Instant Pot coq au vin

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick); we used 3 lbs of thighs
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2-3 cups dry white wine (pinot noir red wine if you want a darker sauce)
• 1 bunch thyme, divided, or 3 thyme sprigs (sub: 1 tsp dried thyme)
• 1 bay leaf, fresh (dry also ok)
• 4-5 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ¾” pieces
• 8-14 oz. shiitake mushrooms (we had grown golden oyster)
• 4 Tbsp. (60 g) unsalted butter, divided
• 8 oz. carrots, peeled, cut crosswise into 4″ pieces
• 4 shallots, peeled, or 16 pearl onions
• 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (up to 7 tbsp)
• Handful of chopped parsley (optional for us)
• 750 ml / 3 cups stock , optional

Directions:

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season aggressively with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to a 1-gallon resealable bag or an 8×8″ glass baking dish. Pour wine over, then add ½ bunch thyme. Turn to coat, seal bag or cover baking dish, and let sit at room temperature while you prep the other ingredients. (Or, marinate up to 48 hours.)
2. Cook bacon in a 10″ or 12″ nonstick skillet, preferably not cast iron, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp but all of the fat hasn’t rendered out, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. (Medium heat lets you work in batches without having to worry about scorching your pan, and you’ll eventually use all the browned bits to build a deeply flavored braising liquid.)
3. Add mushrooms to bacon drippings in pan; season with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown but not crisp, about 6 minutes. Scrape mushrooms into Instant Pot insert and reserve pan.
4. Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and place on a large plate; reserve marinade but pluck out and discard thyme sprigs. Pat chicken skin dry with paper towels. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in reserved pan over medium. If you’re using a 10″ skillet, you’ll have to do this in 2 batches, but chicken should all fit in a larger pan. As soon as butter is foaming, add chicken, placing skin side down, and cook, undisturbed, until skin is dark golden brown and plenty of fat is cooked out, 10–12 minutes. Turn onto flesh side and cook until pale golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Nestle chicken into pot insert.
5. Pour off all but about 1 Tbsp. accumulated drippings in pan (save it—this is a cross between clarified butter and schmaltz and can be used to sauté or roast basically anything). Add carrots, shallots, and garlic; season lightly with salt. Cook, tossing often, until shallots are golden brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Add to pot insert along with half of the reserved bacon.
6. Return pan to medium heat and pour in vinegar. Cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add reserved wine marinade, tomato paste, and remaining ½ bunch thyme, bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan, until reduced by half, 5–7 minutes.
7. Pour liquid over chicken and seal pot. Set for “Pressure Cook,” high, 15 minutes. Let natural release 10 minutes, then unseal.
8. Meanwhile, smash flour and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter together with a fork in a small bowl until well combined. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes.
9. Transfer chicken legs and vegetables to a platter or plates. Pluck out and discard thyme sprigs from liquid. Add butter-flour mixture to liquid and whisk to melt. Bring to a simmer on high “Sauté” setting and cook to thicken sauce, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Stir in parsley.
10. Serve coq au vin with braising liquid poured over and all around. Sprinkle remaining reserved bacon over.

I did want to try a non-Instant Pot recipe version by Recipe Tin Eats and Ina Garten, but I sent this recipe to a friend in 2020 because I was craving French food and remembered she owned an Instant Pot. I stumbled across it in my own email archives, and Jesse went along with it like a trooper. (Every time we cook French, he swears never again — it really is more work than other cuisines.) We did not have white wine in the apartment, unfortunately, so Jesse improvised with Shaoxing rice wine, which stil came out delish. A dry red would have done as well, although with a very different color. We served with mashed potato (or tagliatelle, one of my favorite pastas!). I have been subbing fresh cilantro instead of fresh parsley and not minded the difference in the least. For the ultimate experience, mop the plate clean with crusty bread.

