Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

This could serve 4-5 people generously or feed 2 for 3 days. I use 1/3 of meatballs for sauce and freeze the rest for later. And, obviously, you have to make spaghetti to go with this.

Meatballs:

• 1 lbs. ground pork
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 eggs, beaten
• 1 small onion, minced in food processor
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ~1 tsp crushed red pepper
• ~1 tsp salt, pepper
• optional: dried oregano, Italian spice mix, cumin…

1. Mix everything together, but don’t over mix 🙂
2. Form into balls (2 tbsp sized) and brown on stovetop (if intending to finish cooking  in sauce) OR bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes to freeze.

Sauce:

• 1 onion, food processed
• 3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can crushed + 1 can diced tomatoes (use the large cans)
• salt, pepper 
• 1 tbsp sugar*
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• olive oil
• optional: dried oregano, crushed red pepper, garlic powder… 

*if you don’t want to add sugar, you can substitute a grated carrot and saute it at the start with the onion.

1. Saute onion and a dash of salt in olive oil until translucent or browned.
2. Add tomato paste and garlic. Saute for a minute or two.
3. Stir in canned tomatoes. Cover and simmer until you are done browning the meatballs.
4. Add meatballs and spices/sugar/salt. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, stir in fresh basil and adjust the seasoning.
6. Toss with cooked spaghetti. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil over the top (if desired).

Mexican Cuisine Dinner Week

sweet potato enchiladas + sweet corn cream

ground beef +onions

leftover chicken burritos

tomatillo chicken

extras: cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, salsa, flour tortillas

 

ka-boom.

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Corn Crema

This recipe is from the sugar plum blog:

Smoky Sweet Potato-Black Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Corn Crema

2 cups cooked mashed North Carolina sweet potato
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups crumbled queso fresco cheese, divided use
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups jarred fire roasted tomato-enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
10 corn tortillas
1/2 cup canned creamed corn
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro
Avocado slices, for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together sweet potato, black beans, 1 cup cheese, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.

Whisk together enchilada sauce and adobo sauce in a medium bowl until combined; pour half of the sauce into a 13×9-inch baking dish. Warm tortillas in the microwave, covered in damp paper towels, until warm – about 1 minute. Place about 1/4 cup sweet potato mixture on one side of a tortilla, roll up, and place in baking dish; repeat process with remaining sweet potato mixture and tortillas.

Drizzle remaining enchilada sauce on top of tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

To make the sweet corn crema, in a food processor, puree creamed corn and sour cream until well combined and smooth; stir in cilantro until combined. Serve enchiladas with a drizzle of sweet corn crema, and top with avocado slices.

I used 2 yams instead of sweet potatoes (peeled and steamed), used the whole can of black beans, instead of chili powder I used 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp regular paprika. I also used 2 cans of regular red enchilada sauce and the whole 7 oz. can of chipotle pepper juice, plus two peppers diced.   I also used cheddar cheese in addition to queso fresco on top. There was enough stuffing to make two batches, one with corn tortillas the other with flour tortillas cut in half.

I mixed the creamed corn and sour cream together with a spoon.

I added ground beef sauteed with  a chopped yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, dried oregano, thyme, and ground cumin served on the side.

This recipe is seriously awesome and easy!

Nassy Kofte

FYI: this is NOT an authentic recipe.  Makes about 30 kofte meatballs that aren’t dry.

• 1 piece white bread diced small
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt thinned with milk to buttermilk consistency (or use buttermilk)
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef chuck
• 1 small white onion, diced in processor
• 2 garlic cloves minced in processor
• 1/4 bunch parsley minced in processor
• 1 beaten egg
• pinch cumin
• salt

Mix the bread and yogurt together and let sit for 10 minutes.  Mix in all other ingredients.  Form into 1/3 inch flat, oblong shapes. Season with salt.   Broil them or fry in a skillet on the stove at 3-4 minutes a side. Make sure they are well done (no pink) since there is pork in them.

{notes to self: stove temp 5-6, took a long time to fry all in batches. broil this in a broiler pan next time -with the door open.  if omit pork, add 1 tsp gelatin bloomed in 2 tsp water for 5 min}

info about broiling

Broccoli Beef

marinate 1/2 lb. beef (sliced thinly on diagonal) overnight* in a mixture of:

• pinch of baking soda (to tenderize the meat)
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 tsp oyster sauce**
• ~1 tbsp oil

for the sauce:

• 3-4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ~3/4 cup water

For the stir fry:

• broccoli
• minced garlic (about 2 tbsp)
• minced ginger (about 1 tbsp)

In a skillet with a bit of oil, cook the meat and remove it.  Add a tsp more oil to the pan and saute the broccoli for a few minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 30 seconds (don’t let the garlic burn).  Add the sauce, cook for a few minutes, add back the meat. Stir.

