#25 - Summer Vegetable Frittata

I may be repeating myself, but I love breakfast! I love it anytime of day! I'll have breakfast for breakfast, breakfast for lunch, breakfast for dinner, breakfast just because..... ya got me? Anyway, I made this Summer Vegetable Frittata for dinner the other night. It just so happened that I had gotten my monthly produce delivery from Farm Fresh to You and it had all of the veg I needed to whip this baby up!

Eggs and vegetables... that's pretty much all you need.  You can definitely throw in your own mix of vegetables, swap them out seasonally. I matched it up with fried potatoes and fruit (more stuff from my Farm Fresh to You box). It's definitely tasty served warm, but you would also make it the day before and serve it cold.

Oh, and if you're interested in getting local, farm fresh produce delivered to your front door, I've got a $10 off your first delivery coupon code for ya! Stop by Farm Fresh to You and USE CODE: JULI4353 !

Summer Vegetable Frittata

(Recipe adapted from my recipes )

Serves 4



INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1/2 cup chop
  ped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
• 9 large eggs

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

1. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick broiler-proof skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, bell pepper, onion, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

2. Combine eggs, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until frothy. Pour egg mixture into pan over vegetables, stirring gently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes or until almost set in the center.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Broil frittata 3 minutes or until set. Invert onto a serving platter; cut into 8 wedges.

 (Recipe #25 of 52)

USE CODE: JULI4353

#24 - Beef Barbacoa

This one is a keeper... fix it and forget it! I got it all ready to go, threw it in the crockpot, went to the beach, and came home to the delicious smell of Beef Barbacoa! All I had to do was shred the meat, heat up some tortillas and chop a few veg and dinner was served. A few days later I made quesadillas with the left overs and I STILL had meat left! It was good stuff!

Beef Barbacoa

(Recipe adapted from That Skinny Chick)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

A pinch ground cloves

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 12 oz.bottle of beer (can substitute chicken broth)

3 bay leaves

3 tablespoons lime juice

2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo

¼ cup tomato paste

4 pound chuck roast

½ yellow onion, sliced

diced tomatoes, grated cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream, tortillas, etc.

 

Instructions:

1. To make the adobo sauce combine vinegar, lime juice, chipotles, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and cloves in a blender or processor on high speed until smooth.
2. Remove any excess fat from the roast and then cut into a few large chunks.
3. Pour oil into a frying pan and sear all sides of roast on medium-high heat until browned.
4. Place meat into Crockpot and pour adobo sauce over meat.
5. Pour in the beer and add bay leaves and onions.
6. Cook on high heat 6 hours or on low all day.
7. Shred the meat with two forks and serve with tortillas and a variety of toppings when ready.

Enjoy!

 

 

Had to share some of our beach day too (aka. what to do while dinner is cookin' )...


Beach Glam!

 

My Guys

 

#21 - From Scratch Pancake Mix

I absolutely LOVE breakfast! I REALLY LOVE pancakes! When I woke up this morning, ready to make some pancakes and realized I was out of Bisquik, I decided it was time to try making my own pancake mix, from scratch. I searched Pinterest for recipes and after finding quite a few, this is what I came up with. It doesn't take much more work than using a store-bought pancake mix does and if you make up a batch it'll last you a few meals.  The bonus is that all the ingredients were stuff I had in my pantry! Just a side note, I like to add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the batter but if you don't have it, no sweat!

 

 

From Scratch Pancake Mix

 

Ingredients:

For Pancake Mix

• 6 cups all purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Pancakes

• 1 cup Pancake Mix
• 1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)



Instructions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container.
2. To make the pancakes, simply mix together pancake mix, milk and egg. Heat a nonstick skillet and butter it. Pour ¼ cup batter onto the hot griddle. When the top of each pancake bubbles and bubbles begin to pop, flip and continue cooking on the second side. Each cup of dry mix will yield 4-6 pancakes.

#17 - Masa Corn Cakes with Chorizo

 

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!

