Demi Glace (Au Jus)

Last week Don made the individual Beef Wellington (on site) and this is the Demi Glace that he made to go with it. In a word: YUM!

  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 2 1/2 cups beef broth, separated
  • 1 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
  • pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1 bouillon cube (if necessary)

Form a roux with the butter and flour and cook out for 2 minutes, add the red wine and cook for another 3-4 minutes to cook out the alcohol.

Whisk in the 1/2 cup of broth and incorporate with the roux, whisking to avoid any lumps. Gradually add in the 1 1/2 cups of broth, again whisking constantly.

 

Note: Depending on the richness of the wine, you may wish to add part or all of the bouillon cube. or even the rest of the broth.

White Cheddar Cheese Sauce-THE Best

Last night we had cauliflower and Don made the best sauce to accompany it. Oh, my! I kid you not. We all but licked the bowl (okay, when they weren’t looking, I did).

  • 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 1/2 tbsp.  flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup Balderson’s white cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/3 tsp. grated nutmeg

In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter then whisk in the flour until dissolved and smooth.

Slowly whisk in the milk. Lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. Stir in the nutmeg and cayenne pepper to incorporate.

Now stir in the cheese until melted and completely smooth.

Add to this the cooked cauliflower that has been broken into florets. YUP! It is that good.

 

Sauce For Ribs Baked in Slow Oven

Don makes this almost as ‘the one and only sauce’ when baking ribs.

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup Lillies Smoky BBQ Sauce, #22
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. molasses
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. Joe’s Stuff Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tsp. ground mustard
  • pinch salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • 2 tsp. dark cane jelly

Combine the above ingredients and blend really, really well.

Place 8 bone-in country style pork ribs weighing about 8 oz. each in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over all the meat to cover.

The ideal baking time on this is a preheated oven of 275 degrees for 3 hours. Depending on your slow cooker, you could bake 3 1/2 hours.

You will hear only means and groans of appreciation for this delight.

Serve either with garlic mashed potatoes or simply a green salad with warm dinner rolls and a glass of good quality wine like a Pinot Noir, Merlot or  Malbec. In a word and, of course, finger licking aside….ENJOY! You did it.

Basic Red Sauce

This is delicious and really easy to make. Give it a try.

  • 1 tbsp. good olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. fennel
  • pinch of pepper
  • 8 whole large Roma tomatoes
  • 1 – 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

In a heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, salt, spices and cook until soft. This should take approximately 5 minutes.

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and squeeze to break into small pieces. Add the tomato sauce, water and sugar in the pot and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.

Reduce the temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.

 

 

 

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Mushroom Cream

On Sunday afternoon we were dining at Cuckoo’s in Coombs and we had this sauce. It is to die for. Total addictive. You have to try it. It will go on anything and be so wonderful.

Of course the Chef couldn’t give us HIS recipe and it is beyond yummy. This is Don’s and is soooo yummy.

  • 1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 2 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Put the butter in a frypan and fry the mushrooms without moving them around. Turn over only when they have a nice crust on the bottom. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and saute for one minute.

Add the cream and bring to a boil,  now add the cheese cooking for 3 minutes. Lower the temperature, add the parsley and simmer for one minute until thick and smooth.

OMG! Chicken, steak, fish, even toast triangles will benefit from this sauce.

Vanilla Poached Pears in Spectacular Sauce

That sauce….Don could bottle it and become very rich. Kelly feels bartenders would also go crazy as in something like an Old Fashioned. Take out the simple syrup and use this sauce. OMG!!! Anyway, I digress. here we go.

  • 1 bottle of a Riesling white wine
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 4 firm Bosc pears, peeled but leaving the stem intact
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1/4 tsp. anise

Place the wine, water, sugar and vanilla bean with seed pulp, cinnamon stick, and anise in a 4 qt. saucepan and bring to a boil.

Core the pears from the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium low and set the pears in the liquid, cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until the pears are tender but not breaking apart. Maintain a very gentle simmer. Remove the pears to a serving dish, standing upright and place in  the fridge.

Remove the vanilla bean, bring the heat back to high and reduce the syrup to about 1 cup. This should take 20-25 minutes. Do not let the syrup turn brown. Place in a heatproof dish and place in the fridge for about 1 hour to cool.

