Dads Cook – Braciole

9 years ago From The Kitchen

My husband loves making this recipe on a long afternoon, watching football in the kitchen, fireplace aglow.  He usually doubles or triples it to freeze for meals later on.

You will need:

2 cloves  garlic peeled and minced
1/2 bunch  flat leaf parsley stemmed and minced
2  large eggs
3 Tbsp  golden raisins
2 Tbsp  shredded pecorino-romano cheese
1/2 cup  seasoned bread crumbs
3 Tbsp  toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb  ground beef
2 pkgs (1-1 1/2 lbs each)  Top Round Beef Cutlets
flour
2 Tbsp  olive oil
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 jars (24 oz each)  good marinara sauce

You’ll Need: Braising pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  1. Prepare filling: Add garlic, parsley, eggs, raisins, cheese, bread crumbs, pine nuts, salt and pepper to ground beef. Mix well with hands until well-blended.
  2. Lay cutlets flat on work surface. Place about 1/3 cup filling on lower 1/3 of cutlet. Roll up cutlets; season with salt and pepper. Dust with pan-searing flour; pat off excess.
  3. Heat oil in large braising pan on MEDIUM-HIGH, until oil faintly smokes. Add beef rolls, seam-side down, to pan. Turn over when meat changes color one-quarter of way up and seared side has turned paper-bag brown, about 3-4 min. Sear other side about 2 min, until brown. Remove from pan.
  4. Remove excess drippings from pan, leaving about 1 Tbsp in pan. Lower heat to MEDIUM; add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Add tomato sauce; stir to combine.
  5. Return meat to pan. Bring liquid to 180-degree simmer; check using thermometer. Cover; place in oven. Braise 2 hours, until meat is very tender.

Serve with pasta and a green salad. Enjoy!

Adorable cookies

9 years ago From The Kitchen

It’s starting to truly feel like we are into the holiday season.  I presented my children with these adorable cookies when they came home today.  No, I didn’t bake them, but once again, arrange on a cute platter, serve some hot chocolate or tea and you’ve satisfied all their desires, I’m sure!

Cooking the perfect turkey

9 years ago From The Kitchen
Picture credit to Thepioneerwoman.com
(only because I keep forgetting to take a picture of mine!!).

I enjoy cooking a small turkey several times during the winter season. I think so many people are daunted at the thought of cooking a turkey because of all the hype surrounding it out there!  I’ve been cooking turkeys since my teens.  Yes, my mother allowed me to take over the Thanksgiving dinner back then, because a.) she really didn’t love to cook, b.) I loved to cook and had a pretty good success record, and finally, c.) who was I going to let down after-all? It was all family and mostly my brothers who would have probably eaten anything disguised as a turkey!  OK, truthfully, I have cooked many a turkey in my day and here are my simple (emphasis simple) techniques for cooking the perfect juicy turkey any day of the year!!

Most importantly, clean your bird.  Whether fresh or frozen, wash the bird on the outside and inside, drain, pat dry with paper towels* and place in pre-greased roasting pan*.  If you are stuffing your turkey, do that now, if not, follow along.  Once stuffed, legs tied and pinned to keep stuffing in, place the bird breast side up in the roasting pan.  Rub the breast and top of the turkey liberally with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Now, here is the critical part.  Pull out the aluminum foil.  Make a piece large enough to cover the turkey with room to spare on all sides.  Place two pieces of foil side by side on the counter, fold over the seams to make it air-tight.   Lightly oil the side that will contact the turkey, cover with the foil and pinch all the sides around and over the edge of the roasting pan to create a very tight seal.

Slide the turkey into a pre-heated 325F. oven and roast according weight and time.

I usually roast a 16-18lb. stuffed bird approx. 4-5 hours.  Do follow the time recommendations, then, about one hour prior to the bird being fully cooked, uncover and begin basting approx. every 10-15 minutes with pan juices, there should be significant juices.  When golden brown, remove from oven and lightly tent with foil and allow to sit for approx. 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and transfer onto a platter.  Turkey will be succulent and unbelievably juicy.  This method hasn’t failed me in over 20 years.  I can’t wait to get your feedback.

*please remember to decontaminate your surfaces from raw meat juices, such as the sink. I like to use a little bleach for this.

*also, I like to emphasize using a real roasting pan.  Foil pans can cook unevenly and more hot which will affect your outcome.  Also they are unstable with weight in them.  If you must use a foil pan, try putting it into a roasting pan as a liner.

German inspired fall dinner

9 years ago From The Kitchen

On a bleak late-fall day, I decided to make a delicious german inspired dinner.  A real crowd pleaser at my home, and helps to chase away the chill.  Here is my menu suggestion:

Kielbasa with German Sauerkraut (recipe to follow)

Whole oven baked sweet potatoes (baked like a traditional baked potatoe)

Spaetzle

Applesauce

Serve a warm apple crisp for dessert

Sauerkraut is such a great “cold weather” food.  Prepared as follows it is more than a side dish, it creates just the right pairing for the Kielbasa. This recipe takes the pungency out of the sauerkraut.  If you’re not a big fan, I urge you to try.  You will need:

1 1lb. bag or can of sauerkraut, drained but not rinsed

3 tbsp butter

1 onion roughly chopped

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1 medium apple peeled and diced

1 1/2 tsp. caraway seed

1/2 tsp. celery seed

2 tbsp. german style stone ground mustard

1 tbsp gravy master*

1 ring kielbasa of your own preference

In a large fry pan over medium heat saute the onions and garlic in the butter.  Add the apple and cook a bit more, until onions and apple are soft.  Add in the caraway and celery seed, stir in the mustard and the gravy master*.  The consistency will be soft and very dark.  Mix in the drained sauerkraut until well combined.  Place the kielbasa on top of the sauerkraut and cover.  Lower the heat and allow to cook for approx. 30 minutes or until the kielbasa is heated through.

