The Meg.

The Meg... that movie with the big shark, right? Wrong. This is the real version, the untold story, the one and only... The Meg.

Of course it's a sandwich.

I was invited to a BBQ over the weekend and was toying around with what to bring. There's always so much food, but I need to make sure I tip it over the edge, as per usual. There was going to be your BBQ staples already so I was thinking, why not something different. Then it hit me- a sandwich! Make my own version of a Muffaletta- The Meg. Megaletta, if you will : ) Because I don't really love some of the traditional Muffaletta innards, I reworked things to my liking, feel free to do the same! Basically you'll need some meats, cheeses, something briny (an olive tapenade, for example), and a good loaf of bread. Other than that, go crazy, go on with your bad self.

To all you purists out there, look away.

The Sandwich
-1 14oz can artichoke hearts (8-10 count)
-2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
-6 slices provolone cheese, sliced thin
-8 slices genoa salami, sliced thin
-6 slices ham, sliced thin
-10-15 cherry tomatoes
-2 ft loaf of bread (you can make a smaller one if you want, but why? I used a good crusty French loaf. Make sure whatever you use, it's a hearty bread that can take some oil.)
-3 cloves garlic

The Marinade
-3/4 cup olive oil
-1/2 white wine vinegar (or any other type of vinegar with a good bite to it)
-6 cloves roasted garlic
-1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
-1/4 tsp whole peppercorns
-1/2 tsp kosher salt


*THE NIGHT BEFORE*

(The Marinade)
1. In a small sauce pan, warm the olive oil, roasted garlic (give them a little squish), red pepper, peppercorns, salt, and lemon pepper- do not boil, just warm through.
2. Take off the heat and set aside for now.
3. Take your artichokes and cut them into quarters, if not already, and put them in a container with an air tight lid.
4. When the oil has cooled a bit, stir in the vinegar. You can adjust the amount you use depending on your taste. I like it more on the vinegary side, so I use a lot.
5. Pour the marinade over the artichokes and store in the fridge overnight.

(The Tomatoes)
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place on a sheet pan lined with tin foil.
3. Roughly chop the garlic and toss in with the tomatoes.
4. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Once the oven has reached temperature, roast until soft and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Place in a container and into the fridge overnight.

*THE DAY OF*

1. Roughly chop your marinated artichokes, set aside.
2. Cut your bread in half long ways so you have top and bottom pieces.
3. On the top and bottom, drizzle some of the marinating liquid from the artichokes right onto the bread.
4. On the bottom piece, squish and spread the roasted tomatoes.
5. On top of that, place the shredded iceberg. Salt and pepper.
6. On top of that, lay the cheese, then the ham, then the salami, and carefully top with nice big spoon fulls of the artichokes.
7. Place the top piece on and give it a good squish.
8. Tightly wrap in cling wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge. Depending on the integrity of your bread and how much oil you put on there, leave for a few hours or overnight- let the flavors get to know each other!
9. Slice into the pieces you want and devour!

After making this for the first time, some things I'm learning- I picked a bread with too much "bread" in my opinion, so I think next time I'd like to try this with a baguette! And I think I would have done maybe more than one layer of the meats and cheeses, but that's just me : ) Over all, it was reallyyyyyy good and flavorful and it was a hit!

Who doesn't love a good sandwich? Joey Tribbiani would be proud.

Meaghan

Leeky Lemon Pasta

I know what you're thinking. Meaghan, you crazy lady, you spelt leek wrong. No I didn't. A leek is a vegetable and a leak is what I had in my roof a couple weeks ago... a long and expensive story I will not get into right now because I'm feeling triggered.

ANYWAY

Leeks are a veggie in the onion family, they look like scallions on steroids, and taste divine! This recipe comes from the brains of Bon Appetite and I greatly appreciate them for that! I added some things here and there, but it's all good, you can do the same. The way it was presented in their recipe was this is a cheap but delicious meal on those awful weeks that rent is due and maybe you can't afford to go out and get a 30 pound prime rib roast. This is definitely a cheap treat, and who doesn't like that?!

It's such a simple dish and on this nasty muggy day, simple is welcomed in my house. Even though it might be too hot to cook, at least I'm not baking anything. But simple doesn't have to be boring, these flavors and ingredients pack a punch, you won't even be left saying "where's the beef"... or chicken, or pork. You get the picture. This is also a really good dish to make for company, so gather your most grateful friends and have yourself a get together.

I'm currently submerged in Mad Men. So maybe I picture myself as Betty Draper making this, waiting for Don to come home, probably in the middle of the night. Only to find him not liking it because it's not a ham sandwich, a girl with a mysterious look, or a cigarette. So I sit in the kitchen, in the middle of the night, in my perfect nightgown, chowing down being completely happy! Betty would never, but I'm not Betty.

Let's get into it though, shall we?

