Other than one meal when my mom visited during December I cannot recall having cooked at home in almost a month. First I was sick (really, really sick) and the little that I did eat was made (read warmed up) by my husband. Then I got busy with work (which, since I am a chef, involved lots of cooking) so I really wasn't up to cooking when I got home (so lots of take-out). Then we went out of town (which is exhausting under the best of cases). I even cancelled delivery of one of my boxes because I knew I would get to it.I woke up this morning determined to cook. I picked up our box yesterday so I knew I would have lots of delicious new produce to choose from (plus, I still have lots of root veggies, which take much longer to go bad, stashed away too).After a delicious "ladies lunch" out with one of my best friends and my Goddaughter I stopped by the QFC to pick up some sort of protein. Torn between chicken, pork or lamb I texted the husband for advice. Pork (with applesauce) was the reply (although I knew applesauce was not to be in the husband's future). I considered a pork roast, then a pork loin before spying some thick-cut pork chops in the butcher's case. Alas, they were boneless (and meat cooked on the bone is just better) so I asked the butcher to cut some special for me, bone-in, about 1 1/2 inch thick.So, pork decided as the protein, I took a look in the fridge and pantry for potential counterparts. I turned up some garnet yams, and some pears (as a stand-in to the applesauce the husband wanted). I snipped a little sage from the herb garden and I was on my way.Here's the ingredients:For the briny pork chops:
2 Tablespoon kosher salt2 Tablespoon sugar6 leaves sage3/4 cup water2 thick-cut bone-in pork chopsFor the sage-roasted yams:
1/2 pound yams (garnet or otherwise)2 Tablespoons or so olive oil10 leaves sage3 cloves garlic, lightly smashedsalt and peppera cast-iron pan (trust me, this is important)For the caramelized pears:
2 Tablespoon butter2 pears, peeled and chopped2 Tablespoons sugarjuice and zest from 1/2 Meyer lemon1/4 teaspoon saltNow, I was cooking everything at once, so these instructions are gonna jump around a bit.I started by making a brine for the pork chops. I combined the sugar and the sage leaves in a mortar and used a pestle to crush and bruise the sage a bit.
I then put this into a Ziploc bag, added the sugar and the water and shook the mixture until the sugar and salt had dissolved. Then I added the pork chops and tossed the bag in the fridge for a couple of hours (turning it once).A half hour before I was set to cook, I removed the pork chops from the brine, dried them off, then set them aside for a bout a half hour so the middles of them wouldn't be too cold when I cooked them.Next I put the potatoes in the oven. Here they are all sliced up and ready to go.
The potatoes were inspired by a blog entry from the Food52 Website. I followed the method just about verbatim so I won't repeat it here (but they took about 45 minutes total). I haven't tried it with regular potatoes (as it is written) but that will be up very soon.As soon as I put the potatoes in the oven, I heated up a grill pan, then brushed the outsides of the chops with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. I seared the chops on one side, then flipped them and put them in the oven (alongside the potatoes) until they reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees (yeah, I know, USDA says 160 degrees, but that's just gonna result in dry pork chops). They took about 25 minutes to cook through and they were done before the potatoes, so I just took them out of the oven and covered them with some foil until the potatoes were done too (at least five minutes of resting is important anyway).Once everything was in the oven I started on the caramelized pears. I started by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. I added the chopped pears and sauteed for about 5 minutes. Then I added the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the salt and continued to cook the pears until they were golden brown and delicious.To serve, I plated a few of the potatoes alongside a ginourmous pork chop then topped the pork with some of the caramelized pears, a bit of the tasty caramelizing sauce and a few of the crispy sage leaves.
