Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

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OK, so if you’re striving to be good like Mr. C. and I are; trying to cut down on the amount of meat in your diet, and increase the number of veggies, this is the dish for you. There is simply no way you, your family or your friends will feel even the least bit cheated when you dive into a big old portion of my dear friend Sandy’s lasagna. (Some people still have the mistaken belief that if an entrée doesn’t contain meat, it isn’t going to satisfy their appetite. “What fools those mortals be!” (Sorry William for misquoting you, but it was necessary to get my point across!)

This lasagna is so full of flavor and that lovely “pasta dressed in yummy” feel, that no one will even notice that it is “meatless”. (And no, you don’t have to announce that there is no meat in this lasagna. Let it just be your little secret.) Serve it with a lovely salad and hot, crusty bread, and although the earth probably won’t stop spinning, your world might take on a new dimension of happiness.

It’s confession time. When Sandy served this to us one evening after one of their in-home concerts*, I made a complete fool of myself. I simply could not get enough of this lasagna. But Sandy and her husband Alan are good friends, so I’m counting on the fact that by now they have forgiven me for making such a piglet of myself. I just really did not want to stop eating. But thank heaven, they live in Chimacum, and the ferry from Port Townsend that we were scheduled to be on, was fast approaching the dock. So in order not to spend the rest of the night in our car on the ferry waiting line, I had to say goodbye to the lasagna before I literally dove head first into the pan. But Sandy, being the doll that she is, sent me the recipe. She even gave me permission to share it with you. (How cool is that?)

So dear friends, enjoy this amazing recipe. It is just plain over the top delicious! And Sandy, once again, thank you for this marvelous recipe.

*For information about in-home classical concerts in the Port Townsend vicinity visit www.rawsonduo.com.

  • 2-4 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large eggplant, partially peeled, sliced 1/4-inch
  • 1 red pepper, rough chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper, rough chopped
  • 10-12 good sized mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 1 lg. onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 T. tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ c. dry white wine
  • 9-oz. oven-ready lasagna noodles (I like Culinary Circle Authentic Bronze-cut Oven-Ready Lasagna noodles
  • 4-oz. goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1 c. combination of grated Parmesan, cheddar, Mozzarella – whatever is on hand

Sauté eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onion and garlic in olive oil until soft – each type of vegetable separately – adding salt and pepper to each new veggie.  As each veggie finishes cooking, remove to a bowl and start the next veggie. Then, in the same pan, after all the veggies have been sautéed, add the crushed tomato, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and wine.  Add the reserved veggies. Mix all together, layer with no-boil lasagna noodles, with a layer of goat cheese in between, and top with whatever cheese is in the fridge. Sandy lets the olive oil and veggies speak for themselves.

Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbly and the top is a nice golden brown. Allow to sit a few minutes before serving.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

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When I think about lasagna, and I think about lasagna more that I should being the pasta lover that I am, I almost always think about a nice creamy moist lasagna with red meat sauce and lots of cheesy goodness. (I mean truly, what’s not to like about lasagna?) Well, for me, it used to be the ricotta part of the cheesy goodness. I never really learned to appreciate the grainy consistency and blah taste of store-bought ricotta. Then I discovered traditional lasagna Bolognese. And by definition, a traditional lasagna Bolognese does not contain ricotta. So not being the slowest turtle in the herd, when I learned about lasagna Bolognese, I knew I had found the perfect red meat sauce lasagna for me.  (And yes I know, turtles are solitary creatures that seek company only during mating season, but I still love the term “slower than a herd of turtles”.)

Anyway, this is a fairly fast and easy lasagna to pull together. (Not that any lasagna could ever be considered a fast dish to prepare. But by most standards, this is easier than nearly all others.) And bottom line, it is just plain old fashioned delicious. And it doubles, triples, etc. very well.

So give it a try next time you want a pasta dish that is both flavorful and can be prepared ahead of time. Absolutely perfect for entertaining. Serve it with a Caesar salad, crusty baguette chunks, and a hearty red wine and you have a meal fit for a king.

