A week ago, I pretended to be Julia Child and made boeuf a la bourguignonne, which is beef stew with bacon, onions, and mushrooms, simmered in red wine and herbs. It was so good!
First I braised the pearl onions in beef stock and herbs
Next, I cooked up the bacon pieces
browned the pot roast meat that Papa Bear had cubed for me
cut up carrots and onions, and added this to the meat, red wine, and beef stock
This all cooked together in the oven for 3 hrs and then I added in the pearl onions and some sauteed mushrooms at the end. I wish blogs could be scratch and sniff because it was torture smelling it cooking all day!
Both of my girls ate it, which is testament to how delicious it was! You should try it!
Here is the recipe copied out of
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Julia Child’s Boeuf a la Bourguignonne (beef stew in red wine, with bacon, onions, and mushrooms - For 6 people
Can be prepared a day ahead, and gains in flavor when reheated.
VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St. Emilion, or Burgundy.
6 oz chunk of bacon
9 to 10 inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
1 Tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
Slotted spoon
3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes (chuck pot roast, sirloin tip, top round, bottom round)
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 Tbsp flour
3 cups of a full-bodied, young red wine
2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillion
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
½ tsp thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
The blanched bacon rind
18-24 small white onions, brown-braised in stock
1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter
1. Remove bacon rind and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, ¼ inch thick and 1 ½ inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 ½ quarts of water. Drain and dry. (I skipped this step)
2. Preheat oven to 450°
3. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef
4. Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetable. Pour out the sautéing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325°
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed
a. Brown-braised onions – for 18 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter: 1 ½ Tbsp butter, 1 ½ Tbsp oil, a 9 to 10 inch enameled skillet, ½ cup of brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water; salt and pepper to taste, a medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, and ¼ tsp thyme tied in a cheesecloth. (I didn't have a cheesecloth and it worked just fine)
i. When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.
ii. Braise as follows: Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.
b. Mushrooms – a 10 inch enameled skillet, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp oil, ½ lb fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
i. Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms with begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
ii. Sautéed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.
9. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
10. Skim fat off the sauce for a minute or two, skimming off addirional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 ½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. ( I didn't have this much sauce left for some reason) If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetable (recipe may be completed in advance to this point.)
11. FOR IMMEDIATE SERVING: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
12. FOR LATER SERVING: When cold, cover and refrigerate, About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
Can you tell we like it?
Cheese!
A few years ago, we found a great recipe for taco seasoning on allrecipes.com. I make a bunch of it at a time and keep it ready to go with the other spices. To make it you will need:
Next, mix up all the ingredients, hard huh? Try not to miss the bowl like I did. ha!
Brown a pound of beef
Next, stir in 2-3 TBsps of taco seasoning and 2 cups of water, Bring this to a boil then stir in 2 cups of 10 minute brown or white rice. Sprinkle cheese over the top, cover, and reduce to simmer for 5-10 minutes. (If you are cooking different rice, cook it separately and add it into the pan with only about a cup of water instead of two)
We normally serve this over smashed up tortilla chips, but works well in taco shells and tortillas too. Don't forget to cut up a pretty tomato or some green onions to make it pretty!
The other day, Goldilocks decided to get out the playdough. It had been awhile since she had played with it and we discovered most of it was dry and needed to be thrown out. This gave me a chance to make my super duper playdough with Goldilocks for the first time. I used to make this recipe all the time for my kids at church, and it would last the whole year, and we would send it home with the kids.
Next, we mixed 1 cup of water, 1 TBsp of veg. oil, and food coloring. Goldi wanted violet playdough. This took about 20 drops of food coloring. It is easiest to mix the food coloring with the water. Next, pour the wet stuff into the pot with the dry stuff.
I use a double boiler method because I have ruined a few pots trying to do this directly on the stove. Cook the soupy, runny mixture on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Don't stir it! It will get cooked on the sides and bottom and be runny in the middle. Continue letting it sit and cook until only the middle is still runny, then run a spatula around the outside to loosen it, then carefully flip it over in the pan. It will only need a few more minutes to cook at this point.
When its ready to come out, flip it out onto the counter. It should not be sticky at all. After letting it cool for a minute, knead lightly. This wad of super duper playdough fits nicely in a recycled butter container, and fits perfectly in an empty icing container.
Goldilocks has had a great time playing with this playdough. It is easier to roll out than the commercial stuff. Let me know if you try this recipe!
After seeing several people mentioning roasted brussels sprouts online, I thought I should try making them. I don't think I've had them before trying this recipe. I really liked them, but found out it is important to make sure you get the core off of the bottom of the sprout, otherwise they are a bit bitter.
A normal thing we cook around here is homemade baked fries. Rachael Ray often makes potato wedges, I cut about 3 potatoes into wedges and then cut them into smaller pieces for the smaller hands in the house. Spray the pan, mix the potatoes with olive oil and a bit of kosher salt and stick 'em in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes to keep them from sticking. Sometimes I turn on the broiler for the last few minutes to get them extra crispy. We eat these so often I almost can't stand fast food fries!
Goldilocks and I made up some dessert - graham crackers, cream cheese, strawberries and chocolate. Yum!
