Weeknight Bolognese

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Ingredients:
• Good olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1¼ cups dry red wine, divided
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and hot red pepper flakes and cook for one minute. Pour the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the box.
While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, and cream to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. When the pasta is cooked, transfer it with a slotted spoon or sieve to the pan with the sauce, saving the cooking liquid. Cook for one minute, add the remaining ¼ cup of wine, and cooking liquid, if necessary, to make enough sauce. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

Potato salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

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3 pound of red skin new potatoes cut in half or quarter, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 3 T. whole grain Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 6 scallions, chopped, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cup chopped dill, Salt and pepper, 3 strips crumbled bacon (reserve 1T dripping for vinaigrette), and 1T capers

Cook potatoes until just done. Drain and while still warm toss with dill and scallions. Wisk dressing ingredients, including reserved bacon drippings. Toss with potatoes. Add bacon and capers. Serves 8-10.

Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy citrus lemon sugar cookies with sweet white chocolate chips:

 Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Servings 24

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Butter slightly cold, cut into cubes • 2 cups Sugar • 2 Eggs • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract • 1 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice • 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest may put more lemon zest for extra flavor • 3 cups Flour • 1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda • 1/2 teaspoon Salt • 2 cups White Chocolate Chips • *may put in a drop of yellow food coloring for color.

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • In a large bowl, cream slightly cold butter and sugar for 4 – 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one a time, mixing well after each addition. • Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir to combine. If using yellow food coloring, add it now. • Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined. • Fold in white chocolate chips. • Drop dough onto light colored baking sheet. Use a silicone baking sheet such as a Silpat or parchment paper. • Bake for 9-12 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar or white sparkling sugar, if so desired.

OXTAIL RAGU

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OXTAIL RAGU

Ingredients: 4- 5 pounds of oxtail; 2 tablespoons of olive oil; Salt and pepper; 1 large yellow onion; 6 cloves of garlic; 2 large carrots;  2 ribs of celery; 1/4 cup of flour; 1/4 cup of sherry vinegar; 4 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes; 2 cups of chicken or beef broth; 2 teaspoons of Rosemary; 2 teaspoons of Thyme; Salt; 1 cup of red wine; 1/2 cup of chopped parsley; 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa unsweetened.

Preparations:

1. Mix 1/4 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper;

2. Shake oxtail in flour mix, then browned in 2 tablespoons of oil for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a platter and let sit while doing next step.

3. Sauté the carrots, onion, garlic in remaining oil. Add one more tablespoon of oil if necessary. When onion is translucent add sherry vinegar, tomato sauce, broth, Rosemary, Thyme and red wine. Place oxtails back into sauce and simmer for 4 hours. Remove the oxtail and remove the meat. Add meat back into sauce.

4. Add parsley, nutmeg and cocoa before serving.

Knock You Naked Brownies

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Knock You Naked Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 box German chocolate cake mix • 2 bags (11 oz each) caramels, unwrapped • 1 cup pecans, chopped • 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips • 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 9×9-inch baking pan. Set aside. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together cake mix and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk. Add melted butter and chopped pecans and mix together. Mixture will be thick. 3. Divide dough in half and press one half into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until just slightly set, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside. 4. Meanwhile, add the caramels and remaining evaporated milk to a double boiler. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramels have melted, and mixture is totally smooth. Pour caramel mixture over first brownie layer, making sure it’s evenly spread out. Top with chocolate chips. 5. On a piece of parchment or wax paper, press remaining dough into a square that’s slightly smaller than the baking pan. Set on top of chocolate chip layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then let brownies come to room temperature. Cover and chill in refrigerator for several hours to set caramel layer. 6. Dust liberally with powdered sugar, if using, and slice and serve. Enjoy! 7. 45 minutes to prepare serves 6-8

Pasta Fagioli

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Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving, 4 ounces of pancetta, diced, 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced, 2 medium carrots, finally diced, 2 medium celery ribs, finally diced, 2 cloves of garlic, minced, 1/2 cup of white wine, 6 cups of low sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 of a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, 2 (14.5 ounce) cans of cannelloni beans or chickpeas (or combination), rinsed and drained, 1/4 a cup of dried lentils, rinsed (preferably French green lentils, but any green or brown lentils are fine), 1 cup of diced or chopped canned tomatoes, with their juices, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary, 3/4 cup of dried pasta, such as elbow macaroni or ditalini (whole wheat is fine), 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving.

Instructions: Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat begins to render, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and increase the heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Add the wine and cook until it has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add broth, salt, pepper, beans, lentils, diced tomatoes, bay leaves and rosemary. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are just tender, 15-30 minutes, depending on the type of lentil to use. Use a slotted spoon to transfer 1 cup of the bean mixture and a little liquid to a blender. Remove the center knob of the blender so steam can escape. Hold a paper towel or a kitchen towel over the opening to prevent splatters. Purée until smooth and set aside. Add the dry pasta to the pot and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat up to a gentle boil and cook until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, anywhere from 8-12 minutes depending on the type of pasta you used. The soup will thicken a bit by the time the pasta is cooked. Fish out and discard bay leaves Stir the reserved puréed bean mixture into the soup. (If you are having a hard time getting the mixture out of the blender, remove as much as you can with a rubber spatula, and then add some of the hot soup broth to it and swirl around to loosen it up; it should come right out). Cook briefly, until the soup is heated through. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. If the soup seems too thick, gradually add 1-2 cups of water or more chicken broth and thin to desired consistency. (Note the longer it sits on the stove, the thicker it will get). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each portion with a touch of extra -virgin olive oil and sprinkle with more cheese, if desired. Note: The soup is best served immediately, as it sits, the pasta and beans soak up the broth. If the soup gets too thick, you can thin it with a bit of broth or water. Freezer Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the pasta, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stove top over medium heat until simmering, add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender. (The beans may have soaked up some of the broth while frozen, so add more broth to thin out the soup, if desired)

Pretzels

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1 tablespoon of lemon pepper

 2 tablespoons of dry ranch dressing

 1/2 bottle (8 ounces) of Orville Redenbach Popping Oil

 15 ounces of pretzels – any shape

 Put in plastic bag -toss– keep tossing on and off for 24 hours

Bacon Bean Dip

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One can of Beans with Bacon Soup

8 ounces of sour cream

 8 ounces of Monterey Jack jalapeño cheese

 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder

 Mix all and heat in 350° oven for 25–30 minutes

 Serve with Scoopers

 

 

 

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

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Ingredients:

  • 12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 16 ounces fresh salted mozzarella
  • 12 fresh basil leaves, julienned

 

 Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

 

Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.

 

Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than ½ inch thick. If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half. Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

 

 

 

RIBEYE ROAST

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Ingredients:

  •  1 cup of butter, softened
  • 7 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of pepper
  • 5 – 7 pounds of boneless ribeye roast, trimmed

 Preparation:

 Preheat oven to 500°F

Mixed together the butter, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.

Rub the herb butter all over the rib roast, and place on a roasting tray with a rack.

Bake for 5 minutes per pound of meat, so a 5-pound roast with bake for 25 minutes and a 7-pound roast would bake for 35 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the rib roast sit in the oven for two hours making sure you do not open oven door.