How was it? Well, basically the whole time I was eating I was saying "nom, nom, nom this is so good". The husband agreed and said that the caramelized pears were way better than any applesauce would be.This is definitely a case where really simple ingredients, cooked well, resulted in something fantastic.Labels: pears, pork, potatoes, winter
I feel like I haven't cooked in forever (but really it's only been about a week). After training this morning I went out with the team for coffee. A couple of people asked what I was going to do today, and with nothing else pressing to do, the only thing I could think of was "cook".We met this morning at 8 a.m. and it was only 30 degrees. Even though I eventually worked up a sweat, I ended up chilled to the bone (a weird sensation, to be sweaty and cold at the same time). A nice, steamy bowl of soup sounded like just the ticket for warming up.Here's the ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped2 leeks (white and light green part only), cut in half then sliced2 clove garlic, minced1 teaspoon mustard powder2 Tablespoon flour4 cup chicken stock (veggie stock would work too)2 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped1/4 kubocha squash, peeled and chopped (while this isn't rally necessary to the dish, I had it left over from the risotto last week, and it did bring a tiny bit of sweetness to the dish)2 Tablespoon cream (also optional, but it adds a nice touch of creaminess to the soup)1 teaspoon smoked paprika (a last minute addition so it's not in the picture)To start I warmed about a teaspoon of olive oil in a 3-quart pot. When it was warm I added the onion, leeks and a sprinkle of salt and cooked until they were softened and translucent. I added the garlic and cooked it for about 30 seconds longer.
I sprinkled on the mustard powder and the flour.
Then stirred it for about a minute to make a roux.
Next I stirred in the chicken broth (making sure to get rid of any lumps) then added the squash and the potatoes.
I brought the mixture to a boil then let it simmer until the potatoes and squash were cooked through, then added the cream. I tasted for seasoning, and it was just missing something. Something like bacon. Sadly, there is no bacon in the house (I do not know how that happened). I realized that smoked paprika might just give the soup the bit of smokiness that I was looking for, so I added some to the mix (along with a hearty helping of fresh ground pepper). It worked (and gave the soup a beautiful tint).
To serve, I topped the soup with a few of the pickled peppers (as well as a bit of the pickling liquid) that I made with my chef group about a month ago.How was it? Well I was a little worried about this soup as I was tasting it as it cooked. It just didn't have great flavor. But, the addition of the smoked paprika really turned it into something great. Filled my belly and warmed my bones quite nicely. Delish.Labels: could be vegetarian, potatoes, soup, squash
You may have noticed a whole lot of basil being used in my recipes lately. Well, that's because I have two huge basil plants in my herb garden. And, luckily, I love basil.I wanted to create an easy alternative to traditional potato salad that would take advantage of my wealth of basil. This version contains just six ingredients (salt and pepper doesn't count).Here they are:
1 pound new potatoes, cut into eighths1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar2 clove garlic, minced1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced2 big handfuls fresh basil, julienned1/2 cup sour creamsalt and pepperTo start, I cooked the potatoes in boiling water until they were tender, drained them, put them in a single layer on a sheet pan (so they would cool faster) and then drizzled them with the vinegar.While the potatoes boiled I worked on the dressing. I placed the garlic in a medium bowl and added 2 Tablespoons of the boiling water (from the potatoes) just to take the edge off the garlic. Then I stirred in the onion, basil and sour cream.Once the potatoes were cooled, I added them to the dressing, stirred it together and seasoned it with salt and pepper.
How was it? Yummy, good and summery. And so easy to make (my traditional potato salad has nine ingredients, which doesn't sound like that many, but six of them need to be chopped, diced or mashed). I think this might be a good option for an upscale BBQ or summer party. It's going to be a definite addition to the permanent repertoire.Labels: potatoes, salad, summer
The last few days, I have had no desire to eat at all. Which is really, really weird for me. Last night however, I finally got my appetite back, so I decided it was time to cook.I took a look in the refrigerator and found some items that looked like they would make great side dishes, but no main dish candidates. The husband saw me staring into the fridge and made a suggestion, potatoes.I found a few Yukon golds lurking in the back of the crisper drawer and decided to use them to make my main dish, a potato cake kind of similar to Pommes Anna.Here's the ingredients:4 Yukon gold potatoes2 Tablespoons butter3 or so cloves garlic
I started by melting the butter over very low heat along with the garlic.
While it melted I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes (very carefully because that thing is wicked sharp).
I sliced the potatoes about 1/8" thick (traditional Pommes Anna would cut the potatoes to about 1/16" thick).
Next I got out a 9" nonstick cake pan, brushed it with the garlic butter then added a layer of sliced potatoes.
Then I brushed this with more garlic butter,
and sprinkled it with a tiny bit of salt. I repeated this process a total of three times. I would have preferred it be a little thicker (more layers), but I really needed a 6" or 7" pan to accomplish this, and the only pan I have that is that size was not deep enough.I put this into a 400 degree oven and let it bake for 45 minutes.While the potatoes were in the oven, I started on the side dishes. Here's the ingredients.
