My Vintage Kitchen

We're Moving...and Beef Bourguignon

Greetings and sorry we've been away for so long...Just as an FYI Robin and I will be doing our blogging over at www.myvintagekitchen.blogspot.com. We will be posting here for awhile, but eventually it will be just at blogspot. It's basically because I hate Typepad and I can't believe we have been paying for this when blogspot is free. I've been blogging for about 4 years now and my first blog was on blogspot. I have no idea why I ever left other than I liked the layout options for typepad...but it turns out it's not all that great. If you use typepad and you like it that's great, good for you. I just miss blogspot and we will be returning. Also, if there are any recipes you want off this site I would grab them now! I started transferring them, but HOLY CRAP BATMAN! It was taking way to long and I do have a job....other than this. So it will be fresh posting at www.myvintagekitchen.blogspot.com. The shopping page will still be there as well!

Thank you for hanging in there with us! 

Now on to the recipe. This came out of Real Simple magazine and I have to say the sauce is INCREDIBLE! The only thing is, the way they want to you cook the meat just does not give it time to get nice and tender. It's just too fast. So I would suggest altering the recipe as follows. Use a 2 lb roast...put it in a crock pot with a box of beef stock ( or homemade for you stock snobs)and let it cook all day. Then make your bourguignon ( man that's hard to spell) sauce. The secret weapon is a little can of condensed Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup. I'm guessing if your a stock snob this will probably not work for you either...but trust me it rocks!

2 lb rump roast or another lean roast...I know everyone wants "marbling" but I like it lean and just cook it all day....it will be super tender and fall apart.

10 oz mushrooms ( I added a little extra cause I love the mushroom...baby portobello and button)

1 sm bag frozen pearl onions

1 can Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup

2 Cups of good red wine ...DO NOT USE THAT "Cooking wine"  Please!!! If you wont drink it don't cook it. ( I know I can use condensed soup and box stock...but this I'm picky about)

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

OK....here we go...After you have cooked your roast let it rest for about an hour...it should be cool enough to slice 1/2 of it up into 1" cubes ( I like to use the rest for sandwiches.) Over medium heat put your tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add your meat. Toss it around till you get some nice caramelizing going on...this will give a little something special to the sauce. Remove the meat and set aside. Add your mushrooms and onions and cook until all the liquid evaporates off your vegetables and you get a nice color. Add 2 cups of wine and cook down till about half of that liquid is gone. Add your can of mushroom soup plus 1/4 cup water...bring to a boil, add your meat. Let it all get incorporated and simmer for about 10 minutes.

This is a beautiful dish and it tastes complex (it's the wine)...but relatively easy to make. I served it with some grilled asparagus and a baguette.

Now on to the sandwich. You can use the rest of your baguette for these yummy sandwiches the next day! I slice a few mushrooms and start to cook them in a pan with a little butter...I like them to get a little crunch on the edges and carmelization ( carmelization makes the world go round). Once the liquid is gone deglazed the pan with some red wine...just enough to make a rich sauce. Butter your baguettes and pop them face down on a cookie sheet at 400...watch them so you just get a nice warm crusty texture.

Pile your meat on the baguette sprinkle with a little season salt, layer on your mushrooms, then pour some of that thick sauce over the top...grate a little fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. Put the lid on your sandwich and slice it up! This is SOOOO GOOD! 

Smoke Up Your Kitchen

Shop Our Store

Blackened Fish is so easy it's insane. I always hear people say they are afraid of cooking fish, then they are afraid of trying to cook blackened fish/poultry just because of the smoke factor. Well, I'm not going to lie...you are going to get some smoke. But is so worth beating the smoke alarm with the broom handle!

You can buy plenty of really great Blackened Seasonings and I have tried lots of them, but there is some satisfaction in making your own concoction. Not to mention I like a little Old Bay mixed in mine. I've talked about my love of Old Bay before...but in all seriousness if you have not tried it or your grocery does not carry it...do yourself a favor and order it on line or something. It is truly the perfect seasoning. I put it on everything, potatoes, veggies, fish, shellfish, poultry...everything but my oatmeal.    

1 tablespoons smoked ground paprika

1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon light salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Give your fish a heavy coating and place in a HOT pan with a little olive oil...When it really starts smoking ( and you see the color of the fish cooked about half way up on the side) it's time to flip.

Serve it up, maybe with a little lemon or just on it's own.

-Shelly

The French Really Have a Way With Words

Shop Our Store

I love how you can say anything in French and it sounds posh.                                                          

For instance:"We are the young, hello my name is pencil"

Sounds like: " Nous sommes les jeunes, bonjour mon nom est le crayon"

But in German....uhhh not so much "Wir sind die junge, hallo ist mein name bliestift".

And then there is "Shrimp Etouffee"                                                                                                    

In French: "Etouffee de Crevette"

In German: "Garnele Etoufee".

