Lamb Ragu

If anyone has been following my twitter feed you are well aware that my camera is sick and has been sent to Dr. Canon.  I cannot express how upset I was to send my camera off for repair.  I feel like I have lost an appendage.  Alas I have hope that it will return to me like new and we will be back to our old tricks again.  Unfortunately I have no back-up camera and this is hindering my posting process. 

I went digging through my photos to see if I had something that I hadn’t posted yet.  I found this lamb ragù which was delicious but I wasn’t happy with the photographs and thought I would re-shoot it in the future.  I had also made my first attempt at homemade pasta and over cooked it to the point that the noodles pretty much dissolved in your mouth.  It was not a good texture, it was mushy.  Rookie pasta making mistake….fresh pasta does not have to boil nearly as long as dry…duh!

Earlier in the week we were at Sam’s after a winter storm and all the meat was on sale including the lamb shanks.  For a long time Obed was reluctant to try lamb since he had tried it before an it was gamy, but he decided he was willing to give it another try.  I had been dying to make some kind of lamb dish so I jumped at the opportunity when I got the green light.

This ragù was simple to make and just requires time to braise.   I did add a few more veggies to the original recipe to give it a bit more heartiness since it was so cold and dismal outside.   I also used red wine instead of white wine because I had it on hand and I did not feel like trekking any further in the snow to get another bottle of wine.   Beside when cooking with red meat I almost always default to red as opposed to white wine.   Call me old fashion but I just think it makes more sense.

With minimal effort and a few hours later I had a beautiful and rich lamb ragù.   It was perfect and hearty and I killed it with mushy noodles.  I was so disappointed.   But I redeemed myself eventually.  I had some ragù left over so a few days later I boiled a pot of rigatoni, tossed it with the ragù, placed it in a baking dished, topped it with shredded mozzarellaand baked it at 350 for about 25 minutes or until the cheese was melted and bubbly.  It was a quick and easy weeknight dinner.  Obed was pleasantly surprised by the lamb and was successfully converted.  He gobbled up every bit of the non-mush noodle version. 

Although my noodles were a sad and mushy failure, the ragù was a success and it was vindicated when paired with properly cooked noodles and delicious melted cheese.  This is a great dish for the weekend or if you are stuck indoors surrounded by snow.  If you were are like Obed and have an aversion to lamb you can easily substitute it with beef tips or even maybe some yummy short ribs.

Print Recipe

Lamb Ragù (adapted from Bon Appetit Nov 1998)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 lamb shanks (each about 3/4 pound)
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 pound small button mushrooms, halved
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in purée
• 1 1/4 pounds rigatoni pasta

Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over high heat. Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add to pot and brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer lamb shanks to platter. Add onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary and crushed red pepper to pot and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Return lamb to pot. Add wine and boil until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add 3 cups beef stock and tomatoes to pot; return to boil.

Cover pot, transfer to oven and bake until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Using tongs, transfer lamb to large bowl. Cool 10 minutes. Cut meat off bones into generous 1/2-inch pieces (discard bones). Return meat to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl. Spoon sauce over pasta. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

Simple Carbonara with Sage

This weekend was a very busy weekend and I didn’t get a chance to do my usual baking.  By Sunday night we were both exhausted and I needed to get dinner together quick and easy.  I was also low on groceries because we didn’t get a chance to make it to the grocery store.   

I think everyone can agree one of the easiest things to make for dinner is a pasta dish.  At first I thought I w0uld do a simple spaghetti with meat sauce but I had no tomato sauce and no ground beef.  So scratch that idea.  Then I thought about a quick Alfredo, but I had no cream cheese or whipping cream. UGH!  I really need to go to the store.   That is when I saw the chicken stock and the eggs.   I then found some bacon, onions and a lonely chicken breast. 

This is when I decided that carbonara was what we were having for dinner.  It’s simple and easy which means my butt could be on the sofa a lot sooner then later.  I decided to toss some sage in just because it’s Fall and it’s my kitchen so I can do whatever I want.    It was a good call, I really enjoyed it and Obed loved it.  He went back for seconds and thirds. 

Was it healthy?  Probably not since the base of the sauce is bacon fat and egg yolks, but when you are exhausted and everything including your hair follicles hurt, who really cares?   I ate my bacon fat/yolk based pasta and enjoyed it and I suggest you do the same!

Print Recipe

Simple Carbonara with Sage  (adapted from Linda’s Italian American Kitchen)  6 Servings

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
• 1 large yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large chicken breast, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 4 sage leaves, minced
• 1½ cups hot Chicken Stock
• 1 pound cooked linguine
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to the boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until the bacon is lightly browned but still soft, about 6 minutes.

Measure out 3 to 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat, add the onions, garlic and chicken and cook until onions wilted but still crunchy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and adjust the heat to a simmer. Add sage and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half.

In the meantime, stir the linguine into the boiling salted water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 8 minutes.

