Everyday Meals

Slow Simmered Italian Beef Ragu with Parpadelle

Today I posted my grain free and Instapot version of this Italian classic but wanted to share with you the original recipe we simmered slowly on Christmas Day. It was AMAZING! So grab a 2 1/2 lb chuckroast (preferably grass fed), a pound of parpadelle and let’s do this!

Grab your large Dutch oven or stock pot. Heat over medium high to high heat. Cut your roast into 4 equal sized chunks and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Sear meat 2 pieces at a time browning on all sides. Set meat aside and add “sofrito”; diced carrot, celery and onion. Sauté in the same pan as you seared your meat scraping the bits as you go. After 3 minutes add in the crushed garlic, herbs and tomato paste. Continue to cook and stir until your tomato paste darkens slightly. Don’t stop stirring or your tomato paste may burn!

You can just throw everything in the pot and skip browning the meat and sautéing the veggies if you don’t have time, and it will still be awesome , but taking the time for this step adds some really great flavor and depth to your dish and makes it more awesome.

Now deglaze the pan (you do this with the veggies in the pan) with your red wine. Choose one that you would enjoy drinking. Please don’t use “cooking wine”…Malbec, Cabernet, even a good Chianti would be great. Carefully add the wine and allow it to simmer a minute or two to evaporate some of the wine.

Everyone in the pool now (except cheese and pasta). Meat, stock, tomatoes… Bring to a low simmer and cover. Keep at a low simmer for 2.5 hours, then remove cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce. Remove meat, shred then add back to pan.

While your sauce is reducing bring a pan of water to boiling, add pasta and a generous pinch of salt. Cook pasta 2-3 minutes shorter than package directions. Drain pasta reserving one cup of the cooking liquid.

Add pasta and water to sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes allowing pasta to finish cooking in the sauce. Check seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Grab your favorite pasta bowl/plate, pile on the pasta and top with some freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino. Sit back relax and savor the deliciousness…cheers!

Slow Simmered Italian Beef Ragu with Parpadelle, my take on a classic Italian comfort food.

Side Notes-On my quest to make the perfect Beef Ragu I found this beautifully yummy recipe from Pinch of Yum

Crockpot Braised Beef Ragu with Polenta

And this delicious sounding recipe from Whitney Bond

http://whitneybond.com/2014/10/27/slow-cooked-beef-ragu/

Instapot Italian Beef Ragu with Butternut Squash Noodles (squoodles)

Italian Beef Ragu with Butternut Squash Noodles

Happy New Year!! I am always sad to take down our Christmas tree and decor. At the same time I prefer my stand up paddle board to my cross country skis so being one step closer to Spring isn’t so bad either! This year I am hoping to share more recipes and insight with you, including Instapot recipes! This recipe can definitely be made stove top as is traditional, in a slow cooker or in your Instapot or other pressure cooker.

Traditionally this delicious slow simmered Ragu would be prepared stove top, simmered over several hours. For Christmas Day I prepared this recipe with a slight variation stovetop (recipe here) and we enjoyed every delicious bite on some chewy delicious parpadelle pasta. Yes actual gluten loaded pasta…and it was divine.

[amazon text=Amazon&asin=Today in keeping with my more paleo-ish lifestyle I have prepared it with spiralized Butternut Squash. The earthy sweetness of the squash paired super well with the deep beefy tomato yummyness. I also grabbed my Instapot for this one as I was rather short on time and it didn’t disappoint! I chose to leave out the tomato paste that I had used on Christmas in my more traditionally prepared Ragu as sometimes the tomato paste can burn to the bottom of your Instapot.

For the preparation, turn your Instapot on sauté. Cut your roast into 4 equal size chunks, season with salt and pepper. Once your Instapot is hot sear 1 or 2 pieces at a time browning on all sides (2-3 minutes a side). Then set aside. Next sauté the “sofrito”, carrot, celery and onion in a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper for about 5 minutes to really develop the flavor. Add garlic, oregano and thyme and continue to sauté for an additional minute or until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan by pouring in 3/4 cup of a good dry red wine, I had a Spanish Tempranillo open so I chose that for my sauce. Let it simmer for a minute or two or until the liquid reduces just a little.

Pan full of Butternut Squash Noodles

Now add the beef, beef stock, and tomatoes to the veggies and wine. I usually wait until the end to salt as there is salt in the tomatoes and the stock and as it reduces it will concentrate the salt flavor. Lock cover on Instapot and press manual then adjust to 20 minutes on high pressure. While your Ragu is cooking grab your spiralized and spiralize your Butternut Squash. Any pieces that couldn’t be spiralized save for squash fries or squash hash or whatever your desired preparation. Toss your squash with a tablespoon of olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. You should have plenty of time for this step as it takes a while for your pressure cooker to come to full pressure (up to 15 minutes).

