Beouf Bolognese

2 lb (grass-feed, local) ground beef
1 large or 2 small leek, cleaned and diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 tsp beef stock base paste
1 tsp dried, or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-oz package mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, strained, juices reserved
½ cup red wine

Brown the ground beef in a 4-quart stew pot in a bit of oil until cooked well through. Set aside. In same pot, sauté the leek, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil until softened and beginning to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add oregano, rosemary and garlic half way through. Set aside with the beef.

Heat the pot on high heat and add a bit of olive oil. Tip in the mushrooms and cook without stirring until they begin the release their liquid. Stir and cook about 8-10 minutes total. Tip into bowl with beef. Reheat pot to high and add a bit of olive oil. Add the strained tomatoes and sizzle for about 8-10 minutes, stirring only every so often, so tomatoes begin to caramelize. Return all ingredients to the skillet, including the wine and beef stock base paste. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer with stirring. Simmer sauce for at least 30 minutes. Even better if served the next day.

Ravioli - A Great Base to a Fast Dinner

There are so many good frozen ravioli available these days. And the big ones cook up so moist and tender. They make such a wholesome, satisfying base for so many toppings - we always keep them on hand in our freezer for a fast, weeknight dinner. And if you'd like wholesome vegetarian meals, you can swap the ham for tofu cubes in the first recipe, and add cubed tofu to the second.

Ravioli with Ham and Asparagus
1 lb ravioli, enough for 4 people
¼ lb ham steak, cubed (or 1 brick firm tofu, cubed)
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes
½ cup shredded carrots
1 bunch fresh asparagus
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the ravioli. Meanwhile, peel the tough ends of the asparagus, if very tough. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces, and reserve the spear tip ends aside in a bowl. Sauté the ham with a bit of olive oil in a large skillet until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Toss in the yellow pepper and sundried tomatoes, and cook another 5 minutes. Toss in the asparagus (not the tips yet, though), carrot, garlic and pepper flakes, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the reserved asparagus spear tips and cook another 2-3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

As the veggies cook, toss the ravioli in the boiling water and cook just until they float back to the surface . Drain and tip into a large serving bowl. Top with the ravioli with the ham and veggie mixture.

Serves 4.

Ravioli with Pearl Onions, Peas and Pesto Sauce
For this recipe you can substitute a wide variety of other vegetables, fresh or frozen - depending on what you have on hand.
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup flour
1½ cup milk
1/3 cup pesto
½ cup frozen peas with pearl onions, defrosted and drained
¼ cup frozen pearl onion, defrosted
24 cheese-filled ravioli, about 1 lb
grated parmesan cheese
1 brick firm tofu, cubed (optional)

Make a white sauce by frying the flour in the oil and butter in a non-reactive saucepan. When the bubbles from the butter have evaporated and the flour begins to brown just a bit, about 3-4 minutes of cooking, whisk in the milk. Cook until thickened and add the pesto. Remove from heat and cover. If using tofu, fold the tofu into the sauce.

Meanwhile, boil about 6 cups of salted water. Slide in the ravioli and cook until the ravioli surfaces – do not overcook. Add the peas and onions (or other vegetables you are using) just to heat. Drain well and tip into a wide serving bowl. Top with the sauce and the cheese.

Serves 4-6 people.

Salmon Scallops and Leeks over Angel Hair Pasta

1 large leek, cleaned and diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
10 oz baby Portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup good chicken, fish or vegetable stock
1 tsp dried dill weed
½ lb skinless salmon fillet, cubed
1 lb bay scallops
1 lb angel hair pasta

Bring water to boil in a large pot for the pasta – salt the water liberally.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté the leek and garlic in a bit of olive oil until the leeks are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until sweated down and browned a bit, about 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and zest, the wine, stock and dill and bring to a boil; reduce to a low simmer.

Stir the pasta into the boiling water. Then bring veggies to a boil, and add the salmon, scallops and dill to the vegetables. Reduce heat and simmer just until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Drain pasta and plate salmon and scallops over Angel Hair pasta.