See what I mean? Anyway, lets quit talking about how Etouffee sounds and get down to it. This is a variation on a Crawfish Etouffee that was in the December issue of Gourmet Magazine...the variation being my grocer did not have crawfish and I used shrimp.

Also I have a Disclaimer : All translations are courtesy of some free translator I found on line and I have no clue if they are actually correct. Yes I am of German decent, no I do not speak German. Yes I took French in High School, no I do not speak French...sorry Madame Price.

-Shelly

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter 

3 cups minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 lb shrimp ( cleaned )

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Melt butter in medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and flour, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, paprika and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Stir in green onions and parseley. Serve with steamed rice.

       

Crazy for Cutlery

Visit our Store

I must say.....you know every time I say "I must say" I think of Ed Grimly. ANYWAY...I must say I am completely in love with our little cutlery set....how cute is that face and the little bun on this chickies hair? We try not to really plug the stuff we sell to much as really the main focus of this blog is cooking, but I just had to show you all how cute this little sweet pea is. Her partner is pretty charming too. Anyway, they are back in stock as is the very popular Penguin Thermos ( if you're still looking for last minute gifts.) 

Check back with us tomorrow as I will be posting the BEST Etouffee I have ever had in my entire life! You know it's good when the recipe calls for a whole stick of butter....lord have mercy on our arteries!

-Shelly

Is that a Fried Egg on your Salad?!

Shop Our Store

I know what your thinking...did two Bob Evans waiters collide...one with a breakfast bowl, and one with a salad? No my friends, they did not....and yes that is a fried egg on top of that spinach salad. I was flipping through the pages of Everyday Food and found this little recipe. Really the only reason I thought about making it was because I had all the ingredients, that by the way is never a good reason to cook something as it should probably sound good to you first. So the fried egg thing did not sound so good to me, because A. I thought I don't want a runny yoke all over my spinach and B. It's a fried egg, boiled egg seems OK but fried? hmmm. Well I must have felt adventurous because I went ahead and trusted the editors of Everyday Food and I must say this was excellent! The salad needs the yoke, it gives a rich lovely flavor to the salad and balances out the bitterness of vinegar and spinach.

   

Serves 4

2 bundles fresh spinach washed

3 med Yukon Golds (small dice)

1 shallot ( fine dice)

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

4 eggs

Cook your potatoes in a bit of olive oil until golden brown. In a separate bowl mix the shallot with the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt & pepper.  Put your spinach in the bowl but don't mix in the dressing yet. Grate desired amount of Parmesan cheese on top of spinach. Top with your hot potatoes and start mixing together...till spinach wilts. Fry your egg over medium. Plate your salad and top with egg.

 

We Have A Winner!

Shop Our Store

First off let us say THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our little contest! It was a lot of fun reading your answers and we may make this a more regular thing! So, keep reading if you would like to win more stuff from our shop.

Congratulations to Kimberly Ann over at Nostalgic Homemaking. We did not get our first correct answer till over 24 hours into the contest SOOOO everyone make like a dork and clap your hands at your computer for Kimberly Ann...she really knows her apples!

The "faux pas" was that the apples on the corer were not Swiss Gourmet!

Now on to today’s business! As much as I hate to admit it, this recipe may be a little "Rachel Ray-ish" I promise you there will be no "yummos" or any of that other nonsense. We basically took some cut up chicken cooked it in a little butter ( see you didn't hear me say EVOO - Oy E Vay) tossed in some green beans toward the end and doused it in Ina Gartens "Buffalo Sauce"...from her Family Style cookbook.

This makes a lot so you may want to cut it in half.

6 chicken breast cut up bite size

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Put butter in a pan and melt. Add your cayenne, Tabasco, and salt. Poor over cooked chicken. Toss in cooked green beans and heat through. Serve with a large glass of water.

Old Bay, not just for food.

Back to the Old Bay Seasoning...I just can’t get enough of it. Once upon a time I coated EVERYTHING with Creole seasoning. You name it… potatoes…poultry…fish…salads…green veggies…the thanksgiving turkey (that is really good by the way) but these days it’s Old Bay. Old Bay on everything…heck I may even sprinkle it on the driveway this winter.

This is a simple easy very flavorful way of cooking salmon.

-Shelly

4 salmon fillets

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp old bay seasoning ( maybe 2 tsp if you’re feeling sassy)

1 lemon sliced.

Mix your pepper, garlic, and old bay. Place your salmon skin side down on a baking sheet, drizzle a little olive oil over fillets, sprinkle with your seasoning mix and top with thin lemon slices. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 min. (varies depending on your oven….if you use salmon steaks do about 20 min.)

Easy & Pretty ( I'm not talking about you!)

Imagine a chicken, with long flowing angelic locks, sitting on a lemon.

Thank you.

