Here's What You Need...

4 Beef or Veal Shanks

1 big ass can of tomato sauce

4- 5 carrots

2 onions

TBS garlic

salt & pepper

parsley

oregano

2 cups White Wine

Stock

 

Rinse and pat dry your shanks.  Liberally salt and pepper them.

 

Heat olive oil in the bottom of your dutch or oven safe pan.  Place shanks season side down to brown.  Season other side while we wait....  and FlIP!  Do 2 at a time, or however many you can get flat in your pan.  Mine were LARGE.

 

Set them aside for now.

 

Once they are all browned saute the carrots, onion, and garlic for 10 minutes or so.  Toss in the wine to deglaze.. stir cook cook....add the tomato sauce and stirrrrrrr some more.....

 

Once it's all combined return those shanks to the pan making sure everyone gets a good dunk in the sauce.  Add stock to get to where you need to be, about all the way covered.

 

Pop it in the oven at 275 for round about 2 1/2 hours.  Make sure to check the liquid levels during the cooking.  The occasional baste might be necessary. 

 

Make sure you don't dump the marrow out during all the jostling.  It really is delicious,  Mmmmmmm.... I was always afraid it'd be gritty but it was lovely.    I served this with well seasoned rice, but you could do buttered egg noodles too. 

 

It has a very clean simple taste, if you are looking for a more complex dish you'll need to spice it up.  A little red pepper flake, a bay leaf, some fresh thyme or sage (or BOTH) some roasted veggies.... the possibilities are endless!

        

        

The Bunny, the bunny, whoa I love the bunny
I don't love my mom or my dad, just the bunny
The Bunny, the bunny, Yeah I love the bunny
I gave everything that I had for the bunny

I don't want no heath food when it's time to feed
A big bag o' bunnies is all that I need
I don't want no buddies to come out and play
I'll sit on my sofa eat bunnies all day
I wont go to church and I wont go to school,
that stuff is for sissys, but bunnies are cool!

Girls in backround: 

        

One Large Head of Cabbage, Cored
One Lb Of Beef
One Tube Of Sausage
1 Medium Onion, Diced Small
Garlic to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Worshirshire to taste
A TBS Smoked paprika
A Dash of Red Pepper flake
Bacon to drape across
1 large can Spagetti Sauce

(Most People Add day old, or cooled rice.  I do not find it necessary.)

Set a Large pot on the stove to boil and drop in your cabbage.  Boiling make the leaves more pliable and easier to peel off the head.

While that heats up mix snausage,onion, and all seasonings in a big bowl.  Smoosh it together with your hands.  It's FUN!  

        

OK.  That's it.  It's cold and I don't like it.  Not one bit!  So we're gonna make some easy peasy chicken and dumplings.  Super easy to make and very time efficient.  Now if you've been paying any attention at all you should have all the stuff to make your own chicken stock, or have some frozen.  Need a refresher?  Go back and read the beginning of this one.  No worries, I'll wait.

*elevator music*

OK!  So now you are either getting your stock out, tossing all the stuff you've been saving into a pot (save your scraps dummy!), or are heating and using that canned crap.  Note!  If you are using the canned stuff get it on the stove and simmer it with much fresh thyme, sage and rosemary if you have it.  Trust me.... it will make it allllll better!  Here's the other crap you'll need o make this delishious warming food.

Chicken.  Duh.
Celery
Carrots
Onion
Garlic
thyme, rosemary and sage.  I just love that combo.
And a biscuit mix.  Whatever you have will do.  Or make your own! 
I like herbed biscuits, but you could add cheese.....  MMMMmmmmmmm.......

As your broth simmers and melds go ahead and choppity chop.  Make everything a nice uniform size.  Chop up all your fresh herbs, and dice the garlic too.  6 or so sage leaves, 6 or so thymes stripped from the woody stems, and 2 or 3 rosemaries stripped from the woody stems.  Chop chop chop them into nice fine pieces.  Mmmmm........

Toss your chicken and carrots in first.  They need to cook longer than the other junk.  Give em about 20 minutes or so before you toss in your soft veggies garlic and herbs.  Reserve  some of your herbs to put in the dumplings (or chop up some more), whatever combo you like.  Bring it to a nice simmer and walk away for a bit.   Maybe another 20 min or so...

Mix up your dumplings and toss in your herbs.  Make sure your stuff is all thoroughly mixed. 

Get 2 spoons and start dropping them into the simmering soup.  Repete until all your mix is in and put a lid on it.  Be careful you don't boil it over, but let it simmer until you see the little buggers popping back up to the top and floating.  About 20 minutes to a half hour.

Now you eat!

        

I'd like to introduce someone to you.  This is My Scientist. 


She lives next door to me and has a dinosaur in a cage. 

As a rule she's a pretty awesome lady. 



You can tell cuz she lets me take pics of her in my dad's old wool suit.  Pretty sweet, No?

She cooked for The Grump and I the other night and let me tell you, it was Fantastic!  This might be the best way I have ever seen to use pork.  Trust me it's awesome.  Let me turn the typing over to her and she can tell you step by step how to make this dish.


This is an amazing recipe that makes people think you slaved for hours over a hot stove, when in reality, there's about 10 minutes total active time. Born out of my and my mothers love for all things pig related, this is an all-time favorite, and since it can be made the night before, it's great for parties when you don't want to do tons of work when yours guests are hanging around (that means more time for wine!). This recipe has a built-in cheat, which was added specifically with the party in mind. While you can make a real sauce out of the pan liquid, the spice packet does the trick just wonderfully, and has become part of my standard prep.

Whenever I made this for a party or a group of friends, I always get asked about how to make this, and everyone's always surprised at how simple it was. In fact, when I was in line at the grocery store buying goods to make this for Da Cook, I got into a conversation about what I was making with the checkout girl, and then was approached by the woman who was checking out in the line next to me. She came right up and said "repeat EVERYTHING you just said." I told her the recipe, and all wide-eyed, she said, "I'm going to make that this weekend!" It's just that good. Even strangers and checkout girls love it.

Pork Wrapped Pork Recipe

4 pork tenderloins
1 medium onion
1 jar whole grain French mustard
1/2lb bacon (specialty if possible, I prefer thinly sliced applewood smoked)
1 packet McCormick peppercorn or garlic steak sauce
salt &peppr

Preheat oven to 325. Rinse and pat dry pork tenderloins and trim excess fat. I usually remove the silverskin on the pork for my texture preference, but you don't have to. Don't remove all the fat though, that'll ruin the flavor. Place tenderloins in a roasting pan. If you're using a non-stick pan, put a little olive oil down first to make sure it doesn't stick. Season with salt (not too much) and pepper and spread a thick layer of mustard over the top of the tenderloins. Thinly slice the onion and put about 2/3 of the onions on the mustard covered tenderloins. Place bacon in layers over the top of the onions. Place the rest of the onions over the top of the bacon.

Place pork in the oven and roast for about 1-2 hours, depending on the thickness of the tenderloins. If you're using thick bacon, you can turn the heat up to 350 to get the bacon nice and crispy.

When the pork has finished cooking, remove it from the pan and slice it into 1" thick medallions (slice the bacon right on top of it, tongs help out a lot in this situation). Use the liquid from the pan to mix up the sauce packet per directions on the packet. I know the recipe calls for steak sauce, not pork sauce, but this is a tried and true addition.

Put the sliced pork and the sauce back in the roasting pan and toss together until coated. Cover the pan in foil and let it sit in the oven. If you have a lot of extra work for your side dishes at this point, I would turn the oven off to make sure it doesn't dry out. At this point, the pork is ready to serve whenever you are ready to eat it.

Notes:

I've made this dish the night before an event and it's held up perfectly. Cook as directed, slice and toss with sauce, and then refrigerate. The pork can then be reheated and served and it tastes as good if not better than fresh cooked. Time improves the flavor of the dish. It's also great as cold leftovers on a nice crusty roll the next day.

I like to try different kinds of specialty bacon for this dish. Check your butchers case and see what they have available. I usually buy the equivalent of about a 1.5-2 inch stack of slices of bacon. You can use more or less depending on taste preference.

Be careful with the amount of salt you add, because both the bacon and the sauce packet will add a good amount of salt to the dish.



So there you go!  Go make pork and be fruitful!

        

Ahhhh fall.  Thanksgiving!  Food!  Putting on our 'Winter Coats' so to speak.

I don't think I know anyone who doesn't like Apple pie.  Especially French Apple Pie.  An this is designed to be served with a twist!  Once it's out of the oven you serve it up side down!

As our beloved Shirley Temple might say..

Oh My Goodness.. Oh MY GOODness!

Here's the flavor factor!

Pie:

6 apples (I used 3 Granny Smith and 3 Mackintosh)  I like to mix it up. I'm frisky like that.
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 TBS of Flour
Vanilla, Cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste
Pre-made pie crust (The Heresy!)

