Farfalle Pasta with Chicken Meatballs and Sauce

I think that tomato pasta sauce is one of the easiest things to make.  It quick and easy and delicious.  It's one of my favorite meals of all time.  Spaghetti and meatballs relates to the kid in us.  Who didn't just love it when you were a kid.  I can't think of any child that didn't love spaghetti and meatballs.  Sometimes I use spaghetti pasta but tonight I am using farfalle.  That is the little bowtie shaped pasta.  That is nothing as good as fresh homemade pasta which I think I will make someday soon for you but, as easy as it is to make it is very messy!  There is flour everywhere!  For tonight I will be using dried pasta from the store.

Meatball ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of Ground Chicken, Pork or Beef.  ( I use Chicken because it makes a lighter mealballs and less fat)
1 Egg
1 Rounded Tbs. of Dijon Mustard
2 Tbs. of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs. of Dried Parsley Flakes
1 small jar of Pimentos
2 Shallots chopped
2 to 3 Banana Peppers or Pepperoncinis chopped
1 Cup of Bread crumbs (I like to use Panko Bread Crumbs)
Salt and Pepper
(If you like a little heat or spice you can add red pepper flakes or Tobasco or both!)

Mix all the ingredients together with your hands (Yuck!) or a wooden spoon.  Hands is the best and easiest way to mix and form the meatballs.  Heat up you Staub 5.5 quart pot over medium high heat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. (I told you I use this pot all-the-time!)  When the oil is hot but not smoking start forming the meatballs with your hands and arrange them in the pot evenly over the bottom.  Let them brown on side and turn to brown on the other side.  Once they have been turned you can drop the heat to low cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  The pot has enough heat to brown the other side.

Remove the meatballs and set aside.

Now it's time to make the sauce.  Here are the ingredients you will need.

Sauce Ingredients:
1 Medium Yellow Onion chopped
8 oz of Mushrooms quartered. (Cutting the mushrooms this way gives them a meatier more substancial texture)
2 Tbs of Olive Oil
1 tsp of each of the following seasonings
- Basil
- Oregano
- Parsley flakes
- Thyme
- Salt
1/2 tsp of Rosemary and black pepper
1 cup of Red Wine
1 29 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
1 29 oz can of Tomato Puree (I love working with tomato puree!)

Heat up you Staub pot with the oil and saute the onions and mushrooms with all the seasonings.  When the onions are clear and the mushrooms are soft add the red wine to deglaze the pot.  This brings up all the flavor.  Add the tomato puree and diced tomatoes and stir.  Add the meatballs back in and simmer for about 30 minutes longer and serve with your favorite shaped pasta.

Enjoy!!!!!!

Have a great little chopped salad with a light oil and sherry vinegar dressing.

Tomorrow

Hi Gang,
Tomorrow I will update.  I have been working a lot and not home in the evening.  Please check back tomorrow night.  I'll be talking about spaghetti and meatballs!  Yum!
Scott

Beef Stew

This came out really good!  I'm sitting here at 11:30pm eating beef stew.  I was in the market and decided to buy some stew beef that looked really delicious.  I browned the meat in my 5.5 quart Staub pot on medium high.  Generously season with salt and pepper.  When browned on both sides, cover and cook on low for about an hour.  Remove the meat and set aside. Deglaze the pot with an ounce of Johnny Walker and let simmer for a couple of minutes.  Mix together 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 rounded tablespoons of flour.  Slowly whisk into the pot.  When this is thick remove and set aside.  Cut into large chucks, 4 stacks of celery, 2 large carrots, 2 large white pototoes, 1 small yellow onion, 1 leek (soak and clean) and 8 ounces of mushrooms.  Saute in the pot with 3 Tablespoons of butter.  When they are tender add the meat back in the pot with 1 cup red wine and 2 cups of water.  Season with salt and pepper, large bay leaf and dried parsley.  Simmer for about one more hour or until the meat is tender.   Slowly whisk the broth from the pot into the cream mixture until it is no longer thick.  Then stir into the stew and bring to a boil.  It is ready to enjoy!!!!

