Stuffed Cabbage!

Here's a few pictures to start! Took from about 12pm-1pm for total prep and cooking time. Cabbage has been on a light boil for about 2 hours now (2pm). 

This seasons soup theme

I've decided to go with garlic soups this season! With chicken, beef, or vegetable stock base, and adding at least one head of garlic to each soup I make...to be continued :-)

Roasted Ratatouille Pasta

I had some vegetables sitting in my fridge, as usual and I wasn't sure what to make with them. I didn't want to make anything too heavy. Something slightly healthy that my husband could enjoy with me. I decided on a ratatouille, roasted ratatouille pasta! As far as I am concerned, if there is pasta involved, I'm down!   My last few recipes have had a theme; eggplant! My husband and myself were pretty sick of eggplant; "no more eggplant" we both agreed, "hold on the sauce too, kinda sick of sauce." 

 So, no eggplant, or "sauce" in this ratatouille, and it was my first time making it...which has also been a trend it seems with me too, but that's okay! I'm learning! I hope you do too!   I followed a recipe. Rachel Ray. Not exactly to what is on the site. I always alter my recipe from what I read from.
I used... one cucumber and two different types of squash and I am not sure what they are possibly butternut. 

What You Need: 

• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling. (Go extra on it, it won't hurt. )
• 1 head garlic
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cubed into small chunks. ( I didn't peel mine and it wasn't so nice; peel yours!)
• 1 medium sized gourd squash, peeled and cubed into small chunks.
• 1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed into small chunks.
• 1 Teaspoon(-/+) thyme. I did a few small pinches for the vegetables and tomatoes separate. 
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can of whole, peeled tomatoes
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta; penne, spaghetti, whatever you want.  I used a multigrain for the first time in a long time; to try to be healthier. Make a separate batch for the husband! :-)
• 2 fresh basil leaves, cut small. 
• 1/2 cup (a large handful) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano...or regular Parmesan, whatever you have. Hey, even a sharp provolone would do some good! 

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. 
Mine ended up boiling after about twenty minutes or so and I just left it until it was time to add the pasta.

Cut a sliver off the top of the garlic head just large enough to expose the cloves. Tear off a large square of aluminum foil and place the garlic in the center. Drizzle a small amount of EVOO over the head and wrap the foil up around it.
Place in the oven and roast until golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. While the garlic is roasting, cut up the veggies and place everything except the tomatoes on one, or if you have more vegetables, two large baking sheets, along with the thyme sprinkled on top.

Once the veggies have been in the oven for about 10 minutes, place the tomatoes onto another baking sheet, drizzle them with EVOO and salt, pepper and thyme. Add to oven with the other veggies and roast until they have burst and shrived slightly, about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle fresh basil on top of each tomato.

Once the garlic has been roasting for about 15 minutes, drizzle the veggies with EVOO and season them with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and thyme. Roast them in the oven until tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

Once the veggies have about 10 minutes left to go, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook to personal taste or  package directions. 

(I skipped this step) Before draining the pasta, ladle about 3/4 cup or so of the pasta cooking liquid into a large serving bowl. Drain the pasta and reserve.

Once the garlic is done roasting, allow it to cool enough to handle, then hold the head in your hand over the bowl with the pasta water and squeeze out all of the roasted cloves into the bowl. Add the tomatoes and mash everything together.The garlic was extremely hot, even when I let it rest for about fifteen minutes. It's hard to do, fun, but ouch! Be careful!!! And watch out for the little outer flaky skins, they like to sneak in with the nice roasted garlic mush on the way into the bowl!

Add everything to a large bowl, stir it a few times and eat!

Eggplant Parmesan

I followed this video. Eggplant Parmesan Recipe Video

I made my own sauce, which I have posted in the previous blog. 

I was at the store last week and I saw eggplant. I don't typically make a lot of eggplant dishes, but something about the way they were laying, all shiny in the produce section, got me thinking! I'll make something with these, something different...eggplant Parmesan! It was my first time making it and I think it came out very very well! 

Rustic roasted eggplant, onion and garlic sauce, with a bit of heavy cream.

