Short Ribs with Tagliatelle

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. I don't make it often. I think I have only made this three times but it is oh so good. Your house will be filled with amazing smells and this sauce gives you a really good excuse to make your own fresh pasta because after taking the time to develop this rich sauce it really deserves no less than to be soaked up with fresh pasta (and homemade bread!!).

Because I buy grass fed beef from my parents, the short ribs I get don't always have as much meat as the typical short ribs you find in the store. If I think I need a little more meat I add a package of stew meat and it works perfectly. So this recipe is a great way to use up stew meat as well. I also think this would be good with a rib roast or other types or roasts.

Ingredients

Serves 6.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 1/2 pounds short ribs
• salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle ( I highly recommend you make fresh tagliatelle for this recipe)
• 4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate

Directions

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if

needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network.

Fresh Pear and Cranberry Pie

• I did not manage to take any pictures of the food I made this week so I'm gonna have to add another dessert. Bummer right? I made this for a Christmas party and it was very tasty. I think it looked slightly better than it tasted but I still feel I will make it again. I was not crazy about the caramel topping so I will probably make up my own topping in the future. In truth, I think you could skip the caramel topping especially if you are serving it with ice cream or whipped cream.

• Ingredients

• 1 recipe Single-Crust Pie**
• 8 cups sliced red and/or green ripe pears (7 to 8 pears; 3 to 3-1/2 lb. total)
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider or water
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. caramel-flavored ice cream topping, plus additional for drizzling

• Directions

1. Prepare and roll out Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (below). Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Arrange half of pears in prepared pastry; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cranberries. Arrange remaining pears atop cranberries. In bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, cider, and nutmeg; drizzle evenly over pears. Cover pie with foil.

3. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes more or until pears are tender and juices are bubbly. Remove from oven and place on wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, in small saucepan combine remaining cranberries and 2 tablespoons caramel topping. Bring to boiling. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Spoon over hot pie.

5. Serve warm. Drizzle with additional caramel topping. Make 8 servings.

** Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie: In bowl stir together 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender cut in 1/2 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time (4 to 5 tablespoons total), until flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into ball. On floured surface flatten with hands. Roll dough from center to edges into a 13-inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap around rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Ease pastry into plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Polenta Wedges with Shrimp and Spinach

So I decided I would save the last couple of dessert recipes for another time and post a healthy meal. This dish tastes healthy but in a good way. It is light but satisfying. Flavorful but not over powering. I also love polenta so this is a winner in my book. It is convenient to make a batch of soft polenta for dinner earlier in the week then refrigerate the extra to slice up and use with meals like this one.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for drizzling (or other flavorful oil of your choice)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, (31-35 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed if desired
• 6 cups chopped baby spinach or escarole
• 8 slices of prepared, chilled and firm polenta, sliced into 8 triangles (you can find prepared polenta in tubes at the store as well.)
• 8 olives, pitted and chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Heat broiler, with rack 5 inches from heat. Place a rimmed baking sheet in oven to heat, 5 minutes. Pat polenta wedges dry with a paper towel and lightly brush both sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Carefully place of polenta on the hot sheet and broil until golden brown.
2. While of polenta is browning, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until juicy, about 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and spinach; cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
3. Divide the sauce among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Top with the polenta slices, sprinkle with olives (if using) and drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well.com.

Theophany Fritters

I promise I'm going to start sharing my healthy recipes again. There is just one more dessert that I will want to share after this one. I have done a pretty good job of eating healthy over the Holidays but the "bad" food is so much more fun to share than my butternut squash soup that I made last night (even though it is very good, just not as fun as fritters).

These sweet fritters are a traditional dessert among Orthodox in Lebanon and Syria. The website from where I found this recipe explains that is the book The Art of Syrian Cookery by Helen Corey the dough was traditionally wrapped in a cloth, “baptized” in a fountain and hung in a tree for three days. It would develop a strain of wild yeast and then would be used to make baked goods rise throughout the new year.

Obviously, I will not be "baptizing" and hanging the dough from a tree, but I think making these Fritters on Theophany could become a fun and special family tradition for me.

