Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

Ok, I know. I should be blogging about new and wonderful dishes I have discovered, or provide you with in-depth insights regarding subjects about which you have absolutely no interest. (Part of my mission statement.) But last evening I was in the mood for one of my winter dinner favorites. Good old fashioned green peppers filled with savory meat, topped with cheese, and served with a big old baked potato. But unlike the stuffed peppers I grew up with, (ground beef, corn, and tomato sauce) my recipe calls for Italian sausage, beer, several herbs (all dried herbs by the way) and enough cheese to satisfy even a hungry mouse’s appetite.

Now granted, there is nothing gourmet about this dish. (You are probably never going to find stuffed green peppers on a restaurant menu.) And there aren’t any new and trendy ingredients like kale or truffle oil anywhere to be found. But for those of us, who live for savory and comforting food, these peppers are perfect. They are relatively easy and inexpensive to prepare, and fairly nutritious to boot.

So berate me if you must for not offering up anything more interesting for your culinary pleasure, but I don’t want to hear squat diddly from anyone until they have at least given these peppers a try. (And I mean that in the most loving way.)

3 large or 4 small green peppers
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (pork or chicken)
½ c. chopped onion
6-8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c. beer
8-oz. tomato sauce
¼ tsp. fennel seed
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 T. dried parsley
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. cooked rice, quinoa, or cooked grain of choice, opt.
1 ½ c. shredded cheese (whatever combination of cheese you happen to have on hand)

After you have sliced the top off the peppers, remove the seeds and membranes. Set aside. Discard the stem, and chop the pepper tops into small pieces. Meanwhile, sauté the sausage until brown; add the chopped pepper tops, along with the onion and mushrooms; cook until onion is translucent. Add beer, turn heat to high and cook off most of the liquid. Reduce heat and add tomato sauce, seasonings, parsley, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes to blend flavors. Remove from heat and stir in the rice. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the green peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from water and drain. Place in a lightly greased baking dish. Fill each pepper half way, add half the cheese; add remaining meat mixture until it reaches the top of the pepper.

(If you have extra filling, save it and add to scrambled eggs the next morning with a little bit of cheese. Lovely!) Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the meat is starting to brown. Remove from oven, top with remaining cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted. Great served with baked potatoes and a green veggie or salad. Oh, and of course the rest of the bottle of beer.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA WITH GARLIC SAFFRON RICE

Since moving to Camano Island, we have not found a good Indian restaurant in the vicinity. If I didn’t know better, I would think I was living among a bunch of unsophisticated plebeians, but that is simply not the case. My neighbors and others that we have met since moving here are anything but. They are well educated, erudite, and delightful. It isn’t their fault there aren’t any good Indian restaurants in the area. It’s just a matter of economics. You gotta have a customer base, or you ain’t gonna make no moolah! Economics 101!

Now granted, we have a couple of restaurants that tease us with dishes that are what I lovingly refer to as “Indian light”, but none of them have what I call a proper Indian food menu. The closest restaurant we have found that serves decent Indian food is in Anacortes, and that’s an hours’ drive from here.

So, you know me, I have now made it my mission to fill the void created by us moving from an urban area to septic tank, well water, and propane gas heaven. (And for those of you, who have never had the pleasure of living without all the utility conveniences of urban life, be prepared for the shock of your life if you move into a rural environment. Septic tank, what’s that? Well water – huh? Propane, excuse me, where’s the natural gas hook up?)

But for all the inconveniences of rural life, I would not go back to the city for all the tandoori chicken in the world. So, like I said, I am going to make it my mission in the next few months to learn how to make all the marvelous Indian dishes that Mr. C and I are so terribly missing. And by golly, I’m going to share them with you. So hang tight all you Indian food lovers, I’m on the case!

Marinade for chicken:

1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt ( I know, Greek isn’t Indian, but I like it!)
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ -inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 lg. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

Sauce:

3 T. butter , divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
4 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garam masala (buy in Indian market)
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 c. whole milk or half & half
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Combine marinade ingredients and add chicken. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook just until done. Do not over-cook. Remove from pan; set aside. Add the garlic & jalapeno; cook 1 minute. Stir in the coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, salt, and tomato sauce. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cream and remaining 1 tablespoon butter and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is hot. Serve over Garlic Saffron Rice (see recipe below) and garnish with cilantro.

