Classic Braised Short Ribs

If you are in need of some culinary indulgence, my Classic Braised Short Ribs are totally a must-do.

The short ribs themselves are pretty pricey, but all the remaining ingredients in this dish are basics every home cook should have in their refrigerator or pantry. And of course, you can use your favorite wine no matter what the brand.

The beauty of short ribs is that they can be presented in a super elevated manner, but they cook simply in your Dutch oven. You start on the stove with a sear and then transfer the pot to the oven so that they braise slowly. Make these on a rainy day at home. You need a good four hours, in my opinion. You can also make them the day before if you choose. I add another can of beef broth upon reheating so that you have enough sauce to top them and your mashed potatoes.

This is great to make when you have fresh rosemary and thyme in your garden, but you may use dried as well.

Classic Braised Short Ribs
Makes 4-5 servings

2.5-3 pounds bone-in short ribs (About 7 or 8 short ribs)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth, plus 2 cups more if needed for saucier short ribs
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Season all sides of the short ribs with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large oven-proof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and coat the bottom of the pot. Brown the short ribs on all sides in batches. About 4 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan. Once browned, set aside and repeat with second batch. Remove short ribs from the pot. Carefully spoon out excess oil from the pot and discard, leaving about 3 Tbsp. oil in the pot.

Return pot to medium heat. Add celery, carrot and onion to pot. Saute for about five minutes. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for three minutes more.

Add flour. Whisk to dissolve flour into veggies. Add tomato paste. Blend into veggies. Add wine. Bring to a bubble and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. After two minutes or so, add the broth.  Bring to a gentle simmer.

Return the ribs back to the pot. Spoon some sauce over the ribs. Place lid on top of pot. Turn off burner.

Place the pot of short ribs into the preheated oven. Bake for two hours at 350 degrees. Immediately turn the temperature down to 325 degrees and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more.

You may serve immediately or serve later that evening or even the next day. The longer they sit, the tastier they are! Add more broth if needed and reheat before serving. Top with chopped parsley.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Chicken Dinner Total Winner

Chicken Piccata Toss. Oh, how I need you. I can't believe this is your first appearance on my little blog. But it's those old reliable workhorses of a dish that sometimes get forgotten. The specialness of this dinner is the ease and familiarity of it all. Chicken. Rice. Lemon. The basics. We all have these ingredients hanging in our kitchen. Forgive me for forgetting you, Chicken Piccata Toss.

I have been making this for a bazillion years. Literally. It makes frequent appearances when I am swamped with work, cleaning, life, etc. It's just something that is so delish and comforting and requires little brain function to whip up.

I like to add grape tomatoes and parsley for some brightness and color. Love it. This is easier to make then standard chicken piccata just because you don't need to dredge the chicken in flour. Less clean up and less time cooking. Which I know is what the people want. Usually.

Chicken Piccata Toss with Rice
Makes 4 to 5 servings

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (1 14.5 oz. can)
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. capers, rinsed
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve: Cooked rice and parmigiano cheese

In a large pan, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides. About 6-8 minutes. Remove cooked chicken to a plate.

In the same pan over medium heat, add butter. Add shallots, garlic and lemon zest. Cook for 3 minutes. Add flour. Whisk to cook flour down. Add white wine. Deglaze pan and reduce wine to about half. Add chicken broth, lemon juice and capers. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer for five minutes, occasionally stirring the mixture. Add grape tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 five more minutes. Top with parsley. Serve over rice.  Top with grated parmigiano, if desired.

Super Delish Cherry/Grape Tomato Sauce

Cherry Tomato Sauce over spaghettini was an amazing hit for a Lenten Friday recently. I will definitely make this again in the summer when Jersey tomatoes are hot and heavy.

This cooks up in minutes. Literally.

It's from a really awesome Rachael Ray cookbook called, "Everyone is Italian on Sunday." Best title ever! I love this cookbook, and I strongly recommend it.

The recipe offers you options. You may use cherry or grape tomatoes. I used grape.

You may use red onions, white onions, spring onions or scallions. I used a white/yellow onion.

For cheese, I used pecorino.

You can serve over any pasta you dig. I used spaghettini.

Here's the recipe. So easy!

Cherry Tomato Sauce
From "Everyone is Italian on Sunday"
By Rachael Ray
(Serves 4-6)

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small red or white onion, or 1 bunch scallions or spring onions (white parts only), finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
Salt and pepper
Grated ricotta salata, Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese, for serving

In a skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil (3 turns of the pan) over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, over the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes to sweat the onions.

Add the tomatoes, shake the pan, cover and cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, 8 to 10 minutes. Mash and stir the sauce. Add the basil. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Cook one pound pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Toss together the sauce, starchy water and pasta. Top with cheese and serve.

Springtime Eats: Orzo Salad

As spring comes into town, I crave a nice and light pasta salad. My orzo salad is perfect with your favorite burger or sandwich. You can adjust the measurements easily to feed a bigger crowd. This suits my small fam of three just fine.

I like to top mine with a little feta, but it works just as well cheeseless.

This tastes great at room temp or chilled. Enjoy!

Orzo Salad
Makes 6 side dish servings

1 cup orzo
1 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 cup red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp. fresh basil minced
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve: Crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cool water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine chickpeas, bell pepper, grape tomatoes.

In a liquid measuring cup, add red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously to emulsify.

Add cooled orzo to bowl with veggies. Add the dressing to the bowl. Toss lightly with a spoon. Add basil and parsley. Toss again. Adjust seasonings if desired.

