Bolognese Sauce

I've posted a recipe for a quick marinara. But this is FAR different from marinara. Marinara is a simpler, thinner, tomato-based sauce (traditionally meatless, but can be optional); Bolognese is more complex, thick, chunky meat-based sauce... meat not optional. Sorry, without meat it's just not bolognese. If you don't want meat, by all means, you can always use this recipe as a tomato sauce without the meat (but then it's not bolognese), or you might opt just to make a simpler marinara.

Bolognese is most commonly served with tagliatelle noodles, which are long wide noodles- like lengths of ribbon. But this chunky meaty sauce is also good with rigatoni or any big noodle that the sauce can grab onto and be stabbed up with a fork :)

Recipe:

• 1 medium Yellow Onion, finely diced (about 1 heaping cup)
• 2-3 ribs of Celery, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 Carrots, finely diced (about 1 heaping cup)
• 1 lb lean Ground Beef (at least 1 lb... bolognese is supposed to be a MEATY sauce- not a tomato sauce with a little meat in it.)
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Dry Wine- I like to use red (either red or white would be fine; I've seen both used interchangeably in bolognese recipes)
• 1 (28 oz) can Whole Plum Tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste
• 1 teaspoon Sugar, either White Granulated or Brown Sugar would be fine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite Italian Seasoning blend 
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• A dash of Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup Fat Free Half & Half (traditionally whole milk or cream, but I like to substitute the half & half)

Dice the onion, celery and carrots as small as you can. Then place them in a food processor for a few seconds to mince them even further: 

(I suppose you could try using a blender for this if you don't have a food processor? I would definitely put the carrots in the bottom if you do that though)


Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Sauté all your diced veggies for about 10 minutes until soft and fragrant- about 8-10 minutes. 

Add ground beef, minced garlic and 1/2 tsp salt. Break up beef with wooden spoon and stir to brown until meat is all cooked. About 5 minutes.

Add the cup of wine and stir in, scraping the bottom of the pan. Let it come to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. 
Then add the can of whole tomatoes, including all liquid. 

Break up the tomatoes with your wooden spoon, and stir in the tomato paste, sugar, pepper, Italian seasonings, and nutmeg. 

Stir together well, and let it come to a bubbling simmer.

Turn the heat down, and allow to simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours with no lid. Stirring occassionally to make sure it doesn't scorch on the bottom. 

*(This is why a heavy bottomed pan is important. If the pan is a thin/light material, the sauce will scorch easily onto the bottom of the pan so you would need to stir more frequently)

See how nicely it has thickened and how meaty and chunky it is:

After it has simmered and all the flavors have condensed together, turn off the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup of FF half & half. This gives it some rich, creamy depth and makes it a little more sauce-y again :)

Some Alteration Options:

• Tomato: If you want your sauce a little more tomatoey, you can add another can of whole tomatoes, either a 14.5 oz can or another 28 oz can -depending on your preference, with its liquid. This would, however, require some additional simmering time. Or you can add a can of crushed tomatoes with your whole tomatoes.
• Cream: If you want your sauce a little more saucey and/or creamy without adding too much tomato (to keep with the traditional bolognese fashion of little tomato), you can stir in more half and half (or whole milk or cream) at the end instead of just 1/2 cup. 
• Meat: Traditionally, Bolognese uses chunks of Skirt Steak and pancetta so you can always go that route. I use lean ground beef to make it slightly healthier (and easier). Or you could make it even healthier by using lean ground Turkey. So now you've got the whole spectrum of meats to choose from.
• Consistency: If you would like to make it a little more loose and saucey without adding extra tomatoes or cream, you can add a cup or so of beef stock before it simmers. This will definitely give more depth to the sauce while lightening up the consistency, and without diluting or adulterating the traditional flavors.

Apple & Maple Glazed Pork Chops

It seems like everyone is always looking for a new way to serve chicken for dinner. This time, I just decided to try something altogether new instead of chicken. Though it isn't the official slogan anymore, pork is still 'the other white meat'. When using fatty cuts and poor cooking methods, pork can be unhealthy, but if you start with a lean cut and use healthy seasoning & cooking methods, pork can also be a great, healthy, lean protein. I tried making a few different versions of these pork chops, but this one was finally the one that Peter and I voted as the winner to share with you. 

