Caprese Meatball Bake

Caprese Meatball Bake

This is my first blog post in a very long time. I was experiencing personal health issues that made it very difficult to do anything other than sleep. BUT I’m back.

My first post is for Caprese Meatball Bake. Caprese salad is a classic Italian salad made of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. I just added meatballs and gnocchi. You can buy premade meatballs and cut the cooking time by 40 minutes. I just like homemade meatballs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Servings: 4-6
Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a mixing bowl, un-powdered latex gloves, a deep skillet that can be used on the stove top and in the oven-if you do not have an oven proof skillet you will need an 8X8 glass baking dish, a large pot, a slotted spoon or a skimmer
Time:  Cook time: 1-hour, active time: 20 minutes, Dinner in about 1 hour and 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pound ground beef
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
• 16 ounces gnocchi
• 8 ounces of FRESH mozzarella
• Fresh basil
• Balsamic vinegar for drizzling (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚.
2. Put on latex gloves. Combine the first 8 ingredients in the bowl and mix with your hands. Make golf ball sized meat balls. You should get 12 meatballs.
3. Heat the oil on medium. Brown the meatballs on all sides for about 8 minutes. Turn them ¼ time every 2 minutes.
4. Drain the fat from the skillet.
5. Add the marinara sauce to the skillet. Simmer them for about 45 minutes, turning them over at the 20-minute mark. Check the largest meatball to see if it is done.
6. Close to the time for the meatballs, put on the pot of  salted water on to boil. If you are using a glass baking dish, grease the bottom and pour the meatballs and sauce into it. If your skillet is oven proof, just remove it from the heat.
7. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Gnocchi cooks in 3-4 minutes. It is done when it floats. Use the slotted spoon or skimmer to scoop the floating pasta out of the pot and place it in the skillet with the meatballs. Gently stir so that you don’t mush the meatballs or gnocchi.
8. Slice the mozzarella and place it on top of the meatballs. Place the dish/skillet in the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
9. Shred the basil leaves. Sprinkle them on top of the dish. You can also drizzle balsamic vinegar (lightly!) over everything.

Creamy, Spicy Sausage, Green Beans and Gnocchi

I haven’t made a blog post in a long while. Life got in my way. But I was still cooking. Still recording everything. And I’m back.

Lately, I’ve needed comforting. This dish is the ultimate comfort food. Puffy little pillows of gnocchi, hearty sausage, creamy Parmesan sauce, and green beans because we have to eat our vegetables.

Servings: 4-6
Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a large skillet (I prefer cast-iron), a large pot, a heavy wooden spoon, a large bowl, and a large slotted spoon
Time:  Cook time: 30 minutes, active time: 20 minutes, Dinner in about 40 minutes

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound of spicy Italian sausage
• 12 ounce of gnocchi
• 8 ounce of fresh green beans
• ½  tablespoon of butter
• ½  tablespoon of olive oil (maybe more)
• 4 garlic cloves
• ¾  cup of low sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

1. Wash and dry the green beans. Snip off the ends and cut them in half. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the parsley. Remove the sausage from the casing. Put the large pot of salted water onto boil. Set everything aside. 
2. Heat the butter and olive oil in the skillet on medium. Add the sausage. Cook and crumble the sausage until it is no longer pink. This should take 8-10 minutes. Remove the sausage and place it in the bowl. 
3. In the same skillet, toss in the green beans and minced garlic. Add a little salt. Toss enough to keep the garlic from burning. You may also need to add more oil if the skillet dries. 
4. While the green beans are sautéing, place the gnocchi into the boiling water. Gnocchi cook in 3-4 minutes. They are done when they float. Use the slotted spoon to scoop the floating pasta out of the pot and place it into the skillet with the beans. Cook, tossing frequently, until the gnocchi are golden brown on all sides. 
5. Return the sausage to the skillet. Add in the chicken broth and cream. Turn the skillet down until the sauce is at a low simmer. Simmer until the sauce is the desired thickness, maybe 5 more minutes. 
6. Stir in the cheese, taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the parsley over the dish before serving.

 

 

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara is an authentic Italian dish consisting of pasta, eggs, hard cheese and black pepper.

The dish originated in Rome.  The authentic dish uses guanciale, which is cured hog cheeks and Pecorino Romano cheese. Obviously, I have substituted bacon for the  guanciale, but if you can find it use it. Pecorino Romano is sharper than Parmesan, but they are pretty interchangeable. Finally, the original dish does not use garlic. However, I love garlic and it is wonderful with bacon.

