Spinach Risotto

There are few on pot meals more perfect than risotto. It’s brilliant in its simplicity start with a good heavy pot. Build your base with some sweet onion or shallot cooked in butter. Add 1 cup of aborio rice and cook it slightly. Add 1 cup chicken stock. The secret to a great risotto is to keep it moving. Stir it consistently and add another cup of stock and stir until chicken broth cooked in. Add 1 more cup of broth stirring continually until creamy. Making risotto is that simple. The only thing to bear in mind is not to over cook the rice and turn it into mush. It should be creamy and the rice should be slightly al dente. Finish that with 1/2 stick of butter cut into pats. Fold in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
You can be as creative as you like with you risotto. Enjoy.

Chicken and Orzo Soup

 

One of my favorite soups ever is this one. The combination of a rich chicken broth aromatic vegetables, spinach and chunky tomatoes makes this a winner any day. When I was the Executive Chef of a multiunit Mediterranean Restaurant we made this soup every day and would sell 5 gallons per restaurant per day. I guarantee once you try it you will love it as much as me and all of those customers.

Start by roasting a chicken seasoned with salt pepper herbs and garlic

Place it in a pot of cold water with celery onion and carrots and bring it to a boil and simmer for 1 hour

Remove from the pot and discard aromatic vegetables,

Skim the fat while the stock settles

Remove as much of the meat from the bones of the chicken discarding the skin and bones holding the meat in a separate bowl

To the Broth add;

1 Diced red pepper

1 diced green pepper

3 stalks diced celery

one diced onion

3 cloves garlic crushed

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 lb chopped spinach

1 tbs Dry Italian seasoning (herb Mix from McCormick)

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring back to a boil and simmer for 1 hour

Add 1 cup Orzo and the chicken and bring down to a simmer

The Soup is ready to serve when the orzo is cooked, about 15 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sausage Stuffing

Traditional Sausage Stuffing The Cape Cod Way.

Living in Plymouth and Cape Cod Cranberries are everywhere, and what balances them out better than apples?  This stuffing is so good it’s addictive.

Start by dicing a 1 1/2 lb loaf of bread and toasting your bread cubes for 45 minutes at 350, on a 1/2 size sheet pan

Diced one large onion finely along with 3 stalks Celery and 2 carrots grated

Cook 1 1/2 lbs loose sweet italian sausage

Add the vegetables and cook until the onions turn golden brown

Add 1 stick of butter and melt thoroughly

Add 4 cups Chicken Broth and boil for about 5 minutes

Add 1tbs. Bell Seasoning to that

Along with Some Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

Add 2 Diced Granny smith apples and 1 cup of dried cranberries

Mix with diced bread in a large bowl and bake in a casserole dish at 350 for 2 hours

Game Day Chili

 

It is with a great deal of hesitation I share this recipe with you. This is the best chili I have ever had and invite you to share yours if you think it is better. I have developed this recipe of 20 years in search of a chili that provides a great balance of heat and big depth of flavors. This chili is made more like a stew rather than the traditional method of cooking some ground beef, adding beans tomatoes and some spices. Instead I start by rendering the fat from a pound of bacon, cooking my aromatic vegetables with some chopped garlic until the onions caramelize, I like to use 4 lbs. chuck diced to 1/3 inch, and add 2lbs ground pork and cook it thoroughly and simmer that in 1 quart beef broth for 20 minutes to tenderize the beef. Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, 2 cans white kidney beans, 2 cans black beans and 2 cans red kidney beans it is very important to rinse them of the brine before adding them, this will assure proper consistency and flavor. Bring that up to a boil, reduce the heat and season with lots of cumin, coriander, black pepper and oregano and for the heat I love the flavor of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce because they contribute to the flavor and do not make a long burning heat that just stays with you. I also find chili powder to have a chalky grainy after taste which takes away from a great overall experience. They are best pureed in a blender with a little of the sauce. I typically use 3 or 4 from the can for medium heat but you can obviously use more or less to adjust the heat.

