Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs a dinner classic for any table. My Mother-in-Love was pure Sicilian and her recipes although when read I question have turned out to be mouthwatering originals. They have been passed down from generation to generation and I hope to carry this tradition on in my own family. 

Ingredients for your balls

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 pound of ground pork
• 1 medium carrot- grated
• 2 stalks of celery-finely chopped (optional)
• 1 medium onion-grated
• 1/4 cup of whole milk
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups fresh chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

For your Sauce

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 fresh bay leaves or 3 dried

1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 - 28 ounce cans of tomato sauce

1 - 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes crushed

First we need to get the sauce done this way it is ready for the balls when they are made. You want your balls to cook as long as possible in the sauce. This lets the flavor go to the balls keeping them moist and tender. 

Use a big pot as you will make the sauce and have the meatballs in this also. And as you cook you may want to add different ingredients. Like I always say you need to make recipes your own. So taste and add what makes your palate sing. 

Add some olive oil to the pot and cook the onion until softened. Turn down the heat and add your tomatoes and tomato sauce. Next add your vinegar and all your spices. Let this mixture simmer for as long as it takes to make your meatballs. Stir as you go. Lets get those meat balls done. 

First thing you must remember is that you do not want to over mix your meats this makes for a tough meatball. Have a large bowl ready to combine the ingredients for your meatballs. Place the beef and pork in the bowl and tear and mix them softly. Next top with your chopped carrot, celery  and onion. Let this sit covered while you get the wet ingredients together. Mixing them together in a separate bowl lessens the mixing of the meats. 

Place your bread crumbs into a small bowl add tour spices and mix well. Now make a well in the middle of the crumbs. Pour your milk into the well. Mix this together until well mixed. You want this mixture moist and easy to add to the meat mixture. 

Let it sit for a few minutes to soak up the flavor.

You want everything ready when you are going to mix the meat remember the key is mix less makes moist meatballs. The less you work the meat the better. That is why I mix the pork and beef softly at first. Then add the seasonings and veggies to the mixture without mixing until I have the bread mixture ready then do your thing with mixing softly. 

Once everything is mixed it is time to make your meatballs. I make them and pre-fry them in a skillet to get them browned up. Once they are a bit more solid I will add them to the sauce to finish them off and get that mixture of sauce and meatballs perfect. You can also cook your meatballs in the oven prior to adding them.

I personally like a bit of the flavor from frying. Let your mixture of sauce and meatballs sit and simmer for at least one hour. The longer the better just stirring frequently. I use my meatball with a light noodle pasta called bow ties. Enjoy next we will make them with sausage added. 

Oh Yum !

Chicken Thighs with Capers

My Mama loves her chicken thighs. I had some capers in the refrigerator and needed to use them. I avoid them out of no knowledge on how to use  them and they are salty lil bugers. I am not big on salt but as a cook know that it is essential in cooking. What I have done here is take the thighs and simply add the capers to a standard chicken recipe. They came out mouth watering to say the least. 

You can make a few adjustments. I had some limes on hand from our tree. You can use lemon. 

Ingredients 

6 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons grated lime peel (Zest)
1/2 cup lime juice (fresh is best)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsps dried thyme
2 tablespoons of capers, rinsed
1/2 tsps kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Olive Oil to sprinkle on the bottom of the pan

Wash chicken & pat dry. Sprinkle the olive oil (just a little the thighs have enough fat to coat the bottom for no sticking) plus half of the lime juice in a large shallow dish. Put you thighs in the dish skin side down.

On the chicken now put the capers, garlic and seasoning and let it sit for half an hour to soak up the lime and seasonings.

In a small bowl, whisk together lime peel, lime juice, garlic, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Now wake up your thighs from their nap flip them over so they are skin side up. Spoon lime mixture over chicken refrigerate for 1 hour.

Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. Brush some of the reserved marinade on the chicken and bake for about 30 minutes longer, basting several times. Chicken should be browned and cooked through.

Garnish chicken with chopped parsley.

