Tag: gluten free

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Coq au Vin and Spanish Spiced Onions

During Love and Romance weekend, we did another recipe – Coq Au Vin and Spanish Spiced Onions.  Now some would argue the two dishes would not work well together, but we found a happy compromise.  Instead of traditional wine, we used a mead that is sold at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, not far from our stage.  The taste was lighter than most Coq Au Vin recipes. 

Now, Coq au Vin is traditionally made with rooster but those are difficult to come by in the 21st century, so we used chicken.  This dish has been simplified for our use and modern palates, but I am sure that you will like it.

COQ AU VIN
Ingredients:
2 lbs. of chicken breasts, cut up to one each pieces.
6 cups of mead or sweet wine
1/2 lb bacon, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of chives, minced
1/2 cup thyme
1/4 cup of rosemary
1 tsp of orange zest
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the bacon on medium heat.  Once the fat has rendered and the bacon has begun to cook, add the chicken  to brown and add the garlic.  Once the chicken is thoroughly browned, add the mead and the herbs to the dish, holding off on the salt and pepper until the end.  Cover the dish and stir occassionally (every 5 – 7 minutes) until the chicken is done and pull off of the heat.

SPANISH SPICED ONIONS
Ingredients:
3 lbs. of onions, sliced
4 Tbsp of  butter
4 Tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of thyme
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper

Heat the oil and butter together and add the spices and herbs.  Keep stiring and slowly add the onions.  Stir continuously until the onions are thoroughly sweated and are translucent.  They should not be crisp.

Scoop the Coq au Vin onto the plate and surround with the Spanish Spiced Onions.  Serves 2-4.

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Italian Lamb with Risotto

This dish was performed in real time to an audience at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival on Sunday, August 21, 2011.  It ended up being the dinner for myself and my two assistants.  It’s taste was light and refreshing on a summer day and very easy to make.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

2 lbs of lamb cubed
1 whole lemon
1 tsp of orange zest
2 cups of lamb stock (veal or beef stock can be used instead)
2 cups Arborio rice (uncooked)
1 tsp of lemon basil, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
black pepper

Before beginning, remove the zest from the lemon and cut the lemon in half.  Once done, add olive oil to a hot pan and once heated, add the lamb to brown slightly, adding a teaspoon of the lemon zest.  Remove from the heat and put aside.  Put the rice in the hot pan with the fat from lamb and the leftover olive oil.  Lightly brown the rice to prepare the risotto.  Once toasted, begin adding the stock on medium heat while constantly stirring.  Add the juice from the lemon to the risotto.  Continue until both the rice has puffed up and a lot of the stock has evaporated.  Add the lamb and add the lemon and orange zest along with the lemon basil.  Reserve a half a teaspoon for garnish.  Continue to finish cooking the lamb and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve family style on a single plate or bowl and sprinkle the remaining zest on top as a garnish.  For the photo, I garnished the dish with small orange slices for additional color and served it hot.   Make enough for 4 people.

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Roasted Leg of Lamb

One of my favorite meats is lamb.  I specifically look for grass-fed, free-range lamb to buy.  Luckily I am well connected with various ranchers who can supply me appropriately.  Below  is a traditional (European) version of cooking lamb. It is quite tasty and perfect for special occasions  and company.

Traditional Roasted Mutton
One leg of lamb (mutton), preferably boneless
2 TB olive oil
4 sprigs of rosemary
6 cloves of garlic, minced
Kosher or sea salt
Black pepper

Coat the leg of lamb generously with oil.  This will allow the herbs to stick without damaging the meat.  Remove rosemary from branches and coat the leg of lamb with a mixture of the rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.  Place lamb in pot on the stovetop with olive oil and brown the outside on medium to high heat.  This process will help keep the lamb moist on the inside.

Cover the lamb and place it  in the oven and cook it at 350 degrees. Depending on the size of the leg, this can be between an hour (half a leg) to 2 hours (large, full leg).  Internal temp should be 160 – 165 degrees (medium), please check in half hour increments.  Before serving, let the lamb sit for 5 minutes.  This will help keep the meat moist when serving.

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Feast for a King (Renaissance Magazine – January 2011)

Unless readily available, spices we’ve grown accustomed to today were very expensive and hard to obtain during the Renaissance.  Salt was rarely used and the spices from the Silk Road  – cinnamon, clove, allspice, mace, and ginger, gradually migrated from the Silk Road, across the Arab nations, up the Mediterranean, and north throughout Europe.  France, one of the first cultures to embrace these new spices, would blend them with other, more familiar ingredients, and present the dishes to the royal family and visiting nobles.

