Tag: Sunday Dinner

Why I Add Baking Soda to my Tomato Sauce - Tips and Tricks

Why I Add Baking Soda To Tomato Sauce

Why do I add baking soda to tomato sauce? A few years ago, a friend who knows I love “Tips and Tricks” gave me this one. It started as a conversation about heartburn. I told her that it seemed to be an issue for me after eating tomato sauce. She mentioned that maybe adding a bit of baking soda during the cooking process might help because it cuts down on the acidity (Not medical advice, just a friendly tip!)

Against my better judgement, I decided to give this tip a try. After spending a whole Sunday making meatballs and sauce, I didn’t want to ruin it. In hindsight, I could have made a small pot of Marinara Sauce and not risked a whole day of work. But adding baking soda to tomato sauce worked out, so all is well.

I have been told about 1/4 tsp. of baking soda per cup of sauce. I do it in small stages until the sauce is the desired taste. You can always add more, but you cannot take it back once it is done. Some say this takes the place of a bit of sugar in your sauce. However, when it comes to Sunday Gravy, I still add a bit of sugar. With Marinara Sauce, I might leave the sugar out.

If Cauliflower can somehow become pizza…. You, my friend, can do anything.

-Unknown

The tip is to not add too much and to not be afraid of the foaming process. Gently mix the sauce until the foaming stops. This can take a few minutes and make sure to incorporate all the sauce or you will have foaming later. I was very nervous. It is kind of like being back in high school chemistry class and a bit fun.

I was asked what canned tomatoes do I use. I use Pastene No Salt Added Ground Peeled Tomatoes and I love them. If I happen to use another brand of tomatoes, I still use the baking soda trick and it works every time. This is not an issue that the sauce tastes bad without the baking soda, it is just better with it… in a subtle way. Also, I do think it helps with heartburn, but who knows. (No medical advice here, just an observation)

Why I Add Baking Soda to my Tomato Sauce - Tips and Tricks

I will never leave this step out again. It mellows the sauce and does cut down on the acidity. I love these little tips and tricks. Please share if you have any to add. I would love to try them out and will give you full credit.

If you are interested in more foodie content, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friend get together.

Carbonara

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friendly get together. It has been a staple in our house for years. Carbonara is a great comfort food recipe and is very easy to make. Basically, it’s a simple bacon and egg pasta that never fails to impress. Paired with a nice glass of wine it is the ultimate pasta dish for a romantic night of watching TV, dinner with friends, or a midweek meal with the family.

When a recipe card is as old and worn as this one, you know it’s a favorite. Although I’m not sure where I originally got the recipe, it has certainly earned its place in our home. At my bridal shower, many years ago, guests contributed recipes, and this might be one of those cherished contributions. My recipe box is filled with these well-loved treasures. This Pasta Carbonara stands out as the ultimate pantry meal.

I split this recipe in two and make half with regular pasta and half with gluten free to accommodate my whole family. It is great both ways!

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friendly get together

Life is a combination of Magic and Pasta

– Federico Fellini

Tempering the eggs with a little pasta water so they do not scramble is essential. When the eggs scramble it ruins the whole dish and you do not want that. I have also used other pasta styles. I have found Rotini is a hit and even ziti, but I prefer the traditional spaghetti. This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal and a great go to in a pinch. I love the fact that is is so allergy friendly and easy to do. My current favorite gluten free pasta is Rummo. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

If you are interested, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friend get together.

Pasta Carbonara

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Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 lb. Spaghetti cooked regular or gluten free
  • 1/3 lb. Bacon cut into small pieces (Pancetta or Guanciale is used also)
  • 4 cloves Garlic diced small
  • 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes I tend to use more.
  • 1/2 cup White wine or Chicken Stock
  • 2 large Egg Yolks
  • 1/4 cup Reserved pasta water
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 Handful of chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp. of dried parsley would substitute
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Cook Pasta Al Dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water in case needed for sauce
  2. In large skillet over medium high heat. Saute bacon until it browns. Remove bacon and put aside. Drain the bacon oil and then add two tbsp. olive oil, garlic and red pepper. Saute two minutes. Add wine and reduce by half.
  3. Beat eggs vigorously and stir in a ladle of pasta water. Drain the pasta and to bacon pan and remove from heat. Add egg mixture, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper and toss until well combined and cheese has melted. Serve with extra cheese.