And if you feel like I do about store bought ricotta, give my recipe for Homemade Ricotta Cheese a try. Believe me, homemade ricotta and store bought ricotta have nothing in common. Homemade ricotta is simply “a horse of a different color”!

Bolognese Sauce:

  • 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. bulk spicy or mild Italian sausage
  • ½ c. chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (28-oz.) can chopped or diced tomatoes (Italian tomatoes preferably)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  •  ½ c. loosely packed fresh basil chiffonade*
  •  1-2 T. butter, optional

In a large covered sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage, chop it into small pieces as it cooks, and sauté until nicely browned. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.  When the sauce is done, remove from heat, remove bay leaf, add basil, and adjust seasoning. If the sauce tastes acidic, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavor. Set aside. (Even better if made a day or two ahead.)

Béchamel Sauce:

  • 4 T. butter
  • ¼ c. flour
  • 2½ c. whole milk
  • ¼ tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c. grated provolone cheese
  • 1½ c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

While the meat sauce is burbling away, melt the butter for the béchamel sauce in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the flour starts to turn a delicate golden brown. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer until the sauce comes to a boil. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg, salt, pepper, provolone cheese, and ½ cup of the Parmesan. Set aside.

 

Additional Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. lasagna noodles** (I use Culinary Circle Authentic Bronze-Cut Lasagna noodles) or 1 lb. penne, ziti, or rigatoni pasta (for ease of serving)
  • 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

To Assemble the Lasagna:

Before cooking the pasta, have all the other ingredients prepped and ready to go. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until al dente (firm to the bite). Remove from heat. Don’t drain. Leave the noodles in the water as you assemble the lasagna. Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of a buttered 9×13-inch, fairly high sided casserole dish. Place 1/3rd of the noodles in a single layer on top of the sauce. (I use a slotted spoon to lift the noodles out of the water.) Spread ½ of the meat sauce over the noodles. Spread 1/3rd of the béchamel sauce over the meat sauce. Sprinkle 1/3rd of the remaining Parmesan cheese and 1/3rd of the shredded mozzarella over the béchamel sauce. Repeat. For the final layer, add the remaining noodles, béchamel, and cheeses. Cover the lasagna with a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the lasagna is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: This lasagna can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. It can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before baking.

*Chiffonade (pronounced “shif-oh-nod”) is a knife technique used for cutting herbs and leaf vegetables such as lettuce into thin strips or ribbons. To chiffonade leaves of basil, stack the basil leaves and roll them into a tube. Then carefully cut across the ends of the tube with your knife to produce fine strips.

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**Hint: when deciding how many noodles to cook, spread the bottom of the pan with a single layer of uncooked noodles. Triple that number and you have just the right amount. (Took me years to figure this out. I’m obviously a slow learner!)

 

ROASTED VEGGIE LASAGNA WITH CHEESE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

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I have wanted to work up a “white” veggie lasagna recipe for several years now, but somehow I never seemed to get around to it. So when Mr. C. casually mentioned one evening that he was hungry for lasagna, I took his words to heart and decided to serve 2 types of lasagna at our upcoming JazzVox concert. (Kills 2 birds with one stone; Mr. C gets his lasagna fix and I have a food theme for the next concert.) And because I know not everyone eats meat, I usually try to serve 2 main dishes, one with meat, one without. And because I knew that the lasagna with meat was going to have a tomato base, I decided now was the time to work up a “white” veggie lasagna recipe. Thus the recipe you see before you.

And since I know you’re interested, the whole “veggie lasagna” idea stemmed from a wonderful meal we enjoyed at the home of our good friends Alan and Sandy. Sandy and Alan host classical concerts in their home in Chimacum, WA. With Alan on violin and Sandy on piano, they offer amazing concerts specializing in Romantic and early twentieth-century works. For information about upcoming concerts visit them at www.rawsonduo.com.  So, whenever we have the time, we attend our friend’s concerts in Chimacum. The music is always wonderful, but there’s another reason we try and visit our friends as much as possible. Along with being a fabulous musician, Sandy is a trained chef. So not only do we have the pleasure of listening to our friends perform, we get to eat the nibbles that Sandy prepares for after the concert. Then, to really seal the deal, we stay and have dinner and hopefully help decompress the worn out performers. (Wine is usually a big part of the decompression process!)

