Braised Beef Brisket

Last week on Tyler Florence Fridays, Beth at The Seventh Level of Boredom made this amazing Braised Beef Brisket. Beth gave this recipe a rave review saying that it was absolutely fabulous and that she would love to add it to her dinner rotation. I couldn't agree more!! I made this recipe yesterday and thought it was heavenly!! The brisket was tender and juicy and the sauce was zesty and flavorful. I served the brisket with Tyler's Mashed Potatoes and watched as my family devoured the meal. The kids were begging for more mashed potatoes and there were no more : ) I will also be adding this meal to my dinner rotation.

BRAISED BEEF BRISKET by Tyler Florence, Dinner at My Place
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, needles stripped from the stem and chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 4-pound beef brisket (first cut)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large carrots, cut into 3-inch chunks
3 ribs celery, cut into 3-inch chunks
2 onions, halved
2 cups dry red wine
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
1 handful fresh italian flat-leaf parsley
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon a/p flour (optional)
2 tablespoons water or dry red wine (optional)
1 bunch hydroponic watercress, for garnish (optional) *I could not locate watercress

Preheat oven to 325F. On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 tsp. salt together with the flat side of a knife until it turns into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the oil; stir to combine. Set aside.

Season both sides of the brisket withp plenty of salt and pepper. Rub the rosemary-garlic paste over the brisket. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over med-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides, adding additional oil as necessary to prevent sticking. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato liquid, parsley, and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 3-4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork-tender. NOTE** I actually cooked my brisket in my crock pot. The brisket was still delicous and I didn't have to baste every 30 minutes or heat up my kitchen**

Remove the brisket from pan and place on a cutting board. Allow brisket to rest for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon; discard vegetables. Skim some of the excess fat from the pan juices, leaving about 1/4 cup fat in the pan; place the roasting pan with the pan juices and fat over medium-high heat. Boil and stir about 5 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by half. (For a thicker sauce, mix the 1 tbsp. flour with the 2 tbsp. water and whisk into the gravy.) Slice brisket and serve with sauce over Parsnip Puree or Mashed Potatoes. If you like, garnish each plate with watercress. I garnished my plate with chives. I love the combinations of chives with potatoes.

I highly recommend this recipe. It's a keeper!

Garden Puree Bruschetta

I have been able to do a lot of shopping at the farmer's market lately. I am both impressed and excited about the new and improved market this year. I have found many things that were not available before. I noticed that a lot of my recent finds from the market coincide with Tyler's new book, Dinner at My Place. I have several recipes bookmarked to make in the next couple weeks. I have been eyeing this recipe for bruschetta ever since I first received this cookbook. I was awed by the color of the puree and knew instantly that I would love this recipe. I was lucky enough to find all the vegetables and a whole wheat baguette at the farmer's market Saturday.

GARDEN PUREE BRUSCHETTA, by Tyler Florence, Dinner at My Place

• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1 pound English peas, shelled, or 1 cup frozen petite peas
• 1/2 pound asparagus, tips only (2-1/2" pieces)
• 1/2 pound haricot verts or tender green beans, trimmed
• 2/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 3 green onions, green parts only, roughly chopped
• extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch chopped fresh chives (about 8 chives), for garnish
• 1 French baguette
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas, English peas, asparagus tips, and haricot verts and cook about 3 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. (If you're using frozen peas, add them during the last minute of cooking). Drain, transfer to a bowl of salated ice water to stop cooking, and drain again. Puree vegetables in a food processor with the ricotta, green onion, a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Garnish with chives.

Prepare the Crostini by cutting the baguette into thin slices. Drizzle slices with oil and place on a roasting tray. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on both sides. Remove from oven and rub with a peeled, cut clove of garlic while bread is still warm. Serve crostini with vegetable and cheese puree.

The blanching of the vegetables allows the puree to become a vibrant green color. Blanching the veggies also alows the veggies to keep most of their nutritional content. I would say that this is a fairly healthy dish, especially when paired with a whole wheat baguette. Tyler calls for whole-milk ricotta, but I only had part-skim and it worked out just fine. I really enjoyed this as a light lunch. I think it would make a great appetizer/crudite for spring or summer. I am toying with the idea of using the leftover puree as a filling in a veggie lasagna.

