Browsing Tag

Shallots

Beef, Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Sauces, Vegan, Vegetarian

Béarnaise Butter

September 1, 2023

A good sauce will elevate that most decadent cut of beef, the filet mignon. And especially béarnaise sauce, one of the fundamental sauces of French cuisine. It can transform any dish into one that is truly extraordinary. The piquant flavor of the reduced wine, butter, eggs, and fresh tarragon whisked into a silky sauce is divine. But we don’t always have time to whip up béarnaise sauce so that’s where béarnaise butter comes in. It can be made well in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a month or in the freezer for several months.

A perfectly cooked steak right off the grill with a generous pat of béarnaise butter is the epitome of steak perfection.

Known as “the King of Herbs” in France, tarragon is highly aromatic and essential in béarnaise sauce and this butter. It lends itself well to many dishes such as potatoes, chicken, omelettes, pasta and just about anything you use it with.

It doesn’t take but 5 minutes or so for the liquid to evaporate from the pan of shallots. You will then be left with the most flavorful shallots imaginable.

Once the shallots have cooled, they are mixed with the softened butter along with the minced tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. The butter is transferred to a piece of plastic wrap and shaped into a tube then chilled in the freezer until slightly firm (it will be quite soft). Once it firms up a bit you will be able to re-shape the tube into a perfect circular log and re-wrap until ready to use.

Lightly smoked then grilled filet mignon with béarnaise butter is surely one of the grandest meals imaginable.

Leftover béarnaise butter is delicious tossed with long strands of linguine and asparagus. Use leftover béarnaise butter on sautéed vegetables, steamed green peas, on baked fish or chicken. Swirl some béarnaise butter in a pan before pouring in lightly beaten eggs then serve on toast.

Béarnaise Butter

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

8-10

servings

Adapted from Food & Wine magazine

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup finely minced shallots

  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 6 ounces (170g) Miyoko’s hint of salt vegan butter or regular butter
    (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature

  • 1/4 cup minced tarragon

  • 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley

  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine shallots with wine and vinegar. Cook over moderate heat until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer shallots to a small bowl to cool to room temperature. You can speed up the cooling process by placing shallots in the refrigerator.
  • Scrape shallots into bowl with butter. Beat together with a handheld mixer until creamy. Fold in herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer butter to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log. The butter will be soft at this point so don’t worry too much about getting the perfect shape. Transfer to the freezer for 10 minutes then re-shape as needed. Wrap a piece of foil around the plastic wrapped butter. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

  • Remove butter from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. The butter will be easier to slice into neat rounds and will melt perfectly over the steak.
Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Summertime Meal, Vegetarian, Veggies

Pasta Primavera with Asparagus & Peas

August 1, 2023

With its beautiful bright green colors and aromatic tarragon, this pasta primavera earned 5* ratings on NYT Cooking site. After making this dish I can see why everyone loves it. It’s loaded with fresh asparagus, snap peas and green peas. Fresh tarragon is what makes this dish special.

The pasta I used (Mafaldine) is wide and flat with ruffled edges. It has a striking appearance when cooked and works well with many pasta dishes. The original recipes calls for fettuccine or tagliatelle which are much easier to find. If you want to try malfadine, you can find it at Amazon. Fresh tarragon can be found at Whole Foods.

Pasta Primavera (Spring in Italian) is a dish that combines lightly cooked vegetables with fresh herbs. Now that spring has passed and summer is here, it’s still a perfect time to find fresh asparagus at the markets. Sugar snap peas seem to be available year round as well as peas (frozen). I bought a well known brand of frozen peas that were chalky and had no flavor. I searched online for reviews of peas and found multiple top ratings for Woodstock Organic Peas. They are sweet and have a nice texture. So these are the only peas I buy now. You can find Woodstock Organic Peas at Hawaiian Moons on Maui.

Serve your pasta primavera with focaccia or good sourdough bread and you have the perfect summer meal.

Pasta Primavera with Asparagus & Peas

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

4

servings

Adapted from NYT Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed

  • 1/2 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed

  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter

  • 3/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • kosher salt

  • freshly ground black pepper

  • 10 ounces mafaldine, fettuccine, or tagliatelle

  • 2/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano + more for serving

  • 1/2 cup warm half and half (I used Organic Valley Lactose Free)

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

Directions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus spears into 1/3-inch wide pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
  • Melt Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, and shallots. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (not soft or mushy), about 3 minutes. Stir in peas and garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
  • Cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and transfer to the bowl with vegetables. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, Parmigiano Reggiano, half and half, and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Grate extra cheese over the top before serving.
Dinner, Dressing, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Champagne Vinegar & Dijon Vinaigrette

November 11, 2020

Champagne Vinegar & Dijon Vinaigrette Dressed Salad

I love tangy vinaigrettes that have nearly equal parts of acid to oil.  Lettuces, arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers and so many other greens really benefit from a vibrant dressing.  If there is too much oil and not enough acid, the salad can taste bland and heavy.  Add a few grinds of black pepper and a sprinkling of kosher salt just before serving for the perfect finishing touch.

Champagne Vinegar & Dijon Vinaigrette Ingredients

Champagne vinegar is at the top of my list when it comes to making salad dressings.  It has a crisp yet light flavor and seems less acidic than other white wine vinegars. It makes a beautiful dressing especially when combined with Dijon mustard and olive oil.  Not all brands of champagne vinegar are alike. I’ve tried a few that were not as smooth and flavorful as the brand I now use exclusively, O Champagne Vinegar found at Whole Foods.  It may be bit more expensive than white wine vinegars, but it is definitely worth the price.  A good dressing brings together a salad by complimenting all of the fresh vegetables in your bowl.  On another note, the little twirl whisk pictured above is my favorite kitchen utensil for mixing up dressings.  It whisks up the ingredients thoroughly and quickly.

Champagne Vinegar & Dijon Vinaigrette

This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Champagne Vinegar & Dijon Vinaigrette Tomato Salad

Champagne Vinegar & Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette Dressed Salad

Champagne Vinegar & Dijon Vinaigrette
 
Author:
Serves: ¾ cup
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (O Champagne Vinegar recommended)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt + more for serving
  • few grinds of freshly ground black pepper + more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced shallot, optional
Preparation
  1. Whisk Dijon mustard, honey, minced shallot if using, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in champagne vinegar. Slowly add olive oil and whisk until vinaigrette is fully emulsified. Chill until ready to serve.
  2. Place salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with some of the vinaigrette. Transfer salad to individual serving bowls or plates, sprinkle a bit of kosher salt and black pepper over each salad (optional). Dressing will keep for 1 week refrigerated.

 

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