Homemade Boeuf Bourguignon & Indian-Spiced Tomato Cream

Homemade gourmet boeuf bourguignon on day one is how this recipe begins, also called beef burgundy. On day two, we get to transform those leftovers into an outrageous Indian-spiced tomato cream dish! I find it so exciting and very rewarding to be able to get two gourmet dishes that are very different in flavors back to back like that. You are building so many beautiful layers of flavors on that first day with the boeuf bourguignon it makes it a cinch to put this Indian-spiced tomato cream together. You can literally whip up the Indian dish in 5 minutes and then just simmer for fifteen minutes until the snow peas are cooked.

The Indian-spiced tomato cream is made up of boeuf bourguignon leftovers, half and half, crushed whole peeled tomatoes, fresh snow peas, and Indian spices like curry, turmeric, coriander and garam masala, and smoked chipotle powder. I fresh grind the coriander to bring out the lovely citrus and floral aromas. I serve up this incredible mouth watering dish with fresh dill and basmati rice. The fresh dill is a must for bringing out and complimenting all those floral Indian spices.

The boeuf bourguignon is a traditional recipe with seared chuck roast, smoked bacon, dry red wine, beef stock, mushrooms, pearl onions, Yukon potatoes and baby carrots that braise for 2 3/4 hours until tender and luscious. You’ll be thinking that the boeuf bourguignon is amazing while you are dunking in a piece of fresh crusty, baguette soaking up all that wine and beef gravy that’s bursting out of every bite until the second day when you whip up this homemade gourmet Indian-spiced tomato cream sauce!  Don’t forget to watch the show and enjoy making and eating these two wonderful dishes!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE HOMEMADE BOEUF BOURGUIGNON:

• You’ll need 1 Lg heavy bottom cooking pot
• 3 3/4 lbs. chuck roast cut into 2″ cubes -(something that’s nice and marbled)
• 1/2 cup slab or sliced smoked bacon in 1/4″ pieces (smoked apple bacon is lovely too!)
• 4-5 small yukon gold potatoes cut into 4’s then into 1/4″ slices OR use PARSNIPS (you can get creative here and use you favorite things)
• 2 bunches small baby whole carrots peeled
• 1-2 pkgs whole crimini brown mushrooms kept whole or sliced in 1/2
• finely chopped 1/2 cup sweet Vadalia onion, 1 shallot, 2 extra lg garlic cloves- chop together
• 1 bag frozen pearl white onions thawed, drained & pat dry with paper towel as best you can
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (I didn’t put any in the VIDEO because my kids don’t like it but you really should add this …it brings in another layer of gorgeous flavor)
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves NOTE: MUST remove these before serving
• 1 bottle plus 2 cups red wine- (some on the drier side)
• 1 plus 2 cups of beef broth
• s & p
• Grated Parmesan (Optional….I just love Parm on my beef stew!)
• Crusty baguette for dunking!

DIRECTIONS FOR BOEUF BOURGUIGNON – Pre-Heat Oven @ 350º/Braising  Time 2 1/2-2 3/4 hrs. Prep Time approx 45 minutes:

