red wine red beet barley risotto

i have a bit of a fixation on beets. nothing dangerous, if you ask me, but if you met my husband, he'd tell you to run for your life. i do this thing, every now and then, where i get completely obsessed with an ingredient and then it'll show up in everything for the next two weeks. the polenta episode was most unfortunate for my husband, as he's not a fan. the goat cheese phase meant dozens of tartlets, mousses and salads. the caramel thing is ongoing, i never seem to forget about caramel. the beets, my husband doesn't dislike. he put up with it, until this dish, the last of the series. i thought it was the culmination, the crown jewel of the beet week. he said it was rubbish and refused to eat it. i ate it for three meals in a row. i loved it, but god! i'm done with beets for a while.

1 cup pearl barley

2 tb olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups grated beets, 4 to 5 baby beets

1/4 cup red wine (or pomegranate juice)

5 cups stock

1/2 cup parmesan

6 oz baby spinach

salt, pepper

goat cheese or feta cheese, optional

heat the stock and keep it hot on low heat. in a saucepan, heat up 2 tb olive oil and saute the onion. when it's translucent, add the barley and toss to coat. cook for about 5 minutes to toast, then deglaze with the wine or juice. then ladle in about a cup of stock and stir. when it's absorbed, add another. when the second cup is absorbed, add the grated beets and cook a couple minutes. add all the remaining stock and simmer over low heat, covered, for about 40 minutes, until the barley is soft but still has a bit of bite. add the spinach and the parmesan and mix well. season to taste. remove from heat and serve immediately. top each serving with a few crumbles of goat cheese or feta, and a few chopped chives.

i had it both with goat cheese and feta, and i couldn't say which i liked best. the goat cheese melts on contact and when you stir it in it makes it impossibly creamy, like no other risotto i ever had. the feta melts well, too and provides an extra salty delicious undertone. try it both ways or without any cheese at all, it will still be creamy. as a bonus, it's quite decent reheated. most risottos don't fare well if not served immediately, but as i was the only taker i had to refrigerate it. on my next beet binge i'll try it cold, or room temp, with a handful of pomegranate seeds mixed in. just a hunch i'm having. 

creamy coconut rice

we had a wonderful morning today. it was sunny and warm, so we went out right after breakfast. we planted 30 gladioli, we covered the driveway in abstract chalk and we played ball. the crust of dirt on zhara's hands when we walked inside was like the fur of a bear, only petrified. the bulbs require a good drench when they're planted and she took that to heart: dirt, water. dirt, water. let's wash your hands, babe. here's the pickaxe. i was going to stop her, but she saw it coming, and she did the bit that always reduces me to a puddle of touchy-feely goop. she says i love you, i say i love you, too;  then she says, i love you tutu. sure you can water the flowers, clean is overrated, and anyway you're too cute for boundaries.
we got inside in a fantastic mood. the risotto i had planned seemed lackluster - zhara likes a reduced number of dishes, as many toddlers do, and i'm dead bored with the stuff. i've never made this before, but it's in the circuit now, because she loved it so much she asked for it at dinner, too. i've seen a lot of coconut rice done with peas, but in our house they take the stage only as villains in a play where the villains never win. the villains are promptly booed off the stage in shame.

1/2 cup pearl rice, or basmati, or brown

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/4 cups water

1 cup frozen soybeans, or peas

1 inch piece ginger, quartered

2 lime leaves

1 ts orange zest

pinch nutmeg

salt, pepper

crushed peanuts, optional

heat a little olive oil and saute  the onion until translucent. add the rice and and cook a few minutes to toast it. pour in the milk and water, add the leaves and ginger root and bring to boil. cover and reduce to a simmer. after 10 minutes add the frozen peas. we used this mix from trader joe's that has corn, soy beans and red pepper. it's zhara's favourite. cover again and cook until the rice is cooked and the liquid mostly gone, about 8 minutes. remove and discard the leaves and the ginger. add the citrus zest and season to your liking. garnish with peanuts on amenable plates.

