New Year Feast Part 2

Well it is about time I got around to this :)

This was quite the feast to behold. TE made a traditional holiday standing rib-roast which we served with mushroom au jus, mashed potatoes and parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, sweet carrots, and brussel sprouts. Yum. Thinking about it again is making me very hungry!

No calorie info is stated. Bad night for counting calories...





Standing Rib Roast with Rosemary-Thyme Crust
Made as stated from epicurious.com

• 1 9- to 9 1/2-pound standing beef rib roast (about 4 ribs), all but thin layer of fat trimmed
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• 16 large shallots, peeled

Instructions

Place beef, fat side up, in large shallow roasting pan or on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper. Spread mustard all over beef. Mix rosemary and thyme in small bowl; sprinkle over beef and press lightly to adhere. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Position rack just below center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Roast beef uncovered 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Roast beef 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add carrots and shallots to pan. Turn vegetables to coat with drippings; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast beef and vegetables until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125°F for medium-rare, stirring vegetables occasionally, about 55 minutes longer. Transfer beef and vegetables to platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Mushroom Gravy
*I am not sure this is how we made this...

5oz dried mixed mushrooms, soaked in hot water and sliced
3T Butter
3T Flour
3c Beef stock
0.5c Red wine

Instructions
Melt butter in sauce pot. Add mushrooms and cook for 5min. Add flour and mix well. Add broth and wine and cook down. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Yorkshire Puddings
Adapted from Cooking Light Entertaining Guide Cookbook (a gift from Mom!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup 2% low-fat milk (I used skim milk and it was fine)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon pan drippings (reserved from roast) (per muffin)
  
• Vegetable cooking spray

Instructions

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Beat at high speed 15 seconds; set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon reserved pan drippings into each cup. Place popover pan/muffin pan in a 400° oven for 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, and bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°, and bake an additional 25 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Sherry Vinegar and Molasses Glazed Carrots

from epicurious.com

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 3 pounds small carrots (5 to 6 inches long), peeled, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon (or more) coarse kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

Instructions

Melt butter in heavy extra-large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, 1 tablespoon molasses, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; sauté until carrots are coated with butter mixture, about 1 minute. Add 4 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar and enough water to almost cover carrots (about 4 cups) and bring to boil. Cover and boil 2 minutes. Uncover and boil until liquid is reduced to syrup and carrots are tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and 2 tablespoons vinegar to carrots and toss over medium-high heat until carrots are heated through and thickly coated with glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley. Season carrots to taste with more coarse salt and generous amount of ground black pepper. Transfer carrots to large bowl; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.

Lighter Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Light Recipes (a gift from Mel!)

Ingredients

1 pounds peeled parsnips, diced into approx 1in cubes

1 head of garlic, top cut off and drizzled/sprayed with olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2	pounds russet potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed, peeled, and cut into chunks
3/4	cup 2% milk , warmed
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1/4	cup low-fat sour cream

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until a fork can be slipped easily into the center of the potatoes, about 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes.

2. While potatoes are boiling, roast the parsnips and the head of garlic on a sprayed cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 10min, toss parsnips only, respray the pan and continue roasting for 5-10 more minutes
   

3. Combine potatoes, garlic (removed from skin) and parsnips in bowl for mashing (I did this by hand, you can use a food processor I am sure) and mash!
   

4. Stir in the milk and melted butter with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Gently fold in the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.