Brainy Weekend Dinners...Mediterranean Chicken and Meatloaf Extraordinary!

Given that eating out is still a masked event... its just so much better to cook at home and cook as if you were eating out. Like most busy people, you probably have more time to cook on the weekend. So, spend some quality time in the kitchen. 

For Saturday, Mediterranean Chicken and for Sunday, meatloaf extraordinary! Let's take a look at what you need: chicken thighs, fresh jarred tomatoes, spinach infused pasta, onion, garlic, olives and sweet cherry peppers. For the following day's meal: ground beef or veal, young potatoes, peas and dried apricots. 

Each meal is simple and easy. Both dishes can be made in the oven. The Mediterranean Chicken is made a single glass dish; and, the meatloaf is made in two separate glass baking dishes. For the first meal, roast as many chicken thighs as you need to serve per guest... season with olive, sea salt, garlic powder or fresh crushed, chopped onion and dried Italian herbs. Once the chicken is browned on top, pour in a jar of diced tomatoes, along with some olives. Boil the pasta until tender and drain. Ladle the pasta first onto a serving plate then the chicken and sauce from the dish and serve. 

Let each guest add their own amount of cherry peppers... if they choose. 

Now, for Sunday. Meatloaf must be made with quality ground meat of your choice. Add only dried bread crumbs and heavy cream as your catalyst; and, of course your favorite seasonings, including dried herbs. There is no need to add crackers, oatmeal, broccoli or eggs. Those ingredients always dry the meat and thus little juices flow out of the meatloaf. Besides, you want to taste the quality of your meat choice. Around the loaf, add dried apricots and peas, serve with young golden potatoes.

Top the meatloaf with homemade ketchup: a blend of tomato paste, brown sugar and Ai steak sauce.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Beef 'Bistro Style' Stroganoff...

 

When Beef Stroganoff is served, you should be thinking; rich and creamy and romantically delicious! Given that, you could easily imagine that you are at some far off tucked in European bistro...

For this dish you will need: quality cuts of beef (stew meat or thick sirloin cut into chunks), one medium onion, dark brown Bavarian mushrooms, beef stock, heavy cream and wide egg noodle pasta - Parppardelle.

To begin, marinate the beef in balsamic vinegar and pink Himalayan salt for 30-40 min. When that time is nearly finished, in a large skillet saute the onion in olive oil until dark brown on the edges.

Remove from skillet and in the same skillet, brown the mushrooms, adding 3 tbs of butter. Once the mushrooms are darker and tender, remove from the skillet putting them aside with the onion and sear the beef in chunks (drained) in the same skillet, adding a drizzle of olive oil.

Bring back into the skillet the onion and mushrooms, pour in about 3 tbs of beef stock, a half shot of either white wine or vermouth a, stirring on high heat. Then turning down the heat, add the heavy cream about 1/2 cup, cover and let simmer while you prepare the pasta and a side of blackened asparagus.

Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until tender, drain and ladle onto a low lipped plater. The asparagus should be flash stir fried in olive oil, then cover to simmer on medium high adding 1 tbs of beef stock.


 Serve all together, start the music and pour the wine...

~ Tutti a Tavola

Brainy Lamb Chops with Rustic Potatoes and Root Veggies...

 

There was a time when cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers were battling for the open range... And, maybe they still do when it comes to the 'range' of the free market. Lamb is making a comeback and if you never had good lamb like a good steak you don't know what you are missing.

For this dish you will need: lamb chops per person, rustic veggies: carrots and fingerling potatoes.  To begin, marinate the lamb chops in olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and sea salt along with a generous sprinkle of fresh dried herbs: rosemary, sage, mint and oregano.

While the chops are marinating, prepare fresh garden harvested fingerling potatoes and young fresh carrots. Scrub but do not peel either. Place in glass baking dish, douse with olive oil and herbs. Bake in 350 oven with convection on. After 40 min. check veggies for tenderness.

Place the lamb chops in the oven also in a glass baking dish. Sear on the same temp as veggies using the convection option. Reduce the heat to 325, turn off convection and let roast for 15 - 20 min. then check to see if the juices from the chops start to run and the meat is gently pink. If it looks good and the veggies are done... its time to serve and eat!

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Homemade Cornbread on a wintry evening...

 

Wintry scenery calls for something hot and steamy!  

All brainy gourmets cook on their feet... which means they know what their taste-buds like and cook according to them without hesitation. Baking is quite different though. Recipes are not necessary when cooking on your 'feet'... but they are when baking.

1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of skim milk (better substitute, buttermilk)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil (better substitute, olive oil)
2 egg whites or one egg beaten (one egg beaten is best)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt

You will know that your mixture is correct as it should be sticky and rather thick.

My own preference for baking cornbread is in a glass dish and not cast iron. Also, I use bacon lard (bacon grease that has congealed) to smear the glass before ladling in the sticky corn meal mixture. If you don't want to use bacon lard then try jarred 'congealed' coconut oil.

Bake at 350 until the top pushes up like a mountain...takes about 30 min. Turn off the heat and let the bread sit inside the oven for another 4-5 min. Serve with soup, stew or goulash.

 

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Chicken Raclette with Asparagus...

 

Yes, chicken raclette's most important ingredient is cheese. Raclette is a kind of Swiss cheese that is most commonly used for melting. So, if you know the smell and taste of Swiss cheese, then you have an idea of Raclette. Can we then imagine this kind of cheese originated in Switzerland? Yes.

According to historic record kept in known monasteries at Obwalden and Nidwalden, we learn that William Tell had tasted Raclette as early as 1291. In those days, Raclette cheese was melted on an open fire and the soft melted mass gradually dropped off onto a plate.