1 handful green beans trimmed and cut into 1" pieces truffle oil3 slice bacon, chopped6 mushrooms, sliced1/2 cup white wine2 teaspoon fresh tarragonI tossed the green beans with some truffle oil and a little truffle salt. I considered sauteing the beans, but since the oven was on, I decided to roast them alongside the potatoes. I put them in the oven when there was 20 minutes left on the timer.Once I put the green beans in the oven I cooked the bacon in a saute pan until it was nice and crispy, then I removed it from the pan and put it on a paper towel to drain. I left a little bit of the bacon fat in the pan and added the mushrooms to the pan to saute.
When they were cooked through, I added the white wine and let it simmer until all the wine was gone.
At this point I added the fresh tarragon and the bacon.
When the potatoes were done cooking I removed the pan from the oven.
Then I turned the potato cake out onto a cutting board.
To plate, I cut the potato cake into quarters, put two on each plate and then spooned on some of the green beans and mushrooms to each plate. Alongside I served a salad made with red and purple radishes, cucumber, fresh mint, feta cheese and a splash of sherry vinegar.
At first I tried each thing individually. The potatoes were creamy and sweet on the inside, but the outside was so crispy and delicious (like yummy french fries). The truffle oil was a perfect accompaniment to the greens beans and the tarragon was delicious with the wine-infused mushrooms. Next I started mixing and matching flavors, a little mushroom with a little potato, a little mushroom with a little green bean, etc. It was all good and it was all good together. The husband liked everything too (especially the potatoes) which is good, because the whole thing started as his idea.Labels: almost vegetarian, mushrooms, potatoes
Today was a beautiful day in Seattle. The husband and I spent quite a bit of the day doing yard work, then retired to the deck for a nice sit in the sun. The grill started calling my name and decided it must be time to cook.A couple of days ago I pulled a pork loin out of the freezer to thaw. So, I knew that would be my protein. I searched through the fridge and found red beets and baby potatoes.I started cooking without really knowing where the meal would end up (therefore I don't have any "here's the ingredients" pictures).I made a beet salad by boiling the beets, peeling them, chopping them and then dressing them with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and the good olive oil. Then I topped it with blue cheese and cashews.
The potatoes were even easier. I washed them, boiled them and then tossed them with butter, chives and smoked salt.
My first thought for the pork was to make the Whiskey and Brown Sugar glaze that I made a while back for some grilled acorn squash. Alas, we had consumed all the whiskey. I started throwing a few thing in the pan and ended up with this.Spicy-Sweet Soy Glazed Pork Tenderloin1/4 cup soy sauce1/4 cup triple sec1/8 cup molasses1 Tablespoon brown sugarSriracha to taste1 pork tenderloinI started by combining everything but the pork loin in a small saucepan. I put it over medium heat and let it reduce by half. Meanwhile I preheated my grill and then added my seasoned pork loin to cook. When the pork tenderloin was almost done I started brushing it with many coats of glaze. When it was done I let it rest for a few minutes and then sliced it. I served the leftover glaze alongside as a sauce.
I enjoyed everything and the husband liked most everything. The potatoes (which are one of my clients favorites) were yummy. He said the beets were great after he got rid of the blue cheese and cashews (but I liked them with). And the pork tenderloin glaze ended up kind of like a spicy teriyaki sauce, what's not to like about that.The best part was sitting on the deck, eating in the sunshine and open air. Summer's coming, I can feel it!Labels: beets, pork, potatoes, summer
When we last left, I had made really good brisket as a test for an event at my church.
Before I started my recipe testing, I had done some reading about brisket cooking methods. One method that seemed to be widely shared was to cook the brisket one day then cool it and stick it in the fridge for a night or two. Then, while it was cold, it can be more easily de-fatted, then sliced and put back in the gravy to be reheated. The theory here is A) roast is better when it sits for a day or two B) it's easier to slice when it is cold and C) in theory you can't over cook it while reheating because the beef is already cooked to well-done.So, after eating some of the brisket on Monday, tonight I reheated it using the method above.Here's the roast straight out of the fridge.