*If you cannot find ‘gravy master’, you can replace any dark gravy mix, preferably not with too much liquid.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

9 years ago From The Kitchen

It’s a tradition at our home to toast pumpkin seeds after carving our Jack-O-Lanterns.  So simple and healthy too.

You will need:

pumpkin seeds (at least 3 cups)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon McCormick’s Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning.

salt and pepper to taste

Clean and wash pumpkins seeds removed from pumpkins. Place in a colander to remove excess moisture. Place in a large bowl and add olive oil and seasonings, mix well.  Spread onto a non-stick cookie sheet and roast in a 350F oven until lightly browned.  Be sure to check occasionally and mix them up so that they toast evenly.  Allow to cool and enjoy.

Baked Apples

9 years ago From The Kitchen

 

 

Here’s a recipe that is not only delicious and fresh tasting, but easy enough to have the kids assemble, or at least help out with!  The ingredients are not measured as I make them per apple according to desired taste. I bake my apples in specially designed apple bakers – a ceramic dish with a spike in the middle that holds the apple upright*, however, they can just as easily be baked in a small casserole or other oven safe dish.

You will need:

apples (however many desired – one per person) cored and peeled leaving one strip of peel around the middle.  Preferably cortlands or macintosh.

brown sugar

cinnamon and nutmeg

butter

oatmeal

maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350F. If using ‘apple bakers’, place each apple in an apple baking dish, otherwise place the apples side by side in a small casserole or other baking dish.  Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the tops.  Fill each apple core with brown sugar and pack down, then top with a pat of butter.  Combine oatmeal and more butter to create a loose crumble. Place about a tablespoon of this mixture on top of each apple. Pour a small amount, about 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over each apple (it will roll off as well as soak into the brown sugar). Place the apples into the oven and bake for approx 45 min.  Keep an eye on them, depending on the type of apple you use, they could over-bake and fall apart.  Take out, allow to cool slightly.  Drizzle with some more maple syrup. Serve warm with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

* You can find apple bakers on my shop The Hive Shop. See the link on this page.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

10 years ago From The Kitchen
stuffed and ready for the oven

Once autumn comes around, my family requests this recipe time and time again.  These can be served two different ways as shown above.  If you use a small sized squash, they make adorable single sized portions – perfect for entertaining, otherwise larger sizes can be cut in half and served as shown on the right. You can also use buttercup squash.

2 medium to large sized acorn squash, washed and cut as desired (see above), seeds cleaned out. If you choose to make the individual sizes be sure to cut a thin slice off the bottoms so the squash will stand upright.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp garlic

1/2 6oz. can tomato paste

1 tbsp fresh or dried parseley

1/2 tbsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the squash in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for approx. 7-8 minutes or until slightly tender.  Remove and cool.  Meanwhile brown the ground beef and the onions simultaneously until cooked through and onions softened.  Add the garlic and continue to cook. Add the tomato paste and the seasonings and cook for another 10 minutes to mix all ingredients.  Place the squash in a casserole dish. Fill all the halves with the meat mixture, let the excess spill over and around the squash.  Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes.  Optional – sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

 

Corn Chowder

10 years ago From The Kitchen

I’ve learned never to throw away that left over corn on the cob.  Cut it off the cob and freeze for another day.  A drizzly bleak fall afternoon calling for an easy and fulfilling dinner is just the perfect use…..corn chowder.

5-6 slices of bacon

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 medium yukon gold potatoes – unpeeled and diced

2-3 cups of fresh or frozen corn

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1/8 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp italian seasoning

3 Cups chicken stock

1/2 pint half and half

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot (preferably cast iron dutch oven), render the bacon.  Set aside to cool and coarsely chop.  Drain off most of the fat.  Add the butter to the pot and slowly saute the garlic, onion and bell pepper.   Add the potatoes and continue to saute on medium low heat to keep the potatoes from sticking.  When potatoes have browned slightly add the corn and bacon, stir in the flour to coat all the vegetables well.  Add the seasonings and slowly add the chicken stock, stir well.  Cover and cook on medium low heat for approx. 45 minutes stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender and soup has thickened slightly.  Reduce heat to low.  Add the half and half and season with salt and pepper. Do not allow to boil.  Heat through and serve.

Caramel Apples

10 years ago From The Kitchen

Even though I realize our country faces a childhood obesity problem, I still uphold the practice of everything in moderation.  I also feel that children should enjoy the things that are so fundamentally American.  One of these is caramel apples.  Think about it, whether you loved them or not, aren’t they just a part of fall?!  So appetizing to look at and to eat.  Welcome your children off the bus with a plate of these waiting for them.  After all, there is an apple in there as well!

Fried Green Tomatoes

10 years ago From The Kitchen

 

6-8 small to medium green tomatoes, tops and bottoms removed, sliced 1/2″ thick

1 Cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 Cup yellow cornmeal

2 tbsp. flour

2 eggs, beaten

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Place the sliced tomatoes on a wire rack over a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.  Allow to sit for 1/2 hour to drain excess moisture.  Combine the breadcrumbs, cornmeal and flour in a bowl.  Dip each slice of tomato in the beaten eggs and then in the breadcrumb mixture to coat well.  Place in a fry pan coated lightly with olive oil.  Repeat this with all the tomatoes.  Fry on medium heat until browned, turn over and brown on other side, add a small amount of oil to the pan if needed.  Serve immediately.

I like to serve these with a side of remoulade sauce.