Comfort Food

Marinara Sauce

January 13, 2012

Marinara Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 (28 Ounce Each) Cans Crushed Plum Tomatoes

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

2 Thinly Slice Garlic Cloves

10 Chopped Basil Leaves or 1 Tablespoon Dried

½ Teaspoon Sea Salt

¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook slowly on low for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Make sure to stir often. Cook for 30 minutes and serve over pasta or as a dipping sauce. Serves 4

Turkey Burgers

January 11, 2012

Turkey Burgers

At this time of the year most of us are looking for healthier food options. Turkey is a great substitute for ground beef. Here is a good recipe for Turkey Burgers that I think you and your waistline will enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

3 Tablespoon Olive Oil

¼ Cup Chopped Onion

5 Minced Garlic Cloves

2 Pounds Ground Turkey

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Thyme

1 Tablespoon Minced Sage

1 Tablespoon Minced Rosemary

¼ Cup Chopped Parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground turkey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley. Mix well. Form 8 equal sized patties. Cook under the broiler for 6 minutes per side (or you can grill these) until evenly browned and cooked through. Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, tomatoes and your favorite condiments. Makes 8 Turkey Burgers.

Fettuccine Alfredo

January 9, 2012

Fettuccine Alfredo

INGREDIENTS

6 Ounces Butter

½ Cup Heavy Cream

1 Egg Yolk

½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 Pound Fettuccine

While the fettuccine is boiling in 6 to 8 quarts of salted water, carefully melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. If you are cooking fresh fettuccine then it will only need to cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the melted butter and half of the Parmesan cheese while whisking the mixture together. Drain the noodles quickly to prevent over drying. Do NOT rinse the noodles. Quickly whisk the egg yolk and toss in a large bowl with the hot cream sauce. Mix rapidly so as to serve piping hot. Add the remaining grated cheese and fresh pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Buttermilk Waffles

January 8, 2012

Buttermilk Waffles

Weekends are made for Waffles. Try this Buttermilk Waffle recipe and enjoy your morning!

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour

1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Salt

1 ½ Cups Buttermilk

6 Tablespoons Melted Butter

2 Slightly Beaten Eggs

In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the buttermilk, butter and eggs. Stir until thoroughly mixed. The batter will be thick. Pour approximately 2/3 to ¾ cup of the batter into the middle of the waffle iron. Close the lid and cook 6 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 to 6 waffles.

Bolognese Meat Sauce

January 7, 2012

Bolognese Meat Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

2 Ounces Salt Pork

1 Clove Finely Chopped Garlic

½ Cup Chopped Onion

1 Cup Chopped Carrot

1 Cup Chopped Celery

1 Pound Ground Sirloin

½ Cup White Wine

½ Cup Light Cream

1 (28 Ounce) Can Peeled Crushed Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

1 Cup Peas

2 Ounces Butter

½ Teaspoon Sea Salt

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

In a medium size saucepan, heat the diced salt pork in the oil until the pork is light brown in color. Remove the salt pork and add the finely chopped garlic to the oil. Brown to taste. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the carrot and celery and cook until they are softened and begin to change color. Add the ground sirloin. Stir and cook until the sirloin turns brown in color. Pour in the wine and increase the heat to get a boiling action while stirring. Pour in the light cream and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Dilute the tomato paste in the peeled crushed tomatoes and add to the saucepan. Add the peas to the saucepan and color. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 55 minutes. Add the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir well and allow to cook at a simmer for another 15 minutes. Serves 4

Classic Pullman Loaf

January 4, 2012

Classic Pullman Loaf

The Pullman Loaf is sometimes called the sandwich loaf or pan bread. The Pullman is a type of bread made with white flour and baked in a long, narrow and lidded pan. The French term for this style of loaf is “pain de mie.” In the United States, many popular mass produced sliced breads are actually Pullman loaves. The slices of these breads are frequently square, with four flat and uncurved crusts. The name Pullman was derived from its use in the compact kitchens of the Pullman railway cars. The Pullman Company is credited with inventing the lidded baking pans used to create the square loaves. Three Pullman loaves occupied the same space as two standard round-topped loaves, thus maximizing the use of space in the Pullman Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