So one of the evenings after everyone else had left, Sandy served us an amazing veggie lasagna. (I would have prepared her recipe for the concert, but it has a tomato base.) Her veggie lasagna was just so wonderful, and after much praise, she shared with me the secret of great veggie lasagna. “It’s all about the veggies!” Such a simple concept, but it really started me thinking not only about veggie lasagna, but every dish that I prepare. So, while I was concocting this recipe for “white” lasagna, I took Sandy’s words to heart. I tried to make sure that every ingredient in the béchamel sauce had but one mission to perform. And that was to compliment the wonderful flavor of the roasted vegetables.

So dear friends, I hope you enjoy the recipe. And since I know that many of you would also like to have Sandy’s Veggie Lasagna recipe, I will be sharing her recipe, along with my Lasagna Bolognese recipe with you in the near future.

  • 1 medium eggplant, partially peeled, sliced and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise and then into 1/3-inch half moons
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow pepper, diced
  • 10-12 crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
  • ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 T. butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ c. flour
  • 6 c. milk (whole milk is best)
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper or black pepper to taste (white pepper actually has a sharper flavor than black)
  • 2 c. loosely packed fresh baby spinach chiffonade* (see below to learn how to chiffonade)
  • ½ c. fresh basil chiffonade*
  • 1 lb. lasagna noodles** (I like Culinary Circle Authentic Bronze-cut Lasagna noodles)
  • 2 c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
  • 1½ c. grated mozzarella cheese
  • ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Place the eggplant, onion, zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, and mushrooms on a large low sided baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss the vegetables together until they are evenly coated with the oil and seasonings. (The picture shows veggies for a double recipe.)

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Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and browned. (Turn a couple of times during the baking process to ensure even browning.)  Remove from oven. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute of until the garlic gives off its aroma. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes or until the roux starts to turn a delicate golden brown. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a slow boil, stirring the entire time. Boil for one minute as the sauce continues to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Set aside. (Reserve 1 cup of the béchamel sauce. This will be spread on the lasagna half way through the baking process.)

Before cooking the noodles, have all the other ingredients prepped and ready to go. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until al dente (firm to the bite). Remove pan from heat. Don’t drain. Leave the noodles in the water as you assemble the lasagna. (But don’t dilly daddle during the lasagna assembly process or your noodles will quickly take on the proportion of a football field!)

To assemble:  Spread ½ cup béchamel sauce in a buttered 10×16-inch baking pan.  Arrange 1/3rd of the lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the roasted vegetable over the noodles, followed by half of both the spinach and the basil. Top the basil with ¾ cup of the Pecorino and ¾ cup of the mozzarella cheeses, then half of the béchamel sauce. Repeat, beginning with another third of the noodles, roasted veggies, spinach and basil, ¾ cup of Romano and ¾ cup mozzarella, and the remaining béchamel sauce. Layer on the remaining noodles. Carefully cover the pan with foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil; spread the reserved 1 cup béchamel over the top and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup Romano and ½ cup Parmesan cheeses. Bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbly and lightly browned on top.  Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

*Chiffonade (pronounced “shif-oh-nod”) is a knife technique used for cutting herbs and leaf vegetables such as lettuce into thin strips or ribbons. To chiffonade leaves of basil, stack the basil leaves and roll them into a tube. Then carefully cut across the ends of the tube with your knife to produce fine strips.

**Hint: when deciding how many noodles to cook, spread the bottom of your pan with a single layer of uncooked noodles. Triple that number and you have just the right amount. (Seems too easy, doesn’t it?)