Notes

Allergy Information: Contains Dairy, Egg, Wheat (can make gluten free). Nut free, peanut free, shellfish free.
Coq au Vin, is the perfect French meal for a romantic dinner at home

Coq Au Vin

Coq au Vin, is the perfect French meal for a romantic dinner at home. Growing up, this meal was one of my favorites. My dad, who discovered cooking in his 40’s enjoyed making this one. He got so much pleasure out of presenting such an impressive meal. It never disappointed me or anyone else. He always had regular Sunday Dinners in the dining room with lots of wine and neighbors who crashed. He planned the menu all week. It is a wonderful memory.

The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken.

– Julia Child

Coq au vin is a French dish of chicken braised with wine, lardons (which is small cubes or strips of fatty bacon or pork fat), mushrooms, and optionally garlic. A red Burgundy wine is typically used, though many regions of France make variants using local wines. I used an Edna Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for this one and it was wonderful. I do usually use a burgundy but this is what I had on hand and it worked perfectly.

It takes some time to make, but it is not hard to do. It takes a lot of pots and pans and a lot of steps. As long as you pay attention and don’t miss any of the steps it is relatively simple. The result is impressive and it is even better the next day. Seriously, does it get any better than chicken, mushrooms, onions, bacon, and wine? This is most definitely a Sunday Dinner

So I will give it a shot for my first official Sunday Dinner in a while. We will set the dining room table, pour some wine and have a traditional Sunday Dinner for this one.

It is better the next day!!!

Allergens- Gluten (if you substitute flour with corn starch it can be gluten free), garlic

If you are interested in more foodie content, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.

Coq Au Vin

The traditional French Coq Au Vin, which is basically a chicken in red wine sauce, is so impressive but not that hard to make. There are just a lot of steps, but not hard steps. The final product is so worth it.
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Prep Time 4 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 lb. butter
  • 12 tiny pearl onions
  • 1/4 lb. bacon strips cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 lbs. cut up chicken With bone, but I do add in a few pieces of boneless chicken also.
  • 1/2 lb. white mushrooms sliced
  • 1 clove garlic diced
  • 1/2 cup flour can substitute corn starch to make gluten free
  • 2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
  • 1/3 cup brandy I tend to add a little more, I am heavy handed
  • 1 1/2 cups red wine A good burgundy works best and yes I usually add more than this.
  • 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Heat 4 tbsp. butter in heavy pan (I use a french dutch oven).
  2. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and put aside for later.
  3. Add onions and cook until lightly browned. Remove and put aside for later.
  4. Add the chicken to the pan drippings and cook until well browned on all sides. Now set the chicken aside also.
  5. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan, cook until mushrooms are wilted. Remove from pan.
  6. Add remaining butter to pan drippings. Remove pan from heat and gradually stir in flour (or corn starch) until golden brown.
  7. Slowly add chicken stock, stirring constantly until well blended.
  8. Return to heat, stir until sauce thickens.
  9. Add brandy, red wine, thyme, Herbs de Provence and bay leaf.
  10. Add chicken and veggies (If needed transfer to a deeper pot). Cover and bring to a boil.
  11. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is fork tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.
  12. Alternative Final stage: Add to roasting pan and cover. Cook in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes until chicken is fork tender.
  13. Another alternative: You can eat it after the chicken is cooked through. I prefer to cook it low and slow sometimes. I put the cover on my dutch oven and put it in oven at 250 degrees and cook all day. Or you could put it in a crock pot at this time and cook all day. The leftovers are even better the next day.

Notes

Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or even rice. My favorite is egg noodles or rice for a gluten free alternative. 
It is even better the next day!
Allergens: Gluten (but can be made gluten free), Garlic 

This Impressive French Onion Soup made simple, is delicious and homey.