the coconut taste is mild, like a lazy afterthought, and the citrus punch brightens it up. i love how creamy it is, and i'm already thinking what a great dessert this will make in its sweet incarnation. but until dessert, next time i'll treat it with some shrimp for a delightful one pot meal.

serves two.

sundried tomato zucchini pasta

a dish as bright as the day outside. thankfully, most of the snow has melted, and though it's not warm, it's sunny, and the heavy clouds that were forcing lassitude on me have cleared the sky. i'm starting my tomatoes today. i found some great heirloom tomato seeds, and decided to give them a shot. i don't much like to use seeds for tomatoes, i always buy small plants that i can put directly in the ground. seeds are fussy, they need at least six weeks inside, but i'm determined to follow through. ever had cream of heirloom tomato soup? it's worth every bit of impatient gardening i can muster. at least until those hang on the vine i have sundried tomatoes, the next best thing. they can brighten up the blandest of dishes, plus i love the color they give to sauces. this is a 15 minute lunch for zhara. let's just breeze over the inordinate quantity i consumed, it's not healthy to dwell in the past.

1 lb pasta

2 large zucchini, grated

8 sundried tomatoes packed in oil, finely sliced

2 large roasted red peppers, finely sliced

4 oz bulgarian feta cheese, crumbled

a few parmesan shavings, optional

boil the pasta according to package instructions. prep the vegetables while that's happening. drain the pasta but reserve 1 cup of the water. stir in all the veggies at once, and let it cook together for a few minutes. the zucchini will give off their juices, as will the peppers and tomatoes. add the cheese and mix well. the cheese will melt to form a wonderful sauce, and everything will take on a pale golden colour from the tomatoes. you may need a bit of pasta water, it all depends on how much juice the zucchini gives off. thin it to your preffered consistency, season with salt and pepper, plate and garnish with parmesan. enjoy at once.

counting my blessings: there are many.

we got up today to a beautiful morning. a true, it's-really-spring morning, sunny, incredibly warm, that made me open windows immediately and skip about the house - well, at least in my head i did, we all know i'm not that much of a morning person. it gave me a mad craving for a citrus dessert, as cheerful as the weather. i poured a cup of coffee, gave zhara her milk and made some waffles. i was having trouble deciding if i should clean the house and bake bread or dump it all and just go for a walk in the forest preserve. that's when the phone rang. my husband called, using someone else's phone, to tell me there had been an accident. he's fine. but he did not sound fine. my sunny disposition evaporated, knees made out of playdough, i told him i was on my way. oh, god, please. the prayer of all wives, even a wife without a god. his phone had shattered, so i grabbed an older one we hadn't tossed. i had so many questions, but he could only talk for a minute. he had borrowed a phone from someone, and i could hear the clammoring of cops? doctors? in the background. never before have i resented every single car on the road like i did today. i wanted to roll down my window and shout. i'm a bit uncomfortable recalling how the speed limit signs were blurring past, seeing i had zhara in the back. though it's not even close to how fast i used to drive, before i had her. it was never supposed to be him, the one to get in an accident. he's the calm, patient one. he's the one who drives for a living. i couldn't believe it happened, really, all winter long i worry about ice on the road and blizzards and today? seriously?

i got there. it happened, allright. all 18 wheels up in the air. cabin smashed, windshield crushed some 15 feet away. our livelihood a big blob of scrape metal on the side of the road. him, whole. thank god, not a scratch. it could have been so much worse. he was transporting a big coil of industrial chain. luckily the whole thing went down on a ramp, and when the coil got loose it rolled off onto the empty patch in between the two highways. and not in the traffic behind. it could've been disastrous.

it's been hours, but clearly i need a shot of get-it-together-you-damn-fool in the coffee i'm drinking, cause i can't stop obssesing about might've happened. if his seatbealt weren't buckled. if other cars were closer. this week we were going to finally launch our own business. we only needed some numbers from the DOT, we had a charter almost set up, we've been working so long for this. this is not a setback, it's possibly a deal-breaker. and still. he got away intact. we're all healthy. we're not in haiti. we'll be fine.