GARLIC SAFFRON RICE

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 threads saffron
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1½ c. basmati rice
2¼ c. water

Directions if using a rice cooker:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized fry pan. Add the garlic, saffron, salt, and pepper and sauté for a minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Add the rice and stir just until the rice is coated with the oil. Scoop into rice cooker, add water, turn on the rice cooker and step away. Rice cookers work best when they are not being supervised.

Stove top directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized covered saucepan. Add the garlic, saffron, salt, and pepper and sauté for a minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Add the rice and stir just until the rice is coated with the oil. Add water and stir. Bring to a boil, stir again, then lower heat, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes or until the rice is al dente. Remove from heat and let stand for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and adjust seasoning before serving as the base for Chicken Tikka Masala.

BOEUF à la BOURGUIGNONNE (BEEF BURGUNDY)

I’ll tell you one thing for sure. Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon recipe has nothing on Margaret Hilty’s version. And who is Margaret Hilty you ask? Well, she was the former wife of one of my former husband’s former physics professors. That’s who! She was also one heck of a wonderful person as well as a fantastic cook. A little story about this amazing woman and this recipe.

For whatever reason, Mrs. Hilty took a liking to me. (Even though Mrs. Hilty was divorced, her former husband (Professor Hilty) used to invite his students and their wives to her house for get-togethers. Apparently they had been married for decades before the divorce, and she still loved having young people in her home.) During these infrequent get-togethers, Mrs. Hilty would serve us the most delicious food.

One night, it was just my husband and I who were invited for dinner and Margaret (by then she had asked us to call her Margaret) served us this amazing dish. I had never tasted anything so good. So right there and then I begged for the recipe. (If possible, I would also have adopted her that evening, but that might have been asking too much!) She was like the perfect white haired grandmother. She enjoyed hearing about my aspirations, was never judgmental, and laughed at my jokes. I made a vow right there and then that when I got older and had a home of my own, I too would always have good food around, not only for my own family but for whoever happened to be in my home at the time.

I also remember thinking that not only was she the best cook I had ever known, she was probably just about the best person I had ever had the privilege to meet. Her way of living life was an inspiration to all of us college age kids. Her ability to keep an open mind and a generous and forgiving spirit was a model for all of us to follow. She was simply an amazing, bright and loving woman. I feel very blessed to have had her in my life, even if it was for only a brief time.

I actually hated when we had to leave her behind after college. But if I ever make it to heaven, I know she will be there waiting with more wonderful recipes to share with me. I hope you enjoy Margaret Hilty’s recipe as much as I do. And thanks for letting me share her story with you.

¼ lb. bacon, chopped
2 lbs. rump roast or other stew type meat cut into 1-inch cubes
½ c. flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 c. burgundy wine
2 c. beef stock (I use 2 cups water and 2 heaping teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 T. tomato paste
2 T. butter
1 lb. small whole mushrooms (button preferably)
2 T. minced fresh parsley

Fry bacon until crisp in a large, heavy covered pan. Remove the bacon and set aside. Dry the beef cubes and place in a large plastic bag along with the flour which has been seasoned with the salt and pepper. Shake well to coat the meat. (Don’t forget to zip the bag first, or you too will be coated with flour!) Fry the cubes in the remaining bacon grease until well browned. (Add additional bacon grease or butter if needed to brown all the meat.) When all the meat is brown, remove to a container and set aside. Add the carrots and onions to the pan. Cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Again, if you need to add more fat to brown the veggies, do so. Add cooked bacon and meat cubes, along with any meat juices that have accumulated back into the pan with the carrots, onions, and garlic. Stir in the wine while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits on the bottom. Add the beef broth, bay leaf, thyme, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer slowly for about 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Stir periodically.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a fry pan and sauté the mushrooms for about 5 minutes. When the beef is tender, add the mushrooms. If the gravy is not as thick as you would prefer, add a couple of tablespoons of flour to about a quarter cup of water and slowly stir into the stew. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over Creamy Mashed Potatoes (recipe below) and sprinkle with parsley.

