While this post is about dinner for two, I am posting my traditional meatball recipe because when I make the entire recipe. That way I can freeze them in small batches for the future. Add a Garden Salad to round out the menu.
Italian Meatballs
Makes 18 to 20 meatballs. Make the meatball mixture early in the day.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
1 cup freshly grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
3 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
3cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
Olive oil
Directions
Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Blend bread crumbs into the meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still, hold its shape. Refrigerate for several hours.
Shape the meat mixture into 3-inch balls.
Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches.
When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp, remove it from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)
For dinner for two;
Place a ladle of sauce in a small baking dish. Place 4 meatballs in the dish. Cover with sauce. Cover the dish and bake in the oven with the ravioli.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup of chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper (optional)
Two 26 oz containers can of finely chopped Italian tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir until well mixed. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook partially covered for 1 hour.
Ravioli Bake
I love that ravioli; i can be cooked this. No more breaking apart in boiling water. If you double the recipe use two baking dishes that can go into the dishwasher. The ravioli need to be in a single layer to cook properly.
Ingredients
2 cups marinara sauce
Half a package of frozen cheese-filled ravioli (25 to 27 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Defrost the ravioli on a plate in a single layer covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom and sides of rectangular baking dish 13x9x2-inches, with cooking spray.
Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in a baking dish. Arrange the ravioli in a single layer over the sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in center.
Make my Chili recipe and serve it for dinner with a salad and chips. Save 1 cup of the chili to make the chili stuffed peppers another night.
4 servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium bell peppers, washed, seeded, and sliced in half
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups leftover chili
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil, and spread olive oil over foil
Sprinkle the insides of the peppers with sea salt, and place cut side up on the baking sheet. I like to rub a little of the olive oil on the bottoms and cut the sides of the peppers.
Spoon chili into the peppers, and bake for 25 minutes.
Top with shredded cheese, and bake for additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and chili is heated through.
Corn with Tomatoes and Herbs
Ingredients
2 cups fresh corn
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups assorted cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the corn,, 1 tablespoon water, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the kernels are tender,3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chives, basil, and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter; toss to combine.
Beef Tenderloin Tips
Ingredients
1 lb tenderloin tips
1 teaspoon steak seasoning {Montreal}
½ cup finely diced onion
4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1-6oz package brown gravy mix
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water
Directions
Mix the steak tips with the steak seasoning.
Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat. Add the butter and oil. Brown tenderloin tips on one side, turn them over, and add the diced onion. Finish browning the steak.. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms, and the gravy mix.. Bring to a boil, while continually stirring. Reduce heat and simmer over low to medium heat until meat is cooked and gravy has thickened about 2-3 minutes.,.
Serve with Baked Potato or Mashed Potatoes.
Peas With Onion
Ingredients
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 package (16 ounces) frozen peas
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add peas and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until peas are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
You can buy rolls if you choose but homemade really make these sandwiches. Serve the sandwiches with pickles and your favorite sandwich sides.
Italian Sub Rolls
6 rolls
Ingredients
Overnight Starter
3/4 cup (85g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm water
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
Dough
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2/3 cup (152g) lukewarm water
2 3/4 cups (326g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt
Directions
To make the starter: Mix the starter ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.
To make the dough
Combine the starter and the remainder of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead by hand, or using a stand mixer, to make a smooth dough.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover it, and let it rise at room temperature until it’s very puffy, about 90 minutes, turning it over and gently deflating it after 45 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide it into six equal pieces.
Roll the pieces into cylinders, 4 1/2″ in length. Flatten the cylinders slightly; dough rises more in the center, so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top.
Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. While they’re rising, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
Remove the rolls from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days.
Easy Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
2 servings
Ingredients
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 oz shaved deli roast beef
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 sub rolls, split
4 thin slices of Provolone or American or Processed cheese, about 1 ounce each
Directions
In a mixing bowl combine the onion, peppers, garlic, oil, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
Spread the vegetables on a stovetop grill pan or large skillet in a single layer. Grill over high heat until they start to brown and are tender, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl.
Place the beef slices in a medium bowl, add just enough oil to coat them lightly, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
Grill the steak slices on the grill pan over high heat, 1 minute, Turn the beef slices over with a wide spatula and cook for 1 minute
Warm the rolls.
Build the sandwiches with cheese on the bottom, meat, onions, and peppers. Serve warm.
Filet Mignon In Mushroom Sauce
2 servings
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 beef tenderloin steaks 5-6 ounces each)
Fresh thyme sprig
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms or a 4oz can, drained
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
2/3 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
With a meat mallet flatten the steaks between sheets of plastic wrap to ½ inch thickness.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and oil over medium-high heat; Add the thyme, garlic, and steaks. cook steaks to medium-rare, a thermometer should read 125°F, 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks from the pan to a plate and cover with foil. Discard the garlic and thyme.
In the same pan, heat drippings and remaining butter over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms and shallot until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until blended; gradually stir in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Return steaks to the pan and simmer in the sauce for 2 minutes, turning them over after 1 minute.
