Italian Recipe: Homemade Bolognese Sauce

Perhaps one of our favorite pasta sauces is the Beef Bolognese. It's a good, hearty ragù sauce that fills you up with some protein to balance out the carb-loaded pasta. Bolognese sauce comes from the vibrant, northern Italian city of Bologna, though exactly what constitutes an authentic sauce & pasta combination is hard to say.

Historians and foodies bicker over the type of pasta to use: purists argue for tagliatelle, while others even opt for macaroni noodles. Some say tomatoes and tomato paste should be kept to a minimum. One thing is for sure: a good bolognese has a soffrito base of aromatic and flavorful veggies. Our recipe incorporates sautéed onion, carrots and celery.  It makes for a sauce with rich flavor and wonderful texture. Read on for the full recipe... 

Bolognese Ragù Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced carrot
• 2 tablespoons minced celery
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 3/4 lb ground beef chuck
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• table salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 28oz can whole tomatoes, finely chopped, juice reserved

1. Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy. Pat with paper towels, then crumble.

2. Heat the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and celery. Sautè until softened but now browned (about 6 minutes).

3. Add ground meat, bacon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Use the edge of a wooden spoon to crumble meats with the edge of a wooden spoon so no clumps remain. Cook the meat until it loses its raw color, but has not yet browned (about 3 minutes).

4. Add milk and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the milk evaporates and only clear fat remains.

5. Add wine and bring to a simmer until the wine evaporates. Add tomatoes and their juice to bring to a simmer.

6. Reduce the head to low so the sauce just barely continues to simmer until the liquid has evaporated (about 3 hours.)

7. Adjust seasonings with extra salt to taste and serve. 

8. Enjoy!

Kid-Friendly Appetizer: Homemade Pepperoni Bread

Do you remember trying pepperoni bread as a kid? In case you're unfamiliar with it, this dish is almost like a rolled up pizza. Loaded with a delicious filling of pepperoni and mozzarella, it's a big hit with kids-- and adults, too! While you'll find plenty of pre-made options in the frozen foods aisle, why not skip out on the preservatives and artificial flavors and make this stuff from scratch? We took things a step further and even made our own dough. This recipe is easiest to make if you've got a stand mixer, but it's also possible to mix by hand and achieve similar results! Consider getting the kids involved-- this is a wonderful family activity and the end result is a melt-in-your-mouth bread that everyone will enjoy. Read on for our recipe...

Ingredients

• 6 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted unsalted butter
• 1 medium diced onion
• 2 1/2 cups grated mozzerella cheese
• 1 package pepperoni
• dried oregano

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Make sure to crush the brown sugar in the bowl so it spreads out evenly.

2. In a separate bowl, combine water, buttermilk, honey, and yeast until dissolved, then add melted butter and pour into the dry mixture. If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. If not, mix by hand, using a large spoon. Stir for about two minutes. Let the dough rest for about five minutes.

3. With a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed, or continue mixing by hand for three minutes, eventually kneading the dough. Adjust with flour or liquid as needed. The dough should be soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky. Add the onions and mix on the lowest speed or again by hand for abou 1 minute until the onions are evenly distributed.

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 to 2 minutes to make any final adjustments then form into a ball.

5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled, clean bowl then cover with plastic wrap. If you want to save this to finish in the future, refrigerate for overnight or up to 4 days. The dough should double in size. If you want to continue making it that day, let the dough sit out  at room temperature for an hour to an hour and a half until it doubles in size. Punch it (knead it back down for a few minutes) then let it sit for half an hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Dust each piece with flour, then roll them into rectangles. Spread about 1/4 the cheese over the surface of each rectange, sprinkle on some oregano, layer on the pepperoni, then roll the dough up like a rug to form a log. Seal the seam with your fingertips.

7. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper, then place the logs in and place the sheet pans in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans. This should take about 50 minutes in total. The bread is done when it's a deep golden brown and its internal temperature is about 185 degrees.

8. Remove the pans and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes or more before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!

