On Moms last night here in Denver a few weeks ago I wanted to do a real nice Fall dinner and even Matt was able to come home to eat with us! I made a Fall Salad with Kale, Red Wine braised beef over Pumpkin risotto and it was a HUGE hit!!! So I am sorry I didn't take step-by-step pictures but I want to share the recipe with you all anyways!!
Fall Kale Salad:
Toss these items in a salad bowl:
Kale
Red leaf lettuce
Shaved green apple
Dried cranberries
Pumpkin seeds
Dressing:
(I always eyeball the dressing so I tried to make it into measurements for you all....)
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Dash of Salt and Pepper
1 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds
** Mix those ingredients together**
Then while whisking all about 1/4 cup EVOO!
Then add to your salad and your done!!!
Red wine braised beef from The noshery
ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 small onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 3 lb beef chuck
salt
pepper
1/2 bottle red wine
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves
instructions
pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven or a heavy oven-safe pot. let it get nice and hot. add diced carrots and cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. when the carrots start to brown, add the onions and celery.
cook the vegetables until the onions begin to caramelize. i know you will be tempted to stir and fidget with the vegetables, but trust me: let them sit a bit, stirring occasionally. it's the best way to get some good caramelization. use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and set aside on a plate.
pat the beef chuck dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. don't be shy; it's a big piece of meat.
if needed, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in dutch oven, letting it get nice and hot. the butter should shimmer. sear the beef on each side for about 5 minutes -- don't fidget with it. it should be brown, not grey, and crispy on the edges. remove beef and set aside.
pour 1/2 a bottle of red wine into the pot while still hot. using a firm spatula, scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. return vegetables to the pot. lay browned beef on top of vegetables.
add fresh herbs, garlic and bay leaves. tuck herbs into the liquid and bring to a boil.
cover and place in oven at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours or until tender. it should fall apart using a spoon, if it's still firm return to the oven and let it go another 30 minutes.
Pumpkin Risotto
I learned to make risotto years ago while working in a fine dining restaurant and once again I just kinda make it to my taste but I found a Giada recipe that seems perfect for you all to use......
****** At the end when you stir in the parmesan stir in 1/2 cup of canned Pumpkin!!!*******
Ingredients
- 4 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 3/4 cup of finely chopped onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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Directions
- 1
In a Medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.
- 2
In a large heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- 3
Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rise is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total.
4
Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and the salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