Recipe (serves 2, but easily multiplies to serve 4,6,8,etc):

• 1/2 large apple, diced
• 1 tsp Butter
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Walnuts
• 3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 2 teaspoons Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh Lemon Zest
• 1/4 cup fat free, low sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 Pork Chops, approximately 1 1/2  inches thick
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Start by heating 1 tsp butter in a sauce pot and add the diced apple:

 Saute the apples over medium heat for about 10 minutes:

Then reduce heat to low, add 2 Tbsps of chopped walnuts, 3 Tbsps maple syrup, 2 tsps cider vinegar, and 1/4 tsp lemon zest. Stir and simmer for about 2 minutes then stir in 1/4 cup chicken broth and let it all simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly. 

Pat pork chops dry and season both sides with any seasoning blend (I used a salt free seasoning). Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in your pan, and sear the pork chops for about 3 minutes on each side to allow a nice golden crust to form:

Top with the apple-maple glaze...

...cover, and bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes. (cooking time will vary depending on thickness of your pork chops- mine were about 1 1/4 inches in thickness)

I think covering your pork chops are important to keep your meat tender and protect it from drying out.

 Serve your beautiful pork chops with a side of wild rice and a mixed green salad tossed with some of the same ingredients as those in your glaze to tie the flavors together. 

I diced the other half of my apple to toss in the salad along with feta cheese, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Look at how tender and juicy the pork chops are inside 

and how warming and yummy that glaze is!

Loaded Turkey Meat Balls

I had been dying for some hearty Italian food, so I finally just made it. You can definitely use ground beef in place of the ground turkey (as usual, I chose ground turkey just because it's too easy of a tweak to make the meal healthier). But I also understand that sometimes.... you just gotta go all out and live a little! Whether you use beef or turkey or a combination of meats, these loaded meatballs -seasoned with lots of flavor and loaded with a molten mozzarella center- will certainly fill you up.


Meatball Ingredients (makes 12 large meatballs, serves 4-6):

• 1/2 large Yellow Onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
• 1/3 cup seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried Basil (or whichever Italian seasonings or blends you prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• a few cranks of ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 large Egg
• 1 generous Tablespoon of Tomato Paste
• 1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey

additional ingredients if making marinara sauce:

• 1/2 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Red Wine (I used Cab Sav, but use what you like)
• 1 can Tomato Paste (minus the Tbsp used to make the meatballs)
• 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 teaspoon minced Garlic
• Basil or other Italian seasonings

Heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add the finely diced onions. Reduce heat to medium-low and sautee onions until golden brown and translucent (almost 10 minutes). (At this time, remove half the sauteed onion and save for use later when making the sauce). Then add the 2 tsps minced garlic and continue to saute for no more than one more minute. Transfer sauteed onion mixture to a large bowl:

toss with the bread crumbs, allow to cool a little:

Add basil, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and parmesan cheese. Mix well. 

Then add the remaining ingredients (egg, tomato paste, and ground turkey). Use your hands to make sure it is all mixed together. 

Form into 12 large meatballs. Push a hole into each meatball, stuff with a cube of mozzarella, and seal up the hole again. 

In the same pan as used to sautee onion, heat more E.V.O.O. and sear all the meatballs turning every few minutes until golden-browned on all sides. 

Then transfer to a 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes.

Now use your meatball pan to make your red sauce. Over medium heat, pour 1/2 cup red wine into the pan and scrape all the yummy flavors from the bottom of the pan into your sauce. Stir frequently and allow the wine to thicken. 

Then add the other half of the sauteed onions, the additional garlic, and the remainder of the tomato paste can, stir well. Then continue as with this quick marinara recipe, by adding the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and basil -or any other desired seasonings. Turn heat to LOW, and let sauce simmer so that it can thicken and all the flavors can marry together. 

Now, nestle the meatballs into the sauce. 

Give them a good stir and keep warm over LOW heat until ready to serve.

A healthier version of such a yummy comfort food, mmmm....

Vodka Pasta- a perfect pink sauce for Valentines!

