Simple Bolognese Sauce

   Genuine ragù alla bolognese is a slowly cooked sauce, and its preparation involves several techniques, including sweating, sauéíng and braising.  Traditional ingredients include a soffritto of onion, celery and carrot, different types of minced or finely chopped meat (including beef, and possibly pork), wine and a small amount of tomato concentrate.

     Obviously, I have simplified the process, making a very tasty but quick to prepare sauce that also includes a larger proportion of tomatoes and a few variations of the traditional ingredients.

Simple Bolognese Sauce

½ to ¾ lb. ground sausage, or use ground beef

Olive oil as needed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

½ of a large green pepper, finely chopped

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

About ⅓ cup red wine

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, optional (it gives the sauce a nice creamy consistency)

1. Brown sausage in a skillet on medium high heat; add a little olive oil if needed.
   
2. Add onions, peppers and celery; continue to cook over medium heat until vegetables are soft.
   
3. Add wine and allow pan to deglaze.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes.
   
5. During last 10 minutes, add fresh basil, parsley, Parmesan and heavy cream.
   
   
   
   
6. Serve with preferred pasta and garnish with additional Parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.

I cooked pasta spirals (a combination of whole wheat and regular) and mixed it in with the sauce right before serving.

Recipe without photos . . .

Simple Bolognese Sauce

½ to ¾ lb. ground sausage, or use ground beef

Olive oil as needed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

½ of a large green pepper, finely chopped

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

About ⅓ cup red wine

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, optional (it gives the sauce a nice creamy consistency)

1. Brown sausage in a skillet on medium high heat; add a little olive oil if needed.
2. Add onions, peppers and celery; continue to cook over medium heat until vegetables are soft.
3. Add wine and allow pan to deglaze.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes.
5. During last 10 minutes, add fresh basil, parsley, Parmesan and heavy cream.
6. Serve with preferred pasta and garnish with additional Parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.

Garden Kale goes into summer soup pot — Kale, Chicken & Orzo Soup

Our row of garden-fresh kale was calling to me. Barry had a container of already sautéed onions and peppers in the fridge, and there was cooked chicken available as well . . . so I turned it all into . . .

Kale, Chicken & Orzo Soup

Olive oil

½ of an onion, sliced or diced

½ of a pepper (red or green), sliced or diced – optional

¾ to 1 cup cooked chicken, diced

3 large handfuls of chopped kale that has been cleaned with stem removed

1 quart chicken broth

A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme

1 to 2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning (without salt)

Kosher salt and coarse pepper to taste

About ½ cup orzo pasta

1. Heat a little oil and sauté onions and peppers. Add cooked chicken and brown slightly.
   
2. Add kale.
   
3. Add broth and thyme. (I bundled the thyme in string and tied it to the pot handle for easy removal.)
   
4. Season to taste and cook, with lid on, until kale has wilted and is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes; add orzo about the last 12 minutes so that it has time to thoroughly cook.

Recipe without photos . . . 

Kale, Chicken & Orzo Soup

Olive oil

½ of an onion, sliced or diced

½ of a pepper (red or green), sliced or diced – optional

¾ to 1 cup cooked chicken, diced

3 large handfuls of chopped kale that has been cleaned with stem removed

1 quart chicken broth

A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme

1 to 2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning (without salt)

Kosher salt and coarse pepper to taste

About ½ cup orzo pasta

1. Heat a little oil and sauté onions and peppers. Add cooked chicken and brown slightly.
2. Add kale.
3. Add broth and thyme. (I bundled the thyme in string and tied it to the pot handle for easy removal.)
4. Season to taste and cook, with lid on, until kale has wilted and is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes; add orzo about the last 12 minutes so that it has time to thoroughly cook.
   
   

Fried Chicken Salad on Pecan-Maple Waffles, or use to top crackers or . . .

     

     Hmmm, what to do with two leftover fried chicken breasts? Yes, we like cold chicken but I was dying to try fried chicken salad, and even more intrigued to serve it on a waffle. I’ve yet to eat fried chicken and waffles so thought this was a chance to combine the two in a somewhat offbeat way. Despite the fact that our ancient waffle iron didn’t crisp the waffles as much as I wanted (not to despair, I popped them in the toaster), it was an interesting and yummy combo.