 

When I started this 52 recipes in a year thing, I said that I wouldn't just share the great recipes, but that I would even post some of the not-so-great ones... this would be one of those. Fear not amigos, there is still hope for this dish!  It wasn't terrible, it just needs a little tweaking.

 

The original recipe I started with was from Cooking Light .  I chose not to make the pico de gallo included in the recipe. I was more interested in the "pancakes". As I started mixing the ingredients, it was quickly apparent that the 1 cup of warm water called for was way too much! It was the consistency of pancake batter, which would have been fine but I needed to "divide dough into 16 balls; flatten each to form into 2-inch pancakes". That was NOT going to happen! So, I added some more flour, some more masa (corn meal), maybe a little more baking powder, and then I added some corn (those cakes NEEDED corn). I ended up with a sticky batter more than a dough.  I shaped it into about 12 - 3" cakes and started frying.

 

They weren't bad really.  The feedback I got was that they 1. needed more flavor and 2. needed more corn. I'd have to agree on the corn issue. The flavor... well, I'm the only one that ate chorizo with mine and the chorizo added plenty of flavor. The other two in the house have an aversion to chorizo, so they had beans, cheese and salsa.  Like I said, they weren't terrible and we didn't go hungry. I'd probably eat them again, as is.



 

 

Masa Corn Cakes with Chorizo

Yield: About 12 - 3" cakes.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 cups masa harina (cornmeal)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt   

1 ounce queso fresco, grated (about 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for cooking

1 cup frozen corn, thawed (I used HERDEZ Sonora Blend (fire roasted corn, with red and green bell peppers)

Your favorite chorizo, beans, salsa, sour cream, etc., for toppings

 

Directions:

1. Lightly spoon masa harina and flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine masa harina, flour, baking powder, queso fresco, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over top, and stir to form coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add 1 cup warm water, and stir until dough forms. Stir in corn. Divide dough into 12 balls; flatten each to form into 3-inch cakes.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon oil. Place 4 pancakes in pan, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until set and golden brown on bottom; flip and cook 2 to 3 additional minutes (you may need to add more oil). Repeat procedure with remaining pancakes and oil.

3. Meanwhile, heat up your chorizo and beans. Serve cakes warm with desired toppings.


(Recipe #17 of 52)

 

 

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#15 -Fixin' Floors and Dad's Beef Stroganoff

Fixin' stuff with Dad.

Dad and I spent the better part of the week on a minor remodel of our bathroom. Apparently, the toilet had been leaking for who knows how long and had turned the underlayment to mush. Some of the subfloor was pretty bad too!

Stripped it all down...

...and here's my new floor!

Of course I didn't stop with the floor! We decided to get a new vanity and sink.  I also got the bright idea to install wainscoting! Oh, and we had a stubborn leak under the sink.  I think it's all done now though. It needs some new paint but that's gonna have to be a Summer project 'cuz I'm done!

 

In between all that fixin', Dad offered to cook dinner!! You better believe I took him up on the offer!! He made a super yummy beef stroganoff.  His recipe called for mushrooms, which I am NOT a fan of, but it was really good! I didn't even taste the fungi!

 

 

Dad's Beef Stroganoff

Adapted from Paula Deen.

Yield: 4 servings (although if actually fed 6 of us)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
•  All-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• Kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• Cooked egg noodles

Directions
 

Sprinkle the steak strips with salt and pepper, and then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices, garlic and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.

 

(Recipe #15 of 52)

 

#14 - Overnight Blueberries & Cream French Toast Casserole

I had the makings of a Happy Easter with my Mom & Dad (The 'Rents) and The One Who Left Me for Higher Learning in town! It was so good to have all of my people under one roof (my other two peeps - The Hubs and The One Still at Home were here too, of course!).  I spent the better part of the weekend in the kitchen cookin' up a storm for The Fam... LOVED IT!!!
 
For Easter breakfast, we had Overnight Blueberries & Cream French Toast Casserole. As usual, I made a few changes to the recipe, like using croissants instead of bread and I added vanilla bean paste to the blueberry syrup. It was SUPER decadent! Dad said that he was pretty sure there was a law in California that stated you were only allowed to make this recipe once a year because it's too good. Tee, hee.... he's silly, but right!
 