Hint: Don’t ever discard bacon grease after you have cooked bacon. Store it in a covered container in your refrigerator for just such an occasion as browning the meat in this recipe. BTW – bacon fat has about the same shelf life as a Twinkie. (Don’t quote me on this, because I don’t want the Twinkie folks to sue me, but truly, bacon fat can be stored for months.)

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

2 very large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 2-inch pieces
kosher salt
6 T. butter, room temperature
freshly ground black pepper
milk

Place the potatoes and about a tablespoon of salt in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are super tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Pour back into pan and set on stove using lowest heat setting available. Mash the potatoes and butter together. Add pepper and enough milk to make a creamy, not too stiff mixture. Adjust seasoning. Cover pan, turn off heat and serve immediately. Or, place in oven on low setting until ready to serve.

POULET AU VIN BLANC (CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE)

Recently I posted a recipe for Carbonnade à la Flamande (Belgian Beef, Beer, and onion stew). On that post I also referenced Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy). (Recipe to be posted within the next couple of days.) But today, I am going to write about my take on a less well known classic French dish – Poulet Au Vin Blanc.

Poulet Au Vin Blanc, a stew like dish with chicken, wine and vegetables is the absolute definition of comfort food. Doesn’t matter whether you are sitting in a French café during a thunderous rainstorm or sitting in your own dining room listening to your children argue over whose turn it is to clear the table, this dish is magnificent! It is also a dish that I think your entire family will enjoy; even your children who might normally reject food containing onions, mushrooms, or carrots. (Actually your little ones might not even notice these evil ingredients if you serve the stew over mashed potatoes.) I personally prefer biscuits with this stew, but I realize some concessions have to be made when there are pre-pubescent gourmets in the family.

BTW, I would much rather be sitting in a small café in Paris eating this dish than at a table with young children. But then, you see, I’ve survived the pleasure of dining with small children. I remember thinking at the time – will these darlings ever grow up? (I probably used another word besides “darlings”, but I obviously blocked the word from my memory bank.) Now I only wish I could dine more often with their adult counterparts.

And yes, this is definitely one of the dishes I would fix for them. And yes I like to use the French name for a dish when appropriate. Someday I’ll even go so far as to post a recipe for a “casserole” on this site. That should prove how sophisticated I am about French cuisine!

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. unsalted butter, divided
½ lb. small white mushrooms, quartered
1 lg. Yukon Gold potato (10-oz.), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 lg. carrot, cut into ½-inch dice
1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ c. flour
1 c. dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
2 c. chicken stock or broth (I use water and a couple teaspoons (or to taste) of either Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Turkey Base
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ¾ tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
½ c. heavy cream
1 T. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the chicken pieces, which have been generously seasoned with salt and pepper, in a single layer. Fry the chicken over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. (Do not over-cook the chicken. You want it tender and juicy.) Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and add the mushrooms; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the same bowl as the chicken; set aside.

Add the second tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the potato, carrot, and onion; cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the flour. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat until the potato and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream, the cooked chicken and mushrooms, along with any accumulated juices, and adjust seasonings. Simmer for about 2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are hot. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over buttermilk biscuits or Creamy Mashed Potatoes. (Recipe for potatoes under blog post for Carbonnade.)

CARBONNADE à la FLAMANDE (BELGIAN BEEF, BEER, AND ONION STEW)

If I were asked to choose between the traditional French stew Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy) containing cubed beef, mushrooms, onions, and Burgundy wine, or Carbonnade à la Flamande, the traditional Belgian sweet-sour beef and onion stew made with beer, and seasoned with thyme, bay leaves, and mustard, I would be hard pressed to do so. Both are lovely and so perfect for this time of year.

But unlike Beef Bourguignon, which was made popular in America by Julia Child, Carbonnade is not as well known. So I plan to right that wrong immediately by posting this recipe. (If only Agatha Christie would have had the forethought to make Carbonnade Hercule Poirot’s favorite food, we could all have been enjoying this amazing stew for years. Plus, I wouldn’t have to be going to all the trouble of revealing the dishes merits. Poor planning on Agatha’s part, I must say!)

Regardless, it is time you learned about this easy to prepare and delicious braised stew. And if you have been fixing Carbonnade for years, please excuse me for preaching to the choir. But having directed a choir for many years, it’s just hard for me to stop instructing!

