Penne with Meatballs

This is a slightly different recipe for meatballs and gravy (red sauce) from a prior post.  Here I am adding some ground pork to my meatball mixture and I really enjoy the added flavor.  Made this today for my coworkers, and Paula asked me to send her the recipe.  So here it is...

Meatballs:
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and chopped
1 pound ground beef (Chuck or Sirloin)
1/2 pound ground pork (Ask your butcher to mix the meats together for you)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
3 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh Chopped Parsley
3 table spoons extra virgin olive oil-- for frying


In a bowl mix all the ingredients with your hands except for the olive oil. Continue to mix it together until it all sticks together. It should look like one giant meatball.  If the mixture feels wet, add some breadcrumb and cheese.  Add a little bit at a time not to over do it.

Break off pieces of meat mixture, and roll it in your hands making meatballs and set aside. (You can determine how big or small you want them)

In a large frying pan, add the 3 tbls of Olive Oil and heat over medium heat.
Add the meatballs frying them until they are browned on all sides.
Line a plate with 3-4 paper towels and transfer the fried meatballs to help drain some of the oil.

For the sauce:

Ingredients Below-

•  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 of a very large onion chopped
• 2-3 Bay Leaves
• 6 or more Fresh Basil Leaves
• 2 28 ounce Cans of Plain Tomatoes (I used Pastene Chunky Style)
• Little more than 1/2 Can of Water (Use one of the empty tomato cans)

Making the Sauce:

• In a large pot slowly heat up the 1/4 cup of Olive Oil and add the chopped onion.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Saute` the onion for 3 minutes or until just soft, stirring with a wooden spoon.
• Add the 2 cans of Tomatoes and 1/2 can of water, and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn heat down to low, and add:

• Bay Leaves
• Basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste( You can always add more as it starts to cook and develop flavors)

Stir it all mixing well then add the fried meatballs
Stir occasionally and Cook for 2 hours, or until flavors are developed and meatballs are cooked through

Pasta Bianca

My daughter wanted to try cooking with me tonight, so we headed to the kitchen and tried something new. I went to Wholefoods to grab some chicken sausage and we threw this together. We had fun making it except when I burned my finger.

• 4 Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sausages
• 3 Artichoke hearts sliced up into pieces
• 1 Red Pepper diced
• 1 Cup of Green beans
• 2 Shallots chopped
• 2 Cloves of Garlic chopped
• 1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/4 Cup White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 1/4 Cup Reggiano Parmigiano
• 1 Pound of Farfalle Pasta
• 2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

**I cut most of the ingredients so it can be eaten with a spoon**

Remove the chicken meat from the sausage casings.

In a saute` pan, brown the chicken all over. Keep stirring it to break up the pieces. Once brown, set aside.

In a pot, boil water for the pasta.

In a saute pan, saute the garlic and shallots for about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and mix well. Season with Salt and pepper. Add the white wine and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and the chicken broth and mix well. Once it boils, add the artichokes, and cream and mix well. Add the green beans and simmer.

**You don't want the cream to boil**

Once the pasta is ready, add the pasta and cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Reserve some of the pasta water if you need more juice.

Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese sauce can be made in different ways, so I'm posting a slightly different version here than I had from a previous post. I made this recently and brought a bowl of Pasta with Bolognese sauce to the woman who cuts
my hair. Kelly shot me a text and said, "YUM!! Just eating it now and LOVE it! I want the recipe." Then she decided to question whether or not I actually made it. Well here it is....

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Celery Stalks Chopped

4 Carrots Chopped

1 Onion Chopped

3/4 Pound Ground Beef

1/2 Pound Ground Veal

1/2 Pound Ground Pork

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1 Can plain tomatoes sauce (I used Pastene Chunky Style)

6 Basil Leaves

2 Bay Leaves

Salt

Black Pepper

Nutmeg

In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the onion, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper. When the Veggies are translucent, add the meats. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the meats and season the meats with salt and pepper. Brown the meat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking to the pot. Once the meat is browned, add the cup of heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sauce, basil, and bay leaves and mix well. Simmer on low for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Super Bowl Sunday was at my parents and I took a shot at making pulled pork. I've never made one, so I figured I would try it out in a slow cooker. I was taking a chance on bringing something new into my parents house. My mom will always try new things, but my dad is content with having some sort of pasta 3 times a day. When I got to my parents house on Sunday, my father asked what I brought. When I explained that I had made pulled pork, he turned my my uncle and said, "Questo e mangiare per Americane," which translates to this is American food. Well American food or not, my father, uncle and everyone else that was there really enjoyed the flavor in the pulled pork. Not much was leftover!