Classic French Onion Soup

This Classic French Onion Soup recipe is simple, delicious and very impressive. Many times you are in a high end establishment and there are items on the menu that you only order in restaurants because they seem intimidating. These items are held in high regard and you assume it must be hard to make. If you give this Classic French Soup Recipe a try, you will be surprised at how easy it is.

Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.

-Ludwig Van Beethoven

I was always afraid to make French Onion Soup because I have had great versions in restaurants and some pretty bad ones, so I was convinced it must be hard to make. This recipe breaks it all down and makes it very easy. I was surprised by the simplicity and it has made me more willing to try recipes that I was previously intimidated by. Sometimes with the right recipe and a little love, you can make something memorable. This Classic French Onion Soup recipe is from my late father and brings back so many memories. I have seen variations of this recipe over the years but basically it is all very similar. This recipe is a little scaled down from some I have seen, but this variation is quicker and still a showstopper.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a heavy, stock pot (I use my dutch oven) over medium-low heat and add the 4 Tbsp. butter. Add the sliced onions. This will seem like too many onions, but trust the process, they will reduce quite a bit. Cover the pot and cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. I find sometimes it takes longer so trust your gut. Onions should be clear and tender.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the sugar. Continue cooking until onions are golden brown. Make sure to keep stirring so they do not stick to the pot. 

Reduce heat down to medium-low again and add the flour. If you are gluten free, you can substitute the flour for corn starch. Cook for approximately 3 minutes until it becomes a thick paste. Stir in about a cup of the broth and thin out the paste. If I do not have beef stock in the house, I substitute two 15 oz. cans of Campbell’s Beef Consomme and three cups of water. Add the rest of the stock, sage (optional) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. I remove the bay leaf now. (I sometimes forget the bay leaf and sage quite and it is still wonderful). Add salt and pepper to taste. 

French bread – Preheat oven to 350°. Slice french bread into 8 1.5 inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Cook the bread until golden brown (usually about 10 minutes on each side).

If I am in a hurry, I will add the cheese now, directly on the bread and continue baking in the oven until the cheese is melted. Add the bread to a bowl and pour the soup over it and serve it. 

If time is not an issue, I will add the toasted bread without the cheese to an oven-safe bowl and pour the soup over it. Add the cheese to the top of the soup and bread. Return to the oven until cheese melts and finish with the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese. 

If you are interested in some of our other favorite recipes, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes.

This French Onion soup recipe is simple, classic and a showstopper

French Onion Soup Recipe

This French Onion soup recipe is simple, classic and a show stopper
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup Recipe
  • 4 tbsp. Butter
  • 4 Large white onions – Sliced thin. 4-5 yellow onions will also work, but I prefer the white. Not Vidalia onions.
  • 1 tsp. Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. Flour – I substitute corn starch here to make it gluten free.
  • 6 cups Beef Stock – Sometimes I substitute 2-15 oz. cans of low sodium beef consomme and 3 cups of water for the beef stock.
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Cognac – Optional
  • 1/2 tsp. Ground Sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese Bread Recipe
  • 8 slices French Bread About 1 in. slices works well
  • Olive Oil
  • 8 oz. Grated cheese Cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss
  • 2 oz. Parmesan Cheese grated

Notes

Heat a heavy, stock pot (I use my dutch oven) over medium-low heat and add the 4 Tbsp. butter. Add the sliced onions (this will seem like too many onions, but trust the process, they will reduce quite a bit). Cover the pot and cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occassionally (I find sometimes it takes longer so trust your gut). Onions should be clear and tender.
Turn the heat up to medium and add the sugar. Continue cooking until onions are golden brown. Make sure to keep stirring so they do not stick to the pot. 
Reduce heat down to medium-low again and add the flour. Cook for approximately 3 minutes until it becomes a thick paste. Stir in about a cup of the broth and thin out the paste. Add the rest of the stock, sage (optional) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. 
I remove the bay leaf now. (I forget the bay leaf and sage quite a bit and it is still wonderful). Add salt and pepper to taste. 
French bread
Preheat oven to 350°. Slice french bread into 1.5 inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Cook the bread until golden brown (usually about 10 minutes on each side).
If I am in a hurry, I will add the cheese now directly on the bread and continue baking in the oven until the cheese is melted. Add the bread to a bowl and pour the soup over it and serve it. 
If time is not an issue, I will add the toasted bread without the cheese to an oven-safe bowl and pour the soup over it. Add the cheese to the top of the soup and bread. Return to the oven until cheese melts and finish with the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese. 
Allergy information: contains wheat. (you can substitute corn starch for the flour to make this gluten-free. 
 