I've been making bread again

Panko Crusted Ruffy

Easy and Delicious!  I used Ruffy but you can use any mild white fish.  Heat the Oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease or butter a heavy roasting pan and lay out the fish fillets after patting them dry.  Mix together some mayonaise and a little bit of dijon mustard.  Add some "Old Bay" seasons to that and using a small silicone brush lightly coat the top of the fish.  Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs until the fish is evenly coated with a thin layer and then sprinkle with dry dill.  Cook in the oven for 15 mins on the middle rack of the oven.  Move the rack to the top and turn on the broiler.  Broil until lightly brown and crispy about 5 to 7 minutes.

Pizza for Dinner

This is what I like to make when I don't feel like something easy.  I buy the pizza dough already made although there is a great no knead pizza dough that I like too.  You just have to know that you are going to have pizza the night before if you want to make your own crust.  I'll list the recipe for that crust as well.  You can also buy an already partially cooked one.

This is my favorite pizza that I make.  It's a chicken pizza with caramelized red onions and 4 different cheese and fresh basil.  Yum!

I like a really hot oven to bake a good pizza and a pizza stone.  Heat the oven to 475 degrees.  Place the rack on the top 2/3's of the oven.  Now is the time to caramelize the red onions.  Cut a large red onion into rings and saute in a medium skillet with about 2 tablespoons of butter.  Once the onions are soft and not brown add 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1/4 of brown sugar.  Let it cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Now it's time to spread the dough out on a pizza pan and cook for about 10 mins.  Don't let it brown yet.  Remove and set aside.  Put the pizza stone in the oven and let it heat for 10 mins.  While the stone is heating start adding the ingredients to the crust.  I think tomato paste makes the best pizza sauce and it's easy.  Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the crust.  Chop up some already cooked chicken and sprinkle over the crust.  Add the caramelized onions next and then fresh chopped basil and finally the cheese.  I use a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina and Provolone cheeses.  Trader Joe's makes a blend of these cheeses already shredded.  Take the pizza stone out of the oven and lightly sprinkle with corn meal.  Place the pizza on the stone being very careful not to touch the stone.  It's super hot!  Put back in the oven and cook for 10 mins or until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly and brown.  Let it set for about 5 mins. after you pull it from the oven before you cut it.  Enjoy!!!!!

Try it with shrimp!!!!!

Ground Chicken and Potato Soup

This is a soup I remember when I was a child.  Even though my mother says that she doesn't remember making it.  It's pretty simple to make.  I didn't have a recipe to go from since mom can't remember making it.  Here is the closest thing I can come up with that makes me think of Mom's soup.

You start by browning a pound of ground chicken or turkey in your Staub pot over medium to medium high heat and add salt and pepper.  Yes, you can use ground beef.  That's what Mom used.  Once the ground meat of choice is browned remove and set aside.  Don't turn the heat down. Now, put in 4 slices of bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove the bacon and add 3 rounded tablespoons of flour.  Stir constantly until the flour browns and add 1 cup of white wine while stirring constantly.  Gradually add the chicken broth while stirring.  Add the water, potatoes, ground meat, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
(You can just eat the bacon or crumble it into the soup with some green onion)

Ingredients:
1 Pound of Ground Meat
4 Slices of Bacon
5 Large Red Skin Potatoes
1 Large container of Chicken Broth
4 Cups of Water
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pulled BBQ Pork

I love pulled BBQ pork.  It's easy to  make.  You need a 1 1/2 to 2 lbs pork loin roast.  Salt and pepper the roast and brown in your Staub enamaled cast iron pot and cover.  Reduce the heat to low and roast for about 2 hours or until the roast breaks apart with a fork.  Shred the pork and add the BBQ sauce.  Heat with the BBQ sause and serve with a great bun.

BBQ Sauce ingredients: (Yes, this is the same sauce I used for the ribs)

1 Cup of Ketchup

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Molasses

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 small can of tomato paste

1 Tbps of Cumin Seeds

1/2 Teaspoon of Cyan Pepper

I love having Sundays off.  I get a lot of cooking done for the week.  This is the day I go to the store and get my groceries for the week.  I like to be in the kitchen cooking for hours and of course having a glass of wine or two while I'm cooking.

