Spanakorizo (Braised Spinach and Rice)

A beloved Greek take on spinach and rice - a little truly goes a long way. Greek Americans have earned a dubious repuation for being meat eaters and one notable movie has done much to further this myth. In reality, vegetarian meals are at the center of Greek cuisine. Many of my memoriable Greek food experiences center around meatless dishes. This was the vegeterian staple of my childhood and fostered my dislike of spinach. My mother used long grain rice which takes long to cook and considering the rice and spinach were cooked together the spinach was mushy by the time the rice cooked. Only during a recent trip to Greece did I experience a version with short grain rice closer to arborio in texture, then finally did the dish really shine.

My take on this classic dish trades rice for orzo and cooks each element seperatley ensuring the spinach retains some texture. I am trying to convince my mom to guest blog her version as well as other vegeterian Greek dishes. Enjoy!

Spanakorizo
Serves 2 as a side

1 cup orzo
1 cup water
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chopped curly spinch
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow or sweet onion, grated
1 scallion, chooped
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 lemon
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

In a heavy bottom pot bring to a boil the water and tomato sauce. Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and the orzo. Cook according to packet instructions and drain if necessary.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot. Add grated onion, dill, scallions and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Over medium high heat add the spinach. Mix well and cover pot. Allow spinach to wilt about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Plate orzo and top with spinach mixutre. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve warm.

Zucchini Lasagna Rolls

It is fitting the last day post of July encompass elements that transition perfectly in to August. While the zucchini are plentiful in my parents garden mine have yet to really sprout. The age old question of what to do with a lot o zucchini plagues most gardeners. My approach is simple use zucchini in place of pasta. The combination of fresh ricotta, ribbons of zucchini and a fresh tomato sauce is fabulous, simple and uses up a lot of zucchini. I baked a batch and froze a second for the miserable winter months when fresh garden vegetables are the further things from reality. The filling can easily be adjusted some other items I considered was sauteed mushrooms, pancetta, feta or spinach.

Zucchini Lasagna Rolls

Serves 4-5

1 large zucchini, sliced in 1/8 inch ribbons (about 10 slices)
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated fontina
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup basic tomato sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add zucchini ribbons and boil for a minute or two until zucchini softens. Remove zucchini pieces and place on paper towels to drain.

In a small saucepan heat the olive oil, add the shallot and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until soft and fragrant.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, fontina, shallots, garlic. Mix in the parsley, salt and pepper.

Place 2 tablespoons ricotta filling on end of the zucchini closest to you. Roll and place on a baking sheet. Repeat and top with Parmesan then tomato sauce.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Toasted Orzo with Roasted Garden Vegetables

It took a bit of time to think of an appropriate title for this dish because it is complex in flavor, yet so easy to make. The key flavor is centered around summer vegetables that please so many like me, who suffer through snowy and long winters.

My family requests this dish for summer functions because it can be served warm or cold. What distinguishes this dish from your typical orzo pilaf or salad, is toasting the orzo. Such an approach not only brings a contrast of color, but enhances the flavor of the pasta.
As for the vegetables, the simpler the better. Once again, you do not have to do much to fresh ingredients. The dressing focuses on lemon, which complements the richness of the pasta and roasted vegetables.


Toasted Orzo with Roasted Garden Vegetables
Serves 4-6

For the orzo:
1 16 oz. box orzo
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
5-6 cups water
3-4 zucchini, sliced thin
2 medium sized Italian eggplant, quartered then sliced
2-3 yellow summer squash, sliced thin
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon black pepper

For the dressing:
2 shallots, minced
juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Kefalotyri or Roman cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place seasoned vegetables on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

While vegetables are roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottom 6 qt. pot. Over medium heat toast half the box of orzo, stirring frequently for about 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Be careful not to burn. Remove pot from the heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining untoasted orzo and water. Bring to boil. Season with 1 tablespoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes until water is absorbed and orzo just tender.

Combine the orzo and roasted vegetables. Mix the shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, cheese and parsley. Toss the orzo mixture with the dressing. Serve warm at room temperature or cold.

BB: Pasta with Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Food snobs have any number of coveted spectacular ingredients where the premium price reflect the reputation. Sun-dried tomatoes are such an item. While the concept of preserving tomatoes by drying in the sun and then soaking in olive oil sounds tasty, the chewy texture does not please my palate. Even with such a skeptical perspective on the key ingredient, I was pleased when Cat of Delta Whiskey chose Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes for the first July Barefoot Bloggers recipe.

