ch-ch-ch-ch-changas!

2010 was filled with exciting changes and lots of 'changas, chimichangas that is. The connection between the two is loose, but given the arrival of the much anticipated 2011, I feel it necessary to make. In Tucson we discovered the world's largest chimichanga (larger than a grown man's head), and at home we discovered the deliciousness of slow-cooking and custom-seasoning our own chimi fillings.  It's easier than one might think, and even more flavorful than your wildest dreams. srsly. Also, with an actual slow-cooker, as opposed to a cast-iron pot and a stove, you can set it and forget it during the work day. such is called convenient deliciousness. Anywhoozy, here's the steps and ingreds.

chimichangas.  Food styling by a one Mr. Daniel Hatch.

hiking in the wintry deserts of Tucson.

BEEF CHIMICHANGAS

For the beef:
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 large onion diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped or whole
1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
2 Mexican beers
2 dried Pasilla peppers
1-2 lb. beef roast
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. oregano

Add all ingredients to a large soup pot, stir to cover meat with liquids and seasonings.  Cover and cook on medium-medium/low heat for 4-6 hours.  The meat is when it begins to fall apart. Once it's done, separate the meat from the cooking liquids and shred the beef. Reserve the cooking liquid (you can cook your rice in this liquid for a side dish).

For the 'changas, fill your favorite flour tortilla with shredded beef and cheese.  Fold tortillas, and fry on either side in hot veg. or canola oil, on medium heat, about 3 minutes per side.  Serve with sour cream and guacamole.

cloudy with a chance of meatballs

Seeing this always makes me want to eat meatballs and share a forkless bowl of spaghetti with a loved one.  Sometimes I trick people into this situation by serving them a bowl of spaghetti with no fork. mwahahaha. it rarely works.

Moving on...I've always had the perception that meatballs were complicated and that you only made them if you were fortunate enough to have inherited a secret, family recipe.  Since I have no Italian family members from which to acquire such a prized item, I figured trial and error would be quicker than waiting around to come into Italian family members and, subsequently, their secret recipes.  Turns out I was right, the recipe I used was a regular, old find-it-in-a-book style recipe, and it took only about 15 minutes to mix up all the ingredients and then another 25 minutes to bake.  Bringing new people into your family and trying to steal their recipes can sometimes take weeks. The meatballs were good, the right amount of garlicy and just a little spicy, just like Grandma used to make in the Old Country.  

ITALIAN MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used chopped up "everything" crackers from Trader Joe's, because bread crumbs were $3.99 - YOWZA!)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated italian cheese mix
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 egg

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients by hand, using a light touch. Take a portion of meat in hand, and roll between palms to form a ball that is firmly packed but not compressed. Repeat, making each meatball about 2 inches in diameter. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Fill a baking dish with one layer of meatballs. Try not to crowd. Bake for 15 minutes until browned well on the bottoms and turn them over. Continue cooking until browned all over and cooked through. Remove meatballs to a plate as each batch is finished. Let meatballs cool slightly; cover and refrigerate until needed.

Yield: About 30 meatballs.

Serve with spaghetti and your favorite marinara or meat sauce.

the original souse king

Just as there are two types of people in this world: those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't...there are two types of pasta sauces: those that you buy in a jar, and those that you make from scratch. Don't get me wrong, I love popping open a jar of ragu as much as the next guy, but if you want to make an easy, freezy sauce to have on hand AT ALL TIMES, this is the one. It will not let you down. It’s rich, it’s meaty, it's perfect for spaghetti, for lasagna or for eating by the cup full (some people are into that, for reals).

It takes about half an hour to cook all of the ingredients, but then you can just “Set it, and forget it!” (that’s right, Ron Popeil style). The longer you forget it, the more delicious it becomes. It’s pretty much magic. Or maybe it is science. Who can really tell the difference these days?

After cooking and enjoying, bolognese freezes well and thaws quickly for saucy meals on the go.

Ragu Alla Bolognese

INGREDIENTS

½ lb. hot Italian sausages

1 lb. leanest ground beef

1 chopped onion

2 chopped carrots

2 chopped celery sticks

8-10 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press

1 tbsp. oregano

1 tbsp. basil

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. fennel seeds

3 tsp. salt (salt monkeys, do it to taste)

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 bay leaf

½ cup dry white or red wine (both work well)

¼ cup tomato paste (mix with ¼ cup water)

2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, peeled and crushed in heavy puree

Remove sausage from casings and slowly brown in a skillet along with the ground beef, a large sauce or soup pan works well. Break up the sausage as it cooks. Once meats are browned to your liking, drain the fat. Add vegetables and all spices to meat pan, sauté until onions begin to cook, and be careful not to brown the garlic. Add the tomato sauce, water and wine. Simmer for 5 minutes and add canned tomatoes. Simmer over medium-low heat, for 1-2 hours. Serve with the pasta of your choice.

More substantial noodles such as linguini, spaghetti or pappardelle, work nicely with this sauce.

Cannelloni with Ragu

This recipe is from a "Kids Cook Italian" class I took back in 1996. Time flies, and 13 years later it turns out adults can cook Italian too, and this recipe is still really tasty, and only takes about 1/2 an hour to prepare. It comes with a recipe for ragu, but you can use any sauce you have on hand, I used some bolognese that I made earlier in the week.

CANNELONI A LA RAGU

For the Ragu:

Chopped celery, onion, 5-6 cloves garlic and carrot

.5 lb. ground beef

.5 lb. ground pork

1 can tomatoes

.5 cup milk

.5 cup tomato puree

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

Saute vegetables and garlic in olive oil. Add meat and cook until no longer pink, add milk, tomato puree, tomatoes and seasonings. Cook 20 min. or until liquid has reduced considerably.

For the Cannelloni (8-10 servings):

1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed & drained

15 basil leaves, chopped

1 lb. fresh ricotta

6 oz. shredded mozzarella
salt & pepper

2 eggs

.5 cup grated parmesan

1 lb. fresh pasta sheets (cut into 20, 5x6 pieces)

Ragu (above)

Combine drained spinach, basil, ricotta, mozzarella, salt & pepper and eggs; mix well. Add .25 cup parmesan, reserve the rest for topping. Mix well, and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and set aside greased, 9x13 pan. Fill cut pasta sheets by putting filling in the center lengthwise and rolling loosely like a fat cigar. Arrange in a single layer in the dish...not too crowded. Spoon sauce over top and cover with remaining parmesan and additional mozzarella if desired. Bake 20 minutes, or until cheeses are melted.

The 7 Flavors of Highly Effective Beef

Really, seven flavors? Is the human brain even capable of processing seven flavors? Can you name seven flavors? Even if you subscribe to the Japanese belief in umami (meaning tasty, brothy, meaty or savory) and include fat in there as a flavor, that still only leaves six: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami and fat. Let's face it people, seven flavors is a lot of flavors.

I guess you won't know how advanced your own brain is and if it can defeat the laws of science to discover the seventh flavor until you eat this beef. Having eaten this beef myself, I've affirmed that the brain is amazing, that it can process seven flavors at once, and that it does all sorts of things I'll probably never understand.

This recipe for Seven Flavor Beef, adapted from the restaurant Wild Ginger, was passed on by a client and then through my office. If it's any testament to how easy and delicious it is, three of us made it within the last three days. We are all wild (ginger) about it.

The 7 Flavors of Highly Effective Beef

1½ hours 30 min prep SERVES 2 -4

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. flank steak, sliced on an angle

MARINADE

1 tbsp. minced lemongrass
1/2 tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. dried red chili pepper flakes
1 tbsp. Chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp. kosher salt

FINISHING

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 bunch thinly sliced green onion
1 cup bean sprouts
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. ground peanuts
20 leaves Thai basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a nonreactive baking dish and marinate beef for 1 hour, turning frequently to distribute spices.

2. Heat oil in a wok and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add red onion, green onion, and bean sprouts and sear for 1 minute, stirring. Set aside on serving dish.

3. Add beef to very hot wok and sear until rare. Add hoisin sauce and toss until coated. Add ground peanuts and basil and cook until meat is medium rare.

4. Serve meat over onions and bean sprouts.

Serve with rice and try to eat with cool people.