Vietnamese Pork Salad

A colleague at work asked me on Monday if I was still posting recipes on my blog. I stumbled over my words a bit before I finally blurted out the honest truth:

"Not really."

"Why?"

I had to think about it for awhile to determine the reason behind my lack of food-related posts, my silence on the blog in general, really.

"Well," I started. "I've been writing about other topics lately and it seems I have a greater readership when I'm NOT writing about food. And to be quite honest," I continued, "I haven't really cooked anything good and worthy of sharing all summer."

Yikes. It's true but I didn't really like the sound of it as it rolled off my tongue. What have I been feeling my family? A lot of mediocre, apparently.

In my defense, we traveled a whole heck of a lot over the summer so many of my meals were at the mercy of the camp stove. But as I thought further about my lack of cooking creativity lately, I realized just how claustrophobic I have felt all summer long. When we weren't traveling (or packing for the next trip!), I was either working or clawing desperately for a minute to myself. I felt very much at the mercy of everyone else but me. In case you are in need of a visual, a friend shared a with me a little video clip that very much depicts with striking similarity what my summer hours at home looked like, me and my desperate pursuit for alone time:

Needless to say, it is VERY hard to do anything, creative or not, with littles underfoot. I'm still looking for my groove, searching for how to be a mom of school-aged kids (and maybe more importantly, how to survive the summers when they aren't in school!!!) But now that school is back in session, I'm very hopeful my kitchen will be pumping out delicacies again in the weeks and months to come. Thankfully, my youngest is pretty keen with the whisk so I'm sure he and I will spend a lot of our waking hours cooking while the big girls are in school. Hopefully we will have some successes that we can share in this space!

I did make one hit dish this summer that I'm excited to post. My garden, much like my kitchen, wasn't quite as happy this year as last, but I did manage to have great success in the herb and summer squash department, which is how I landed on this recipe. It is super fresh, herbaceous, and the kids were happy because it featured "pasta" (i.e. rice noodles). My husband took his first couple bites and exclaimed "You should definitely add this one to your rotation!"

Good man.

Nevermind that I made the very same dish the following week and his reaction was "Is this a new recipe?" Some memories, even good ones, can sometimes be short-lived. ;)

I tweaked the original recipe to feature a full pound of meat to make it a bit more filling (and so that you'll use up an entire package of ground pork rather than being left bewildered with a couple ounces in hand). If you are cooking for kiddos, I'd recommend holding the sriracha sauce in the dressing and serving it on the side instead for the spice-lovers. Feel free to play around with your ratios of lettuce and veggies and even get creative and substitute snap peas or blanched green beans when they are in season. Also, get generous with the fresh mint and cilantro and load up on the peanuts too. Serve the salad with a slice of fresh lime for squeezing and juicy watermelon wedges. Of note, the recipe can be gluten-free if prepared with gluten-free fish sauce for those of you who can't have gluten. Happy cooking and eating and I hope to be back with another yummy kitchen success sooner rather than later!

Vietnamese Pork Salad
(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

8 ounces uncooked rice vermicelli noodles
1 pound ground pork
12 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 teaspoons Sriracha
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup diagonally cut seeded cucumber
1 cup diagonally cut or julienned carrot
1/2 cup diagonally cut yellow squash
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Cook rice vermicelli according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring to crumble. Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and oil in a bowl; add to pan. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.

Combine remaining 10 tablespoons juice, remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, peanuts, green onions, and Sriracha in a bowl. Arrange lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and squash on a large platter. Top with noodles, pork mixture, cilantro, and mint. Drizzle juice mixture over top.

Serves 6

Pasta Bolognese

My constituents asked me to make Pasta Bolognese this week. It is one of our very, VERY favorites and has been for years. It always feels like somewhat of a special occasion when it's the meal on deck. I can send my husband a picture of the sauce simmering on stove and it has the same effect as if I would have texted him the words "I love you."

This week, I went to my blog to look up the recipe to make sure I had all the ingredients I needed to throw it together and was horrified to realize I HAVE NEVER POSTED IT ON MY BLOG. How could this be? This, one of our top pastas! I'm so sorry to have held out on you.

