Marinara Magnifica

It’s recipe swap time again, hosted by A Taste of Home Cooking. This week’s theme was Italian, and I really didn’t know what kind of recipe to expect. Italian cooking runs the gamut from simple with a few quality ingredients that come together quickly to complex, layered and long-cooking. I received a great recipe for marinara magnifica from Christine's Kitchen Chronicles, which in my mind combines the best of both ends of the spectrum. A few good ingredients are cooked slowly for a final sauce that is much richer than the short list would lead you to believe.

Since this recipe does have a long stove top simmering time, I adapted it just barely for the slow cooker since I wasn’t going to have a four-hour window at home. Lucky for me, slow-simmering soups, stews and sauces usually translate well to the slow cooker, and this was no exception. For the original cooking instructions, check out Christine’s original post. We enjoyed this with pasta and hot Italian sausage with roasted broccoli on the side. There was also plenty of leftover sauce to save in the freezer for future dinners- I’m thinking meatball subs with lots of gooey mozzarella!
Marinara Magnifica

What’s in it:

1 Tbsp olive oil
6 c chopped onion, about three medium
1 Tbsp sugar
6 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup dry red wine (I used a pinot grigio)
2 6-oz cans tomato paste
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes

Note: I used 2 28-oz cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes, and 1 15-oz can of crushed tomatoes. I think that any combination of whole, half, diced or crushed tomatoes would work here, as long as you still have the full volume.

How to make it:

Heat the olive oil in a stove top-safe slow cooker insert or saucepan. Add onions and sugar, and season lightly with a little salt. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for about a half hour, until onions start to turn golden brown. Add the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, then stir in the wine and cook for another minute. (I prepped up to this point the night before and refrigerated the onion mixture overnight.)

In the slow cooker, combine the onion mixture and the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve over pasta or use in your favorite lasagna, manicotti, and other Italian recipes.

Chipotle Beef Enchiladas

I have to admit, this is a little new for me.  There are a number of meals that go on the menu at our house regularly that aren't from a recipe, and how I make them depends on what's in the house and how I feel that day.  But every once in a while, the meal surpasses the usual results and turns out to be amazing.  I always think I should write them down before I forget how I got there, and then get distracted and it's gone.  But this time, I'm not forgetting.

The parts of these enchiladas are each pretty simple- spicy shredded beef, sauteed veggies and rich sauce with some heat.  But together they were really something special, the perfect combination of chewy, melty, crunchy and saucy. 

Chipotle Beef Enchiladas

What's in them:
For the beef
3-4 lb beef roast
1 thinly sliced onion
2 chipotles in adobo, roughly chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
12 oz beer

For the enchilada sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 -1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste

For the enchiladas
2 tsp olive oil
1 bell pepper, diced (I used a mix of red, yellow and orange)
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 12-15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Rotel), drained
2-3 c chipotle beef
2 c enchilada sauce, divided
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 c shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, Mexican blend), divided
8 10" tortillas

How to make them:

For the beef  (Note: I had originally made the beef for burrito bowls, and had portioned it out into freezer bags to use for sandwiches, tacos, or these enchiladas.  If you're making it for the enchiladas, cook the beef the day before you need it.)

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, and cook for 8-10 hours on low.  Remove beef from the slow cooker and shred.  Add some of the liquid from the slow cooker to prevent drying.  Use for enchiladas, sandwiches or anything else you want.

For the enchilada sauce

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan until shimmering.  Add onions and cook until soft, then add garlic.  When garlic becomes fragrant, add the spices, and stir to combine.  Pour in the tomato sauce, and thin with water to desired consistency.  Check for seasonings, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

For the enchiladas (FINALLY!)

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat olive oil in a sautee pan and add the peppers, onions and garlic.  While they cook, combine the beef, 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, sour cream and 1/2 cup of the cheese.  When the vegetables have just started to brown, add the drained tomatoes.  Cool slightly, then add to the beef mixture.

Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in a 9x13" baking dish.  Divide the beef mixture equally between the tortillas, rolling each as you fill them and lining them up in the baking dish.  Spread the remaining sauce on top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling and beginning to brown on top.

Chinese Marinated Pork Ribs

I always get a little nostalgic when I cook something from the blog Chocolate & Zucchini.  I can't remember what recipe I was looking for when I stumbled upon this site about six years ago, but I do know that this was the first food blog I ever read.  And it led me to another, and then I found more from there, and so on, until now, where I follow dozens of them in Google Reader.  Chocolate & Zucchini was the start of a rewarding, constantly evolving hobby for me.  The collection of food blogs I read consistently leads me to new ingredients, new techniques and new recipes, and make me think about how I approach dinner time differently.  I've learned about regional specialties and traditions, and how the smallest tweaks to a recipe can make it something new and different.

For all my affection for C&Z, though, it's rare that I see a recipe on there that I can make without tracking down specialty ingredients, searching farmers markets for a new vegetable, or compromising with a substitution.  So when I skimmed through the short list of ingredients for these Chinese marinated ribs, a recipe given to Clotilde by yet another blogger, I was surprised to see that I actually had everything in the house already.  Slightly sweet, a little spicy, these were great with rice and this pickled cucumber and radish salad.

