My First Beef Wellington....

I don't like New Year's resolutions that are founded in a negative - quitting something, giving up something, losing something.  So this year I decided to have a "want to" resolution list.  So far I've only come up with three:

1) I want to see Darius Rucker perform live.
2) I want to do more squats (significantly more, cuz right now 5 would be "more")
3) I want to learn new things.

Well Darius isn't performing in the Bay Area tonight, and I don't feel like doing squats right now (and therein lies the problem!), so I decided that I would go with #3 and tackle a recipe that always intimidated me, as my New Years Eve dinner: Beef Wellington.  As it turns out, it's not that intimidating, it just involved more steps than I usually care to take and more pots/pans than I like to wash.  I followed a recipe from Tyler's Ultimate show from FoodNetwork.com. You can probably just google it and follow the recipe like I did, but I thought it might be nice for you to see how it all progressed and ended with this.....

First of all I felt better having my cooking partner in crime Chef Tom there to help me.  He was classically trained at the CCA, so I tend to turn to him when I want to try a classic dish  like this one.  So here's how it goes...don't be intimidated like I was; it's easy and sooooooo worth the little bit of extra effort.

First things first - make a duxelle.  That's simply mushrooms, shallot, garlic and thyme.  Process them in a food processor until finely chopped.
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Then sauté that mixture in a little butter and olive oil.  I like to use unsalted butter when I cook, so that I can control the seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture is removed and season it with salt and pepper.

While the duxelle is cooking, lay out some plastic wrap and layer them with slices of prosciutto.  I used three slices, slightly overlapping, down the length of the plastic. 

Next, spread a layer of the duxelle on top of the prosciutto.  Starting out pretty dang good, right?!

You want to sear the fillets (just about 3-4 minutes) in a screaming hot pan (you know I think it should be cast iron, right?), brush with Dijon mustard and place them toward one end of the prosciutto so you can roll it up.....

 

 

Wrap them up tightly and place in the fridge for about a half hour to firm up.  Now comes the puff pastry...be still my heart!  Tom suggested putting a little bit of butter and olive oil under the beef to keep the juices from making the pastry soggy....

And then you just fold it up like a big, juicy present.  Use a little egg wash on each fold to act like a glue and then give the finished product one more brush; this will make the pastry beautifully browned.

Then into a 425 degree oven for about 35 minutes.  Take it out an let it sit briefly (thank God it doesn't need to sit as long as a roast, because THAT would be torture!)

Now if that's not delicious enough, we made Tyler's green peppercorn sauce to serve with it.  You start by sautéing more shallots, garlic and thyme in olive oil.

After a few minutes you're ready to scare the heck out of yourself.....one word: Flambe.  I had to make Tom do this because I know he's done it before, but more importantly because I'm a huge klutz and I like my house.  Tyler's recipe calls for removing the skillet from the heat, adding brandy and lighting the mixture with "a large kitchen match."  Tom didn't seem to be phased by the fact that I didn't have a large kitchen match.  He said, "This is a gas stove, we don't need a match" and promptly tipped the pan and ignited the brandy (he's a professional, so it worked out just fine, but I did have a minute or so of sheer panic as I watched the flames dance up toward the hood, and immediately thought of another new year's resolution - get a fire extinguisher for my kitchen!) 

Once the flames die down (felt like FOREVER), you add beef broth and reduce the sauce by half.  Then strain out the solids (that part breaks my heart, cuz those shallots are delicious little nuggets that should be eaten - crackers, anyone?!) and return the liquid to the heat.  You add cream (yes, heavy cream!  It's just one day, so forgive yourself.) and Dijon mustard and reduce it again by half.  When it's ready you simply add some green peppercorns drained from the brine you buy them in, and you begin to write Tyler Florence a thank you note.....

We served the sauce on the side (Tom's suggestion; I wanted to pour that puppy aaaalllll over the Wellington, potatoes and asparagus!  I conceded because without his mad flambé skills (and he brought the brandy), I wouldn't have had the sauce in the first place.  You do what you want....but whatever you do, make this dish!

Ironically I teach cooking classes to make people feel less intimidated in the kitchen, but I have allowed myself to be intimidated by certain recipes and techniques.  I may not be flambéing any time soon, but I WILL be tackling more recipes that take me out of my comfort zone.  Hope you'll join me on the journey.

What dish have you always wanted to try, but haven't yet?????


Cook Happy!

Here's Tyler's recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-beef-wellington-recipe2.html

Here figgy, figgy!

