Dinner | I'd Rather Cook

Category: Dinner
- Caramelized Pork Bowls – New Life for Ground Pork
  
  Posted at 12:16 pm by Anne Freestone
  
  Nov 13th
  Jump to Recipe
  
  Ground pork is an inexpensive protein, but I’d never found a great many inspiring recipes featuring it. I’d pick it up when I wanted to make eggrolls or wontons, but my imagination had never progressed much beyond that. Until one day, when I had a pound of it to use and felt too lazy to do all the filling and folding that eggrolls or wontons require, I started googling and came across a recipe for Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls. See Nagi’s original recipe here.
  
  I was intrigued – it didn’t require many ingredients and was quick to make. It also, quite frankly, sounded delicious with its combination of sweet, salty and hot flavors. I gave it a try, and after a few tweaks to suit my and my husband’s particular tastes, I had a new dish that is now a regular part of my weekly lineup.
  
  You’ll notice I made a few changes from the original. First of all, I use soy sauce instead of fish sauce, as fish sauce is just too intense for me. I also reduced the amount of brown sugar. Feel free to adjust proportions to your taste. The lemongrass is optional, but highly recommended. If you don’t have any on hand, I would imagine that a bit of lime juice/zest would work as well. (As a side note, I highly recommend getting those tubes of pureed ginger and lemongrass in the produce department – one of those conveniences that I find it worthwhile to pay a bit extra for. But, if you mince your own, the amounts would be approximately the same). As for the red pepper flakes, we like quite a bit of heat, but reduce or leave out if that is not your thing.
  
  You can serve over rice or noodles with the fresh vegetables of your choice. Traditionally these would be tomato and cucumber, but, since my husband doesn’t eat those, I went with carrot, red pepper and green onion. I find that the crunch and freshness of the vegetables is an essential contrast to intense flavor of the pork. And the colors are pretty, too.
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  Caramelized Pork Bowls
  
  Prep Time10 mins
  Cook Time10 mins
  Total Time20 mins
  
  Servings: 4
  
  Author: Anne Freestone
  
  Ingredients
  2 tbsp light cooking oil (I use peanut oil)
  1 medium onion finely chopped
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  2 tsp fresh ginger (pre-pureed from a tube or minced)
  2 tsp fresh lemongrass (pre-pureed from a tube or minced -optional but highly recommended)
  1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or one small thai chili, minced)
  1 lb ground pork
  3 tbsp brown sugar
  2 tbsp soy sauce
  
  Instructions
  Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat, add onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and red pepper flakes, saute until onions are translucent.
  Add pork, and fry until no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
  Add brown sugar and soy sauce and mix well.
  Arrange pork in one layer in pan, increase heat to medium high, and let cook untouched until pork begins to caramelize - about 2-3 minutes.
  Mix pork up, then again arrange in a single layer, and let cook untouched until more caramelization occurs - about 2-3 minutes. Repeat until pork is as caramelized and crunchy as you like.
  Serve over rice or noodles with fresh vegatables of your choice.
  Rate this
  Posted in Asian, Dinner | Tagged anne freestone, asian pork, caramelized pork, ground pork, vietnamese
- Spicy Red Chili – Breaking Bland
  
  Posted at 10:26 am by Anne Freestone
  
  Feb 18th
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  Chili is one of my cold weather go-to dishes. Chili, however, is one of those dishes that is a very personal thing, and, as such, has endless variations. But for me, if the chili isn’t spicy, it’s not worth it. I actually always carry a bottle of Tabasco in my purse for any bland food emergencies I may encounter eating out, which tells you something about me. (I also always carry a corkscrew, which tells you even more. I figure that between the two, I have all the important contingencies covered).
  
  Anyway, back to this chili of mine. It’s spicy, but not even three alarm, in my opinion. Of course, there are people who live in my surrounding area who would disagree. But, keep in mind that most of these people would consider ketchup spicy. (Don’t even get me started on how many small, family owned Mexican restaurants in my area whose even moderately spicy food has been “blanded down” by complaints by these folks. It’s really a pity).
  
