Tag: dinner

Nonna’s Stuffed Shells with Marinara

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This is the kind of comfort food that I really enjoy cooking. It is the kind of food your Nonna would make on Sunday, and it is both comforting and very tasty.

It takes a little prep time, but I find the end result really satisfying. It’s still amazing to me how such simple ingredients can transform into something so incredibly good.  And, they are wonderful the next day, if they last that long.

Ingredients:

1 12 oz box of Jumbo Pasta Shells
2 Egg Yolks
1 Egg
1 Package of Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated.
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, grated.
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped.
Freshly grated Nutmeg, just a bit, or a pinch.
1/8 tsp Oregano
3-4 cups Marinara, good quality store bought is fine, but feel free to make your own if you’re inspired.

Preparation:

Begin by boiling water in a large pot, once the water is boiling, salt it generously and add the shells. Give it a soft stir, but don’t disturb the shells too much. Timing is critical here, because if you over cook the shells, you will have a mushy mess.

Follow the package directions and cut the highest time by half and start tasting for doneness at that point. Example, the package of shells I used said 10-13 minutes. I started tasting at 7 minutes. Had I cooked them for even 10 minutes, they would have been too soft. I found 9 minutes was perfect.

When they are cooked very al dente, pour them into a colander and rinse them well with cold water. Separate them with your fingers and continue to rinse until they are cool. As they are rinsed, they will not stick together.

Beat together your two egg yolks and your egg and them fold in the ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella. Add in salt, pepper, parsley and nutmeg. Put this mixture into a gallon freezer bag  and twirl the bag to make a piping bag, then cut a 1/2 inch corner off the end to fill the shells.

Put about 1 1/2 cups of you marinara on the bottom of your baking dish and then take each shell and pipe in the ricotta mixture. Squeeze the shells slightly and lay them next to each other in the dish.

When all the shells have been filled, or you are out of room, sprinkle on the oregano, add the rest of the marinara and add more Parmesan and or mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with foil and into a 375F oven for 35-40 minutes. Cook until it is bubbling. Remove from the oven, uncover and let it rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Makes 4 hefty portions.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

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While this is not traditionally a dish found in restaurants around Italy, I think it’s pretty much synonymous with Italian American cuisine. My approach is to keep it simple and treat it as two dishes combined. Meatballs in a marinara sauce. 

There are so many options for meatballs and so many things you can add. This is my basic recipe and feel free to experiment. 

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 lb Beef, ground, but not too lean. 80/20 is perfect. 

1 lb Pork, ground

2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs 

2 Tbsp Milk, whole. 

2 Eggs, beaten 

1 Tbsp Parmesan or Romano Cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper

1 Tbsp Onion, grated. 

1 clove Garlic, crushed. 

Dash of freshly grated Nutmeg. 

Gently combine the meat using two forks to pull it together without compacting it. The key to a good moist meatball is not to overwork the meat. Then combine the breadcrumbs and milk and add the two eggs and beat the mixture. 

Gently mix the garlic, onion, grated cheese and nutmeg into the meat mixture and add the breadcrumb, milk and egg mixture in a bit at a time gently incorporating it with a fork and then finish with salt and pepper. Cover it, and into the fridge for at least an hour.

Sauce:

Olive Oil

1 medium Onion, minced

1/2 cup Carrot, minced

1/2 cup Celery, minced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 cup Marsala or White Wine 

2- 28oz cans of whole peeled Tomatoes, crushed by hand. 

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Form your meatballs into the size of about a golf ball. Then you have two choices. You can lightly sear them in a sauté pan with olive oil or you can drop them into your simmering sauce. I believe either way is good.

Sauté your onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until it’s translucent, and the smell changes slightly. The key to a good sauce is a properly prepared sofritto.

Deglaze with your wine and add your tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Add in your meatballs and simmer gently for 2-3 hours.

Serve with spaghetti and traditionally some garlic bread. Perfect!

Chicken alla Cacciatore(Pollo alla Cacciatore)

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This is a very old school Italian dish. It means a dish prepared in the “hunters style”. Historically it was made with rabbit or other game, really whatever was available, but I feel chicken is easier to find and just as good. 

