Showing posts with label Bacon. Show all posts

Monday, June 27, 2016

PEACHES & BACON!!! A beautiful Summer Salad

Peaches & Bacon Salad

& 16 Health Benefits of Peaches!

Great summer salad with a ridiculous amount of nutrition (read article below!) and perfect for the summer! Not to mention it’s tastes Gorgeous!

Mixed greens with Arugula

Peaches -sliced

Bacon -cut (not crunchy)

Chopped Shallots

Chopped Oregano

Balsamic Glaze ( reduce for 15 minutes, add a teaspoon of honey and pinch of salt)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper.

16 Health Benefits of Peaches

By: Diana Herrington

Peaches have been grown for centuries. They were first cultivated in China where they are considered a symbol of immortality and friendship.

I consider them a key powerfood along with staples like apples and pears. I just wish they were available longer!

16 Ways Peaches Fortify Your Health

1. Peaches are the perfect snack food for losing weight. A peach makes you feel full and keeps you from overeating. The bonus: one peach only contains about 35-50 calories and no fat!

2. Fight obesity-related diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Peaches are rich in phytochemicals called phenols that act as antioxidants.

3. Keep the skin healthy. Vitamin A and C make peaches a great natural moisturizer; they’re often used in cosmetics. These vitamins can help regenerate skin tissue.

4. Reduce hair loss with its positive effect on the scalp.

5. A healthy stress-reliever that helps reduce anxiety. Peaches are often referred to as the ‘Fruit of Calmness’ in Hungary.

6. Helps prevent cancer with selenium — a mineral with antioxidant properties that may help protect cells from damage.

7. Peaches can help remove worms from the intestines.

8. Have a diuretic effect which helps cleanse your kidneys and bladder.

9. Peaches can calm an upset stomach.

10. Compounds in stone fruits could help with “metabolic syndrome,” according to Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, AgriLife Research food scientist involved in a study at the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia. Cisneros-Zevallos says, “Our work indicates that phenolic compounds present in these fruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties in different cell lines and may also reduce the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol which is associated with cardiovascular disease.”

11. Those suffering from gout and rheumatism are recommended by dieticians to eat peaches because peaches tend to have a diuretic and a light laxative effect.

12. Peaches are thought to be an aphrodisiac.

13. Peach flowers have sedative properties . A remedy for restlessness includes boiling peach flowers in water along with some honey.

14. Inhibit tumour growth activity. Peaches have excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant activity according to research.

15. Chronic bronchitis, coughs and gastritis are relieved with the medicinal tea of the leaves and bark of peach trees.

16. Peach tea is used as a kidney cleanser in China.

Paired perfectly with a Cheese Souffle

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Wine Braised Short Ribs!!! - Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father’s Day!!!

Wine Braised

SHORT RIBS!

Pictured with Wild Mushroom Ravioli’s

There is no other piece of meat that will bring tears to your eyes than a gorgeously braised Short Rib! There are a million ways to serve, but the only way to prepare it - perfection! Prepared with just as much flavor and emotion to hold it’s own against the legendary Boeuf Bourguignon. A gorgeous piece of meat that melts off the bone and in your mouth.

Beautiful for a special occasion and to impress, showing just how much you appreciate that someone. An excellent choice for Father’s Day!

Braised dishes get better with age, so take the time to develop this into something Far Beyond what you started with. It will develop characters and deep layers of flavor that will leave you salivating days after you've finished your meal!

On the bone, over Roasted Vegetables, with Red Wine Sauce.

With time, and a few step by step instructions- know that you’ll be able to understand and complete the techniques involved here. With patience and excitement knowing how amazing it’s going to taste!

There are no substitute for the wine to achieve this richness or exact magic. However know that you will be cooking the alcohol out.

Marinade - You will be using this exact marinade as your braising liquid too.

1 - 750-ml bottle Red Wine

½ cup each: Celery, Carrot, Onion / shallots - small chop

3 cloves Garlic Crushed

10 Sprigs Parsley - whole

6 Sprigs Thyme - whole

3 Bay Leaves

5 Cloves

Place all in Large Dutch Oven with a lid. Set Aside.

UTENSILS:

Dutch Oven w/ Lid

Skillet

Tongs

Strainer

SHORT RIBS -

1-2 BONE ON Short Ribs per serving. 6-8 Short Ribs per recipe. (1 inch thick, 1 ¼ -½ pounds each.)

4 strips of Bacon.

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Oil for searing

Salt & Pepper

2 Tbsp unsalted Butter - for sauce

You can buy packaged, or have butcher cut - but they’ll come ready to start cooking. You really want to get the Bone On because it adds to the intense flavor while braising!

Don’t worry about trimming these up at all, use as it.

Place the ribs in the marinade, bone side up, and make sure meat is completely covered. Cover with the lid, and put in refrigerator for minimum 12 hours! Best if 24 - 36 hours!

PROCEDURE:

Preheat Oven 350

Coat Skillet with Oil, heat over Med- High

Remove the meat and drain on paper towels, meat side down.

Make sure all sides a dry before searing or it will spit at you once in pan!

Salt & Pepper on every side before searing.

When the oil starts to smoke barely, carefully place meat side down on skillet to brown, each side.

Make sure it’s Brown on every side - you’re only searing not cooking all the way thru.

Place on paper towels to absorb extra grease, meat side down.

This is going to look much darker than you might like, it’s perfect! The caramelized meat will add to the braising liquid… This is one of those dishes where every technique makes the entire dish that much better.

Discard excess oil from Skillet. Place bacon in until cooked half through.

Put the short ribs On TOP of braising liquid, bone side down - meat up.

Lay the bacon on top, and drizzle the bacon grease over as well.

Season well with Salt and Pepper. Cover and place in middle rack for 2-2 ½ hours.

Take the Ribs, ever so carefully and gently, out of the pot with a slotted spoon, so they don’t fall apart, allowing the meat to rest while making your sauce (10-20 minutes.)

Brilliant Sauce! All this work and you’re almost finished!

* Take the braising liquid and strain very well removing all the aromatics.

Place in a sauce pan or pot and reduce by ½ or until it’s the thickness you desire. Remove from heat.

Stir in 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar. Salt and Pepper to taste.

* Finish with swirling in 2 Tbsp Butter on top. Add extra parsley if desired.

Finally You’re finished! Trust me it’s been worth the work and wait!

Plate with whatever you’re serving. As below over Roasted Vegetables.

Over Ravioli

#ShortRibs #Braising #BeefBourguignon #Father’sDay #CookingWithWine #FrenchClassics #AmericanCuisine #InternationalCuisine #CuisinArt #SpecialOccasionFood #RomanticEats #ChefCaylena

Monday, May 30, 2016

Conquering and Refining the Mac & Cheese

Conquering and Refining

the Mac & Cheese!

Without all the bells & whistles … that’s up to you.

Serve as a rich and decadent side dish, as the ultimate brunch with a poached egg...

Or as a succulent entree with Soft Shell Crabs.

A thousand ways to make Mac & Cheese… This luscious version is rich & creamy, light & fluffy, slightly smoky, and served with anything you dream off. This is not your grandparent’s Mac & Cheese, and it’s clearly not Velveeta. This is not made with Truffles, though it’s certainly just as gorgeous, elegant, and beautiful enough to stand alone.

Total Time: 45-1 hour Difficulty: Intermediate Flavor: Gorgeous Serving Size: 6 entree / 12 side dish

*This is a great dish to serve as assemble - or can up to 2 days later.

** Preheat oven *400

Ingredients:

4 cups Elbow / Macaroni Noodle - cook until Al Dente in Salty water!
6 pieces Smoked Bacon - cooked

2 cups Milk (sub ½ cup for ½ cup cream for super rich, but no more)
2 Egg Yolks - toss whites
½ lb grated Sharp Cheddar (reserve ¼ cup for topping)
¼ lb grated Smoked Gouda
¼ lb grated Parmesan (reserve handful for topping)
1 oz Brandy or Spiced Rum
¼ cup Chives or Scallions (green parts only) chopped
2 tsp Butter -Room Temperature. & more to grease casserole dish
2 tsp Flour
1 tsp Mustard
2 cloves Garlic - minced
1 tsp White Pepper (or smoked Paprika)
½ tsp Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Salt - or to taste, plus more for boiling noodles.
½ Cup bread crumbs from crackers

Start with Mise…

Shred your cheese, measure everything out, because it should go fairly fast once you start your Bechamel.

Cook bacon, drain excess grease, chop to bite size pieces.

Boil noodles in Salty water until fairly Al Dente - run under cold water after straining to stop cooking process.

1 - Make the Roux - Blonde.

In Sauce Pan mash the Butter & Flour until light paste. Turn heat on over Med- Low to warm.

2 - Add milk and turn up the heat to high, whisking until smooth, never stopping to let the bottom burn. Once starts to foam - lower heat to Medium High while whisking vigorously until thick as a sauce. Drop heat to Low immediately.

Keep going until thick.

3 - Add salt, Nutmeg, White Pepper, Mustard, Garlic.

4- Add the cheese in increments - Whisk until melted. (don’t forget save some for topping.) ** If you’re sauce is getting too hot, pull off heat as not to burn!

5 - Turn off heat once Cheese is melted in. Stir in Brandy, Bacon, & Chives.

6 - Fold in Yolks, stir gently to mix. This will turn it very luscious and will coat noodles gorgeously!

7 - Pour and stir Sauce into cold noodles. Taste for salt now.

7 - Butter up Casserole Pan.

8 - Pour in Mac & Cheese and level top. It’s better for the mac to be spread out in a shallow casserole pan rather than a deep dish because it may turn mushy, plus the toppings are a great spread out.

9 - Top with crushed cracker crumbs, then sprinkle evenly around the remainder of cheese.

10 - Cover in Foil.

** If you’re cooking now in full - Cook 10 minutes - remove foil, cook another 10 minutes… or until it looks like this...

*It is best to let sit for 10-15 minutes before breaking into or serving to let the cheese sauce thicken back up!

Again this is a stunning dish for summer or any weather really… the Soft Shell Crabs of summer with the spice of Old Bay really complement each other. Of course as a side dish, or after a hangover - it’s the most perfect of brunches to bring you back to that happy place!

You can get as adventurous as you’d like, add whatever you want, serve with ever you would like… but this way, is simply perfection.

Enjoy!!!