Rustic Fall Dinner

The other day I was thinking to myself, self... do you know what you could really go for? Some good ol’ fashioned pasta and meatballs. It was then that I decided to announce it to the rest of the family and they all eagerly agreed. Move over outdoor grill... pasta and meatballs it is! It was scrumptious! Perfect rustic dish to celebrate the end of summer and the coming new season. If some of you out there find yourselves with leftover tomatoes from the garden or farmers’ market, this recipe would be a wonderful way to use them up. Just switch out the whole canned tomatoes for fresh. 

Pasta and Mini-Meatballs

1 pound of the best quality ground beef you can find (I like Whole Foods 90/10 sirloin -- you could also use ground chicken or turkey)

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano 

1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs (try not to use the boxed ones -- just throw enough slices of bread into the food processor to equal 1/2 cup and voilà! -- fresh bread crumbs.)

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley

2 tbsp extra light olive oil

28 oz can of Muir Glen Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes (or your favorite)

3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning (I like Earth's Pride Organics I found at BJ's)

1/2 cup baby spinach chiffonade (stack a bunch of baby spinach leaves, roll like a cigar and slice into thin ribbons)

4 garlic cloves (whole)

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Using the best tools on earth—your hands!—mix the ground meat of your choice, egg, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper until blended, but try not to overwork the mixture or the meatballs will become tough. Shape into mini-sized meatball shapes. 

Add oil to an electric skillet (I use this one) preheated to 400 degrees. Fry, turning frequently until golden brown. 

In a blender or Ninja pour in tomatoes and whiz until semi-pureed (you want some texture). Add to pan of browned meatballs.

Throw in whole garlic cloves to flavor the sauce. Add tomato paste. Crush the dried herbs and sprinkle over mixture. Simmer until slightly reduced (approx. 30 minutes). At the last minute, toss in baby spinach (I add spinach for extra iron --- or you can choose fresh basil) and allow it to wilt before serving.

On a hot plate (I currently use this one), bring water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook for recommended package times. I like al-dente or to the tooth doneness. Drain and serve with the meatballs and sauce.  If you like, grate up some extra cheese for the top and drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil. Oh, don’t forget to remove the garlic cloves.

Some folks enjoy serving the meatball mixture poured over a warmed platter of piping hot pasta. My family prefers to keep the meatball/sauce mixture separate so they can portion off their own serving. You choose. Either way is fine. This meal pairs well with some crusty Italian bread. Perhaps add a nice crisp salad onto the table as well. Enjoy this meal as a sort of transition from summer to harvest time together with friends or family. If you are cooking for one and have a ton of leftovers, the meatballs freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. Simply take out of the freezer and thaw in fridge a night or two before serving. Enjoy!

Welcome!

It's no accident you stumbled upon this blog. Truly, this blog is an accident... in the making, that is... er... well... sort of. I somehow cooked up the idea with the help of a short odd dream I had of Julia Child. In the dream, Julia was encouraging me to begin a cooking blog. Once I awakened, I completely forgot about the dream.

Later that day as I puttered around my make-shift kitchen—more on that later—cooking the family breakfast, my daughter randomly suggested that I should start a cooking blog. As a matter of fact, that was not the first time she brought the idea to my attention. I always had an answer for her: "I'm too shy! I'm too scared! I have no... kitchen!" 

My daughter mentioning a food blog again reminded me of the dream. That day something clicked and I thought it was as good a time as any to take the food blog plunge. 

A little back story about me... in 2003 my family and I built a top floor addition onto my parents ranch-style home. The only drawback: the town would not allow us to install a kitchen, not even a wet bar! Some 10 years later, the town changed their laws and we would've pulled the trigger as soon as we were notified, but alas, there was only one small detail missing... the money! 

I tried on numerous occasions to win us an all expense paid kitchen. I enthusiastically entered every dream kitchen contest known to mankind, both online and on television... but to no avail. One can hope, can't one? Well, I say that in retrospect because I once heard that hope deferred can make the heart grow sick. 

Oh, well. Back to the drawing board, or should I say the drawing blog... Here I sit, typing my very first blog entry. I'm not as ambitious as Julie Powell. I'm not trying to cook my way through one of Julia Child's cookbooks. I'm just trying to cook some good and nutritious food for my family of five without a kitchen. It is my greatest hope that this blog will become a place for people in a similar situation to find the inspiration they need to still enjoy cooking. You'll be able to see what you can accomplish with limited space and without standard kitchen appliances, i.e. stove, oven, and sink (yes, even without a kitchen sink - but that's another story altogether!). 

So grab a cup of the warm beverage of your choice—today, mine is vanilla rooibos with a little honey—and enjoy a taste of things to come.

Olive Oil Cornbread

1 egg

1/2 cup extra light olive oil

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup granulated organic cane sugar

2 cups corn meal

1 cup AP flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 3/4 cups half and half

1/4 cup white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I use an older model of this). Line a 9" x 13" quarter sheet pan with parchment paper overlapping the sides. Spray generously with non-stick spray. 

Wet Ingredients:

In a small bowl, mix together white vinegar and half and half. Let sit to thicken for 15 minutes. You are basically making homemade buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, add the egg, olive oil, and both sugars. Whisk until incorporated. Set aside. 

Dry Ingredients:

Whisk together the corn meal, flour, kosher salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. 

Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently until lightly incorporated. Do not over mix. The batter will be on the thin side, somewhere between pancake and waffle batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Using an offset spatula, spread to the edges of the entire pan. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using the parchment paper, lift the cornbread out of the pan and slide onto a cooling rack. 

Dig in and enjoy!