Garlic and tomato braised beef

The best 3-ingredient recipe ever. From Gourmet Magazine, by way of Smitten Kitchen.

Garlic and tomato braised beef
serves 6

28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
3.0-3.5 pound boneless beef chuck roast, tied with a string
1 head garlic, separated into cloves, left unpeeled

Preheat the oven to 300°F. 

Tie up the roast into an evenly shaped log with butcher's twine. Put it in an ovenproof casserole with a lid, such as a Dutch oven.

Coarsely chop tomatoes with their juice in a food processor (or just chop them in their can with kitchen shears). Pour chopped tomatoes over the roast. 

Scatter unpealed garlic cloves around it. 

Season generously with salt and pepper. 

Braise for 3-4 hours, covered, in the middle of oven. 

Cut roast into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with sauce and garlic (squeezed from its peels), over orzo pasta.

Macaroni & Cheese

This is my mother's kid pleasing homemade version of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Culinary knowledge time: the sauce is a simple derivation on an Escoffier mother sauce. It starts with a roux of butter and flour, which turns into a Bechamel/white sauce with the addition of milk. You finish it with shredded cheese, making it a Mornay sauce.

Macaroni & Cheese
serves 6

Cook 2-3 cups of dry macaroni noodles of your choice in boiling salted water (I prefer shells). While pasta water is coming to a boil...

In a stove-to-oven safe pot, melt:
2 tbsp. butter

Add slowly, stirring or whisking to prevent lumps:
2 tbsp. flour (Wondra flour if you can get it, to avoid clumps)

Cook together for about 2 minutes to remove any "raw flour" flavor.

Warm in the microwave, then add slowly to the roux:
1.25 cups milk

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add and melt together until smooth:
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated sharp cheddar

Drain the cooked pasta and fold it into the cheese sauce.  Transfer the pot to the oven (or pour the contents into an oven-safe vessel) and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo
serves 4-6

Serve over 1/2 lb. linguini or spaghetti.

Shrimp
Toss together, then saute on high for about 30 seconds:
1 lb. medium-large shrimp, peeled (can also substitute 1 lb. sea scallops)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil

Turn shrimp and add 1/4 cup cognac (or brandy).  Set cognac on fire, then pull pan off the heat.  Set shrimp aside.

Sauce
Saute over low for 7-10 minutes:
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 9 cloves)

Add, then increase heat to medium for 8 minutes:
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
28 oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dry white wine

Add and heat through:
reserved shrimp
1 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
1 tbsp. olive oil

Italian Orzo Salad

This was originally part of a larger pork tenderloin recipe, but I quickly realized I was making the pork as an excuse to eat the orzo salad.  So now it gets its own entry!

Italian Orzo Salad 

serves 6

Boil until al dente:

8 oz. orzo pasta

Dressing: 

1/8 c. olive oil

1/8 c. lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. rosemary, minced (I use dried)

salt & pepper to taste

Combine:

cooked orzo

dressing

1 large tomato, diced

1/3 c. kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 c. fresh basil, shredded

Orzo is a very small pasta the size and shape of large grains of rice.  It's a great base for pasta salads, and is also a good choice in soup.

I like to chiffonade my basil for this recipe:

Shrimp & Lime Pasta

The first time I made this recipe, I misread "teaspoon" for "tablespoon" and accidentally tripled the amount of lime juice it called for.  Honestly, I think it came out better that way - and so the change has stayed.

Shrimp & Lime Pasta 

serves 4

Saute in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft:

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Add and saute until shrimp is cooked:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and heat through:

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 jar chunky salsa

Toss with 3/4 lb. cooked long pasta.

This is very much a "semi-homemade" recipe: store-bought salsa provides the bulk of the sauce, with fresh vegetables added for flavor and crispness.  Everyone say hi to Aunt Sandy!

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

From Cook's Illustrated, another great summer dinner.  If you want to use store-bought pesto, you can saute the chicken and then skip straight to the end.

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

serves 6-8

Boil 3/4 lb. rotini in large pot.  Meanwhile, season and saute 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 minutes per side).

In food processor, blend 10 sec. until smooth:

1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

Slowly drizzle in 2/3 c. olive oil.

Toss together:

pesto

cooked chicken, cut into strips

cooked rotini

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted

1/2 lb. arugula or baby spinach

Beef Cacciatore

Beef cuts suitable for quick cooking are very tender.  I typically pick up top sirloin when it's on sale and use it in this dish.  However, because of its low fat content, sirloin is very easy to overcook.  As soon as the meat looks sealed, add the sauce ingredients.  And as soon as the sauce comes together, pull it off the heat!

