Monday, June 19, 2006

Swiss Steak

1 kg beef chuck, silverside, or topside, 2.5 to 4 cm thick and trimmed of fat
75 g flour
3 tablespoons beef suet or trimmed beef fat
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Thyme, marjoram, and either rosemary or savory
10 cl tomato juice or waterSalt and pepper

Collops

1 kg clod or shin of beef, minced
125 g fat fresh bacon or beef fat, minced
2 salted herring fillets, each weighing about 100 g, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, well beaten
100 g butter
250 g breadcrumbs
Salt, pepper and grated nutmeg
35 cl beef bouillon
2 or 3 lemon slices
Breadcrumbs, lightly fried in butter
Mince together, quite fine, the beef, fat bacon or beef fat, salted herring and onion. Add the well beaten eggs, 60 g of melted butter, the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. Mix all well together and form balls not larger than an egg. Warm the remaining butter in a shallow stewpan; turn the balls in it as you put them in. Add a cup or two of bouillon, made from the stewing of any bones or trimmings. Throw in the slices of lemon; cover close, and stew for 20 minutes, turning the balls once during the time. Serve in their own sauce, with friend breadcrumbs strewn over.

Beef With Onions

1 kg stewing beef, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
60 g butter
2 tomatoes, dried
500 g pearl onions, peeled
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt and pepper
¼ liter tomato juice

Cook the meat in the butter in a covered saucepan over low heat for 1 hour. Shake the saucepan occassionally to prevent scorching. Add all the other ingredients. Cover and continue to cook over low heat for 1 hour more, or until the meat is tender. This dish should not be dry, but must have its own sauce. If necessary a little warm water may be added. Serve warm with boiled Brussels sprouts or noodles.

Abdullah Beef

500 g minced beef
1 medium sized onion, chopped
125 g butter
1 egg
2 thick slices day-old bread, crusts removed, soaked in milk and squeezed
Salt and pepper
Toasted white breadcrumbs
¼ liter yogurt
60 g mushrooms, chopped

In a large frying pan, fry the onion in some of the butter until transparent. Remove from the heat and cool a little. Mix well together the meat, onion, egg, bread and seasoning. Shape into small balls, flatten slightly, roll in the breadcrumbs and brown slowly in butter. Add the remaining butter to the pan as needed. Add the yogurt and mushrooms and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Dutch Beef Hash With Gingerbread

600 g boned rib steak, cut into 1 cm cubes
Salt and pepper
90 g butter
1 tablespoon oil
4 large onions, quartered
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
60 g flour
2 thick slices Dutch gingerbread, or any firm-textured gingerbread, cut into 1 cm cubes
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1.25 liters beef stock
1 tablespoon pureed tomato
1 tablespoon red wine
1 tablespoon vinegar
Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco sauce

Season the meat lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy casserole. Saute the onions and the garlic until the onion is transparent. Add the meat and brown it lightly. Stir in the flour and saute to a nut brown color.

Add the cubes of gingerbread and the cloves, bay leaves, basil, cumin, and pepper. Mix well. Add stock, pureed tomato, wine and vinegar. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours over a low heat using a heatproof mat.

Add a little Worcestershire or Tabasco sauce for a more pungent taste. Serve with boiled rice or buttered noodles, and braised cabbage or red beans.

Beef Ragout

2 kg rump, chuck or boned rib of beef, cut into 100 g pieces
60 g dripping or butter
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, quartered
Salt and pepper
30 g flour
1 liter clear beef stock
1 bouquet garni
1 garlic clove, crushed
12 chipolata sausages, grilled
350 g mushrooms, sauteed
250 g chestnuts, slit, parboiled, peeled and cooked in stock
250 g salsify, parboiled until tender and stewed in butter

In a large casserole, brown the meat in the dripping or butter with the onions and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
When the meat and vegetables acquire a nice color, sprinkle on the flour, moisted with the stock to cover and mix. Add the bouquet garni and garlic. Cook with the lid on, simmering gently for 2 ½ hours. Drain the meat and vegetables through a sieve and reserve the liquid. Discard the vegetables and arrange the meat pieces side by side, in an earthenware casserole big enough to take the meat and the garnish. On top of the meat put a garnish of chipolata sausages, mushrooms, chestnuts or salsify, or the garnish for beef. Reduce the liquid in a saucepan for 20 to 30 minutes over a low heat, skimming regularly. Strain and pour over the ragout. Finish cooking in the oven at 150º C, keeping the casserole uncovered for 1 ½ hours.

Cabbage Ragout

500 g beef skirt or stewing steak, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
60 g flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 g beef dripping
1 medium sized onion, sliced
30 cl dry cider
15 cl water
125 g mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 sticks celery, chopped
1 sweet green pepper, seeded and sliced
1 firm, round cabbage, washed and cut into thick slices

Mix the flour with salt and pepper, place it in a greaseproof paper or polythene bag and shake the pieces of meat in it to coat. Melt the dripping in a large saucepan, add the meat and fry with the onion until the meat is sealed on the outside and the onion barely colored. Add the cider and water, cover the pan and simmer for 1 hour. Add the mushrooms, celery and green pepper, stir well and continue cooking for a further 20 minutes. Lay the cabbage slices on top, cover again and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

Meat Ball, Tomato, And Egg Tagine

500 g beef, finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 small onino, grated
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
1 kg ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnaton
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 eggs

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the meat except the oil. Wet your hands to prevent the mixture from sticking and form the mixture into 2.5 cm balls. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meat balls on all sides. Remove them from the pan and set them aside, covered.

Add all the sauce ingredients, except for the eggs, to the pan. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a thick gravy. Return the meat to the sauce and cook together for 10 minutes. Carefully break the eggs into the sauce and poach them until set. Serve from the pan.

Leek Meat Balls

5090 g minced beef
1 kg leeks, washed and tough outer leaves removed
Salt
60 g fresh breadcrumbs
Freshly ground pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons oil
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
40 g butter

Cook the leeks in boiling, salted water until tender (about 15 to 20 minutes). Then drain thoroughly and put through a mincer. Mix with the meat and breadcrumbs, season well and bind with the eggs. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls and fry until lightly browned. Put the lemon juice, butter, and 15 cl of water into a saucepan, season well and bring to the boil. Drop in the meat balls, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, shaking the pan occassionally and adding a little more water and lemon juice if the liquid is being absorbed too quickly. When done, serve with rice or noodles, and a crisp green vegetable.

Hungarian Goulash With Sauerkraut

250 g stewing beef, veal, and pork, each piece trimmed of fat and cut into strips
1 large onion, chopped
40 g butter
5 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
Salt
6 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon capers
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
10 cl beef or veal stock
750 g sauerkraut
35 cl sour cream

Fry the onion in the butter until brown and then add the tomatoes and green pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, very slowly, then add the meat and seasonings. Pour in the stock and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Then add the sauerkraut. Cook for 1 hour longer. Before serving, add the sour cream.

Beef Goulash With Dumplings

1 kg beef chuck, topside or silverside, cut into 2 cm cubes
250 g beef heart, cut into 2 cm cubes
30 g lard
2 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon caraway seeds
Salt
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2.25 liters warm water
1 medium-sized ripe tomato, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm pieces
2 sweet green peppers, cored and sliced into rings
500 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes

Little Dumplings
1 egg
3 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Melt the lard in a heavy 6 to 8 liter casserole. Saute the onions in the lard. The heat should be low in order not to brown the onions. When the onions become glossy, add the beef and beef heart. Stir so that during this part of the process, which should last for about 10 minutes, the meat will be sauteed with the onions.

Meanwhile, chop and crush the garlic with the caraway seeds and a little salt, using the flat side fo a heavy knife.

Take the casserole off the heat. Stir in the paprika and the garlic mixture. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon. Immediately after the paprika is absorbed, add the warm water. Cold water toughens the meat if you add it while the meat is frying. Replace the covered casserole over a low heat and cook for approximately 1 hour.

After the meat has been braised for about 1 hour, add the tomato and green peppers, and enough water to create a soup consistency. Add a little salt. Simmer slowly for another 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook the goulash until done. Adjust the salt.

To make the dumplings, mix the egg with the flour and salt. Spoon the mixture into the stew, ¼ teaspoon at a time, 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Serve the goulash and dumplings steaming hot in large, deep bowls. The meat should be tender, but not falling apart.

Purple Cosmopolitan

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. blue curcao
2 ½ oz. cranberry juice
Lime juice

Mix or shake in a cocktail shaker with ice, pour into chilled martini glass and garnish with lemon.

Chicken Barbeque With Java Rice

1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces

Marinade:
½ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients for marinade, then add chicken. Marinate for two hours before grilling. Add two tablespoons of cooking oil to the marinade for basting the meat while it is being cooked. Serve with java rice and atchara (picked papaya).

