Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Sautéed Sausage and Butternut Squash over Rice

The only good thing about a bad week is it's fodder for blog posts....

First, the update.

There won't be one.

Mon mari was lounging around in the hospital last week, nothing serious, he was only in 4 days.... The French equivalent of an office visit...

Enough about him, he can do his own blog.

This is about my week.

It started Sunday evening, just at sunset.  I glanced out the window and saw Bonnie at the neighbor's house.  

Seems she and Guapa had been playing with the chain link fence and managed to stretch a hole big enough for them to get through. (Stong jaws.) Bonnie went walkabout while Guapa stayed behind the fence and barked at her.

The good news is that when I went out and called Bonnie, she came running.

The bad news is that I promptly became over-confident. 

I repaired the hole as best I could on a cold rainy night in the dark.

Monday, when I got home from dropping mon mari off, I let the puppies out.

Our usual routine is that I let them out while mon mari closes the gate.  They run to the gate to greet him, then run back to me.

But he wasn't there.

I thought they would stay by me, or, at the very least, within the fenced area.

I let them out and they ran to the gate.

They ran through the gate, up the road, over the hill and out of sight at a speed I didn't know them capable of.

Let's just say that I thought they were Porsche's and turns out they're Ferrari's.

I was dressed for the city not for chasing puppies.

But, as the main road was on the other side of the hill I had no choice but to take off running.

I had no whistle, no treats, no leashes, no jacket.

I yelled and screamed and cajoled and talked and they didn't pause. So much for all their training.

They were out of sight by the time I got to the gate.

From our house to the top of the hill is probably a bit over a city block long with again as much before an intersection with a side road and the main road.

Did I mention it was 5:00 - local rush hour?

I got to the top of the hill and they were nowhere in sight.

From the top I could see the main road.... And the traffic seemed to be slowing.

At this point I should tell you about all the thoughts running through my mind but I was in far too much of a panic to be thinking.

I was dreading the worst.

I ran on.

Still calling.

Still nothing.

When I got to the intersection I glanced up the side road.... There was Guapa, standing in the middle of the road with a car stopped right behind her.

She saw me and came running.

She was terrified.  It took me forever to get her calm enough to hold on to her in order to let the car by.  She was shaking and crying and jumping around.

There was no sign of Bonnie.

I thought they would be together, or at least close, but I called... nothing.

I didn't have a leash so I couldn't look for Bonnie; I had to get Guapa back to the house. She was still so scared I had a hard time controlling her.  She'd run ahead a few feet then come back and sit in front of me. I'd take her collar, get her walking and we'd do it all over again.

We finally got close enough to the house that she ran through the gate.

Bonnie was sitting by the door looking at us, with a 'where the hell have YOU been' look on her face.

I closed the gate.

That's when I realized that, while I had run off without leash, treats, etc. I had taken the house keys with me.

I no longer had the house keys.

I did have blisters on both heels from the mad dash up the road in dress shoes; but no house keys.

Off I went in search of the keys.  

I found them right where I had found Guapa, a bit off the road in the ditch.  I assume when I was wrestling with her and her collar they had just slipped out of my hand without me noticing.

That was Monday.

More butternut squash anyone?

I warned you that I was getting, um, creative.

Everything is stir-fried quickly to brown, then left to simmer a few minutes while the rice finishes. Use any type of sausage you like.

This should end up very moist, almost glazed.

Sautéed Sausage and Butternut Squash over Rice

The Rice 
1/2 Basmati rice 
1 cup chicken stock
The Sausages
4 - 6 sausages, 12oz (360gr) total weight 
12oz (350gr) butternut squash 
1 onion
2 cloves garlic 
2 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp paprika 
2 tsp dried sage 
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar 
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock

Cook rice according to package directions.
Cut butternut squash into large chunks. Roughly chop onion, mince garlic. Cut sausage into 1" (3cm) lengths. 
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, paprika and sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, sausage and sauté until sausage starts to brown. Reduce heat to medium. Add butternut squash and sauté until squash starts to brown. Add herbs, vinegar, Worcestershire and 1/4 cup chicken stock. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors and finish cooking squash. Add more stock if needed.
When rice is done, spread on a platter. Spoon sausage and vegetables on top and serve. 

