The Sunday Chef: Queso Fundido Clasico and Salsa Verde Pizza with Goat Cheese and Bacon

Queso Fundido Clasico

Ingredients:
-8 oz of shredded chihuahua cheese
-1/2 cup white wine
-2 oz of thinly sliced onion
-4 oz of chorizo
-Tortillas (determine quantity based on number of people being fed)

Directions:
1. Saute chorizo and onion until cooked.
2. In a separate dish, bring the wine to a simmer.
3. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Be sure to not over cook it or it will become tough.
4. Place in dish. Drizzle chorizo and onion over the top
5. Serve with warm tortillas.

Review:
Chihuahua cheese is such a buttery delicious cheese.  You could simply serve it with tortillas if you wished.  The chorizo and onion add a little heat and sweetness to the cheese.  I had this dish at Rick Bayless's restaurant and I tried to make it myself.  Unfortunately, I overcooked the cheese and it was a little tough.  If you have a fondue pot, this would be an ideal situation for it.  Even those that don't care for Mexican food can appreciate the wonderful flavor of the cheese.

Salsa Verde Pizza with Goat Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients:
-2 cups flour
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 cup room temp. water
-1/3 cup beer
-Few tbsp olive oil
-2/3 cup roasted tomatillo salsa
-Couple very thin slices of red onion
-4 oz of goat cheese
-3 slice of bacon
-2 tbsp queso anejo or Parmesan cheese
-Handful of chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, and salt.
2. Measure in the water and beer.  Stir to combine everything. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temp for 8-18 hours.
3. Heat the oven to 500 degrees.  Generously oil a 13x18 baking sheet.  Spread the dough onto the pan so that it is even.
4. Spread on sauce, leaving a border.  Scatter on bacon, sliced onion, and crumbled goat cheese.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.

Review:
Finding a good tomatillo salsa is key here since that is the primary flavor.  This would make a great appetizer or tapas dish.  You could easily alter the pizza by changing ingredients or the type of salsa. 

The Sunday Chef: Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:
-2 lbs of zucchini diced (or julienne)
-1/4 cup onion
-Can mushroom soup
-Cup sour cream
-Cup shredded carrot
-8 oz of stuffing (or old bread crumbs)
-1/2 cup melted butter
-2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
-Cup colby or cheddar cheese grated

Directions:
1. Steam zucchini and onion in water for 5 minutes
2. Combine soup, sour cream, and carrot in a large bowl
3. Add zucchini and onions
4. Spread 1/2 stuffing mix in 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
5. Layer zucchini mixture on top
6. Top with the rest of the stuffing
7. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and other cheese over the top
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Review:
This is a great creamy side dish that can be paired with a lot of main courses.  It is a great way to get rid of old bread too!  The first time I made this recipe I diced the zucchini, but next time I think I'd like to try cutting it into a julienne.  Other than that it is a very filling dish that many will love!  Thanks aunt Linda :).

The Sunday Chef: Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Ingredients:
-6-8 cups of chicken stock
-1/3 cup of olive oil
-1/2 cup finely chopped onion (white)
-1/2 cup finely chopped celery
-2 tsp salt
-2 cups of arborio rice
-Cup dry white wine
-1/2 cup grated parmiagiano reggiano
-1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes
-5 cloves of garlic

Directions:
1. On a cookie sheet, spread out tomatoes and garlic.  Drizzle olive oil over the top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
2. In a separate pot, heat up stock (almost to a boil).
3.  Put the olive oil in the risotto pan.  Add the onions and celery and 1 teaspoon of salt.  When the onions begin to color, add the rice all at once.
4. Stir for a couple of minutes until the grains are toasted, but not browned.
5. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring continuously until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Ladle in 2 cups of hot stock and stir steadily as the rice absorbs the liquid.  When you can see the bottom of the pan, quickly ladle in another couple of cups and the remaining salt.
7. Cook until the stock is almost completely absorbed.  You should be stirring this whole time.  Ladle in another cup or so of stock.  Continue this process until you have used about 6 cups of stock and about 15-20 minutes has passed.
8. Remove the tomatoes and garlic from the oven.  Remove garlic from the skin and pour the garlic and tomatoes into the risotto.  Stir.
9.  Add cheese while stirring.  Serve immediately.