Mushroom Nibblers

12 pieces button mushrooms
¼ cup beef filling
2 pieces egg
¼ cup bread crumbs

Beef Filling
500 g ground sirloin
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons chopped onions
¾ cup button mushrooms, quartered
¼ cup chopped carrots
2 pieces eggs
5 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons soy sauce
Salt to taste

Combine all beef filling ingredients in a bowl. Mariante for at least an hour. Remove stems of button mushrooms. Stuff mushrooms with the beef filling. Dip in egg then dredge in breadcrumbs. Deep fry until golden in color. Serve with garlic cream sauce.

California Clubhouse Sandwich

Crabstick Mango Spread
200 g crabstick, diced
100 g mango, diced
300 ml mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Individual Sandwich
3 slices wheat bread
10 ml mayonnaise
1 piece egg, cooked scrambled style
3 pieces iceberg lettuce
70 g crabstick mango spread
1 slice cheddar
1 slice cooked ham
2 slices salad tomato

Mix together all ingredients for crabstick mango spread. Chill. To assemble sandwich, spread mayonnaise on one side of the bread. Top it with lettuce and scrambled egg. Layer another slice of bread; add in crabstick mango spread, cheese, ham, salad tomato, and bread. Serve with fries.

Seafood Penne Paste

40 g shrimps, cut
40 g fish fillet, cut
40 g squid rings
40 g clams
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
200 g penne, cooked
¼ cup marinara sauce
¼ cup cream
30 g cheese

Saute garlic in butter. Add in shrimps, fish fillet, squid rings and clams. Mix in marinara sauce, cream and cooked pasta. Season with cheese.

Citrus Martini

1 jig Absolute Citron or lemon vodka
½ jig Grand Marnier orange liqueur
¼ jig fresh lime juice
1 jig orange juice
Lemon twist

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist. Serves one.

Weng Weng

1 jig gin
1 jig vodka
½ jig rum
Dash scotch
Dash brandy
Orange juice
Pineapple juice
Dash Grenadine syrup

Pour gin, vodka, rum, scotch, brandy, orange juice and pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well and pour into glass with grenadine syrup. Garnish with orange slice and cherry. Serves one.

Strawberry Margarita

Lemon juice
Salt
1 jig tequila
1 jig strawberry syrup
¼ jig triple sec or orange juice

Rub rim of a cocktail glass with lemon juice and dip rim in salt. Shake tequila, strawberry syrup, triple sec with ice and strain into the salt-rimmed glass. Serves one.

Blue Lagoon

1 jig vodka
¼ jig Blue Curacao liqueur
2 jigs pineapple juice
2 jigs Sprite
1 piece orange slice

Pour vodka and curacao over ice in a glass. Fill it with juice and sprite. Garnish with orange slice. Serves one.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Paprika Beef

8 entrecote steaks, each weighing about 125 g
Salt
2 tablespoons rendered goose fat
500 g onions, chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons flour
½ liter water or beef or veal stock
Anchovies, soaked in water and drained

Sprinkle the steaks generously with salt and then rinse them in cold water. Wipe them dry and flatten them as much as possible with a mallet. Put them into an earthenware pot with the goose fat, the onions, and a generous amount of paprika. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Place the pot over a high heat and shake it continuously for at least 2 minutes, until the onions give up their moisture and the flour turns into a starchy paste. At this stage, cover the meat either with water or with stock. Adjust the seasoning. Cover the pot and cook in a moderate oven at 180º C for at least 3 hours. Serve directly from the pot.

For a variation on this dish, a number of anchovies may be placed on the meat just before the water or stock is added.

Daube Of Beef Bearnaise Style

2 kg rump or shoulder of beef, cut into 5 cm cubes
125 g pork fat, cut into thick strips
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped with 2 or 3 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon each thyme and powdered bay leaf
1 tablespoon brandy
4 to 5 tablespoons flour
150 g raw ham, sliced
200 g each carrots and onions, sliced and lightly fried in lard or goose fat
1 bouquet garni
2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons beef or veal stock
Flour and water paste

Marinade
½ liter red wine
3 tablespoons brandy
125 g onions, sliced
125 g carrots, sliced
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf

Lard each piece of beef along the grain of the meat with a lardon of pork fat which has been rolled in the parsley and garlic mixture, seasoned with the thyme and bay leaf and sprinkled with brandy. Leave these pieces of meat in the marinade for 2 hours. Remove the pieces of beef but reserve the marinade. Dry them in a cloth and dredge them with flour. Line a daubiere with the slices of ham. Fill the daubiere with alternating layers of beef, fried carrots and onions, adding the bouquet garni when the daubiere is half full.

Bring to the boil the wine and vegetables in which the meat was marinated, add the garlic and stock and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain and pour over the meat. There should be enough liquid to cover the meat completely. If not, add water.

Cover the daubiere with a lid, sealing it with a flour and water paste. Bring to the boil over a very low heat, cook in a 150º C oven, maintaining even heat, for 4 hours. Take out the bouquet garni, skim off surplus fat and serve in the daubiere.

Hungarian Beef Goulash

1.5 kg beef chuck, cut into 100 g cubes
250 g onions, coarsely chopped
125 g lard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
600 g tomatoes, skinned, seeded and quartered
30 cl water
600 g potatoes, quartered

Fry the beef and onions in the lard over a moderate heat, until the onions turn an even, golden color. Season with the salt and the paprika; add the tomatoes and 10 cl of water. Cover and cook in the oven, 170º C for 1 ½ hours. This done, add the remaining water and the potatoes to the goulash. Continue the cooking, uncovered, in the oven, batsing from time to time, for about 45 minutes or until the liquid is entirely reduced.

Beef Slices, Semarang Style

500 g rump steak (topside or top rump will do but take a little more cooking), sliced into small escalopes
15 g butter or 1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 large ripe tomato, skinned and chopped
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves

Marinade
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 peppercorns, ground
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Freshly grated nutmeg

Beat the escalopes with a mea tbat until they are very thin. To make the marinade, mash the onion and garlic to a fine paste. Combine this with the pepper and soy sauce, and if you are using them, the sugar and a pinch of nutmeg. Marinate the meat slices in this sauce for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat the butter or oil in a wok or frying pan, add the sliced onion and fry it until soft. Add the meat slices and marinade, and stir fry for 1 minute. Then add the tomato and a little water. Stir and allow to cook uncovered until the meat is tender, the tomato soft and there is not too much gravy.

To cook this dish to Sumatran taste, do not add sugar to the marinade, but add a stick of cinnamon and 2 whole cloves during the final cooking and remove them before serving.

Sussex Stewed Steak

1 kg chuck steak or top rump of beef, cut in 1 piece
Salt and pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons flour
1 large onion
5 tablespoons each port and stout
2 tablespoons mushroom ketchup or wine vinegar

Season the meat, rub flour on both sides. Put it flat in a shallow baking dish in which it just fits. Over it slice the onion. Pour in the port, stout and ketchup or vinegar. Cover with a double sheet of greaseproof paper, and the lid of the dish. Put it in a very low oven, 140º C, and leave it for about 3 hours – a little less or longer won’t matter. The toughest piece of meat emerges beautifully tender, and the gravy rich, bright brown, excellently flavored.

Creamy mashed potatoes and perhaps a few fried or grilled mushrooms – if you can get large flat ones – go well with this casserole of steak.

Beef Vindaloo

500 g stewing beef, cut into serving pieces
½ tablespoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon each ground cumin seed, ground mustard seed, ground chili peppers
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ground ginger
Wine vinegar
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 fresh or pickled green chili peppers, finely chopped
60 g ghee or other fat
Salt
Lemon juice

Mix the spices into a paste with vinegar. Lightly fry th eonion, garlic and chilies in the ghee for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the paste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer, then add the meat and, with the pan covered, let it cook in its own juice for at least 2 ½ hours. As necessary, add just enough water to form a thick rich gravy. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.

Sauerbraten

2 kg topside or rump of beef
60 g flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
Pepper
60 g vegetable shortening
1 onion, sliced
½ teaspoon mustard seed
6 whole cloves
½ teaspoon peppercorns
30 g crushed gingersnaps

Marinade
35 cl cider vinegar
10 cl red wine
¼ liter water
12 peppercorns
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large onions, sliced
4 bay leaves
12 whole cloves
1 teaspoon mustard seed
2 teaspoons salt

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Place the beef in this mixture and let it stand for 2 to 4 days, covered, in the refrigerator, turning each day. At the end of this marinating period remove the meat and dry it on paper towels.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the flour with the salt and a dash of pepper. Coat the meat on all sides with the seasoned flour. Brown on all sides in shortening in a Dutch oven. Strain the marinade, discarding the seasonings, and add it to the meat with the onion, mustard seed, cloves and peppercorns. Cover. Simmer 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat to a heated platter, slicing beforehand if desired. Strain the liquid. Mix the remaining flour and crushed gingersnaps in the Dutch oven. Slowly add the strained liquid. Simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour some of this gravy over the meat. Serve the remainder at table.

