Sunday January 30, 2011 French Onion Burgers With French Oven Gravy

This is a real crowd pleaser. It was very good. Had Mom, Step Dad, and brother in law over to try this one. So with the added people I was a little nervous. Well every week I find myself watching those around me eat and watch their reactions when they take a bite. I am my own worst critic. I was harder on myself and I didn't need to be. Everyone was happy with the presentation and flavors of this meal.

French Onion Burger with French Oven Gravy Fries

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/french-onion-burger-french-oven-gravy-fries/

Here is the link to the recipe and a video from the show.

All the best parts of the classic bistro soup ... on top of an all-American burger.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
• 7 cloves garlic, peeled (4 smashed and 3 minced)
• 5 to 6 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/2 cup dry sherry (Couldn't find Sherry at Sprouts so used a dry Chardonnay)
• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups store-bought beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 baguette, fatter in size, cut on a bias into 1-inch slices (about 8 slices) (I used regular buns and some had onion buns- Just as yummy)
• 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded (Found in the special Cheese section at Sprouts. It's a hard cheese almost like Parmesan Regiano Cheese)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat.

 Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise then cut each half into 4 to 5 long wedges, depending on how big the potatoes are. Place the wedges and smashed garlic cloves on a cookie sheet (I thought I already had the garlic but didn't so I skipped this part and it was just fine), drizzle with about 3 tablespoons of EVOO and toss to coat (Don't skip the coating otherwise the potatoes will stick to the pan). Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, and roast for about 20 minutes, until brown and tender. Flip the potatoes and continue to roast for about 10 minutes, until cooked through. If you like them extra crispy (Keep an eye out it may not take the full time depending on the over and size of the potatoes), cook them a total of 45 minutes.

 While the potatoes are in the oven, place a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat with 4 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add onions, minced garlic (I keep a jar of minced garlic on hand all the time), bay leaf, ground thyme and some salt and pepper. Cook onions for about 10-12 minutes, until caramelized (You want them to cook a little slow so they don't burn). Add sherry and let the alcohol cook out, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and set the mixture aside to top the burgers.

 In a medium bowl, combine the ground sirloin, Worcestershire, parsley, salt and pepper. (To me I was concerned that there wasn't enough flavor in the meat but you want to be careful. You don't want too much seasoning on the burger so it over powers the beef and the onions on top of the burger) Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form 4 patties, each about an inch thick. Drizzle the patties with EVOO and place them on the preheated grill pan (Or outside grill). Cook about 5 minutes per side, until pink in the center.

While the burgers are cooking, place a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook the flour-butter mixture for about 3-4 minutes, while stirring constantly, until lightly golden in color. Whisk in the beef stock, a little at a time to avoid lumps. Once all of the stock is added, stir in the Dijon mustard (eyeball it) and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and set aside.

(If you used reg buns skip this part and just toast the buns in the broiler)For the French baguette, you want large round slices: Hold your serrated knife on a 45-degree angle and slice, keeping your knife on that angle; just like slicing a flank steak or London broil. Drizzle bread slices with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

Place under the broiler for about 30 seconds. Flip to the other side and top four of the slices with the shredded Gruyere cheese. Give them another 20 seconds under the broiler to give them a good melt. Keep a close eye on it, because if you're like me, you've burned one too many loaves of bread!

It's burger assembly time! Place a burger on a piece of non-cheesy bread. Top with the caramelized onion mixture and a slice of the cheesy bread. Place a serving of potatoes on the plate and spoon some of the gravy on top.

The Experience
The recipes is written well. It was very easy to follow. Over the past few weeks of this challenge I have learned how important it is to read the recipe before he trip to the store. It really has helped me to picture the preparation.

With any burgers you would figure you need lettuce, tomatoes, and all the other fixing's, however, there is no need with this burger. The caramelized onions and Cheese make this a good one as is. Mom and I ate ours just as it was. Larry (Step Dad) at his with a little A-1 with the onions and Cheese. Vince (Hubby) and Nate (brother-in-law) had some A-1, and the gravy on the burger too. Either way they had it they loved it.

The potatoes fries were yummy and had a good crunch. It is important that you keep an eye out to make sure you don't burn them. You will be pleasantly surprised by the gravy and the potatoes. The Dijon mustard gives it just a little something that takes the gravy to a whole other level of goodness. I even topped the potatoes and gravy with a little of the Gruyere cheese.

The gravy was so good that we even started dipping the burgers in the gravy :-)

With the burgers you want to make sure that you do not omit the parsley. By keeping the parsley in the burgers it helps to keep the patties from drying out. Even the niece had some burger (without the onions of course). Once you decide to make this meal it is good to have a partner outside grilling so you can make sure to focus on the gravy.  Hubbies will feel like they are doing their part in the meal by doing the grilling. Ha ha

I hope you enjoyed this week's blog. Next week is Super Bowl and we will be taking the weekend off enjoying the game and all the game day food. But the week after we will be right back at it.