Tonight I made a delicious BBQ'd pulled pork loin roast and Minestrone soup.  Both are actually very easy.  You know how I like easy.  Not to say that everything I make is easy.  If I really want to make something I will invest hours in the kitchen making it.  I think what I'm saying is that great cooking doesn't have to be hard.  Delicious tasting recipes can be very easy.

Tonight I made my minestrone soup.  It lasts many days and gets better in a day or two after the flavors marinade.  This is what I combined tonight to make a great tasting soup.

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Cup each Chopped Onions, Carrots and Celery
1/2 Cup White Wine
1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary
2 Cups Zucchini cut into large 1 inch chunks
2 large New Potatoes cut into small cubes about 1/2 inch square
2 Large containers of chicken broth
1 large can of diced tomatoes
8 oz of dry rotini pasta or your favorite shaped pasta
1 Can of White Beans
(I have added multi colored peppers, corn, green beans and mushrooms before)
This is a soup made from whatever ingredients are available.  What vegetable do you like and what do you think would taste great in this soup.
If you want a truly decadent soup add 2 Cups of heavy cream to the soup when done.  Yum!  Cream of minestrone soup!
Bacon adds a great flavor, too.  (Cook a 1/2 package of bacon to crisp and add the bacon grease to the soup as well as the chopped bacon.

This is how I make it.  I start by roasting the chicken breasts in the Staub 5.5 quart pot for about 1 1/2.  (I told you I use this pot all the time!)  Heat the pot with a little olive oil and when the oil is hot add the chicken breasts top of the breast down first.  Salt and pepper the chicken.  When browned on that side turn and salt and pepper the other side.  Cover and turn the heat down and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours till the chicken breaks apart easily with a fork.  Remove the chicken and add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot along with all the seasonings.  Shred the chicken with a fork and set aside.  Cook over medium over until softs.  Add the wine to deglaze the pot and cook for a few minutes till most fo the wine has evaporated.  Time to add the chicken broth, potatoes, zucchini, diced tomatoes, white beans, shredded chicken and pasta.  Cook until the pasta is soft and Serve.  I like a thick soup that is very meaty like a meal in itself.  If you prefer a lighter soup add more chicken broth.  For a truly decadent minestrone add 2 cups of heavy cream to the soup.  It's amazing!!!!!!!

Cornbread wrapped in bacon with hot dogs in the middle

This self contained comfort food meal will appeal to the kid in everyone.  Your taste buds will explode with the savoriness of this meal.  You're ready to run to the kitchen aren't you?  It's as delicious as you think it will be.  

Here is the recipe!

8 slices thick cut bacon

2 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal

3/4 cup sugar

1 tspn salt

2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk

with 2 tblspn lemon juice added)

1/4 cup Olive Oil

4 oz unsalted butter, melted

1 Tbls diced Banana peppers

1 Tbls diced Jalapeno peppers

1/2 Cup grated pepper jack cheese

2 tspn paprika

4 hot dogs. (Beef, Chicken or Turkey)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a large loaf pan with the bacon slices (so that the

slices go across the pan and up the sides.)  I use a stoneware loaf pan by Emile Henry.

Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, paprika and baking powder

in a mixing bowl.

Make the buttermilk by mixing milk and lemon juice (unless

you are using buttermilk), mix in the oil and melted butter.

Mix together the wet ingredients and dry with a fork.

Add the eggs and mix in with fork, make sure eggs are

blended.

Mix in the diced peppers and grated cheese and mix lightly.

Pour the batter into loaf pan lined with the bacon.

Place hot dogs longways on top of the batter, in two

rows.  Gently press the hog dogs down into the batter.

bake for about 1 hour or until cake is set and top is

golden.


Enjoy!!!!!

OMG!  Dinner was super delicious tonight.  I made a leek cream sauce over capellini pasta.  Pan seared steel head trout and a nice salad.