Topping:

1 Cup of Pecans
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
3 TBS Flour
4 TBS melted buttah

Parchment paper
Spring form pan


Peel and thinly slice all six apples.  I like to take 2 big bowls into the living room and watch TV while I peel into one and slice the apples into the other.  Just make sure to pay attention when you are slicing them so you don't poke yourself.  No one likes blood in their pie.

Ok.  Maybe Vampires and Stephen King.  Maybe They Do.  No one else though.  Swear.  'Specially not Grandma's.

After your apples are peeled toss all the pie ingredients together.

Move along here.  Nothing to see....

Grab your spring form pan and line it with one big sheet of parchment paper, waxy side up please.  Pre-Heat Oven to 350.

In a separate bowl mix the brown sugah, pecans, flour, and butter until well incorporated.  Pour it into the lined spring form pan and place Pre-made (I know I am such a cheater!)  pie shell on top with edges hanging over  (just slightly or as close as you can get).

Arrange apple slices in layers, don't just pour them in.  Please layer them.  The pie sets better, it cuts better and it holds up better if the slices are layered.  I know it takes waaaaay longer than just dumping the bowl but you have a much prettier pie.

Once they are all in ( or almost all, I can never fit every last one) we need to stick the top on.  Make sure to crimp the 2 together not over the lip of the Spring form.  You'll want to take that part off at some point.

Poke some pretty (or not so pretty) holes in the top.  Remember, ideally we are going to flip this bitch so the top becomes the bottom.  Ideally!

Bake for about an hour. 



In the last 10 min. or so do up an egg wash.  What's an egg wash you ask??  Well, goodness sake!  You take an egg and separate it from the yolk.  Whisk the white with a little water until it's frothy.    Get your BBQ brush and slime the top of your pie and dust with white sugar.  It'll get shiny and sparkly.  Bake the remaining 10 minutes and get her outta the oven.

Now you are done for about a day.  Let it cool until it's chill enough to go in the fridge.  Leave it cool over night.

This is where it becomes your choice.  To flip or not to flip??  I opted not to flip it. 

The next day (flipped or unflipped) you can pop the spring form ring.    MMmmmm....

Slide the ring off and Voila!  You have Deep Dish French Apple Upside Down Pie!  (Or not so upside down... whatever!)

Serve with Vanilla ice cream and Hot Coffee with Heavy Cream.  Mmmm.....

        

Ahhh breakfast!  The most important meal of the day.  Well, closer to brunch of me, but never you mind!  We're going to talk about a delish little thing I call Stuffed French Toast Puffs.  Oh you can make em sweet or savory, crispty crunchy or ooowey gooey, they're alllll Yummy In The Tummy.  Today we're gonna talk about my sweet ones.

1 whole loaf Cinnamon Raisin Bread day old or toasted(With or Without Nuts!) Torn into bite size pieces
12 Eggs
1 Cup Milk (or heavy cream....Ohhh the richness!)
4 TBS Brown Sugah
2 TBS Vanilla
Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice to taste.  (At least 3 or 4 good shakes of each) 

Delish Filling:

2 Bricks of Smooshy Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
Cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice 
1/3 Cup Frozen Berries

Start the night before and tear or cut your bread into chunks.  Lay it all out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and let it air dry or pop in the oven at 200 and toss every 20 minutes until everyone is all crispity dry.

NOW!  To the fun part!  Get out your Jumbo Muffin Tin.  (Should be 6 muffin holes)  Gently grease each tin.  Toss in enough bread pieces to cover or almost cover each bottom.

In a separate bowl whisk 6 eggs and pour in 1/2 cup milk, 1 TBS Vanilla, 2 TBS Brown Sugah and spices.  Mmmmm..... Spices.

Spoon or drizzle egg mix over dry breads in the cup, no need to cover all the breads.  We're gonna put stuff on top of them.

While they soak were gonna mix up the stuff to stuff em with, and it will be fan-tab-oulous!

Get another bowl (I know!  Messy right?!?!) and toss your cream cheeses and give em a mix with your mixer until they aren't shaped like bricks anymore.  Put in the 1/3 powdered sugar (at a time) along with the spices and vanilla until all incorporated.  Taste an make sure it's sweet enough.  You can alway add more sugar.  God Knows Breakfast Needs More Sugar, right?
Once that's all mixy mixed gently fold in your berries.  I like the frozen assortments, but not strawberries.  Those chunks are too big.

Before you start dolloping your puffs take the remaining ingredients, 6 more eggs, milk, vanilla, spices and sugar and toss in the remaining bread bits.  Make sure to give them a stir and get every one in the mix.

