Instant Pot pot roast.

Tonight's dinner was a chuck roast in the Instant Pot with potatoes, turnips and parsnips.  We also had some Southern style green beans and sourdough bread that was baked a couple days ago.

Pot roast and root vegetables were cooked with a little water, a pack of dry Italian dressing, brown gravy mix and a package of Ranch dressing. I made gravy with the broth.

Beef Tataki, Beer Steamed Mussels, Pecan Apricot Rice and bread.

Beer-Steamed Mussels

By Ravi Kapur

Serves 6 as a main dish or 10 as a first course

6 lbs. mussels, scrubbed clean and debearded

12 oz. bottle of wheat beer

3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-  oz. (3 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into  -inch cubes

  cup coarsely chopped mixed herbs such as rosemary, chives, savory, thyme, sorrel, and/or parsley, plus additional for garnish

1 French baguette, cut into  -inch thick slices and toasted

When creating this butter sauce, Chef Hayward stressed the importance of restraint when cooking with mussels: “Keep it simple to let them sing.” He used sheep’s sorrel as part of the herb blend, which has a lemon-like acidity.

In a 10 quart stockpot with a tight-fitting lid, bring the beer to a boil. Add the mussels, cover, and cook, tossing occasionally, until the mussels have completely opened, about 8 to 12 minutes. Discard any unopened shells. Transfer the mussels to a very large wide bowl and cover with foil.

Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a damp paper towel into a 3-quart saucepan. Add the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Let the sauce cook to meld the flavors and reduce slightly, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few cubes at a time, until all the butter has been added and the sauce is emulsified. Stir in the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the sauce over the mussels and garnish with more herbs. Serve with the bread to sop up the sauce.

Pecan-Apricot Rice

by Anthony Lamas

Serves 6 to 8

2 cups uncooked basmati rice, rinsed

7 oz. (about 1 cup) dried apricots, thinly sliced lengthwise

3 oz. ( 3/4 cup) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

6 medium scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced (3/4  cup)

2 Tbs. olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Fragrant, long-grained basmati rice lends substance to this crunchy, fruity blend. For tips on selecting and cooking different varieties of the grain, see The Science of Cooking Rice.

Cook the rice according to the package directions.

Transfer the rice to a medium bowl. Using a fork, fluff in the dried apricots, pecans, green onions, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Japanese Beef Tataki

Serves 10 to 12 as a first course

by Pete Evans from Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking 

Season 1, Ep. 6

Tataki means “pounded” in Japanese, but the process of preparing this thin-sliced meat is actually subtle. Beef is first seared, then marinated, then seasoned with spices or other ingredients that have been ground (or “pounded,” if you will). Here, two sauces make the beef full-flavored and tender.

 Note from Norm. I did not put the steak in ice water. Instead I put it on a ziplock bag filled with ice to cool it down enough to set the juice and then sliced it.
For the beef and garlic chips

1-1/4 lb. trimmed center-cut beef tenderloin

Olive oil for frying garlic and for the beef

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise

For the onion ponzu

1/2 cup minced white onion

3 Tbs. grapeseed oil

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. unseasoned rice vinegar

1 Tbs. dark soy sauce

1/4 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1/4 tsp. minced garlic

For the tataki dressing

5 Tbs. soy sauce

1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

Pinch of bonito flakes (optional)

For the garnish

3 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 Tbs. thinly sliced chives

Sear the beef

Heat a griddle over high heat, or preheat a gas grill to high. Lightly brush the beef with oil and season with salt and pepper. Prepare an ice bath.

Sear the beef on the griddle or grill on all sides until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Plunge into the ice bath and allow to cool,  3 to 4 minutes. Remove the filet and drain well on paper towels, patting the meat dry.

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat 3/4 inch of oil over medium–high heat until shimmering hot. Add the garlic and fry until golden and crispy, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towel.

Make the onion ponzu

In a small bowl, whisk together the onion, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic until combined.

