Almost Famous Chef Competition & a Valentine's Day Recipe

Shots of the chef's cooking the Calphalon Kitchen

Early this week I attending the judging and tasting of San Pellgrino's Almost Famous Chef Regional Canada Competition at the Calphalon Culinary Center in Toronto.  The Almost Famous Chef Competition started nine years ago and gives culinary students all over the US and Canada the chance to compete and be judged by nationally renowned chefs at the final competition in Napa in March.   I brought Carole from The Yum Yum Factor and No reEATS with me and while neither of us really knew what to expect, but were excited to go.

After arrival and check in, we heading down to the reception to check our coats and were immediately handed a glass of bubbly.  Anyone who knows me knows that this is an instant way to win me over, I love champagne, cava, prosecco...if it's sparkling I generally like it.  So I was a happy girl. As members of the press we were then whisked up to the kitchen where some of the students were still cooking their dishes (they have staggered start times and 2 hours to prepare their dish for the 8 judges). To say that this kitchen was gorgeous is an understatement.  I don't know about Carole, but I was green with envy at the racks of beautiful pots and pans, the spotless counters and gorgeous appliances, it was perfect.  Once I got done ogling the kitchen, I watched the cooking.  I have never been in a competitive kitchen like this before and you could absolutely cut the tension with a knife.  That being said the chef students were very calm, periodically checking their time and moving through their respective dishes.   We hung out a little, watched them work and took some photos before heading back down to hear some of the dish presentations and taste the food.

Homemade Tortellini

Oops forgot to fold up the bottom point, but aren't they still pretty?!  

I know I did a stuffed pasta last week, but I made fresh cheese tortellinis for the January Cooking Club Challenge over on Food Network Canada's site (stay tuned for that post tomorrow) and since they were so easy and tasty that I had to share how I did it.  I alos wanted to direct you to a great tortellini filling and folding tutorial that Mama Shack did.  The great thing about these and last weeks ravioli is that they freeze beautifully!  So if you spend a few hours on your weekend making and filling pasta and then freeze it, you could potentially have a ton of easy meals on the go in your freezer.  You shouldn't eat pasta every day, but once I see no problem in it once a week. Especially if you make a veggie rich sauce to go with these deliciously cheesy morsels, you'll have quite a nice complete meal.

Meatless Monday: Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli

As I've written about before, I was lucky enough to receive the pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid  as a wedding gift.  I haven't used it as much as I should mainly because of poor planning.  While homemade pasta doesn't take long to make, it is more time consuming that throwing a box of pasta in boiling water.  Of course that extra time is soooooo worth it.  As is proven by my pesto with homemade fettucine!

Something I've been dying to tackle with the pasta maker is homemade ravioli, since Thanksgiving when I roasted and pureed pumpkin for pumpkin pie I have wanted to make a Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli.  Lucky for me pureed pumpkin keeps beautifully in the freezer so I was able to pull some out to make these little beauties.  Boy am I glad that I did!

Love 4 Lasagna: Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

I'm a bit late in posting this final Love 4 Lasagna entry, but at least I got it done in November.  And I have to say I think the Boy would say this was worth the wait.  The idea for this lasagna came about when my mom was visiting earlier in the month.  I was brainstorming ideas and she actually suggested it.   When we took our day trip to Buffalo with the Shack's the boy complained about not getting wings and that's when I knew I had to try to make this lasagna version.

When googling "Buffalo Chicken Lasagna" I came across just one recipe that seemed to be reposted everywhere and just didn't sound appealing to me.  It read like a standard lasagna with ricotta, tomato sauce noodles and some spicy chicken.  I wanted my version to really taste like a lasagna version of the Boy's favorite bar food.     I knew how I wanted to deal with the chicken but kept getting stuck on the sauce.  Red sauce?  A bechemel with blue cheese?  What would make it a lasagna but also a dish chock full of spicy buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing?

Meatless Monday: Backyard Pesto with Homemade Fettucine

With summer truly ending I thought I should take advantage of the beautiful and numerous basil plants the boy planted for me this summer.  I also have a brand new and shiny KitchenAid Mixer with pasta attachment, that we got as a wedding gift, that I was dying to try out.  Pesto is one of my favorite sauces, since it's no-cook and packed with fresh flavor it makes for a tasty and simple dinner and ine that is perfect for Meatless Monday.

