Classic Boeuf Bourguignon with Crispy Potatoes

The couple Elana and I are staying with/torturing requested boeuf bourguignon as their Sunday supper, claiming it is their favorite dish of all time. When people say "favorite" I instantly get heart palpitations as this means they had this orgasmic bourguignon experience while visiting the French countryside with their first love and their life has never been the same since. Oh mon Dieu! It is; however, unlike me to step down from a challenge and I stepped into kitchen (which do not normally include air conditioning in Singapore) and cooked this baby for 3 delicious hours.

I have to say my final product turned out lovely. They were highly complimentary and, whether true or not, this makes me feel instantly better. How many years did I spend learning the language of love? Eleven. Do I still sound like redneck? Yes. This, I have accepted, will never change but my culinary skills redeem my horrible linguistic slaughter. N'est-ce pas?

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON with Crispy Potatoes
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes ( i used maris piper but you can use whatever you like)
• 25 small pearl onions, peeled
• 10 slice large button mushrooms
• 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 large sprig of fresh thyme, dried is fine too
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 1 bottle cheap red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• lots of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pat of butter
• salt and pepper
  

Directions:

• Roll the beef in seasoned flour
• Brown beef on all sides in oil (with a little butter). Make sure they are good and brown so the meat doesn't lose its moisture during cooking. When done, remove from heat.
• In the same pan, cook pearl onions until they have a light brown exterior. Remove from heat.
• Repeat with mushrooms. This should not take very long at all (we don't want them to go mushy).
• Add meat back into the pan.
  
• Add the bottle of wine, chicken stock, garlic, thyme, bay leaves to the meat.
• Simmer on a VERY low heat for at least 1.5 hours
• When you are nearly ready to serve, toss in the onions and mushrooms and cook for 25 more minutes. You are done!

for the potatoes:

• While the stew is bubbling away, set your oven to 425F/220C and make your potatoes.
  
• peel and slice the potatoes VERY thin. You can use a mandolin if you have one.
• Par boil your slices in a pot over the stove for about 5 minutes so they are a bit softer.
• Drain and let them dry a little bit
• Arrange on a sheet so they overlap and sprinkle with olive oil.
• Bake until brown and crunchy.. sprinkle with rock salt.

Mushroom Risotto Cakes with Peppered Smoked Trout and Asparagus

As some of you know, I have recently begun doing Weight Watchers again as my trip to Italy reminded me I am the chunkiest human on planet Earth. No No.. tis not true but swim-suit season always reminds us to try and eat healthier in pursuit of that perfect Giselle-like form. Also, my boyfriend is planning a visit state-side for my bday in July and I want him to be impressed by my dedication to dieting (as it is love/happiness that has made me gain the chunk to begin with).

That being said, I was invited to a dinner party for my friend Graham, see pic, who is moving to California to live on the beach. jealous. Graham is normally pretty healthy, but just in case, I ate greens all day and saved up my WW points for food and multiple glasses of wine. Sure glad I did.... we had delicious risotto cakes with smoked trout and asparagus. Smoked trout is one of my favorite ways to eat fish. It is served room temp (or chilled) and is very good for you. All and all this isn't an unhealthy meal if you restrict your risotto intake to ONE cake (they are pretty filling anyhow). Thanks for dins Graham-cracker.. loves xxxx

Here is Graham's recipe:

MUSHROOM RISOTTO CAKES

makes 6+ cakes (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups (or more) hot chicken stock
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano
• 1 handful of button mushrooms (or cremini, porcini, etc.), chopped
• drizzle of olive oil for frying cakes
• S&P
  

DIRECTIONS:

• Melt half of butter (2 Tbsp) in a heavy saucepan over med. heat.
• Add onion and soften (about five min).
• Add rice; stir and toast for a couple of minutes.
• Add wine and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed. Stir constantly!
• Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed (KEEP STIRRING!!! You don’t want any to stick to the bottom)
• Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding.. stirring the whole time! Before you add your last cup of broth, add chopped mushrooms..
• You know it’s done when risotto is tender and mixture is creamy.
• Take off heat and add parmigiano reggiano and s&p as necessary.
• Let mixture cool COMPLETELY.
• When cool form cakes with hands.
• Fry cakes in a pan in olive oil until golden brown on both sides.
• Serve immediately with trout on top.
  

*Graham bought the smoked trout.. tsk tsk from the local grocery store (Harris Teeter) and it is available at most large stores/fishmongers.

BAKED ASPARAGUS:

-courtesy of other dinner guest, Lisa.

serves 4 with risotto and trout

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch asparagus, washed
  
• drizzle of olive oil
• a squeeze of lemon
• a handful of sliced almonds
• cracked black pepper
• kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 F/205 C
• Lay asparagus on a baking sheet.. do not overlap
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Squeeze on lemon
• Add S and P
• Place in oven for 10 min.
• Take out.. add almonds and put in for another 2 min.
• Take out when they have been cooking for about 12-15 min.. you still want them to have a nice crunch.
• Use as a side dish for another meal or add to the risotto cakes and smoked trout.

ALL TOGETHER NOW....