½ lb. lean bacon, cut into small pieces
1 ½ lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
bacon fat or butter, if necessary
2 lg. yellow onions, chopped
2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch rounds
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 ½ c. beef broth
12-oz. bottle beer (see note about beer below)
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ¾ tsp. dried
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 T. brown sugar
chopped parsley, opt.

Fry the bacon until crisp in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven. Remove bacon to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Do not remove the bacon grease from the pan. Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels; season well with salt and pepper. Place pan with bacon grease over medium-high heat. Brown the meat for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Do not stir while the meat is browning. Add additional bacon fat or butter as needed to brown all the meat. Transfer browned beef to bowl containing the cooked bacon; set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until onions are caramelized and a rich dark brown, about 30 minutes. Add carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions and carrots are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add the beer, thyme, bay leaves, reserved bacon and browned beef and accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a full simmer. Cover pan and place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven and braise for about 2 hours or until beef is fork tender. Stir about half way through the cooking time, scraping up anything that is sticking to the bottom of the pan. (If the stew seems too thick, add about ¼ cup water.) About half an hour before the stew finishes cooking, add the mustard and brown sugar and remove the bay leaves. When the meat is fork tender, remove from oven and adjust seasonings. Serve over Creamy Mashed Potatoes (see recipe below) or cooked pasta. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Note about beer: I personally do not like a bitter beer in this recipe. I feel it detracts unfavorably from the rich lovely flavor created by the combination of ingredients. I use Alaskan Amber, but any dark, rich beer will do. Beers to stay away from are those that have a bitter taste, i.e. IPA (India Pale Ale) or ESB (Extra Special Bitter).

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

2 very large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 2-inch pieces
kosher salt
6 T. butter, room temperature
freshly ground black pepper
milk

TURKEY OR CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

Most times when I begin a blog post I document the recipe and then write the commentary. But in this case, I started my opening paragraphs before I even knew what recipe would follow. That’s because I was in the mood for a creamy, savory “pasta like” dish. I know “pasta like” sounds ridiculous. But more often than not I try to prepare a meal without a side starch. (If you knew me, you would know how difficult that is. Potatoes, pasta, and rice are like life blood to me.)

But as I was writing away, I thought about this dish and how well it would fulfill my “near pasta” craving. And in fact, when I dine on these meatballs and their heavenly sauce, I don’t miss the pasta at all. I know –blasphemy! But it’s true. This dish is just that good.

Now granted, this recipe is not low calorie or low cholesterol. But dang, it’s hard to give up everything I hold dear! I figure if I serve these meatballs with a healthy green salad dressed with an olive oil based dressing, I’m at least on the right side of a well balanced meal. (It’s really hard when you grew up in the meat and potatoes era. For many of us who still remember things like party lines, Burma Shave signs, and 25 cents per gallon gas, every instinct about meal planning still begins and ends with what starch to serve. And believe me, it’s hard to train old brains to do new tricks. And my old brain, full to the brim with the most trivial of information, is no exception.)

So do yourself and your family a favor. Fix these meatballs some evening for dinner and leave that package of pasta firmly ensconced on the pantry shelf. Just think of this recipe as a perfect example of a quintessential NW winter dish. Cloudy with a chance of meatballs!

¼ c. dried breadcrumbs
1/4 c. + 1 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
2 T. milk
16 to 20 oz. ground turkey or chicken meat
2 T. butter
one quarter of a small yellow onion, very finely minced
5 tsp. flour
1 (14.5-oz.) can chicken stock or broth (or 2 cups)
1/2 c. heavy cream (whole milk will work in a pinch)

Combine breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, egg, and milk in a medium large mixing bowl. Gently stir in ground turkey. (Mix only until combined. Do not over mix.) Form into 1-inch meatballs (I use a small ice cream scoop) and place on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake meatballs in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small heavy pan and sauté the onion over medium heat just until translucent. Do not let the onion get brown. Sprinkle onion with flour, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock until no lumps remain. Whisk in the heavy cream. Turn heat to medium low and simmer until sauce burbles, thickens, and is good and hot. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and a couple grinds of black pepper. Taste and add salt if necessary. When ready to serve, spoon meatballs on to a serving platter and dollop with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley. Sauce and meatballs can also be served over cooked pasta.

