Spaghetti with Meat Sauce- Authentic Italian Style

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (85% or 90%)
1 medium carrot, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 (28 oz) cans crushed Roma tomatoes (I recommend Contadina)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried sage
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 cup chicken or beef broth, to thin sauce if desired
freshly, finely grated Romano and Parmesan cheese or Mizithra cheese for serving

Directions:

In a large non-stick sauce pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble ground beef into pot (approximately 1 inch pieces).

Brown beef, stirring occasionally (I was always taught to stir constantly but this makes your beef gray, let it brown on bottom and only stir occasionally) and breaking up beef as you stir, until cooked through. Drain ground beef, reserving 1 Tbsp fat in pot. Place browned beef in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, about 10 - 15 seconds, set aside.

Saute carrot and onion in reserved fat over medium high heat until golden, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during the last minute of sauteing. Remove from heat (this will reduce splattering) and stir in 2 cans crushed Roma tomatoes, remaining 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, bay leaves, salt, pepper and browned beef. Return pot to low heat and simmer uncovered, 5 - 8 hours (yes minimum of 5 hours), stirring occasionally.

Add broth to sauce to thin sauce if desired (at about 4 hours sauce will be pretty thick so if you want it any thinner just add broth to desired consistency. Also, once it reaches the thickness you want you can cover it with a lid to reduce further condensation).            

Remove bay leaves and serve sauce warm over pasta garnished with grated cheeses and additional chopped fresh parsley or basil if desired.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Chili

INGREDIENTS:


2 lbs lean ground beef (or venison)
1 onion, very finely chopped or 1 heaping T. onion powder
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup tomato soup, undiluted (or add another can of tomato sauce if you don't have the soup)
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄3 cup flour or 1⁄3 cup masa harina flour, mixed with
1⁄2 cup warm water


DIRECTIONS:

Saute the meat in a large skillet, until partially done.

Add the onion and garlic, cooking till onion is soft.
Stir in remaining ingredients (except for flour/water mixture).

Cover and simmer 1 hr.

Remove lid and allow some of the moisture to evaporate.

Add the flour and water mixture, and cook until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.

www.food.com

Bean and Beef Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large red onions, chopped
5 tablespoons chopped jalapeño chilies with seeds
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/3 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 15 1/4-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
1 14-ounce can beef broth
Sour cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro

PREPARATION:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until brown, about 6 minutes.                

Add jalapeños and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté until brown, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, and paprika, then mix in tomatoes with juices, beans, and broth; bring to boil.                                

Reduce heat and simmer until chili thickens and flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Skim any fat from surface of chili. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly.                    

Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing, stirring occasionally.)

Ladle chili into bowls. Serve, passing bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, green onions, and cilantro separately.

Epicurious

Shortcake

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup butter
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease a 9x9 dish & set aside.

In a large bowl, cut flour, sugar & butter together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/2 cup of this mixture.

To the remaining butter mixture, add the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
Pour into prepared dish & sprinkle topping over.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Note #1: The edges of the cake may turn a light golden brown while baking, but the topping should not brown.


Note #2: Double the ingredients to make a larger (9x13) cake.

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

1 quart sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar - mix and let sit until juicy (about 1 hour)

Directions:

Prepare cake.

Bake in greased 9- inch pan for 30-40 minutes.              

Cut in half while warm and stack layers with strawberries between and on top.          

Cut in squares and make individual servings.  Top with sweetened whipped cream or dessert whipped topping.  

Recipe Courtesy of Sweetmilk and Tea Cakes©

Surprise Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 12 servings

Time: 3½ to 4 hours, mostly unattended

*1 small potato (about 4 ounces), cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ teaspoons salt
4½ cups flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
1 cup sugar
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast or one ¼-ounce packet active dry yeast
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
Oil or butter for greasing the bowl and pan
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Put the potato in a medium saucepan with ½ teaspoon salt and enough water to cover it by at least 1 inch. Cover the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook until the potato is very tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour, ½ cup of the sugar, the yeast, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

2. Drain the potato, reserving 1¼ cups of the potato-cooking liquid, and put the potato through a ricer. (Discard the potato skin.) Add ¼ cup (½ stick) of the butter to the reserved potato-cooking liquid and stir until it melts. When the butter mixture cools to 100°F—about the same temperature as the inside of your wrist—add it to the flour mixture along with the riced potato and the egg. Stir with the dough-hook attachment of a stand mixer or by hand until combined.

3. Knead the dough with the dough-hook attachment of a stand mixer or by hand until it feels smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Grease a large bowl (it’s fine to use the same one you mixed the dough in), add the dough, and turn it over to coat it lightly with oil or butter. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, put it in a warm place, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan with oil or butter. Punch down the dough, then transfer it to a floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into an approximately 8- by 12-inch rectangle. Spread the remaining ½ cup (1 stick) butter over the surface of the dough. Combine the remaining ½ cup sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture evenly over the butter. Starting from one of the long sides, roll up the dough as tightly as possible. Cut the roll into 12 one-inch slices and arrange the slices, cut side up, in the greased pan.

5. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, put it in a warm place, and let the rolls rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (At this point you can refrigerate the cinnamon rolls for up to 12 hours or overnight; let them return to room temperature before baking.)

6. Heat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the cinnamon rolls and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth, then whisk in the vanilla. Let the cinnamon rolls cool slightly, then drizzle the icing over them and serve warm.

Slate's Culture Blog - You're Doing It Wrong

Scottish Shortbread

Ingredients:


1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation

Thoroughly cream sugar and butter. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and mix thoroughly. Turn out onto a surface floured with remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Knead dough until it cracks on surface.

Roll out 1/4-inch thick and cut out with cutters. Prick cookies with fork tines and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 275° for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

AboutFoodSouthern

Butter Bean Soup

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
5 cups chicken stock
2 bags (16 oz) frozen butter beans
1 lb smoked ham, diced
1 cup milk, warm

Preparation:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add onions, carrots, celery salt and pepper and saute until tender. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. While stock is boiling add frozen butter beans and bring down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, covered.

While butter beans are cooking put smoked ham in a sauté pan until just brown on edges and set aside. After butter beans are cooked thoroughly, puree in blender or immersion blender. Once pureed add warmed milk and blend well. Add smoked ham and serve.

Paula Deen

The Lady's Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:


1 tablespoon water
4 teaspoons sour cream
4 eggs
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Preparation:

In a medium size bowl, beat eggs, sour cream, water and salt and pepper until fluffy.

Using a nonstick frying pan, cook over low heat stirring occasionally until you reach desired consistency.


Serve hot with country ham and biscuits.

Paula Deen