I know it has been a long time since my last food post, but what better way to make a comeback than on the "food-iest" day of the year! This year I have decided to do an all out Barefoot Contessa Thanksgiving! I shall be preparing classic Barefoot recipes, while sticking with the Barefoot code of not preparing everything yourself. I shall also be including some store-bought items and good old family recipes! So, lets get started with the menu. Barefoot Contessa Thanksgiving Menu: Herb Roasted Turkey Breast Classic Mashed Potatoes Herb and Apple Bread Pudding Sauteed Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar Homemade Cognac Gravy Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce Rolls (Store-bought) Below is a brief description of the recipes and you can click on the pictures to download the recipes for yourself! This is the most flavorful and moist turkey I have ever had. It is also the first Turkey I have ever made myself. It couldn't be easier. The fact that it is just the breast and not a whole bird makes it way easier before you even start. Especially if its only two people for dinner. You start by making an herb "paste/marinade". It is olive oil, ground mustard, rosemary, sage, thyme, and lemon juice and zest. You mix that up with other seasonings. Then you loosen the skin of the turkey breast from the flesh without tearing it. Then, you work half of the marinade underneath and on top of the skin. You then roast it in a pan fitted with a rack. You also roast it with some white wine in the pan. This adds flavor and keep the turkey moist. When it is done, you simply let it rest and slice the meat. WARNING! If you are used to making gravy with the pan drippings from the turkey, do not use these pan drippings! The reason is this: I tried using the pan drippings from this turkey last year and I found my gravy was too acidic. This is due from the wine and the lemon juice and zest. I also think that is the reason Ina doesn't show using the drippings when she made gravy. lol. What more can I say. Awesome Mashed Potatoes are Awesome Mashed Potatoes. Most people use plain old russet or baking potatoes, which are fine but they lack a lot of flavor. Yukon Golds are the best for mashed potatoes. They are creamy and flavorful. Just follow the recipe and you will have great potatoes. This dish takes the classic Stuffing/Dressing to a whole new level. It has all of the classic flavors of a stuffing and it has the moisture and texture of a creamy bread pudding. It is flavored with apples, celery, rosemary, Pancetta, and sherry. You start by toasting some fresh country bread cubes. Then, you saute pancetta with celery, onions, and apple and your fresh herbs. While that is cooking, you make a custard of eggs, cream, chicken stock and Gruyere cheese. Then there is a critical point. You must combine the bread and vegetable/apple mixture first. Because if you add the hot mixture to the cold custard mixture the eggs could scramble. Then, you just pour it into a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and bake until it is done. So moist and flavorful. Its Ina Garten and Bobby Flay approved! There has to be Brussel Sprouts on my table at Thanksgiving. Every year I either roast my sprouts with bacon and vinegar or saute them whole with chicken stock, bacon, and raisins. Which, by the way are totally delicious. Unfortunately, they do take a long time to cook when they are whole. So, at Thanksgiving, even with a diverse menu in place there is always trouble finding room int he oven to cook things, so having a stove-top dish is always useful. Plus rather than 30 minutes to an hour to cook sprouts these take about 5-10 minutes. The secret is they are shredded rather than whole. Simple as can be. Shred your sprouts, saute them in butter and oil until tender and finish them off with a drizzle of syrupy balsamic vinegar. I may take it a step further and saute them in bacon fat. Extra flavor is always great! This gravy is as simple as it gets! You simply saute/ caramelize onions in butter (another version of Ina's recipe uses saved chicken drippings from previous cooking). Then, you add flour to cook in the onions. Then, you whisk in chicken stock (preferably homemade) and whisk until thickened. Additional flavorings besides the salt and pepper, include adding brandy or Cognac and cream. This is a great item because this can be made a few days in advance and you simply have to reheat it before dinner. AGAIN...do not use the drippings from the Herb Roasted Turkey Breast. Once again, this Barefoot classic is as easy as it gets. Just combine a bag of cranberries and water in a sauce pan and simmer for about five minutes until the berries begin to pop. Then, add the sugar, a chopped apple, and the zest and juice of a lemon and orange into the sauce pan. Cook for 15 more minutes and allow to cool then serve. I hope all of you out there whether you are having a Barefoot Contessa meal or not, have a wonderful and memorable Thanksgiving. P.S.. I know if you are using Ina's recipes, it will be a memorable and "fabulous" meal!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