 

PORK CHOP AND BROWN RICE BAKE

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OK, either I’m getting lazy, old (nah) or there are just too many exciting things to do in the summer for me to spend long hours in the kitchen. (I know you can’t believe I am actually writing this down for the entire culinary world to read. But none-the-less, it’s true! Patti Carr, the person who loves to cook more than attending hot yoga kick-boxing classes, avoids long hours in the kitchen at this time of year as if the area was plague infested. And if truth be known, I don’t even appreciate going to the grocery store when it’s beautiful outside.)

But, as crazy as it sounds, it’s usually summer when I come up with some of my best recipe ideas. My inventive juices really start to flow, when, like yesterday morning, I knew I was going to be busy all day long. (I wanted to watch at least 2 of the World Cup games, grout a mosaic piece, and post my recipe for Hunk of Beef Chili on this blog.)

So, not having the time or inclination to drive to the grocery store, I paid a visit to my local freezer to see what delectable ingredient presented itself to me. What I found were 2 thick pork chops. I immediately placed the chops on defrost mode.

So while I was grouting my new vase, I thought about how I could prepare these 2 little beauties. I knew I had about 20 minutes to do my prep work, and that whatever concoction I came up with had to include about 2 hours in the oven while I watched the US/Ghana game that started at 3:00pm. (We won BTW!) I also knew that Mr. C. had to be out of the house by 6:00pm for an evening rehearsal. So that left me almost no time after the match to do any real cooking. (Does this time pressure thing I’m describing sound all too familiar? If so, this is the recipe for you!)

So I came up with this simple and pretty darn tasty recipe. Like many of the dishes I dream up, this one includes fairly simple ingredients. And yes, there is the little step of baking the chops for 2 hours and 15 minutes.  So for many of you this recipe is probably not going to help you out on a weeknight. But come Saturday or Sunday, between doing loads of laundry, changing all the bed linen, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. etc., find a few minutes to whip up this dish and tuck it safely in the oven while you continue slaving away. Then when all your work is done (like housework is ever really done!), whip up a simple salad, pull the chops and rice out of the oven, slice up a crunchy baguette, open a bottle of nice wine, and look like the local hero to your family and friends. And, if by some unforeseen chance your family and friends start calling you “Martha”, take it as a compliment. Of course, if your name actually is Martha, then that’s a whole different matter. I have no advice if that’s the case. Enjoy!

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 thick bone-in pork chops
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • ¾ c. water
  • ½ c. low fat sour cream
  • ½ c. chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 c. Madeira
  • ¼ tsp. dried thyme
  • slightly rounded ½ c. uncooked brown rice
  • paprika

Heat the oil in a medium sized covered fry pan. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt and heavily with pepper. Fry the chops until golden brown on both sides. Meanwhile, combine the soup, water, sour cream, onion, Worcestershire, Madeira, thyme, and brown rice. When the chops are brown, pour the rice mixture over the chops. Cover the pan and bake in a pre-heated 275 degree oven for 2 hours. Remove the lid, sprinkle with paprika, and return uncovered to the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool for about 4 minutes before serving.

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Note: this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled ad nauseam……………..

HUNK OF BEEF CHILI

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This is my answer to the age old question – “what to do with half a grilled London broil steak when the flavor of the new rub you tried rendered the final product almost inedible”? Yes ladies and gentlemen, I too try new recipes that look sensational in print and turn out to be, well how do I say this politely – not worth the ink used to print the recipe! And that’s exactly what happened when I tried a new recipe that appeared in our local paper. The steak rub/paste sounded oh so good, but unless you have only about 9% of your taste buds left, the taste of fresh herbs knocked your socks clear into next Tuesday! And you know how I feel about blended flavors. Each ingredient should compliment all the other ingredients. The only analogy I can draw is that the steak was like Wile E. Coyote, and the rub had the same characteristics as the Road Runner. And you know how that always turned out! – the steak, I mean  Wile E. never had a chance!