The Sauce is pretty easy to make.  I love easy!  Cut up two leeks.  Soak in water to clean and then saute in 2 Tbls of unsalted butter until the leeks are soft.  When soft add 1 cup of white wine and the juice of one very juicy lemons.  Salt and pepper to taste and a tablespoon of freshly chopped basil.  Let the wine and lemon juice almost completely evaporate.  At this point add 3/4 cup of heavy cream.  As soon as the sauce starts to bubble turn off the heat.  (Don't over heat it.  It will curdle.)  You don't need a lot of this sauce.  It is very flavorful.  Toss the sauce with the capellini pasta and serve.

I have found that this is really the best way to cook trout and salmon, too.    Heat up a heavy covered saute pan or braiser over medium heat.  I use a Le Creuset covered braiser.  Drizzle a little bit of oil in the braiser.   When the oil is hot place the trout in the braiser skin side down.   The skin will insulate the trout and when it is cooked you can easily separate the skin from the meat.  Place the cover on the braiser and let it cook for 5 to 7 mins.  The fish will flake apart easily when done.

Take one bag of mixed field greens.  Chop up the following and add to the salad.  One scallion, one avocado, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper and drizzle with honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Toss and serve.

Baby Back Ribs!!!!! Yum!!!!

Baby Back ribs are just delicious!  When you cook them the right way.  The trick is to boil the ribs before you roast them.  Cut the rack of ribs into 3 or 4 pieces inbetween the ribs.  Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and put the ribs in the boiling water.  Bring the water to a boil again and let boil for about 15 minutes.  This eliminates some of the fat and makes the ribs even more tender when roasted.  I put them in a slow cooker for low while I was at work today.  Very easy dinner!

Take the ribs out and let them cool and dry.  After they are cool and dry it's time to marinade them.  You can use a dry rub or a moist sauce.  This time around I used a moist sauce.  BBQ sauces are actually very easy to make.  You need some sweetness and spices.  I usually start with ketchup as my base and add  molasses and brown sugar.  (The sugars cure and add a nice glaze to the meat.)  For this batch I added olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cumin seeds and some cyan pepper for heat and some tomato paste.  This sauce is not only easy but rich and savory.  I will try to give you the approximate amounts for each ingredient.  I'm big on dumping ingredients together.  Remember that when you cook from a recipe that if you think you would like a little more or less of one flavor or spice then change it.  You know what you like.  I can't handle a lot of heat or spice so I usually cut that down in recipes.  Fearlessly experiment.  That is how you get better.

Sauce ingredients:
1 Cup of Ketchup
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Molasses
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 small can of tomato paste
1 Tbps of Cumin Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon of Cyan Pepper

Sorry the pictures don't do the ribs justice.  I'll have to work on the pictures.

Isn't it Beautiful? Let's make bread with it!

This is a picture of my one of my favorite pieces.  I love this Staub 5.5 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven.  It's not just beautiful.  It's one of the most versatile pieces in my kitchen.  You can see from the last couple of posts how I utilize it.  I use it as a stock pot, roaster and bread oven to mention a few uses.

Do you like artisan bread?  This piece makes amazing looking and tasting breads.  If you haven't tried it you need to try these super easy recipes in your dutch oven.  The no-knead method is easy and you will be so impressed with yourself.  One of my all time favorites is a raisin walnut bread. It's a meal in itself.  Nothing beats bread fresh from the oven.  The bread baked in a dutch oven has a very crisp crust and a delicious moist interior.

Ingredients:
3 Cups of bread flour (It must be bread flour)
1/2 Cup Raisins (White raisins are my favorite and dried cranberries are yummy, too.)
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (Pecans are good, too.)
1 1/4 salt
3/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of dry active yeast
about 10 turns of pepper from a pepper mill
1 1/2 Cup of very cold tap water

Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until the dough is mixed and a little sticky.  Place in a bowl and let sit for about 12 to 16 hours covered with plastic wrap.

