Pavés du Mail (Pan-Fried Steaks with Mustard Cream Sauce)

The crispy bits and juices left in a skillet after frying steaks make a delicious base for a creamy, cognac-laced pan sauce. We based this recipe on one in Daniel Young's The Bistros,

4 8–10-oz. flat iron steaks, cut
horizontally without the connective
tissue
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. canola oil
5 tbsp. cognac or brandy
1⁄4 cup heavy cream
1 1⁄2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley

1. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add
steaks and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked to desired temperature, about 6 minutes for medium
rare. Remove pan from heat. Transfer steaks to 4 warm plates and pour off and discard all but 1 tbsp. fat.

2. Add 4 1⁄2 tbsp. cognac to pan and stir, scraping browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Return
pan to medium-high heat and cook for 20 seconds. Add cream and mustard, season with salt and pepper, and
cook, stirring vigorously, until sauce just comes together. Stir in remaining cognac and pour sauce over steaks.
Serve steaks garnished with parsley and black pepper.


SERVES 4

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• cup granulated sugar
• cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick ( cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• cup rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.
4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound beef tenderloin
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill

Cut the meat into strips and season well with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a large skillet and brown the meat in batches; remove meat when cooked.
Add onion and mushrooms and sauté the mixture over medium heat until onion becomes soft.
Stir in flour.
Add broth and stir well.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add meat, Dijon and sugar and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and dill.
Heat, but do not cook.
Serve warm with noodles.

apple cake

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.

Serving
The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. Marie-Hélène served her cake with cinnamon ice cream and it was a terrific combination.

Storing
The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature and, according to my husband, gets more comforting with each passing day. However long you keep the cake, it’s best not to cover it — it’s too moist. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.

Super Quick Creamy & Cheesy Pasta

500 g pasta (short or long will be fine)
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
your favorite cooked vegetables (leftovers are fine)
1/4 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons light cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of garlic powder

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. If you are cooking something like broccoli or cauliflower from its raw state, cut it into florets and add it to the pasta 10 minutes before it's done. This way the pasta and veg cook together. When the pasta is al dente, remove all but 1/4 cup of water from the pot (I use my pot lid to drain my pasta and just eyeball the amount of water I leave in the pot).

Return the pot to the stove and turn the heat down low. If you are using leftover vegetables, add them in now, along with the milk, cream cheese and parmesan. Give everything a good stir and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic powder. Stir again so that everything is coated and heated through. Serves 2.

Turkey Meatloaf

I'm afraid of turkey meatloaf, so I've never had it... This is Ina's recipe and I'm going to try it sometime.
nocoupons

• 3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 5 pounds ground turkey breast
• 1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
• 3 extra-large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.

Pumpkin Walnut Spice Cake

From Saveur

FOR THE CAKE:
3⁄4 cup softened butter, plus additional for greasing pan
2 1⁄2 cups flour, plus additional for dusting pan
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. ground ginger
1 pinch ground allspice
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh cooked pumpkin
3⁄4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped Candied Orange Slices

FOR THE GARNISH:
1⁄4 cup walnut halves
1 tsp. butter
2 tbsp. sugar
1⁄2 cup Candied-Orange Syrup
Candied Orange Slices

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 7 1⁄4" (7-cup) angel food cake pan. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a bowl. In another bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, then beat in eggs, one at a time, and fold in pumpkin. Slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just until smooth. Stir in walnuts and chopped candied oranges.

2. Spoon batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

3. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in butter, remove from heat, and toss with sugar. Transfer cake to a platter, drizzle with syrup, arrange walnuts on top, and garnish with orange slices.

Candied Orange Slices

2 tbsp. whole black peppercorns
10 whole allspice berries
3 cups sugar
2 seedless oranges (such as valencias), thinly sliced

1. Place peppercorns and allspice in a piece of cheesecloth, tie into a bundle, then place in a medium saucepan with sugar and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and add oranges. To keep slices submerged, place the lid of a smaller saucepan in pan over orange slices. Simmer until rinds become very soft and syrup begins to foam, about 1 1⁄2 hours.

2. Remove orange slices from syrup and set aside to cool on wax paper. Discard spices and reserve syrup. (Orange slices can be stored in syrup in refrigerator for up to 1 month.)