Bolognese Sauce

I love the smell of a rich sauce cooking on the stove over the course of a Sunday afternoon. Now that Autumn has officially made it's way here, our days are crisp and perfect for slow cooking. This sauce, made and tweaked from a recipe found in Dinner: A Love Story, was chosen for two very important reasons.

1. It's easy.

2. It can easily be doubled (or even tripled) and frozen.

It's extraordinarily rich and thick, so if you are including a wee one in the meal, you might want to scoop a little out and give it a quick puree for that little mouth. Make sure you have some crusty bread to sop up the extras, and serve it over a thick noodle to capture all of the flavors.

This version is double the original recipe, so if you want to simply make enough for a dinner or two, half the ingredients you see below.


You need:

olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. ground beef, grass fed and lean
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. suagr
1/2 c. red wine
1 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes still in their juices
1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. oregano

Add the oil into a large, heavy dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are just translucent, about 5 minutes. Push everything to the side of the pot and add the meat. Cook until almost no pink remains. Stir into the onions. Add the tomato paste, fennel seeds, sugar,  and wine. Stir together and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, and cook for 1 hour.

If you are going to freeze half, cool before placing into freezer bags. 

The Final Apple Pie

Last weekend, our house became a palace of sick. Three of the four of us were hit hard with viruses and ear infections. My mother had to come to the rescue, staying with us for four days, until I was strong enough to return to work and the kids to head back to school. Needless to say, we did not make an apple pie last weekend. I'm not even sure we all ate last weekend. As a result, our September Apple Pie-a-Thon ended today with a recipe from yet another children's book.

This book, How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, takes the reader on a journey across the globe to find ingredients for the perfect apple pie, with a great recipe at the end. This was, by far, the best pie. It's all the crust. It was a marvelous crust. So buttery and so light, this crust rivaled those I've tasted in many a great patisserie. I made the crust in my food processor (so my version appears in parentheses.)

We had a fantastic time this month, my Remi and I, making the most of September's great harvest. Enjoy, and please excuse us. We have some pumpkin recipes to sort through...

You need:

For the crust

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, cut into small chunks (kept very cold)
1/2 c. ice water
1 egg yolk

For the filling

5-7 apples (we used Galas), peeled and sliced
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter


Stir flour and salt together in a bowl (or pulse briefly in the food processor until mixed.) Quickly rub small pieces of cold butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until the bits are the size of peas (or slowly drop into the food processor and pulse briefly after each one). Add the ice water, slowly, a tablespoon at a time until enough is added to moisten the dough and it pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, place on wax paper, form two equal patties, fold up in the wax paper, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss the apples into the sugar mixture until well coated. When the hour is up, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out, into 10 in. circles, each crust. Gently grease the bottom of the pie plate and then add the bottom crust. Arrange the apple slices in the pie pan, piling them higher in the center. Dot with butter. Moisten the edge of the bottom crust with water. Cover the pie with the top crust, trim the edge, then pinch top and bottom edges together. Cut some vents in the top. To glaze the crust, mix an egg yolk with a tablespoon of water. Brush the mixture over the surface of the top crust. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Chicken Soup with Orzo

There is a cloud of sickness resting over our house. Poor little C has a virus, which, through his lovely, slobbery, open-mouthed baby kisses, he has passed on to me. As a result, our throats are sore, our noses are stuffy, and only one recipe will do the trick.

Chicken soup.

Although I've made quite a few different chicken soup recipes through the years, I wanted to try this one out since I'm making my was through the Dinner: A Love Story cookbook. It was very good and very easy to assemble. All of us loved it, and it made plenty for dinner and leftovers for the week! I'd love to say more about it, but I'm foggy and need to get to bed. So here it is!

You need:

1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. white wine
6 c. chicken stock
2 c. water
1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts, boneless, cut into 4 in. chunks
Parmesan cheese rind
1 1/2 c. orzo
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large pot over medium-low heat, saute the onions, carrots, and celery. in the olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 12 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the wine and turn up the heat to high. Continue to cook until all of the liquid has reduced. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and rind. Bring the soup back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. After the chicken is completely cooked through, use two forks to shred the chicken while still in the pot. Bring back to a boil and add the orzo. Cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. Remove the rind, season with salt and pepper and serve with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Inspired by Dinner: A Love Story

Baked Sausage with Apples, Potatoes, and Onions

I have been following a food blog for a while now, and I finally decided to get a copy of her cookbook and try out a few recipes. The cookbook, Dinner: A Love Story, chronicles the author's journey through parenthood and cooking, each section sharing recipes for a particular phase when cooking with and for children. This recipe, from the "New Parenthood" section, was included as one to easily teach your Noncook how to help out with dinner. Since M is no culinary artist, and I was with C in urgent care for a few hours right before dinner time, this recipe was chosen at the very best time. M said it was a breeze to make, but as he texted me throughout the process, we made a couple of changes that suited our tastes a little more. However, the overall effect was the same and it was delicious! Here's my doctored version!

