Bolognese a la Rachael and Rachel

There have been a few requests for this recipe since I posted this photo on FB.  This is gluten free Bolognese over carrots and zucchini with homemade mozzarella sticks.  I must confess that this is mostly Rachael Ray's recipe but I take many liberties with it so I thought it would be fair to share the title.

Bolognese a la Rachael & Rachel 
Note: I do not put carrot in the sauce when I am serving this over carrots & zucchini.
Serves 8 (generously)

1 T Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 pound diced pancetta
1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1/2 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef, or 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 veal
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
28 ounces chunky-style crushed tomatoes
A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Coarse salt and black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
4 zucchini's & 6 carrots, sliced to your preference

In a deep pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, bay leaf and pancetta and brown for 1 minute. Add the meats and brown, crumbling them for five minutes.

Add carrot (if using), celery and onion. Cook the vegetables with the meat for five minutes and add the wine. Cook for 1 minute; add the stock and tomatoes to the pot.

Stir in most of the parsley and the allspice and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for a minimum of 10-15 minutes or all day.

When you are ready, plate steamed or roasted veggies and cover with sauce, top with a sprinkle of the remaining parsley and lots of cheese.

Once again, I have found a recipe that looks good and altered it considerably.  This recipe idea came from WellnessMama.com.

Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

Half a pound of mozzarella cheese, cut into sticks
2 eggs
½ cup (or more) of almond flour
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
1-2 cups olive oil

At least 3-4 hours before, put cheese sticks in the freezer.Once cheese is completely frozen, crack eggs into a medium bowl and beat with about a teaspoon of water. Combine the almond flour, Italian seasoning and salt in a shallow bowl. Put the oil in a small pan so that it is about an inch deep,heat on medium high. The oil must be hot before the cheese goes in. Remove the cheese from the freezer and dip the cheese in the egg mixture, then in the almond flour mixture, then back in the egg mixture and repeat until well coated. They need to be coated completely so they seal. Drop 3 or 4 at a time into the heated oil for a couple of minutes until they are starting to brown, then carefully remove. Remove them with a slotted spoon. You don’t want to squeeze them with tongs or poke with a fork, as the cheese will escape. Repeat these steps with the remaining cheese until all is cooked. Serve immediately.

Stovetop Chili Mac

This recipe is from Everyday Food Mag.  Our family LOVES this and it's so easy because I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  It says it serves 4 however I am able to feed the 5 of us with this recipe.  I have made is several time as it reads but the last time I added a can of diced tomatoes, juice and all, for just a bit more of the chili influence and we really liked it that way too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound rigatoni or other tube-shaped pasta
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, diced small
• 1 pound ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
• 1 small zucchini, diced medium
• 2 ounces cheddar, grated (3/4 cup)

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent, 3 minutes.
   
2. Increase heat to medium-high, add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add corn and zucchini and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, bring to a simmer, and cook until mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among four bowls, top with meat sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.
   

Bronco Burgers

Since life is a bit unpredictable right now I thought I'd post early rather than take the chance of forgetting altogether!

This recipe has converted me to a burger lover! As you all know, I am not a big meat eater. I have always appreciated a cheeseburger - if - it was a really good quality, cooked just right burger. Well, thanks (once again) to allrecipes.com, I have found the burger my stomach was always searching for!

A couple of notes: The recipe calls for quantities that make 4 large burger patties. If I am making this recipe just for my family I use 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of meat and make the patties a bit smaller. Also, the kids aren't keen on heat so I completely de-seed and de-spine the jalapeno and it's not hot at all - don't skip the jalapeno! ALWAYS eat this burger with a cold beer.

Bronco Burgers

2 fresh jalapeno peppers
2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 egg
2 tablespoons steak sauce, (e.g. Heinz 57)
2 tablespoons minced white onion
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1/2 pinch dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons crushed Fritos® corn chips
4 large potato hamburger buns
4 slices cheese

Directions: Preheat a grill. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the chopped jalapenos, ground beef, salt, pepper, egg, steak sauce, onion, hot pepper sauce, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and Fritos®. Divide into 4 (or however many) balls, and flatten into patties.

Grill patties for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, or until well done. Remove from the grill and place on buns. Top each one with a slice of cheese. Enjoy!

Cola Barbecued Ribs

This is so tasty and I find my mouth watering as I'm writing about it. 'nuf said.



3 1/2 lb pork spareribs or loin back ribs

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon hickory smoked salt or garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup cola

1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce


Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Trim excess fat from ribs. In a small bowl mix brown sugar, hickory smoked salt, and pepper; rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 2- or 3-rib portions. Place ribs into cooker and pour cola around ribs.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Remove ribs and place into shallow baking pan. Drain liquid from cooker and discard. Brush both sides of ribs with barbecue sauce. Return ribs to cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over ribs.