Rhineland Sauerbraten

1 kg silverside of beef
75 g lard
125 g raisins, soaked in water
Salt and pepper
75 g Lebkuchen or gingerbread crumbs
1 tablespoon apple syrup or treacle
¼ liter soured cream

Marinade
½ liter water
¼ liter wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 onions
1 carrot
5 peppercorns
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 juniper berries

Put all the marinade ingredients into a large pan. Simmer for 15 minutes and set the marinade aside to cool. Place the meat in an earthenware pot, pour the cooled marinade over it, and leave for 2 to 3 days, turning the meat occassionally. Drain the meat and brown it in the lard. Sieve the marinade – discarding the vegetables and seasonings – and pour it back over the beef. Cook the beef at 180º C for about 1 ½ hours, basting regularly. Add the soaked raisins about 15 minutes before the end of cooking. When the meat is well done and very tender, transfer it to a heated platter.

Degrease the sauce and season it with salt and pepper. Thicken it with the Lebkuchen or gingerbread crumbs, then add the apple syrup or treacle, and the soured cream.

Slice the sauerbraten and serve it in its sauce accompanied by potato dumplings or potato pancakes and apple sauce.

Beef Stew A La Bourguignonne

1.5 kg cross section of leg or shin of beef, bone removed
90 g fresh pork fat, cut into strips about 2.5 cm long and 5 mm square
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon dried thyme or mixed herbs
250 g streaky lean green bacon, sliced 1 cm thick, crosswise into 1 cm sections
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
3 or 4 medium-sized carrots, cut crosswise into 3.5 to 5 cm lengths
3 large onions, each cut into 4 to 6 pieces
Salt
3 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons cognac
1 bouquet garni
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ liter veal stock, pot au feu broth, or water
250 g firm buttom mushrooms
Pepper
90 g butter
30 pickling onions

Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon thyme or mixed herbs
1 bottle red Burgundy wine

Cut the section of beef in half, crosswise, then divide each cut into 6 pieces, respecting the muscular structure; each piece should remain intact within its membrane. Roll the pork fat in the parsley mixed with the thyme or mixed herbs. Using a small sharp knife, pierce each piece of meat, with the grain, in one or two places and force a strip of fat into each slit. Put the meat to marinate for about 3 hours with the olive oil, thyme or mixed herbs, and the wine. Turn the pieces in the marinade two or three times during this period.

Cover the bacon with cold water, bring to the boil, simmer for 2 or 3 minutes and drain. Cook the bacon pieces in the oil in a skillet over a medium heat, turning the pieces until they are golden and the surfaces are slightly crisp. Put the pieces aside, lower the heat and cook the carrots and onions in the same oil, stirring regularly, for 20 to 30 minutes. The onions should be only lightly browned. With a perforated skimming spoon, remove the vegetables from the pan, drain them of all fat, and make certain to leave no fragments of onion behind – they would inevitably burn and leave a bitter taste in the sauce.

While the vegetables are cooking, remove the pieces of meat from the marinade, drain them well in a colander or large sieve, collecting the liquid, and sponge them with a paper towel until dry. Raise the heat, and still in the same oil, brown the meat on all sides, adding a bit more oil if necessary, and salting the pieces only after they have been turned once. Reduce the heat to medium, drain off any excess oil, sprinkle over the flour and turn the meat two or three times over a period of 5 to 6 minutes until the flour is lightly browned. Return the onions and carrots to the pan, stir everything together, and pour in the cognac and the reserved marinade. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen and dissolve all the caramelized deposits.

Transfer the pieces of meat to a casserole and pour over the liquid and vegetables. Add the bouquet garni and the garlic and enough boiling stock to cover. Bring the liquid back to the boil, cover and cook – with the surface hardly bubbling – preferably in the oven at 150º C for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender but still firm. Skim the surface fat two or three times during this period and gently move the pieces of meat about in their sauce to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the casserole.

Toss the mushrooms, salted and peppered, in half the butter over a high heat for a couple of minutes, or until they are lightly colored and their superficial moisture has evaporated. Season the pickling onions and cook them over a low heat whole, in the remaining butter, in a pan just the right size to hold them in one layer. Toss or turn the onions occassionally, until they are yellow and tender but not browned.

With a spoon, remove the pieces of meat and carrot from the sauce, discard the bouquet garni and pass everything else through a fine sieve. Return the meat and the carrots to the casserole, add the reserved bacon, the glazed onions, and the sauteed mushrooms and keep the casserole covered while finishing the sauce.

Bring the sauce to the boil and, keeping the saucepan to the side of the heat, simmer and skim regularly for 30 minutes. If at this point the sauce seems too thin, reduce it for a couple of minutes over a high heat, stirring until it reaches the desired consistency. Pour the sauce over the garnished meat, slowly reheat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Serve the meat in its casserole accompanied by freshly steamed potatoes in a separate dish.

Beef Casserole Belgian Style

750 g topside or silverside of beef, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
60 g butter
40 cl beef stock
175 g dried apricots
1 teaspoon sugar
4 or 5 leeks, white parts only
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Brown the beef briskly in butter in a casserole set over fairly high heat. Add the stock, apricots, and sugar, reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer. Blanch the leeks by putting them into cold water and gradually bringing them to the boil; then drain them. Add the leeks to the casserole and season to taste. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours. Check the seasoning, add the lemon rind, stir and then simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve with mashed potatoes and flageolets or Lima beans.

Country Style Beef

1 kg silverside or beef, cut into thin slices
12 rashers streaky bacon
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
125 g Welsh or spring onions, chopped

Quatre Epices
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons brandy
4 tablespoons water
Thick flour and water paste

In a terrine, arrange alternating layers of beef and hacon, seasoning each layer with parsley, onions, spices, salt and pepper. When the terrine is half full, add the bay leaf and continue layering, finishing with a layer of bacon. Add the brandy and water. Seal the terrine with a flour and water paste and cook in a slow oven, 170º C for about 4 hours. Remove the terrine from the oven, break the seal, and skim off excess fat. Serve straight from the dish.

Szechuan Shredded Beef

350 g beef skirt steak
30 g dried cellophane noodles
20 cl vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour
60 g each bamboo shoots, carrots, and mange-tout, all shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger root
½ teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Using a wok or fryin gpan, deep fry the cellophane noodles in the oil at 180º C for a few seconds. Drain them on a paper towel, reserving the oil. Set the noodles aside.

Slice the beef very thin. This is easier to do if the beef has been partially frozen. Then shred the slices. Combine the beef shreds, sherry, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornflour.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the bamboo shoots, carrots, and mange-tout for 1 minute. Add salt, then stir, and set aside.

In the same wok or frying pan, heat 6 more tablespoons of oil and add the ginger. Stir a few times. Add the beef mixture and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the chili pepper flakes and mix well. Drain off excess oil if necessary.

Return the cooked vegetables to the wok and stir well, then remove the contents of the wok to a platter.

Arrange the cellophane noodles over and around the beef mixture and serve hot.

Steaks With Rice

200 g minced steak
100 g long grain rice
40 g butter
2 eggs
1 medium-sized potato, parboiled in its skin, peeled and grated
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large sprig parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

Lightly fry the rice in 15 g of the butter. Moisten with 20 cl boiling water, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.

In a large bowl, mix the minced steak, eggs, potato, cooked rice, shallot, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 4 steaks.

Melt 15 g of the butter in a frying pan. Put the steaks in the pan and fry them on one side over a medium heat. Turn the steaks, add the remaining butter and fry them on the other side. The cooking time depends on your taste; the steaks may be rare or medium rare.

Beef With Fried Noodles

750 g lean boneless beef, sliced into matchstick strips
500 g noodles or spaghetti
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 spring onions, cut into 2.5 cm segments
100 g shredded cabbage
30 g bamboo shoots
½ teaspoon salt
3 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then drained and sliced into strips or shreds
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh shelled shrimps

Boil the noodles until soft. Drain and rinse under cold running water to prevent stickiness.

Heat 1 tablespon of oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, onions, cabbage, bamboo shoots and half the salt, and stir-fry for 2 minutes over high heat. Remove and put aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan. When very hot, add the meat and mushrooms and stir fry over high heat for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and sugar, and half the sherry, then stir fry for a further minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and put aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan, and then the noodles and the shrimps to be stir-fried with the gravy and oil left in the pan from previous fryings. When the noodles are heated through and browned all over with gravy and oil, add the remaining salt, half the meat and half the cooked vegetables that were put aside. After a further minute of slow stir-frying, dish on to a warmed serving platter.

Now return the remainder of the vegetables and meat to the same pan together with the rest of the sherry. After a few sizzling turns over high heat, spoon the mixed contents of the pan as garnish over the noodles and serve. To connoisseurs of chow mein, the gravy-flavored noodles are even more delicious than the meat.

