Category Archives: Food + Wine

Oxtail Soup

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(source)

With Christmas coming to a close, and the constant getting together with family and friends, I thought now was as good of time as any to make soup. To me, there is nothing better on a cold winters night to eat than chili our soup and this soup is no exception. Hearty root vegetables are the real star of this dish along with the uncommon oxtail! This soup has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. (small disclaimer – this soup takes all day to make, so don’t make any plans to do anything except chopping and peeling vegetables. I made this from 10am-5pm).

3-4 pounds of Stew Beef

1 Oxtail package

1 package of parsnips (peeled and chopped)

1 medium sized rutabaga (peeled and chopped)

2# of carrots (peeled and chopped)

6-8 potatoes (peeled and chopped)

1 medium onion (peeled and chopped)

1 head of cabbage (chopped)

Ketchup

Salt & Pepper to taste

Water

In an 8 or 12 quart stock pot fill with water 3” from the top.

Throw in the chopped onion, 2 bay leaves stew meat and oxtails and cook on medium to high heat covered.

Take out oxtails when stew is tender (approximately 3 hours later) and pick meat out of oxtails. Put back in stock pot.

Chop the head of cabbage, parsnips, rutabaga and carrots and add to stock pot. Cook for 25 minutes.

Chop potatoes and toss with salt then add to stock pot and cook an additional 25 minutes.

Add more pepper if needed to stock pot.

Add ketchup for color with vegetables.

Add salt & pepper to taste.

This will make about 5 gallons of soup, but its easily frozen and actually tastes better as time goes on.

ROSEMARY BUTTERNUT SQUASH & ROSEMARY VENISON TENDERLOIN

Today my husband sent me a text message around 7:00 a.m. to let me know that he got a deer! Woot! Deciding that I would be eating venison for a while I better come up some recipes that I actually like.  Now in the past I’ve had venison jerky which is very delish, but other than that I’ve only had ground venison which was cooked like hamburger and tasted like…. ______.

So my husband has it hanging over at our friends house right now for the Deer Cleaning birthday party for my daughter’s 6th birthday. A very Minnesota themed birthday if you ask me. She’s even requested Tuna Fish Hot Dish… but I digress.

So when my husband came home today with a prime cut of Venison Tenderloin I knew I must hit pintrest immediately and search for a delicious recipe! I had also recently come home from Aldi with a butternut squash.

So I found this marinade recipe via Pintrest – click here.

Marinade:
4 cloves garlic, minced (I used closer to 7 becuase they were very small)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. black pepper
I didn’t do anything else with this blog’s recipe or directions.

The recipe called for 4 cloves of garlic, but mine were really small so I added closer to 7. I also left out the dijon mustard because we didn’t have any and it was very terrific without.

I then put the tenderloin in a 9×13 glass pyrex and really drizzled and rubbed the marinate in, and then put it in my refrigerator from about noon until 4:30 p.m. I took the pyrex out around 4:30 p.m. and then let the meat come to room temperature for about 20 or so minutes.

I got out my favorite skillet and drizzled a little EVOO in the pan and heated that up over medium heat. I then put my tenderloin pieces on the skillet and cooked about 2-3 minutes on each side. Everything I’ve read said to make sure NOT to overcook. So I’d say instead of looking at the clock, take a peek at the actual meat. Cut open if you must. Let rest about 10 minutes before slicing up.

As far as the butternut squash goes. I cut up one squash (cleaned and seeded of course) and put in my steamer basket on the stove top until they were soft. Once they were done I drizzled a little EVOO, kosher salt, and rosemary. This was absolutely AH-Mazing!!!!

I then of course paired with a glass of shiraz which was the perfect accompaniment to this meal!

Bon Appetite ~ Time to eat!

QUIONA STIRFRY

This amazing dish was shared to me by my co-worker Greg! Versatile as ever its really a foodies dream!

Take Quiona, Olive Oil & Chicken as the base, and then add in any vegetable that your heart desires.

This dish is all about the chef’s choices. You can cook the chicken in the oven. I believe this offers the best taste, but it also takes approximately 45 minutes to bake chicken at 350 degrees. I am a busy working mother of a six year old, so I usually take the easy road, and commit culinary crime and BOIL my chicken! Yes… I know. Sad. I’ve been referred to as a communist.
So I BOIL my frozen chicken, but not completely. I have some culinary hope. Once its nice and pinked up  and almost cooked I throw it in my wok with some EVOO and cook that up and chop up into nice little pieces with my wooden spoon.
Then I usually pour myself a nice glass of wine!
Now its time for the chop! I grab whatever produce I have on hand, which I usually have a lot, because who doesn’t love to nourish their bodies with super yummy vegetables? Today. It was carrots, peppers, and Kale! (my new favorite versatile food.) but honestly grab whatever you think sounds delicious. You really can’t put anything in it that would be wrong!
Once your chicken is cooked, throw in the veggies, and add a little more EVOO.
Cook up your Quiona. Its usually 1 part quiona and 2 parts water, but I find that makes it too watery, so I usually make 1 cup quiona and 1.5 cups of water. I put in my pampered chef micro cooker, and microwave for about 8 minutes or so. Stove top is fine too, and probably easier in some regards.
When all of the water is cooked out of the quiona add some EVOO, and add some Lowry’s garlic salt to taste.
Throw some soy sauce and Lowry’s garlic salt to the veggie/chicken mix.
Plate up!
Bon Appetite
Time to eat.

