I’ve told you about my beloved Aunt Connie before and about what an amazing cook she was and what a huge influence she was on me. This beef roast, braised in beer and ketchup, was- and still is – one of my favorite comfort foods! The gravy is out of this world and the meat is tender as can be, no matter what cheap cut of beef you use. Luckily it became a staple in my mom’s rotation of meals too.

Aunt Connie’s Beer Roast

2  1/2  to 3-pound beef chuck roast
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 /2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1  bottle of beer
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Mashed potatoes (accompaniment)

Generously season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil. Add the roast and cook to brown on all sides.

Place in a crock-pot and pour ketchup on top of beef.

Saute the onion and garlic in the same skillet until soft and translucent. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add onion mixture to the crock-pot.

Deglaze the skillet with the beer, stir in the brown sugar to dissolve and then pour the beer-sugar mixture into the crock-pot.

Turn over the roast to mix in the ketchup.  Turn the crock-pot on high heat for 1 hour, then reduce heat to low and allow to cook all day, or at least 7 additional hours.

Remove meat and onions from crock-pot and set aside on a plate. Make a slurry with 1/4 cup cold water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch.  Whisk into the liquid remaining in the crock-pot and whisk until you have a thickened gravy.

Slice the beef against the grain and serve, with the onions, over mashed potatoes, topped with the gravy.

Serves 6

This is another of Bruce Aidells’ recipes from the December 2011 issue of Bon Appétit that I used for our Christmas dinners last week.

One important tip when roasting a whole beef tenderloin is to tuck under the tail end. Because the tenderloin narrows at one end, the thin portion must be tucked under itself and secured with a little kitchen twine, so that it will cook at the same rate as the rest of the roast.

Roast Beef Tenderloin with Caesar Crust

4-pound whole beef tenderloin, fat and silverskin trimmed
Kosher salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
2/3 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs made from day-old white bread
2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
2/3 cup mayonnaise
4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, finely chopped
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled

Season tenderloin lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate overnight.

Uncover tenderloin; let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set a rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Pulse the 4 teaspoons black pepper, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, mayonnaise, anchovy fillets, mustard, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce and garlic  in a food processor until well blended.  Evenly spread and pack Caesar mixture on the top and sides of the tenderloin.

Transfer tenderloin to rack and roast until the crust is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin registers 120-125 degrees for medium-rare, about 30-40 minutes.

Transfer to a carving board. Let rest for 20 minutes. Cut into 1/2″-thick slices, taking care not to lose too much of the delicate crust, and serve.

Serves 10 to 12

I am done whining, back to a recipe! I am certain you are thinking, “It’s about time!”

At the request of a kind follower, Dagmar, I am also putting up a few more pictures of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon.  Tomorrow, I’ll share a few photos from our trip on the Verde Canyon Railroad, along the the beautiful Verde River.

The recipe may have a long name, but it couldn’t be easier to make. Tri Tip is a classic cowboy beef cut that is thick, nicely marbled, and very flavorful. It is the triangular cut at the tip of the sirloin.

Roasted Poblano Chile Pepper & Pomegranate Molasses Marinated Tri Tip

2 pounds tri tip
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 poblano peppers; roasted, peeled, cored and seeded
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
Fresh cilantro, garnish

Generously season the tri tip with the salt and pepper on all sides.  Place on a plate.

Set aside 1 of the poblano peppers. Place the 3 remaining peppers in a blender or food processor. Add the pomegranate molasses and blend until smooth.

Pour the puree over the tri tip and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Coarsely dice the reserved roasted poblano pepper and set aside for garnish.

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade. Discard marinade. Grill meat to desired doneness, about 10 minutes per side for medium-rare (about 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer to cutting board. Tent with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Place on a serving platter and garnish with the diced poblano and cilantro.