Beef Patties Russian Style

500 g finely minced beef (topside or silverside), or use half veal, half beef
2 tablespoons chopped spring onions
Flour
30 g butter
4 tablespoons beef stock
10 cl double cream
Grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Lightly blend the meat, salt and pepper to taste, and spring onions. Shape into 4 patties and dredge lightly with flour. Brown in the butter. Remove the patties and add the stock. Reduce by half and add the cream. Cook for 1 minute. Add the nutmeg and parsley, and pour the sauce over the patties.

Fried Meat Balls

500 g lean beef or veal, minced
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 slices bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons chopped freshly parsley
2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
½ teaspoon ground allspice, cinnamon or coriander
1 tablespoon dry red wine
2 or 3 tablespoons water, if necessary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Flour
Vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl, combine the meat with the onion, garlic, bread, egg, parsley, mint, spice, and wine, then knead for 2 minutes. The mixture should be soft; add water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Pinch off small portions the size of walnuts or smaller and roll into balls between your palms, then dredge lightly in flour. Pour oil into a frying pan to a depth of 1 cm and heat the oil until it reaches the smoking point. Slip the meat balls and fry until crisp, turning constantly with tongs. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper.

Spring Onion Stuffed Beef Rolls

350 g beef (topside, silverside, or similar cut)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
3 spring onions, trimmed, using white and green parts
Flour
Vegetable oil
½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Cut the beef into very thin slices about 3 mm thick. This is easier to do if the beef has been partially frozen. Place the beef slices in a dish. Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and ginger and pour over the beef slices, mixing well. Marinate for half an hour.

Cut the spring onions into pieces as long as the beef is wide. Divide the onions lengthwise into halves or quarters so that there will be some white and some green to stuff each roll.

Lift the beef slices out of the marinade, lay a piece of spring onion on each beef slice and roll up, dabbing a little flour on the end of each beef slice first to hold the roll together. Coat the rolls with flour, shaking to remove the excess.

Heat 5 to 7.5 cm of oil in a tempura pan or saucepan to about 175º C on a frying pan thermometer or until bubbles form on wooden chopsticks stirred in the oil. Fry the rolls, a few at a time, for about 2 minutes, turning once or twice. Drain them on the rack of the tempura pan or on paper towels. Garnish with the lemon wedges. Serve hot and as freshly cooked as possible.

Instead of deep frying the beef rolls, they may be sauteed, in which case do not coat them with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and saute the rolls for about 3 to 4 minutes over fairly brisk heat, turning so that they brown all over. The flavor is surprisingly different.

Stir-Fried Beef And Peppers

250 g rump steak cut into 1 cm cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
½ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons oil
2 sweet green peppers, seeded and cut into 2.5 cm squares
½ teaspoon salt

Combine 1 tablespoon of soy suce with the sherry and sugar. Add to the beef and toss. Let stand for 15 minutes, turning occassionally. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the peppers and stir fry until slightly softened. Remove them from the pan. Heat the remaining oil. Add the beef and stir fry until the meat begins to brown. Return the peppers to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and the remaining soy sauce. Stir fry until done and serve.

Hamburgers A La Lindstrom

500 g lean minced beef
40 g butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon capers, drained and finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons white vinegar
10 cl double cream
4 tablespoons finely chopped cooked beetroots
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 to 6 fried eggs

In a small pan, melt 15 g of the butter. When the foam subsides, add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are soft and transparent but not brown. Remove them to a large bowl and add the meat, egg yolks, capers, salt, a few grindings of pepper and white vinegar. Mix together and moisten with the double cream. Then stir in the beetroots. Shape the mixture into 12 to 14 round patties, about 5 t o7.5 cm in diameter. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the remaining butter and the oil. When the foam subsides, add the patties, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook over a fairly high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until they are a deep brown. In Sweden, these spicy hamburgerse are frequently served with a fried egg set on top of each, in which case the patties should be made larger and thicker.

Beef Stroganov With Mustard

1 kg fillet of beef
Salt and pepper
30 g flour
60 g butter
60 cl hot beef or veal stock
1 tablespoon pureed tomato
½ teaspoon prepared mustard
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons soured cream

Prepare the meat at least 2 hours beforehand. First cut the fillet into slices, then into thin strips. If the meat is cut too thin, it hardens in cooking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and allow to stand. Meanwhile, brown the flour in half the butter, work to a paste gradually adding the stock, tomato puree, and mustard. Bring to the boil and strain. Allow to stand.

Twenty minutes before serving, fry the onion rapidly in the remaining butter with the meat, turning with a spatula, for 5 minutes and cooking only enough at a time to cover the bottom of the frying pan.

When the meat is ready, add soured cream to the sauce. Place, together with the meat and onion, in a firmly lidded pan. Stand it on a fireproof sheet on low heat for 10 minutes to keep warm. Bring to near boiling point just before serving.

If preferred, the sauce can be prepared omitting the mustard. Another variation adds thinly sliced mushrooms to the onions, which are then fried separately from the meat.

Beef Teriyaki

6 rump steaks
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 piece fresh ginger root, 2.5 cm long
1 tablespoon oil

Make a marinade by mixing together the soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of ginger juice, obtained by grating the fresh ginger root and squeezing out the juice by hand. Marinate the staeks in this mixture for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the steaks, browning quickly. Pour over the remaining marinade and fry for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the meat has taken on a glazed appearance. This dish is usually garnished with fresh young ginger sprouts, or tiny cucumbers marinated in vinegar and soy sauce.

Shredded Beef And Vegetables

250 g rump steak, thinly shredded
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
4 to 5 tablespoons peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
125 g cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 sweet green pepper, thickly sliced
125 g carrots, cut into matchsticks
90 g bamboo shoots, sliced
10 Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water, hard stems removed, then diced
4 thin slices fresh ginger root
¼ liter water
Salt and pepper

Mix the setak with the cornflour, ½ teaspoon of sugar, and the soy sauce and leave aside. Heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok or frying pan and fry half of the garlic until golden. Add the cauliflower, green pepper and carrots and stir-fry until they are lightly cooked but still crisp, then add the bamboo shoots and mushrooms, and stir-fry a moment longer. Remove the vegetables and set aside.

Heat a little more oil and fry the remaining garlic and ginger. Add the meat and fry until it is just cooked. Now mix together the water, salt, pepper, the remaining ½ teaspoon of sugar and a little more soy sauce. Add this to the meat in the pan and stir. Add the vegetables, let the dish bubble once, and serve immediately.

Beef And Vegetables Simmered In Soy Sauce And Sake

500 g boneless lean beef, preferably fillet or sirloin
250 g tinned shirataki noodles, drained
1 whole bamboo shoot, scraped at the base, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
6 spring onions, including 7.5 cm stem, cut into 4 cm pieces
1 medium-sized onion, sliced 1 cm thick
4 to 6 small white mushrooms, cut into 5 mm slices
2 cakes soy bean curd, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
60 g watercress, Chinese cabbage, or Chinese chrysanthemum leaves
1 strip beef fat, 5 cm long, folded into a square packet
15 to 20 cl Japanese soy sauce
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
15 to 20 cl sake

Place the beef in your freezer for about 30 minutes, or just long enough to stiffen it slightly for easier slicing. Then, with a heavy sharp knife, cut the beef against the grain into slices 3 mm thick. Cut the slices in half crosswise.

Bring about ¼ liter water to the boil and drop in the shirataki noodles; return to the boil. Drain and cut the noodles into thirds. Run cold running water over the bamboo shoot slices and then drain them.

Arrange the meat, shirataki and vegetables attractively in separate rows on a large platter.

If you are using an electric skillet, preheat it to 220º C; if not, substitute a 25 to 30 cm skillet set over a table burner and preheat for several minutes.

Hold the folded strip of fat with chopsticks or tongs and rub it over the bottom of the hot skillet. Add 6 to 8 slices of meat to the skillet, pour in 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and sprinkle the meat with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Cook for a minute, stir and turn the meat over. Push the meat to one side of the skillet. Add about one-third of the spring onions, onion, mushrooms, soy bean curd, shirataki, greens, and bamboo shoots in equal amounts; sprinkle them with 4 tablespoons of sake and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.

With chopsticks or long-handled forks (such as fondue forks), transfer the contents of the pan to individual plates and serve. Continue cooking the remaining sukiyaki batch by batch as already described, checking the temperature of the pan from time to time. If it seems too hot and the food begins to stick or burn, lower the heat or cool the pan more quickly by adding a drop or two of cold water to the sauce.

Sirloin Steak Palermo-Style

6 boneless sirloin steaks, 1 cm thick
2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
6 anchovies, chopped
1 large tomato, skinned and chopped
30 g capers
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, anchovies, tomato and capers; set aside. Pan fry the steaks in hot oil to the desired rareness. Arrange them on an ovenproof platter and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Salt and pepper them to taste. Place them under a hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp the topping. Serve immediately.

Rib Of Beef With Tomatoes And Garlic

6 slices rib of beef, each weighing about 250 g
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 very ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a high heat. When the oil is hot, quickly brown the beef slices on both sides. Do not crowd the slices. Cook only 2 at a time if necessary. Transfer the slices to a hot serving platter and keep them warm. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the oil remaining in the pan, cook until golden, add the tomatoes and oregano, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8 minutes. Return the slices of beef to the pan for 1 minute, or just long enough to heat them through thoroughly. Arrange the beef slices on a platter and serve them coated with the sauce.

