Month: December 2019

Beyond the “5 Mother Sauces”

While I’ve managed to learn to make passable Béchamel and Hollandaise sauces, the other 3 “essential ‘Mother Sauces’ that all serious cooks should master,” just haven’t been at all essential to meals I prepare. However, the 5 sauces Food & Wine Magazine featured in an April 2019 article are definitely featured much more prominently in my favorite home cooked meals!

  • Chimichurri – Comprised of herbs, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and garlic and/or minced shallot, Chimichurri is a quite versatile, and eminently adaptable sauce that’s great paired with grilled meat or vegetables, or used as a dressing tossed with greens or pasta salad.
  • Hollandaise – F & W’s Justin Chapple shared his secret to making the perfect hollandaise: A blender. Instead of using a double boiler to cook the yolks, Chapple purees the egg yolks in a blender and then streams in hot melted butter, thickening and cooking the hollandaise.  I love this sauce spooned over eggs benedict, steamed or grilled asparagus or as a compliment to a perfectly grilled piece of salmon or steak.
  • Pomodoro – Marinara’s thick, easy, cousin made by simmering crushed tomatoes with a touch of olive oil, garlic, and salt, until it’s thick and a deep rich red. As a sauce for pasta or chicken/veal/eggplant Parmesan, this sauce can easily have some pizzazz added to it by stirring in chopped capers and anchovies, or fresh basil and crushed red pepper.
  • Béchamel – This easy, roux based, sauce is the flavor stepping stone for layering in a lasagna, smearing on a croque madame, or adding cheese so it becomes a mornay sauce for macaroni and cheese.
  • Romesco – Pureed Spanish sauce, made with chilies, tomato, bell pepper, garlic, toasted nuts and olive oil that tastes good on anything from pasta to seafood, grilled vegetables, or even as a spread on a hearty sandwich. Just thinking about these bold, flavorful revisions to the traditional “Mother Sauces” gets my creative culinary juices flowing! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Sausage Stuffing for Beef

Although I am not making the traditional Thanksgiving fare, there are still some foods that accompany the feast that I need to have, like stuffing.  This stuffing recipe is great alongside roast beef, so it could be your go-to for Christmas #RoastBeast too!  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Sausage Stuffing for Beef

  • 1 Pound Ground Italian Sausage (Mild or Hot – your choice)
  • 1 Cup (2 Sticks) Salted Butter (1/4 Cup Melted Butter)
  • 1 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
  • 1 Bunch Celery (including the tops), chopped
  • 1 Medium Granny Smith Apple, chopped
  • 1+1/2 to 2 Cups Beef Broth (Or 1 Can Beef Consommé + water to desired moistness)
  • 1 – 16 oz Bag Dried Bread Chunks for Stuffing (Any type of bread)
  • 1 TBLS Chopped Parsley
  • 1 Large Egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • Pinch Nutmeg (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Butter a 9″ x 13″ Baking pan and set aside.

In large dutch oven, brown the sausage (I like big chunks).  Remove the sausage from the pan and melt the butter, scraping up the browned pieces.  Add the oonion and celery and cook until onion is translucent.

Add the apple and stir the sausage back into the pan.  Add the pepper and nutmeg, the parsley, and adjust the salt if needed.  Turn off the heat and add your cubed bread.  Slowly stir in your beef broth/Consommé and then add your egg.

Spoon the stuffing into the prepared baking dish and drizzle the melted butter over the top of the stuffing. Baker for 40 minutes covered and an additional 10 minutes or so uncovered, to crisp up the top!