QUICK AND CREAMY MAC ‘N CHEESE

Today was the first day it really felt like fall.  I started out the evening with a glass of wine, in cozy clothes on my deck. I came in, started a nice fire in the fireplace (which does not really warm up the house- its just nice ambiance)…. and with temps in the mid 60s I felt like a nice fall dish!

16 oz medium shells (I used whole wheat)
1 pkg frozen squash thawed (here is where the fall dish & added nutrition comes to play)
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
2 cups shredded six cheese Italian cheese blend
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Cook pasta (duh) Save 1/4 pasta water.

Prepare Sauce:
For sauce, place squash into saucepan and gradually add milk, whisking constantly using a whisk. Cook over med high heat for 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Add cheese; cook 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture returns to a simmer – whisking constantly. Add nutmeg, salt and reserved cooking water. Add to pasta and stir to coat.

Serve and sprinkle with additional nutmeg if desired.

Sorry about the half eaten bowl, but it was so delish i couldn’t resist!

Verdict: um…. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

SKILLET RICE & BEANS

 new favorite from Vegetarian & More! (By Linda Rosensweig)

 

 
Tonights meal had significantly more flavor to it! It was Skillet Rie & Beans! I love recipes that only call for 5 ingredients… especially if one of them is water! I was a little nervous after last nights meal which was fine, and I’d try again, but this had a LOT more flavor…
1 can (16oz) Black Beans, rinsed & drained
2 10 oz cans of Rotel Mexican style tomatoes (see picture) – I bought mine at cub in the italian aisle.
2 cups Mixed Vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, lima beans)
1/2 cup salsa (Ortega medium)
2 cups brown rice (instant)
In a pot, or nonstick skillet combine the beans, tomatoes (with juice), vegetables and salsa. Add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile microwave the instant brown rice in a microwave safe container. – if you followed the recipe out of the book it had you putting the rice in the mixture, but i’m a time saver kind of gal. 7 minutes in the microwave, and i’ve got dinner on the table! WOOT!!!!
Combine, and bon appetite!
It was SUPER great. I’d make this Super cheap – super amazing dinner again, and it packed in 18 grams of protein.

BOW TIES WITH PESTO & BEANS

I’m on a 10 day adventure of trying a vegetarian diet! Ever since I watched Forks over Knives, and read the Omnivores Dilema I’ve pretty much wanted to become Vegan, or at least get my meat from a very reliable source, (e.g. Fish that I caught from a lake … or ACTUAL free range Chickens that I’ve butchered.)
Last Christmas my Mother-In-Law got me this book, because she knew I was interested in
 Vegetarian cooking!
So today I finally cooked something from it! I will try to blog, and maybe even start taking quality photos once and a while… my co-worker Mole was interested, and I told her I’d blog about it… so here I go. A food blog! Bare with me. I’m used to blogging about a pre-schooler!
Bow Ties with Pesto & Beans
12 oz Bow-tie pasta
1 onion chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into short strips
1 can (14oz) cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1/3 cup prepared pesto
Cook the pasta. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
Coat a large non-stick pan with cooking spray or about 1T of EVOO, and warm over medium-heat for 1 minute. Add the pepper and onion. Season with salt & pepper. Cook about 4-5 minutes or until tender and set aside in a large serving dish.
Add the beans
Pesto & reserved cooking liquid/water
Add the pasta
and toss!
Finished with an ice cold class of Almond Milk!
Verdict:
A little light on the sauce- I maybe would add a tiny bit more pesto…

Restaurant Review – Acqua

Date night! Last night my husband and I were planning to watch a movie and grab a quick bite to eat before hand… but not at a chain restaurant… and not fast food. So I’m driving down the freeway and I say – hey. How about Acqua in White Bear Lake? We’d both been very curious to try it out, so we decided to abandon the movie and enjoy our night on the lake.

Acqua is nuzzled right on Lake Avenue South, which is on White Bear Lake. We were seated on the deck which had beautiful views of the lake, romancers walking by on the boardwalk (really its just the sidewalk/path), and street cars. We joked that Lake Ave South was the “strip” of White Bear Lake, because of all of the old streetcar traffic.