Sugar Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon rose water

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

[If you can't find orange blossom water then just double the rose water. If you can't find either, use vanilla or almond exact to taste. You will want to use much less of the extracts because they are much stronger flavors. I did find both the rose and orange water in my local grocery store in the aisle with all the sparkling and flavored waters.]

* I ended up with lots of extra syrup so I think one could 1/2 this recipe.

Put sugar, water and lemon juice in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring. Leave to boil for 3 minutes then stir in flower waters and boil for a few more seconds. Take off heat and leave to cool. It must be completely cool before use in the next recipe. However, if you are not planning to use it the same day, it can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass container for up to two weeks. Let it warm back up to room temperature before using it.

Fritters

Full recipe sugar syrup

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

vegetable oil for frying

Prepare the syrup, keep in the pan and have it on hand to drop the fritters into when they are ready.

Sift flour into a mixing bowl, then add yogurt and baking soda. Whisk until well blended and smooth, then cover and leave to rest for 45 minutes.

Fill a medium-sized frying pan with enough vegetable oil to deep fry the fritters and place over a medium heat. When the oil is hot (drop in a little batter, if the oil bubbles around it, it is ready), dip a dessert spoon in a little cool oil, fill it with batter and then drop the batter into the oil. Drop in as many fritters as can fit comfortably, stir to brown them evenly, until they become golden all over. Don't let the oil get too hot or the fritters will not cook all the way through. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a double layer of paper towels before dropping in the syrup. Turn a few times in the syrup and remove onto a serving dish.

These fritters should be eaten right away, once they reach room temperature. They do not store well.

Recipe from: Lebanese Cuisine by Annisa Helou and found on Festal Celebrations.

Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake

If you are looking for an amazingly rich dessert, Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake is the one. I have made this several times and pulled this recipe out again to make for Christmas Eve. It really is fabulous. It is very rich like I said so serve small pieces.

Ingredients

Cheesecake base:

• 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa

Cheesecake filling:

• 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped small
• 2 1/2 cups cream cheese
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1 tablespoon custard powder
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Sauce:

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon dark corn syrup
• Special euipment: 9-inch springform pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the base, process the graham crackers to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into the pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.

Put a kettle on to boil.

Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and melted chocolate and mix to a smooth batter.

Take the springform tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath.

Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

Peel away the foil and cling film wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.

To make the chocolate sauce: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate.

Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson of the Food Network

Lemon Ricotta Cookies With Lemon Glaze

Giada's Lemon Ricotta Cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes. I think they are so much better than sugar cookies but I have never been a fan of sugar cookies. These cookies are so tender and delightfully lemony. I make many of my friends and family a goodie basket for the Holidays and these are always in them.

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

My Favorite Pecan Pie

I am going to continue with my Thanksgiving feasting and add one last recipe and it is a good one. This is a very good but not too sweet pecan pie. It also has chocolate and coffee in it so I knew it was going to be good. This great recipe yet again comes for Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (about 7 ounces) pecan halves or pieces
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 9-inch single crust, partially baked and cooled

Getting ready: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

In a large bowl, whisk the corn syrup and brown sugar together until smooth.. Whisk in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until you have a smooth, foamy mixture. Add the espresso powder, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and give the batter a good mix. Rap the bowl against the counter a couple of times to pop any bubbles that might have formed, then stir in the pecans and chocolate. Turn the filling into the crust.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a foil shield for the crust by cutting a 9-inch circle out of the center of an 11-or 12-inch square of aluminum foil.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Place the foil shield on top of the pie—the filling will be exposed, the crust covered by the foil. Bake the pie for another 15 to 20 minutes (total baking time is 30 to 35 minutes), or until it has puffed (the middle and the edges should be fairly evenly puffed), is beautifully browned and no longer jiggles when tapped. Transfer the pie plate to a rack, remove the shield and cool to room temperature.

Serving: Pecan pie is good at any temperature, and different at each one. It’s softest and most puddingish eaten warm (about 45 minutes out of the oven), most flavorful eaten at room temperature and most candy-like when it is chilled. At any temperature, it’s good with ice cream—vanilla, chocolate or coffee would be my choices.

Storing: Once cooled to room temperature, the pie can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day.

Recipe from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan