comfort food Archives - The Midnight Baker

Beef Patties With Onion Gravy

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 00:00:52 +0000

There’s no better comfort food than these beef patties with onion gravy.

Beef Patties With Onion Gravy: Pure Comfort

These beef patties are in the same category as meatloaf and mashed potatoes–it’s pure comfort food and a traditional family favoirte.

The reason I love this meal is that not only is the gravy outstanding, but the beef patties are interesting as well.

In this recipe, you sauté the aromatics before adding them to the meat mixture. This especially comes in handy if you are using very lean–90 per cent and above–ground beef. The reason is you are not only adding the sautéed veggies but the oil they cooked in as well. This will make the beef less dry. That tablespoon of oil is the trick.

If you like the spurtle (affiliate link) in the above pic, I got it on Amazon.

That Mix Isn’t Just For Gravy

We all know those envelopes of brown gravy mix–because a lot of us cheat and use it for gravy. I do now almost exclusively because beef roasts are so extremely trimmed nowadays that there aren’t sufficient drippings to make the real deal. I think it tastes pretty good too.

However, that’s not the only thing I use it for. It’s also a great seasoning for burgers and lots of other beef-based recipes. This is one of those recipes. The idea came to me when it was called for in a pot roast recipe–not as a gravy component but as a seasoning.

Onions

I used one large onion, but if you want more, use as much as you want. By the same token, use less if you desire.

If you don’t like onions or they don’t agree with you, then they can easily be omitted from the gravy. It will taste fine without them.

Additionally, any medium red wine will do here. I’m just partial to Madeira with beef. If you have no wine on hand or just don’t want to use it, substitute with an equal amount of additional beef stock.

The Recipe

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Beef Patties with Onion Gravy

The ultimate comfort food

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef patties with onion gravy, hamburgers with gravy, skillet salisbury steak

Servings: 6

Calories: 360kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup celery finely diced
1/2 cup onion finely diced
1 envelope brown gravy mix or 3 tbs bulk dry brown gravy mix
1 tbs olive oil

Gravy:

3/4 cup beef stock
1/4 cup Madeira wine
1 large onion sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Thickening:

3 tbs flour
6 tbs water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook onion and celery until tender but not browned; about 5 minutes.
Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs eggs, cooked celery and onion and brown gravy mix in a large bowl. Divide into 6 equal portions and form into patties.
Heat the same pan you used for the celery and onions over medium high heat. Brown patties on both sides. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, cook the onions for 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the onions. Deglaze the pan with the wine then add the beef stock, salt and pepper.
Return the patties to the pan with the onions and stock, bring to a boil, cover then reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.
To make gravy, remove the beef patties from the pan, mix the flour and water and whisk into the pan liquid. Cook, whisking frequently, until it bubbles. Cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Return patties to the pan and heat through.

Notes

If you don't want to use the Madeira wine, just add an additional 1/4 cup of beef stock.

In UK, old-fashioned Bisto (the kind you have to cook) can be subbed for American brown gravy mix.

Nutrition

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Chili Corn Chip Chicken Strips

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 00:00:10 +0000

Finally you get to use those crumbs at the bottom of the bag of corn chips! Chili corn chip chicken strips are addictive.

Skip The Fast Food Joint

When the kiddos (or you) are hankering for some great finger chicken, drive right past that fast-food place and make these chili corn chip chicken strips at home.

First of all, since those fast-food places cost an arm and a leg, you’ll save money. Most of that stuff isn’t worth the money because it’s some pressed-and-formed chicken. When you make them at home, you know exactly what you’re eating and more importantly what your kids are eating.

Save Those Crumbs

If these chili corn chip chicken strips weren’t delicious enough, you get to save even more money. Now you can use the dregs of those bags of corn chips right in this recipe. Got crumbs at the bottom of the bag? That’s perfect for this coating.