Once again I thank each and everyone of you for your support. I write my blogs for you in hopes that this gives you the inspiration to try something new and challenge yourselves. In the end if my blogs inspire you to just try a recipe or two, then I have accomplished my goal. Happy cooking and thanks again.

1/23/2011 Recipe #3 Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

This is a good one for pasta lovers!! Hubby and I were really happy with this one. The only real drawback was it takes concentration or some prep. You are chopping while having to keep an eye out on the cooking chicken, but other than that pretty good. I recommend this dish for date night or even entertaining because it's different yet not too much where someone would be overwhelmed by trying something that is out of the norm. i made a few changes/additions that I think made it better.

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

This recipe is a modern take on the ol' Cream of Mushroom Chicken. This one is more healthful and almost as easy as pouring that condensed, salty mass out of a can. It will heal a long day!

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1/2 pound orzo pasta (I used bow tie pasta)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 12 white mushrooms, sliced
• I didn't use that many mushrooms I really only used about 6-8 each)
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped (I always keep a jar of minced garlic- so much easier- Use a few spoon fulls.)
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped (I used dried)
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced (I only used 1 large one)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (For extra flavor I took out 1/4 cup of the stock and replaced with red wine)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful (Don't skip it really makes the dish pop)

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo (bow tie) pasta. Cook to al dente. (You can wait a little bit since the pasta cooks faster than the orzo) About 5-10 minutes into cookingh the chicken)
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.
To serve, pile orzo (bow tie pasta) on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.

It's that easy! really was good. Some advice... Be liberal with your seasoning. Although yummy I still though that it could have used something more. My husband salted with garlic salt on his and I sprinkled a little shredded parmesean cheese. Even the kids gobbled it up. Something about pasta is always good foyou them :-) This dish is so versatile that you can really do whatever you want with it. Some thoughts for next time... Add a little bite of sun dried tomoates, add parmesean while finishing the simmer part of the recipe.

Prepping for the meal:
Not much to it. Vince did the shopping this week and had trouble finding the Shitake Mushrooms at our grocery store. Sprouts had them. It was funny... Vince told me he couldn't find any "Skelatore" mushrooms. Huh?!?! Hahaha It was finny to hear him try to remember what they were called. We both got a kick out of that. Vince was really into it this week. He wanted to see what I was doing and even helped keep an eye onthe chickedn to make sure it was cooking just right. He got the chicked to have the yummiest looking crust on the outside. I was scared it would burn but he did good.

So another success! I suggest serving with a nice red wine. Some toasted french bread and a cesar salad is a fantastic addition to this meal. I hope you all give this one a try on that special someone in your life. I mean Valentine's Day is around the corner, you know. Happy Cooking and Thanks again for tuning in.

Sunday January 16th- Mexican Lasagna

This week was a total turn around for me. I decided on Mexican Lasagna. This is a quick and easy recipe. I definitely will be making this again. Prep was easy as I had several ingredients already in my fridge or pantry.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case  (I used ground beef that I already had on hand)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 red onion, chopped (I had a regular onion that I already had on hand)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes  (I used medium Pace Chunky Salsa)
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• Salt
• 8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
• 2 scallions, finely chopped (Omitted due to lazienss) :-)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. (No need if you have a non stick pan) Add chicken (beef) and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes (or salsa). Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. (Don't skip this step as it makes clean up much easier) Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.(Omitted)

Making the Masterpiece:
Everything in the recipe is as it says. Sooooo Easy. Very yummy. When I made the meat mixture (meat, beans, and corn) I thought it was going to be dry, but surprisingly it wasn't. The lasagna part was easy to make and construct to the point that I thought I was doing it wrong. LOL.

I took just 15 minutes in the oven to heat through. I basicaly waited for the cheese on top to melt and bubble. I took a metal spatual (It is sturdy and easier than plastic to serve) and plated it up. As a side dish we simply had left over salad from Sister's bday get together the prior night. Dinner is DONE!

Kids may like this meal if you are careful not to add too hot of salsa. It has a small (but great) bite to it. I simply made cheese crisps instead with the left over tortillas for the kids and they were just as happy.

This week when prepping my mindset to cook, I made sure to read the recipe throughly and shopped the day before to make sure I wasn't stressing myself out incase I couldn't find something or ran out of time. Anyone who wants to challenge themselves to cook something new must do it with the right mind frame and clear their head first. Defineitly don't rush yourrself.

When I searched for the recipe I found the video from  when Rachael Ray made it on her show and that helped because I knew what it was supposed to look like. I posted the video on my facebook so check it out if you haven't already done so.

Thanks again to all my readers for their support. I would be lost without you. Keep sending your ideas and recipes that you have used. I am always open to suggestions. Also... Please share my blog with everyone you know. Everyone could use a little more FLAVOR in their lives.

