Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Hopefully all this time around my dad will eventually rub off on Johnny and he'll learn that real men can cook. (Fingers crossed.)

The other night my dad whipped up a meat sauce using his Italian sausage, leftover roast beef, and leftover pork. It was really hearty and thick. In fact, we ate it two nights and I froze about a quart of it too!



And the one part of the meal I was in charge of, boiling the spaghetti, ended up like this. (Yes, I threw it out b/c our floors are currently filthy.)

I met Ree!!!

Chances are if you've talked to me on the side you know I love Ree and her blog, The Pioneer Woman. I've wanted to meet her for quite some time, but timing has just never worked out for when she's in town.

Earlier today I saw her tweet about being in Naperville, which isn't far from Johnny's work, which isn't too far from our house. So I met him at work and we drove out to the bookstore.

I was really nervous, so I texted Mara and Sophia to get rid of some giddy anxiety and tweeted with a bunch of you to pass the time.

I grew up a piano playing, ballet dancing, straight A kind of a gal, so I haven't led the most exciting life.

My celebrity spottings thus far have included handing Van Cliburn a bouquet of roses at a concert and asking him to blow my mom a kiss (which he did).

I also was in the same building as Joey McIntyre once. (He was Fiyero one of the three times I've seen Wicked.)

I know she's not a movie star (yet), but I kind of think of Ree in celebrity-like status. I've loved her books and her blog and seeing her on TV. I was going to have to walk up to her and talk! Eep!

Anyways- there I was, wearing my holey yoga pants, and the line finally dwindled down. There were 103 tickets and we were #98, so it had really dwindled down.

Ree sang Ethel Merman for the girls in line ahead of us, much to my delight. Then we approached her and I gushed bout loving her blog, and her, and Johnny and I talked about her little son that we find adorable, and then poof! it was over and I survived! She is so down to earth and sweet that I forgot my irrational fears of turning bright red, puking, or bursting into tears, embarrassing myself.



We were starved, so after we headed to a little Italian place just up the street, Rosebud. It was the first time either of us had eaten there, but J's friend highly recommended it.

I started with fried calamari. Hands down the best I've ever had! Delicious!

Then I had fetticine alfredo. (I went with a low-fat, low-cal dish since I have to fit into a wedding dress eventually.)

Johnny had some vodka penne dish. He almost always chooses vodka sauce dishes when we eat Italian. He loves them. And he ate this entire plate to prove it.

Then he had a creme brulee for dessert (I snuck a few spoonfuls of it). I ordered some cannolis to go, which I'll eat tomorrow in my PJs while catching up with 16 & Pregnant online since I watched every Glee episode in existence and now have to wait for new ones.

Sorry the restaurant photos are dim. I just have a point and shoot. Which brings me to a survey:

Healthy Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

If you're not interested in a healthy version, my usual fried version can be found here.

This was kind of a science experiment of a dish. I wasn't sure what would or wouldn't work, but I'm happy to report that it turned out well enough to share with you guys!

I started with my usual way of doing things, and made some healthy substitutions along the way, both in the ingredients and cooking methods used.

3 medium to large eggplants
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1 24 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup low fat mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Begin by washing and slicing your eggplant in 1/4" thick pieces. Lay out on baking dishes and sprinkle with Kosher salt to draw out some of the moisture.

While the eggplant sits, combine the flours, salt, and pepper in a large, flat Tupperware style container. In another large, flat container, whisk together the eggs, skim milk, salt, and pepper.

Use a few paper towels to firmly pat down the eggplant, grabbing any excess moisture that has been drawn out. (I only did one side because I'm lazy.) Preheat the oven to 375°.

Start your assembly line, which will go like this: a feather light dusting of the flour mixture on the eggplant, a dunk into the egg mixture, and another feather light coating of the flour mixture. Lay the battered eggplant pieces on a greased baking pan. Pop the pan in the oven, and continue with the eggplant pieces until all are battered, on a sheet, and in the oven. Each pan should bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the eggplant has softened and the batter is browned (at least on the bottom).