While we’re on the subject of corn chips, I used the plain ones. However, if you’re partial to the chili flavored ones, you can eliminate the chili powder in the recipe. When I say corn chips, I mean Fritos or Dipsy Doodles, but you can use tortilla chips as well. They’ll work for this too. And if you’re a lover of nacho cheese and/or cool ranch you can add a different flavor dimension thus adding variety.

Chicken

I used good old boneless skinless breast in this. Since I only buy these when they’re at rock-bottom price and freeze them, I always have them on hand. That’s what I suggest you use if you’re budget conscious (like who isn’t these days???).

But if you have chicken “tenders” in the freezer, they will work perfectly because they’re around the same size you cut the breast into. So if you have them on hand, they’ll save a bit of prep time.

The Recipe

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Chili Corn Chip Chicken Strips

Better than those fast-food chicken nuggets hands down

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili chicken strips, corn chip coating for chicken, homemade chicken nugget recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 486kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3/4 cup crushed corn chips
2 tbs dry bread crumbs
1 tbs all-purpose flour
1 to 1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika I used smoked paprika
1 egg
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch strips
4 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a shallow bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. In another shallow bowl, beat egg. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in corn chip mixture.
Melt 2 tbs butter and 1 tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook half the chicken for 8-10 minutes until the meat is no longer pink or 165F/75C. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Video

Nutrition

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Old-Fashioned Tuna Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 00:00:57 +0000

Old-fashioned tuna casserole is as retro as it gets since it’s a mid-century favorite.

Retro Tuna Casserole

There’s quite a number of mid-century meals that have never gone out of style. Meat loaf with mashed potatoes in one of them. The other is this old-fashioned tuna casserole.

This is one of those dinners you either love or hate. I can’t understand the negatives about it since if it’s made right, it’s pretty delicious.

This was never on the meal rotation when I was growing up so I don’t have a childhood history with it. The reason being is my father just didn’t like tuna and my mother wasn’t into making separate meals so she cooked what we’d all eat. I actually developed a love for this because a neighbor would make it. I loved it so much that she’d make it for me specifically. This is her basic recipe and it’s delicious!

Simple Ingredients

This tuna casserole, like most of the numerous recipes for it, are made with simple ingredients that most people already have on hand in the pantry.

It contains the obligatory cream of mushroom soup and of course, tuna. I think that many of us have these ingredients lurking around. And who doesn’t have pasta in the cupboard. If you don’t have a bag of wide or medium egg noodles, then elbow macaroni or any tubular pasta can be substituted.

When it comes to the cheese, a mild cheddar is very nice, but again, use what you have. Often my neighbor would substitute grated Parmesan if she didn’t have the cheddar on hand. So instead of two ups of shredded cheese, you’d reduce the amount to 1/2 cup if you’re using Parmesan. Try it with Parmesan. It’s different and makes it a bit more fancy and updated.

As for the tuna, this is a good place to use chunk light tuna. Solid white albacore works well too, but I feel the light tuna gives it a bit more flavor.

About The Topping

I used Ritz crackers for the topping because I’m crazy for buttered Ritz crumbs, but my neighbor always used the dregs of a bag of potato chips. It tastes very good with the potato chips and it’s a great use for those teeny pieces that end up getting thrown out.

The Recipe

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Old-Fashioned Tuna Casserole

Tuna casserole that's a blast from the past

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: foods from the 1950s, mid-century recipes, tuna casserole

Servings: 4

Calories: 961kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

12 oz egg noodles 1 package
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen green peas
10 oz tuna, drained 2 5-ounce cans
21.5 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup 2 standard cans
4.5 oz sliced mushrooms small can
1/4 cup melted butter
30 butter crackers like Ritz crushed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
Mix crushed crackers with melted butter in a small bowl; set aside.
Cook noodles per package directions until al dente; drain and place in a large bowl.
Mix in the onion, shredded cheese, peas, tuna, soup and mushrooms. Mix well and turn into prepared pan. Top with crumbs
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and casserole is bubbling around the sides.
Serves 6-8

Nutrition

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Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 23:00:14 +0000

This stoevetop chicken pot pie is just what the doctor ordered on a chilly night!

