Coq Au Vin, a chicken with red wine sauce, is famous French comfort food that is simple to make and delicious.
Fall
Chicken Marsala with Gnocchi - Enjoy with Friends
This Chicken Marsala with gnocchi is a perfect fall dish that is easy to make but will also impress your guests. Enjoy with a glass of white wine.
How to Roast a Perfect Turkey in a Nesco Electric Roaster
What's on Your Plate
Dry brine your turkey the day before, then roast it in a Nesco electric roaster at 325°F (162°C). The roaster's circle of heat cooks the thighs as fast as the breast, so you get juicy meat all the way through in about a third less time than a conventional oven.
Braised Pork with Leek Sauce
I was surprised at just how good this came out when I made it. Even Spane liked it once I explained what leeks are.
Leeks, I have told him and others, are a mildly sweet member of the onion family. They look like giant green onions.You don't have to use a pork loin to make this. Pork chops would be fine. You could even use a rather tough piece of beef that does well with braising.
Brisket of Beef in Wine Sauce
Recipes in this Post
When I was a little girl my mother used to make a beef dish that I loved. I never knew what it was until I became an adult and learned it was called brisket of beef. I liked that the meat was tender, and full of flavor. Finding it in the market, however, was a chore. I would only see Corned Beef, which I like very much, but it's not the same thing.
While I was thinking about that brisket I had as a little girl growing up in Germany, I realized that my mother never made it after we moved back to the United States. Maybe it wasn't my mother's dish after all, maybe it was our German maid, Elfrida's brisket I remember so fondly.
Either way, when I found brisket at the local butcher shop, I knew I had to try making it. I figured I would do something similar to Oxen Shvantz Suppe – Braised Oxtails, which also takes a long time to cook. It's hot and I didn't want to be in a hot kitchen all day, so I used my 4 quart Nesco to slowly braise the brisket. It was delicious!
Crab Bisque
Recipes in this Post
I am so happy that it is finally getting cooler in Southern California. As a matter of fact, there was thick cloud cover this morning, and I had to wear a sweater. It was a good day for soup.
After making Crab Salad with Thousand Island Dressing, I had a half a package of crab left over. I also had some cream left over from making something else. I knew I needed to use that crab, I needed to use the cream, and I wanted something warm. I have always liked crab bisque, so I decided to make that.
I had this brilliant idea when looking in my pantry and spying a can of Great Northern white beans. I didn't have that much cream, and I really wanted the soup to be filling. To compensate for not using real crab, or real crab stock, I added a little anchovy paste for flavor. Both additions worked beautifully. Honestly, if you wanted to, you could omit the cream completely, as the beans do a fine job of thickening without all those calories.
Chicken and Rice Paprika Inspired By Hieronymus Bosch
This chicken and rice paprika is very easy to make and is comforting. You can spice it up if you wish, and it comes together in under an hour.
Cranberry Compote - Thanksgiving Sides
Cranberry Compote - Your New Cranberry Sauce
This year, like last year, I'm going to my friend's for Thanksgiving, and like last year, I'm bringing something. It's also my son, Spane's birthday today, November 21, 2012, and he has requested Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting I made for his 7th birthday party. Since his birthday this year is the day before Thanksgiving, he is going to have his birthday party in December - so watch for recipes!
I have talked about going to my Grandmother's house and the wonderful turkey that came out of her Nesco Roaster. My Grandmother always had the best dressing on her table, that my Aunt Flora made every year. It was Oyster Cornbread Dressing, and it is my favorite dressing to prepare.
But, we always had canned cranberry sauce, that I really never liked. I have been making cranberry sauce for years, but today I found a new recipe that I'm going to make this year. It's from Chef Bryan Voltaggio.
Update: This cranberry compote is my new cranberry side dish. It's tasty and sophisticated but not so much that kids won't like it. It's not too overly sweet like the stuff in the can.
Braised Oxtails - Oxen Shvantz Suppe
Braised oxtail with wine for hours is tender and juicy. When I was a little girl growing up in Germany when we had Oxen Shvantz Suppe it was always a real treat. They are wonderful on a cold, rainy winter day.
Hoppin' John - New Years Day Lucky Food
Almost every year, I bake a ham for Christmas so that I can have the bone for New Year's Day. Of course, this year I roasted a goose, so I had no ham bone. Luckily, my good friend Stevie Lewis saved me the bone from his family's Christmas ham. From this bone, I make Hoppin John, an old Southern dish of black-eyed peas, ham, and rice. With it, I serve steamed Kale and cornbread.
There is quite a long tradition with this meal. The black-eyed peas are said to represent coins, the kale is green like money, and the cornbread is golden to represent gold. Eating this for New Year's Day is supposed to bring good fortune for the New Year.
Well, it might not bring any more money into your purse, but it is very economical. It's a break for all the heavy holiday foods. It's also very good for you. Black-eyed peas are high in protein, iron, zinc, and potassium. Kale has anti-cancer properties. Cornbread, if you don't put tons of butter on it, is also good for you.