-1 lb pasta
-3 leeks
-1 lemon: zested and juiced
-4 anchovy filets (I just used paste, works just as well- 1 tbs)
-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you want it hotter)
-1/2 cup chicken stock (or good white wine, if you have it)
-2 cups reserved pasta water (probably won't need that much, but you never know!)
-2 cloves garlic: finely chopped
-1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
-Olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper

1. Take your leeks, cut off the dark green tops and the very bottoms and slice them in half the long way.
2. Take half of the leeks and slice thin crescents width wise, set aside.
3. Take the other half of the leeks and slice slightly wider crescents, set aide separately.
4. Zest and juice the lemon, set aside.
5. Finely chop the garlic, set aside.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
7. While waiting for that to boil, separately take your different sized leeks and soak in bowls of cold water- be sure to separate the layers well in the water, they are very sandy. We aren't at the beach, we are in a kitchen! Pat dry and set aside again.
8. In a large skillet with a couple tablespoons of olive oil set to medium heat, throw in the thinly sliced leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they are golden and a bit crispy. When these are done, remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
9. When the water for the pasta has come to a rolling boil, salt the water, and drop the pasta. Cook until a minute or so away from being done. (The trick I use is to take a piece out of the water and bite into it- if there is any white in the middle it's not done yet. But in the case, you want the tiniest bit of white in the middle- we are going to finish cooking it later so right now you want a little bit of a bite.)
10. While the pasta cooks, in the same skillet as before on medium heat with a couple tablespoons of butter, toss in the anchovies and pepper flakes to cook for about a minute to flavor the fat, then throw in the chopped garlic, the larger cut leeks, artichokes, and half of the lemon zest, the lemon juice- salt and pepper. Sauté these together for a few minutes until the leeks begin to soften.
11. Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan a bit and let it come to a boil, take off the heat.
12. When the pasta is just about done, put the skillet with the leeks mixture back on the heat and transfer the pasta from the pot to the skillet and incorporate it all together. **Don't drain the pasta, keep the water handy for now- it's a very nifty tool in this situation. If you are going to drain, reserve 2 cups of the water.)
13. With the skillet still on the heat, add about a cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and continuously toss to reduce the sauce- it'll start to thicken and become glossy. Add a little more water if the pasta starts to get too dry.
14. You're done! Plate up and sprinkle the crispy leeks over the top and devour!

This dish is insanely good, filling, and completely satisfying. Even though it might have been a liiiittle too hot to cook, it was worth it. And that's a lot coming from me, the girl who would live in an igloo if she had her choice.

Why make a hot kitchen hotter? Good food.

By the way, I think I could have gotten Don Draper to eat this, no problem. The new Betty, at your service.


Meaghan

Gnocchi

My pasta journey continues. On the menu tonight: gnocchi!

I'm not a potato person, I know, shocking- so I've always kind of kept my distance from gnocchi but it always looks so dang delicious I decided I should just give it a whirl... and I sure am glad I did! These little nuggets of deliciousness came out so soft and pillowly but a little crunchy from being fried, oh man, so good. Excuse me while I wipe my drool. 

I've seen this dish prepared every which way and flavored with everything under the sun. But this time I'm thinking... just keep it simple: oil, butter, and garlic. Sounds good, right? Let's get it.

-2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
-1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1 tbs butter
-4 large garlic cloves
-2 tbs olive oil

1. Peel, chop, and cook the potatoes thoroughly- drain well.
2. Put the potatoes through a ricer or use a masher- just get it really fine and smooth. Place onto a large bowl and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the flour, egg, salt, and pepper to the potatoes, begin to combine the ingredients by gently kneading the "dough" until everything is incorporated.
4. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's all combined and not sticky.
5. Divide the dough into sections. Each section will now be rolled into a "snake" log about 1 inch thick.
6. Cut one inch sections of the snake giving you a bunch of little nuggets.
7. You can leave the nuggets just like this or if you have a gnocchi board, use that.
8. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
9. While waiting for your water to boil, chop the garlic and in a large skillet with the olive and butter on medium heat, crisp up the garlic to your liking. Remove and set aside before they too burnt. Do not discard the oil and butter. 
10. Once the water is boiling, gently plop your gnocchi into the water and cook until they float, about 3-5 minutes. 
11. When the gnocchi are cooked, drain well and put them into the skillet with the butter and olive oil on medium high heat and crisp them up until they are golden and yummy.
12. Off the heat, add the garlic back to the gnocchi and you're done! 

Hopefully you enjoy this all the different ways you can, next time I'm going to try with a red sauce, YUM. I feel like I'm getting some really good mac and cheese vibes from this as well... interesting idea indeed!

Meaghan

Risotto Fo Sho

One thing I hear people gripe about making risotto is that you famously have to stand at the stove while stirring the entire time you're making it. It's not like it's hours, but still, some people aren't into it. I'm pretty sure they have methods now where you can set it and forget it when it comes to risotto, but I'm not about to get crazy with it. I don't mind the cooking, so I'm about to dive in!

