Spaghetti and Meatballs February 11, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Rao’s Spaghetti and Meatballs 2015-02-10 10:59:18 Print Marinara Sauce 3 28-Ounce Cans Italian Plum Tomatoes, whole or crushed (Recommend San Marzano) 1/2 cup olive oil 6 cloves garlic (lightly smashed) 1 T. plus 2 t. kosher salt 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 t. fresh ground black pepper 1/4 t. dried oregano Meatballs 1/2 pound ground beef 1/2 pound ground pork 1/2 pound ground veal 1 T. kosher salt 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced, plus 1 clove garlic, lightly smashed. 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup finely grated imported Locatelli Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano (or half and half); more for serving 1 1/2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs 1 1/2 cups water 1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 cup olive oil or vegetable oil; more as needed 1 pound dried spaghetti 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil Marinara If you’re using whole tomatoes, put them in a large bowl and crush them with your hands. Discard any cores. In a 7-quart or larger saucepot, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly golden brown, about two minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour; the sauce will reduce and thicken slightly but shouldn’t get too thick. Stir in the basil, pepper and oregano. Proceed with the spaghetti and meatballs recipe, or let cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Meatballs Start making the marinara sauce. While it’s simmering, make the meatballs. Break up the ground meat into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, minced garlic, eggs, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, water, and parsley. Mix with your hands until everything is nicely distributed, but don’t over-mix. Shape into twelve meatballs by gently scooping up a handful of meat and rolling it into a nice even ball; each meatball should weigh about 4 ounces and be about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil and the lightly smashed garlic clove over medium heat. (If your skillet is larger than 10 inches, you’ll need to add more oil; there should be enough to come about halfway up the sides of the meatballs). When the garlic is lightly browned, the oil should be hot enough to start frying. (Remove the garlic from the oil once it becomes fully browned) Gently set six of the meatballs in the oil and fry until they’re lightly browned on the bottom half, 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully turn them over using a slotted spatula and brown the other side. Drain the meatballs on a few paper towels to soak up excess oil. Fry the remaining six meatballs the same way. When the marinara has finished its initial simmer and you’ve seasoned it, add the meatballs to the simmering sauce and cover the pot. Simmer them together for 30 minutes to let the sauce permeate the meatballs and the meat flavor infuse the sauce. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the meatballs and sauce have been simmering for about 20 minutes, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and boil until it’s just about al dente. When the spaghetti is done, drain it and return it to the pot it was cooked in. Add the chopped fresh basil and a couple of ladlefuls of the marinara sauce to the spaghetti. Put the pot over high heat and, with a wooden spoon or tongs, constantly toss the pasta until each piece is coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving bowls and ladle more sauce over the spaghetti, along with two to three meatballs (or transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and set it on the table). Serve with grated cheese. By Diane Sibon Adapted from Frank Pellegrino - Rao's Restaurant Adapted from Frank Pellegrino - Rao's Restaurant Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Roasted Vegetable Tart with Toasted Quinoa Crust February 10, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Roasted Vegetable Tart with Toasted Quinoa Crust 2015-02-10 11:16:45 Print Ingredients 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa 2 T. chopped fresh parsley ½ cup quinoa flour 1 T. finely minced shallot ½ cup almond meal ½ t. coarsely ground pepper 1 T. cornstarch 3 oz. goat cheese, softened ¼ t. kosher salt 2 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 T. olive oil 1 T. balsamic glaze 1 large egg, beaten 2 cups chopped leftover roasted vegetables (such as carrots, squash, parsnips, beets, fennel, onions) Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the uncooked quinoa in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Quinoa will make a light popping sound when the toasting begins. You want this sound for about a minute or two. Let cool. In a bowl mix the toasted quinoa, quinoa flour, almond meal, cornstarch and salt. Add oil and egg; stir until mixture is crumbly but holds together when pressed. Press into bottom and sides of a 4x13 inch removable bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp; cool completely on a wire rack. While crust cools, combine chopped parsley, shallot, black pepper, cream cheese and goat cheese, stirring until smooth; spread evenly in bottom of crust. Arrange vegetables evenly over cheese mixture, top with torn parsley leaves. Remove tart from pan; drizzle with balsamic glaze. By Maureen McHugh Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
For the Love of Snow Days by Carolyn Raber February 9, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment The earliest I can recollect the term “snow days,” meaning that a huge amount of snow closed the schools, was in the ‘60s, when a huge blizzard paralyzed the Midwest for days. As a younger child, schools were never closed for snow, so being home on a “snow day” was cause for finding creative ways to fill the time. The options then, as today, were countless; being outside enjoying all the white stuff, catching up with the neighbors while shoveling, and cleaning closets and other indoors tasks that we never quite find the time to do. Personally, I have come to love these days, as they elevate the idea of cocooning to a heightened joy. There’s something quite wonderful about being stuck at home…a peaceful, cozy feeling. What I most enjoy doing on snow days is taking inventory of my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to see what comfort foods I can make.My priorities are a bread, a long cooking main dish, and a delectable dessert. These are the days that I ignore my usual healthy eating recipes and rules and just enjoy the experience. A favorite recipe from my childhood, my mother’s oven beef stew, is actually very healthy, plus it is super easy. It can be accompanied by bread, dumplings, biscuits, noodles, rice, potatoes – whatever I can make without a trip to the store. I look forward to the next snow day when I can break my rules and totally immerse myself in the kitchen. Oven Beef Stew 2015-02-09 09:19:17 Print Ingredients 1 lb. stew beef, cut into bite size pieces 4-5 carrots, large slices 3-4 stalks celery, large slices 2 medium onions, rough chop 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 T. tapioca 1 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 1 bay leaf Instructions Combine all ingredients together in Dutch oven. Place in 325 oven for 2 hours. Notes This is a basic recipe. If you are making this on a snow day, and you assess your food on hand, you can substitute, add, or eliminate ingredients . Bon appétit! By Carolyn Raber Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cake with Cherries February 4, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cake with Cherries 2015-02-03 11:32:15 Both Dana and Teri love this quick cake. Print Ingredients 1 3/4 cups boiling water 1 cup McCann’s Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter 3 large eggs 1 3 /4 cups flour 1 t. baking soda 1 T. baking cocoa 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup cherries*, chopped 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal; let stand for about 10 minutes. Add the sugars and butter. Stir until butter melts. Add the eggs and mix in well. Mix in flour, baking soda and baking cocoa. Now add about half of the semi-sweet chocolate chips and all the cherries. Mix. Pour batter into greased and floured 9" x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle walnuts (if using) and remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Notes *You can use dried, canned or frozen cherries By McCann's Irish Oatmeal Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Pan-seared Tuna with Avocado, Lime, Soy and Ginger February 3, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Pan-seared Tuna with Avocado, Lime, Soy & Ginger 2015-02-03 10:56:49 Print Ingredients 2 big handfuls fresh cilantro, finely chopped ½ jalapeno, sliced 1 t. grated fresh ginger 1 garlic clove, grated 2 limes, juiced 2 T. soy sauce pinch sugar salt and pepper ¼ cup EVOO 1 6 ounce block sushi-quality tuna 1 ripe avocado, sliced Instructions In a mixing bowl, combine cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir together until well incorporated. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Pour ½ of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish. Serve the seared tuna with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate. By Deb Forkins Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/