It may seem like a lot of ingredients but it really comes together quickly. It’s a simple one pot meal. And, even better the next day. 

There are two schools of thought regarding the chicken. I use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but some prefer a bone-in thigh or an entire chicken cut up to add flavor. While I understand this, I find it very messy as the chicken falls off the bone and the bones end up in the final dish and I feel it’s hard to eat. If that’s not an issue for you, then go for it.

Ingredients: 

2 lbs Chicken Thighs, boneless skinless. 

1/2 cup of Pancetta

3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped 

1 Red Pepper, chopped 

1 Carrot, chopped 

1 stalk Celery, chopped 

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 cup Marsala or white Wine

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata Olives. 

2 Tbsp Capers 

2 packages Mushrooms, sliced – optional. 

2- 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes or suitable fresh tomatoes. I like to use cherry tomatoes sliced in half.

1 sprig fresh Basil

1 tsp Oregano

1 Bay Leaf

1 tsp Thyme 

1 tsp Chili Flakes

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:

Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken thighs and into the fridge. Take it out a bit before cooking to take the chill off. Cook the pancetta until lightly brown and gently brown the chicken on both sides. 

Finely mince your onion, red pepper, carrot, celery and garlic and then sauté in the same saucepan. Add olive oil as needed. Deglaze with your Marsala wine.

Add your tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients, and simmer gently for 1-2 hours. It just gets better. 

Spoon into bowls and grate Parmesan cheese on top. It’s very good on it’s own like a stew, with some crusty bread, but feel free to serve with pasta or extra vegetables if you choose. If you choose pasta, use a tube or shaped pasta, like penne or rigatoni.

Chicken Fricasse, Poulet a’ l’Ancienne

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Another French classic which has many variations. This is the kind of food French grandmere’s have perfected over generations. It’s a bit of a cross between a sauté and a stew, but the real key is the braising sauce.

It utilizes that workhorse of the French kitchen, the mirepoix. A mix of onions, carrots and celery. Gently sautéed in butter and a bit of oil, it’s magical.

I’d suggest that the classic recipe for fricassee is from Julia Child. I’ve made her version and it is very good, but very involved. This modified version from Martha Stewart is excellent and vastly easier to prepare. I’ve changed it a bit, but essentially the same.

Both recipes call for a whole chicken cut up, but I find the consistency of the boneless skinless thighs work very well, feel free to use either.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs Chicken Thighs, boneless skinless. Trimmed of excess fat.

4 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Carrot, minced

1 Onion, minced

1 Celery stalk, minced

2 cups Mushrooms, quartered

2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 cup White wine

2 cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth

1/2 Tbsp Thyme

1- Bay Leaf

2 Egg Yolks

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 Lemon, juiced

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 350F. Heat your butter and oil in your oven proof Dutch oven and begin by lightly browning the chicken on both sides. Brown only a few pieces at a time, or they will steam rather than brown. Remove and set aside.

Add your mirepoix(onion,carrot and celery) into the pan and gently sauté as you scrape away any browned bits. These are packed with flavor.

Add your mushrooms and sauté until they give up their water. Add your flour and stir until the mixture starts to thicken. You are basically making a roux, to thicken the fricassee.

Add in your wine and cook until it reduces and begins to thicken. Add your broth and simmer gently. Then, add your thyme and bay leaf.

Put the chicken into the Dutch oven and gently stir to coat the chicken and into the oven uncovered for 40 minutes.

Just before the chicken is done, whisk together your egg yolks and heavy cream.

Remove the chicken from the oven and carefully add a few tablespoons of the sauce to the egg yolk/cream mixture, one at a time to temper it and then fold the mixture into the chicken to finish the sauce. Give it about one minute to thicken. Finish with lemon juice.

Hainanese Style Chicken Rice

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Hainanese Chicken Rice is a traditional dish originally from Hainan Island, in which the chicken is gently poached and then served with rice and a dipping sauce. The dish was originally derived from a dish called Wenchang Chicken and was taken by Chinese immigrants to Singapore and Malaysia. Once there, it evolved into the dish we know today. 

