Rao’s Meatballs and Marinara Sauce

From the NYTimes, a simple and delicious recipe. I do not eat veal so I used ground beef and ground pork in the meatball recipe. The Pecorino Romano cheese is light and delicious. I used homemade fresh breadcrumbs that I had in the freezer and only needed 1/4 cup of the water. I refrigerated the meatballs for 30 minutes before sautéing and finished heating them up in the sauce. This would be a great meal for a party as you could make it ahead and serve with pasta or focaccia and a salad.

Marinara Sauce

• ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces salt pork, thinly sliced ( I used pancetta which I cooked and removed)
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 28-ounce cans imported Italian crushed tomatoes
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces
• Pinch of dried oregano
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground lean beef (80%/20%)
• ½ pound ground veal (see note above)
• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1½ tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or use oil as needed for frying
• 1 clove garlic, lightly smashed
• Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, ½ cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1½ -inch meatballs.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.

Roasted Fish with Cherry Tomatoes

From Lidey Heuck, NY Times food writer, who has fabulous recipes. She was Ina Garten’s assistant for years and is out on her own now with a cookbook coming soon. This is an easy, delicious recipe-I used cod but halibut would work or any other mild white fish. I love the little bit of honey and sherry vinegar that cooks with the tomatoes, shallots and garlic before adding the fish.

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 (6-ounce) skin-on mild white fish fillets, such as cod or halibut
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (from about ½ lemon)
• Chopped fresh basil, for serving
• Chopped fresh mint, for serving

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes, shallots and garlic in a 9-by-13-inch nonreactive baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over the tomatoes and toss to combine. Roast until the tomatoes have collapsed and the shallots are translucent, about 15 minutes.
2. While the tomatoes roast, pat the fish dry with paper towels, brush all over with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Toss the tomatoes, move them to the sides of the dish and place the fish fillets, evenly spaced, in the center. Roast until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the entire dish with the lemon zest, basil and mint. Serve the fish with the tomatoes, spooning any remaining juices on top.

Braised Pork All’Arrabbiata

From The NY Times Ali Slagle who also has written a new cookbook, I Dream of Dinner, which is very good. This is a simple recipe that in my mind is a showstopper. The house smelled so good while it cooked in the oven for 3 hours. I actually reheated it this morning so I could shred the meat and it smelled so good!! I was amazed at the depth of flavor-the basil springs, wine, tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes really all come through. Slow roasted pork has become one of my favorites! You can serve this with pasta or polenta. I may eat it all before I cook the pasta!

• 2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than 1/4-inch fat
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 ½ teaspoons red-pepper flakes
• 3 (14-ounce) cans fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 cup red wine
• 5 basil sprigs
• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the pork shoulder and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes to the oil and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, red wine and basil. Stir to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cover, then transfer to the oven and cook until the pork falls apart when prodded with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Working directly in the pot, use two forks to shred the meat into long bite-size pieces. Stir the pork into the tomato sauce until it’s evenly distributed. Ragù will keep refrigerated for 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Truffle Mac and Cheese

From the wonderful Ina Garten! You can make this recipe ahead and/or in stages. I ordered the truffle butter from Urbani as suggested and it did not disappoint. I used organic soft white bread that I bought at Trader Joe’s to make the bread crumbs. The house smelled fantastic as this baked in the oven. I served it with a simple salad and it was the perfect meal!

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• ½ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced ½ inch thick
• ½ pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced ½ inch thick
• ¼ cup cream sherry, such as Harveys Bristol Cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cavatappi pasta, such as De Cecco
• 4 cups whole milk
• 3 ounces white truffle butter, such as Urbani (order online-its pricey but worth it)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups grated Gruyère cheese (10 ounces)
• 3 cups grated extra-sharp white Cheddar (8 ounces)
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1½ cups diced white bread, crusts removed
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan, add the mushrooms, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the sherry and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sherry is absorbed. Set aside.