If you love green veggies, then this recipe is a must try!!

I am submitting this recipe to Tyler Florence Fridays. Head on over to the TFF site to see what everyone is making this week. There is always a great variety of delicious dishes.

Roasted Chili Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, and Pan Roasted Corn Salad with Red Pepper and Feta

Our Williams-Sonoma used to offer cooking classes right in their store. They would hire local chefs to come in and prepare signature dishes. The cooking classes would have specific themes, such as: Risotto, Tapas, Pasta, etc. The chef would make several dishes pertaining to that theme and then we got to eat it all!! Taking those cooking classes up at the mall was so much fun. I met a lot of other foodies and I always enjoyed myself. The cooking classes are not available anymore and I really miss them. I have a huge folder of recipes saved from those cooking classes.

This Roasted Chili Chicken and the Pan Roasted Corn Salad with Peppers and Feta came from a cooking class entitled Quick Weeknight Dinners. The idea was to cook a whole chicken and have leftovers for the next night. I made these two dishes today and let me tell you what.......there were no leftovers!!

The skin on this chicken is crispy, slightly spicy, and so flavorful. The meat is so moist and it pairs wonderfully with this pan-roasted corn salad. This corn salad is one of my favorite summertime salads to make. Everything is served at room temperature, it is healthy, bursting with flavor and goes well with many things. I had to throw in a dish from Tyler, so I made his Roasted Potatoes from Dinner at My Place. This dinner was delicious and healthy!! Even my two year old was asking for more.

ROASTED CHILI CHICKEN

1 chicken, 3-3.5 lbs

SPICE RUB:

2 Tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 serrano chili, seeded and minced

Mix together the spice rub and set aside. Rinse chicken under cold water, removing any packages inside the cavity. Pat dry with paper towels. Remove and discard any loose fat. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a prepared pan. Rub the spice rub all over the otuside of the chicken. Roast until the leg joints move easily, the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced, or an instant read thermometer reads 170F. This usually takes 50-60 minutes. Transfer chicken to a carving board, cover and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

I had some baby new potatoes and yukon gold potatoes from the farmer's market last week. I decided to use them for Tyler's herb roasted potatoes. Tyler's recipe calls for 6 yukon gold potatoes, EVOO, 4 rosemary sprigs, and 1 garlic head, cut in half through the equator. He puts his roasting tray in the oven at 350F to get the pan hot. Once the pan is hot, Tyler adds EVOO, and then the potatoes, rosemary, and garlic. He sprinkles with salt and pepper and roasts at 350F for about an hour until crispy and golden. I loved his method of preheating the roasting tray. This was a new technique for me and I will do this from now on. You could hear those potatoes sizzle when they went onto the tray. The end result was a very crispy and golden roasted potato that was loaded with garlic flavor. My husband said this was the best thing on the plate and my 2 year old was screaming for more!! NOTE: I roasted my potatoes at 400F alongside the chicken. The potatoes were done in 45 minutes. If you roast at 350F, it would take about an hour.

This corn salad is so unique and different from any other summertime salad. When I watched the chef make this salad I thought she was crazy. I was thinking to myself that basil and feta didn't go with corn. I couldn't have been more wrong about these flavor combinations. This salad is really a treat. It is served room temperature and everyone is always pleasantly surprised with it. It pairs well with almost any meat dish and is also great all on its own. I made some changes to the recipe that I will share with you.