Here's the recipe and know that you've been warned!

Overnight Blueberries and Cream French Toast Casserole

Recipe adapted from Cookies & Cups 

Serves 10

Ingredients:

Casserole

• 18 slices of white bread, day old works best OR 6-8 croissants
• 2 (8 oz) blocks Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen blueberries (before thawed)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 10 eggs
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (OR vanilla bean paste)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup

Blueberry Syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen blueberries (before thawed)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 Tbsp butter

Instructions:

1. Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray.
2. Cut all the bread (croissants) into cubes. Spread half the bread in the prepared pan, pressing down slightly.
3. In bowl of stand mixer beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Drop by the spoonful the cream cheese mixture evenly on the bread layer. Top with the blueberries and then the remaining bread.
4. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and maple syrup. Pour over the entire casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
5. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
6. Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil to bake.
7. Bake covered at 350° for 30 minutes and then remove cover and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until center is set.
8. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Bluberry Syrup

1. While the casserole is baking prepare the syrup. IN a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn starch and water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it's reached a boil simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add in blueberries and simmer for 10 more minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.
3. Pour syrup over entire casserole or individual portions.

Notes:

Serve immediately, or cover and store for up to 2 days, reheating before serving.

 

#13 - Spring Break and Beer, Bacon & Smoked Gouda Risotto

Just got back from 10 days in AZ with The Fam. It was Spring Break for The One Still at Home, so we headed to Mesa for some R&R, to take in some Chicago Cubs Spring Training, and to spend some time with The One Who Left Me for Higher Learning.  We had a great time (except for Still at Home stuck in bed for 3-days with the flu)!  We ate at our favorite restaurants, laid out by the pool, watched a BUNCH of baseball, and celebrated The Hubs' 50th birthday!  I thought about posting all of our trip pictures here like an old school slideshow... remember when people used to do that when they'd return from a trip? ..."and this was Aunt Martha standing next to the giant buffalo.."  Anyway, fear not, I only posted a few pics (the rest are all on Instagram if you're a glutton for punishment).

 

After being away, it was good to get back in the kitchen! This week I came up with Beer, Bacon & Smoked Gouda Risotto.  I hadn't planned on eating much this week to make up for EVERYTHING I did eat last week, but knowing that I needed a recipe to post I just went for it.  I actually made it with stuff I already had in the kitchen... that was just pure dumb luck!  A quick shout-out to our friends Bill & Taffi for buying a case of Shock-Top beer, not loving it and passing it on to us! I don't love it either but I'll definitely use it for cooking!

 

PS. My 'Rents are headed down this week! Looking forward to cooking up a storm for them! Recipes to follow.... for now, here's the risotto:

 

 

Beer, Bacon & Smoked Gouda Risotto
Yield: 8 (1 cup) servings

 

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bacon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ a small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
• 12 oz bottle of beer
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 cup shredded Smoked Gouda (I may have used a bit more than that)
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

 

Directions:

1. Cook bacon is a large sauté pan. When bacon is crisp, remove from pan and set aside. 
2. Place the butter in sauté pan with remaining bacon grease and return to medium-low heat until butter is just melted. Add onions and cook 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the rice and stir to combine. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring throughout.
3. Pour in the beer and turn the heat up to high until the beer begins to simmer. Reduce heat back to medium-low and add ½ cup of the chicken broth. Stir until the liquid dissolves and then add another ½ cup. Repeat until all the broth has been added and the rice is creamy and al dente.
4. Remove the rice mixture from the heat and add the cheeses, bacon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until thoroughly combined and serve.

 (Recipe #13 of 52)

#10 - Chicken Pot Pie

“I might be going out on a limb here, but this might be the best chicken pot pie I've ever had!”

That was the review my pot pie got from the Hubs!  The son that doesn't like pot pie loved it too.  They even warned that they were willing to fight over the extra pie sitting in the kitchen!

