Category: Bay Leaves

Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup

11/30/2022

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INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, diced
Heaping ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
⅓ cup red lentils
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked vegetables. Your choice. Any that are left over. Frozen vegetables also work.

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, carrots, smoked paprika and cumin; cook, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't brown, about 2 minutes more.
Add the broth, diced tomatoes, red lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer; cook for ten minutes.
Add the chickpeas, cover the pot and cook 10 minutes more.
Fish out the bay leaves, then transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth.
Add the puréed soup back to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary;
if you want the soup to be thicker, purée a bit more soup.
Add the cooked vegetables and simmer until the soup is hot and the vegetables are warmed through.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

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Belgian Short Ribs Carbonnade

11/11/2020

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Serves: 4
1 large whole cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2 whole star anise
4 whole allspice berries
5 whole black peppercorns
3 tablespoon butter, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 to 4½ lbs. beef short ribs (8)
1 to 1½ large onions, sliced (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 12-ounce bottles brown ale
1 12-ounce bottle cream stout
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
16 packaged pitted prunes
⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 cups cooked wide egg noodles

Cheesecloth, spice sock o bag

Wrap cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, allspice and peppercorns in piece of cheesecloth or a spice sock or bag. Tie to secure; set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until butter starts to brown.
Sprinkle short ribs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Working in batches if necessary, add short ribs to pot and cook until deep brown on all sides, turning occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer ribs to large bowl.
Add onion to same pot and sauté over medium-high heat until transparent, about 5 minutes.
Add spice packet and Worcestershire sauce; stir 1 minute.
Add the ale, stout, broth, vinegar and brown sugar, stirring well and bring to a boil. Immediately lower to a simmer.
In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour until you create a roux. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the hot simmering liquid ale/stout/broth. Continue to whisk until fully incorporated.
Add the roux to the simmering pot and continue to whisk until all are one.
Add the mustard and brown sugar and blend it into the mixture well. Then add the prunes.
Bring all back to a simmer. Cover and let continue to cook over low heat for about 2½ hours with an occasional stir.
When the ribs are so tender that they could fall away from the bones, remove the spice packet and discard. Remove the ribs from the stew to a holding bowl.
Set a large sieve over a large bowl and strain the stew broth. Reserve the solids.
Extract cooking liquids from the fat (see note). Return the liquids to the same pot and reduce, at a high simmer, to about 4 cups, approximately 15 minutes.
Return the short ribs to the pot with the reserved solids.
Adjust the seasonings to taste and reheat for about 10 minutes.
Place the warm wide ribbon noodles in a large serving bowl. Add the short ribs, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

NOTE: There are a multitude of fat separators on the market. The first I found to be simple, easy and effective to use is the Swing-Away. I see now that there are others that operate on the same principle.

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Creamy Lamb and Leek Stew

10/28/2020

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Serves: 8 to 10
6 – 10 parsley stems
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
3 cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium – 5 small leeks, thinly sliced
4 pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1 ½ -inch cubes
1 qt chicken broth
3 heirloom carrots, quartered lengthwise and crosswise thickly
3 parsnips, quartered lengthwise and crosswise thickly
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
¼ cup shredded parsley

Use cheesecloth or bouquet garni bags to make an herb bundle of the parsley stems, thyme, bay leave and cloves.
Heat the olive oil in a medium enameled cast-iron casserole. Sear the lamb chunks and remove to a large bowl.
Scrape down the side of the casserole, adding a little more oil if required.
Sauté the leeks in the casserole until transparent.
Add the broth, vegetables, herb bundle to the casserole and bring to a low simmer for about 10 minutes.
Return the lamb to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the entire contents back to a low simmer.
Continue to cook until the lamb is tender, 35 to 45 minutes.
Separately, cream the butter with the flour medium bowl.
Add, tablespoon by tablespoon, some hot liquid from the casserole to the butter flour mixture and whisk together until smooth and more liquid than solid. Set aside.
About 10 minutes before the stew is completely cooked, slowly stir the butter/flour mixture into until it is well blended.
When the lamb is sufficiently tender, remove it and the vegetables from the stew to a serving dish and set aside.
Remove the casserole from the heat. Whisk the cream into the remaining liquids.
Test the seasoning and adjust if required.
Pour the liquid gently over the lamb and vegetables. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Belgian Short Ribs Carbonnade

Creamy Lamb and Leek Stew

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