Domestifluff : Food, Craft, Etc. » Main Dishes

Classic Brooklyn-Italian Meat Sauce

Kristen — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:00:25 +0000

I’m not from Brooklyn, and I’m actually not even Italian, though I did grow up in a place where 75% or more of the population had at least some Italian heritage, but I’d like to think that all of those years of eating delicious spaghetti dinners at the local Sons of Italy have given me at least a decent ability to tell a good sauce from a not so good one. And, in my not-Italian-but-Italian-food-loving opinion, this is a very good sauce. Actually, it’s more like liquid meat with a little bit of sauce in it. The recipe is a descendant of Bolognese sauce, which I also love, but instead of containing a variety of meats, it only calls for ground beef.

It takes a little time to make this sauce, but time is key, as the 1 1/2 hour cooking time (and all that beef) is what gives this recipe its deep, hearty flavor. Spoon some over any type of pasta (my favorite gluten free brand is Tinkyada), and you’ll have yourself a very filling meal. I make the full recipe, which is pretty large, and freeze leftover sauce for later. Or I halve the recipe to make a smaller batch if I don’t have room in the freezer.

This recipe is from a David Rosengarten’s cookbook, It’s All American Food, and I really haven’t changed a thing about the recipe because it’s great as is. I’m so looking forward to trying another of the sauce recipes in the Italian chapter of the book: The Four-Hour Epic Sauce : Grandma’s Long-Cooked Tomato Gravy. Is it even possible that this sauce won’t be awesome?

Classic Brooklyn-Italian Meat Sauce
from It’s All American Food by David Rosengarten
yields approximately 3 quarts

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 cup finely minced garlic
1/2 lb. Onions, peeled and finely minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely minced
1 stalk celery, finely minced
3 lbs. Ground beef
salt and pepper to taste (I use at least 1 tsp. salt)
2 (28 oz.) cans tomatoes in juice
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar or xylitol
2 Tbsp. Dried oregano

Directions

1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the minced carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 minutes.

2. Push vegetables to one side of the pot and add about one third of the ground beef. Salt to taste, and cook until the meat starts to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Stir the beef occasionally, breaking it into small pieces as you do. Push it to the side with the vegetables and repeat the browning process with the second third of the beef. After that starts to brown, push it to the side and repeat the process one more time for the remainder of the beef. When all of the beef is cooked, mix all of the meat and vegetables together.

3. Add the tomatoes with their juice to the meat/vegetable mixture. Add the tomato paste, oregano, and sugar/xylitol and mix well. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes against the side of the pot as you stir. Note: If you’re making a half recipe, you may have to add a little bit (about ¼ cup or so) of water toward the end of the cooking time because the sauce tends to become overly thick. It shouldn’t be an issue if you’re making the full recipe.

4. When the sauce has finished cooking, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or cool and freeze.

Gluten Free Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables

Kristen — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:12:05 +0000

I always feel like I’m getting away with something when I make a dish that tastes like it should have a bazillion calories, but there’s no butter, cream, cheese, or bacon to be found in the ingredient list. I spotted this creamy garlic pasta recipe in the June issue of Eating Well, and it’s both tasty and quick to make (less quick if you’re deveining the shrimp yourself), a great combination for a weeknight dinner. The yogurt adds a nice tang to the creamy, garlicky sauce, and loads of veggies make it a fresh-tasting, nutritious dish. I’d describe it as a cross between fettuccine alfredo and pasta primavera, with shrimp (always a welcome addition, in my book) thrown in for good measure.

Gluten Free Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables
adapted from Eating Well, June 2010
recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

6 ounces gluten free spaghetti
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Liberally salt the water and add spaghetti. Cook until the pasta has about 3 minutes until it’s al dente, and add shrimp, asparagus, bell pepper, and peas. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the shrimp are cooked through, about 2-4 minutes more. Drain.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together grated garlic, salt, pepper, yogurt, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add the pasta mixture and toss until pasta and vegetables are thoroughly coated. Serve with pine nuts on top, if using.

Ye Olde Beef Stew

Kristen — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:38:09 +0000

This winter, so far, has been more than a little unusual. It’s been strange to be in New England looking at weather maps and watching everywhere from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., and even the deep south get inches upon inches of snow as we sit here looking at bare earth and brown trees. But I can’t complain too much, as the roads have been perfectly clear! And, hey, it’s still cold, so perfect beef stew weather.

