I figured it out and made it my own! (Bolognese with Pasta and Lemon-Basil Gremolata)

A bit of nutmeg and cinnamon plus a fresh lemon-basil
gremolata make this bolognese a winner!

Wherever we go it seems like we end up in a quaint little Italian restaurant and Steve invariably orders the bolognese. I’ve tried to duplicate the dishes before, but something was always missing. 

This week, we celebrated our wedding anniversary at one of our favorite haunts that does a particularly good bolognese served with their hand cut pasta, and yes, Steve ordered his favorite dish. As she described the specials, our server noted that the chef adds a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon to his sauce.

Bingo! That’s what was missing!

So yesterday I wrote and then tested the recipe below and had one of our friends for an impromptu dinner. Thumbs up, all around the table!

To make the dish my own, I topped it with a lemon-basil gremolata that adds a bit of freshness to what could be a very heavy dish. I also used a very light textured pappardelle pasta, which kept things on the lighter side as well.

It spends a couple of hours in a low oven, so it really isn’t much of a fuss.  Here’s how I did it.  

Bolognese with Pasta and Lemon-Basil Gremolata

Ingredients:

For the Bolognese

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups beef broth

2 TBS olive oil

4TBS butter, divided

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS dry oregano

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup cream or whole milk

1 package pappardelle  or fehttuchini pasta, cooked in salted water until al dente (follow directions on package)

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

2-3 inches of Parmesan rind (save the rinds from fresh parmesan the freezer and toss them in soups, stews and sauces like this one)

 For the Gremolata: Combine in a small bowl:

1/4 cup fine chopped fresh basil

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup parmesan cheese,

1/4 cup pine nuts

Method:

Heat the oven to 325 degrees

In a Dutch oven:

• On a high heat, brown the beef and pork in the olive oil with a teaspoon Kosher salt and about 20 grinds black pepper, then drain away the grease and put the meat in a bowl covered with foil to keep warm. (Hint, if you have a cup style de-greaser, pour all of the juices and the fat from the pan into it with the beef broth. Then strain away the fat when you add the broth into the dish later)

• Lower the teat to medium and add  2TBS of the butter to the pot snd sauté the onions until translucent, then add the garlic, carrots and celery and cook another 2 minutes. Add the can of tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to develop its flavor.

• Now add the meat back to the pot with the oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon and another 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Stir to combine and then add the wine and beef stock, raise the heat to bring to a boil; then turn off the heat, cover the pot with its lid and put the whole thing in the oven to cook low and slow for 90 minutes; then remove from the oven, stir in the milk and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes. 

• Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes and then stir in the remaining 2 TBS of butter. 

• To serve, put half of the sauce in a large skillet with the pasta and toss to coat, add some pasta water if necessary to coat completely. Then top each person’s serving with a scoop of the remaining sauce and garnish with the gremolata.

Enjoy!

Celebrating Spring! (Chicken Primavera Risotto)

Asparagus, carrots, peas and chicken make a tasty
risotto that celebrates Spring

When we lived in SoCal, we took Spring for granted. Basically it meant that you could bring out your white pants and shoes. And there were Easter Lillys at the grocery store. 

Here in North Carolina, things are soooo different. The trees are popping with flowers and the neighborhood is awash with yellow daffodils and pink tulips. Windows are also thrown open, at least until the pollen hits. But that's a small price to pay for the incredible leafing out hardwood trees that provide perfect shade for lazy summer afternoons in a hammock.

So when I had to come up with a recipe for the May issue of Southerly (our neighborhood magazine) the following dish was an easy choice. Cheers to Spring! And bring on all things primavera!

Chicken Primavera Risotto

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 cups chicken stock. If you only have a standard 4-cup box of broth, add in 1 1/2 cups of water and some garlic and/or poultry season to stretch it.
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper
• 3 Tbs Butter, divided
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• ½ cup onion, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
• ½  cup dry white wine 
• 10 thin or 8 thick spears of asparagus, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas, uncooked
• 1/2 cup each of diced carrots, onions, and halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/8 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (or a few sprigs of thyme chopped)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Additional Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper for garnish.