Beef Cacciatore 
serves 6

Boil 8 oz. of short pasta like rotini or penne while the cacciatore is coming together.

Saute in olive oil until soft:

1 large green pepper, large dice
2-3 carrots, thinly sliced

2 cups of mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. salt

Add and cook until beef just browns:

1 lb. beef, sliced thin (pref. sirloin or blade steak)

1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme

Add and simmer until sauce flavors meld:

2 tsp. anchovy paste (or 2 minced fillets)
6 oz. can tomato paste
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c. red wine

2 tbsp. garlic olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cooked pasta.  Serve.


Shopping list:
1 lb. sirloin or blade steak
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper
3 medium/2 large carrots
2 cups mushrooms

Check the pantry:
basil, dried
thyme, dried
red wine for cooking, 1/2 cup
penne or rotini pasta, 8 oz. (1/2 box)
garlic olive oil
anchovy paste
red wine vinegar

Spaghetti Puttanesca

From Cook's Illustrated.  This an incredibly fast, incredibly flavorful dish.  In the time it takes you to boil the water and cook the pasta, you can finish the sauce. 

There's only 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes in this dish, but that's enough to make it quite spicy.  Cut this in half if you have any doubts about your tolerance for hot food.

Spaghetti Puttanesca 

serves 4

Start bringing water to boil for 1 lb. spaghetti.  Meanwhile…

Heat on medium, 2-3 minutes:

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. water

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (less if you don’t like it very spicy)

8 anchovy fillets, minced

Stir in and simmer 8 minutes, until thickened:

28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

Add:

3 tbsp. capers, drained

1/2 c. black olives, pitted and chopped

1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

salt to taste

Toss over cooked and drained pasta.  Serve immediately.

Shrimp & Tortellini

When I'm starving and have zero time, this is my go-to home run recipe.  You can go from frozen shrimp to finished dinner in about 20 minutes.  It's certainly not low calorie between the cheese and the butter, but when you're hungry, that's exactly what the doctor ordered.  It reheats beautifully.

The only difficult part of this dish is not overcooking the shrimp.  Are they basically pink all over?  STOP and pull the pan off the heat!  If your shrimp progress to the curled up stage, they'll still taste good but have an unpleasantly rubbery texture.

Shrimp & Tortellini
serves 4-6

Boil in salted water:
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini (e.g. Buitoni)

Melt together in a skillet:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 bunch green onion tops, chopped

Add to skillet and saute over medium until shrimp are just pink:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
salt and pepper to taste

Drain the tortellini and salt them separately.  Toss together shrimp, pan sauce, and pasta.

Add 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese.


Shopping list:
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1 lb. shrimp
1 bunch green onions

Check the pantry:
Parmesan cheese

Chicken Marinara

This recipe is better known as "How to vastly improve your jarred pasta sauce with dried herbs and booze".  Any cheap white wine will do; I typically look for a chardonnay in the $5 range with a screw cap for easy storage (e.g. FishEye).  For the chicken, I use two boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Chicken Marinara

serves 6

Saute to brown:

1 lb. chicken, cut in bite-sized strips

4 cloves garlic, minced

Add and cook 3 minutes:

6 oz. mushrooms (I prefer baby portobello)

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. thyme

Add and heat through:

24 oz. jarred spaghetti sauce of your choice

1/2 c. white wine

Serve over linguini.

Bad cardiovascular genes run in the family, so I always buy Prego's Heart Smart pasta sauces.

Prego Heart Smart sauce

Sausage & Spinach Pene

This recipe comes courtesy of Cook's Illustrated and is one of their skillet recipes.  It's a great 30-minute weeknight meal that takes only two pans (and just one if you brown the sausage first, then boil the pasta), but is a complete dinner including protein, vegetables, and starch.

Sausage & Spinach Pene
serves 6

Create sausage

Combine all dry spices in large bowl:

2 tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

Stir in:

1 tsp. sambal oelek

Mix in by hand and form small balls:

1 lb. ground pork (80/20)

Cook pasta and sausage

Bring to a boil in a saute pan:

2 tsp BTB chicken bouillon

5 1/2 cups water

Add and boil, uncovered, for 13 minutes:
8 oz. pene pasta

1/2 tsp. salt

While the pasta cooks, cook sausage balls completely in a frying pan. 

Add to saute pan with cooked pasta:

1 lb. sausage, browned

1/2 lb. fresh spinach

2 roma tomatoes, diced

Cover for about 2 minutes to wilt spinach.