Hearty Braised Short Ribs

Braised short ribs seem to be on every menu this fall. Whether started in a dutch oven on top of the stove and finished in a slow oven, or put in a slow cooker (or crock pot) all day: low and slow are the key words. We own two slow cookers but invariably return to the stove top and the oven.  I myself am intimidated by not being able to stir and flip and reseason a dish, aka "don't lift the lid". So I rarely use the slow cooker. I just have to peek in to see how things are going!

We have been making short rib recipes for many years and have made all kinds. BBQ sauced, red wine gravy style, pot roast style and on and on... We have cooked them using the slow cooker, the pressure cooker , the grill and our favorite way, the dutch oven. This was the first time using this particular recipe from Bon Appetit October 2009 . It was good, just not as great as some of the other recipes we've used for short ribs.

I bought what I thought was a rutabaga and a turnip, (thats how it was marked at the store) turns out I ended up with two rutabagas. The recipe only calls for the turnip but I had to be different, ha that'll teach me! The recipe also calls for sun-dried tomatoes of which I had none left, though I thought I did. So instead I added a can of diced tomatoes. Maybe these are some of the reasons it was not a favorite for us. I should give this one more shot, exactly as the recipe dictates. Then I can feel better about discarding the recipe if we don't love it.

Season ribs with salt and pepper and brown the ribs on all sides.

Remove and set aside.

Add onion and vegetables; cook until lightly browned and tender. Add tomatoes and spices; stir to combine. Next add ribs back to pot and add the wine; simmer until slightly reduced. Finally add broth; cover and bring back to simmer. Tranfer pot to 350 degree oven and braise until ribs are tender, about 2 hours.

We love beef short ribs, even if they are not in a favorite sauce recipe. They are always fall off the bone, melt in your mouth deliciousness. Just go ahead and search the internet and you will find dozens of different ways to make these. And they will always be fall off the bone delicious.

Michael and Carla

My Autumn Casserole - Greek Style

Eggplants, Zucchini and Peppers; Oh My!

With the turn of every season I ask myself which seasonal fare I like the most. Hmmm, too hard to decide. I love them all. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter - just take me to the Farmer's Market or show me the fresh produce and I am a happy girl.

When we were in Florida and the autumn/fall season meant the temperature would drop from 98 degrees to 85, I would change my recipes with the new incoming "season" and we would be eating really HOT chili while the temperature outside "was dropping". Which by the way, in Florida they say: "We only have two seasons, hot and sweltering". So while my children are still there and it is a "mild" 80 something degrees, I am happily enjoying a real fall season with temperatures in the mid 60's. I can now truly enjoy "cozying up" with my menu.

Which brings me to this casserole dish. Melitzanes me kima sti katsarola which is Greek for Eggplant Casserole. Eggplant is also known as Aubergines, Brinjal and Mad Apple. Aubergine also defined, means purple. Eggplants are a member of the nightshade family. Among which are the potato, tomato, peppers and even tobacco. I never knew this. And now for the best fall comfort meal I have had in many years...

Begin by chopping the vegetables into bite size pieces.

Assembling the ingredients.

Saute vegetables.

Brown the ground meat.

Eggplant Casserole (My Way)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (preferably mediterranean or greek)

1 large eggplant, cubed

2 small zucchini, cubed

1/2 each green and red pepper, diced

1 small or 1/2 large onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, diced

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped and divided in half (yea, I cheated)

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pound ground chuck (you can also use-ground chicken,turkey,pork or lamb)

8 ounces V-8 juice (I wasn't in the mood for tomatoes but still wanted the flavor)

1/2 pound egg noodles

1 teaspoon oregano, chopped

2 tespoons parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350. In large frying pan over medium high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the onoin until translucent. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and cook for 2 minutes and then add mushrooms. Cook until just tender, about 3-4 minutes, stirring all the while. Next add peppers and cook for 5-7 minutes until they begin to soften. Add eggplant and zucchini and cook approximately another 10 minutes. All in all you do not want to burn your onion and garlic so if the heat is too high on your pan turn it down to medium. Set large pot of water on to boil for the egg noodles. Lastly for the vegetables, add the can of V-8 juice and the oregano. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half. When reduced by half remove from heat and set aside in a bowl. Wipe out your pan and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and saute the remaining garlic until tranlucent. Add ground meat and cook until no longer pink. At the same time you are waiting for ground meat to cook through, cook egg noodles until al dente, drain and set aside. Spray 8" x 11" casserole dish with cooking spray of your choice ( I use canola spray). In your large mixing bowl, combine the vegetables, ground beef and the egg noodles. Pour into casserole dish and cover with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes, remove foil and cook an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is nicely browned.
Serves 4

Michael and Carla