i drove back, zhara singing 'twinkle, twinkle little star' all the way home. i asked her if she wanted to bake with mommy, for what else could i do? she was enthuziastic as always. we also made a quick risotto while the apple cake was baking. she's such a blessing.

unvelibable! onion has a fever!

if you're as indispensible to your resident as i am to mine, you can cheat on the constant stirring. let it simmer covered instead. no one will know. or care. follow the recipe for risotto milanese, but add the chicken broth right away, bring to boil and after 10 minutes of simmering, add frozen soybeans; after another 5, the asparagus and 1 tb chopped sage.

the asparagus needs 3 to 5 minutes, depending on its thickness, then stir in the cheese and you're done. meanwhile panfry a few sage leafs, 30 seconds, if that, don't carbonize it. serve at once, with a few leafs on top. maybe skip those on the doctor's plate.

the cake really is amazing, i've made this a lot since seeing it at smitten kitchen, it's very moist and the outside gets almost caramelized. wondrous, but the dessert to restore my appetite today has yet ot be invented. so i don't have a picture of a slice, or not a slice of the one i made today. it will probably go to my neighbours, but baking it has calmed me, to way it always does.

these were taken last september? october? or around there; zhara had a grand time stealing cake, she was walking around on her tippy toes trying to look innocent, with crumbs everywhere around her mouth and on her shirt.

scallop gratin

this is a dish fancy enough to entertain, but is remarkably easy to prepare, especially if you have a two year old to do all the sprinkling for you. it's a barefoot contessa recipe that i've been meaning to prepare for ages. it looks very pretty in individual dishes, but the taste won't be in any way diminished in a larger dish.

i had to adapt the recipe to fit what i had in the fridge, which did not contain pernod - nor will it ever, because i don't appreciate anise-flavoured beverages - and so i used only a demisec romanian white wine, which worked quite well. i don't believe it suffered at all. also omitted the shallot and substituted the fresh parsley with dried herbes de provence. and i don't like to dirty up the mixer when the job is easily done by hand. the official dishwasher isn't home.

please use the link above if you care to see the recipe. scale it, adapt it, do what you like but do not give up the garlic, the prosciutto, the lemon, and do use panko. regular breadcrumbs will never work as well. i skipped the wine on the bottom, and i added an extra layer of panko mixed with parmesan on top. zhara had a ton of fun, and once the gratin was in the oven she refused to get down, saying she's not done cooking. so i finally could take a few pictures of her.

cauliflower mac and cheese

picky eaters or not, children have such an instinctive distaste for this vegetable and its relatives, it's like an international conspiracy is imbeded in their genetic code. i am one of the few spared. as i kid i loved it fried, in a light batter of egg and flour, and my mother's cauliflower gratin qualified as holiday. i tried them all, plus soups and stews for zhara, but i can beg till the cows come home. she just says no, in a voice very much prophesizing the teenager she'll be. well, she may be stubborn, but i have decades of practice on her.

the ideea is to make a fine cauliflower puree which then goes in your kid's favourite pasta sauce. i've made this a few times to get it right, and for zhara it only works if i use a sauce mornay made with munchee - it's the only cheese she'll eat. we also use miniature pasta, she's just more amenable especially if they have cute shapes, like animal or letters. 

i don't know if you can tell looking at the picture, but it's all bite size, the penne are less than 1 inch, and the meatballs are barely the size of a quarter. so first you break the cauliflower into small florets and you boil it until easily pierced with a fork. while it boils, prep your sauce and boil the pasta. you can either do a bechamel, by making a roux out 2 tb each butter and flour and then streaming in 1 cup milk, or you can use jarred alfredo sauce. either way, add to it 1/2 cup packed grated cheese. when it's melted add the cauliflower puree, season with salt and pepper and pinch of italian seasoning. i have to use equal quatities of sauce and cauliflower puree, any less sauce and she won't eat it. one cup sauce plus one cup puree is sufficient for 3/4 lb pasta. 

zhara enjoys it very much. she ate so much of it for lunch that she couldn't touch her usual second course of fresh fruit. the meatballs didn't fly, but i don't care, this is still such progress for her!

osso bucco with sour cherry gremolata

recipe adapted from tyler florence.

this is hands down one of my favourite comfort foods. i have made it with veal shanks for a long time, until one day my butcher only had beef shanks. nice guy, my butcher, thoroughly competent except for his tendency to ma'am people without cause. yes, ma'am. here you go, ma'am. a good day to you too, ma'am. what the heck?! made me feel like the patron saint of mothballs and wooden walkers. i smiled back and said nothing, cause he always cuts my meat exactly the way i ask for it, he trims everything, he even deveined shrimp for me. a good butcher is priceless.

