Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Glaze

Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Glaze

1 bag baby spinach
6 to 8 slices of bacon, cooked very crisp and crumbled (you can use more if you prefer it more bacon-y)
1/2 large red onion, sliced thin
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Balsamic glaze

Rinse the spinach off and dry really well. Place in a large bowl along with the onions and mushrooms. Toss to combine.
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil until it just starts to shimmer, maybe 5 or so minutes.
Pour the heated oil over the spinach mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper. Add the crumbled bacon and toss. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top adding as much or as little according to your taste.

What happens when I am bored....

I organize the tupperware drawer! SMH....

Ziti with Broccoli, Garlic and Breadcrumbs

Ziti with Broccoli, Garlic and Breadcrumbs

1 lb. box ziti pasta
1 1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 to 4 cloves garlic, pushed thru a press
1/3 cup season breadcrumbs
1 to 2 broccoli crowns, florets cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked until fork-tender
Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook ziti according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked broccoli and the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs and remove from heat.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Place the pot over medium heat. Pour in the broccoli mixture and toss together to combine for a minute or 2. Adjust the seasoning according to taste. Place ziti in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with the grated Romano cheese.

My Updated Version Of My Mom's Sauce...

...complete with my Just Wing It Meatballs!

Sunday Sauce

1 - 28oz. can crushed tomatoes plus 1 can of water
1 - 14.5oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 cup good white wine
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, pushed thru a press
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 package sweet Italian sausage
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 - 4 large basil leaves

In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until well browned well on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the white wine and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, scraping up all of the browned bits. Add the garlic and cook for a minute then add the onions and cook until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, water, tomato paste, sugar and basil, stirring until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.
On very low heat, cover and continue to cook for 45 minutes to an hour.
Add the sausage back to the pot, cover and continue to cook until it has cooked through, maybe a half hour or so.
Serve your sauce with your favorite pasta and enjoy!



Just Wing It Meatballs

So the reason I call them that is because I had never made meatballs before. So on Sunday I thought it would be a great idea to try. No recipe...just throwing things together in a bowl.....and it worked!

2 1/2 lbs. ground beef, veal and pork
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (not Italian style)
1/2 cup grated good quality Romano cheese
3 slices white bread, crusts removed, soaked in milk and crumbled
3 - 4 cloves garlic, pushed thru a press
3 large eggs
Fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, smushing it up with your hands until very well blended.
Roll the meat mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball. Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. You can also finish cooking them in the sauce or fry them up in a pan with olive oil.

Footnote - I cook my meatballs in the oven until they are done then let them just sit in the sauce for 5 or so minutes.

Sunday = Sauce Day!

8.31.2014

So I woke up that morning and decided to make sauce. I actually hadn't made my own sauce in a LONG time. I changed it up a little from my mom's original recipe.


I forgot to mention...all while my son took a nap! (notice the baby monitor? LOL!)


The finished product! Complete with sausage and meatballs!