Beef Cubes in Sherry – Comfort Food Meal

Do you enjoy comfort food? Looking for a warm, comforting meal on a cold, rainy day? Then this Beef Cubes in Sherry over egg noodles recipe is the perfect choice. I was not a big meat eater back then (still not so much) but that gravy over the egg noodles alone is amazing. Putting it in the crock pot makes this meal even more appealing. It has been cooking all day and it is cold, rainy, and thundering out and this stew-like meal is going to be perfect.

 The stove is the shrine where I convene with my ancestors

-Unknown

With the price of groceries lately, this is a very economical meal. The stew beef has been very expensive lately, so I bought a London Broil steak that was on sale and it worked wonderfully. You need to be flexible these days. You can also use the store-bought Cooking Sherry instead of the original alcoholic version and it will still be wonderful. Leftovers the next day are just as excellent. With cold weather coming, comfort food is on the menu everyday if I have anything to say about it.

This was one of my late mother’s favorite meals to make and she made this all the time when I was a child. I’ve been thinking about her today, so off to the store I went. Because if you know me, you know that food is memories for me. I get emotional eating a meal that someone I love has made for me. I will leave these recipes here for my daughters and hopefully, they will make them someday for the people they love and think of me and those that came before me. 

This recipe would be great over rice or mashed potatoes. It can also be made gluten free, if you buy the gluten free option of the soup. The key is to cook it low and slow for a long time. So the crock pot is perfect for this, but a Dutch oven would work also.

If you are interested in more, check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

Do you enjoy comfort food? Looking for a warm, comforting meal on a cold, rainy day? Then this Beef Cubes in Sherry over egg noodles recipe is the perfect choice.

Beef Cubes in Sherry

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, British, spanish
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp. Shortening I suppose butter, avocado oil or canola oil would work fine also.
  • 2 lbs. Stew Beef Cubed
  • 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
  • 1 cup Sherry Wine Cooking version (non-alcoholic) will work here also.
  • 1 15oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 8 oz. Package of white mushrooms sliced
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • 1 lb. Bag of Egg Noodles Prepared

Method
 

  1. Heat shortening in a heavy pot or frying pan if you are using a crock pot.
  2. Brown the beef cubes on all sides.
  3. This is where you can transfer to the crock pot or leave in the heavy pot.
  4. Add remaining ingredients in order given and stir well. Cover pot and simmer mixture for at least an hour.
  5. Alternative: Add to crockpot and heat on low for 4-6 hours.
  6. Serve over egg noodles.

The Best Chicken Pot Pie

This Chicken Pot Pie is the best that I have ever had. My family and friends have been constantly asking me to make it again. This recipe is easy, but a bit time consuming. The best part is you can make it in bulk and it freezes fabulously.

Recently a friend and her family were going through some difficult times and I wanted to make them dinner. I needed something to make in bulk, because I wanted to get three meals out of it. One for my family and two for them. I needed something that would travel well and would also freeze well if they wanted to eat it at a later date. After many hours of contemplation.. Chicken Pot Pie was the answer.

I haven’t made one in years, but I was willing to give it a try. I told everyone if it doesn’t come out good, don’t tell me! Let’s be serious when it comes to comfort food and home cooking, chicken pot pie is in the top ten of all recipes, so I figured it was a good choice.

The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking:

Love for those you are cooking for.