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This shall be the star of my Super Bowl dinner tonight! I was brought up on this pizza for parties and gatherings. It is so easy and delicious that it will please anyone. If you are having a last minute get together, this is a great option if you want something quick and inexpensive for an appetizer or light dinner. it only took me about 30-45 minutes to make it from baking the crust and getting the toppings ready. You start off with two tubes of Crescent rolls such as Pillsbury's. You unroll the tube leaving the crescents together. There should be two full squares of dough in each tube making four all together. You line the bottom of a half sheet pan with the crescent dough squares and pinch them together to make one large dough crust. You then just have to bake it until golden brown and cooked through. Then, you must have it completely cooled before adding the toppings. If you are in a hurry you can place the crust into the fridge for about 10-15 minutes until cooled. While the crust is baking and cooling you can prepare the toppings. The sauce in this case is a mixture of cream cheese, Miracle Whip dressing, and a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix. You just mix that in a mixer with a paddle attachment and set it aside. Then, for the veggies. You can use pretty much any combo you want. You just should make sure they are all about the same size. For my pizza I used carrots, radishes, green onions or scallions, red pepper, and broccoli florets. You could also use cucumbers, cauliflower, olives, tomatoes, etc. In any case you want them minced or in a small dice. All except for the broccoli because you can't mince it or it would be a mess. I just trim them into small pieces. You want about 3/4 of a cup of each vegetable. Once the crust is cooled, just spread the cream cheese mixture onto the crust in an even layer. Then, evenly distribute the vegetables onto the pizza and press down lightly to make sure they adhere slightly to the pizza. Then, all that is left is to sprinkle cheddar cheese onto the top of the pizza! You then can serve it chilled or at room temperature. I prefer to chill it. If you are having more than 10 people I would highly suggest making more than one pizza as it is a hit with everyone and will go fast. It is cool and crisp and doesn't make you feel as guilty about splurging at your dinner or game-day party! Bon Appetit!
I have not made a food post for a while so I thought this would be a great recipe to start back up with. This is a very nice autumn dish. It has some great autumn flavors: butternut squash, cranberries, cider, etc. Apparently you will find this at a lot of French Bistros in Paris. It is very easy to prepare. You very carefully cut up a butternut squash into one inch pieces and throw it onto a sheet pan. Drizzle it with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Toss together and throw it into a 400 degree oven and cook until tender. While the butternut squash is cooking you make a vinaigrette by combining apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and shallots in a sauce pan and boil until sufficiently reduced. Then, you whisk this with some Dijon mustard and olive oil. I personally am not fond of the strong taste of Dijon so I substituted it for Country Dijon which is like a whole grain type of mustard. The flavor is very delicious. The shallots add a nice sharpness in taste to the sweetness of the cider and mustard. When the squash is done cooking, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. To assemble the salad, combine arugula, dried cranberries, walnuts and the slightly cooled squash. Toss with vinaigrette and serve. The flavors are incredible. Try the recipe below. Ina Garten continues to please our palates.
Tomorrow marks one year since I began "The British Chef. So, I thought it only fitting to go back to the beginning and re-post my first ever food blog...The English Breakfast!!! It is how any Englishman should start the day. It is so simple and so scrumptious. Some people refer to it as a "heart attack on a plate". They are right in the aspect that it is all fried up in a skillet. The slang term for it is a "fry-up". You start out with frying up some bacon and sausages in a skillet. You then add some Black Pudding. For those who don't know, black pudding is a sausage made from coagulated pig's blood mixed with herbs and spices. When you cook it it turns black, hence the name. You also fry up some tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes and eggs. All of this is also served with some good old Baked Beans. The common brand is Heinz. It is hard to get Heinz Baked Beans here in the US. You can however find them online and at some specialty food stores. Once all this is done, you then make fried bread. Just take some sliced bread and brown it in the pan drippings. It is then all served up with some tea, and a bottle of HP Brown Sauce. It is delicious not only at breakfast but at any time of day. If you would like to find some of these products online, I would suggest the British Food Depot. They have everything from sausages and black pudding to HP Sauce and Baked Beans. Click on the link below to go to their site. Cheers!!
This dish is both comforting and high-class. I absolutely love it. Ina Garten certainly knows how to take classic flavors and put them to a new/old comfort dish. She took the classic flavors of Beef Borguignon(wine, garlic, herbs) and paired them with a good old fashioned pot roast. The result is a delicious yet elegant meal that will easily serve 6 people. I think the best part is the leftovers. When I first made this, I made it for a few of my family members. Most of it was gone, but there was enough for me to reheat the next day. I am so glad there was, because it was just as, if not more delicious the next day. When it comes to side dishes, she chose to add a baked potato with sour cream and yoghurt. Those are absolutely delicious, but I am partial to herb roasted potatoes. However, if you are on a time schedule, you can of course opt for the baked potatoes which are less strenuous. Bottom line is that this is another Ina Garten specialty that I will always promote. Bon Appetit!