Chicken Pot Pie–Made On The Stovetop

Is there anyone who doesn’t love a good chicken pot pie? I’m pretty sure the answer to that question is not many!

One of the best-loved parts of it is the filling. Personally, I could do without the crust on most of them, the exception being the more gourmet varieties with flavorful crusts.

Well, the crust here is eliminated entirely in this stovetop chicken pot pie so what you have is all filling that resembles a thick soup or a stew. It’s so good, they’ll beg for seconds!

No Crust But Something Better

As I said, the crust is eliminated here but since there’s got to be something to replace it–for the comfort factor alone. The replacement is far better than any crust. It’s a nice, big and flaky biscuit.

I opted to use those frozen buttermilk ones because I like easy (plus I’m not a champion biscuit maker either).

You can also use the ones that come in a tube. But use the good kind. Don’t scrimp because they’re worth it. I’d use them myself but am not embarrassed to say I’m really put off by the popping tubes. I know I’m not alone there…

The last option is to make your own. If you’re a great biscuit maker then this is the way to go.

I always make more biscuits just in case. One big one is enough for most people, but if you’re serving some with hearty appetites then plan on at least two biscuits for them.

More Veggies–Of Course!

The amount of carrots and peas I used in this is just right for me, but as always, feel free to add more. Even add another veggie to make it interesting.

Some people like corn and green beans. They go nicely in addition to the traditional peas and carrots.

The Recipe

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Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie

Easiest pot pie ever

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Servings: 4

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 frozen buttermilk biscuits
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cups half and half or whole milk
3 tbs flour
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 chopped small onion
1 cup julienne carrots
3 tbs butter
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 cup frozen peas thawed
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook frozen biscuits per package directions. Set aside.
Place stock, half-and-half, flour and poultry seasoning in a large sealable jar and shake until combined.
Cook onions and carrots in the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft. Slowly whisk in the stock mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.
Stir in shredded chicken, peas and parsley. cook for about 5 minutes then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve in a bowl topped with a biscuit.

Notes

If you're not in the US or Canada and cannot find "poultry seasoning," you can find the recipe here.

Video

Nutrition

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Swedish Meatballs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 23:00:37 +0000

These creamy Swedish meatballs are so delicious and easy, they’ll be a regular on your menu.

Swedish Meatballs: An Old Standby

Here’s an old comfort dish that has not decreased in popularity over the years!

I remember them being popular as long as I’ve been alive. OK, in my earliest era I remember Swedish meatballs being the “in thing” as an appetizer or a party buffet offering. Way back then, they were more thought of as a finger food than a main course. But one thing that’s a constant about food is that it is always in flux.

What makes them “Swedish” is one thing I could never understand because they were just basic meatballs except for the touch of nutmeg. Perhaps that’s it. However, I have never associated nutmeg with being Swedish, but what do I know?

About The Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a strong spice so you have to be careful using it. A little goes a long way; trust me.

I once tasted Swedish meatballs where whoever made them got a little heavy handed with the nutmeg. As I recall, it was quite unpleasant (at least to my taste) and I was reluctant to eat them every after.

But I was watching some really old Julia Child shows–like from the early 1960s–recently. There was a show dedicated to quiches and Julia used a couple of gratings of nutmeg in the custard. She used whole nutmeg and a grater and just gave it two scrapes. I wanted to make a quiche so I tried that in the one I made. You really cannot taste the nutmeg, but it definitely enhanced the flavor. It is just something you cannot put your finger on but would miss if it wasn’t there.

I applied the same logic to these meatballs and they were fantastic. Of course if you like a strong nutmeggy flavor, then use more, but do try it with only a trace amount first remembering you can always add more.

