Category Archives: Dinner

Pot Roast

12 Monday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

  • 1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • All-purpose flour
  • Good olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots) or 1-2 bags small carrots
  • 1/2 to 1 cups chopped onions  
  • 1/2 to 1 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1-2 cups good red wine
  • 1 tablespoons Cognac or brandy (optional)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree or diced
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 3 branches fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and butter. Add to the thyme to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the thyme and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer 1/3 the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. If you need to thicken sauce you can place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

Mac & Cheese

12 Monday Dec 2011

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Ingredients:Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it’s bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Turkey Cutlets Milanese with Salad

12 Monday Dec 2011

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Ingredients:

3/4 c Fine fresh bread crumbs

3/4 c Finely-shredded Parmesan
1 1/2 tb olive oil
1 ts Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 pt Red cherry tomatoes; halved
Lemon wedges
Discarded; leaves washed

=== FOR SALAD ===

Salt; and also

1 bn Arugula; coarse stems
1/4 c Thinly-sliced red onion
1/8 ts Salt
All-purpose flour; seasoned
2 tb olive oil
3/4 lb Turkey cutlets -; (abt 1/4″
Black Pepper freshly ground

=== FOR TURKEY CUTLETS ===

2 lg EGGS

=== ACCOMPANIMENT ===

Preparation:

Make turkey cutlets: Pat turkey dry and spread seasoned flour on a plate.  In a small shallow bowl beat eggs lightly and in another small shallow bowl  stir together bread crumbs and Parmesan. Dredge cutlets in flour, shaking  off excess, and dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Coat cutlets with  bread crumb mixture and put on a waxed paper-lined tray. Chill cutlets 15  minutes. In a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately-high heat  until hot but not smoking and saute cutlets 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each  side, or until golden and just cooked through. Remove skillet from heat.  Make salad: In a bowl combine arugula, onion and cherry tomato halves and  drizzle with oil, tossing to coat. Add lemon juice and salt and toss well.  Transfer cutlets with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain briefly  and arrange on plates. Top cutlets with salad and serve with lemon wedge.  This recipe yields 2 servings.   

CHICKEN YUMSTICKS

12 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in Dinner, Kids Lunches, Recipes

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These drumsticks, which have a flavorful coating of spiced bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, are perfect lunch-box finger food. You can make sure the chicken stays cold until lunchtime rolls around by packing it with a frozen juice box or a freezer “blue ice.”

Ingredients
1/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. black pepper
8 chicken drumsticks
1/3 cup plain yogurt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly butter a baking sheet. In a shallow dish or pie plate, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and pepper.

Using a pastry brush, carefully coat each drumstick with the plain yogurt. Next, roll the drumsticks in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Arrange the drumsticks on the prepared sheet.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork.
Cover the drumsticks with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Makes 8 drumsticks.

Meatballs in Cream Sauce

12 Monday Dec 2011

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OK you are going to think this is just way to easy for something oh so yummy…

For the Cream sauce…

·        Put some olive oil in the pan

·        Put the meat balls in the pan (after they are cooked) or just dump the frozen ones in from the bag.

·        Then put some beef broth in the pan and cover. Let them get all warmed up and happy.

·        Then put in some heavy cream

·        Sprinkle in some Dill Weed

·        And about 1 -2 tablespoons of butter

  Let them simmer up and things and get all creamy and happy and eat. Enjoy on pasta, potatoes, alone, on creamy polenta.

For the meatball…

·        Frozen meatballs (how ever many you want)

·        Costco has these meatballs in the meat section that are chicken & have pineapple in them they are amazing.

·        You can make your own

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed

  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves

  • 1 cup milk

  • 4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground pork

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks

Directions

          Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.Pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add that to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. (Hang onto the pan – you’ll need it to cook the meatballs.) Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don’t overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape them into 10 nice looking meatballs.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Heat a 3-count of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Company Pot Roast

10 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in Dinner, Recipes

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Ingredients

  • 1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • All-purpose flour
  • Good olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
  • 2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
  • 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
  • 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
  • 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
  • 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 3 branches fresh thyme
  • 2 branches fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
  • Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.
  • Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.
  • Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.