This is the first recipe I made from Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" cookbook. Although I have to admit I was a little bit overwhelmed by the length of the recipe. So I re-wrote the recipe with far less steps and ingredients. I think it is better the way I have written it. As some of my culinary friends can tell you is that simpler can be better. Not to knock Julia Child of course, I still love her recipes and books. It has all of the best ingredients beef, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and wine. If you look at it, it is a fast and thicker version of Beef Borguignon. You basically saute all of the elements in the same pan, but separately and at the end you make the sauce in that pan and add everything back to it. What you are left with is a stew-like meal. It is quick,delicious, and reliable! Bon Appetit!
I think aside from Fish and Chips, if you were to ask an American to name another classic British dish they would say Shepherd's Pie. This is a go to meal to make if you want to have a one dish meal. We have made this a many number of times for lunch at Allegany College of MD. Originally designed as the poor man’s dish in the late 18th century in Britain, the Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie is one of the greatest dishes born in Britain. It was designed to incorporate potatoes into every meal. It was an option when food was scarce. This is my recipe made American style with peppers and cheese! You start out by making mashed potatoes. The recipe comes with a method for mashed potatoes, but you can make them any way you want. Just make sure you don't make them too liquidy. Once it bakes with the meat mixture it will thin out. You then make the meat filling. Brown your ground beef, and then saute your vegetables. You thicken it by adding flour. Then you add beef stock, cream or milk and your seasonings. Once thickened, you pour this mixture into a baking dish. You spread your mashed potatoes on top. Cover with foil and let it bake for 20-25 minutes. Then, you remove the foil and top with cheddar cheese and let it melt under the broiler for a minute. Normally the British don't put cheese on it, but when in America, where anything is better with melted cheese, I had to do it. You then can serve it plain as is, but I like to eat it with a nice drizzle of HP Brown Sauce. If you are in need of a simple dish, this is perfect for you. Bon Appetit!
I have lived my whole life wanting to eat potato salad. But unfortunately for me, my mother and probably every one else in the world has to put those gross hard boiled eggs in them. So the other day, I thought..."I am making my own potato salad!" I first started thinking about great flavors to mix instead of just straight mayo and salt and pepper. To my luck, Ina Garten was making a mustard and dill potato salad for a picnic. So afterwards, I wanted to make my own sauce recipe. What was born, is what I have been eating all week long. I have had to make another batch. It is so unbelievably delicious. I could just eat this all day long. I have used some of Ina's techniques but created my own recipe. You start out by boiling red potatoes, whole in salted water. The trick then is to drain them just before they are completely tender and cover them with a lid or towel to steam until fully cooked. You then mince some celery and red onions. The final thing to do is to make the sauce. The sauce consists of: mayo, sour cream, good Dijon or brown mustard, dill, celery seeds, sugar, apple cider vinegar, milk. It is a good idea to add a little bit of the dressing while the potatoes are still warm. Then add the rest later. I guarantee once you have potato salad this way, you will never think of adding eggs to it again! Bon Appetit!
Pork chops are one of those meats that have gotten a bad rap over past years. Hopefully this is a recipe which will bring the beloved pork chop back from the old recipe box abyss. These days in a lot of high end restaurants, flavored butters are very common. One of the most common is blue cheese butter. Most think of steak with blue cheese. But, pork is very delicious with blue cheese. I wanted to take it a step further and make a butter with good English Stilton. Then, as a vegetable, I also wanted to pair the chop with another under-rated veggie...the humble asparagus. Although I would normally advocate for roasted vegetables. When asparagus is roasted, it tastes delicious, but it shrinks and shrivels up. I want crisp vibrant colored vegetables. So, you can either blanch or steam the asparagus and then saute it with garlic, salt, pepper, and a splash of white wine. You then serve this on the side of the pork chop and stilton butter. The butter will mix with the white wine and create a wonderful sauce. Oh so delicious! Bon Appetit! Note: the picture above is the closest I could find to my recipe.
On a nice overcast day like today, there is nothing better than making a nice big batch of hearty soup. One soup I think is so delicious and yet so simple is a classic Italian Wedding Soup. It has all of the great comforts. It has he classic trio of vegetables (celery, carrots, and onions), spinach, cheese, meatballs,and pasta. It is a whole meal in itself. I love making this because it is easy as can be and all you have to do is grab a big bowl of it, curl up on the couch and watch a great movie. If you need a quick meal that is relatively stress free, this is a great go to recipe. A good way to take more stress out of it, you can use a really good brand of frozen meatballs. But, of course the best way is to make your own. Bon Appetit!
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