Beef Wellington

A few months ago, Brian's dad read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the ultimate "mega meal," Beef Wellington, based on a Tyler Florence recipe. We spoke often about making it for a special dinner, and decided that Brian and I would make it for Easter for his parents and us, on Plum Island.

I had never had Beef Wellington. Didn't know how it should taste, what it should look like, or how difficult it would be to make. And I am so glad we tried it! First of all, how bad can anything be that is wrapped in puff pastry?! Beyond that, though, the combination of mushroom "pate" with salty prosciutto and beautiful filet Mignon - truly the perfect bite. Best of all - it was easy!  Time consuming and not inexpensive, but not difficult.

Served with mashed potatoes and simple roasted asparagus, it was absolutely a "heavenly meal," perfect for Easter!

Duxelles
1 1/2 lb. white button mushrooms, cleaned and large chopped
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 T unsalted butter
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Beef
1 (3 lb.) center cut beef tenderloin (filet Mignon), trimmed and tied
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16 thin slices prosciutto
3 T white truffle butter*
Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
1 or 2 sheets (1 box) puff pastry, thawed two hours
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 t coarse sea salt

Mushroom Gravy**
2 T unsalted butter
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound white mushrooms, quartered
1 T all purpose flour***
2 C beef stock
1/4 C heavy cream

1. Make the duxelles: Place the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and thyme in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
2. Prepare the beef: Drizzle roast with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy skillet (we used cast iron). When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the beef and sear until every side is nicely browned. (You know the meat is fully seared when you don't have to tug on it to turn it. Try too soon and you'll tear the meat.) Remove from heat, cut off twine, and allow to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, extend a sheet of plastic wrap (about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on counter. Place the prosciutto on top of the plastic wrap in a shingle pattern. You want to create a rectangle that is large enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Cover the prosciutto with a thin layer of the mushrooms. Season, as needed, with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

4. Smear the beef with the truffle butter. Then roll it in the duxelles-covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up tightly. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to seal the beef completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to 1/4 inch thickness. Depending on the size of your roast and the puff pastry you're using, you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove the beef from the fridge and cut off the plastic wrap. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the end pieces, then fold up the sides, trimming excess and binding all overlapping pastry with egg wash.  Be sure to completely seal the beef.

7. Place the beef seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, spinkle with sea salt, then make a couple of slits through the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife.

8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and the beef registers 125 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the oven and rest ten minutes before serving.

*I forgot to smear the truffle butter on the beef before we wrapped it in the mushrooms and prosciutto, so used it instead in mashed potatoes. Delish!
**The original recipes call for making your own veal stock for use in the gravy; we opted to save some time and money by using store bought beef stock. Check out either links above if you want to recipe for the stock.
***It takes more than a tablespoon of flour to thicken two cups of liquid - I used almost three tablespoons.

TGIT

Thank God it's Tuesday!

I got to the car dealership yesterday morning for an 8 o'clock oil change appointment. Only to learn that my appointment is for NEXT Monday...

Traveled then to the Springfield campus - arrived around 8:25 a.m.  Booted up my laptop, checked my e-mail and immediately got a reminder that I was due in Chicopee. At 8:30.

Raced to Chicopee and skidded into my seat at 8:59.

Haven't had a Monday like that in a long time. Hope your week is off to a better start!

Pick Up Artist

My friends often ask how I got into cooking, many assuming it must have been my mom. I usually answer that my mom taught me how to cook, but not what to cook, since I don't think she'd like many of foods I enjoy cooking and eating.

She did teach me how to cook, though. I remember how she'd let me pull my stool up to the counter and mix together anything I could find in the cabinet. I made some pretty gross looking concoctions, but she assured me someday I'd be a great cook! She knew how to change a recipe up depending on what you like, and she was especially good at what she called "pick up" suppers.

I think I'm pretty good at "pick up" meals, too, checking out what's in the fridge and cabinet and coming up with something that is quick and easy to prepare. Most times, they're also pretty tasty even if not gourmet. That's how this Spinach & Sausage Pasta came about - I had all the fixings for pizza but was too impatient to wait for it to bake. The solution? Make enough for one and toss it all with pasta!

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
sausage - hot or sweet, loose or removed from casing, about 6 oz.
2 - 3 T chicken stock
1 C fresh spinach
2 T reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/2 C dry pasta, cooked and drained - doesn't seem like a lot, but I use whole wheat and it is pretty hearty

1. Warm oil in saute pan over medium heat.
2. Saute onions and garlic until soft.
3. Add sausage (I use hot turkey sausage) and cook until brown.
4. Add chicken stock and cook 2 - 3 minutes or until hot.
5. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt.
6. Dollop cheese over sausage and veggie mixture.
7. Sprinkle on hot, drained pasta.
8. Stir to combine and serve hot.

I acknowledge this isn't the most appetizing-looking dish, but I implore you to reserve judgement until you've tried it! Enjoy

Mushroom Orz-otto

After have seen all 10 of the Best Picture nominees in this year's Oscar race, Brian and I had a bet on who could pick the most winners in 18 catagories. In the end, we tied in five categories, neither of us picked the winner in another five, I picked three winners, and Brian picked five...another bet lost.  (When will I learn?!)

