Category: Recipes

Meatball Marsala

To make a complete menu: start with my meatball recipe, make some mashed potatoes, then top with this Marsala.

Meatball Marsala

A classic meatball marsala, just add meatballs
Print Recipe
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine European
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron pan, 15"
  • 1 measuring cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp butter salted
  • 16 oz sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Marsala wine
  • 1 pinch black pepper optional

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter over medium heat
  • Toss in the mushrooms, flip around to coat with butter
  • Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they soften and start to brown, about 10 minutes
  • Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the mushrooms
  • Stir in the Marsala wine, and bring back to a boil
  • Stir in the chicken broth, and bring back to a boil.
  • Turn down the heat and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, 5-10 minutes.
  • Add the cooked meatballs, stir to coat the meatballs, remove from heat, and serve
Keyword butter, chicken broth, mushrooms, wine

 

Adapted from food.com.

Stew Beef and Egg Noodles

This is a family favorite.  It’s delicious, but it’s not healthy.  Each serving takes about six months off your life expectancy.

We frequently pair it with glazed carrots, but it also goes well with buttered peas or a green salad.

Stew Beef and Egg Noodles

Pan-fried stew beef served over buttered egg noodles
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people

Equipment

  • 1 pan, large I generally use a 15" cast iron pan
  • 1 stock pot
  • 1 bowl medium-sized for dredging beef
  • 1 wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb stew beef
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp butter divided
  • 4-8 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz egg noodles 12 oz = 1 standard bag

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the stew beef by cutting it into bite-sized pieces (about 1 inch cubes)
  • Put on a pot of water to boil
  • Mix flour, pepper, and garlic power together in a bowl
  • Dredge the cut-up stew beef through the flour mixture until all pieces are well coated
  • Heat pan at medium heat with a tbsp of butter and a tbsp olive oil
  • Once butter is melted and oil starts to shimmer, you're ready to start cooking the beef.

Cook the beef in batches

  • add beef one piece at a time
  • Let each side brown for about a minute, flip to brown next side, repeat until all sides are brown, and then push to the side of the pan.
    You can generally add about 10-20 pieces at a time before it's time to flip the first piece. Flip everything until all sides are brown, then push to the side and start the next batch.
  • Add more oil as needed to keep the "landing area" for new beef coated in a thin layer of oil.
    The flour will tend to soak up the oil. You don't want the pan to get dry, or the new pieces won't brown properly.
  • Once all pieces are browned, spread evenly across the pan and allow to cook for 10 more minutes or until pieces are cooked through.

Make the Egg Noodles

  • Cook according to package directions, drain, then return to the pot and add a tbsp of butter. Mix to coat noodles with butter.

Serve

  • Spoon noodles onto plates and top with beef.
    Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the cooked-on bits unstuck, and divide among your servings. (they carry a lot of flavor.)

Notes

This recipe scales very well.  Increase ingredients proportionally.  I've made it with just over two pounds of meat; much more and I would have needed a larger pan, or a second pan.
Keyword beef, egg noodles, stew beef

Every time I make this recipe I can’t help but wonder when egg noodle companies cut their bag weight from an even pound of noodles to 12 oz.

Coconut Macaroons

We make this recipe every Christmas for my dad.  He freezes them and eats them over the next few months.  We don’t tell his cardiologist.

Coconut Macaroons

Betty Crocker's coconut macaroons
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 4 dozen

Equipment

  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 medium mixing bowl
  • 1-5 cookie sheets the more cookie sheets you have, the faster you can swap macaroons into the over
  • 1 ice cream scoop optional, should be around 1 tablespoon in size
  • aluminum foil
  • cooling racks
  • 1 small sauce pan

