Steak Pizzaiola

I may not be of Italian descent, but I am able to make Italian dishes.  This recipe comes from my friend who learned it from her 92 year old Italian mother.  If it is good enough for them, it is good enough for this Irish girl.

All of the ingredients in this dish are from my CSA, organic or of the best quality. The potatoes and beef are organic from the Garden of Eve CSA, the organic herbs, olive oil, and onions are from BJs and the tomatoes are San Marzano from Italy.  The best ingredients are what make the best dishes. The chuck steak is a tough and inexpensive piece of meat so long cooking makes it tender and delicious.

Serves 2.   

Total cook time 2 1/2 hours.

Ingredients:

2-2 1/2 lb chuck steak

1 tsp kosher salt

12 tsp fresh cracked pepper

28 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 lb small white potatoes, quartered or cut into 1 inch pieces

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the steak into baking or casserole pan and sprinkle it with half the salt and pepper.

Pour the tomatoes on top of the steak.

Sprinkle the oregano on top of the tomatoes. 

Place the onions on top of the tomatoes.  

Place the potatoes around the outside of the steak in a single layer.

Sprinkle the remaining slat and pepper and 1 TBS of oil on top of the potatoes.  Sprinkle the rest of the oil on top of the onions.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Place the pan in the oven and roast for 1 hour.

After one hour, remove the foil and continue to cook for one hour and a half.

Remove the pan from the oven and serve.   

Pork Roast with Apple Brown Sugar Mustard Sauce

I found a good sale on a pork roast and I had to buy it.  I thought it would be a great thing to use for a Sunday family dinner.  The flavors in this recipe are classic combinations that are warm and comforting.  This recipe serves 8.  Serve this with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes and your favorite vegetables.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar, divided into 1/2 and 1/4

6 TBS Dijon mustard, divided into 3 TBS and 3 TBS

1/2 cup apple cider 

6 lb pork roast

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 carrots, cut into thirds

3 celery stalks, cut into thirds

1 onion, cut into six pieces 

2 apples, cored and cut into pieces

2 cups chicken stock

Salt 

Pepper

Here's how:

Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 TBS mustard and apple cider.

Pour the mixture over the pork and let it marinate at least four hours or up to two days.  Turn the meat to ensure even marinating.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large Dutch oven, place the garlic, carrots, celery, onion and apple in a single layer.

Place the pork roast on top of the veggies in the Dutch oven.  Salt and pepper the pork. 

To the remaining marinade, add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 3 TBS Dijon mustard and stir to combine.  

Pour this mixture over the pork in the Dutch oven.

Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Place the Dutch oven, uncovered, into the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven.

Remove the pork from the oven, place it on a cutting board and cover it with foil.  Let it sit 10 minutes until you slice it.

Remove the vegetables from the pot and discard them.  Use the remaining juices left in the pot

as a sauce to cover the pork with apple flavor.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Leeks

My winter CSA gave me some beautiful leeks, garlic and a chicken.  I wanted to use these ingredients in a hearty dish that would warm me up in the frigid Long Island winter we are having.  I cut up my own chicken but you can buy a cut up chicken or ask the butcher to do it for you.  You want the chicken cut into 10 pieces if you can because it cuts the chicken breasts into 4 pieces, which makes them cook evenly with the rest of the chicken.  Also, save the back for chicken stock later.  I made a double batch because I had a lot of people over for dinner, so this recipe doubles easily but cooks in the same time.  Serve with some mashed potatoes or egg noodles to soak up the delicious sauce.  

Makes dinner for 4

 

Ingredients:

1 chicken cut into 10 pieces

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp thyme

2 TBS olive oil, divided 

1 shallot, small diced

1 cup leeks, cleaned and sliced

8 oz sliced mushrooms, white or baby Bellas

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup white wine

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp thyme

2 cups chicken stock, homemade preferred

1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Here's how:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a Dutch oven on medium heat on the cooktop.

In a small bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and thyme.

Coat the chicken in the flour mixture and set aside.  

Add 1 TBS oil to the oven and heat until it glistens.

Brown the chicken on both sides in batches.  Do not crowd the pan, you want the chicken browned, about 4 minutes per side.   Add oil to the pan, if needed as you go.

Set the chicken aside.

Add 1 TBS oil to the Dutch oven and heat until it glistens.

Add the shallots, leeks and mushrooms to the pot and sauté for 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the wine scrape the bottom of the pan to get up the brown bits.

Reduce the wine by half, about 5 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme, chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste.

Nestlé the chicken in the liquid in the pot.  

Cover and place the Dutch oven in the oven for 1 and a half hours.

Remove the lid and cook for 15 more minutes.

Remove the chicken and set it aside.  Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Place the Dutch oven on the stove and cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick, about 7-9 minutes.  Turn off the heat.

Add the cream and stir to combine.

Add the chicken back into the cream sauce.

Serve.

Bacon Cheese Mac and Cheese

A recent wine and cheese night with some friends left me with a ton of cheese leftovers.  I knew I could not throw it away and that I couldn't eat it all either.  I decided to make macaroni and cheese for the upcoming Super Bowl party, therefore, I made a huge batch of it.  This recipe makes a half tray but the recipe can be cut in half or quarters.  Another option is to make the full batch and then divide it into containers for the freezer and future meals.  This recipe is made with Bacon Cheese.  The cheese has actual pieces of bacon inside of it.  It is from Trader Joe's and has some great smoky flavor.  You can use any combination of cheese you have left over but this Bacon Cheese is pretty awesome.  I used half Swiss cheese in the recipe as it is a mellow flavor and it melts well.  If you have cheddar or another kind of cheese, feel free to use that too.  If you do not have the Bacon Cheese add 1/2 cup of cooked and crumbled bacon to the cheese sauce.  The recipe is easiest to make if you shred the cheese, but I used cubes and cut up pieces and it worked fine.  It just takes a bit longer to melt the cheeses.  I also had some leftover dairy items to use up.  I made this using half heavy cream and half 2% milk.  You can use any combination of milk products you have on hand.  Serve this as a side dish with your favorite barbecue foods or like me, as a side dish for the big game.  This feeds a crowd.

Ingredients:

1 lb box pasta, I used Cellantani as it holds onto the cheese well

4 TBS butter

1 large onion, small diced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 TBS flour

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups milk 

1 TBS Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp white pepper

12 oz. Bacon Cheese, shredded or cut into small pieces

12 oz Swiss Cheese, shredded or cut into small pieces

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Cook the pasta according to the box instructions, leaving it al dente.  Do not overlook this. It will continue to cook in the oven, so slightly undercooked is best.  Set it aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter.

Add the onion.

Cook the onion for five minutes until soft but not brown.  Add the garlic and cook it one more minute.

Add the flour and stir in completely.  Cook for 1 minute to get the raw flour flavor out.

Add the milk and cream, stirring continuously to prevent clumping.

Add the mustard and pepper.

Heat the milk until it starts bubbling around the edges.  Stir during this time to prevent scorching.  The mixture will be thickening. this is about 5 minutes on medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low and add the cheeses in two batches, making sure it is all melted before adding in the second batch. 

Remove the pot from the heat. 

Add the pasta into the pot full of cheese and combine it completely.  

Pour the pasta into a casserole dish, aluminum tray or several small casseroles.

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.  If you have extra cheese, feel free to sprinkle some on top before baking.

If me you want to bake it later, put it in the fridge covered for up to three days or cover with foil and freeze for up to six months.  Defrost before baking.