This is not a traditional preparation, but I wanted a dish that had the wonderful flavors, but was faster to prepare and could be done in one pot. Using the rice cooker is perfect. If you don’t have a rice cooker, any sturdy pot with a lid will work. 

Ingredients: 

4 -5 Chicken Thighs, bone in

2 Tbsp Oil

4 -5 Scallions, chopped

4 cloves Garlic, minced

3 inch piece of Ginger, minced

1 1/2 cups brown Jasmine rice, see note. 

3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Fish Sauce 

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil 

Salt and black or white pepper 

Dipping Sauce:

Finely chopped scallions, soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil. This is optional, but it really does add a lot of flavor.

Preparation:

Begin by salt and peppering your chicken on both sides and letting it rest in the refrigerator. I like to toast the white peppercorns lightly, before I grind them. 

Chop finely or use a mini prep for your scallion, garlic and ginger and set aside. Wash and drain your rice and then prepare your dipping sauce if using.

In a medium size skillet heat up your oil and sear your chicken thighs on both sides and set aside. You want them just slightly browned. If you want the skin to be more poached and velvety, then feel free to skip this step. 

Add in your scallion, garlic and ginger to the same pan and sauté gently. Do not allow them to brown, then add in your rice and sauté for about a minute until it’s well coated. 

Add this rice mixture to your rice cooker, add in your broth, soy sauce , fish sauce and sesame oil and mix it up. And then gently lay your chicken skin side up on top and put your rice cooker for normal cooking time for the type of rice you’ve chosen.

After the rice cooker has finished, allow it to set covered for 10 minutes. 

Note: I’ve suggested a 2 to 1 ratio of broth to rice, because I used brown jasmine rice and that is the ratio my rice cooker calls for. If you choose to use white jasmine rice, a ratio on one to one should be fine or just follow the directions for your rice cooker.

Georgian Chicken – Shkmeruli

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Georgian food was a cuisine that I just hadn’t had a chance to explore. After hearing a lot about it and having a few Georgian bakeries and restuarants opening up nearby, I decided to do a deep drive and I was impressed. It’s rich cuisine with influences from many cultures.

This is a one pot meal that’s packed with flavor and is even better the next day. While not a totally traditional classic Shkmeruli, it’s very good and quite a bit lighter as I did not add the cream. Although I must say I’m sure it would have been even better with it.

Ingredients: 

Chicken, I used 5 bone in thighs.

Flour, for dusting. 

3 Tbsp Butter

1 1/2 Tbsp Khmeli Suneli spice blend, 1/2 for chicken, 1/2 for flour. See note.

6-8 cloves Garlic, minced

3 medium Carrots, chopped 

1/2 cup Celery, chopped.

1 Onion, chopped

5-6 Baby Potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 

1/2 cup White Wine 

1/4- 1/2 cup Chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup Heavy Cream, optional 

Preparation:

Season your chicken with spice blend and salt and pepper. Allow to rest in the fridge. 

Preheat your oven to 350F. Coat the chicken in the flour and spice blend and brown in your oven proof pan and set aside. 

Add the garlic, vegetables and potatoes into the Dutch oven and wilt slightly. Deglaze with your wine. Add back your chicken, remaining spice mix and veggie stock. 

Cover and into a 350F oven for 35-45 minutes. Remove cover and add cream if using and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and adjust for salt as needed. 

It is traditionally served with Georgian bread to soak up the sauce. You can sub warm pita if the traditional bread is not available.

If you need to make this gluten free, you can skip the flour coating and just brown the chicken directly in the pan.

Note: You can find many Khmeli Suneli spice blends online, but I particularly like this one from Mariko. Very balanced and incredible flavor. You can order it on Amazon from their storefront. They are a small business and they ship directly.

Tom Yum Koong, Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

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This is a traditional Thai soup. To make it properly, you need to layer the flavors, rather than throwing everything into the pot at one time.

I have heard from a few people that some of the ingredients are somewhat hard to find. If you have a local Asian market, they often keep the galangal and kaffir lime leaves in the freezer section. Both freeze very well.

