Archives for posts with tag: #Sunday Night Dinner

Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffing

December 31, 2020 //
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It’s New Year’s Eve and even though we’re having a small dinner with our children I wanted it to be special. Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffing alongside Roasted Tri-Color Carrots and Broccoli came to mind as a fancy, elegant and impressive meal.

Ingredients:

For the Rice:

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed

2 cups water

1/4 tsp salt

For the Stuffing & Game Hens:

3 TBSP olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 tsp salt and ground pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced

1/2 pounds ground pork sausage

4 ounces white button mushrooms, chopped

2 TBSP fresh thyme, chopped

2 TBSP fresh sage, chopped

6 Cornish Game Hens such as Patti Jean

3 TBSP butter

1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

  1. Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan, add rice and salt. Continue boiling and place a lid on the pan. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook for 40 minutes (or according to the package). Uncover and remove from the heat.
  2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat add 3 TBSP oil. Add chopped onion, celery, 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Sauté for 8 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
  3. Add the sausage and saute 5 minutes breaking up the meat with the spoon. Cook until browned. Then, add the mushroom, thyme and sage for another 3 minutes.
  4. Fold in the wild rice and remove from the heat. Let cool completely before stuffing the hens.
  5. To prep the game hens, remove them from their packaging and rinse. Drain any liquid and pat dry inside and out with a paper towel. (This part can be done ahead. Then, let the hens sit in the refrigerator uncovered for 30 minutes to 4 hours. It’ll help the skin crisp easier.)
  6. Stuff each bird with the cooled stuffing mixture. Using kitchen twine tie the legs together. Rub softened butter over the entire hen and then season well with salt, pepper and any other fresh or dried herb seasoning you choose (Ms. Dash, Herb D ‘Provence, etc.). Place in a roasting pan.
  7. Roast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes more. Baste the chicken with the broth and pan juices every 10 minutes. The chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F from the middle of the breast.
  8. Remove the hens from the oven and transfer to another baking pan. Turn the heat of the oven up to 500 degrees F with the drippings in the original pan.
  9. Transfer the drippings and liquid to a glass measuring cup and allow the fat to rise to the top. Remove the fat then add the liquid to a sauté pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. The sauce should thicken.
  10. Return the game hens to the oven for 5 minutes to heat up and turn their skin golden.
  11. Serve the game hens with a drizzle of sauce. Then, pass the remaining sauce in a gravy boat for everyone to add more on their own.
Cornish Game Hens Ready to Roast!
Roasted Tri-Colored Carrots with Broccoli

Enjoy! XOXO Jill

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Categories #Dinner, #Entertaining, #Family Dinner, Cornish Gam Hens with Wild Rice & Sausage Stuffing, Cornish Game Hens, Elegant Main Course, Sunday Dinner

Classic Meat Lasagna

December 13, 2020 //
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The cheese, sauce and noodles are bubbling in the oven!

Lasagna is something I’ve made endlessly over the years for my family. It can be made ahead and even frozen until you’re ready to cook. This is another recipe committed to memory, which prompted me to write everything down while I made it tonight. My advice is to use the best ingredients and the thinnest lasagna noodles available, which usually are not found in a box.

Although, I’m pretty confident in my lasagna-making ability, I will never serve it to my son-in-law from Naples, Italy since his family’s Italian restaurant makes the best I’ve ever tasted…hands down! It’s his nonna, Mamma Carmela’s recipe. Her lasagna is layers of thin homemade noodles with the most incredible sauce and cheese. It’s something we order whenever we go to their restaurant because it is a delicacy for any lasagna lover.

Although, mine is not nearly as good, here’s my version that begins with meat sauce that cooks all day and thin, fresh, store-bought lasagna noodles (someday I’ll learn to make my own)!

