fancy stroganoff.

today was one of those days were i really needed to de-stress and cook something that took some love and affection. and also, as always, to use up some left over ingredients that were hanging out in the fridge. so, whilst browsing through the internet to figure out what to do with a piece of meat in the freezer, i came upon this beef stroganoff recipe that seemed simple and tasty. also, it had a little bit of liquor which was definitely a plus for me! i love cooking with alcohol! :D

recipe was straightforward. the only thing i probably modified was adding garlic powder to the seasoning of the beef and that was pretty much it. oh, and i mixed it with pasta instead of over rice. the ending result was pretty tasty. lots of leftovers, which was what i wanted since i made this for tomorrow's dinner. i'm betting that it'll be even better after it's mingled together a bit. on that note, i thought it was super-duper tasty but the boyfriend thought it was okay. *sigh* difference of opinion. that's okay...more for me! XD

 
Beef Stroganoff
(from Wine Country)

1 tsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 lbs beef chuck roast (i used leftover beef i roasted. :))
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 10.5 ounce can beef broth
1 tbsp Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Clean fat off beef and slice into 2 inch long and ½ inch thick pieces. Season with salt and pepper. (skipped this since i had pre-seasoned beef already and just added the garlic powder)
Heat butter and olive oil in pan over medium heat. Quickly brown beef strips and then transfer to plate.

2. Add onions and mushrooms to pan and sauté until onion is tender. Add beef back to pan and sprinkle with all-purpose flour. Add broth and cognac and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and add in mustard. Cover and simmer until beef is tender (about 1 hour).

3. Stir in sour cream right before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over rice.

game time.

cornish game hen, that is. picked a couple of these up in walmart the other day and wanted to see if i can do anything with it. searched around on a few sites then saw a reference for cooking light's roasted cornish game hen. i happen to love cooking light's cookbooks and for the most part, their recipes have always been spot-on with me. so...decided to give it a try. :D


i followed the recipe for the most part. anything i didn't have, i substituted as usual. the glaze itself has a pretty similar base to the balsamic one i always do. so, to change it up a bit, i added a touch of rose water, a pinch of savory, and a dash of pepper give it a little bit of complexity. the side was just asparagus with crispy pancetta, garlic, and red onion sauteed in a little bit of olive oil. also, butterflying the hen turned out to be super-duper easy! thank you, youtube! and thank you, mr. ramsay, for showing how to do the drumsticks! XD

one thing i have to say tho...it definitely needed a starch of some sort. the portion still left me and the boyfriend a tad bit peckish and i think having some sort of starch would have probably fixed that problem. that or serve a whole cornish hen to each instead of halving it. who knew they were such small portions? :/ ah, well...c'est la vie.
 

Roasted Cornish Hens with Cherry-Port Glaze
(from Cooking Light)

1/2 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup port
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tbsp rose water
1/4 tsp savory
1/4 tsp paprika or ancho chile powder
2 (1 1/2-pound) Cornish hens
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray.

Combine preserves, port, ginger, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan (added the rosewater, savory, and paprika/ancho chile here as well). Bring to a boil; cook 9 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard giblets and necks from hens. Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Working with 1 hen at a time, tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under hen. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set on wire rack on baking sheet.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Brush hens with cherry mixture; bake 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 165°, brushing with cherry mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove twine; split hens in half lengthwise.
 

Asparagus and Pancetta Saute
(makes 2 servings)

half bunch asparagus, cut into thirds
2 to 3 slices of pancetta, roughly chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Slightly caramelize onion and garlic together in a little olive oil. Add pancetta and cook until crispy. Add the asparagus and saute until tender, about 2 to 5 minutes depending on thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.