So, back to my original question; what to do with half a pound of highly spiced cooked beef on a cold and rainy spring day? And of course, the only answer that made perfect sense was chili. So after thinking on it for a few minutes, I came up with this recipe. And low and behold, it was good! No, not just good, it was really good.

So next time you get a hankering for chili, give this simple and tasty recipe a try. Serve it with corned bread and a good hearty beer, and life will become a bed of roses. (Just don’t over spice the chili, or you’ll end up like I did when I tried the rub recipe. Your bed of roses will have thorns large enough to use as knitting needles!)

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lb. lean beef such as London broil, round steak, top sirloin (raw or cooked*), diced into bite sized pieces
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • ½ red pepper, chopped
  • 1 (28-oz. can) diced/chopped tomatoes (preferably Italian tomatoes)
  • 1 heaping tsp. beef base
  • 1 can black beans
  • pinch marjoram
  • pinch dried rosemary
  • 2 T. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
  • ¼ tsp. crushed aleppo pepper or pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 tsp. ground guajillo pepper, opt.
  • thinly sliced green onions, garnish, opt.
  • Mexican sour cream, garnish, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a medium large covered pan. Add the raw meat* that has been dried with paper towels and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Fry until brown on all sides. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red bell pepper and cook for about a minute or until you can smell the garlic. Add the canned tomatoes, beef base, black beans, marjoram, rosemary, chili powder, oregano, Aleppo and guajillo peppers. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender. Stir often during the cooking time. Adjust seasoning along the way. Serve sprinkled with green onions and sour cream.

*if you are using already cooked meat, add along with the black beans

Note: aleppo and guajillo peppers are both new to me, but both have quickly become near and dear to my heart. Finding them ground can be kind of an adventure, but if you live in the Seattle area, visit PFI (Pacific Food Importers). Heck, even if you live in Portland you should visit PFI! It’s worth the trip. And if you don’t live in the area, go on line and order a bit of each. They are simply head and shoulders more tasty than crushed red pepper flakes.

 

TOSSED NOODLES WITH SHRIMP AND VEGGIES

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For this post, I thought instead of boring you with my scintillating repartee, I would bore you instead with my method for creating the perfect pasta dish.

To my thinking, the secret to any good pasta dish lies not only in the list of ingredients but in the preparation itself. (Actually, that really goes for any dish you prepare!)  I always recommend that before beginning any recipe, you read the preparation instructions as carefully as you read the list of ingredients. There is simply nothing worse than happily cooking along and realizing that your seafood is cooked to perfection and that it’s now time to add the sauce. But your “sauce” has yet to be assembled!

That is exactly what would have happened to me if I had followed the instructions as written for the recipe that was the basis for this pasta dish.  And for the very reason I just cited, in this case “the sauce step”, I almost always deconstruct a dish from top to bottom before I remove even one cooking implement from its resting place. I simply do not appreciate being blindsided halfway through a recipe!

But every cook is different. So even though I have tried to make this recipe, and actually all my recipes for that matter, as easy and logical as possible, I still recommend you go through the preparation instructions with an eye to making it even more efficient for yourself. (And don’t limit yourself to just my recipes.) Apply this tactic with every new recipe you contemplate.

So as you will see when you read the instructions for this dish, having all the ingredients assembled ahead of time is truly a must. The actual cooking time is only a few precious little minutes. Having all your ingredients prepped ahead of time not only makes good sense, but will help ensure perfect results. Happy cooking! Oh, and I hope you enjoy the recipe.

  • 1 T. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 12 snap peas, cut in half on the diagonal
  • 1 lb. raw large shrimp (16-20 per pound is best for this recipe)
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • pinch – ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • pinch kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 T. tamari
  • ½ c. chicken broth
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 8-oz. thick egg noodles (I use the Country Pasta Homemade Style Egg Pasta sold at Costco in a 64-oz. bag)

Combine the minced ginger and garlic together in a small bowl. Set aside.  Cut up the carrot, red pepper, and snap peas. Set aside. Peel the shrimp. Set aside. Start the water for your pasta. (Don’t forget to add salt when the water comes to a boil.) In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, sesame oil, tamari, and chicken broth. Set the sauce aside. Slice the green onions. Set aside.