Happy Cooking
Rach

 

Sunday Jan 9, 2011 Recipe #1

Not impressed! I was bummed at the outcome of the recipe that I tried this past Sunday. Not sure if it was me or the recipe. But bland bland bland. On paper, the recipe seems YUM-O but eating it was YUCK-O. The recipe I made was out of one of my Rachael Ray cook books. Called "Just in Time." It features recipes that are 15, 30, and 60 minute meals.
The recipe:

Green with Envy Orecchiette and Red Wine Braised Sausages

Directions

Orecchiette means little ears and the ears will be burning over this recipe - tasty and supper good for you. The friends and family you make it for will be green with envy to be able to make something so delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds - 8 short links or 4 large, hot or sweet Italian sausages
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt
• 1 pound orecchiette pasta
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1 package or bunch chives, coarsely chopped or torn by hand
• 2 cloves garlic, popped from skin, 1 clove minced, divided
• 12 stems tarragon, 1 package or small bunch, leaves stripped from stems
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at table
• 1 bunch green Swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
• A little freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Place sausages in a skillet and add wine and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the pan. Place pan over medium-high heat and let the wine reduce and evaporate, 15 to 18 minutes. Eventually, the casings will crisp up and the wine and oil will glaze the casings. When cooking the sausages be sure to cook thoroughly. Some of the sausages were slightly pink. But this part was awesomely good.

Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook to al dente. Heads up: you will need 1 1/2 cups, a couple of ladles, starchy cooking water just before you drain the orecchiette.

Toast hazelnuts 5 minutes over medium-low heat in a small skillet. Cool a few minutes. (I am not a fan of nuts in the pasta so I left this out.)

Place the chives, garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper and nuts into food processor and turn it on. Stream in about 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and process the ingredients into a smooth but thick sauce. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the cheese. The color is stronger if you stir rather than process the cheese into the sauce. (This part confused me. When I processed all the herbs to make the sauce it seemed like it wasn't enough and was too thick, but in the end it was fine. When i added the cheese it was almost like a big ball of cheese and pesto. When I added the starchy water from the noodles it thinned out to a nice creamy sauce.)

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high to high heat. Add greens, minced garlic and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Sear greens, tossing them as they wilt down, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add cooking liquids to pesto in bowl then add pasta and greens and toss to coat the pasta and let the flavors absorb, 1 minute.

Serve 2 braised sausages with lots of greens alongside.



Most of the ingredients at Sprouts. I was not able to find "green Swiss Chard" This is a leafy green similar to Turnip greens or Mustard Greens. I used Mustard Greens. The greens cooked up nicely and thinking about using that as a side dish another time. I also could not find the orecchiette pasta. So i used shell pasta and it was just fine. Like I said it was bland so I added a little garlic salt and shredded Parmesan cheese and that helped a bit.

I had my husband and brother in law there as my critics: Husband was not impressed! Whenever he doesn't like something "oddly enough" during dinner he will have to get up and tend to a child or clean something up and avoid the meal. That is my indicator that he does not wish to have it EVER again. As for my brother in law... It seemed that he was OK with it. Tips from him were to try using feta cheese. That seems like a good idea as that will increase the salty taste.

Preparing myself to cook for the evening:

Well not very well! I worked that morning and got my hair done, so I was not home most of the day and by 4 o'clock I had to book it to my side of town ~Surprise (which was a 30 minute drive), get to Sprouts and try to find all the ingredients which seemed like I was lost. All of this was with my 2 girls which is rough because by late afternoon/ early evening you can imagine how "uncranky" they really are. Cooking the meal was chaotic since I was dealing with a toddler and husbands and kids and a messy kitchen. I definitely recommend starting any cooking adventure with a clear mind and clean kitchen. Things tend to go much smoother. So I feel this 1st go at my Challenge was a bust but I have to keep telling myself that it is just one recipe and there are countless ones out there that I know I can make amazing.

When telling all my family and friends about this BLOG I was so amazed with the enthusiasm Even my team at work was excited for me. This only means that I will have to use them as a critic once in a while.

Thanks everyone for reading and be sure to pass on an tips, ideas, suggestions.

MY Start

I recommend the movie Julie and Julia. This movie is what inspired me to do this challenge that I am about to embark on in 2011. The movie is about a woman turning 30 who decided to cook every recipe in one of Julia Childs french cookbook. The woman puts her triumph and "meltdowns" in her blog for the world to see. This fantastic movie made me want to set out and do the same. This year I have challenged myself to make a new Rachael Ray recipe each week. I currently own 2 of her cookbooks and plan to start making recipes from these cookbooks. I will start writing about what I am cooking and how I do it. I will post difficulties that I run into and my critics (aka husband) opinions. I am a working mother of 2 so unlike the movie I will be sure not to set the bar quite as high. My goal this year is to make a new recipe each week and write about it. In my blogs I hope to inspire new cooks all around that cooking is a great thing and it connects you with people in a way you never thought possible. I have asked my husband to be brutally honest with me when eating my recipes as they will serve a vital roll in my blogs. Reading my blogs will help you understand the financials behind the cooking and also the trials and tribulations that go into it as well. Many women out there are full time mothers and professionals that only wish to provide a good wholesome meal without taking up an ungodly amount of time and also be the best mother they can be. So with that being said... You will also get to see what I am going through while cooking and what I have learned through this adventure. Stay tuned. As this is gonna be a fun year.