Pork Shoulder Ragu

This is my grand finale for winter time, one pot masterpieces. We still have a few chilly days left so squeeze this one in while you can. We're big on pasta and sauce in our family. It's Paddy's favorite. But sometimes I get a little tired of the same ole sauce. I came across this one on Food52 and boy is it good. I've made it twice in the last two months - the first time in a dutch oven, the second time in a slow-cooker because we just had to get. out. of. the. house. If you use a slow cooker - I highly recommend still browning the meat on the stove top and transferring 24it after. Serve this with a wide noodle like papardelle or tagliatelle.

2 - 2.5lb boneless pork shoulder (I've made this with bone-in too. If you use boneless, tie up loose pieces)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small pat of butter
1 28oz + 1 14oz can of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano the best for this)
1 cup red wine
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
5 springs of fresh oregano (use fresh here - it makes a difference)
*Tie the herbs together with kitchen twine so that you can scoop out later.

1. Preheat oven to 325. Liberally salt and pepper the pork. Heat olive oil and butter to dutch oven over medium high and add the pork roast to the pan. Brown on all sides.

2. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. If you're using a slow cooker - at this point transfer everything to the cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 5hrs or low for 8hrs. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and put in the oven.

3. Braise for 3-4 hours or until falling off the bone. When done, remove pork from the pot and shred on large plate or pan. Skim off any oil from the top of the sauce. Add the pork to the sauce and mix well. Serve with pasta and top with parm.

Baby Spinach and Basil Pesto

I love pesto - there's so much you can do with it! It's great on sandwiches, as a condiment with steamed or grilled vegetables, as a soup flavor finesser, with eggs, on pizza...the list goes on. But sometimes I find traditional pesto a little intense...which lead me to this baby spinach version which I actually prefer now. The spinach lightens it up a little and actually gives the pesto much more volume - you get so much more!

*Note to chef - my recipe here does not include garlic, by the way. I find raw garlic a little overpowering which seriously disappoints my dear husband who eats garlic cloves as a snack. I smell like it for days so, no thanks. Feel free to add it. Also several other variations noted below.

Easy to double this recipe - it freezes well. Freeze in a container or in an ice cube tray for easy re-use!
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted (substitute pine nuts)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or finely shredded Romano, Asiago or any other Italian hard cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp veggie or chicken broth

1. Place the nuts in a pan on the stove top and heat on medium high, turning occasionally, until they are browned slightly and are fragrant. Remove from heat.

2. Place the spinach, basil, nuts, cheese, and garlic in a food processor.

3. Combine the broth and olive oil in glass or measuring cup. Pulse the ingredients while drizzling the broth/oil through the food chute.

Pasta and Light Tomato Sauce

I had no idea what to call this. But it's a take on one of Lidia B's pasta dishes and became our favorite pasta dish this summer. Paddy's favorite dinner is pasta and red sauce but sometimes that red sauce gets a little heavy and hot in the summer. So, I lightened it up with some fresh tomatoes instead. This is incredibly easy and it's done in the time that it takes to boil the pasta - a great go-to!

Handful of spaghetti, linguini, angel hair
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1-2 tsp of crushed red pepper
4 medium tomatoes, diced (5 or 6 romas) - roma tomatoes work best but any tomato will do!
1 heaping tablespoon of capers (optional but good!)
1/4 cup of black olives if you have them (cured, black olives the best)
Fresh basil
Shredded asiago, romano or parmesan

1. Boil the water with a good bit of salt. Throw in the pasta.

2. In a large saucepan, heat enough olive oil to cover the pan (2 tbsp -ish) on medium.

3. Throw in the garlic and crushed red pepper. Let it simmer for a minute but don't let the garlic burn.

4. Add the diced tomatoes and their juice and the capers and olives. Add a pinch of salt, if you're using olives and capers, you won't need too much.

5. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatoes get nice and soft (about the time it will take to cook the pasta). Add 1/4 cup of pasta water as the sauce cooks down - you'll probably need to do this about twice.

6. Using tongs, take the spaghetti out of the water - you'll want a little bit of the water so no need to strain. Put the pasta in the pan and mix together with the sauce.