Serve over white rice.

*overnight is best so that the meat is tender and not chewy. Alternatively, you can sprinkle 1 tsp baking soda (per pound of meat)  over the sliced beef and really work it into the meat.  Let it sit for an hour, then rinse off the baking soda and pat the meat dry.  You can then marinate it for an hour (minus the baking soda in the marinade).

** the ratio of oyster sauce to tamari is 2:1 if you want to increase the amount of marinade.

A side note: you don’t have to add all of the ingredients to make the sauce, really you can get by with oyster sauce and soy sauce (mixed with ground ginger/garlic, cornstarch, and water –and omit the fresh garlic and ginger).  Then all you need is beef and broccoli.

California Burrito Taquitos {food notes}

carne asada, french fries, cheddar jack cheese, 9-inch flour tortillas cut in half. Roll. Pyrex pan. Spray with canola oil.  Cook at 425 for 15-25 minutes, serve with sour cream and fire roasted tomato salsa.

 

maybe use shrimp instead of carne asada next time?

Steak Fajita Adobo

This recipe happened by accident, but if you ever have extra fajita meat and are debating either to cook it or freeze it, I say FREEZE!  and use this recipe:

Ingredients:

• fajita marinated steak*
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 red chili peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pimento, diced (or you can use mild chilis)
• 1 tbsp dried red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• garlic (optional)
• water
• oil
• salt & pepper
• fries
• white rice, cooked

Method:

In a large pot, brown the steak over medium high heat and remove from the pot.  Add oil to the pot and saute the onions and peppers (add some salt).  Add the meat back to the pot and add tomatoes and spices/sauces/vinegar.  Cover with water completely and boil vigorously for about 1.5 hours.  Adjust the seasonings at the end.

Top white rice with fries and spoon the “adobo” over it.

* I used this fajita marinade recipe, with a few alterations that I can’t remember because I doubt they made a difference at all 🙂

Home Sliders

These were so juicy that I’ll definitely make them again! I was truly surprised at how good they were.

• ~1/2 white onion, finely chopped in the food processor
• ~1 lb ground beef
• ~1- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper

Mix everything well, shape into patties, grill in a skillet, top with cheese, slam between a bun, and eat.

Beach Sliders

Labor Day at the beach was the perfect setting for sliders.  I made the buns the night before using the Master Bread Dough recipe ( I brushed them with egg wash before baking, it gave them the perfect outer color and texture for hamburger buns).  I made the hamburger patties very thin, so they would cook quickly and thoroughly at the beach.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp bacon fat
• 1/2 diced onion
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 shake of Worcestershire sauce
• ground black pepper
• sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
• red onion, sliced
• dill pickles, sliced

Method:

1. Saute the diced onion in bacon fat.  Add a little salt while sauteeing. Let cool. Food process, or chop very fine.
2. In a large bowl, mix hamburger, sauteed onion, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.  *
3. Shape into patties and cook until your desired shade of pink.
4. Put each burger in a bun, top with a cheddar cheese slice, a red onion slice, and pickles.  Serve  with basic burger condiments.

* I didn’t chop the onions fine enough, so I had to add 1/3 cup of bread crumbs and half of a beaten egg to bind it all together.

In all honesty, these were good, but were kind of dry– most likely a function of cooking at the beach.  Still, I wanted to add a bacon flavor that I don’t think was present, or that we didn’t sense with our well alcohol-lubricated pallets.

Another Variation is to food process a small white onion and mix it with hamburger meat.  My grand-ma calls these “lamb burgers” but really it’s just hamburger meat with onion.  If I make sliders again, I’m going to either mix pork sausage with the hamburger and forgo everything else, or make grand-ma’s lamb burgers and top them with crispy bacon strips (Bacon-cheese-lamb burger sliders).

Yet another variation is my cousin Rex’s burger claim to fame: mix hamburger, seasoned salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce together and make patties.  Top with provolone cheese instead of cheddar and serve on toasted sourdough bread with lettuce.  YUM!

All-American Meatloaf

So I have only eaten meatloaf twice in my life: at Mel’s Diner two months ago, and last night when I made it for the dinner.  This recipe is from Brian’s mom, and of course, it’s decorated with Nassy twists.  I would have taken a picture, but in case you haven’t noticed, my camera SUCKS and I’ve given up (for now).

