52 Ways to Cook: December 2014

HAPPY THANKSGIVING (Late or eary for next year)!

Here's the first of my dishes I served at my Thanksgiving table. Crispy crunchy green beans, Nutty Walnuts, Sweet juicy Craisins and the Earthy unique tastes of Feta Cheese all mixed and mingled with an easy to make Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing.

The whole dish, start to finish only takes 10 or 15 minutes to make. Delicious, Quick and EASY PEASY! A great combination for a busy Holiday Meal!

And the payoff is a delicious new twist on a holiday favorite. Colorful (Christmas colors red and green even), Delicious combinations of flavors and a blending of textures Crunchy, squishy, and snappy (walnuts, Craisins and the snappy blanched Green beans).

Fits into any delightful Holiday Event!

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe...

OK... Here's what I did...

Green beans with Craisins, Walnuts and Feta Cheese

Ingredients

2 Pounds Green beans, trimmed
3 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Red Wine Vinegar
3 TBS Dijon Mustard
Large pinch of Sea Salt
Several grinds of a Fresh Pepper Grinder
1 Cup Walnuts
1/2 Cup Craisins
1 Small Shallot, sliced thin, rings separated
4 ounces Feta Cheese Crumbles

Cooking Directions

Blanch the green beans. In a large pot of rapidly boiling water, add 1/4 cup table salt to the pot. Add the beans and allow to cook for no more than 3 minutes. Beans will be tender but still crisp. Remove from the heat and drain beans into a colander. Run cold water over the beans to stop the cooking process and lock in the bright coloring.
Once the beans are cooked and blanched, allow to air dry. Meanwhile, whisk together the Mustard Vinaigrette. Whisk together the Olive Oil, Vinegar and Mustard. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste. If Vinaigrette is too tart for your taste, add a bit of Honey or sugar to sweeten the vinaigrette... to taste.
Add the cooled beans to a serving dish. Mix in the shallot slices, 1/2 of the craisins, 1/2 of the walnuts and 1/2 of the Feta Cheese and mix.
Drizzle all but an ounce or two of the vinaigrette over the bean mixture.
Spread remaining Walnuts, Craisins and feta over the top of the beans and drizzle remaining vinaigrette.
Serve room temperature (can warm for a bit in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes if you want to serve warm) and ENJOY!

I served this dish for my Thanksgiving Day meal alongside Ham, Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Garlic Mashers and Caramelized Brussels Sprouts... Yum!

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Ways to Cook Side Dish Recipes"!!!

Sure the meat gets all the glory but real cooks know it's the spread... the specialty Side Dishes that makes a meal rise or fall. Here's a few of my favorite recipes that will help to create that illusive COMPLETE MENU!

LOTS of Potato Sides, Vegetable Sides, Specialty Salads, Bread and MORE!

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Straight up... This may be my very favorite meal I have ever tasted... Certainly the best thing I have ever made in a Slow Cooker. No exaggeration... THIS IS Dang GOOD!

And EASY (and I can't say it enough... GOOD)

The recipe below for the stew actually only has a few ingredients. BUT I have included optional recipes for the dumplings and for Garlic Mashed Potatoes as well. So, please do not be scared off by the seemingly long list of ingredients. You can just as easily drop some Bisquick biscuit mix dough balls into the slow cooker as to make them from scratch. And of course feel free to simply make your own favorite mashed potato recipe (but those garlic mashers are good).

For me, the real beauty of the recipe is the rich thick gravy. The gravy just demands something to soak up the goo. Pour this over the potatoes and you have that perfect combination of taste and heart warming comfort food.

I do hope we break the weather cycle of cold weather soon with a few days of Indian Summer temperatures, but until...

I would eat this everyday for the rest of my life!

OK... Here's what I did...