Best vegetable sauce ever! Very rustic, bold and robust! 

This is a very easy sauce to make, it takes about 4 hours in total and lasts a long time. 

What You Need:

1 eggplant, cubed, salted, allow to sit in a strainer for about 15 minutes.

1/2 white onion.

5 cloves fresh garlic, or more if you want.

1 can sauce, 1 can whole tomatoes, pureed, save juices.

Pre heat oven to 425. Roast veggies, drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil for 40 minutes 

Allow to cool just for a little bit, about 10 minutes then put in the sauce, mix well. 

Simmer on medium for a few hours, the sauce will begin to thicken once the vegetables have been added.

Turn sauce to low add in about 1/4 cup heavy cream.

Cast Iron Pizzas!

I followed this recipe to help with my creation! Mainly because I have never made a pizza before, and I have never used my cast iron pan to cook a pizza either, a win-win situation.

Deep-dish cast iron pizza

I made two pizzas!
One was a buffalo chicken pizza with chicken, the chicken cooked in butter, covered in buffalo sauce, and added to the dough, and topped with mozzarella.

The second pizza I made with a red sauce, and then added chicken and scallions, topped with mozzarella and a bit of Mexican blended cheese into the crust-since I attempted a light stuffed crust pizza style.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe

For the dough:

The first risen kneaded dough. 

Floured surface.

Kneaded dough, ready to rise again, and rolled out on the floured surface.

Cooked chicken smothered in buffalo sauce.

Ohh the cheese and sauce...

Buffalo pizza ready for the oven!

Second pizza dough waiting to be used! 

Finished buffalo chicken pizza!

The outer crust lightly lined with Mexican blended cheese. 

Oven time!

Finished scallion chicken pizza!

   


Scallion Chicken Pizza Recipe:

Using the dough that has been relaxing in the bowl, roll it out on the floured surface. Place in the cast iron pan, sides high, and add

Simple Nachos!

Easy Nachos!

Me and my husband wanted a nacho snack. Well, we didn't have any good toppings really, you know the typical meat, beans, salsa, sour cream all of those goodies.

Basic, we had cheddar and scallions and some hot sauce. About 1 cup of cheddar and 4 scallions chopped up. Microwave for about 30 seconds or until the cheese is melted. Your pick of hot sauce. Enjoy! 

Spicy BBQ Ground Beef Sandwiches

Main Good Stuff
1 green bell pepper; remove seeds and membrane.
1 jalapeno; keep the seeds, slice thin.
1 softball size onion; diced small.
1 lb ground beef; browned.
4 buns, sliced, buttered, toasted.

Saucy BBQ Goodness
BBQ Sauce-1/4 cup.
Brown Sugar- 2 Tablespoons.
Homemade Red Sauce- 1/4 cup.
Ketchup-3 Tablespoons.
Yellow Mustard- 1 Tablespoon.
Steak Sauce- 1 Tablespoon.
White Distilled Vinegar-1 cap full.
Sriracha-4 Tablespoons...or more if you want. Or use a different hot sauce if you want!

Spices
Sea Salt-pinch 1/2.
Fresh Ground Black Pepper-pinch 1/2.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes-1/2 teaspoon.
Garlic Powder-1/4 teaspoon.
Onion Powder-1/8 teaspoon.
Chili Powder-1/8 teaspoon.
Adobo-1/8 teaspoon or less.
Cayenne Powder-1/4 teaspoon.
Dash of Texas Pete Hottest Hot Sauce.


In a large saute pan add some butter, saute onions until they are just a light golden color. Add in bell pepper and jalapeno. Saute together until just soft, but still with a bit of crunch. Remove from heat. Put in a separate bowl.

In the same saute pan, brown the ground beef. Add in above spices. Drain. Return to the heat, add in onion and peppers. Stir well. Now start adding in your saucy goodness! Mix well, cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Serve on rolls!

London Broil with Tangy Smothered Onions, Mashed Potatoes and Garlic-Lemon Green Beans with Toasted Bread Crumbs!