Note: Meatballs can be made ahead and either refrigerated if used within a couple of days or frozen for up to 2 months. The sauce, nope! Don’t even think about it! And these meatballs (sans the sauce of course) in chicken noodle soup. Amazing!

ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH ARRABIATA SAUCE

What is it about meatballs that everyone loves? Is it their size and the fact that they are just terribly darling? Is it their flavor or the fact that you can eat them in one or two bites? I remember my kids turning their noses up at meatloaf, but when I used the same exact recipe and formed the meat into little balls and either fried or baked them, they thought they were divine! (I still haven’t figured that one out. Perhaps it’s just that my kids, like children everywhere, were by nature perverse and knew instinctively that meatballs took me more time to prepare than meatloaf!)

Regardless, meatballs are just about the perfect food to fix for everyone, especially children. They, the meatballs that is, are full of protein and veggies. And if you are one of those people who like to sneak healthy ingredients into your cooking, meatballs are a very good vessel for doing just that. For example, oats and a scoop of wheat germ slide into almost any meatball recipe and no one, not even your little darlings who are always on the lookout for this sort of deception, need be the wiser. Another lovely thing about meatballs, they can be prepared GF if you use slightly chopped or ground GF oats in place of cubed white bread or bread crumbs. Even if you aren’t sensitive to gluten, oats are a wonderful and nutritious alternative to wheat.

Request: if any of you know why meatballs are more acceptable to children than meatloaf, I would appreciate your insight. I will then pass the knowledge along and save dozens of parents the time and trouble of finding it out for themselves!

Italian Meatballs:

2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed and cut into small cubes
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. plus 2 T. finely grated Parmesan
6 T. chopped Italian parsley, divided
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 large egg
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1/2 lb. ground beef
grated Pecorino Romano, opt.

In a large bowl toss the bread cubes with milk to re-hydrate. Stir in the Parmesan, 4 tablespoons parsley, salt, pepper, onion and garlic that have been finely minced in a food processor, and egg. When thoroughly combined, stir in the meat. Using a small ice cream scoop, gently form the meat mixture into balls and place on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. (Packing the meat mixture too tightly together will result in tough meatballs). Place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are just done. Do not over bake. Serve immediately or cool completely and refrigerate until ready to use. If you are preparing the meatballs to use at a later time, freeze them on the baking dish and package them when frozen. Use within 6 weeks. Just defrost and warm in the oven. Serve topped with Arrabiata Sauce, Pecorino Romano cheese, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley.

Note: This sauce is very spicy on its own, but combined with the meatballs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and parsley, the amount of hot is perfect.

Arrabiata (Spicy Red) Sauce:

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. red wine (I like Pinot Noir)
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. chopped fresh basil
3-oz. tomato paste (half a small can) (I use Cento brand)
1-28oz. can crushed or peeled San Marzano tomatoes (Use cans of Italian tomatoes, like Cento brand, if possible. And yes, there really is a difference!)

Heat olive oil in a medium-large heavy sauce pan. Add onion and cook until transparent. (Don’t let the onion brown.) Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about a minute or until the garlic smells aromatic. Add the salt, pepper, and wine. Let wine cook until it is all absorbed. Stir in the brown sugar, basil, and tomato paste. Finally add the can of crushed tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer uncovered for about 30-40 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Not only is this sauce perfect drizzled over Italian Meatballs, it is amazing poured over pasta. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

GROUND BEEF PATTIES WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND RED WINE SAUCE

There are just those times when my mouth screams for something rich and satisfying, but I don’t really have the time or inclination to make a special trip to the grocery store. So when this happen, I have a secret ingredient that helps me pander to my very spoiled taste buds. And that ingredient my dear friends, found in every grocery store in America, is ground beef. I almost always have a pound of this miracle meat in the freezer just waiting for an opportunity to become the star of a fabulous meal. And that is exactly what happens when I combine it with the other ingredients in this dish, which by the way are all pantry staples in my home.

Now granted, this is not a pretentious little dish that you would want to serve to the person from Internal Revenue who is auditing your 2012 income tax return or the editor of Gourmet magazine, but then how often do they come to your home for dinner anyway? But if it’s just for you and your family, this is just about as inexpensive, delicious and easy to fix as it gets.

