Brussels sprouts, beef stew and a pared-down tiramisu make a quick and comforting fall meal

We are slipping into the busy season. Beginning with Halloween and going all the way to Mardi Gras, we can expect to party, eat, drink and generally celebrate.

That partying takes a lot of time. So this meal is easy and quick, and it includes dessert. The beef stew recipe can be doubled and half of it popped into the freezer for a day when there is only time to defrost.

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The Brussels sprouts slaw is a real treat. It can be made the day before, and it will taste even better tomorrow. Even people who don’t like cooked Brussels sprouts will probably like this dish, so don’t let fear of Brussels sprouts be an obstacle to trying it.

The dressing for this slaw is made with blue cheese, which balances the slight bitterness of the sprouts. You can use any type of blue cheese that you like. And if you are in a pinch, you can use a good commercially bottled dressing. 

My fall beef stew is full of vegetables. This means that you don’t have to prepare a dish of vegetables to eat with the stew. So this meal is just two dishes with lots of gravy to sop up with crusty bread. The stew also tastes better the next day, so you can either make it ahead of time or save it for leftovers.

And the tiramisu is a very simplified but still a very tiramisu dessert. Usually tiramisu — which means “pick me up” — is made with Italian ladyfingers. These are not the soft ladyfingers that we Americans are accustomed to. The Savoiardi biscuits are made with meringue, so even after they are dipped in espresso they remain crispy. That crispiness is the key to a good tiramisu. If you can find them, use them. If not use a long crispy cookie, like biscotti — don’t use cake. This dessert will stay crisp even after being dipped in coffee.

Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Serves 4

½ pound Brussels sprouts

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and roughly chopped

1 lemon, cut in half

2 grated carrots

½ cup sunflower seeds

1 cup of dressing

Grindings of fresh black pepper

1. Place the Brussels sprouts into the bowl of a food processor and process until the Brussels sprouts are uniformly chopped. Place the chopped sprouts into a bowl.

2. Process the Granny Smith apples and place into the same bowl. Check through the slaw and remove any large unchopped pieces of Brussels sprouts and apples. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl and toss.

3. Place the grating blade on the processor and grate the 2 carrots. Add them to the bowl. You may chill the slaw until 30 minutes before serving.

4. Add the sunflower seeds and 1 cup of dressing. Toss to distribute the dressing. Serve.

DRESSING

The dressing recipe will allow you to dress the Brussels Sprouts Slaw and have some left over for another salad the next day. Makes 2 cups.

¾ cup mayonnaise

½ sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, pushed through a garlic press

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon honey

½ cup blue cheese crumbles

1. Stir together the first 4 ingredients. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the blue cheese crumbles. After everything is well mixed, add the blue cheese crumbles. Refrigerate until ready to use. It is best after at least 2 hours for the flavors to meld.

Fall Beef Stew

Serves 4.

2 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 5 pieces

1 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes

Scant ¼ cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons butter

1 2-inch piece of celery stalk

2 cloves

4 stems of parsley

4 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 pound frozen pearl onions, defrosted and drained

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 carrots, cut into coins

¼ cup brandy

1 cup red wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1. Cook bacon until it renders its fat, but is not yet crisp. Discard the bacon.

2. Dry the beef and season it with salt and pepper. Place the flour into a plate and carefully flour the cubes of beef. Do not flour more than just enough to enhance the browning of the beef.

3. Add the oil and butter to the pot with the rendered bacon fat. Brown the beef on all sides a little at a time over a high medium flame. Remove the beef and reserve.

4. Put the cloves into the celery so that it is easy to remove. Make a bouquet garni by tying the parsley, thyme and bay leaf to the piece of celery with a string or thread (not plastic) so that the herbs can be removed before serving.

5. Saute the pearl onions and make sure to cook until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic. Remove the onions to separate plate from the beef. Add the carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Add the brandy and wine to the pot and add the prepared bouquet garni. Stir to deglaze the pan and dissolve the fond (the brown bits stuck to the pan). Add the meat and the juices that have collected in the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste. Cover and cook for about 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is tender. Add water or more wine if the pan seems dry.

7. In a separate pan melt the remaining butter and saute the mushrooms until they are browned, 6 to 8 minutes. When the meat is tender add the mushrooms. Remove the bouquet garni. Simmer for 10 minutes and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with crusty bread.

Tiramisu

This is a pared-down version of tiramisu. Mascarpone is a soft Italian cream cheese, which you can find in the dairy section of your grocery store. If you do not use the traditional Marsala, choose a liqueur that is a flavor compatible with the flavor of the biscotti: For example an orange and chocolate biscotto could be paired with an orange liqueur such as triple sec or Grand Marnier. Serves 6.

8 ounces mascarpone

1 ½ cup sugar

½ cup cold heavy cream, whipped

2 cups cooled espresso or very strong coffee (you can use coffee and chicory)

2 tablespoons sweet Marsala wine or a favorite liqueur

18 biscotti

¼ cup dark chocolate shavings

1. Mix the mascarpone with the sugar in a stand mixer. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone.

2. Mix the coffee and the liqueur in a bowl wide enough to hold the biscotti. Dip each biscotto into the liquid and allow it to soak up some of the liquid on each side. Do not make them soggy.

3. Transfer the biscotti to an 8-inch square dish that can be brought to the table. Place them in one layer to cover the bottom of the dish using half of the biscotti. Spread half of the cream mixture over the biscotti. Make another layer of the biscotti and put the rest of the cream on the top of the second layer. Refrigerate.

4. When ready to serve sprinkle the chocolate over the top. Cut into squares to serve.

Do you love gadgets that work? Read on. 

Amuse-bouche: I love gadgets that work. I wanted to share this wonderful and simple tool with you. When you are mixing flour and other ingredients like baking powder or baking soda, often recipes suggest that you sift them together to fully distribute them, even when there is no real need to sift the flour.

I use this Danish dough whisk (a brodpisker or a farsrører) given to me by a good friend, instead. I think that it mixes dough better than doing it by hand and am continuing to find new uses for it. I also use it to mix meatballs.

It is a lighter touch that helps them stay tender. I hate gadgets that I don’t really use, but those that I do use are worth knowing about.