1. Thaw bag of pearl onions, drain and absorb and excess water with paper towels, set aside
2. Wipe dirt off crimini mushrooms with damp paper towel and slice in 1/2, keep whole if tiny, set aside
3. OPTIONAL: If you have the time marinate whole chuck roast in 1/2 cup of red wine over night in Ziploc in frig…this is NOT crucial but will add a little extra flavor
4. If you have marinated the beef pat dry with several paper towels (bounty best because it doesn’t fall apart on you) until COMPLETELY dry.
5. Cut up beef into those 2″ cube, Sprinkle with s&p (about 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper)
6. Add 3 Tbsp olive oil to large heavy set pan and heat on med/high for 2 minutes
7. When pan is hot begin to add 1/4 of the all 2″ cubed chuck roast
8. There will be 4 batches of searing and browning the cubed roast, Each batch should only take 5 minutes each to brown all sides of cubed meat
9. As each batch browns take out and set aside on a med bowl and begin searing new batch of meat
10. You shouldn’t need to add more olive oil because of the fat rendering out of the browning marbled meat
11. Add the mushrooms and dried off pearl onions to pan drippings and sauté for 5 minutes, then deglaze with splash of red wine (don’t need to cook thru because they are going to braise in with the potatoes and carrots at the 1 1/2 hr mark
12. Add in bacon and cook til crispy, set aside on top of browned meat
13. Wipe out bacon grease, add 2 tbsp fresh olive oil and add chopped  onion, shallot, garlic mixture
14. Saute for 8 minutes til golden and whisk in 1 tbsp tomato paste
15. When paste is heated thru add in browned beef and it’s juices with bacon into pot
16. Add 1/2 tsp salt (to taste), 1/4 finely ground pepper, 1 bottle red wine, 1 32 oz. beef broth, 3 sprigs fresh thyme tied with cotton string, and bay leaves – NOTE: the wine and beef liquid should just barely cover meat level
17. Bring to a simmer and skim off the foam that rises to the top with spoon or little sieve…this happens naturally when proteins begin to simmer and congeal a foams form and floats to the top
18. After you skim off most of the foam place pot into oven for approx. 1 1/2 hrs. til you add in veggies and more wine and beef broth (total time is 2 1/2-2 3/4 hrs. til the meat is fork tender)
19. Put 2 cups red wine with 2 cups beef broth in a small pot on the stove and keep warm (you’ll need this to add to stew at the 1 1/2 hr mark as some of the braising liquid will evaporate)
20. At the 1 1/2 mark take braising beef out of oven and add sliced Yukon potatoes, carrots, pearl onion and mushroom mixture (after adding in veggies you will see you need to more liquid to the pot)
21. Add enough of the the warmed wine and beef broth back into pot so the liquid just covers meat and veggies
22. Back into oven to braise for another 1 more hour give or take 15 minutes (meat should easily fall apart at this point)
23. Serve up with a fresh, crusty, buttered baguette and Parmesan …mangia mangia!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE INDIAN-SPICED TOMATO CREAM SAUCE:

• 4-6 cups left-over boeuf bourguignon
• 1 cup whole peeled tomatoes (squish with your hands to break up tomatoes)
• 2 cup fresh snow peas OR snap peas (which ever you prefer)
• 3/4 cup half & half
• 1/2 tsp curry
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 freshly ground coriander
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1/4 tsp smoked chipotle powder
• s&p to taste
• 2 cups basmati rice uncooked (cook up following directions on bag)
• 1 bunch fresh dill

DIRECTIONS FOR INDIAN-SPICED TOMATO CREAM DISH – Prep Time 5 minutes/Simmer Time approx. 12 minutes :

1. Cook up basmati rice according to directions
2. Coarsely chop fresh dill and add to rice
3. On medium heat add 4-6 cups boeuf bourguignon leftovers to medium size pot
4. Add crushed whole peeled tomatoes, and snow peas and bring to a simmer
5. Immediately add half and half, and all of the Indian spices
6. Simmer for about 12 minutes, until snow peas are done
7. Serve with basmati and fresh dill and enjoy!

“Perfectly Chocolate” Whoopie Cakes Recipe/VIDEO

“Perfectly Chocolate” Whoopie Cakes Recipe/VIDEO

These “perfectly chocolate” whoopie cakes are a homemade Hershey’s Cocoa chocolate cake recipe that I have been making for 20 years now!  Once you see how easy it is the make these moist and chocolately homemade chocolate cakes you’ll never go back to the box again! Besides on my blog you can find this recipe right on the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa canister.

I was first turned on to the recipe by a mother-daughter baking team that I met 20 years ago. They were professional baking contestants from the Midwest who had won numerous times. My quest at the time was to find the “perfect” chocolate cake and their answer was to start with the Hershey’s Cocoa recipe. Not that the name itself on the back of the Hershey canister for this chocolate cake recipe wasn’t “perfect” enough I just couldn’t take the irony of it all so off I was trying out the recipe and baking this cake! It had such a lovely texture without being too dense or heavy, oh so chocolaty and moist to top it off. The amount of steps and effort put in to making this cake is pretty much equal to that of making a box cake so why would you ever resort back to making box ever again. I have made many other chocolate cake recipes but I always go back to the Hershey’s Cocoa recipe!

The Hershey’s “perfectly chocolate” chocolate frosting is one that should not be over looked either. The frosting is amazing and one of my favorite go to recipes totally blowing away that “canned” stuff with the plastic lid. When I make my whoopie cakes I use my friend Cheryl’s recipe for the creme filling consisting of heavy whipping cream and Jello brand vanilla pudding! It’s simple and easy. How great is that and what an amazing vanilla flavor. The pudding gives it a little bit of a creamy texture and the whipping cream adds in the light and airy. It’s a nice change up from the heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar.

