Ultimate Spaghetti & Meatballs

I made these when my friend Trenton came over and they were a hit! They took a lot longer than I expected, probably because I tend to be super careful and picky when I first try out a recipe, but they were worth it. I got the recipe from an episode of Tyler's Ultimate. I made the Pomodoro Sauce he includes but didn't really care for it as much, so I'm not going to take the time to write out the recipe on here. But if you want it it's on the link. They also made good leftovers, but again would have been much better with a different sauce IMHO.

Notes:

• Again, didn't really like his Pomodoro Sauce.
• Don't know if this is right, but for the firm white bread I just let some Texas size bread that I had in the pantry sit out for about 30 minutes to get firm before soaking in the milk.
• I used a more authentic fresh mozzarella cheese that I found at Reasor's. It was nice and soft instead of hard like the usual packaged kind. I sliced it and put about one slice on each meatball.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup milk
• 4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups heated Pomodoro Sauce, or good quality jarred tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks
  
• Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh basil
• 1 lb. spaghetti

Directions:

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Heat 3 T oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.

Pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add that to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. (Hand onto the pan - you'll need it to cook the meatballs.) Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape them into 10 nice looking meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a 3-count of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them into a baking dish and spoon about half of hte tomato sauce over. Shower with the mozzarella and drizzle with the olive oil. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on the rest of the sauce and mix well. Spoon the meatballs on top of the spaghetti and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately along with extra cheese.

Golden Applesauce

No pic for this one. : (

I love apple desserts. So because this is so easy, I enjoy making it to eat on it for a few days as a dessert for lunch. It's really easy and very tasty. I got it from an episode of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals.

Notes:

• I haven't been able to find the golden raisins and it tastes fine without.
• I also smash the sauce right at the end with a spoon just to make it more like a puree than a chunky sauce.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 oz. golden raisins, a handful (I haven't been able to find any and it is still tasty w/o)
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger root
• 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 cups all natural apple juice or cider 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

 Combine all ingredients in a medium pot placed over medium high heat and cook until chunky sauce forms, 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. If sauce begins to spatter as it bubbles, reduce heat back a little, but it shoul be allowed to reduce and form quickly. Once apples are soft and sauce forms, remove it from the heat. 

Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

I got this recipe from Paula Deen. I've made it twice now, the second time was better than the first, but they're still not exactly how I would like them. I just haven't been able to get that nice crispy texture yet, but if I can I'll be sure to repost to let you know!

Notes:

• I used 3 tenderized round steaks (picture in package below)
• I did not follow the parts of the recipe that are in orange. I did them the first time, but didn't like the results so the second time I didn't do them at all and preferred it. I decided to include them anyway so you can decide!
• House Seasoning: 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder. Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups, plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 8 (4 oz) tenderized beef round steaks (have butcher run them through cubing machine)
• 1 teaspoon House Seasoning (recipe under notes)
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 quart whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (recommended: Ac'cent), optional (I didn't use and my gravy has turned out fine)
• 1 bunch gren onions, or 1 medium yellow onion, sliced

Directions:

 Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 side of the meat w/ House Seasoning and the other side with seasoning salt, and then dredge the meat in buttermilk and then flour. 

Heat 1/2 cup oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 or 4 of the steaks to the hot oil and fry until browned, about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove each steak to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining steaks, adding up to 1/4 cup more oil, as needed.

 

 Make the gravy by adding the 2 Tablespoons remaining flour to the pan dripping, scraping hte bottom with a wooden sppon. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently until the flour is medium brown and the mixture is bubbly. Slowly add the whole milk and the Ac'cent, if using, stirring constantly. Return the steaks to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium - high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and place the onions on top of the steaks. Cover the pan, and let sinner for 30 minutes.

Mascarpone Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze

I made these cupcakes off a recommendation from Little Ms. Foodie and I have to say that they are the absolutely best cupcakes I have ever tasted. They are so moist they are sure to melt in your mouth. The recipe I'm using is from LMF's blog (linked above.) The original is from Giada De Laurentiis.

Notes: 

• I made regular size instead of mini. 
  
• Next time I will follow the package instructions for 3 egg whites instead of just 2 from the recipe because mine turned out rather crumbly and hard to handle. I want them to melt in my mouth and not in my hand!
• Mascarpone cheese is an Italian cheese. I found mine in Reasor's grocery store in the section near the deli with all the specialty cheeses. It was in an 8 oz. shallow tub (kind of like Philadelphia cream cheese in a tub.)
• For the glaze, I used probably an extra 1/4 cup of strawberries. I didn't like the glaze at first (too sweet), but once it firmed up like the recipe says it was much better and had a great strawberry flavor. 
• For a thicker glaze: Use more powdered sugar and less strawberries for a thicker glaze.
• For thinner glaze: Use less powdered sugar and more strawberries for a thinner glaze.

Yield: About 18 or 20 large; 48 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup), softened
• 2 egg whites (I would follow package instructions)
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 box white cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

      

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins w/ paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using mixer beat the ingredients until creamy. Add the cake mix (1/3 of the mix at a time) and water and blend until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Fill the cupcake tins to just below the rim and bake until puffy and golden, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to wire rack.

Meanwhile, puree strawberries in a blender or food processor. Place the powdered sugar in medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. After cupcakes have cooled slightly, top the cooked cupcakes witht the glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up before serving.