When I studied in Florence in college I learned how to make and serve basil pesto the way they make it in Genoa which includes cooking cubed potatoes and string beans with your pasta to be tossed with the pesto.  I'm calling this Backyard Pesto because the basil literally came from my backyard and the potatoes and beans came from my local farmer's market which living in the city is close enough to my backyard for things like beans and potatoes.  I'd love to grow my own beans and potatoes but we just don't have the space, someday my dream farmhouse will though.  Until then I'll happily make do with the fabulous locally grown produce we get at our farmers market.

Orechiette con Pomodori

One of my favorite things about food is that it can be as tied to time and place as anything else. Specific foods or flavors of scents of cooking always remind me of people or places. I loved cooking my grandmother's rolladen because it just brings me back to the smell of her kitchen and being young and playing with my grandfather. I can't smell a burger being grilled without remembering how delicious a burger tastes at our lake house. This dish is one of those too. I first learned to make it when I studied in Florence, Italy during my undergrad years. It was the first dish we learned in my regional Italian cooking class and I have remembered it ever since. I don't have it written down and honestly am not completely sure I even make it the way I was taught. It has become one of my signature dishes with my family and something I love to make the second the weather starts to warm up, which it has finally started to do.

I most recently made it for a Sunday supper when I had my fabulous friend/co-worker over for dinner. She's here from London and working like crazy with little down time. In an effort to get the boy to help me take the house from bachelor pad to dinner party appropriate (ie chairs for our dining room table among other things) I invited her over for a much needed home-cooked meal. Not only did we have a fabulous evening but I feel so much better knowing that I can go back to having the dinner parties I became so accustomed to while I was living in LA. I often serve this pasta as a main course but on this night is accompanied a delicious grilled steak to be posted soon.

Orechiette con Pomodori
serves 6

4 pints of cherry tomatoes
200 grams of pecorino romano cheese - finely grated
6-10 cippoline onions - how many you use depends on how big they are, the larger ones you should only need 6
2-3 ribs of celery - again determined by how big they are
1/2 tsp or more crushed red pepper
1 small bunch of arugula - washed, dried and sliced into ribbons
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

1. Wash the celery ribs and using a knife peel the outer string from each rib. To do this, tuck the blade of the knife just under the very top of the skin (you can usually see the string at the top) and just peel down. Repeat this on both ribs. Roughly chop the celery. Peel the skin from the cippoline and roughly chop. Combine the chopped celery with the chopped onions, add in the crushed red pepper and finely mince everything together.
2. In a large saute pan heat olive oil over medium heat. When heated add in celery, onion and red pepper mixture and salt. Saute until onions become translucent and everything is soft but not browned, lower heat if necessary.
3. While the other vegetables are sauteing wash and remove stems from cherry tomatoes. Cut the cleaned tomatoes in half, quarter the larger ones to ensure that the pieces are all roughly the same size.
4. Add tomatoes to the saute pan cook for 5 minutes uncovered at medium heat. Cover pan and lower heat to low and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Tomatoes are done when they have softened and can be gently smooshed using the back end of a wooden spoon. Taste at this point and adjust salt.
5. While the tomatoes are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook orechiette according to directions for al dente.
6. Toss cooked pasta with tomato sauce and pecorino cheese. Toss in the arugula just before serving.



I truly love everything about this dish from doing the prep work to the simplicity of the flavors and the ingredients to the fabulously fresh flavor. I should have waited a bit to make this until tomatoes were in season but I had a craving and decided to give in. I don't regret it, it's one of those dishes that always takes me back to that January in Florence when I first learned to make it and I remember that two days later I cooked it for some of my friends from school. I remember sitting in my tiny one room apartment and eating this with a fabulous bottle of $3 Chianti and my new friends. It was my time in Florence that really cultivated my love of cooking and being in the kitchen, which is funny, because my tiny one room apartment barely had a proper kitchen. Two gas burners, a tiny dorm sized fridge and no oven, but it worked and I think made me the cook I am today. Enjoy!