Meanwhile, add a tablespoon of salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

Scald the milk in a medium saucepan. Melt the truffle butter in a large (4-quart) saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly add the scalded milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until thick and creamy. Off the heat, add the Gruyère, Cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, and the nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, the cream sauce, and two-thirds of the mushrooms and pour into a 10 × 13 × 2-inch ovenproof baking dish. Place the bread, garlic, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process to make fine crumbs. Sprinkle the herbed crumbs evenly on the pasta and arrange the remaining mushrooms down the middle.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve hot.

Chicken Pot Pie with Chive Biscuits

I have been following Diane Morrisey on Instagram for at least a year and love so many of her recipes. This is a great one. You can make it ahead up until reheating the chicken mixture in the oven and then making the biscuits and finish cooking it. I used leftover chicken from a whole chicken that I had roasted and made the stock from the carcass and added some vegetables. I did not have all of the herbs or peas but used what I had. A great recipe!

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
3 carrots chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 package biscuits
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. water
*
Preheat oven to 400°.
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat oil and add garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Stir with a wooden spoon until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Add flour and continuously whisk until well incorporated. Slowly whisk in broth and heavy cream until mixture is smooth. Add the fresh herbs.
Add chicken and bring to a boil; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas. Smooth out and bake in 400F oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place biscuits down along rim of the pan.
Bake until biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes
*
Buttermilk Chive Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 stick cold butter diced
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped chives
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
*
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the buttermilk and combine on low speed. Mix in the chives. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out 10 circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Vietnamese Braised Beef

From the wonderful David Tanis of The NY Times. The smells from the stew as it cooks perfumes the house with wonderful scents. You can serve it with carrots, potatoes and bok choy, over rice or with a crispy baguette. It would be great for a dinner party as you can easily make it ahead and reheat. The herb garnishes are gorgeous and delicious. I processed the ginger, garlic and lemon grass together.

FOR THE MARINADE:
2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce, such as Red Boat
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE BRAISE:
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 large shallots or 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped tomato, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass, tender center only
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon annatto powder (optional)
4 star anise pods
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, or substitute cassia bark
1 or 2 Serrano or Thai chiles, stem on, split lengthwise
1 ½ pounds medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
1 cup cilantro sprigs, for garnish
½ cup mint leaves, for garnish
½ cup small basil leaves, preferably Thai, for garnish

Make the marinade: Stir together fish sauce, sugar, ginger, 5-spice powder and pepper.
Put beef in a large bowl, add marinade and massage into meat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, or longer if time permits (may be wrapped and refrigerated overnight if desired).
Put oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, fry the beef cubes in small batches, taking care not to crowd them, until nicely browned. When all beef is browned, return chunks to pot. Add shallots, stir to combine and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
Add tomato, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, salt and annatto, if using, and stir well to coat, then add star anise, cinnamon and chile. Cover with 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover with lid ajar and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
Add carrots to pot and cook 15 minutes more. Skim fat from surface of broth as necessary (or refrigerate overnight and remove congealed fat before reheating).
To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, mint and basil.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

I have an abundance of tomatoes this year because we got snow at the end of May and I was not sure my plants would survive the weather (but they did!) so I double planted! I used what I had that was ripe and needed to be used. My yield was 1.5 cups of sauce and it is the sweetest, velvety sauce ever!! I caramelized some fennel and onion to go with it tomorrow but it would be fine on it’s own. From the NY Times

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced (to taste)
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill, peeled, seeded, and diced if you don’t
⅛ teaspoon sugar
2 sprigs of fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt
1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper

In a wide, nonstick frying pan, or in a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil or thyme sprig, and salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon and add more later), and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thick. Pulpy tomatoes like romas will usually take 20 to 30 minutes. However, if the tomatoes are very juicy, it will take longer for them to cook down. The longer you cook the sauce, the sweeter it will be. You can speed up the process by turning up the heat, but stir often so the sauce doesn’t scorch. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the slivered fresh basil and some freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
If using quartered tomatoes, put through the medium blade of a food mill. If you used peeled seeded tomatoes but want a sauce with a smooth, even texture, remove the basil sprigs and discard. Pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Asian Meal

This is a fairly easy menu to put together as long as you have prepped your ingredients. The fried rice recipe and the spicy cabbage recipe both come from the NY Times.