I wanted to use a Boston Butt, but ended up with a picnic shoulder.

• 6 1/2 Pound Pork Picnic Shoulder
• 2 Onions Quartered
• Denny Mike's Sublime Swine Rub
• 1 Bottle Denny Mike's Sweet and Spicy
• 1/3 Bottle Denny Mike's Hot & Nasty
• 1 Bottle Sam Adams Irish Red Beer (Or a beer of choice)

1. Quarter one of the onions and place it inside the slow cooker.
2. Rub the pork with Denny Mike's Sublime Swine Rub and place it in the cooker
3. Quarter the other onion and place it on top of the pork.
4. Pour the beer over the pork and set it on low for 12 hours.
5. After the 12 hours, take the pork and set it on a cutting board. You should be able to peel the chunks of fat off the pork. With a fork, shred the pork and set aside.
6. Pour the liquid out of the slow cooker and transfer the pulled pork back to the crock pot.
7. In a bowl, mix the BBQ sauces. I added the Hot & Nasty because I love spicy food. I didn't want to add to much, in case we had a bunch of whiners. Once it's mixed, add it to the pulled pork and mix thoroughly.
8. Cook on low for another 4 hours, and enjoy!

Prime Rib Roast

I've been dying to make a rib roast for a few months now. I've been trying to get some friends together, but it's been really difficult with everyone's schedule. Last week I got tired of waiting, so I went to see my Uncle Iano who happens to be a butcher and got a really nice Prime Rib Roast.

• 3 1/2 Pound Rib Roast fat tied on
• Salt
• Pepper (I use McCormick's Peppercorn Melange)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 stick of butter cut into tablespoons
• 4 Thyme Sprigs
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 3 Majoram or Oregano Sprigs
• 3 Garlic Cloves Smashed
• 3 Shallots sliced

Preheat the Over to 325.

1. Grind the peppercorn and rub the roast with Salt and the ground up peppercorn.
2. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the oil. Add the roast fat side down, and cook over medium/high heat until it's browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the roast and brown on each side, about 10-15 minutes longer.
3. Set the roast fat side up in the skillet and add the butter. When the butter melts baste the roast all over
4. Add the thyme, bay leaves and marjoram and roast for 40 minutes. (Place some of the herbs on top of the roast and the rest in the butter.
5. Add the garlic and shallots to the skillet and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 130 degrees for medium-rare. About 20 more minutes or so.

Smoking Ribs

I've always enjoyed BBQ food. I mean real BBQ food...not the quick fire gas grill where I can sear a steak in about 8 minutes. I'm talking about the low and slow method of cooking. I'm talking about wood, smoke, beer and an afternoon of music and eating. I've embedded a powerpoint on some ribs that I made over the summer. At the end of the slide show, there is a link to visit slideshare, which was the only way I could embedd the powerpoint on Blogger.

Penne alla Mendon

1 inch chunk of Pancetta (Most Deli’s will have it)
1 Chopped onion
Couple spoons of red sauce (chunky style)
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 Cup of heavy cream
1 Cup of chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley
Peas
Grated Cheese (I mixed Reggiano Parmigiano and Romano, but you can use either)

Directions:

-Cut up the pancetta into small pieces. (If you have big chunks of fat from the pancetta, put it aside without cutting it)
-Toss the pancetta in a pan and cook until it gets brown. (Keep tossing it, so it doesn't stick and burn)
-Once the pancetta has browned, add the onion and sauté…season with salt and pepper. (If the onion looks like it is sticking to the pan, add a little extra virgin olive oil)
-Add a cup of heavy cream with the 2 tablespoons of butter
-Cook over medium heat
-Season it with salt and pepper and add the parsley
-Add the tomato sauce and blend
-Add the chicken stock
**You don't want the cream to boil, but you want it to cook and heat up slowly**
-Add the peas and slowly whisk in the grated cheese until the sauce starts to thicken.
-Toss the pasta and mix together
**Add veal or chicken to the dish** (Cut the chicken or veal into small pieces and add it when you add the onion)
** Before mixing the pasta, cut into the chicken or the veal to make sure it is cooked through**

Pork Roast

After three years, I've finally discovered the rotisserie on my grill. Last night I tried a whole chicken. It came out pretty good, but a little salty. Today I tried a pork roast and I really enjoyed the flavor.






