Bolognese

Posted on September 23, 2013 by poulosc

I’ve come to a theory recently about cooking. If your mother is a fabulous cook, you either 1. learn all her secrets and turn out to be an equally fabulous cook or 2. you avoid the kitchen at all costs – your mom’s a fabulous cook you will never compare.

I wouldn’t say I fall into the second camp, but I will say it took me a bit longer to blossom into a cook myself because mom’s food was so good, why would I want to make something for myself?

Now that I’m on my own, I cook with reckless abandon. But I do find myself a little hesitant when it comes to the traditional family recipes.

My mom makes the best meatballs and gravy.

I’ve been trying to replicate hers, but haven’t been able to get the texture quite right. Something’s different. I don’t know, maybe it’s the pot.

So instead of recreating her meatballs, I decided I’d go my own way and come up with a meat sauce recipe or bolognese.

I don’t remember, growing up, mom ever making something like this, so I am relieved of the fear of my dish not standing up to hers.

You will need

1 small yellow onion, diced
2 stalk of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 28oz can tomato puree
olive oil
salt
pepper

Drizzle a heavy bottomed pan with olive oil and toss in the carrot, celery and onion.

Let the veggies cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. You want them to soften and for the onions to turn translucent. When this happens, add in the garlic and let cook for anothe rten minutes or so.

Add the ground beef to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and incorporating the veggies into the meat.

Let the meat thoroughly brown. This should take maybe another ten minutes. Be sure to stir so the meat browns on all sides. Season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Pour in a can of tomato puree. Give a big stir and add more black pepper. Let this bubble for about 15 minutes. You can let it go for longer if you want to make this in the morning and serve for dinner later.

When you’re ready to serve, boil up a pot of water and cook a good sturdy pasta. I used rigatoni. You can use fettucini or penne or any other pasta with a bit of heft. This is not the dish for angel hair.

Top the pasta with the meat sauce

And of course it wouldn’t be a pasta dinner without a sprinkle of parmesan.

Sunday Morning Pancakes

Posted on September 22, 2013 by poulosc

What says Sunday morning more than pancakes?

Maybe bacon.

But for me, it’s the smell of melted butter, warm maple syrup and coffee brewing that just says hang out, relax, and settle in for a Sunday of hanging out and eating.

Everyone should have a great pancake recipe in their back pocket. You really can’t compare homemade pancakes with the ones from the box. Don’t get me wrong, in a bind, box mix is totally fine. But on a lazy Sunday, it’s worth it to make the mix yourself.

You will need

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter (plus more for the skillet)

In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a smaller bowl whisk together the eggs, butter and buttermilk.

The reason for mixing the wet and dry ingredient separately is we want to mix the batter as little as possible. Over mixed batter = tough pancakes. Nobody likes tough pancakes

Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined. The batter will a little lumpy.

Break out your skillet and heat over medium. Let a pad of butter melt.

If anyone is still sleeping, they may start to wake up now.

Using a ladle, scoop out the batter onto the butter-covered skillet.

The batter will start to bubble and the butter will start to crisp the edges. Here, let me show you.

If anyone was still snuggled in the covers, they will definitely be awake now.

Flip the pancakes when the edges are all bubbly and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Plate them up and drown them in maple syrup. If there are still some sleepy heads in the house, place the pancakes on a foil lined cookie sheet and let them stay warm in a 200 degree oven.

Shrimp Feta and Fennel

Posted on September 21, 2013 by poulosc

I’m still all blushy and glowy from all the love yesterday from the SITS community! You ladies all rock and I’m looking forward to taking the time to drop by all of your blogs.

After all the gushing about some of my recipes, I got a little nervous today.

Dinner tonight wasn’t just about me and my fiance. Now, it was about all of you, too.

I didn’t want to disappoint.

I opened up some of my favorite cookbooks and riffled through all the pages torn from magazines.

My palms started to sweat. I started twirling my hair. Bad signs.

And then, I went back and looked over some of the comments you all left me. And one really stood out. Mo at Mocadeaux (check out her blog here) wrote that she loves high impact and low effort recipes.

I started to breathe more evenly. High impact. Low effort. The hallmarks of itty bitty city kitchen cooking.

Then I remembered something the Barefoot Contessa made that we had wanted to try. A super simple, one pot meal that’s packed with high impact ingredients.

