I do not really see the point of sous vide carrots and beets. They don’t taste appreciably different from boiled. The carrots hold their color better, I guess.
Dinner Tonight: Onglet Gascon (hanger steaks with veal stock reduction) from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook, onion rings, salad
The veal stock reduction (spiked with wine and mustard and mounted with butter) is killer. Dip onion rings or fries in it. Make mashed potatoes and pour over. Certainly also dip your steak in it.
Sadly no marrow bones at the store today, so I had to skip that part of the recipe. My cardiologist is probably just as happy
Indulgence Day No. 2 did not include doing my taxes. But they’re done.
Argentinian shrimp seasoned with s/p and lemon zest, sauteed in a bit of olive oil and butter and served over Basmati rice. Sauteed spinach with garlic and Aleppo pepper and Mediterranean pine nuts alongside (didn’t think to toast them beforehand).
Hamburgers again …with cheddar, bacon, avocado. And Arby’s frozen seasoned curly fries. Spritzed with a little canola spray and baked til crispy. Pretty good for frozen fries.
Veggie calzone with spinach, artichoke, kalamata olives, ricotta, mozz and parm. Homemade marinara for dipping. Romaine with a creamy Italian vinaigrette on the side.
We enjoyed another sensational dinner at The Farmer’s Daughter in Newton, NJ, including 45 day dry aged strip steak with maytag blue cheese, frizzled shallots, and crispy steak fries; truffled squid ink pasta with lobster and herbed panko; crawfish dip with homemade chips; beet tartare; zucchini squash blossom salad; and mussels, clams, and chorizo sausage. it all went great with an excellent red blend and Shiraz.
Dinner a few nights ago. Freezer clean out, so made a good stock with beef and lamb bones. Added some leftover lamb, onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and barley, green beans too. Tasty, but no good bread, so…saltines.
A bit late here, but curious if you mean red meat or any animal product? A chicken or turkey burger with some minced rehydrated black mushrooms (or mushroom powder) is delicious.
With bean/vegetable-based burgers, it’s easiest to think of them as a separate dish rather than a beef burger substitute, because they really aren’t in either texture or flavor. Boca or one of those veggie burger companies used to make a portobello burger that was very tasty. Again, not a beef burger substitute, just a tasty veg burger.
You might also try playing with TVP or similar in addition to oats for texture while you figure out flavor. I’d suggest bouillon powder over straight msg as it has more flavoring agents.
Beyond and impossible are the only ones that have texture of a beef burger (flavor debatable: some people swear it tastes exactly like a real burger, I personally don’t think so but it’s very close). You can get them on sale (and at big box stores) but no, they’re not cheap. (As vegetables or vegetarian options rarely are, in my experience.)
I went to the pricey butcher yesterday to pick up today’s Easter dinner and I picked up take out for dinner last night while I was there. The meal included grilled pork tenderloin with a sundried tomato relish and spaetzle poutine with mushroom gravy and cheese curds. Eaten straight out of the container since I couldn’t be bothered to do dishes after.
I saw that recipe and shared in my Facebook cooking group (mostly so I wouldn’t forget about it). I haven’t made it yet myself, but one member did & loved it.
I rarely share restaurant meals but this was just too good: grouper tacos with curtido and “Baja” sauce (spicy mayo/crema), nopales, and fried plantains with crema. We were served elote as a free appetizer. Everything was excellent! I got some of their very fresh, very spicy salsas on the side. My husband had the same main with their bacon-y charro pinto beans.
Don’t forget to let the packs thaw in the fridge for optimum results. I have found (ahem) that they do not do well at all, even following directions, when nuked from frozen. And I’ve tried all sorts of hacks. They are my equivalent of a pop-tart …
Toasted sandwiches for dinner tonight (because I didn’t feel like making pizza sauce, plus electrician didn’t come so outlet the countertop oven plugs into is still sparking).
Mom had her favorite tomato and cheese (mix of aged cheddar and Amul, the iconic local brand of processed cheddar).
We had roast beef and cheddar (with a sprinkle of truffle salt on the beef).
I made a substantial vegetable soup to go with, in lieu of a salad or side vegetable. Carrots, dudhi / bottle gourd / calabash, aromatics, and a bit of moong dal for heft.
I made an evening snack to go with tea earlier — we have some tasty ritz-like crackers that seem to have a chaat masala component, so I thought they’d be good in chaat, and I used them as the base for sev puri (topping with onion, potato, chutneys, and sev). Even mom couldn’t resist a full plate — they were really good!