Week 2 recipes.

17 Jan 2010 No Comments

by rhiin Rhi

Week 2 went pretty well.  We did find one recipe that we will definitely be making again.

Tuesday I made the meatballs.  I have not really been a fan of meatballs but Dave loves them so I decided to give them a try.  They were a lot of work!  Plus, I freaking froze my hands off mixing the meats together!  The polenta was really good though, so I will try to find more recipes with that.

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 baguette, crust removed
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
  • 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
  • 1/2 bunch basil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/3 cup ground pinenuts
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup dried bread crumbs
  • 1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms
  • 2 pints vine-ripened small tomatoes
  • 1 medium ball fresh mozzarella
  • Creamy Polenta, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Break the baguette in pieces and soak in a bowl with milk for 10 minutes until the bread is soft. In a second bowl mix the beef and pork together. Twist up half the parsley and the basil into a little pile, roughly chop it and add to the meat. Add garlic and mix thoroughly with your hands. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add it in small pieces. Add eggs, Parmesan, ground pinenuts, salt, and pepper and mix everything together thoroughly. Shape the meatballs into large patties then roll them in the bread crumbs.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Fry the meatballs to seal the crust, flip them over so both sides are done. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Add a splash of oil to pan and fry the mushrooms on a low heat until they start to caramelize. Cut the tomatoes in 1/2 and hand-crush them into a separate bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and a few cranks of fresh cracked pepper and mix. Add to the mushrooms. Let everything simmer together and reduce slightly for about 10 minutes. Pour the tomatoes and mushrooms over the meatballs. Shred the remaining basil and parsley and the mozzarella over it. Drizzle with olive oil and add a few cranks of pepper. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.

Serve with Creamy Polenta.

Creamy Polenta:

1 quart chicken stock

1 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

3 tablespoons whole butter

Pinch sea salt

In a large saucepan bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer. Quickly whisk the cornmeal into the stock and lower the temperature to keep it from splattering. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, butter, and salt. Turn off the heat and keep in a warm place until the meatballs are ready.

Yield: 6 servings

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Wednesday I went to the mall with Nadia and Ty and we ended up eating at Panera, so no cooking.  Thursday I had a killer headache so we just ordered pizza, so  no cooking again.  Friday, my mom came over and made the Chicken Stroganoff.  I did help, I cut some mushrooms up and read the directions.  It was ok, didn’t really taste like stroganoff to me.  It did have lots of onions (which I normally hate!) and green peppers, also not so fond of.  I did eat several bites with both.  Most likely will never make again.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces (15 medium) button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the green pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the mushrooms. Continue cooking until the mushrooms give up their liquid, about 6 minutes, and are tender.
  2. Place the vegetables in a colander, reserving both vegetables and liquid. You should have about 1/2 cup of liquid.
  3. Return pan to heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook the chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add it to the vegetables.
  4. Pour the wine, broth, and vegetable liquid into the pan and bring to a boil. With a wooden spoon, loosen any brown bits stuck to the pan and let cook in the sauce.
  5. Add the barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, and hot sauce. Whisk until smooth. Boil until the liquid has reduced by half, to about 1 1/2 cups. The liquid should thicken slightly.
  6. Reduce heat and whisk in the sour cream. Do not let the sauce boil. Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan and simmer until heated through. Serve over rice, pasta, or toast.

Saturday I made the Spaghetti with Beef Mushroom Sauce.  This was a winner!  It was really good!  Pretty easy to make as well.  I will most likely make this one again.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, beef, salt, and pepper. Cook until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes.
  4. Spoon off and discard any fat. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in the cream and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes.
  5. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and toss. Divide among plates and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and the parsley.

Now, I need to find my 3 new meals for this week.  I still haven’t got any of my new magazines yet.  Maybe a trip to Barnes and Noble today to get a cookbook or cooking magazine to tide me over.

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