I adapted these for the slow cooker too, and it worked out perfectly.  When I got home from work, they were fall-off-the-bone tender, but still held together well enough to easily transfer them to the baking dish.


Chinese Marinated Pork Ribs

What's in them:

4 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
4 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine (I used mirin that I had leftover from AB's Ramen Radiator)
1 tsp. ground ginger
2-2 1/2 lbs. pork ribs
1/2-1 c. beef or chicken broth
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. honey

How to make them:

Combine first five ingredients in a ziploc bag.  Cut ribs into pieces small enough to fit into your slow cooker, and place in bag.  Seal bag, making sure that marinade coats all of the meat, and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, put the contents of the bag into the slow cooker, add broth, and cook on low for 8-9 hours.  About a half hour before you want to eat, preheat the oven to 350.  Spread ribs in an even layer in a large baking dish, brush with honey and sprinkle scallions over top.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until ribs are starting to caramelize on top.  Slice into 1-2 rib pieces to serve.

Italian Beef Stew with Gnocchi

With another cold snap making spring feel further away than ever, I'm back to making my winter standbys.  For Sunday night's dinner, I was planning on slow-cooked pot roast when I saw a package of mini gnocchi peeking out from behind the row of pasta boxes in the pantry.  Since my thoughts on pot roast were already leaning Italian, the gnocchi seemed like the perfect thing to turn it into a stew, and cut down on the number of pots used.

I was so glad when the stew turned out really well.  The beef practically fell apart on its own, and the gnocchi absorbed the subtle spice of the sauce.  And even better, its quick prep time before putting everything in the slow cooker meant that this didn't cut into my weekend.

Italian Beef Stew with Gnocchi

2 Tbsp. olive oil, bacon fat or butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced
Salt & pepper, to taste
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup red or white wine
1 28-oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
1-2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3-5 lb. chuck roast
1 16-oz. package mini or regular gnocchi, or homemade

How to make it:

Heat olive oil (or other fat) in a deep saucepan or stovetop-safe slow-cooker insert.  Add onions and carrots, stir to coat with oil, and saute until starting to brown.  Season with salt and pepper, and add garlic, oregano, cinnamon and nutmeg, and cook until fragrant.  Pour in wine, scraping pan to get the brown bits.  If using a saucepan, pour the contents into the slow cooker insert now.

Add tomatoes, 1 cup of the broth and the balsamic vinegar, and stir to combine.  Place the meat into the sauce, adding enough broth for the sauce to come halfway up the meat.  Cook in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.

About a half hour from the end of the cooking time, remove any large pieces of fat, gristle or connective tissue from the beef, and shred the meat into large chunks.  Add the gnocchi to the stew.  When gnocchi is done, serve in wide bowls.

Tangy Spiced Brisket

Crockpots and the like often get a bad rap, with people assuming that all slow cooker recipe are going to have cream of some unidentifiable substance soup involved, or that their food is going to dry out, or that the slow cooker is going to burn down the house while they're at work.  But I love my slow cooker.  How else can I come home to dinner mostly ready after a long day at work?

One of my favorite uses for my slow cooker is to cook meat.  Even the cheapest, toughest cuts come out tender, and practically melt in your mouth.  Chicken, pork, beef, all of it can be good in the slow cooker.

A particular favorite in my house is slow-cooked brisket.  It can feed a crowd, or leftovers can be frozen for a quick meal on another busy weeknight, turned into quesadillas or sandwiches, or used to top pasta or gnocchi.

Adapted just a bit from Smitten Kitchen, this is everything its name promises.  Tangy from the acidity of the ketchup and chili sauce, slightly spicy from the cayenne, cumin and paprika, this did not disappoint.  Like Deb urges, I set this to cook overnight, then popped it into the fridge to chill while I was at work.  Then a quick reheat in the oven while I made the rest of the sides stovetop, and dinner was ready.  The only hard part was not eating it for breakfast!

Tangy Spiced Brisket

What's in it:

2 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
pinch cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup beef stock (unsalted or low salt)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce (I used Heinz)
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
4-5 pound brisket

How to make it:

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most of liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add halved garlic cloves and saute for 3 minutes more. Stir in spices and seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the beef stock, ketchup, chili sauce and brown sugar.

Place brisket in a slow cooker, spread onion mixture over the top, then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover with the lid and cook it on LOW for 8-10 hours. 

When the brisket is cooked but still hot, use a spoon to scrape off any large fat deposits adhered to the top and bottom of the brisket. (The fat will be removed from the sauce  after it has chilled.)

Transfer the brisket and all of its sauce to a baking dish.  Chill entire dish in the fridge for several hours and up to one day; this resting time will significantly enhance the flavor and texture of the meat.

An hour before you’re ready to serve it, preheat your oven to 300°F, and remove the dish from the fridge. Remove all of the fat that has solidified with a slotted spoon for a less oily finish.

Carefully remove the meat from its sauce and place on a large cutting board. Cut the brisket into 1/2-inch slices.  If you like a smoother sauce this is a good time to run it through a blender or literally just smash up the onion and garlic strands with a wooden spoon. 

Carefully place the sliced meat (moving it in large sections with a spatula helps keep it together) back into the sauce and spoon the sauce over the meat. Replace the lid or cover the dish tightly with foil and reheat in the oven until it is bubbling at the edges — this usually takes up to to 30 minutes.