Spring Veal Stew

Spring Veal Stew

Serves 4

1 rack of veal chops

½ beef tenderloin

1 chicken breast

2 tbs butter

2 cups dry white wine

1 cup milk

12 pearl onions, fresh

Wild mushroom blend

1 bag of frozen peas

4 strips bacon

1 Tbs corn starch dissolved in ½ cup cold water

Cook the bacon and onions in the butter until bacon is crisp.  Using a slotted spoon remove solids and set aside.  Sear the three meats.  Pour in wine and1/2 cup milk with the meats in the skillet.  Bring mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cover for about 2 hours, turning meats as needed to not dry out.  Once finished all three meats should be tender and break apart easily.  Remove the meat and pour the liquid through a sieve to remove any solid pieces.  Remove the veal chops from the bones and break apart into chunks.

Return liquid back to pot and add in remaining milk and corn starch mixture and stir.  Do not boil, but simmer until mixture has thickened. Add salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.   Add in the frozen peas and mushrooms and cover for about 5 mins.  Then add in the meats, bacon and onion to the mixture and mix to cover everything in sauce.  Let sit on low heat until ready to serve.

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Butter

1 tsp white truffle oil

4 medium, Yellow onions; thinly sliced

1 Tbs white sugar

2 ½ Cups hot water

1 bouillon cube

1 Tbs Champaign vinegar

1 Tbs white pepper

½ cup shredded Swiss

½ cup shredded Gruyere

4 Toasts, optional

Directions

Melt butter and oil in pot over medium high heat.  Add onions and cook stirring until translucent.  Cover and reduce heat to medium low.  After about 10 minutes the onions should be starting to brown a little, sprinkle with sugar and stir.  Uncovered cook about 10 mins more until onions are browned and begin to fall apart.   Dissolve the bouillon in the water and add vinegar to mixture.  Stir in to onions and bring to simmer, covered, for about 15-30 mins depending on how fast they cook.  When the soup is done, remove from heat. 

Pour soup into oven proof ramekins or soup bowls.  Remain about 1/3 inch from the top.  Place ramekins on a baking sheet.  Add the toasts, and cover with cheese mixture.  Bake at 450 for about 15 mins until the cheese is melted and starts to brown a little.

Pear Tartlets

Pear Tartlets
I saw a recipe for these online, but when i was trying to make them i realized they must have forgotten some ingredients for the filling bc it only added up to about 1/3 cup of liquid, so i thought about it and i made some additions and i think they turned out fantastic!

Brown Butter Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup almonds,
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
Filling
2 Tbs almond extract
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature and beaten
2 Tbs sugar, and more for sprinkling
2 Tbs flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla rum
1 tsp lemon zest
4 oz Mascarpone cheese
Topping:
2  pears, peeled and cored


Preheat oven to 350°F and spray six 4-inch tartlet pans with nonstick spray; place on a baking sheet. In a food processor add the almonds and pulse a few times until finely ground.  Add in flour sugar and salt and pulse a few more times to mix.  Meanwhile brown the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns darker, but not too dark.  Turn the food processor on, and slowly pour the butter into the work bowl, after just mixed turn off, remove blade and mix a few times more with your hands.
Divide the mixture among the 6 tartlet pans, and press into bottom and sides of the pans.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack.
Increase oven temperature to 375°F. In a food processor add in all ingredients for the filling.   Process a few times until mixed completely.  Divide mixture evenly among tartlet shells. 

Slice pear and cut each slice in half.  Arrange pear slices over filling.  Place in the oven for 20 mins.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar. Put tartlets back in the oven and bake for another 5-10 mins, depending on your oven.  Tart filling should be a little puffy but not brown.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  Remove from pan after completely cooled. 

i had already cut them in half so thats what the line down the middle of them are.  

Flat Bread Middle Eastern Salad

Sorry guys once again i forgot to take a picture of this but it is so easy and so delicious i thought id share!

1 med. cucumber, diced
1 med. tomato, diced
handful of spring mix lettuce, or spinach whichever you prefer
1 piece of flat bread sliced into bit size pieces, (i cut mind into 12ths )
handful of green olives sliced in half
1/3 of  green medeteriannian pepper diced
some feta crumbled

mix it all together pour a little but of olive oil sprinkle with fresh dill and add a drop of white vinegar, add salt and pepper and enjoy!

Cauliflower & White Cheddar Soup

Sry i havent been posting lately.  I keep forgetting to take pictures and to write down my recipes so it makes it difficult to share them with you that way.  Fortunately i remembered last night while i was making this soup.  It was so good, i hope you like it too!!

Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

·         1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into pieces

·         2 carrots, shredded or sliced thin

·         1 medium red potato, cut into pieces

·         1 medium yellow onion, sliced

·         Bunch of scallions, chopped

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         4-6 oz white Vermont cheddar cheese, shredded

·         1 spoon of Better than Bouillon® Veggie Base

·         2 cups fat free milk

·         2 tbs olive oil

·         Optional: ¼ tsp white truffle oil, 1 tsp horse radish

Instructions

Fill a large stock pot with water about ¾ full add salt, cauliflower and potato. Allow it to come to a boil and cook veggies for about 10-15 mins until they are soft.  Before draining take 2 cups of the boiling veggie water and mix it with the better than bouillon, set aside.  Drain veggies discard remaining water.  Return pot to stove over medium high heat, and add olive oil and allow oil to heat for a few minutes.  Then add in the onion and carrot.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and I added a drop, (no more than ¼ tsp!!) white truffle oil.  And if you like your soup a little spicy you can also add in the horse radish here.  This is completely optional. 