FNCCC: Mushroom Ravioli

Food Network Canada's April Cooking Club Challenge is Laura Calder's Mushroom Ravioli. Now for those of you outside Canada, Laura Calder is a fabulous Food Network star who is based in France, but comes to Canada every summer to make her show French Food at Home. Having little experience with cooking French food, I love her show because she makes it all seem so easy and manageable. This recipe is very simple too and I think a French twist on a classically Italian dish. I decided to use this challenge as an excuse to finally make my own pasta. I don't have a pasta machine and while I want one, it was quite easy to make this pasta by hand. In a effort to be more healthy after the month of grilled cheese indulgences, I made whole wheat pasta. While my pasta sheets aren't perfect shapes, I love how rustic they are and since the pasta was so easy to make I doubt how often I'll buy the box kind moving forward.

This dish should have come together quite easily, but as I was mid cooking I realized I forgot to defrost chicken stock and didn't pick up fresh thyme last time I was at the grocery store. Perfect reason why it's better when I plan ahead. A minor freak-out later, I made some quick substitutions that made for a nice dish. Laura's recipe didn't specify a type of mushroom so I chose to use King Oyster Mushrooms. I chose them because I have never cooked with them before and have also heard that they are very meaty. The boy doesn't always go for a vegetarian meal, so I figured my best chance for success with this one was an nice meaty mushroom. Also instead of using the brown butter sauce, I made my own lemon cream sauce. The ravioli recipe below is how I made them, with a link to Laura's original recipe.

Whole Wheat Pasta (no machine necessary)

2 eggs
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
approx 1/2 cup of water

1. Mix together the salt & flour. Make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Using a fork, start to scramble the eggs and slowly start to incorporate the flour into the eggs.
2. Once the eggs have been Incorporated into the flour, start to add water one Tbsp at a time, kneading the dough as you go, until all the flour is incorporated. I used 7 Tbsp of water, but use whatever it takes to get a nice smooth dough.
3. Flour your countertop or a large cutting board and the ball of dough. Start to roll out the pasta into a large rectangle. When you notice the dough starting to spring back, let it rest for about 10 minutes. You'll need to let it rest at least 3 or 4 times if you want to get your dough nice and thin.
4. Once it is rolled out cut into desired shape, for a rustic linguine carefully roll the dough into a jelly roll shape and slice using a sharp knife, use flour to keep the pasta from sticking together. I cut my piece into 12 squares for use in the ravioli.

Mushroom Ravioli
adapted from Laura Calder at foodtv.ca

1-1/2 pounds of king oyster mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
2 Tbsp butter
A splash of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to season
A generous 1/2 cup of white wine
A generous handful of finely grated truffled Pecorino Romano, more for garnish
2 Tbsp dried thyme
8 sheets of whole wheat pasta (approx. 3 x 4 inch)

1. Cut the mushrooms into a 1/2" dice. Boil a large pot of water for the pasta.
3. Add a splash of olive oil and the butter to a sauté pan. Set the pan on high heat, and add the mushrooms, sautéing until slightly coloured. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the mushrooms are soft, approx. 4 minutes more.
4. Pour over the wine and boil to reduce to 2 tablespoons. Stir in the cheese. Taste, check the seasonings, adding a squirt of lemon juice if you like. Stir in the thyme and keep the mixture warm while you cook the pasta.
5. Generously salt the pasta water once it's boiling. Add the pasta and cook al dente. Drain.
6. Lay a sheet of pasta on each of four serving plates. Spoon the mushrooms onto the pasta. Top with a second pasta sheet. Drizzle over the cream sauce (see below). Garnish with more cheese, and serve immediately.

Lemon Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 shallot - minced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp lemon zest - packed
1/2-3/4 cup half & half - at room temp
2 Tbsp butter
salt & pepper

1. Heat oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add in shallots and saute until soft and translucent. Sprinkle in flour and mix together to make a roux.
2. Pour the half & half in, whisking constantly to combine. Add in lemon zest and butter and stir to melt. Season with salt & pepper to taste.