     We used the leftover chicken salad on crackers as tonight’s dinner appetizer. The salad would be equally good on a biscuit, a croissant or sandwiched between two slices of bread.

Fried Chicken Salad

2 cold fried chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (about 3 cups)

About ½ cup mayonnaise, more or less  

3 to 4 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Dash or two of hot sauce, such as Tabasco®

2 stalks celery, finely diced

¼ cup finely chopped onions

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 to 3 tablespoons minced chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Add chopped chicken and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Mix, adding more mayonnaise or mustard as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
   
   
   
   
2. Serve sandwiches between Pecan-Maple Waffles (recipe follows), biscuits, croissants or bread slices, or spread on crackers. 

Pecan-Maple Waffles

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

7-Up or milk, a little less than a cup — I used 7-Up

2 cups baking mix, homemade or commercial

1 egg, beaten

¼ to ⅓ cup chopped pecans

1. Pour maple syrup into a 1-cup measure; add either 7-Up or milk to equal 1 cup
2. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and blend.
   
3. Bake on a waffle iron, according to manufacture’s directions.

Recipes without photos . . . 

Fried Chicken Salad

2 cold fried chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (about 3 cups)

About ½ cup mayonnaise, more or less  

3 to 4 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Dash or two of hot sauce, such as Tabasco®

2 stalks celery, finely diced

¼ cup finely chopped onions

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 to 3 tablespoons minced chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Add chopped chicken and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Mix, adding more mayonnaise or mustard as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 
2. Serve sandwiches between Pecan-Maple Waffles (recipe follows), biscuits, croissants or bread slices, or spread on crackers. 

Pecan-Maple Waffles

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

7-Up or milk, a little less than a cup — I used 7-Up

2 cups baking mix, homemade or commercial

1 egg, beaten

¼ to ⅓ cup chopped pecans

1. Pour maple syrup into a 1-cup measure; add either 7-Up or milk to equal 1 cup
2. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and blend.
3. Bake on a waffle iron, according to manufacture’s directions.

One of the BEST appetizers ever — Mushroom Sandwiches

   

     With an excess of mushrooms on hand, I dug out this old recipe that I hadn’t made for awhile. It’s a bit of work but since I opt for the Make Ahead section of the recipe, it means that I have Mushroom Sandwiches ready to heat and eat . . . at the drop of a hat, or at least within the 15 minutes required reheating time.

     But actually, I love to just eat the filling on crackers. Call it Pâté and forget the frying!

     I did update the recipe by adding fresh thyme leaves. Thyme pairs nicely with this filling and added yet another layer of flavor.

Mushroom Sandwiches About  40 sandwiches

For this recipe I always
pulse the mushrooms in the
work bowl of a food processor.

1 to 2 loaves thinly sliced sandwich bread, white or wheat

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

3 tablespoons finely minced onion

¾ lb. button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco®

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or about 1 teaspoon dried)

Butter & olive oil for frying

1. Cut each slice of bread with a biscuit cutter into two to four 1¾ ” rounds. Depending on the sandwich bread, you may or may not be able to get 4 rounds; often I can only get 2 to 3, hence in the ingredient list I’ve listed up to 2 loaves of bread. (For 40 sandwiches, you’ll need 80 rounds.)
   
2. Heat butter and sauté onion; add mushrooms; sauté until all moisture is cooked out of mushrooms. Add flour; stir until thick. Add hot sauce, salt, pepper and half-and-half. Cook until thick; add thyme leaves.

   

   Sautéing the onions.

   

   Mushrooms have just been added.

   

   Mushrooms are beginning to cook down.

   

   After adding flour, the hot sauce, salt & pepper and half-and-half have been added.

   

   As mixture thickens, add the thyme leaves.

3. Chill for several hours or overnight until mixture is easy to spread. 
4. Spread 1 teaspoon mushroom mixture on each bread round. Top with another bread round to make a sandwich. Repeat procedure until 40 sandwiches are made.  
   
5. Fry sandwiches in equal portion butter and olive oil until brown and crisp, about 1 min. for each side. Drain thoroughly. Keep warm, uncovered, in a 300° oven if serving right away.
   
