Busy Mom’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
Posted: March 12, 2014 Filed under: All, Drinks, Lunch, Main, Pasta, Sausage, Uncategorized, Wine | Tags: Barbera, Basil, Beef Broth, Chianti, Garlic, Italian Seasoning, Malbec, Olive oil, Onion, Parmesan, Pinot Noir, Pureed tomato, Sangiovese, sausage meat, spaghetti Leave a commentDo you ever feel like, when you are working away, that you are just going to topple over onto your desk in a heap, asleep so fast that as your head makes contact a dribble of spittle has already appeared? That is how the last month to month and a half has been for me. We’ve had major construction going on in the 2nd most important area of our house, the family room. This was due to a large flood on Christmas morning (Yeah! Merry Christmas!!). So we’ve been dealing with that, in a small part, since then. But when the construction finally started, well, it’s just been tiresome. While our general contractor has been amazing at keeping everyone on schedule, I’m just over it, you know. I’m ready to have that room opened to the rest of the house again. I’m ready to have a laundry room again (something I’d never in my life thought I’d be excited about, a new laundry room). I’m ready to have that 3rd bath available downstairs, as opposed to a 5 and 6 year old trying to race upstairs to pee when they’ve been outside playing with ladybugs and refused to “listen to their bodies”. And at the tail end of this endeavor has been . . . dun, dun, dun . . . daylight savings. “Come everyone, let’s Spring Forward!” I can clearly hear a very cheery Mother Nature shouting. I want to shout back, not so cheerily, “Let’s all put our freakin’ happy faces on as our internal clocks get all screwed up!” Sorry, I’m a grump today. This is the perfect dinner for a grump to make. It comes together quickly and painlessly. And none of it would have been possible without my little sous chef!
My Sous Chef!
Ingredients:
8 oz spaghetti
1 Tbs olive oil (go easy on olive oil because the sausage will have plenty of oil when cooked)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning (or any favorite herb, oregano, thyme, etc.)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup beef broth (can sub with chicken)
2 cups pureed tomato
1 lb sausage meat (you can buy sausage links and remove the casings, luckily I found a package of bulk sausage meat prepared by the butcher)
Parmesan
1 bunch fresh basil (optional, I didn’t have on hand so I omitted)
Preparation:
Bring a large pot of water to boil for spaghetti. While spaghetti cooks, prepare sauce.
Add 1 Tbs olive oil to large pan heated over medium-high. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic, stirring to coat. Add Italian seasoning. Stir in salt to taste. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. While onions cook, use sausage meat and form small balls.
Add stock, scraping up any bits from bottom of pan. Add tomato puree and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add meatballs into tomato sauce and simmer until fully cooked, about 10 – 12 additional minutes.
Serve over spaghetti and top with fresh grated Parmesan and a handful of torn basil. Serve with hot crusty bread.
Wine Pairing Suggestions:
Barbera
Chianti
Malbec
Pinot Noir
Sangiovese
Serves 6
Cooking time: About 40 minutes
Busy Mom’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
*Original Serves-4 Recipe
Sausage “Alfredo”
Posted: February 20, 2014 Filed under: All, Lunch, Main, Pasta, Sausage, Uncategorized, Wine | Tags: Chardonnay, Cherry tomato, Garlic Salt, Heavy Cream, Italian Seasoning, Parmesan cheese, Pasta, Peas, Semillon, Smoked Sausage, White Burgundy Leave a commentFor some reason I’m drawn to the dishes that are a play or rip-off of other dishes. I’m not sure why. Maybe I feel like this play-on-another-dish is an underdog and I kind of feel like Robin Hood, giving that dish a chance. Or I could feel a little like Peter Pan, with the dishes that never want to grow up and be the big, bold dish it could have been. No, stay, play, have fun! Or, maybe it’s just that these dishes are easier than the actual dish. Ya, I have to go with that last one. As much as I’d like to be Robin Hood or Peter Pan, I just don’t look good in tights.
Ingredients:
1 Pkg Hillshire Farm smoked sausage
12 oz cooked pasta, drained
2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1 Tsp garlic salt
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups frozen peas
Preparation:
Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
While preparing pasta, cut sausage in ½” – 1″ thick slices. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium – high heat. Sauté sausage for about 5 minutes, until crispy. Drain any grease. Add cream, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add tomatoes and peas. Simmer 4-5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.
Stir in Parmesan and add to pasta.
Wine Pairing Suggestions:
Chardonnay
Semillon
White Burgundy
Serves 6 – 8
Total time: 30 minutes
Sausage “Alfredo”
*Derived from: Hillshire Farms
One-Pan Chicken
Posted: December 26, 2013 Filed under: All, Chicken, Dinner, Main, Uncategorized, Wine | Tags: Barbera, Chianti, chicken, Diced tomatoes, Garlic, Grenache, Italian Seasoning, Mushrooms, Olive oil, Parmesan cheese, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese Leave a commentSometimes you just need dinner on the table fast, I’m talking lickety split fast. There are so many recipes out there (Hello, Rachel Ray) that insist they can be done in 30 minutes. Maybe, if you have someone put all of the needed items in convenient, easy to reach locations. And that’s a huge pet peeve for me because when I’m planning the menu for the week, the amount of time it takes to put dinner on the table is definitely something I look at, and count on being accurate. Well, my friends, this is lickety split fast, and that you can count on!
Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (Time saver alert! Buy pre-minced)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (Time saver alert! Buy pre-sliced)
1/2 Tbs Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. To a large nonstick pan add olive oil and swirl to coat. Heat pan to medium. When hot, add chicken and cook 5-10 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Remove chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add garlic to pain and cook 2-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half. Put chicken back in pan and cover with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese just before serving.
Wine Pairing Suggestions:
Barbera
Chianti
Grenache
Pinot Noir
Sangiovese
Serves 4
Total time: 35 minutes
One-Pan Chicken
*Original Serves-4 Recipe
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Beef, Veggies and Rice
Posted: September 26, 2013 Filed under: All, Beef, Dinner, Main, Rice, Uncategorized, Wine | Tags: Broth, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carrots, Italian Seasoning, Malbec, Merlot, Onion, Peas, Petit Sirah, Pinot Noir, rice, Rice Cooker, Round steak, Sangiovese 1 CommentSometimes you just need to get dinner on the table fast. Maybe it’s been a long day and you left work a little late. Or you finally made it to the pharmacy, after hopping the puddles of an early storm, only to discover the pharmacy is closed (is it that late already?). You’re finally home and frantically trying to put a meal together that does not include bags or boxes, but every movement is met with, “Mommy! He . . . ” or, “Mom! She . . .” It’s too early to call Calgon (totally dating myself. Do they even still make Calgon?) and no one has been fed. This recipe is tantamount to Calgon in that you can get a tasty, not processed meal on the table. Oh, and once again I’m singing the accolades of my rice cooker! Everyone quietly eating almost makes you think you are soaking in that bubbly warm bath, sipping your favorite glass of vino
Ingredients:
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cups rice
1 cup sliced carrot (buy them pre-sliced to save even more time for bubbles)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 lb top round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into thin strips (Or save time and buy fajita steak. Are those bubbles I hear calling??)
1/4 cup onion chopped ( you can buy this pre-chopped, too. Think of it as having your own personal Sous chef)
1 cup fresh snap pea pods, strings removed (Who has time for this?? I subbed a cup of frozen peas)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Preparation:
To rice cooker, add broth and carrots. Set it and forget it. If you choose to not use a rice cooker: heat broth to boiling in 2 quart saucepan. Stir in rice and carrots. Heat to boiling; reduce heat, cover and simmer 6-8 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
While rice cooks, heat oil in 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown and onion tender. Stir in cooked rice and carrots, peas, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender. Add a small amount of water if it becomes dry before peas are tender.
Wine Pairing Suggestions:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Malbec
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Sangiovese
Petit Sirah
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes; Total time: 35 minutes
*Derived from Pillsbury
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Risotto with Beans and Vegetables
Posted: September 24, 2013 Filed under: All, Main, Meatless, Rice, Uncategorized, Veggies | Tags: Aborio Rice, Black Beans, Broth, Cannellini Beans, Carrots, Italian Seasoning, Mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pinto Beans, rice, Rice Cooker, Risotto, Zucchini Leave a commentOops I did it again! I played with your heart . . . Oh wait,wrong sentiment. Well, a little. I did do it again, I made a wonderful risotto in the rice cooker! It’s almost daily now that I am looking at the rice cooker and thinking, “Hmmm. . . ” I wonder if I stuff some laundry in there it will magically be cleaned and folded. Oh, oh, oh! I’ve got it! Can I shove my computer in their and all of my scopes of work and subcontractor matrices come out DONE!! Bim Bam! Because that’s how I am viewing my wonderful little rice cooker now, it’s this magical little pot. I’m not sure how it does what it does. I don’t even care. Just as long as it keeps bubbling away and turning out amazing food. (The laundry would help, too, though.)
Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I bought presliced cremini)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup finally chopped zucchini
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 15 oz can low sodium cannellini, pinto, or black beans; rinsed and drained
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (plus about a handful more for topping when ready to serve)
Rice Cooker Preparation:
Turn rice cooker on, once it’s heated add 2 Tbs olive oil, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add uncooked rice. Cook and stir about 5 more minutes or until rice is golden brown. Add 3 cups of broth, zucchini and carrots, stir to combine all ingredients. Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, rice should be slightly creamy and just tender. Stir in beans and Parmesan cheese; cover and heat through. Sprinkle with additional cheese for serving.
Non-Rice Cooker Preparation:
In medium sauce pan bring broth to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until needed. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add uncooked rice. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes or until rice is golden brown.
Slowly add 1 cup of broth to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup of broth, zucchini, and carrots to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add another 1 cup broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until broth is absorbed. (THis should take about 20 minutes).
Stir remaining 1/2 cup broth into rice mixture. Cook and stir until rice is slightly creamy and just tender. Stir in beans and Parmesan cheese; heat through. Sprinkle with additional cheese for serving.
Wine Pairing Suggestions:
White Burgundy,
Chardonnay,
Nebbiolo,
Pinot Noir,
Sangiovese,
Sauvignon Blanc
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes
*Derived from BHG
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