This was a lovely and very filling lunch, the boy gobbled his up and really seemed to like it. I enjoyed it too, the mushrooms have great flavor and using the wine instead of stock gave the whole dish a sweet undertone that was very nice. I was impressed with how well my homemade pasta turned out and am glad I went for whole wheat with this dish as it added even more depth and flavor. I will make sure next time I have fresh thyme to cook with the mushroom and will also try drizzling the dish in the sage brown butter recommended, since it is one of my faves.

Check out how everyone else fared over at the Food Network Canada Food for Thought Blog, they'll be up after the first of the month. Enjoy!

Potato Gnocchi Two Ways

For February the Food Network Cooking Club Challenge gave participants three different comfort foods recipes to vote on to determine the challenge. The choices were Osso Bucco, Corn Chowder and Gnocchi. I was totally pulling for the Osso Bucco as it's forever been on my list of things to try, but alas Michael Smith's Potato Gnocchi won out. While it wasn't my first choice, I was definitely excited to try this since I do love gnocchi. The recipe as given includes Michael's recipe for a roasted tomato and olive sauce, but I decided to keep it traditional with a simple butter and sage sauce. I cut back on the gnocchi recipe by a 1/3 since I was just making this for the boy and I.

Michael Smith's Handmade Potato Gnocchi
from foodtv.ca

3 large baking potatoes (I used 2)
3 eggs, lightly whisked (I used 2)
3 cups flour (I used 2 cups)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I used a heaping 1/4 tsp)
Sprinkled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil

1. Bake the potatoes until they’re tender when pierced with a fork, about an hour. Scoop the flesh out of potatoes and put into a large bowl.
2. While the potatoes are still a bit warm add the eggs, 2 cups of the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir and knead until a dough forms, adding more flour if it seems too sticky. You may not need all the flour called for as potato sizes and moisture content vary. It is important not to add too much flour, or the gnocchi will be too dry. (I slowly added in flour a couple Tbsp at a time to the right consistency)
3. Divide the dough into 4 even pieces and roll each piece into a 1” wide ‘snake’. Cut the long ‘snakes’ into 1” pieces. (I rolled one side of each dumpling across a fork and made a small indentation on the back side to help each piece cling to sauce better)
4. Heat a large pot of water to boiling and salt it liberally. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and let them cook for 2-3 minutes, until they float to the surface. Drain well and toss with a bit of olive oil.


Butter Sage Sauce

8 Tbsps unsalted butter
1/4 cup sliced fresh sage
freshly grated parmigiano
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a small sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Once it's melted add in the sage and let cook until butter begins to brown, but not burn.
2. Toss gnocchi in butter sauce and serve topped with parmigiano.



These were so tasty! I will admit I tried the recipe twice because the first time I made the gnocchi in the late morning and cooked them in the evening. I left the finished dumplings on a baking sheet and they stuck, turning into an unattractive mass of dough when cooked. The second time was perfect though and I actually peeled, chunked and steamed the potatoes for my second go round. This was to save time, since I was trying during the week and didn't want to wait an hour for the potatoes to bake. I'd be interested to know if anyone has ever made and refrigerated or froze gnocchi before, because while not completely time intensive it's not something that will always be easy to make right before cooking.

After the success and ease of the standard potato gnocchi I decided it would be interesting to try to make them with sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour. This was initially in an attempt to make them healthier but also for a different take. I found that the sweet potatoes require alot more flour than a russet potato, but otherwise the recipe worked out almost exactly the same as with a white potato. I served them with a cinnamon butter and a dollop of mascarpone to play up the sweetness of the potato.


Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi
adapted from Michael Smith's recipe
serves 2 (as a side dish)

1 large sweet potato
2 (or more) cups whole wheat flour
1 egg - lightly whisked
salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. Bake potato at 400F for 1 hour, or until tender. Scoop flesh out of skins into a large bowl.
2. While the potatoes are still a bit warm add the eggs, 1 cup of the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir and knead until a dough forms, adding more flour if it seems too sticky. You may not need all the flour called for as potato sizes and moisture content vary. It is important not to add too much flour, or the gnocchi will be too dry. I ended up using 2 full cups of flour.
3. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces and roll each piece into a 1” wide ‘snake’. Cut the long ‘snakes’ into 1” pieces. Roll one side of each dumpling against a fork while gently pressing one finger into the back, making a small indentation.
4. Heat a large pot of water to boiling and salt it liberally. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and let them cook for 2-3 minutes, until they float to the surface. Drain well and toss with a bit of olive oil.