   

   

   Fry the bottom of the sandwiches.

   

   Flip sandwiches and fry underneath side.

   

   I drain on a cooling rack that is perched on a large jelly-roll pan since I opt for the Make Ahead option.

Make Ahead Option: After frying, freeze the sandwiches. When ready to serve, remove from freezer, transfer to a sheet pan  and bake in a preheated 300° oven for about 15 minutes.

Reheating the frozen sandwiches.

I garnished the plates of sandwiches with fresh thyme.

Mushroom Pâté: Forget the frying and just make the mushroom spread (steps 2-3).

Recipe without photos . . . 

Mushroom Sandwiches About  40 sandwiches

1 to 2 loaves thinly sliced sandwich bread, white or wheat

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

3 tablespoons finely minced onion

¾ lb. button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco®

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or about 1 teaspoon dried)

Butter & olive oil for frying

1. Cut each slice of bread with a biscuit cutter into two to four 1¾ ” rounds. Depending on the sandwich bread, you may or may not be able to get 4 rounds; often I can only get 2 to 3, hence in the ingredient list I’ve listed up to 2 loaves of bread. (For 40 sandwiches, you’ll need 80 rounds.)
2. Heat butter and sauté onion; add mushrooms; sauté until all moisture is cooked out of mushrooms. Add flour; stir until thick. Add hot sauce, salt, pepper and half-and-half. Cook until thick; add thyme leaves.
3. Chill for several hours or overnight until mixture is easy to spread. 
4. Spread 1 teaspoon mushroom mixture on each bread round. Top with another bread round to make a sandwich. Repeat procedure until 40 sandwiches are made.  
5. Fry sandwiches in equal portion butter and olive oil until brown and crisp, about 1 min. for each side. Drain thoroughly. Keep warm, uncovered, in a 300° oven if serving right away.

Make Ahead Option: After frying, freeze the sandwiches. When ready to serve, remove from freezer, transfer to a sheet pan  and bake in a preheated 300° oven for about 15 minutes.

Mushroom Pâté: Forget the frying and just make the mushroom spread (steps 2-3).

Dairy free, contains no wheat or soy - Double Dark Chocolate Granola Bar Cookies

     Finally, a homemade granola bar that actually sticks together! It’s also dairy free and contains no wheat or soy products. While the peanut butter, cocoa and chocolate chips do contain fat, there are no other added fats in this recipe.

     For those with a gluten intolerance — although oats and rice cereal are gluten free, if they are processed in a plant that also processes wheat, there is a change of cross-contamination, so look for specially packed gluten-free cereals.

Double Dark Chocolate Granola Bar Cookies

⅔ cup light corn syrup

½ cup chunky peanut butter


3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, dark chocolate preferred


2 teaspoons vanilla 


½ teaspoon salt


2 cups quick cook oats (if you have old-fashioned whole-rolled oats, pulse briefly in a food processor)


2 cups crispy rice cereal

¾ cup mini dark chocolate chips, divided (or use semi-sweet)

1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
   
2. In a saucepan, combine corn syrup, peanut butter, brown sugar and cocoa powder; heat and stir until mixture is very smooth.
   
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt; stir to combine.
   
4. Add oats and stir to combine.
5. Add 1 cup rice cereal and gently stir to combine so cereal doesn't become too crushed. Slowly add the second cup of cereal. Mixture will be thick and at this point, I sprayed my hands and used them to mix the ingredients. 
   
6. Add most of the chocolate chips and stir to combine; most will melt since the mixture is still warm.
7. Pack mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
   
8. Cover pan and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours or in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or until bars have set up.
9. Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan, place on cutting board, and cut into cookie-sized squares.
   

Other Possibilities:

• Cut cookies into bar shapes and wrap, similar to commercial granola bars. Cookies or bars could be bagged and frozen (for up to 6 months) for handy snacks.
• Use dried cherries or cranberries in place of the chocolate chips.
• Experiment with other types of nut butters

Recipe without photos . . .

