Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

This is by far the best Red Wine Braised Short Ribs that we've ever had! Definitely a keeper when served with polenta. 

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

(Source: Bon Appetit) 

5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces*

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 medium onions, chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)

10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

8 sprigs thyme

4 sprigs oregano

2 sprigs rosemary

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

4 cups low-salt beef stock

Preheat oven to 350°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. **

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2½ hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

*I used two pounds of bone-in short ribs and three pounds of boneless short ribs cut into equal sized chunks.

**Instead of braising in the oven, I just braised it on the stovetop and it still turned out amazing!!

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

(Source: Ina Garten)

4 cups   chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1/4 cup crème fraîche

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter

Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you’re stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, crème fraîche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top. 

Chicken Shawarma

I'm absolutely addicted to delicious chicken shawarma. I've shared other chicken shawarma recipes on my blog in the past but this is the by far the best that I've tried. It's so good that Dr. Sweetpea told me to post the recipe on my blog right away!

Chicken Shawarma

Source: Tasty

2 1/2 lb  boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

MARINADE

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sumac

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon kosher salt (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and felt that it was perfect)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, sliced

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the chicken thighs and coat evenly. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Adjust the oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) from the top heat source in your oven, then preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and a wire rack. Place chicken in single layer on prepared wire rack, with the smooth sides down. Broil until chicken is well browned and registers at least 165˚F (74˚C), about 16-20 minutes (I cooked the chicken for 18 minutes and they were perfectly cooked). You may need to rotate the sheet pan halfway through if your broiler heats unevenly. Remove and rest the chicken for 5 minutes before handling, and turn off the oven. While chicken rests, warm your pitas in the still-warm oven for a few minutes. Slice the chicken into thin strips and transfer to platter. Serve with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, prepared yogurt sauce, and warm pita.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Fall is officially here in Houston! It's cooler and the humidity has dropped significantly. It's still not as cold as it is up north, but I'll take this over the summer heat any day! Dr. Sweetpea was looking for something sweet that he could take to work to share with his colleagues, so I whipped up a batch of these muffins because they are perfect during this season. They were amazing fresh out of the oven and just as good the next day! Definitely a keeper! 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

TOPPING

1/2           cup (2 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

5              tablespoons (2 1/4 ounce) sugar

1              teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (next time I’ll use half the pumpkin spice mix)

Pinch salt

4              tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

MUFFINS

2 1/2        cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

2              cups (14 ounces) sugar

1              tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (next time I’ll use half the pumpkin spice mix)

2              teaspoons baking powder

3/4           teaspoon salt

1              cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

8              tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2              large eggs

1/4           cup milk

2              teaspoons vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray 12-cup muffin tin, including top, with baking spray with flour.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in bowl. Add melted butter and stir until evenly moistened and mixture resembles wet sand; set aside.

FOR THE MUFFINS: Whisk flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla together in separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until just combined.

Using greased 1/3-cup dry measuring cup, portion heaping 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup (cups will be filled to rim). Sprinkle topping evenly over batter, about 1 tablespoon per muffin.

Bake muffins until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool on rack for 5 minutes. Serve.

Mary Berry's Frangipane Tart

Earlier this year, I made a French Almond Pear tart for Dr. Sweetpea and he absolutely loved it! I came across a different tart dough recipe and a Frangipane recipe by Mary Berry so I decided to use both recipes to make the Almond Pear Tart again and we think this turned out better! I absolutely love the tart dough too since it was so easy to work with!

Mary Berry's Frangipane Tart

Sweet Tart Dough also known as Pate Sablee (recipe is from the Tartine Bakery Cookbook) 

255 grams           unsalted butter, at room temperature

200 grams           granulated sugar

1/4                       teaspoon salt

2                          large eggs, at room temperature

500                      grams all-purpose flour

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in 1 egg. Add the remaining egg and mix until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 equal balls and shape each ball into a disk 1/2 inch thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To line a tart pan, please a dough disk on a lightly floured surface and roll out 1/8 inch thick, rolling from the center toward the edge in all directions. Lift and rotate the dough a quarter turn after every few strokes, dusting underneath as necessary to discourage sticking, and work quickly to prevent the dough from becoming warm. 

Mary Berry's Frangipane Tart Filling

175        grams (6 oz) soft butter

175        grams (6 oz) caster sugar

3            eggs, beaten

175        grams (6 oz) ground almonds

40          grams (1½ oz) all-purpose flour

1            teaspoon almond extract

6–8        fresh, ripe Williams pears, peeled, cored and halved

TO FINISH

Apricot jam, melted and sieved, for glaze

25          grams (1 oz) flaked almonds, toasted

Cream the butter and sugar together, then gradually add the beaten eggs (do not worry if it looks curdled at this stage). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the ground almonds, flour and almond extract. Process for a few seconds until well incorporated. Leave this mixture in the fridge until required.

Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured work surface and line a flan tin 28cm (11 in) in diameter, about 2.5cm (1 in) deep. If possible, chill for a further 30 minutes. (Tip: I used one 6 inch tart pan. This recipe makes enough filling to make two 6 inch tarts)

Spoon the frangipane mixture into the pastry case and level the top using a small palette knife. Arrange the pear halves, cut side down, attractively on the filling. Be sure to leave enough room between them to allow the frangipane mixture to rise.