Ladle off about a cup of the pasta-cooking water. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, add salt if necessary. If necessary, add as much chicken stock or pasta-cooking water as needed to make enough sauce to coat the pasta generously.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg yolks one at a time, tossing well after each. Add the grated cheese, then the black pepper, tossing well, and serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Lazy Woman’s Dinner: Almost Carbonara

It’s a new work week, it’s stinking HOT and I am tired.  What do I make for dinner when I get home?   I wanted to make something effortless and quick, because I did not feel like hanging out in my poorly ventulated kitchen.

Also I had been nursing the headache from H-E-double hockey sticks and just was not in the mood to do anything that required any kind of real effort. In summation I was tired, sweaty and I had an 8 ton elephant sitting on my head.  Do you know what it’s like to have an 8 ton elephant on your head and a yappy dog that won’t shut up?  Not pointing any fingers. *nodding towards Buster*

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Coconut Shrimp Soup, Some Like It Hot…..

It has been a little crazy these past few days.  Yesterday, I was at my church playing Bunkopalooza, which was a ton of fun. However, I got home late and I was starving.  I didn’t really want to take the time to cook because: first, I was starving and second, Hubby had worked late and was on his way home.  So, I ran out to the grocery store.

I have to be honest and tell you that I did not go to the grocery store to buy missing ingredients for this soup.  I didn’t make this soup yesterday.  I made it on Monday.  I am taking this time to confess that I ran out to the grocery store and bought……well, I got…..I GOT A FROZEN BAG OF BERTOLLI PASTA DINNER AND GARLIC TEXAS TOAST…….okay, I feel better now.   Yes, it is true! I bought something pre-made and frozen and it wasn’t  pastry dough.  Dude!  What can I say? I was tired and hungry. Any food blogger out there that says they have never bought a frozen bag of something or other for dinner is probably a fibber.  

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Rosted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sauce

During the week the my computer was on the fritz I still cooked…..I mean we still had to eat, I don’t only make food to post on this site.   This was one of the dishes that I made that week.  Off the bat it just looks like spaghetti and marinara, but don’t let this picture fool you.  I remember when I made Hubby his plate he looked a little disappointed thinking that is was just plain spaghetti.

Unfortunately, I, like a doofus did not make notes when I made the sauce so I will have to give you a guesstimate.  Also I made some Italian seasoned chicken thighs that I cooked in the sauce but for the life of me I cannot remember how I prepared them.  If you look really close you can see it under all the sauce.  so we are going to just focus on the sauce for this post.

The base of the sauce is roasted red peppers, there are no tomatoes in this here sauce.  (That is my little bit of cowboy talk, I am living in Oklahoma after all) 

A few weeks back my fellow food blogger Stacey Snacks did a post on roasted red peppers.  I had some red peppers that were going to start looking a little sad in my fridge, so I decided to get my roast on.  Roasting peppers is easy and if you got a jar to store them you are good to go, not more need for wrinkly peppers in your fridge. 

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sauce

2 large red bell peppers, roasted
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs oregano
1/2 Tbs basil
1/2 Tbs thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbs goat cheese

Place roasted red peppers in food processor, with juices. (If you like to roast your own peppers here is a how to)

In a heavy skillet heat olive oil at a medium high heat. Saute minced garlic for about 5 minutes. Add spices into the skillet and toast for about 2 minutes.

Add red pepper puree to the skillet, cook till the sauce begins to simmer. Add goat cheese and stir until it melts evenly. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

Homemade Pasta: No Pasta Machine Required

I have been wanting to make homemade pasta FOREVER, and  I have been asking for a pasta machine probably for just as long.  So when I saw this recipe I HAD to try it out.  For my first try, and without a machine it turned out pretty good.  Although apparently I needed to roll it thinner because I ended up with some pretty fat noodles, which made an extra hearty meal.   No matter, I froze some of the dough so I will have a chance to try it again.  The sauce that I made, I borrowed from Dutch Girl Cooking, except I used a combo of Italian sausage and beef.  It turned out quite yummy so I recommend you give it a try.  Her recipe makes A LOT of sauce so I froze some of it to facilitate a quick dinner in the future.

This pasta making process is a great weekend project and as you get better at it you can be more creative with it.  I am hopping to make my own ravioli down the road, once I get comfortable with the rolling.

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In the Works for This Weekend!

This weekend I am hoping to attempt and accomplish 3 recipes that I have been wanting to do, one of which if fresh pasta! 

Weekend Line-up:

Homemade Granola – I have been wanting to make a homemade granola forever and I always forget. I figured that if I commit myself it will get done.

Fresh Pasta with Meat Sauce (no pasta maker) – I picked up this month’s issue of FoodNework Magazine and there is an article on how to make your own pasta at home, so I am going to give it a try.  We will see what happens.  I maybe rolling pasta on my dinning room table  because my kitchen counters are tile.