4 beef shanks

4 tb all-purpose flour

2 tb butter

2 onions

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

3 garlic cloves

1 cup red wine

zest of one lemon, finely grated

2 bay leaves

1 14oz whole canned tomatoes, preferably san marzano

beef stock

gremolata:

3 tb chopped parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tb orange zest, finely grated

2 tb dried sour cherries, diced

let the meat sit on the counter for half hour so it can come to room temp. give it a quick rinse in cold water to remove bone splinters and pat dry. season the flour generously with salt and pepper. heat 2 tb oil with the butter in a large pan. dredge the meat through the flour, on all sides. shake off excess flour and sear the meat until good and brown, on all sides. do not crowd the pan, do it in batches if you have to. remove the meat to a plate and add onions to same pan. saute a couple minutes and add carrots, celery, garlic, lemon zest and bay leaves. cook another 5 minutes, then pour the wine  - whatever red you have, so long as it's good enough to drink, never buy those labeled 'for cooking'. nest the meat back in the pot and cook the wine until reduced by half. crush the san marzanos by hand and add them to the pot, with enough beef stock to just cover the meat. [i've done it using water a few times, and it's just as good, so if you don't have stock it's no biggie.] bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partially covered for 2 hours. check every now and then, and taste the meat after 1 1/2 hours. you can also braise it in the oven, once you've got it boiling cover it and put it in at 375F.

for the gremolata simply mix all the ingredients together. serve the osso bucco hot over mashed potatoes, and about 1 1/2 ts gremolata sprinkled over the whole thing. it really is a thing of wonder how such a humble cut of meat becomes nothing short of exquisite, because that great marbling of connective tissue breaks down into sweet, melted comfort. the sauce has amazing depth thanks to the reduced wine and the quality tomatoes. eat, enjoy, loosen belt. do the dishes in the morning.

lemon garlic chicken

on this chicken i used my favourite flavours. i use them whenever i crave comfort food. lemon, garlic, bacon. i often have urges to eat them raw, but fortunately these urges never coincide with me being drunk enough to act on them. i imagine it'd be a terrible combination, in the raw version, no? but how wonderful it turns when baked, especially when you add a good glug of white wine.

preheat oven to 375F. wash the chicken and pat it dry. in a shallow baking dish combine two tb olive oil with the juice of half lemon. toss the chicken so it's coated on all sides. season with salt, pepper, paprika and herbs de provence, laying it presentation side down. scatter a few garlic cloves between the chicken pieces. chop some bacon and throw that in, too. cut the lemon you juiced in half and fit it in between. gently pour dry white wine against the side of the dish so you won't wash away the seasoning. bake until it's nicely browned, then turn it so the other side can get its turn. all in all, about 35-40 minutes, less if boneless. the juices will reduce in the most wonderful sauce.

typically i'd make mashed potatoes to fully showcase it. i'd make some ridges on top so the sauce can puddle on top and you can have some with each bite. sometimes i simply spoon it over, but on occasion i'll strain it, add some chicken stock and thicken it with some cornstarch. but that is moot cause the boss doesn't do potatoes, hence the mac and cheese. i had to mop the sauce with the homemade roasted garlic bread. poor me.

quick scallop zucchini saute

this is one of my favourite dishes. sometimes i serve it over wild rice but mostly i wolf it down as is, after long days when i can't be bothered with cooking. in all seriousness: 5 minutes of holding a pan over fire does not come close of encompassing the definition. this is literally easier then ordering take out. serves two or just me with a big fork.

