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Tag: creme fraiche

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff1

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt
  • 1 pound tri-tip roast, sliced against the grain into small pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup light red wine like a pinot noir or white wine
  • 1 medium white onion, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef or chicken broth
  • ¼ cup crème fraiche
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped

In a large frying pan, heat the two tablespoons olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Saute till the excess moisture evaporates and the mushrooms begin to turn golden brown. Add garlic and salt. Saute for another 3 to 4 minutes and take out of the pan and keep aside.

Reheat the pan with one tablespoon olive oil and brown the beef pieces in two batches on high heat using the remaining olive oil for the next batch. Saute on both sides for a minute or two. Take the pieces out of the pan and keep aside.

Reheat the pan with two tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and sauté on a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes till the onions are soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste and flour. Saute for a minute. Add the wine, scraping off all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the beef or chicken broth and whisk the liquid in making sure no lumps are formed. Add the mushrooms and beef pieces into the pan. Mix well and add the crème fraiche. Taste for seasonings and add salt in necessary. Garnish with dill and parsley.

Serve on top of a garlic toast.
Beef Stroganoff

Mushy Peas- Served with the Fish and Chips!

Here is the fabulous mushy pea recipe..

  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon crème fraiche

Add the peas to a small saucepan with a cup of water. Add the garlic and bring to a boil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes and drain saving the garlic clove. Add the cooked peas and garlic to a processor and add the mint, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Process it till mushy but not completely smooth. Take out of the processor and check for seasonings. Add the crème fraiche. Serve with fish and the chips.

Pineapple and Apricot Compote

Pineapple and Apricot Compote My daughter keeps reminding me how I have not baked any dessert recently. She is right… I feel if I bake something.. then I have to eat it and I really don’t want to … so I don’t end up making anything. It is better not to have anything at home to tempt you through the day or after a meal.

So, when some friends were coming over for a cook out, I started thinking of dessert. I thought about just cutting up some watermelon which is really delicious and healthy but I wanted to do something a little different but keep it healthy at the same time. I decided to cook the fruit and make a compote. I had apricots and pineapple in the fridge.. I added some honey, orange juice and cardamom. I love cardamom with fruit.. it gave a delicious floral undertone to the compote. I chilled it and served it with a dollop of creme fraiche. It was a perfect dessert. It satisfied the sweet craving but definitely did not break the calorie bank. A perfect end to a delicious meal….
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Baked Nectarines with Vanilla Creme Fraiche

Baked Nectarines 1

The nectarine lovefest continues with this delicious dessert. I don’t know how to begin- first of all, it is delicious. Simple, yet it includes layers of amazing flavors.

I started with fresh nectarines, cut in half and ready to be stuffed with a mixture of oats, walnuts and brown sugar. I laced the topping with ground cardamom and cinnamon. To me, the cardamom was the key ingredient. It was simply amazing with the walnuts, oats and the baked nectarines- floral and sweet.

It is a great dessert to make in advance. I popped it in the oven as we sat down to eat dinner. Ten to fifteen minutes later, the nectarines were ready to be taken out.

I served them with some creme fraiche. I love using this French style soured cream instead of ice cream- although ice cream would be amazing as well. I added a bit of vanilla sugar into the cream and added a dollop on top of the baked nectarines. The combination was delicious. The cream cut through the sweetness of topping and the soft fruit. All in all- it was a very successful try. I will be making this with other fruits as well in the future- sky is the limit…
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Summer Grilled Sides Recipes: Grilled Potatoes with Tarragon & Grilled Asparagus and Corn

Grilled Tarragon Pototoes I cooked these two sides with the boneless rib eyes I served with the tomatillo and mango sauce. I wanted to make something I can put together in advance so when it’s time to eat, there isn’t much for me to do.

In terms of the potatoes, I boiled them first; sliced them thick and placed them on the grill. I recently bought a grill pan to place on my outside grill- which is quite handy with vegetables. On the side I whipped up a sauce with tarragon, mustard and creme fraiche. I love making chicken salad with a tarragon dressing- I wanted to replicate that flavor in the potatoes. The creme fraiche softens the mustard tang and adds a nice creaminess to the dish- it was very yummy. The potatoes were crispy yet soft on the inside.

I wanted to serve some green vegetables with the meal and decided on asparagus and corn I already had in the fridge from the farmers market. I struggle to come up with different recipes for these vegetables since I cook them so often- so I decided to keep it really simple. I grilled the corn and the asparagus simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. I took the corn off the cob and added a good amount of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and mixed it with the grilled corn and asparagus. That’s all it really needed- it was delicious. I also didn’t want to introduce any new flavors to the meal. The steak with the tomatillo sauce and the potatoes with tarragon already had very strong flavors going on… the grilled corn and asparagus dish complimented both the dishes very well. My daughter happily ate the corn and asparagus but stayed away from the potatoes. She of course love the steak and wanted more. She had a big glass of milk with her meal and we had a big glass of wine!

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