Distinctive Dinners: 1st Chilly Night Diiner
Caesar Salad | Beef Bourguignon | Dad's Mashed Potatoes | Fig and Hazelnut Tart
Caesar Salad
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Salad |
| Meal: | 1st Chilly Night Diiner (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 1 | head | lettuce, Romaine |
| 3 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | medium | lemon, juice of |
| 2 | cloves | garlic, minced |
| 0.75 | cup | cheese, Romano, grated |
| 0.25 | small | baguette |
| 1 | spritz | PAM |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| |
In a large bowl place oil, lemon juice and garlic, press garlic into bowl with a wooden spoon to distribute. Whisk ingredients together. Cut baguette into 1/4 inch slices, spray with PAM and place in a 350-degree oven for 4 minutes or until gold brown. Tear (don't cut) lettuce leaves into small pieces and place in bowl on top of dressing. When you are ready to serve, toss salad and add romano and toss again and add croutons broken into halves.
Chef Rick tells me he must have anchovies, if your wish, add four anchovy filets to the bowl with the oil, garlic and lemon.
Beef Bourguignon
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 10 |
| Category: | Beef Entrée |
| Meal: | 1st Chilly Night Diiner (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 0.5 | lb | bacon |
| 4 | lb | beef, cubes |
| 3 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 1 | 10.5 oz can | beef consommé |
| 1 | bottle | wine, dry red |
| 3 | Tb | tomato paste |
| 4 | medium | bay leaves, whole dried |
| 0.25 | tsp | thyme, dried |
| 2 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 1 | package | onions, pearl frozen |
| 1 | lb | mushrooms, white button |
| 3 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 3 | Tb | flour |
| 1 | Tb | salt and pepper to taste |
| |
Cut bacon into small pieces. Brown bacon in large pan, remove and reserve bacon. Brown beef in pan, add garlic, sauté 2 minutes, add consommé, wine (reserve 1 cup), tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme. Reduce heat and cook covered for 40 minutes, or until beef is fork tender. Add butter to a second pan; sauté onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes until slightly brown. Remove onions and mushrooms from pan; add to beef pan, deglaze onion pan with remaining cup of wine, and pour into beef pan. Make a roux with the butter and flour, cook roux until just slightly beige, stir into beef pan. Cook until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Hints: Make Bourguignon up to a day in advance and cool. Reheat when ready to serve.
Wine Pairing Ideas!
Dad's Mashed Potatoes
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Starch / Pasta |
| Meal: | 1st Chilly Night Diiner (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 7 | large | potatoes |
| 2 | Tb | salt, kosher |
| 1 | cup | sour cream |
| 4 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| |
Peel potatoes, cook in large pot with salted water to cover until fork tender. Remove, drain and place in large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces. Add butter and sour cream to bowl. Using an electric mixture, mix until all lumps and gone. Salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Never use a food processor for potatoes, as they will turn to glue in the processor
Fig and Hazelnut Tart
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | 1st Chilly Night Diiner (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 1 | recipe | Tart Dough |
| | | |
| 1 | cup | cream, heavy |
| 2 | Tb | honey |
| 1.5 | cup | figs, dried |
| 0.5 | cup | hazelnuts, toasted |
| |
Make tart shell (Recipes/Dessert/Tart Dough). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cream and honey in a small sauce pan, heat until honey melts (2 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside. Cut dried figs into halves. Cut hazelnuts into large chop. Combine figs and hazelnuts in a bowl; add half the cream mixture. Fill baked tart shell with fig mixture. Top off with remaining cream mixture. Bake 25 minutes until golden brown.