Substituting oven roasted grape tomatoes mimicked the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes while creating a more pleasant texture with a price that fit my budget.

This recipe was a winner and is an excellent addition to any summer dinning table. The flavors were rich while still light for summer, with a bit of tang. Below is my adaptation, for the original recipe visit The Food Network or buy Barefoot Contessa Family Style.

Pasta with Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Adapted from Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style pg. 58
Serves 4

1/2 pound Gemili pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced (half-pint grape tomatoes)
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced

For the oven roasted tomatoes:
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved long wise and seeded
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of sugar

For the dressing:
Oven roasted grape tomatoes
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes and mozzarella.

For the oven-roasted tomatoes: pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine, sliced tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar. Cook for 30-40 minutes until almost burnt. For the dressing, combine the oven-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, olives, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley, and toss well.

Roasted Eggplant Pasta Salad

Eggplant gets a bad rap. Draped with a ton of cheese and dripping in batter is the most popular American rendition of Eggplant Parmesan. However, the true flavor of eggplant is masked under these heavy ingredients. This dish focuses on the smoky flavor of the smaller Italian variety and adds a nice element to a typical pasta salad. This recipe requires little preparation and delivers on flavor. Tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, the eggplant was roasted in a sheet pan on the outdoor grill. While I normally opt for homemade dressing, this time I used Newman's Own Balsamic, which of all the store bought dressings tastes quite fresh.

Roasted Eggplant Pasta Salad
Serves 6

1 lb box of Rigatoni
2 small Italian eggplant's, chopped into 1/2 in. pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 springs green onion, chopped
2 roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing




Cook pasta according to package instructions. Toss eggplant pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place eggplant pieces on half a sheet pan and place on hot grill. Roast for about 15 minutes until eggplant pieces are golden. Let pieces cool. In a large bowl toss the pasta, eggplant pieces, tomato and green onion. Pour in the dressing and mix well. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Ricotta

Pasta, cheese and lemon are three of my favorite foods. Each is fabulous on its own, but together the flavors create a wonderful meal. The whole wheat pasta movement has been brought to my grocery store and comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety is a bit more healthy, perfect for summer, and so very easy. I first saw the combination of ricotta and pasta on Everyday Italian on the Food Network. I chose not to follow that recipe to the tee and added more lemon for a summer twist.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Ricotta

6 Servings

1 box whole wheat spaghetti

16 oz. whole milk fresh ricotta

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup 1% milk

salt and pepper

4 oz. fresh mozzarella, optional, if baking

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a separate pan heat the olive oil. Add milk, ricotta, Parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper. Combine drained pasta with ricotta mixture. Add lemon zest and a pinch of pepper. Serve immediately. For leftovers, top with mozzarella, bake for 10-15 minutes until warmed through and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese bubbles.

Scallop and Asparagus Lemon Spaghetti

If I had access to super fresh affordable seafood, I would likely integrate some element from the sea in every dish I consumed. In the Detroit area, one has to search to find fresh and reasonable seafood. I never understood why markets in the the "Great Lakes State" sold overpriced and old fish. Such actions are a disservice to the fishing industry in this great state.

I found a market, Papa Joe's, that supplies the freshest seafood in town. What I like best about Papa Joe's, is that they know their stuff and humor my quest to find only the best at the right price. I never buy seafood without first smelling the product, and they do not blink when I ask to see and smell my selection. There are so many ways to spruce the color of a fish, but it is difficult to mask the odor of old fish. However, this market has some of the highest prices in town, but they often have sales and is one of the only places that does not only put their "old" stuff on sale. This special this week involved one of my favorite ingredients- sea scallops. At $14.99 per lb as opposed to the normal $20-24 per lb, it is still quite expensive, but very much worth it.

When it comes to cooking seafood the more simple the approach- the better. Good stuff does not take a lot of work. Usually I just sear the scallops and serve either over lettuce or rice. In this case, I had some lovely asparagus and I was craving pasta. I really enjoyed the white wine/lemon/shallot sauce. The sauce held the dish together and complemented the buttery scallops. The roasted asparagus gave the dish a smokey flavor. I was afraid that the asparagus may over power the delicate scallop flavor. Nevertheless, I was surprised that the asparagus brought out the scallop flavor. My husband commented that a few red pepper flakes would have added some needed heat. This dish is definitely a keeper.