PAN ROASTED CORN SALAD WITH RED PEPPER AND FETA

4 ears of corn, husks and silk removed (I used 1 can of corn and made half this recipe)

2-3 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh thyme

1 bunch green onions, green portion only (I used about 6 chives)

2-3 cups halved cherry tomatoes (I used about 1/2 red pepper)

8 oz. feta cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes (I used 3 oz. fat-free feta cheese)

Juiced of 1/2 lime, plus more to taste, if needed

2 tbsp. finely slivered fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Cut corn from cob. You will need about 3 -1/2 cups for this recipe. NOTE: I used 1 can of corn and halved this recipe. In a large nonstick pan, Add 1-2 tbsp. butter and 1-2 tbsp. olive oil and saute minced garlic for about 30 seconds. Add corn and saute another 3-4 minutes. Add thyme and green onions and saute another minute. NOTE: I did not have thyme and used chives instead of green onions. I skipped this step and added chives at the end with the basil. Let corn mixture cool until it reaches room temperature. (This takes about 30 minutes)

Once the mixture is room temperature, add the halved tomatoes, cubed feta cheese, juice of 1/2 lime, remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil, basil and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie *Recipe #38 - page 192*

I love going to our local Farmer's Market on Saturdays. It's always exciting to see what goodies you might come across. I finally got a chance to go this past Saturday and I was really impressed. This year our Farmer's Market moved its location and was able to increase space and vendors!! There was so much to see, smell, and TASTE! There were local artisans selling their arts and crafts. Plus, we were able to see our favorite musicans.

There were so many things available that I can't locate in stores around here. I finally found the rhubarb to make this pie!! I also found fresh english peas, pea shoots, goat cheese, homemade Italian sausage, sour cherries, and the juiciest peaches ever! The best news was that everything was priced so well and I was able to beat store prices. I can't wait to go again!!

I have been waiting for the right time to make Tyler's Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie and today was the day. We had a huge thunderstorm and it was the perfect chance to stay in and bake. The crust came together like a dream and the filling was super simple. The hardest part was waiting for the pie to bake the much needed 1 hour and 15 minutes!! I have full faith in Tyler's baking recipes and I found myself continually peeking through the oven door to check and see if the pie might be finished early.

I'm telling you now that this pie didn't hardly have a chance to cool down before I was cutting a slice. I served it with vanilla ice cream and was in total heaven!! It was perfection. The crust was very flaky and the filling was sweet and tart. The vanilla ice cream put this dessert over the edge. I pretty much inhaled the whole piece and was thinking about going back for another piece. Just as I was about to get up, I heard a knock at the door. My husband surprised me by coming home early! Some people just have good timing : )

This is my entry for Tyler Florence Fridays this week. You can check out what the other ladies are making every Friday night by clicking here. This recipe was pretty lengthy, so I chose not to post it. I would be more than happy to share it with you via email if you leave me a note.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

The first time I saw these cookies I knew I had to make them!! I first saw these cookies on Donna's blog, My Tasty Treasures. I wanted to make the cookies right away, but I didn't have any oreos on hand. By the time I went to the grocery store on Saturday, two other bloggers had already made these cookies!! Pam at For the Love of Cooking and Sara of Delectable Dining. I say great minds think alike!!

This is one of those recipe that you just have to try. My daughter had so much fun helping me make these cookies. Her favorite part was smashing the oreos. She really loved the cookies and thinks they are better than "plain old chocolate chip cookies." My husband says he might agree with her on that one. My batch made 26 cookies, but I had a cookie monster in my kitchen that was eating the dough before they could be baked : )

1 stick butter, room temperature
6 Tbsp. white sugar
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/4 cup a/p flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oreo cookies, broken into pieces
1 cup chocolate chips (I used semisweet)

Turn your oven on to 350F. In a mixer or by hand, cream the butter and both sugars. Once mixed, add the egg and vanilla. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) in a separate bowl and add slowly to the butter/sugar mixture. Once your dough has been mixed, add in your crushed oreos and your chocolate chips. Bake the cookies at 350F between 7 and 9 minutes. I made my cookies about the size of a one heaping tablespoon. I think the recipe was suppose to make 50 cookies, but most people are getting between 26 and 36.

You can also find the recipes on the other blogs listed above. This is a great recipe!! I hope you enjoy it!!

Happy Eating : )

Caramel-Coated Popovers *Recipe #37 - page 211*

I have been wanting to try these popovers since I first bought the book, Stirring the Pot. I just recently received a popover pan as a gift and was finally able to bake them up today. I am very happy to share them with my friends at Tyler Florence Fridays for our weekly post. Tyler's book says that the popover is the American version of Britain's yorkshire pudding, and I have to agree with that.