I think it's fair to claim that, at this point, we are Bolognese connoisseurs. I made this dish for the first time pre-kids, when our addiction was just in it's beginnings. My husband and I went though a phase where we ordered Pasta Bolognese every time it was on the menu. You may think I'm kidding but we were mildly obsessed. We loved my version but somehow got the crazy idea in our heads that it was our mission to find the absolute BEST version out there. Over the course of 5 years, I'll bet we ordered the dish at restaurants upwards of 30 times. Each time we'd raise our glasses in cheers and take a bite. And then we would agree that the pasta was good but it wasn't quite a knock out. Nothing in the restaurant world quite suited our fancy but it took years before my husband finally spoke these long sought after words:

"Honey, I think your version is the best."

Hallelujah! If that's the only time he ever says that, I can die happy.

I really can't take too much credit myself. Most of it goes to the former Gourmet Magazine and their ingenuity. I have played with their version some, easing the chopping process, altering the meat mixture, and at times adding more vegetables when I'm channeling my inner dietitian.

This recipe is an excellent make-ahead option for nights when dinner needs to happen in a hurry. Take yesterday, for instance. It was the last day in March and us sun-starved Pacific Northwest folk looked at our weather apps in disbelief as temperatures were supposed to push mid-70s. I knew it would be in my best interest to spend the afternoon out in the sunshine, thawing off winter. But my fans had been begging for pasta Bolognese which can take nearly 2 hours in total with its 1 1/4 hours of simmer time. It dawned on me that I could do both. I just needed to start early.

I started at lunch time, first sautéing the veggies and then adding the milk. The recipe follows a stepwise pattern where you add one liquid at a time and then wait until it evaporates to add the next. My older two were at school and the youngest was miraculously napping and so I decided to indulge myself with some sunshine ahead of schedule and ducked out onto my front porch with a book. Between chapters, I popped back indoors to give the sauce and stir and add the next ingredient. By the time preschool pick up rolled around, the sauce was finished and I threw it in the fridge until dinnertime when it would be ready to go with a quick reheat.

This recipe is another great one to bring to others. I'm in that phase of life where babies are dropping like hotcakes and my peers are in need of great dishes to deliver to the new parents. This is probably one of the top 5 questions I get asked: "What is your favorite recipe to bring to others?"

If you decide to make this one, let me be the first to caution you - if you make a double batch (so you can have some for dinner too!) USE TWO SEPARATE POTS. I tried making a double batch in one big kettle before and it didn't turn out well. There were too many ingredient and too little cooking surface area for it to work properly. The liquid ingredients also took FOREVER to evaporate. So, just make it easy on yourself and cook your double batch in two pots side by side. Enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese
(adapted from Gourmet Cookbook)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
4 carrots
4 celery ribs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine
28 ounce can whole tomatoes including juice
1 ½ - 2 pounds dried rigatoni
Shaved parmesan cheese

Dividing into two batches as needed, pulse garlic, onion, carrots and celery in a food processor until finely chopped. Set food processor aside. In large saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil and butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add chopped garlic, onion, carrots, and celery, and saute until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Toss in beef and pork and cook, stirring and breaking meat apart, for about 4 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Add milk and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until most of the milk is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Coarsely chop canned tomatoes and their juices in the set aside food processor (no need to clean it!) Stir tomatoes into the sauce and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 hour and 15 minutes (sauce will be thickened). Season sauce with additional with salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be made ahead and chilled for 2 days or frozen for 1 month.

When ready to serve, bring 7 quarts of water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (about 11-12 minutes) and drain in a colander. Toss pasta with sauce (reheated if necessary) and sprinkle with shaved parmesan.

Serves 6-8 (fewer if you are Croziers - we LOVE pasta!)

Cubanos (or for the layman, Cuban Sandwiches)

It's sort of funny to me that I'm here today writing to you about sandwiches. I was never really a sandwich girl as a child. I tolerated pb and j's and the occasional peanut butter and honey sandwich, sure, but it wasn't like I ever craved one. And it was over my dead body that you would ever find me in the vicinity of a sandwich containing meat and cheese and the works. Bleh. I was the girl who ordered my hamburgers and hot dogs with nothing on them.

