parmesan Archives -

March 16, 2017

Pecorino Roasted Cauliflower with Farro and Crispy Pancetta

Cauliflower has been a long time point of difference between me and Ryan, but I finally won him over with this one. Golden roasted garlicky cauliflower, nutty farro, and salty pecorino with a scattering of crisp pancetta bits, fried parsley, and toasted pine nuts. He loved it just as much as I did. When the pecorino is sprinkled over the cauliflower during the last few minutes of roasting, don’t worry too much about keeping all of the cheese on the cauliflower. The inevitable portion that lands on the hot pan will begin to brown and crisp, and it’s one of the best parts as it’s swept in with the rest of the dish.

January 8, 2015

Braised Beef Short Ribs

I often tease Ryan that if it weren’t for him, I would be a vegetarian. If I am truly honest with myself however, I am not a vegetarian because of dishes such as these. These tender, savory, melt-in-your-mouth braised beef short ribs are one of the coziest meals to warm up with on a cold winter day. Last week, we had a small gathering of friends over for New Year’s Eve and I made a double batch of these short ribs for our main coarse. This is a perfect recipe for entertaining small or large gatherings. Not only does this recipe double easily and effortlessly, but it’s also best prepared the day before serving so flavors can develop overnight. Then all that’s needed on the day company arrives is to simply heat and serve. The key to achieving that fall-off-the-bone-tender meat is first searing the meat and then letting it slowly cook in the oven for 4-5 hours. The house will smell wonderful and it will be hard to not to immediately enjoy after the meat finally comes out of the oven, but do wait because it makes a difference. Here it is served over a mound of mashed potatoes with parmesan and greens, but it also goes well with a simple accompaniment of brown rice. I’m including the recipe for the potatoes and greens even though it’s a simple one because it makes a wonderful side for so many dishes. Here’s to good friends, togetherness, and warm comforting meals on cold blustery evenings.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

6 pounds beef short ribs, in 4-5 pieces
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups cabernet sauvignon or other heavy red wine
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
7 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Sprinkle all sides of the beef with kosher salt and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325.
In a cast iron dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over high heat. Add the ribs to the skillet a few pieces at a time and sear until golden brown on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer short ribs to an empty dish and continue searing remaining pieces of beef.
Reduce heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until soft. Pour in the wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and mixture becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pot, along with the stock and herbs. (If doubling the recipe, combine everything in a heavy roasting pan.) Cover and roast for 4-5 hours, until bones easily slide off of the meat.
Allow short ribs cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.
About an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 325. Remove and discard the solid layer of fat from the top of the ribs. Bake ribs covered for 20 minutes and then bake uncovered for another 20 minutes, until heated through. Cut the meat into serving pieces and serve with parmesan potatoes and greens or brown rice.

Notes

slightly adapted from The Blackberry Farm Cookbook

Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan and Greens

Ingredients

3 pounds yukon gold potatoes
1 large bunch swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½-1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, cover potatoes in lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer potatoes for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are soft when a knife pierces through. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the swiss chard and stir until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Roughly mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pastry blender. (I leave the skins on for a more rustic feel, but peel potatoes if desired.) Gradually add ¾ cup milk, the remaining olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper and continue to mash until you reach desired consistency. Add the remaining ¼ cup milk if necessary. Stir in the sautéed greens and serve warm.

Notes

slightly adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook

November 24, 2014

Chicken Rosemary Parmesan Meatballs

A few weeks ago when I had wanted to make these Olive and Rosemary Breadstick Twists, I went for buying an entire rosemary plant, rather than a small bunch of rosemary that cost almost as much as a whole plant. The lady at the store promised that as long as I was careful to soak the roots with water everyday, the plant would last for at least several months. It did not. (sad face) There are now only a couple branches that are still alive and green and I am getting ready to toss it and move on. This is why I am not a gardener.

In my determination to get one last use out of my quickly fading rosemary plant, I decided to make these Chicken Rosemary Parmesan Meatballs. So perfect for dinner on a snowy day! I used this recipe from Annie’s Eats, except I swapped out the dried basil for fresh rosemary. It made a delicious substitute and I am so glad that I could find one last use for my rosemary plant. We enjoyed this served over polenta along with a crusty baguette, but it would also go well with pasta. Now that the snowy weather is here, it’s time for comfort recipes like this!

Baked Chicken Rosemary Meatballs

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, liquid reserved
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅓ cup heavy cream

For the Meatballs:

1½ pounds ground chicken
½ cup whole wheat panko crumbs
⅓ cup finely minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg lightly beaten
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

To Finish:

4 ounces shredded mozzarella, about 1 cup
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2-3 tablespoons minced fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Instructions

For the sauce:

Place the whole tomatoes in a blender or food processor, reserving most of the liquid. Puree tomatoes until smooth, adding some of the reserved liquid if necessary.
In a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until onions are softened and begin to become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes and mix together until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the pureed tomatoes and cook over low heat until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the cream.

For the meatballs:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, panko, onion, parsley, rosemary, parmesan, garlic, eggs, salt, and pepper. Use hands to mix ingredients together until well combined. Form meatballs about 1½-inches in diameter.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in one or two batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Add meatballs to tomato mixture.

To finish:

Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parmesan on top and bake until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley or basil. Serve warm.

Notes

To make this ahead of time, I assembled the meatballs and sauce together and left off the cheese. About 30 minutes before I was ready to serve, I reheated the meatballs and sauce over the stove before adding the cheese and baking.

slightly adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Dinner, a Love Story