Chicken Carbonnade

from www.ottawacitizen.com - looks delicious....

Chicken Carbonnade

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons (25 mL) canola oil, divided

3 onions, sliced very thin

3 teaspoons (15 mL) packed dark brown sugar, divided

2 tablespoons (25 mL) unsalted butter

4 to 6 large chicken thighs, with skin and bones

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) smoked paprika

4 small bay leaves

2 teaspoons (10 mL) Mrs. McGarrigle’s Creamy Champagne mustard

1 cup (250 mL) Wellington County Dark Ale

1/2 cup (125 mL) chicken broth

2 teaspoons (10 mL) red wine vinegar, divided

1. Heat 1 tablespoon (15 mL) oil in a large cast-iron skillet; add onions, toss until coated with oil and reduce heat. Cook slowly, without stirring, until upper onions start to sweat and wilt.

2. Stir onions, add 2 teaspoons (10 mL) brown sugar, and repeat the sweating process on low heat until onions turn dark brown and caramelize, about 15 minutes.

3. Melt butter with remaining oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Add chicken to frypan and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Add bay leaves, mustard, remaining sugar, beer, broth and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vinegar.

4. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt, pepper and remaining vinegar.

5. Serve over egg noodles or homemade spaetzle.

Source: Chef/owner Steve Mitton, Murray Street restaurant

Beef Rouladen

another theft from www.ottawacitizen.com - they had a special on cheap eats and they look so delicious....

Beef Rouladen

Serves 4

1-1/2 pounds (680 g) pounded “minute” steaks

4 teaspoons (20 mL) heavy Mrs. McGarrigle’s mustard (“Hot Whisky” is best)

6 slices bacon, diced

3/4 cup (175 mL) onion, chopped

Pinch caraway seeds

1/3 cup (75 mL) julienne dill pickles

1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour

One 14-ounce (398-mL) can beef broth

1. Smear steak on both sides with mustard.

2. In a large skillet on medium-high, cook bacon, onion and caraway seeds until bacon is crisp. Pour off excessive fat, reserving 1ž4 cup (50 mL) in the skillet.

3. Spread bacon/onion mixture over meat. Lay pickles on top and roll meat from the short end to make a log shape (roulade). Secure in 2 or 3 places with kitchen twine.

4. Place roulade in skillet over medium-high and brown on all sides in reserved bacon drippings. Transfer roulade to a 9- by 13-inch (23- by 33-cm) baking pan. Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C).

5. Stir flour into remaining fat in skillet and blend until smooth, gradually whisking in beef broth. Cook, stirring, on medium heat until thickened, then pour sauce over beef roll.

6. Cover baking pan and bake roulade 1-1ž2 hours, or until tender.

Source: Chef/owner Steve Mitton, Murray Street restaurant

Pecan Lentil Tourtiere

stolen from www.ottawacitizen.com

RECIPES

Pecan-Lentil Tourtière

Serves 4

2 tablespoons (25 mL) canola oil

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) chopped organic mushrooms

4 shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 apple, chopped

1/4 cup (50 mL) apple cider

2 tablespoons (25 mL) sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cloves

2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cinnamon

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) ground toasted pecans

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) cooked lentils

1 cup (250 mL) cooked quinoa

For the crust:

Your favourite pie crust or phyllo pastry (if vegan)

1. In a large frypan, heat oil on medium-high and sweat mushrooms, shallots, garlic and apple until caramelized, about 7 minutes, then deglaze with cider and vinegar.

2. Season with salt, pepper, cloves and cinnamon. Still on medium-high, toss in pecans and incorporate, then add lentils and quinoa. Stir until it comes together as a cohesive mass.

3. Wrap in phyllo pastry (if vegan) or favourite pie pastry. Bake at 350 F (180 C) if using regular pie pastry, or 425 F (220 C) if using phyllo, until pastry browns, about 12 minutes. Serve with ketchup, preferably homemade.

Source: Chef/owner Steve Mitton, Murray Street restaurant

Whalesbone’s Roasted Root Vegetable Stacks with Garlic Cream & Cheddar Crisps

stolen from www.ottawacitizen.com - I want to try to make this for a dinner party. Yummy!

Makes 6 to 8 stacks (serves 3 to 4)

- 2 large ruby red beets with skins on

- 2 long sweet potatoes, peeled

- 2 large red potatoes

- 2 large parsnips, peeled

- 1/4 cup (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

- 1 cup (250 mL) 35-per-cent whipping cream

- 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled

- 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded old Cheddar cheese, divided

- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh thyme or 1ž2 teaspoon (2 mL) dried thyme


1. Heat oven to 375 F (190 C). Bake whole beets until tender when pierced with tip of sharp knife, about 1 hour or longer. Cool and peel.


2. Slice sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips and beets into circular discs about 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick and 2 inches (5 cm) across. Toss vegetables in oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; spread on baking sheet to roast until golden, about 25 minutes. Cool.


3. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, add cream and garlic cloves; boil to reduce by half, stirring to avoid burning. Remove garlic. Season with salt and pepper.


4. Toss half the cheese with thyme; spread on baking sheet; bake about 6 minutes. Leave to cool to become crisp. Cut into 6 to 8 pieces.


5. To build stacks, lay a variety of 8 vegetable discs on baking sheet. Spread 8 more discs with garlic cream; lay them, cream-side down, on the bottom discs, and sprinkle with a small amount of remaining grated cheese. Continue to build stacks, spreading each disc with garlic cream, and topping with cheese, but leave off cheese on the last disc. Reserve leftover vegetables for soups.


6. To serve, pop stacks into oven to melt cheese, about 5 minutes. Top each stack with 1 cheddar crisp.