Végetal Burgundy Baby

So, I just had a baby!!! And during prenatal times i refrained from opening too many bottles of wine to drink with dinner at home. moreover, i refrained from cooking with too much wine, as not to "contaminate" my food for the unborn baby in my wife's belly. Well, now Violet is over a week old, it's cold outside, and i decided to treat ourselves to some hearty Vegetarian Bourguignon. Yes, i know, traditional Beef Bourguignon is made with bacon, chunks of beef, and beef broth, and how will i ever get all those flavors inside my stew? Well, i'm here to tell you you can get some serious depth of flavor simply by marinating, reducing, and seasoning your Bourguignon properly. Here is how:

1 package of tempeh

3 tablespoon of olive oil

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 lb of cremini mushrooms (roughly chunked)

3 carrots (diced)

1 celery rib (diced)

1 medium yellow onion (diced)

5 cloves of chopped garlic

bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf, 12 black peppercorns tied up in cheesecloth)

1 T of flour

2 T of tomato paste

3 cups of vegetable stock

3/4 bottle of BURGUNDY wine (French pinot noir)

egg noodles cooked al dente

Marinade:

1 1/2 cup of BURGUNDY wine

1 T of white wine vinegar

1 crushed garlic clove

roughly chopped onion

4 sprigs of thyme

coarsely chopped parsley

a dash of sugar, salt and pepper

chop tempeh into 1/2 in chunks and allow to marinate overnight.

sautee carrot, celery, and onion in 2 T of olive oil and 1 T of butter. once mirepoix begins to lightly brown add garlic. cook an additional minute.

add wine, tempeh (reserve 2 T of marinade), and tomato paste. allow to boil, reduce to simmer and reduce.

in a seperate pan heat 1 T of olive oil and 2 T of butter on medium high heat and brown mushrooms. after mushrooms have browned, deglaze the pan by pouring 2 T of the tempeh marinade into the pan and add to the pot along with the bouquet garni and vegetable stock.

in the same pan that you cooked the mushrooms in add 1 T of butter and 1 T of flour to create a roux. cook roux to a deep brown color (DO NOT BURN IT).

add roux to the pot and allow your bourguignon to continue to reduce (add a bit of water if needed). cook the stew to a thick and delicious consistency (about 1 hour), add the last T of butter and salt and pepper to taste before serving

serve the végetal bourguignon over the cooked egg noodles. garnish with parsley and sour cream. pour yourself a glass of BURGUNDY and bon appetit.

COMFORT

it's cold outside. life seems to be quite busy these days and i decide i need a little respite from it all, so i open up my pantry and see what will sooth the soul....LENTIL SOUP!!!. i decide to cook a hearty lentil soup for dinner, pour myself a glass of Macallan 12 year, and sit down to watch a film tonight. It's this kind of evening meal that truly sings COMFORT to me.

here is the recipe:

1 onion finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
3 stalks of celery finely chopped
2 red potatoes
8 cloves of garlic chopped
1 1/4 cups of lentils
3 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup of wine
15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
red chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 quarts of vegetable stock
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

Garnish:
chopped parsely
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
grated parm cheese

saute and sweat onion, carrots and celery. add garlic, bay leaf and chili flakes. add tomato paste, tomato sauce and wine. cook till sauce slightly reduces. add lentils, potatoes, vegetable stock and spices(coriander, cumin, and paprika). bring to a boil and simmer till lentils are al dente and soup reduces slightly. season to taste with lemon and salt & pepper. blend with immersion blender to desired consistency. add garnishes.

bon appetit.