Method

• Bring the chicken stock to a boil and then reduce the heat to low
• Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan or medium sized Dutch oven heat the olive oil and then brown the chicken in two batches until cooked through; remove to a bowl.
• Now add the 2 tbs of the butter to the pan and sauté  the onion and carrots until the onions are translucent; then add the rice and stir until coated. Raise the heat to medium high and pour in the wine, stirring until fully absorbed. Then begin to add hot chicken stock in ½ cup increments, stirring now and then until absorbed before adding more. Hint: it’s time to add liquid when a spoon dragged thru the mixture creates a “canyon.” 
• After about 10 minutes add the asparagus, tomatoes, peas, poultry seasoning and chicken. Continue adding broth as above, stirring to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. After about 10 more minutes the rice will be tender, but still firm. At this point, add any remaining stock and stir until it is mostly absorbed, but still loose.
• Now you are ready to finish the dish. Turn off the heat and vigorously stir in the  the remaining 1 Tbs of  butter, parsley and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Enjoy.

Is it Spring Yet?? (Twice-Baked Potatoes & Eggs Florentine)

If you like your eggs runny,
eat 'em right out of the oven!

To say that it has been a long cold winter is an understatement - and the Carolinas have had a relatively pretty easy time of it compared to our friends in the North and Midwest. With this mindset, I spent a good part of today working on a new recipe that screams Easter Brunch -- bacony, cheesey twice-baked potatoes with an egg cooked smack dab in the middle. Who can't love that!?!

I wrote, tested and photographed this for my little magazine gig today and then did a final taste test with a group of neighbors.  The verdict - don't change a thing!

That said, if you don’t like spinach? Leave it out. Prefer sausage to bacon? Switch it up. In other words, use your imagination —  in my world, it is perfectly okay to play with your food. 

Here's how I did it:

Twice-Baked Potatoes & Eggs Florentine

Basic recipe and method with one potato serves 2, use your multiplication skills to serve more

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 Russet potato, scrubbed and dried
• 1/4 cup regular or low-fat cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (or thickly shredded)
• 1/4 cup regular or low-fat sour cream 
• 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach, thinly sliced (roll a stack of leaves and cut 1/8 inch slices)
• 1/8 cup onion, sautéed in a drizzle of olive oil
• 1 TBS softened butter
• 2 TBS Parmesan cheese, fine grated
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt + plus a small pinch to season the eggs
• 1/4 tsp black pepper + plus a few grinds to season the eggs

Neighborhood tasting -
The verdict: don't change a thing

Method

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

• Prick the potato a few times with a fork or sharp knife, rub it with with olive oil and sprinkle on a little Kosher salt; then bake in the oven for 45 - 55 minutes or until it gives when pressed. Remove to cool slightly. Lower the oven to 375 degrees.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle,  cut them in half and gently scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/8 of an inch around the outside. I like to run a sharp knife around the perimeter and then scoop the flesh out into a bowl with a small ice cream scoop, but a spoon will work fine. Set the potato skins onto a baking sheet.
• Mash the potato with a fork or potato masher - it does not need to be totally smooth, but make it as crumbly as you can. Add in the sour cream, sautéed onions, butter, Kosher salt and pepper. Stir until combined and then mix in the cheese and spinach.
• Now spoon the potato mixture into the potato skins. Use the back of a spoon and your clean fingers to create deep wells for the eggs.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and then one-by-one, crack an egg into a small bowl and slide it into the center of a potato. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat for each egg/potato.
• Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 -25  minutes, or until the egg whites are set and the yolk is done to your liking. They will look shiny and underdone, but they will continue to cook after you remove them from the oven.

Enjoy.