Make the tataki dressing

In another small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, and bonito flakes, if using.

With a sharp carving knife, thinly slice the beef and arrange on 10 to 12 dinner plates. Spoon some of the onion ponzu on top of the beef, then drizzle on some tataki dressing, and top with the garlic chips, scallions, and chives.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MOVEABLE FEAST WITH FINE COOKING

Recipe adapted from Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking.

cheesesteak sandwich

Cheesesteak sandwich

2 to 2 1/2 pound strip loin, trimmed

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soft hoagie rolls, split 3/4 open

Provolone Sauce, recipe follows

Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows

Caramelized Onions, recipe follows

Sauteed Peppers, recipe follows

Provolone Sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, heated

1 cup grated aged provolone cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauteed Mushrooms:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (cremini and shiitake), coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Caramelized Onions:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoons canola oil

3 large Spanish onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauteed Peppers:

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Provolone Sauce:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the provolone and Parmesan until combined; season with the salt and pepper.

Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time  20 mins Cook time 20 mins Total time  40 mins

 Serves: 3 dozen large cookies

Ingredients

• 1 pound butter

• 1¾ cups granulated sugar

• 2¼ cups brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

• 3 cups bread flour

• 2 teaspoons salt (1 tablespoon if using unsalted butter)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 2 pounds 60-percent chocolate semisweet or bittersweet chocolate disks, feves or morsels

Instructions

1 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla; mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate, making sure to distribute well.

2 Cover and refrigerate dough overnight or up to 72 hours.

3 Before baking, bring dough out of the refrigerator for about an hour.Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

4 Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft,18-20 minutes for larger cookies and 12-15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Yields 26-36 larger cookies or 100 smaller cookies. 

Polish sausage, cabbage and noodles.

I grew up in a neighborhood where a lot of people were first or second generation Yugoslavian, and went to a Lutheran church were most people could still speak German. I remember seeing this recipe way back then, over 60 years ago but I never tired it. I thought cabbage and noodles would not taste good together.  Yesterday I saw this recipe again, had some cooked cabbage in the refrigerator, wanting something to do with it so I finally gave this recipe a try.  It turned out tasting just fine and it was easy to make.

Cabbage and Noodles

Author: Holly N.

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 12 oz kielbasa or sausage, sliced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• ¼ cup salted butter

• 1 large onion, diced

• ½ head cabbage, chopped (approx. 6-7 cups)

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• ⅔ cup frozen peas

• 8 oz uncooked egg noodles

• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1 Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.

2 In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook sausage until lightly browned.

3 Add remaining olive oil, butter and onion. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

4 Add cabbage and garlic. Cook until tender (10-15 minutes). Stir in peas, noodles and salt & pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Prep time30 mins Cook time 60 mins Total time 1 hr. 30mins

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook  Serves: 4 (12 cabbage rolls)

Ingredients

• ½ large onion

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

• 1 large head of cabbage (will need 12 cabbage leaves)

• 1 tsp. kosher salt for boiling cabbage

• 1 lb. (453 g) ground meat (preferably ¼ lb. pork and ¾ lb. beef)

• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

• ½ Tbsp. butter

• Parsley for garnish

Seasoning for Stuffing

• 1 egg

• ⅓ cup (20 g) panko

• 2 Tbsp. milk

• ½ tsp. nutmeg

• 1 tsp. kosher salt (½ tsp. table salt)

• Freshly ground black pepper

For Sauce

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 1 (14.5-oz, 411 g) can of diced tomatoes

• 1 Tbsp. white wine

• ½ tsp. kosher salt (1/4 tsp. table salt)

• 1 cup (240 ml) chicken/vegetable stock

Equipment you will need

• 6 ¾ QT. oval Dutch oven or equivalent size pot

• 12 toothpicks (optional)

• Otoshibuta (drop lid)

Instructions

1 Mince the onion. 

4 In a frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil on medium heat and sauté onion until softened, about 4 to 6 minutes.

