[ 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.

[ Parmesan Roasted Carrots]

                              

I haven't made these yet.  Not my pic.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots washed and halved
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic large, minced, or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
• 2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs or normal breadcrumbs
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 1 pinch pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease or spray a baking sheet with cooking oil spray.
• Arrange carrots on baking sheet. Add the olive oil, garlic, parmesan, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Toss all ingredients together to completely coat the carrots. Spread out and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Toss with a spatula half way through.
• Remove from oven and serve immediately. Top with fresh parsley if desired.

[ Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots ]

 I haven't made this yet.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots washed and peeled, or unpeeled
• ⅓ cup butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
• 1 pinch black pepper cracked 
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh, chopped 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking oil spray; set aside.
• Trim ends of carrots and cut into thirds.
• Melt butter in a pan or skillet over medium-heat. Pour in honey and cook, while stirring, until completely melted through the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant while stirring.
• Add the carrots and allow the sauce to thicken for a further minute, while tossing the carrots through the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Transfer carrots to baking sheet in a single layer so they cook evenly. Toss to evenly coat.
• Roast for 20 minutes, or until carrots are fork-tender. Broil (or grill) for 2-3 minutes on high heat to crisp/char the edges.
• OPTIONAL: Transfer them back into the skillet and allow carrots to simmer in the sauce over high heat for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce into a glaze. *SEE NOTES.
• Season with a little extra salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with parsley.
• Arrange onto serving platter and enjoy!

[ Clean Eating Cocoa Applesauce Mini Muffins with Carrot Puree ]

I bought a 5-pound bag of organic carrots and was running out of things to do with them.  Then I thought, "LUNCHES".  I try and have a few things stacked in the freezer for easy-peasy-kid-lunch-making on busy mornings.  

I googled "carrots applesauce cocoa muffins" (the cocoa because I have to hide any strands of orange for fear the kids may toss them *boo*) and found a recipe at The Live-In Kitchen (here).  But.  It had brown sugar.  And way too much white flour.  So - I did some substitution homework (here and here) and came up with this:  a clean, no-white-sugar and no-white-flour recipe.

They are light and not terribly sweet, very different from the chocolately-dense Quinoa muffins.  They are both SUPER good - and these ones have little bits of almond from the almond meal.  This recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper, though it is a little time consuming with the puree.

Now - their recipe also suggests sweet potato instead of carrot for the puree - just a note there.  And since I don't have a food processor, I had to improvise.  Here's what I did ::

Clean Eating Cocoa Applesauce Mini Muffins with Carrot Puree

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup carrot or sweet potato puree
1/3 cup maple syrup
5 + 1/2 tbsp honey
1 + 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
2 tbsp coconut milk
2/3 cup almond meal (Trader Joes)
1 cup gluten-free flour mix (or whole wheat / spelt / other flour **)
1/4 cup Trader Joes chocolate chunks

Directions:

1.  Steam/cook/prepare carrots or sweet potatoes.
2.  Mix butter, applesauce, maple syrup and honey.
3.  (As I don't have a food processor) Place cooked carrots in VitaMix and add eggs.  Blend until pureed.
4. Add carrot/sweet potato mixture to butter mixture.  Mix.
5.  Add baking soda and coconut milk.  Mix lightly.
6.  Stir in almond meal and gluten-free flour mix with a wooden spoon.
7.  spray mini muffin tin with coconut oil spray (Trader Joes), or prepare as you wish.
7.  Bake at 375F for 15minutes, or until done.

yields :: approx 30 mini muffins

** I wanted to try and use coconut flour - but I didn't have enough eggs to substitute. 

[Garlicky Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin.]

Another recipe tried ... to which Siah looked at me tonight and said, "Mommy.  This is delicious.  I love you."  Pretty sure I'll be making this again.

Ingredients:

pork tenderloin (1)

2 tbsp coconut oil

Sauce:

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp tarragon

1/4 tsp thyme

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp tomato paste

Others: 

1 small onion, sliced

4 small yams, chopped in chunks

4 medium carrots, chopped in chunks

Directions:

1.  Heat up coconut oil in hot pan, and brown tenderloin.  Remove from heat.

2.  Combine sauce ingredients.

3.  Place onions and yams in the crockpot.  

4.  add brown tenderloin on top, followed by the carrots.

5.  pour sauce over.

6.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low 6-8 hours.

[Karrot's Cake]

From the Best of Bridge series, and THE VERY best carrot cake you will ever consume.  No raisins, no pineapple, no walnuts.  

Karrot's Cake

3/4 cup corn oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1+1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1+1/3 tsp baking soda
1+1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups finely grated carrots (4or5)

Directions:

- beat together oil and sugar
- add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
- combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture
- beat all together until well blended
- fold in raw carrots
- bake for 1hr at 300F ina GREASED 9x13 pan (I use a bundt pan)