Ingredients
  

  • 21 oz flaked coconut (3 packages, around 7 2/3 cups)
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
  • 2/3 cup cream of coconut NOT coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1 egg large
  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 bag)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Line cookie sheet(s) with aluminum foil, and sprinkle 1 cup of the coconut flakes over the pan.
    Bake for 2-7 minutes, take out as soon as it's golden.
    Cool the toasted coconut.
    Reserve the foil for later.
  • Mix toasted coconut, flour, and salt in large bowl.
  • Beat milk, cream of coconut, vanilla, almond extract, and egg in a medium bowl, then pour it over the dry ingredients and stir.
  • Drop batter onto foil-lined cookie sheets by heaping tablespoons.
  • Bake 12-14 minutes, or until golden. Move macaroons, still on their foil sheet, to a cooling rack.
    Repeat until all dough is cooked.
  • Allow all macaroons to cool for at least 30 minutes.
  • Melt chocolate chips and oil in a small sauce pan over low heat. Stir constantly until melted.
  • Drizzle chocolate over cookies. Allow to cool until it sets, about 30 minutes.
Keyword coconut, cookies

Kung Pao Chicken

This is one of the first spicy things I’ve made that my teenagers actually liked.

Kung Pao Chicken

Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 5 people
Calories 400 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Flat-bottomed wok or large frying pan
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper white or black
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar granulated
  • 1 tbsp sambal oelek
  • vegetable oil
  • 2 bell peppers diced large
  • 2 celery stalks sliced thin
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, roasted
  • 2 scallions sliced thin (optional)
  • 1.5 tsp sesame oil

Instructions
 

Marinate the Chicken

  • Add tamari or soy sauce, wine or sherry, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Drizzle 2 tablespoons over chicken and mix.
  • Add the vinegar, sugar, and sambal to the remaining marinade and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
    NOTE: if you're doubling the recipe because you have a lot of chicken, don't double the sambal or you may make it too spicy.

Stir Fry the Veggies and the Chicken

  • Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add tablespoon of oil, followed by the bell peppers and celery. Season with salt and stir fry until crispy-tender and browned in spots (about 4 minutes).
    Add garlic and ginger and stir fry another 30 seconds.
  • Transfer veggies to a plate.
  • Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan, followed by the chicken. Spread evenly across the pan and let cook until golden brown and a little seared on the bottom, 3-4 minutes.
    Stir fry for a couple of minutes, until cooked through.

Combine Everything

  • Add vegetables back in, and add peanuts.
    Give the sauce a quick whisk and pour in. Stir fry until sauce thickens and coats everything, about a minute.
    Sprinkle in scallions and serve over rice.

Notes

Other veggies you can try: small mushrooms, zucchini, sliced carrots, and/or chopped onions.
We've also made it with tofu instead of chicken:
  • use extra-firm tofu;
  • squeeze the water out by wrapping in towels or a couple of paper towels, then putting on a plate and leaving something heavy on top for 20-30 minutes;
  • cube the tofu into bite-sized chunks
  • toss with a little cornstarch, then fry over medium heat until all sides are golden-brown.
  • Continue with rest of recipe.
Keyword bell pepper, chicken, garlic, ginger, peanuts, sambal oelek, tofu

Originally seen on The Kitchn.

Garlic Baked Whitefish

This is a super-easy recipe.  My first time trying I went from pre-heating the oven to dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

The source recipe calls for tilapia, but it should work with nearly any white fish.  Really there’s no reason it couldn’t work well with darker fish like salmon or tuna, though being thicker you may need to cook longer and flip the fish halfway through, as well as increase the other ingredient amounts.

This pairs well with rice and roasted vegetables.