I never had a huge desire to make risotto until I tasted it. Let me set the scene. I'm working away in the office of a scary, nearly empty high school at night for a local adult education program. There's a cooking class going on so I'm smelling things alllll night long. I'm intrigued. The instructor comes into the office and sees my unspoken need for food and offers for me to come taste. Obviously, I follow. What happened next could only be described as mind blowing. This risotto was so creamy and delicious and salty- just call me Julie Andrews because that's just all of my favorite things! My instant thought was that I needed to inhale all of it, then I got a grip and just verbalized that I needed the recipe and continued to eat. Recipe in hand, I vowed to at least attempt this dish! I have tweaked it a bit to my tastes, but risotto is a dish you can literally make it with anything you want, so go for it!

So now I can say my first experience with this fancy-ish food was through a cooking class at a high school. Classic.

-1/2 cup Arborio rice
-1 cup white wine
-3 1/2 cups chicken stock
-1/2 cup parmesan cheese: grated
-1/2 lemon: juiced
-2 tbs butter
-1 sweet onion: chopped
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1 bay leaf
-1 cup asparagus: cooked and chopped
-Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the asparagus, set aside (I roasted mine- SO DELICIOUS).
2. In a sauce pot on low heat, begin to warm the chicken stock (better to add the stock to the rice when it's warm). You don't want this to boil, just keep warm.
3. In a larger skillet or pan on medium, melt the butter and begin to sauté the onion with some salt, pepper, and the bay leaf for about 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
4. When the onions begin to become translucent, and add the rice- stir to coat it all in the butter and onions.
5. Deglaze the pan with the wine- make sure you get all those yummy bits of flavor!
6. When the wine has begun to evaporate, ladle in the warm chicken stock one ladle at a time. Add the stock and stir until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Don't let it get too dry and boil, but do wait for the absorption to happen. Repeat this until all the stock is gone and your rice is thick and creamy. This should take around a half hour.
6. Off the heat, remove the bay leaf, add the cooked asparagus, parmesan cheese, cream, and the lemon juice. Adjust your seasonings and stir to combine everything. You're done!

This can be a main dish depending on what you add to it or in my case, it can be a side- whatever you want it to be! I roasted some chicken and that was that! Like I said before though, you can put anything in this dish. I do notice a lot of people are really into mushrooms, peas, bacon, and short ribs to name a few. I'll definitely be adding this to my dinner rotation, it's so yummy and comforting! 


Meaghan

BBQ Chicken Sliders For The Win

This recipe is a descendent from a past New Years Eve menu item- the famous ham and cheese sliders you see all over the internet. Seems you can put anything in these sliders so why not try another version! I have come up with an extremely delicious BBQ chicken version. Who doesn't love melted cheese and meat and bread and sauce! Of course you can fiddle with this however you want- adding onion might be a good one, but in my opinion, these flavors go so well together, why change it up right now?

-1 18 pack of Hawaiian rolls
-1 rotisserie chicken: picked apart- get alllll that meat off the chicken
-1 cup BBQ sauce: divided
-2 cup Swiss cheese: shredded and divided
-1/2 cup pickles (I suggest sticking to bread and butter or dill for maximum yumminess)
-4 tbs butter: melted
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/4 cup parsley: chopped
-1/8 tsp salt
-1/8 tsp pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Remove the buns from their package. With them all still together, carefully cut the entire piece in half so it's separated into one slab of top buns and one slab of bottom buns.
3. In a greased 9x13 baking dish or cookie sheet, place the bottom buns down- cut side up.
4. Spread half of the BBQ sauce on the bottom buns. 
5. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top of the BBQ sauce.
6. Place the chicken on top of the cheese.
7. Put the rest of the remaining cheese on top of the chicken, followed by the pickles, and the rest of the BBQ sauce. 
8. Place the top buns on top- cut side down, so now it's one big sandwich, stuff dreams are made of!
9. In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and mix in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley.
10. Brush the butter mixture all over the tops and sides of the buns.
11. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and pop into the oven for 20 minutes.
12. Take the foil off and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the top is toasty and golden.
13. Remove from the oven and carefully cut the buns however you'd like! 

The amazing thing about these kinds of "roll sandwiches" is that you can literally make them with whatever you want, however you want! Mini meatball subs, Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches, ham and cheese, sloppy joe, chicken and pesto, sausage and peppers, chicken parm, cheesesteak, cheeseburgers (big mac. DROOL), the possibilities are ENDLESS! Plus, sandwiches are better when they are warm, melty, and slathered in garlic butter, right?

I must warn you to be careful as well, it's very easy to eat all of these in one go, so pace yourself you savage! 

Meaghan

A Bit Of Asian: Teriyaki Sesame Chicken Meatballs

I'm a big fan of the meatball in general, my dad makes maybe the best ones I've ever had and probably will ever have! But it's been quite the trend the last few years to try something different: "healthier" options like chicken, turkey, or even some veggie balls! I'm not about to get my veggie on, so I thought chicken would be fun to try. 