Sophia Loren

My thought process was to go to the store and buy some rotisserie chickens and use them to speed up the process (Next time I will do that), but because it was so early in the morning the store did not have any. So I needed to go in a different direction. Therefore, I bought one whole roaster chicken and two large split breasts. I came home and rubbed them with olive oil and salt and pepper and put them in the oven at 375 degrees until they were cooked through. While this was going on, I prepped the vegetables. For the carrots, I decided to roast them instead of blanching them. This was a great idea and they came out great. I will do this again. But you could blanch them or even use frozen if you are in a pinch. I sauteed the diced onions until translucent and add the chopped celery later. That is what I love about this recipe, it is so adaptable to whatever your needs are.

With the pie crusts that I bought (Yes, I bought them, I know my limitations and pie crusts are not my thing. No matter how hard I try) I had enough for 4 pies. My advice is to be prepared for this and have extra on hand. This recipe would also work as a one crust pie. You could put the filling in a casserole dish, cast iron pan or even little individual ramekins and top it with the pie crust, phyllo dough sheets or even biscuit mix. Any of these would work and you could also use a gluten free option to make it gluten free friendly.

Because this recipe made four pies instead of three, I froze one uncooked for a later date. We had it yesterday and it was wonderful. I will be making this recipe again. I served it with rice pilaf and cranberry sauce. It is a perfect home-cooked meal for any day of the week. I would love to hear back if you make it, so feel free to reach out.

Check out my other pages here on my Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

The Best Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

My most requested meal to make. Easy to make in bulk and freezes fabulously!
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Prep Time 7 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, english
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 6 lb Roaster Chicken You could use a rotisserie chicken already cooked, boneless chicken breasts or split chicken breasts
  • 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 32 oz. Chicken Broth I use the low salt version.
  • 2 or 3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 1 large White or yellow onion Chopped
  • 3/4 cup Flour
  • 1/4 cup Heavy cream
  • 2 cups Carrots Roasted in oven whole with olive oil, salt and pepper, then diced
  • 3 stalks Celery Diced
  • 1-2 Potatoes (Optional) Peeled and Diced
  • 1 10 oz Package of frozen peas Not defrosted
  • 1/4 cup Parsley Minced
  • 1 tsp. Thyme
  • 1 Egg For egg wash
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2-4 Pre-made pie crusts (regular or deep dish) You need both a top and bottom for both pies.

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Place your chicken on a cooking sheet. Rub with olive oil and add a generous amount of salt and pepper and roast for: About 40 minutes for split breasts with bone in, 30 minutes for boneless breasts and about an hour at least for roaster chicken. Once the chicken is cool, remove the meat and diced into 1/2 cubes. (Save the bones to make stock!)
  3. If you bought a rotisserie chicken, you can skip ahead to this and just remove the meat from the bones and dice.
  4. I liked to roast the carrots. Peal and coat in a little oil, salt and pepper. Use a roasting pan and cook in a 350-400 degree over for about 30 minutes.
  5. If I am adding potatoes to this (It is optional, but we really like it). I would peel and dice.
  6. The potatoes should be par cooked a little bit. You can roast them in the oven with the carrots or put them in a little water and boil or microwave for a bit.
  7. In a saucepan heat the Chicken Broth/Stock and add the bouillon cubes. Heat until bouillon cubes dissolve.
  8. In a large pot with a heavy bottom, melt the butter over medium/low heat and sauté the onions until translucent. (About 10 minutes).
  9. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly (this is very important) for about 2 minutes.
  10. Add the chicken broth and stir until smooth and thick. Add 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and the cream.
  11. Now add the vegetables, herbs and chicken and mix well.
  12. Let it cool down a bit and divide evenly into pie crusts. I found with the pie crusts that I used it made more than 2. Add the top crust, crimp the edges and brush with the egg wash (In a pinch, milk will work in place of the egg wash).
  13. Cut three slits in the top of the pie to release the steam as it is cooking.
  14. Cook for an hour at 375 degrees.
  15. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the interior is at least 165 degrees.