~Jessica

Balkan moussaka

Adapted from LMU München and Balkan Lunch Box

Serves 10

• MEAT
• 50 ml oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 600 g (1.3 lbs.) ground meat (pork and turkey work)
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon savory (can sub with thyme)
• VEG
• 1 kg (7 medium/2 lbs.) potatoes, washed and scrubbed, sliced thin
• 2 carrots, diced fine
• 200 g (1 c.) tomato puree from a can
• salt and pepper
• TOPPING
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 300 g (1.3 c.) plain yogurt
• 1 g baking soda (e.g. Kaiser Natron)
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper

1. Chop the onion and carrot finely and fry in 3-4 spoonfuls of oil. Add garlic, then ground meat and cook together with the vegetables. Add spices and tomatoes and let cook again for 5-6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Thinly slice the potatoes. Then mix potatoes, oil and salt until all covered.
3. Line a baking dish with the potatoes and add half of the meat-vegetable mixture. Another layer of potatoes and the remaining meat. Top with potatoes. Cover with water.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg. C (390 deg. F) for 30-40 minutes. Check that the potatoes are tender.
5. For the topping: Whisk eggs with flour. Add yogurt, baking soda and parsley. Blend.
6. Add topping to the moussaka and bake until golden brown, another 10 – 20 minutes.
7. Rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Tomato explosion

Yogurt topping

In total you want three potato layers and two meat layers in between.

~Jessica

Fricassee de poulet a l’ancienne

Adapted from RecipeTin Eats and a Julia Child adaptation

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of chicken (drumsticks, thighs, bone-in chicken breasts or mix of all)
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 2 medium-sized carrots, diced finely
• 2 celery stalk, diced finely
• 1 medium white onion, diced finely
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• Salt & white pepper
• 3 tablespoon flour
• 3 cups of chicken stock, boiling hot
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• Small herb bouquet: (2 parsley springs, 2 thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf — tied in a cheesecloth)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• Dash of fresh nutmeg

for the Stewed Mushrooms (Champignons à Blanc):

• 8 ounces small cremini mushrooms or fresh baby bella mushrooms, quartered
• juice of half lemon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup water
• Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken pieces down with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Place a few pieces of the seasoned chicken in the dutch oven skin side down, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. I recommend frying in batches to get a nice color on the chicken. Once the chicken pieces are nicely browned, remove them from the pot and set aside.
3. In the now empty dutch oven, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Sauté the mirepoix (carrots, celery and onions) over medium high heat and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to your tastes. Once the mirepoix has softened, add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Continue cooking for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to cook off the flour.
4. Add the wine to the pot and stir, picking up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then add the chicken stock. The liquid should start to thicken a bit.
5. Add the herb bouquet and chicken back to the pot, nestled on top of the vegetables. Make sure the liquid covers the chicken and add additional chicken stock or water if needed. Taste for seasoning. Cover the dutch oven and cook at a low simmer for 30-35 minutes.
6. For the stewed mushrooms (which should be done while the chicken fricassee is simmering): Bring the water, butter, lemon juice to boil in a small saucepan. Add the mushrooms and stir, ensuring they are covered by liquid. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside until until called for below (step 9).
7. Uncover the dutch oven and increase heat to high. Let the sauce reduce and thicken. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
8. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the egg yolks and heavy cream and whisk to combine. Carefully add a few spoonfuls of sauce from the dutch oven to the egg and cream mixture, while continually whisking. Be careful to not let the eggs scramble. Continue to add the sauce to the egg and cream mixture until it becomes warm to the touch. At that point, add the egg liquid mixture into the dutch oven. Mix well and the sauce should be a beautiful golden liquid.
9. Bring the dutch oven to a boil and taste for seasonings, adding salt and pepper as needed. Add the lemon juice and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Bring the heat down to a low simmer and add the braised onions and mushrooms; stirring well to incorporate.
10. Add 2 tablespoons of softened butter and chopped fresh Italian parsley to the pot and stir again. Serve the chicken fricassee with steamed rice or creamy mashed potatoes. Garnish with additional Italian parsley if desired.

Lotta work, especially if you make the Champignons à Blanc and the oignons glacés à blanc. I like Julia Child’s chicken fricassee — think chicken pot pie reduction — but I think the payoff to work ratio was better for the chicken supreme! It’s nice to explore more French cuisine, mostly because it’s usually a lot of added steps and rarely a one-pot meal. I topped off with fresh cilantro, rather than the more traditional parsley.