Serves 4

Steak and blue cheese are a classic combination. I discovered a 4-pack of rib-eye steaks in the back of the freezer and although there are only the two of us, I grilled up all four steaks. I used the extra two to make this pasta dish a couple days later. Any leftover beef will do, just be sure to slice and cut it up directly from the refrigerator.  When the beef is cold, it is easiest to find and cut out the fat that is marbled throughout.

I purchased a wonderful 6-pack of organic pasta imported from Italy at Costco. In it, there are two packages of casarecce, two packages of penne, and two gemelli. I chose the gemelli for this dish because the other two styles are meant to hold lots of sauce. This dish has minimal sauce, so the gemelli works best  out of the three. If you want to use penne or maybe fusilli, I’d advise throwing in a can of undrained chopped tomatoes to make the pasta saucier.

A funny thing I noticed was that the pasta packages are 17.6-ounces in weight, instead of the usual 16-pounces. Since I generally run on about 2% brain capacity on any give day, I was thinking, “What’s up with that?”  It took me quite a while to notice that the other weight on the packages is 500 grams.  Finally, another 3% brain powder kicked in and I figured out that this was true Italian pasta, so of course it would be measured in grams and the ounce weight was just placed on there for us metric-challenged Americans. Grazie Garofalo Pasta, I need all the help I can get when it comes to math!  Oh… and it’s really good pasta too, so pick up a 6-pack the next time you’re in Costco.

Beef, Blue Cheese, and Sweet Pepper Pasta

1 pound cold leftover cooked beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips
2 yellow or orange bell peppers; cored, seeded, and cut into strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup beef broth
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled and divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8-ounces (1/2 package) gemelli or penne pasta
1/3 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped

Cut beef, against the grain of the meat, into thin strips lengthwise, cutting out and discarding all visible fat. Cut each slice into bite-size pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add the onions and peppers to the skillet and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently and seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.

Salt boiling water in pot and drop in pasta and cook according to package directions.

Add the stock to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and stir in the crushed red pepper, and 1/2 of the blue cheese.  Return pepper mixture to skillet, along with the beef.

Remove from the heat. Stir in olives and the remaining blue cheese.

Drain pasta, add it to meat mixture, and toss to combine. Taste and season.

Serves 6

It’s been exactly one year to the day since I wrote about what I now refer to as “the big fancy Fry’s”.  On that post, I also told you all about Kobe beef, which Fry’s had on sale during their grand opening last year. And with that beef, I made some pretty terrific meatloaf. Today I am taking another stab at both the Kobe beef and the meatloaf with a new, but not necessarily improved, version. I say that because I really love both recipes. This time around, I’m using half Kobe (or regular ground beef is perfectly fine) and half ground turkey.  And instead of the Pomegranate-Chipotle Tomato Sauce, which took some time, I’m using a ready made product that makes this meatloaf “easy-breezy” and will make a great addition to your pantry.

The product I’m talking about is Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. It can be found at all Asian stores and most grocery stores in the Asian aisle.  This chili sauce is not too sour, just sweet enough, and has a somewhat gelatinous texture. Don’t worry, I’m not advising you to run out and purchase a bottle just for my meatloaf recipe.

Once you’ve dipped a chilled shrimp into Mae Ploy, you’ll never buy cocktail sauce again for your shrimp cocktails.  And crab cakes get an thrilling boost when dipped in it. Same thing goes for coconut-breaded shrimp.

This sauce is the perfect accomplice for crunchy wontons or egg rolls and it is a marriage made in heaven partnered with crab rangoons!  Don’t get me started… how about Teriyaki hot wings or  jalapeno poppers, or even as the new “secret” ingredient in your next batch of barbecue pork or cocktail meatballs… the list goes on and on…  Go pick up a bottle – start with the meatloaf and then be sure and share with us what other uses you’ve come up with!

Turkey and Beef Meatloaf with Sweet Chili Sauce Ketchup

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground turkey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup ketchup, divided
3/4 cup Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce, divided
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the beef and turkey in a large bowl with the eggs. Stir in 1/2 cup of the ketchup and 1/2 cup of the sweet chili sauce along with the remaining ingredients.