  Anyway, this chili is a nod to a Mexican/Southwest style by its use of Mexican chorizo blended with ground beef, as well as a serrano pepper and chipolte pepper powder.
  
  This is also a very easy recipe, as it does not require the meat to be browned – the meat is simply cooked in the tomato sauce and water. Not only is this easy and convenient, but also the best way I’ve found to get that fine grained texture to the ground meat – I’m not a fan of big chunks of ground meat. (Of course, if that’s what you like, feel free to pre-brown and leave larger chunks).
  
  This is a nice chili to make for a quick lunch, but, as is the case with all chilis and many soups, it is actually better reheated, so it can also be made ahead and frozen.
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  Spicy Red Chili
  
  Prep Time10 mins
  Cook Time20 mins
  Total Time30 mins
  
  Servings: 4
  
  Author: Anne Freestone
  
  Ingredients
  1 lb ground beef
  6 to 8 oz Mexican chorizo, (I use El Popular)
  1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  1/2 cup water
  1 small onion, diced
  1 serrano pepper, seeds and membranes removed, diced
  3 tbsp tomato paste
  1 tsp onion powder
  1 tsp garlic powder
  1 tsp paprika
  1 tsp salt
  1 tsp sugar
  1 tsp chipolte pepper
  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  1 15.5 oz can pinto beans, drained
  
  Instructions
  Place ground beef, chorizo, tomato sauce and water in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil while breaking up meat with spoon until it is a fine, even texture. Boil until meat is mostly cooked through. (Meat will be more brown than pink).
  
  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until onions and peppers are soft, about 20 minutes.
  Rate this
  Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Mexican | Tagged anne freestone, beef, chili, chorizo, spicy chili
- Italian Meatballs – Or Are They?
  
  Posted at 11:43 am by Anne Freestone
  
  Dec 4th
  Jump to Recipe
  Nothing says Italian food like spaghetti and meatballs, right? Well, no, not if you’re talking to Italians.
  
  If you travel to Italy, you won’t find spaghetti and meatballs on a restaurant menu (except possibly to cater to the expectations of American tourists). Italians do have their own version of the meatball (as do most cultures around the world), but these polpettes, as they are known, are never served with pasta. Instead, they are either served as a meal by themselves, or in soups. They are also made with any meat, even turkey and fish.
  
  Moreover, polpettes are rarely served in restaurants, rather, they are more commonly seen on the family table as the province of the home cook. In addition, they have a different proportion of meat to breadcrumbs – about an equal ratio, as opposed to our meat dominant American version.
  
  So, the dish we are familar with here in America is really Italian American – developed by immigrants who, with better jobs in America, were able to afford more meat in their diets. Red sauces began to dominate since canned tomatoes were one of the few ingredients available in grocery stores. Spaghetti became an accompaniment either because it was one of the few Italian foods available here, or because early Italian restaurants needed to offer it to satisfy the tastes of Americans who were used to having a starch served with their meals.
  
  But, no matter what the origins, what we Americans call Italian meatballs are a favorite. My version has been developed by attempting to take the best of several recipes I have tried over the years.
  
  One of the most important elements, in my opinion, is to use a blend of ground beef, pork and veal. I firmly believe that you can never have the best meatballs using ground beef alone. Pork adds flavor, and the veal makes the meatball more tender. Most groceries carry a beef, pork and veal blend known as meatloaf or meatball mix. If that is not available, simply buy the three meats separately and mix in approximately equal proportions. If you can’t find ground veal, at least do half and half beef and pork. (Since the pork is fatty, use a leaner beef). The meatballs won’t be as tender without the veal, but the flavor will be superior to beef alone.
  