I've been on an Asian food kick lately, wanting to make it, wanting to buy it, wanting to look at it, and wanting to inhale all of it- you know, all the normal stuff. So I thought I'd start my little journey with some chicken meatballs with all the Asian flavors I know and love. 

**Note: I'm grinding my own chicken here, if you want to skip this step, buy the ground chicken meat in the store. I'm grinding mine because I'm using thighs, and I can't for the life of me find ground thigh meat!**

Balls
-1 lb chicken thighs- no bone/no skin 
-1/2 onion
-2 cloves garlic
-1/2 inch fresh ginger 
-1 egg white
-1 tbs lemon juice
-3 scallions stalks
-4 tbs vegetable oil for frying
-Salt and pepper

Sauce
-1/3 cup mirin (if you can't find this, rice wine vinegar will work- just not as sweet, add a touch more sugar)
-2 tbs soy sauce
-1 tbs sugar
-1 tbs sesame seeds
-1 scallion stalk finely chopped
-1 tsp teriyaki sauce
-2 tbs oyster sauce 

1. Roughly chop the thighs, onion, garlic, scallions, and ginger and put into a food processor along with the egg white, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until well combined- not chunky, but not pureed. 
2. Shape your meatballs however large or small you'd like and set aside.
3. Put a large pan on medium heat with the oil and fry the meatballs until browned and cooked through.
4. Remove the meatballs and set aside on paper towels to drain any extra oil.
5. Remove most of the extra oil/fat from the pan and lower the heat to medium low.
6. Add to the pan the mirin, soy sauce, sugar, chopped scallions, sesame seeds, teriyaki sauce, and oyster sauce- stir well to combine.
7. Add the meatballs to the sauce and coat them fully.
8. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened and the meatballs have been well coated.

Devour!

Because I didn't want just meatballs, I roasted some broccoli and made some jasmine rice for some sides and boy oh boyyyy, this stuff is good. If you wanted to get really into it, you could make some lo mien and have an Asian spaghetti and meatballs situation on your hands, which doesn't sound horrible either. ORRRR you could incorporate these into some sort of sandwich with some good soft bread, pickled veggies, and a nice aoli. The possibilities are endless, let your stomach guide you, that's what I usually do. These would be really good on some sort of pizza too... ok I have to stop now before I eat my hand over here! 

Next on my Asian cooking adventure... scallion pancakes and maybe potstickers! 

Meaghan 

French Onion Soup Chicken Bake... Literally A Mouth Full

Stop the presses, extra extra, read all about it, and all that jazz. This dish is BEYOND delicious. and I'm already dreaming of when I'll make it next.

While rotating through my many cooking shows I watch, I came across a version of this dish and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. So what happens when I obsess over a food? I must try to make it... as soon as possible. 

This, is my journey.

-3 large sweet onions
-2 cloves garlic
-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
-1 cup beef broth
-1/4 tsp fresh thyme (or just a pinch of the dried stuff)
-4 tbs olive oil divided
-2 tbs butter
-4 oz Emmenthaler cheese (or any other good melting Swiss cheese- Gruyere!)
-Salt and pepper

1. Slice the onions thinly into half moons, finely chop the garlic, and set aside.
2. In a large heavy bottomed oven safe skillet (I used an enameled cast iron braiser) on medium high heat, warm 2 tbs olive oil.
3. Salt and pepper the chicken thighs and cook completely in the skillet. Remove and set aside.
4. Lower the heat to medium low and add the rest of the olive oil and butter to the pan along with the onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. You're looking to caramelize the onions so you'll be cooking these for a while... like 45 minutes, low and slow. Keep at it though, stirring and browning until the onions are very cooked down and caramelized.
5. Add the thyme to the onion mixture.
6. Shred the cheese and set aside.
7. When the onions are just about there, set your oven to broil.
8. Add the broth to the onions and bring to a simmer.
9. Nestle the chicken into the onions and broth.
10. Cover the dish with all that beautiful cheese.
11. Pop the pan under the broiler until the cheese melts and gets bubbly- 2-3 minutes. **Watch carefully though, don't burn it!**

ENJOY!

Even though this dish is completely amazing on its own, I put the chicken and onions over pasta because pasta is a part of my soul. But you could easily put it over potatoes, rice, or even veggies- roasted broccoli or Brussel sprouts would be delish!

This may take some time to throw together and as my roommate so dearly put it "smells like feet" when it's cooking, but it's so worth it and it doesn't taste like feet, I promise! Especially if you don't feel like a soup and want something with some substance, it's perfect. Warm, comforting, sweet, and so satisfying it'll leave you saying "Who needs a man when you have this!!". 

Meaghan

Sometimes, All You Need Is Soup

It's a typical New England February day- rainy, snowy, cold, and grey. I'm about to say something controversial... this is my favorite kind of day. I live for days where it's socially acceptable to lay on the couch, watch tv, and eat all day. And today... was that day. 

