Thursday, August 30, 2012

Beans Bourguignon

I don’t exactly know what possessed me to try this recipe as I am was not a huge fan of cooking with wine.  Call me bland and unadventurous, but it’s true.  However, this dish has definitely changed my views-in fact; I’ve made it twice in the past 2 weeks.  And actually enjoyed it-Gavin too!  It starts out by simply sautéing your vegetables, then adding half the red wine, vegetable broth, fresh herbs, ect. to the mixture until it develops a good flavor. Butter and flour are mixed together and added to help thicken up the sauce and well…you get the idea. 

I had no idea what ‘bourguignon’ really was until I came across this dish. Now, I just think of Julia Child.  What a simply amazing woman with an unfathomable amount of understanding and love for cooking.  She basically introduced French Cuisine to the American culture with her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She then starred in her own TV shows, such as The French Chef.  Recently, PBS Remixed Julia Child’s TV episodes into a catchy song called Keep on Cooking
in honor of her would-be 100^th birthday.  I highly recommend everyone to watch it.  I listen to it almost every day and it brightens my spirits.  I am definitely cooking with red wine in the future…well I kind of have to since the bottle needs to be emptied!

And no, I am not a vegetarian…but love posting these versions for those who areJ

Beans Bourguignon

Makes 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 medium shallots, diced

4 medium carrots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ pound cremini mushrooms, quartered

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 spring fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

½ cup vegetable broth

1 cup dry red wine

3 cups cooked kidney beans

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, as needed

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour until thoroughly blended. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrots, and garlic. Cook until shallots are translucent, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to become tender, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, flour mixture, tomatoes, broth and half of the wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, around 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the rest of the wine and the beans and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until good flavor develops, around 10-15 minutes more. Remove and discard the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf before serving.

Source: Vegetarian Cooking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America