Roast Chicken with Brown Butter, Lemon and Capers

Ingredients:

One chicken, cut into pieces (I cut mine into halves but quarters would work as well)
S & P
3 Tbls Olive Oil
1/2 stick of butter
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
3 Tbls of Capers with 1 Tbls of their Brine

Penne with Meat Sauce

This recipe serves 8 with sauce to spare. Freeze it. You’ll thank me later…

Ingredients:

2 Tbls olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 T garlic
S & P
1/4 C dry red wine
1 small can of tomato paste
3 - 28 oz cans diced tomatos
2 – 28 oz cans crushed tomatos
1 bunch basil leaves
1/4 C quality good balsamic vinegar
1 C shredded parmesan (divided)
2 lbs ground veal, beef, pork mixture (aka meatloaf mix)
3/4 tsp cinnammon
2 lbs Penne (cooked per package directions)

Short Rib Ravioli

(Short Rib recipe published in The Way We Cook. I prepare this recipe over 2 days. It makes my life easier.)

Short Rib Ravioli

Short Rib Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 large sweet onions
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 C balsamic vinegar
1 C low sodium soy sauce
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 C water
1/2 C dark brown sugar
8 short ribs
4 garlic cloves
2 whole star anise
1 bay leaf

Tomato Basil Soup & Toasted Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Tomato Soup with Basil & A Grilled Chicken Sandwich

This soup is modified from Food & Wine’s Chunky Tomato Soup (Steven Satterfield)

This soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for 2 days.
Tomato Soup with Basil & A Toasted Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped

4 thyme sprigs

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups water

Two 28-ounce cans peeled Italian tomatoes—drained and finely chopped, juices reserved

1 bunch fresh basil

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, fennel and thyme and cook the vegetables over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion and fennel are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the water and the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by one-third, about 30 minutes. Discard the thyme. Tear the basil and place into the soup. Puree with an immersion blender or tabletop blender till of desired consistency.

Note: If using a tabletop blender to puree the soup, only fill the blender by 1/2 or the pressure from the heat may cause the lid to blow off. Trust me, I bought the tee-shirt a few years ago! For safety’s sake, lay a kitchen towel over the blender’s lid and press down firmly while operating.