Hearty Main Course: English Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a fantastic, simple dish originally designed to be affordable for poor, rural workers. Since then, it's become a staple in the United Kingdom. Our shepherd's pie recipe uses lamb as the meat of choice, but this recipe will work just as well with beef instead. This hearty main course is comfort food at its finest. Read on for our favorite recipe...

Shepherd's Pie

(makes one, 2 quart casserole)

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb lean, ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the potatoes, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked, but still firm.

2. Drain and mash the potatoes, then mix in the butter, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Start a fresh pot of water boiling and add the carrots. Cook them for about 15 minutes, drain, mash, set aside.

4. In a large frying pan, add onion and cook until clear. Add the ground lamb and cook until browned. Pour off the excess fat, then add flour and cook for an additional minute. Add the ketchup and beef broth.

5. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Spread the ground beef evenly over the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Over top, spread the mashed carrots in an even layer, then do the same with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the last of the shredded cheese on top, then bake for 20 minutes.

7. Enjoy!

Street Food Recipe: Russian Beef Chebureki

Never heard of chebureki? Well, if you haven't been to Eastern Europe (and particularly Russia), that's not surprising! Over there it's a massively popular street food, and it's not so different from a Mexican empanada. Chebureki are made from unleavened dough. They're filled with spices, onions and ground meat, and fried in oil. Pop one as a snack or make a plate as an appetizer to share with family and friends. 

No time to make homemade dough? You can also throw these together with raw tortillas from the refrigerated foods aisle at your local grocery store. Read on for our favorite recipe... 

Beef Chebureki

(makes 7 servings)

Ingredients:

2 1⁄2 cups flour

1⁄2 cup water

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon vodka (optional)

1⁄2 teaspoon sugar (white)

1⁄2 pound ground beef

1⁄2 onion (medium, finely chopped)

6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon parsley flakes (or finely chopped fresh parsley)

vegetable oil (for deep frying)

salt and pepper (to taste)

 

 

Directions:1. In a large bowl, sift together sugar, salt (about 1/3 teaspoon) and flour. Add olive oil and vodka. Add water to the flour mixture (a small amount at a time) mixing it and kneading dough until it's even, soft and doesn't stick to your hands. Add a little more flour if the dough is sticky, or water if it's stiff. Place the dough aside and prepare the filling.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together ground beef, finely chopped onion and parsley. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and stir in milk.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until it is about 1/10-1/8 inch thick. Cut circles using a small tea plate. Gather the rest of the dough into a ball and roll again. Repeat until you used all the dough.

4. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling on one side of the circle, leaving 1/2 inch space at the edges.

5. Fold the other half of the circle over and pinch the edges firmly together using your fingers.

6. Make sure there is no air inside chebureki and the edges are closed tightly. 

7. In a large skillet, heat the oil for deep frying (it should cover about 1/2 of a cheburek), reduce heat to medium and place 3 or 4 chebureki into oil (depending on the size of your skillet). Fry chebureki on both sides until nicely and evenly brown (about 5 minutes per each side).

8. Drain on paper towels, let rest for a few minutes. Serve while still hot.

Japanese Recipe: Katsudon (Breaded Pork Cutlet Over Rice)

Sushi is often considered the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine in the US, but the island nation has so much more to offer. Their food is robust and complicated with interesting takes on foods introduced to them by other countries. Take tonkatsu: a pork cutlet breaded and fried. This thoroughly Japanese dish is actually a variation on European cuisine that was introduced during the Meiji Restoration (Late 19th century to early 20th).

Katsudon (a breaded pork cutlet over rice) is incredibly popular in Japan. It's a combination of tonkatsu(the pork cutlet) and donburi (Japanese rice bowl dish). It's a dish commonly eaten for good luck on the night before a major test because katsu is a homophone for the verb katsu in Japanese, meaning "to win" or "to be victorious".

Read on to learn how to make this delicious recipe...

