Meatballs and SARAH LEE!

Yay for days off!!!! 

I have another day off for the wonderful Sarah Lee :D! So since I am starving right now, I am making meatballs! I will be also making a deLICIOUS gravy and white rice to go along with the  meatballs! Instead of the standard ground beef, I'm using ground turkey and ground chuck because I think they give better flavor :) Not only does this combination give off better flavor (in my opinion) since chuck is a bit fatty, and turkey is lean, they balance each other out well! When you have ground turkey and ground chuck in hand, you can always make these delicious meatballs and enjoy food at its simplest :) 

Ingredients 

~1 lb ground chuck

~1 lb ground chuck 

~2 slices of fresh bread 

~1 egg 

~2 Tbs. (Tablespoon) Italian (opt) bread crumbs 

~1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

~1 Tsp. (teaspoon) garlic powder

~1 Tsp. Italian seasoning  

Gravy

~1 can cream of mushroom

~1 cup white wine 

Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Then mix all the meatball ingredients together in a bowl and start making meatballs out of the mixture. They should be a little bigger than a golfball, like a bouncy ball, but you can make them whatever size you would like! Place the meatballs on the bottom of a pan coated with olive oil. At this point, we're just browning the meatballs, so brown the meatballs evenly on all sides. 

Step 2: Place the meatballs in an oven-safe dish. Then put the meatballs in the oven for 30 minutes if they're about the size of golfballs. If they're bigger then the time varies, most likely needing more time for bigger ones. While the meatballs are still baking, deglaze the skillet with white wine. Turn the temperature to low, and let it simmer for about a minute. Add the cream of mushroom soup, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salf and pepper to taste, and then let it simmer more for about a minute. 

Step 3: The rice at this point should be already done and ready to be eaten. Once the meatballs are done, serve them and enjoy! :) 

~ Lena and Sarah Lee!

MAC & CHEESE!

On rainy days comfort food is number one on my menu! And nothing sounds better then a trip down memory lane to my childhood than mac & cheese. Macaroni and cheese may seem to be a subject as straightforward as its flat, yellow-orange color. It’s rich, flavorful and filling; familiar but never dull. It’s a classic! There are many variations and one may argue that one version is better than another, but to each his own. This is my favorite version! You can easily call it Crack and Cheese! So addictive, but be warned, your trip to the store will leave your wallet much thinner.

Ingredients

• ~ 6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
• ~ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
• ~ 5 1/2 cups milk
• ~ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ~ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ~ 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ~ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ~ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ~ 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
• ~ 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
• ~ 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 
  

Step 1: 

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and mix. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Step 2: Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

• Step 3: Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.
• Step 4:  Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. Drain macaroni, rinse under cold running water. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
• Step 5: Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Step 6: Serve and Enjoy! 
• ~Lena

Breaded Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a Brown Cream Sauce

So today is one of those rare days where I have a day off! Today, although my day off, I have been doing chores and running errands none stop, not my best day off so I'm making up for it with breaded steak and mashed potatoes. YUMM! While making this I didn't measure anything out, I made enough for one. So if you have questions....I might not be able to answer them, but I will do my best. 


Ingredients:
~ 2 Pealed Large Idaho Potatoes (or which ever you prefer)
~ 1 Steak ( cut into slices)

~ 1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
~ 1/4 cup Sour Cream
~ 6 tablespoons Butter
~ 1teaspoon Garlic Powder
~ 1/4 cup milk
~ 1/4 cup White Wine
~ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
~ Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to Taste


Step 1: In a medium pan boil water, add potatoes. Meanwhile, take the already cut steak and bread with Italian bread crumbs. Heat up 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet, add breaded steak. Cook until golden brown and then flip. This should only take a few minutes on each side.  Once the potatoes are done, drain. Mash and add garlic powder, half of the sour cream, and the rest of the butter.


Step 2: Remove steak from skillet and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Let simmer for 2 minutes, add sour cream and let cook another minute. Once complete add steak on top of potatoes and pour sauce on top. garnish with Parmesan cheese.


So as you can see this was a simple recipe. I added some steamed asparagus to go with it just to add something healthy, but feel free to pair it with whatever green food you may like. 





I wish I had more time to spend on this recipe but I'm afraid errands never stop. Feel free to comment! 



Love, Peace, and Happiness,    Elena

Fresh Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Pasta

Ok,  first recipe post! 
This dish is simple to make and  is pure joy to taste. Fresh Rosemary is preferred but dried works just as well. I love making this dish in the summer, especially after work. We all have days where we come home from work and we do not want to cook, well this is one recipe thats so easy to make that even work cant deter you from its delicious, fresh and simple flavors.

Fresh from my garden.

Ingredients:

~ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

~ 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

~ 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

~ 1/2 cup chicken stock

~ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

~ 1/2 (16 ounce) package spaghetti

~ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

~ kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

This makes enough for 4

Step 1: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until they turn a deep brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Mix in the chicken stock and rosemary, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until reduced by 1/3, about 8 minutes. If you are a fan of using wine in your cooking feel free to use half chicken stock and half white wine. 

Step 2: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, then add noodles to the sauce in the skillet. Stir in the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

         Serve and let everyone dig in! Feel free to garnish with extra cheese and fresh Rosemary sprigs.

                                            

                   Love, Peace, and Happiness,                                    Elena

Why a food blog?

I love food, to me every ingredient has a personality, a flavor. Great ingredients combined, dance in your mouth to create something wonderful, something perfect, something that can brighten the worst of days. The word food has many meanings; Meals are the food for the body, Knowledge is the food for the mind,  Music is the food for love of heart, Dreams are food for the consciousness, and Love is the food for the living heart. This blog is the food for stories and happy memories to come.


Love, Peace, and Happiness,    Elena