Cashiers would clarify "Oh so no onions and tomatoes then? Just ketchup?"

No, Lady. I said nothing on it.

"Not even ketchup?"

Not even ketchup. Totally and completely plain. Appalling, I know.

I loathed mayonnaise and mustard and though I was cool with dry burgers and hot dogs, spread-less bread sandwiched around meat and cheese and the fixings weren't really my thing. So, when I finally "came of age" in high school (read: was no longer homeschooled and got to pack a lunch for the first time in my life), I enjoyed experimenting with all things gourmet. And by that I mean I packed myself plain, untoasted bagels spread with butter and garlic salt. That's weird, right? And so totally delicious! To this day, when I'm sick, this is my go-to: white bread of any variety, slathered with butter and a heavy dusting of garlic salt (but of course now that I've matured into adulthood, I've gone upscale sometimes even toast my bread). I'll let you take one stab at what I lived on during the entire first trimester of all three of my pregnancies....Have I mentioned yet that I'm a dietitian? ;)

Anyway, it's obviously a miracle that I ever turned into the food-loving person that I today based on the vanilla-ness of my childhood food choices. But like I said, I'm an adult now. Which means I like things like meat and cheese. And mustard even. All together! Inside of bread! Crazy, right? I swear the only reason we like things as adults that we didn't as kids is because our taste buds are dying. Whatever the case, I'm just thankful I'm no longer meat-and-cheese-sandwich averse. Because if that were the case, I never would have allowed this recipe to pass let alone touch my lips.

So if you were also the kid who hated mustard and scooted the pickles off to the side of your plate, there is still a pretty good chance you will like this sandwich. Because it's simply nothing short of amazing. Much like a Croque-Monsieur, the Cubano consists of pork (this time a roast in addition to deli ham), white cheese (trade the gruyere for swiss), a handful of pickles and a heavy slathering of mustard that are layered inside a hero roll and pressed and grilled. You may be tempted to use some sort of fancy mustard here but I assure you, the plain, bright yellow stuff is best. You don't need to splurge on the ham or use high end bread either. Keep it simple and let the combination of the ingredients do the work for you. And don't be shy with the amount of mustard you use! I skimped on my first go around and ended up peeling apart my sandwich at the table to add some more.

If you are new to my blog or just happened upon this recipe, it's important to note that these Cubanos are actually a sequel recipe for the leftovers of the Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork that I blogged about here. The roast alone is also most delicious so make it first on night one and then reserve some of the meat for Cubanos on night two. Seriously. (See visual temptation below).

Cubanos (or for the layman, Cuban Sandwiches)

(adapted from people.com)

6 ounces thinly sliced deli ham

Softened butter, for brushing

6 (six-inch) soft baguettes or hero rolls, split lengthwise

Yellow mustard, for brushing

3/4 pound thinly sliced Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork (recipe here)

8 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Dill pickle chips

Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium, and add the sliced ham. Cook for about 1 minute on each side or until brown spots start to appear. Remove to a plate.

Brush or spread softened butter over the cut side of each roll. Add to the skillet and brown the cut side of the bread until it is golden and starting to toast.

Once the bread is toasted, spread each half with a generous amount of mustard. On one toasted bread half, layer the pork, browned ham, Swiss, and pickles and then top with the remaining piece of bread. Repeat this process for all 6 sandwiches. Brush the top and bottom of each sandwich with butter.

Grill the sandwiches in the same skillet used to brown the ham, using a second heavy skillet to press down the sandwich (add cans or something heavy to the top skillet as need to aid with the pressing). Alternatively, use a George Foreman or a panini press, if you have one. Cook sandwiches for about 3 minutes and then turn, replacing second heavy skillet for pressing, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the outside is crisp and golden and the cheese melted.

Slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately!

Makes 6 sandwiches

Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork

I'm going to be completely honest with you right from the starting gate: I make this recipe mostly for the leftovers. The day one dish is delicious too, company-worthy even, particularly if hunks of flavorful, marinated meat are your thing. I love meat as much as the rest of 'em, but I came to the realization recently that I especially love it when my meat is married to a slice of ooey gooey cheese and sandwiched between two layers of buttered bread and then grilled. Meet the Cubano sandwich, the sequel recipe to this roast.

