As summer turns to autumn turns to winter I find myself making heavier, warming dishes rather than the lighter fare I would have in warmer weather. Today's entry is about one of my tried and true favourites; Spaghetti and Meatballs. Now, as much as I'd love to, I don't have the time to make everything from scratch, so I tend to focus on the main part of the dish. This time was the meatballs and the spaghetti sauce; as we were hitting the tail end of an Indian Summer (that time when it's hot out when it should be cooling off, usually late September early October around here), I wanted a dish that would comfort the people eating it, but wouldn't sit so heavily on them.

Spaghetti Sauce

• 12 plum Tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cans Crushed Tomatoes
• 3 stalks Celery, finely chopped
• 2 medium Onions, chopped 
• 1 medium Green Pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Ketchup (I always use Heinz when cooking.. just 'cause it's a better product than No-Name ketchups.)
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Now, what you'll want to do is start with the celery, onion and green pepper. Throw those in the bottom of the pot with the oil and half the garlic, on medium, and cook while stirring until the onion is translucent. Then you'll want to add the fresh tomatoes, and cook it for about ten minutes or so, stirring slowly now and again, until the tomatoes have released their juice. Next, add the canned tomatoes, the rest of the garlic and the ketchup, stir it all together and switch the heat to medium-low (two or three on the stove), cover with a lid, and let it handle itself for about an hour, stirring once every ten minutes or so to keep things moving around. *You'll be adding the meatballs into this sauce eventually, so make sure you have room for about twenty-two of them in your pot.

Meatballs

• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp dried Parsley
• 1 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 1/2 pounds ground Veal
• 1 1/2 pounds ground Beef 
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil

Alright, get a big mixing bowl, and a smaller one. Start by whisking the eggs and milk together, then adding the Panko to it along with the parsley and oregano. Let sit to the side while you combine the meat in a bowl with the olive oil. Once the Panko has soaked into the egg and milk mix, stir it up and drop it in with the meat. With clean, moist hands, mix the meat and bread together, then form it into twenty-two (or so) meatballs, each about the size of a tablespoon. Cook them in the oil, rotating for shape retention, until all sides are browned, then plop them carefully into your sauce to finish cooking through. Serve over pasta!

And that's it! Because y'all should be able to boil pasta.. Right? Right?!

 

Seems I have a thing for making a good dinner on a Wednesday night. Prolly 'cause it's mid-week, and usually that night -sucks-. "But Jeff!" you might say, "It's Friday morning! How come you didn't post this Wednesday?" Because! I'm busy, and this is the first free time since then that I haven't been spaced out on cold pills and exhaustion. Dun dun dun! Anyway, what's up today is Roasted Pork Loin with Mushroom Gravy, Potatoes, Mushrooms, Carrots, and Onions, that's what! Pictures above, recipes below! Boom bam!

Base Ingredients for the Roasting Pan

 - 2 packages Pork Loins 
 - 4lbs Yellow Fleshed Potatoes, quartered 
 - 2lbs Carrots, washed and cut into 2" segments 
 - 2lbs Yellow Onions, quartered
 - 1 can (300mL) Mushrooms (or the equivalent in fresh, sliced mushrooms)

Start by laying the pork loins in the center of the pan, pressed together, then surround with the vegetables in layers. Start with the carrots so that they cook the most surrounded by the liquid, then the potatoes, then the onions. The mushrooms go right down onto the pork loins, though you should spread them out. Once you put the liquid in (recipe below), then roast for two and a half hours or so at 300F, or until the vegetables are fork-tender, and the meat pulls apart easily.

Liquid for the Bottom of the Roasting Pan (also the gravy base)

 - 1 box (900mL) of Chicken Broth
 - 2 Navel Oranges, juice of
 - 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
 - 3 tbsp Blackstrap Molasses
 - 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
 - 2 cloves Garlic, minced
 - 3 tsp Sea Salt
 - 3 tsp Fresh Black Pepper
 - 2 tsp Marjoram

You'll want to start by preparing the pan (as above), then getting a mixing bowl. Mix all of the ingredients for the liquid together, using a whisk to ensure that the heavier molasses spreads through. Pour slowly over the meat and vegetables, then put the lid on and throw the whole thing in the oven!

Mushroom Gravy

 - Roasting Pan Liquid (post-roasting, as above)
 - 1 can Campbell's Mushroom Soup
 - 4 tsp Corn Starch, dissolved and mixed smooth (In about a half cup of the roast liquid, or warm water)
 - Salt and Pepper to taste

Take the meat and vegetables out of the pan, being sure to scrape the mushrooms off of the roast(s). Fish out about half the mushrooms, and set them aside with the vegetables. A roasting pan usually fits on two burners of a stovetop, so put two on medium, and bring the roast liquid to a simmer. Add the mushroom soup, and mix through, bringing back to a simmer. Finally, add the corn starch -slowly-, being sure to whisk the entry point with a fork or whisk to avoid clotting, and allow the gravy to simmer until it reaches the desired thickness. Take off heat and put in a heat-safe vessel, serve with the rest!

So, this dish was suggested by my pal Tiana, as something that she ate through a college winter over rice. Now, I don't particularly care for rice, but I -do- love egg noodles! So, those don't need a recipe, since they're certainly not homemade. The Peanut Butter Stew (or Mafe), turned out pretty tasty, but a little more tomato-y than I expected. If I make it again sometime, I'll dial back on the tomato paste, and maybe add some more peanut butter. Anyway!

Peanut Butter Stew (or Mafe; west African meat in peanut sauce)

 - 2 tbsp Peanut Oil (you could use vegetable or canola oil if you wanted to, instead.)

 - 2 pounds of Stewing Beef, cubed

 - 1 Onion, minced

 - 6 cloves of Garlic, minced

 - 1 tbsp Ginger, minced

 - 2 tbsp Tomato Paste

 - 2 cups Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

 - 2 cups Beef Stock

 - 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter, unsalted

 - Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high flame. Add the beef and sauté until lightly browned on all sides, 5-6 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Add the onion to the oil in the pot and sauté until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and sauté another 1-2 minutes. Return the beef to the pot, stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes to reduce the volume of the tomatoes somewhat. Add enough water or stock to loosen the dish to a stewlike consistency. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, salt and pepper and simmer for another 40 minutes, or until the beef is tender and oil rises to the surface of the dish. Add water as necessary to keep the dish stewlike. Adjust seasoning and serve over rice or egg noodles.