Congolese Peppered Steak

4 rump steaks, about 2.5 cm thick, each weighing about 150 g
4 tablespoons green peppercorns
30 g butter
2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons Armagnac
¼ liter cream

Salt the steaks and roll them in the peppercorns. Arrange the steaks in a deep pan in which you have heated the butter and the oil. Brown them for 2 to 5 minutes on each side, according to your taste. When they are cooked, drain them and put them on a hot dish. Discard the cooking fats from the pan and deglaze it with the Armagnac; then heat the pan and set the Armagnac alight. Pour in the cream and any juices from the steaks, bring to the boil and allow to reduce. Arrange the steaks on a serving dish, cover them with the sauce and serve as soon as possible. Very hot.

Sausages Smyrna-Style

Sausages
500 g lean beef, minced
2 slices bread, crusts removed, soaked in water, and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 to 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Sauce
60 g butter, melted
500 g fresh tomatoes, skinned, or canned tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 tablespoons white whine
1 small bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the sauce, combine the melted butter, tomatoes, sugar, garlic, wine and bay leaf in a saucepan with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve or food mill. Return the sauce to the pan.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and knead thoroughly. The mixture should not be stiff. Pinch off pieces a little larger than a walnut and mould with your hands into elongated egg shapes about 2.5 by 7.5 cm. Either fry them lightly on all sides in hot oil and then drain on paper towels, or arrange them in an oiled baking dish and bake in an oven at 190º C for 20 minutes, turning them once. Drop the sausages in the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Sauteed Steaks Stuffed With Oysters

4 fillet steaks, 5 cm thick
8 fresh oysters, opened
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
30 g butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
60 g butter, melted
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Have the butcher cut a pocket in the steaks, or do it yourself in the following way. One at a time, lay the steaks flat on a chopping board. With a long, sharp knife, cut a horizontal slit about 5 cm wide and 6 to 7.5 cm deep into the side of each steak; but be careful not to cut entirely through to the opposite side.

Sprinkle the oysters with salt and a few grindings of pepper, then insert 2 oysters into each steak. Close the pockets with small skewers or sew them shut with a large needle and white thread. Pat the steaks completely dry with paper towels and scatter as much pepper on them as you like.

In a heavy 25 to 30 cm skillet, melt the butter with the oil over high heat. When the foam begins to subside, add the steaks and brown them quickly for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, turning them with tongs. Then reduce the heat to moderate. Saute the steaks – turning them every minute or two, so that a crust does not build up on either side – for about 8 minutes if you like rare beef, or for about 10 minutes if you prefer medium-rare beef.

Serve the steaks at once from a heated platter. If you like, just before serving, pour over them the melted butter, combined with the chopped parsley.

Steak With Onions

1 kg beef rib steak, 5 cm thick
6 to 8 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or Dijon-type mustard
Salt and pepper
15 to 20 cl beef or veal stock

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy saute pan and sear the steak on both sides over high heat, turning it several times. After about 5 minutes, when the steak is well colored, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. Remove the steak to a warm serving dish and keep it hot.

Discard the fat from the pan, add the remaining oil and heat it. Add the onions and fry them until they are golden brown. Then stir in the vinegar or mustard, salt and pepper and the stock. Cook for a minute, then pour the mixture over the steak and serve.

Grilled Beef With Bean Paste

350 g rump steak, cut into 4 slices
300 g red or white miso (bean paste)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sake
Cos lettuce leaves
Pickled ginger, sliced

Score the edge of the steaks once on each side, then make 2 small cuts in the surface. Put the bean paste in a bowl with the sugar and sake, and mix to a soft paste. Choose a dish large enough to hold all the steaks in one layer and spread half the bean paste mixture on the bottom of it. Cover with a double layer of muslin cut to fit the dish. Arrange the steaks on top of the muslin and cover with a second layer of muslin spread with the rest of the bean paste mixture. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 1 or 2 days. When you are ready to cook the steaks, lift them out, scrape the bean paste off the muslin and reserve it for another use.

Cook the steaks under a moderate stove grill, or over a barbecue grill, for about 2 minutes on each side. Cut them into bite-sized slices, and serve garnished with lettuce and ginger.

Entrecote With Oysters And Piquant Sauce

750 g entrecote steak
500 g shallots, very finely chopped
1 liter vinegar
Salt
48 medium-sized oysters, opened
Dijon-type mustard

Place the shallots in a casserole on the stove. Add the vinegar. Boil for about 30 minutes until almost all the liquid has disappeared. The sauce, in the form of a puree of shallots, is now ready. Grill the entrecote. Sprinkle it with salt. Serve each person with a generous piece of meat, a few spoonfuls of sauce and a dozen oysters. The ritual for eating the dish is as follows. Take a mouthful of entrecote with sauce, with or without a good mustard. As soon as this is done, swallow an oyster. The sensation of cool freshness that succeeds the fire of the piquant sauce is indescribable.

Grilled Beef With Piquant Sauce

1 kg grilling steak, cut into 4 thick slices

Sauce
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 anchovy fillets, soaked in water, drained and chopped
10 cl red wine vinegar
3 or 4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon thyme
1 clove
1 or 2 small red chili peppers, seeded
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon flour
½ liter beef stock
1 tablespoon finely chopped gherkins
1 tablespoon finely chopped capers

Brown the shallots in the oil. Add the anchovies, then pour the vinegar into the pan. Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme, clove and chili pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

As soon as the vinegar has evaporated, add the flour and brown it. Then add the stock, little by little, stirring constantly to achieve a completely smooth sauce. Stir until all the stock is added and well mixed, and leave on a gentle heat for about 30 minutes. Ten minutes before serving add the gherkins and capers to the sauce. Keep the sauce warm while you grill the beef, then serve it with the meat.

Barbecued Beef

2 kg topside of beef
125 g lard
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
125 g butter
10 cl boiling water
10 cl tarragon vinegar
40 cl red wine
40 g grated onion
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Wipe the meat thoroughly with a damp cloth and rub it well with half the quantity of lard mixed with the salt and cayenne. Melt the remaining lard and the butter in the boiling water, add all the other ingredients and pour the liquid over the meat which has been placed in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Let the meat stand in the liquid for 2 days in the refrigerator, well covered, turning from time to time so that both sides of the meat may absorb the marinade.

Put the meat on a rack in the grilling compartment of the stove under a very low heat and grill for 20 minutes on each side. Remove the heat from the stove, put it back in the marinade for 10 minutes and then grill it under the same extremely low heat for another 20 minutes. Repeat this 4 times; then place the meat in a baking pan with what remains of the marinade and finish cooking in a moderate oven, 180º C until tender, basting constantly.

Beef Patties

1 kg minced beef
60 g parsley, chopped
300 g onion, chopped
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon salt
60 g Parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
300 g sifted breadcrumbs

Mix together thoroughly all the ingredients except the breadcrumbs and form into about 30 small balls. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over a pastry board and pat each ball in the crumbs to make a thin patty, 7.5 to 10 cm in diameter. Turn each of them to crumb the other side. Chill well. Then grill the patties on an oiled, fine-meshed grill, for 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side.

Flank Steak Orientale

2 skirt or flank steaks
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 to 20 cl Japanese soy sauce
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
5 tablespoons dry sherry or dry vermouth
Salt

Rub the steaks well with the chopped garlic and the pepper. Place them in a shallow dish and add the soy sauce, Tabasco sauce and sherry. Turn the steaks in the marinade several times. Let them stand for an hour or two at room temperature, or even overnight in the refrigerator.

Grill the steaks at high temperature, close to the heat, for 3 minutes on each side to obtain rare meat. Salt to taste and cut in very thin slices with a sharp knife – holding the knife so that the flat of the blade is almost parallel to the steak, to produce wine, diagonally cut slices.

Nutty Grilled Hamburgers

750 g minced beef
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
60 g breadcrumbs
60 g Romano cheese, or Parmesan cheese, grated
125 g pine nuts
8 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Oil

Preheat the grill. Combine the beef, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, pine nuts, parsley, eggs, salt and pepper; mix well. Shape the mixture into thick, 5 to 6 cm rounds.

Brush the grilling rack with oil and grill 7.5 cm from the heat source for about 5 minutes on each side or until the hamburgers are well browned and crispy.

Grilled Skewered Beef

1 kg beef fillet or boneless sirloin, cut into 4 cm cubes
1 medium-sized onion, finely grated
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar or fresh pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon salt
¼ freshly ground black pepper
Melted butter (optional)
2 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into eighths
8 spring onions, trimmed
Sprigs of fresh coriander or parsley
1 lemon, quartered

In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours or in the refrigerator for 6 hours, turning the cubes of meat in the marinade from time to time to keep them well moistened.