Spinach Basil Pesto

 

Presto originally named Pesto Alla Genovese it originated in Genoa a city in Italy. Basil Pesto is the original pesto made all over Italy and what every other pesto is derived from. In our pesto today we are adding some wonderful baby spinach. 

There are so many delicious ways to save any leftover to use later. Freeze the leftover in ice cube trays. This way makes it easy to just pop out what you need. This is so simple you will more than likely start creating your own flavors.

Spinach Pesto Basil

• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 
  3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled  and quartered
• kosher salt to taste
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• zest from the lemon
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  

The first thing you need to do it roast your pine nuts. This is relatively easy but you need to keep an eye on them. Like a baby in a bath do not leave. I use a small teflon pan with a medium heat. just cook them until they have a brown roasted look. I toss them into a small bowl and let them cool prior to adding them to the blender.

While those pine nuts are cooling get all your ingredients together making the process so easy. I just pop everything into my blender. Use the olive oil sparingly at first use a couple tablespoons of it while blending then adding the remainder towards the end of blending. 

You can use a food processor or any tool that will blend the mixture up for you. I always seem to make more then required for my pasta. And it seems no matter how much I learn about Pesto's I just add a lot to my dish. 

There are many other ways to use this pesto one idea is to baste your fish with a bit  then the last 15 minutes of baking slater it on. 

I used this pesto to cover my tortellini pasta and I chopped up some fresh tomatoes to add to it. It was delicious. 

I know I added to much but the beauty of cooking meals at home is who gives a la la lee 

Enjoy this and get creative and make some of your own flavor Pestos the choices are endless. 

Fricassee Chicken

Fricassee Checken is a reicpe I have heard of over the years. But this chicken reicpe was never made by this girl.

Well day two and Fricassee Chicken here we come. This is from the book "New Delineator Recipes......1930

Keep in mind the directions are simple and to the point. I have given you more pictures than instruction but that is the way they did it back in the day!

Fricasseed Chicken

1 chicken
2 tablespoons of butter or other fat
2 cups of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of milk or cream
1 egg yolk
salt and pepper
Herbs
Salt pork
Rice or dumplings





Singe, clean and cut up the chicken. Brown in a pan with the butter, drippings or chicken fat.







Cover with boiling water, add salt, pepper herbs and few slices of pork salt.















Simmer until tender (about one hour)

Strain and thicken one pint of liquid with the flour mixed to a smooth paste with a little cold water, add the milk or cream beaten with the yolk the egg.







 

Heat again until slightly thickened, pour over the chicken and serve with rice or dumplings.



This dish turned out so delicious I never expected it to be. I called my mommy after I cooked it and she told me it brought back so many memories of when she was little when they had no money.






Back in the day this was a cheap dinner and filling thus yummy.

Stuffed Double Pork Chops

Ok this is a good one I need to say. First it has been so long since I stuffed any meat. I like the large amount of parsley they use I am a parsley lover. Any herb that you like can actually be substituted in this recipe. Pork is truly the other white meat. When herbs can come out of my garden then it makes it even Betta.








You all know how much I love my vintage cook book selection. This one was so ahead of it's time with Herb's.







Alright then the book for today is Herbs for the Kitchen.....1943


Double Pork Chops Stuffed
This makes 4 servings

4 double pork chops at least 3 inches, cut with a "pocket" on the meat side
1/2 lb spinach
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped Parsley
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Summer Savory (spice)
A Pinch Sweet Basil
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons dry white wine

* I adjusted the of the size pork in my recipe which changed the time to cook by half.

NOTE: I do a lot of cooking so I will buy a whole pork roast and cut my own chop. This way I have control over the size. Also I can brine the roast prior to making any recipe to tenderize the pork. This guarantees it always comes out tender not tough like pork which can happens due to it's lack of fat. I will post a brine recipe and instructions in another post!





Wash spinach, salt it, and cook it without water for 10 minutes. This takes less time but it depends on the flame. Keep it low. The spinach has a lot of liquid in it so it is ok. Drain and chop.





 Mince garlic and fry in oil for 5 minutes. Careful not to burn.