~Jessica

Pollo alla cacciatora

Adapted from Giallo Zafferano and Il Cucchiao d’Argento

Ingredients:

• 1 (2-3 lb.) chicken cut into 8 pieces or 4 wings and 4 thighs
• a knob of butter
• 800 g (28 oz) tomato pulp, peeled
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 carrot
• ½ cup (100 g) Red wine
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 sprig of Italian parsley, chopped
• EVOO (olio extravergine di oliva)
• salt
• black pepper

Directions:

1. Put the meat in a saucepan with the butter, three tablespoons of oil and the sliced ​​onion. Brown them well for about 15 minutes.
2. Then add the onion, chopped carrot, and celery. Saute until aromatic, then add the garlic. Add the wine, then chopped tomato pulp.
3. Mix well, add a ladle of hot water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and cook for another 40-45 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the sauce reduced. If it gets too dry, you can add a little hot water during cooking.
4. At the end add the salt and a pinch of pepper. Let the chicken cacciatore rest for about ten minutes in the heat, then serve with a handful of chopped parsley.

I picked up a container of mirepoix at Trader Joe’s and was looking for recipes for which I could use it.

~Jessica

Suprêmes de volaille aux champignons

Adapted from Food.com and Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients:

• 1.4 lbs (635 g) boneless chicken tenders
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch white pepper (I used fresh cracked black)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 5 tablespoons butter (2 for chicken, 3 for sauce)
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots or green onion
• 300 g (10 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• For the SAUCE
• ¹⁄₂ cup white stock (I used Better than Bouillon)
• 1/4 cup madeira wine or dry white vermouth (can sub more chicken stock)
• 1 cup whipping / heavy cream
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan, finely and freshly grated
• 2 tbsp parsley, freshly minced (I’ve used cilantro, scallions, etc.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Take the chicken breasts and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper then dust with flour.
3. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. Add chicken and cook each side for 2 1/2 minutes until golden brown and just cooked through. Remove from pan, cover and keep warm.
4. In the same frying pan, add remaining 3 tbsp butter. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute a moment without browning. Then increase heat to high, and add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown on the edges. Then add garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another minute until both garlic and mushrooms are golden.
5. Deglaze skillet: Add white wine – it will bubble and be steamy! To make sauce, pour the stock and wine in the casserole with the cooking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over medium-high heat until liquid is syrupy, about 6 minutes.
6. Make creamy sauce: Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until cream has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add (drops of) lemon juice to taste.
7. Quickly roll the chicken back in the butter mixture, then cover casserole and place in the hot oven. After 15-20 minutes, press top of chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done.
8. Plate chicken, pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley or chives and serve immediately.
9. Add grated parmesan to taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with mashed potato or pasta (coated in sauce) or rice.

I have always heard about Julia Child from my mother, and what an incredible woman she was. I have never owned her book, but was very taken with the comedy film Julie & Julia (2009), which exposed me to some aspects of her life. I was born after her main show had ended (“The French Chef” aired 1963-1973), so although my mom probably liked “Julia & Jacques: More Cooking in Concert” (1994 – ), I was too busy with school and extracurriculars.

Although I haven’t the time, given lesson planning for teaching, I was interested enough after reading this article. Plus having the exposure to Continental cooking from 4 years living abroad, I was curious to a more traditional approach, within reason. TIL: “The term supreme (also spelled suprême) used in cooking and culinary arts refers to the best part of the food. For poultry, game and fish dishes, supreme denotes a fillet.” (Wikipedia) I don’t know why Western cuisine thinks the boneless breast is the best part. Everyone knows bones make for better cookery, and dark meat is the good stuff!

Note: Recommended wines are sauvignon blanc or pinot gris; reheat gently using microwave. We added the garlic from one recipe and used the bake time from the other, to incorporate the best of both worlds.

~Jessica

Roasted portobello caps

Adapted from Nom Nom Paleo

Ingredients:

• 4 large Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth or paper towel 
• Melted ghee / melted coconut oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Lemon or lime juice
• Minced fresh herbs, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and place an aluminum foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet on the middle rack.
2. Grab the mushrooms and trim the stems and flip the caps gill-side down.
3. Cut a shallow “X” on the top of each mushroom, brush the whole cap (top and bottom) with melted butter, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Stick them on the hot baking tray in the oven, gill-side up.
5. Roast the ‘shrooms for 10 minutes, and then flip them over to cook for an additional 10 minutes (20 minutes total).
6. If you’re serving them as a side dish, you can slice them up and squeeze on some lemon juice and minced fresh herbs.