The winner got to pick any meal that the loser would make. I'm paying up today, and Brian picked Steakhouse Steaks with steamed asparagus. He didn't have a preference on another side, so I decided to make Mushroom Orz-otto, a rich, delicous, risotto-like dish that's much lighter than traditional risotto.

And, apparently, I'm a slow learner - this bet wasn't even paid off and I'm in the red again, this time thanks to Phil Mickelson's win. Unbelievable...

Mushroom Orz-otto
1 T butter, divided
1 T olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
10 oz. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 C orzo pasta - I used whole wheat
3 C chicken stock, warmed - I heat mine in the microwave
1 T finely minced fresh rosemary
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1/2 T butter and 1/2 T olive oil in saute pan over medium high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic, and saute until translucent
3. Add orzo and toss to coat. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add 1 C chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium.
5. Stir in rosemary.
6. Continue to cook, stirring occassionally, and adding additional stock - 1/2 C at a time - until pasta is tender and has absorbed all stock.
7. Meanwhile, in another saute pan, heat the remaining butter and oil over medium high heat. Saute mushrooms, then set aside. (You can probably saute the mushrooms with the onions and the garlic, but I don't like when my mushrooms become water-logged and chewy. I prefer to saute them separately, then fold them in at the end.)
8. Remove from  heat and stir in mushrooms and parmesan cheese.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This seems to becoming a habit: premature posting. I wonder if there's a little blue pill for that?!

Anyone who knows me probably saw the title of this post and thought they were in for a review of Sitar or Pintu's. As much as I enjoy both those restaurants (though Sitar remains my all-time-favorite), I have had a ton of fun learning to make my favorite Indian dishes at home.

I have loved Indian food since my first visit to Sitar, which I remember like it was yesterday...

It was a cold, snowy night, and I was overwhelmed when I walked into that little restaurant on Main St. by the smells. Cinnamon. Cardamom. Warmth. Friendliness. Joy.

Sitar remains one of the most comfortable restaurants I've been to - the waitstaff and owner are lovely, the music is ethnic and quietly in the background, the decor is traditional yet not overwhelming. It's everything I love about this cuisine.

I tried Chicken Tikka Masala on my first visit thanks to my culinary-adventurous friend Natalia. Until recently - with the exception of delish apps like samosas and pakora - it's all I'd had. I've begun to branch out, and have yet to find anything I don't like...although vindaloo is even too spicy for me!

Brian described this meal as "being in the middle of a pool, on a float, in the sunshine" and as "hitting the snooze button and laying in bed only half asleep, all warm and cozy." I couldn't agree more!

Chicken Tikka Masala
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 heaping Tbsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
3 onions, thinly sliced
2 - 3 jalepenos, seeded to taste and diced (optional)*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk**
1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 C finely chopped cilantro

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil, curry, and cumin in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally, until fragrant and toasted in color.
3. Add onions, peppers (if using), and garlic. Stir to coat in oil and spice mixture. Cook until vegetables are translucent and just starting to pick up color - about 10 minutes. Stir occassionally to keep from browning too much. Add more oil if necessary, but hold off until  the veggies start to give off some of their water - you may not need it.
4. Add chicken pieces and toss in onion mixture to coat. Cook, stirring occassionally, until almost cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce to pan. Stir well to combine. Simmer, loosely covered, for 30 - 40 minutes.
6. Remove from  heat. Just before serving, stir in cilantro. Serve over cilantro lime rice.

*Jalepenos continue to confound me. I used two this time - one with all seeds and ribs, the other without - and they gave no heat whatsoever. Last time I made this, I used two with seeds and it was almost too hot to eat. If anyone has any tips for judging the heat of these peppers - size, color, scent, etc. - please let me know!

**Once I realized how much fat is in coconut milk, I tried making this dish with the low fat version. Not good. At all. It ruined the consistency of the dish, as it was far too watery, and there was very little coconut flavor. Considering the rest of the dish is lean protein and veggies, just go with the full fat. ;-)

Lime Cilantro Rice
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/3 C Basmati rice
Juice and zest of two limes
2 C water
1/4 C finely chopped cilantro

1. Combine oil, rice, and lime juice in a sauce pan. Heat over medium  heat until fragrant, stirring frequently to keep rice from sticking to the pan.
2. Add water and bring to a rolling boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and cover pan tightly.
4. Cook for about 25 minutes, until water is just absorbed. Remove from heat.
5. Fluff rice with fork, stirring in lime zest and cilantro.

I thought this was a lot of jalepenos...  Not so much.

Don't skimp on the cooking time for the onions. It's probably one of the most important steps and is well worth the added few minutes....



Ahhhhh...chicken tikka masala.  Warmth on a plate!



One word of caution: Curry has a very strong aroma. I love it, and all the images it conjures up for me. And it lingers...cracking a window while you cook will help.