Garlic-Baked Whitefish

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Cast Iron skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 pounds White fish (Tilapia or similar)
  • 6 tbsp Butter melted
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 400° F, with cast-iron pan inside
  • Mix up the melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes
  • Toss fish into the pre-heated pan and sprinkle on some pepper. You don’t need to grease the pan first, dry is fine, the fish won’t stick.
  • Pour the butter mixture evenly over the fish
  • Bake for 12 minutes

Adapted from https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a19665918/oven-baked-tilapia-recipe/

Indian Butter Chicken

 

Indian Butter Chicken

Delicious chicken and cauliflower. Pairs well with rice and/or naan bread.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6

Equipment

  • 14+ inch skillet w/ lid

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil
  • Onion, yellow, small diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Ginger, fresh
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 3/4 cup Chicken Stock
  • 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp Tumeric
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1.5 pounds Chicken diced to bite-sized pieces
  • 1 head Cauliflower chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 cup Heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet until it shimmers
  • Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the onions begin to soften
  • Stir in, and bring to a simmer:
    butter
    chicken stock
    tomato paste
    cinnamon
    cumin
    garam masala
    tumeric
    salt
  • Add chicken and cauliflower, and stir until coated
    Don’t be alarmed: the previous steps leave you with a paste, not a sauce, and the chicken and cauliflower might seem a little dry.
  • Cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked through)
  • Stir in lemon juice and cream, and bring back to a simmer
  • Simmer, uncovered, for a couple of minutes

Notes

A variation of a traditional Indian dish, my recipe is adapted from The Modern Proper.
This is one of those recipes where your significant other may saunter through the kitchen and compliment the fragrance; children might run away in fear and loathing.  The final product is smooth, tasty, and not nearly as strong as it seemed while you were cooking.
Keyword cauliflower, chicken

Korean Beef Rice Bowls

 

Korean BBQ Beef Rice Bowls

Savory beef with a tiny bit of bite
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 Skillet
  • 1 mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bunch scallions sliced (for garnish)

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce reduced sodium is better
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Brown the hamburger and garlic in a pan. Break it up into crumbles as it browns.
  • While the hamburger is cooking, whisk the sauce ingredients (brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper, black pepper)
  • When the hamburger is browned, drain off the fat and mix in the garlic. Simmer for a minute.
  • Pour in the sauce. Simmer for another couple of minutes. Mix in the scallions and serve.

Notes

Serve over rice with a side of broccoli to round out a complete meal
Keyword ground beef

This recipe was an instant hit.  I have to make a double batch if I want leftovers for the next day.

Adapted from therecipecritic.com

Lentil Soup

When I was a kid I disliked soups and stews, and hated even the idea of lentil soup. (which, as a child, I somehow equated with Barbara Streisand – probably due to the publicity of her movie Yentl.)  Fortunately I became more open-minded as an adult, and found that I absolutely love lentil soup.  It’s very healthy for you, to boot.

The red lentils in this recipe break down and make a very creamy soup.  Green and brown lentils may be substituted, but black lentils don’t work out well.

Red Lentil Soup

My favorite lentil soup recipe
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 days
Cook Time 35 days
Total Time 50 days
Course Soup
Servings 6 people
Calories 250 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven or any large stock pot

Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole Carrots diced or sliced
  • 1 whole Yellow Onion, medium-sized diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Curry Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin, ground
  • 1 tsp Thyme, dried
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 15 oz Tomato Sauce
  • 6 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium substitute vegetable broth to make a vegan soup
  • 1 lbs Red Lentils, dried
  • 1-5 cups Baby Spinach Optional, stir in at end

Instructions
 

  • Rinse lentils under cold water, until water runs clear (about 1 minute)
  • Sauté carrots and onion until softened (about 5 minutes)
  • Add garlic, curry powder, cumin, thyme, and salt
    Cook until fragrant (about a minute)
  • Stir in lentils, tomato sauce, and broth
  • Bring to a simmer and cover
  • Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Remove from heat, and (optionally) add baby spinach
Keyword carrots, cumin, curry, lentils, soups

 

Alternatives

You can try other vegetables as substitutes or additions, including sweet potatoes, butternut squash, mushrooms, celery, or whatever you have on hand.

Adapted from The Absolute Best Lentil Soup.

Beef Kebabs

I am shocked, shocked I tell you! that my children actually enjoyed this recipe.  I’m not sure why, perhaps they have given up all hope of enjoying a decent meal from my kitchen and now sullenly submit to my demands that they eat the goddamn food that I paid for and worked hard to put in front of them and it’s not like you do any chores around…  Ahem.  I got a little off track here.