The photo does NOT look good (I left it in for some extra minutes sadly — school nights are hard), but we made them. Voila. Next time I won’t overcook them! Tonight we cooked these with roast chicken and vegetables.

-Jessica

Potato soup

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 6 slices thin bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
• 1 whole medium onion, diced
• 3 whole carrots, scrubbed clean and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 6 whole small russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 8 c. low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. milk (omitted)
• ½ c. heavy cream
• ½ tsp. salt, more to taste Black pepper, to taste
• ½ tsp. spice mix (e.g. Sazón with Saffron)
• paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. minced fresh parsley (subbed with arugula)
• 1 c. grated cheese of your choice (optional)

Directions:

1. If you’re using meat, add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease (I save this in a jar for cooking), but do not clean the pot.
2. If you’re not using meat, add some butter to your pot. Return the hot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and spice mix.
3. Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Blend with immersion blender, taste for seasonings, adding more of what it needs. Stir in cream, then stir in your greens, reserving a little for garnish.
5. Serve in bowls garnished with greens, grated cheese and crisp bacon pieces.

I used the wonderful Dutch oven to cook this, and my immersion blender — highly recommend both pieces of kitchen cookware. I also had plenty of Sazón with Saffron leftover from that fideo soup, so added that packet. We had some leftover arugula from this excellent salad, so I added that instead of parsley for fresh greens. I’m so glad I was able to find an immersion blender at HomeGoods for making lovely soups easy — a food processor can be so explosive! I needed the baby carrots, celery, and potatoes for science lab experiments (prepping for next school year), so I was inspired to try a recipe like this.

~Jessica

Chicken pot pie

Adapted from smitten kitchen & One Dad’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 1/2 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs and drumsticks are ideal)
• 1 to 2 glugs olive oil
• 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 1/4 cup dry sherry (optional)
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas (no need to defrost)
• 2 large carrots, diced small (about 1 cup carrots)
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 pie crust

Directions:

1. Generously season all sides of the chicken parts with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If your chicken breasts are particularly large, I find that halving them can ensure they cook at the same pace at the other parts.
2. Heat first glug of olive oil over medium-high heat in the bottom of a large Dutch oven (minimum of 4 quarts; mine is 5). Brown chicken in two parts, cooking until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat with second half of chicken. Set aside.
3. Heat second glug of olive oil in the same pot. Add onions and leeks, season with salt and pepper, and saute them until softened, about 7 minutes. If using, pour in sherry and use it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until mostly cooked off.
4. Add milk or cream, chicken broth, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
5. Nestle the browned chicken and any accumulated juices into the pot. Cover and gently simmer to 30 minutes, after which the chicken should be fully cooked and tender.
6. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon; reserve it for another use, or this:
7. In a medium bowl, mash butter (feel free to replace any part of it with skimmed chicken fat) and flour together with a fork until a paste forms and no flour is still visibly dry.
8. Pour one ladleful of filling over it, and whisk until smooth. Add a second ladleful, whisking again.
9. Return this butter-flour-filling mixture to the larger pot, stir to combine, and bring mixture back to a simmer for 10 minutes. The broth base should thicken to a gravy-like consistency. Adjust seasonings, if needed.
10. Add carrots and peas to stew and simmer for 3 minutes, until firm-tender. Shred or dice the chicken, discarding the bones and skin or saving it for another use. Return chicken to stew and re-simmer for 1 minute. Stir in parsley.
11. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
12. Roll the dough up, and unroll it over the baking dish, so it rests evenly on top of the filling. Fold the edges under and crimp the edges. Poke the tip of a knife through the crust to create 3 vent holes near the center.
13. Egg wash (optional): Whisk the egg with a teaspoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the entire crust with egg wash. Place the pie pan or baking dish on a cookie sheet, and place it in the oven.
14. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake the pie for 25 to 30 minutes more, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.

We had tried that super easy sausage pie from before, and so had one pie crust left over (it was a 2 pack from Pillsbury). We both really like chicken pot pie, and had never attempted it before. Jesse thus felt obliged to attempt it (with delightfully fresh marjoram, thyme, rosemary from our “garden”), despite the fact that it was more work than our usual one-pot-meals. We didn’t have small “pot pie” dishes or any tarragon, so we used the filling ingredients from smitten kitchen, but then followed the heating instructions from the NYTimes “Julia Child” recipe, which was for just one big (normal) pot pie.

