Paines Creek at sunsetEvery January when the weather gets cold and the days are short, my mind always goes to comfort food. This morning I made a nice big pot of Lentil Soup from the the left over ham hock from Christmas. Oh my goodness- the house smells so good, and I wanted to have a bowl for breakfast:)
Beef Bourguignon with ChestnutsWe had a wonderful gathering for New Year’s Eve, and we served one of my specialities during the holiday- Beef Bourguignon with Chestnuts. Check out a previous blog for the details. It was a huge success, and we enjoyed the leftovers last night with our neighbor. It basically is a beef stew with a few extra steps that make it more then worthwhile and a perfect winter meal with french bread. Recipe to follow:
- 2½ pounds beef stew meat
- 1½ pounds mushrooms
- 6 slices of bacon- diced
- 1 pound small white onions
- 2 medium carrots sliced thick
- 2 medium celery stalks, sliced thick
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 1 pound of chestnuts, boiled 3 minutes and peeled
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1¼ cup water
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon parsley
- In a 5 quart Dutch Oven over medium heat, add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and add beef in batches- turning so that each side is nicely browned. Set aside. In the meat drippings cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Remove. In the same pan cook the bacon, onions, carrots and celery until browned- stirring frequently. Stir in the wine, sugar, salt, pepper, bouillon and 1¼ cup water. Return meat to the pan over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 1½ hours or until meat is almost tender. When the meat is ready stir in the chestnuts and mushrooms until meat is tender. Skim off any fat. Stir in ¼ cup water with flour and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture into the stew. Sprinkle with parsley. We like to serve with either rice or buttered noodles.
Cranberry Apricot Chutney- 4 cups whole cranberries
- 2 cups dried apricots, chopped
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat slowly to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for an hour, cool and store in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
We are looking forward to our Dine Inn packages – Available January 13th, February 10th & February 24th.
When we are wanting to serve something special when we entertain, we will frequently serve Filet of Beef-which is on the menu for these evening. Consider a stay with us to enjoy a relaxed meal on Cape Cod in the comfort of our deluxe fireside or spa bathroom rooms.
Check out our web site for the details on this well priced two night package for $499.
