Potatoes Romanoff

One of C's favorite restaurants is Strip House. When I saw this recipe in the side dish recipe swap on Christine's Kitchen Chronicles, I knew I had to try it.  These would be great for a dinner party or holiday because you bake the potatoes the night before.  I found the shallot flavor to be a bit intense, so I might reduce that next time I make it.  Grating the cooled potatoes was way easier than expected, but most of the skin did not grate along with the potato flesh.  Folding in the sour cream was a bit of a challenge, slow and steady is key.  I had sharp cheddar on hand, so that is what I used and I was very happy with it.  I bet it would be equally delicious with white cheddar as it originally called for.

Potatoes Romanoff

2 large russet potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed
1/3 cup minced shallots (may reduce to 1/4 cup)
1 ½ cups grated white cheddar cheese (I used regular cheddar)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup sour cream

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and pierce several times with a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and let the potatoes cool to room temperature. Place the potatoes on a plate, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the potatoes, including the skins. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle the shallots, 1 cup of the cheese, the salt and white pepper on top. Using your hands, gently toss the mixture together to combine, then fold in the sour cream in 2 additions. Transfer the potato mixture to a 1 quart gratin dish; do not compress. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese on top. Bake until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

I am obsessed with short ribs. I have had this recipe bookmarked on Pinterest since I received October's issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I signed up for three free months of the magazine awhile back and I am still getting issues, so that is a very good thing.  C says I have a problem with free magazines.  And he is right, I have piles of magazines stashed all over the house.  And he keeps finding my hiding spots.  Another plus of Pinterest is that I can trash the magazine once I bookmark any interesting recipes I find  Any recipe that takes an entire bottle of wine must be good. These short ribs were amazingly tender and the sauce was so flavorful. Reducing it before braising the short ribs in the oven really made for a rich, brown sauce.  I used boneless short ribs, increased the amount of carrots and omitted the celery.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2" pieces (I used ~2.75 pounds boneless short ribs)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups low-salt beef stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2 ½ hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

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Florentine Cookies

I cannot believe it is already 2012...time sure does fly. These cookies were C's favorite that i brought home from the annual cookie exchange I attend. I got the recipe from a fellow attendee since C wanted additional made to eat with all the other holiday cookies. These cookies are excellent. The ones from the cookie exchange used milk chocolate chips, but I used semi-sweet and liked them just as well. These cookies come together quickly and adding the chocolate filling is a lot easier than I expected. They have a crunchy chewiness that is really unique. I think they could also be fantastic with a peanut butter filling. I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!

Florentine Cookies

2/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with Silpats. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir together the oats, flour, salt and sugar; mix into the melted butter until well blended. Stir in the corn syrup, milk and vanilla. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls 3 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets and flatten each with a spatula. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, until medium brown. Cool completely before removing from the cookie sheets. In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate chips, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat. Spread chocolate onto the bottoms of cookies and sandwich them together.

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