Oven Roasted Asparagus
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches asparagus
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove. chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup Italian seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Break off the woody bottoms of the asparagus and wash in cold water.
Arrange trimmed asparagus in a 13 X 9-inch dish. Drizzle with the oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
Top with breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes.
Twice-Baked Potatoes
2 servings
Ingredients
1 large russet potato, 12 ounces
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 slice bacon cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Brush lightly with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet tray covered with foil until tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
While still hot, slice a thin layer off the top of the potato and scoop the potato flesh into a medium bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch shell all around on the potato shell. Season the insides of the potato shell lightly with salt and pepper.
To the bowl with the potato flesh, add the sour cream and butter. Use an electric hand mixer or potato masher and mix until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mound into the potato shell and bake for 15-20 minutes until hot. Sprinkle with bacon and chives. Cut in half and serve.
Easy Knockwurst and Sauerkraut
Ingredients
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
2 large beef knackwurst
¼ of a large onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Melt butter in a skillet and add the knockwurst. Cook until lightly brown on all sides,Add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Spread the sauerkraut over the knockwurst. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
Crispy Zucchini Cakes
For the zucchini:
1 1/2 pounds of zucchini (about 3 cups coarsely grated}
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the dipping sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream (can substitute plain Greek yogurt)
1 clove garlic, minced, about 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
For the fritters:
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 green onions, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
Directions
Sprinkle grated zucchini with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Place in a sieve or colander over a bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Press down with a wooden spoon to push out more of the water. Wrap the shredded zucchini in paper towels and try to squeeze out more liquid.
Make the dipping sauce:
Whisk together the sour cream, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
Make the fritter batter:
Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the grated zucchini, flour, minced green onions, thyme, basil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine well.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmery and hot. Test the oil by flicking a little flour into it. If the flour sizzles, it’s ready.
Working in batches, drop ¼ cup of the batter into the skillet. Flatten slightly with the back end of a spoon or spatula. Cook, turning once, until browned, 4-6 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining batter.. Serve with the dipping sauce.
This recipe uses some of the leftovers from the post-Rainy Day Pot Roast Dinner.
Ingredients
4 cups chopped leftover pot roast
2 cups leftover brown pot roast gravy
3 leftover cooked carrots, diced
10 oz. package frozen peas
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed.
1 medium onion, chopped
One store-bought 9-inch pie crust pastry
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a deep 10-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Add all the ingredients except the pastry to the casserole. Mix well. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. Unroll the pastry.
Remove the casserole from the oven and lay the pastry on top of the beef mixture.
Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Simple Pot Roast
You will have leftovers and if you like pot pies save 4 cups of diced meat,2 cups of gravy, and 3 carrots for later in the week. Recipe next week.
Ingredients
One (4-5pound) boneless beef chuck roast, tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, grated
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ cup Instant flour {Wondra}
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with salt & pepper.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear on all sides of the meat until browned.
Aff the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and beef broth. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and. place it in the oven for 3 hours or until fork-tender.
Remove the roast to a platter and cover with foil. Remove ½ cup of the beef broth and mix thoroughly with the flour. Stir the mixture back into the pot and cook until thickened. Add salt and pepper if needed. Slice the roast and serve with the gravy.
Oven Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
1 bunch fresh organic carrots about 6
2 tablespoon butter
Slat and pepper
Foil
Directions
Cut the ends off the carrots and wash well. Dry.
Place a large sheet of foil on a sheet pan.
Place the carrots close together in a single layer on top of the foil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with the butter.
Seal the foil on top and on the edges. Place the pan in the oven with the pot roast for the last hour of cooking the pot roast.
Serve with the roast and potatoes.
Garlic and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
6 large baking potatoes (about 4 pounds), peeled and diced
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and pepper
Directions
Place potatoes and garlic in a heavy large pot. Cover with cold salte4d water. Boil over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes.
Drain. Return potatoes to the dry pot. Stir over medium heat until any excess liquid evaporates. Add the olive oil and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the roast.
America is a melting pot that was formed by the hard-working people who migrated here from lands as far east as China and Japan, as far north as Russia and Europe. They utilized American supplies and prepared them in ways that they had prepared them in their homeland.
True American food is a collection of these culinary traditions passed down from generation to generation”.Each culture brought its cooking methods, food, and spices to America. They farmed the soil, hunted game, and incorporated their ways into the food of America.
The Reuben sandwich is a grilled sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread. It is associated with kosher-style delicatessens, but it is not kosher, because it combines meat and cheese. However, the Jewish delis are famous for serving this sandwich.
One story about the origin of this sandwich reports that Reuben Kulakofsky (his first name sometimes spelled Reubin; his last name sometimes shortened to Kay), a Jewish Lithuanian-born grocer residing in Omaha, Nebraska, asked for a sandwich made of corned beef and pastrami at his weekly poker game held in the Blackstone Hotel sometime around 1920.