5  Remove the center core of the cabbage, submerge the whole cabbage and cook the cabbage until the leaves are pliable and started to peel off, about 5 minutes.Cool, peel off and take out loosen outer cabbage leaves from the pot.

7  pat dry with paper towel. Trim the tough, thick center vein at the base of each leaf 

8 Chop the thick veins into small pieces, which will be added to the stuffing.

9 In a large bowl, mix the meat, sautéed onion, and the chopped vein parts of the cabbage with your clean hands or a rubber spatula.

10 Add 1 egg, ⅓ cup panko, 2 Tbsp. milk, ½ tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper, mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes (this step is optional; however, it helps to solidify fat, keep the meat juicy and prevent from drying out, and enhance and trap the umami flavor.).

12 Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts .

13 Put 1 Tbsp. of the flour into a fine sieve for dusting. Working with 1 leaf at a time, overlap the bottom of cabbage leaf where you see the upside down V-shape. Lightly dust the flour over the cabbage leaf. The flour helps the stuffing stick to the cabbage and acts as biding agent. Add the stuffing in the center of the bottom part of the cabbage leaf.

14 Starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up tightly, tucking in the sides of the leaf as you roll.

15 Use one hand to pull the edge of the leaf and roll the fillings tightly toward the edge.

16 Insert a toothpick to seal and secure the edge so the roll doesn’t fall apart while cooking (optional). Repeat with the remaining leaves and stuffing.

17 What if the cabbage leaf is broken? You can still use it. Use a smaller cabbage leaf to “patch” up and roll the fillings the same way.

18 In a large pot (I use 6 ¾ QT. oval Dutch oven), heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil on medium heat and cook 2 bay leaves and minced garlic until fragrant. Then stir in the diced tomatoes.

19 Reduce the heat to medium low. Add 1 Tbsp. white wine, ½ tsp. salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and bring it to simmer on medium heat.

20 Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam side down, in the pot. If there are open spaces, stuff the leftover cabbage in the opening so the cabbage rolls won’t move around while cooking. Pour 1 cup of chicken/vegetable broth.

21 Place Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the cabbage rolls. If you don’t have a drop lid or your pot is not round, you can make it with aluminum foil Cover to cook on medium heat. After boiling, lower the heat to medium low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add ½ Tbsp. butter to give it a little shine and more flavor.

22 When you are ready to serve, carefully pick up the stuffed cabbage roll with kitchen tongs and put in a serving dish. Remove the toothpick and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho, actually I used Instant Pot.

 Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho

Andrea Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook (Ten Speed Press; $20) and several other groundbreaking books about Asian food, loves her 6-qt. Fagor Duo pressure cooker ($67; amazon.com) to make pho, the national soup of Vietnam. "It's not too expensive, and it's easy to use--no jiggling valves or dials." That said, you can also make this recipe in a stockpot (see "Stockpot Pho," below); just allow more time. If you're serving more than four people, recruit some helpers to put together the bowls, assembly-line style, so the soup doesn't get cold.

Yield: Serves 4  Total time: 2 Hours

Ingredients

BROTH

1 whole chicken (4 lbs.)

1 rounded tbsp. coriander seeds

3 whole cloves

1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved, and sliced 1/2 in. thick

1 3-in. piece ginger, peeled and thickly sliced

1 small Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and cut into thumbnail-size chunks

3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs

About 2 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

About 1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce

About 1 tsp. organic sugar* or 2 tsp. maple syrup, if needed to round out flavor

BOWLS

10 ounce dried narrow flat rice noodles*

About half of cooked chicken from the broth

1/2 small red onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced and soaked in water 10 minutes

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion, green parts only

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Pepper

VIETNAMESE HERB GARNISH PLAT

Preparation

1. Make broth: Rinse chicken and set aside to drain. Put coriander seeds and cloves in a dry 6- to 8-qt. pressure cooker. Over medium heat, toast until fragrant, shaking, several minutes. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until browned on edges, 2 to 3 minutes. "Traditionally, the ginger and onion would be charred directly on a burner. I've found that this is the best shortcut to get that flavor," says Nguyen.