When the salted pasta water is boiling, add the pasta to the pot and heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large fry pan or wok. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and garlic; cook for about one minute or until you can smell the garlic. Add the carrot, red pepper, and pea pods and sauté for a couple of minutes or until the veggies are crisp tender. Add the shrimp and cook only until done (the shrimp will no longer be grey). Add the sauce and cook only until sauce has thickened, about a minute. Drain the noodles (when they are al dente, of course) and add to the sauce. Stir to coat all the noodles and serve immediately sprinkled with the sliced green onions.

 

SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI

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This is my answer to “I want spaghetti and meatballs for dinner but don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen”. And yes, I am fully aware that sliced sausage links are not “meatballs”. But for those occasions when all I want is Italian comfort food, and my energy level is somewhere in the minus zero zone, sliced Italian sausage links are close enough for me! (Plus Mr. C loves Italian sausage!) And when the sausage is simmered for a short time in this quick and easy marinara sauce, what could be simpler or tastier? Add a lovely Caesar salad, a hunk of chewy bread, and a bottle of your favorite red wine, and life is good. (OK, if you’re really tired you can skip the salad part. Just don’t forget the wine!)

So if you too ever have the urge for good old fashioned spaghetti and your energy level is down a pint or two, give this recipe a try. I also recommend that while you are slaving away in the kitchen, that you taste test the wine you plan to serve with dinner. If a nice glass of good red wine doesn’t renew your flagging energy level, I’d say skip the whole thing and just head straight for bed. (And yes, I speak from experience.)

  • 1 pkg. spicy or mild Italian sausage links
  • 3 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/3 c. water
  • ½ c. chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (28-oz.) can chopped or diced tomatoes (Italian tomatoes preferably)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  •  ½ c. loosely packed fresh basil chiffonade*
  •  1-2 T. butter, optional
  • spaghetti cooked al dente
  • grated Parmesan cheese

Place the sausages along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the water in a medium covered fry pan. Cover the pan and steam/fry the sausages until they are nicely browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

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Meanwhile, in a large covered sauce pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Take the lid off part way if the sauce is too thin.) About half way into the cooking process, cut each cooked sausage diagonally into 4 equal size pieces and add to the sauce. When the sauce is done, remove from heat, remove bay leaf, add basil, and adjust seasoning.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIf the sauce tastes acidic, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavor. Serve over cooked pasta and pass grated Parmesan. (Don’t forget the wine!)

*Chiffonade (pronounced “shif-oh-nod”) is a knife technique used for cutting herbs and leaf vegetables such as lettuce into thin strips or ribbons. To chiffonade leaves of basil, stack the basil leaves and roll them into a tube. Then carefully cut across the ends of the tube with your knife to produce fine strips.

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GRILLED MEATLOAF WITH BACON FLAVORED RED GRAVY

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We were in Salt Lake City visiting my son earlier this spring, and since it happened to be Mother’s Day, Sven and Mr. C decided to take me out for dinner at one of Sven’s favorite restaurants. So off we went to Ruth’s Diner, located in historic Emigration Canyon. (It’s a new little place; only been around since the 1930s.) And OMG – what a wonderful time and meal we shared that day. I felt like I had just been chosen queen for a day. First of all, I was with my two favorite men in the whole world. (What could be better than that?) And to top things off, my entrée choice was off the charts delicious!

Apparently Ruth’s Diner is famous for several dishes they serve, among them Grandma Claire’s Baked Mac and Cheese, Chicken Fried Steak, and Ruth’s Meat Loaf. So never one to argue with success, I ordered the meatloaf.