Homemade Katsudon Recipe

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

Basics

• 7 cups steamed short-grain white rice
• 3 green onions, sliced thin
• 3 small onions sliced thin
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• 4 boneless center cut pork chops pounded thin (should be  about 1" thick before pounded out)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Breading

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (Also known as panko)

Broth

• 1 cup dashi broth (available in the international aisle but use water if you can't find any)
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine)
• 3-4 eggs beaten

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a 1-inch deep frying pan or wok until it's at 340F or until a few breadcrumbs dropped in the middle of the oil surface immediately.
2. Remove extra fat and silverskin from the sides of the pork cutlets then pound them out until they are about 3/4" thick.
3. Salt and pepper the pork cutlets, then dust first in flour, dip into the beaten egg, then into the panko.
4. Fry the cutlets in the oil (1 at a time so the oil doesn't overflow) until light brown (about 4 or so minutes per side)
5. Drain the pork cutlets onto paper towels the cut into 1" strips.
6. Mix the broth ingredients except for eggs together in a bowl.
7. Add oil to a hot frying pan, then add onions (not the green onions).
8. Saute until the onions are fragrant and start to turn translucent.
9. Pour the dashi mixture over the onions, then nestle the pork cutlets into the onions.
10. Drizzle the 3-4 beaten eggs over everything in the pan then sprinkle with green onions.
11. Cover with a lid and cook until the egg is mostly set (about 1 minutes)
12. Split the rice between four large bowls, then top each with a pork cutlet and the egg.
13. Serve immediately with Worcestershire sauce on the side optionally.
14. Enjoy!

Meaty Main Course: Pork Chops with Apple, Onion & Sage

Getting creative with dinner can be a challenging and worthwhile puzzle. What haven't I tried before? What will everyone else like? Will it cost a fortune? Will it take forever to make? These are all the important questions that can really make or break a new recipe, especially if you have dietary restrictions that must be incorporated into the menu.

Delivering something that fits every criteria and is still delicious is quite an accomplishment! But we're not afraid to brag about this new and surprising winner, courtesy of McCormic Recipe Inspirations. It's a tangy, meaty main course that masters that perfect balance of sweet and savory. All in all this recipe takes roughly forty five minutes from the first chop to loading up the plates, and the end results are high-quality and nutritious at only 371 calories per serving. Check out the recipe below...

Apple, Onion, and Sage Pork Chops

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

•     1 1/2 teaspoons sage
•     1 teaspoon minced garlic
•     1 teaspoon thyme leaves
•     1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
•     1/2 teaspoon paprika
•     1 tablespoon flour
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     4 boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick (about 1 1/4 pounds)
•     2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
•     2 red apples, thinly sliced
•     1/2 cup apple juice or orange juice
•     1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

1. Mix flour, all of the spices and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with 1 tablespoon of the seasoned flour.
2. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add pork chops; brown on both sides. Remove from skillet. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender. Add apples; cook and stir 2 minutes.
3. Stir in juice, sugar and remaining seasoned flour until well mixed. Return pork chops to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until desired doneness.

Mexican Recipe: Delicious Beef Tacos

Tacos can be found all over the world, though of course they originated down south in Mexico. They first made their appearance in the 19th century around the silver mines. So what makes the taco so special? Well much like a sandwich, tacos are incredibly customizable. Every last detail of a taco is up to the eater from the shell, to the protein, to the garnishes. Everyone has their own way of building their taco.

This recipe is for what is probably the most common form of taco we know: the beef taco. No, we aren't just dropping a packet of pre-seasoned mix into a pan, we're using fresh spices to really make this dish pop! Keep reading below for the recipe...

Beef Tacos

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons corn oil
• 1 small onion, chopped small
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1lb ground beef (at least 90%lean)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (NOT pasta sauce)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Directions

1. Heat oil in the skilled over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened.
2. Add garlic, spices, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir, cooking until fragrant (about 1 minutes).
3. Add ground beef, and brown. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.
4. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce the heat to medium low to keep simmering, stirring occasionally. Make sure to break the meat up so there are no big chunks.
6. Once the liquid has reduced and thickened (about 10 minutes), taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve in taco shells or tortillas, top as desired. 
8. Enjoy!