Creamy Sauce

The sauce base is condensed cream of mushroom soup. However, other stuff is added to give it that homemade taste. If you’d like to make your own cream-of soups, they do taste better and the recipe can be found following the link in this paragraph.

The Recipe

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Creamy Swedish Meatballs

An easy family pleaser

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: appetizers, easy classic recipes with ground beef, ground beef family dinners, meatball recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp salt
punch of ground nutmeg
1 tbs olive oil
10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup beef stock
3 tbs sour cream
4 cups cooked noodles or pasta
fresh parsley for garnish.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the ground beef or turkey, onions, bread crumbs, egg, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Shape into 20 smallish meatballs
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all side. Drain off excess fat.
Add the stock to the skillet containing the meatballs, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Stir in the soup and sour cream. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
Serve over hot noodles. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired (it adds a nice pop of color to the dish)

Notes

If you have whole nutmeg just 2-3 scrapes on a grater will be perfect.

Video

Nutrition

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Chicken Croquettes

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 23:00:01 +0000

Nothing is more retro than chicken croquettes. The ideal comfort food.

So Retro: Chicken Croquettes

Whenever someone mentions “retro recipes,” chicken croquettes are the first thing that comes to mind.

I’m also sure this was on the menu for weekdays in a lot of homes during the 1950s and 1960s. And that was usually to use leftover chicken or turkey–turkey works equally as well–when either of those were dinner on the previous Sunday. Back in those days, little went to waste. Especially in my home where my mother lived through the depression in England where there was serious rationing.

Croquettes are seriously delicious considering they’re made with leftovers and ordinary ingredients.

Make Basic Croquettes More Interesting

The basic recipe for these croquettes is pretty tasty and satisfying. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with flavors here.

For lovers of heat, use some hot peppers in place of the optional bell peppers. Some cayenne can be used as well or in place of hot peppers.

A bit of Parmesan or Romano can also be added to the chicken mixture. You can also turn them more cheesy by adding a half cup of shredded cheese to the white sauce.

In fact, there’s almost infinite ways to flavor these, so let your imagination take over. The only thing you have to pay attention to is the chicken mixture must hold together when you roll it into balls.

Want Sauce?

If you want sauce to serve with these croquettes, that’s pretty easy.

You can opt for a cheese sauce, which is wonderful, or keep to the basic white sauce with some herbs added.

You could double the sauce in the recipe card, using half for the croquette mixture then thinning the other half with more milk or cream. But what I do is make another white sauce–a thinner one–then add either some cheese or some finely chopped fresh parsley. Just follow the same recipe in the card, but use 1 1/2 – 2 tbs of flour. The amounts of cheese and herbs are up to you.

The Recipe

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Chicken Croquettes

Croquettes are an excellent way to use leftover chicken

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: budget chicken croquettes, budget meals with leftover chicken, recipes for leftover poultry, retro recipes with chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 406kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken see NOTES
2 tbs finely chopped onion
2 tbs finely chopped celery
2 tbs finely diced bell pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 tbs water
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Thick White Sauce:

2 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
1 cup hot milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard optional
Pinch of pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For sauce--melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Which in flour, salt, pepper and dry mustard (if using). Gradually add hot milk, while whisking until well blended and there are no lumps. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside too cool slightly.
In a large bowl, mix chicken, onion, celery, bell pepper, salt and pepper.
Add the cooled white sauce and mix well.
Beat the egg with the 2 tbs water.
Form the chicken mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Dredge in the bread crumbs, then dip in the egg and dredge again with the bread crumbs. Place in the refrigerator while you heat the oil.
Heat about 2-inches/5 cm of oil in a dutch oven to 350F/180C. Add the croquettes to the hot oil and fry about 1-2 minutes each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Nutrition

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Royal Fish Cakes

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 00:00:42 +0000

Fancy fish cakes that are truly royal! These are a Lenten treat.