You need:

3 c. small potatoes, washed and halved
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 sweet Italian-style sausages (we used chicken sausage)
2 apples, unpeeled and cut into large wedges
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the potatoes and onions in a large baking dish with 1 tbsp. of the oil. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Place the sausages on top of the vegetables. Bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the apples with the remaining oil and some more salt and pepper. Flip the sausages over, scatter the apples around the sausages, and cook for 20 minutes more. Serve with the mustard.

Inspired from Dinner: A Love Story

One-Pan Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have to admit that I don't often save recipes that are attached to bottles, behind peeled labels, or on the inside of boxes. However, I happened to see this recipe when breaking down the Land O' Lakes box of butter, and since we've always been a fan of things sweet and sour, I thought I'd give it a try. Although, technically, because you have to cook the rice separately, it's not exactly a one-pan dinner, the chicken itself was unbelievably easy, and the end result was delicious. Everyone here devoured it.

You need:

1/2 c. apricot preserves
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
4 tbsp. butter
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes or thin strips
2 c. snow peas
1 c. carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 c. pineapple chunks, drained
3 c. cooked rice

Combine preserves, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Set aside. In a skillet or wok, melt 1 tbsp. butter. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining butter, peas, and carrots. Continue cooking until vegetables are crispy. Add apricot preserve mixture and pineapples. Cook until heated through. Serve over cooked rice.

Nanny's Apple Pie

It's week two of the Apple Pie-a-thon here, and we decided to try out a recipe that I found among some of my grandmother's things after she passed away a few years ago. Although I cannot ever remember eating this one, and I have no idea where her standard recipe is, it was surprisingly good, even if it looks a tad bit odd inside once it's cooked. Ada liked it much better than the first one, so you can be the judge!

You need:

for the crust

1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Crisco
3 tbsp. water

for the filling

3 1/2 c. apples, cut into small chunks
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 slightly beaten egg
3/4 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

for the topping

1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. butter

Start with the crust. Combine the flour, salt, and Crisco in a food processor. When the mixture resembles large crumbs, slowly add the water while mixing. Stop processing when the dough comes away from the sides. Roll into a ball, shape into a flattened disk, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hr. After an hour, roll into a 10-in diameter circle and fit into the bottom of the pie plate, crimping the edges. 

In a medium bowl, add the all of the filling ingredients. Pour into the pie shell. In a small bowl, crumble the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the pie. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower to 350 degrees and cook for 45 minutes.

Breakfast Pies

Sometimes, I feel like I spend far more time trying to figure out what to make for breakfast than I do worrying about dinner. Now that I've gone back to work, I feel like it's even more important that I've got my act together in terms of getting something protein packed and super energizing on the table. All four of us are out of the house by 7:30 in the morning - in varying shifts - and the last thing I want to do is leave M with loads of breakfast dishes. This recipe is FANTASTIC. I've had it for a while, but never got around to making it. It uses the same pie crust recipe found here that I used with the Southwest Taco Pie. The best part about these pies is that they can be made in advance, frozen, and reheated in the microwave or oven quickly.

You need:
 
2 recipes Basic Whole-Wheat Pie Dough
5 egg whites
2 eggs
 1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 green or red sweet pepper, finely chopped
1/2 8 ounce package precooked sausage links, sliced
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside. On a lightly floured surface roll out one of the disks of dough to a 12- to 13-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 4- to 5-inch round cutter, cut out 6 circles (make cuts as close together as possible). Repeat with remaining disk of dough to make 12 circles total. Press circles into prepared muffin cups. Prick the bottom of each with a fork; set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together egg whites, eggs, milk, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sweet pepper. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in sausage slices. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Divide sausage mixture among pastry-lined cups. Slowly pour or spoon egg mixture into cups. Sprinkle cheese on top of each. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is puffed and set. Cool in cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from cups and serve warm or cool completely and freeze in freezer safe bags.

from Parents magazine