In my other post (as troutbend) Bottom Round Roast there is a recipe for a cream sauce to heat up with slices of braised beef. I made the sauce today and tried it on some of the warmed-up beef slices as well as come cooked broccoli, and oh my goodness, it's good. It reminds me of a lovely light hollandaise, but about 100 times easier to make.

I don't cook with pure cream a lot, and this is the first time I've boiled some to reduce it. No curdling. Like Ms. nittineedles said in her comment to the Bottom Round article: "An old running shoe with a heavy cream sauce poured over would taste good." and she's absolutely right. And guess what! It's gluten free.

Lemon Cream Sauce for Anything
1/2 c. butter (or less)
2 c. heavy cream
2 lg. cloves garlic
4 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
Watercress or parsley

Heat butter in a saucepan or skillet until it bubbles and browns. Add cream, garlic, lemon juice, about 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring, about 3 minutes or until sauce reduces slightly.

Then, I made this salad recipe. It calls for fresh broccoli, but all I have is frozen, so I cooked it cooled it down with cold water.

Broccoli Cranberry Salad

Broccoli florettes in bite-size pieces, boiled briefly then run under cold water
Diced cucumber
Finely chopped onion
Cooked bacon, crumbled
Dried cranberries
Pinon nuts aka Pine nuts
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Mayonnaise
(Vinegar)
(Sugar)
(Salt)

Figure out your own amounts. Use enough mayonnaise to moisten it all. I didn't add much vinegar or sugar, didn't think it needed it. I'm not a huge fan of raw onion in salads, but there is so much flavor from the other components you don't notice it, except that there is a lot of flavor.

I can just picture Mr. Kitchentales chewing his way through this salad because he isn't much for melanges of chopped raw vegetables, although he'd eat it and say it was good (well trained). If I felt the need to make it for company, or they drove up just as I was finishing a batch for myself, I think my lady friends would like it, maybe served alongside some quiche.

Oh snap. My email notifications has just let me know that he ordered some more cigars. This is what happens when he's on his own like this.