Pre heat oven to 350. Now, it's time to droooooooooooooool.

Dollop a hefty spot of cream cheese mix in the center of eeeeeach preeeeeetty muuffffiiiiiin.

Now reach your hand into that goooey mess of egg and bread mix.  Pull out just enough for the top of every one.  Then top them off with the liquid left in the bottom.  Make sure they all get some.

Now pop em in the oven and bake them for about 25 minutes.  Watch em.  Just crispy on top and golden all over like french toast.  MMMmmmm.....

Pop them outta the oven and slide those beauties out of the tin and place it on a lovely plate.  You could put some Syrup on it or some jam.  Either way, or plain they are Looooovely. 

MMMmmmmmm.... brunch!

        

Oh Dear.

Good Grief.

My weather has already started changing.

Poo.  I hate that.

I want to run behind summer shouting over the roar of the car motor "Don't move!  Don't leave me!  I love you" and Summer slowly dwindles in the distance waving her bright sunny arm all the while.

I hate that smell.  You know the smell.  You walk outside in the early morning or late night and you can smell fall, and sometimes even winter.  Blah. 

The only good thing about it getting colder is you get to eat hotter food.  Heavier food.  Mmmmm......

Shepards Pie

Chicken and Dumplings

Stews and Soups

Casseroles

And Lasagne.

            With Lusciuos, Buttery, Garlic Bread!

I like to make it the night before so I can throw it in the oven when I get home and in about a hour and a half I have dinner with no work!

Here's the stuff for a Big Ass Lasagne

1 lb Ground beef
1/2 lb Sweet Eye-talian Sausage (or whatever floats your boat, sausage-wise that is)
2 cans o'sauce of your choice
1 yegg
1 bag O'Shredded Monster-ella
Fresh Parm. About 1/2 cup
1 big ass container of Riccotta
                                                **************NOTE*******************
                                               Do Not Use Skim Milk Riccotta.  You are just cheating youself.    If you use Cottage  
                                               Cheese you should be shot.  Why would you ruin your food intentionally????
                                               When you can answer that you cottage cheese users and I can talk.

Noodlies.  Use regular ones and I'll teach you how to use em just like those fancy schmancy oven ready ones.  I use about 3 per layer.
An Onion, diced
Garlic to Taste
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
A drizzle o'Earl.  Doesn't matter what kind really.


First, get your big noodle pot and fill it with hot ass water and toss your noodles in to soak.  No heat or boiling nesessary.  A possible water change is though.  You want them pretty flexy and pliable, but not boiled soft.

As your noodlies soak, fry up your onions and garlic  for 3 or 4 minutes, the toss in your beef and snausage.  Make sure to mash with a fork the whole time.  Snausage can turn into a lump.  Once cooked drain in a collander.

Place your pan back on the stove and pour in a container of sauce, refill the container 1/4 with water and pour in.  Toss in your drained meat.   

                                                    Huh.  hahaha..... HA.  I said Drained Meat.  I make myself laugh like a 12 year old boy.

Stir it around then pour in your other can o'sauce reserving 1/4 in the can.  Stir again.

Dump your ricotta into a mixing bowl, salt, pepper, garlic powder and your yegg. Stir until well combined.

Now!  YOU ARE READY TO CREAAAAAAATTTTTTEEEEEE!

Drizzle about 2 TBS of Earl into your casserole and smear it around with a paper towel.  Make sure to get the sides.  DISCARD TOWEL.  Duh.

Toss is the reserved sauce and shake dish until evenly distributed on the bottom o'pan.

Layer in 3 noodles and top with Riccotta mix.  I find using a rubber scraper to smear the cheese mix on the noodles.  It takes some finness, them noodles are slippery bastards.

Sprinkle with Monster-ella and layer with more noodlies. Then add in your super awesome meat sauce.  Make sure  it's covered pretty well.  Dust with your parm.  Ok.  Pour it all in.  Add more monster-ella and noodles.

Now.  This is a personal choice.  I like to add more sauce and dollop the rest of the riccotta mix on.  You could certainly change that and do Riccotta first then top with sauce.

Either way I like to cover it in foil and refridgerate it over night before I bake it.  Let everything get all smooshy together and friendly like.

When I get home from work the next day I get a cookie sheet out and put the lasagne on it.

Pop it in the overn and let it warm up with your oven.  I cook at 350 for about an hour and a half.  That last half hour I pull the foil off and top with Monsterella. 

Drool and do the hungryhungry dance.

Make the Garlic bread.