This recipe from Paula Deen has been my go to beef stew recipe for a while, and I think it’s great because it’s pretty hands off. I usually get the beef simmering, cut up the vegetables to add later (wait to cut the potatoes), and then go do whatever for an hour and a half. I have found that I need about twice the liquid called for in the recipe because the two cups originally called for boil almost completely away by the time I add the vegetables. This may be my stove (ick, electric), so you may find that you need to do this, too, or you may find that there’s no need. Instead of water, I use beef stock for added flavor — Kitchen Basics is my favorite brand. And I add extra veggies, too, because I was finding that we’d run out of veggies well before the beef. The recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce, which does typically contain high fructose corn syrup, but you can leave it out if you’re not comfortable with it and use liquid aminos, instead, to add flavor.

Old Time Beef Stew
adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients

2 lbs. stew beef, cubed
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 cups beef stock
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (or liquid aminos)
1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sweetener (xylitol, sugar, etc.)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
a dash of ground allspice
4 large carrots, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 Yukon Gold or new potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Add vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven and brown the meat over medium high heat.

2. Add 2 cups of the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Remove the bay leaves and garlic clove, and add remaining beef stock, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cover and simmer for another 30-45 minutes.

4. To thicken the gravy, remove 1 cup of hot liquid. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water and stir until smooth. Mix with the hot liquid and return the mixture to the pot. Stir and cook until bubbly and thickened.

Shrimp Curry with Coconut Rice

Kristen — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:38:24 +0000

These days, I order most of my spices from Penzey’s, and a big thank you to Alton Brown and Good Eats for introducing me to this place. Penzey’s has pretty much every spice you can imagine, and I can really taste the difference between the quality in their spices and those that I pick up at the grocery store. I also appreciate the great prices that they have on bulk spices like ground ginger, cinnamon, and chili powder, which I seem to use by the bucketful.

Every season, I look forward to receiving the Penzey’s Spices catalog (you can read it online, too), not just because I love looking through all of the different spices and flavorings, but also because every catalog includes several recipes sent in by Penzey’s customers. Each recipe includes a heartwarming story that tells how a particular dish, dessert, or what have you became a part of the person’s life. I think that most of us can relate closely to these stories, as food is so much a part of all of our lives, and we all have recipes that are special to us.

The most recent Penzey’s catalog had a recipe for shrimp curry, and though I haven’t had much luck with Indian recipes, I had a good feeling about this one. Going with my gut definitely paid off because this curry is absolutely delicious. I shaved a few minutes off of the prep time here and there, and it was still wonderful. Plus, I’m almost giddy because I finally managed to concoct a coconut rice recipe that rivals the rice that I had years ago and have been trying to duplicate since. This was one of those meals where everything just came together in a magical way, and I know that I’ll be making it again. Next time, I think I’ll try chicken or sweet potato in place of the shrimp because I think that they’d both work well.

Shrimp Curry with Coconut Rice
serves 6-8

Ingredients

FOR THE SHRIMP CURRY
adapted from The Eatons’ Shrimp Curry

2 lbs. shrimp (21-25 count per lb.), peeled and deveined
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3-5 Tbsp. sweet curry powder (add 1-2 Tbsp. hot curry powder for a spicier curry)
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (vinegar will work in a pinch if you don’t have lemons)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat or lite)
1/2 – 1 tsp. kosher salt to taste

FOR THE COCONUT RICE

1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup jasmine rice
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat or lite)
1 tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

1. For the curry: In a large, deep sautee pan, melt the butter and add the onion. Cook over low heat until the onion is soft and transparent, about 10-15 minutes. Add the curry powder and continue to cook on low for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly as the curry forms a paste.

2. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add the tomatoes. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes on low. Add 1/4 of the coconut milk and stir. Add more coconut milk until you are satisfied with the consistency of the curry base. Remember, the shrimp will add some additional liquid. Simmer the mixture for another 10-15 minutes.

3. When ready, bring the curry base to a boil and add the shrimp. Stir constantly to ensure that the shrimp cooks evenly for 6-8 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve over rice.