I wanted to make something different to go along with the London broil for tonight's dinner. I have a bag of onions and potatoes, a package of green beans. Hmm..what can I do about this?

I referred to my often used The New Best Recipe book for the green bean recipe, which I have made before and it is delicious! The recipe is taken directly from the book.  The London broil I broiled for 15 minutes, and pan seared it in my cast iron pan before putting it in the oven.

For the London broil and onion recipe, I followed this: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/london-broil-smothered-onions-and-crispy-smashed-potatoes/

But I did not make my mashed potatoes crispy on top, use the egg yolks, chicken broth,  or make broccoli on the side. I followed it close; but not too close. :-)

For the London broil:

sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).

2 cloves fresh garlic. crushed. 

Pre heat the broiler. I also pre heated my cast iron skillet with a teaspoon of EVOO on a low medium heat on my stove top.  While you are waiting for the broiler to heat up, tenderize the meat with fork. Salt, pepper and garlic both sides. (Sear both sides of the meat in the cast iron, just a few minutes on each and place in the oven.)  Once the broiler is up to temperature, cook the meat for 15 minutes, turning once in the middle of cook time. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes under tin foil. Slice thin, set aside. 

For the Onions:

2 small or 1 medium sized sweet onion, sliced into thin rings.

salt and pepper to taste.

1 tablespoon EVOO

1/2 tablespoon steak sauce.

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.

1/2 teaspoon steak drippings (optional) 

Pre heat a large skillet with EVOO. Once oil swirls easily in the pan, add in onions. Add some salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft, remove from the heat and mix in steak sauce and balsamic vinegar, also I added in some drippings from the cooked meat pan. 

For the Mashed Potatoes:

6 white or russet potatoes, peeled and quartered.

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup milk (or to your mashed potato liking consistency)

salt and pepper to taste.

1 clove crushed garlic (optional)

While the steak is broiling and onions cooking, pour cold water over the potatoes. Boil on medium-high until your fork goes easily through. Drain and return to the pot, add in butter, milk, salt, pepper and garlic. 

For the Green Beans:

2 slices high-quality sandwich bread, torn into quarters. (I used used my regular 99¢ a loaf bread)

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter.

Sald and fresh ground black pepper.

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (fresh or store bought works)

6 Medium fresh garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press.

2 Teaspoons all-purpose flour.

1/8 Teaspoon red pepper flakes.

1 Teaspoon minced thyme. (fresh or dried)

1 1/2 lb. Green Beans, ends trimmed (I also sliced them in half if they were too long)

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth.

1 Tablespoon juice from a lemon. (I used the juice from the fake lemons they sell...with just the juice)

Process the bread in a food processor to even, fine crumbs, about ten 1 second pulses.

Heat 1 Tablespoon butter in a 12 inch non stick skillet over medium high heat; when melted, add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cheese; set aside. 

Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter, the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Sir in the flour, red pepper flakes, and thyme, then toss in the green beans. Add the chicken broth and increase the heat to medium high; cover and cook until the beans are partly tender but still crisp at the center, about 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs and serve. 

Creamy potato soup with onions, celery and steak

Chicken with Rice Pilaf, Baby Bella Mushrooms and Asparagus

Veggie Soup!

Navy Bean Soup with Ham!

Corned Beef Stock; Turned Soup!

While there wasn't a lot of corned beef left, there was still drippings that contained potatoes, carrots and cabbage!

So after looking at a few recipes and reading up about how to use corned beef stock, I decided to go with a navy bean and northern bean soup to test out!

This is my first time cooking with dry beans! I am still learning along the way and reading up!

Using plenty of water to cover, I soaked both packages of beans together in a huge bowl overnight, and through part of the next day. 

1 lb. dry navy beans. soak, drain, rinse, cook.

1 lb. dry northern beans. soak, drain, rinse, cook.

After soaking beans overnight; to cook beans, use 6 cups water to 2 cups beans. Plus 2 tablespoons olive oil. Lightly boil for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours until texture is as desired. 

Corned beef stock containing:

carrots

cabbage

red skin potatoes

about 4-5 cups water added to the original stock.

Basically what I did was...