Here it is with the fat removed
I took the beef out of the pan, sliced it and then put it back in the pan, spooning most of the onion mixture on top of the beef. It didn't seem like there was quite enough gravy in the pan, so I mixed together 1/3 cup each of beef stock and red wine and then added this to the pan. I put the lid on the dutch oven and then popped it into a 350 degree oven for an hour.While this was cooking I started on my side dishes.Here's the ingredients for the Thyme and Garlic Smashed Potatoes
1 pound new potatoes (these are ruby crescent potatoes which are a beautiful shade of pink when they are done)1-2 Tbls olive oil1 Tbls fresh thyme, chopped4 clove garlic, mincedsalt and pepperI placed my potatoes in a large sauce pan, covered them with water and brought the pan to a boil. I let the potatoes boil until they were fork tender then drained them. I put the pan back on the stove over medium heat, added the olive oil, then the garlic, thyme and salt and let this cook for about 30 seconds. Then I tossed the potatoes back into the pan and gave them a good smash with my flat-bottom whisk (I don't own a potato masher, multi-taskers only in my kitchen). I added some pepper, gave it a good stir and it was ready to go.The buerre blanc sauce was so good with the snap peas on Monday that I decided to make it again. Here the ingredients.
10 cute carrots1 Tbls white balsamic vinegar2 Tbls butter1 Tbls lemon zesta couple of pinches of kosher saltI started by steaming my carrots until they were almost cooked. While they were cooking I started the buerre blanc. Now, people seem to think that buerre blanc is had to make, but really, it's easy, it just needs a little attention. I started my buerre blanc with vinegar (because I want the tang) but any liquid (even water) can be used. And no matter how much sauce you want to make (whether it is two tablespoons of butter or two pounds), you only need to start with about a teaspoon of liquid (I'm using more because of the aforementioned tang).I started by bringing the vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. 
Then I whisked in my butter one tablespoon at a time (that's important) waiting until each addition melts before adding another. 
Once all my butter melted I added my lemon zest and salt to taste. Then I poured this over my steamed carrots.
So now, everything is done and/or warmed. So I plated it up.
So now, which dish will reign supreme?While the flavor of the brisket improved (and it was easier to slice while cold), both the husband and I thought it was a bit drier rewarmed. The husband said that he actually likde the texture better, but I didn't think that the improved flavor was worth the dryness (because it was really good the first day).The potatoes were really good, but both the husband and I thought that the flavor of the brisket completely overwhelmed the potatoes. The corn pudding was a better match in both flavor and texture.The carrots and the snap peas both had the same sauce. The husband and I were split on which was better, he liked the carrots while I liked the snap peas. Since I'm the chef, my vote wins.So the meals for the Seder meal will be:Mediterranean BrisketSavory Corn Bread PuddingSnap Peas with White Balsamic Vinegar and Lemon Buerre BlancI still need to figure out dessert. But that is a project for future Jennifer.Meanwhile I've got a lemon with no zest, which means I need to use that lemon right away. Cocktail time.I was thinking lemon drop (because I've got a lemon, duh). But I wanted to give it a little twist, so here is what I came up with.This Drink Needs a Name (Suggestions Welcome)
juice of one lemon4 teaspoons sugar (plus additional for rim)4 ounces ginI ran the lemon around the rim of the glass and then dipped it in a shallow plate of sugar. Then I put it all the drink ingredients in the shaker with a couple of cubes and gave it a good shake. This makes enough for two drinks (or one really big one!).Labels: beef, cocktail, potatoes, root veggies
Many years ago, before my second career as a chef started, I was helping to direct a photo shoot for my employer. The photo studio was in downtown Seattle and as it was an all day photo shoot, the studio decided to bring in lunch for us.
The inspiration for my meal came from that experience years ago. I never found out the name of the restaurant, but I remember eating this sweet potato quesadilla type thing that blew my mind. So good.
I'm sure that what I made wasn't even close to the original (it was over 10 years ago after all). But it was along the same lines and it was pretty tasty.
For the Sweet Potato and Meat Mixture
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
cayenne pepper (to taste)
2ish tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers)
1 lime, juiced
I started by heating a large pan over high heat. I added my sweet potato with about 1/2 cup water and let it simmer for a while until the sweet potato started to get soft. I added the rest of the ingredients (except for the adobo and lime juice) along with some salt and pepper and cooked it until the beef was nicely browned. I added the adobo and lime juice and checked my seasonings then turned down the heat while I worked on the rest of the ingredients.
