Decadent Braised Roast

There is nothing vegan about this meal. Couldn’t even give you a possible vegan version! So bow to the sacred cow, make sure it’s been fed with grass and allowed to roam, and thank it mightily for offering its life for our sustenance! :-)

This is my first attempt at braised meat, it was very fun to experiment and try this out. Fortunately, it was successful -- when Mike took his first bites I heard groans of pleasure from the kitchen.

I can’t take all the credit, though – I had an amazing mentor. To create this recipe, I read through several versions of Lidia Bastianich’s braised beef and then made up my own. (I highly recommend Lidia’s Italian cookbooks, by the way, she’s my hero.) A valuable thing that I learned is that she recommends using a pot that will tightly fit the roast on the sides because you need a lot of liquid to cover the roast; you’ll need even more if your pan is too big. I wrote down my liquid proportions for you, but the amount of wine and broth you use will vary depending on the size of your roast and the pan you use. This recipe is based on a 2.5 lb chuck shoulder roast and an enameled cast iron Le Creuset 3.5 Qt French Oven (I highly recommend this pot if you don’t have one).

Another Lydia recommendation: since the primary base for the sauce is wine, using a good tasting but not too expensive wine is the best. At Trader Joe’s, we purchased La Finca Cabernet Sauvignon (a whopping $3.99) and it was perfect.

Ingredients:

2.5 lb chuck shoulder roast

Sea salt

All-purpose flour for rubbing the roast

Olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, chopped into quarters

2-3 tsp paprika

A few dashes of cinnamon

2-3 T tomato paste

3 fresh rosemary branches (5-6 inches long)

2 bay leaves

A little freshly grated nutmeg

Black pepper

2-3 tsp dried thyme

1 small chopped leek

1 ¾ bottles of red wine

4 cups vegetable stock

1 ½ cups chopped canned tomato

Pat the roast dry with a towel and rub with salt, then lightly coat with flour. Heat the oil in the pan, and brown the roast on all sides (approximately 2-3 minutes per side). Remove the roast onto a plate. Add the onions and a little salt to the pan. Sauté the onions until golden and mostly soft. Add carrots and leeks and sauté for just a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and paprika, stir to combine. Then push all the vegetables to one side and add the tomato paste right to the bottom of the pan, stirring to caramelize. You will notice the tomato paste will turn a darker red. Then stir to thoroughly combine the paste with the vegetables.

At that point, add the bay leaves, nutmeg, black pepper and dried thyme. Stir, then add the roast back into the pan. Add the rosemary branches (you can tie them together with kitchen twine for easier removal later). Pour in enough wine and vegetable stock, enough to completely cover the roast.

Bring to a boil uncovered, letting some of the alcohol burn off. Then simmer covered for one hour, and then uncovered for another hour. The sauce will reduce and create a thick, dark red, flavorful sauce (the leftovers are delicious on pasta). Of course adjust your cooking time for the size of your roast.

Remove the roast from the pan and slice. Remove the rosemary branches from the sauce. Pour the sauce on top and serve. The roast should be so soft it melts in your mouth. This is excellent fall and winter comfort food.

Pumpkin cake with cranberry filling & cream cheese frosting

Thanks to Ken for having a big birthday and inspiring this creation. I loved making it! Eaters rated this “five paws of approval.” This would be a lovely Thanksgiving contribution.

The cake recipe was somewhat based on one I found by Diane Morgan from her book The New Thanksgiving Table; it was posted on www.epicurious.com (great recipe site, and nice iphone app.). I did not use canned pumpkin. Instead I baked a butternut squash whole, cut it in half, discarded the seeds and strings, and pureed the flesh in a food processor until smooth. One fairly small butternut squash was the perfect size for both cake and frosting.

I have used fresh cranberries to make cake filling before, and it makes a smoother filling. However, the dried cranberries and orange juice were already sweet enough and did not require extra sugar or thickener; a much simpler recipe all around. This filling recipe made a lot of extra but I left the proportions as is for you; use the leftovers for almond or peanut butter sandwiches, or with leftover frosting on cinnamon raisin bread.

Quick note about using whipped cream to frost a cake -- unless you find and use Whip-It, a powder that stabilizes the whipped cream, your frosting may separate or melt. Without Whip-It, you can either wait until the last moment to frost your cake or just frost the top and serve extra frosting on each individual serving. I purchase Whip-It at World Market.

Helpful equipment: two 9-inch cake pans with 1 ½ inch sides, an electric mixer with paddle & whisk attachments, parchment paper, and a cake platter (a regular plate will do).

Ingredients for Cake:
Butter, at room temperature, for coating cake pans
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pans
1 ½ cups raw turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pureed roasted squash or pumpkin (can use canned)

Ingredients for Cranberry Filling:
1 package dried cranberries
2 cups orange juice
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of pumpkin pie spice

Ingredients for Frosting:
2 packages (8 ounces each) light cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup whipping cream
1 packet Whip-It (optional – though it does keep the frosting firm)
¼ cup squash or pumpkin purée
1 tsp cinnamon, plus an extra dash
Approx. 3 T agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup
1 T plus 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Prepare the pans: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper. Sprinkle the pans with flour, tap the pans to evenly distribute the flour, and then shake off the excess flour. Set aside.

Make the cake: In a large bowl, sift together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk in the sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, and then whisk in the oil and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the pumpkin or squash and stir just until combined. This makes a thick, spongy batter.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks and let cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Run a table knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the cakes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely before frosting the cakes.

Make the cranberry filling: While the cake is baking, put all the ingredients for the cranberry filling in a small non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally until the mixture gets thick, but just a little too runny to spread on a cake – approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool; it will thicken the rest of the way as it stands. Let cool completely before putting it on the cake.

Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, 1 T vanilla, 2 T sweetener, and 1 tsp cinnamon on medium speed for about 3 minutes until smooth and slightly fluffy. Add the pumpkin purée and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust sweetener as necessary. In a separate bowl, use a whisk attachment to whip the whipping cream, Whip-it, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1 T sweetener (or to taste) and a dash of cinnamon, until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, mix 1 scoop of whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Then fold in the rest of the whipping cream. Refrigerate until you are ready to frost the cake.

Assemble: Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or platter. Using a spatula, spread the cranberry mixture over the top of the first cake layer. Put the other cake on top and spread the frosting across the top and carefully frost the sides, turning the cake platter as you go. Wipe up any spills you make on the cake platter. The nicest person in the house gets to lick the frosting bowl (that may be you, the baker). Refrigerate the cake to set the frosting.

Remove from the refrigerator at least 10 minutes before serving (longer if it’s been in the fridge for more than a few hours).