Right there on the lake gives you the impression of Madeline Island (our favorite place on earth), and we joked… are we in poor mans Madeline Island? Or is Madeline Island poor mans White Bear Lake? We determined they are similar in charm. (Though I love Mad Isle so much more).
When we arrived they asked if we had reservations, and we said no, and they furiously looked through their seating charts, and apologized profusely that there may be a 15 minute wait. (15 minutes? no problem!) I enjoyed a little Sauvignon Blanc while we waited. 
After a very short wait (probably just five minutes) we were ushered out to the deck, which had a great view of the lake.
We decided on the tasting menu, which offered a salad, main course and desert for one convenient price!
3 Course Tasting Menu
Starter
(Choice of)
 with Shrimp and Garlic Baked Croutons
 with Fried Lemon-Honey Goat Cheese
 with Apple-Pear Compote, Prosciutto and Aged Balsamic
  with Fontina Crostini
 with Cucumber, Egg, Kalamata, Feta, Tomato Vinaigrette
Entree
(Choice of)
 with Harissa Grilled Shrimp, Parmesan and Basil
 with Lemon-White Wine Butter
 with Port Demi-Glace and Sweet Potato Puree
 with Fontina, Basil Pesto Risotto and Chicken Pan Sauce
Dessert
(Choice of)


Starter:
Jason got a Cesar Salad (the shrimp was so good!), and I got the Spinach  My salad was amazing! It was kind of like a desert and appetizer all in one with the compote in there!  Jason liked his salad as well, but wasn’t too sure about their cesar dressing.
Main course:
Jason got the Walleye and me, the Roast Chicken. Both of these were quite good! His Walleye was right from Rain Lake I believe (not sure where that is…) but the server assured us its very good, and never more than a day old! He gave his meal a B+, and I gave mine a B. (Should have got the Bolognese like the server suggested! – next time, though my chicken was very moist & delicious)
Desert:
Jason – The Butterscotch Budino, and me- the Creme Brulee. Oh so good! We ordered coffee – mine with Baileys since Jason was driving, and enjoyed each others company on the deck.
We would definitely come back. The ambiance for sure got an A+, and we feel that’s part of what you pay for. The food was very good, but not breathtaking (like Wild Rice in Bayfield… but nobody can compare with Wild Rice)! I would definitely get either the Walleye, or the Bolognese next time, and keep everything else the same.
Bon Appetite!

Herbs De Provence

…among other things I am completely and utterly addicted to this website called Pinterest. It is a social media website which is a huge time waster largely for women to decorate houses we can’t afford… pick out clothes we can’t fit into, or can’t afford, and DIY crafts we will rarely actually do. I am pretty proud of myself for actually doing a small handful of the hundreds of things I’ve “pinned”. I made this amazing smelling Williams Sonoma Home Scent…. made an organizational snack basket for my little miss – and today I gathered the ingredients for these decedent looking chicken cupcakes I plan to make later this week! (yeah you heard me… chicken cupcakes) One of the ingredients I was trying to find was Herbs De Provence. Herbs De who? Exactly. It’s a southern french spice blend that is used in a lot of chicken dishes etc. I looked all over the dry spice aisle at the local grocer and couldn’t find it. So I began looking up what spices were in it. One of them was lavender along with thyme, savory, marjoram, and rosemary. I wasn’t at Whole Foods Market so I figured my chances of finding lavender were pretty darn slim… but then like a magical hidden jewel – I found it – Herbs De Provence. It cost me a pretty penny – but my brother-in-law who loves to cook said that it will take potatoes, and other dishes from zero to hero. I’m hoping he’s right. I will post next week how they (the cupcakes) turned out. This week is brilliant. I don’t have much going on which is a welcome reprieve from the usual. Perhaps I’ll even get to bed before midnight this week! (That’s hilarious,although I have switched to Decaf for the afternoons now). I plan on spring cleaning my house,and chucking everything and everything I haven’t used in the past year. The temps are in the 60’s and 70’s this week, and the trend continues into next. Happy Spring to all- I’m off to look up some home organizing tips on Pinterest!

Wine Review

Jason and I had my parents over for dinner tonight and I got to try two new wines that I bought. I went to the liquor store and like every other Saturday they had the wine tasting, which is unfortunate and good because I always end up buying more wine than I ‘need” .But these two deserve a little review…The first one we opened was a Tempranillo called RIVAREY which might just be my new favorite red. I’m just getting into reds, but I discovered tonight I like a spicy red wine and definitely not a sweet wine. When asked I always told people I enjoyed a sweet red, and was always disappointed in the taste. Well the wine taster explained the different “characteristics” and I now know what I like…

The tannins were very smooth, with notes of raspberry, plum, kiwi and spice. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My dad informed my mom and I after one glass that we had to move onto the white wine because he really liked the red and he wanted to finish off the bottle… I’ll have to pick up another bottle on Monday!!!

The next wine we opened with desert was called Vouvray. I know I’m buying wines that sound like each other, but not on purpose and no the two aren’t related… This white is a mid priced Chenin Blanc, which is a grape I had never heard of before tonight, but ended up being very very fantastic! Its definitely a full bodied white with notes of honey, nuts, and ginger which is relatively dry. It was seductively delicious, and although its mid-priced I’ll definitely be buying this one again too!