And I know, not everyone is as passionate about ground beef as I am. (I actually harbor an undying love for ground beef and prefer a perfectly seasoned ground beef pattie to steak.) I know, tantamount to declaring myself a plebian. (I’ve always told you I’m not a gourmet.)

But regardless of whether or not you are a gourmet, you should give this recipe a try. You never know when someone might accuse you of being too snobby about food. If that ever happens, you can just whip out this recipe and dispel that accusation with alacrity!

1 yellow onion
1-2 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. granulated garlic
1 lb. not-too-lean ground beef
McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/3 c. red wine
1 T. tomato paste
2 T. butter

Grate 1 tablespoon of onion into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Pour olive oil into a medium sized fry pan. Place over medium low heat and add the rest of the onion that has been thinly sliced. Fry slowly until the onion pieces are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Stir often. Meanwhile combine the seasoned salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic in with the grated onion. Add the ground beef and gently combine until just blended. Don’t over-mix. Let rest for a few minutes. Form the meat into 2-3 patties and sprinkle lightly with McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning on one side only.

When the onion is caramelized, remove from pan and set aside. Place pan over medium high heat. Place the burgers in pan and leave them alone. Do not try to flatten the burgers while they cook or all the lovely juices will be lost to the pan! Do not move the burgers once they are in the pan. Flip the burgers when the juices start to puddle on top. Do not flip again! How long you cook the second side depends on personal preference. For a rarer burger only cook for a couple of minutes on the second side. You can tell doneness by gently pressing your spatula in the center of the pattie without breaking the crust. The squishier the burger, the rarer it is. When the patties are cooked just right, remove from pan and keep warm. Add the wine and tomato paste to the pan. Simmer for a minute or so, whisking to incorporate the onion and burger bits left in the pan. Stir in the butter until melted. Adjust seasoning. Serve burger topped with the caramelized onions and a drizzle of the sauce. Perfect with a Caesar salad on the side, and of course more of the red wine you used in the sauce! Duh!

ITALIAN CASSEROLE WITH SAUSAGE, MUSHROOMS, AND SOUR CREAM

I believe I have told you numerous times that I am lazy. Some people don’t think of me as lazy, but I’ve just got them fooled. For example, take this fake lasagna recipe. It looks and tastes like I have been slaving away in the kitchen for hours. Anyone who has ever prepared true lasagna knows that it takes hours to prepare. There’s the meat sauce, then the cheeses, then those darling lasagna noodles. And if you are really into a truly decadent lasagna, not only is there a red sauce, there’s a béchamel sauce. Now granted, none of these sauces are difficult to assemble. But add up all the time it takes to prepare each step, and you are talking about an all afternoon project. And granted, sometimes I make an honest to goodness, over the top lasagna. But for those times when I don’t want to spend 4 hours playing in the kitchen but still want a rich, creamy and luscious casserole, I make my dear buddy Margo’s recipe. And all kidding aside, it is one of the tastiest Italian casseroles you will ever meet. The sauce and the cheeses work together to cover the egg noodles in a gooey dressing that just melts in your mouth. Serve this with a Caesar salad, a warm crusty baguette or my Soft Breadsticks, and a bottle of your favorite rich red wine, and I promise you all thoughts of lasagna noodles will evaporate as fast as cookies in an office break room! Thanks again Margo for this wonderful recipe.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. bulk Italian Sausage (or half ground beef and half Italian sausage)
10-12 medium mushrooms, sliced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 jar (or 2 ½ c.) marinara sauce (I use Paul Newman’s Marinara Sauce – I told you I was lazy!)
8-oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 pint sour cream (2 cups)
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 green onions, chopped
1 lb. grated Mozzarella cheese
12-oz. (4 c. uncooked) thick egg noodles, cooked al dente (I use Country Pasta – Homemade Style Egg Pasta I buy in the 64-oz. package from Costco) OR rice pasta for a wonderful GF casserole
2 T. minced fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in a large fry pan. Add the sausage and sauté until very brown, breaking up the pieces as it cooks. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Pour in the marinara sauce and let gently burble for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile combine the room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan, green onions, and mozzarella cheese. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Scoop about a half cup of the marinara sauce mixture into the bottom of the pan. Layer with half of the cooked noodles, half of the marinara sauce, and half of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