This was another one of those “experimental” recipes.  I looked up a few different recipes, pulled out things I liked from them and then did my thing.  The problem with that was that I didn't really write down everything as I went.  When it got such great reviews, I knew that I had better figure it out so I could make it again later!  So, here it is (as much as I could remember!):

Chicken Pot Pie
Makes 4 single-serve pies.

4 chicken breast halves

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

4 cups chicken stock

4-5 small red potatoes, diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 small red onion, minced

1 cup chopped carrots

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 sprigs fresh sage

1/3 cup white wine (optional)

Frozen corn (about a cup)

Canned green beans (most of the can)

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

Pinch fresh grated nutmeg

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

Egg wash (lightly whisk together 1 whole egg and 1 teaspoon water)

Special equipment: 4 (2-cup) individual baking dishes

·        Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

·        In a medium saucepan, cook potatoes in chicken stock until just tender.  Remove from stock and set aside. (You could just cook them in water, but I think it added great flavor to do it this way.)

·        Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into chunks. (You could always use 2 cups of precooked chicken to save time.)

·        In the same skillet heat the other 2 tbsp. oil and sauté garlic, sage and onion 2-3 minutes. Add white wine, and simmer a minute or two and then add carrots.  Cook until carrots are tender. Remove sage sprigs and add thyme.

·        Add potatoes, corn, green beans and chicken to the carrot mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.

·        In a large saucepan, melt butter and then slowly add flour, stirring until consistency of peanut butter, but don’t let it brown. Alternating, slowly add cream and milk. Keep stirring.

·        This is where I added some chicken stock.  Start with about ½ and stir well.  You don’t want the filling too thin, so don’t overdo it.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.

·        When the stock mixture has thickened, add nutmeg, salt & pepper and veg & chicken mixture. Stir well and remove from heat.

·        Cut puff pastry into 4 squares big enough to cover the tops of your baking dishes.

·        Fill 4 individual oven-proof bowls with chicken mixture and top each with puff pastry. Cut a few slits in the top of each pie to vent and brush with egg wash.

·        Place pies on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

·        Cool a few minutes before serving… if you can wait that long!

A couple of notes…

When making the base (butter, flour, milk, cream, chicken stock), I just kinda eyeballed it.  SLOWLY add the liquids in, stirring well in between.  Next time I’ll pay more attention to the amounts I put in!

There will be extra filling left over. YUM!  Eat it tomorrow for lunch!

There was no blood shed for the extra pie.  The Hubs ate it a couple of days later (reheated at 350 degrees for 30 minutes) and it was still super delish!

(Recipe #10 of 52)

#9 - Sweet Cornbread

I hadn't been to the grocery store yet and didn't feel much like going, so I needed to pull something together for dinner from what I already had in the kitchen.  We had some leftover brisket, tri-tip and pulled pork from our new favorite barbecue place, Leadbelly’s and I didn't want that to go to waste.  I threw a bunch of stuff (black beans, onions, fire roasted tomatoes, chili beans, spices, fire roasted frozen corn, and the meat) in a pot and voila… Leadbelly Chili!  There won’t be a recipe post for that one being that it was just a grab and dump kind of thing!  I AM posting the recipe I used for the cornbread I made to go with it.  Here ya go:

Sweet Cornbread

Recipe from High Heels and Grills

Makes 1 - 9x13 pan

Ingredients:

4 eggs, whites and yolks seperated

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup cornmeal

2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a medium-size bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and melted butter and stir.

Mix in cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt - stirring to incorporate, but do not over mix.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold them into the batter.

Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure it is cooked through.

(Recipe #9 of 52)

#8 - Bacon 'n Ballyshannon Mac & Cheese

 Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE CHEESE! Really! If I could get away with it, I’d eat cheese and bread (and maybe a little fruit) everyday! The other day I was at Sam’s Club looking for a little cheese to take to the beach for our usual picnic spread… I know, sounds crazy because you can’t just buy a “little” cheese at Sam’s.  Listen, Sam’s has a pretty good cheese section!  So what if you end up with a GIANT brick of Havarti!  I ended up with a $13 giant brick of Ballyshannon - a creamy, white Irish cheddar.

My almost 2 pound block of cheese!

Our beach picnic spread.