Remove the meat from the marinade and thread on to long skewers. Brush the meat with melted butter, and then grill it, preferably over charcoal, for about 15 minutes or until the meat is done to your taste, turning frequently.

Using a fork, push the meat off the skewers on to warmed individual plates and garnish with the tomatoes, spring onions, coriander or parsley, and lemon. Serve at once.

Indonesian Grilled Skewered Meat Balls

500 g finely minced beef
2 fresh red chili peppers, chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
4 Brazil nuts, shelled
½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon trassi (pungent Indonesian shrimp paste)
¼ tamarind paste or jelly
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30 g freshly grated coconut
Salt
4 tablespoons peanut oil
2 small eggs, lightly beaten
10 cl thick coconut milk

Combine the chilies, ground spices, nuts, sugar, shrimp paste and tamarind paste in a mortar. Add the shallots, garlic, grated coconut and salt to taste, then pound the mixture to a paste with a pestle. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy frying pan. Add the paste and fry it quickly over a medium heat until slightly crisp and golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove the paste to a sieve and leave it to drain. When the paste is dry, pound it again in the mortar.

Mix three-quarters of the paste with the meat and the eggs. Shape the mixture into small balls about 2.5 cm in diameter. Thread the balls on to 20 cm bamboo skewers – about 4 or 5 balls to a skewer. Protect the exposed ends of the skewers by wrapping aluminum foil around them. Mix the reset of the paste with the coconut milk and brush the skewered meat balls with this sauce. Grill the meat balls on a barbecue or under an oven grill for about 4 minutes on each side, basting frequenlty with the sauce.

Beefsteak Florentine-Style

1 porterhouse setak, 5 cm thick
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ lemon, cut into wedges

Marinade
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt and pepper

Place the steak in a dish with the marinade of olive oil, salt and pepper; let it stand for 1 hour, turning occassionally. Grill it over charcoal, about 8 minutes on each side. Remove the steak from the grill, return it to the dish, sprinkle the lemon juice over the steak and garnish with lemon wedges.

Skewered Grilled Beef And Vegetables

500 g lean beef cut into 2.5 cm cubes
250 g mushrooms, halved if large
1 green or red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into 4 cm squares
8 pickling onions

Marinade
10 cl soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon fresh ginger root, finely chopped
½ garlic clove, crushed

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sugar, sherry, oil, lemon juice, ginger, and garlic. Add the meat and marinate for about 30 minutes.

Skewer the meat and vegetables, alternating the ingredients. Cook over a hibachi or charcoal grill or under a stove grill, for 5 to 8 minutes, basting and turning several times. Heat the remaining marinade and use it as a sauce.

Beefsteak With Potatoes

8 slices fillet of beef, 2.5 cm thick
10 cl olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Using a mallet, flatten each slice of beef to a thickness of about 1 cm. Marinate the slices in a mixture of spices, olive oil, parsley, onion, and lemon juice. Grill the meat on each side at a very high heat for a few moments. It is essential to serve the slices rare and very hot. Serve with potatoes cooked in butter and flavored with fines herbes.

Teriyaki Steak Kebabs

1 kg sirloin steak, sliced 1 cm thick and cut in stripes 15 cm long

Marinade
10 cl soy sauce
4 tablespoons dry sherry or sake
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon each ground ginger and sugar

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the beef strips and marinate for 1 hour. Weave the strips on to small bamboo skewers that have been well soaked in cold water. Grill over a hot charcoal fire for not more than 30 seconds a side. The meat will be rare, juicy and delicious.

Kefta On Skewers

750 g minced beef or lamb or a mixture of the two, including 75 g fat
1 small onion, grated
5 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons green coriander
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint or ½ teaspoon dried mint
½ teaspoon fresh marjoram or ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ras el hanout (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead well. Set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour. With wet hands, separate the meat mixture into 24 pieces and form each of these into a sausage shape. Put 2 sausages on each skewer. Grill them rapidly on both sides, 5 to 8 cm from the heat or over charcoal, until done to taste. Serve them hot, at once, with Arab bread such as pita.

Spit-Roast Fillet Of Beef With Anchovies

4 round slices fillet of beef, 4 to 5 cm thick
5 thin pieces green bacon
4 garlic cloves, halved
Salt
½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 salted anchovy fillets, soaked and drained

Thread the pieces of bacon and beef alternately on to a spit, and tuck a piece of garlic on either side of each slice of beef. Push the slices tighly together. Sprinkle the outside surfaces lightly with salt mixed with the rosemary and pepper. Tie up the slices firmly into a compact shape, then put the spit in front of the fire or on a barbecue. Put the oil in a bain-marie, add the anchovies and soften them. Pour the mixture into a small bottle and use it to baste the meat from time to time, shaking the bottle before each use.

After cooking the meat for about 20 to 30 minutes, it should be browned on the outside and pink at the center. it will be full of flavor. If you do not like garlic, the salt-and-rosemary mixture is sufficient seasoning.

The No-Roast Beef Roast

2.5 kg rib roast, topside or rolled sirloin of beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
60 g dripping or butter

Turn the thermostat up to 240º C and give the oven at least 20 minutes to heat up before proceeding.

Rub the meat all over with salt and pepper, and spread over it the dripping or butter. Lay the beef on a meat rack over a roasting pan.

Place the meat in the oven. Roast for 5 minutes per 500 g then without opening the oven door, switch off the heat and leave for a further 2 hours. Do not, under any circumstances, open the oven door during this time.

When the 2 hours are up, open the door, and without removing the pan from the oven, touch the beef with your finger. If it feels hot, go ahead and serve it. however, as some ovens do not retain their heat as well as others, you may find the beef on the lukewarm side. If so, close the door, relight the oven, still at 240º C and give it a furhter 10 minutes or so. This will raise the temperature of the beef without affecting its rareness.

Serve as usual, on a hot platter, accompanied by gravy made with the pan juices.

Rib Roast Of Beef

4 ribs of prime beef, with bones
150 g coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Horseradish Sauce
¼ liter double cream
100 g fresh horseradish, grated

Bring the roast to room temperature and rub salt – coarse salt makes an attractive crust – and pepper on top of the fat but not over the flesh.

Stand the roast on its bones, fatty side up, in a shallow roasting pan and put it into an oven preheated to 180º C. Time it – calculate 17 minutes of cooking time per 500 g for a roast that is to be well done on the outside and very rare inside – so that it can be allowed to stand for 15 minutes out of the oven before it is carved. This gives the juices a chance to settle and makes carving easier.

If you are using a meat thermometer, insert it so that the point is in the center of the meat, not touching the bone. For very rare meat, the internal temperature should read 50º C. Remember, the roast continues to cook after it is taken out of the oven.

Whip the double cream and fold in the horseradish. Serve with potatoes.

Roast Beef With Marrow

750 g sirloin or beef, trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon flour
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
15 cl red wine
60 g beef bone marrow, poached
2 tablespoons double cream

Marinade
10 cl olive oil
2 sprigs parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 shallots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 carrot, sliced into rounds

A day in advanced, begin to marinate the meat. First, rub the piece of sirloin with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and place it in a bowl. Add the parsley, garlic, shallots, onion, thyme, bay leaf and carrot. Sprinkle these ingredients with the remaining oil and set the bowl in a cool place or refrigerator overnight.

Next day, remove the meat, place it in a roasting tin in an over preheated to 190º C or in a casserole over a low heat. Cook, basting the meat frequently with the oil from the marinade, for about 40 minutes, or until the juices that run out when the meat is pierced are pink. Leave the meat in the tin but strain the marinade through a fine sieve. In a saucepan make a roux with the flour and 1 tablespoon of the strained marinade oil. Add the wine vinegar and pour this sauce over the meat. Cook the meat and sauce together in the oven for a further 2 minutes. Remove the roast to a heated dish. Degrease the sauce and deglaze the pan with the red wine. Mash the bone marrow with a fork and add it to the sauce with the cream. Serve the sauce separately, boiling hot.

Roast Beef With Yorkshire Pudding And Horseradish Sauce

2.5 kg sirloin or beef
Black pepper

Yorkshire Pudding
125 g plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
30 cl milk
1 tablespoon cold water

Horseradish Sauce
60 g horseradish root, soaked in cold water for 1 hour, washed, and pared with a knife into very thin shreds
15 cl double cream
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Put the beef into a roasting tin, without adding fat. Sprinkle the beef with pepper. Roast in a hot oven at 220º C for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 190º C for the rest of the cooking time, allowing 15 minutes per 500 g. Baste the meat frequently with the pan juices. The beef should be served underdone, and should be placed in a heated dish and left to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

To make the Yorkshire pudding, sieve the flour and the salt together into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and stir. Add half the milk slowly, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining milk slowly and beat the batter well. Then beat in the cold water. About 15 minutes before the beef is ready, pour 2 tablespoons of its fat into a 25cm square tin. Put the tin in the oven, and when the fat is sizzling hot, pour in the pudding batter and bake it at the top of the oven for 30 minutes. The meat should be removed 15 minutes earlier to rest before carving. The pudding should be well risen, puffy, crisp, and brown on the top and bottom, and should be served, cut in squares, straight from the tin in which it is baked.

