Oscar Night

Welcome to Sunday Suppers! What a night for our first blog entry - Oscar Night!! We have always loved the Oscars and enjoy cooking special dishes for evening.

Tonight was no exception

Oscar Night 2011 Menu

Asian Spinach Salad

Salad

Baby spinach

Toasted almonds

Mandarin oranges

Feta cheese

Asian toasted sesame dressing

Toast the almonds in a 350 degree overn for 12-15 minutes

Toss to gether and top with dressing

Slow Cooked Short Ribs with sun-dried tomato gravy
served over mashed potatos and cream peas

Short Ribs

6 lbs 3-inch long meaty beef short ribs

Course kosher salt

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

3 cups chopped onions

3 cups 3/4 inch cubes peeled turnips

2 cups chopped peeled carrots

2 cups chopped celery

8 garlic cloves peeled

1/4 lb sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs

5 large fresh sage sprigs

5 bay leaves

2 cups dry red wine

4 cups low-salt chicken broth

Basalmic vinegar (optional)

Special Equipment:

Food Mill

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place ribs on rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Sprinkle flour over, toss to coat. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in heavy large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Return to baking sheet. Wipe out pot. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to pot. Add onions and next 4 ingredients, cook until tender and slightly browned, about 12 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and next 3 ingredients; stir to coat. Return ribs to pot, placing on sides to fit in single layer. Add wine. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add broth, cover and bring to simmer.

Transfer pot to oven and braise until ribs are tender, about 2 hours. Let stand, covered, at room temperature 15 minutes. Carefully transfer ribs to larger bowl, keeping meat attached to bones if possible. Remove herb sprigs. Pass all braising liquid and vegetables through food mill into large bowl: return to pot. Spoon fat from surface. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper and a few drops of balsalmic vinegar, if desired. Rewarm gravy. Return ribs to gravy; cover and simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

Seerve over mashed potatoes.