But first things first: your meal for night one. Awhile back, some foodie friends of ours invited us over for Croque-Monsieurs. I said my usual "Yum!" (because everything they make is delicious) and accepted the invitation, naively thinking I knew what it was we would be eating. I was envisioning meat and cheese layered inside bread and subsequently dipped in egg and fried, creating a sandwich-meets-french-toast delicacy. Not quite. At least I got the meat and cheese part right! Anyway, sandwiches aren't typically the go-to kind of meal you invite company over for. Unless they are really, really good. Which of course these ones were. I ate one and then splurged on half of another because, well, I just couldn't help it.

These friends who made us the sandwiches are the kind of people who can cook without a recipe and the results are epic, even on the first go. They use yummy ingredients (which they often try and credit) but it's undeniable that, added to that, is a whole lot of natural skill. When you ask them how they made something, they'll easily recite off the list of ingredients but Lord knows, your feeble attempt at re-creating the dish will pale in comparison. I am one who needs a recipe. WRITTEN DOWN. That you actually adhered to. Otherwise I'm screwed (though arguably I'm getting better!)

After our delicious exposure to company-worthy sandwiches, I began my own personal quest for a version of my own to add to our repertoire. Which is how I ended up with our new family favorite: the Cubano. But first, the means to this end: Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork. I've never been to Cuba but I'm pretty positive I'd love it there. Marinated meat, rice and beans, plantains and mojitos? How could one go wrong?

This recipe is what I picture Cuba would taste like. Fresh citrus juices and zest combine with herbs and cumin to create a delicious marinade for pork shoulder. The longer the pork marinates, the better so plan ahead for this one. After marinating overnight, the pork is roasted in the oven and the fruit juices that have soaked into the meat begin to caramelize, creating a flavorful, crispy crust. The meat is allowed to rest and then sliced into large chunks. It is best served with black beans and rice, sauteed plantains (maduros - recipe to come soon!) and of course a mojito in hand.

Therefore I present to you, what began as "a means to an end" recipe that, as it turns out, makes a mighty fine meal for company just as it is!

Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork

(adapted from people.com)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, smashed

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Kosher salt and pepper

4 and 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder*

In a food processor, pulse orange juice, cilantro, mint leaves, and smashed garlic cloves until everything is finely chopped. Add this mixture to a gallon-size ziplock bag, along with the oil, orange zest, lime juice, oregano, cumin and 1 tsp each Kosher salt and pepper, and shake to mix. Then add the pork shoulder.

Marinate pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight.  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the pork on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well. Roast the pork for 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Roast for another 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degree F. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest at least 20 minutes.

Carve against the grain and serve.

Yield: 6 servings + extras for Cubanos on day 2

*I've used a bone-in pork shoulder too and it works just fine! The bone just makes it a bit trickier to slice and serve.

Pork Carnitas

I am never doubting a 5 ingredient recipe again. I have always run like the plague from any dish toting to be "super delicious" and yet be composed of essentially nothing. THANKFULLY, one friend first told me of the amazingness of this recipe and then another went one step further and brought them to me on the stressful day my 3 year old daughter had surgery this past fall. We were still living with my in-laws during our crazy house selling and buying and remodeling adventure and all seven mouths present that night devoured this puppies. I mean DE-voured them. I immediately asked for the recipe and was so surprised to learn the dish consisted only of five ingredients. Ok, six if you count the salt. Which none of those "5 ingredient cookbooks" ever do. How could something so simple taste so incredibly good? Holy smokes! A little fresh orange juice, a squeeze or two of lime juice, garlic and cumin - these four things are heavenly in combination with a hunk of pork shoulder. But let's be real. This recipe technically contains 7 ingredients because, where would it be without with the pork fat. That succulent, meat-crisping pork fat that takes this dish from delicious to unbelievable. But we don't have to count it as an ingredient because it comes already attached to the meat. Like getting two for the price of one.

It is rare that the entirety of my clan is pleased by what I put on the table. In fact, the other night there was so much complaining that, in a moment of total awesomeness on my part, I threatened to quit cooking for them all together. My six year old nearly lost her marbles and began wailing in her seat, right then and there. I took it as a compliment. Was it my finest moment? Not exactly. But at least somewhere down there I was affirmed that she values my contributions to the table, even if the words coming out of her mouth certainly aren't saying it. Anyway, let me assure you that I am still cooking for my children, even though it sometimes means approaching the table with an imaginary shield to deflect their "opinions" about what I've prepared. We have rules about what they are permitted to say at the table but anyone who has ever been around children knows that having rules and following them are two separate issues. :) 

But I digress....what I'm trying to say here is actually that this carnitas dish is one that we all LOVE. I most recently made it for my middle child's "Night Before School" special celebratory dinner. In theory, the idea behind these dinners is that the child gets to select their own menu. That didn't exactly happen (it was more of a "Crap, I guess tonight is the night before school and all I have left to make in the fridge is tacos" sort of thing) but I talked it up enough that I got her excited. It was so nice to sit back and eat an entire meal without complaints from the peanut gallery! Or maybe it was just the margarita that was nice. Tough call!  

This recipe is great for those days when you're stuck at home for a few hours, maybe during nap time or when you're waiting to change over the laundry. It can easily be prepared ahead of time, the day before or the morning of and I have even frozen any extra leftover meat (when there is any!) to reheat at a later date or to put atop nachos. It essentially takes no special cooking skills beyond squeezing citrus and turning on a burner. Whatever you do, be sure you don't skip the final step where you ramp up the heat, allowing the cubes of pork to sizzle in the rendered pork fat. This is certainly what makes the dish! 

Pork Carnitas

(from Smitten Kitchen)

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

Corn or flour tortillas, for serving
Avocado slices, chopped cilantro, feta or grated cheddar and fixings of your choice

Place the pork cubes in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and enough water to just barely cover the meat. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for two hours. Don’t touch the meat.

After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high and while occasionally stirring and turning the pieces, continue to cook for about 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the rendered pork fat. Let it sizzle in this fat long enough to brown at the edges, turning pieces gently (they’ll be eager to fall apart), only as needed.

When pork has browned on both sides, it’s ready. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve on warmed tortillas with fixings.

Serves 6-8

Spicy Italian Sausage Cassoulet

My husband has declared it sausage week over here. I don't quite know how it happened. Maybe it had something to do with my state of mind during that crazed grocery shopping trip last week. But somehow sausage has been the main course at our table for three nights and running. I must have had sausage on my mind as I went racing through that store. Let me assure you, no one is complaining. Us Croziers love sausage, especially of the spicy variety, swimming in garlicky beans and topped with crisp bread crumbs (read: cassoulet). Cassoulet is a French pheasant dish and we tried it for the first time in, believe it or not, France.

We were in this amazing medieval town called Carcassonne, fortified with a massive wall just like in fairytales. We had read that the region was known for it's cassoulet so we (I) felt obligated to give it a try. The restaurant we dined in felt just as massive as the city, with rustic wood slab tables, cold rock walls and giant beams overhead. It felt like the waitress should come sloshing over with a stein of foamy beer. And maybe she did, but we weren't big beer drinkers back them (I'm still not) so I can't really remember. Honestly, sausage with beans sounded far from exciting to me at the time but I'm a rule-follower and I do what the guidebook says. If cassoulet is what the area was famous for, cassoulet was what we would get. It's all a bit fuzzy now but I seem to remember the dish tasting like, well, sausage and beans, nothing extraordinary. But it was obviously good enough (or at least the memories of that trip were fond enough) to draw us to this recipe when it was published in Bon Appetit Magazine back in the winter of 2012.

 

It has been raining here in the Pacific Northwest and suddenly I've had a hankering for sausage (obviously!!!) and beans too and so this recipe came to mind. Nothing sounds more comforting than a comforting cassoulet, especially when it's as exciting and flavorful as this one. The original recipe called for gigante beans but I have no idea what those are so I have always substituted dried large lima beans. Did you even know those existed?! I always thought I HATED lima beans (and I certainly do hate those horrid little green ones found in bags of frozen mixed vegetables - ick!) but dried limas? They are large and white in color and yummy and readily available in the bean section of your local supermarket.