Cinnamon Butter

5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cinnamon stick
salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese - whipped (optional)
ground cinnamon (optional)

1. Place butter and cinnamon stick into a small saucepan. Melt butter over medium low heat. Let cook until just golden brown. Then remove from heat.
2. Remove cinnamon stick and toss with gnocchi. Serve topped with a dollop of whipped mascarpone and sprinkling of ground cinnamon.


The boy is not a huge fan of sweet potatoes and wasn't exactly looking forward to my take on gnocchi, but was pleasantly surprised when he tried them. The whole wheat flour adding a different texture to each dumpling which I found to be very enjoyable. They were served as a side dish to some leftover pork roast (stay tuned for a post on that this weekend) and some steamed broccoli. The sweet potato gnocchi went extremely well with the pork roast, especially when paring a bite of pork with a bite of gnocchi. I will be making both types of gnocchi again in the very near future. Check out the Food for Though blog on foodtv.ca (after February 28) to see how the other participants fared. Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower

Most of you dear readers are aware of my obsession with Mac & Cheese, especially if you happened upon this site by way of Food Buzz, where on my flavor page I say that I'm always craving Mac & Cheese. I think it's the most perfect food, easy to make, homey and comforting and conducive to all different types of cheeses and other additions. I almost always have all the necessary ingredients on hand to throw together some form mac & cheese (and not the Kraft kind). I once made it with spaghetti because it was the only pasta in the house. While it wasn't perfect it certainly cured the hungover craving my sis, her friend and I had on that Sunday.

I've now completely digressed. Today's mac & cheese creation was made in an attempt to make this delightfully gooey dish a bit more healthy. While it's still full of cheese, by making a few substitutions I think this is a little more guilt free than how I normally make it.

Fettuccine Bolognese a la THE APARTMENT

I love movies, from indies to blockbuster to classics, there are few things I like more than getting lost in a movie. Clearly I love food as well, as this blog is a testament to. Well what could be better than when food and film come together, as they do in Billy Wilder's THE APARTMENT. There are just those moments where you remember what the characters where eating as much as what they were saying, doing or feeling. Think of the thinly shaved garlic for the gravy in GOODFELLAS or the armadillo-shaped red velvet cake in STEEL MAGNOLIAS to Bridget Jones' blue soup for her birthday dinner in BRIDGET JONES' DIARY. Throughout film there are these moments and my most recent viewing of THE APARTMENT reminded me of them and inspired me.

If you've never seen it, THE APARTMENT is a great film from 1960 starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. It was on Turner Classic Movies a few weeks ago and will air again January 29th, see it if you haven't. The quick logline is: An aspiring executive (Lemmon) rents his apartment to his bosses for thier trysts with their mistresses to then end up falling for the top boss' mistress (MacLaine). For me one of the most memorable scenes is when Fran (MacLaine) shows up at C.C.'s (Lemmon) apartment and C.C. is cooking spaghetti with meat sauce and using his tennis racket to drain the spaghetti. It just stuck with me, from the food to the fact that it was also a turning point in the movie. As a result, I decided to make a pasta with meat sauce in honor of the film. I jazzed mine up a bit from striaght spaghetti and meat sauce to Fettuccine Bolognese.

Fettuccine Bolognese

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot - peeled and chopped
1 small onion - chopped
3 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb lean ground pork
1 can tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper
pinch of sugar
1 lb of whole wheat fettuccine - cooked to al dente
fresh grated parmigiano

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the saucepan is heated saute garlic, onions, carrots and crushed red pepper until onions are translucent and carrots have softened. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
2. Push vegetables to the edges of the pan and add in the ground beef and pork to brown. Once meat has browned add in tomato paste, basil, oregano, slat & pepper. stir to combine and simmer on medium low for 5 minutes.
3. Add red wine and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine and saute over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste and sugar a pinch at a time to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
4. Serve over cooked fettuccine, topped with parmigiano and fresh cracked pepper.