Scallop and Asparagus Lemon Spaghetti

Generously Serves 4

1 lb. fresh sea scallops

1 16 oz. box of spaghetti

2 shallots finely chopped

1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and cut in to thirds

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place asparagus on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 10-15 min. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Slice scallops horizontally, wash and pat dry. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add half the scallops and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook remaining scallops. Keep slightly warm. In pan used to sear scallops, add 1 tablespoon butter. Add shallots and cook until slightly soften a few minutes. Add wine and lemon juice. Cook until sauce reduces by half. Check the seasoning. Toss pasta and asparagus. Top with scallops and wine sauce.

Leek Orzo with Feta

Orzo has the texture of pasta in the shape of rice. It is my go to starch when I need something quick and with numerous combination of flavors, orzo can complement the main dish or be the feature attraction.

The combination of leeks, cooked with a splash of white wine, feta and orzo creates a light and tangy dish. Served on a warm day this had a distinct onion flavor and was filling without being heavy.

Leek Orzo with Feta
Serves 4 as a side dish

1 cup uncooked orzo
1 leek, chopped and cleaned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup feta

Cook orzo according to package directions, place in a large bowl. Heat pan of over medium heat. Add olive oil heat for an additional minute. Add cleaned chopped leeks and saute for about 5-10 minutes until leeks soften and brown. Add white wine and cook for an 3-5 minutes until wine is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the orzo and leeks. Top with crumbled feta. Serve warm or at room temperature.

A Not So Basic Tomato Sauce

I brought the leftovers of this dish to the office for lunch, and so many people came to my desk and asked, "Your lunch smells so good, where did you buy it?". When I confessed it was tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes one person called me a food elitist. Now I hate to classify people, but if using the fresh version of a readily available staple ingredient makes me a food snob, then I am guilty as charged. When did a fresh tomato become an elitist product? Have we as society so embraced jarred tomato sauce that we have forgotten the taste of real tomato? There is nothing wrong with using jarred sauces when in a pinch, but such convenience should not be mistaken for the real flavor of a tomato. There are some very good brands of canned puree that make a decent sauce, but nothing compares to fresh vine ripened tomatoes from the garden. Now it's April in Michigan with no tomatoes in sight. I have a stash of puree from last summer in the freezer. I am too lazy to can and find that freezing the juice, pulp and seeds is just fine for this sauce.

When using real tomato products that haven't been processed, you need less fillers and dried herbs which means a more pronounced flavor. This sauce relies on the natural tomato flavor and is very easy to make. I like the mild flavor that the shallot and garlic bring as these flavors complement the tomato rather than over powering it. What I like best is this sauce actually adheres well to the pasta. It coats the noodle without overpowering the pasta. With so many people pressed to cut corners, why not leave the overpriced jarred stuff at the store and pick up the real thing and experience a simple tomato sauce?

Fresh Tomato Sauce
Yields 6 cups

8 cups pureed garden ripened tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 shallots, minced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant for a minute or 2. Add red wine and cook for an additional minute until alcohol burns off. Mix in the tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cook until sauce has reduced in half about 30-45 minutes. Check the seasoning, add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve with pasta or rice.

Hilopites (Egg Noodles) with Leftover Lamb

The saga of leftover lamb continues. Admittedly, I am not a leftover type of girl. I don't plan meals around leftovers, but when faced with large quantities of really good lamb, I can't bring myself to throw it out.

Hilopites are artisan egg based pasta noodles, usually cut into square, that are so simple but so good. A few months back I had a strange craving for hilopites and posted so on facebook. My friend Ritsa, or more specifically her mom, came to the rescue as she recently brought a homemade stash of longer noodles back from Greece. I made those in a simple manner and topped with myzethra. Now friends unfamiliar with hilopites indicated, go ahead and make some at home. While they have a point, part of the food experience is nostalgia and hilopites made in my kitchen in Michigan could never and likely will never compare to those made in a small village from fresh eggs from chickens that are part of the family. These noodles bring me back to my childhood and no commercially made product could do so.

Topped with braised lamb from the pressure cooker, I hit two birds with one stone- fulfilled my need for hilopites and used up some lamb.

