Sunday, February 22, 2009

Beef Stew

Rainy San Francisco days call for stew (even if my father doesn't like stews - sorry Father!). Perfect for when you are house bound for hours, a stew will warm up the house and fill it with wonderful slow-cooked smells. Not the best photo, and I forgot to picture the piece of cornbread that went with it, but you get the idea.

Beef Stew

Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 3 hours

2 1/2 lbs cubed chuck roast
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
1 bag frozen pearl onions
6 carrots, cut into 1" pieces (more or less)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp. tomato paste
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 bottle good quality red wine
4 cups organic beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs rosemary
4 russet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2" pieces (more or less)
1 cup frozen peas
salt & pepper to taste
  • Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy pan over medium high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and brown, working in batches (if you crowd the beef, it will steam), about 15 minutes. As pieces are browned on both sides, remove to a plate.
  • When all beef is browned, remove all but 2 tbsp. of the butter and oil, add onions and carrots, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and cook for about 5-7 minutes till nicely browned. Add garlic and cook for about a minute more. Add tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes.
  • Return browned beef to pan, along with any accumulated juices. Sprinkle with flour, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add wine, broth, bay leaf, rosemary, and about 1 tbsp of salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer very slowly for about an hour and a half.
  • Add potatoes and continue to cook uncovered for about an hour and a half. About 5 minutes before it's done, add peas.
  • Serve with corn bread, or a crusty bread to soak up juices.

Serves 6

As with most stews, this is even better the next day, and will freeze very well too.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Pasta e Fagioli

Another cold, rainy day; another soup! Tonight, I had a craving for one of my favorites, Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans). Thick, hearty, satisfying, this soup is easily a meal by itself. There are many different regional versions in Italy - here is mine.

Pasta e Fagioli

1 onion
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
olive oil
4 slices bacon
2 sprigs of fresh sage
4 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can San Marzano whole tomatoes
6-8 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
Pasta (one handful per person). I like to use campanelle, but any short pasta will work - use your favorite!
  • Heat about 2 tbsp. olive oil in a heavy soup pan
  • Finely chop onions, celery and carrot and saute in oil for about 5-7 minutes, till onions are translucent. Add whole slices of bacon and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes.
  • Crush tomatoes in their juice with your hands (or you can chop with a knife).
  • Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and stock to pot. Season with salt and simmer slowly for about an hour.
  • Remove the bacon and sage and discard. Take about 1/2 of the beans and pass through a food mill, then return to soup. If you don't have a food mill, you can use a food processor, but a food mill will remove the tough skins of the beans.
  • If you are serving all of the soup, add pasta to the soup and cook till done (you may need to add some water) If you are serving only one or two people, cook the pasta separately, then add to individual bowls of soup. Drizle bowls of soup with a bit of good quality olive oil and serve.

If you haven't added all of the pasta, this soup freezes very well. If you add the pasta, you will want to serve it right away since the pasta will continue cooking and get mushy if you leave it in the soup too long.

Serves 6-8

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Split Pea Soup


This rainy day put me in the mood for soup, so I made a big pot of Split Pea comfort. One of my first memories of Pea Soup is of my father having to feed us when my mother went off to a conference. He had not yet learned to cook at that point in his life, so he gave us Campbell's Pea Soup, which I loved at the time. Now that I'm all grown up, here's my more "adult" version. Simple, quick and satisfying, plus leftovers freeze well.

Slit Pea Soup with Ham

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
2 carrotts, finely diced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. chipotle chili powder
Salt & Pepper
1 1/4 lbs. split peas
2 ham shanks
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
  • Heat olive oil and butter in heavy pan, add onion, celery, carrotts and a sprinkling of salt and cook till tender, 5-10 minutes.
  • Rinse peas well and check for any small pebbles or particles.
  • Add thyme, chili powder, peas, ham shanks, and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
  • Turn down to simmering and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until peas are tender. Skim off any foam that comes to the top in the first 15 minutes of cooking.
  • When peas are cooked, remove ham shanks, trim off meat, chop, and return to soup. Add cream if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.