  I like to serve these with my oven roasted tomato sauce and homemade fresh pasta. These also freeze well.
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  Italian Meatballs
  
  Prep Time30 mins
  Cook Time20 mins
  Total Time50 mins
  
  Servings: 5 people
  
  Author: Anne Freestone
  
  Ingredients
  1&1/3 lb ground meatloaf mix (equal parts beef, pork and veal)
  1 medium onion, finely diced
  4 cloves garlic, finely diced
  1/4 cup parmeson cheese, grated
  1/4 cup romano cheese, grated
  1 egg
  1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
  1/4 tsp salt
  1/4 tsp black pepper
  1 tsp dried basil
  1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  
  Instructions
  Place all ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix with hands until everything is incorporated. (Do not overwork, or meatballs will be tough).
  Form into golfball sized meatballs (will make about 22-24), and place in a single layer in a pan. (Parchment paper makes for easier cleanup).
  
  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
  
  Use immediately by heating in sauce, or freeze until needed.
  Rate this
  Posted in Dinner, Italian | Tagged anne freestone, Italian meatballs, meatballs
- Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce – Slow and Easy
  
  Posted at 10:13 am by Anne Freestone
  
  Nov 14th
  Jump to Recipe
  I love a good, basic marinara type sauce. And I’ve tried a few different methods to make it at home. Many recipes are done on the stove top, but I never was able to get the rich flavor I wanted that way. Then I happened to see the oven roasted method on some cooking show (can’t remember which one, now), and I’ve never gone back.
  
  One thing that may give you pause here is that I have written the recipe using (horrors) canned tomatoes. There’s a reason (actually a few) for that. Just stay with me here.
  
  Now, I have done this sauce with fresh tomatoes (and onions, and garlic and herbs) from my garden, and it can be wonderful that way. However, the tomatoes have to be absolutely dead ripe, otherwise the flavor will be nowhere near its potential.
  
  So, unless it’s summer and you have access to really fresh, really ripe tomatoes, it just won’t be the same. Store bought fresh tomatoes tend to be (especially in winter), a bit underripe (so they can be shipped) and the greenhouse types that the stores tend to carry really don’t have a huge amount of flavor.
  
  Not so with canned Roma tomatoes, especially the San Marzano variety. They are very ripe and have a good, meaty texture. So this is one instance where a canned product can be better than the fresh version. And, using canned makes it a perfect option for winter, when it’s a great time to have the oven going for several hours.
  
  The slow oven roasting does something important – it carmelizes the tomatoes, which really develops and concentrates the flavors. I really think it’s a lot better result than a stove top sauce. Yes, it takes longer, but you can put this in the oven, forget it and then do other things for a while.
  
  I like to make a batch of this, use half, and freeze the rest for another meal. It’s great on pasta, in lasagna, and on pizza.
  
  Give it a try – I think you’ll be pleased with the result.
  Print Recipe
  
  Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
  
  Prep Time20 mins
  Cook Time3 hrs
  Total Time3 hrs 20 mins
  
  Servings: 8
  
  Author: Anne Freestone
  
  Ingredients
  2 28 oz cans roma tomatos, preferably San Marzano (do not drain)
  2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
  6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  1 tsp salt
  1 tsp black pepper
  1 tsp dried basil
  1 tsp dried thyme
  2 tsp dried oregano
  2-3 tbsp olive oil
  
  Instructions
  Spray a 9×13 baking pan (preferably glass) with cooking spray. Spread tomatoes (undrained) in pan.
  Spread onions and garlic over the tomatoes.
  Sprinkle salt, pepper, basil, thyme and oregano over the top.
  Drizzle olive oil over the top, getting a good coating on the herbs so they won't burn.
  
  Roast in a 300° oven for 3 hours until the tomatoes are carmelized.
  
  Pour into a saucepan and blend with a stick blender until smooth. (Or blend in a blender or food processor).
  
  If sauce is not as thick as you like, simmer until reduced to your liking, then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
  Rate this
  Posted in Dinner, Italian | Tagged anne freestone, marinara sauce, oven roasted tomato sauce, roma tomatoes, tomato sauce
- Fresh Pasta – The Next Level of Homemade
  
  Posted at 12:02 pm by Anne Freestone
  
  Nov 5th
  Jump to Recipe
  One day, as I was binge watching Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, I reflected on how often the chefs would comment on how they did everything in house – from sauces, breads and sausage, to yes, pasta. I began to feel as if I’d love to be able to make that statement – that everything in an entire meal was made by me.
  
