Gute Essen

It's Whats For Dinner

Sunday, April 27, 2008 | 1 comment »

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Sure, Soylent Green may be made from humans, but as far as I know you can't get mad cow from little Timmy.

So we just recently ended a nearly two week sprint of Julie having house guests visit us. And not that I don't like people, but I'm happy to be home by myself again. Although the last set were her parents which don't count really as house guests; they're soon-to-be in-laws!

But being that Julie's mom reads this blog on occasion (Hi Kris!) I figured I'd a) at least cook for them once while they were here and b) write about it on the blog. It's sort of like reading someone else's autobiography about you. No, really, think about it. That makes total sense.

And what a better way to your future in-laws good graces than providing that base primal urge of a large roasted piece of beef. And what goes better with beef than mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots? Mushroom gravy, obviously.

Oh. And homemade strawberry shortcakes.

God I'd hate to be a localvore.

Mushroom Gravy

  • 3 tbls butter
  • 1 lbs assorted sliced mushrooms (shiitake and crimini for me please).
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 small cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbls fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup whole milk (or cream -- if you swing that way)
  • 3 tbls flour
  • salt and pepper

  1. Melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions and garlic along with a pinch of salt. You want to sweat these for about 20 minutes until they turn soft.
  2. Add the mushrooms and turn up the heat to medium high. Give it another good pinch of salt. Cook the mushrooms down until they're soft and pliable.
  3. Sprinkle on the flour and stir it into the veggies to make a roux. Cook for a few minutes to get the cereal flavor out of the flour.
  4. Add the stock stirring quickly. Bring the heat up to high and stir until it reaches a boil.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally until the gravy has thickened.
  6. When it's reached your desired consistancy, add the milk (or cream) and stir in.
  7. Serve over mashed potatoes, kasha varnishes, stuffed cabbage, roast beef, ice cream, etc.

Cumin Glazed Carrots

  • 1 lbs carrots cut on the bias into equal sized pieces
  • 2 tbls toasted ground cumin
  • 1 tlbs butter
  • 2 tbls honey
  • Healthy pinch red pepper flake or dollop of harissa

  1. Melt the butter in a pan over high heat -- let it cook for a second until it starts to smell nutty.
  2. Add the carrots and a small pinch of salt and cook until they start to just get soft, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the cumin and the honey and toss over the carrots. Let cook until the carrots are just soft, but not mushy.

categories: beef

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