1/2 lb/225gr bay scallops

1 zucchini, grated

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tb lemon juice

1 tb parsley, minced

toasted almonds

pour a bit of olive oil in a pan and get it smoldering hot. dry the scallops on paper towels and put them in the pan. sear undisturbed for two minutes then flip them. add the miced garlic and cook a minute more. toss in the zucchini and lemon juice and cook until the scallops are opaque and the zucchini is softened, 3-4 minutes. the point is more to warm it through. season with salt and a generous pinch of pepper. add the parsley, stir and kill the heat. top with the almonds. that's it. eat it while watching some scandalous drama to compensate for the lack of dirty pots and pans.

sole fillet stuffed with a mushroom duxelle; a sauce and parmesan polenta

because murphy's laws run rampant in my life, i haven't had a chance to post lately. we did eat in the meantime. the child was fed. for the most part. (do hot-dogs count?)
anyhoo, my meat-and-potatoes husband raved about this dish. we really loved it, and we're not that big on fish. we like shrimp and scallops, but fish, eh. this i'll make again and again.

i don't know how to accurately describe the cooking method - it's not a roast/bake/broil, though it's in the oven. oven-poach. i think that's a reasonable description. it's poached/steamed in dry wine, and the flavour is unbelievable.
this is what you need:
6 to 8 sole fillets
8 oz/225 gr wild mushrooms, i used a blend of shiitake, oyster and crimini
1 onion
1 tb chopped parsley
1 tb butter
1 tb flour
1 cup/250 ml milk
1/2 cup/125 ml dry white wine (or apple cider)
2 ts lemon juice
zest of half lemon
pinch nutmeg
1/2 ts garlic powder
for the creamy polenta:
2 cups/500 ml chicken broth
6 tb instant polenta
1/3 cup grated parmesan
salt, pepper

chop the onion and sweat it in a bit of olive oil over medium heat while you finely chop the mushrooms. add  them to the pan and cook until all the juices are evaporated, about 15 minutes. (you can do this in advance.) mix in the parsley and take it off the heat.
preheat the oven to 350F or 180C. meanwhile, wash and dry the fish. salt and pepper the fillets. these you want about 1 1/2 inch wide, so split in half lenghtwise if needed. reserve 2-3 tb of the mushrooms and equally divide the rest between the fish. spread all over the fillets, pressing gently to make it adhere, on the skin side if skin was not removed. roll up the fish, tail to head end, and put it in a baking dish as closely together as possible. pour the wine over it. cut a piece of parchment to fit the dish and cover all the fish. butter it and place it directly on the fish, so the butter sticks to the fillets. bake for about 20 minutes. depending on your oven, check after 15.
to make the polenta, bring the stock to boil. decrease to a gentle simmer and slowly stream in the polenta. slowly. slowly. or you'll have lumps. stir for 5 minutes. add the parmesan. kill the heat. stir and taste for salt and pepper. keep warm.
when the fish is nearly ready, heat the remaining mushrooms in 1 tb butter. when it's melted add the flour and stir to blend. cook for a couple of minutes then stream in the milk, whisking continuously. add garlic powder and nutmeg. cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. now take the fish from the oven and strain 4 tb of the cooking juices in the mushroom sauce. add the lemon juice and zest, taste for salt. let it sit on very low heat while you plate the polenta and the fish. spoon sauce on top. take a bite and be surprised.

recipe adapted from here.

beef with sauce bearnaise

every now and then i get a song stuck in my head and it goes on and on. not a long while ago it used to be something from nirvana or queen or guns'n'roses. look at what life does to you: for the past two days the song i keep hearing is 'if you're happy and you know it'. i simply can't get rid of it. also clap your hands to support my daughter's budding organization, Say No to Potty, with its charming slogan that she obstinately announces every chance she gets: no potty never! no potty never! which is why i need this:

that and a nice relaxing evening, after the brat is down for the night. it's our version of date night. we just don't leave the house for it. in all honesty most days i don't have the energy to get dressed up and put make up on and arrange childcare to go to a restaurant. and since you're making the effort, you'd better go someplace nice, right? so there's that expense. and when i want to avoid it and go to a more accessible place i keep thinking i could've cooked better for half the dough. so instead i splurge on a nice cut of aged beef, which is what my husband would invariably order. filet mignon or ribeye or maybe a ny strip. either way this meal is ready in 20 minutes. i skipped the starch for lighter fare. roasted asparugus is plenty with the meat. i added red peppers before remembering said brat is not concerned :).

