Spaghetti and Venison Meatballs With Marinara Sauce

December 30, 2016 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

Hello lovely readers! Aurel here again. Sorry I ignored you for the last couple of months, but I was working on my other passion project: pop-up dinners. I’m happy to be back developing recipes, photographing food, and writing again though. My editor and good friend is back too, cleaning up and making sense out of my writing. I don’t know if I have ever mentioned her on here, but she’s the reason why my writing has improved so significantly and actually makes sense rather than being a collection of ideas scattered on paper. Anyhow, welcome back Amy!

I’ve been working on my own version of an Italian favorite: spaghetti and meatballs. I’ve had this recipe perfected for quite some time but never gotten around to photo-documenting it until now.

Spaghetti and meatballs is a dish that you can’t possibly go wrong with, whether you’re cooking for your significant other, your family, or your friends. It’s really not all that hard to make, but you have to do it right. The key is to use fresh ingredients for everything: pasta, sauce, and meatballs. If you really need to cut corners (and we all do sometimes), do it with the pasta. I use store-bought pasta 6 out of 10 times myself. No biggie! But, for god’s sake, please don’t buy the premade marinara sauce. It takes longer to make homemade marinara, but you can make a big batch at once and then freeze it. You will taste the difference; it’s not just a myth!

I truly believe that spaghetti and meatballs is one of the most accessible dishes to new home cooks. Everybody loves it: kids, adults, elderly, men, women, and even dogs. Last time I made meatballs, I accidentally dropped one, and my dog Popsi devoured it within a second. I’ll put that one down as a strong sign of approval.

Anyway, I can’t emphasize enough how glad I am to be back. I’m looking forward to sharing my cooking adventures with you in 2017. I plan to kick off the New Year by sharing stories about my recent pop-up dinners.

Happy New Year Y’all!

SPAGHETTI AND VENISON MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Yields about 25 meatballs and 5 cups of sauce
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Inactive time: 75 minutes

Ingredients

Marinara sauce

3 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup finely chopped shallots (about 3 medium-sized shallots)
½ cup chopped celery (about 3-4 celery stalks)
½ cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium-sized carrots)
½ cup dry red wine
1 ½ Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (about 3-4 garlic cloves)
2 28oz. cans whole San Marzano tomatoes
½ cup vegetable broth
2 inches Parmesan rind
4 anchovy filets (jarred/canned)
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (about 12-15 leaves)

Meatballs

1 lb. ground venison
1 lb. ground beef chuck (preferably 70/30)
1 medium-sized shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Spaghetti (for homemade pasta see recipe here)

1 lb. spaghetti
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F (200C) degrees.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. When the oil easily slides across the pan, add shallots, celery, and carrots (called soffritto in Italy and mirepoix in France). Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning the vegetables.
Pour red wine and let the alcohol evaporate -- this is called deglazing. Toss in garlic, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add San Marzano tomatoes, broth, Parmesan rind, anchovies, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to make sure that everything is well mixed.
Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the sauce gently simmer (it will bubble very slowly) for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Mix them all together using your hands.
Shape the venison mixture into small balls (golf ball-sized), and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove meatballs from the oven and transfer to a plate. Add juice from meatballs to the marinara sauce.
Remove the lid from the sauce, add basil, and simmer uncovered for an additional 30-40 minutes. Then add the meatballs to the sauce, and stir well. You’re almost done!
In a large pan, bring generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti for 8-10 minutes or until al dente (follow the instructions on the spaghetti box or bag if unsure). Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of starchy water.
Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large pan over high heat. When the butter is melted, add the water and spaghetti. Toss and add a few ladles of marinara sauce and meatballs. Mix until the pasta is evenly coated.
Serve hot with grated parmesan and chopped parsley or basil on top.

Traditional Prawn and Pea Risotto

April 19, 2016 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

Aurel here. It’s been a while. Sorry about that. The past few weeks were dedicated to my trip to Chile. I recharged my batteries, cleared my mind, and now I’m back– fresh, happy, and ready to cook. I also have a lot of stories to share with you: stories about my new friends, the beautiful places I visited, and the delicious food I ate.

My stay in Viña del Mar with my new friend Juan Pablo inspired me to make this dish. I talked briefly in my past blog post about how excited I was to meet Juan Pablo and his family. Our mutual friend Camilla introduced us via Facebook, and we exchanged a few messages before my trip. The time I spent at Juan Pablo’s family was special. It was certainly one of the highlights of my trip mostly because it was something I haven’t experienced before: it was made to feel like I was home. I felt welcomed from the moment I entered his house and the connection with Juan Pablo and his family was instant, as if we knew each other forever.

