Showing posts with label no fuss family dinners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label no fuss family dinners. Show all posts

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Herbaceous Braised Beef Short Ribs Au Jus



Finding short ribs on sale can be like trying to find a unicorn in a haystack, but this day proved fruitful, with welcoming tender arms.  I made a simple and sumptuous meal by using my trusty Ninja™ Foodi, on pressure cook mode and added some aromatics like celery, onion and garlic.  Fresh sage makes a warm herbal appearance on the end. The beefy reduction is great for crusty bread dipping.
Your hands and mind will be free from worry as you go about the day, the Ninja™ can be set and it will keep your dish warm too. In about an hour and 15 minutes, you will have perfectly supple short ribs with a jus to reduce to your liking.
If using a stovetop, simply use a heavy bottomed pot with a good fitting lid.  The time will swing longer, but you will still be happy with the results.
Beef stock or powdered bouillon is a flavor enhancer and a worthy one.  Be mindful of the sodium in the powdered version however and use sparingly, a little goes a long way.
Roasted or creamy potatoes and green beans make affordable and fantastic sides, plus offset the cost of the short ribs.

Recipe:
2 pkg. about 4 lbs. beef short ribs, rinsed under cool running water
3 stalks celery, strings removed, cut into thirds
1 large onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Fresh Rosemary, 2 sprigs
1 bay leaf
Olive oil for drizzling
Beef Stock
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, optional
1 tsp. flour, optional, your choice
SPST
Starting on sear/ saute mode, drizzle pot with olive oil, about 2 tsp. and place all aromatics.
Over medium high heat, Cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
SPST.
Use pressure cooker according to instructions.
Add ribs to pot and fill with stock halfway of ribs.
Pressure cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove ribs and strain off  veggies and return to pot.
Place on sear/saute mode over medium and reduce to desired consistency.
Finish by stirring in butter that has been tossed in the flour.
Cook for an additional 1 minute.
Serve in shallow bowl with crusty bread for dipping or with some hearty sides.


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Monday, July 8, 2019

Pasta Bake Ninja

I just love love love my Ninja Foodi!  It truly has single handedly made my oven a lonely soul.  I love that my slow food recipes have been sped up dramatically.  I love that I can set it and walk away, being free to do other things.  Normally, I'm always leary of getting too far away from the kitchen, especially when I have recipes that require hours of simmering, braising or baking.  With my Ninja Foodi, the specific functions do their thing and even turns itself off.
I rarely use the oven because now I can crisp and roast, air fry and sear or saute, all in the same pot.  The pressure cooker aspect is a beast!  At first, I was somewhat nervous, afraid I'd do something wrong and cause an explosion to level the house, like a scene from the Die Hard or Lethal Weapon series lol, but of course that was me being apprehensive from lack of experience.  After I read my  manual many, many times over, I felt I had gathered the strength and prowess to manipulate this sophisticated new toy and the rest is delicious history. 
My go-to on an easy night is often a pasta bake.  I add the cooked ingredients and top it with cheese and set it on 'air crisp' for about 3 1/2 minutes and reveal a masterfully browned, ooey, gooey, one pot, one dish meal, that can't go wrong. Just throw in a salad and some fruit and your labors for dinner are done!  I brown the beef and veggies in the Ninja and make the sauce, but I still like to do my pasta on the stovetop, I fear the dreaded over cooked pasta!  My Ninja has instruction for pasta and even rice, but I feel most comfortable doing them as a sidecar, as opposed to an all in one deal.
If you are shopping for a new gadget or appliance, definitely consider this guy, I knew we were meant to be.  I've cooked everything from air fried or roasted chicken to pig tails and "Pad BowThai" Pasta in this vessel and I keep getting better and better at it.  Make the Ninja Foodi a part of your wish list and be glad you did!