Barefoot Bloggers: Real Spaghetti and Meatballs

Another late one... whoops!

I really enjoyed this dish! I did end up making it with campanelle to appease my spaghetti-abhorring husband...

One of the benefits to doing a recipe late is that I get to reap the experiences of others. There were several mentions of the sauce not being enough, so I planned on using 2 cans of crushed, at least. Then, of course, I realized that I completely forgot to order the canned tomatoes (yay peapod!) and only had one 28-oz can of diced tomatoes.

I worried about the thin consistency along with the small quantity, so I also added some tomato paste and half a jar of tomato sauce that I had hanging out in my pantry. It could have used some more sauce, but definitely wasn't bad.


I tweaked the meatballs just slightly to make them more like my grandmother's and I was pretty proud of myself. They weren't quite as good as hers, but I suspect I will never reach her level of meatball greatness. So with that in mind, I was quite pleased.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
• 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 extra-large egg, beaten
• Vegetable oil
• Olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

• 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
• Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

Barefoot Bloggers: Chive Risotto Cakes

Yet another super late recipe - I think I was supposed to have made these in November...?

Anyway, as you can tell from the pics, cakes these are not, and like them I did not.

I did not pay attention to the recipe (shocking) and realized after I already started that I would NOT have enough time to make them the right way.


Neither Pat nor I really liked the flavor combination at all, which means I will likely not try them the real way. Of course, that could make a big difference, but it just seems like a lot of work for something that I don't think I'd like. I'm posting the recipe as is, rather than my random version.

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
½ cup Greek yogurt
2 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 ½ cup cups grated Italian Fontina cheese (5 ounces)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Good olive oil

Bring a large (4 quart) pot of water to a boil and add ½ tablespoon salt and the Arborio rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The grains of rice will be quite soft. Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, chives, Fontina, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Form balls of the rice mixture using a standard (2 1/4 –inch) ice cream scoop or a large spoon. Pat the balls into patties 3 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Place 4-6 patties in the panko, turning once to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Serve hot.

Barefoot Bloggers: Veggie Pot Pie

The second recipe for October's Barefoot Bloggers was a yummy one: Veggie Pot Pie. Thanks, Deb, for a great selection!

I have to confess, however, that a lack of some ingredients (and a big lack of talent and time!) made me deviate more than a little from the recipe. For Ina's awesome version, click on the link above. Below, you'll find my version. While it may not have tasted as good as the original, it wasn't bad - and it was a whole lot quicker!


Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
• 1 tsp dried fennel
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups good chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups large-diced potatoes (1/2 pound)
• 1 package frozen butternut squash
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound)
• 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• 6 frozen pastry shells

Bake the pastry shells according to package directions.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve and add to the sauce. Add the squash, frozen onions, frozen veggies, and parsley to the sauce.

Pour over warm pastry shells.

Barefoot Bloggers: Grown-Up Mac and Cheese

This month's Barefoot Blogger recipe was not really a hit in our house.

I usually make a really simple mac & cheese dish that I got from my dad, and it's just really, really good... and some of the more sophisticated versions just don't bring that same comfort-food-level to the table, you know?

Anyway, Ina's Grown-Up Mac and Cheese wasn't bad; it just likely won't be a repeat dinner.

Ingredients:

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Barefoot Bloggers: Panzanella

Mmmm, another delicious Barefoot Bloggers dish! This Panzanella is one of my favorites so far, second only to the equally delicious Parmesan Chicken. Pat took some for lunch today, and if I may quote his email: "The salad is good stuff!!!"


One of the best things about this group is that it's "forcing" me to make something I wouldn't have on my own. I'd never make this - but I am so glad I did. Light and summery and delicious... what a perfect summertime salad!

Thanks, Melissa, for choosing this one!



Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cucumber, unpeeled, roughly diced
• 1 zucchini, unpeeled, roughly diced
• 1/2 red onion, roughly diced
• 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Barefoot Bloggers: Jalepeno Cheddar Cornbread

Not only am I several days late in posting this recipe for Jalepeno Cheddar Cornbread, I'm also committing another blog sin - no photo!! My batteries were charging when I made this, and by the time they were ready to go, there were only crumbs left. I didn't think anyone would want a picture of crumbs...

Anyway, this is my third (I think?) BB recipe, and so far, my least favorite. I am not a big jalepeno fan to begin with, and I just didn't really love this one. As far as cornbread goes, let me plug Brooke's cornbread - super yum!!

I did, however, really like the flavor of the scallions on top, so I might try to mesh that (and the cheese topping) with the ones I linked above.

Sorry Ina - I never thought I would not like one of your recipes...!

(I halved this recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers
  

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Barefoot Bloggers: Parmesan Chicken

Another successful Barefoot Blogger recipe!

This yummy Parmesan Chicken was selected for us by Megan. And what an unbelievable choice... I am in absolute love with this meal.

First of all, could this have BEEN ready any faster?? My side dish of garlic carrots even took longer to prepare than this chicken.

Plus, I was completely blown away by the aroma and taste. It is astounding that something so ridiculously simple could taste and smell so elegant. I will make this again for sure; this would be such a great summery entertaining meal, even! YUM!

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows
  

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin. (I cheated and bought thin-sliced breasts.)

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. (With apologies to Ina, serving salad on TOP of chicken seemed a little backwards to me, so I reversed it!) Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Yield: 6 servings

Barefoot Bloggers: Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

I was so, so, so excited to join the new blogging group: Barefoot Bloggers. For you non-Ina junkies out there, the title relates to Ina Garten on the Food Network, not the fact that we must cook sans shoes.

As an Ina fan, I think this group is AWESOME. There are so many of her recipes that I've hesitated to try, and I hope this helps me expand my cooking horizons, so to speak.

(Don't tell Pat that these recipes are from the Barefoot Contessa; he is NOT a fan, and I can't let him judge the food before he eats it. And sweetie? If you're reading this? It's a big lie and I would NEVER cook any of her food. Love and kisses...)

Anyway.

So the first reicpe was Pasta, Pesto, and Peas, chosen by Elizabeth at Ugg Smell Food. Now, I must confess: this recipe caused me much stress.

First, I didn't think I liked pesto. I wasn't sure why - I love its ingredients. But for some reason, I had it in my head that I was not going to like this.

Then, I agonized over the actual pesto recipe. See, Ryan is not yet 19 months, and is still too young for peanuts. Therefore, I wondered, was he too young for the other nuts? I wasn't sure. I googled and emailed people and posted on boards before I just decided to keep the recipe as is, sans nuts.

Then, as I was cooking, it tasted like a garlic monster threw up. I LOVE garlic, but the flavor was so intense. I knew I'd have no problems with vampires...

But somehow? When it was all together? It was fabulous. FABulous. I cautioned Pat that there was a lot of garlic, and he told me he thought it was perfect. Just like me. (Okay, I added that last part.)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups