Da Bears Menu

Last Monday my husband and I hosted 15 of our friends for a night of da Bears and chili.  Since one of my friends is pregnant, another is breastfeeding, and another can't eat pork, I made two sets of chili so no one would go hungry. Here's what was served:

7 Layer Dip (by the Pioneer Woman) to start:

Giada's Chicken Chili: 

Beef and Chorizo Chili: 

***I substitute ground round for stew meat

Mac N' Cheese with Pancetta: a true crowd pleaser

(I add a few dashes of nutmeg)

Ina's Corn Muffins: equally delicious

(I add a 1/2 cup of drained sweet yellow corn to the batter)

Dessert: 

Sweet Mandy B's Cupcakes:

Lucky for me, the Bears won and the food was a hit so it was a good night had by all.  

 PC: Pioneerwoman, browniebites, green local living, bon appetit, food network, formerms

Spaghetti and Spicy Turkey Meat Sauce

I think everyone at some point or other has made spaghetti with meat sauce. It's easy, comforting, and a staple in most homes.  After trying dozens of recipes, I finally found one that I love. It has the perfect amount of heat and flavor that turkey meat usually lacks, and as Rachel Ray promises can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.    

Spaghetti and Spicy Turkey Meat Sauce

-Rachel Ray

Serves: 4

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti

2 tbsp EVOO

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound lean ground turkey

salt/black pepper

One 28 oz can San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes (or you can use diced tomatoes)

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley (I used about 1/2 tsp dried parsley)

I also added a dash of oregano

2 tbsp grated parmesan, plus more for serving

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Increase the heat to medium-high, crumble in the turkey, season with salt and black pepper and cook until the turkey is just no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cheese. Toss the pasta with the sauce and 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, adding more water to thin the consistency, if desired. Serve immediately with more cheese.

 PC: Food Network

Seasonal Delight

With Chelsea Market around the corner it's never been so easy to buy local fruits and vegetables (and even meat) that is in season from sustainable farms.  Sustainable agriculture amazes me.  I love knowing that the food I buy supports local farmers (and their families) and that the food I consume is fresh, unprocessed, and comes from a humane environment (re: animals).  It's a way of life that I've come to love. 

Now that it's Fall there is so much produce to celebrate like my favorite fruit, butternut squash.  This kind of winter squash is sweet and nutty and adds so much flavor and depth to every dish it graces.  Here are a few recipes that I can't wait to try:

Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna:

Twice Baked Butternut Squash:

Mac N' Cheese with Butternut Squash:

Squash Potstickers:

PC: Martha Stewart

Pea-licious

I just made Bon Appetit's cover recipe, Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta and absolutely loved it! Despite the cream and bacon, the dish is surprisingly light and can serve as the perfect first course or side dish (how it's done in Italy).  Other redeeming qualities? It's delicious served hot or cold which is perfect for Summer.  

  I substituted grated lemon for lemon peel, bacon for pancetta, and only used half the cream and increased the pasta water instead.  I served it as a side to chicken cutlets and a raddichio salad with balsamic glaze and ricotta.  It was a crowd pleaser. 

Here's how it looked in my adorable pasta bowl from Williams-Sonoma:

Other pasta bowls from my home away from home:

Marche Serving Bowl:

Tile Hand Painted Serving Bowl:

And a few other tools that will help you in the pasta department:

All-Clad d5 Stainless Steel Pasta Pentola:

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer Pasta Roller Attachment:

(Stay tuned for my homemade pasta coming soon)

Williams-Sonoma, Bon Appetit

Meatballs

After an attempt at meatballs last week which left me with contaminated sauce and having to order in, I decided to try it again until I got it right.

The result was pretty amazing if I must say so myself.