Notes

There are so many ways to adapt this recipe. My original intention was to use rotisserie chickens (I was making a lot), but there were none. It would cut out a lot of time if you used them. 
You could also make it a one crust pie and add the filling to a casserole dish or a cast iron pan or even little ramekins and top with pie crust or puff pastry which would be wonderful. 
ALLERGY TIPS: As far as allergies are concerned, you could use gluten free flour or substitute some corn starch for the flour. I have also recently seen gluten free puff pastry, which I am dying to try. I have a family with carrot allergies, so you could leave that out also. I like recipes that are easily adaptable and this is one of them. 

Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Red Grapes

This Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes is the perfect dish for cookouts, hot summer nights, easy lunches or any day you want something quick and wonderful

This Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes is the perfect dish for cookouts, hot summer nights, easy lunches or any day you want something quick and wonderful

What I love about this recipe is it is so easy and very different from your usual pasta salad. It is very lemony so the red grapes are needed to balance it out. There is nothing better on a hot summer night then this. It is so cool and satisfying. This summery pasta salad is the perfect one dish meal for any occasion. A pasta salad this easy is something you need in the rotation. Get a rotisserie chicken, break it apart, add it to your favorite pasta with chopped spinach and chopped grapes along with the wonderful dressing in the recipe below and you are good to go. A warm summer night just calls for this cool and satisfying Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes/

My good friend Pam has always made this summery pasta salad and I finally convinced her to share the recipe with me. So she will get full credit for her culinary prowess.

Check out my other products here on the RECIPES page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

Summertime is always the best of what might be

Charles Bowden

Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Red Grapes

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Course: dinner, Salad
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 12 oz box Pasta Bowties or Rotini work well
  • 3 cups Cooked Chicken Breast rotisserie chicken works great here
  • 3 cups red grapes sliced in half
  • 3 cups Baby Spinach coarsely chopped
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup Fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Red wine vinegar
  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1.5 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta as directed and rinse under cool water.
  2. When the pasta is cooled, add the chicken, grapes, and chopped spinach
  3. For the dressing. Mix lemon juice, zest, olive oil, red wine vinegar and spices.
  4. Mix the dressing well. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.
  5. Refrigerate for about a half hour and enjoy.

Notes

Great for a hot, summer evening!
Allergy Friendly: Contains gluten but can be made with gluten free pasta.
 

Spaghetti & Meatballs with Sausages

I do not claim to be Italian but this Irish/Scottish Mom makes a pretty good Sunday Gravy or Sauce, however you would like to call it. It will never be as good as my childhood neighbor, Mrs. DiScipio’s Gravy. Anything she made was amazing. Once a year she would make a homemade tomato sauce from tomatoes from her garden. On Friday nights she would make pizza with that sauce. I dream about that pizza. But the whole point of this blog is to share our family recipes with my children. Because food is love.

It has taken many years but I have finally figured out the meatballs. Adding the pork mixture from the sausages to the ground beef mixture was a game changer. Whenever I made the meatballs before, you never knew how they would come out.

My kids love this recipe and it is a good staple recipe for a great Sunday Dinner.

The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.

-Julia Child

Spaghetti & Meatlballs with Sausages

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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 4 hours
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs. 80/20 Ground Beef Can add pork or veal too
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup Bread crumbs homemade, italian style or even Gluten Free
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese or romano Or any combination of the two
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped parsley
  • 1 15 oz Can of Tomato Paste
  • 3 Cans of warm water
  • 2-3 32 oz Ground Peeled Tomatoes I use Pastene
  • 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup Wine I use white, but red is great too
  • 1 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1.2 tbsp dried parsley
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Method
 