Mix the jar of sauce with the water to thin it out a little bit (helps with easier spreading). Grab a very large casserole dish and spread the bottom with a thin layer of sauce. Remove the first pan of eggplant put in the oven. Lay the pieces out in the casserole dish. Pour 1/3 of the remaining sauce overtop, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and a few Tbsp of the Parmesan. Remove the second pan of eggplant put in the oven, and repeat the process. Finally, remove the last pan of eggplant from the oven and lower the temperature to 300°. Repeat the layering process, omitting the cheese, using your spatula to firmly press down the layers. Pop back into the oven, covered for 30-45 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Remove the foil, sprinkle the last of the cheese, and finish under the broiler.

Serves 5-6. Reheats well. You can also assemble and freeze the dish before baking. When ready to bake, just thaw and bake until the sauce is bubbling.

I'm not going to lie, this is a tedious dish to make, with a lot of hands-on time. It took me about an hour and a half from washing the eggplant to popping the assembled casserole into the oven for the final bake. I personally love the battered eggplant, but if the coating isn't your thing, you could certainly skip the battering steps and just roast slices of eggplant and make the dish the same way from that point on.

It's definitely worth the effort, though!

Video Demonstration: Sausage Stuffed Peppers

I was surprised to find a huge box on my door step Friday! Inside were three bottles of Newman's Own salad dressings, three jars of Newman's Own sauce, a flip HD camera, two coupons for Newman's Own frozen pizza, and instructions to make a short video.


The video instructions were simple enough:

• demonstrate a meal that could be cooked in 30 minutes or less
• showcase at least one Newman's Own product

I could do that! And I already had just the recipe in mind:




Sausage Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers
1 onion
1 lb. sausage
1 handful mozzarella cheese
1 jar Newman's Own sauce

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Wash and cut the peppers in half lengthwise, removing the seeds and membrane. Chop the onion. Carefully put the 8 pepper halves in the boiling water, return to a boil. Place the onion and the sausage in a high sided skillet and cook over medium heat until the sausage is no longer pink. Turn off both burners. Stir in a big handful of cheese with the sausage and onions. Turn the oven on to 350°. Drain the peppers and place in a large baking dish. Spoon equal amounts of the sausage mixture into each pepper. Top with about 1/4 cup of Newman's Own sauce. Cover baking dish with foil and place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The Newman's Own products and flip HD camera were received complimentary as part of a video demo promotion through Newman's Own and FoodBuzz. The recipe and opinions are my own.

Pasta with Cauliflower Sauce

There really is no story for this recipe. I was browsing around for menu plan ideas and it caught my eye. Not very interesting, sorry!

The original can be found here. My adapted version is below.

1 pound pasta of your choice
3 Tbsp olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 head cauliflower, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
~2-3 cups baby spinach
pepper, to taste

In a large, deep skillet, add the olive oil. Cook the garlic and onion for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the cauliflower, stock, and herbs, bringing to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Mash with a potato masher. Stir in the baby spinach. Let simmer while the pasta cooks to reduce.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Once boiling, salt the water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente.

Add the cheese to the sauce, and stir to incorporate. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Mix everything with tongs in the large skillet. Serves 5-6.

This was really yummy! I love cauliflower, but would never think to pair it with pasta. I added a lot of black pepper, so it had a pretty nice kick to it. Feel free to spice it up with any other herbs or spices, depending on your personal preferences.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Long time readers will remember my brother did a guest post long ago to show off a carbonara recipe. I was tempted to try it then, but sadly I never got around to it.

Then, skimming through Project Food Blog videos I saw a video on bell'alimento where she made it look so easy. I made a point to remember to make it this time around.

1 lb. dried spaghetti
6 slices bacon
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Once up to temperature, salt the water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes.