Cover and cook on low for another hour or until ribs are glazed and sauce is disired consistancy.

This is from a Betty Crocker Slow Cooker book.

Apple Pot Roast

Hey there girls... I know this is a few days early but I got this pot roast recipe from a friend and it is wonderful!! I only made a few small alterations and I noted them on the recipe. I hope you love it! :o)

Ingredients
4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
12 oz frozen apple juice concentrate
2 tsp soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cups water
½ cup apple cider
1 (1 oz) envelope dry onion soup mix
4-5 medium-sized red potatoes (I did a bag of gourmet petite Yukon gold potatoes)
2 cups baby carrots (I did reg carrots cut to the size of baby carrots & 3 cups)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. On a cutting board, take roast and make 4 slits evenly spaced on the top. Spoon garlic into openings.

3. Pour water, apple juice concentrate, and soy sauce into dutch oven/roasting pan. Place roast in the pan and sprinkle onion soup mix over the roast. Carefully ladle liquid mixture over top to moisten, but keeping some of the soup mix on the roast.

4. Cover with aluminum foil/lid and place in oven for 2 hours.

5. After 2 hours, pull out pan and add the washed carrots and potatoes. Cover again and cook for an additional 2 hours or until fork tender. Enjoy!
Note: I cooked mine an additional 3 hours instead of 2 for a total of 5 till the roast was falling apart. Then made a gravy out of the liquid left in the pan.

Staci's Salisbury Steaks and green beans

This is a recipe I really enjoy that I got from my in-laws. I must admit I am not a mushroom fan so now that I can cook it my way I cut them up very small and don't notice them. I hope you enjoy a break from the turkey leftovers and try this one out!

1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 pkt onion soup mix
1 lb ground beef (also have used turkey but then cut oatmeal if it feels dry)
1/2 c. dry oatmeal
2 eggs
1/2 c. finely chopped onions
1 1/4 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 c green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 pinch cayenne pepper
3 pinches garlic powder
2 dollops Worcestershire sauce
1 dollop tabasco sauce
2Tb butter

potatoes, noodles, or rice to serve with.

Mix 1/4 c of the mushrooms and all ingredients except mushroom soup, butter, and remaining mushrooms. Cover and let rest in fridge 2 hrs (or up to 24hr). Form into patties and cook in large skillet over med. high heat until cooked through and nicely browned, time varies depending on thickness of your patties. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add butter and mushrooms to skillet and saute until mushrooms for a few minutes, add the mushroom soup and a bit of water to thin out. Bring to boil, reduce heat add patties back, and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve over noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

I have also made this into meatballs and it is good but I prefer the patties.

I love doing the green beans this way to serve with this.
1 lb fresh green beans cut french style
1 tsp salt
1 tb butter

Boil enough water to cover your beans and add salt and beans. Cook until beans are almost tender but not too soft. drain the water and beans, add butter to pan and melt. return beans to pan and cook about 3-5 minutes or until beans start to brown slightly, add salt or peper to taste and serve.

Easy Steak Marinade

This marinade is so good and so easy. We've been using it almost weekly. It should marinade for at least 4 hours but no more then 8 after that the alcohol and lemon juice will start to break the meat down. Yum! Yum!

1/2 onion
1.5 cups Soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whiskey
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped garlic

Mix together, completely submerge meat.

Chuckwagon Beans

Hi gals...I thought this would be a great addition to summer cookouts. My mom made this when I was growing up. I love it! hope you like it :) I've altered it slightly from the origional. Some of the amounts of measurments are based on personal taste and preference.


1lb. bacon
1lb. ground beef
about 2 or 3 cups chopped onion (sauted)(depending on how much onion you like)
2 cup chopped celery
2 beef bouillon cubes
2/3 cup boiling water-to melt bouillon (note: you can use any kind of beef stock or beef bouillon)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar(you can redue or add a lil more if you like)(i like about 3/4C)
1/2 cup maple syrup (it gives a great flavor)
1/4 to 1/2 cup worcheshire sauce (to taste)
3 cloves finely chopped or minced garlic
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3 Tbsp. prepared mustard (ground)
pepper to taste and a lil salt if you want
1 can restaurant size BAKED BEANS (your favorite style) (bushes is a great brand)(walmart has these huge cans)...can't remember how many oz/lbs it is, it's the biggest one you can buy it's like $6 at walmart)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

All ing. will go in big dutch oven or roasting pan, you'll bake beans right in that pan.
Fry bacon and ground beef (together or apart- the bacon takes a lil longer than the beef to fy up) drain and add to dutch oven.
sautee onion and garlic & add to pan.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water; stir bouillon and remaining ingredients into meat mixture. Bake aprox 2 hours uncovered until hot and bubbly. I stir it a couple of times during cooking process. (it will be thick and rich (should not be watery))

serve hot and enjoy!