Flour a surface and dump the dough onto it.  Fold the dough over two times.  Place on a floured cloth and cover with the ends of the cloth or another one.  After the dough has been rising for 1 1/2 hours put the covered dutch oven in the oven on the rack lowered 1/3 from the bottom.  Preheat to 475 degrees.  After the dutch oven has been in the oven for 1/2 hour take out (It is "very" hot!  Please be careful!) and turn the dough out from cloth into the dutch oven.  Cover and return to the oven.  After 30 minutes uncover and cook for another 15 minutes.  Take out of the oven and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack.  Let it cool a little while and then enjoy!  You will be hooked!

Tomorrow night is baby back ribs!!!!!!

Easy Roasting on the stove top

This is one of the easiest and best ways to roast meats.  I just did with chicken breasts last night.  They are full of flavor and just fall apart.  This is all you have to do.  Heat up a 6 quart oval dutch oven over medium high heat with a little oil or butter.  I love Staub because the lid is very heavy and it creates a tight seal.  It works like a pressure cooker.  Salt and pepper the meat.  In this case chicken breasts.  When the oil is hot put the chicken breasts in the oil beast down.  Let it brown for a couple of minutes and then turn over and brown the other side.  Turn down the heat to low and cover.  Let it cook for about 2 hours.  The meat will fall apart with a fork when done.  This is a great way to cook inexpensive cuts of meat.  Try it out.  You will love it.  You can experiment by adding different dry herbs to the outside for different taste.  Have fun!

Scott's Cooking Recommendations: Scott's New England Clam Chowder

Scott's Cooking Recommendations: Scott's New England Clam Chowder: "Who doesn't love New England Clam Chowder? I have been making this for a long time and I think this is one of my best. I like to..."

Scott's New England Clam Chowder

Who doesn't love New England Clam Chowder?  I have been making this for a long time and I think this is one of my best.  I like to try different things to improve the flavor and texture of whatever I am making.  This is a rich and savory soup that will make your taste buds dance.  What makes this clam chowder a little different from previous versions is what I did with the clams.  I was thinking about how braising and browning meats brings the flavor of those meats outs.  I decided to try this with the clams in butter with bacon.  What an amazingly rich flavor emerged.  Here is how to create this delicous soup.

My favorite soup pot is my 5.5 quart Staub enameled cast iron dutch oven.  If you don't own one you need to.  It's one of the best and most versatile pieces you will ever own.  I use this pot all the time!

The ingredients:

1/2 package of smoked bacon. (Apple wood or other, you know what you like.)
3/4 cup of each (white onion, carrot and celery) chopped.
3/4 pound of fresh clams
4 tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz bottle of clam juice
3 Lg red skin potatoes
32 oz of chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
7 tbsp of flour
salt and pepper to taste (Everyone likes a different amount of salt and pepper.  What tastes good to you?)

Heat the dutch oven over a medium high heat and cook the bacon till it is crisp.  Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain.  When the bacon has drained chop into small bits and set aside.  Add 3 Tbsp of flour to the bacon grease and stir constantly until the flour starts to brown.  Remove and set aside.  Add 2 Tbsp of the butter.  When the butter is melted add the onions, carrots and celery and reduce the heat to medium.  Add salt and pepper. (I like to add salt and pepper to the different ingredients as they cook.)  Cook the vegetables until they are soft but not brown.  While they are cooking peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes.  Remove the vegetables and set aside.  Add the remaining butter.  Turn the temp up a little bit.  When the butter starts to bubble add the clams and the chopped bacon.  Cook the clams till they start to brown around the edges.  Add the chicken stock,  bacon grease and flour mixture vegetables and potatoes.  Bring to a boil then cover and turn heat down to medium low and cook until the potatoes are soft.  While the potatoes are cooking whisk the remaining 4 Tbsp of flour into the cream in a large pyrex measuring cup.  I use a 4 cup size.  Slowly ladle by ladle whisk the soup broth into the cream and flour mixture until the 4 cup pyrex measuring cup is full.  Now while stirring pour this mixture back into the pot.  Bring to a boil and turn the heat off.  The soup is ready.  I think it is better if you make this soup one day in advance.  This allows the flavors to really develop.  Let me know what you think.