Whatever the reason, they ate this one on my first attempt.

These are basically middle-eastern meatballs.  You can cut in other things with the meat, serve them in a variety of ways, whatever floats your boat.  (I rather enjoyed wrapping them in some naan with rice.)  It’s a meatball.  It’s the spices that make it.

The oven instructions are below.  We haven’t grilled them yet, but they should do great, just use a little grill-sense.  It’s a reasonably easy and fast recipe, ~20 minutes to prep and ~20 minutes to cook.

The recipe plus rice and other sides makes enough for 6-8 people.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of ground beef – don’t get a lean mix!  80-85% seems good
    • mix in other ground meats as your fancy takes you, but you need some fats – don’t go too lean
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1/4 cup dried
  • 1/2 small onion, diced fine
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced fine
  • Garlic, 3-4 minced cloves
  • Paprika, 1 tsp
  • Salt, 1 tsp
  • Cumin, 1/2 tsp
  • Pepper, 1/2 tsp

Directions

If you plan on skewering the meat, and you’re using bamboo or wood skewers, soak them in water for ~30 mins.

  1. Preheat oven too 350°
  2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (don’t overmix)
  3. Form the mix into oblong patties, about kielbasa-thick
    • If you’re skewering, shove in the skewers now or form the patties around the skewers
  4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or grill for ~20 minutes, flipping at least once
  5. For the last couple of minutes turn on the broiler to brown the meat

Usual disclaimer with ground meat dishes: make sure the internal temp is at least 160° before serving.

Serve with some traditional middle-eastern sides, like:

  • Naan bread
  • Tabbouleh
  • Cucumbers and cherry tomatoes
  • Rice

kebab with rice and naan

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with Pork

Pan-fried Udon Noodles with Pork

Delicious noodles
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 people
Calories 570 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Skillet large, like 14" cast iron
  • 1 bowl heat-safe

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp Sesame oil
  • 1 bag Slaw mix, dry or about 4 cups chopped cabbage
  • 14 oz Instant udon noodles discard flavor packets, if included
  • 1 pound Ground pork
  • 1 bunch Scallions roughly half-dozen stalks, chopped and separated green from pale
  • 2 tsp Ginger Finely grated or minced
  • 1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup Mirin
  • 1/3 cup Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sesame seeds optional

Instructions
 

  • Put on a pot of water to boil, for the noodles later
  • Heat a tablespoon of oil in your skillet over medium-high heat
  • Add cabbage/slaw to the skillet, tossing often, until edges are brown. Reduce heat and continue cooking until thickest parts of the cabbage are tender.
    Remove from heat and transfer cabbage to bowl
  • Wipe out skillet, add a tablespoon of oil, and bring back to medium heat
  • Add pork to skillet, break it up, and cook until browned. Once the meat is broken up, don't keep fussing with it, give it a chance to get browner bits.
  • Once water from step 1 is boiling, turn off heat and add noodles.
    Let noodles sit for 1 minute, then drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil and transfer to bowl with cabbage. Mix together.
  • To the pork, add the pale scallion bits, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Toss for a minute or so, until scallions start to soften.
  • Add noodles and cabbage, mirin, and soy sauce to skillet. Mix until noodles are well-coated with sauce.
  • Remove from heat and toss in green scallion bits and sesame seeds (if desired).

Notes

  • Requires a large skillet.  Our 14″ cast iron is the perfect size.  It’s not quite a one-pot meal, because there’s a swap of ingredients in the middle, but it’s close.
  • Mirin is like sweet sake syrup.  The Japanese equivalent of cooking sherry, you should be able to find bottles of it in the grocery store.
  • The original recipe was pretty strict about amounts, but we’ve found that this recipe is pretty tolerant of variation.
Keyword cabbage slaw, ground pork, noodles

Adapted from https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/stir-fried-udon-with-pork