10-18-2007 

Beef and Barley Stew

Ingredients:
1 Tbs Butter
1/2 - 1Lb Stew Beef cut into ~1" cubes
2-4 cups beef stock
1- 2 large carrots
1 stalk celery
1 onion
2 bay leaves
1 potato diced*
1/4 cup pearled barley*
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

 

Instructions:
1) Brown the beef cubes in the butter on medium-high heat
2) chop and add  onion celery and carrot, and bay leaves ( If you dont want any of these in the final stew don't chop them, and remove them         after everything has cooked for a while. Their flavor is fairly important)
3)Add the beef stock and some water if necessary in order to cover the meat and vegetables, and put on low heat. Bring to a         boil and cover with pot lid.
4) Allow to simmer for at least two hours until the meat is falling apart. Check every 30 min or so and add more water or         stock if necessary.
5) When meat is about cooked add the potato and barley and simmer until they are tender (about 30 min)
6) season with salt pepper and cayenne pepper to taste, and serve

*Note this recipe can handle missing one or two of any of these ingredients. I recommend having either the barley or the potato at the very least to add a bit more density to the stew.


10-14-2007 Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Browned Butter

Ingredients:
2 cups of Brussels sprouts
1/4 - 1/3 cup pecans
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice

For the Brussels Sprouts:
1) Fill a small pot with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil
2) add sprouts so that they are not completely submerged and cover the pot
3) While the sprouts boil, heat a toaster oven to 350 degrees and roast a         handful of pecans until they release their aromas.
4) check for doneness after 6-10 min depending on the size of the sprouts
5) drain when done
6) toss the pecans with the Brussels sprouts


For the browned butter:
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp butter
1)melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat
2)when it starts browning remove from heat
3)add 1 tsp lemon juice to the hot butter (CAUTION this causes the hot butter to     splatter about like crazy)
4)pour lemon juice and butter over sprouts