preheat oven to 400F. snap asparagus and line it up on a baking sheet. toss to coat in a tablespoon of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. season simply with salt and pepper, maybe some herbs de provence. in a large pan heat 1 tb butter with 1 tb olive oil. when the foaming subsides place your meat in the pan and back off. do not mess with it. after 4 minutes flip it and cook for another 2 for medium rare. do not exceed 4 minutes on side two or you'll be eating rubber.

the sauce is my husband's favourite condiment for steak. i love tarragon, so it's a reccuring piece. whisking constantly in a double boiler while keeping an eye on the meat may be easy when your nerves are not frazzled at the end of a long day. there's an easier way: prepare the reduction while the meat is getting to room temp, and while the meat is cooking blend the sauce. in the blender. ta-dam!

to make the sauce bearnaise:

2 tb shallot, chopped

2 sprigs fresh tarragon, chopped

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 egg yolks

1 stick butter, melted

2 tb tarragon finely chopped

1 ts lemon juice

salt, white pepper

combine the tarrgon, shallots, vinegar and wine in a small pan, bring to boil and then simmer until reduced by half. strain, set aside and let cool.

blend the egg yolks with the reduction. with the blender running start streaming melted butter slowly, and i mean slowly, until you have incorporated a third of the butter, then crank to high speed and pour at ease. blend until emulsified. add the chopped tarragon and lemon juice. season with salt and white pepper. keep warm if your meat is not cooked.

if you don't have champagne vinegar dry vermouth works just as well.

if you have leftover sauce don't toss it! use it the next morning instead of hollandaise for eggs benedict. i find them completely interchangeable. ever had shrimp bearnaise? makes for a quick delicious lunch. just be careful you don't scramble it when you warm it up.

orange chicken

my princess ate an alarming quantity for dinner. she ate an alarming quantity of meat! actual, real, meat. not hot dogs, not ground meat, but chicken breast!! i prepared it a lot of different ways for her and it never hit home, until now. and that is not all: i served the chicken with an asparagus risotto, that i made more for myself, but which turned to be magical. i'll call it the speechless risotto, which is what i was, when i heard the words: 'more asparagus, please' coming out of my daughter's full mouth. aaaand, she ate a whole tomato. courtesy of the tomato flower i bothered to make.

1 boneless chicken breast

1 egg

handful of flour

salt, pepper

for the glaze:

1/2 cup apricot jam

3 tb orange juice

3 tb hoisin sauce

1 tb soy sauce

1 ts rice vinegar

pinch cayenne

cube the chicken breast, and season it. dredge through flour, then the beaten egg, then again through flour and fry on all sides until golden. remove to paper towel to drain.

mix all the ingredients for the glaze and bring to boil. simmer for a couple minutes or until it coats the back of the spoon. put the chicken in and mix. serve immediatly.

at least this once dinner was a successful affair!

red pepper meatballs

my daughter's culinary likes and dislikes change by the week. she now has a thing for bell peppers, especially the red ones. so lately i've put them in everything, and it made it somewhat easier to convince her to eat. it's still a struggle. she does not tolerate meat near her plate, with the glorious exception of hot dogs and ground meat. (i want to roll my eyes every time i remember this, of all the meat that's available, of all the cuts, she wants ground meat, gah.) not a big fan myself, except for meatballs and stuffed cabagge, i could care less if i ever see another burger or lasagna or whatever else they make with ground meat. i wouldn't know.
these, however, are liable to become the default meatballs. i put peppers both in the meat and in the sauce, and they impart a sweet flavor.

whatever meat you choose, do not get extra lean. fat is moisture. you want some fat in there. do not use dry breadcrumbs, they suck out too much moisture. pulse a slice of bread in the food processor to make fresh breadcrumbs.