7. Top with chopped basil and cheese.

Tomatillo-Cilantro Salsa

I recently got a tortilla press. Yes, that's right. Why buy a package of corn tortillas in a matter of 30 seconds when you can take an hour and make your own? People often joke with me about how I make things a little harder sometimes than they need to be. But it's usually (USUALLY) because I like the process of doing it! (Eg. making cheese.) Anyway, when I was little, Kel and I made homemade tortillas with the help of her mom for Spanish class one time. I haven't forgotten how yummy they were, hot off the pan with a little butter. We at them like pancakes.

This recipe isn't for tacos, it's for salsa. But it's great with tamales (mix in with some shredded chicken and cheese), with steak, on top of arepas, and on just about anything. It's great with scrambled eggs and cheese for a weekend breakfast. This recipe is from Food and Wine You can swap out peppers depending on what you have (I still have a huge pot of jalapenos coming in on my balcony). 

1/2 lb tomatillos - you can get these in most grocery stores, just look hard.
2 serrano chiles or a couple of jalapenos (stemmed and seeded - leave a few seeds in if you like it hot!)
1 medium white onion, cut into wedges
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut in half
1/2 cup cilantro (optional, I know some people can't stand it)
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 500 (I use the grill for this - more char and less heat in the house, especially in the summer!). If using oven, spread first 5 ingredients on a cookie sheet  and roast for 15 minutes, turning once or twice. If using grill, cut the veggies a little bigger so they don't fall through and roast until softish and charred.

2. Let it cool a little when it comes out of the oven. Throw everything in a blender with the cilantro and lime juice, salt and pepper. Blend until you have desired chunkiness.

Ooey Gooey BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

There are dozens of bbq sauces in the grocery store, but it's surprisingly easy to make! Use this recipe as a base and change it up according to what you're in the mood for - sometimes I use fresh ginger to brighten it up, more or less vinegar changes the zing factor, and additions such as Worcestershire or A1 are good too!

BBQ Sauce:
3 TB ketchup
1 TB cider vinegar
1 TB mustard
1 TB molasses
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp ground ginger

Leftover roast chicken, pulled from the bone...amount depends on how monstrous you like your sandwiches. You can always save the leftover bbq sauce for something else.

Dill pickles - sandwich or round cut.
Bulky sandwich rolls
Cole slaw

1. Put the bbq sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Throw in the chicken and let it bubble for about 10 minutes.

2. Assemble your sandwiches with the pickles on top.

BONUS FLAVOR: add cole slaw into your sandwich. Don't have any?? Mix 3 cups of shredded, bagged cabbage with 1/4 cup mayo, 1 TB cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, or until the cabbage softens and absorbs some of the juices. The creaminess of the cole slaw goes great with the bbq!

Asian Pesto Chicken Salad

For my mom's 60th birthday this year, I got us tickets to go see Ming Tsai cook an elaborate meal. We sat right in front of him, we were his guests for dinner, complete with yummy cocktails, great wine and unbelievable food. He showed us how to do it all and it was undoubtedly one of the most exciting event my mom and I have attended in a very long time. We love this guy! I bought one of his cookbooks and I've been quickly making my way through it. Most of the recent recipes are his and are definitely worth trying -they're easy and great for summer eating...

Asian Pesto
1 jalapeno
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 TB minced ginger
1/2 cup peanuts
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
salt and pepper

Chicken and Orzo
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cups Asian Pesto
1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved
Juice of 1 lemon
1 package of baby spinach

1. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and either grill (this is highly recommended) or broil in the oven until cooked. When done, cut into small cubes

2. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and cook the orzo until just tender (about 10 minutes). When done, drain and rinse with cold water.

3. Combine the first 6 ingredients and half of the olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the basil, mint and cilantro and blend while slowly adding the rest of the oil. Blend until a thick puree is formed and add salt and pepper.

4. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, orzo, tomatoes and pesto. Add the lemon juice and mix well.

5. Serve on a bed of baby spinach.

Coffee Rubbed Cheeseburgers w/ Texas BBQ Sauce

Don't be scared! I know it sounds weird... Burgers are good as they are. But this spice rub and BBQ sauce gives them an extra kick and lots of extra flavor. You can use the BBQ sauce for lots of other stuff too!