On a day like this I get into my day time pjs (it's a thing, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about) and think about what cozy food I want to make! I've had my heart set on soup for a while now and was waiting for the right moment to make it. I decided on chicken noodle, but I wanted something different. After scouring the internet for the perfect recipe, I settled on a mix of a couple and added my own little tweaks and let me tell you... this is the best soup I've ever made and will definitely be my go to from now on. 

-1 tbs butter
-2 tbs olive oil
-2-3 cups chicken (cooked)
-1 can cream of chicken soup (10.5oz)
-6 cups chicken broth
-1 cup whole milk
-2 celery stalks, chopped 
-3 carrots, chopped
-2 medium onions, chopped
-1 tsp lemon pepper
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1 packet of ranch seasoning (1oz)
-1 cup cheddar cheese (get a block of cheese to shred, the pre shredded stuff won't melt correctly- I like New York sharp)
-4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
-8 oz pasta (I used spaghetti)
-1 Tbs lemon zest
-salt and pepper

1. Chop the onion, celery, and carrots into bite sized pieces, set aside.
2. Chop or shred the chicken however you like, set aside. 
3. Shred the cheese, set aside.
4. In a large stock pot on medium heat, sauté the carrots, onions, and celery in the butter, olive oil, half of the ranch seasoning packet, lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper for five minutes or until they start to soften.
5. Once the veggies are good to go, add in the chicken stock, chicken, milk, cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, and the rest of the ranch seasoning packet. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let simmer for 25 minutes- stirring occasionally. (The soup might look a little funky because of the cream cheese but just stir and break everything up and it will eventually become a creamy consistency.)
6. Bring the soup back to a rolling boil. Once the soup is boiling, add the pasta (I broke mine into smaller pieces) and shredded cheese- stir to combine everything. At this point, you want to be stirring pretty regularly so I suggest staying at the stove until the pasta is fully cooked and you're done!
7. At the very end, mix in the lemon zest.

(Little thing I like to do with soups because I like them a bit thicker- turn the heat off and put the cover on and leave it for 5-10 minutes. Perfect.)

Be VERY careful, this soup is the temperature of the sun and will burn everything in your mouth. I know it looks and smells like heaven, but just wait a few minutes. If I can show self control, you can too! Throw in some crusty bread or saltines and you're golden. 

Chicken soup is so many things to so many people: medicine, comfort, love, nostalgia, delicious... they even named a series of "inspirational" books after it! I personally was the proud owner of a few versions... ohhh those teen years.

I know one of the ways I show love is through food, and this soup given to a loved one who is maybe not feeling so hot, going through something, or is just hungry, is probably the perfect use of your energy.

This soup is warm, filling, and oh so comforting so I hope it does your body good on a cold rainy day.

Meaghan

Bolognese

Usually I'm not the biggest fan of meat sauce, but Bolognese has always interested me. My sister always says that she can tell how good a restaurant is by the Bolognese. Is she right? Why is this the control of the experiment? Why is this dish so popular? Veggies and meat cooked down? So many questions! So I thought I'd give it a try and see what all the fuss is about. I'm glad I did...

I've made some adjustments when compared to more classic recipes- I don't use some commonly used spices and I don't use wine, but it all turned out alright! This is a perfect Sunday activity so plan on spending a few hours with this sauce, nothing fast about it.

-1 medium onion
-1 celery stalk
-1 carrot
-3oz pancetta 
-1/3 cup tomato paste
-1 lb ground chuck
-2 cloves garlic
-3 cups chicken stock (separated into 1 cup and 2 cups)
-1 cup whole milk
-1 lb pappardelle pasta (I couldn't find this in my store so I used fusilli lunghi because it was fancy, really any pasta will technically do.)
-Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

1. In a food processor, mince the onion, celery, garlic, and carrot, but don't make it a paste. Set aside.
2. Chop the pancetta, set aside.
3. In a large pot on medium-high heat, warm a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Place the ground chuck into the pot in small chunks (think golf ball). Stir and brown for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Drain the pot of any excess water and fat from the beef and place the chopped pancetta into the pot and cook until crisp (like bacon!). When crisp, remove from the pot and set aside.
5. Keeping the fat in the pot and lowering the heat to medium, throw in the minced veggies, stir and cook until they soften and start to dry out and stick in the pot- around 10 minutes.
6. When the veggies are looking good, add back in the beef, pancetta, and one cup of the stock. Stir to combine everything and start to mash down the little meat nuggets into little bits. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Add the tomato paste, stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes so that the flavors start to meld.
8. Pour the remaining two cups of stock and the cup of milk into the pot and reduce the heat to low. Stir to combine the ingredients and keep an eye on it now for 2-2 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. You don't want any sort of rapid or consistent boiling going on here, you want the sauce to have a few bubbles here and there... like lava! 
9. When the sauce is just about done it should have tightened up, but not dried up. If the sauce seems to be too dry before the time's up, add a half cup of stock at a time. 
10. Cook your pasta to your liking- DON'T DRAIN THE WATER! When the pasta is done, place it directly into the pot with the sauce. At this point you want to take some of your pasta water and spoon it into the sauce helping it loosen a little while making it thicker at the same time. Add the water until the sauce is to your liking, I added about a half cup. Looking back I think I should have added a little more- so use your judgement. You want it to resemble a sloppy joe mixture. 
11. Once the pasta has been incorporated with the sauce and it's silky, chunky, and beautiful (as I'm often described haha), you're ready to eat! Taste and adjust for seasoning and you're golden. Pour onto a platter or scarf right from the pot : )