1 1/2 lbs ground meat

1 red bell pepper

1 onion

1/2 cup parmesan

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3 tb chopped parsley

1 egg

1 24 oz can crushed tomatoes

salt, pepper

place the meat in a bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes. finely chop the onion and the pepper. sweat the onion over low heat for a couple minutes and then add half the pepper. continue cooking, without browning, until soft, about 10 minutes total. let cool and add to the meat with the parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley.

 preheat oven at 350F. form meatballs. heat oil and sear on all sides, in batches if you have to. remove to plate. drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and saute the other half pepper. deglaze with a glug of wine or stock, cook for a minute and scrape to release all the bits at the bottom and then add the tomatoes. put the meatballs back in pot and bring to a boil. cover and put it in the oven for one and a half hours. serve over pasta, mashed potatoes or polenta. the one i made is very basic, to let the meatballs shine: 4 tb instant polenta for every cup of chicken broth, poured slowly while whisking, to prevent clumping, cooked for 5 minutes, with a handful of parmesan added at the end. that sauce is amazing over it. and it's only better the next day in a meatball sub.

prime rib au jus and bacon potato torte

potato torte adapted from melissa d'arabian

my husband is a meat eater. he likes pretty much everything i put on the table as long as there's meat somewhere in there. i figured he'd be on cloud nine, right? wrong. this was overkill. it is impossible to eat anything but salad with this potato pie. it's not a side dish. and i'm pretty sure the prime rib is no garnish either. it's also likely to knock the wind out of your partener if you cook it at valentine's. probably more literally than you'd think.

the meat is very simple to prepare. i know it can be intimidating buying - and possibly wrecking - such an expensive cut of meat. this is just a very basic preparation, you barely have to do anything but plop it in the oven and wait for it to cook. all you need is patience and a meat thermometer.
get the prime rib (6 to 7 lbs) out of the fridge about half hour prior to roasting. preheat oven to 350F. peel and slice 8 garlic cloves. make tiny slits all over the meat and insert one garlic slice in each. season liberally with salt, pepper, and herbes de provence. place the meat on a rack inside a roasting pan and roast about 2 hours or until 135F for medium rare. remove from pan, tent with foil and let it rest 20 minutes before cutting. like melt-aways? you'll like this meat.
bring the pan to heat, add 1 cup beef broth and a glug of wine and cook until reduced by half. spoon this over the meat when serving, and all over the garlic mashed potatoes you'll make instead of pie.
also made a horseradish sauce, 3 tbs prepared horseradish, 3/4 cup sour cream, dash of hot sauce, squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of salt. can't have prime rib without it.

now this pie here. (hope you like it with a side of glare!) it is incredibly good. and it really stands up for itself, it's not going to be put to shame by no piece of meat. all you want with it is a green salad.

for the dough:
2 sticks butter, very cold and cubed
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 ts salt
8 to 10 tb ice water

pulse the salted flour with the butter in your food processor until it's a coarse meal. add ice water by the tablespoon just until larger clumps start to form. divide in two and shape into disks. wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. take one out and roll it to 10 inch diameter, line a pie dish with it and return it to the fridge.

the filling:
6 slices bacon
2/3 cup heavy cream
5-6 medium potatoes
1/4 cup grated gruyere or parmesan
1 egg, for egg wash

preheat oven to 375F. cook the bacon until brown but not too crispy, let cool and crumble it. heat the cream on low heat - you can infuse it with thyme or rosemary if you like. thinly slice potatoes, (if you have a mandoline, that works great) and working in circles make layers on your crust, making sure to season each layer with salt and pepper and bacon bits. make an even layer of cheese on top and then pour the cream slowly, all over the dish, to allow it to seep evenly. roll out the remaining dough disk. place it on top and crimp the edges to seal. brush with egg wash and make a couple slits to let the steam escape. put it on a baking sheet and bake it for 50 to 60 minutes. cover the edges with foil if they get too dark too soon. once you remove it from the oven let it rest at least 15 minutes before cutting.

i'd tell you about dessert, but there was no one left breathing after this meal. completely exhausted, did not even bother with the dishes until the next morning. gah. now i have that 'it's good, it's bad' song stuck in my head.