Your stuff:

1/2 Loaf Crust Eye-talian or French bread.  Preferably, fresh.

1 Whole Stick o'Buttah

3 TBS of chopped garlic.  I like the jarred crap.

1 teaspoon Garlic powder.  Oh yes.  You want it.

1 tsp Salt and a little fresh cracked pepper.  3 or 4 twists on the cracker.

More Monster-ella

Leave your buttah out to soften.  Nice and smooshy.  Don't microwave it if you can help it.  I'm convinced it does something to the butter, seperates it somehow.

Toss your garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper into the butter and smear it around until well combined.

Cut your bread in half and smear the garlic goodness on there.  Mmmmmmm.... pop it in the oven to toast up.

Go back and sit in your chair and cry becausse you houe smells wonderful.

Start checking after 10  minutes and pull the lasgane out of the oven to let it rest.  Just like meat.

Once the bread browns a wee bit, about 15 minutes pop it out and cover the top in monster-ella and back in the oven.

OMG OMG.  Wait.  Find something to do.  Bite your nails.  Work out.

As soom as the cheese has melted and browned up just a touch pull it out and you can eat.

Finally.

It's awesome.

In your mouth.  NOMNOMNOM.

        

Ok.  I know it totally sucks some nights.  You come home from work after an exhausting day...
But, You look in the fridge and only have a few basic staples. 
Some Chicken, some wilty looking carrots, a bit of onion, celery, cream o'something soup, a bit of milk, some greek yogurt and biscuit mix.  What can you make with that that means you won't be eating at midnight?

Pot Pie bitches.  That's right, I said it.  ya HEARD??

You got the ingriendients list already but I'll measure it out for ya.....

Pie Part:
As much chicken as you have handy.  I used 5 thighs but I'm a rebel.  You could also use a couple of boobies, or one of those grocery store roasters...
4 or 5 carrots.  REAL CARROTS PLEASE.  None of those baby carrots.   Those are for assholes.
3 or 4 Celery Sticks
1 Medium Onion
1/2 bag Frozen Peas
Fresh Corn if you have it
Some left over white wine that's been in the fridge for a week...
And herbs and seasonings
2 TBS Buttah and some flour

Get your chicken and turn it into chunks.  If it's raw we need to start there.

Oil your big ass pan and heat it up at just above medium.  Toss in the Chicken and 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic.
Stir vigioursly with a wood stirring implement.

While that cooks through turn the carrots into sticks, then into chunks and toss em in the pan with the partially cooked chicken.  Swish em with your stick then go back to your cutting.

Onion and celery come next.  Give em a nice dice.  Divide the big ends of the celery before your dice.

Now your chicken and carrots should be in the pan for about 5 to 7 minutes at the most ya?

Move all the bits outta the way so you have a clear space in the middle and toss your butter and  4 or 5 TBS of flour and just work that around with your wood implement till it's most all worked together.  Once that's all gooey like a lovely Roux should be, pour in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of wine and work that around.  It should get pasty almost immediately. 

Toss in your Peas,Onion and Celery, your Cream O'soup, and 3/4 soup can of M-A_L-K and stir it around until all the cream stuff and M-A-L-K are incorporated.  Add in 8 or so turns of fresh cracked black pepper, Dried Thyme and Dried Sage to taste, and salt to taste.  Turn off the heat and get out The Big Casserole Dish.

Pour it in and pop it in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. 

While that's a'cookin' you make the biiiiiscuits!

So simple,so easy.

Topping stuff

Biscuit mix (Bisquick, Jiffy, OR home made drop biscuits)
Greek Yogurt
Milk
Fresh Sage (or other herbs, fresh or dried.)

For 2 cups of biscuit mix
1 cup greek yogurt
4 or 5 Tablespoon finely chopped sage
Black Pepper
Once it's all mixed add milk by the TBS full until it's a good pastey and drop biscuity. 

Pop that bitch outta the oven again and add the biscuit by the spoonful to the top.  You shouldn't be able to cover the top, just make it like cobbler.  Most everything gets covered.

Back into the oven we go for about 25 minutes, on a tray this time.  You may wanna cover it with foil before you put the casserole on it.

At the 25 minute mark start tappin' the biscuits.  It should be a nice hollow sound, dense, but hollow.  I recommend about 30 minutes if you can without burning.  Taste-ah.

Get it outta the oven and do the "But I Wanna Eat It Noooow Dance"

Burn your mouth at least once.

Be Very Very happy with yourself for making such a nice, simple meal. 

Plan to eat many many leftovers in the days to come .