THE BEST SWISS FONDUE

Fondue is a Swiss, Italian, and French dish of melted cheese in wine. It is made and served in a caquelon or fondue pot. It was promoted as a Swiss national dish in the 1930s. 

Kitchen Tips: 
Gruyère is a hard yellow whole cow's milk cheese named after the French speaking area of Switzerland known as Gruyères. 
Swiss Emmentaler another whole cow's milk cheese and is made in Emmental, Switzerland. 
Appenzeller is the top of the line and is also a whole cow's milk fruity cheese, also made in Switzerland. 

Fontina is an Alpine cheese originating in Italy
Kirsch is a colorless, dry brandy. It is made from the fermented juice of black morello cherries.

P.S. Gruyére and Fontina are easier to find in the USA. You can make the fondue with these two cheeses and it will still be delicious.  Just make sure you use 24 ounces of cheese in this recipe.

1 large clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

8 oz Swiss Appenzeller cheese 

8 oz Swiss Gruyère cheese

4 oz Swiss Emmentaler cheese 

4 oz Italian Fontina 

2 cups dry white wine

1 T cornstarch

1 t fresh lemon juice

3 T kirsch brandy

¼ t nutmeg 

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Paprika for garnish, if desired

Rub fondue pot with the garlic clove and discard clove.

Grate the cheeses with a box grater into a large bowl and set aside.

Add the wine to the fondue pot and heat until it starts to bubble.

Add the cornstarch and whisk to smooth out any lumps.

Turn heat to low and slowly add the grated cheeses, a handful at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the cheese is melted and the mixture is creamy and smooth.

This will take about 15 minutes.

Add lemon juice, brandy, nutmeg, and cayenne.
Stir for another minute.

Sprinkle with paprika and serve with chunks of crusty bread, carrot sticks, sliced apples, and a green salad.

Serves 4

THANKSGIVING GRAVY STARTER

Here is a foolproof way to have the perfect and most delicious turkey gravy for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I have been doing this for several years and my gravy is always a hit. Make this a couple of days or a week before Thanksgiving. 

Freeze it and bring it out to thaw in the refrigerator on Thanksgiving Eve.

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 to 4 fresh bay leaves

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 sprigs of fresh thyme 

4 strips applewood smoked bacon, diced

12 chicken wings, separated at the joint

Avocado or olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth or stock

2 cups boiling water

2 t chicken bouillon

½ t Kitchen Bouquet

1 T pure maple syrup 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a heavy roasting pan or a very large skillet, add the first set of ingredients. 

Sprinkle on the diced bacon and add the chicken wings

Drizzle with oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place in oven a roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on top of stove over medium-low heat and using a potato masher, mash the vegetables and chicken wings, to release their juices.

Scrape up the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Gradually mix in the flour and cook a couple of minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth and boiling water.

Turn up the heat to boil for 10 minutes until slighly thickened. 

Then turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Remove chicken wings and let cool slightly. 

Strain the gravy through a sieve into a large heatproof measuring pitcher.

Gently mash the vegetables in the sieve to release the flavor. 

Discard the vegetables, (I take the meat off of the bones and put it in my dog's food).

Add the maple syrup.

Once it has cooled to room temperature, put into a container and freeze or if making a couple of days before Thanksgiving, you can store it in the refrigerator. 

Take out of the freezer to defrost in refrigerator on Thanksgiving Eve.

Gravy Finish

When the turkey comes out of the oven, use a carving fork to tilt the turkey over the pan to let the juices run out.

Place turkey on a carving board and cover with a tent of aluminum foil.

Pour pan juices into a gravy separator and pour dark part back into the pan and scrape up the flavorful bits up from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. 

Add:
½ t poultry seasoning  

½ t celery salt  

2 T flour and stir.

Stir in the pre-made Gravy Starter and 1 cup of turkey stock that you made with the neck and giblets. You can also just add a little more chicken stock.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, while stirring. 

Strain again through a sieve into a saucepan and keep hot until ready to serve. 

EASY HOMEMADE SANDWICH BREAD

Once in a while, we like plain old-fashioned white bread for grilled cheese or tuna salad sandwiches...even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This bread is so easy to make and is very moist because of the milk or buttermilk. Your house will smell amazing while this bread is baking.  It's also excellent to cut into thicker slices for Texas Toast.  

1 ¼ cups warm whole milk (microwave for 60 to 90 secs)

3 T granulated sugar or honey

1 T active dry yeast

3 to 3 ¼ cups bread flour

4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 t sea salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk, sugar or honey, and yeast.

Gently whisk or stir and set aside for 10 minutes to proof.

Add the flour, melted butter, and salt to the bowl.

Attach a dough hook and mix until dough comes together.

Increase speed and mix another 3 minutes.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another 2 minutes.

Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray and add the dough. 

Flip over to coat in oil on both sides.

Cover with plastic wrap, or a damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.

I turn my oven on and let it heat to 120 degrees F.

Turn it off, add a small pan of boiling water, and then put the bowl in oven.

You can also leave the oven light on 

Lightly coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Punch down dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll into a rectangle.

Roll up, tuck in ends, and place into the prepared loaf pan.

Let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes, until the bread is about one inch (no more) above the rim of the loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, 15 minutes before the bread has finished rising.

Bake bread for 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove loaf pan onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. 

Release from loaf pan and cool bread directly on wire rack until completely cool.

Makes one delicious loaf

BURGUNDY BEEF STEW - BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

The last few nights, it has been cold, I wanted to make something warm and special for dinner for my husband and me. I got out my old recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon and it was simply delicious. The meat was "melt-in-your-mouth" tender. 

The only time-consuming part was browning the meat.  

6 slices bacon, chopped

3 T avocado oil, divided

1 3½ to 4 lb chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup Cognac or brandy, optional

2 cups Burgundy, Merlot, or Pinot Noir

2 cups beef stock
2 T tomato paste

1 t dry thyme

2 bay leaves

4 T unsalted butter, softened
3 T all-purpose flour
8 oz small button mushrooms, wiped clean and trimmed
½ (14 oz) package frozen pearl onions

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cook bacon over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until crisp.

Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and set aside.
Pour off most of the bacon grease and discard.

Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat to medium-high and add one tablespoon of the oil and one-third of the meat. 
Brown on all sides, then remove with a slotted spoon to the large bowl with the bacon. 
Repeat two more times with the rest of the oil and meat.

Add the carrots to the pot and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the diced onion and cook another 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook another minute. 
Deglaze the pan with the Cognac or brandy and then add the wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute.
Add the beef broth, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves.

Return the beef and bacon to the pan, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 3 hours.

Lightly brown the mushrooms and in a skillet with a little butter and set aside.

After 3 hours, place pan on top of the stove and combine the softened butter with the flour in a small bowl.

Stir the flour-butter mixture into the stew and add the browned mushrooms and pearl onions.
Bring stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and slowly simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and ladle onto plates or shallow bowls with a side of grits, mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serve with a green vegetable or salad.

Serves 6

SOUTHERN BREAKFAST POPOVERS

Popovers are an American version of the English Yorkshire pudding. The differences are, popovers are larger and contain butter in the batter. Yorkshire puddings, usually served with prime rib, do not contain butter, but a teaspoon of the beef drippings is added to each cup before pouring the batter in. They are both traditional and delicious! Savory popovers are made with black pepper and cheese added to the batter. 

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

Do not oven the oven door, not even to peek, during the cooking time.

2 cups whole milk

2 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 t sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour milk into an 8-cup heatproof measuring pitcher or bowl.

Add the butter and microwave for 2 minutes to melt the butter and heat the milk.

Alternatively you can heat the milk and butter in a saucepan to just barely a simmer.
Let cool slightly.

Whisk the eggs into the milk, one at a time, alternating with the flour and salt.

Whisk until mostly smooth.

Place popover pan on a baking sheet and heat in oven for 2 minutes, exactly.

Remove popover pan from oven and generously spray with cooking oil. 

(I use grape seed oil in a oil mister/sprayer).

Pour batter evenly into popover pan, making sure you fill each cup to the top.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes. 

Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake another 30 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let cool a couple of minutes.

Release, using a table knife, if needed.

To Serve

Puncture sides with a sharp knife to let steam escape and fill with a small pat of butter and strawberry jam.

Makes 6

SURF & TURF STIR-FRY

You can make your sauce ingredients in the morning, cover and refrigerate.

Place your steak in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes to make it easier to slice.

Use your own favorite stir-fry vegetables in this recipe.

Sauce 

½ cup beef broth

2 T honey

2 T oyster sauce

2 T hoisin sauce

2 T low-sodium soy sauce

2 t sesame oil

2 t cornstarch

1 t grated ginger

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Whisk together the above ingredients and set aside.

Stir-Fry Ingredients

1 T avocado oil or other high smoke point cooking oil

8 oz sirloin steak, cut into bite-size pieces

16 jumbo shrimp, cleaned and tails removed

8 cremini or white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced

1 large shallot, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and sliced

1 small bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 sliced green onions, for garnish

Sesame seeds, for garnish

In a wok or large skillet, cook the beef over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove to a large bowl and set aside.

Lower heat to medium and cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes.

Remove to the same large bowl with the beef.

Add the vegetables to the wok or skillet and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

Add the Sauce ingredients and heat through.

Return the beef and shrimp to the pan and heat through for another minutes.

Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Serves 4

HAM & CHEESE SLIDERS

Slider rolls with ham and cheese are a traditional brunch entree in the South. They are heated in the oven in a baking pan or dish covered with aluminum foil. Set up your sideboard with good silver, china, crystal, and flowers. Add some scrambled eggs, a fruit salad, Mimosas or Bloody Marys. This is southern hospitality at its best.

You can spread half of the butter mixture over the cheese and the remaining butter mixture over the top.  I decided to only spread the butter mixture over the cheese.

It is a little less messy to eat this way.

24 slider buns

1 lb thinly sliced deli ham, off the bone

1 lb thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Poppy Seed Sauce

1 stick (8 oz) unsalted butter, melted

1 T poppy seeds

1 T honey

1 T Dijon or spicy brown mustard

1 T dried minced onion 

½ t Worcestershire sauce

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, poppy seeds, honey, mustard, dried onion, and Worcestershire sauce.

Set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Spray 1 or 2 baking dishes with oil.

Separate the tops from the bottoms of the rolls and arrange the bottom pieces in the prepared baking dish.

Layer half of the ham slices onto the rolls.

Add a layer of Swiss cheese and pour half or all of the butter mixture over.

Spread with a brush to evenly coat.

Top with the remaining ham slices.

Place tops on rolls and, if desired, pour the remaining butter mixture over.

Using a brush, spread the mixture evenly over and in between the rolls.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Slice through the individual rolls to serve.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 24 slider rolls.