In a dutch oven, or large cooking pot, bring remaining stock to a boil, add in water. Boil on medium high heat, stir occationally. 

In a large separate stove top pot, boil beans until almost tender, but still slightly under cooked. Drain, then add to stock. Stir well. Reduce heat to a light simmer. 

Cook until all the flavors mix together well. About 5 hours.  

Beans will soak in the flavors overnight, and will taste better the day after, and the next three days. The soup should stay good for at least 4 days with the beans in it, or it might get mushy.

My cabbage basically became part of the stock liquid, I have not seen anymore cabbage pieces since it was cooked for so long! My carrots also became very very soft. 

St. Patrick's Day, Corned Beef and Cabbage!

Ingredients

One 3-pound corned beef brisket (uncooked), in brine
16 cups cold water
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
4 whole allspice berries
2 whole cloves
1/2 large head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 thick wedges
8 small new potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Serving suggestion: Whole-grain mustard or horseradish sauce (recipe follows)
Horseradish Sauce:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons jarred grated horseradish (with liquid)
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper



Horseraddish Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons jarred grated horseradish (with liquid)
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.



Place the corned beef in a colander in the sink and rinse well under cold running water.



Place the corned beef in a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, add the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice and cloves. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the oven, and braise until very tender, about 3 hours and 45 minutes.



Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.



Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage to a large platter. Slice the corned beef across the grain of the meat into thin slices. Lay the slices over the cabbage and surround it with the potatoes. Ladle some of the hot cooking liquid over the corned beef and season with pepper. Serve immediately with the mustard or horseradish sauce.

Horseradish Sauce:

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, zest, and 2 teaspoons salt. Season generously with pepper to taste. Refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.

My recipe changes a bit, I am not a huge fan of the cloves or all spice myself so I use a lot less than the recipe calls for. 

Recipe Retrieved From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/corned-beef-and-cabbage-recipe.html (2014)

Sweet Chili Baked Chicken Kabobs

Prep time: around 15-30 minutes.

Cooking time: 30 minutes.

1 package grape tomatoes- whole

1 package baby bella mushrooms- whole

1 softball size sweet onion- cut into small wedges

1 medium green bell pepper- cut into small, thicker slices

1 medium red pepper-cut into small, thicker slices

2 chicken breasts-cut into small chunks

1/2 jar of Franks Red Hot - Sweet Chili Sauce- as marinate, dressing, flavor.

Venison Bourgogne

Meatballs

Easy meatballs for a tomato sauce! This is a simple recipe for some really good tasting meatballs, mix it all up and fry in some canola oil until browned and add into your sauce!

For the Meatballs:

1 teaspoon flour

1 egg

1 baseball sized sweet onion

1-2 lb ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon orageno-to taste

1/2 teaspoon basil-to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon Thyme

To Fry:

about 4 tablespoons canola oil.

1 large skillet.

Slice onion thin, and then dice them small. 

In a large bowl combine egg, flour, spices, onion and beef, using your hands, mix well. 

Warm up skillet. Add in canola oil, keep stove top at about a 4 or 5 for a good hot for a good fry.

Roll meatballs into whatever size you like, I usually go with about half my palm size. Place in warmed pan, about 6 at a time for even heating. (This took me two batches.)

Fry meatballs in canola oil.  About 4-7 minutes per side. Once the meatballs are browned, you can place them in the sauce and cook them longer for tender goodness!

That is all! 

Also, you could add in fresh garlic to the meatballs or some cheese.

Since I had my sauce simmering next to the meatballs, I added a few cloves of finely chopped garlic into the empty pan when I was done frying. (Drain and wipe the pan out so there is only a tiny bit of grease left.)  I just stirred and cooked the garlic until it was fragrant. About 1 minute or so. 

Venison bourgogne

Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli

Personally I feel that this dish should only really be made once a year. Only because butter and heavy cream are not the best for you and, the flavor is very rich and a bit on the heavier side. However, this is very tasty and filling and delicious!

Bunch of Broccoli

1 Tablespoon Butter

For the sauce:

1/2 stick butter

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3 chicken breasts

4 cloves fresh garlic

1 box Fettuccine

1 1/2 Tablespoon salt

plenty of water to boil the pasta in, follow box directions.

