Almost My Grandmas Rouladen Melissa Darabian Food

(ALMOST) MY GRANDMA'S ROULADEN: MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, cook the bacon crisp to render the fat. Once the bacon is cooked, remove from pan and set aside. Reserve the rendered bacon fat in pan.
• Begin prepping the meat: If the meat is too thick, you may butterfly to make thinner.
• Salt and pepper the steaks and lay flat on a large cutting board. Pound to tenderize. Flatten to 1/2" if possible. Flip & pound the other side. Repeat as necessary to ensure thinness. I like to cover the meat over & under with a piece of clear plastic wrap to minimize messiness while tenderizing the meat.
• Brush the top side of the slices with enough mustard just to coat.
• Spread with dill pickle relish and bacon / lardons.
• Sprinkle HALF the onion on top of the pickle relish.
• Starting at the short end, roll the meat up jellyroll style, and secure with kitchen twine in 3-4 places. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Reheat the bacon fat to the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown all sides of the meat.
• Remove the meat from the pan. Add oil if necessary and add the remaining onion, carrot and celery; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the wine. Scrape up any bits off the bottom of the pan, then add in the canned tomatoes with their juice. Add the beef stock.
• Nestle the meat back into the pan, bring to a simmer, cover and bake until the meat is tender, about 90 minutes. Turn the meat once halfway through cooking. If you need to add a bit more stock, do so. The sauce will be on the thick side and full of the veggies.
• Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Do not remove the twine just yet.
• Slice meat 1" thick with the twine in place or not. It will be fall apart tender and the beef may shred. No worries, it still tastes fantastic! I would suggest using a sharp knife or an electric knife.
• Serve with mashed potatoes, YUM! Ladle the sauce over the meat and potatoes. Enjoy!

CAFE GREEN SALAD BY MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• Rub the inside of a large wooden bowl with the garlic clove and then either discard it or save it for another use.
• Put the mustard in the bowl and whisk in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (a French secret!) vigorously for about 10 seconds to get a creamy consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Drizzle in the olive oil as slowly as possible with 1 hand while whisking as quickly as possible with the other hand to emulsify.
• Lay the salad greens on top of the dressing and toss just before serving.

CHOCOLATE FRENCH TOAST (PAIN PERDU) BY MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• Special equipment: 9 by 5-inch baking dish.
• In a small pot over low heat, add 1/4 cup cream, milk, sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, vanilla, and salt and bring to a simmer. Put the chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in the cream mixture. Let sit until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until well combined. Grease the baking dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter, and it line with the bread slices, overlapping slightly. Pour the chocolate mixture over the bread, making sure to cover the tips. Push the bread down with your fingers to coat the bread completely. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake until the custard sets and the bread turns golden at the edges, about 30 minutes.
• Add the remaining cream to a chilled bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Serve the French toast on individual plates with a dollop of cream.