Double Dark Chocolate Granola Bar Cookies

⅔ cup light corn syrup

½ cup chunky peanut butter


3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, dark chocolate preferred


2 teaspoons vanilla 


½ teaspoon salt


2 cups quick cook oats (if you have old-fashioned whole-rolled oats, pulse briefly in a food processor)


2 cups crispy rice cereal

¾ cup mini dark chocolate chips, divided (or use semi-sweet)

1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine corn syrup, peanut butter, brown sugar and cocoa powder; heat and stir until mixture is very smooth.
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt; stir to combine.
4. Add oats and stir to combine.
5. Add 1 cup rice cereal and gently stir to combine so cereal doesn't become too crushed. Slowly add the second cup of cereal. Mixture will be thick and at this point, I sprayed my hands and used them to mix the ingredients. 
6. Add most of the chocolate chips and stir to combine; most will melt since the mixture is still warm.
7. Pack mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips
8. Cover pan and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours or in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or until bars have set up.
9. Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan, place on cutting board, and cut into cookie-sized squares.
   

Root Beer—Really? Slow Cooker (Root Beer) Pork

   

     Arrived home to a wonderful aroma today. Thought Barry would grill or roast the lone pork tenderloin that we had thawed. Instead, on the advice of a friend, he slow cooked it in a can of root beer. Thought it a little odd at first . . . but it was delicious. Thanks for your suggestion Paul Schmidt!
     By the way, the root beer adds a nice layer of color to the finished pork and adds just a slightly sweet but delicious taste. 

Slow Cooker (Root Beer) Pork
1 lb. pork tenderloin or use pork butt
Salt & pepper
1(12 oz.) can root beer
Simple Root Beer Sauce  -- ingredients for a basic roux + a little garlic & horseradish OR just use prepared BBQ sauce

1. After removing any silverskin, liberally salt and pepper the pork.
2. Throw it in the slow cooker and cover with can or root beer.
3. Cook on HIGH 3 or 4 hours and then turn to low for 2 or 3 or cook on LOW all day.
   
4. Root Beer Sauce: Melt butter, adding a little garlic; then add equal amounts of flour (2 tablespoons of each) and allow to cook for a few minutes. Then  add remaining liquid from the slow cooker (to equal about 1 cup; if not enough broth remains, add some beef stock) + a little horseradish if preferred and cook until thickened. Add additional salt and pepper as needed.  
   
   
   
   Recipe without photos . . .
   Slow Cooker (Root Beer) Pork
   1 lb. pork tenderloin or use pork butt
   Salt & pepper
   1(12 oz.) can root beer
   Simple Root Beer Sauce  -- ingredients for a basic roux + a little garlic & horseradish OR just use prepared BBQ sauce
   
   1. After removing any silverskin, liberally salt and pepper the pork.
   2. Throw it in the slow cooker and cover with can or root beer.
   3. Cook on HIGH 3 or 4 hours and then turn to low for 2 or 3 or cook on LOW all day.
   4. Root Beer Sauce: Melt butter, adding a little garlic; then add equal amounts of flour (2 tablespoons of flour to 2 tablespoons of butter) and allow to cook for a few minutes. Then add remaining liquid from the slow cooker (to equal about 1 cup; if not enough broth remains, add some beef stock) + a little horseradish if preferred and cook until thickened. Add additional salt and pepper as needed.  

Kids in the Kitchen -- Fruit Palm Tree & Yummy Yogurt Dip

Today was the Kids in the Kitchen summer cooking class set up through Abilene Parks and Recreation. In addition to a variety of tortilla based dishes, the kids also played with their fruit -- their variation of the fruit palm tree is on the right. The original guide (that I found on Facebook)  is also posted below, along with a few other pics from the day.

Fruit Palm Tree

2 to 3 Kiwi, peeled & cut into sections

2 Bananas, cut into chunks & dipped in some type of citrus juice (orange, lemon, etc.)

1 to 2 Oranges or Tangerines, peeled & divided into chunks

1. Wash and prepare fruit as specified above; to keep bananas from turning brown after cutting, dip cut pieces in lemon or orange juice, or brush pieces with juice.
2. Arrange fruit as shown in picture.

Original that I found posted on FB.

Yummy Yogurt Dip

1 cup vanilla or plain flavored yogurt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir or whisk. 
2. Taste and add more brown sugar (might need it if using plain yogurt) if needed.