Add your parsley, herbs and stir well.  Now add bread crumbs, spinach, salt and pepper to taste and simmer on low for 5 minutes.


Let cool, then stuff pockets of chops with this mixture.







Time to stuff those babies. My chops are about an inch thick give or take. I cut the chops open enough to stuff approximately 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of stuffing into each chop. Give or take.







Bake chops at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with basting liquor of the hot water, wine and salt to taste.

Almost done forgot to take a picture when I stuffed them. I was excited and hungry.

Now, back into the oven! 










I loved it...Made some wild rice to go with it and salad form the garden.

If I keep doing this I'm going, will did gain weight at quite a fast pace..thus the morning walks are getting very brisk

Enjoy

Penne Carbonara

This is so simple and so delicious man this cooking stuff is so yummy

Jamie Oliver "Happy days with the Naked Chef" 2002

Classic Penne Carbonara

1 lb dried penne
10 slices of pancetta or bacon
Olive oil
5 organic egg yolks (freeze the whites for later)
7 tablespoon of heavy cream
4 1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and freshly ground pepper





Cook penne in salted boiling water until al denti (check the package for the cooking time)










 While the pasta is cooking, slowly fry the pancetta or bacon till crisp. Break it up a bit and put it aside.

In a bowl whip up the egg yolks, cream and Parmesan cheese.


When the pasta is done, drain it and immediately toss it with warm crispy pancetta/bacon and the egg mixture.

  A lot of carbonaras are over cooked and resemble scrambled egg sauce-if you add the penne immediately the residual heat is enough to cook the egg sauce enough to keep it smooth and silky.



 Season well, using plenty of fresh ground black pepper, and add extra Parmesan to taste. Serve straight away, with a big bowl of salad


 To the right is a block of Parmesan Cheese we like to shred our cheese fresh.

Italian Meatloaf Muffins (Poipettone Con Riccota)

Our recipe for this day is Italian Meatloaf Muffins as we continue our recipe adventures I found the to be a great recipe for children to help with as well as eat. The process is fun for them to enjoy the mixing. Great way for your children to be involved in the process of making dinner. The size is great for single dinner portions or smaller as an appetizer for any party. 

I scour yard sales for old recipe books. On one of my adventures I found an old file folder with many recipes from newspapers of days gone by. This one caught my eye and with good reason. When I did a bit of investigating I could not find this exact recipe anywhere on the internet. So it is one that will really make you smile with the fact that it is an original. 

This one proves to be a challenge to my brain because I am use to pouring sauce on the top prior to cooking. Not these little devils. Plus you bake them in 3 inch muffin tins.

This recipe is in it's original form.

 It was printed in The Los Angeles Examiner Friday, May 24, 1957 

by Prudence Penny the Examiners Home Economics Editor.

 

Gather your ingredients. It is always easier to gather them prior to starting the cooking process. Nothing more irritating then starting and finding something is not available in your kitchen or not enough of one item.

Ingredients                             

1 pound of lean ground beef
1 cup soft bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup of water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon whole basil leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil or salad oil
2 tablespoons of fine dry bread crumbs

1/2 pound of ricotta cheese (small curd cottage cheese may be substituted)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon crumbled basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Let us get started ...

Mix meat with next nine ingredients shown in the recipe list.

 

Brush six 3- inch muffins cups with oil and sprinkle them with bread crumbs. 

I use Panko it is a lighter touch.

You can use any muffin tin you want. I liked this size larger because they are a dinner not an appetizer. Fill each cup with half the meat mixture.


Mix ricotta cheese with remaining egg, basil, and salt.

Spread over the meat. It looks like frosting right ? 

Top with remaining meat.

Brush tops with oil.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.
Makes 6 - 3 inch meat loaves.

For loaf, use a 9 by 5 inch by 3 inch loaf pan follow same procedure.

Bake 1 hour in 350 degree oven.
If ground pork is used for part of the meat bake 15 minutes longer. 

Once they are cooked you can serve them with marinara sauce topped. They were a smash at the dinner party I had for Valentines day. Just enough for each guest with a salad and loaf of homemade crusty bread.