You will need 4 lbs chuck, I recommend buying a chuck roast with nice marbleization and cutting it up yourself into 1/3 pieces

Cook in a preheated pot until browned in approximately 1 cup bacon fat

add 2 lbs Ground pork stirring periodically to produce medium size chunks simmer in 1 quart beef broth and 2 cans crushed tomatoes.

In a separate skillet cook

1 diced onion

3 diced green peppers

2 diced celery stalks in a few tbs. bacon fat until onions are golden brown

Chop (not mince) 1 bulb of garlic and add to the mix of vegetables. Cook for a few minutes until onions completely caramelize.

Add some of the sauce from the pot to deglaze the pan and pour mix into the pot.

Season with 3 tbs cumin

2 tbs coriander

2 tbs kosher salt

Lots of fresh ground pepper

3 tbs sugar

and 2 tbs oregano

Add 2 cans black beans, 2 cans white kidney beans, 2 cans of red kidney beans and simmer over a low flame for at least an hour.

Serve this lots of tortilla chips and shredded sharp cheddar.

Creamy Risotto with Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Italian Sausage

Making Risotto perfectly requires a great deal of finesse and technique, risotto is a very simple dish in the way that it requires very few ingredients to make something fantastic. At the heart of a great risotto is onions nicely cooked in butter or olive oil, aborio rice, broth and Parmesan cheese. Cooked in stages adding the broth a cup at a time stirring constantly to massage out the starches. being careful not to over cook the rice resulting in a pasty mush on the plate. One last pointer; risotto is meant to be cooked aldente or just to the tooth, you should be able to chew the rice and it should have sufficient liquid to lay flat on the plate or in the bowl.  In this recipe I added some sweet Italian sausage, and roasted red pepper puree.

To serve four you will need one onion cooked until just golden brown in olive oil.

cut 2 lbs sausage and saute lightly

puree 3 roasted red peppers in 3 cups chicken broth you should have 4 cups liquid total

add 2 cups rice

add liquid on cup at a time as constantly stirring it and adding more as the rice cooks

Just when its almost done stir in 2 tbs. olive oil or butter and one cup grated Parmesan cheese

add fresh chopped flat leaf parsley and share with loved ones

Spaghetti Bolognese

 

 

 

The aromas that permeate my house when cooking classic family comfort food is half the pleasure of cooking at home. It builds anticipation of a great meal while evoking memories of great conversation and family bonds. All while adding to the experience of todays meal.

Spaghetti Bolognese is definitely one of those dishes and one of my all time favorites. This recipe uses both ground pork and beef, Lots of Port Wine aromatic vegetables and beef broth. be sure to have a lot of fresh grated parmesan cheese for the table along with a good bottle of wine. This dish is sure to please your friends and family the way it has mine.

Heat a heavy pot to high and brown the ground beef and pork setting it aside after cooking

Dice the following to 1/4 inch

one sweet onion

one green pepper

three celery stalks

three carrots

and saute in 1/4 cup olive oil until the onions turn golden brown

Crush 4 cloves Garlic and toast to a light hue

add 3 cups of beef broth and reduce by half ( to reduce something is to boil access water out of it)

Add half a bottle of Port Wine and boil until the alcohol has cooked out.

Add three cans crushed tomatoes and cooked meat

Season with salt and pepper, basil and oregano and simmer on low for two hours

Cook Your favorite Pasta in salted water and enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

Home Made Chicken Soup with Vermicelli

When I make chicken soup I always start with a roasted chicken, usually I cook two birds when I really only need one. When storing them I will scrape the pans to get all that wonderful brown stuff which adds great depth to my soup. The next day I will boil the chickens to make a broth starting it hot at a heavy boil for 10 minutes and skimming the top of rendered fat and foam from the proteins this will assure a clear broth with good color. I then simmer it lightly for an hour and a half so the chickens release the flavor from the bones.
Remove the chickens and allow them to cool to room temperature boil and skim impurities from the top of the broth and turn it off. I then use only carrots, onions and celery, Italian herbs black pepper and a bit of salt.
While that boils I will remove the succulent meat from the bones and cut into very large chunks, it will break apart while cooking. Add vermicelli and chicken, allow your soup to come back to a boil for 10 minutes and dinner is served.