 

Although this recipe was prepared originally for nobles, it can be recreated in one’s own kitchen.  This dish is ideal for an evening of wine, candlelight, and romance.  The brandy and apple sweetened duck meat, complements the baked apples and the carrots and can become even more decadent with toasted bread, truffle oil, and a dessert small enough to share.

 

Ingredients:

1 whole duck (4-5 lbs.)
3 tart apples (more apples may be used as well)
3 cups brandy
1.5 cups of apple cider
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp of fresh orange zest
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cardamom seed
pinch of mace
3 tbsp butter
2 cups of young carrots (baby carrots may be used instead)
salt and pepper to taste

Begin the recipe by rinsing the inside of the duck with cold water and pat dry with a clean towel.  Blend the brandy and apple cider together in a bowl.  Take one apples and remove the core, and slice it into quarters.  Place those quarters into the cavity of the duck.  Invert the duck, so that the opening of the body cavity is on top, and place into a separate, deep bowl or freezer bag.  Pour the brandy/cider mixture into the body cavity.  The liquid should overfill the duck and the remaining liquid should remain in the bowl, and set aside to chill for one hour.

Pre-heat over to 400 degrees.

Take a pot large enough to all the duck to lay flat.  Melt butter in the pot; add the carrots, and sauté lightly.  While sautéing, mix the clove, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom seed, orange zest, and mace together.  Once the carrots are covered in the butter, lay t

hem flat in the pot.   Drain the brandy/cider mixture from the duck and reserve. Place the duck on top of the carrots and score the skin of the duck so that the fat may run into the pot.  Pour the reserved brandy/cider mixture over the duck.

Sprinkle the spice mixture on top of the duck and cover.  Bake for 1 hour.  Remove half to two-thirds of the juices

from the pot to let simmer to a reduction in a separate pot.  Core the other two or more apples and add to the pot.  Uncover the duck and bake for an additional half an hour until juices of the duck run pink.  Remove the duck, baked apples, and carrots from the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes before carving the duck.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and serve with the sauce reduction as a garnish.    Serves 4

The recipe requires some time to set up, but it is easy to prepare.  While cooking, one can set the table and get ready for an evening of flirtatious conversation and romance.

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Black Bean Burger Recipes for my Gluten Free & Vegan Friends

I was recently at a barbecue party this past weekend with friends.  The typical choices were there – hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers.  But, some of my friends who were vegetarian (no meat) and gluten free were out of luck.

The veggie burgers had gluten added.  I suggested one of my black bean “burger” recipes and many asked that I post it here.  The first recipe is not a vegan dish as egg, sour cream, and cheese are added.  A vegan friendly recipe is posted as a second recipe below.

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 6 tablespoons salsa, divided
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 4 lettuce leaves
  • 4 slices reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
  • 4 gluten -free hamburger buns, split

Directions

In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork. Add the rice, onion, egg and 2 tablespoons salsa; mix well. Drop by 1/2 cupfuls into a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until firm and browned.If grilling, spray some oil on to tin foil so that the burgers don’t stick to the grill and fall apart.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and remaining salsa. Place a lettuce leaf, burger, sour cream mixture and slice of cheese on bun.

NOTE: When I make this for myself, I leave out the salsa and sour cream and eat with the lettuce leaves.

For my Vegan fans
This makes 6 medium-sized burgers:1 can black beans (about 16 ounces), drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder of choice
2 tbsp ground flax seed
(1 tbsp. corn starch, optional)Start by sauteing the onion in a tablespoon of water, just until they start to soften. Mash the black beans and add the peppers and onions and the other ingredients; mix well.Spray or brush a non-stick skillet with oil, and heat. Spoon the bean mixture into the hot skillet, forming patties. It’s best to do this by dropping spoonfuls into the skillet and using the back of the spoon to shape; they don’t do well if you try to form them into patties beforehand. Cook until well-browned on each side, turning once.  If you use a barbecue grill, place tin foil on the grill and spray some oil on the foil.  Cook the burgers on top of that.  It keeps them vegan safe and helps prevent them from falling apart.A note about the cornstarch: The cornstarch helps the burgers stick together, but if you use it, be sure you cook them thoroughly or you may taste the corn starch.