Herb-Crusted Flank Steak with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

Hello Every one! This delicious recipe is from http://www.epicurious.com/ Have a great week!


yield: Makes 6 servings
Marinate the steaks one to eight hours before grilling.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 1 1/2-pound flank steaks
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted brine-cured green olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar

Preparation:
For steak:Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Place steaks in large glass baking dish. Brush steaks with olive oil. Rub with herb mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

For tomatoes:Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Season tomatoes to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill steaks until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer steaks to cutting board. Cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes.
Cut steaks across grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange steak slices on large platter. Spoon tomatoes with juices over steaks and serve.

I made this last year for The 4th of July and it was really good. You can make this using only one flank steak and then cut down on the other ingredients accordingly. It just depends on how much your family eats. The left overs are good though, I made steak salads with the left over meat and I used the tomato mixture over eggs in the morning. Mmmmmmm.

Special Request: Ground Beef Not Pot Pie

I got this recipe out of a Rachael Ray mag that a friend passed on to me when she was finished. I found this recipe and we LOVE it! It is simple (I take a few short cuts) and delicious. Chic Chef Carrie asked that I share it so here is the link to it! Enjoy!
PS: I always leave out the bacon because there is no need for the added fat and additional flavor.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/30-minute-meals/ground-beef-not-potpies-with-caraway-salt-crust/article.html

Spinach Torta and Flank Steak

Hello Ladies! Sorry this is a few days late. The main recipe I want everyone to "try" is the Spinach Torta which could be a main dish with a salad for lunch or I suppose even dinner for some of you birdies but we prefer to use it as a side dish for dinner. We have made it with steak, chicken, and pork so if more then one dish overwhelms you go for the Torta and just add it to whatever meat you would like! Happy Cooking!

Spinach Torta

2lbs fresh spinach (I usually only use 1lb, as thats how the Organic stuff comes from Costco and it always seems fine)
Salt
1 heaping C long grain rice
4 T butter + extra for pan
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
Black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Cut off and discard root end of spinach. (I usually do this rather loosly not necessarily getting all ends!) Soak spinach 5 minutes, in cold water. Lift spinach out and drain away water in colander. Repeat until no soil visible in water.

Put spinach in pot without water except whats on leaves. Liberally salt. Cook until tender then drain reserving cooking water. When cool to touch, squeeze dry with hands and cut into coarse bits.

In another pot cook rice as normal but using reserved water as part of the cooking water. The rice should be tender but firm so usually a little under what the normal cooking time is.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put butter oil and onion in pan. Saute over medium heat. When onions are pale golden, add spinach and rice. Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently until all mixed well. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Grease a 10inch springform baking pan with butter. (used round pans and pie dishes before I got a springform!) Coat bottom and sides with bread crumbs tapping extra out and reserving. (Directions call for rice mixture to be cool for the next part I've done it when its still warm) When rice mixture is cool, add 1/4 cup cheese, nutmeg, and pepper. Mix in eggs one at a time. Put rice mixture into pan and level evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Dot with butter and bake for 15 minutes or until light crust has formed. (directions call for it to be served luke warm but we prefer it hot!)

This is a great dish for something a little different for a side and such a great way to get in Spinach! Our girls love it! And to give credit where do this recipe was snagged from Staci who I believe snagged it from a former employer :) and so the cycle continues!

Marinated Flank Steak

I'm very new to cooking with any sort of beef other then hamburger but I got this recipe off of another cooking blog and wanted to give it a try.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup cooking sherry
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 heaping tablespoons minced ginger
3-5 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 Flank Steak


Combine all ingredients in glass or ceramic dish then coat steak on both sides in marinade then marinade for at least 4-6 hours, I'm going for overnight.

There are a variety of ways to then cook it. In a grill pan stove top style, broiling in the oven or on an outside grill. The length of cooking also depends on your preference. Mooing, red, pink and so on :)

Happy Cooking!

Sloppy Joes Go Chic

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A couple weeks ago I asked Andy what he wanted for dinner and he said Sloppy Joes. My response was “EEWWW Yuck.” Then I thought ‘Ya know, you asked, maybe you should just make him what he wants.’ So I pulled out my faithful ol’ cookbook and thought I’d do it up right (no Joe’s out of a can for us). I followed the recipe and doctored a little here and there. They turned out SO good! I know all you chic chefs bring these fabulous ethnic recipes and here I am bringing comfort food from 1963 but don’t judge a recipe by its name – I did and had to give up my seconds as a result! I hope you enjoy this yummy meal, brought to you courtesy of Andy. :)

NOTE: You may find that the measurements need a little adjusting for your taste. This recipe is flexible enough for variation.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped red pepper

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

¼ cup water

3 Tablespoons quick oats

2 Teaspoons chili powder

3-4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Salt to taste

White dinner rolls

In a large skillet brown meat and drain fat off. Add onion and pepper and sauté until veggies are just softening. Stir in remaining ingredients (except rolls); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered until desired consistency. Serve over rolls. Serves 4-6.