The Recipe: 

Marinara Sauce:

3 35 oz cans whole Italian tomatoes with their juices

3 Tbsp olive oil

5 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small onion, chopped 

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

kosher salt

pinch of sugar (if needed) 

Meatballs:

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ground veal

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated parmigiano or romano (I actually used Pecorino)

1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 lb dried spaghetti

fresh basil

 Marinara:

Empty can of tomatoes with their juices into a food processor, pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining tomatoes.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the onion, cook until softened about 5 to 10 minutes.  Then add the garlic and cooked for another 5-10 minutes.  Stir in the red pepper flakes and let them heat up for 15 seconds to release their flavor, and then pour in the tomatoes with their juices.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.  Add some basil and 1 Tbsp salt and simmer until sauce is full flavored and has reduced to a thick, saucy consistency (20 to 40 minutes).  Taste and add a pinch of sugar only if the sauce lacks the natural sweetness of perfectly ripe, fresh tomatoes.

Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Break up the ground meat in a large bowl.  Sprinkle on the garlic, eggs, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tbsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Mix with your hands until everything is nicely distributed, do not overmix.  Shape into 12 meatballs (about 2.5" diamter).  Heat a few tbsp's of olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat and add 6 meatballs at a time.  Brown them on all sides.  Be sure not to let them burn.  Dry them on paper towels and put them in the oven for 8-10 minutes until fully cooked.  When the marinara has finished its initial simmer, add the meatballs and cover and pot for 30 minutes.  This allows the sauce to permeate the meatballs. 

Spaghetti (I used whole wheat):

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add spaghetti until al dente (about 8-10 minutes).  Drain it and add a couple ladelfuls of the marinara sauce to the pasta.  Toss until mixed.  Transfer to serving bowls and ladle more sauce over the spaghetti along with 2 to 3 meatballs.  Serve with grated cheese.

***To make this easier on yourself, used store-bought marinara and just make the meatballs. 

Adapted from Real Italian 2010

Spring-like Dinner

On Friday night I made a wonderful meal for my husband and friend visiting from Chicago.  Since I had a gorgeous centerpiece leftover from my flower class, I wanted to dress up the table like Spring with basket-weave placemats, green linen napkins, artichoke salt and pepper shakers (new from Pottery Barn that are very affordable), and my green lotus votive candles. 

The meal:

Drink: Italian Red Wine

Italian plate to start:

Caprese Salad (drizzled with a thick balsamic glaze)

Cantaloupe wrapped in fresh proscuitto

Slices of soppresetta served with Italian breadsticks

Fresh foccacia from Amy's bread

Arugula Salad with Balsamic Onions, Goat Cheese, and Candied Walnuts

"Back Country" Pappardelle Bolognese

Dessert:

Store-bought cupcakes from Billy's Bakery (I ran out of time)

Bringing Back Memories

I recently stopped by Chelsea Market's Buon Italia to pick up some of my favorite imported goods from Italy like burrata cheese, sardinian crackers, and homemade pasta. My goal was to recreate one of the incredible meals my husband and I had on our honeymoon.  Although the meal was delicious, it was a touch short of the real thing.  Let's just say, I hope our next trip to Italy involves a cooking class.

The menu:

Sardinian Crackle bread baked in the oven with olive oil, sea salt, and rosemary

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata Cheese (drizzled with a thick balsamic glaze)

Garganelli pasta Amatriciana

Veal Cutlets with Lemon Parmesan Arugula

Gelato with Italian cookies

All washed down with a Sardinian wine

Freezer Delights

Dinner in 15 minutes flat:

Grilled chicken apple sausage + sauteed  peppers and onion + pumpkin ravioli 

Drizzle with a thick balsamic glaze (purchased at Italian specialty food stores) and season with salt/pepper

Italian Night Made Easy

Last night I had a some extra time on my hands so I decided to make whole wheat pizza dough along with a pasta dish that I recently had Piadina. I was pleasantly surprised (by 'pleasantly', I mean I called my Mom to tell her how proud I was of myself for making a dough that actually rose) and had so much fun doing it that I made a few extra to freeze for future use. I mean, it's not every day you get bread to rise.

The recipes:

Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomato and Ricotta
(this is a VERY easy dish and it only takes about 25 minutes to prepare); pair it with a caesar salad and you're set. I also use part-skim ricotta and whole wheat rigatoni to make it healthier.

and

Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.