I arrived on a Sunday, just in time for Sunday lunch. Sundays are when Juan Pablo’s family gets together. Every single week, his parents, grandmother, siblings, uncles, and family friends have a big lunch together. The lunch started with Veronika and Lucho, Juan Pablo’s parents, welcoming me with a piscola -- which is pisco (a traditional Chilean booze) with Coca-Cola and a few slices of lemon—followed by Chilean red wine. These much-needed libations helped me feel more confident about my limited Spanish and allowed me to cobble together sentences that everyone somehow understood.

For lunch Veronika prepared fresh cheese empanadas dipped in powdered sugar. I thought it was a bit odd, but once I took my first bite, I couldn’t stop stuffing my face with them. After the empanadas, we had a traditional Chilean corn pie called Pastel de Choclo, which served as our main dish. Then came the dessert: Pavlova. Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert topped with berries. The Pavlova was followed by coffee and yet another dessert: grape pie. The family tradition is to drink whiskey or tequila after finishing all the food, and I was happy to comply. I happened to have a small bottle with me, and we shared that as well. It was amazing; everyone was present and content eating, drinking, and sharing stories. It was one of those moments that reminded me how much I miss my family and our gatherings. Somehow Chilean hospitality suddenly felt so familiar.

The next few days that I spent in the Bahamonde house were as great as the first. We had lunch together almost every day. Veronika prepares home-cooked meals most days of the week. Sometimes it was something simple like fish with a side dish of potatoes, and other times she prepared more complex dishes like risotto. Veronika likes to experiment with ethnic cuisines. Our shared passion for good food served us well. She allowed me to help in her kitchen, and I was able to introduce her to my Hungarian beef stew (marhaporkolt).

Veronika’s risotto was impressive. It was perfect: creamy and flavorful with a nice bite to the rice. When Juan Pablo and I sat down to eat, I realized Veronika served me twice as much food as Juan Pablo. My portion was huge! When I asked Juan Pablo if increased portions for guests was a Chilean tradition, he told me, “No, that’s just my mom. She thinks you eat more because you’re macizo.” After a quick google translate search I found out what macizo meant: meaty or massive. “Not fat,” Veronika said, “but in good shape.” I didn’t complain. I ate the entire plate of risotto, relishing the fact that I am a macizo!

Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL PRAWN AND PEA RISOTTO

Serves 3-4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Pan-seared prawns

1 lb. fresh prawns (16/20 count size), peeled and deveined
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp chili flakes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Risotto

3 ½ cups low-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium-sized shallot, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup fresh green peas
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp white pepper
5-8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about ½ medium-sized lemon freshly squeezed)

Instructions

Pan-seared prawns

Using a paper towel, pat the prawns dry. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
Heat olive oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil easily slides across the pan, add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes tossing occasionally.
Add lemon juice and cook for another minute. Immediately remove the prawns from the skillet as they will continue cooking if left in. Set them aside on a plate.
When prawns are cool enough to handle, pick 6-7 of the larger ones and dice into small bite-sized pieces. Keep the rest of the prawns whole.

Risotto

In a medium sauce pan, bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth hot and simmering.
In another sauce pan (medium or large) heat olive oil over medium heat until it starts shimmering. Add shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they become translucent, stirring constantly.
Add rice and increase heat to high. Toast rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour in wine. Cook and stir until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low. Add broth to the rice one ladle at a time. Stir until it is absorbed to make sure the rice releases the creamy starch. Allow each ladle of broth to be absorbed before adding another one.
When the rice is al dente add peas, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for another minute or so.
When the risotto is done, remove pan from the heat and stir in the basil, parmesan cheese, butter and lemon juice. Mix well, taste again and adjust the seasoning.
Stir in chopped prawns and cover the pan with a lid. Let the risotto rest.
Serve hot topped with whole prawns. Sprinkle with freshly grated or shaved parmesan cheese.

Notes

In the world of professional cooking, the expression al dente refers to the degree to which pasta, rice, beans or vegetables are cooked. Al dente translates as "to the tooth” and it indicates that the rice or pasta should be tender but still firm to the bite.
Taste risotto as you go and adjust seasoning to your preference, but be careful with the salt. Remember that the parmesan is salty, too, and isn’t added until the end of cooking.