The grilled meatloaf (who ever heard of grilling meatloaf slices?) came lightly dressed with a delicious, not too highly seasoned reddish gravy. Nestled up to the meatloaf all cozy and warm, were creamy mashed potatoes, sautéed veggies, and a warm from the oven biscuit. Oh my. It was simply heaven on a plate.

So yesterday, even though everyone knows it is just plain wrong to serve meatloaf in late Spring/early Summer, I flew in the face of convention and attempted to reproduce my Ruth’s Diner experience.

Well boy howdy, I am here to tell you, once in awhile I create a blue ribbon winner. (OK, no one actually awarded me a blue ribbon, but I know a winner when I taste one!) So even though it is not technically “meatloaf season”, I’m going to recommend giving this new spin on meatloaf a try. (And yes I know, you may have known about grilling meatloaf for decades, but for me it was like waking up and realizing I’m no longer in Kansas!) Note to self: no more sneaking into the TV room late at night and watching The Wizard of Oz!

I hope you enjoy this different and delicious way to prepare and serve an all-American classic.

Grilled Meatloaf:

  • 2 T. chopped dehydrated onion
  • 1 T. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning (comes in bulk in the dried herbs and spices section)
  • 1 tsp. seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. dried savory
  • ½ c. dry bread crumbs (I use the Italian bread crumbs – also come in bulk at many grocery stores)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ c. milk
  • 1 lb. bulk sausage
  • 1 lb. not so lean ground beef

In a large mixing bowl combine the onion, parsley, garlic, Montreal Seasoning, salt, pepper, savory, bread crumbs, eggs, and milk. Stir in the sausage and then the ground beef. I use a table knife for this purpose. Cuts through the mixture like a knife! (Pardon the pun….)

Form into 2 rectangular loaves. Place in a baking pan and bake for 1 hour in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Just before ready to serve, cut into ¾-inch thick slices and fry on a lightly greased griddle or fry pan, just until each side is nicely browned and slightly crispy.

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Serve lightly spread with gravy. Great served with Cheesy Grits (recipe below) or mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies.

Bacon Flavored Red Gravy:

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  • 3 slices thick meaty bacon, chopped
  • ½ small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 T. flour
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ½  c. strong coffee or ½ tsp. espresso powder and ½ c. water
  • ¾ c. beef stock or 1 heaping tsp. beef base and ¾ c. water
  • 1 T. tomato paste
  • ¼ c. half and half
  • milk – if needed to thin the gravy to desired consistency

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove cooked bacon from pan reserving bacon grease. Add onions to skillet and cook until onions are softened, scraping up any browned bits on pan bottom. Whisk in flour, paprika, and pepper; stir well to combine. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in coffee, beef stock, and tomato paste. Cook sauce until thickened, about 6 minutes. Add half & half and reserved bacon*; cook for an additional 5 minutes. Thin to desired consistency with milk.

*If you don’t want little bits of bacon in your gravy, save the bacon and add to scrambled eggs the next morning.

Bonus Meal Idea for Leftovers:

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Grill up some more of the meatloaf. Also warm up the leftover gravy, toast up some bread, and serve the grilled meatloaf on the toasted bread liberally slathered with gravy. Yum!

Cheesy Grits: (see picture at top of post)

  • 1½ c. whole milk
  • 1½ c. water
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ c. quick-cooking grits
  • 1 c. grated white cheddar cheese

Bring milk, water, salt, and pepper to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Adjust seasoning. If you like thinner grits, add a little more milk. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

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BAKED HALIBUT WITH SOUR CREAM AND DILL

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So, here we are in the middle of Colorado, and all I can think about is fresh seafood baked in a savory sauce. (Suffice it to say I ignored my taste buds and ordered the only sensible alternative – green chili.) And as I have told you before, you want great green chili – go to Colorado. (Or any of the surrounding states, I might add.) See my recipe for Green Chili Sauce with Pork if you too are a green chili lover.

But back to seafood….. So when we got home, of course one of the first dinners I prepared was this wonderful and easy preparation for halibut. BTW, it’s great with any firm fleshed fish. (Pardon the alliteration.)

So next time you have a hankering for seafood that’s a little bit dressy and really, really good, give this recipe a try. It’s a great company dish. And although it’s not as calorie pure as simple baked fish with a squeeze of lemon, it’s not that bad either. As I have heard it said – moderation in all things. (Like I have even a modicum of understanding when it comes to moderation!) But it sounds good, right?

Hope you enjoy the recipe.

  • 1-1½ lbs. fresh halibut fillet
  • ¼ c. finely diced green onion
  • ½ c. sour cream (I use Tillamook light sour cream)
  • ¼ tsp. fresh or dried dill
  • ¼ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese (don’t use more or the cheese flavor will overpower the fish)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • paprika

Place halibut skin side down in a baking dish. (No skin, butter the baking dish before adding the fish.) Combine the green onion, sour cream, dill weed, cheese, and pepper. Slather over the top of the fish. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the halibut is barely baked through. (The fish is done when it is opaque all the way through when slashed in the thickest part or an instant-read thermometer reads 156 degrees.) If you have a convection oven, turn on the convection fan about 15 minutes into the baking process. When the fish is done, remove from oven; lightly sprinkle with paprika and let sit a couple of minutes before serving. Great served over lightly steamed spinach with coleslaw on the side.

HUNGARIAN PAPRIKÁS CSIRKE (CHICKEN PAPRIKA)

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This is one of Mr. Cs favorite dishes. The original recipe came to me from my dear friend Dodie. Her in-laws had immigrated to America from Hungary. And apparently Dodie’s mother-in-law was an amazing cook. I of course had to mess with the recipe to get it down to a manageable size, since the original recipe started off with 12-14 meaty whole pieces of chicken. All the original ingredients are still in my version, but several steps have been eliminated to allow for a more manageable preparation time. But my dear husband, whom I regard as a “chicken paprika connoisseur” is adamant that none of the flavor demonstrated in the original recipe has been sacrificed in the reconstruction.

So ladies and gentlemen, I give you a very easy and delicious recipe for the Hungarian classis – Chicken Paprikash. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as we do.

And about the 1 hour of letting the finished dish sit before re-heating and serving it. Well the only thing I can say is that I have always adhered to this step offered in the original recipe and have no idea what the results would taste like if I served the dish before it had that hour to sit and mellow. I suppose it would be alright if you chose to give it a go before the resting period. But for me, I’m not going to mess with the original recipe any more than I already have. I’m not so sophisticated as to believe that spirit’s might not actually exist. So the last thing I want to experience, if only in a dream, is the spirit of the fine woman who’s recipe I have altered to come after me with a live chicken in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other. I’m sure even spirit’s have their “that’s it” point.  So needless to say, I do not wish to garner any more disfavor by eliminating even one more tiny little insignificant detail from the original recipe. Enjoy!

  • 3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
  • ¼ small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized cubes
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c. chicken broth
  • 1/3 c. milk or more
  • 2 T. flour
  • 1 T. Hungarian paprika, or more to taste
  • ¾ c. sour cream, or more to taste

In a heavy sauce pan, fry the bacon until very crisp. Remove from pan and place in a small bowl. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken pieces and sprinkle very lightly with salt and a goodly amount of fresh pepper. Stir fry until the chicken is just done. Remove to the same bowl with the cooked bacon.

Meanwhile whisk together the chicken broth, milk, flour, and paprika. After removing the chicken and onion, pour the liquid mixture into the pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let gently burble for about 5 minutes, stirring the whole time. Whisk in the sour cream. (If the sauce seems too thick, add a little additional milk.) When thoroughly heated, but not boiling, add the reserved bacon, chicken, and onion mixture. Adjust seasoning. Continue to heat until just before ingredients reach a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Reheat and serve over rice or wide egg noodles.

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Perfect with fresh green beans, a chunk of hearty bread, and a chilled Fume Blanc.

Note: This recipe doubles, triples, etc. beautifully.