-Robin

1 Bunch of Asparagus

1 box whole wheat angle hair pasta

4 chicken breasts

3 lemons

2 cloves garlic minced

4 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon

Old

Bay

seasoning

Flour for dredging

Rinse and trim your chicken breasts, set aside. Heat 1 tbls butter in a pan and saute your garlic. Just get the aroma going. dredge your chicken in the flour and then sprinkle some Old Bay on each side, pop in the skillet, I do this with all the chicken and keep adding butter as needed.

I usually have my pasta almost cooked by the time I start the chicken.....get your asparagus going. I like to cut it up before I pop it in boiling salted water. Once your chicken is almost done I pop the asparagus in the skillet, while it is still very green. Mix around and start squeezing your lemons right into the skillet. Mix it up well. Once the asparagus is tender remove chicken and slice on a cutting board. Add pasta to asparagus and toss, plate your pasta and then add your chicken breast to the top.

Dreams Gone Wild

   

So, last night I was having a very strange dream about this little Kitchen blog. The dream went a little something like this. I logged on to typepad and began scrolling down and looking for ideas for the next post. ( We have cataloged and photographed about a bazillion recipes and I always look at the previous one to see what would be good to post next....like it matters, but in my brain there is a flow to it.) So in the dream I was scrolling and my previous post was M&Ms. There was a photo of plain chocolate M&Ms with a recipe on how to make your own. The little "M" stamps didn't look so great, but hey I don't have a big machine doing it for me...I was doing it by hand. I guess I felt uninspired by my homemade M&Ms so I scrolled down to the next post. It was homemade peanut M&Ms....I must have been getting good because the "M"s looked a little better....then in the dream I was thinking to myself ....why would I post TWO M&M recipes back to back? Don't you just love dreams....when the real question should have been why in the hell would you make your own M&Ms in the first place? Well that question would be answered in the next post. Reece's Pieces. Well soon this sugar coated nightmare would end and I would awake to the revelation that my blog was just fine and I had not lost my mind and started trying to make my own teeny tiny candies!

Now I realize that Wild Rice Stuffed Eggplant has nothing to do with M&Ms, but after that sugary dream I felt the need for something a little more healthy.

-Shelly

This is crazy easy and Tres Yummy!

Serves 4

4 small eggplants

1 box wild rice ( 4 servings cooked)

2 cups white button mushrooms ( thin sliced)

2 cloves garlic minced

2 beef bouillon cubs

1 small onion diced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parmesan cheese

Follow the directions on your box or bag of rice and but instead of cooking the rice in water use your bioullon cubs or homemade stock preferably ( if you have it....I did not and went with the cube). The rice takes an hour and everything else is only about 20 mins prep.

Slice your eggplants in half and score the flesh to remove small cubes of the center of the eggplant...reserve for later. After your eggplants are cleaned out coat them with fresh lemon juice or just rub a sliced lemon over them.

Pour a little Olive Oil in a large skillet and toss in your garlic and onion, cook until the onion starts to caramelize. Toss in your eggplant and mushrooms. Saute till you start to get a nice golden brown color on everything. While that's in the pan preheat your oven to 375.

Once you get the desired color on your veggies mix your wild rice in the pan. You may need to add a little more olive oil to the pan.

Stuff the eggplants with the rice mixture and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven just till the cheese starts to brown....maybe 15-20 mins....sorry I forgot to time it. I was probably busy thinking of ways to duplicate skittles. 

         

A Note From MOM

It's time the truth came out. I know all you bloggers out there think that these two girls are just the greatest cooks and are so fussy about what they prepare and put into their and their family's bodies. Free range lettuce and organic chickens and all that fancy stuff, but I know the truth and it's time I told it. Yes it's me, MOM. You know, the one who forced swimming lessons on them, so they wouldn't drown. At least I didn't hold their heads under water to make them learn to hold their breath! Of course, when it happened to me it wasn't in a pool, just a bucket, and no bodies of water or pools existed in the county....I digress. Yes my mother loved me, she did, I know she did....Anyway, back to the business at hand. Theses lovelies have a favorite that they won't admit to, but will eat at any time and all of it if it is available. Are you ready for what it is? (This is where a commercial break would com in if it were one of those expose shows on TV.) Well here it is. TUNA CASSEROLE. Excuse me you say? Did I read that correctly? YES YOU DID! And I'm not talking the somewhat healthy tuna noodles thing you get at a Church pitch in. No this beats that hands down. You will have fun fixing and eating it. You will crave it on a late night when nothing else sounds good. I guarantee it! (But you don't have to tell anyone.)

-MOM    

Pre-heat oven to 375

1 can tuna in water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Your favorite brand of potato chips

Layer in a small casserole dish or even a bread pan. Start with the condensed soup, then sprinkle the tuna, then a layer of crushed potato chips....just keep going till you run out of soup and tuna...top with chips and bake about 15-20 mins....just until bubbly.