2-3 pound chuck roast
salt & pepper
1 cup of red wine
2 cups of beef broth
1 yellow onion
3 carrots, sliced
1 cup of mushrooms, halved
......
2 pounds of red potatoes
4 tablespoons of butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup of sour cream
......
2 tablespoons of flour

Pat the chuck roast with a paper towel, then coat it in salt & pepper.  Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat for 1 minute.  Sear each side of the chuck roast for 2-3 minutes, browning it on each side.  When all sides are browned, add red wine and beef broth to the pan with the beef.  Quarter the onion, then put it in the pot with the beef, wine and stock.

Roast covered in a 250 degree oven for 5-6 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily.  Add the mushrooms and carrots into the pot, then roast for 30 more minutes.

Cut the potatoes in quarters and put them in a large pot filled with water.  Boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain the potatoes, the pour them into a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add butter and sour cream.  Turn the mixer on low, and continue stirring until the potatoes mash up.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you need to keep them warm, place them in an oven safe dish covered with foil and keep at 250 degrees until you are ready to serve.

Remove the roast from the oven.  Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside, cover with foil.  Place the Dutch oven with the onions, carrots, mushrooms, wine and drippings on the stove over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour until smooth.  You may need to add more flour if you'd like a thicker gravy.  Heat for 3-5 minutes until it thickens and is bubbly. 

Add roast back into the gravy and vegetables.  Serve with warm mashed potatoes. 

Chicken Renaudiere is a classic Julia Child recipe that I've had in my notebook for years.  I served this with fava beans as a side. 

Ingredients:

For the chicken base:
3 ounces bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 leeks, white part only, sliced in 1/4 inch half circles
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon slice, seeds removed
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons mixture of chopped fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme
For the chicken:
4 8-ounce chickn breasts, boned, skinned, and pounded thin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
For the sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces tagliatelle pasta
1 tablespoon snipped chives

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the bacon over until done. Drain on a kitchen plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
3. Combine the bacon drippings with the 2 tsps olive oil in a skillet, and sauté the mushrooms. Add the leeks, butter and lemon slices.
4. When the leeks have wilted, add the garlic, salt, pepper and herbs. Then add the wine and reduce by half.
5. Add the chicken stock, and reduce by half again.
6. Remove the lemon slices and put the mushroom/leek mixture into an oiled shallow baking dish. Set aside.
7. Dredge the chicken breasts in the panko bread crumbs.
8. Add 2 T butter and 3 T olive oil to the skillet and sauté the chicken.
9. Season with salt and pepper, turning once.
10. Place the chicken breasts on top of the leek mixture. Deglaze the pan you sautéed the chicken in with white wine, reduce by half, and pour over the chicken.
11. Top with Asiago and bacon bits.
12. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, reduce the heavy cream with the mustard, salt and pepper over medium heat until thickened.
14. In a large pot, boil water and cook the tagliatelle until just tender.
15. Drain and toss with the cream mixture and chives. Serve with the chicken on top.

Andy and I took our honeymoon to Greece and Italy, and fell in love with the varied cuisines of both countries.  One of our favorite discoveries was the Bolognese sauce, which traditionally is made with all kinds of rich ingredients, including butter, liver, and cream. 

I can't remember where I first found a lower-fat recipe, but I've been refining my version of Bolognese for 5 years now.  This recipe freezes very well, so make a double batch. 

It's tempting to try and save time, but take it from me, every step is crucial for a hearty sauce.  Set aside an afternoon to make this sauce, and enjoy the process!

Ingredients:
1 T. EVOO
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
(If I have some uncooked zucchini, I’ll throw in finely chopped pieces as well)
1 cup dry white wine
12 oz. ground meat – I use a combo of pork, turkey and beef
1 oz. prosciutto, minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 28-oz. can imported peeled plum tomatoes, with their juices, finely chopped
3 T. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 fresh basil leaves, or ½ tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
1 cup chicken broth or milk

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan.  Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. 

Add half of the wine to the vegetable mix, and bring to boil over medium high heat.  Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce until the wine is completely absorbed.  Repeat this process with the second half of the wine.

Meanwhile, brown the meat and proscuitto in a nonstick skillet.  Be patient, this is where the big flavors start to develop.

Add the meat mixture and the tomato paste to your veg mixture.

Add half of the evaporated milk, and bring to boil over medium high heat.  Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce until the milk is completely absorbed.  Repeat this process with the second half of the milk.  Don't rush this step!

Pulse the tomatoes, parsley, and basil leaves together.  Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and nutmeg to the pot.

Cook over medium low heat until richly reduced, at least 40 minutes.  If the sauce seems to thicken too much, you can add chicken broth or milk to thin.

I served the pasta with a side salad with homemade croutons.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon dried granulated garlic
2 teaspoons dried basil and/or oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 loaf white bread, cut into cubes

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 225 degrees F.  Mix the melted butter with the garlic, dried herbs, and salt.  Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add the seasoned butter and quickly toss to coat the cubes evenly. Spread the buttered cubes on a baking sheet and bake until they are golden brown on the outside and crisp throughout, about 1 hour.  This keeps in the fridge for about 4 days.