Gotham Gal

Braised Lamb Shanks

Nothing is easier than braising meat particularly eating it on a cold winter day.  I made these lamb shanks earlier in the week and then just heated them up slowly for dinner later on.  Super simple.

Lamb Shanks ( I used 3 but you could do 4 or more and just add more liquid )

1 large vidallia onion thinly sliced

3 carrots peeled and sliced into 1" chunks

2 cups beef broth

2 cups red wine

1 spice sack filled with 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, a few peppercorns

salt and pepper

smoked paprika

In a dutch oven or even a large deep pot cover the bottom with olive oil.  Coat the lamb shanks with salt, pepper and smoked paprika ( you don't have to use smoked ).  Brown them.  About 3 minutes on each side.  Take out the shanks and set aside.

Toss in the carrots and onions and saute until the onions begin to soften.  Add in the spice sack.  Add the lamb shanks back in.  Cover with the liquids and toss in another 1/2 tsp. kosher salt.  Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer.  Let this hang out on the stove for 4 hours until the lamb is almost falling off the bone.  The liquids should definitely almost cover the meats and if doesn't then add more broth or wine.

You can serve it that night or let it cool and toss in the fridge until you are ready to use.  I took it out a day later and put the pot in an oven set at 250 and for a few hours until it was ready.  Wasn't around so it just slowly returned to warm when I was out at a meeting.

Serve this over a bowl of couscous.  I also served pan fried brussel sprouts on the side. 

Yum. 

Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those dishes that is much harder than it seems unless of course you buy everything pre-made.  I decided to embark on making the sauce first.  I made bechamel sauce too because I didn't have enough cheese.  Basically I made a lasagna aka kitchen sink.

Sauce:

2 Spanish onions chopped

3 large carrots chopped

Spice sack of bay leaves, thyme and oregano

1 cup of red wine

1/2 lb chopped pancetta

1/4 lb chopped proscuitto

1/4 lb ground pork

1/4 lb ground beef

1/4 lb ground veal

2 large cans chopped tomatoes

1 can cherry tomatoes (so not necessary)

1 cup beef stock

1/4 cup sugar

Saute the onions and carrots until soft.  Add 1/2 cup red wine and boil down.  Add in all the meats and stir over medium high heat until everything is browned.  Add in the spice sack.  Add in the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup red wine, 1 cup beef stock, sugar...and about 2 tsp. kosher salt.  Bring to a boil and then down to simmer.  let this sit on the stove for a few hours partically covered.

Bechamel Sauce

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. flour

1 1/4 cup warm milk

salt

On medium high heat whisk together the butter and the flour until browned.  About 2 minutes at most.  Whisk in the hot milk and crank up the heat until high and the mixture should get thick pertty quickly.  Add in salt for taste.  Set aside.

1 big ball fresh mozzarella

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan

I was at Eataly in the morning and picked up some lasagna strips that were made in the morning.  I put the sauce on the bottom of the pan and then laid lasagna pieces over the top.  Layer the sliced mozz over this and then cover with sprinkled Parmesan cheese.  Add another layer of pasta and repeat.  I didn't have enough mozz for another round so I used the bechamel sauce instead.  Then another layer of pasta and covered the top with bechamel sauce and Parmesan. 

Would have loved to have ricotta but kitchen sinks work too. 

split green pea soup

I can't remember the last time I made split green pea soup but for some reason I had to make it yesterday.  Maybe because I have a terrible hacking cough, pink eye and basically feel like shit.  So not pretty.

2 cups of split green peas - make sure to soak them first while you prep the rest (it does make a difference)

2 large onions chopped

5 large carrots diced

5 celery sticks diced

12 cups chicken broth

2 large ham hocks

in a small spice bag - 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 10 peppercorns

kosher salt

In a large pot cover the bottom with olive oil.  When it gets hot put in the onions, carrots and celery.  Saute until soft.  About 10/15 minutes.  Add the spice bag and saute for another few minutes.  Add the split peas and saute for another minute.  Put in about 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and mix.  Add the ham hocks on top and then pour in the all the chicken broth.  Crank up the heat to high until the soup begins to boil and then take it down to simmer.  Cover the pot and once in a while check it but this basically hangs out on the stove for about 2/12- 3 hours. 

Once it is done take out the ham hocks and pull off the ham (get rid of the fat) and chop into small pieces.  Put that back into the soup.  Salt and pepper for taste.  Serve

I serve this with a baguette topped with gruyere broiled in the oven.  A nice warm dish for a really cold night. 