This dish is the image of Sunday family dinners: warm, comforting, and tastes like the potential of drama with one wrong look across the table. I know I'll be making it for my family dinners, I hope you make it for yours! 

Meaghan 

Homemade Pasta Is The Best Made Pasta

Pasta is my obsession. My love language. My cup of tea.

I’ve always wanted to make fresh pasta, I tried once and failed miserably. This time I was determined. And what do you know, nailed it. The first time I made this was for my roommate and myself. I was insure of the proper cooking technique- "when it floats it’s done". Honey, it floats the second you put it in the water! Anyway, I went along with it. I paired it with a yummy Alfredo sauce and oh my LORD. You will never want to go back to dried boxed pasta again. The fresh stuff is so unbelievably light and fluffy and has a great chew. If it wasn’t such a process, I’d have it every day! Also, in case there are any other fat kids out there- you can eat so much more of the fresh pasta! Because it's so light and just made up of simple ingredients you won't fill up and feel nasty. Before you know it, you’ll feel like you’re at a villa in Tuscany snapping your fingers at Francesco- the scantily clad pool boy, to come fill your glass with prosecco!

I come to you with a wonderful, nay, amazing, recipe for homemade pasta. Trust me when I say, this dish is garunteed to impress. Yes, it takes a couple hours, but when you see your guests display the look of pure nirvana on their faces... it’ll be very worth it. Unfortunately, you will need a pasta attachment for your mixer, a counter pasta crank, or some other contraption to ensure the dough is rolled thin enough (for this recipe I’ll be using the pasta attachment for my KitchenAid mixer- both the flat and spaghetti).

-2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
-4 eggs
-1 tsp kosher salt
-water as needed

1. Put all ingredients into the mixing bowl.
2. Using the dough hook on the lowest speed, mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated into a soft, slightly sticky dough ball. (Here is where it gets a bit tricky. You'll have to keep using a spatula to help incorporate the mixture. Once everything is kind of together, start dripping in a tablespoon of water at a time until the dough just comes together. If you overwater the dough, just add in a couple dashes of flour to dry it up.)
3. Once the dough is together, let it kneed for a minute or so until it's smooth and bounces back to the touch. 
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a half hour.
5. When the dough has firmed up, remove it from the wrap and cut into four equal pieces (makes it much easier to work with). 
6. Using lots of flour on the dough, attach the flat roller to the mixer and turn the dial to 1 or the widest setting and slowly feed the dough into the roller. 
7. With one pass through, fold the dough in half and roll through the 1 setting a second time. 
8. Set the dial to 3 and roll the dough through.
9. Set the dial to 4 and roll the dough through (for spaghetti, I like to stop here. If it's too thin, it'll have trouble cutting).
10. On a floured surface, set the rolled dough aside. 
11. Repeat steps 6-10 with the remaining three sections of dough.
12. Once all the dough has been rolled thin, change the attachment on the mixer to the spaghetti cutter.
13. Again, keeping the dough floured, carefully feed each section of dough through the cutter. Setting aside the cut pieces on a floured or cornmeal covered surface. 
14. Repeat step 13 for the remaining dough.
15. Once all the pasta is cut you can either let it dry out or cook it right away in a large pot of boiling salted water- if you let the pasta dry a bit, fluff it occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick together. (I like letting it dry a little before cooking, but I definitely suggest cooking it before storing in the fridge. It doesn't last long as a raw dough when being stored).
16. When you're ready to cook, don't overcrowd the pot and I'd let it cook in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes, but test earlier if you feel it may be done.

ENJOY!

Fresh pasta is seriously the best, in my opinion. The taste is so delicious and fresh and even though it takes a little time, it's worth it. Now that you have the basics down, you can do anything! You could add some spinach juice, or beet juice, or any other flavorings and get fancy with it! Whatever you do, just enjoy it : )

Meaghan

What Do I Do With These Leftover Pecans?!

Candy them, that's what!


I recently made a pecan pie that I had definitely overestimated the anount of pecans I needed. I'm not a huge of just plain pecans for a snack so I needed something to do with them as to not waste them. Then I remembered a time many moons ago I found the most delicious candied walnuts and there is was. Lightbulb.


You will need...

