Braised Oxtails with Fresh Pasta & Tomato Gremolata

Yumminess in new places. WHO KNEW about oxtails? Not me! Well, it was a first and super yummy. A little bit cumbersome to work around the bone, a little bit fatty (which I love) and super yummy done in the pressure cooker. Thanks to Will and Alex for coming over and being adventurous! LOVE LOVE to try new things with folks who love food as much as I do. Beautiful presentation with all the veges and the tomato Gremolata was a nice finishing touch. For the first experience with this new food I would say it was delicious. Turns out folks really use to use ox tails, but now the term refers to cow tails. Supposedly good for making soup or stew, I will have to give that a try sometime. Bon appetit!

Cooking note...we did not dredge the meat first. It was all just kind of put in the pressure cooker together and came out delicious. The Tomato Gremolata was just put on room temperature on top of the cooked dish. 

Gomashio

What is Gomashio????

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomashio

Wikipedia doesn't mention how delicious it is. Or how really amazingly good for you it is. It benefits digestion, the vascular system, acts as an antacid to help heal anemia,hypoglycemia, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory diseases associated with an acidic diet, improves energy as well as a number of other hemostatic properties.  Easy to make and delicious used in place of table salt this homemade condiment is an awesome addition to any diet. (I added a small amount of Nori and some dried Shitake mushrooms to mine).

Bon appetit (gochiso-sama)!

Black Bean Soup

Warm up to Christmas.....black bean soup. Not the traditional black bean soup that I usually make. Loved this one with the tomato base. We all liked it.  Bon appetit!

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/contest-winning-black-bean-soup/print

Christmas 2017 - Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin, Pureed Butternut Squash and Black Rice Salad with Lemon Vinairgrette

Of course a holiday gathering compels me to pull out the cookbooks and try new dishes. I love to torture myself this way when I have limited time, lots of folks coming to the table and unlimited resources to work with while I am racing against the clock! I just wouldn't be me if I didn't do it this way! This year was awesome and thanks goes to Cooks Illustrated 2009 Holiday Entertaining to help me build the menu. Of course, there were a number of standbys that I am sure I've already blogged about over the years.....pork tenderloin, crawfish etouffee, Giada's Chocolate Panna Cotta with Amaretto Whipped Cream, etc. The new additions to our holiday meals included three recipes from this publication which were super yummy.

Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream Sauce was elegant and perfect. SUPER tender and well worth every penny. So easy and those who like their meat were getting seconds and thirds.

Broccoli with Parmesan Bread Crumbs was a nice new take on the leafy green.

Pureed Butternut Squash was devine! Super simple and absolutely melt in your mouth.

A little something for everyone with all the other dishes we had. One other addition was the attached recipe for Black Rice with Lemon Vinaigrette which the vegetarian in the family raved about. I love black rice and constantly try to find new ways to fix it.

Unfortunately, I was too busy to take photos. You will just have to read the recipes and imagine. A few photos of our son's foster puppy will make you smile. Linus, the Christmas dog, was a big hit. Much cuter than the food! Bon appetit!

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/black-rice-salad-with-lemon-vinaigrette-51160880

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/herb-crusted-beef-tenderloin-52613301

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/4953-horseradish-cream-sauce?sqn=jhYtWTuWAdB9XhqiD3czTFsxA0a09SiAL0xQ5F4FL1U%3D%0A&extcode=NSFBL24CI&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=photo&utm_content=horsesauce&utm_campaign=ciholiday

(I added 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard , 1 minced clove of garlic and 1/4 tsp sugar to the above horseradish recipe. YUM!)

Herbed Roast Turkey and Turkey Gravy

OK, this year my turkey rocked the Casbah!  FINALLY I found the perfect turkey! Super moist, superior seasonings and awesome gravy to boot. All from Cook's Illustrated Holiday Entertaining 2009 issue. Using fresh herbs from the garden was key. Brining the turkey, allowing it to air dry in the frig overnight and cooking it on a V-rack all produced a bird that was succulent and full of flavor with a nice crispy skin and super moist meat. Making the gravy alongside with the fresh herbs also was an added bonus. The hunt is over and I can now focus on other issues next Thanksgiving! Bon appetit!

https://www.npr.org/2011/11/23/142528496/thanksgiving-secrets-cooks-tips-from-chris-kimball

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/2685-best-turkey-gravy

CURRY CHICKEN WITH CASHEWS

In 2009 Ruth Reichl was Gourmet's editor in chief. I am an avid fan of Gourmet magazine and have subscribed to it over the years, often finding dishes that become family favorites. After reading Ruth's book, Tender at the Bone, I came across a copy of the Gourmet Today cookbook in a used bookstore which was published under Ruth's tenure. It claims to have "recipes for the contemporary kitchen", focusing on cost, speed, number of ingredients and any number of issues facing cooks today. A quick peek told me it would be the contemporary equivalent of the original Joy of Cooking. I have made a few of the recipes, but one that my boys always request and that the editor claims is one of the most popular recipes is the Chicken Curry with Cashews. Good comfort food and different than most dishes I make. Bon appetit!

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-curry-with-cashews-231358

Sage Oatcakes

This little treat is so easy to make and great for those of us who don't particularly like uber sweet pastries. Full of good for you oatmeal and seasoned with fresh dried sage from the garden I paired these with local honey infused with fresh sage and left to marinate for several weeks. Super yummy with a nice pot of hot tea. Popped them in the freezer to pull out on cold days when the urge hits and the tea is calling. Bon appetit!

https://learningherbs.com/remedies-recipes/oatcakes/

You may substitute lavender for the sage, just pulse the lavender and the flour in a food processer to break up the lavender flowers (chop them into fine bits first).