Classic Meat Lasagna

1 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced small

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 TBSP olive oil

1 28 ounce can of San Marzano Style Whole Peeled Tomatoes

1 15 ounce can tomato puree

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup red wine

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

16 ounce fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (such as Bel Gioioso or Galbani)

12 ounces shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese (the one I used tonight was for Pizzas)

16 ounces ricotta cheese (such as Bel Gioioso, Galbani, Lucerne or Maggio)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

16 ounces lasagna pasta (I use thin flat sheets of fresh pasta)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
  2. In a large pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and add chopped onions, carrots and sliced garlic. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until the onion is translucent.
  3. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and cook until completely browned. Drain fat and return to pan.
  4. Add whole peeled tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste, red wine, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. At this point, I emulsify the sauce to thin out the meat but that’s optional and not necessary.
  5. Slice the mozzarella log or purchase pre-sliced.
  6. In another bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper until combined. Set aside.
  7. In a 14 x 11 1/2 baking dish you will begin to assemble the lasagna ladling some of the pasta sauce on the bottom. Top this with the 2 fresh lasagna noodle sheets (you do not need to cook the noodle if it is fresh. If you are using a box lasagna noodle, follow the instructions to cook before this step). Add another layer of sauce, then dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture that you’ll smooth over the meat. Next, you’ll add the sliced mozzarella cheese in three rows of three. You will repeat these steps two more times. After the final layer you’ll add the shredded mozzarella cheese and remaining slices of mozzarella. Finally, sprinkle with some Parmesan.
  8. Cover the lasagna with foil and cook for 50-60 minutes on top of a baking sheet (to catch any sauce that may bubble over). Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the top is slightly browned.

Serve with Caesar Salad and garlic or sour dough bread. Serves 6 – 8.

Enjoy! XOXO Jill

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Categories #Dinner, #Family Dinner, #Main Dish, Casserole, Classic Meat Lasagna, Comfort Food, Lasagna, Meat Lasagna, Sauce, Sunday Dinner

Red Wine Braised Pot Roast

November 17, 2020 //
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Pot Roast or Beef Stew? This is a fair question and one that I was recently asked since both are the perfect comfort food on a cold fall or winter evening. The similarities end there though since Pot Roast is made with a whole piece of meat and requires longer cook time. Beef Stew is made with smaller chunks of meat and takes less time to cook.

Tonight’s dinner is Pot Roast. The method of braising the meat in stock, wine or water while cooking it slowly for a few hours is really the essence of the one pot dish. My choice for this recipe is Boneless Chuck Roast but you can use Brisket, English Roast, Rump Roast or Bottom Round.

Since I make this from memory, I dug through my collection to find a fool-proof one pot dinner recipe that includes carrots, celery, potatoes and pearl onions (optional).

Red Wine Braised Pot Roast

Ingredients:

3-5 pounds Boneless Chuck Roast

salt and pepper to taste (or your favorite seasonings)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 TBSP Canola or vegetable oil, divided

1 large onion, diced or sliced

1 TBSP garlic

2 celery stalks, cut in chunks

4 carrots, cut in chunks

1 lb potatoes (Yukon, Russet or Red), cut into medium cubes

fresh thyme and rosemary

1 cup red wine

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

2 cups beef broth

Directions:

Salt & Pepper both sides of the meat (you can add any of your favorite seasonings as well)

Heat 2 TBSP oil in a Dutch Oven or large stock pot with a lid (that can go in the oven). Add the meat and sear all sides until golden brown. Remove meat to a platter.

Add the additional 2 TBSP oil to the pan and heat. Then, add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery for about 7 minutes until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of flour onto the vegetables and mix completely about 4 minutes. You want to cook off the flour flavor but add starch to help create the gravy mixture that the meat will cook in.

Add the red wine, Worcestershire, broth and mix completely with the vegetables. Once combined, add the tomato paste until dissolved.

Return the meat to the pan with the vegetables including the potatoes. Add leaves from the thyme stems and chopped Rosemary.

Place in a 325 degree pre-heated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. I remove the meat from the pot and let it rest for about 3-5 minutes before slicing. You can cut in thick slices and top with vegetables and gravy on a plate. Or, cut the meat and add back into the pot with the vegetables. Either way, it’ll be delicious!

This can be served with a dinner salad and crusty bread.

Enjoy! XOXO Jill

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Categories #Dinner, #Dinner For Two, #Easy Dinner, #Entertaining, #Family Dinner, #Main Dish, #One Pot Dinner, #Recipe, Beef, Comfort Food, Fall Dinner, Sunday Dinner, Vegetables