Lamb, Proscuitto and Fig Ragu with Beet Pasta

Figs are just one of those things.

They are one of those ingredients that are so stunning, but yet you still are often at a loss of what to do with them.

In my house, figs were not a regular staple. Perhaps that is why I often am at a loss of what to do with them.

Their hearty and sweet characteristics have been the driving force that has lead them to many of my slow cooked dishes. They hold up on their own while spreading their tasty love around any dish that is cooked for a long time.

No wonder this isn’t the first ragu they have found their way into.

You will need…

1lb ground lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 large figs, chopped

4 ounces proscuitto, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup fresh grated pecorino cheese

Beet fettuccini

Start by heating the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot.

When the oil is hot, add in the lamb and the proscuitto and cook it till it is browned. Breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.

When the meat is browned, add in the rosemary and garlic and season well with salt and pepper. 

Continue to simmer until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the mushrooms and figs and cook for an additional two minutes. Just until the mushrooms start to softened.

Stir in the tomato paste until everything is lightly coated.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the liquid slowly, stirring every couple minutes until the liquid has been absorbed. About 20 minutes.

Serve hot with the beet fettuccini or pasta of your choice and topped with cheese.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Lamb and Fig Ragu with Beet Pasta

1lb ground lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 large figs, chopped

4 ounces proscuitto, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup fresh grated pecorino cheese

Beet fettuccini

Start by heating the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot.

When the oil is hot, add in the lamb and the proscuitto and cook it till it is browned. Breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.

When the meat is browned, add in the rosemary and garlic and season well with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the mushrooms and figs and cook for an additional two minutes. Just until the mushrooms start to softened.

Stir in the tomato paste until everything is lightly coated.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the liquid slowly, stirring every couple minutes until the liquid has been absorbed. About 20 minutes.

Serve hot with the beet fettuccini or pasta of your choice and topped with cheese.

Veal and Chicken Sausage Lasagna

This may come as a shocker, but until yesterday I had never made lasagna.

Yeah, I know. That one almost knocked me out of my chair.

Truthfully, I’ve just never been a big fan of lasagna.

Stop, you do not need to throw things at me or chase me with a pitchfork.

Because after yesterday, I take it back. I eat my words. Pun intended.

Lasagna is freaking tasty.

Especially when you do it my way.

You will need…

¼ cup olive oil

½ lb ground beef

½ lb ground veal

6 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 large cans (28 ounces) Italian peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped and juices reserved

28 ounce can tomato puree

2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs tied together

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ lb chicken sausage (whatever your favorite may be), finely chopped or ground in a food processor

3 cups mushrooms, finely chopped

2 lbs ricotta cheese

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup basil, finely chopped

½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated

1 lb mozzarella, grated

1 large egg, beaten

12 flat pasta sheets, cooked per package instructions

Salt and pepper to taste.

Start by heating the oil until shimmering in a large enameled cast-iron casserole.

Add in the veal and ground beef and cook over medium high heat, breaking up the meat into large chunks as it cooks. Cook until no pink remains. About 7 minutes.

Add in the garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and stir until the meat is coated.

Add in the tomatoes and their juices as well as the tomato puree, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme and sugar. Season well with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and reduced to about 8 cups. About 1 ½ hours. When the sauce has reduced remove the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and mushrooms and cook until the sausage has browned and the mushrooms are tender. About 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta with the parsley, basil and ½ of the Parmesan. Add in 2/3rds of the shredded mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Beat in the egg.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

Top the sauce with a layer of 3 pasta sheets.

Then top the pasta sheets with half the ricotta mixture.

Over the ricotta, layer half of the sausage.

Top the sausage with half the remaining sauce.

Repeat with another layer of pasta, then ricotta, followed by sausage and topped with sauce.

Place the final layer of pasta and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Just until the top is browned and the filling is bubbling.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Slice and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Veal and Chicken Sausage Lasagna

¼ cup olive oil

½ lb ground beef

½ lb ground veal

6 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 large cans (28 ounces) Italian peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped and juices reserved

28 ounce can tomato puree

2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs tied together

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ lb chicken sausage (whatever your favorite may be), finely chopped or ground in a food processor

3 cups mushrooms, finely chopped

2 lbs ricotta cheese

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup basil, finely chopped

½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated

1 lb mozzarella, grated

1 large egg, beaten

12 flat pasta sheets, cooked per package instructions

Salt and pepper to taste.

Start by heating the oil until shimmering in a large enameled cast-iron casserole.

Add in the veal and ground beef and cook over medium high heat, breaking up the meat into large chunks as it cooks. Cook until no pink remains. About 7 minutes.

Add in the garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and stir until the meat is coated.

Add in the tomatoes and their juices as well as the tomato puree, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme and sugar. Season well with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and reduced to about 8 cups. About 1 ½ hours. When the sauce has reduced remove the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and mushrooms and cook until the sausage has browned and the mushrooms are tender. About 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta with the parsley, basil and ½ of the Parmesan. Add in 2/3rds of the shredded mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Beat in the egg.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

Top the sauce with a layer of 3 pasta sheets.

Then top the pasta sheets with half the ricotta mixture.

Over the ricotta, layer half of the sausage.

Top the sausage with half the remaining sauce.

Repeat with another layer of pasta, then ricotta, followed by sausage and topped with sauce.

Place the final layer of pasta and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Just until the top is browned and the filling is bubbling.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Slice and serve hot. 

Grilled Grape and Oyster Mushroom Salad

All right. Before you go poo-pooing this recipe, thinking it’s all weird, lets talk about this logically.

Think of all the weird combinations of things that are totally awesome.

I bet people totally thought the first person to put peanut butter and jelly together was a total goofball.

Chicken and waffles with maples syrup I a pretty crazy idea, but people go great distances to get their hands on it.

If you haven’t had chocolate and bacon together, you are majorly missing out.

In the food world, weird works.

And this interesting salad totally entertains.

You will need…

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Grape and Oyster Mushroom Salad 

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

 Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve.