Italian Sausage Buns

Like a sloppy joe but Italian, maybe a Sloppy Giuseppe?

1 lb Italian sausage
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsps fresh chopped parsley

Garlic butter:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 tsps dry oregano
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp minced garlic

4 hot dog buns or soft 6" sub buns
8 mozzarella slices plus extra to top buns

Chopped radicchio and parsley to garnish


Start by browning the sausage meat in a large saucepan. Add tomato sauce and red wine and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and parsley.

Mix the butter, oregano, parsley and garlic together and slather on all sides of the buns. Broil until lightly golden, flip and toast the opposite sides.

Remove buns from oven and line with cheese slices, 2 to each bun. Spoon in the filling and sit them in a parchment lined 7 X 11" baking dish. Top with more cheese and broil to bubbling.

Garnish with chopped radicchio and parsley and serve.

Serves 4-6

Makes 4 if you want your buns loaded with filling, 6 if you just want a reasonable amount ;)

Adapted from:
http://www.littlekitchenbigworld.com/garlic-butter-italian-sausage-sandwiches/

Olive Garden Copycat Salad Dressing (?)

I adapted this dressing from a recipe that claimed to be an Olive Garden copycat. I personally don't think it's like their dressing at all. But it is really good ☺

1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsps corn syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1  1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/4 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp capers with some of the brine

Whirl everything together in a blender.

If you think these capers look funny it's because they are my Nasturtium Capers!
Check out the link to the recipe at the end of this post.
Or just use store bought.

This dressing will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks...

if it lasts that long!

Only needed a little drizzle over this salad compiled of salad greens, radicchio, celeriac, yellow pepper, radishes and shaved parmesan.

You'll find the caper recipe here under Dried Nasturtium and Nasturtium Capers:
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/11/dried-nasturtium-and-nasturtium-capers.html

Marinated Feta with Grape Tomatoes

Serve as part of an antipasto platter, add to a salad or simply schmear the feta on crackers and top with a tomato. Just know that once you start it's hard to stop eating it!

4 oz feta, cubed
1 oz olive oil
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp dry oregano

handful of grape tomatoes

Mix feta, olive oil, lemon zest, black pepper and oregano and marinate in the fridge at least overnight or for a few days.

When ready to serve toss in the tomatoes and garnish with parsley or salad greens.

Chili Glazed Carrots

Saucy and sweet with just enough of a spicy kick!

2 lbs carrots, in 1/4" slices
2 tbsps honey
2 tsps sriracha sauce
4 tbsps sweet chili sauce
2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
Fresh parsley to garnish

Mix the glaze ingredients together then toss half of it (or a little less) with the sliced carrots. Reserve the rest.

Spread the carrots on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 400F oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.

Remove to a serving bowl and stir in the reserved glaze.

Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 8

Adapted from:
http://www.closetcooking.com/2016/03/honey-sriracha-roasted-carrots.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160324

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Beef

Busy Saturday or any day, just take a few minutes early in the day to get this meal started and walk away. Come dinner time sit down to this juicy pulled beef.

1  1/2 lb boneless blade roast
1 tbsp olive oil
3 onions, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, minced
1  1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 tbsps brown sugar
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
chili flakes (optional)
Soft buns

Heat oil in a skillet then brown beef on all sides. This step is not necessarily needed but is worth the extra effort to give the finished product a richer flavour.

Combine the remaining ingredients in the crock pot and nestle the browned beef in. Then spoon some sauce over the top.

Cover and cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours. No peeking!

Finally, remove the meat to a plate and pull with two forks, then return the meat to the pot.

Heat through and serve on soft buns.

Serves 4

Adapted from:
http://www.dinnerwithjulie.com/2010/09/28/pulledbraised-beef-and-onions/

Braised Pork Roast with Guinness

Incredibly flavourful cooked in stout, beef broth and a little smoke...

I used a small 1 lb boneless porkloin roast but this recipe would work just as well with a nice pork tenderloin.

1 lb boneless porkloin roast
2 tbsps flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps olive oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced
2 or 3 carrots, sliced
2 or 3 mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Guinness stout
1 tbsp tomato paste
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp liquid smoke 
1 tsp dry rosemary
1 tsp dry thyme

Dredge the meat in flour, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and brown the meat on all sides. Remove to a plate

Add another 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet along with the onion, carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Cook 3-4  minutes. Stir in  the remainder of the ingredients and snuggle the roast down in it. Spoon some of the liquid over the roast and sprinkle with rosemary and thyme.

Place uncovered in a 375 F oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
Rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

I served it with mashed celeriac and potatoes. Just add some cubed celeriac to the pot when boiling potatoes, about 1 part celeriac to 3 parts potatoes and mash as usual.

Pimped-Up Store Bought Spaghetti Sauce

Who doesn't like a good, rich bolognese! Oh, and easy to make with lots of veggies!

2 lbs beef/veal/pork mix (or any combination)
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps olive oil (again)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced celeriac
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
1  1/4 cups onion soup (or beef broth) 
1/4 cup Guinness stout (or red wine)
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 - 3 cups store bought tomato sauce (650 ml jar)

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a large skillet and brown the beef well then remove to a plate.

In the same skillet heat the second 2 tbsps of oil and add the onion, red pepper, celeriac and mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the garlic for another minute.

See all those brown bits on the bottom of the pan? Add the soup and stout and scrape them up into the mix. Cook on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add chili flakes, salt and pepper.

Now return the beef to the pan and pour in the prepared tomato sauce.  I used Classico Four Cheese here.

Simmer 1-2 hours over low heat until you've got this thick and chunky sauce.

Serves 4-6

Here's a link to my Spanish Rice Casserole (and my introduction to celeriac)
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2018/03/spanish-rice-casserole.html