It's fig season!  Sweet and chewy, plus a little bit of crunchy from the seeds.... so delish!  I saw ripe, beautiful figs at Whole Foods this morning and my mind started wandering to some of my favorite creations: puff pastry with fig, gorgonzola, walnuts and honey drizzle (oh that one makes my mouth water just thinking about it)

 And prosciutto, fig and mozzarella quesadillas.  No picturee here, cuz they're so dang good that I've never had the patience to wait and take a picture before I gobbled it up!  Someday.....

And this little gem.....Arugula, fig and goat cheese pizza:

I like the mix of hot and cold so I dig putting some fresh greens on top of a piping hot pizza.  It's pretty (you know I like that!) and there's such great texture involved, playing around in your mouth.

The fig tree is the world's first cultivated tree. And there are now about 150 different varieties.  It's believed to be originally cultivated in Egypt and later brought to the Mediterranean.  Not until the late 19th century, did it come to California.  And it didn't take too well at first, but now Cali is one of the largest cultivators of figs.  They're pretty delicate and need to be eaten within just a couple days of purchase, which is why you often find them dried - those last for a few months in your pantry.

They're high in fiber, and therefore help nourish the intestines.  They also help control blood pressure and balance the body's ph balance... you never really think about this, but it's important to keep the acid and alkaline balanced in our bodies.  Here's a yummy way to do it.....

Start with Mario Batali's pizza dough.  Drizzle dough with extra virgin olive oil, then top with a little goat cheese, then sliced, fresh figs, a sprinkling of crushed red pepper and more goat cheese ( no more that 5 ounces needed for the whole recipe).  Bake about 12-15 minutes and then remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes.  This allows the yummy juices to absorb into the crust.   Now top with baby arugula or maybe micro greens.

Oh baby!!  This will blow your skirt up.  Oh wait, that's me...if you're a guy, it won't do that.  But you'll dig it nonetheless.

yum it up!

Veggie Pot Pie.....Oh MY!

For me, cooking is not just a passion or a business; it's like a drug. I need to do it.  I get a little "itchy" if I'm kept from it.  So last Friday, knowing that I was looking at a weekend away, filled with dining out and no chance of cooking, I had to get a quick fix in before I left.  Well....bettter make it good.

...and it was!!  Veggie Pot Pie.

I've been dreaming about pot pies for weeks.  My friend Ken has been raving about a wonderful chicken pot pie he gets at a market nearby, and last week he brought me one.  It was delicious, and anytime I eat something that inspiring, I try to figure out how to make it myself....and make it even better (and healthier).

First of all, I had to deal with the dough.  I'm just not a fan of baking.  It's important to measure and be precise, and that's just not my style.  I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl.  So I opted to use Pepperidge Farms puff pastry sheets.  The thing about the way I cook and teach is that I like things to be easy, approachable, and most of all quick.  So the puff pastry sheets made all that possible.  The rest of the recipe comes together in no time.

You can use any seasonal vegetables that you like, but I have a special love of mushrooms.  They're meaty and add great texture, so I can skip the meat. They're also one of the most nutritious veggies out there, full of disease fightling vitamins and minerals.  I sauteed portobellos, crimini and shiitakes with sweet onion, diced carrot and baby spinach.  Now there are certain foods that naturally scream out for other ingredients.  In the case of mushrooms they love rosemary and sherry.  Who am I to keep them apart?

What would a pot pie be without that creamy sauce the veggies swim in?  This is where it gets genius.  Originally I was planning on making a veloute.  Veloute is one of the five "mother sauces," and takes a little bit of time and attention to make.  It's not hard, but it's also not easy.....and you know I like easy.  So instead, I pulled the skillet off the heat and stirred in a 7 ounce container of creme fraiche.  I tasted it (always taste your food before you serve it...more salt, pepper, spice???) and did one of those "growls" the students at Bauman pointed out to me that I make when my taste buds are particularly happy.

Lastly, top with a square of puff pasrty, brush with egg  and bake to golden, crispy goodness!

Oh yeah, baby!

Veggie Pot Pie

Serves 4



1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb shiitakes, sliced

1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 portobello mushrooms, stem and gills removed, caps thinly sliced

2 carrots, diced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

4 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup sherry

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon French Herb Salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

7 ounces creme fraiche

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (time it right so it doesn't sit too long or it's difficult to work with)

1 egg, lightly beaten

• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add mushrooms, onions and carrots and saute 8-10 minutes.
• Add spinach, sherry, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, stirring occassionally.
• Remove from heat and stir in the creme fraiche.
• Unfold the thawed puff party sheet.  On a floured surface, with a lightly dusted rolling pin, roll out to a 12" square and cut into 4 equal squares.
• Divide veggie mixture between four 8 ounce ramekins.  Top with puff pasrty, folding down around the rim.
• Pierce all over top with a fork and brush with egg.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

So glad I still had a couple waiting for me when I got back home....