2 lb pork roast
olive oil
1/2 Cup Apple/Grape Juice
1/4 Cup White Wine
1/2 Cup Water
Dry Rub
Drip pan for grill

1. Start the grill
2. Prepare the roast
   

• Wash the roast and pat dry.
• Rub roast with olive oil
• Sprinkle dry rub generously on roast. I usually make my own dry rub, but I cheated today...I used DennyMike's "Sublime Swine" dry rub.
• Slide the roast onto the rotisserie split rod
• Place roast in the grill

While the roast is cooking, make the dipping sauce. I also used this to baste the roast. In a small pot bring the wine, juice (I used white grape juice), and water to a boil. Once it boils, take it off the stove and gently pour it over the roast into the drip pan. This can be used to baste the roast every 30 minutes. As the liquid evaporates, it gives the roast added flavor, and it keeps the roast moist. Cook it rotisserie style until an instant read thermometer registers 160. Let the roast stand for 15 minutes before slicing into it. Pour the juice from the drip pan into a small bowl.

Stuffed Veal Chop

2 Good Size Veal Chops
4 Slices of Prosciutto Di Parma
4 Slices of Fontina Cheese
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 400.

Butter fly the chops to make a pocket, but do not cut all the way through. Take 2 slices of prosciutto and fontina cheese, and layer it in the pocket. Close the pocket.

Rub the chop with olive oil, and season both sides, with Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Repeat for each chop

Heat an oven proof skillet over moderate heat with olive oil, (enough to coat the skillet). Add the chops and sear each side for about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and let cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes. (20 minutes will render medium rare)

**Variation**
Sometimes, I'll put roasted red peppers in the pocket along with the prosciutto and cheese.

Braised Chicken with Roasted Peppers

3 Red Peppers
3 Yellow Peppers
3 Orange Peppers
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10 Drum Sticks
10 thighs
Salt and Pepper
3 Carrots- Diced
3 Celery Ribs- Diced
6 Garlic Cloves- smashed
3 Thyme Sprigs
2 Large Onions- Sliced
2 Cups of White Wine- Something that you would drink
2 Cups of Chicken Stock
Mixed Olives
Italian Parsley

Roast the peppers on the grill until skin is blistering. Place peppers in a paper bag and fold the bag. When the roasted pepper cool, cut them up into strips.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large pan, heat some olive oil, (enough to coat the pan) and add the chicken in batches, and brown all over, about 8-12 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan. Add a little more olive oil to the pan, and add the cut up carrots, celery, smash garlic, half of the onion and the thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent. Removed the vegetables from the pan, and place it over the chicken.

Place the pan over high heat and add the wine, and bring it to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine and chicken stock over the chicken and cover with foil. Let it cook in the oven for 1 1/2 to an 1 3/4. Once the chicken falls off the bone, it is done.

Set the chicken on a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Heat enough olive oil to coat a skillet/pan and add the onion. Cook until tender, (about 5 minutes) Add the olives, and roasted peppers. Pour the juice from the roasting pan into a skillet and heat over high heat for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the juice, peppers, onion and olives over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

Simple Red Pasta Sauce

1 Small Onion Diced
4 Garlic Cloves Chopped
1 (28 ounce) Can Crushed Tomato
2 Bay Leaves
6 Fresh Basil Leaves
2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a sauce pot, saute the olive oil, onion, and garlic over medium heat. Sprinkle with Salt & pepper, and stir. Keep stirring until the onion becomes soft, and add the can of sauce. Add very little water (maybe a 1/4 of cup) and mix. Once sauce boils turn heat to low and add bay leaves, basil, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Gamberetti Grigliato-Grilled Shrimp

1 Pound of Shrimp--Peeled and Deveined
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
4 or more Cloves of Garlic--Crushed(I used about 10)
Salt and pepper
Fresh Chopped Parsley

Set your grill on high and allow to warm.

Crush the garlic in a small bowl, and cover with extra virgin olive oil. (You can do this ahead of time to give the oil, more garlic flavor.)

Once the grill is hot, place the shrimp, flat on the grill and let cook for about three minutes. Flip the shrimp onto the other side. Grill until shrimp is firm and has an orangish color.

Place cooked shrimp in a bowl, and spoon the garlic and oil mixture over the shrimp. Use all of the garlic, and you can decide how much of the oil you want to use. Add a splash of red wine vinegar. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper, add the chopped parsley and mix well.