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