Pack the mixture into a loaf pan. Use your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the meatloaf, as shown. This helps the meat cook evenly, through and through.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

While the meatloaf is in the oven, blend the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Remove loaf pan from oven and carefully pour off any excess grease. Spread the ketchup mixture over the loaf and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8

Last night’s birthday party dinner for Terrie was a blast. Anytime the Murriettas gets together, nothing less is expected. Please indulge me and I shall share my history with this fantastic family.

Terrie and I have known each other since our grade school days at Navajo Elementary, right here in Scottsdale. We are both native Arizonans. We lived on the border between two high schools, Scottsdale High and Saguaro High. Terrie and her younger sister, Peggy, went to Scottsdale High. Terrie’s three older brothers, Vince, Mark, and John, went to Saguaro, as did I. After Navajo, Terrie and I lost touch and I only knew of her brothers as the “big men – the jocks” on campus.

Fast forward 12 years to 1991. Dave and I are in our second house and have just had our second child, Connor. We live in a cul-de-sac and our backyard fence curves around and backs up to 5 different neighbors. One day, I meet one of those neighbors, Peggy DeBolske. She also has two little ones of her own at the time, Joey and Samantha (Natalie and Steven come along 2 and 4 years later). We become fast friends and soon learn that we are both Arizona natives. Then we discover that we both went to Navajo. I ask her maiden name… Murrietta. “Oh my gosh, is Terrie your sister? And are Mark and John your brothers?” (Her oldest brother, Vince, was long gone from Saguaro by the time I arrived.) Yes!  Small World! We, of course, have been best friends ever since and it gave me the opportunity to re-connect with Terrie.

Peggy and Terrie attended my Blog 2nd Anniversary Party earlier this month and Terrie told me that all of the recipes for her birthday party were coming from this site and that Peggy was hosting the dinner party. I glared poor Peggy down and gave her hell for not asking me to help her. She relented and that is how I wiggled “my way in.”

Terrie’s 50th Birthday Menu for 30

Avocado-Mandarin Orange Salad (x4)
Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish-Brandy Sauce (x3) and Brandied Mushrooms  (x6)
Parmesan Roasted Asparagus (x5)
Balsamic Roasted Red Onions (x6)
Green Onion Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (x6)

Lemon “Nothing Bundt Cakes” birthday cake

We plated the salads and served everything else family-style, on large platters and in bowls filled with the main course and the sides, for each table.

Happy Birthday, Terrie and thank you Peggy, for the opportunity to spend time with you and that great family of yours! Love you both! xoxo

The boletus edulis (botanical name) is beloved around the world for it’s firm texture and distinctive flavor. It is known as Cèp in France, Porcini in Italy, Penny Bun in Britain, Steinpilz in Germany, and King Bolete, or just King in the United States. In most stores and restaurants, you’ll find them called by their Italian name, porcini. At the market you will most often find them dried in little bags. In France and Italy, they are sold not only in bags but often in bulk at the outdoor markets.

If you see them fresh in the grocery store at a reasonable price, snatch them up, they are a wonderful treat.  You can grill them, make them into a delicious sauce, even into a mushroom stew. Or just call me and I’ll help you put them to good use!

Cèp and Rosemary Rubbed Rib-Eye Steaks

Recipe inspired by Bruce Aidells of Aidells Sausage Company

4  boneless rib-eye steaks
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 ounce dried cèp (porcini) mushrooms
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red wine or prickly pear sauce

Place steaks and soy sauce in large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, releasing excess air; turn to coat. Let steaks marinate at room temperature for 60 minutes, turning bag over after 30 minutes.

Process mushrooms in spice mill into a fine powder. In a small bowl, blend together the 2 tablespoons of the mushroom powder, rosemary, and pepper. (If there is any extra mushroom powder, save and use in a soup or stew later.)