For the salad
1 head green leaf lettuce, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa
cherry tomatoes
chopped chives
On the plates I layered lettuce, some of the sweet potato and beef mixture, corn, cheddar cheese and tomatoes. I topped this with a dollop of sour cream, a spoonful of salsa and some chopped chives. I served it with a couple of corn tortillas that I warmed in the toaster oven.
My only complaint was that I should have dressed the greens in just a touch of vinaigrette, or at the very least, squeezed a little more lime juice over the whole thing before serving. But, alas, I only had the one lime. It also may have been better served with a few corn chips instead of the tortillas.
Now, while the salad was pretty good, lunch today was even better. I used the leftover sweet potato and beef mixture (to which I added a bit of corn) along with some cheddar cheese and corn tortillas to make Quesadillas. I served it with a little green salad and some sour cream and salsa on the side.
Yum. Maybe not mind-blowing good, but definitely one the better lunches I've had in a while.
Labels: beef, Mexican, potatoes
One of my friends raises chickens and over the weekend she was generous enough to give me some of their eggs. I have often thought about making eggs in purgatory (sometimes known as eggs in hell) and decided this was the perfect time. However, eggs in purgatory is often made as an Italian dish and I wanted to go Mexican since the avocados in my CSA box are ready to eat.
Here's the ingredients for the eggs
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
several dashes of hot sauce
1 avocado, sliced
I started by sauteing the bell pepper and onion, adding the garlic towards the end of the cooking. I added my canned tomatoes, salsa and some hot sauce. I brought this to a soft simmer and then made four indentations in the sauce and broke one egg into each of the indentations. I wanted soft egg yolks so I basically just let the eggs poach until them were down how I like them (it took about 10 minutes). If I wanted firmer yolks, I would have spooned some of the sauce over the eggs as they cooked.
I would have served this with warm corn tortillas but I didn't have any of those and I'm swimming in potatoes so I made some crispy fried potato cakes.
Here's the ingredients for the potato cakes
2 russet potatoes
1/2 cup or so cream or milk
1 cup leeks (any onion would work but I had some leftover leeks that I wanted to use)
flour for dredging
salt and pepper
Basically I made (lumpy) mashed potatoes with the potatoes and cream, sauteed the leeks and then stirred them into the potatoes. Once they cooled a little I used a medium scoop to portion out the potatoes and then squashed them into patties about 2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.
I dredged them in flour and fried them in the oil until they were crispy and delicious. Once everything was ready I put a few of potato cakes on each plate, added the cooked eggs and some sauce and them topped it with sliced avocado.
How was it? Really good. In fact it was better than I expected. I'm actually glad that I didn't have tortillas because the potatoes were so good with the dish. I would make this again in a heart beat (and the husband liked it so he would eat it again too).
Labels: eggs, Mexican, potatoes
2 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 pound yams (garnet or otherwise)
2 Tablespoon butter
I then put this into a Ziploc bag, added the sugar and the water and shook the mixture until the sugar and salt had dissolved. Then I added the pork chops and tossed the bag in the fridge for a couple of hours (turning it once).
The potatoes were inspired by a blog entry from the Food52 Website. I followed the method just about verbatim so I won't repeat it here (but they took about 45 minutes total). I haven't tried it with regular potatoes (as it is written) but that will be up very soon.
How was it? Well, basically the whole time I was eating I was saying "nom, nom, nom this is so good". The husband agreed and said that the caramelized pears were way better than any applesauce would be.
1/2 onion, chopped
I sprinkled on the mustard powder and the flour.
Then stirred it for about a minute to make a roux.
Next I stirred in the chicken broth (making sure to get rid of any lumps) then added the squash and the potatoes.
I brought the mixture to a boil then let it simmer until the potatoes and squash were cooked through, then added the cream. I tasted for seasoning, and it was just missing something. Something like bacon. Sadly, there is no bacon in the house (I do not know how that happened). I realized that smoked paprika might just give the soup the bit of smokiness that I was looking for, so I added some to the mix (along with a hearty helping of fresh ground pepper). It worked (and gave the soup a beautiful tint).
To serve, I topped the soup with a few of the pickled peppers (as well as a bit of the pickling liquid) that I made with my chef group about a month ago.
