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in cornstarch mixture to thicken. You probably won't need all of it so stop periodically and let it cook to test consistency. It clears as it cooks and thickens.
- Spoon some sauce over the beef, shallots and mushrooms and serve, remaining sauce on the side.
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
Total time: 30 minutes
The caramelized onions add a bit of sweet and the horseradish adds a bit of hot, making these a great accompaniment to roast meats... with or without gravy!
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes, 10oz (300gr)
- 1 large onion
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 1 tsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 3 tbs milk, yogurt or chicken stock
Instructions:
- Peel and cut potatoes into cubes.
- Cook in boiling, salted (1/4 tsp) water, partially covered, for 15 - 20 minutes, until very tender.
- Peel and cut onion in half through the stem end. Cut into thick slices, then cut the slices in half.
- Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until very tender and starting to brown, about 25 minutes.
- Stir in sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar is melted. Keep warm.
- To assemble: Put milk, horseradish and mustard in a small bowl and stir or whisk well, to break-up mustard.
- Add to skillet with the onions and heat through.
- Drain potatoes and mash with potato masher or fork.
- Add the onion/milk mixture and stir well to combine.
Cooking Schedule: 3 1/2 hours for menu |
Peel, slice onion for potatoes, sauté onion |
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