-4 cups pecans
-1 egg white
-1 Tbs cinnamon
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp salt

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F.
2. In a large bowl, wisk the egg white until a little frothy- about a minute.
3. Into the egg white, dump in the pecans and mix until all of the pecans are coated in the egg white.
4. In a seperate bowl, combine the cinnamon, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt.
5. Add half of the dry mixture into the pecans, mix to combine, then add the rest of the dry mixture, mix to combine again. Make sure each pecan is covered for maximum deliciousness. 
6. Dump the mixture onto a sheet pan in a single layer. (If you have an oven the size of an easy bake like I do, you may need to use a couple of smaller pans.)
7. Place the pan(s)into the oven for 40 minutes, stirring half way through.
8. Let the nuts cool at room temperature and you're done!

These are seriously unbleivable and a very dangerous snack. If you have self control, good for you. If you're like me and will try to eat them all in about five minutes, these make great little gifts. Give them away! Keep some for yourself, of course, but share the love. Orrrr if you want to scarf them all down, who am I to stop you. You can use all kinds of nuts for this- walnuts will be my next experiment, I am from the north.


Enjoy!


-Meaghan

Cinnamon Rolls Are Perfect

Nothing says weekend to me like cinnamon rolls. To add to that- homemade is even better. You'll save yourself a mini heart attack and ten years of your life by avoiding the ones in the can, or as I like to call it, the adult jack-in-the-box for obvious reasons. You'll be surprised at how little it takes to make something from scratch! Also, if you have hungry roommates, or I don't know, a family? Nothing beats waking up to the smell of these babies baking.

Makes me think of that episode of The Office where Michael cooks his foot because he wants to wake up to the smell of bacon. Unless you like burnt things, I don't suggest going back to bed while making these, don't be a Michael.

Anywayyyy...

You'll need a few ingredients and a couple hours, but I promise it's SO worth it. If you're an early riser like me, this is a perfect way to spend your morning. 

Rolls:
-4 cups all purpose flour + 1/2 cup flour
-1 packet of active dry yeast
-1/2 cup butter- melted
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1 tsp baking powder
-2 tsp salt
-2 cups milk

Filling:
-1 1/2 cups soft butter
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-3 tbs cinnamon 
-pinch of salt

Icing:
-4 oz cream cheese
-2 tbs melted butter
-1 cup powdered sugar
-pinch of salt
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 tbs milk


1. Heat up the milk to about 110°F.
2. Melt the butter.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the warm milk, melted butter, granulated sugar and yeast. Stir to combine and let this sit for a few minutes to make sure the yeast activates.
4. Into the liquid, add the 4 cups of flour and stir to incorporate everything.
5. Cover and let the dough rise for about an hour in a warm place. (I always use my oven with the light on, but DON'T turn the oven on, just the light.)
6. Once the dough has risen, add the baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup of flour. (If you wanted you can add any other flavors in at this time- citrus zest? spices? whatever you like!)
7. Stir the mixture to combine and dump the dough onto a surface to knead and fully incorporate the ingredients.
8. Knead for a minute or so, not too much though, just until the dough is smooth and has some give.
9. Gently roll the dough into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
10. Apply the softened butter all over the surface.
11. On top of the butter sprinkle on the cinnamon and brown sugar.
12. Time to roll! Take the bottom of the rectangle (the long side nearest to you) and start a tight roll upwards until you have a big rolled log.
13. Trim the ends so it's flat and even on both sides.
14. To portion out the rolls cut the log in half and then continue to cut halves until you get the desired amount of rolls. (I get about 12 good size rolls from this dough)
15. Butter your baking dish and carefully place your rolls into place. They will go through a second rise so don't squish them in, use two pans if needed.
16. Cover and let the rolls rise for another 30 minutes.
17. Once the second rise is complete, heat the oven to 350°F.
18 When the oven comes to temperature, pop the rolls in for 20-25 minutes or until they are slightly golden. (cook them a bit longer if you have really thick rolls)

While the rolls bake, make the icing!

19. In a bowl combine the cream cheese, melted butter, salt, vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar. You want it to be smooth and thick. I like to add orange zest because the way it tastes with the warm cinnamon rolls is beyond amazing, but you can add whatever flavors you like here or just leave it plain. 
20. When the rolls are done, let them cool for a few minutes and then lather them with the icing. Here is where you can really go crazy. I like a lot of icing, and in my opinion, you never get enough from the canned rolls. Spread it on like it's going out of style! Best to ice the rolls while they are still warm. 

EAT!

So there you have it! See, just a couple hours and a few steps and you have a breakfast worthy of sitting back and enjoying. Of course you can always get the canned variety and have breakfast in 20 minutes, but where's the fun in that? These make great gifts and even better brunch items, everyone loves a good cinnamon roll, right? They are warm, soft, flavorful, and comforting: everything you want on a perfect Sunday morning! If you don't eat them all before the rest of the house wakes up, go ahead and share : )

-Meaghan

Mac and Cheese If You Please

Macaroni and cheese is a touchy subject. There are box people and homemade people and then people who don't care, just give them food! I'm the third person, it's not my fault I'm hungry all the time!