After the 20 minute pressure cook is complete allow to natural release for a minute or so then flip the valve to manual release. I use my Instapot on my stovetop with a cutting board under it, so I can use my fan to vent steam, etc. I really don’t want to damage my cupboards while releasing steam or smoke the house up searing meat! Okay once your steam is all released and you can safely open your pressure cooker turn it off, then back on the sauté high. Remove meat and shred while the sauce is reduced until it thickens. Then toss Squash Noodles (squoodles) into the sauce and let it cook for a minute or two longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, pile it on your favorite pasta plate, hit it with a grating of Parmesan or Pecorino and enjoy.

Cheers!

Italian Beef Ragu with Butternut Squash Noodles

PS: Don’t let the wine you opened go to waste. If you don’t enjoy drinking it be sure to freeze it in ice cube trays for future recipes.

PPS: There was an error in the original recipe, I have since reduced the beef broth on the recipe from two cups to one. Sorry for any inconvenience this caused!

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Soup

I am overwhelmed with the beauty of fall. Living in Wisconsin has its pros and cons, I mean I don’t think most people enjoy freezing cold below zero no sun winter days, but fall that is different. It is beautiful! Leaf colors in orange, red, purple…fresh crisp air, apples, pumpkin everything…

Not to mention an abundance of squash. My favorite squash, aside from pumpkin of course is the beautiful butternut squash. On its own it doesn’t need any additional sweetener as long as you respect it. By this I mean roasting. Not steaming or boiling but roasting. This brings out the natural sugars and allows them to concentrate and caramelize. (please forgive my not so perfect picture)

So that is what I did for this velvety soup. It is super quick to put together, that is your active time making it. First cut your squash in half carefully, please don’t sacrifice a finger here. Scrape the seeds out and discard. (Or save them to roast and decorate your soup if you wish). Place squash halves cut side down on cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for about an hour, I put parchment on my pan to save clean up time later. Meanwhile cut the end off a head of garlic. Put the cut side down in a ramekin or small oven safe bowl and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. When you are 20 minutes from the end of roasting your squash add your ramekin covered with foil to the oven. Your squash and garlic are done when they are golden brown. (I flipped my garlic over for a visual, roast cut side down.)

Remove squash and allow to cool before scraping the sweet flesh from the skin. Squeeze the garlic from the skins into your blender and purée with squash and 2-3 cups of chicken stock (to make it vegetarian/vegan use vegetable stock). I used my homemade stock this time but any stock will work. Purée until smooth. Empty blender into large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Now is the time to adjust your seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon dried sage, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Now swirl in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to mellow out the sweetness of the squash and roasted garlic, feel free to add more if yours tastes extra sweet. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

When you are ready to serve top each bowl with a good shake of pumpkin pie spice and a small pinch of cayenne. Add a crispy baguette, serve with a fresh salad and your meal is complete!

Cheers!

As a side note, I topped mine with Chèvre (creamy goat cheese), super yummy! This would also be great with any sage seasoned sausage…

Pan Seared Wild Salmon

Sometimes we just need a super quick meal that is healthy and easy to clean up! I love to hear about other peoples go to quick meals, but for some reason when people ask me what my favorite is they are surprised when I say fish. For some making fish seems like a tricky task, but I am here to clear that up for your right now. Yes you can make a much more labor intensive fancy dish with a nice piece of fish, but this fancy and quick dish is no slacker in the taste department, I promise. It is also very flexible, so please feel free to play with the herbs and seasonings you use, this is not set in stone!

Note the abstract design of my rosemary. I just tossed my leaves on after I rubbed the fillets with a little salt and pepper, crushed garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Violà dinner into the pan and on the table 15 minutes later. Please forgive the varying sizes of the fish fillets in my picture, they were getting dangerously low in supply of wild salmon at the fish counter today and I had to have it! If you have the same predicament as me, just pull the smaller fillets from the pan a minute or two sooner than the larger ones.

I usually make close to 2lbs at a time as I have a 3 year old who thinks that he has to eat at least an 8 oz portion or larger when fish is served. I am shaking at the thought of my grocery bill 10 years from now! As this recipe is flexible, you can make an 8 oz portion or 4lbs or more at a time just reduce the amount of oil and herbs.

Now for the cooking part, heat your pan on medium high to high heat for a few minutes to get a nice hot cooking surface. Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and place fillets in pan skin side down for about 6 minutes or until the skin is crispy and has released from the pan. Do not touch the fish during this time. If you try to move it once it is in the pan, before it is done, it will stick and tear.