Remove the steaks from the bag and pat dry. Discard the soy sauce. Press the rub over both sides of the steaks.

Heat a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear the steaks until browned and cooked to desired temperature, about 9 to 10 minutes per side for medium-rare. If the meat is browning too quickly, adjust the heat so the outside does not overcook. Do not crowd the pan, do in two skillets if all four steaks won’t fit comfortably in one skillet.

Reduce heat to low and transfer steaks to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest 5 minutes. As soon as steaks are removed, pour the wine or sauce into the skillet to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits in on the bottom, cooking over low heat for 1 minute.

Drizzle the glaze over the steaks and serve.

Serves 4

Have kids?  If so, this is a hard combo to beat; pizza and bacon cheeseburger in one easy to eat package.  Adults are pretty crazy about it too.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

5 slices bacon, diced
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup peeled and diced onion
1 cup purchased marinara sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Cornmeal, for dusting
12 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup shredded sharp white cheddar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone placed on the lowest rack.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy.  Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and drain off all but 2 teaspoons of the drippings from the skillet.  Add beef and onions to the the skillet and cook, stirring to crumble, until the beef has cooked through and the onions have softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and crushed red pepper; simmer, stirring, until thoroughly heated through, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Sprinkle enough cornmeal to lightly cover a pizza peel.  Stretch and roll out dough into a 13-inch circle and transfer to the cornmeal-dusted peel. Slide the crust onto the stone and cook until the bottom begins to crisp up, about 5 minutes.  Carefully remove from the oven and place the crust, uncooked side down, onto a cutting board.

Pour sauced beef mixture onto the partially baked crust and evenly spread to cover. Scatter the top with the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Crumble bacon and sprinkle evenly over the top. Slide pizza back onto the stone and bake until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing into wedges and serving.

8 slices

During the “decision making” time about what to make for our graduation class last week, I had several suggestions to choose from as one of the main courses, among them, tacos or Greek salad.  Both are good ideas and both work well on a buffet, but we already had decided on another salad and “Plain Jane” tacos seemed a bit tame for the rest of the menu.  So we combined the two and made Greek Tacos… they were a huge hit with students and guests alike.  If your family is the more adventurous type, go with the ground lamb, otherwise, either ground beef or ground turkey work perfectly well.

Greek Tacos

Yogurt Dill Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
Taco Meat
1 pound ground lamb (or ground turkey or lean ground beef)
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 tablespoon Greek seasoning
1 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh baby spinach, thinly sliced
Toppings
12 packaged crunchy taco shells
2 cups diced tomato
2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced English cucumber
1/2 cup pitted and diced Kalamata olives
1/2 cup peeled and diced red onion
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Yogurt Dill Sauce: In a medium bowl, blend together yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and dill.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Taco Meat: In a large skillet, cook ground lamb over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the tomatoes along with their juices, Greek seasoning, garlic, and pepper.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat; cook for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.  Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Toppings: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place taco shells on a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes or until heated through.

Spoon about 1/4 cup meat mixture into each shell.   Place the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion, feta cheese, and yogurt sauce in separate small bowls and allow guest to top their own tacos.

Makes 12

When my kids were younger, I loved to trick them with food on April Fool’s Day. The year Marissa was in forth grade and Connor was in first grade was a stellar year!  I began the day with a non-food trick on my husband, Dave.  The day before, I took a new bar of soap and coated it on all sides with clear nail polish.  After it was dry, I replaced the soap in our shower with this new bar. I stood outside the bathroom and listened to him cursing as he continually dropped the bar of soap, trying to get a lather going.  He was so frustrated, I actually began to feel sorry for him, and went in to replace the bar for him.

After I got the kids off to school, I got busy working on the tricks for them.  First, I made up a batch of strawberry Jell-O.  I poured it into their dinner glasses, inserted straws and let it set up in the fridge.  Next, I made these “sham”burgers I’d found that year in Family Fun Magazine. Then, I went to work on the Litter Box Cake that I was to take in to Marissa’s classroom for their April Fool’s Party, since I was the room mom, I wanted it to be extra special. It took a bit of coaxing to get the first kid to try that cake!

