Mom's Favorite Recipe's

Mom's Monthly Favorite Recipe's

I have been blessed to have a fabulous mother who is also a fabulous cook. Born in Belgium, to Victoria Dupont, also a fabulous cook, my mother has collected cookbooks from around the world and combined her recipe's, her mothers recipe's, and other favorite recipe's that she has modified ,to come up with the most supurb recipe's ever. I have finally convinced her to share them with me or they might be lost forever. I am now offering to my clients, a new recipe every month from my moms collection.

If you have a question about any of these recipe's, or would like to request one that she might have --let me know-I will do my best to pick her brain. These recipe's are brought to you with much love--I hope you enjoy them----

P.S. This year we will be celebrating my mother's 80th Birthday

Happy Birthday Mom

Simone and Diane

Mom’s Favorite Recipe’s

Traditional Belgium Stew

#1 Feb. 2008

Carbonnade a la Flamande

Serves 4 to 6

8    ounces butter or olive oil (or half butter and half olive oil)

21/2 pounds flank steak cut into 1 inch cubes

21/2 pounds white onions, sliced

21/2 ounces white flour

11/2 tablespoons brown sugar

11/2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

2      bay leaves

2      fresh sprigs of thyme

        salt and pepper to taste

1      pinch cayenne pepper

1      30-ounce bottle brown Chimay beer (trappiste beer)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter and olive oil in an oven-proof casserole or Dutch oven until light brown. Add the beef cubes and sauté until lightly browned. Remove the cubes from the casserole and set aside. Sauté the onions in the butter and olive oil until golden brown, stirring often. Add the beef cubes and sprinkle with flour. Sauté for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, thyme, salt pepper and cayenne and stir to combine. Add the beer so that all of the ingredients are covered. Bring to a boil. Cover the casserole and cook for 2 to 21/2 hours in the oven. Adjust the seasoning as needed and remove the bay leaves. Serve with mashed potatoes and homemade applesauce.

The secret to the dish is to prepare it one or 2 days in advance, then reheat in a double boiler, it will keep up to one week in the refrigerator.

BON APPETIT

Simone

GERMAN PORK STEW

#2 Mar. 2008

n

n 4    STRIPS LEAN APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON

n1    LARGE ONION CHOPPED

n21/2LB. COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS (CUT IN HALF)

n1     LB.JAR FRESH SAUERKRAUT DRAINED (NOT

n       RINSED)

n1     TSP CARAWAY SEEDS

n1     TSP GROUND PEPPER

n1     14/12 OZ. CAN DICED TOMATOES

n1     CUP WHITE WINE

n1/2   CUP CHOPPED GREEN PEPPER

n1      LB. BABY YELLOW DUTCH POPATOES (OR ANY

n        OTHER KIND OF BABY POPATOES

n

nBROWN BACON IN LARGE SAUTEE PAN. ADD AND BROWN ONION AND RIBS. STIR IN SAUERKRAUT, CARAWAY SEEDS BLACK PEPPER, TOMATOES, GREEN PEPPER AND BABY POTATOES. BRING TO A BOIL THEN COVER AND SIMMER ABOUT 2/12 TO 3 HOURS STIRRING FREQUENTLY UNTIL MEAT IS TENDER.

nSERVE WITH A GREEN SALAD AND SOME GERMAN DARK BREAD!

nGEZUNDHEIT!

nSimone

Mom’s Favorite Recipes

#3 April, 2008

SIMPLE ITALIAN-STYLE MEAT SAUCE

Based on a recipe from Charles Kelsey

8   ounces mushrooms, cleaned and broken in rough pieces

1   large slice high-quality white sandwich bread torn in pieces

2   tablespoons whole milk

     Table salt and ground black pepper to taste

1   pound 85 percent lean ground chuck

1   tbsp olive oil

11/2 large onion chopped fine (about 2 cups)

6   large garlic cloves minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2   tbsp tomato paste

1   cup good quality red wine (merlot ,pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon)

1   (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained liquid reserved

2   tsp dried oregano

1   (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (good quality) Muir

    Glen Organic is my favorite

Process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, scraping down side of bowl as needed, transfer to medium bowl. Add bred and milk,1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to now empty food processor and process until paste forms. Add beef and pulse until mixture is well combined.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just smoking. Add onions and mushrooms, cook stirring frequently until vegetables’ are browned and dark bits form on pan bottom. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes and tomato paste, cook until fragrant and tomato paste start to brown, about 1 minute. Add wine and reserved tomato liquid and 2 teaspoons oregano, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen brown bits. Add meat mixture and cook, breaking up meat into small pieces with wooden spoon until beef loses its raw color, making sure that meat does not brown

Stir in crushed and drained tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The sauce makes enough for 11/2 pounds of pasta.

Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for about 4 to 5 days or frozen for a month or 2.

BON APPETIT!!!!

Simone

Mom's Monthly Favorite Recipe's