Squid, Tomato Sauce, Potatoes and Peas

I saw this recipe pop up on Saveur magazines site.  I get there email and have been getting their magazine since they launched.  Looked like a nice change of pace and a good meal to kick off the year.  Here is my version.

Serves 6 or maybe a bit more.

2 1/2 lbs of squid ( cut into 1/2" rings and the heads )

1 28 ounce can of chopped tomatoes

1 28 ounce can of pureed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

2 large sweet onions chopped

2 large shallots chopped

3 carrots chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 lbs. quartered small yukon gold potatoes

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

In a large deep saucepan cover the bottom with olive oil.  Add in the onions, shallot, carrots and oregano and cook for about 10 minutes on medium high heat.  The onions should get soft.  Add in the wine and crank up the heat until the wine has boiled away.  About 5 minutes.  Add in both cans of the tomatoes and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then take the temperature down to simmer.  Add a little bit of kosher salt here for taste and the bay leaves..  Let this hang out semi-covered for about half an hour. 

After 30 minutes add in the potatoes.  Let this continue to cook for another 30 minutes semi-covered. 

After 30 minutes add in the squid and peas.  Stir really well and then let this cook for about 5 minutes or until the squid is soft and cooked through.  Serve with a nice green salad, big hunks of bread and red wine.  Yum.

 

Paprika Chicken (recipe from Tereza Nemessanyi)

I got this recipe from Tereza Nemessanyi.  Must give credit where credit is due.  A great dish for a cold winter night! For a big crew it is easy. 

Terezas rule of thumb is one onion = one pound of chicken = 1 tbsp. Hungarian paprika (sweet or hot or a combo)

Here was my interpretation:

2 split chicken breasts

6 legs and 6 thighs (separated)

8 wings

4 large Spanish onions - thinly sliced

Olive Oil

2 tbsp. white sugar

1/2 cup chicken broth

Salt

4 Tbsp. Hungarian Sweet Paprika

8 ounces Greek yogurt ( or heavy cream or sour cream - I used the greek yogurt )

In a really deep large frying pan cover the bottom with olive oil.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  I browned all of the chicken and set it aside. Once all the chicken is browned, add all the onions back into the pot.  Crank up the heat. 

Saute until the onions are really soft and translucent.  Then take 2 tbsp. of sugar and sprinkle over the top.  Now continue to saute until the onions just get a little more caramelized.  Once that is done, take the pot off the heat.  It is important for the next step not to have the heat on.

Add in the paprika and stir thoroughly.  The onions will be red and gooey.  Add in the chicken and toss.  Cover and turn the heat to medium low.  I was a little worried since there was no liquid in there that would be a problem so I put in about 1/2 cup chicken broth before closing the pot but I think it would be fine with out it. 

About 45 minutes or so the chicken will be done.  I took off the top and then boiled the liquid down a little and actually using a big spoon took lots of liquid out so it wasn't so watery.  Then I added in the yogurt for a little thickness and taste. 

Served this over some spaetzle or thin egg noodles.  Delicious. 

 

chocolate chips cookies at 9000 feet

This is my first attempt at making chocolate chip cookies at 9000 feet.  I did futz with my usual recipe but the cookies still came out seriously flat.  They were super butttery too.  I think they look like chocolate chip latkes. 

Here is what I did.  Anyone have any suggestions for next time around?  Thinking less butter and more baking soda? 

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. vanilla

 

Fish Stew

Had a hankering for this and made it last night.  Not that hard and really good.  I made all of this for four but honestly could be for 8.  I should seriously have at least 10 people over for dinner every night.  I cook like I have a brood of people that live here. 

2 carrots peeled and cut into cubes

1 yellow onion diced

1 leek (white part only) chopped

3 stalks of celery diced

2 red peppers diced

14 ounces or so of chorizo ( not fresh chorizo ) sliced or diced

Spice sack filled with 4 bay leaves, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. oregano and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 28 ounce cans of chopped or crushed tomatoes

3/4 lb. halibut cut into large cubes

8 sea scallops

12 large shrimp peeled

1/2 lb. rock shrimp

1/2 lb. fresh crab meat

8 clams

2 cups flour

1 bottle of white wine

salt and pepper

In a large deep pan cover the bottom with olive oil.  Once the oil is hot add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, red peppers and chorizo.  Saute on medium heat until the chorizo gets a little crispy and the vegetables get soft.

Add in 4 cups of water, both cans of tomato sauce and the spice sack.  Bring to boil and then bring the temperature down to a simmer.  Let this simmer on the stove for 3 hours, uncovered.  This will get thick.  I actually let it simmer for four hours and it was perfect. 

