Quick Beef Provencal Food

BEEF STEW PROVENCAL

Steps:

• In a 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the beef, flour, salt and pepper; toss to coat. In a large skillet, brown beef in oil in batches. Transfer to slow cooker., Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is tender. Serve with noodles.

BEEF PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the oil to the skillet and heat just until beginning to smoke. Brown the meat all over and sear the roast, turning as each side turns a deep mahogany, about 10 minutes. While the meat browns, put the flour into a medium bowl and whisk with about 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth until smooth.
• Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; stir in their juices, 3 tablespoons of the cognac, herbes de Provence, and the 2 teaspoons salt.
• Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth to the skillet; let it bubble for a minute and then stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour over the meat, then scatter the garlic, carrots, fennel, and onion over and around the meat. Pour the flour mixture over. Cover the cooker, set it on HIGH, and cook for 4 hours. Set the cooker on LOW and cook until the meat is very tender, up to 2 hours more (for a total of 6 hours). Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Skim any excess fat off the top of the sauce in the cooker.
• To finish the sauce: Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon cognac, the tomato tapenade, parsley, and orange zest into the vegetables and sauce in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice the meat and lay the slices down the center of a serving platter. Arrange the vegetables around the meat and spoon some sauce over the top. Serve with hot buttered egg noodles. Pass the remaining sauce.

QUICK HALIBUT PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat.
• Lightly season the fish with salt and add the fillets to the pan and sear until they have good color, about 4 minutes.
• Turn over the fillets, reduce the heat to low and cook 1 minute.
• Remove the fish to a plate and keep warm.
• Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, pepper flakes, vinegar and one-half teaspoon salt and saute 1 minute.
• Increase the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and the sauce is bubbly. Add the fish back into the sauce during the final minute of cooking.
• Transfer the fillets to a platter, spoon the sauce over and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and the torn basil and serve immediately.

SLOW-COOKED PROVENCAL BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• To assemble bouquet garni: Place one leek leaf on the counter. Top with bay leaf, celery stalk, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs and tangerine (or orange) peel. Place the second leek leaf on top and tie the bundle together in four spots with kitchen string. Set aside.
• To prepare stew: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pancetta (or bacon) and cook until barely brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving any drippings in the pot.
• Add beef in batches (do not crowd the pot) and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the beef.
• Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
• Pour wine into the pot and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Return the browned beef, the carrot mixture and the reserved pancetta (or bacon) to the pot along with the bouquet garni. Press down on the beef and vegetables, making sure to submerge them completely in the wine; if necessary, add just enough hot water to make sure they are covered. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pot and press it directly on top of the stew, covering it completely.
• Transfer the stew to the oven and cook, with the lid off, until the beef is tender enough to cut with a fork, about 3 hours. Check every hour to be sure the ingredients stay submerged in liquid during the entire cooking time. If too much wine evaporates, add a little hot water to make up for the loss. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the reserved mushrooms.
• Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Combine chopped parsley and tangerine (or orange) zest in a small bowl and scatter on top of the stew just before serving.

BEEF DAUBE PROVENçAL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°.
• Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.
• Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.
• Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

BEEF PROVENCAL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170C (340F).
• Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat.
• Add onion, mushrooms and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, or until soft.
• Transfer to a large, ovenproof dish.
• Toss meat in flour.
• Heat remaining oil in frying pan and cook beef, in 2 batches, until well-browned. (Don't worry, the beef will catch on the bottom, just add a bit more oil. It will all come off when the stock and wine is added).
• Transfer to onion and mushroom mixture.
• Add tomato, wine, stock and capsicum to frying pan and bring to a gentle boil, scraping up any bits of beef stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Add to casserole dish.
• Cover and transfer to oven to 1 1/2-3 hours. Remove lid and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until meat is tender.
• Serve by itself or with mash potatoes.

QUICK BEEF PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Combine carrots and 1 tablespoon wine in a bowl; microwave, covered, until carrots are nearly tender, 3-6 minutes.
• Pat meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat until just smoking.
• Cook meat until browned, 3-5 minutes per side; add in onion and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in flour and garlic; cook until flour is absorbed and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add remaining wine and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in broth, tomatoes, olives, rosemary, and carrots and simmer until sauce is thickened and meat is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.