While the water is coming to a boil, brown the bacon until almost crispy. (Tip: Cut the bacon using kitchen shears over the pan.) Add the garlic the last minute or two, taking care not to burn.

In a large serving bowl, crack the eggs into the bottom and whisk well. Add the cheese and black pepper. Set aside.

Drain the pasta well, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Immediately dump the pasta into the bowl with the egg mixture. It is important to get this in there right away while it is hot to cook the eggs. Using tongs or two forks, continue tossing the pasta in the egg mixture to incorporate well. Add some pasta water if necessary to thin it (I ended up using about 1/4 cup). Last, add the bacon/garlic mixture and toss until evenly dispersed through the pasta.

Plate and serve immediately. You can add more black pepper or grated cheese for garnish. Serves 4.

Holy cow, it's amazing how simple and delicious this is. It really tastes special, like something you'd get in a small Italian restaurant.

The best part is that it's ready in under 30 minutes - just as long as it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. It could easily be a weeknight dinner with just a few more steps than plain old spaghetti and marinara.

Have you ever ordered or made carbonara?

Minestrone

Johnny loves minestrone soup. If it's on the menu, chances are he'll order it.

Funny thing is - I've never made it at home. Until now, that is.

Johnny has been feeling under the weather for about a week. He says he feels "stuffy" so has been loading up on immune boosters and Vitamin C, keeping it at bay.

He asked me if I had a "magical Italian soup" that would make him feel better. Later, he said he was in the mood for something "full of fruits and veggies."

Put those two requests together and what do you get!? Minestrone! A magical Italian soup full of fruits and veggies - guaranteed to make him feel better.

Working with what I had on hand, this soup was ready in under an hour. It was delicious and hit the spot! Plus, it makes tons! Great for a crowd or to have leftovers on hand.

29 oz. can of tomato puree
2 cans of water
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
~1/2 lb. meatballs (mine were frozen)
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 small onions, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 stalks celery, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
15 oz. can of white beans
15 oz. can of red beans

First, combine the tomato puree and two cans of water with the bouillon in a large pot. If the meatballs are frozen, add them at this point to slowly come up to temperature over medium heat. Add the seasonings so they have a chance to flavor the broth as it cooks, too.

Chop the vegetables, adding them to the pot. Once they are all included, turn the heat up to low boil. Let cook until the vegetables are al dente. Add the macaroni, letting cook 6-7 minutes until tender.

In the meantime, drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Add during the last 2 minutes of cooking to heat them. If your meatballs are not frozen, also add them during the last few minutes.

I have no idea what took me so long, but now I can make minestrone at home! It was really flavorful and tasted like it took all day to make!

You could omit the meatballs for a completely vegan meal. If pressed for time, you could load everything into a slow cooker with dried beans and let it cook all day while you're at school/work, too.

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

One of my very first posts ever was stuffed green peppers. Johnny and I still love them, still enjoy them at least once a month, and I've never really strayed from that recipe.

Then, last month I saw sausage and rice stuffed peppers in my Cooking Club magazine. I tore it out in hopes that it would become another beloved stuffed pepper recipe. Of course I changed a few things, but I'm happy to report that it was great, and will definitely be entering our rotation!

4 bell peppers (I used green)
~1 lb. loose Italian sausage (I used my dad's)
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup leftover or prepared sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used skim)

Cook your brown rice ahead of time. It will need about 40-50 minutes depending on variety, so make sure you start early enough. Wash the peppers and lob off the top where the stem is to make "bowls." Reserve the top part, minus the stem. Place the pepper bowls in a microwave safe dish and microwave for a few minutes to give them a head start and reduce oven cooking time. (Mine took about 4 minutes on high.)

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large skillet, brown the sausage. Chop the reserved pepper tops and add them to the skillet with the onions and garlic, cooking a few minutes until softened. Add the brown rice, sauce, and water. Stir until everything is incorporated, then remove from the heat. Stir in about 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Spoon the mixture into the pepper bowls, topping with the remaining cheese. Bake 20 minutes, uncovered until the peppers are tender and the cheese is browned.