Once your skin is crispy flip your fillets and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness. Your goal is to have the salmon slightly undercooked in the center, think a medium to medium well steak. You can go well done, your fish will just be a bit dryer.

Serve on a bed of fresh greens, sliced tomato, cucumber and goat cheese with a drizzle of oil and vinegar, or with your side of choice, and enjoy!

Cheers!

Grilled Braised Beef Chuck Roast

Super excited for todays post! After I made a stop at my local grocery store and grabbed a gorgeous 2# grass-fed beef chuck roast, I stashed it in my refrigerator and began to toss around the possibilities. I could take the easy way out and just throw it in the crock pot, but it is a beautiful weekend and the grill is calling my name. Not to mention as I am super pregnant, the less dishes the better!

So grilling it is! As a side not this can totally be made inside with a stovetop and an oven if you are not into grilling or the weather is not cooperating.

The assembly is super simple. Remove meat from refrigerator and allow to warm up to room temperature or as close to that as you are comfortable with. Trying to sear a super cold piece of meat can be a bit trying. Salt and pepper both sides of meat, sprinkle with some fresh or dried thyme, rub with some extra virgin olive oil and let it sit.

To prepare your grill you are going to need a direct and indirect cooking area. I am a grill purist so I prefer charcoal, but if gas is your choice, hey I am not judging! For charcoal you will need to start your coals and when they are glowing push them all to one side of your grill. For gas, light the outer two regions of your grill leaving the middle one off. (if you only have 2 regions, just light one).

While you are waiting for your grill to heat up, slice up a yellow onion and crush some garlic. Place them into the bottom of a grill safe pan. Disposable aluminum pans work great to avoid the dreaded dishes, but if you don’t like aluminum go for whichever pan you like. Next add in 1 cup of dry red wine, and 1/2 cup of water. For the wine I used petit syrah today, but any red on the dryer side will work. Set this pan aside close to your grill so you can add the meat to the pan once it is seared.

Once your grill is smoking hot and ready, sear your roast for about 3-4 minutes per side, getting a nice sear but not burning your roast. Once both sides have been seared, place meat on top of onions and garlic then top with a fresh rosemary sprig and cover with foil or lid.

Place the pan on the indirect heat area in your grill and turn your grill down by choking the air down a lot on your charcoal. Alternately with gas, just turn it down…You want to maintain a steady temperature around 275-300 degrees fahrenheit, so make sure to keep an eye on your thermometer. Braise roast for 2 hours.

Remove roast from pan and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. While your meat is resting add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan juices and simmer mixture in a shallow pan on the stove to reduce it a little to thicken, this should take about 10 minutes. Add a cup of milk, the fuller fat the creamier your sauce will be, and simmer an additional 2 minutes. (I used coconut milk as we have some lactose issues in our home so feel free to mix it up!).

Slice your beautiful roast and serve with some fresh steamed veggies and roasted potatoes and you will be a hero!

Cheers!

Always choose organic or locally pastured meats whenever possible.

Basic Roasted Tomato Sauce

Are you wondering what to do with all of those fresh beautiful tomatoes that came in your CSA box or are taking over your garden? There is the obvious, slice them into nice thick slices, smother them in olive oil and garlic and top them with sea salt, but you can eat that and make some great sauce too! I have a couple old stand by tomato sauces that I like to make, which can be frozen or used within a few days kept refrigerated. My favorite is roasted tomato sauce, and it couldn’t be easier…

I should mention this recipe is just a guideline use whatever type of tomatoes you have on hand. The carrots I add in for a touch of sweetness so feel free to adjust the amount up or down to your liking.

Slice your tomatoes into halves or quarters, drizzle them with olive oil, add a dash of salt and pepper, throw in some onion and carrot and roast at 400 degrees fahrenheit until nicely carmelized and super delicious (about 2 hours). I also roast a head of garlic separately for about 20 minutes, as you don’t want to eat burnt garlic…well maybe you are into that, and thats okay, but I am definitely not.

Once this is cooled, grab your trusty blender and blend it all together. You may have to blend it in a couple different batches, just mix them together at the end so all the flavors are evened out.

This sauce can be used as a base for whatever you want!

Some ideas…

Grab about 4 cups and…

Drizzle in some heavy cream, top with fresh basil and you have an absolutely beautiful batch of roasted tomato soup.

Add a few teaspoons of your favorite dried herbs, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a cup of vodka and simmer for about 10 minutes then toss with pasta and top with grated cheese and fresh basil.

Use as a pizza sauce by adding some oregano, fennel seeds and thyme.

