Meat Trio Pasta with White Bean and Red Pepper Bruschetta

Preparing a meal for friends and family is always a joy for me. There is no feeling better than sharing my love for food with others around me.

Last night, I had the pleasure of cooking for my boyfriend, his brother and girlfriend. When planning this meal, I knew I had to cook something pretty substantial. Both Christian and his brother eat like 500 pound gorillas. (Seriously!) If I prepared small portions, I would have been in trouble. 

I went with Three Meat Pasta and served it along side White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta. I knew meat, veggies, carbs and cheese would be a hit! Lucky for me, I was right!! After multiple servings we were highly satisfied. 

You have got to try this!

Meat Sauce Recipe:
1 combo pack of ground veal, beef and pork, about 1 1/2 lbs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tomato paste
2 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes in juice
2 28 oz cans of whole pealed tomatoes in juice
2 tsp salt
black pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp rosemary
2 bay leaves  

Directions: 
1) In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pepper flakes and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the onion and cook until golden brown for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2) Add garlic to onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Add the cans of crushed tomatoes then add whole tomatoes, one at a time, crushing tomatoes by hand as you go. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Simmer sauce over low heat, covered.
3) Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Season with the second teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Break up meat and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
4) Once cooked through, add meat to the sauce, being careful not to add the fat and drippings from the meat. Cover the sauce and simmer over low heat for about 90 minutes.
5) Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

*Note: This makes a lot of sauce. You will definitely have some left over. Freeze and save for a later date.
 
Now on to our amazing side dish!

Bruschetta Recipe:
1 15 oz can cannellini beans
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, packed in oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1 French or Italian baguette

Directions:
1) Turn broiler on to preheat while preparing bruschetta.
2) In a food processor, add beans, red peppers, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Blend until almost smooth.
3) While food processor is running, slowly add oil and process until creamy.
4) Toast both sides of baguette in broiler. Top with bruschetta and enjoy!

One-Pot Chicken Cacciatore

I rounded out my weekend of cooking with a full-flavored, hearty pot of Chicken Cacciatore. I absolutely loved this dish. The fragrance of the mushrooms, red bell peppers and tomatoes melding together was not only aromatic but enticing, making it really hard for me to not taste-test as I cooked. 

Luckily, I savored enough of the meal to serve over pasta and even had enough extra sauce to freeze for a later date. 

Recipe:
1 chicken (3 to 4lbs), cut into pieces
flour, for dredging
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
10 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 28oz can diced tomatoes, in juice
3 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme 

Directions:
1) Combine flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In batches, dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, shaking off excess flour.
2) Over medium heat, heat oil in a Dutch oven. Brown chicken in the pan, a few pieces at a time. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove and transfer chicken to a plate.
3) In the same pan, saute garlic, onion, mushroom and red pepper until just tender. Once tender, add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Next, add the tomatoes, broth and oregano. 
4) Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce. Add the thyme to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer pot for 40 minutes. 

Semi-Homemade Apple Pie

The beautiful finished product!

As promised in my previous post, I have a great semi-homemade apple pie recipe that I tried out on Sunday. It was my first attempt at baking pie, so I kept it simple and purchased roll-out pie crust instead of trying to make my own. Eventually, I will take the time to make a complete pie from scratch, but after two days of cooking and third recipe to follow tomorrow. I figured cutting a few corners wouldn't hurt anyone.

I should be honest and mention that I had no special occasion planned to debut this pie, so instead I picked up a carton of Vanilla Bean ice cream and enjoyed a few pieces of this on my own. It was great! (And the sugar from the combo kept me awake extra late Sunday night.) ;)

Who doesn't love a little Apple Pie a la Mode?

Recipe:
3 lbs mixed apples (I chose McIntosh, Granny Smith and Gala)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 disks of 12" pie dough
1 large egg, beaten
sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
1) Peel and core the apples slicing 1/4 inch thick. Toss with lemon juice and sugar. 
2) Heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring until tender, about 10 minutes. (Be sure not to overcook or you'll end up with mushy pie filling.) 
3) Stir in flour, cinnamon and salt cooking until thickened, about 1 additional minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
4) Roll out 1 disk of dough on a floured surface. Gently, ease into a 9" pie pan. 
5) Add the apples, forming a slight mound in the middle of the pan. Cut remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and scatter on top of apples. 
6) Roll remaining disk of dough. Carefully, lay over the filling pressing the edges of the crust together. Fold overhand pieces under itself and crimp together to seal. 
7) Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with additional sugar, as desired. Cut a few slits on the top of crust. Chill for 1 hour.
8) Place a baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees for 30 minutes. (You oven should be preheated before the time is up, but continue the process until 30 minutes has passed.) 
9) Once oven and baking sheet are heated, place pie on the baking sheet. Lower the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. (If the edges of the pie start to brown quickly, create a foil-covering and place atop edges of the pie.)
10) Let cool and enjoy!!

Chicken and Rice Soup

A little bowl for me, and a jumbo bowl for the man of the house.

Sunday, my inspiration continued and I whipped my first pie from scratch (post to come) and a new homemade favorite; Chicken and Rice Soup. Again, thanks to my friends at Costco, I was able to use rotisserie chicken to make this soup easy to prepare and incredibly hearty. I also had left-over celery, onion and carrots from my Cassoulet recipe from the day before. I was cooking in no time (and spent very little money to do so.)