Creamy Tomato Sauce with Prawns

October 18, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

I tried to stay way from writing on my blog during our trip to Europe, but as it turns out, I just can’t do it. I miss it too much. Developing, testing, tweaking and writing recipes are now part of my everyday life ever since gourmetcubicle launched back in April. It does, however, feel refreshing not to do the cooking for a while, but instead just enjoying that of others. It’s great being on a food journey where I don’t have to care about shopping for ingredients, cooking, taking photos, and documenting recipes, but instead just relaxing, finding inspiration, discovering new flavors and thinking about how to integrate them into my dishes.

Roni and I are on a vacation around Eastern Europe and even though we’ve been here for less than a week, it has been very eventful. The trip started not so great when we found out that our flight from Austin to Chicago was delayed to the point that there was no way we would catch our connection to Berlin, where we had planned a full day layover to explore the city. I was already dreaming of the delicious Turkish doner kebabs that you can buy from street vendors and the crispy pork knuckles they serve with sauerkraut and potatoes in the traditional beer gardens. Both of us were pretty disappointed to say the least, but we did a great job at not letting that ruin the start of the trip

The good news about this whole re-routing was that we arrived to Budapest a half day earlier than planned. That meant more time to introduce Roni to the great city of Budapest. Budapest is amazing- beautiful architecture, great food, lots of friendly people and of course old friends. We stayed at the home of Erika and Pista along with their three daughters. They are Roni’s childhood friends, or rather her Hungarian family, as she likes to call them. They did everything in their power to give us the famous Hungarian hospitality and abundance. Erika cooked traditional Hungarian dishes every day and baked amazing cakes, which made Roni very happy. Every morning she prepared platters of cheeses, cured meats and homemade jams. We had bowls of fresh grapes, pears, apples and plums for snacks. We all dined together every night sharing our travel stories and childhood memories. Hearing the girls talk about how they used to break the child lock on the cable box to watch Tales from the Crypt, shave their arms to their parents’ horror, and play games involving eating disgusting concoctions of toothpaste, salsa, mustard and any other condiment they could find was very entertaining. The image that Roni had always painted of her young self was that of a shy and innocent little girl so these stories added a new insight into her childhood. Great times filled with laughter and joy!

Budapest is a must-see in Europe. The city, the people and the food are all top notch. A few years ago the Hungarian food scene had a revival and the fine dining culture has since blossomed. Good food always existed in Hungary, but it was mainly based on hearty Hungarian staples like pörkölt, paprikás, roasts, goulash and creamy soups. Beer, wine and the national spirit, pálinka, were the preferred drinks, with whiskey coke being considered a cocktail. The pride that Hungarians have in their food significantly slowed down the development of quality and affordable ethnic restaurants. But things have started to change, and I think this has to do with all the foreigners who have moved to Budapest and brought new interesting ingredients and flavors with them. Budapest has become a bit of a melting pot where Mexican, Asian, Indian, and Russian dishes have made their way into the otherwise very conservative cuisine here.

As far as Italian cuisine is concerned, I think it’s the most widespread of all cuisines around the globe. I haven’t been to a country that didn’t have at least one Italian restaurant. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Hungary, Singapore, Peru or Japan, you’ll most likely find a pasta Bolognese or Carbonara to eat. i think that the main reason for that is that Italian dishes are filling and easy to make, not to mention how delicious they are. You don’t have to be a kitchen-guru to be able to prepare a simple Cacio e pepe or Spaghetti Pomorodo.

As for today’s recipe, this Creamy Tomato Sauce with Prawns is one of those easy to make Italian dishes that will leave your dinner guests impressed. In half an hour you can fix an easy, healthy and flavorful sauce that is infinitely better than that canned salty artificially flavored junk that you find in stores. Some of them may taste good, but once you take a look at the list of ingredients you’ll be shocked by the amount of sugar (or rather, corn syrup) and salt they contain. By making your own pasta you are in control of the ingredients. You know exactly how much of each ingredient goes into it and you can adjust them to your own taste. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Sauce with Prawns

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb prawns, peeled and deveined
1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 TBS oil (sunflower, canola or peanut oil)
1 TBS unsalted butter
1 tsp hot sauce (Cholula or Tobasco)
1 leek, finely chopped
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can (15 oz) diced tomato (preferably San Marzano)
2 cups stock (chicken or vegetarian)
2 anchovy fillets, optional
2 TBS tomato paste
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
8-10 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 TBS sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice, optional (or lime)