Sausage, Artichoke, Pepper & Portobello over Creamy Cheesey Grits

For the sausage:
1 lb Italian sausage links
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 package baby artichokes, trimmed and sliced in half
½ lb sliced large Portobello mushrooms
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, mined
½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 recipe creamy cheesy grits

In a large skillet, sauté the artichokes in a bit of olive oil until beginning to brown. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover and cook until the artichokes are tender, about 10-15 minutes, depending on their size. In a separate skillet cook the sausage in two tablespoons of water and a tablespoon olive oil, covered, until just heated through. Remove the sausages and slice on a bias. Return to the pan and brown the slices well. Remove to a bowl. Add the peppers to the skillet and cook until just beginning to brown about 8-10 minutes. Remove to the bowl with the sausages. Add the Portobello to the skillet with a bit more olive oil if needed, along with the shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté until lightly colored, turning mushrooms and shaking pan until mushrooms are tender and moist, about 5-8 minutes. Return the sausage and peppers to the skillet and fold in the artichokes. Keep warm.

Meanwhile prepare the grits. Spoon grits on each plate and top with sausage mixture.

Serves 4.

Creamy Cheesy Grits

Grits are ground dried white corn hominy. This is a creamy flavorful foundation for many types of accompaniments such as sausage and peppers, grilled fish or a tofu-veggie stir fry. You can do a similar thing with polenta, which is ground dried corn.

½ cup white hominy grits
2¼ cups chicken broth or water
8 oz Pepper-Jack, Monterrey cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp garlic powder

Meanwhile prepare the grits by heating the broth or water in a saucepan to a boil. Stir in the grits and cook about 15 minutes until smooth and softened. Whisk in the cheeses and garlic powder. Cook until cheese melts and grits are smooth and creamy – about 2-3 more minutes.

Classic Chicken Parmesan

In case you haven't noticed - I've discovered Japanese Panco bread crumbs - can't get enough of them!

2 lb thinly-sliced boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, about 8-9
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water
1 cup flour
2 cups Japanese Panco bread crumbs
1 Tbsp Pimenton, smoked paprika
1 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 tsp dried herbes de Provence (or Italian herbs)

1 recipe simple tomato sauce (or 1 jar of your favorite sauce)

Preheat oven to 350F. Set up 3 dishes or large plates for dredging the chicken. Whisk together the eggs and the water in one, put the flour in the second and mix the Panco and paprika in the third. Salt and pepper the cutlets. Heat about ¼ cup canola oil in a large skillet. Dredge each cutlet in the flour, then the egg wash and finally the Panco crumbs. Fry the cutlets about 3 minutes per side, just until crumbs brown and crisp up a bit. Fry in batches of 3-4 so you don’t crowd the cutlets. Add a bit more oil for the latter batches if needed – just make sure the oil is hot before you put the cutlets in! Set aside on a plate with paper towels.

When all the cutlets are done, pour the tomato sauce in an oiled oven-going dish or pan. Layer the cutlets and cheese on top and bake for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese and heat everything through.

Serves 6-8.

Simple Tomato Sauce

I love to use canned whole San Marzano tomatoes when I can find them, and I crush them using my hands as I transfer them to the pot. But crushed tomatoes work great as well.

There are literally hundreds of variations to this – you can add a bit of Balsamic vinegar, or solve Calamata olives, or capers, or bell pepper… You get the idea.

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp herbes de Provence
palmful fresh basil, sliced into shiffonade
½ cup white wine
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar

Sauté onion in a bit of olive oil in a sauce pan until sweated down and beginning to turn golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs and basil, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes and the sugar. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Crispy Chicken Tenderloins with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

This is much better than McDonald's fare...
12 chicken tenderloins
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp water
1½ cup Panco bread crumbs
2 tsp Pimenton smoked paprika
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (see below)

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together water and egg whites. In a separate platter with sides, mix together the Panco, paprika and Old Bay seasoning. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken tenders and season with a dash of garlic salt. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray liberally with Canola oil. Individually toss each tenderloin in the egg white mixture, drain and then toss carefully in the Panco crumbs. Make sure you turn sufficiently, and pat a bit with your fingers, to make sure the chicken is coated completely. Lay all tenderloins on the baking sheet, evenly distributed.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through. Prepare and serve with Honey Mustard dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

¼ cup real mayonnaise
¼ cup low fat Yogurt (Greek or strained is best!)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
1 rounded Tbsp mustard (we like Dijon or Kosciusko)
1 Tbsp minced parsley
¼ tsp hot suce (optional)

Whisk ingredients together and serve in small individual cups for dipping.

Flounder Baked with Almonds and Panco

1½ lb flounder or sole fillets
1 Tbsp real mayonnaise
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup Japanese Panco breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp minced parsley
pinch of Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Lay out fish fillets on a baking sheet sprayed with canola oil. Dry top of fish with a paper towel and spread the mayonnaise evenly on the fish. In a bowl, mix the almonds, bread crumbs, butter, parsley and salt. Evenly distribute on top of fish. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 4.