(As you can see from the picture, there is no fresh parsley sprinkled on top. Oh I had the parsley all chopped and happily residing in my refrigerator. But in all my last minute frantic efforts to get the meal out for yesterday’s pre JazzVox concert lunch, the parsley was forgotten. Of course the lack of a parsley garnish didn’t stop anyone from eating the casserole, but I sure felt like a dummy when I realized what I had done. Not the first time I have left off that final touch, and considering that I am only getting older and less likely to remember even the most mundane of tasks, I’m sure it won’t be the last. I could mention the salad I forgot to serve for our New Year’s Eve late night buffet, but why bother you with even more evidence that I’m not playing with my full set of Cutco knives, circa 1964, any longer!)

BACON, CHEDDAR, AND MUSHROOM FILLED CREPES

The first time I made this dish, and for the life of me I can’t remember where I found the recipe (it was about 40 years ago, after all) I was very dubious about pouring a full 8 ounces of tomato sauce over such a small pan of crepes. But not being the culinary aficionado that I am today, I followed the instructions exactly as written. (Sometimes it’s just best to bite the bullet and follow someone else’s directions to the tee.) And this is one time that I am so glad that I did. The amount of tomato sauce was absolutely perfect for the number of crepes. And since I first made this dish for my family lo those many years ago, I have not changed a thing. No crushed red pepper flakes, no brilliant trilogy of green, red, and yellow peppers, no shallots or garlic or white wine – no nothing. (Oh OK, I do use a better quality tomato sauce than was available when I first started making the dish, but I swear, that is my only concession to modern haute cuisine!)

And for those of you who have never made a crepe, be not afraid. In my humble opinion crepes are easier to make than pancakes. With 3 eggs in the batter, the crepe ingredients stick together like eggs stick to anything. (think scrambled eggs in a non-stick frying pan) So taking baked crepes off a crepe pan or griddle is a snap. And even if the worse thing happens and a crepe breaks while you are removing it from the pan, just fit it back together, fill it with the bacon mixture, cover it with tomato sauce, and no one will be the wiser! (Bob’s your uncle, so to speak!)

And since I know most of you were cut with the same cookie cutter as I was (love to cook, love to experiment, and would normally never follow a recipe exactly as written), I’m going to ask you to cross over to the dark side and follow this recipe exactly. Not kinda/sorta, but exactly. I promise you will not be sorry. This dish is just unbelievably good and truly, it could not be simpler to prepare.

After you have mastered the art of crepe making, serve them someday to your loved ones for breakfast. Place a crepe on a plate, cover with fresh strawberries or a combination of fresh berries, roll and dollop with a small helping of homemade whipped cream and a light sprinkle of powdered sugar. There is just nothing that says I love you better than a fresh berry crepe for breakfast. Just don’t make the same mistake I did one Sunday morning when I was feeding my niece and nephews (and of course my own 3 youngest kids). I decided to make crepes for the 6 teenagers. First of all, feeding more than 3 teenagers at one time is crazy to begin with. But making crepes for 6 kids aging roughly from 13 to 18 was positively asking for a beating. After 2 full hours of baking and filling crepes for my 6 darlings (Sven, Rolfe, Paula, Eric, Ursala, and Mya) who were still asking for more by-the-way, I threw up my hands and surrendered. The last thing I remember about that morning is staggering off to my bedroom for a nap mumbling something about the positive advantages of birth control or words to that effect!

Crepes:
3 eggs, room temperature
2/3 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 c. milk
Filling:
6 slices bacon, diced
½ c. chopped onion
½ c. chopped green pepper
½ c. thinly sliced mushrooms
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Crepes: Combine all crepe ingredients in a blender or food processor. Whirl until blended. Pour about 3 tablespoons batter onto lightly greased pan for each crepe. Bake on 1 side only. Continue making crepes until all the batter is used. Filling: Sauté bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off as much bacon grease as possible from the pan. Add onion, green pepper, and mushrooms. Cook until the onion is tender. Take pan off heat and add the cooked bacon and cheese. Fill the crepes with mixture, roll and place in a buttered baking dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the crepes.

Bake for 15 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Yield: 6 crepes. Wonderful served with green salad and a lovely crisp Semillon.

CHEZ CARR CUISINE

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