Tyler's popovers remind me of a fresh, hot, sugary glazed donut with a hint of egg flavor. I can see why Tyler says they are good with your morning coffee. The popover itself is a texture explosion due to the crisp outside and the soft and fluffy inside. I really enjoyed these, as I enjoy all of Tyler's sweet treats!! In fact, I enjoyed them too much! I have a 15 year high school reunion coming up at the end of the month and should be avoiding all of Tyler's tasty treats : )

RECIPE

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour

pinch kosher salt

1 -1/2 cups whole milk, room temp

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 425F. Melt the 2 tbsp. butter and grease 12 popover pans; place pans in the oven to heat while you make the batter. Using the whisk attachment of a kitchen stand mixer, beat flour, salt, milolk, eggs, and remaining butter on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and shiny. Fill the hot popover pans halfway; bake for 30 minutes, until puffed and golden.

About 15 minutes before popovers are done baking, prepare caramel. Mix sugar and water in a large saucepan and place over high heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until sugar melts and the mixture starts to take on a golden brown color. Remove from heat. Working quickly, use two forks to roll the popovers in the caramel and place on parchment paper to set.

Yesterday was my daughter's last day of school. I ran up to the school early with my 2 year old, Jackson, so that we could watch the class do a skit. My daughter was dismissed early and when it was time to leave we were having a massive thunderstorm. In fact, I'm not sure I've been caught in a thunderstorm like this for years. We knew that we were going to get soaked going out to the car so we decided to have fun with it. I don't remember the last time I danced in the rain, but it was too long ago!!

This is the picture my daughter took of me and Jackson when we came in from the rain. We were so wet there were puddles on the kitchen floor!

Tyler's Wonderful *Wheat* Bread and a Motley Crew

The response to Tyler's Wonderful White Bread was overwhelming at my house! My daughter loved it the most and even wanted to learn how to bake it. I decided to try and make the same recipe and sub out 1/3 cup of the regular a/p flour with 1/3 cup whole wheat flour. The results were great, if not better!! The dough with the whole wheat was a much softer dough and was much easier to work with. The color of the dough was beautiful and I loved seeing the little flecks of wheat throughout the dough. The normal white bread recipe bakes for only 30 minutes. My loaf with the whole wheat took much longer to bake. I want to say it actually took about 45 minutes to cook. The result was fabulous!! My husband and daughter loved it and I think it really made them feel like they had a special lunch. I will continue to make this bread once a week or more as a special treat. I big thank you to Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies for answering some of my bread baking questions. She is a bread baking goddess!!

On another note, my daughter's field day at school was this past Friday. She's in the second grade and has just turned 8 years old in May. The school went all out for field day and I was really impressed. They had fields and fields of games. They even rented 4 huge inflatables inside in the gym. Outside there was a popcorn stand and a snowcone stand.

I got to work at the snowcone stand. I quickly learned that there are members of the PTA/PTO who take their duties very seriously. Very seriously, please read on! I was in charge of putting check marks on the children's hands once they had received a snowcone. All children were allowed only one snowcone and no one was suppose to have a second. They even went so far as to give me a sharpie permenant marker to mark the children's hands with!!

Well, anyone with kids knows that those children would find a way to get that marker off their hand. While I enjoyed all their ploys for a second snowcone, it was all lost on some of the other mothers. They considered this a serious offense and reprimanded some of the children. I found it sweet and endearing. Some of them, especially the boys, were just downright charming about it. Nonetheless, even without their permenant mark, the snowcone was written all over their face, or their shirt, or on the tongue. There was nothing I could do to help them out!! That's when I laughed to myself about my silly job of marking those poor kids with permenant marker. What need is there to mark them when they are literally wearing snowcone all over their face and clothes?

Later on, I found my daughter inside the gym with her friends. They were standing in line for the inflatables with their shirts all askew, covered with snowcone, barefoot, and practically toothless!! Check out the faces on that motley crew : )

It is obviously not cool when you are eight years old and your mom wants to take your picture!!
This picture reminds me of that line you hear all the time as a young parent......."you better watch out, they grow up overnight."

My daughter, Olivia, is pictured on the far right.