I love making a traditional 2 layer 9″ cake with this cake recipe but I also like to get a little creative on special occasions. For Valentines Day I like to use heart-shaped cookie cutters and fill them with that vanilla creme. I add in a drops of red food coloring to the creme making it as pretty as it tastes. You’ll be having fun with this one and bringing smiles to those who will be eating one of your homemade whoopie cakes with pink vanilla creme filling. You could actually skip the vanilla creme filling and go straight to the Hershey’s “perfectly Chocolate” chocolate frosting (recipe is on the back of the Hershey canister as well) and make little mini cakes…ooh so decadent! Make sure you watch my YouTube cooking show on how to make these whoopie cakes and don’t forget to subscribe on my Youtube channel so that you can receive my latest cooking show releases.

 

   

   

   

   

INGREDIENTS FOR “PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE” CHOCOLATE CAKE:

• Need 12″ x 18″ x 1″ cookie sheet (must have sides so batter doesn’t leak out the sides)
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose
• 3/4 cup Hershey Cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS FOR “PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE” CHOCOLATE CAKE – PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 350º:

1. Grease and flour cookie pan with 1″ sides – Spray Pam, lay down wax or parchment paper then butter and flour over that
2. Add Dry ingredients to mixing bowl on mixer
3. Add wet next- eggs, milk, oil and vanilla
4. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes
5. Take mixing bowl off of mixer and stir in 1 cup boiling water
6. Pour into buttered and floured cookie sheet
7. Put into oven being careful cause the batter will thin
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes- ck the center with a tooth pick to see if it comes out clean then its done, take out and cool completely

CREME FILLING DIRECTIONS:

1. Put 2 cups heavy whipping on a large chilled mixing bowl and begin whisk cream slowly add in 1 box Jello vanilla pudding and whisk til stiff peaks
2. Add 5-8 drops -one at a time of red food coloring til desired pink

 

Homemade Zucchini Torta

Zucchini Torta Recipe/VIDEO

This zucchini torta is one of our family recipes! It’s NOT a frittata or a quiche…it’s a torta. The word torta is of Italian, Spanish, French and Portugese decent.  In others words, you will find different versions of how a torta is made. Even within one country the versions of torta are going to differ. For instance, in many regions of Italy a torta is more like a vegetable pie with thin layers of dough. With this Italian torta recipe there aren’t any dough layers, just an abundance of zucchini and onions. The zucchini and onions are sautéed then added to whisked eggs and cheese and baked until golden. There are only two eggs whisked with Parmesan. You will be tempted here to add more egg thinking two isn’t enough to hold it together …but don’t you do it! Not necessary, two is just enough egg to bind it together and not give it an eggy taste but a delicate flavor of the vegetables and Parmesan. This can be an appetizer served by itself or on fresh baguette slices (preferably a crusty sourdough baguette), on a crostini or with a spread of hor d’ oeuvres like baked coconut shrimp, crostinis with fresh mozzaella, pesto and roasted tomato or crostinis with smoked salmon & cream-cheese caper spread. It can also be a side dish to lunch or a dinner with sautéed chicken breast and spinach.

Make sure to watch my YouTube cooking show above that goes with this recipe and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE on my YouTube channel so that you can receive my latest cooking show releases!

   

   

   

   

   

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Medium/large zucchini or 8 cups
• 1 extra large sweet Spanish onion (vidalia)
• 1 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:  

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375º.
2. Cut up the zucchini in quarters length wise and slice those strips into 1/4″.
3. Finely chop onion (use chopper if you have one).
4. Sauté zucchini and onions in a large saute pan with olive oil for about 10 minutes on medium high heat until fork tender but NOT mushy.
5. Add salt and pepper.
6. In a large bowl whisk eggs and Parmesan (you’ll be adding the sautéed vegetables to this bowl).
7. Using a slotted spoon scoop the zucchini/onion mixture from the pan into the whisked eggs (you don’t need to wait for it to cool) making sure to leave behind any liquid that might have rendered out of the vegetables.
8. Mix the vegetables with the eggs and immediately pour into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish (no need to grease the baking dish)
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden on top.
10. Take out, let cool, slice and mangia!