Remove the pears from the fridge and spoon the sauce over them.

NOTE: This sauce was used on waffles, pancakes and anything else Kelly could find.

A Great Cheater Tomato Pasta Sauce

This is an apology to our Italian friends, but it is good!

  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 1/2 can water
  • 1 small tin tomato paste
  • 1/4 tin water
  • 1 spaghetti sauce mix envelope
  • 1/2 cup half and half cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 6 frozen tomatoes

Put all in a medium saucepan and stir well to combine. Simmer for about 35-40 minutes and serve over ravioli, penne, or any pasta of your choice.

Simply add the garlic toast, crisp green salad and, of course, a glass of a chilled beverage.

Trust me, it is good.

The Very Best Cheese Sauce Ever!

For our Sunday dinner, Kelly made a cheese sauce to die for. In fact, we even had it over our eggs on toast this morning. Give it a go and I am sure you will never use any other cheese sauce.

  • 4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 4 oz. Velveeta cheese
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 3 tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

In a saucepan, melt the butter and slowly add the flour, whisking constantly to make a roux. Remove from the heat.

Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk, salt and pepper and return to a low heat, for about 5-8 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Add the nutmeg last.

OMG! this means Oh my goodness….wonderful.

Orange Sauce for a Roast Duck Dinner

Some people really like duck and this is a sauce that will make the flavours take off and sing.

  • 3/4 cup currant jelly
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • rind of 3 oranges, grated
  • 1/4 cup port wine
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • pinch of salt
  • dash of cayenne
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine the jelly, sugar and orange rind to a pot, beating well. Heat long enough only to melt the sugar.

Add the remaining ingredints, except the lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, stirring only to blend.

Glaze the duck during the last half hour of cooking time. Serve the remaining sauce in a pitcher at the table for guests to add more.

 

Peach Pancake/Waffle/Ice Cream Syrup

While peaches are still plentiful at the market, buy a batch and make this up. It is soooo yummy and it a real treat.

  • 4 peaches
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • pinch of allspice
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 3/4 cup water

Peel the peaches and slice each one, putting them and all the other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes.

You now have a choice…mash it up so you have pieces of peaches, or strain it. I tried straining it and gave up after a few minutes. Put it all back together and it is perfect that way.

 

This makes a small amount so you can double it or even triple it.

Sticky Buns – Pauline’s Way

For breakfast, Pauline presented these and it wasn’t only the wonderful smells that were enticing but the flavours were awesome.

The only difference in this – I opted out for pecans. The recipe calls for walnuts and I know both would be super but it just depends on what your family likes.

  • 1/2 pkg. of frozen dinner buns (20)
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 small pkg. regular (not instant) butterscotch pudding
  • pecans to taste (chop 1/2 cup and see if that will be enough)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Melt the butter and pour into the bottom of a bundt cake pan. Top with the pecans, butterscotch pudding (dry) and brown sugar.

Put the buns around the pan, piling them up the sides and place in a cold oven. Close the door, turn out the lights and go to bed.

In the morning, the buns will be risen and ready for baking. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Loosen the edges of the pan and invert immediately onto your prettiest platter.

There will be moans and groans of delight. These are really good. Serve with fresh fruit or berries and your favourite yogurt.

Homemade Sausage Rolls

My Christmas tradition has always been to have homemade sausage rolls for breakfast as we opened gifts. Don has continued this for me and makes the best sausage meat to ever be put into puff pastry.

 

  • 2 tsp. dried sage
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 pinch ground cloves
  • 2 lbs. ground pork

In a small bowl put all the ingredients, EXCEPT the pork and mix really well.

In a large bowl place the pork and break it up with a fork. Add the spices and, with clean hands, mix it all together. When done, form into a two rolls the size of a looney.

Prepare the puff pastry as per the package instructions. Roll it out and place half of the pork on the first sheet, and roll to cover. Wet your finger with water to seal the seam edge. Repeat for the second sheet of puff pastry.

How you cut these depends on what the occasion is: a wine and cheese gathering with friends – small one bite portions. Family for breakfast or brunch – 4-5 inch pieces.

Place the sausage rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 35-40 minutes. Test the pork to see that it has reached the 160F internal temperature but also making sure not to burn the pastry.

These are absolutely fabulous.