As I said - these were great! I really like the brown rice with the sausage - it makes them a lot heartier and filling. This is the first time I've made stuffed peppers this way, using the whole pepper. I usually cut them in half lengthwise, stuffing each half, which doesn't fit nearly as much stuffing! I think it also makes for a much more impressive presentation!

Have you made stuffed peppers before? If so, what is your favorite recipe? If not - what are you waiting for!?

Parmesan Parsley Polenta

Wow, trying saying that three times fast!

This was the very first time I've made polenta from scratch and I neglected to read about the whole "gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking" thing so it was lumpy. No worries, one of my dinner party guests, Goran, stood there lovingly whisking and smoothing the lumps out for a good 10 minutes. Thanks again Goran!!

~2 Tbsp olive oil
small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable stock
1 cup coarse cornmeal
3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
~1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
~2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

In a medium pot, heat the oil and add the onion and a little salt to sweat until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. (This is not just a suggestion, it's important!)

Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent lumps. When the mixture is cooked and creamy, add the butter, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese, stirring until everything is mixed and warmed through. Last, stir in the parsley.

Serve immediately, or spread onto a cake pan and let cool to serve in slices.

I opted to serve immediately, as a delicious bed under my roasted duck. It was the perfect compliment! Now that I know how to make this, polenta is going to make more appearances with our dinners. It's so easy to switch it up each time with different mix ins.

Top Chef Gnocchi

If you're like me, you love watching Top Chef. The past few seasons have featured a Quickfire Challenge where the winner gets their dish featured as a Schwan's frozen meal. I am familiar with Schwan's from a previous job where the office, and a few co-worker friends ordered from them. Everything I've tasted from Schwan's had been really great, so I trusted them enough to try the Top Chef meals.

I ordered two. One was Ed's (from this season) Gnocchi, which featured mushrooms, asparagus, snap peas, edamame, and a chicken broth with Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

The instructions were pretty straight forward and easy, done within 15 minutes and only dirtying one pot. I really liked that the gnocchi were allowed to sear and brown, getting crunch and flavor on them.

It was meant for three 1-cup portions, but we split it into two servings, having a large salad on the side.

Did I like it? Yes and no. I think the sauce might have killed the dish, or the cheese. Some component in there was ridiculously salty. The combination, however, was great and I'd be happy to eat it again with minor adjustments.

If I ordered this in the future I would add water to thin the sauce, not add as much sauce, and definitely not add the cheese. But it was a cool experience to eat something we saw made on TV.

This is not a compensated review. Top Chef and Schwan's have no clue who I am. I bought this meal with my own money and this is my honest opinion of the product.

Italian Cabbage Casserole & 2 Year Giveaway

Johnny's sister, Di and I have been crafting our little hearts out lately. We both love Halloween, and it's never too early to start celebrating!

It was both Di's and my first time jigsawing EVER. I think we did a fantastic job, if I don't say so myself! The templates are from Martha Stewart's web site.

In a special Taste of Home fall craft and recipe magazine Di got, this Italian Cabbage Casserole caught my eye. The original recipe can be found here, and my adaptation is below.

1 medium cabbage, shredded
1 pound loose Italian sausage
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
29 oz. can of tomato puree
6 oz. can of tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim)

Place the shredded cabbage in a steamer basket over about 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, or until tender. Rinse with cool water, drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, green pepper, and onion until the sausage is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato puree, paste, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place half of the cabbage in a greased 11" x 17" baking dish. Top with the sausage mixture, then 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes at 350°. Finish under the broiler to brown the cheese. Serves 6-8 and reheats nicely.