So, I guess that I am not giving you an authentic Italian dish, but an Italian dish with American leanings. It’s me, I am the Italian dish with American leanings.

Read through the entire recipe. The final steps must be done while the pasta is still hot enough to cook the eggs.

Pasta Carbonara

Servings: 4-6  
Time: Prep Time 10 mins: Cook Time 20 mins, Dinner in 40 minutes
Hardware:  A large pot, measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and a knife, a large skillet, a small bowl, a very large ceramic or glass bowl, a large metal tablespoon, a whisk, tongs

Ingredients

• 1/2-pound thick cut bacon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 egg yolks
• ¾ cup grated Pecorino cheese, more for serving
• 16 ounces spaghetti
• Salt
• Fresh  ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped parsley (optional.

1.  Put a large pot of salted water on to boil  
2. Dice the bacon and mince the garlic, set aside. If you are using parsley, chop it now.
3. Put the yolks into the small bowl and whisk vigorously, set aside
4. 
   While the water is coming to a boil, heat the skillet over medium and slowly cook the bacon until it is crispy. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and place the bacon, garlic, and a good deal of the bacon fat (two tablespoons) into the large bowl.
5. The water should be boiling now. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
   
6. When the pasta has only a minute or two left to boil, begin to rapidly whisk the egg yolks. SLOWLY, add a tablespoon of the boiling pasta water, but never stop moving the whisk. Add another tablespoon of boiling water, whisking the entire time. Do this until you have added 4 tablespoons of boiling water to the yolks. You are tempering the eggs. This way, you won’t get scrambled eggs as you finish the recipe.
7. Working quickly, when the pasta is al dente, use the tongs to add it to the bacon. It is okay if you get a little water in the mix.
8. Add the egg yolks and cheese and toss the pasta using the tongs. The hot pasta will cook the tempered eggs. If you want a little more sauce, add pasta water, a tablespoon at the time, until you are happy. If you are using parsley toss it in now. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve right away

 

 

Lemon Pepper Wings with a Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

This recipe comes too late for you to use it for this year’s Super Bowl. Just make them next weekend!

Servings:  2 dozen wings

Hardware:  Kitchen scissors, measuring spoons and cups, a microplane or knife, food prep gloves, a wooden spoon, a large plastic storage bag, tongs, a large heavy skillet, a baking sheet, a cooling rack (optional), foil, a saucepan, a large mixing bowl, an oil thermometer, a meat thermometer

Time: Active time: 10 minutes- Cook time: varies-Wings in an hour

Ingredients:

• 2 dozen wings
• 4 tablespoons Lemon & pepper Seasoning (I like McCormick Culinary Lemon & pepper)
• 1cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼  cup water
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• Oil to fill your skillet halfway
• Cooking spray

1. Use the kitchen scissors to separate the flaps from the drumettes. Also, snip the points from the flaps. Place the wings and the lemon pepper in the plastic bag. Shake like crazy. Make sure that all the wings are covered in seasoning. Set aside. Do this about thirty minutes early. You want the chicken to be room temp all the way through so that they will cook evenly. You do not want them to sit out very long at room temperature and you wan to make sure all the chicken is cooked through. GET A THERMOMETER.
2. Line the baking sheet with foil. If you have a cooling rack place it over the foil-lined sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Place the pan in the oven on the lowest setting.
3. Use the microplane or the knife to mince the garlic. Place the vinegar, water, garlic and sugar into the saucepan. Bring it to a rolling bowl. Turn the heat down to a low boil. Stir often enough to keep the garlic from settling. The vinegar will reduce and thicken as it cooks.
4. Put enough oil into the pan to fill it halfway. Heat the oil over medium until it reaches a temperature of 375˚ F. Try to keep the oil between 350˚ F and 375˚ F. When the oil is hot, fry the wings for 4-5 minutes per side. Do not over crowd them. You may need to cook in batches. The chicken is done when the thickest part measures 165˚. The flats cook faster than the drums. As they finish, place them on the prepared baking sheet. Putting them onto a cooling rack instead of directly onto the foil will keep them crispy.
5. When you have finished all the wings, remove them from the oven and pour all the juices from the sheet into the balsamic vinegar. Toss the wings in the sauce and make sure they are completely coated. Serve warm.