This sauce was so thick (almost a ragu) and rich and full of tomato flavor, which was exactly what I was going for. the carrots add a nice element of sweetness that counter balances the spice or the red pepper and the acidity of the tomato nicely. I added a pinch more of sugar, but it all depends on taste. I'm happy with this movie inspired dish. Stay tuned as I have one more APARTMENT inspired dish coming later in the week. Enjoy!

Creamy Bell Pepper Pasta

This recipe came about as a result of a pasta craving and having a few peppers that were just about to go off. Throw in some chicken and a green salad and you've got a complete meal and a Phase 2 friendly meal at that!

Creamy Bell Pepper Pasta
serves 2

2 bell peppers (I used a red and an orange)
1 clove garlic - minced
1 small onion - chopped
3 or more Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1/4 cup chicken stock or water (you won't like need it all)
1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 box whole wheat farfalle (or whichever pasta shape you like)
Salt & Pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano - optional

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Wash, seed and devein the peppers and cut into a 1-2 inch dice. Wash chicken breasts and trim of any excess fat.
2. Cover 1/2 of a baking sheet with aluminum foil, turning the edges up to make a makeshift container. Spread the bell peppers on the aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat. On the other side of the baking sheet place the chicken breasts, again drizzling with olive oil, salt & pepper.
3. Roast Chicken and peppers for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers have some nice browned bits. While the chicken is roasting heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium to medium low heat and slowly saute the garlic and onions until the onions are golden brown, being careful not to brown the garlic.
4. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions. When the peppers and chicken are done roasting remove from oven. Add peppers to sauce pan with onions and garlic and remove from heat. Remove chicken to a plate and shred using 2 forks.
5. Using an immersion blender blend the vegetables and yogurt in the sauce pan, adding chicken stock or water 1 Tbsp at a time, as necessary. I wanted a thick and creamy sauce, so I only used 1-2 Tbsp of stock. Add the oregano and a touch more salt and pepper, mix to combine. Add chicken and pasta to pepper sauce tossing to combine. Serve garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings and lots of fresh cracked black pepper.

This was another easy weeknight meal. It took about 40 minutes but is something that could easily be modified for a seriously quick meal if you used a roasted chicken from the grocery store and jarred roasted peppers. It was quite tasty and a twist on a traditional pasta and red sauce. The boy got a really tasty Parmigiano from a new cheese shop here in Toronto called Chabichou. I didn't get to make the trip with him but am dying to get in there to taste some of their cheese and sample their grilled cheese which is supposed to be phenomenal. I really enjoyed munching on the Parmigiano on it while I cooked and also topping my pasta with it. If you don't have access to a great Parmigiano, I'd suggest topping this with a nice crumbled feta. It's got a really nice Greek flavor with the roasted peppers and oregano and I think a feta would also work nicely. Enjoy!

Classic Italian-American Feast!

One of my all time favorite Italian-American meals is Spaghetti & Meatballs. It is just so heart-warming and some serious comfort food. It snowed here in Toronto most of Saturday so when I finished my Christmas shopping and was trying to think of what to make for dinner, Spaghetti & Meatballs seemed perfect. I wasn't sure when the boy would be done work, which was perfect because the longer the sauce cooks the better AND we already had some ground turkey that needed to be used. I also remembered that we had some Italian sausages in the freezer that would round out my sauce perfectly. It couldn't have worked out better if I had actually planned it. Be advised the measurements are not exact, so just use them as a guide and trust your own personal taste.

Spaghetti Sauce with Turkey Meatballs & Sausage

3 cloves of garlic - minced
1 small onion - roughly chopped
2 tsp or more crushed red pepper flake
2 large cans of tomato puree (using one can of puree and one diced makes for a nice chunky sauce)
1/2 cup red wine
1 lb ground turkey
1/4-1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmigiano
1/4 cup or more dried oregano (separated)
1/4 cup or more dried basil (separated)
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 egg
3-4 mild Italian sausage
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper & sugar to taste

1. In a large sauce pot or Dutch Oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once it's hot add the minced garlic, onions and red pepper flake. Saute until onions become translucent and soft, being careful not to brown the garlic.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and lower heat to medium low. Bring sauce to a simmer and add 2 Tbsp oregano, 2 Tbsp basil, fresh cracked pepper (approx 5 turns of the pepper mill) and a bit of salt. Mix in and bring back up to a simmer, add red wine and lower heat to low allowing to simmer while you make the meatballs. Remember to stir is occasionally so it doesn't burn.
3. In a large bowl add turkey, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmigiano, 2 Tbsp oregano, 2 Tbsp basil, garlic powder, fresh cracked pepper (4-5 turns of the pepper mill), salt and the egg. Mix ingredients together with your hands until well combined, but being careful not to overwork. Mixture should be a bit sticky and form a ball easily, but not be too slippery or wet. If it's too wet add the remaining parmigiano first and if necessary add more breadcrumbs. If you go overboard adding the dry ingredients and it's too dry, add another egg.
4. Form balls with the meat mixture. I make mine about the size of an apricot or a small plum. 1 lb of meat will make 8 meatballs at this size. Transfer the balls onto a plate or cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to allow them to set.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once heated add the sausages and brown to a golden brown on each side. If the skillet is hot enough approx 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet to a cutting board and cut sausage into 3 pieces. Transfer the sausage pieces to the pot with the sauce.
6. Once the meatballs have set, heat the skillet over medium high heat (if you are using nonstick you shouldn't need any oil, but if you aren't add a Tbsp of olive oil). Transfer the meatballs to the hot skillet, making sure you have room to turn them. Brown meatballs on all sides (approx 1-2 mins per side) and transfer the browned meatballs to the simmering sauce.
7. Raise the heat to medium low to finish cooking the sausages and meatballs, stirring occasionally, approx 15 mins. Taste the sauce and adjust spicing as necessary. I usually add some more oregano and basil here. Then add sugar a teaspoon at a time to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, not to sweeten it. It's ready to serve after 5-10 more mins on medium low or lower the heat to low and let simmer until you are ready to serve with spaghetti or the pasta of your choosing (I like whole wheat spaghetti).


I recommend letting this sauce cook as long as possible, the longer the meatballs and sausage simmer in the sauce the better it gets. And always taste the sauce as you go so you can adjust the spices to what you like. You can used seasoned breadcrumbs in the meatballs and cut out all the other spices. I generally keep the plain ones in the house so I can spice them according to whatever recipe I am making.

This was a great meal for the boy to come home to after a long day of working on set outside in the snow. It was even better last night for dinner again! When you make this be sure to make enough for leftovers because it's even better the second time. It freezes well too, which is what I am going to do tonight with the rest of our leftovers. Enjoy!

Mexi Mac and Cheese

Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE Mac & Cheese. My sister had seen Sandra Lee do a Taco Mac & Cheese on the Food Network and thought it looked good. It was raining today, making it a comfort food kind of day, so I decided to try my own version.

Mexi Mac & Cheese
serves 8

1 lb ground turkey
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
3.4 cup water (or what is called for for the seasoning packet)
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 tsp cumin (optional)
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 small onion diced
5 Tbsps butter (separated)
5 Tbsps flour
2 cups milk
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 10 oz can of Rotel (a diced tomato & chili mixture) - drained
1 lb large elbow macaroni cooked
1 cup bread crumbs or crushed tortilla chips
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. brown ground turkey. Add the taco seasoning as directed on the packet, it may be a bit runny and if so just continue to cook until it reduces down. Add the chili powder and cumin, stirring to combine.
2. In a large pot heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat and saute onions until translucent.
3. Add 4 tbsps of butter and the 5 tbsps of flour to the onions & oil. Mix together until combined and flour is slightly brown. Whisk in milk and lower heat to medium, stirring until begins to thicken.
4. Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheese, one handful at the time. Add Rotel and browned turkey, making sure not to add too any extra liquid. Add in cooked pasta.
5. Pour pasta mixture into a buttered baking dish. Top pasta with bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake in heated oven for 30-40 minutes or until top is nicely browned and cheese is bubbly.

I added the cumin & chili powder because I found the spice packet I used didn't have enough heat and the additional spices made it just right for me. To make this more special I'm going to try topping it with crushed tortilla chips next time I make it. You can also sprinkle the topping with more chili powder to add even more heat. This was a fast and easy mac and cheese that served with a simple green salad makes perfect complete meal. Enjoy!