1 pound new potatoes, cut into eighths
How was it? Yummy, good and summery. And so easy to make (my traditional potato salad has nine ingredients, which doesn't sound like that many, but six of them need to be chopped, diced or mashed). I think this might be a good option for an upscale BBQ or summer party. It's going to be a definite addition to the permanent repertoire.
I started by melting the butter over very low heat along with the garlic.
While it melted I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes (very carefully because that thing is wicked sharp).
I sliced the potatoes about 1/8" thick (traditional Pommes Anna would cut the potatoes to about 1/16" thick).
Next I got out a 9" nonstick cake pan, brushed it with the garlic butter then added a layer of sliced potatoes.
Then I brushed this with more garlic butter,
and sprinkled it with a tiny bit of salt. I repeated this process a total of three times. I would have preferred it be a little thicker (more layers), but I really needed a 6" or 7" pan to accomplish this, and the only pan I have that is that size was not deep enough.
1 handful green beans trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
When they were cooked through, I added the white wine and let it simmer until all the wine was gone.
At this point I added the fresh tarragon and the bacon.
When the potatoes were done cooking I removed the pan from the oven.
Then I turned the potato cake out onto a cutting board.
To plate, I cut the potato cake into quarters, put two on each plate and then spooned on some of the green beans and mushrooms to each plate. Alongside I served a salad made with red and purple radishes, cucumber, fresh mint, feta cheese and a splash of sherry vinegar.
At first I tried each thing individually. The potatoes were creamy and sweet on the inside, but the outside was so crispy and delicious (like yummy french fries). The truffle oil was a perfect accompaniment to the greens beans and the tarragon was delicious with the wine-infused mushrooms. Next I started mixing and matching flavors, a little mushroom with a little potato, a little mushroom with a little green bean, etc. It was all good and it was all good together. The husband liked everything too (especially the potatoes) which is good, because the whole thing started as his idea.
The potatoes were even easier. I washed them, boiled them and then tossed them with butter, chives and smoked salt.
My first thought for the pork was to make the Whiskey and Brown Sugar glaze that I made a while back for some grilled acorn squash. Alas, we had consumed all the whiskey. I started throwing a few thing in the pan and ended up with this.
I enjoyed everything and the husband liked most everything. The potatoes (which are one of my clients favorites) were yummy. He said the beets were great after he got rid of the blue cheese and cashews (but I liked them with). And the pork tenderloin glaze ended up kind of like a spicy teriyaki sauce, what's not to like about that.
I decided to make one of the husband's (and my) favorites. At the Costco corporate office (where I used to work) they make something called cheddar bake. It's super tasty but they charged something like 40ยข an ounce, which may not seem like much, but trust me, it adds up fast (cheddar bake is heavy). Making it at home is much more economical.
8 slices or so bacon, diced (you can, of course, use more or less, or even none, but this is a good starting point)
I put this combination in an oiled 9" x 13" pyrex dish and topped it with the remaining cheese. 
Yummy and crunchy and very filling (it's basically hash browns on steroids). I enjoyed the addition of the green onions so it was a good last minute addition. Cheddar bake is super easy to make and sooo good to eat. It's a great brunch side dish.
Here it is with the fat removed
I took the beef out of the pan, sliced it and then put it back in the pan, spooning most of the onion mixture on top of the beef. It didn't seem like there was quite enough gravy in the pan, so I mixed together 1/3 cup each of beef stock and red wine and then added this to the pan. I put the lid on the dutch oven and then popped it into a 350 degree oven for an hour.
1 pound new potatoes (these are ruby crescent potatoes which are a beautiful shade of pink when they are done)
10 cute carrots
Then I whisked in my butter one tablespoon at a time (that's important) waiting until each addition melts before adding another. 
Once all my butter melted I added my lemon zest and salt to taste. Then I poured this over my steamed carrots.
So now, everything is done and/or warmed. So I plated it up.
So now, which dish will reign supreme?
juice of one lemon
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 head green leaf lettuce, chopped
My only complaint was that I should have dressed the greens in just a touch of vinaigrette, or at the very least, squeezed a little more lime juice over the whole thing before serving. But, alas, I only had the one lime. It also may have been better served with a few corn chips instead of the tortillas.