Place the tart on a baking tray and bake at 375°F for about 45–50 minutes until the almond filling and pastry are golden brown. (Tip: Since I used a 6 inch tart pan, I baked the tart for 35 – 40 minutes and it came out amazing)

Cool slightly, brush with hot apricot glaze and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds. Serve warm with cream or crème fraîche.

Spicy Korean Braised Chicken

I've been craving something that's very comforting lately since it's getting cool in Houston. I've also been craving Korean food, so I decided to make this braised chicken dish for dinner. I remember my parents making it for me while growing up and this tasted exactly like what I remember. Dr. Sweetpea LOVED this dish as well and told me to make it regularly for our dinner.

Spicy Korean Braised Chicken

(Source: BeyondKimchee)

1 whole chicken (3.5 lbs) cut up to pieces, skin removed (I used chicken thighs and drumsticks)

2 large carrots, diced to 1 to 1-1/2 inch size piece

1 onion, diced

1 lb potato, pealed and diced to large bite size chunks

2 green chilies, sliced

2 green onion, chopped

2-3 cups sea kelp stock* (I used 2 cups chicken stock)

For the seasoning paste:

3 tablespoons Korean chili paste

3 tablespoons Korean chili flakes

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon Korean soy sauce for soup

1 tablespoon oyster sauce, optional

1 tablespoon honey

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon pureed ginger

2 tablespoon rice wine, optional

2 teaspoons sesame oil

In a large mixing bowl, mix all the seasoning paste in. Add the chicken and toss to coat with the seasoning. Place the chicken in a braising pan or a deep skillet.

Pour the sea kelp stock over the chicken to barely cover them, about 2-3 cups (I used only 2 cups). Bring to med-hot heat and let them boil first, then cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Add the onion and carrots to the chicken, toss together. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes to the chicken and vegetable mixture and simmer together for 10-15 minutes. Cooking time will vary depends on the size of your vegetables.

If you see there are too much liquid in the pan, you will want to thicken the sauce. To thicken, when the vegetables are nearly tender, raise the heat to medium and continue to cook uncovered until the liquid in the pan evaporates. Tossing occasionally but very carefully without breaking the carrot and potatoes.

Add the green chilies and green onion at last to toss. Serve hot with rice.

Fontina Stuffed Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes

I saw this recipe in the latest Southern Living magazine and bought the ingredients right away because it sounded amazing. Dr. Sweetpea was skeptical about this pork chop but it only took one bite for him to tell me that the pork chops were amazing. I didn't have time to take pictures of our meal because we ate everything before I even had the chance! This is definitely going to be something I make regularly for us.

Fontina Stuffed Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes

(Source: Southern Living Magazine)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 thinly sliced large yellow onion (about 10 oz)

1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 garlic clove)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided

4 (15-oz.) bone-in, center-cut pork chops, about 1 1⁄2 inches thick

2 cups shredded fontina cheese, divided

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Heat 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add yellow onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, and 1/4 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Using a paring knife, cut a 2-inch slit in sides of bone-in, center-cut pork chops, creating a pocket, cutting to the bone. Stuff each with 1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese and 1 Tbsp. onion mixture. Set aside remaining onion mixture.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops evenly with 1 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper. Cook 2 stuffed pork chops in skillet, undisturbed, until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer pork chops to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter and remaining pork chops.

Transfer baking sheet to preheated oven, and bake pork until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 140°F, about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest 10 minutes. While pork cooks, add russet potatoes to a large saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to boil over medium-high, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan. Stir in whole milk, sour cream, 1 cup shredded fontina cheese, 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1⁄4 tsp. black pepper until combined. Mash to desired consistency. Cover to keep warm.

Add chicken stock and remaining onion mixture to skillet over medium. Cook, stirring often, until slightly reduced, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in apple cider vinegar and 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter. Divide potatoes among 4 plates. Serve with pork chops, and top with sauce. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

This Chicken Paprikash dish is such an easy, quick, and tasty meal to make during the week for dinner. Dr. Sweetpea loved this dish so much that he went back for seconds and said this recipe should be saved! Definitely a keeper in our household!

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

(Source: unsophisticook.com)

1 (12-oz.) pkg. No Yolks Broad noodles

1 medium onion

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2.5 pounds chicken breasts and thighs

3 tablespoons flour, divided

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

Dice the onion, and cut the chicken breasts and thighs into bite-size chunks. In a large skillet, sauté the onion in the butter over medium heat until translucent. Meanwhile, toss the diced chicken pieces with about two tablespoons of flour. Add the coated chicken to the pan, and brown on all sides. Once the chicken is browned, add the paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir well. Slowly add the chicken broth to the pan, and use a wooden spoon to scrape and deglaze the bottom of the skillet. Cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes. While the chicken is simmering, prepare the No Yolks noodles according to the directions on the package. Remove the chicken to a plate. Whisk about one tablespoon of flour into the drippings left in the skillet to thicken. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Add the chicken back to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve immediately over broad eggs noodles.