Pork Loin, Apples, Stuffing and Salad

Chicken Marsala with Couscous

The blogs that I just posted

Alright so as you can see I just basically spammed posted all of my older posts from my beccamelt.com site. I did this because I don't think that I will be renewing the site again when it is up. I will be using this as my primary site for my recipes.

A lot of the pictures were too big when I took them originally, and a lot of them are not so good looking, I have been going through some of them to improve the not  so nice ones so I apologize for that.

Summer Berry Pie

This recipe comes straight out of The New Best Recipe, both the Summer Berry Pie as well as the Whipped Cream.   http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=265

I would consider this a relatively easy to medium recipe to follow for a first time going through myself.

The only thing I did not use were blackberries and whipped cream, I just doubled up on my raspberries, which were picked fresh from the wild outdoors! My crust could have baked a little longer too, I took it out since it was fragrant and browning lightly and I didn't want it to burn.

Serves 8 to 10

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

9 graham crackers (3 oz) broken into rough pieces

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter,melted and kept warm

---

BERRY FILLING

2 Cups Raspberries (9oz)

2 Cups Blueberries (10oz)

2 Cups Blackberries (11oz)

1/2 Cup (3 1/2oz) Sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon juice from a lemon

2 tablespoons red currant jelly (old fashioned recipe jelly)

2 Cups Whipped Cream

---

 WHIPPED CREAM RECIPE

1 Cup chilled heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Chill a nonreactive, deep 1-to 1 1/2- quart bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer in the freezer for at least 20 minuets.

2. Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla to the chilled bowl. Beat at low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until the cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, about 20 seconds for soft peaks or about 30 seconds for stiff peaks. If necessary, finish beating by hand to adjust the consistency.

---

ASSEMBLING SUMMER BERRY PIE (Simple overview of the recipe)

1) Press the crumb mixture into the pie plate. Use a thumb and measuring cup to square off the top of the crust. Bake the crust.

2) Drizzle the melted jelly over the while berries and gently toss them together until the berries are glazed.

3) Pour the slightly cooled berry puree into the cooled crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

4) Distribute the glazed berries evenly over the puree and gently press into the surface.

1) FOR THE CRUST:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325°

2) In a food processor, process the graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds (you should have 1 cup of crumbs). Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding the warm melted butter in a steady stream;pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to 9-inch glass pie plate; (following the overview above step 1), use the bottom of a ramekin or measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides, forming a crust.

Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, about 15 to 18 minuets; transfer to a wire rack and cool completely while making the filling.

3) FOR THE FILLING:

Combine the berries in a large colander and gently rinse (taking care not to bruise them); spread the berries on a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently pat dry with additional paper towels.

4) In a food processor, puree 2 1/2 Cups of the mixed berries until smooth and fully pureed, about 1 minuet. strain the puree through a mesh strainer into a small nonreactive saucepan, scraping and pressing onto the seeds to extract as much puree as possible (you should have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups.)

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl to combine, then whisk the mixture into the puree.

Bring the puree to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon; when the mixture reaches a boil and is thickened to the consistency of pudding, remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside to cool slightly.

5) While the puree is cooling, place the remaining berries in a medium bowl.

Heat the jelly in a second small saucepan over low heat until fully melted.

Follow the overview steps 2-4 to combine the jelly with the berries, pour the berry puree into the cooled crust, and distribute the glazed berries over the puree.

Loosely cover the pie with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled and the puree has set, about 3 hours or up to 1 day.

Cut the pie into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

     

*Note: I do not have a mesh strainer, so I had seeds in my mixture, normally you would not see/have so many. (Below*)

*Instead of a mesh strainer I used a regular colander and did the best I could.*

The crust assembled in a bowl graham cracker and butter

Currant jelly heating slowly on the stove

The berries extract after being strained and heated for a little, still a fluid movement when stirred

The berries extract almost done with a thick consistency                 (*seeds)

The baked crust in the pie plate, with the glazed currant jelly berries