Serve with a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese if you like.

Menu Mashup: Chicken Piccata Meatballs

I love to try a classic dish with a twist. Here it is with this little keeper I found on Pinterest: Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs by Spend with Pennies. It's totally delish.

I make chicken piccata on the reg, but this little identity transformation is a yummy keeper.

Things I love it about it are as follows: I always have all the ingredients stashed in my pantry: Lemons, capers, breadcrumbs, garlic, broth and pasta. Parsley is always in my fridge or garden, and a package of ground chicken is often chilling in the freezer. Also, if you know you will be up against the clock at dinner time, mix the meatballs the night before. Fabulous.

So when you have no time to hit the store, fire up the stove and make this.

The sauce is so yummy. I use half and half instead of cream just for the sake of calories and heaviness. Gots to keep my girlish figure.

I served this over spaghettini, but I think it would work well with some orrechiette or fusilli action, too. Also, I always rock a salad on the side. Gotta eat that veg.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs
By Spend with Pennies
Makes 4 servings

Meatballs
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4-1/3 lemon juice

1/4 cup capers, drained

Chopped parsley, to garnish

Salt and pepper

Place meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. If it's too wet to form balls, add a touch of extra breadcrumbs or refrigerate. Scoop up a heaped Tablespoon of meat and with slightly wet hands, roll into balls.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add half the meatballs and cook for 4 minutes, browning all over by still raw inside. Remove onto a plate, repeat with remaining meatballs.

Wipe skillet clean with paper towel. Reduce heat to medium.

Melt butter in skillet, then add flour. Mix and cook for 1 minute, then add lemon juice, chicken broth and cream.

Bring to simmer then add meatballs. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir through parsley and capers. I like serving this with pasta and with more parmesan cheese.

Please note: The Jersey Girl served this with a half pound  to three/fourths of a pound of spaghettini cooked to instructions per the box.  Sauce was thinned out with a ladle or two of pasta water. She used half and half in lieu of heavy cream.

The Perfect Side: Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions

My Fabulous Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions are the perfect partner to any roast or meat you may be feasting on. I often cook these while the meat is resting. You may also do it ahead of time and then reheat them before serving.

The potatoes, red onions, garlic and rosemary are a perfect combo. And they smell heavenly while cooking. My son always requests these. They are nice as the weather warms up as they are not as heavy as the beloved mashed potato.

The last time I made these, I also whipped up a vat of chicken cacciatore. So delish, and it freezes well. My recipe is here.

Fabulous Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions
(Serves 6)

5-6 medium russet or white potatoes, peeled and quartered into 1 ½-inch pieces
6-8 garlic cloves, skins removed
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 ½ tsp. dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Note: You may peel and quarter the potatoes ahead of time. Place in a large bowl of cold water to prevent potatoes from discoloring. Dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel before cooking.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place butter and olive oil in a large rectangular baking dish. Place dish in oven for about 5-6 minutes so that butter melts. The butter-oil mixture should start to bubble.

Remove dish from oven.

Carefully place potatoes, onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in pan. Toss so that mixture is evenly coated in butter, oil and seasonings. Be careful, since the dish is hot!

Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove every 15 minutes or so, to toss mixture.

Homemade Pretzel Bites

If you find yourself at home for a day looking for a delicious project, these homemade Pretzel Bites are just what you need.

Convenience is really not a factor in this recipe. Sure, you can easily buy a sack of frozen pretzel bites and zap them in the microwave or toaster oven for a few minutes. But if your taste buds want an elevated pretzel taste and experience like mine do, then make this recipe.

Soft pretzel production is interesting. You do the whole yeast thing - just like making bread. But then you boil the pretzels in a baking soda-water mixture before baking them off in the oven.

I found the whole process to be fascinating, as did my son aka the sous chef of this operation.

This recipe comes from an awesome site called platingsandpairings.com. Be sure to check it out! The site lists a bunch of yummy homemade sauces for the bites, but I just kept it simple with some storebought mustard.

I will note here as well as at the end of the recipe, that my baking time took longer than the recommended baking time  of 12-15 minutes. Mine took more like 20 minutes. If they do not have that amber pretzel color that you know and love, they aren't ready yet! Just keep an eye on your oven.

Homemade Pretzel Bites
From Platings and Pairings

PRETZEL BITES

1 1/2 cups water lukewarm

2 1/4 teaspoons instant rise yeast (1/4 ounce packet) 

2 Tablespoons butter melted

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups flour

1/2 cup baking soda

1 egg beaten

Coarse salt for sprinkling

PRETZEL BITES

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Whisk well until combined, about 1 minute.

To a mixing bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, salt and yeast mixture. Stir until combined. Slowly add in 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix by hand or use mixer fitted with dough hook, until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour and stir. If dough is still sticky, add flour, an additional 1/4 cup at a time, until no longer sticky and dough bounces back when poked with your finger.

  

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes and shape into a ball. Place in a large mixing bowl that has been lightly coated with nonstick spray. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil with the baking soda, preheat oven to 425 degrees, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Section dough into six equal parts and roll each section into long ropes. Then, cut into 1-1/2 inch bites.

Once water is boiling, drop 10 pretzel bites into water and boil 20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto prepared baking sheets, making sure that pretzel bites do not touch. Repeat with remaining pretzel bites.

Brush beaten egg over each pretzel bite and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown, rotating the sheet pans once halfway through cooking. 

Please note: The Jersey Girl baked her pretzel bites closer to 20 minutes.