Hilopites with Braised Lamb

Serves 2

1 cup roasted lamb slices

1 cooked lamb bone

1 small onion minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

3 cups of water

1 teaspoon better than bouillon (optional)

2 bay leafs
pinch of cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper

grated kafalotyri or romano cheese

In a large pressure cooker with the lid off, heat olive oil and add minced onion. Cook for a few minutes. Add tomato paste, cinnamon, bay leaf and nutmeg. Cook for an additional minute. Deglaze with wine. Pour water and dissolve the better then bouillon. Add lamb bone and lamb pieces. Cover with lid, bring to pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Release pressure and carefully strain and place lamb pieces and bone to the side. Bring strained liquid to a boil, check the seasoning, if needed, add some salt and pepper and add hilopites. Cook for an additional 10 minutes until noodles have absorbed most of the liquid. Plate and top with lamb pieces and top with salty cheese such as kafelotyri or romano.

Tortellini Fontina Salad

I have no business making a cold pasta salad during the month of March in Michigan. I am begging for the weather Gods to dump lots of snow and ice. Regardless it's been a long and ridiculous winter. Yes I am a grown woman and consciously elected to live in a cold state but this winter was just too much. This is a relatively basic salad that could use whatever green vegetables one has on hand. Peas are my favorite and call out spring. To save time one could use a bottled dressing but I think homemade allows you to control the vinegar or acid. Store bought dressings usually are to white vinegary for me.

Tortellini:

1 16 oz. package of tri-colored tortellini cooked per package instructions

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas cooked and cooled

1/4 fontina cubed

1/4 cubed grated parmesan

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Dressing or sustitute 2 cups of bottled Italian Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon shallots

pinch of red pepper flakes

Prepare tortellini per package instructions. Meanwhile heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in saute pan, add tomatoes season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until tomatoes brown slightly. Heat peas per package instructions and drain well. Cube the fontina, grate the Parmesan. Drain tortellini and rinse with cold water. Ensure all water is removed. Combine pasta, tomatoes, peas and cheeses. For the vinaigrette, combine olive oil and vinegar add the shallots. Mix the pasta mixture with the vinaigrette. Allow to cool at room temperature and refrigerate overnight.

Toasted Orzo Bake

Orzo is a versatile easy to cook with pasta that resembles rice on steroids. I am not a fan of rice unless sushi or aveglemono are involved. This is an easy weeknight meal... asparagus may be substituted for peas or spinach...  bacon for chicken sausage... marsala for white wine. Top with provolone or my husband's favorite goat cheese and you are all set. 

Ingredients

1 cup orzo

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups of chicken stock

2-3 slices cooked bacon

5 cooked asparagus stalks

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

2-3 slices of provolone 

splash of dry marsala wine

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a medium pot melt the butter, toast orzo over medium heat until slightly brown, slowly add splash of marsala cook for a minute add chicken stock and cook for about 3 minutes less then suggested cooking time. Combine orzo, parmesan, asparagus and bacon in a casserole dish. Mix to combine and top with provolone bake for 15-20 minutes

Barefoot Blogger: Real Spaghetti and Meatballs

Pasta is one of my favorite things and I am always looking for new tricks. One of the best new tricks is trying a different approach to a classic. This recipe is very similiar to my usually spaghetti and meatballs and I found the flavors really fresh and simple and sometimes that's all you really need. I found the meatballs a little on the bready side but that allowed to soak up a really mild sauce. My guests and I really enjoyed and I followed the recipe to the tee.












Recipe: Ina Garten from Food Network Website

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For serving:nocoupons
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

Beef Short Ribs Youvetsi

Greeks tend to be food purists there are something you don't mess with, youvetsi (aromatic braised lamb with orzo) is one of those dishes. While there is certainly nothing wrong with the tried and tested original, I thought beef short ribs sans the aromatics would be an interesting twist. Now my mother thinks I am insane as in her opinion, I mean gospel, youvetsi must have aromatics such as cinnamon and allspice and certainly can not have carrots and celery and she almost lost it when I mentioned wine, port and balsamic vinegar. She insisted I call this something else but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and I am just as stubborn as she she, as the basic definition of youvetsi refers more to the pot and cooking in an oven more than the actually ingredients.

Rarely can one really claim a recipe as there own. I scoured many sources to put together ingredients I thought would hold true to the spirit of youvetsi. My mom would call bull shit but luckily she is not computer savvy. My previous attempts at short ribs used just red wine and the flavor fell a little flat. There is a lot of fat in short ribs and something needs to cut through that strong flavor, enter port wine and balsamic vinegar.

