Brisket Bites
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/4152347.jpg)
Horseradish Sauce
Mix together, chill.
Brisket (by Ina Garten)
Place the brisket in a heavy roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves on the brisket and pour in enough tomato juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables. Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. (The tomato juice will react unpleasantly with the aluminum foil if they touch.)
Bake for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm. Place the pan on 2 burners and boil the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
To serve, slice the meat across the grain. Serve with the vegetables.
(I served this on toasted baguette slices, spread with horseradish sauce, topped with a thin slice of brisket, and garnished with parsley.)
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
Mix together, chill.
Brisket (by Ina Garten)
- 6 to 7 pounds beef brisket (I used a 4-pound brisket)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 6 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
- 6 fresh or dried bay leaves
- 1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice (I used low-sodium V-8)
Place the brisket in a heavy roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves on the brisket and pour in enough tomato juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables. Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. (The tomato juice will react unpleasantly with the aluminum foil if they touch.)
Bake for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm. Place the pan on 2 burners and boil the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
To serve, slice the meat across the grain. Serve with the vegetables.
(I served this on toasted baguette slices, spread with horseradish sauce, topped with a thin slice of brisket, and garnished with parsley.)
_Watermelon Feta Salad
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/2939354.jpg)
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 cup Israeli couscous
•Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
•1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•2 tablespoons honey
•1 (4-pound) piece watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into 1/2-inch cubes
•2 (4-ounce) blocks feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
•2 packed cups (2 ounces) watercress or arugula
1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over medium- high heat. Stir in the couscous and reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers. Cover the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the couscous is tender. Drain and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
2. In a salad bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the cooled couscous, watermelon, feta, and watercress. Gently toss until all the ingredients are combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
from Weeknights with Giada by Giada De Laurentiis
_
•1 cup Israeli couscous
•Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
•1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•2 tablespoons honey
•1 (4-pound) piece watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into 1/2-inch cubes
•2 (4-ounce) blocks feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
•2 packed cups (2 ounces) watercress or arugula
1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over medium- high heat. Stir in the couscous and reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers. Cover the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the couscous is tender. Drain and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
2. In a salad bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the cooled couscous, watermelon, feta, and watercress. Gently toss until all the ingredients are combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
from Weeknights with Giada by Giada De Laurentiis
_
Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/8357836.jpg)
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any
excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and
pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both
halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the
butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with
kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the
onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs
of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place
the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut
between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and
cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter
and serve it with the vegetables.
- 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
- 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
- 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
- Olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any
excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and
pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both
halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the
butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with
kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the
onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs
of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place
the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut
between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and
cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter
and serve it with the vegetables.
Ina's Coconut Cake
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/1889435.jpg)
Ingredients
For the frosting:
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.
For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).
To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.
- 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
For the frosting:
- 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.
For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).
To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.