I have a tendency to discount any recipe that has more than 10 ingredients. I get overwhelmed. It gets expensive. And, o yea, I don’t have the space.

So dishes like this that rely on a few key, really good ingredients, are a standby.

You will need:

1 pound of shrimp, peeled, tails on
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
salt
pepper
feta

Preheat the oven to 400.

In an oven-safe shallowish pot or skillet, drizzle olive oil and add in the garlic and fennel. Cook over medium until softened.

Pour in the diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and stir. I added a splash of Pastis to bring out the anise flavor. It’s not necessary. You can add a splash of white wine instead if you want. Totally up to you.

Let the sauce cook and bubble for about 10 minutes so the flavors come together. Next up, the shrimp.

I used one pound for the two of us. I also went with mediums. I noticed that the large have a tendency to come out tough sometimes.

Nest the shrimp, tails up, in with the tomatoes and fennel.

Sprinkle the mixture liberally with Feta. Bake for 15 minutes.

The shrimp will turn pink and be cooked perfectly. The fennel will still be slightly crunchy. The tomatoes will create a broth perfect for dunking the shrimp or the bread. And the feta adds the salty bite the dish needs.

Spoon out into a bowl. Pick up a piece of shrimp, take a bite and then scoop a spoonful of tomato and fennel into your mouth. Grab a piece of crusty bread and soak up all of those anisey tomatoes juices.

This is the perfect one pot meal for a Saturday night in.

Happy SITS Day to me!

Posted on September 20, 2013 by poulosc

Today is my 100th post! It’s also my SITS day!

What a lovely coincidence.

If you’re not familiar with SITS, you should be! Check them out here.

It’s a fantastic community of women who offer blogging tips and advice and who support their fellow female bloggers. I’ve found some incredibly inspiring stories, some killer recipes and lots of giggles on the pages of the blogs of these ladies.

I was never one of those girls with lots of girl friends.

I was always really close with my dad (I still am), and with all my boy cousins, I grew up very much a tom boy.

I’m incredibly lucky to have a dad who will watch movies or a football game with me and then come help me pick out my wedding dress. I’m thankful to him for teaching me how to throw a perfect spiral – I never ever threw like a girl. And having such a solid relationship with my dad has definitely helped me have such an incredible relationship with my fiance. Your dad’s the first guy who loves you.

The relationship with my dad is probably why I always hung with boys. All through high school and college, I was always the one girl with the guys. I didn’t understand girls. They seemed catty and sometimes downright mean. My guy friends were fun. And things were just easy with them. It was about laughs not about makeup.

I mean, check out my guys below. Don’t they just look awesome?

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see the value in those female friendships. When you find a few good women in your life, you really *get* what girlfriends are all about.

My first friends were my parents. I think as an only child you just get a different relationship with your parents than you would if you had siblings.

My mom is the person I tell everything. As I’m about to get married, I know my fiance will become more and more my number one confidante, but sometimes, you just want your mom. She gets that when I’m crying, it’s because I’m angry, not upset, and she knows when to push and when to keep her mouth shut (most of the time). I was always baffled when some of the girls I grew up with said they didn’t really talk to their moms. I can’t imagine not talking to her or not sharing everything with her.

I’ve told you I’m an only child, but I never really felt like one. I have a ton of cousins, so I wasn’t like totally isolated from kids. I also grew up with a very close friend, who is as close to a sister without being blood as you can get. I’ve known her since first grade. She’s Jill and I’m Jack. We were definitely meant to be a twosome! She is a beautiful person inside and out.

And we’ve grown up together and changed and gotten married and gotten engaged and moved around, but we’re still Jack and Jill.

And every girl needs a partner in crime. I met mine in high school and she is the nonfat milk in my coffee. We’ve been separated by distance and higher learning (only she knows what that means) but it hasn’t stopped Romy and Michelle. Getting into concerts without tickets is a fine art that we have mastered.

I’m also really excited to have some new wonderful ladies in my life.

My fiance’s brother has a lovely girlfriend, Sam, who is incredibly talented, smart and fun. I’m so so so lucky to have a great relationship with her and with my future-brother-in-law.

And having heard so many mother-in-law horror stories, I’m even more lucky to be friends with my future mother-in-law. She is an incredibly fun and funny woman who should start her own blog. Patty P. has been loving and caring since the day I have met her and has always made me feel like family.

I guess every woman reaches a stage in her life where she realizes that she needs some strong females she can call on as backup, as comfort and as friends.