Once tender add in cauliflower and potato.  Mix well to season all veggies.  Then add in the 2 cups of bouillon and bring it to a simmer.  Add in the milk and turn off heat.  Once cooled slightly blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth.  (if you do not have one you can add the soup into a regular blender or food processor but be careful and work in small batches so you do not burn yourself!  Once you have achieved the consistency you want (I prefer mine super smooth), turn the heat on to medium low and slowly add in the cheese.  You can make it cheesier and thicker by adding more cheese; I added about 5 oz. to mine. Add in chopped scallions and mix in.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Leave uncovered over low heat for about 15-20 mins stirring occasionally, to allow flavors to set.  Serve with either croutons or cheese flake. 

Cheese flakes:

Preheat oven to 375.  On a silicon baking mat sprinkle mozzarella into flake like shape.  Drop a pinch of parmesan on top, and sprinkle with pepper and add 3-5 scallions in the center, depending on how big you make them.  Bake until melted.  I like mine a little crispy so I leave them in for about 7 mins, but make sure they don’t burn!

Eggs Benedict & Eggs Florentine

So This One is not really that Healthy, but sometime you just have to give in and live a little!  I have tried several different ways to make Hollandaise sauce and I wont lie, I don't really have a set recipe i kind of throw it together every time, so I apologize if it is a little strange you just have to experiment until you like the consistency, if you like it thicker, add more egg yolk, if you like it richer add more butter, etc.  

This is enough for two people

Each person gets one English muffin but you put one egg on half so you end up woth two halves per person.

Eggs Benedict:

Two whole wheat English muffins

Two slices of Canadian Bacon

4 Eggs

For the sauce:

2 egg yolks

½ stick butter or butter alternative

Salt & pepper

Lemon juice

Toast the English muffins.  Heat the Canadian bacon in a skillet and place on top of the English muffin.  Poach the eggs and place on top of the Canadian bacon.  To make the sauce, in a double boiler, quickly whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice and slowly pour in melted butter careful that the eggs don’t get too hot or the will cook!  Add  a bit of salt and pepper, pour over the eggs on the English muffins and serve!

Eggs Florentine:

Two whole wheat English muffins

1 cup cooked spinach

½ tsp minced garlic

2-3 Tbsp  cream cheese

Onion powder (optional)

4 Eggs

For the sauce:

2 egg yolks

½ stick butter or butter alternative

Salt & pepper

Lemon juice

In a small sauce pan add garlic the spinach the cream cheese and the onion powder if using.  Sautee until fragrant and cheese is melted.  Toast the English muffins.  Place creamed spinach on top of the English muffin.  Poach the eggs and place on top of the Canadian bacon.  To make the sauce, in a double boiler, quickly whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice and slowly pour in melted butter careful that the eggs don’t get too hot or the will cook!  Add  a bit of salt and pepper, pour over the eggs on the English muffins and serve!

Kale Asparagus Tart with Herb Crust

Kale Asparagus Tart with Herb Crust

I know for some people it can be intimidating to make their own crust, but tart crust is really the easiest thing to make once you get it down.  I hope my instructions are easy to follow!  Now for the next few days ill be posting a lot of egg recipes because there was a little mix up with the grocery list and my boyfriend and i both went shopping and we ended up with about 30 eggs in our fridge.  So i hope you all like eggs!!  This is a very tasty dish, i love Quiche and think it is even better with the tart crust!  i have a few pic, i know im getting better at the picture thing!  

For the Crust:

1 Bunch Basil

1 Stock Rosemary

3-6 leaves Sage

1 Clove Garlic

2 Cups Flour

¼ stick cold butter cut into cubes

1/8 – ¼ Cup Cold Water

For the Filling:

1 Cup Greek Yogurt

3 Eggs

1 Cup Shredded Swiss cheese

1 Yellow Onion

1 Stock Green Onion Chopped

1-2 leaves Kale, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a food processor add in the herbs and Garlic pulse a few times.  Add in flour and pulse more to combine.  Turn processor on and slowly add in butter one cube at a time, stop and feel to see if it holds together when pinched.  If not add a little more butter, if it does, while running, add slowly in the water.  Press into the bottom and up the sides of a nonstick tart pan with a removable bottom.  Poke holes in the bottom of the crust to create vent holes and bake for about 10-15 mins.  Remove and cool on wire rack until ready to fill. 

Cut the Asparagus into about 1 inch strips and place in a bowl with a chopped yellow onion.  Heat a table spoon of olive oil in a pan and cook vegetables until soft.  Remove from pan and place kale in pan and cook until it wilts.  Place wilted kale on bottom of tart crust. Meanwhile chop up the green onion and place it in a medium bowl. 
Add three eggs and whisk them with the onion.  Add in the asparagus and onion and add Greek yogurt.  Add salt and pepper to taste and add in ½ cup Swiss cheese.  Mix to combine.  Pour into tart crust and spread around evenly.

  (I added some cherry tomatoes on the top of mine here) and top with remaining Swiss cheese.  Bake covered for about 20 mins.  Remove cover and bake another 20 mins.  Enjoy!