No Grumpy Old Men

Anyone who has seen Grumpy Old Men and its sequel Grumpier Old Men most likely remembers Burgess Meredith’s hilariously suggestive lines. One that sticks in my mind is when Pop propositions Maria’s mom with, “I’ll show you my cannelloni if you show me yours.”

Well, I am showing you my cannelloni. *blush* Now, get your mind out of the gutter and back to the dinner table. This Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni is absolute perfection and capable of wiping away any grumpiness that you might be harboring. Chicken breasts slowly simmered with herbs, garlic, onion, and wine are combined with a mixture of cheeses and spinach. Rolling the filling in egg roll wrappers is so much easier than stuffing manicotti shells, and the filled tubes are so tender and flavorful when covered with a garlicky cream sauce. There are several steps, but nothing is difficult. It is so worth the effort and there will be no grumpy old men here when Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni is On My Plate.

Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni

1 1/2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 lb frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained well
2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour (I use Wondra)
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups heavy cream
12-15 egg roll wraps
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, simmer the chicken breasts, onion, broth, wine, and thyme, until chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a plate and allow them to cool slightly.
While the chicken is cooling, strain the broth to remove the onions, garlic, and thyme.
Reserve the broth.
Place the onions, garlic, and thyme into food processor.
Chop the chicken and add to food processor with the onions, garlic, and thyme.
Pulse the chicken in the food processor until finely chopped.
Combine spinach with ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and white pepper.
Add the chicken/onion mixture.
Mix thoroughly; set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter.
Whisk in flour, stirring constantly. Cook a minute to eliminate "flour" taste.
Whisk in the reserved chicken broth, stirring constantly.
Add the wine, then cream. Stir constantly, until sauce is smooth and creamy.
Simmer, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes, while assembling the cannelloni.
Lay egg roll wrapper on cutting board.
Arrange 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken/cheese filling in a line on one end of the wrapper, roll up.
Pour 1 cup of sauce in a 9x13 baking dish, spread evenly.
Arrange cannelloni in dish, and top with remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Cover with foil, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving. (Serves 12)

Sliding Home

Tonight's dinner was actually the same as last night's. Oh! No! The horror! Well, if that shocks, appalls, or offends you, it is probably time to move on to another blog. I make no secret of that fact that I am lazy...and tired. Or, tired and lazy. Today, I will just go with the excuse of being too tired to deal with a new menu. Leftovers were in the fridge, and after going to bed last night and waking up this morning with a headache, subbing in 2nd grade (with a tornado drill this morning, no less...do you know how loud those alarms are when they echo in a concrete block hallway?), and tutoring after school, I was just exhausted. I slid home and onto the sofa for a nap. Real cooking wasn't going to happen.

Thankfully, the main attraction of last night's dinner, Meatball Sliders, provided more than enough tender meatballs and homemade sauce to allow a repeat performance. (Served last night with Roasted Green Beans and tonight with Creamy Coleslaw.)

The original recipe came from Bon Appetit, and while we loved it, not all of the ingredients are available locally. I have altered it to suit our tastes and needs for a simple, casual sandwich. They may be leftover, but I like coming home to Meatball Sliders sliding On My Plate.

Meatball Sliders

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork (I used Jimmy Dean HOT sausage for extra flavor.)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
Arugula leaves (optional)
18 small soft rolls, split horizontally (I used cocktail buns.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ground beef and pork together with panko, 1/2 cup water, 6 tablespoons cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl.
Form into eighteen 2-inch-meatballs.
Place meatballs on a baking sheet (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium-large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add all tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Puree sauce in processor until almost smooth. Return to same skillet. Add meatballs. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes longer.
To Serve: Place arugula leaves on bottom of each roll, if desired. Top each with 1 meatball. Drizzle meatballs with some of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons. cheese. Cover with tops of rolls. (Serves 6 as meal, or 18 mini burgers as appetizers)

Not Just a Hunk of Cow

Mention "roast" to my mom and images of a hunk of beef slow-cooked in the oven with onion soup mix, potatoes, carrots, and onions will pop into her mind. I grew up with pot roast dinners at least twice a month. They were a standard comfort food in my mother's cooking rotation. But, the roast that is a standard in my menus is roasted vegetables. I haven't met a roasted veggie that I didn't like. Potatoes are a given, but tossing asparagus, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, or brussels sprouts with a bit of olive oil, fresh ground pepper, and coarse salt before roasting to a golden brown (and seemingly burnt bits are more than acceptable here) makes the most of gorgeous vegetables.

Previously, I have shared my love of Roasted Green Beans, Chile Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges, and Roasted Red Potatoes and Asparagus, but Roasted Cauliflower and Roasted Brussels Sprouts are my current favorites. The method is all the same with slight variations of oven temperature and seasonings. It couldn't be more simple, and that is what I love. Roasted vegetables are always welcome On My Plate.

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, seperated into florets
up to 1/4 cup olive oil, use your own discretion (I use much less)
3-4 heads garlic, minced
coarse salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Toss cauliflower with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Spread evenly in sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. (Serves 4.)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2-3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Trim ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves.
Toss sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper.
Transfer them to a sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp outside and tender inside. (Serves 6)

Only the Name Is Difficult

There is a pasta dish that I have made for several years and many occasions. It is a favorite to prepare not only because it tastes unbelievably good, but because it is easy enough to throw together while visiting with guests and enjoying a cocktail. It is basically a no-brainer to saute some sausage, onions, and garlic; stir in seasoned canned tomatoes; simmer to blend flavors; and finish with a bit of cream before tossing with pasta.

I recently threw together this pan of pasta while cooking dinner with a new friend. She and I became acquainted through Twitter, and when an appointment took me to her neck of the woods, we decided it was time to plan a Tweet-Up, as meetings are known in Twitter-speak. In the world of Twitter, it is also common to use an acronym denoted with a hashtag to promote your event, cause, issue, or mood. Our meeting was soon to be known as the People-From-Obscure-Central-South-Dakota-Small-Towns Tweet-Up with the hashtag of #PFOCSDSTTU. Try typing that in a 140 character box, or better yet, texting it while on the road.

Truly, the name was the most difficult part of our meeting. My new friend welcomed me into her beautiful home, served me my very first Dirty Martini, shared an excellent Artichoke-Olive Crostini, allowed me to make friends with her water-loving kitty AND make a mess in her kitchen while tossing together a simple salad and the even more simple PFOCSDSTTU Pasta Dish, and ultimately presented a delicious Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Cake for dessert. All the while, we enjoyed easy and lively conversation, silly photo snapping, and of course, Tweeting. It was a full and well-rounded evening centered around a simple meal of Smoked Sausage Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce, now known as PFOCSDSTTU Pasta. It only tastes complex On My Plate.

Smoked Sausage Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
a/k/a PFOCSDSTTU Pasta

1 (12 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb polska kielbasa, sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup diced onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Cook sausage and pepper flakes (if using) until sausage is heated and browning around the edges.
Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender.
Stir in tomatoes and simmer to blend flavors and mixture thickens slightly.
Add cream and simmer a few more minutes.
Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through.
(May top with grated Parmesan cheese when serving.) (Serves 6.)