To make the horseradish sauce, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. And fold in the horseradish, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve cold.

Searing Prime Cuts

If you use a rib roast on the bone, the feather bones must be sawn through, or chined, so that they will be easy to remove before carving. Season and set the meat in a roasting pan on the rib bones with the fat uppermost. As the fat melts, it will baste the meat; the bones will form a natural rack to hold the meat clear of the pan.

Place the meat in an oven heated to 240º C. After about 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 180º C until the meat is done. Test the meat by pinching a lean surface. If the flesh springs back readily, it is rare; if it is less resilient, it is medium care; if firm, the beef is well done.

Let the meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes – or longer for a larger roast. Pour off the fat from the pan and make a gravy by seasoning the remaining juices. If you like, add a little stock, water or wine and boil to reduce. Remove the feature bones before carving.

Slice the roast beef vertically, steadying it with the back of the carving fork. Piercing the meat would spoil its appearance and release extra juice. To let each slice fall free as you cut it, separate the meat from the bone first by cutting horizontally along the contours of the rib.

Peanut Butter Shortbread

1 can Pillsbury Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting Supreme
1 ½ cups peanut butter
¼ cup flour
1 egg
1 ½ cups chopped nuts

Heat oven to 325º F. Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch baking pan. In large bowl, combine 1 cup of the frosting, peanut butter, flour and egg at low speed until blended. Stir in nuts. Press in bottom of greased pan.

Bake at 325º for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Spread remaining frosting on warm bars. Cool completely; cut into bars. 48 bars.

Peanut Brittle Bars

Base
1 ½ cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
½ cup Pillsbury’s Best Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine or butter

Topping
2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 (12.5-oz.) jar caramel ice cream topping
3 tablespoons flour

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all base ingredients except margarine; mix well. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until crumbly. Press evenly in greased pan.

Bake at 350º F for 8 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle peanuts and chocolate chips over warm base. In small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well. Drizzle evenly over chocolate chips and peanuts. Return to oven and bake an additional 12 to 18 minutes or until topping is set and golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. 48 bars.

Gingerbread Bars

½ cup sugar
½ cup oil
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 ½ cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspon cloves
¼ cup boiling water
½ cup granola
½ cup raisins
Powdered sugar, if desired

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, beat sugar, oil, and molasses until well blended. Add egg; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves; mix well. Add boiling water; blend well. Stir in granola and raisins. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 350º F for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. 36 bars.

Double Chocolate Finger Bars

Bars
1 package Pillsbury Plus Butter Recipe Chocolate Cake Mix
½ cup margarine or butter
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese
1 egg

Frosting
1 ½ cups vanilla milk chips
¾ cup margarine or butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
Chocolate sprinkles

Heat oven to 375º F. Place cake mix in large bowl. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine and cream cheese until crumbly. Add egg; beat until dough is formed. Press dough evenly in ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake at 375º F for 12 to 17 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

Melt vanilla milk chips in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. In small bowl, beat ¾ cup margarine and powdered sugar until fluffy. Gradually beat in cooled vanilla milk chips. Frost cooled bars; sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Cut pan of bars crosswise into 6 rows; cut lengthwise into 10 rows, forming finger-shaped bars. 60 bars.

Applesauce Granola Bars

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
½ cup applesauce
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 egg
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best Whole Wheat Flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 cup granola
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 9-inch square pan. In large bowl, beat brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add applesauce, lemon peel and egg; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and allspice; mix well. Stir in granola. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 350º F for 20 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. 16 bars.

Party Funfetti Bars

1 package Pillsbury Plus Funfetti Cake Mix
½ cup margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
½ cup chopped nuts, if desired
1 can Pillsbury Chocolate Funfetti Frosting

Heat oven to 375º F. Grease 15x10x1-inch baking pan. In large bowl, combine cake mix, margarine and eggs; stir by hand until thoroughly moistened. Stir in candy bits from cake mix and nuts. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 375º F for 13 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frost cooled bars; sprinkle with candy bits from frosting. Cut into bars. 48 bars.

Sweet And Crunchy Cereal Squares

1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup margarine or butter
1 (10 ½-oz.) package marshmallows
6 cups crispy honey graham cereal squares or corn cereal squares
1 cup candy corn

Grease 13x9-inch pan. In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, combine peanut butter, honey, margarine and marshmallows. Cook over low heat until marshmallows are melted, stirring occassionally. Carefully stir in cereal and candy corn. Using wet or greased spatula, spread in greased pan. Cool completely; cut into bars. 36 bars.

Toffee Cream Bars

Base
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup margarine or butter
¼ teaspoon salt

Filling
1 can Pillsbury Coconut Pecan Frosting Supreme
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg

Glaze
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening

Heat oven to 350º F. In small bowl, combine all base ingredients. Beat at medium speed until crumbly. Press mixture in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350º F for 17 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown.

In small bowl, combine all filling ingredients at medium speed until blended. Spread filling over partially baked base. Return to oven and bake an additional 22 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and center is almost set. Cool completely.

Melt glaze ingredients in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over cooled bars. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 36 bars.

Sweet Dream Bars

Base
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup margarine or butter

Filling
1 cup (13 squares) graham cracker crumbs
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

Frosting
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350º F. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In small bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in ½ cup margarine until crumbly. Press in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350º F for 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients; blend well. Sppon evenly over partially baked base. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

In small bowl, blend all frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cooled bars. Cut into bars. 36 bars.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Mocha Almond Fudge Bars

Bars
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules or crystals
1 cup margarine or butter
1 cup water
2 cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup chopped almonds

Glaze
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
½ teaspoon instant coffee granules or crystals
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 3 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 375º. Grease 15x10x1-inch bakng pan. In medium saucepan, combine ½ cup cocoa, 1 tablespoon instant coffee, 1 cup margarine and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occassionally; remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, ½ teaspoon almond extract and eggs. Add cocoa mixture to flour mixture. Beat until blended. Stir in almonds. Pour batter into greased pan.

Bake at 375º F for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

In medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cocoa, ½ teaspoon instant coffee and 1 tablespoon margarine; blend until smooth. Stir in ¼ teaspoon almond extract, powdered sugar and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; drizzle over cooled bars. Let stand until set. Cut into bars. 48 bars.

Orange Raisin Crescent Bars

1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury Refrigerated Quick Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 cup raisins
1 cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

Heat oven to 375º F. Unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. Place in ungreased 13x9-inch pan; press over bottom and ½ inch up sides to form crust. Seal perforations. Bake at 375º F for 5 minutes.

In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients; blend well. Spoon over partially baked crust to within ½ inch of edge. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 to 28 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. 36 bars.

Black Bottom Orange Bars

1 package Pillsbury Plus Fudge Marble or Fudge Swirl Cake Mix
¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup oil
2 eggs
½ cup coconut
1 to 2 teaspoons orange extract
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350º F. Greae and flour 13x9-inch pan. Reserve marble pouch. In large bowl, combine cake mix, orange juice, oil and eggs at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Pour half of batter into a second bowl; stir in coconut and orange extract. To batter in first bowl, add reserved marble pouch and chocolate chips; mix well. Spread chocolate batter in greased and floured pan. Spoon coconut-orange batter evenly over chocolate batter; carefully spread to cover.

Bake at 350º F for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely; cut into bars. 24 bars.

Chocolate Cream Bars

Crust
2 ½ cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine or butter, softened

Filling
1 to 2 cups (6 or 12-oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350º F. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Press 4 cups crumb mixture in ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan (reserve remaining crumb mixture for topping).

In medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips, condensed milk and 2 tablespoons margarine. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour filling over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake at 350º F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completley; cut into bars. 48 bars.

Cherry Walnut Bars

Crust
2 cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
½ cup sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened

Filling
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained, reserving liquid
1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons reserved maraschino cherry liquid

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix until crumbly. Press crumb mixture in greased pan. Bake at 350º F for 18 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown.

In small bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until fluffy. Add ¾ cup flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Stir in cherries and walnuts; pour filling over partially baked crust. Return to oven and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and filling is set. Cool completely.

In small bowl, combine glaze ingredients, adding enough cherry liquid for desired spreading consistency; blend until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled bars. Let stand until set; cut into bars. 36 bars.

Date Maple Cream Bars

Filling
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ cups finely chopped dates
1 ½ cups dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon maple extract
3 egg yolks

Base And Topping
1 ¼ cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup margarine or butter

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In medium saucepan, combine all filling ingredients. Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, ¾ cup brown sugar and baking soda; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 ½ cups oat mixture for topping. Press remaining oat mixture evenly in bottom of greased pan.

Bake at 350º F for 10 minutes. Spoon filling evenly over base. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Return to oven and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown and set. Cool completely. Cut into bars. 36 bars.