Instructions

Place clean shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss to make sure the shrimp are evenly coated.
In a large skillet heat the butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. When the butter starts foaming add shrimp and hot sauce. Cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure the shrimp cook evenly on each side.
Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside.
Add the rest of the oil to the pan and heat until the it easily slides across the pan. Add leeks and shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.
Pour in white wine and cook for 3-5 minutes until the wine starts to evaporate.
Add diced tomato and stock and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add anchovies, tomato paste, chili flakes, basil and the rest of the salt and pepper to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add sugar and parmesan cheese and stir well.
Pour in heavy cream and stir. Crank up the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil (about 1-2 minutes) then immediately remove from the heat. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Mix in the shrimp, sprinkle with lemon juice and give it a final stir. Serve with capellini, spaghetti or linguini.

Notes

Use only the white part of the leek. For instruction on how to clean leek check out my Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken recipe.

Homemade Green Pea and Ricotta Ravioli with Creamy Sage Sauce

September 26, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

The best part about being part of Roni’s family is that we often get together for dinners. Food is what brings people together. Great stories and ideas are born at the table. It always makes me happy when Rachel and Rick invite us over for a big ol' family get-together. It reminds me of my family back home. Before my sister and I grew up and moved away from Romania to pursue our dream jobs, every Sunday we had lunch together with my parents. It was either just the four of us or the whole family with grandparents, uncles and cousins once a month or so. Before my grandparents on my father’s side passed away, Sunday family lunches or dinners happened even more often. Sometimes we’d go to Buna for lunch and to Jolika for dinner. It was great because somehow it always turned into a cooking competition between my two amazing grandmothers, Jolika and Buna.

They both cooked good food but each one of them had their own style. Jolika, my Hungarian grandma, loved to cook hearty comfort food. She preferred pork over chicken and used sour cream in basically everything. Her food was the definition of traditional Hungarian cuisine. Buna on the other hand, has a more refined style and doesn’t shy away from fresh vegetables, although sometimes even she can go crazy with the pork and sour cream. I can’t wait for Roni to try Buna’s specialty - Cornmeal Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

A few couple of weeks ago Roni’s family celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Although I don’t really know much about Jewish holidays, I love that I get to learn about Jewish culture and traditions. I think I mentioned it before, but the fact that I was raised in a Catholic/Protestant/Orthodox family makes me a…well, I don’t even know what, but definitely a Christian. Roni being Jewish adds to the already many religious holidays that my family traditionally observes, making the entire month of December a Winter Holiday marathon in our house.

Back to Rosh Hashanah. I decided to make ravioli. Initially I wanted to make a chorizo sauce, but was politely reminded that pork isn’t exactly kosher to eat during Jewish holidays. Which is funny because Roni eats bacon at the same pace at which a fat kid eats candy. There’s a good chance she was probably even eating bacon while telling me not bring pork to Rosh Hashanah. Anyway, being under self-imposed pressure to coming up with something cool, I went through my notes and I found one saying “sage sauce for ravioli - A Chef’s Table”. I quickly browsed through all the episodes that I watched, even checked the internet, but unfortunately couldn’t find any reference to sage sauce. I'm not sure what made me write that down, but it sounded good.

Homemade ravioli may sound scary to some and I’m not going to lie to you and say it’s easy, because it’s not. But it’s not rocket science either. It’s easier than baking for sure. So why would you make it, you may ask? Because it’s rewarding and fun to make, not to mention, that it tastes a thousand times better than store-bought ravioli. It’s like tasting a good craft beer after drinking Bud Light your whole life (crazy Americans with your light beers). If you are concerned about the amount of butter and cream the sauce contains just sprinkle it with a good olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper instead. The subtle taste of the lemon zest and the tart juice will bring that refreshing element to this creamy meal. Buon appetito!

