Italian Beef Stew

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

This is a family favorite that is easy to make and it’s ready is much less time that a traditional beef stew. Change the veggie combo if you prefer others, but make sure that you add long-cooking vegetables when you start the meat.

Ingredients

1 pound stew beef — cubed
2 cloves garlic — minced
1 medium onion — slivered
16 ounces potato gnocchi — vacuum packed
14 1/2 ounces beef broth
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 cup mushrooms — quartered
1 cup zucchini, small — cut into 1″ pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup water

Directions

Brown beef in olive oil and add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is just soft. Add broth, tomato sauce, spices, and water as needed and simmer 50-60 minutes, until beef is tender. Add gnocchi, zucchini, and mushrooms and simmer until tender, about another 10 minutes.

Notes

Buttermilk Soda Bread with Fennel Pollen

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

A nice crisp crust and an even crumb give this March favorite a life as a sandwich bread as well as a side to your Irish stew. People who don’t care for soda bread seem to like this one. They usually notice a slightly different flavor but can rarely figure out what it is. Fennel pollen is available from numerous online vendors and will be part of several other recipes I’ll be posting.

Ingredients

4+ cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1¾ cups buttermilk
¼ tsp fennel pollen

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in food processor.
Cut the butter into pieces and add to processor. Pulse 10-12 times to incorporate into flour.
Mix buttermilk and egg; add to processor along with fennel and process until dough comes together and pulls away from sides.
Turn dough onto well floured and form dough mound. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough just long enough to form a round loaf. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add a little more flour. Do not over-flour or over-knead!
Transfer dough to a medium, lightly greased cast-iron skillet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1½“ deep in an “X” shape.
Transfer to oven and bake at 425°F until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. You can check for doneness by listening to the loaf or by inserting a skewer into the center. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

Sour Cream Cookies

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

A breeze to make and not too sweet. Decorate them with the raspberry meringue and fresh fruit, and they taste, look, and feel decadent. (Recipe created by La Bellitude for TABLE Magazine. Photography by Brooke Lark.)

Ingredients

2¼ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold
2 tbsp sour cream
2 eggs yolks
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar

Directions

In a food processor, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the sour cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar until dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or piece of parchment and knead lightly to bring it together. Roll out between sheets of waxed paper and chill.
Remove wax paper from chilled dough. Cut the dough into desired shapes and place on parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or just until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack; sprinkle with powdered sugar or decorate with little raspberry meringues or whipped cream and fresh fruits before serving.

Hazelnut Avocado Semifreddo

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

A light but delicious make-ahead dessert that is a real treat in the summer but easy to make and fun to eat at any time of year. Wait til you taste the first crunch of hazelnut!

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
3 tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
Cooking spray
1 large avocado
¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ cups heavy cream

Directions

In a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nuts and sugar mixture to the skillet. Stir constantly until sugar browns, 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving at least a 3” overhang.
In food processor, puree avocado flesh, condensed milk, lemon juice, and a pinch salt. Whip cream to stiff peaks; fold in avocado puree. Break up cooled hazelnuts if clumped and add them to the avocado mix. Pour into prepared pan. Cover with plastic overhang and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours. Slice in the loaf pan or unmold to a platter and slice.

Notes

Hazelnuts are tough to chop (and the processor doesn’t work for this) so I buy them already roasted and chopped from Freddie Guy Hazelnuts in Oregon. They keep well in the freezer and are great for salads and baking.

Polenta with Brown-Butter Balsamic Mushrooms

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

This is a delicious and very satisfying vegetarian recipe. It has also been known to turn mushroom-haters into fans. Do not use corn flour when making the polenta. Most recipes direct you to bring the water to a boil and then add the polenta. Adding it first and whisking as it heats ensures that there will be no lumps.

Ingredients

2 cups cornmeal, medium or coarse
6 cups chicken stock or water
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup shaved Parmigiana
8 oz goat cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream or as needed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 pounds mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (white or cremini)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh chopped basil, oregano, or tarragon

Directions

Measure the stock or water into a large pot; whisk in the polenta, making sure that there are no lumps. Put the pot onto a medium-high element and whisk until it just comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low.
Continue to whisk frequently until polenta just starts to bloom, that is, when it becomes a yellow liquid and not just corn floating in water. This can take up to 10 minutes for coarser grains. Cover with the lid just slightly ajar and cook until finished. The amount of time will depend on the grind of the polenta you use. Very coarse can take over an hour; finer grind may be 25-30 minutes. For all grinds, you will continue to whisk frequently until the polenta becomes too stiff to whisk. When this happens, change to a wooden spoon, making sure to whisk/stir the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking. Taste for doneness when it thickens. You do not want the polenta to be al dente!
When you reach this stage, stir in the butter and season with salt to taste. Top with shaved cheese and a drizzle of olive oil or any other topping you choose.
Using a fork, mash the cheese and blend with enough cream to make a smooth spread. Depending on the cheese that you use, this should take 2/3 cup of cream. It should be creamy and able to be dolloped but not runny. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté minced garlic in olive oil about a minute. Immediately add mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Sauté mushrooms until soft and their liquid has cooked off, stirring often. Turn off heat and leave pan on burner to keep mushrooms warm.
While mushrooms sauté, make brown butter vinaigrette. Melt butter in a small pan over low heat until it turns a deep brown color, about 3-5 minutes. Remove butter from heat and cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the brown butter in a glass container and add balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over mushrooms and toss.
To serve, put the basic polenta (no toppings) in a bowl, top with mushrooms, and then top the mushrooms with dollops of the creamy goat cheese. Add chopped herbs if desired.

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Italian Beef Stew