Friday, December 24, 2010

French Fridays with Dorie, Week 12: Speculoos

Merry Christmas!!
My new favorite Christmas cookie, Speculoos.  Crisp texture with a sweet, cinnamon flavor. 
Perfect treat for Santa!


The original printing of Speculoos in Around My French Table included an error.  Please see the correct Speculoos recipe on doriegreenspan.com.

 

Happy Holidays!  Wishing you much happiness with family & friends!

French Fridays with Dorie, Week 11: My Go-To Beef Daube

I love beef stew and find myself delightfully surprised when I find an even better twist on the traditional recipe.  Browned cubes of beef chuck roast, bacon, onion, shallots, garlic, carrots, & parsnips with a bottle, yes a bottle, of red wine & bundle of fresh herbs: thyme, parsley, rosemary.  Simple.  Delicious.





Translation:  aller à mon boeuf daube
Listen to the pronunciation via Google Translate.

Other favorite beef stew recipes:
Beef, Barley, & Butternut Squash Stew from Fine Cooking.

My Favorite Beef Stew
Adapted from Wegmans Slow-Cooked Country-Style Beef Stew

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-3 inch cubes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 slices bacon, cut in 1/4-inch strips
4 carrots, trimmed, peeled & chopped
3-4 celery stalks, trimmed, peeled & chopped,
1 1/2 pound potatoes, quartered
1 onion, quartered & thinly sliced
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock or broth
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
Dust beef with pan-searing flour.
Heat oil on medium in large braising pan. Add beef; brown, turning to brown all sides, 8-10 min. Remove beef; place in slow cooker. Add bacon to pan and cook until crisp; set aside. Discard all but 1 Tbsp drippings from pan.
Add stew vegetables (minus potatoes) to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 min. Stir in all-purpose flour. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Cook 3-5 min, until liquid is reduced by one-third, to a syrupy consistency. Add broth; bring to simmer.
Pour broth mixture over beef in slow cooker. Add potatoes, bacon, bay leaves, tomato paste, and herbes; stir slightly.
Cover; cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW 7-9 hours. Transfer beef and vegetable to serving platter. Discard bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over beef; serve.

French Fridays with Dorie, Week 10: Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts

This month has been a blurrrrrrrr.  Dear Dorie did not disappoint with the December line up of recipes from Around My French Table.  I just have not been able to keep up!  Here is a quick catch up of the last few weeks filled with way too many hours at work!

Our neighborhood bootcamp/workout group dressed up for a fun night out filled with good eats and holiday cheer.  The spicy cocktail nuts were a perfect addition to the gathering providing a deliciously, unique twist on the traditional cocktail fare!


I followed the recipe as written, using sugar, salt, chili powder, ground cinnamon, and cayenne & egg whites as the glue to adhere the seasonings to a blend of nuts from my favorite shop:  Krema Nut Company


Cheers!


Translation:  écrous cocktail sucré et épicé

Such a versatile recipe and treat.  Nuts are a perfect way to include a little fiber, protein, magnesium, niacin, zinc, selenium, folic acid, potassium, iron, calcium, and other important vitamins and minerals.  A little goes a long way though....  A significant source of fat, one ounce of nuts (about 1/3 cup) will provide between 160-200 calories. 

Here are some other favorite cocktail nut recipes:
Fire & Spice Nuts from Epicurious
Chile-Lime Peanuts from Eating Well
Spiced Pecans from Fine Cooking