Homemade Green Pea and Ricotta Ravioli with Creamy Sage Sauce

Serves 4-6 people (about 30-35 ravioli)
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Inactive time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Pasta Dough (same as for Tagliatelle)

1/2 lb "00" flour
2 whole eggs, pasture raised
2 egg yolks, pasture raised
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS olive oil, extra-virgin
1/2 cup "00" flour, for kneading and rolling
1 TBS salt, for cooking the ravioli

Filling

10 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 TBS fresh lemon zest (1/2 medium sized lemon)
3 tsp fresh lemon juice (1/2 medium sized lemon)
1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 1/2 TBS fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (about 8-10 basil leaves)

Creamy Sage Sauce

5 TBS butter
20 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine (must be dry)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
3 tsp lemon juice (1/2 medium sized lemon)
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tsp lemon juice (1/2 medium sized lemon)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pasta water
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Start with the pasta. In the center of your work station (preferably a large wooden cutting board) pile up a half pound of flour. Keep the rest nearby. Make a “well" in the center and pour in the eggs and the yolks. Add salt and one tablespoon olive oil and beat the mixture lightly with a fork. Using your fingertips, gradually start incorporating the flour into the egg mixture. Gradually work the dough together until all the flour is mixed in. The dough should be sticky to touch (not to your fingers) and it should hold together. Depending on the size of the eggs, you may need to hydrate your dough if it is too dry by adding a few teaspoons of water.
Knead the dough using the palms of your hand, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Make a ball out of the dough, sprinkle flour, wrap ball in plastic, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
While the dough is resting prepare the filling. In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients for the filling. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cover bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in 4-5 equal parts. Slightly drizzle water over a kitchen towel and cover the small dough balls. You will work with one at a time, so the damp towel will keep them from drying out.
Take the first piece of dough, flatten it with your hands so that it is 1-inch thick and sprinkle with a little flour on both sides. Using a pasta maker, roll out the dough. Start with the thickest setting and work your way to setting number 6. (1.5 mm)
To stretch the pasta into a sheet, roll it through the pasta maker on the rest of the settings, going down one level at a time (from thick to thin), rolling it through about 2 or 3 times on each level. The more you run it through the machine, the silkier your pasta will be. If the dough starts sticking at any point, sprinkle flour on it.
Once you have your sheet of pasta finished, cut into 2.5-3 inch-wide strips if using a ravioli stamp. If you opt to use a cutter instead of a stamp, leave the sheet as is for now because you will fold it over the filling in the next step.
Place a tablespoon of filling one inch apart from each other along the center of a dough strip if using a stamp, or over the lower half of your pasta sheet if using the folding method. Brush with water the second strip or top half of the dough to moisten it. It will help with sealing the ravioli.
Gently pat the dough down around the filling to make sure that they aren't any air pockets and the ravioli is sealed.
Firmly press ravioli stamp until it cuts through the dough. If using ravioli cutter, cut into even squares. Place the ravioli on parchment paper and sprinkle with flour. Repeat process until you finish the rest of the dough.
Bring a large pot of water and one tablespoon salt to a boil over medium-high heat.
While the water comes to a boil, prepare the creamy sage sauce. In a large deep skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. When completely melted add sage leaves and fry them for about 1 minute until the butter and sage leaves turn brown. Immediately add white wine and stir. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Pour in the cream, stir and bring again to a boil, about 2 more minutes. Add lemon juice and parmesan cheese and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer while you cook the ravioli. Stir occasionally to make sure the sauce doesn't burn.
When the water in the pot starts boiling place ravioli in the water and cook for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the pasta you used. When cut, the ravioli should show no starchy line in the middle.
Using a sieve or a slotted spoon transfer the the ravioli from the pan to the creamy the sage sauce. When all the pasta is cooked and in the skillet, scoop half cup pasta water and pour it in the skillet. Dispose the rest of the pasta water.
Crank up the heat to medium. Toss well until all the ravioli is coated in the creamy sauce. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat, about 2-3 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning.

Notes

When making the dough, make sure that you don't use cold eggs straight from the refrigerator. Let them sit at room temperature at least 10 minutes prior to using them.
When using the pasta maker, run the dough through the largest setting at least 4-5 times, folding it in half after each roll.
For more restaurant-like thin ravioli work your way up to setting 7. Number 7 will yield a very thin sheet (about 1.3 mm) making it more delicate to work with. On the up side, the time it will take to cook will be less (2-3 minutes).
Folding the sheets in half is a quicker method than cutting the sheets into strips. I got used to the strips method, but either will work fine.

Sicilian Caponata with Garlic Toast

August 07, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Appetizer, Side Dish

If you're familiar with my blog, you know that I have a soft spot for stews. I grew up eating them almost weekly. Although most of the times in Romania people will eat meat-based stews it is not unheard of to make stews out of vegetables. Since I'm still sticking to my plan of eating clean in my attempt to get rid of a few extra pounds I decided to try my hand at a vegan dish.