Barring that, here is a great Thai produce site to find everything you need. Use what you need of the lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves and freeze the rest. https://importfood.com

Ingredients:

6 cups low sodium Vegetable Broth
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 – 3/4 lb Shrimp, shelled and deveined with shells, heads and tails retained.
3 pieces of sliced Galangal, softened with back of your knife.
2 stalks Lemon Grass, peeled and tough ends cut off and softened with back of your knife.
3 cloves Garlic, peeled and mashed.
3-5 fresh Thai Chilies, sliced in half.
8 Kaffir Lime leaves
1 Tbsp Chili Paste with Soya Bean Oil, see picture and note below.
1 cup Fresh Oyster Mushrooms, chopped into bite size pieces.

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3-4 fresh Limes, juiced
Fresh Cilantro for garnish.

Preparation:

Begin by heating up your oil in a medium to large stock pot. Then add in your galangal, garlic, chilies and lemon grass and retained shrimp shells and sauté them briefly until the aroma starts to release.

Add in your vegetable broth and kaffir lime leaves  bring it up to a soft simmer. Allow this to gently simmer for about 20 minutes.

Then strain the broth and return to your pan. Add your chili paste and oyster mushrooms. Simmer for 3-4 minutes and then add your fish sauce and shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink. This will take only a minute or so.

Add your lime juice, adjust to taste, top with fresh cilantro and remove from the heat and serve.

Note: Sugar is often added to Tom Yum Koong, but I found the chili paste I used was quite sweet, so I omitted any additional sugar. If you can find Thai Nam Prik Pao (Roasted Chili Paste) then you might need the sugar. If so, 1 tsp would be suffcient.

Grandma Grace’s Collard Greens

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Greens are a very Southern thing. There are some that love them and some that aren’t so fond. After making and eating a lot of greens, I understand why. When they are bad, they can be really unpleasant. 

I have to say that this recipe produced the best greens I’ve ever had. They were just perfect. The two things I instantly noticed in Grace’s recipe was cooking the meat with the broth and then adding the greens and the vinegar during the cooking process, rather than afterwards. Grace says, “the vinegar cuts the bitterness of the collards”. 

Ingredients: 

3 Ibs Collard Greens, to skip the process of washing and soaking whole greens, just buy the chopped greens in the bags. They are pre-washed and ready to go. I still pick them over to remove any larger stems. 

1-2 smoked Ham hocks or smoked turkey leg. If unavailable, any smoked meat will do. I used smoked pork necks one time. 

2 boxes Chicken Broth, about 8 cups. 

1 Vidallia or sweet Onion

1 Red Bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Garlic, minced

1 tsp Red pepper flakes

Salt, I like to wait until the greens have cooked a bit before I add the salt. 

Preparation:

Add all ingredients, except the greens and the salt and cook on medium low heat until the meat is falling off or easily comes off the bone. When ham hocks are done remove them and put in a bowl to cool.

Using a slotted spoon look to see if there are any pieces of bone in the broth. Then, I add the collards a bit at a time into the broth and mash them down. 

Bring to a boil and then turn to down to med/low, cover and cook for two hours. checking liquid and stirring occasionally. 

After the ham hocks are cool, remove the meat and chop finely and add to the collards. I add the salt at this time and cook for about another 30 minutes to an hour.

World Famous “Sunday Sauce”

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Regular readers will know my love for Italian food runs deep, especially for the true comfort dishes practiced and perfected in kitchens by generations of nonnas (Italian grandmothers).

Sunday is a special day when the family comes together for a big meal and while each family has their own traditions of which dishes are served. In the US, the tradition of the Sunday Sauce is essential.

While this is a marinara base, the key is the slowly braised meats which flavor the sauce and then impart a flavor to the sauce that is beyond delicious. You can also add braciole, lamb necks and/or veal knuckles etc, but this is optional. Bottom line, if you cook anything in a tomato sauce for 4 hours, it will come out great.