Swineherd's Pie

As I was looking through my handy food guide for the posts on Styles and Sauces recently, I wasted spent a bit of time looking at British foods.

The best thing (in my opinion) about British cuisine is the names....

Well, maybe the second best....

The Brit's make some of the best, ooey-gooey desserts in the world.

This is just for fun:

• Stargazey pie - briefly, a pie with small, whole, stuffed fish, hard-boiled eggs and bacon with the fish-heads sticking through the crust.
• Black pudding - sausage made with pork fat, blood and oatmeal.
• Love in disguise - calves heart, coated with vermicelli, crumbs and roasted.
• Spotted Dick - steamed suet pudding with raisins.
• Faggots - pork bits (liver, lights) wrapped in caul fat and baked.
• Lenten Pie - pie of apples, onions and potatoes.
• Sticky Toffee Pudding - sponge cake filled with dates and covered in toffee sauce (one of the best desserts in the world)
• Fidget pie - pie of bacon, apples and onion
• Inky pinky - roast beef hash with carrots, onions and vinegar.
• Toad in the hole - fried sausages, set in batter and baked.
• Rumbledethumps - mash of potatoes, cabbage and kale.
• Hedgehog pudding - steamed meringue covered with caramel and roasted almonds.

There are lots of pies in traditional British cooking, the most famous being Shepherd's Pie, which is made with mutton or lamb.  If it's made with beef it's Cottage Pie; made with fish it's Fish Pie (not too imaginative on that one).

I couldn't find a name for a pie made with pork....

Although I did find suggestions: Stye Pie, Porker Pie and Swineherd's Pie.  I selected the latter for today's recipe.

In the past I've made a few variations on British classics:

Fish Pie

Kedgeree

Shepherd's Pie

Yorkshire Pudding Pie (Okay, I made this one up....)

And, finally, the Porker Pie (could be Pig Pie) made with leftover pork and mashed potatoes it's an easy, delicious, warm and comforting winter meal. 

Cottage Pie with Pork or Swineherd's Pie

1 - 2 cups leftover pork
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic 
2oz (60gr) mushrooms 
1 rib celery
2 medium carrots 
1 1/4 cup beef stock 
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp cornstarch (maizena, corn flour) dissolved in 1 tbs water 
1 - 2 cups mashed potatoes (2 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed) 
1 - 3 tsp milk

Chop onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Clean and slice mushrooms. Cut pork into bite-size pieces. 
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and sauté 6 - 8 minutes, until they start to get tender. Add pork, stock, mustard and thyme. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. 
Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into pan to thicken sauce. Pour pork mixture into a baking dish just large enough to hold it, plus the potatoes. In medium bowl lightly mash the potatoes, adding a bit of milk if needed to soften. Spoon potatoes over meat - covering as best you can. Bake at 400F (200C) until heated through - about 15 minutes. Serve.

You will note that I don't use enough mashed potatoes to cover the dish.  This serves two, and in order to keep the portions appropriate that's just how it works.

Venison Filet Mignon; are you tired?

What makes you tired?

The kind of tired that makes your mind go blank and you lose the will to move.... Unless it's to move chocolate to the lips.

For me there are two kinds of tired - the good kind and the exhausting kind.

The good kind of tired is how I feel after a brisk four-hour walk, uphill all the way or an all day bicycle ride along the back roads or even after a good ride on the stationary bike followed by 30 or 40 minutes of weight training.

My muscles are tired but my brain is sharp.

Actually, any of those activities seems to put my brain into overdrive, and, at the end of the exercise, I'm brimming with new ideas, new projects to tackle and old problems solved. I'm full of energy and ready to take on the world.... Or, at least, the puppies. 

The other kind of tired, the exhausting kind, is how I feel after driving for six hours on the motorway or having a four-hour lunch or doing the weekly shopping.

It doesn't take me long to do the shopping, my usual store is only 30 minutes away and I'm rarely inside for more than an hour. Of course, there is another 30 minutes at home unpacking and putting everything away.....

At no time does my pulse rate go up, my breathing get any more rapid or a single muscle have to strain or stretch.