Boeuf Bourguignon with Herb Dumplings and Garlic Mashers
in a Slow Cooker

Ingredients

4 TBS Butter
3 Ribs Celery, sliced
5 Medium Carrots, Cut into 2-3 inch long quarters
3 Medium Onions, peeled and cut into quarters
3 Pounds Top Round Steak / Roast or Lean Stew Meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 TBS Italian Seasonings spice mix
1 TBS Mustard Powder Spice
3/4 Cup Dry Red Wine (can substitute Beef Stock)
2 Cans (14.5 Ounces) Diced Tomatoes with Juices
FOR THE ROUX...
4 TBS Butter
4 TBS Flour
FOR THE HERB DUMPLINGS... 1/2 Cup plus 1 TBS Half and Half
1-1/2 Cup Flour
1 TBS Baking Powder
1/2 TBS Powdered Sugar
A Large Pinch Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 TBS Canola Oil
2 TBS Herbes de Provence Spice Mix, can substitute a mix of dried Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic,
FOR THE HERBED MASHED POTATOES... 2 pounds Russet Potatoes (rinsed, peeled and cubed 1/2 inch size)
2 pounds Red potatoes (rinsed and cubed 1/2 inch size)
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 TBS Dill Spice
1/4 Cup Garlic Chives
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
6 Cloves Garlic, peeled and mashed and minced

Cooking Directions

In a heavy bottomed Frying Pan (Cast iron Skillet works GREAT), melt the butter over Medium high heat. Add the Celery, Carrots and Onions and Saute for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are softened and onions turn translucent. Transfer vegetables to the Slow Cooker.
Next, brown the Beef Cubes in batches in the same Heavy bottomed skillet, about 3 minutes per side so the beef has char marks. Transfer these cubes to the slow cooker.
Add the Mustard spice, Italian Seasonings mix to the beef, stir to mix the vegetables and beef with the seasonings. Add the Red Wine and stir to coat. Top with the Diced Tomatoes (with liquid).
Cover, set Slow cooker to LOW (8 hours) or HIGH (8 hours). Set and forget, the beef will become tender and the flavors infuse the vegetables as the slow cooker does it's magic!
30 minutes before you are ready to serve, Make a thickening Roux... In a small skillet, melt 4 TBS butter over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour, 1 TBS at a time. Continue to whisk for 4 minutes until the roux just starts to smell like almonds. Add to the Slow Cooker and stir to mix with the liquid. Recover and set the cooker to HIGH
NEXT, for the Dumplings, Combine and whisk the dry ingredients for the Dumplings. Add the Canola Oil and stir to mix. Add the Half and Half and Herbs and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Drop Spoonfuls of the dough on to the HOT beef stew, then cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the herb dumplings comes out clean.
MEANWHILE, for the Garlic Mashers, while the dumplings are cooking, Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes... Place all spud hunks in a 4 quart saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover. Add 1 tsp salt to the pot, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, combine the buttermilk, cream and garlic to a 2 quart saucepan and bring to simmer over low heat. Watch to make sure the mixture does not boil over. Stir occasionally.
When the spud water boils, ditch the lid, drop the heat to simmer and cook until the taters are easily crushed with tongs. Drain the potatoes well. The less moisture, the better.
Add the final teaspoon of salt, add 1/4 of the buttermilk mixture and start smashing.
As the spuds break down, add more of the buttermilk mixture. Remember these are smashed potatoes, not whipped potatoes. The red potatoes will mash well, the russet potatoes will mash slightly, but also some will remain whole, leaving a nice mixture of creamy potatoes with firm hunks floating. Mash to your desired results.
Add additional Chives if desired for an herbal look.
Serve Stew over the Potatoes, the Dumplings on the side and ENJOY!!!

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Ways to Cook SLOW COOKER-CROCK POT Easy Recipes"!!!

From meat dishes (Like an AMAZING Root Beer Pulled Pork that will feed a small army), to kitchen staples (FREE Gallon of Chicken Stock anyone?) to a slew of Soup and Stew recipes, these are the dishes that will change the way you cook. Start in the morning, set and forget and dinner is on the table... Easy Peasy indeed!!!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Friday, December 5, 2014

Green beans with Craisins, Walnuts and Feta Cheese - 52 Side Dish Recipes

Monday, December 1, 2014

EASY Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew) with Herb Dumplings and Garlic Mashers in a Slow Cooker - 52 Crock Pot Easy Dishes