This was absolutely delicious. Johnny and I both loved it. It hits all the same notes of a lasagna, but uses the cabbage instead of noodles, which would make it a nice substitute for a gluten-free lasagna. The next day we ate it reheated for lunch with Di and she loved it too. It will definitely become part of our rotation. Plus, I love that it makes a huge pan and we have leftovers for a few days.

And I TOTALLY forgot about my own giveaway! Sorry, guys.

My two year blogaversary was yesterday, Sunday, September 12th. Hard to believe it's been two years already.

Although at the same time it feels like I've been doing this forever. I can't remember back to a time it wasn't "normal" to take pictures of my food before digging in!

As I said, this will be a surprise giveaway! You (and I) don't know the prize yet, but a prize is a prize, so it's still worth fighting for - amiright?

To enter:

Leave a comment below letting me know how long you've been blogging! (If you're not a blogger, feel free to leave any ol' comment!)

For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and leave a 2nd comment with @yourhandle.

For additional entries, link up to this week's Friday Firsts. Leave a separate comment for each linkback on this post.

Giveaway will end Saturday, September 18th at midnight. I will announce the winner soon thereafter.

BSI: Artichoke (Stuffed Artichoke)

Coincedentally, the Blogger Secret Ingredient (BSI) for this week is artichokes, hosted by Affairs of Living. I already planned on making artichokes for my Friday Firsts this week, so it was perfect timing!

My dad used to make stuffed artichokes every once in awhile for company when I lived at home. This is the only way I've ever eaten artichoke besides the jarred or canned hearts and I love it! I have not had it since the last time he made it (two Christamases ago) because I've always been afraid of artichokes!

One of the things that made me nervous was wondering how in the world do I choose one? Well, a little Googling can do wonders!

• Artichokes are available in the Spring - look during March through May for the best ones.
• Look for an artichoke without a lot of brown on the leaves.
• Hold the artichoke and it should be heavy for its size - this means it's still full of its juices.
• Fold back the bottom leaves and see if they are still crisp or have turned limp and rubbery.
• The top of the artichoke should be tightly formed.
• A fresh artichoke will "squeak" as it compresses when you squeeze it in your palm.

Woo, now that we got that out of the way, I was set with my two fresh artichokes! Next thing that made me nervous was how in the world do I tackle it?! One of my cookbooks actually helped with this one!

• Pull the bottom leaves off the artichoke and any outer ones that look worse for wear.
• Using kitchen shears, snip the prickly tips off the leaves along the side of the artichoke.
• Cut the top 1" off the top of the artichoke, exposing the inner leaves.
• Trim the stem to leave about 1 1/2" below the bottom of the artichoke.
• Rinse the artichoke under cold water, making sure to get in between the leaves.

Before

After

Place the prepared artichokes in a big pot with squeezed segments of a lemon and a palmful of peppercorns. Once the water comes to a boil add about a teaspoon of salt and let boil for 20 minutes. (I used a lid slightly smaller than the pot to keep the artichokes submerged.) Once done, drain the water and allow the artichokes to sit upside down to drain and cool for about 15 minutes.

Once cool enough to handle use a small paring knife to remove the center leaves, which have a little purple on them. Then with a small spoon, scoop out the fuzzy "choke" until you can see the tender heart.

At this point your artichokes are fully cooked and ready to be eaten. Feel free to enjoy with melted butter or other dip.

However, if you're like me and want to stuff them you still have a little bit of work ahead of you!

My stuffing (enough for two artichokes) included:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced

Separate the leaves of the artichoke so there is room for the stuffing. Starting at the outside leaves and working your way to the center, deposit a little bit of stuffing in each layer.

Place the artichokes in a covered baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and broil for the last 5 minutes to brown the stuffing, keeping a close eye on it.


Remove leaves starting at the outside and scrape the "meat" and stuffing with your teeth. Work your way to the center until you are left with the tender, flavorful heart - the best part of the artichoke!

Serve as is, or with melted butter for dipping. Also make sure to place a discard bowl at the table for the leaves!