For this dish you will need: chicken 'boneless/skinless' breasts (per person), onion, butter, pasta (using mushroom infused short linguine), raclette cheese, mushrooms, heavy cream and asparagus spears.

To begin, simply saute onion in olive oil, push aside and lay in the breasts adding a dollop of butter and extra drizzle of olive oil. Add the mushrooms after each side of the breast meat has browned. Sprinkle in dried herbs and cover and let cook for about 10 min on med. heat [Chicken can be cut into smaller pieces or strips].

Next, add about 1/3 cup of raclette and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Let this mixture simmer for 20-25 min on low heat while you prepare the pasta (boil in salted water until tender) and asparagus which is best sear and or blackened in olive oil and butter. 

~ Tutti a Tavola!




*Source for cheese history ~
http://www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com/cheese-assortment/raclette-suisse.html

Brainy Mediterranean Chicken... Absolute Sunshine!

 

 

The secret to really great Mediterranean chicken is not only the olives in the sauce but the way you cook the chicken. To begin: use bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Pan fry in a large skillet as many thighs as you need skin side down on high heat in olive oil with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and fresh dried herbs: rosemary, oregano, sage and mint. Once the skin side is nicely browned, turn over and reduce heat to med.; cover for 5-6 min, adding a bit more olive oil if needed.

Move the chicken aside or remove temporarily while you add one whole chopped onion and one whole chopped roasted red pepper. Brown together, then add one med. can of diced tomatoes or fresh about 2 cups along with either 1-2 cups of diced zucchini or eggplant.

Bring the chicken back in and for extra flavor, toss in fresh sprig of rosemary. Cover and let simmer for about 35 min on low heat. In the meantime, prepare wide egg noodles, linguine or Spinach infused fettuccine pasta.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Chicken Riggies...

 

Utica NY is a small city in the Mohawk Valley. Its known for its riggies, greens and pies. That's because it has a long time Italian heritage. This dish was made known to me by an Italian (at least by name) campfire cook who happens to be a 'upper'. He is a brainy gourmet in his own right. 

For this dish you will need: boneless/skinless chicken thighs (as many per guest), rigatoni pasta, heavy cream, onion, roasted red peppers and or sweet cherry peppers, diced tomatoes (or use red pesto), crushed garlic, chicken stock, Marsala wine (though not necessary) and dried herbs: rosemary, oregano and basil.

In a deep skillet drizzled with olive oil, saute one whole 'chopped' onion and tbs of crushed garlic.  Add to that as much diced roasted red pepper as you like and a couple of small red cherry peppers. Once browned, push aside and lay in the chicken thighs. Add a drizzle or more of olive oil to brown the thighs. 

Next, pour in 1/4 cup of chicken stock, 2-3 tbs of Marsala wine and allow this to simmer covered. Then, pour in 1 cup of heavy cream. To that a huge dollop of red pesto made from sun-dried tomatoes (or a small can of diced tomatoes), a tsp of red pepper flakes, a half tsp of salt and pepper and a large dash of each herb listed. Let this bubble away on the stove while you prepare the rigatoni pasta. 

 

Serve in a deep plate...

 Garnish and put out the Parmesan... 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Meatloaf like Prime Rib...

 

The Meatloaf Cafe... if there ever was one they would have to serve homemade.

I always say, meatloaf is extraordinary because its ordinary made special. That's home cooking and that's being brainy. When it comes to meatloaf, I am a purist... no oatmeal or ketchup or broccoli mixed in the loaf or saltine crackers.

For this dish, you will need about 1 lb of any ground meat.  I like to use: beef, turkey, pork, veal and or a blend of beef and pork or turkey and veal. As I said above, don't add oatmeal, crackers, ketchup, canned soup, peas, mushrooms, broccoli etc. Keep it simple!

To begin, mix one pound of ground meat with 2/3 cup of dry bread crumbs. To that add, 1/3 cup of heavy cream, dried herbs, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.  If the mixture seems too sticky, add more bread crumbs. If it seems to dry, add more cream. In some instances, I have added one egg to keep it together and that always depends on the meat quality.

Heat your oven to 375. Pour a few drops of olive oil onto a glass baking dish. Form your meatloaf and plop it in the dish and into the oven. Let is sizzle for about 15-20 min. Then reduce heat to 350. When using only ground beef, pour in some beef stock and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce for a lovely au jus. 

Let the meatloaf bake for another 20 min. Then top with a zig zag of spiced up tomato paste or lay on some sun dried tomatoes ... then pop back into the oven for 10-12 min on 325 while you prepare a side. You should cut into the meatloaf before serving to make sure it is fully cooked or a bit rare if you use quality beef (not blended).

~ Tutti a Tavola!

 

ps... the recipe for blackbean meatloaf is the only exception when 'extra' ingredients are added. 

Mark's Brainy Frutti di Mare...

 

Whether you have heard of spaghetti di tuna or not doesn't matter... its just a delicious brainy take on Frutti di Mare. Yes, Italians do make this dish. Italians living on the seaside eat a lot of seafood and pasta with it... ever heard of 'Frutti di Mare'?  That means fruit of the sea.

For this dish you will need: tomato sauce, canned tuna in oil (or fresh grilled tuna steak, crumbled), onion, red pepper flakes, garlic, fresh dried herbs and linguine. Essentially, the sauce is an Arrabbiata sauce... spicy hot tomato.

To begin, chop one onion and 2 cloves of garlic to saute in olive oil. Once browned, add one large can of crushed tomatoes, 1/2 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of red pepper flakes (1/2 depending on your taste buds or more if your brave), fresh dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano and the canned tuna un-drained. Let simmer while you start a pot of water to boil for the linguine.

...top with Parmesan

~ Tutti a Tavola!