My friend Sally asked for this recipe, and after typing it into an email I figured I may as well paste it here for others to see - this dish is damn good.
A traditional Beef Stroganoff, as I understand it, is filet mignon with a creamy mushroom sauce, served over a bed of egg noodles. This version uses ground beef and mixes everything into a casserole form, making it easier on the budget to feed a hungry family. This recipe is adapted from the one in "America's Best Lost Recipes," published by the folks at Cook's Magazine. The original recipe is from one Carole Weinberger in Florida. The book is not bad, but focuses largely on sweeter recipes; the first two chapters are starters and entrees, and the following four chapters are dedicated to sweet things of various kinds. I wish it were a little more balanced in that respect, but the next time I'm making a dessert I might be grateful ...
This is the recipe as it's laid out in the book, but I've marked (with *) where I made a few adjustments. The first time I made it, I left out the grated cheese because it seemed so rich already, and it was still quite delicious.
Poor Boy Stroganoff
salt
8 oz. egg noodles
2 tbs butter (*I omitted this)
1 lb. lean ground beef (*I used chuck)
1 smallish onion, chopped fine (*coarse is good too, if you like more texture)
8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced (*I've used crimini, king oyster and shiitake mushrooms, quartered or in wide strips)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbs flour
1 clove garlic, minced (*or 3-4 smallish cloves)
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry red wine (*I used more like 1/2 cup the first time I made this - was good!)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (*or Asiago)
(*I add 2 chopped zucchini)
(*dash of cayenne pepper)
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place a big pot of water with 1 tbs salt over high heat (for the noodles). Cook the noodles 5-7 minutes and then drain and set aside (you can do this while you are preparing the sauce).
2. Heat a large (really large, since it will hold all your sauce) skillet over med-high heat, and add the butter. Cook the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces, until it's lightly browned all over. Transfer the beef to a plate lined w/ a paper towel. Keep about 2 tbs of the beef juice in the pan, and discard any extra (this step is why I omitted the butter - you get a little extra flavor from it, but you pour it out anyway! I thought this dish was rich enough w/o it).
3. Add the onion to the remaining beef fat, and cook until golden (~5 mins). Add the mushroom, zucchini, salt, pepper and cayenne, and cook until all are browned evenly.
4. Add the flour and cook for about a minute, until it starts to brown. Add the garlic and cook about 30 secs - 1 minute, careful not to burn it. Stir in the tomato sauce, wine, broth, and beef and bring to a simmer. Cook until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and stir in the sour cream (yum!).
5. Bring out a large casserole dish and layer: sauce, noodles, sauce, noodles, sauce. This ensures the noodles don't stick to the bottom, and that they get sauce all mixed in with them. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the dish, if using. Bake about 20 minutes, or a little longer until the cheese is browned. Let it cool 5 minutes before serving, to thicken up.
One note: the first time I made this, I put the beef in a large bowl, poured the wine, tomato sauce, and broth over it and set it aside while I was cooking the vegetables. I think it helped to keep the beef moist, and to start mixing the flavors together. Using more mushrooms than called for also has a nice effect, if you're down for shrooms.
26 January 2008
02 January 2008
Sherried Mushrooms
This is an appetizer that my dad makes from time to time, which is one of my favorite things to eat, hands down. The better the mushrooms and sherry that you use, the better the result will be. I've done this with crimini mushrooms before, and that was fine, but this is the perfect dish to try new shrooms: chantrelle, shiitake, oyster, porcini, chinese black, lion's mane, hedgehog, yellowfoot -- try them all. The only one I wouldn't recommend is enoki, as they are a little too fragile.
about two pounds assorted mushrooms (this time we used .5 lb each of chantrelle, black chantrelle, baby shitake and lion's mane)
olive oil or butter (we used truffle butter with shallots, for extra flavor)
salt
pepper
~1/2 cup sherry or port of your choice
~1/4 cup heavy cream
Brush your mushrooms and cut any especially large ones in half. Place a skillet over med-high heat, and add some butter or olive oil. When hot, add a couple handfuls of mushroom and stir just to coat with the oil. You want the mushrooms to cook thoroughly without stirring them very much. As they cook, move them to the edge of the pan and add another handful of raw mushrooms to the center of the pan. Do this until they're all cooked, adding more oil or butter as needed to keep them from burning. Add salt and pepper periodically, to taste. You can also add a pinch of herbes de provence and/or a bit of cayenne if you're feeling feisty.
The main idea is to cook most of the water out of the mushrooms so that you can replace it with tasty sherry. When all the mushrooms are cooked, add the sherry or port to the hot pan and cover immediately. Let simmer for five minutes or so, then check and add a little more sherry if needed. They should be wonderfully aromatic at this point, plump and moist. When the sherry is all absorbed, add the cream and toss the mushrooms in it. Cover and simmer for another five minutes or so. Finish with a little extra cracked pepper and serve over toast, crackers, eggs, endive, or any other vessel you can imagine. You can also try adding some chopped garlic with the last handful of raw mushrooms, but be careful that it doesn't burn.
