[ Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon ]

Am DYING to try this ... 

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 large carrot, sliced 
• 1 large white onion, sliced
• 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups red wine
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves smashed garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 crumbled bay leaf
• 18 - 24 small pearl onions
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 herb bouquet (4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf)
• 1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered

Directions:

• Remove rind from the bacon and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.]
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
• Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef. 
• Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon. 
• In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat. 
• Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the meat lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in the middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn the oven down to 325 degrees. 
• Stir in the wine and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in the lower third of the preheated oven. Regulate heat, so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily. 
• While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed. 
• When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat. 
• Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. The recipe may be completed in advance to this point.
• For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley. 
• For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

[ Julia Child's Creme Brulee ]

Is this the perfect one? I don't know yet ... 

Julia Child's Creme Brulee 

PREP TIME
30 minutes
COOK TIME
35 minutes
ADDITIONAL TIME
1 day
TOTAL TIME
1 day 1 hour 5 minutes


Ingredients

• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar, I process refined sugar until powdered

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• Pour the cream into a stir in the vanilla bean and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover the pan, and let steep for 30 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the mixing bowl until the yolks are thick, pale yellow, and form a fat, slowly dissolving ribbon when dropped from the whisk back into the bowl.

• Remove the vanilla bean from the hot cream.

• Temper the yolks, by slowly stirring the warm milk into the yolks, until all the cream has been added and the mixture is well mixed.  Skim off any bubbles from the surface of the custard.

• Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and ladle the custard into each, leaving 1/4 inch at the top for the glaze.

• Set the baking pan in the oven and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the ramekins.

• Bake the custards for 30 - 35 minutes, until the tops are set but the custard in the center is still soft to the touch.

• Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven, and lift the ramekins from the hot water.

• Let them cool briefly, and then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, overnight.
• Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of the powdered sugar over each custard and smooth it gently with the back of a spoon, forming an even layer of sugar that completely covers the surface.

• Using a cooking torch, melt the sugar until it starts to caramelize.
• Serve.
• Eat.

[TIk Tok Gummy Bears]

 Gummy Bears

3 cups strawberries (or other fruit, apple, blueberries etc)

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)

3/4 cup water

2 tbsp elderberry syrup

1 tbsp of Agar powder for every cup of mixture

Directions:

1.  Blend strawberries, honey, water and elderberry syrup

2. over med/high heat, add one cup of mixture with 1tbsp of Agar powder

3.  cook for 2minutes, then lower the heat.

4.  cook for another 2 minutes

5.  use syringe to put in molds.

6. set overnight.

[Tacofino Chocolate Diablo Cookies]

Haven't tried these yet ...  

Tacofino Chocolate Diablo Cookies 

This recipe yields about 12 large (fist-sized) or around 56 smaller cookies. 

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to desired heat level)
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
• Coarse sea salt and granulated sugar for sprinkling 

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp fresh-grated ginger root or ginger juice 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease or line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cayenne, and cinnamon. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
3. Combine wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in both the brown and white sugars, canola oil, fresh ginger, and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Mix the dough: Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined into a dough. The dough may seem a bit dry at first, but it will become moist.
5. Portion and bake: Scoop the dough into balls (about the size of a golf ball or a generous tablespoon) and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten them slightly with the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers. Sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sea salt and granulated sugar.
6. Bake one pan at a time in the center of the oven for approximately 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops begin to crack.
7. Cool: The cookies should still be fudgy in the middle when removed from the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

[Grilled Corn Salad]

 Grilled Corn Salad

 

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

23 mins

 

This summer corn salad is a great use for leftover grilled corn. If you don't have any on hand, don't worry! It's still easy to make, and it's the perfect summer cookout side dish.

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Salad, side dish

Serves: 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 3 ears of grilled corn on the cob
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• ½ small cucumber, diced
• 2 ripe peaches, pitted and diced
• 1 small avocado, pitted and diced
• 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
• 3 tablespoons Chile Lime Dressing, plus more to taste
• sea salt

Chile Lime Dressing (this makes extra)

• ¼ cup Sir Kensington’s Avocado Oil Mayo or vegan Fabanaise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro, including stems, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus extra slices for serving
• ⅓ serrano chile, plus more to taste
• pinch of garlic powder
• pinch of onion powder
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Make the dressing: In a small food processor, combine the avocado mayonnaise, olive oil, cilantro, lime, serrano, garlic powder, onion powder and a few generous pinches of salt. Pulse until combined. Chill until ready to use.
2. Slice the kernels off of the grilled corn and place in a large bowl. Add the red pepper, green pepper, cucumber, peaches, avocado, basil, lime juice, a few pinches of salt, and toss. Add a few tablespoons of dressing, toss again, then taste and add more dressing and/or salt to taste. Serve with extra dressing and lime slices on the side.

[Broccoli + Cheese Soup]

I made this for Christmas, but in the "trial" run, I found it VERY bland.  So, I added bacon, chicken stock, cooking sherry, chilli powder and cream.  My mom had 2 bowls lol ... I've adjusted the recipe to what I did.

Broccoli + Cheese Soup

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Ingredients

• 6 rashers of bacon, sliced into small pieces.
• 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds broccoli with stalks (3 large or 4 medium)
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks
• 6 cups chicken stock
• a few splashes of cooking sherry
• chilli powder (to taste)
• different cheeses (including lactose-free), added by each guest to their bowl

Instructions

• Cook bacon until crispy.  Transfer to a towel-lined plate.
• Add the onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

• Stir to combine, then cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are just starting to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, slice off and discard the rough bottom ends of broccoli stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough outer skin on the stalks, then discard those bits. Slice the stalks off and cut them into pieces about 1 to 2-inches big. 

• Add the chunks of broccoli stalk and potato to the pot and stir. Pour in 6 cups water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. 

• Simmer until the broccoli stalks and potatoes are tender throughout and easily split apart when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes.  

• You can use an immersion blender (it just won’t be aslusciously creamy). 

• Add the sherry and chilli (cayenne) powder to taste.  Add a few splashes of cream to bring it all together.

• Divide the soup into bowls and let guests add their own cheese to their bowls.  For fun - provide different cheeses.

[Tuscan Crockpot Chicken]

Made thise for Christmas 2025 this year.  It was yummy, easy, and reliable. 

CROCKPOT TUSCAN CHICKEN RECIPE

COOK TIME: 3HOURS HOURS

TOTAL TIME: 3HOURS HOURS 10MINUTES MINUTES

SERVINGS: 4 SERVINGS

 

CALORIES: 393CAL

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

TUSCAN CREAM SAUCE

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed, drained and chopped)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach (didn't use)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place the chicken in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.
• In a small bowl, combine the salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the chicken.

TUSCAN CREAM SAUCE

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, cornstarch, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and Parmesan and pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken reaches 165°F. If the sauce separates as it cooks, simply stir it until smooth. Stir in the spinach.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove from the slow cooker and serve.