Sunday Night Dinner - Red Wine Braised Beef Ribs, Cheesy Potato Pie & Dessert!

I love Sunday night dinners.  Sunday night is the time to go all out.  To get your family around the table and take that one last relaxing moment before you are back to the grind in the morning. 

I also love Michael Smith on the Food Network. His recipes and Sunday nights go hand in hand.  He cooks with fresh, seasonal foods, and he is against the idea of a 'recipe' and believes more in learning how to cook, learning what goes well together, and running with it. 

For this past Sunday night dinner, I made Michael's Red Wine Braised Beef Ribs, and Cheesy Potato Pie.  I also added in steamed asparagus, and for dessert I made Butter tart Squares.  These are pretty easy and I have included the recipe below.  The ribs were to die for - hope you enjoy them as much as my family & I did!!

Some exciting news to add to the mix before continuing - we are moving in 3 days to a beautiful new home.  Yay!  What does this mean for you?  Well...I might not get to writing as much over the next couple of weeks.  We have a lot to do and not much time to do it.  We are working at surprising the kids (they have no idea we are moving) and this has proved to be extremely difficult.  Kind of hard to pack and prepare, when you can't do it in front of them!  Despite the headaches that come with moving, we are extremely excited to be moving from our apartment into a space that the kids deserve.  I'm looking forward to buying new kitchen appliances (now that they will fit in our new kitchen) and trying out new recipes and methods of cooking.  The Farmer's Market opens soon, which is my absolute favorite place to be, so stay tuned for canning recipes and healthy fresh ideas for seasonal produce.  Can't wait!!




Chef At Home (Michael Smith) Red Wine Braised Beef Ribs
4 T vegetable oil
4 beef ribs about 6-8" long (I used 8 ribs)
3 onions chopped
2 celery chopped
3 carrots chopped (I found that 2 were enough)
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon (I found a cheap one at the LCBO for 8.95 - don't spend too much, you aren't drinking it!)
1 T rosemary
4 Bay leaves
Salt & Pepper

Preheat your oven to 325.  Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cover the bottom with the oil.  Add the ribs and brown them well on all sides (this took about 10 minutes).  Place the ribs aside, drain some of the fat from the pan (I didn't) and return it to the heat.  Add the veggies and saute for a few minutes.  Add the ribs back in, meat side down, and cover them with the full bottle of wine.  Add the seasonings and cover with a tight fitting lid, or foil.  Put in the oven for at least 2 hours.  Ribs are done when the meat is falling off of the bone (I found 2 hours was good, although if we hadn't been so hungry it could have gone another half an hour).  Enjoy!!

I served these with Cheesy Potato Pie...


Chef At Home (Michael Smith) Cheesy Potato Pie
7-8 Yukon Gold Potatoes
2c Whipping Cream (I used 2% milk)
1 tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper
12 oz grated Gruyere (I used very old white cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350.  Place a 12" cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat and lightly oil once you are about to use it.  Meanwhile grate the potatoes into a large pot.  Add the cream (or milk), nutmeg, salt and pepper, and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Stir in cheese and pour into preheated pan.  Bake 45-60 minutes until the pie has a deep golden crust (I baked 50 minutes, then broiled for about 10 minutes to brown it up nicely).  Loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto a serving platter while still warm.  Cut into slices and serve.  Delicious!

I also steamed some asparagus for a few minutes and served it alongside this delectable meal.

And then the dessert...yum...



Butter Tart Squares

Base:
2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1 c cold butter cubed

Mix above ingredients and press into a 9"x13" pan - bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (until golden)

Topping:
1/4 c butter melted
3 eggs beaten
2 c brown sugar
1/2 c rolled oats
3 T flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c raisins

Mix above ingredients and pour over base.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges.  Let cool completely (I popped mine in the freezer for about 25 minutes since I knew the kids would want some after dinner).  Best if left over night and then cut into squares.

I wish I could remember where I got this recipe from so that I could give credit where it's due, but unfortunately I don't.  It's a great, simple recipe though.  They come out tasting just like the butter tarts...so rich! 

Until next time!

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