4. For the coconut rice: In a medium saucepan over low heat, add olive oil and onion and cook until soft and transparent, about 10-15 minutes. Add the rice, chicken stock, coconut milk, and salt and stir. Place a lid on the pan and cook on low for 18-20 minutes. Do not remove lid or stir while rice is cooking. Remove from heat and allow to sit, with the lid on, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Chicken Burgers with Spinach and Caramelized Onions

Kristen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:49:10 +0000

Though I have yet to find a great gluten free recipe for burger buns — I’m working on it — I still enjoy a tasty burger. I’ve been experimenting more with ground chicken and turkey, and these chicken burgers with spinach and caramelized oinions have definitely earned their place on my “make again” list. The spinach and onions not only keep the meat nice and moist, but they also bump up the flavor. Add more caramelized onions and a little cheese on top, some rosemary thyme oven fries on the side, and you’ve got a winner!

Chicken Burgers with Spinach and Caramelized Onions
serves 4

Notes: If you don’t have ground chicken, ground turkey makes a great substitute. Add a little garlic, salt, and pepper to the extra spinach for a nice side dish.

Ingredients

1/2 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 large yellow onions, sliced thinly
1 package ground chicken (most packages are 1 1/4 lbs.)
1 tsp. kosher salt + a pinch for the onions
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
cooking spray or additional olive oil
sliced cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare spinach according to package directions. Allow to cool and, using a tea towel, sieve, or just your hands, squeeze any excess water from half of the spinach and set aside.

2. In the meantime, in a large skillet on medium low heat, add the olive oil, sliced onions, and a healthy pinch of kosher salt. Cook the onions, stirring regularly, until brown and caramelized, about 35 minutes. Transfer 1/3 of the onions to a small bowl to cool.

3. In a mixing bowl, add the cooled spinach, cooled 1/3 of the onions, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and ground chicken. Work the mixture with your hands until everything is thoroughly distributed. Portion the mixture into fourths, and make into 3/4 inch thick patties.

4. Spray your skillet lightly with cooking spray, or add 1-2 tsp. of olive oil to prevent the burgers from sticking. On medium high heat, cook the burgers until cooked the entire way through, about 6 minutes per side. Top with the rest of the caramelized onions and add a slice of cheese (optional). Serve immediately.

Quick and Easy Spicy Orange Chicken

Kristen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:16:51 +0000

We return to that magical June 2009 issue of Bon Appetit for this recipe for a “15 minute” spicy orange chicken. Now, I don’t know about 15 minutes — unless they weren’t including prep time — but this is still a very quick recipe compared to my regular go to orange chicken recipe. No messy breading, no deep frying, just a simple orange chicken with a nice flavor payoff for something that takes so little time. I think that it would be even better if you added some garlic and a little fresh ginger.

I guess I dropped the ball until a few months ago with regard to reading the label on my soy sauce, because the Kikkoman (at least) is definitely not gluten free. However, Bragg has a product called Liquid Aminos, which is a gluten free, soy based product and tastes very close to soy sauce. I can find it in the health food aisle at my grocery store, but if you can’t find it at yours then you can probably find it at Whole Foods or GNC, or you can order it online.

Quick and Easy Spicy Orange Chicken
adapted from Spicy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry, Bon Appetit, June 2009

makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3-4 oranges)
3 Tbsp. liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. finely grated orange peel
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small red onion (or 2 shallots), thinly sliced
a large pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 lbs. chicken cutlets or chicken breasts, thinly cut crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips
salt and pepper to taste
1 8 oz. package of snow peas or stringless sugar snap peas

Instructions

1. Prepare rice according to the package directions. Set aside, cover, and keep warm until serving.

2. In the meantime, whisk the orange juice, liquid aminos (or soy sauce), and cornstarch in a medium bowl until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add the orange peel and mix.

3. Heat the canola oil over high heat in a large non-stick skillet or wok. Add onion (or shallots) and crushed red pepper. Stir fry for 1 minute.

4. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet or wok and stir fry until the onion is crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Add snow peas (or sugar snap peas) and the orange juice/cornstarch mixture.

5. Toss until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil and the peas are crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with rice.