  I’d already gotten to the point where premade gravy and pancake mix were banned in my house. I could already throw down a killer lasagna with homemade roasted tomato sauce and scratch made bechasmel. Not to mention my homemade meatballs. So why not go to that next level and do the pasta from scratch?
  
  The recipe for basic pasta is pretty simple – flour, salt, egg and water (some recipes call for olive oil as well). It’s the rolling and the cutting that’s the tedious part.
  
  My first attempts using a tabletop manual pasta roller/cutter were a bit frustrating. It was kind of a pain to get the machine clamped to the countertop and to remain stable. I also had a bit of trouble with getting the dough thin enough for the proper texture but also strong enough to stay together when boiled.
  
  Then, two things happened. First, I decided to invest in a pasta roller/cutter set for my KitchenAid stand mixer. (Thanks Whirlpool retiree discount). I also happened across an episode of Beat Bobby Flay where the challenging chef was making pasta, and talked about the importance of, in the first few passes through the roller, of brushing the pasta sheets with flour, folding in half, and running through again until the dough is silky and elastic.
  
  Those two things did the trick. Honestly, the pasta attachments that work on the power takeoff of the stand mixer are amazing. I know it sounds like a blatent plug for my former employer, but these are so well made (in Italy, no less) and do such a quick and masterful job of turning out pasta that they are totally worth an investment if you’re going to make pasta with any regularity. And the technique of adding flour to the early stage sheets until the dough is the perfect texture is clearly the way to turning out pasta that is tender but strong at any thickness.
  
  So, is there really a difference between fresh pasta and dried in a box? Yes, it’s like night and day – just very silky and tender. The first time I did spaghetti from scratch it was described as “melt in your mouth” by my son who is not given to effusive praise of my meals. (He does say that one of the best things about coming home is my cooking, but he doesn’t feel a need to wax poetic about every meal. “I take it for granted that your cooking is going to be at a certain level, Mom. I’ll let you know if it’s not”). So I take him pointing this out as high praise, indeed.
  
  Be aware that fresh pasta is going to cook much faster than dried – from two to four minutes, depending on the thickness. Also, it’s best to make the dough the same day you are going to roll and cut it. You can dry or freeze the noodles to cook another day, which I haven’t tried yet, so I can’t vouch for how this affects texture, etc.
  
  So, if you’ve got some sort of pasta roller/cutter languishing in a cupboard, break it out and give fresh pasta another try. You’ll be glad you did.
  Print Recipe
  
  Fresh Pasta
  
  Prep Time25 mins
  Resting time30 mins
  Total Time55 mins
  
  Servings: 6
  
  Author: Anne Freestone
  
  Ingredients
  1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  1/2 tsp salt
  2 eggs
  2-4 tbsp water, ,as needed
  
  Instructions
  Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl.
  Add eggs into flour. As you mix, pull flour into eggs until you have a soft dough. Add water as needed until you can form a ball that is the consistency of play doh. This can be done in a mixer or by hand.
  Knead dough either by hand on a floured board, or in a mixer with a dough hook, until it is firm. Add flour if needed to keep from sticking.
  Form dough into a ball and let rest for 30 minutes.
  
  Divide dough into two pieces. Shape each piece into a flattened oval and sprinkle with flour. Pass through widest setting of pasta roller. Sprinkle with flour, fold in half and send through roller on widest setting again. Repeat this step until the the pasta sheet is smooth.
  
  Continue to pass pasta sheets through progressively thinner roller settings, until at desired thickness.
  
  If cutting into noodles, cut sheets into desired lengths and pass through pasta cutter.
  Cook fresh in boiling salted water for 2-4 minutes until al dente. You can also freeze or dry the pasta for later use. (Dried pasta will take 7-10 minutes to cook).
  Rate this
  Posted in Dinner, Italian, Pasta | Tagged anne freestone, fresh pasta, KitchenAid, pasta, pasta roller/cutter, Whirlpool
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