Once the kids were home and outside playing, I went to work on their “dessert”, a meatloaf cake, iced with mashed potatoes. As you can see from these photos, it was a very good year for April Fool’s tricks!

“Sham”burgers

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, divided (one is for the glaze)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1  1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Green food coloring
1 can purchased vanilla icing, divided in half
Red food coloring
Yellow food coloring
6 large purchased soft chocolate cookies

To make the cookie “hamburger buns,” heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add 1 egg and beat well. Stir in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl. Then, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and blend well.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Next, use the bottom of a floured glass to lightly press the dough into a circle. Then beat the remaining egg and use a pastry brush to “paint” it on top of each cookie. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the tops. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.

While the cookies are cooling on a rack, make the “lettuce.” Place the shredded coconut into a plastic bag. Add a few drops of green food coloring, close the bag, and shake until the coconut has turned a light green.

Color half of the icing with red food coloring and the other half with yellow food coloring.

To assemble the burgers, choose two cookie buns that are about the same size and shape. Spread red icing ketchup or yellow mustard icing on the bottom bun, add a chocolate cookie, and sprinkle with coconut lettuce. Add a squirt of icing ketchup or mustard to hold the top bun in place. Arrange the hamburgers on dinner plates or on a platter.

Makes 6 shamburgers
Adapted from Family Fun Magazine

Kitty Litter Cake

2 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (12 ounce) package vanilla sandwich cookies
3 drops green food coloring
1 (12 ounce) package tootsie rolls
1 newly purchased and cleaned plastic kitty litter box
1 newly purchased and cleaned kitty litter scooper

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to package directions.

Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup add a few drops of green food coloring and mix.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs, and the chilled pudding. You may not need all of the pudding, you want the cake to be just moist, not soggy.  Put cake mixture into litter box.

Put the unwrapped tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends so that they are no longer blunt, and curve the tootsie rolls slightly. Bury tootsie rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle with the remaining cookie crumbs. Sprinkle a small amount of the green colored cookie crumbs lightly over the top.

Place the scooper in the box, and for an added touch, scoop up a tootsie roll or two and then dare your kids to help themselves.

Serves a crowd

Meatloaf Cake

Make your favorite meatloaf recipe or use a double recipe of THIS ONE. Form and bake the meatloaf in two 8-inch round cake pans.  Whip up a batch of your favorite mashed potato recipe, or use a double recipe of THIS ONE, just leave out the Parmesan and the green onions.  When the meatloaf is done cooking, allow to cool slightly.  Same with the mashed potatoes. The place one meatloaf round on a microwave safe plate or platter. Frost with mashed potatoes.  Place the second meatloaf round on top and frost the entire “cake”.  This is best made at room temperature and then reheated in the microwave, otherwise your potatoes will just melt and slide off the cake.  In that case, the joke is on you!

I’ve posted the recipes for regular chicken stock and for rich duck stock here before, but I just realized that I’ve not put up recipes for beef stock or brown chicken stock yet.  This recipe is for brown chicken stock, but the recipe for beef stock is exactly the same, just sub in beef bones for the chicken pieces. Having these two stocks in your freezer, ready when you need them, will make you feel very rich indeed, as there in nothing better than homemade stock!  I’m including nearly a dozen pictures to make it as easy as possible to follow along.

Brown Chicken Stock

6 to 8 pounds chicken backs and wings
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1-inch pieces
Trimmings and peels (well washed) from celery root (optional)
Handful of parsley stems (with or without leaves)
2 bay leaves
12 whole peppercorn
Cold water

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425 degree.

Place chicken pieces in on 2 large baking sheets or in a large roasting pan along with onion, carrots, celery, and celery root trimming, if using. Roast, stirring once halfway through, until chicken and vegetables are golden brown, 1 to 1  1/4 hours.