~Jessica

Polpette al sugo (Italian meatballs)

Adapted from Lidia and Recipe Tin Eats

Yield: 6 servings, plus about 3 quarts extra (total of about 4 dozen meatballs and 3 quarts sauce)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano (omitted)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped (basil sub!)
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or parmesan), freshly grated

Sauce ingredients:

• 2.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• black pepper
• 1 fresh bay leaves, or 2 small dried bay leaves
• 3 tsp dried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)
• 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
• 24 oz / 700 g tomato passata, preferably San Marzano
• 1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional to serve

Directions:

1. Grate the onion using a standard box grater in a large bowl until you have about 1/2 cup of grated onion and juices. 
2. Add bread, mix to combine so the onion juice soaks the bread and disintegrates. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients (5 min or so).
3. Add all the remaining Meatball ingredients. Use hands to mix well.
4. Measure out a heaped tablespoon and roll lightly to form a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note 5)
5. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and brown all over – about 3 – 4 minutes. 
6. When they are browned but NOT cooked through, carefully transfer them onto a plate.

Sauce Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil into the fry pan. 
2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining Sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to medium low so it bubbles gently rather than splattering everywhere. Let simmer for 2 hours.
3. Carefully transfer the meatballs and any juices that have pooled on the plate into the Sauce.
4. Cook the meatballs for 8 – 10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally. Adjust Sauce salt and pepper to taste.
5. While the meatballs are cooking, cook your pasta of choice.
6. Serve the meatballs on pasta, garnished with extra parmesan and parsley if using.

I wanted to cook Lidia’s recipe authentically, but it was so much quantity! And I’m not a fan of beef, much less veal, so… I incorporated another website (she has delicious chicken stew!) that fried the meatballs instead of baking them. These were wildly delicious and approved by all. We didn’t incorporate the carrot and celery (considering the 2 lbs. or meat vs. 3 lbs from Lidia), but we did use the red onion, eggs, and basil instead of parsley (Jesse’s family doesn’t like oregano for some reason). I would throw in a bay leaf into the sauce next time (we forgot). We used gluten-free bread crumbs, and crumbled Grana Padano into the meatball and on top to serve. Grana Padano was not incorporated into the sauce. Ground meat came from the Ossining Farmer’s Market, Sunset View Farm. I also made some garlic bread with EVOO and rubbed garlic to clean up the sauce after, demi baguette from Farmer’s Market too.

~Jessica

Käsespätzle

Adapted from the Daring Gourmet and Eat Little Bird

Ingredients:

• 1 batch Homemade German Spätzle (about 5 cups cooked Spätzle, I made about 4 cups of store-bought because I’m not a dough person)
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 very large onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 chicken stock cube
• 1–2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 12 ounces shredded Emmentaler or Jarlsberg (something mild, basically — I liked adding Gruyère for extra flavor!)
• Salt
• parsley and/or chives, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Cooke the spätzle if you haven’t already (16 min. in salted water according to the package)
2. Caramelize the onions. Don’t let them burn (this can take up to 30 min. to brown slowly).
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Caramelize the onions in a pan (I used a little olive oil and butter for this).
5. Butter a 9×13 (or a little smaller) casserole dish. Once the butter starts to melt, add some flour, stock cube, and Dijon mustard. Add a bit of milk if you have some, season with salt and pepper, and mix the paste well.
6. Layer 1/3 of the Spätzle in the bottom of the dish followed by 1/3 of the cheese and 1/3 of the caramelized onions. Repeat, sprinkling each layer with some salt, ending with cheese and onions on top.
7. Bake for 10 minutes or longer until the cheese is melted and the edges are just beginning to get a little crispy.
8. Serve immediately.

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So many times I ate this in southern Germany. I lived in the state of Baden-Württemberg, so there was loads of Swabian influence. Schwäbisch! This was a lot of work — I see why Kraft Macaroni and Cheese exists as a product. I forgot to get the chives! Facepalm. 1 organic yellow onion $0.74, 0.42 lbs. Emmental $6.30, 0.26 lbs. Gruyere $5.72, and 6 oz. Jarlsberg $5.99 from Whole Foods.

~Jessica