I’m not just saying Happy SITS to me, but to the women who have helped make me who I am.

Shakshuka – Or peppers and tomatoes and fried eggs, oh my!

Posted on September 19, 2013 by poulosc

This is another dish coming to you from my kitchen courtesy of Cooking Light magazine.

Seriously the latest issue was packed with brilliant ideas and quick fix meals.

We have a fondness of eggs for dinner, so any dish that gives us a new twist on runny yolks on dinner plates is usually a winner in our book.

This one is super simple and super yummy.

You will need

1/2 a white onion, chopped,
2 green peppers, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 large can of diced tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
paprika
eggs

Drizzle olive oil in a large pot and toss in the onions, peppers, garlic and celery. If you look up the recipe on Cooking Light you’ll note that celery isn’t listed. Neither is tomatoes. Well, they say to use marinara. I’m making my own marinara as I go rather use store bought. Remember, it’s all about adjusting recipes to suit you.

Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and simmer over medium until the vegetables have softened.

Pour in the can of diced tomatoes and add a few sprinkles of smoked paprika. Stir and let the mixture bubble and the flavors meld for about 10 minutes.

Ladle onto plates and top with fried eggs.

Tomatoey goodness, runny yolk? Screaming for crusty bread to mop it all up.

Eat Your Greens Soup

Posted on September 18, 2013 by poulosc

When the chill creeps into the air I start thinking of squash and apples and pumpkins. All fall colors to enjoy and to eat.

But I don’t want to forget about the greens. Those grassy, fresh, vibrant colors and flavors of spring.

This recipe has all the great Springy tastes and colors, but the warmth of a soup so perfect for curling up on these chilly nights. It also utilizes vegetables that are green and springy but in season in the Fall.

You will need

4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 pound of green beans, chopped into bite size pieces
1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
olive oil
salt
pepper

Drizzle olive oil in a large pot and toss in the celery, leeks and garlic. simmer until the vegetables soften. About 10 minutes.

Pour in the stock and the water and let the soup come to a boil. Lower and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so.

Add in the green beans and the cannelinei beans and let cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

We were so anxious to eat it that I didn’t get a picture of the soup nestled in bowls. But you get the idea. Top with some parmesan or a squeeze of lemon.

Keep this one in your back pocket for when the winter blues get you down.

Lemon Garlic Basil Pasta

Posted on September 17, 2013 by poulosc

It sounds fancier than it is.

Last night we were both supposed to not be home. But we both ended up at home. For dinner.

And I really had no plan for feeding both of us.

So I opened a cabinet.

And then another cabinet.

And then I rummaged around the fridge.

And I came up with angel hair pasta, olive oil, garlic, a lemon and some basil leaves.

If you have pasta and some olive oil, you can always make a meal.

So here we go, pasta sauce on the fly.

Pour some olive oil into a pan and add two cloves of garlic chopped. Remember, the oil is going to be the sauce, so don’t skimp out here.

When the garlic starts to brown a bit, add in the juice of one lemon and tear a few basil leaves into the sauce. Give a few grinds to the pepper mill. If you want to add a touch of richness, add in a tablespoon of butter.

Toss some angel hair pasta in the sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

A few key ingredients and you won’t panic when you need to whip up a last minute dish.

Chicken Pot Pie – Sunday Night Football

Posted on September 16, 2013 by poulosc

So this was last night’s dinner, but with the Giants poor performance and the rain delay for the ’49ers game, I was in no shape to post this recipe.

Having recovered, I want to share it with you.

Fall Sundays in our house mean laundry and reading and football and meals that simmer in a pot on the stove all day filling the apartment with heavenly aromas.

During the week, it’s all about getting a healthy meal on the table with as little effort as possible. But on Sundays, I like to take my time, to savor the scents and flavors that can occur only when you’re cooking low and slow.

And these kinds of foods lend themselves perfectly to Sunday Night Football.

If you’re team’s losing, you’ll likely want some comfort food. And if you’re watching the game with friends, you’ll want a recipe that feeds a crowd.

Luckily, a one pot meal, itty bitty kitchen friendly, satisfies both.

This recipe is a little more involved than my usual, but like I said, it’s Sunday, a day to relax. And cooking relaxes me.

I love Chicken Pot Pie but it’s usually fatty and calorie heavy. Having just tried on my wedding dress, I really don’t want to eat a full-fat, buttery crust pot pie. But I don’t want some wimpy low fat option either.