I was especially excited to use Port wine as Chris and I visited Portugal in 2005 and acquired a few bottles in the town of Sintra. Each time I use this in a recipe it bring me back to an amazing place. The final product with thyme and wine and long cooking time was so flavorful and satisfying. This dish was certainly worth the argument over authentic youvetsi and I promise I will make the original real soon and you can be the judge.

Ingredients
2 servings
2 lbs. beef short ribs cross cut
1/4 olive oil
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 small onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 ribs of celery chopped
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
4 springs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 port wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1/2 cold water
1/4 cup tomato puree or paste (optional)
2 cups orzo



Directions
-Rinse ribs and remove from the fridge at least and hour before cooking. Season with pepper and chopped thyme, add salt prior to searing.
-Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
-Heat olive in heavy bottomed vessel that holds at least 6 qt. In small batches sear the ribs on each side and remove from pot.
-Add carrots, onions, celery, thyme springs, bay leaf cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until softened.
-Deglaze veggeis with red wine, port wine and balsamic vinegar, scrap up bits and reduce this by half.
-Add beef broth, tomato puree and water, bring to a rolling boil, add short ribs cover with tight fitting lid and place in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
-Ribs at this point should fall off the bone, remove beef and bones, strain liquid mixture and make sure to press down on veggies.
-Add orzo to strained liquid and cook in oven for an additional half hour.

Macaronia Me Kima (Greek Bolognese)

Hands down one of my favorite things to eat. I am so picky about meat sauce I rarely even order at a restaurant. I can not stand large chunks of ground meat, it's just not a great texture. This is a classic Greek dish and the Kima (aromatic meat mixture) is used in pastitsio and mousaka. Aromatic spices such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice along with bay leaf give the sauce a distinct flavor and a nice alternative to herb based meat sauces. Greeks generally use grated onion in most sauce dishes, this approach I think is very unique and flavors the sauce so that the liquids pick up the onion flavor and one doesn't bite into chunks of onion of garlic rather, it creates the background of the sauce.
The pasta is the Greek Misko brand found at most ethnic markets. While I normally cook pasta al dente, this one needs to be fully cooked. The first time I made this for my now husband, he was so happy with the dish he said it rivaled his mom's and for a Greek boy that is significant, he to this day sites it as a favorite. I was, gasp, out of any real good Greek cheese like mizithra, kasseri or feta, so I skipped the cheese all together. Cut me some slack, it's like Antarctica out there.


Ingredients
1 lb. quality ground sirloin or 1/2 lb. ground sirloin, 1/2 lb. ground lamb
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1 cup of tomato puree
1/2 cup of water
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of table salt
1/2 tablespoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of freshly ground nutmeg
dash of freshly ground all spice
2 bay leafs
1 500g bag of Misko #5

Directions:
1.) Bring to a boil a large pot filled with cold water and cook pasta per package directions.
2.) Grate one small onion and one clove of garlic
3.) Heat 2 tbl. olive oil in large pan, add onion and cook for 1-3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

4.) Brown the ground sirloin for a few minutes add spices and wine, cook for an additional minute until alcohol evaporates.

5.) Add tomato paste and mix in, add tomato puree and water. Mix thoroughly and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes on low. Check seasoning.

6.) After draining pasta, add 2 tbl. olive oil to pasta pot. Heat oil for a minute and add pasta, turn off the heat. Pasta will sizzle, place on plate and serve with sauce mixture.

Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce

Penne A la Betsey

Recipe from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

1 box Penne or Rigatoni or both

1 8oz can of tomato sauce

1 small onion or 2 shallots

1 clove garlic

1/2 glass of white wine

1 cup heavy cream (room temp.)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons salted butter

3 springs of parsley

freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1.) Cook pasta per box directions make sure pasta is al dente

2.) Chop onion and mince garlic

3.) In deep frying pan over medium heat olive oil and butter and add the chopped onion with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until onions are translucent.

4.) Add garlic and cook for another minute, watch the heat so garlic d/n burn.

5.) Degalze with white wine and cook until alcohol evaporates

6.) Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper and mix well. Let simmer for 2 minutes turn the heat to low.

7.) Slowly pour in heavy cream and mix well. Ensure sauce is heated through. Turn off the heat and add parsley.

8.) Pour cooked pasta in a large bowl and add the sauce.

9.) If you really want to clog your arteries garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, hell feta would even work.

Kali Orexi