That was some good cheese!  As we were eating it I kept thinking how great it would be in mac & cheese!  So a couple of days later, Bacon 'n Ballyshannon Mac & Cheese was born!

Bacon 'n Ballyshannon Mac & Cheese

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

8 ounces elbow macaroni

5 slices Applewood smoked Bacon, cooked & diced

2 1/2 cups milk

6 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Ballyshannon Irish Cheddar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup plain dried breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  In large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni according to package instructions; drain well and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  

4. Heat milk, thyme and garlic in a small saucepan, but don't let it boil. 

5. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat, add the Gruyère, cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and bacon and stir well. Place the mixture in a buttered 9x13 baking dish.

6. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the breadcrumbs and parsley, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

PS.  I’m still working on that brick of cheese!! I've used it in several other things since! Tonight we put it in the Potato-Leek soup we had for dinner… YUM!!

(Recipe #8 of 52)

#3 - CROCKPOT BRAISED BEEF RAGU WITH POLENTA

Cream of wheat. Grits. Polenta. I love it all! Warm and creamy, the definition of comfort food!  So of course I would be all over a recipe that involves one of my favorites!

If you’ve never had polenta, it’s like cream of wheat but it’s made with cornmeal. Water, salt, cornmeal and a little bit of butter… easy peasy! Some people prefer a firm polenta “cake” which you’ll get by pouring the cooked polenta into a pan and letting it sit. I’ll eat it just about any way! When we go to Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria (my guys’ favorite pizzeria), I always order a side of creamy polenta (with a little marinara sauce).  They eat pizza and I eat polenta! Mmmm….. Enough about me, you’re here for the recipe!
  

It sounds fancier and like you spent all day slaving over the stove if you leave off the “crockpot” part... braised beef ragu with polenta.  It’s up to you.  I do have to give the crock its props though, because it smells delicious while the beef is slow-cooking to perfection and I barely work up a sweat in the prep.  That’s my kind of recipe, simple!

Have I mentioned how seriously yummy it was yet? Really! While I was eating it I kept thinking, “I actually made this”!  I was also thinking, “Take it easy, you don’t have to eat the whole pot”!  The Hubs and my son that didn’t leave me yet for higher learning ate heartily too.  “Mmmm, good,” and “Thanks Mom,” were the reviews given.  I served it with a salad and warm bread.  The ragu was even tastier the next day.  Ladies and gentlemen, this one is DEFINITELY a keeper!

Manga!  I'm off to find the next recipe….

CROCKPOT BRAISED BEEF RAGU WITH POLENTA

Adapted from: Pinch of Yum

Serves: 10

INGREDIENTS

For the Braised Beef Ragu

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         3 lbs. beef rump roast or round roast

·         half a yellow or white onion, minced

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes

·         ½ cup red wine

·         3 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 teaspoon basil

·         1 teaspoon oregano

·         2 bay leaves

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         black pepper to taste

For the Polenta

·         6 cups water

·         1-2 teaspoons salt

·         1¾ cup finely ground yellow cornmeal

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the roast and fry on each side for about 5 minutes, turning until the whole exterior is golden brown. If you’re short on time you can skip this step, but searing the meat really keeps the yummy flavor in!

2.    Place all remaining ingredients with the beef in a crockpot or slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the beef falls apart easily when pulled at with two forks. I put the beef in a pyrex pan to shred it into pieces.  Then add it back to the crockpot and give it a good stir.  I pulled the bay leaves out at this point – nobody likes to chomp down on a bay leaf, well I don’t!

3.    For the polenta, bring salted water to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. The polenta will start to thicken quickly. Continue whisking or stirring for 2-3 minutes before removing from heat. Stir in the butter until melted. Stir in the parmesan now if you’re using it, but why wouldn’t you?  For solid and chewy polenta, pour into a rectangular dish, let cool for 15-20 minutes, and cut into pieces. For softer, creamy polenta (so good), serve immediately topped with a big ol’ scoop of beef ragu.  Sprinkle on some parmesan or chopped parsley if you want.

Recipe #3 of 52