 

This recipe isn't a quick one but it's perfect for a blustery day when you're stuck at home with napping children and mountains of laundry. You throw together a few ingredients here, let it simmer, add a couple more ingredients, let it simmer and so on a so forth. You certainly aren't locked into the kitchen all day but it does take a total cook time of about 4 hours from start to finish so be sure to plan ahead. Care to join me and make sausage week a real thing?

Spicy Italian Sausage Cassoulet

(adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

 

1 (16 ounce) bag or 3 cups dried large lima beans

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

8 hot Italian sausage links (About 2 pounds)

1 leek (white and pale-green parts only), cut into 1/4"-thick rounds

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3 cups low-salt chicken broth

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, crushed with your hands

7 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs rosemary

Breadcrumb topping:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cups fresh coarse breadcrumbs (from three 1/2"-thick slices white sandwich bread)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

 

For beans and sausage:

 

Place beans in a large pot and cover with water by 3". Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.

 

Drain beans. Add fresh water to cover by 3". Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until beans are just tender but not mushy, 1 1/2-2 hours (time will vary depending on size and age of beans). Drain, reserving 1 cup bean broth.

 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add sauasage and cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 7-8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.

 

Place 2 tablespoons oil, leek, and onion in same pot. Season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and light golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and anchovies; stir 1 minute to break down anchovies. Add tomato paste and paprika; stir constantly until paste is caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add reserved 1 cup bean broth, beans, chicken broth, and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil.

 

Cover and bake until beans are very tender, about 30 minutes. Add sausage (and any accumulated juices) to pot, pressing to submerge. Bake until liquid is reduced and slightly thickened, 40-45 minutes longer.

 

For breadcrumb topping:

 

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add bread- crumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Sprinkle breadcrumbs over beans and drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Bake cassoulet until breadcrumbs are browned and liquid is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes. Sprinkle parsley and lemon zest over just before serving.

 

 

Serves 8



Sautéed Sausage with Grapes and Broccoli Rabe

Thursday was a really big day for me. I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from work to "pick up a couple things" and managed to throw together a menu on the fly and buy food for the entire week. THE ENTIRE WEEK! I realize this accomplishment is leaving some of you unimpressed. But for this Type-A-Black-and-White-Rule-Following-Plan-Aheader, it was a miracle and it left me giddy for days.

To be clear, I had a strong motivator. It was a crazy week with my in-laws out of town and a jam-packed schedule for us and the munchkins. Then life froze and we all held our breath for 24 hours when we learned that my newborn nephew was being admitted to Children's Hospital. I wanted so desperately to drop everything and be there but I felt so helpless. My offer of "assistance" these days comes with three other smaller pairs of hands (and mouths!) that usually add more chaos and noise than calm. So I expressed my desire and willingness to do everything I could think of and then prayed and sat tight.

Praise God, my nephew was released home from the hospital the following day and there was much celebration as we all breathed a huge sigh of relief. This brings us to Thursday and my blog-worthy grocery shopping accomplishment. So, there might have been just a wee miscommunication between my brother-in-law and I when I got the call that they were being discharged. I think I was shrieking with excitement when I heard the news so it's understandable. He might have told me that they were coming to our place for dinner that night to kill time until my nephew's prescription was ready to be picked up back at Children's. What I heard? They were coming here straight from the hospital to live with us for 10 days until my in-laws returned. Same difference.

And so I grocery shopped. A little bit like a crazy person.  I'm laughing now because, though we would have been totally willing and thrilled to care for my dear brother-and-sister-in-law in this way, it would be so uncharacteristic of them (and most people, really...) to spontaneously decide to stay for a week and a half. But, the good news? We now have a full fridge and plenty of food for the spur-of-the-moment guest or two (or twelve!) who might pop in between now and Friday.

So how does this all relate to Sautéed Sausage with Grapes and Broccoli Rabe? Ah, yes, let me tell you. It's amazing, as one who is constantly trying new recipes, that when posed with the challenge of coming up with 7 meals on the fly, I can draw a complete blank. This is what happened when I pulled into the Fred Meyer parking lot on Thursday afternoon. I couldn't literally think of nothing to cook. After spending about 5 paralyzed minutes in the driver's seat, I decided aww, screw it and made a bee line for the door, hoping it would just come to me. People have always tried to tell me this but the planner in me claims it won't work and I've always resisted: sometimes individual ingredients really do inspire main dishes.