Meatballs
  1. In a large bowl, break up the ground beef.
  2. Take one or two of the sausages that you are planning to put in to the sauce and slice the casing off. Break apart the sausage meat and add it to the ground beef mixture.
  3. Add the eggs, bread crumbs, cheese and parsley. Gently mix. DO NOT OVERMIX.
  4. I use a cookie scoop so all the meatballs are the same size, but you don't have to.
  5. Get a bowl of warm water to keep your hands and the scoop wet. Gently form the balls and put on a greased cookie sheet with a rack.
  6. Poke holes in the remaining sausage and add them to the rack also. Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes.
  7. ALTERNATIVE: My mother just put the meatballs and sausage directly into the sauce to cook there completely. They were always very good. It will just take longer too cook. I have also cooked the meatballs and sausages in a cast iron skillet, this works well too.
Tomato Sauce
  1. In a large, heavy pot, over medium heat, saute' the garlic in the olive oil.
  2. When the garlic becomes translucent add the wine and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes.
  3. Add the tomato paste and three cans of warm water. I like to use a whisk here as it helps to mix the paste. When the mixture is smooth, bring to a boil, add the bay leaf and the cans of Ground Peeled Tomatoes. Add the rest of the spices and sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce mixture to a simmer.
  4. When the meatballs and sausages are done, add them to the sauce and simmer for at least two hours.
  5. This is always better the next day.
  6. Serve with your favorite crusty bread and a salad.

Notes

Allergy Information:  Nut Free, Tree Nut Free. This recipe is easily adaptable to suit your allergy needs. I use Gluten Free breadcrumbs. You could leave the cheese out of the meatball mixture. 

Sunday Chefs – Holiday Edition

My dad was a Sunday Chef. He discovered a love of cooking in his 40’s after his doctor told him to find a hobby to deal with his stress. He tried model ship making but that didn’t last long. His path to a great Sunday Chef was not without its pitfalls. Our family will never stop laughing about the 18 Sundays in a row we had Fettuccine Alfredo until he got it right and then never made it again or the French apple chicken he only made for me on my birthday because he knew it was my favorite but the smell of the apples and onions cooking together always made him feel ill. And none of us will ever forget the family attempt at making Limoncello!  It was obvious we were Irish/Scottish and not Italian, but a fabulous memory all the same.

Every Sunday was an event… all day experiments of food from all over the world. Some Sundays just one course, other Sunday’s five or six. My husband jokingly tells me this is why he married me so he could keep coming to Sunday Dinner. My father passed on his love of cooking to his son-in-laws. My brother-in-law was fully entrenched at a young age and he continues to amaze us. Christmas Day is his show! This year was an amazing display of five courses and not one them disappointed.

When my husband and I got engaged my dad gifted my future husband with a cookbook and a welcome to the Sunday Chefs Club. Christmas Eve is his show! He makes a massive pot of marinara sauce. This years included 14 shelled lobsters, mussels, shrimp and little necks!  It was amazing.

I love to cook, but I love the tradition that these wonderful men have chosen to embrace and follow in the footsteps of my amazing father. My children are growing up with this wonderful tradition and the people that my daughters choose to marry will be getting cookbooks. I am sure he is smiling and toasting us with a glass of Limoncello!

Marry someone who knows how cook. Looks go away but hunger doesn’t …. Unknown

Chicken Cacciatore

I was feeling nostalgic today and missing my late father. This dish always reminds me of him. Everyone should know how to make a good Cacciatore!

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food – Hippocrates

  • 4 Chicken Breasts (Bone In – chicken thighs or even boneless breast could be used to)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • One red bell Pepper, chopped
  • One small onion, chopped
  • One shallot, chopped
  • 8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (No salt added)
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1/2 cup good white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • Parmesan rind – about a tablespoon equivalent (whole)
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp. dried basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb. pasta (pasta of your choice depending on allergies – gluten free works great here)

Heat a deep, heavy pot over medium heat until very hot. Add olive oil and chicken breasts. Brown for about 4 minutes or until the chicken releases from the bottom of the pan. If it is still stuck, give it a few more minutes. Just leave it, do not mess with it. Flip the chicken and repeat on the other side.

Remove the chicken from the pot and put aside. Now add the onions, shallots, and peppers to the pot. Saute’ until onions are translucent. Now add the mushrooms and garlic and cook a few minutes more.

Add the wine, broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, Parmesan rind and red pepper flakes.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pot, cover and simmer for at least an hour. Some will say quicker, but I think the extra time makes all the difference. Add more wine or chicken broth if needed.

Serve over pasta (regular or gluten free) with some crusty bread.

Allergens: Dairy