Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

Growing up, we had a rotation of regular dinners: ground beef tacos, grilled chicken, pot roast, etc.

But the most consistent meal was definitely spaghetti. Spaghetti was the first meal I was able to cook by myself (with store bough pasta and sauce, of course), without any help and it has always had a homey, nostalgic essence. 

No joke, my sister makes spaghetti twice a week. 

This year my mom made large quantities of garden-fresh, homemade spaghetti sauce with tomatoes from their flourishing garden. She sent some frozen containers back to Fort Worth with me after my last visit and I have finally made use of it! So so good. 

So I wanted to share with you my very simple, absolutely delicious spaghetti and meatballs recipe! 

What You'll Need:
(serves 2)
1/2 lb ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup Parmesan bread crumbs 
1 clove garlic, minced 
1tbsp Italian seasoning 
Sprinkle of minced parsley 
Salt and Pepper to taste
(optional- 1 tsp crushed red pepper)
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 jar spaghetti sauce (store bought, homemade, sent from Mom- whichever you've got!)\
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 servings prepared spaghetti pasta 

What To Do:
Prepare spaghetti pasta. Meanwhile, mix together ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasoning. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Form ground beef mixture into small balls and place in hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides. 

Once browned, drain most of the excess oil. Add spaghetti sauce and mushrooms to the meatballs in the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

To serve, layer pasta, sauce and meatballs into your bowl or plate. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley. Voila! 

Skirt Steak with Balsamic Glaze

**I'm at camp with my students all this week! Hope y'all enjoy some of these yummy recipes while I'm away. I'll try to respond to comments/emails when I get back!**

This meal. It was ridiculously easy. But it looks all fancy schmancy, right? 

When I first saw this recipe I thought- 'What? Skirt steak is for fajitas. You don't eat it like a regular steak.' 

But it totally worked. Just like Martha said it would.

What You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (cut into 2 or more pieces, if necessary, to fit in skillet)
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

What To Do

·  Heat tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high. Season steak with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook, turning once, 6 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest, 5 to 10 minutes (reserve skillet).

·  Add vinegar to skillet, and boil over high until reduced to 1/2 cup, 5 to 7 minutes; stir in any juices from resting steak. Slice steak, and serve with balsamic glaze.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Italian Beef Stew

It's been pretty warm here lately,

but for cooler evenings this stew is a must.

it's chock full of hearty chunks of vegetables and beef

and the broth is so flavorful from being cooked all day

The pictures really don't do it justice.

It may not be pretty. But it was delicious!

What You'll Need:

2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided

2 lb beef round roast

Salt

Pepper

1 large onion, sliced into thin wedges

2 large carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces (split in half if they

8 oz red potatoes, skin-on, quartered

1 14.5 oz can reduced-fat/sodium chicken broth

6 oz tomato paste

1 cup red wine

4 clove garlic, minced

1 sprig rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

2 sprigs each thyme, and oregano (or 1/2-1 tsp each dried)

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 cup spinach leaves, chopped

1 cup basil leaves, chopped

What To Do:

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large pan over high heat until very hot. Cut roast into 2-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper. Add half of the meat to the pan, searing for 1-2 minutes, until nicely browned, before flipping or stirring. Sear for another 2 minutes and use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to the crock. Repeat for remaining meat.

Add onion, potatoes, carrots to the crock pot. Add the chicken broth, wine, and tomato paste (I dropped it in by the spoonful and let it distribute while cooking). Top with garlic and herbs. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

At the end of the cooking time, remove 1/4 cup cooking liquid and whisk in cornstarch until smooth.Stir slurry into the crockpot, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the spinach and basil and serve.

From Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Braised Short Ribs

This is the only photo I have of this dinner.

1) because it was date night and I was trying not to be rude

 and spend more time taking pictures of the food 

than sitting down and eating it and holding a conversation

and

2) because it was really, really good and I scarfed it all down pretty fast.

I'd never eaten, much less prepared, short ribs.

But oh. I will again, my friends.

It's like the most tender, flavorful pot roast

On A Stick.

My only complaint is that because the meat is so fatty,

I found the best way to serve it was to cut the meat 

off the bones and trim it completely before 

returning it to the cooking liquid. 

I didn't figure this out until after it had been served,

 but leftovers were much less hassle after this was discovered!

Also, I don't own a Dutch oven, but I just prepared 

everything stovetop in my large soup pot,

and then transferred it to a Pyrex baking dish 

and covered with foil to go in the oven.

Works for me!

What You'll Need

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
• Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 4 pieces Bacon, Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)

What To Do:

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, bacon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. 

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Chicken Fried Steak and Creamy Gravy

This is definitely not going to fit into a New Year's diet.

But, hey, at least it's homemade and not a processed food?

I enjoy chicken fried steak every now and then 

because it's a homey comfort food. 

Plus the gravy is one of the first things my mom 

taught me how to make and that's pretty special. 

You Will Need:
(serves 4)

4 cube steaks 

1 cup flour

2 eggs

canola oil

garlic powder

salt 

pepper 

1 1/2 cups milk 

1 cup flour

What To Do:

Heat a small layer of canola oil on medium heat. Season your cube steaks as desired- we sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk together eggs in a shallow bowl. Combine flour with seasonings in a separate shallow bowl. 

Dredge each steak in the egg wash, then the flour mixture and repeat. Place steaks in oil and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side. Place cooked steaks on paper towels to drain. 

Return remaining oil to medium heat. Add flour 2 tbsp at a time until you have formed a roux and absorbed all of the oil.  Add milk, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring to combine between each addition, until you have reached your desired consistency. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve hot over steaks and mashed potatoes.

Serve with a salad so you don't feel like such a heifer! 

Rib Roast

So my idea for a good man meal had to include some beautifully cooked red meat.

I thought- why yes, prime rib is a great idea. 

It is also known as a standing rib roast

it's where ribeye steaks come from

and you can get it boneless for easier carving

And then I saw this ad in the Randall's mailer 

a boneless rib roast for 2.99/lb

And I thought- NO WAY!

prime rib for 2.99 a pound??

So I planned an entire meal around this beautiful cut of meat

and the day of the dinner I moseyed over to Randall's

And just stared at the meat counter

Boneless Cross Rib Roast

And called my dad.

"This isn't prime rib is it?"

"Yeah... no"

So I bought the on-sale meat anyway. 

It was a rib roast... just not the lovely expensive cut I was planning for

I let it sit for an hour to bring it to room temperature,

crusted the outside with kosher salt, ground peppercorns

and garlic powder

Then I baked it, fat side up, at 400 for 20 minutes

and then at 325 for about 1 hr 20 minutes,

until it reached 140 degrees internally 

for a beautiful rare doneness

the edges were a little more medium

(meat thermometer=favorite new gadget)

Let it rest for at least twenty minutes, tented in foil

And then I sliced the roast thinly 

(but thicker than normal prime rib is sliced)

And yeah, no one else knew that it wasn't the $100 roast

It was absolutely delicious and flavorful!

and the man-meal-red-meat totally went over well.