Right before you are ready to serve this prepare the fish.  In a large semi-deep frying pan cover the bottom with olive oil.  Put the flour in a bowl with a little salt and pepper and toss in the halibut  Once the fish is coated, put that in the frying pan and cook until it is golden on both sides,  Then with a slotted spoon move that to the tomato mixture.  Continue to do the same with the shrimp, rock shrimp and scallops.  Add the crab meat to the tomato dish once all the other fish has been added in.  Mix and let this continue to simmer.

In that large frying pan that you just pre-cooked the fish in add a bottle of wine and let that come to a boil.  Now add the clams and let it boil until the clams open.  Once they open add them to the tomato mixture and scrape down everything in the frying pan and pour it into the tomato mixture and stir.  This adds the wine and scraps of the fish into the mixture for a really nice taste.

Serve in a dish with some bread on the side, a little white wine and you are ready for a good hearty meal.

 

 

 

 

 

Asian Duck Noodle Soup

This took me no time at all.  Perfect for the now cold winter nights that have quickly set in. 

12 cups chicken broth

2" piece ginger - grated

2 large shallots sliced

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. chili oil

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

Package of noodles ( I used thick white noodles from the Asian grocery store )

3 scalllions - sliced (white parts only)

3 bok choy

3 large shitake mushrooms sliced

2 duck breasts

sesame oil

In a large deep pot cover the bottom lightly with sesame oil.  Turn the heat to high and then once the oil gets hot add the ginger and shallots until they start to brown.  Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the bok choy and mushrooms.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Add the soy sauce, chili oil and fish sauce.  Slowly pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil.  Make sure to taste the broth before it really boils so you don't burn the roof of your mouth.  I added a little more chili oil to spice it up and a dot more soy sauce.  Put in the noodles and once they are done just bring the soup down to simmer.  Add the scallions

Separately, in a 500 degree oven, I seasoned the duck breasts and then put then in the oven with the broiler on.  Once the skin got crispy, I turned the broiler off and set the oven to bake at 500.  The duck takes about 10 minutes at most.  It is best on the rare side because the duck continues to cook in the soup.

In a soup bowl put the pieces of duck on the bottom of the bowl, ladle the soup over the top and serve.

Slice the duck in small pieces and set

slow roasted beef in tomato sauce

It was Sunday and putting something on the stove for hours is definitely the call.  We can smell it start to come together sometime around the first football game.  This could not be easier and you can play with the ingredients.

2 large carrots cut into small cubes

2 leeks chopped

1/2 Vidalia onion chopped

2.5 lbs chuck roast whole (not cut into cubes like for stew)

2 large cans chopped tomatoes

1/2 bottle red wine

8 ounces demi-glace

salt, pepper, a few pieces of thyme, bay leaves ( in a spice sack )

In a dutch oven coat the bottom lightly with olive oil.  When it gets hot brown the meat on each side.  Take that out and put in the carrots and onions.  Saute until soft.  Put the meat back in.  Add the demi-glace, wine, tomatoes, the spice sack and 1 tsp. kosher salt and some fresh pepper.  Bring this to boil and then take it down to simmer.  Cover and let cook for about four hours.  Once in a while check on the meat and pull it apart as it begins to separate.

Serve over pasta ( I used pappardelle ) and some grated Parm on the side.  Good to go.  I was able to freeze half the sauce for another night. 

Asian Fried Rice

This was the side dish for dinner this week.  Super simple.  The key is all the vegetables I bought were pre-sliced.  One of the wonderful things about markets these days is that you can buy the vegetables already chopped to make life easy and put a home cooked dinner together in minutes. 

In the morning while you are eating your breakfast make the rice.  2 cups of rice with 4 cups of water.  Let this rice sit on the stove in the pot all day and get to room temperature.

carrots

mushrooms

zucchini

broccoli tops

1" piece of ginger grated

1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1/4 cup soy sauce

 3 tsp. rice wine vinegar

3 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes

Mix together the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, flakes and set aside  In a deep frying pan (preferably a wok if you have one although I don't) lightly cover the bottom with additional sesame oil.  Once it gets hot put in the ginger and stir for about a minute.  Add mushrooms and stir for a few minutes or until they begin to cook.  Add a little bit of the broth mixture and stir.  Add all the vegetables and a little more of the broth and stir.  Incorporate all the vegetables and just add a little broth every time it evaporates.  Add in the rice slowly.  You might decide you don't want to use it all.  Mix really well at every turn and continue to add the broth until you have no more left.  Serve warm.

A few chopped scallions on top is nice too although I was missing that in my fridge today.  I served this with a roasted chicken but you could put an egg on the top or some sliced pieces of chicken or quick pan fried shrimp to complete the meal.  

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