Case in point: broccoli rabe.

I've been making this dish for nearly 2 1/2 years now and would you believe that this is only the second time I've ever been able to find broccoli rabe? That would be why this recipe took center stage on my weekly menu when I saw this bunch of green stuff at my ghetto *cough* I mean local Fred Meyer of all places. I have searched far and wide for broccoli rabe after discovering it at a produce stand years back. Alas, it is truly hard to come by (at least where I live) and so I've settled upon broccolini (or baby broccoli which you can find at both Trader Joe's and Costco) as a solid substitute.

Now that I have you all scary that you won't even be able to find the ingredients needed for this recipe, do not fear! It truly is delicious with broccolini too. When substituting, use 2 bunches of broccolini and par boil them whole in a large pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes instead of 1 1/2 minutes stated in the recipe. Drain and rinse with cold water and then coarsely chop. Also, though my picture (and the original recipe) would tell you otherwise, I recommend red grapes over green for their sweetness. Broccoli rabe has a slight bitterness to it that requires the sweetness of the grapes and the saltiness of the shaved parmesan to achieve a perfect balance. On that note, be sure to shave, not grate the parmesan cheese to get a good salty punch. Oh and if you're not a fan of bitter things, I'm willing to bet the sweeter broccolini will be right up your alley. 

Sautéed Sausage and Grapes with Broccoli Rabe

(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (4-ounce) links spicy Italian pork sausage, casings removed
6 cups red grapes, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine 
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 3/4 cup)

Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 1 1/2 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Place in a large bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage; cook for 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add grapes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook for 2 minutes or until grapes begin to soften. Add sausage mixture to broccoli rabe.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add wine; cook 2-4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, sausage mixture, and vinegar. Toss to combine; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese; serve immediately.

Serves 6

Pasta alla Norcina

Guys! So I totally made my own sausage! As in made my own sausage. I know, right? You're really super impressed. Either that or you have stopped reading entirely, declaring me out of touch. I promise it isn't as hard as it sounds. It's not the pipe-into-a-casing kind of sausage. It's the much more doable squash into a patty kind. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that, though this dish has made a bi-monthly appearance at our table for quite some time now, this was actually the first time I have ever prepared the recipe. My husband, my canned-soup-used-to-equal-dinner-in-his-mind husband, was the one to get us all addicted to this masterpiece. He was the one who found the recipe initially and then he's been the one to whip it up and serve it to guests on numerous occasions. Without fail, they look at me and swoon and applaud and I bask in it all until my conscience can no longer stand the unfair praise and then I blurt out "I can take no credit! Graham played chef tonight."

We love this recipe so much that I actually pulled out one of my kitchen boxes from our tower of belongings that are currently taking up residence in my in-law's garage. I needed to unearth my food processor. Needed to. So that I could prepare this recipe, of course. If you don't have a food processor, it is possible to still make this recipe, it just takes some fine chopping skills and I'm lazy and have three kids and don't really have a spare second I care to dedicate to mincing mushrooms and so I cheat. 

The recipe is a little more involved than simply boiling pasta water and heating sauce, but my mini sous chef and I still managed to put it all together in under an hour. This was another 9 AM make-ahead beauty that reheated nicely when the dinner hour finally rolled around. If you don't have orecchiette pasta (which I forgot to buy this time around), any small noodle with a nice curve to hold the meaty sauce will do. 

I wish this dish sported some amazing nutritional component but there really isn't much I can tote other than that it is 100% amazing and everyone is 100% happy when it's on the menu. I've often thought some sautéed kale would be a lovely addition but so far I haven't had the guts to mess with such a good thing. The dish is light and creamy and totally lovely paired with a glass of chilled white wine. It can be dressed up for company and it's also perfect for a casual weeknight dinner. Enjoy!
 

Pasta alla Norcina
(from Cooks Illustrated)
 

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

8 ounces ground pork

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed

7 teaspoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 pound orecchiette

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (3/4 cup)

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

      Grease large dinner plate with vegetable oil spray. Dissolve 1⅛ teaspoons salt and baking soda 4 teaspoons water in medium bowl. Add pork and fold gently to combine; let stand for 10 minutes.