Fancy Fish Cakes

Back in the day, this was a favorite Friday meal when meat wasn’t allowed on that day. Of course, things have changed radically over the years, but fish cakes still remain a perennial favorite for supper. It was in my house growing up even though our religion didn’t require the fish on Friday.

Fish cakes are generally made with some variety of white fish and mashed potatoes. They are a simple and rather inexpensive meal–which is why they are forever popular. They still are a budget meal even with fish the price it is nowadays. The usual proportions are 50-50 of fish and potatoes, but they can be more economical by using a bit more potato to fish.

These Fish Cakes Get The Royal Treatment

These fancy fish cakes adheres to the basic proportions of fish to potato, but add a lot more into the mix.

There’s a bit of crab meat added for an interesting and fuller flavor. They also contain some green onion for a really savory flavor. And the seasonings? Who can beat a bit of Dijon mustard and a dash of hot sauce? Yes, the hot sauce may be omitted, but it’s such a light touch that it really only adds a bit of flavor and negligible heat.

Make Them Crunchy

My mom used to use regular breadcrumbs to dredge her fish cakes. These, however, use Panko crumbs for an extra crunch. That’s the perfect touch for such savory cakes!

And to make sure the crumbs adhere, you refrigerate them for at least 15 minutes prior to frying.

Now, when you fry them take a bit of care as fish cakes are pretty delicate and will fall apart if handled to aggressively. Since everything is cooked, all you have to do is brown them so turning once is all that’s necessary. It’s also important not to crowd the skillet–it’s best to fry in batches if you’re making a lot.

The Recipe

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Royal Fish Cakes

Adding a bit of crab meat to these fish cakes turns them right royal!

Prep Time30

Cook Time14

Chilling45

Course: Brunch, Dinner, Main, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fancy fish cakes, fish cake recipe, meals for lent

Servings: 8

Calories: 192kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb baking potatoes russet, Idaho, maris piper, King Edward
1 lb cod filet
6 green onions finely chopped
2 tbs mayonnaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
5 oz flaked crab meat
2 tbs parsley chopped
dash of hot sauce optional
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tbs butter
1 tbs oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C
Boil potatoes until tender. Drain well and mash. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
Spray a sheet of foil with non-stick spray and put the cod on the foil, season with salt and pepper and seal the foil tightly, making a packet. Put on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, or until just cooked through. Set aside to cool. When completely cool, carefully flake the fish into large pieces. Reserve the cooking juices.
Spoon the cold mashed potatoes into a bowl, mix in the spring onions, mayonnaise and mustard. Add 2 tablespoons of the fish cooking juice, then add the flaked cod and stir in the crabmeat. Add the parsley and hot pepper sauce and stir until combined. Season to taste.
Shape the mixture into 8 fishcakes, roughly 3 1/2-in/9cm diameter, this is easiest with damp hands. Place on a tray and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on a plate and coat each fishcake. Return to the tray and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
Heat a wide, heavy-based frying pan, add the butter and oil and fry the fishcakes over a high heat for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown all over. When frying, it’s best not to overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches, if necessary.

Video

Nutrition

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French Beef Stew

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 23:00:39 +0000

The French way to make beef stew!

Beef Stew The French Way

If you’re ready to up the ante on your beef stew, this is a recipe you’re going to love.

I won’t fib and say it’s a “dump-go-forget” type of recipe. This one does involve a bit more work than the usual, but once you taste the results I think you’ll agree the couple of extra steps is worth it.

There’s even a small secret that will improve the flavor of any stew you make. It’s interesting to note that the one small additional ingredient is responsible for the great taste it imparts even though it’s flavor by itself isn’t detectable.

The Meat Is Important

I know you’re thinking that this is a real no-brainer, but ordinary pre-cut stew beef you buy in your supermarket won’t work as well here.

What you’re looking for in this rustic stew is larger pieces. Funny enough, Julia Child always seemed to recommend top round (I believe this is called “topside” in UK). I had a top round roast in the freezer that I wanted to use, so I cut that up into largish pieces about 2 1/2-3-inches. Other good choices are a thick chuck roast or bottom round (silverside). Again, cutting them up yourself into big chunks.