The good news for those who love eggplant as much as I do, is that they are in season. I'm signed up for a bi-weekly delivery of fresh local vegetables from Farmhouse Delivery and the latest vegetable bushel contained these cute baby eggplants that I had no clue what to do with. They were too small for my eggplant lasagna or for my mom's eggplant spread, but too big to pickle them whole. So I looked through my notes on my phone and I found one that said "Make Caponata next time you come across fresh and cheap eggplants". I can't remember exactly where I got the idea from, but it must've been from one of the cooking shows that I've been watching lately.

Caponata is a fragrant Mediterranean eggplant dish that comes from Southern Italy- the island of Sicily to be more specific. It is a versatile summertime classic in Italy. While eggplant, celery, onions, olives, capers, tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar are main ingredients, some Sicilians will add anchovies, artichokes, peppers, potatoes, mushrooms and even chocolate to it. Depending on the region, city or household, opinions are split regarding what goes into the perfect caponata. For me the perfect caponata is one that includes the main ingredients plus a few aromatic herbs for extra flavor.

Caponata can be served warm as a side dish with grilled fish and meats or at room temperature as an antipasto. I found that a nice balance between the sweetness of the vegetables and raisins and the sourness of the vinegar is achieved at room temperature. I went as far as adding a couple of spoons in my scrambled eggs and let me tell you that it was rather delicious. Buon appetito!

SICILIAN CAPONATA WITH GARLIC TOAST

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs eggplant, diced into large 1" chunks
1 TBS kosher salt
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, roughly diced
1/2 cup parsley stems, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1-2 celery stalks, finely chopped (or 1 cup celery root finely chopped)
1 cup green olives, pitted
3 TBS capers, soaked and rinsed
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1/2 TBS black pepper, freshly ground
kosher salt, to taste
2 TBS slivered almond, toasted
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 fresh baguette
1 clove garlic

Tomato Sauce

2 TBS olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2-3 scallions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
4 big ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
6-8 fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Salt the eggplant chunks generously. Use about one tablespoon kosher salt and toss well to make sure all chunks are evenly coated. Let them sit in a colander for about 20 minutes. This will help get rid of the bitterness of the eggplant and will also make it less soggy and more tender when cooked.
While the eggplant is resting prepare the tomato sauce. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil slides easily across the skillet, add shallots, scallions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Toss in garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil. When it boils, reduce the heat to low-medium, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, taste and season with salt and pepper and give it another stir. Set aside.
Rinse eggplant under running water to wash off the excess salt. Drain eggplant and place chunks on a tray lined with paper towels. Pat them dry. This is very important because you'll fry them next and you don't want to oil to splatter everywhere.
Once dry, sprinkle coriander and dry oregano coating the eggplant evenly. In a large non stick pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Work in batches if you think that the eggplant won't comfortably fit in the skillet. When the oil is shimmering, add eggplant and toss to coat evenly with oil. When the eggplant chunks are golden brown on each side, about 5-7 minutes, transfer to a paper towel lined tray or wire rack.
In a large and deep stainless steel skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (it easily slides across the pan), add onions, peppers and parsley stems, stir and cook until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.
Toss in garlic next, stir and cook for another 2 minutes, then add raisins, eggplant, celery, olives and capers. Toss and cook for another 5 minutes then pour in vinegar and sugar. When the vinegar evaporates, about 5 minute, add tomato sauce. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. When done remove from the heat.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley leaves and toasted almonds.
To toast the almonds, heat a small skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add almonds, toast and stir for 2-3 minutes until they become golden brown.
Cut a baguette in half lengthwise (or slice of bread), toast it and then rub one side with garlic. Top toast with caponata. You can serve it cold or warm, whichever you prefer.

NOTES

When frying the eggplant, don't overload the pan, as it will reduce the heat too drastically and the eggplant chunks will absorb all the oil making them soggy and greasy. Instead work in batches if you have to. Split the amount of oil into the number of batches that you'll cook.
Don't use a cast iron pan as tomatoes and vinegar will be used in this recipe. The acidic reaction between the metal (cast iron) and acid (vinegar and tomatoes) will not only alter the color of the tomatoes, but also may damage your pan if it's not seasoned properly.
When toasting the almonds, make sure you toss and stir often as almond shavings burn fast. When done, remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the almonds immediately to a plate as they'll keep toasting even after you removed the skillet from the heat.
Store caponata in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will keep well for over a week.