My mac and cheese journey has definitely changed over the years. I have quite fond memories of this particular food. I remember when I was really young, my sister made the BEST mac and cheese. It was from that blue box, but it just tasted so different than usual box mac and cheese. I still don't know what she did to it to make it taste that good, but I'll enjoy the magical memory. Then I stumbled onto my Grammie's version of her homemade baked mac and cheese topped with buttery Ritz crackers. YUM. When I started tooling around with my own version I was on the baked route all the way. More recently, however, I've switched it up a bit, I obviously wanted the best of both worlds. I've cut the oven out all together and have now opted for a stovetop version like the box, but homemade, that I think it's possibly the most perfect mac and cheese I've come up with... and now you get to try it too!

-1 lb short pasta
-2 cups cheddar cheese shredded (I like New York extra sharp)
-3 slices of provolone cheese (sliced thin and torn into pieces)
-3 tbs butter
-3 tbs flour
-4-6 cups milk (Depending on how saucy you want it- add more, add less. Whole milk is preferred but works perfectly findewith skim. My skinny roommate has tested this for me.)
-1 tsp mustard powder
-salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to box instructions. When the pasta has been cooked, strain, and set aside.

**This next part has to come together a bit faster so get all your ingredients ready to go.**

2. In a large sauce pot, melt the butter on a medium-high heat.
3. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour until it's incorporated and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly.
4. Throw in the mustard powder and salt and pepper to taste. Keep on whisking.
5. Pour in the milk little at a time, whisking constantly and allowing the addition of milk to incorporate with the flour mixture. 
6. Once all the milk has been added, lower the heat to medium and whisk until the mixture is thick and coats the back of the spoon. This should take a few minutes.
7. When the sauce has thickened, take off the heat and slowly whisk in the cheese. **Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if needed**
8. When the cheese has melted, toss in the macaroni and stir until everything is coated in that luscious sauce. 

EAT!

This stovetop method is now my go to, I don't have to worry about it drying out in the oven, I don't have to worry about the ingredients I can't read on the box, and everything is so cheesy and fresh. It's just amazing. You can go ahead and add other stuff too if you'd like- chicken? Veggies? If you are really missing that crunchy topping, toast up some panko or crushed Ritz crackers in butter and top your mac and cheese! 

I'm confident I can convert you to this side of things. You can thank me later... when you're done stuffing your face : )

Meaghan  

Pie People

Ever since I can remember, my family and I have never been "pie" people. Correction, I like picking the crust off and eating only that. After many death stares, I'm not allowed crust pick anymore! I'm the same way with any sort of crisp, so I think I have a problem. First step is admitting it right?

This year for Thanksgiving I wanted to give the pie the ol' college try. This time as to not trigger my crust addiction, I'm making a pie without a top crust: the pecan pie! This pie has worried me for a while because of the specific baking standards it required. I feel like it has to be one of those pies where you take it out while there's still a solid jiggle but not soupy. Even though achieving this perfect wiggle gives me slight anxiety, I'm excited to try! Also I can't promise any extra dough bits won't be savagely eaten in the process...

What you'll need:

-2 cups chopped pecans (leave some whole if you want that pretty looking top)
-1 prepared pie crust (homemade or from the store) 9 inch.
-4 eggs
-1 cup light corn syrup
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-4 tbs melted butter, melted
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. In a greased 9 inch pie plate, carefully place the crust into it forming into the dish, crimp the edges with your fingers, a fork, whatever you want!
3. Pop the crust into the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. In a large bowl mix the eggs, corn syrup, granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together.
5. Once combined, stir in the chopped pecans. 
6. Pour the mixture into the chilled pie crust. Now would be the time to place the pecans that were left whole on top to make it fancy. If not, don't worry about it!
7. Place the pie in the preheated oven and check on it after 30 minutes and every other 10 minutes thereafter if it needs more time. You are looking for a very slight jiggle and a golden crust. (Note: I'd place this on a sheet pan in case it drips anywhere, thank me later).
8. Once you've reached the correct amount of jiggle and the crust is golden, take the pie out and set aside to cool for many hours to set up.
9. Once completely cooled and there is no more jiggle, you're ready to dive in! 

A few things I'd like to mention- mainly, I was terrified I overcooked this. When I went to check on it at 30 minutes there was NO jiggle! Throw me in pie jail and throw away the key. My dilemma was that the crust wasn't quite there so I threw some tin foil over it and hoped for the best. I'm thinking my oven is off so I'm sure you'll have a better time that I did. Despite my fears, later on in the day it was cut into and much to my surprise... it was perfectly cooked! HALLELUJAH. 

Anyway, this process was a tad bit too stressful for me and I didn't even have any! The only thing that could calm me was pie crust picking, but I couldn't even do that! I think I'll stick to the apple pie and appreciate that I tried and succeeded in making a pecan pie.

Meaghan