Not only do the larger pieces look much more appetizing, they are easier to turn during browning. And yes, browning is necessary here.

I chose to cook my potatoes, carrots and turnips separately and not in the stew itself. One reason is that I didn’t want them to get mushy and yep, it looks better too.

The Special Flavor

In the French tradition, this stew uses a bouquet garni to flavor the juice. All that is is an assortment of herbs tied up in cheesecloth. If you don’t have cheesecloth handy, then a white paper towel will do. You need to contain the herbs and spices so they don’t actually go into the juice.

The bouquet garni contains fresh parsley–you can use the stems and reserve the leaves for something else–a bay leaf, some thyme and 2-3 whole cloves. Yes, cloves!!! And that’s the secret to the wonderful flavor of this stew. You don’t actually get a clovey taste. In fact, you couldn’t detect it’s flavor, but it imparts something so wonderful to the flavor. I might add that I’m not a lover of cloves so I was a bit skeptical when I saw the original recipe in one of Julia Childs’ books. However, I tried it and I’m glad I did. The flavor is outstanding.

The Recipe

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French Beef Stew

The most delicious beef stew you’ll ever make

Prep Time20

Cook Time3 15

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: beef stew, comfort food, french recipe for stew, stew recipe

Servings: 8

Calories: 437kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 lbs top or bottom round cut into large chunks
1 tbs butter
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup carrots
1 1/2 tbs oil
1-3 cups red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 cup chopped tomato
5 fresh parsley stems
3 whole peppercorns
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
2-3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs dry white vermouth
3-4 cooked turnips cut in quarters
5-6 small cooked whole potatoes
1 cup cooked baby carrots

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the 1 tbs butter and 1 tsp oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the meat on all sides. You may have to do this in shifts. Place meat on a plate and set aside.
Heat a large (5-6qt/L) dutch/French oven over medium heat. Add the 1 1/2 tbs oil, sliced onions and carrots. Saute until onions are translucent. Add the meat to the dutch oven, then pour in the red wine, chopped tomatoes and enough beef stock so the meat is almost covered (it’s ok if it’s not completely covered).
Wrap the parsley stems, peppercorns, fresh thyme, cloves and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth. Tie to secure and drop into the liquid in the pot. Bring to the simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 2-3 hours, or until meat is tender.
Place a colander in a large bowl and dump the contents of the dutch oven into the colander, reserving juice. Discard the onions, carrots and bouquet garni (herbs in the cheesecloth).
Place the meat back in the dutch oven and add strained juice. Mix the cornstarch and wine/vermouth until smooth. Mix into the hot juice and stir over low heat until thickened. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked turnips, potatoes and carrots and heat through.

Notes

Use any veggie you like with stew. I used carrots, potatoes and turnips.

Fresh herbs are recommended for this since the flavor is better.

Video

Nutrition

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Sticky Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 23:00:16 +0000

An easy chicken recipe the whole family will love.

Tangy Chicken

Anyone who has followed me for a while knows how much I love chicken. For years I’ve been saying that I was a real “cheap date” because I’d rather have chicken than steak.

This sticky chicken recipe is one of the reasons I love chicken so much. This is really tasty and it uses ingredients you probably have on hand.

The flavor of the marinade gets deep into the chicken. You will be able to taste it’s fine and tangy flavor all the way down to the bone. That’s achieved with a very simple step that I’m going to recommend for any chicken that has to marinate.

Sticky Chicken Uses Simple Ingredients

As I mentioned before, this chicken recipe uses very basic ingredients that you likely have on hand already.

The only one you may have to buy would be the whole-grain mustard. I would imagine that you could just substitute plain old Dijon mustard for it, but the whole-grain variety has a much better flavor. I think you’ll like it so much that it will become a staple too.