The Asian roast pork tenderloin is from a previous blog of mine I think I would cut the pork tenderloin into larger pieces than in this picture-more like the ones on my original recipe.
Fried Rice
3 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
1 cup peas (defrost if frozen)
1 tablespoon minced ginger, or to taste
3 to 4 cups cooked white rice, cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup Shaoxing wine, or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup minced cilantro or scallions

Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or a large skillet, and turn heat to high. When it begins to shimmer, add onion, pepper and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables to a bowl.
Drain peas if necessary, and add them to skillet; cook, shaking pan, for about a minute, or until hot. Remove them to the bowl.
Put remaining oil in the skillet, followed by garlic and ginger. When the mixture is fragrant, about 15 seconds later, add the rice, breaking up clumps with a spoon as you go along and tossing it with oil. When the rice is well coated, make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Scramble these, then stir into the rice.
Return vegetables to the skillet and stir to integrate. Add wine or water and cook, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off heat, stir in the cilantro and serve.

Spicy Cabbage
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 star anise, broken in half
2 teaspoons soy sauce (more to taste)
2 tablespoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 small cabbage, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds, quartered, cored and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch shreds
1 medium carrot, cut into julienne
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons minced chives, Chinese chives or cilantro

Combine the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and star anise in a small bowl. Combine the soy sauce and wine or sherry in another small bowl.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and tilting it back and forth. Add the garlic, ginger, pepper flakes and star anise. Stir-fry for a few seconds, just until fragrant, then add the cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry for one to two minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt, then add the salt and wine/soy sauce mixture. Cover and cook over high heat for one minute until just wilted. Uncover and stir-fry for another 30 seconds, then stir in the chives or cilantro and remove from the heat. The cabbage should be crisp-tender. Serve with rice or noodles.
Tip
Advance preparation: This is a last minute stir-fry, but you can have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go several hours ahead of cooking.

Ina’s Beef Bourguignon

I think this is as good as Eric Ripert’s Beef Bourguignon that I have posted previously and less work. It is best to make it a day or two ahead as it really benefits from resting. I don’t add the onions, mushrooms or flour until I reheat it to serve. It is time consuming to brown all of the meat and vegetables but worth the effort.

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving: I like either tiny potatoes or egg noodles or mashed potatoes but Ina likes Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

Buttermilk Roasted Chicken

Have you heard of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat? It is a wonderful new cookbook with excellent instructions and information about food by Samin Nosrat. There is also a Netflix four part series on this that is fabulous! The buttermilk and salt marinade act like a brine and the chicken is very tender and golden brown. This is a very easy recipe to prep ahead and have ready to go-a no brainer!

3 1/2 to 4 pound whole chicken
salt
2 c. buttermilk (you can substitute yogurt or creme fraiche)

The day before you want to serve the chicken, remove the wing tips and season with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes. Stir either 2T. kosher salt or 4t. sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place chicken in gallon(or 2 gallon size) zip loc plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. Seal it and squish the buttermilk about the chicken. Place on a plate and refrigerate overnight. Over the next 24 hours, turn the bag so every part of the chicken gets well marinated.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees with oven rack in the center position.
Remove chicken from bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tie the legs with a piece of butcher’s twine. Place chicken in a 10″ skillet or shallow roasting pan.
Slide the pan to the back of the oven so that the legs are pointing to the back left corner of oven. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and cook for 10 minutes. Turn legs to the right corner of the oven and cook for 30 minutes or so. Cook until the juices run clear between the leg and thigh. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving and serving.