Raspberry & Chocolate on Coconut Tartlets – This was inspired by 3 different recipes that I have seen in the last few days so we will see how it turns out.  This one makes me a little nervous but who can go wrong with this combo?

So stay tuned and be sure to come back.

Pesto and Sundried Tomato Torteillini with Sausage

Wednesday for me is always a day that I have to think of something quick and easy to make for dinner because we have church on Wednesday nights.  This morning I was reading through my usual food blogs and found a post from

Stacey Snacks that gave me the perfect solution to my problem, and it had my favorite kind of pasta….tortellini!  I absolutely love tortellini!  First because it is a stuffed pasta and who doesn’t like stuffed pasta?  Second I love how it holds the sauce in all of its nooks and crannies.  So I took this quick fix and made it my own.  I had to put some kind of meat chunks in it or my Hubby would have been “Where’s the meat?”.  This is a great idea if you need something quick.

 Pesto & Sun dried Tomato Tortellini w/ Sausage

• 2 cups of frozen tortellini
• 2 links of mild italian sausage, sliced
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas
• 1 hand full of pine nuts
• 1/3 cup of already made pesto sauce
• 1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• olive oi

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray and spread the pine nuts on it.  Toast in oven. (I don’t remember how long I toasted them, so keep and I eye on them)

Put a pot of water to boil.  Once it begins to boil drop in the tortellini and peas.  When everything floats to the top it is done.

While water is heating, heat a saute pan with some olive oil. Mince onion and garlic in a small food processor, saute until tender.  Add in the sausage and cook till done, about 5 minutes.

Once pasta, peas, nuts and sausage is done toss in a large bowl with pesto sauce and sun-dried tomatoes. Dinner is done!

Chunky Tomato and Sausage Angel Hair Pasta

Today I was a little blank as to what to make for dinner and I didn’t feel like standing over the stove too long. Usually when I am feeling a little lazy, I whip up some kind of pasta.  I stayed true to my M.O. 

I grabbed a bunch of veggies out of the frige, roma tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic and red & green peppers.  I sliced them all and cut the tomatoes in wedges. 

I then got some fresh basil and oregano from my herb garden, chopped it up and sprinkled it over the veggies.  I am usually heavy on the basil.

I tossed everything with olive oil, balsamic vinegar (I seem to be on a balsamic vinegar kick lately) salt & pepper.  

Divide the oven in 3rds with the racks.  Put the mix on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 375 for about 50 mins.  Start on the top rack, half-way through moved to bottom rack.  

When it was almost done roasting I boiled some angel hair and took 3 links of sweet sausage out of their casing and broke them up in a deep pan.  Once the veggies were ready I put them in with the sausage and let it simmer. I was pleased with the result.

Severe sauce over angel hair or mix it together, it is up to you.  If you want a straight up tomato sauce, toss the veggies in a food processor and blend.  It makes a great pizza sauce. I got 4 portions.

Here is a breakdown:

5 Roma tomatoes cut in wedges

1/2 zucchini

1/2 green pepper

1/2 red pepper

1/2 onion in wedges

3 cloves of garlic sliced

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

fresh basil & oregano

salt & pepper

angel hair pasta

I Never Would Have Thought! Butternut Squash+Sausage+Pasta = Yum!

Today I tried a new recipe that I got from a fellow Foodbuzzer Stacey Snacks.  It looked so good I just had to try it and it was simple to make.  The only thing I didn’t have and had never cooked with was Butternut Squash, so I ran down to the produce stand down the street and picked one up.  Mind you I can never go to this stand without walking out with like 3 bags of produce.  Anyway back to the pasta. 

It was fun to do and filled my kitchen with new smells.  The smell of the sage was just cozy.  I have eaten one bowl and I am trying to refrain from eating more so I have some of lunch tomorrow.  I recommend you try it out.  Here is her recipe below, I have also linked to it. 

Penne w/ Butternut Squash, Sausage & Sage:

~ 1 butternut squash, cut into 1″ pieces
~ 2 Italian sausages (you can use hot or sweet), casings removed (I used 3 turkey sweet sausages)
~ 2 cloves garlic, chopped
~ 3 tbsp of chopped, fresh sage leaves
~ 1 1/4 cups of chicken stock
~ 1/4 cup white wine (use red because I had no white)
~ 8 oz. of penne pasta (half a box or bag)

(I used wheat penne pasta)

 

 

  

 

 

 

In a heavy skillet, coat your pan w/ olive oil. Cook butternut squash on high, not moving around too much, until the edges caramelize. About 5 minutes or so. Remove from pan. Now, add your sausage, and break it up in the pan. After that is browned, about 5 minutes, add your garlic, chopped sage and white wine and simmer for 3 minutes until liquid is evaporated.

Add your chicken stock and butternut squash and simmer 10 minutes, until squash is tender.
While sauce is simmering, boil your pasta in salted water and drain.
Add your cooked pasta to the sauce.

 

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