Otherwise everything else is pretty common. I’m sure most folks have ketchup, honey and everything else right on their shelves.

Marinate: The Longer The Better

While the original recipe gives a minimum time of 30 minutes to let the chicken sit, the longer you leave it in the marinade, the better it will taste.

Right now I am going to recommend prepping this the day before. Pop it in the fridge and let it sit until you cook it the next day. You will not be sorry.

Now, the secret to getting the flavor throughout the meat is not only the longer period of marinating. This sticky chicken uses parts that are skin-on. In order to let the flavor migrate through the whole piece is to make shallow slashes in the skin. The cuts should be less than 1/4-inch deep. They must go through the skin and a little bit down into the meat itself. This is something I haven’t done before, but it’s something I intend to do from now on when I marinate any skin-on poultry.

The Recipe

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Sticky Chicken

Marinate this chicken overnight for fullest flavor

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Marinate8

Total Time8 50

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken recipe, easy recipe

Servings: 6

Calories: 331kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 whole chicken legs or combination of thighs and drums

Marinade:

6 tbs ketchup
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs whole-grain dijon mustard
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs honey
1 clove garlic crushed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
Take a sharp knife and make a couple of shallow slits on the top of the chicken legs (on the skin side). Place chicken in a large zipper freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Massage bag so marinade evenly coats chicken. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (400 if using a convection oven). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place chicken on prepared pan, skin side up, and spoon remaining marinade evenly over chicken.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is brown (it will singe around the edges, that’s what you want) and the juices run clear—165 degrees internally.

Nutrition

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Coq Au Vin

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 00:00:31 +0000

Coq au vin is the perfect meal on a cold winter evening.

Provincial Classic

Nothing says French Provincial cooking better than coq au vin. While it may sound fancy with the French name, all it is is a chicken stew.

Coq au vin is pretty easy to make too. It’s not a dish that should be reserved for special occasions either. In France, it’s an every-day meal.

It’s perfect for winter because it has a long-ish cook time if made conventionally or in the slow cooker. If you want it quickly, it’s easily converted to Instant Pot cooking too. It’s hearty and filling. It’s also inexpensive so it’s easy on the budget as well.

The Wine

Where most who cook with wine usually use white wine when preparing chicken. Coq au vin is a bit unusual in that it uses red wine.

The choice of red is, of course, up to you. However, you’re best sticking with a full-bodied red that’s dry but not overly dry. Dessert wines won’t work here and likewise, I wouldn’t use an extra-dry wine like chianti. But of course if you like it, use it! I chose a Pinot Noir for this and it worked perfectly.

This dish can made with white wine. I think Mary Berry makes a coq au vin with white wine. I haven’t done this but it does sound interesting and yes, delicious. So if you’re out of red wine and only have white, by all means substitute it.

The Veggies

Traditionally, you use carrots, mushrooms and shallots in most recipes.

Since shallots are a bit pricy and you use a lot of them in this, I chose to use frozen pearl onions. They’re a lot cheaper and more importantly, are ready to use. You can, of course, use shallots if you want to do so. About 10-12 smallish ones will do. You can also use fresh small white boiling onions–they’re a pain to prep though. Where I’d like to tell you plain old yellow cooking onions would be good here, I can’t because they won’t. They’ll dissolve so you won’t get that nice textural thingy you would with the whole shallots or pearl onions.

The Recipe

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Coq Au Vin

Coq au vin is the perfect meal on a cold winter evening.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Coq au vin

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 745kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 chicken pieces assorted thighs and drums
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red wine I used Pinot Noir
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 ribs celery chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
3 sprigs thyme OR a good pinch of dry
14 oz frozen pearl onions
2 cups baby carrots
1 cup button mushrooms
salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken well on each side; remove and set aside.
Saute the celery and garlic in the same pan for about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually add the wine, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Add the stock, pepper, thyme and baby carrots; stir. Place the chicken back in the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Taste the pan juices and add any salt to taste. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

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