 The key, as with all comfort food, is to use the best ingredients, take your time and layer the flavors. Here is what you will need.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

½ lb ground Beef

½ lb ground Pork

2 Tbsp Grated Romano Cheese

2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs, I like panko breadcrumbs or plain.

1 Egg, beaten

1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, this is my secret weapon for killer meatballs.

Sauce:

5 Italian Sausages, sweet/hot or both, cut in half.

1 or 2 Beef Short Ribs, depends on size. Try to find them around 3 to 4 inches; the larger ones do not fit in the pan well. You can also have the butcher cut them in half.

1 or 2 Pork Ribs, country style is good. Same size as above.

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 cloves of Garlic, smashed with side of knife and loosely chopped

1 cup finely diced Onion

½ cup finely diced Carrot

½ cup finely diced Celery

¼ cup Marsala Wine

2 – 28 oz cans of whole San Marzano Tomatoes, puréed in a food processor or crushed by hand.

1 Tbsp Salt

Black Pepper

Preparation:

First, prepare your meatballs by combining all ingredients. Start with the meat, then salt and cheese, work it together then add your beaten egg and gently work the mixture and lastly add your breadcrumbs 1 Tbsp at a time until it comes together. Roll into 2 inch diameter meatballs or whatever you prefer and put into the refrigerator.

Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Take your beef and pork ribs and salt and pepper both sides and put onto a foil lined baking sheet or directly on a griddle, then place the prepared meatballs and sausages onto the same sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

To make your sauce, start with a large heavy duty saucepan, which will hold the heat and give you a consistent low simmer. A cast iron Le Cruset is perfect. Larger is better, as you don’t want to crowd the meat.

Heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Stir frequently and make sure to add ½ of the salt and some pepper to the mixture.

When it is sautéed and translucent, add your Marsala wine and cook until the wine is gone (about 3-4 minutes), then add the tomatoes and bring up to a soft simmer.

Once the meat is finished, gently add it into the sauce, add the rest of the salt and softly simmer uncovered for 4 hours or longer, stirring occasionally. 

Serve over your choice of pasta with grated Romano and Parmesan cheese. Optionally, you can remove the meat and serve it as a separate meat course after the pasta course.

Ragu alla Bolognese

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There are many versions of this classic sauce, which originates in Bologna. Some use wine, some use milk, some use wine and milk and some only use a bit of tomato paste, but this is my tried and true version. It is epic, but it is definitely not fast food.

In my recipe, the order of the ingredients is important. Make sure to add the milk before the wine. And remember this is slow food. It’s always on simmer. Set aside at least 5 hours of cooking time, or even a bit more. The smell will tell you when its ready

A quick read through the recipe prior to beginning is a good idea. 

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Butter

1 large Carrot, finely diced

1 large Onion, finely diced

1 stalk Celery, finely diced

1/4 cup Pancetta, finely diced

1 lb Beef, ground 

1 lb Pork, ground

1 cup Whole Milk 

Nutmeg, freshly grated 

Salt and Black pepper 

1 cup (235ml) white wine

1 – 28 oz. (800g) canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed or pulsed. I like to crush them with my hands.

Preparation:

Add your butter and olive oil, and bring it up to a medium simmer, then add the pancetta, and allow it to gently release its fat, then add the beef, and then add the pork. You’re going to cook each of the meats until they just lose their rawness. A little pink is okay. At this point a little bit of salt and a little bit of pepper is good.

Then add your whole milk, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, and gently simmer it until the milk is almost gone. Then, you will add your wine and gently simmer until it is almost gone. 

Now add your tomatoes and gently simmer for 5 + hours. Be careful to avoid sticking. If it gets too thick, you can always add a little bit of water. This is where a cast iron heat diffuser comes in very handy.

When it’s finished, you will serve with fresh egg pasta, like tagliatelle or pappardelle and a little bit of Parmesan Reggiano.

If you can’t find fresh pasta, a quality dried egg pasta is perfectly fine. Remember not to overload the pasta, as this is a rich sauce and you want to taste the pasta as well.

Note: This makes a lot of sauce, so divide it up and freeze it. It freezes well. I like to let it defrost in the fridge and then gently reheat with a tiny bit of water.