Review:
The risotto came out al dente.  The sauce was creamy and the rice was not mushy, but had substance to it.  I made a half of a serving because that is a lot of risotto that it makes.  You can add almost any ingredients you wish (i.e. mushrooms, meat, spinach, etc.).  I would recommend using a food processor for the onion and celery.  You almost want it to blend in with the rice and mine was too large.  I do not recommend this recipe when hosting because it requires a 20 minute block of time that you cannot leave your risotto.  You really must stir the whole time otherwise it will burn and not cook evenly.  A great side dish worth the effort!

The Sunday Chef: Beouf Bourguignon

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup olive oil

-8 oz button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered if large

-5 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

-3 pounds boneless beef rump roast (or chuck) cut into 1-inch pieces

-Coarse salt and ground pepper

-Clove garlic, smashed

-Tbsp tomato paste

-2 tbsp flour

-3 cups dry red wine

-2 cups beef stock

-Bay leaf

-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

-10 oz pearl onions, peeled

-2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces

-2 tbsp parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.In a 5-quart Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 

3. Generously season beef with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot and brown meat, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per batch (add up to 1 tablespoon oil per batch as needed); transfer to plate. 

4. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil. Add bacon to pot and cook over medium until brown, 5 to 6 minutes. 

5. Add tomato paste, cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. 

6. Add flour, cook 30 seconds, 

7. Add wine, stock, bay leaf, garlic, and meat.  Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. 

8. Remove from oven and add carrots and onions. Return to oven and cook until meat is very tender and vegetables are tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. 

9. 15 minutes before end of cooking remove, add mushrooms to pot. 

10. Remove from oven and stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Serve topped with parsley.

11. Optional--add a dollop of cream cheese on top when serving.

Review:

Oh my gosh!  Talk about nailing a recipe.  This meal is great on a cool fall day or cold winter day.  Don't fix this one in the dead of summer because you are going to heat up the house quite a bit.  This is not a set it and forget it dish.  There are chunks of time in between steps, but overall you cannot just let it be.  The result is definitely worth the effort though.  The meat comes out tender and moist.  The sauce is thick and flavorful.  The veggies are cooked just right, not too much.  I love adding the dollop of cream cheese at the end because it creates this creaminess.  I served this with egg noodles, but it would also be great with mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

The Sunday Chef: Skillet-Braised Chicken Bundles

Ingredients:
-Large Carrot (cut in chunks)
-Large Celery Stalk (cut in chunks)
-Medium Onion (cut in chunks)
-10 fresh sage leaves
-2 garlic cloves
-5 tbsp olive oil
-2 tsp salt
-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
-6 strips of bacon
-2 cups dry white wine
-3 cups canned plum tomatoes (preferable san marzano)
-2/3 tbsp parmigiano reggiano

Directions:
1. Mince the onion, carrot, celery, 4 sage leaves, and garlic to make pestata.  Cook with pestata in 2 tbsp of oil until it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
2. Trim chicken thighs of fat, place plastic wrap on top and pound with mallet to flatten.  Sprinkle with salt
3. Spread a tbsp of pestata on each thigh.  Fold thighs into thirds (like a letter) and wrap with a piece of bacon long way around each bundle.  Place toothpick through bacon and chicken to hold it together.
4. Pour 3 tbsp of olive oil into the big skillet.  Put chicken bundles in pan.  Turn when lightly caramelized.  Once they are brown, drop the remaining pestata in between the bundles.
5. When everything is sizzling, pour in the wine and bring to bubbling simmer.  Cook until wine has reduced by half.  Pour crushed tomatoes and juices all over the bundles.  Mix the sauce.
6.  Cover the pan, adjust the heat to keep simmer steady, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
7. Finish with grated cheese.

Review:
Delicious!  This is a time consuming dish, however the result is worth it.  The chicken is tender, the sauce is flavorful, and the texture is varied.  I served this with a mashed potato, but many side dishes would go well with this main dish.  This recipe was taken from Lidia Bastianich's cookbook.  Highly recommended!