Chicken Schnitzel, Two ways

quickly, while my daughter naps and i should be cleaning: this dish is one of my husband's faves, and it's gotten to be something special aroud here, as i don't make it very often because of the infamous clubhand. use tongs, you'll say. can't, impossible, incapable.
anyhoo: cut and tenderize the chicken breast and season with salt and pepper. and a bit of garlic powder and paprika if you're so inclined. beat 2 eggs with a healthy glug of milk and season that too. 2 handfuls all-purpose flour, seasoned, on a plate. mix about a cup plain breadcrumbs with 1 cup grated parmesan. take half of this mix, put it on a different plate and add 1 cup crushed/sliced/slivered almonds.
heat a thin layer of oil in the largest frying pan you've got. proceed to getting goop on your hands. dredge the chicken through the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. fry until golden. do the cheese mixture first, then the almonds.

serve with whatever sidedish and a salad. the one i like best is just a bunch of baby spinach, 1 avocado, 2 tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 1 small onion, a bit of feta cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. zap.

if you get a bit carried away and make a ton because, say, you don't make this very often, do this the next day:

a bit of cream cheese on the bottom slice, some baby spinach, the schnitzel, a blob of dijon on the top slice. throw in a cup of soup and there's lunch.

Romanian Holiday Fare

If you walk into any house in Romania during any holiday you're very likely to find this dish. It's tradition and custom you can't ignore. And if you're Romanian, you can't forget it even while living across the Atlantic from the place that instilled it in you. It's just not Christmas without it. What I love about it is this - it's simple, peasant food. Hearty, honest and mighty tasty. You can also feed all your family and friends and neighbours with one pot. It keeps well and it only tastes better the following days.
There are many variants to stuffed cabbage, this is the one we like:

5 lb pickled cabbage

3 lb ground meat, a combination of beef and pork

2 tb butter

2 cups onion

1 1/2 cups white rice

1 egg

8 oz smoked bacon or 1 smoked hock

1 bunch dill

6 oz tomato sauce

2 heaping tb tomato paste

salt, pepper.

The pickled cabbage you find jarred in the polish food section. The meat combo I preffer is 60% chuck to 40% pork. I always use pearl rice, but any white variety will be fine. Get the best bacon you can find, none of that thinly sliced stuff and don't even eye the turkey bacon. If you can't find one that makes you feel your arteries cloggin' up, just get a smoked hock or two.

First sweat the onion in the butter over low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Set aside to cool.

Place all your meat in a bowl and add the rice, the egg and the onion. Season and mix using your hands to gently combine all the ingredients. If you overmix your meat will become dense and dry. Set aside while you prep the cabbage. Take out the leaves, unroll them and trim to size. You want about the same size in all of them. Place one in the palm of your hand, and put the meat in the center. Roll up as tightly as you can.

Chop the cabbage trimmings and any leaves left over and put a thin layer in the bottom of your pan. Put two slices of bacon on top and then make a layer of stuffed cabbage, as crowded as possible to prevent unwrapping during cooking. Then bacon. Then meat wrapped in cabbage. If you're using the hock, you want it in the middle of it all, so just build your layers around it. Top with another layer of shredded cabbage.

Wedge your dill between the cabbage and the wall, plop the tomato sauce and paste on top, and run water over it. You only want just enough to cover it. Bring to boil and then simmer covered for 2 hours. Replenish water as needed, check every 30 to 40 minutes.

Tip for other lazy***slackers like me: by trim the leaves I simply mean cut in half, leave out the stem. You'll get biiig, huge stuffed cabbage, but hey, you'll only need two before going into hibernation. It's a sweet deal. This recipe will yield 30 such mutants. Serves, um, 6?

And final proof of deliciousness:

Believe me, it's no small feat getting her to eat anything, much less something containg meat. QED.

*** Cholesterol screening not included. Each must purchase his own.