Swedish Fruit Bars

Filling
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped pitted prunes
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup coffee
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Bars
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 ¼ cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup margarine or butter, softened
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, if desired

In medium saucepan, combine all filling ingredients except lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring occassionally. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Cool slightly.

Heat oven to 350º F. Sprinkle walnuts evenly over bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, ½ cup of the sugar, brown sugar and margarine at low speed until crumbly. Sprinkle 2 cups of the crumb mixture over walnuts; press firmly. Carefully spread cooled filling evenly over crumb base. Add remaining ¼ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, buttermilk, and egg to remaining crumb mixture; beat well. Carefully pour batter over filling.

Bake at 350º F for 30 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. 36 bars.

Easy Baklava Bars

Crust
1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury Refrigerated Quick Crescent
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Filling
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 cup coconut
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Glaze
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brandy, if desired
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
3 whole cloves

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. Place in greased pan; press over bottom to form crust. Seal perforations. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake at 350º F for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients; blend well. Spoon evenly over partially baked crust; gently press down. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

In small saucepan, combine all glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove whole cloves. Drizzle glaze evenly over warm bars. Cool completely; cut into bars. 48 bars.

Pumpkin Bars

Bars
2 cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cloves
1 cup oil
1 (16-oz.) can (2 cups) pumpkin
4 eggs
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup raisins

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all bar ingredients except nuts and raisins; beat at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into greased pan.

Bake at 350º F for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

In small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 48 bars.

Light And Spicy Pumpkin Bars

Bars
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best Whole Wheat Flour
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup oil
½ cup apple juice
1 (16-oz.) can (2 cups) pumpkin
2 eggs

Frosting
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 tablespoons plain yogurt

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, beat all bar ingredients at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Spread in greased and floured pan.

Bake at 350º F for 20 to 30 minutse or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

In medium bowl, combine all frosting ingredients, adding enough yogurt for desired spreading consistency; beat until smooth. Frost cooled bars; sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Refrigerate to set frosting; cut into bars. 48 bars.

Sunshine Vanilla Bars

1 package Pillsbury Plus Sunshine Vanilla Cake Mix
½ cup margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
½ cup chopped nuts, if desired
1 can Pillsbury Sunshine Vanilla Funfetti Frosting

Heat oven to 375º F. Grease 15x10x1-inch baking pan. In large bowl, combine cake mix, margarine and eggs; stir by hand until thoroughly moistened. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 375º F for 13 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frost cooled bars; sprinkle with candy bits from frosting. Cut into bars. 48 bars.

Peanut Cream Bars

Base
2 cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg

Filling
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter chips

Glaze
1 oz. (1 square) semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon oil

Heat oven to 350º F. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all base ingredients; mix well. Press mixture in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350º F for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, 2/3 cup brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons flour and 2 eggs; blend well. Pour filling over partially baked base. Sprinkle peanut butter chips evenly over filling. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool completely.

In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and oil, stirring constantly. Drizzle over filling. Let stand until set. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 36 bars.

Chewy Chocolate Crunch Bars

Base
1 package Pillsbury Plus Yellow Cake Mix
1/3 cup coconut
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup crisp rice cereal

Topping
1 (12-oz.) package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 can Pillsbury Coconut Almond Frosting Supreme
2 cups crisp rice cereal

Heat oven to 350º F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, coconut, margarine and egg until crumbly. Stir in 1 cup cereal. Press in bottom of ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan or 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350º F for 15 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool.

In large saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips, marshmallows and frosting, stirring constantly. Stir in 2 cups cereal. Spoon evenly over cooled base; carefully spread to cover. Cool completely; cut into bars. 48 bars.

Sunny Lemon Cheesecake Squares

1 package Pillsbury Plus Lemon Cake Mix
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (11-oz.) can mandarin orange segments, well drained
2 eggs
2/3 cup coconut

Heat oven to 325º F. Lightly grease 9-inch square pan. Reserve 1 cup of the dry cake mix. In large bowl, combine remaining cake mix and margarine at low speed until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan.

In same bowl, combine reserved 1 cup cake mix, cream cheese, orange segments and eggs at medium speed until well blended. Stir in coconut. Spread over base. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup crumb mixture.

Bake at 325º F for 30 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate until set; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 16 bars.

Oatmeal Prune Bars

Filling
1 ½ cups finely chopped dried pitted prunes
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Base
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons margarine, melted

Grease 8-inch square pan. In medium saucepan, combine all filling ingredients. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring frequently. Cool slightly.

Heat oven to 350º F. In medium bowl, combine all base ingredients except margarine; blend well. Stir in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Reserve ¾ cup of crumb mixture; press remaining mixture in bottom of greased pan. Spread filling over base; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture, pressing down slightly.

Bake at 350º F for 22 to 27 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. 16 bars.

Oatmeal Crunch Bars

4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 ½ cups chopped nuts
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup coconut
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup margarine or butter, melted
¾ cup orange marmalade

Heat oven to 400º F. Grease 15x10x1-inch baking pan. In large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Press in greased pan.

Bake at 400º F for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. 48 bars.

Chocolatey Caramel Pecan Bars

Crust
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
1 tablespoon whipping cream
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

Filling
24 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 cups pecan halves

Topping
1 teaspoon margarine or butter
½ cup milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons whipping cream

Heat oven to 325º F. Grease 9-inch square pan. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, ½ cup magarine and 1 tablespoon whipping cream; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour; mix until crumbly. With floured hands, press evenly in greased pan. Bake at 325º F for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm to touch.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan combine caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream. Cook over low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring occassionally. Remove from heat. Add pecans; stir well to coat. Immediately spoon over baked crust; spread carefully to cover. In small saucepan over low heat, melt 1 teaspoon margarine and chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Stir in 2 tablespoons whipping cream. Drizzle over filling. Refrigerate 1 hour or until filling is firm. Cut into bars. 24 bars.

German Chocolate Saucepan Brownies

Brownies
½ cup margarine or butter
1 (4-oz.) bar sweet cooking chocolate, chopped
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Topping
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup coconut
½ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 8- or 9-inch square pan. In medium saucepan, melt ½ cup margarine and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Add sugar and vanilla; blend well. Add eggs; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 350º F for 18 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove brownies from oven; turn oven to broil. Meanwhile, in small bowl combine 2 tablespoons margarine, brown sugar, corn syrup and milk; blend well. Stir in coconut and pecans. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls evenly over warm brownies; spread gently. Broil 4 inches from heat for 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until bubbly. Cool completely; cut into bars. 16 bars.

S’More Bars

Base
1 (21 ½-oz.) package Pillsbury Fudge Brownie Mix
¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
½ cup water
½ cup oil
1 egg

Topping
1 (6-oz.) package (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 350º F. In large bowl, combine all base ingredients until moistened; beat 50 strokes by hand. Spread butter in ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake at 350º F for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake. Remove from oven; set oven to broil. Immediately sprinkle bars with chocolate chips and marshmallows. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 1 minute or until marshmallows are puffy and slightly browned. Let stand until set. Cut into bars. 36 bars.

Fudgy Orange Hazelnut Brownies

Brownies
1 cup sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 eggs
1 cup Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 9-inch square pan. In large bowl, beat sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add cocoa, 1 tablespoon orange peel and eggs; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in hazelnuts. Spread in greased pan. Bake at 350º F for 23 to 33 minutes or until firm to touch. Do not overbake. Cool completely.

In small bowl, combine powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon orange peel and enough milk for desired spreading consistency; blend until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Let stand until set. Cut into bars. 24 bars.

Banana Brownies

Brownies
1 (21 ½-oz.) package Pillsbury Fudge Brownie Mix
½ cup water
½ cup oil
1 egg
½ cup (1 medium mashed banana
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping
1 (4-oz.) package instant chocolate pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup dairy sour cream
¾ cup milk

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, combine brownie mix, water, oil, and egg; beat 50 strokes by hand. Stir in mashed banana and chocolate chips. Spread in greased pan. Bake at 350° F for 28 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely.

In medium bowl, combine topping ingredients; beat 1 minute or until thickened. Spread over cooled brownies. Garnish with banana slices dipped in lemon juice, if desired. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 36 bars.

Date Pecan Brownies

1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 ½ cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped dates
½ cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350° F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, beat brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Stir in dates. Spread in greased pan. Sprinkle with pecans.

Bake at 350º F for 18 to 28 minutes or until set and golden brown. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cut into bars. 36 bars.

Fruitcake Fantasy Brownies

½ cup margarine or butter
4 oz. (4 squares) semi-sweet chocolate
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
½ teaspoon rum extract
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups candied fruitcake mixture
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Heat oven to 350° F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In large saucepan, melt margarine and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add sweetened condensed milk and rum extract; belnd well. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Stir in candied fruit and pecans. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 350º F for 28 to 36 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely; cut into bars. 36 bars.