Recipe:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken 
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, cut diagonally, into 1/4 inch slices 
3 ribs celery, halved then cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 tbsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 qts chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup brown rice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 6 minutes, until veggies are softened. 
2) Add in chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Add the rice and chicken then season with salt and pepper.
3) Cook on medium-low heat until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.

Cassoluet

Saturday was an inspirational day for me. I sat in front of the TV and watched Cooking Channel and Food Network all day long. Even though I work at a culinary school and my cube mates poo-poo the shows on these networks, I still LOVE them. Even when I have no intention of cooking a recipe shown, I still enjoy the personalities and choice of set that each Chef has.

One of my favorites Cooking Channel personalities is Kelsey Nixon. She comes off as your average home cook, but has so many great tips and techniques to share. In one of her episodes of Kelsey's Essentials yesterday, she made three different meals using one-pot cooking methods. I instantly fell in love with two out of the three. The first was this post: Cassoulet. The second will follow in a few days (chicken cacciatore, for those who can't wait.)  

Judging by the amount of ingredients, this dish may appear a bit complicated but it honestly isn't. Once all of your veggies are prepped and all of the food is in the pot, you have 40 minutes to sit back with a glass of wine and relax before digging in! This is definitely a great winter dish and could really wow your guests at a dinner party.  (Plus, who wouldn't love a big bowl of bacon-y veggie goodness?!?)

Recipe:
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage
1/2 lb slab bacon, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp dried thymes
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 cups chicken broth
3 15.5 oz cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup bread crumbs
3 tbsp butter, melted
salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2) In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and bacon to brown all sides, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
3) Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until just fragrant, scrapping up any browned bits. Add zucchini, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary chicken broth and cannellini beans. Bring mixture to a simmer.
4) Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 
5) In a bowl, mix melted butter and breadcrumb. Remove the cassoulet and sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Place back in oven for another 10 minutes or until the top of the cassoulet is golden brown.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Yesterday, thousands of runners hit the streets during the New York City Marathon. Every year, I watch in awe and for a brief moment feel inspired to run it myself. Then I take another few steps towards my friends apartment, out of breath, and I'm over it. 

I'll be the first to admit, the only way you'd ever get me to run a full marathon would be to pay me a hefty amount of money. I have done two half marathons in the past, but that was more than enough running for me.

While you will never find me running for an extending period of time, you can be sure that I'll be the first to bring delicious baked goods to any party. And that I did. Every marathon day, we gathered at our friend Matt and Meg's place for a Marathon Party. They have an amazing terrace with a great view of the race. We gladly enjoy the sights of the race with a cold beer and tasty treats in hand. 

With my fall spirit still running high (pun intended), I whipped up a batch of chocolate pumpkin cupcakes. This may sound a bit odd, but don't fret. The cake only has a subtle cocoa kick but is bursting with pumpkin flavor. They were an instant hit.

Cupcake Recipe:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup veggie oil
4 large eggs

Whipped Frosting Recipe:
2 1/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) To make cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside. 
2) In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir together and set aside.In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, sugars and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. On low speed, slowly add flour mixture until just incorporated.
3) Fill the cupcake liners until about three-quarters full. (I use a three-tablespoon ice cream scooper. It's easy and consistent.) Bake for about 18-20 minutes, until the cakes are golden. Move to a cooling rack and let them sit until completely cooled. This may take some time, but the whipped frosting could melt if not cooled completely.
4) To make the frosting, put heavy cream in the bowling of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually increase to high speed. Gradually, blend in confectioners' sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat. (It can be tricky to tell when it is ready, but if you over-beat the cream and sugar will become a buttery consistency.) Pipe directly onto the cooled cakes. 

I topped mine with a bit of shaved chocolate as a little hint to what's inside. Enjoy!

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato

I often find myself thinking about dinner on my way home from work, and by thinking, I mean scrambling to think of what to cook. Tonight, was no exception. I had to pick up a few things at the grocery store so I decided to let my inspiration come while shopping.

Low and behold, I didn't even make it to the grocery store before realizing what I had to make. Shrimp pasta! I opted for  frozen shrimp so I could create other dishes in the future, but also because it was on sale. 

Who needs a serving dish when you have a perfectly good satuee pan to work with!

 
Recipe:
1 lb frozen shrimp, thawed, deveined and tails removed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp of butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb angel hair pasta
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package. Strain, and set aside.
2) Heat 2 tbsp of oil and butter in a sautee pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook until 2-3 minutes per side. Push shrimp to the side of the pan, removing that corner of the pan from heat.
3) Add the tomatoes and paste to pan and cook until tomatoes begin to soften. Be sure to stir paste in with oil, creating a smooth oil sauce. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and continue stirring. 
4) Pull shrimp from side of pan and begin mixing with tomato/oil sauce. Add noodles and toss with salt and pepper to taste. Top with scallions to serve.

This recipe was an experiment-in-the-making for me, but it came together very nicely. It only took about 15 minutes to prepare but looked like much more effort than that. While it began as adding a little of this and a little of that, I absolutely loved it and am sure this will be a new go-to in my house.