insights into the world of caffeinated monkeys
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| javamonkey insights into the world of caffeinated monkeys |
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Friday, October 27, 2006 Kitchen Putterings Hurray for long weekends to spend in the kitchen. Right now, tomato sauce is simmering for lasagna, I've got a big cup of coffee (freshly ground beans, extra strong--it's not the weakly brewed, sat in the pot during the week, Maxwell House that my parents call coffee), and I've got some room in the fridge. And I've got the laptop in the kitchen, so I can blog my domestic goddessry for your pleasure. Tomato Sauce 1 good-size onion, diced 5-8 + cloves of garlic, peeled (I smush them with a knife, and leave them that way) olive oil 1-2 T butter 2-3 cans plum tomatoes 1 can crushed tomatoes 1-2 fresh tomatoes (the big ones) or 4-5 fresh plum tomatoes, diced the following dried spices: basil oregano thyme rosemary parsley sage kosher salt & ground pepper for taste In a dutch oven/stockpot, add a good bit of olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan, and not just barely). Add butter; heat until melted. Add your garlic and onions, cook until the onions are translucent, but do not let the garlic or onions brown. Add your dried spices in these proportions--a tiny pinch of both sage and thyme, 2 big pinches of rosemary, 1 small to medium pinch of oregano (this is tomato sauce, not a freakin' pizza, so go easy), about 2 T of parsley (I just dump it in--the amount roughly covers the palm of my hand and I have small hands), and twice as much basil. Stir, and then add all of your tomatoes. Stir again. Do not worry about breaking up the plum tomatoes in the can; they will break down as they cook. If you want to smush them with a spoon, though, happy smushing. Let the mixture heat to bubbly, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and cooked off--you'll know this has happened when the sauce has reduced to half or less and the whole mixture doesn't so much bubble anymore as lurch up and down like the Blob. This may take several hours; however, to speed up this process, add more parsley and basil in the earlier 2:1 ratio. Both help to get rid of excess water. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste once you're at Blob state. This is the best sauce to use for lasagna, eggplant and/or chicken parmesan, stuffed shells--pretty much any pasta/Italian dish that requires layering and/or additional cooking. This is not a good sauce for spaghetti as it's just too damn thick. (If you're looking for good spaghetti sauce, try Classico brand spaghetti sauces--they're damn good, and with a bit of doctoring can make a good subsitute for the above sauce if I'm in a rush. As a testament to the goodness, their Triple Mushroom sauce is the only spaghetti sauce with mushrooms that I will eat. I don't like mushrooms.) Speaking of lasagna, since that's what I'm making, I've got three versions that I make--meat, veggie, and white. Since I'm in a tomato-y mood, I'll save the white for another day. When I say meat, I often put veggies in too, but it's not all veggies, like the veggie. The distinction that I make between the two versions is this--those people that are at least cheese-eating vegetarians will eat the veggie lasagna, but won't touch the meat version. The Veggie Mix 2-3 bags of frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly (do not use fresh spinach, unless you want a drowned lasagna) 1-2 carrots, grated 1 big zucchini, sliced thin 1 big summer squash, sliced thin 1-2 onions, diced 1-2 bags broccoli florets, thawed 1/2 red bell pepper, diced dried basil and parsley olive oil In a big skillet, coat botton the pan with olive oil. Heat, and add onions, bell pepper, and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent. Add a bit of basil and parsley, zucchini, squash, and broccoli. Cook until tender--the basil and parsley will help to remove excess moisture. Do not add spinach; I keep it separate and add to lasagna when I add the veggie layer. Meat Mix 1 lb ground beef 1 lb italian sausage, casings removed 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1 egg 1/2 cup parmesan cheese from a can (see explaination below) dried basil, parsley, oregano olive oil In a mixing bowl, combine meats, breadcrumbs, parmesan, egg, a medium pinch of oregano, a bit of parsley, and a bit of basil. Mixed until combined. In a skillet, coat the bottom with olive oil. Heat, add meat mix and cook until browned. You want meat crumbles, not meatballs or a big meat burger. I just add the whole thing and break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When I make meat lasagna, I usually add a layer of spinach (2-3 bags of frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly). Explanation of parmesan in the can: Sometimes, you need parmesan flavor. But when you use a brick of parmesan, freshly grated, it doesn't blend in quite right. I've found that the brick parmesan, while wonderful, just doesn't blend in with stuff--it makes whatever you're cooking grainy or gritty because it doesn't melt away into the background, leaving it's flavor behind. The stuff in the can, while crap, does provide that parmesan flavor without the grit. I think it's the only justification to keep a can around the house. Lasagna Tomato sauce recipe above 1 box of lasagna noodles 2 16 ounce containers of ricotta Kraft or other Parmesan cheese in a can (I use a whole little can or half a big can) 2-4 cups shredded Mozzerella (depends on how cheesy you want it) 1 brick parmesan dried basil and oregano meat or veggie filling above Mix together ricotta, parmesan, about a teaspoon and a half of organo and a tablespoon or so of basil (I use a 2:1 ratio of basil to oregano). Set aside for layering (you can mix this and put in the fridge while the tomato sauce cooks). Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions; when done, rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Once you have your sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, and meat or veggie filling, you're ready to begin layering. I use a 13x9x2 pan, sprayed with non-stick spray. I start with noodles, ricotta mix, meat or veggie filling, then sauce. Repeat until you've reached the top of the pan. Once you're at the top, I shave enough parmesan off of the brick to cover the top, then cover that with mozzerella. Then it's into a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or so, until everything is bubbly and the cheese is melty and golden brown. Let it stand for about 15 minutes before cutting into it and devouring. Lasagna Light Use same amount of fat free ricotta and add 4 T of all-purpose flour to the ricotta cheese mix. Cover in reduced fat mozzerella and follow the baking instructions above. Best to use veggie mix if you're making lasagna light to be low-fat. If you use the meat mix with lasagna light, you're really just trying to make yourself feel better about eating lasagna. And that's sad. posted by jaime | 11:48 AM 0 comments |
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