The hotel’s owner, Charles Schimmel, and his son, who worked in the kitchen, made the sandwich for him, adding swiss cheese and thousand islands dressing, and put the whole thing on rye bread. The sandwich gained local fame when Schimmel put it on Blackstone’s lunch menu, and its fame spread when a former employee of the hotel won the national sandwich idea contest with the recipe. In Omaha, March 14 was proclaimed Reuben Sandwich Day.
Another account says that Reuben’s creator was Arnold Reuben, the German-Jewish owner of Reuben’s Delicatessen (1908–2001) in New York City. According to an interview with The New York Tines’ Craig Claiborne, Arnold Reuben created the “Reuben Special” around 1914.
Bernard Sobel in his 1953 book, Broadway Heartbeat: Memoirs of a Press Agent, states that the sandwich was a spur-of-the-moment creation for Marjorie Rambeau when the famed Broadway actress visited the Reuben’s Delicatessen one night when the cupboards were particularly bare.
Still, other versions give credit to Alfred Scheuing, a chef at Reuben’s Delicatessen, and say he created the sandwich for Reuben’s son, Arnold Jr., in the 1930s.
Corned Beef
Though it’s not known precisely where corned beef was invented, its ties to Ireland run deep. One of the earliest recorded references to the meat product was a Gaelic poem of the 12th century, and the country was the top producer of salt-cured beef for many years. It most likely came about when people began preserving meat through salt-curing. Evidence of its legacy is apparent in numerous cultures, including ancient Europe and the Middle East. The word corn derives from Old English and refers to the coarse, granular salts used to cure the beef
The industrial production of corned beef started in the British Industrial Revolution. Irish corned beef was used and traded extensively from the 17th century to the mid-19th century for British civilian consumption and as provisions for the British naval fleets and North American armies due to its nonperishable nature. The product was also traded to the French, who used it in their colonies in the Caribbean as sustenance for both the colonists and enslaved laborers.
The Original Reuben Sandwich
From Saveur Magazine
Ingredients
3 tbsp. sauerkraut, well drained
3 tbsp. Thousand Island dressing
2 slices dark rye bread
Unsalted butter softened
4 thin slices of Emmenthaler Swiss cheese
4 slices Jewish-style corned beef, or more to taste
Optional for serving: kosher dill pickle, potato chips, radishes
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix the sauerkraut with the Thousand Island dressing. Set aside.
Spread one side of each bread slice generously with softened butter. Place 1 slice on a clean work surface with the unbuttered side facing up. Top it with two slices of cheese, the corned beef, the sauerkraut, and then the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining bread slice, buttered side up.
Heat a small skillet, griddle, or grill pan to medium-high. Melt a thin layer of butter in the skillet, or brush the grill pan with melted butter. Once hot but not yet smoking, transfer the sandwich into the pan and cook, pressing down occasionally with a spatula and flipping as needed, until the bread is browned evenly on both sides and the cheese is fully melted, about 5 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate, slice in half, and serve immediately. Garnish the plate with the pickle, potato chips, and radishes if desired.
My Version Of The Reuben Sandwich
2 Sandwiches
Ingredients
2 tablespoons deli mustard
2 slices of rye bread, lightly toasted
½ lb cooked corned beef, sliced thin, warmed in the microwave
4 oz sauerkraut. warmed in the microwave
4 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 cup Russian dressing
Dill Pickles
Directions
Preheat the oven’s broiler to low, and move the oven rack to the highest position.
Cover a small baking pan with aluminum foil.
Place the toasted bread on the pan and spread it with deli mustard.
Distribute the corned beef slices evenly on top of the bread.
Spread the dressing over the meat and then spread the sauerkraut over the dressing.
Top each sandwich with 2 slices of swiss cheese.
Place the sandwiches under the broiler until the cheese melts about 2-3 minutes.
Serve with dill pickles fries or onion rings.
Enchilada Sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
4 oz container chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons Instant flour
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce or finely chopped tomatoes (low sodium)
1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey
Enchilada Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 lbs lean ground beef (sirloin or round)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn
1 cup jarred salsa
8 flour tortillas (8-inch)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
For the sauce:
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a medium saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes
For the filling:
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, another minute. Add the ground beef and salt. Turn the heat to medium-high, break the beef up, and cook until all pink is gone from the meat. Stir in the corn and salsa and cook until all liquid has evaporated for about 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool slightly. Stir in 1 cup of enchilada sauce into the beef mixture.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil a 9 ×13-inch glass baking dish.
To make the enchiladas:
Place the tortillas on kitchen towels or wax paper.
Spoon 2 cups of sauce into the prepared baking dish and spread it out on the bottom. Divide the filling evenly among the 8 tortillas. Roll up each tortilla tightly and place seam-side-down into the baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over all and sprinkle with cheese. Spray one side of a sheet of foil large enough to cover the baking den with cooking spray. Place the sprayed side down over the casserole.
Place enchiladas into the oven and bake15 minutes. Remove the foil and return the baking dish to the oven and bake for 18 more minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Remove the dish from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.