In the meantime, place the parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large heavy stockpot.

When chicken and vegetables are finished roasted, add to stockpot.

Straddle the baking sheets or roasting pan across 2 burners.

Then add 1 cup water to each pan and deglaze pans by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, 1 minute.

Transfer pan sauce to the stockpot.

Add enough cold water to completely cover all the solid in the pot, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for a minimum of 3 hours, or up to 5 hours.  Add more water as the water level goes down to the original level of the water, you should be able to see where that was, by the scum ring around the pot.

Pour stock through a large sieve that is placed over another large pot, then discard the solids. Cool to room temperature, uncovered, and then chill for several hours or overnight, until all the fat rises to the top and solidifies.

Use a large spoon to lift of the solid fat, discard fat and either use the stock right away, or place in freezer strength zip-lock bags and freeze.

Be sure to label each bag with not only the words “brown chicken stock”, but also with the quantity and the date.

Makes 18 to 20 cups

Today we come to the end of our “Cook Once – Eat All Week” use of the Prime Rib.  I call this salad “bicicleta” because the way you arrange it on a platter is made to resemble the spokes of a bicycle wheel.  It’s a pretty salad when it’s laid out that way and even after it’s tossed, so bright and colorful.

Bicicleta Salad

Beef
1/2 pound leftover beef, thinly sliced, then julienned
1/4 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and mined
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dressing
1/4 cup prepared salsa
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1 chipotle pepper, finely minced

Salad
1/4 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and spun dry
1/4 head romaine, washed, spun dry and torn into bite-size pieces
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 small mangoes, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Toppings
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup roughly broken corn tortilla chips

Beef: Place the julienned beef, onion, lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a gallon-size zip-lock bag.  Seal the bag and toss to coat the beef completely.  Refrigerate for up to 2 hours.  Drain before adding to salad.

Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the salsa, ranch dressing and chipotle until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad: On a large round platter; arrange the salad ingredients and the beef-onion mixture in a bicycle spoke pattern, alternating the iceberg and romaine in between the other ingredients, so that there is a spoke of lettuce every other spoke.

Sprinkle salad with cheese and tortilla chips, drizzle with dressing.

Serves 2

Here is meal #3 from our original prime rib of three days ago. You may not know this, but I am a French Dip aficionado, I know my French Dips, and this is a keeper, trust me!

Use a very sharp knife to slice the beef as thinly as possible.  Since the meat is cold from being refrigerated for the last couple days, it’s not as hard as you may think.

The little “dips” pictured here are a bit smaller than usual because I made them appetizer size for a little happy hour birthday celebration for my BFF, Peggy.   Make these and thank me later!

French Dip for Two

Carmelized Onions
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into medium dice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Horseradish Sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared creamy horseradish, or to taste

Beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced fine
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup beef broth
3/4 cup leftover beef, sliced across the grain on the diagonal bias as thin as possible

2 French rolls, split and spread lightly with butter

Onions: Heat oil and butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onions; saute 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in sugar and cook until onions are golden, stirring frequently, about 45 minutes longer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl, cover to keep warm. Do not wash skillet. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Horseradish Sauce: Mix sour cream and horseradish in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Beef: Heat the olive oil and butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until shallots are softened.  Add the wine, increase heat to high and reduce liquid by half.  Add the stock and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place the beef in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Pour the shallot mixture over the beef and place on the bottom rack of the oven while toasting the rolls, so no more than 5 minutes.

Place rolls on the top rack of the oven for 5 minutes, until lightly toasted.  Remove meat and rolls from oven.  Drizzle some of jus over cut sides of rolls. Divide meat and onions among 2 bottom halves and place on the top half of the rolls. Transfer sandwiches to serving plates.

Transfer jus to individual dipping bowls and serve sandwiches with jus for dipping.

Serves 2