This recipe I got out of Rachael Rays magazine this summer and thought it looked good. I haven’t tried it yet but wanted to pass it along to the Chic Chefs!

Sweet Milk Cake

6 large eggs, separated

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 cups evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 quart heavy cream

Papaya slices for serving (or most any fruit you prefer).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish. Using the electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1 cup sugar on low speed until combined, then increase to high and beat until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ½ cup evaporated milk and the vanilla; beat until combined. Fold in the flour and baking powder.

Clean the beaters. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Beat in the remaining ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks form.

Working in batches, fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups evaporated milk, the sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup cream. Ladle over the cooled cake. Cover and chill until the liquid is absorbed, about 4 hours.

Beat the remaining 3 cups cream until soft peaks form. Serve with the cake and fruit slices.

The Daley Mix and Parent-Tot Bread (Our new recipe)

Ok so this is a recipe my Mom (Mary Daley) makes and I love this soup, funnily this was the soup I imagined eating after having a home birth :) Well though that did not happen this soup is always yummy and comforting to me. That said it is one of those recipes my Mom threw together and its often different each time so I tried to nail a recipe down as best as I could. Also I'm giving approximate measurements for the lentil/split pea/barley mixture as we buy it in bulk pre-mixed at Fred Meyer (for the few of you who live here go buy it at Fred Meyer its like $2 bucks in their bulk section for the amount you need). For everyone else you may try your grocery store and check the bulk section for the mixture or just buy each individually and mix. Alissa I'm hoping you can either get some of the things are similar things are maybe you will decide to wait until your visiting Rachel. Happy Soup Making!!

Daley Mix

Approx 1 lb of beef stew, round steak, or really your choice of any type of beef I usually do what's on sale
Cut the meat into small pieces (bite sized is what I prefer)

1 onion diced

3-4 celery stalks diced

Brown cubed meat, onion, celery in hot olive oil with garlic.

Once browned Add

1 large zesty V-8 juice (46oz or more container),
16oz diced tomatoes w/ chilies,
4 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt
any other spices that sound good to you :)

1 1/2 cups approx of the lentil/split pea/barley mix if you can find it or

1/3 cup green split peas
1/3 cup yellow split peas
1/3 cup brown lentils
1/3 cup orange lentils
1/3 cup barley

I realize this is not quite 1 1/2 cups but that's fine

Cook till lentil/veggie mix is done about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.

At this point if your broth is disappearing you can add either more beef broth or combo of beef broth and more V-8.

Add large pkg mixed frozen veggies or mix own combo of peas, carrots, green beans,

Cook till veggies are done.

This makes a huge pot of soup (everything puffs up) so hope you have a hungry family, friends and like it enough for leftovers. Also you could omit the meat change from beef to veggie broth and make it vegetarian if desires

Serve and Enjoy!


Parent-Tot Bread
This is the bread the girls and I "make" every week at our Parent-Tot class
3 Cups of Warm Water
2 Packets of Yeast
¼ Cup Honey
3 Cups Flour (1/2 white ½ wheat)

Mix together and let it rise for 45 minutes

Add 1 Tablespoon of Salt
¼ Cup of oil
3 Cups Flour (1/2 white ½ wheat)
Mix together and knead while singing. Must do this part or it will not turn out right :)
We then form it into small rounds approx. 12 -14 of them
Those of you with kiddos could give them each a clump and let them make shapes, it seems anything the kids do to this bread still turns out great.
Bake at 350 degrees for ½ hour.

The bakers are baking the bread In the morning they’re baking the bread They're kneading They’re rolling…
Ok, I promise this is actually I really easy recipe and a great one for any first time bread makers. Good luck! Happy kneading and singing :)

New Recipe Pick: My Moms Meatloaf

I'm picking meatloaf because I love my moms and I have never made it on my own before, so what better time then with you ladies. I know it is not much of a summer pick but it is 60 some degrees out and I don't feel very summery right now! The other thing is I got the recipe from my mom and she does not measure anything so here it goes!


What you will need ! (in my moms own word!)

Hamburger meat- a pound or so
2 Eggs
1 onion (add to your liking)
Garlic salt (to your liking)
Pepper (thanks Mom)
Ketchup (about 1/2cup but maybe a little more)
Hand full of oatmeal

Add all together in a bowl and mix well. You might need to add more ketchup and oatmeal to make it stay together better. Make into a loaf and place it on a broiling pan and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or so. We serve this with either a green or Cesar salad and a bake potato.

I hope you ladies enjoy this as much as i do! Happy meatloaf making!