A note about sherries (or ports, for that matter):
The best sherry for this dish is the one you would most like to sit down and have a glass of. Sherries vary from very dry to very sweet, and either works for this dish. The flavor of the mushrooms ultimately depends on the flavor of the sherry you use, so make sure it's one that you like the taste of. Personally, I like a sweet and nutty classic cream sherry, which I think complements the savory, umami taste of the mushrooms.
about two pounds assorted mushrooms (this time we used .5 lb each of chantrelle, black chantrelle, baby shitake and lion's mane)
olive oil or butter (we used truffle butter with shallots, for extra flavor)
salt
pepper
~1/2 cup sherry or port of your choice
~1/4 cup heavy cream
Brush your mushrooms and cut any especially large ones in half. Place a skillet over med-high heat, and add some butter or olive oil. When hot, add a couple handfuls of mushroom and stir just to coat with the oil. You want the mushrooms to cook thoroughly without stirring them very much. As they cook, move them to the edge of the pan and add another handful of raw mushrooms to the center of the pan. Do this until they're all cooked, adding more oil or butter as needed to keep them from burning. Add salt and pepper periodically, to taste. You can also add a pinch of herbes de provence and/or a bit of cayenne if you're feeling feisty.
The main idea is to cook most of the water out of the mushrooms so that you can replace it with tasty sherry. When all the mushrooms are cooked, add the sherry or port to the hot pan and cover immediately. Let simmer for five minutes or so, then check and add a little more sherry if needed. They should be wonderfully aromatic at this point, plump and moist. When the sherry is all absorbed, add the cream and toss the mushrooms in it. Cover and simmer for another five minutes or so. Finish with a little extra cracked pepper and serve over toast, crackers, eggs, endive, or any other vessel you can imagine. You can also try adding some chopped garlic with the last handful of raw mushrooms, but be careful that it doesn't burn.
A note about sherries (or ports, for that matter):
The best sherry for this dish is the one you would most like to sit down and have a glass of. Sherries vary from very dry to very sweet, and either works for this dish. The flavor of the mushrooms ultimately depends on the flavor of the sherry you use, so make sure it's one that you like the taste of. Personally, I like a sweet and nutty classic cream sherry, which I think complements the savory, umami taste of the mushrooms.
Ricotta Cherry Mousse
Adapted from a recipe in Mollie Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.
This is a naturally sweet dessert or brunch dish. Use the best ingredients you can muster: this is all about the taste of the ricotta, the cherries, and the subtle hints of orange, vanilla and rose. We made this for brunch on New Year's day, served with chocolate hazelnut torte after eggs with sherried mushrooms*, cheese and fresh bread. A good way to start any day or year!
16 oz. (2 cups) fresh ricotta cheese
~2 cups (or more, or less) pitted, halved fresh cherries
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp rosewater
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp orange zest (about 1/4 an orange, or less)
chopped, toasted almonds for garnish
Put the ricotta in a mixing bowl and whip for about 5 minutes with an electric mixer. I used a stand mixer, so I'm not sure how long this would take by hand. The idea is to get the cheese light and fluffy, although there will still be some curds. Add the honey slowly, and beat until incorporated. Do the same with the rosewater and vanilla. Fold in the cherries and orange zest. We used a little too much zest, and you couldn't smell the rosewater very much - play with these proportions as you like.
The original recipe recommends refrigerating the mousse for a few hours before serving, but we impatiently ate it right up and it was delicious. Sprinkle the chopped toasted almonds as a garnish at the last minute, so they don't get soggy.
*Sherried mushrooms: post to follow.
This is a naturally sweet dessert or brunch dish. Use the best ingredients you can muster: this is all about the taste of the ricotta, the cherries, and the subtle hints of orange, vanilla and rose. We made this for brunch on New Year's day, served with chocolate hazelnut torte after eggs with sherried mushrooms*, cheese and fresh bread. A good way to start any day or year!
16 oz. (2 cups) fresh ricotta cheese
~2 cups (or more, or less) pitted, halved fresh cherries
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp rosewater
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp orange zest (about 1/4 an orange, or less)
chopped, toasted almonds for garnish
Put the ricotta in a mixing bowl and whip for about 5 minutes with an electric mixer. I used a stand mixer, so I'm not sure how long this would take by hand. The idea is to get the cheese light and fluffy, although there will still be some curds. Add the honey slowly, and beat until incorporated. Do the same with the rosewater and vanilla. Fold in the cherries and orange zest. We used a little too much zest, and you couldn't smell the rosewater very much - play with these proportions as you like.
The original recipe recommends refrigerating the mousse for a few hours before serving, but we impatiently ate it right up and it was delicious. Sprinkle the chopped toasted almonds as a garnish at the last minute, so they don't get soggy.
*Sherried mushrooms: post to follow.
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