Use as a chili base add your chili seasonings, browned meat, veggies and beans and you have a phenomenal bowl of chili.

The sky is the limit for this sauce! I like to freeze whatever I don’t use right away into quart size zip lock bags to pull out and enjoy when I need something easy and quick for dinner tossed with pasta, as I prefer to steer clear of store bought sauces whenever possible.

Tonight it will be going on my eggplant pizzas…recipe to come!

Use your imagination and enjoy!

Cheers!

Pumpkin and Sausage Risotto with Browned Butter Sage Leaves

Though I know we are all dreading the weather changing, there are a few perks to our cooler fall-like temperatures, one of them is the infamous pumpkin. Thank you to my friends at the Garden of Weedin for the beautiful pie pumpkins that helped inspire this dish.

As I was preparing to make a crock pot full of chili and a grill full of chicken wings to enjoy this fall-ish sunday afternoon with a couple of our good friends, my husband through down the challenge. Chicken and chili…come on, that sounds way too easy! You can do better! Hmmm, well anyone who knows me knows I do not take a challenge lightly, especially a food challenge. So I glanced around the kitchen, caught sight of my beautiful orange pumpkins and the aha moment…consider this challenge accepted.

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Eggplant fries with molasses and sea salt

I had to do it! All the baked, healthy options one could make with eggplant and here I am with a pot of hot oil…I blame the fact that I am pregnant, or maybe I miss my family in Spain.

On a trip to Marbella, Spain several years ago to visit my beautiful family my cousins took me to a restaurant called Azafran (Spanish for Saffron). We had the most simple and delicious appetizer, eggplant fries with molasses and sea salt. Since I can’t fly to Spain on a whim as I am not independently wealthy, I decided to make my own version. If only my kids had let me enjoy more than a few of them…well at least they got their veggies!

I used one Japanese eggplant and one Mediterranean as that is what my CSA box contained this week. Any eggplant will work.

I began by slicing the eggplant into planks then slicing them into almost matchsticks keeping them long. Coat the strips with a good amount of salt and lay out in a kitchen towel to remove some of the moisture. After about 5-10 minutes roll them up in the towel and give them a little squeeze. This will help them crisp up while frying.

Heat a couple inches of olive oil in a large sauce pan to 350 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer no worries, just heat oil over medium to medium high heat. You will know when it is ready by testing it with one of your fries or a chunk of bread. When you drop the fry or bread in it should begin frying immediately. If it doesn’t pull it out and wait a couple more minutes.

When the oil is ready add the eggplant strips in batches making sure not to crowd them. Fry 4-5 minutes per batch drain on paper towel and season them to taste with sea salt. Pile finished fries on a plate and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of molasses and a pinch of sea salt. Sit back and enjoy!

Cheers!

Stuffed Grilled Mini Meatloaves

As I am staring at this package of organic ground beef I have visions of spaghetti or burgers yet again. Yet there is a nagging voice in my head saying, come on you can do better…voila! Stuffed mini meatloaves! Truth be told I got my inspiration from several stuffed meatloaf recipes I had seen floating around in pinterest land. I promise you this mini meatloaf recipe will blow your mind! If you take the extra steps to throw it on the grill instead of in the oven you will enjoy that amazing burger char that can only be achieved by putting your meatloaf over a nice hot bed of coals, achieving the perfect sear. Yummy!

This couldn’t be easier! (well unless someone showed up and cleaned up my kitchen and heck the rest of my house while they are at it). First you prepare the meat. Chop the onions, crush the garlic, finely chop the kale so your kids don’t see it, chop the herbs, grate your cheese, and toast the bread then tear it into pieces. Now put EVERYTHING together in a large bowl except the cheese you are stuffing these sweet babies with. Then roll them into 6 individual football like shapes. Flatten them a bit making a small indent in the middle. Add your cheese, then carefully seal them by bring the meat up and around the cheese from the sides. Make sure there are no holes as you do not want your cheese sneaking out before you get to enjoy it!

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One Pot Chicken, Summer Vegetable and Brown Rice Sauté

This is one of my all time favorite ways to make dinner when I am on a limited time schedule! You know when your kids have to be run to an after school activity right around dinner time, dance, swim class, parkour…fill in the blank, I am sure all parents out there know exactly what I am talking about. You open the fridge to find leftover chicken (or burgers, steak, sausage…), some leftover rice or other grain, and a mixed grouping of veggies. Sure you could just reheat everything, use 3 pans, and watch your families face when you declare leftovers for dinner…or you can sauté some garlic and onions, toss in some diced fresh veggies, add your leftover meat, your leftover rice and voila a truly beautiful one pot wonder is served.

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