You can use any ground meat you like, just make it total up to 2 lbs in the end.  Ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, beef, veal, venison/rabbit/ostrich/bison/duck/lamb/horse/Cornish hen?—that’s up to you.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 lb spicy pork sausage (left over from the spaghetti squashapalooza)
• 1/2 – 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 small white onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of curly parsley, finely minced
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp ground sage
• salt & pepper (1/2 tsp total)
• ketchup

Other things I would have like to have added (but not all at once):

• minced red bell pepper
• tomato paste
• spicy brown mustard
• red bell pepper paste
• crushed red pepper
• leeks
• celery
• zucchini
• fennel seeds, crushed
• soy sauce (I’ve heard this deepens the meat flavor, omit the salt)
• cumin
• Purple basil/Sweet basil

Method:

1. Mix everything together in a large bowl.
2. Put into a 9×5 loaf pan and top with ketchup.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes.
4. Slice and serve with gravy or ketchup.

Sides: mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, sautéed onion, garlic, yellow squash, zucchini, & parsley, sautéed shredded Brussel sprouts, braised carrots, salad, fennel & beetroot salad, green beans, peas, creamed spinach, asparagus, corn, etc.

[Hypothetical] Steak Ranchero from Tommy’s SF

We got the Steak Ranchero Special from Tommy’s last night–it was fantastic (needless to say).  It’s steak with green bell peppers and onions in a tomatillo sauce.  I bet I can make it too!

Here’s what I’m thinking:

roasted tomatillos in a blender with a clove of garlic, Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of cumin, and salt & pepper tossed with sautéed steak, bell peppers, and onions.

MMMMMMMMMM!!!  Served up with rice and beans and cheese and pico de gallo, heart attack!!!

Pot Roast & Greens Stew with Yams

This is an invented recipe, based on my desire for yams and savory-tangy-pungent beef stew.

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 yams (bake separately with butter)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• vegetable broth
• a splash of red wine
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• beef roast
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• one bunch parsley
• few handfuls of mixed greens (chard, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, etc)

Method:

1. Over medium heat, brown the meat in olive oil (both sides) and remove from the pan.
2. Saute onion, shallot, celery and mixed greens until soft-ish.
3. Put the garlic and a few sprigs of thyme in the center of the greens and place the roast meat over it.
4. Cover with vegetable broth and a splash of wine, add the bay leaves, parsley, and more thyme (and rosemary if you like).  Cover and turn the heat down low, simmer for 3-4 hours.
5. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into squares.  Place them in a casserole dish with a few tbsp of butter, cover with tin foil, and bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
6. Add some stew to bowls, garnish with a few spoonfuls of baked sweet potato. Eat with crusty bread (whole wheat with walnuts is the best!).

Moussa Ground Beef and Peas, Updated!

This is Terry & Holly’s Mom’s recipe and one of my favorite things in the world to eat! I got the recipe direct from the source. (at last!) The spice mix is key, and also fun to play with.  It can be made with either ground turkey or ground beef.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp each of:
  • salt
  • sugar
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • turmeric
  • curry powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp of black pepper
• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 diced onion
• 1 package frozen peas
• 1 cooked, diced potato
• prepared white rice (to serve with)

Method:

1. Mix the spices and set aside.
2. Saute the onions until tender.
3. Add the beef and cook until brown.
4. Add the spices, 1/2 cup of water, and peas.  Simmer until peas are cooked.
5. Add the potatoes and adjust the seasonings.
6. Serve over steamed rice.

Nassy Stroganoff

I love mushrooms, sour cream, and steak, but I hate the chewy strips of dried out leather-steak that occur when mushrooms, sour cream, and steak become Stroganoff.  With this recipe, I’m set on having GOOD STEAK texture, the kind that doesn’t take a cow to chew up.

Ingredients:

• Steak, ~4 oz per person
• ~1 lb sliced mushrooms
• one yellow onion, diced or sliced
• ~1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• salt & pepper
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• egg noodles, thick cut
• olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp butter

Method:

1. Set a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for a few minutes.  Add a few tbsp of olive oil to the pan.
3. Throw on the steak to sear it. Don’t move it after it’s touched the pan, you want it to keep in the juices.  After one minute or so, flip the steak.  After a few minutes, cover the pan and turn the fire down to low.   Cook it until you think it’s done, I like it medium rare.  Remove the steak to a plate and cover.
4. Butter up the skillet and saute the onions until translucent.  Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until  browned.  Turn off the fire and let the pan cool.
5. Stir in the sour cream and add salt, pepper, nutmeg  to taste.  If it’s too cold, heat it up over low fire.
6. Slice the steak into thin, bite-sized strips. Toss it in the mushroom sauce and serve immediately over the cooked egg noodles.

+ =

What else?

You can also make Nassy Stroganoff with rice instead of egg noodles.   This dish is very, very rich.  I suggest you eat it slowly.

1. Slice the steak into bite size strips.