For the burgers:
1 tbsp ground coffee
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef
4 slices of cheddar or smoked gouda
4 hamburger buns
Lettuce
Tomato

Texas BBQ Sauce:
1 tbs butter
1 clove of minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 worcester sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 chipotle chile, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne


1. Start the BBQ sauce first...In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup and all remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until reduced to 1 1/3 cups. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.

2. Mix all of the coffee rub ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.

3. Divide your beef and make patties according to the size and thickness you like.

4. Rub both sides of each patty thoroughly with the rub and let sit until the beef is close to room temperature and ready for grilling.

5. Grill the burgers according to taste and add the cheese!

6. When the burgers are done, load them onto the buns with a little BBQ sauce, lettuce and tomato.

Summer Rolls

This is straight from a restaurant in Malden that we went to last weekend with a couple of friends. I've been planning to put up my recipe for these but just got this in my Daily Candy email and figured theirs is probably better!

1 package of twelve-inch round rice papers
12 large cooked and peeled shrimp, cut in half lengthwise
10 mint leaves
10 basil leaves
½ head of lettuce, shredded
½ package of thin rice noodles

1. Line up two sheets of rice paper, layering them one on top of the other.

2. Quickly dip them into a bowl of warm water.

3. Spread the moist rice paper onto a clean cutting board and flatten.

4. In the middle of the rice paper, layer two pieces of shrimp and top with one basil leaf and one mint leaf.

5. Add 1/6 of the lettuce and 1/6 of the rice noodles.

6. Tuck in top and bottom, then fold left and rights sides over the filling (like a burrito) and seal using a drop of water on your fingertip.

All Seasons’s Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
8 tbsp. hoisin sauce
4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)
1 tsp. chili flakes (optional)

1. In a small bowl, mix hoisin sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

2. Top with roasted peanuts and chili flakes (optional).

3. Accept compliments gracefully; that’s just the way you roll.

Sausage Stuffed Cabbage

I know, I know. The last thing you all think you want to eat is stuffed cabbage. Is it just me or does it conjure images of the little boys slopping goo in their mouths in "A Christmas Story"? Wait, don't go to another recipe! This is one you really want to try. The cabbage is just a casing for a very tasty sausage filling and if you combine it with my red sauce - it's sure to please. Really, try it. Never bought cabbage before? Neither had I. Stick with savoy cabbage, it's a little lighter and thinner.

2 cups water (or amount of water in tabouli box directions)
1/2 cup mushrooms - finely chopped
1 1/4 cups bulger or tabouli (can be found in a box in Mediterranean section of grocery store)
2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
2/3 cup finely chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground italian sausage (or sausage links removed from casings)
12 savoy cabbage leaves

* Heat tomato sauce in a large pot or Dutch oven. (Use tomato sauce recipe in my blog!)

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir in bulger/tabouli (if you buy tabouli in a box, follow directions on box). Let stand for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

2. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic. Saute until soft and lightly browned.

3. Add sauteed veggies to bulgar/tabouli mixture and cool slightly. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add uncooked sausage (removed from casings) to mixture and mix well.

5. Add water to a large pot or Dutch oven. If you have a vegetable steamer, drop the cabbage leaves in and let steam for 5-7 minutes. If you don't have a steamer, bring water to a boil, turn off heat, drop cabbage in water and leave in until soft.

6. Working with one piece of cabbage at a time, place 1/2 cup of bulgar/tabouli and sausage mixture in the center of the leaf. Fold the edges in and roll up like a burrito. Repeat for the rest of the cabbage and sausage mixture.

7. Either place the cabbage packages back in the steamer, covered, with water boiling, for about 30 minutes. OR, pour an inch or two of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a Dutch oven and place the cabbage packages in one layer and cook for 20-30 minutes.

8. Serve with lots of tomato sauce.

My Red Sauce

I totally abandoned jarred tomato sauce a few years ago. I just can't do it anymore. I use this sauce with pasta, lasagna, in soups, with fish, etc. I usually have some in my fridge at all times.

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay is best)
2 large cans of Contadina crushed tomato
1/2 chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it hot!)
salt & pepper

1. Saute the onion in olive oil until soft.
2. Add garlic and saute for another couple of minutes.
3. Add wine and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and reduce to 1/2.
4. Add cans of crushed tomato, basil, and the rest of the seasoning.
5. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes.