Red Berry Macarons & Europe!

***So, I just had to give the macarons another shot. After all, practice makes perfect, right? These came out really pretty...I plan to continue my quest for the perfect macaron, though. My macaron skills still need improvement! I found a yummy-looking recipe over on Tartelette for Red Berry Macarons. You can find the recipe HERE. The cream cheese buttercream and berry jam combination is simply divine!

You may have noticed that I've made several posts lately that include French cuisine. That's because Brad and I will *hopefully* be going to Europe at the beginning of the year. I am SO stinkin' excited, that I can hardly stand it!!! We'll be taking 2 weeks to travel throughout several different countries...France, Germany, and Italy.

Brad's aunt & uncle are living in Germany right now...his uncle is in the military and is stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base. They are so sweet and have invited us to stay with them for a few days while we're over there. I'd love to go see some of the castles in Germany.

So far, my international travel has been limited to Mexico and the Bahamas....never to Europe! If everything works out, we'd love to visit Paris, Germany, Venice, and Rome. We don't have an itinerary set in stone yet...we have an awesome travel agent (visit Travel Planners before your next vacation!) and just really started researching things. Paris is a must, though...we will definitely be going there. As a result, expect to see some yummy Parisian recipes coming up...most likely from the Williams-Sonoma: Paris cookbook mentioned in the post below.

I'd love to hear from you if you've been to Europe (or live there!). I need all the tips and advice that I can get!

Au Revoir!...that reminds me, I need to brush up on my French, German and Italian...oh my!!***

Before going into the oven...

Steak with Shallot Sauce (Onglet Aux Echalottes)

***I was walking the aisles of HomeGoods the other day, when my eyes alighted on this fabulous cookbook...Williams-Sonoma: Paris. I immediately grabbed it up and started flipping through the pages. The beautiful thing about this book is all the photographs...and they aren't all of food. The pages are filled with gorgeous photos that transport you to the streets of Paris. Now I want to go more than ever! Oh, J'aime Paris!

This recipe for Steak with Shallot Sauce actually made it onto the cover of this cookbook. It looks scrumptious, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm sure glad that I did!

I did make just a few slight changes to the original recipe. First, I went to 2 grocery stores looking for shallots...I couldn't find the first one! I was disappointed, but I knew that onions would make a fine substitute. Second, I couldn't find the particular cut of meat the recipe calls for, so I just bought NY strips...they worked just fine! And finally, I have yet to perfect the method of cooking a steak indoors. I always end up with a smoky kitchen and steaks that could have been better. So, I grilled the steaks outside on the gas grill. Once the sauce was just about finished, I added the steaks to the sauce and simmered for just a few minutes before serving.

And with that my friends, bon appétit!!!***

Steak with Shallot Sauce

Onglet Aux Echalottes

Ingredients:

4-6 onglets or hangar steaks (I used NY strips), 8-12 oz each, trimmed of most fat and lightly marbled if possible, at room temperature

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for brushing

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

12 shallots, about 3/4 lb total weight, thinly sliced

3/4 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef stock

Directions:

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, and brush lightly with olive oil.

Heat a large, heavy nonstick frying pan over high heat until very hot. Cook the steaks until browned and slightly crusty on the first side, 45-60 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the steaks for 2 - 4 minutes longer on each side, depending on the thickness. To test for doneness, press your finger firmly against one of the steaks; the rarer the meat, the more soft and fleshy it will feel. If desired, make a small cut in the meat to check the color. Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover looselly with aluminum foil. (The steaks will continue to cook slowly as they rest).

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Melt 1 1/2 tbsp. of the butter in the pan. Add the shallots and saute until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the liquid is almost evaporated, 5-6 minutes. Add the stock and cook until the shallots are very tender and the liquid is reduced to a flavorful sauce, 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. butter.

Transfer the steaks along with any accumulated juices to individual plates. Spoon the shallots and sauce over the steaks. Serve at once.

Source: Williams-Sonoma: Paris Cookbook

Parsleyed Potatoes with Saffron

***Here's another super simple side dish. I served this with "Steak with Shallot Sauce", which I will post tomorrow. It's always fun to use saffron, and I really like the taste it adds to dishes...very unique!***

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb small red potatoes (preferably 1 1/2 inches in diameter; 20 to 24), peeled

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Small pinch of saffron threads, crumbled

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Preparation:
Steam potatoes in a steamer rack, covered, over boiling water until tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Melt butter with saffron in a medium skillet over medium heat until it foams, then add potatoes, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, shaking skillet to coat potatoes well, until heated through, about 1 minute.

Source: Gourmet Magazine

White Asparagus with Brown Butter Sauce

***I needed a quick side dish the other night, and I saw this recipe right on the white asparagus package. It sounded pretty simple (and it was!), so I gave it a try. This was my first time cooking with white asaparagus. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was really tasty! Brad and I try to eat really healthy, so next time I'll probably find a recipe that doesn't use butter and bread crumbs...but hey, it was a nice change.***

Ingredients:

12 white asparagus spears, peeled & trimmed to 6" lengths

Salt & fresh ground pepper

2 ounces butter

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain the asparagus and set aside.

In a large saute pan heat the butter. Add the breadcrumbs and saute until golden. Add the reserved asparagus and saute until well coated with browned butter and bread crumbs.

Sprinkle with parsley, season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Fresh Fig & Walnut Cookies

***These cookies are really unique. Not only are they made with fresh figs and walnuts, but their consistency is almost like bread. That's right...I guess you could call them a "bready" cookie. Is that even a word? I don't think so...hah.

If you saw my Fresh Fig & Walnut Bread post a little bit down the page, this recipe is almost like a cookie version! They are delightfully scrumptious! I only wish that figs were in season all year long. However, I do have 2 loaves of the Fig Bread waiting in the freezer for us whenever we get a craving for it one of these fall days.

The only negative about these cookies is that they don't keep very good after the first 2 days or so. They are definitely the best right out of the oven!***

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup fresh figs, peeled, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand up mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar and shortening and add beaten egg. In a medium-sized bowl, sift dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, blending on low speed. Use a spatula to fold in figs and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on greased sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in the pantry for up to a week.

Source: Chef Mom