4 Cups Bread Flour – Divided

2 Cups Unbleached Flour

2 (1/4 Ounces) Packages Active Dry Yeast

3 Teaspoons Salt

2 Cup Water

½ Cup Unsalted Butter

¼ Cup Honey

1 Large Lightly Beaten Egg

1 Egg White

2 Tablespoons Water

Spray a large size mixing bowl with cooking spray and set aside. If you don’t have cooking spray then grease the bowl with olive oil. Spray 2 (9×5 inch) Pullman pans or 9x 5 inch bread pans with cooking spray (olive oil if you don’t have cooking spray) and set aside. In a separate large bowl combine 3 cups of bread flour, unbleached flour, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan combine 2 tablespoons of water, butter and honey. Heat over a medium heat until the mixture registers 120° F on an instant read thermometer. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the water mixture. Add the egg. Using a mixer on low speed beat for 2 minutes. Add enough remaining bread flour to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 6 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in the prepared bowl. Turn to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85° F), free from drafts, for approximately 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down and divide into 2 nine inch loaves. Place the loaves into the prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a small bowl whisk together the egg white and water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the loaves with the egg white mixture. Bake for 25 minutes until the loaves are deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks for 30 minutes before slicing. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes 2 loaves.

White Bean Soup

January 2, 2012

White Bean Soup

Soup is as old as the art of cooking. In fact, it goes back to ages before cooking was an art at all. – Betty Crocker

INGREDIENTS

¼ Cup Olive Oil

2 Cups Chopped Red Onion

1 Chopped Carrot

1 Chopped Celery Stalk

2 Cups Chopped Fennel

¼ Pound Diced Pancetta

5 Cloves Chopped Garlic

12 Cups Chicken Broth

3 Cups White Wine

15 Ounces Roasted Red Peppers

1 Large Diced Tomato

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

1 Pound Dried Cannellini Beans (Soaked Overnight)

In a large stockpot over a medium high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onions, fennel, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook for 6 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, pancetta and tomatoes. Cook for another 4 minutes. Add the salt and ground pepper. Cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth, white wine and cannellini beans. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 2 hours. If you need to add more water, feel free to add as much as you wish. The beans should be tender. If the beans are still a bit hard cook the soup for a bit longer until the beans are soft, but not mushy. When done remove from the heat and serve hot. Serves 6

Weekend Waffles

January 1, 2012

Weekend Waffles

Waffles can be frozen and then reheated. Make a large batch ahead of time and let cool on a cooling rack. Freeze in airtight storage bags then heat in an oven or microwave.

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Unbleached Flour

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar

3 Separated Eggs

1 Cup Milk

4 Tablespoons Oil

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

In a large size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add milk and egg yolks to the flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Add the oil and vanilla to the batter and mix well. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour about 2/3 to ¾ cup of the batter into the middle of the waffle iron. Cook for 6 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 to 6 waffles.

Fettuccine Alla Carbonara

December 30, 2011

Fettuccine Alla Carbonara

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound Fettuccine

8 Strips Bacon

8 Ounces Unsalted Butter

2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Onion

6 Ounces Thickly Sliced Prosciutto

1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Parsley

½ Cup White Wine

½ Cup Heavy Cream

½ Cup Milk

½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg Yolk

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

While the water is set up to boil, cook the bacon and drain it thoroughly. Cut the prosciutto and bacon into half inch squares. Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. Add the minced onion and sauté over a low heat until the onion is translucent. Add the cut up bacon and prosciutto and stir over a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the wine into the saucepan and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil for 5 minutes while stirring. Add the cream and milk and bring to a low boil again for 5 minutes. Cook and drain the fettuccine. Lower the heat and add the parsley and ½ of the grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the mixture over the boiled and drained fettuccine. Add the whisked egg yolk and toss the pasta and sauce together thoroughly. Add the grated cheese and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Banana Sour Cream Waffles

December 27, 2011

Banana Sour Cream Waffles

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Unbleached Flour

½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ Teaspoon Salt

1 Egg Separated

1 Cup Sour Cream

¼ Cup Milk

¼ Cup Melted Butter

1 Mashed Ripe Banana

½ Banana For Garnish

Whipped Cream (Optional)

In a large size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small size bowl, beat the egg white with a whisk until light peaks form. Add the egg yolk, sour cream, milk, butter and mashed banana to the flour mixture and mix well. Fold in the whipped egg white. Pour 2/3 to ¾ cup of the batter into the waffle iron. Cook 6 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sliced banana, maple syrup and whipped cream (optional). Makes 4 to 6 waffles.

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