Okay, vodka sauce is my favorite pasta sauce. I fell in love with it the very first time I tasted it at a little Italian ristorante in Dana Point, 'Mario's By The Sea'. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, maybe you will fall in love too... with the sauce I mean. It is so pink, and pretty, and perfect for the occasion! It is a great alternative to the usual red sauce for a special treat once in a while. This vodka sauce is  somewhat sweet with its sauteed onion, sweet basil, creamy background, and a good dose of cheesy parmesan... all very complimentary counterparts to the typical tomato sauce.


Recipe List:

• 1/2 Onion, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 cup Vodka
• 1 (28-oz) can of Crushed Tomatoes, OR 3 cups or so of your own homemade red sauce
• 1 cup of Half & Half (or a little more as preferred to achieve your desired pinkness :) -In a normal Vodka sauce recipe, this would be heavy cream, but I have substituted it for the (how do I say this nicely) less unhealthy half & half, haha.)
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1 lb of pasta (I like to use Penne Rigate, but any pasta you like will do)

Start by sauteing the onion in some extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat for a few minutes (while you mince your garlic, and start boiling your pasta):

Then add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes, continue to saute over medium-low heat for another minute:

Stir in the Vodka and let that simmer for about 2 minutes before you add in the crushed tomatoes and basil. Let this all simmer together for a minute:

Now, stir in your half-n-half and watch the pan turn to a beautiful pink color! :) Bring it to a slight boil, then turn the heat to low and let this sauce simmer together until your pasta is done cooking.

When the pasta is al dente, drain the noodles, then stir the parmesan cheese into the sauce

Then combine the sauce with the hot pasta and.... mangia! (or 'eat', in Italian!)

 Here are two different ways you can plate up this pink sauce :)

Don't forget to top it with a little extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese :) (If you're serving this for Valentine's Day, you can use a little heart-shaped cookie cutter and just sprinkle parmesan inside the heart so that you have a sweet design for your special night. I tried to do it tonight, but I couldn't find my cookie cutters. -Also, I think this would work only if you ladle the sauce on top of noodles (like picture #1 above) before you stir it all together (like picture #2 above)).


Also, I would have garnished with a few leaves of fresh basil, but my basil plant passed away. Therefore, I had to use another herb to garnish here that is commonly in the red sauce; thyme! But, if you have some fresh Basil, that would make a great garnish here! Garnish should give a little hint as to the flavors and herbs actually used in the dish.
I also think that it's important to garnish, because people eat with their eyes first. Plus, it's so fun to dress up your dishes, especially if it's a meal for entertaining guests or a special event, like say... Valentine's day! :)


Alterations:

• I love, love, love sliced zucchini in this sauce. Unfortunately for me, I married a zucchini-disliker. Cut a zucchini in half lengthwise, and then slice them so that you end up with a bunch of little half-moon cuts; steam them for 30 seconds and stir them into the sauce to let it simmer after you have added the cream. 
• You can also add little broccoli florets too. I have done both zucchini and broccoli together and it is great!
• Serve with some diagonally cut grilled chicken, so you can keep the elegance while providing some protein
• Accompany with warm, toasty bread... mmm!

Chinese Sweet N Sour Sauce

This is a super easy sauce that provides a little sweetness, a little sourness, and just a hint of spicy hotness. However, you can adjust any of those levels up or down to your liking: 


Here are the ingredients I used: 

• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1/2 Tbsp Orange Juice
• 1/2 Tbsp Pineapple Juice
• 2 Tbsp Chile-Garlic Sauce (This the same as Sriracha sauce but with garlic too, so if you have Sriracha just use that and then also add a clove or two of minced garlic to this recipe)
• *Optional*: Cornstarch- to thicken sauce to a more glaze-like consistency, if desired.

Just mix all of the ingredients together in a measuring cup so that it's ready to pour into your stir fry :)

Isn't it so pretty! You can see all the fun pepper flakes and its beautiful, deep pomegranate color

**If you want a little extra to serve in a dish on the side, or if you would like it a little thicker in the stir fry, like a glaze, stir in a couple teaspoons of corn starch to let it thicken up.