Enter Cooking Light’s recipe! I was so excited when I saw this in the magazine. It replaces the crust with some buttermilk biscuits, so you still get that flaky breadyness that we associate with pot pie, but in smaller doses. And biscuits just make everything good.

I was just cooking for the two of us, so my measurements are for 2 + lunch leftovers.

You will need:

half an onion chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 cups chicken broth
olive oil
salt
pepper
herbs de provence
1/4 cup flour

Drizzle olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot – whatever you usually make soup in. Add in the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and let them soften.

Season with salt and pepper and add in the flour. Stir the vegetables constantly until the flour is incorporated and cooked down.

Pour in the chicken broth. Let the mixture come to a boil, the lower to medium.

cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add in the peas and the chicken breast. I just drizzled 2 chicken breasts with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked them at 400 for about 20 minutes. Let them cool and then shred them for the pot pie. Let the mixture simmer for another 5 minutes or so.

While it simmers, prepare your biscuit dough topping. I have a basic recipe I use:

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, cold and diced

Mix together the butter, flour and baking soda with a pastry cutter until the mixture forms pea sized clumps. Then pour in the buttermilk and stir.

I dropped heaping tablespoonful sized dough balls on top of the pot pie filling.

This whole pot goes into the oven at 425 for about 30 minutes. If your soup pot isn’t oven-proof, pour the filling into a baking dish and then add the biscuit topping.

Bake until the biscuits are golden brown (about 30 minutes)

Dish up into bowls and wallow as Eli throws another interception.

Veggie Chili

Posted on September 12, 2013 by poulosc

The best friend of the itty bitty city kitchen is the one pot meal.

Chop everything up, throw it in a pot and let it cook away while you take a hot shower or hit the treadmill or throw things in frustration.

Hey, I don’t judge.

Soups and chilis are great, because you can throw together any old ingredients and usually come out with a pretty good meal.

That’s what I did.

I used 2 green bell peppers, 3 roma tomatoes, 1/2 a white onion, one can black beans and one can red kidney beans rinsed and drained, 1 pablano pepper, olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika.

Chop all the ingredients up so they are relatively similar in size. Drizzle olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot and toss in the peppers and onion. I wanted these to have some time to cook and soften before everything else went in.

When the onions start to brown, toss in the tomatoes and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Last, dump in the beans and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Let this bubble away on the stove on low for twenty minutes or so.

Dish up into bowls and top with grated cheddar cheese.

A big hearty bowl of veggies to make up for the candy bar you ate earlier.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Posted on September 11, 2013 by poulosc

Mama said there’d be days like this, there’d be days like this mama said.

That’s definitely the song for the day.

It’s just one of those days where everything irritates you, and everyone should just stand back.

It’s, in other words, a pasta day.

After a day like this, a steaming bowl of pasta is really the only thing on my mind. Yes, more so than a cookie. (I may have eaten an apple and a bag of cookies for lunch. I told you, it was a day. And the apple made the cookies healthy. For real.)

This is a standby in our house.

You will need sausage (either sweet or hot, or both if you want to mix things up) broccoli rabe and pasta. All the flavoring in this dish will come from the suasage.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the broccoli rabe. When it’s tender but still crisp, remove from the water using tongs or a strainer and palce in a large bowl. Reserve the water. We’re going to cook the pasta in it. 1. Why make more pots? and 2. Why throw that flavor down the drain?

Meanwhile, cut the sausage into pieces. I used 4 links for the 2 of us. I cooked enough for dinner and for lunches the next day. Brown in a frying pan until cooked through. Cue the sizzling sound.

Cook the pasta in the broccoli rabe water. Then toss everything into the bowl with the broccoli rabe and toss it all together.

Spoon out into bowls and top with parmesan cheese. The extra goes in Tupperware for easy grab and go in the morning. You know. In case it’s one of those days again.

Itty Bitty City Kitchen

tiny kitchen, BIG CULINARY ASPIRATIONS

Bolognese

Sunday Morning Pancakes

Shrimp Feta and Fennel

Happy SITS Day to me!

Shakshuka – Or peppers and tomatoes and fried eggs, oh my!

Eat Your Greens Soup

Lemon Garlic Basil Pasta

Chicken Pot Pie – Sunday Night Football

Veggie Chili

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe