All Posts in Category: Recipes
Butter Lettuce with Pear, Gorgonzola, Blue cheese and walnuts
For the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
Assembly
Put prepared lettuces in a large salad bowl. Add pear slices, Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts.
*I toasted the walnuts on the stove and added honey to caramelize
*Thinly sliced red onion that has been soaked in vinegar and sugar is also a delicious addition
Bon Appetit and Namaste!
Fire House Pot Roast Bolognese
“This is that very rich beef sauce that will turn a plate of pasta into a bit of glory!”
I first had this delicious dinner in a farm house. The matriarch of the family cooked tirelessly and did this entire dish in one day. She would jump on her four-wheeler and head out to the gardens to pick tomatoes and herbs, charging back with wild abandon.
For years I made this recipe out of memory, although I always had a copied (laminated) version of the Fresh Tomato Sauce Sicilian on hand that the recipe uses. Problem was the chef and cookbook wasn’t copied so I couldn’t remember whom to credit or research.
It has been so long since I had this recipe on hand, but I remember the cookbook mentioning “this is that very rich beef sauce that will turn a plate of pasta into a bit of glory!” and that is exactly what I wanted the evening our firemen and their spouses came to our home for dinner.
Fire House Pot Roast Bolognese (My way)
2 to 3 pound boneless beef chuck.
3-tablespoon olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste
Season the meat with salt (or salt free product such Mrs. Dash) and pepper to taste. Brown well in a suitable size pot (Dutch oven) in olive oil after browning add the following
1 cup dry red wine (I doubled because that’s how my math when it comes to wine.)
4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup water or beef broth
Simmer gently, covered, for 2 hours. Turn off heat and let sit for at least two hours. Make sure there is enough liquid to keep the pan from drying out and then keep covered without peeking. Allow the meat to cool in the liquid until its cool enough to handle. Shred the meat and place in a Dutch oven along with its cooking juices.
Add enough tomato sauce to cover shredded beef and one cup broth.
Simmer the shredded beef in the tomato sauce and broth for 45 minutes, stirring often.
Then add…
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1-cup cream (milk, or other substitute for cream.)
Simmer 15 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta. I love Papardelle or Tagliatelle but sometimes it is hard to find but Fettuccine works too.
Grab those you love and serve with hard rolls or fresh bread to lap up the sauce, a nice Salad, and perhaps a bottle of Italian wine.
Bon Appetit and Namaste!
Fresh Tomato Sauce Sicilian
“In Sicily a good tomato sauce is considered an absolute basic in the kitchen.”
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
9 cups cored, chopped very fresh tomatoes
4 28-oz cans whole tomatoes, crushed with juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup homemade chicken stock
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried rosemary
6 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 10 dashes each)
Directions
Heat an 8 to 10-quart heavy bottom pot and add the oil, garlic, and onion. Saute until the onion is clear. Add the remaining ingredients except butter and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and gently cook, uncovered 4 hours, stirring often. Stir in the butter and salt and pepper to taste.
This delicious sauce freezes well. I used almost all of it with two shredded pot roasts for our Bolognese dinner with our firemen and their wives.
Bon Appetit & Namaste!
Fire House Bolognese
Winter Salad with Roasted Beets and Citrus Reduction Dressing
It has been one year and six weeks since my husband Stephen had his heart attack and died four times before coming back to life. He is now down forty pounds, looking and feeling fantastic, and enjoying plenty of delicious, heart healthy fare.
While compiling menus for our Christmas gathering, I came across this tasty recipe created by Cooking Light Associate Food Editor, Timothy Cebula. This colorful salad celebrates the produce of the season and would make a knock out addition to any holiday table.
Ingredients
4 medium beets (red and golden)
Cooking spray
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups torn Boston
2 cups trimmed watercress
2 cups torn radicchio
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat beets with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tender. Cool beets slightly. Trim off beet roots and stems; rub off skins. Cut beets into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
3. Bring juice and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan; cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Pour into a medium bowl; cool slightly. Add shallots, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.
4. Combine lettuce, watercress, and radicchio. Sprinkle lettuce mixture with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss gently to combine. Arrange about 1 cup lettuce mixture on each of 8 salad plates. Divide beets evenly among salads. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon dressing
*December 2009 Cooking Light magazine (Photo by Randy Mayor)
Delicious served with seafood or even a filet on the grill.
Note: I was going to serve Oregon Dungeness Crabs along side our salad for Christmas Eve but the season is opening late this year and not until months end. Please let me know if you have any fabulous ideas! Perhaps Bacala (or fresh cod) With Wine Broth & Crusty Bread? XO
Bon Appetit & Namaste!