2. Add 4 cups water, then the chicken, breast side up. Add apple, cilantro, salt, and another 4 cups water. "Having only half the water in the pot when the chicken goes in means you won't splash yourself." Lock the lid in place.

3. Following your cooker's instructions, bring to low pressure (8 psi) over high heat. Lower heat to maintain pressure. Cook 15 minutes, or a few minutes longer if your cooker's low setting is less than 8 psi. If your cooker has only a high-pressure (15 psi) setting, cook 12 minutes.

4. While broth cooks, soak noodles in hot tap water until pliable and opaque, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain well. Divide among four large soup bowls.

5. When broth is done, lift cooker to a cool burner and let pressure decrease until pressure indicator drops, about 20 minutes. Remove lid.

6. Let cool 5 minutes, then use tongs to transfer chicken to a bowl. "Don't worry if some parts fall off. Just add them to the bowl too." Add cold water to cover, then soak 10 minutes to cool. Pour off water, partially cover chicken, and set aside to finish cooling.

7. With a shallow ladle, skim most of fat from broth. Strain broth through a muslin- or cheesecloth-lined strainer into a medium pot, pressing to expel as much broth as possible. Discard solids. Season broth with fish sauce, plus salt and sugar to taste. "Add fish sauce now, at the end. Otherwise you lose some of its umami oomph."

8. To serve, bring broth to a simmer over medium heat. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a rolling boil for noodles.

9. Meanwhile, prepare your pho assembly line: Slice breasts and legs from chicken; set aside half for another use. Cut or tear breast and leg meat into 1/4-in. slices or shreds (discard skin) and put in a bowl. Put red onion, green onion, cilantro, and pepper in separate small bowls. Set out the bowls of soaked noodles.

10. When water is boiling, tip the first bowl's noodles into a noodle strainer or other small mesh strainer. Dunk strainer into boiling water, stirring noodles with chopsticks or a fork to loosen them, until they're soft, 20 to 40 seconds. "Lift one out and pinch it to see whether it's tender. Some noodles are thicker and need more time." Pull strainer of noodles from water, shaking to drain into pot, and empty into the soup bowl. Top with chicken. "Arrange the chicken so it's flat in the bowl. That way, it gets nicely heated by broth." Add red onion, green onion, cilantro, and a sprinkle of pepper, to give it a little pop.

11. Taste broth once more and season with fish sauce, salt, and/or sugar if needed. Divide among bowls. Serve immediately, with Garnish Plate and Ginger Dipping Sauce.

Stockpot Pho

"Using a pressure cooker gives you velvety, round flavors--like cashmere. A stockpot makes soup that's more like shantung silk; you get more hills and valleys in the flavors," Nguyen says.

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 of recipe above, but use a 6- to 8-qt. stockpot and add 10 cups water (rather than 8) to pot. Partially cover, then bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Uncover, skim off scum, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, 45 minutes; turn chicken over and cook 45 minutes more, then transfer with tongs to a large bowl (leave any parts that may have fallen off in stockpot to flavor broth). Let broth simmer another 1/2 hour, covered.

3. Meanwhile, soak noodles as directed in step 4 at left, and soak and cool chicken as directed in step 6.

4. When broth is done, proceed with recipe as directed.

Make ahead: Broth, through step 6, 3 days, covered and chilled, or 3 months, frozen (season before serving). Cooked chicken, up to 3 days, chilled, or 3 months, frozen. Rehydrated noodles, up to 1 week, chilled.

*Organic sugar has more of the molasses left in it and thus more flavor; you could also use turbinado sugar. Find the noodles in the international aisle of most grocery stores (often they'll be labeled "pad Thai").

Andrea Nguyen, The Pho Cookbook (Ten Speed Press; $20)., Sunset

JANUARY 2017