 

Add 1 teaspoon garlic, 3/4 teaspoon rosemary, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to pork and smear with rubber spatula until well combined and tacky, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer pork mixture to greased plate and form into rough 6-inch patty. Pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add patty and cook without moving it until bottom is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip patty and continue to cook until second side is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer (very center of patty will be raw). Remove pan from heat, transfer sausage to cutting board, and chop into 1/8- to 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer sausage to bowl and add cream; set aside.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.

While pasta cooks, return now-empty skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, mushrooms, and ⅛ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, and ½ teaspoon pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until completely evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in sausage-cream mixture and ¾ cup reserved cooking water and simmer until meat is no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in Pecorino until smooth.

Add sauce, parsley, and lemon juice to pasta and toss well to coat. Before serving, adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6

 

Sort of Thai Noodles

This won't be the first time I've mentioned my love of Ruth Reichl's book Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise. Have you read it yet? If your answer is no, then close your laptop, put away your phone, QUIT READING THIS BLOG AND CHECK IT OUT AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. Or download it on your kindle or whatever newfangled reading mechanism you are using these days.

Believe or not, Ruth, the former editor in chief of Gourmet Magazine, is not paying me for this blatant endorsement of her memoir. I just love it that much. Or at least I did when I first got my hands on it 7 years ago. Truth be told, I haven't touched it since (and maybe I should go and re-read it before I talk it up so much??) All I know is that it unearthed a previously-undiscovered secret aspiration to be a food critic. This was a slight diversion from my former desire to be in the FBI. Because, as we all know, being in the FBI looks just like it did for Sandra Bullock (my hero!) in Miss Congeniality.

ANYWAY....so, until I am able to land my more mature dream job as a food critic, I'll just live vicariously through Ruth in the pages of her book. If you love cooking and "foodie novels" as the term goes, the book is worth checking out. It's pages are laced with recipes, a few of which have made an appearance on my table more times then I can count.

This recipe is one of them. It is Ruth's Americanized take on Pad Thai and it is always a hit when I serve it to guests. It's versatile in that you can use whatever sort of ground meat you have on hand. I have had good success with pork, beef and turkey though pork is definitely my favorite.

I adapted the recipe proportions to utilize a full pound of rice noodles and a full pound of ground pork because it drove me nuts having half a package of each left as would happen with the original recipe. The larger scale of my recipe makes it a great go-to when company is coming. The trickiest part is finding a skillet or sauté pan big enough. Making room to cook the eggs as directed is also a little challenging but basically you just need to get them softly scrambled and then they will cook the rest of the way when tossed with the hot noodles. The visual presentation at that point will leave something to be desired but then you sprinkle it with chopped peanuts and slices of lime and voilà - it looks amazing!

 

Sort of Thai Noodles

(adapted a smidge from Ruth Reichl)

 

1 pound thin rice stick noodles

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground pork
8 scallions, white and tender green parts, sliced into 1/2-inch lengths
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 limes (juice only)
1/2 cup salted peanuts, ground or finely chopped
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges, for garnish
Chili sauce, such as Sriracha, for garnish

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the dried noodles in a large bowl and pour the hot water over to cover for about 20 minutes or until soft, then drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce and vinegar. Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, just until they change color, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the garlic to the wok, and as soon as it starts to color and get fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the pork and half of the scallions. Cook just until the pork loses its redness, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the drained noodles and mix quickly. Add the fish sauce mixture, reduce the heat to medium and cook 5 to 8 minutes or until the noodles have absorbed all the liquid.

Clear an area of the wok and crack 2 eggs into it, breaking the yolks. Tilt the wok to get as thin a sheet of egg as possible and scramble just until set, about 1 minute. Then mix the egg into the noodles. Repeat with the remaining egg. Add the shrimp, remaining scallions and red pepper flakes and mix thoroughly. Add the lime juice and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Transfer the noodles to a platter and top with a sprinkling of peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, the remaining peanuts and chili sauce on the side.

 

Serves 8