And yet,when I'm finished I'm exhausted.... I have no energy to do anything.  We even have a tradition of giving the dogs big chewies when I come home from the store - just so I don't have to deal with them, either.

I sit down at the computer, poise my fingertips over the keyboard, and become still as a statue.  

Nothing is flowing from the brain to the keyboard.  All the synapses have quit firing. There is nothing but a vast emptiness.

I have no idea what it is that makes such a mundane, common task so debilitating... I just know it does, and try to plan my day accordingly.

Maybe I should try riding my bike to the store.....

Of course, I'd have to pull a trailer behind to carry the shopping....

It didn't make me the least bit fatigued to meander over to the neighboring farm to buy some venison last fall.  I was thrilled when she managed to find the last package of filet mignon (after assuring me she had none left).

Venison is a lean, red meat, and if not over-cooked, is tender with a wonderful flavor.

Rumor has it that over-cooking can lead to a gamey taste.

I can't say if that's true - these steaks we cooked to medium-rare and they were perfect.  But I also use less tender cuts in long-cooking stews and medium-cooking stroganoffs, both with excellent results.

I fixed them simply, finished with just a bit of sauce.... Nothing too strong or too complex, letting the venison be the star.

Venison Filet Mignon

1 venison filet mignon / tenderloin
1 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) red wine
1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) beef stock
1 tsp tomato paste

Slice the venison into 1" (2.5cm) thick slices.  Heat oil in a large skillet until very hot.  Add steaks and sauté quickly,  1 - 2 minutes per side. Season with salt, pepper, remove and keep warm.
Add red wine, beef stock and boil quickly, until reduced by half. Add tomato paste and stir well.
Spoon sauce onto a platter, top with steaks and serve.

So.....

What is it that makes you tired?

Butternut Squash and Polenta Gratin

My search for butternut squash recipes continues.

A few weeks ago an email came across my screen that caught my interest.

To be honest, I get so many, and most are not worth the effort to hit the delete button...

I tucked it away, without reading, of course, to make another day.

The day came.

I found the recipe, grabbed a pen to jot down notes and actually read it.

First, it fed 12.

As a main course.

Turns out it was in the 'Vegetarian Epicure' section of an email from 'Food and Wine' magazine (or would that be 'e-zine'?).

Now, we like our vegetables and all, still, the recipe would have to be paired down just a bit.

I read further.

It took six hours to make.

SIX HOURS!

I'm happy to make something that takes six hours if it's 20 minutes of prep time and six hours in the oven....

This wasn't.

It was 45 minutes of prep for the squash, then chilling time, then 45 minutes for the polenta, then resting time, then something else, and something else, then, finally, an hour of baking time then more resting time.

I wanted to rest.

I was exhausted just reading about it.

Still....

The flavors sounded interesting, the combination was intriguing....

And I had promised mon mari something new and terribly fabulous (from 'Food and Wine') for dinner.

Let's just say that this was inspired by a recipe from Food and Wine.....

We can also say that it was delicious.

Butternut Squash and Polenta Gratin

10oz (300gr) butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 - 2 cups chicken stock, enough to cover squash when cooking
1/4 cup polenta, quick-cooking
1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped 
12 - 15 sage leaves, crumbled if dry, chopped if fresh
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 

Simmer squash in chicken stock until very tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain, reserving stock.
Cook polenta in 1 cup of the reserved stock / cooking liquid until done, stirring constantly.
Sauté onion in olive oil until just starting to get tender.  Add walnuts and sauté together until both start to brown.  Add sage and sauté a few minutes longer.
Lightly mash the squash, leaving it chunky.  Combine everything but the Parmesan and spoon into a baking dish.  Sprinkle Parmesan over the top and bake, 400F (200C) 20 minutes, or until starting to brown.

My version took an hour, from peeling to eating.

They roasted the squash, whole, then cooled, peeled, seeded and chopped it.

They used pine nuts instead of walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet.  I have three walnut trees. 

They used real, slow-cooking polenta.

There were other differences.... 

Their's was probably wonderful.

So was mine.

Beef and Filo Cigars; the update

We're perilously close to having another room done.

All that's left is the trim (always the trim) around the floor and window. 

And then.... 

Then..... 

The hall is next in line to be finished.

And part of finishing the hall is to build book cases lining one wall.

When the book cases are done.....

I can, finally, unpack the rest of my books.  I have about 20 boxes of books that have not been opened in almost 4 years.

Yes, yes, I know I'm jumping ahead just a bit, but I am getting excited about it.

Let me have my moment.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

These are not Chinese; they're Moroccan, but I think the recipe and technique could be modified.  I can't get won-ton wrappers and I don't deep fry....

Regardless, they were good!

Beef and Filo Cigars

4 sheets phyllo dough
5oz (150gr) ground beef
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp olive oil
Tomato Sauce
1 cup (8oz, 240gr) tomato sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
hot sauce to taste
olive oil for filo 

Sauté spices in olive oil for 30 seconds.  Add shallots, garlic and sauté until tender.  Add beef and brown, breaking it up as it cooks. When done remove from heat and remove any excess fat.  
Remove 2 sheets of pastry and re-wrap the rest. It's important to keep filo covered at all times or it will dry out. Lay one sheet out flat and lightly brush all over with olive oil. Top with the other sheet and brush with olive oil.  Cut the sheets into thirds, the short way. 
Spoon 1/6th of the meat mixture onto the narrow end of each strip, 2 inches from the end and leaving an inch on either side.  Roll filo over, fold the sides in and roll up like a cigar. 
Brush the top and bottom with oil and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets and filling, making 6 cigars in all. Bake at 400F (200C) for 15 - 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Tomato Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.

Chicken Breasts Duxelles; the sauces

Last week I gave a brief primer on 'styles' in food.

This week it's sauces.

Sauces are a bit more simple.

Note I did not say sauces were simple.

Like anything in the kitchen, there are the basic sauces and the modifications made by the person wielding the spoon.

The well-known:

• allioli - garlic mayonnaise
• mayonnaise - egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil
• hollandaise - egg yolks, lemon juice and butter
• béarnaise - egg yolks, vinegar, white wine, tarragon, shallots, butter
• tartare - mayonnaise with hard-cooked egg yolks, oill vinegar, chives, capers
• vinaigrette - oil and vinegar
• bourguignonne - red wine, carrot, onion, bacon

The fairly common:

• demi-glace - brown sauce, reduced and strengthened with veal stock
• béchemal - white sauce of butter, flour, milk flavored with onion, nutmeg
• bordelaise - demi-glace with red or white wine, shallots, tomato sauce
• Périgueux - demi-glace with Madeira, chopped truffles
• périgourdine - Périgueux with sliced rather than chopped truffles
• rémoulade - mayonnaise with gherkins, mustard, capers, anchovy
• chausser - demi-glace with mushrooms, white wine, tomato paste
• duxelles - demi-glace with mushrooms, shallots, white wine

The less common:

• noir - browned butter, capers, parsley, vinegar
• bigerade - demi-glace, oranges, wine, Curacao
• suédoise - apple compote, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish
• saupiquet - hare's blood, hare's liver, shallots, red wine, vinegar
• lyonnaise - demi-glace, onions, white wine, vinegar
• Miroton - lyonnaise with more onions, more white wine
• gribiche - hard-boiled egg yolks, oil, vinegar, herbs, gherkins, capers

Sauce were much less disconcerting....

Salmon Cakes with Sauce Tartare

Boeuf Bourguignonne

Poached Eggs Bourguignonne

Tournedos with Marchand de Vin Sauce

Macaroni and Cheese

Duxelles is more commonly served with veal chops - but it's equally good with chicken.

Chicken Breasts Duxelles

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbs olive oil 
Duxelles Sauce 
2 shallots (2oz, 60gr)
4oz (120gr) mushrooms
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Duxelles: Finely chop the shallots and mushrooms. Heat the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Add the shallots and mushrooms and sauté, until golden brown, 6 - 8 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any brown bits. Cook until wine is almost completely reduced, about 1 tbs left. Add stock, tomato paste and herbs. Stir well, simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Chicken: Heat olive oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add chicken breasts and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Add white wine. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Arrange on Duxelles and serve.