Inspired Eating

after a much overdue visit to dre and ben in SD, i have been inspired to start logging recipes again. what prompted this venture back into the kitchen? a combination of discovering ben's penchant for healthy cooking, a desperate need for a break from CCU disasters, and of course, a taste of a fantastic meaty pasta that i can't stop thinking about!

short rib pappardelle at "cucina urbana" in SD- a sort of italian chow fun with wide, flat noodles and melt-in-your mouth chunks of beef bursting with flavor, topped with fresh parmesan. mmmm... now this is reason to dust off the pans, sharpen the knives, and fire up the stove.

since short rib pasta is new to me, i decided to give giada's highly rated recipe on FN a shot. luckily, the queen of everyday italian did not disappoint. the end result was a bit lighter than the restaurant version, with a little bite from the tomatoes and herbs. quite nice for a summer evening.

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
modified from Giada De Laurentiis

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)- couldn't find it locally, so used prosciutto
2 lbs of beef short ribs (i used boneless, lean cut)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-oz) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle (wish i had fresh, but just used some dry, whole wheat egg noodles)

Prep:
-Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Then, dredge in the flour.
-place onion, carrot, parsley, and garlic in food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse. (or if you are ghetto like me, chop and mix all by hand- yes, tedious :/)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in large heavy soup pot over medium heat (or just wok if you plan to use slow cooker). Cook pancetta/prosciutto until golden and crisp.
2. Remove the pancetta/prosciutto from the pan and set aside. (leave grease in pan for browning of short ribs).
3. Add short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides.
4. Add veggie mixture to the pot. Return pancetta/prosciutto to the pot and stir. Also add rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine.

**Here is where you can follow Giada's traditional method (below), or if lazy and pressed for time, cheat with the slow cooker and cook everything on high heat for 3.5-4 hours.**

5. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally.
7. (for both methods): Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste. (if using slow cooker, i'd turn it down to low heat here). Meanwhile, cook pasta until tender but still firm. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
8. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Top with fresh parmesan, as desired.

the meats- chopped prosciutto, boneless short ribs after dredging in flour














veggie mix by hand (note to self: must get food processor)





















done! serve with a nice glass of chianti for a perfect pairing. :)

Pot Roast Truce

As most of you already know, I am pretty conflicted about Food Network. While I love Ina, Bobby Flay, Duff, and generally like Giada, I am not a fan of Rachel Ray ("yumm-o?" blech), Sandra Lee (artfully arranging store bought pie and serving a la mode is NOT cooking), and Paula Deen. Why hate on the sweet southern grandma, you may ask? Yes, she seems very kind and motherly, and the story of how she got her own show is actually really impressive, but I just cannot condone the fact that her staple ingredients are mayo and butter. Until... I came across this pot roast recipe during one of my red meat cravings. I've been looking for awhile now for a good, old-fashioned roast. When I saw that this one impressed Harry Connick Jr. and did not call for butter or mayo, I had to give it a shot. Pot roast for Easter dinner- why not?

Verdict: Simple, delicious, flavorful, and makes for great leftover sandwiches (I even ate one for breakfast :P). Highly recommended for anyone who is busy, feeding many, or just wanting a hearty meal of meat and veggies. So Paula, I declare a truce- hat's off to you!!!

Classic Pot Roast
(adapted from Paula Deen, FN)

• 1 (3 to 4-lb) round roast (less fatty than chuck roast)
  
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (I used low sodium, low fat)
  
• 1/4 cup red wine (Didn't have any on hand, so substituted with Chinese white wine)
  
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• beef stock (beef broth will also do)
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• carrots, thickly chopped
  

Directions:

*if using oven, preheat to 350 F.

1. Dry meat. Rub on all sides thoroughly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Heat oil in large skillet and brown the roast, searing all sides. Place meat in roaster pan or in slow cooker pan.
3. Saute onions and garlic in same skillet for 1-2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Also add a splash of wine to deglaze pan. Place over the beef.
4. Combine mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and 3/4 cup beef stock in bowl. Pour over the roast. (**Note: if using slow cooker, liquid should cover about 2/3-3/4 of roast. Add more stock if needed).
5. Add potatoes and carrots to pan.
6. If using using oven- cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours at 350 F or until meat is tender.
If using slow cooker, cook on low heat for 8 hours.
7. Serve. Meat should be tender and fall apart quite easily. (**Note: I found that the gravy needed to be a bit thicker when serving. To thicken, remove meat from pan and pour gravy into saucepan. Mix 2 TBS of cornstarch with a little cold water. Bring sauce to boil and thicken by adding cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly until consistency smooth).

















nothing says cross-cultural like pot roast served chinese-style, over rice!