Pasta with Leeks and Ham

Do you remember recipe boxes? I have one from when we were first married. Magazine and newspaper clippings. Lots of handwritten recipes copied from cookbooks taken from the library. Am I dating myself?

Well, this recipe is from that box. I do not know where the recipe is from.

It received rave reviews from the other side of the table.

Ingredients-
3 oz Ham sliced in strips, or squares
1 leek
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 chicken broth
1/2 cup parmigiano
1/2 cup peas, if frozen, thawed (these were omitted tonight)

Method-
Wash the leeks using only the white parts.
Slice leeks very thin. Add to the skillet with oil.
Cook until soft.
Add 1 tbsp butter, then peas, ham, heavy cream, chicken broth, and cheese.
Reduce to a sauce consistency

Add cooked pasta to the sauce with 1/2 cup of pasta water. Let this simmer for a few minutes.

What You Can Do After A 12 Hour Night Sleep

I was in bed at 8:30 Friday night and up at 8:30 Saturday morning.

Let's just say I was well rested.

Quinoa, Leftover Rice, and Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Roasted Sausage and Peppers with Onions

Chicken Stock

Marinara Sauce

Meatballs for Sauce

Sauce with Meatballs

Meatballs for Soup

And meanwhile in the rest of the house...

Shepherd's Pie with Leftover Rack of Lamb

We had leftover lamb from Christmas. Of course, I googled recipes for leftover rack of lamb. What else would I do? A recipe popped up from Mrs. Jones's Kitchen. It was a perfect dinner. I love it when we have all the ingredients in the house. 

Ingredients-
500g (18 oz) leftover roast lamb, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 celery stick, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato purée

500ml (2 c) chicken stock

dash Worcestershire sauce 

salt

black pepper

Mashed Potatoes:

800g (1.75 lb) russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes

1 tablespoon butter

60ml (1/4 c) milk

pinch salt

Method-

Preheat the oven to 400˚F 

In a medium saucepan over a low heat, add the olive oil and diced onion, carrots and celery, and cook until soft – this takes around 10 minutes.

Add the crushed garlic and finely chopped rosemary and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomato purée. 

Cook for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cooked lamb, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper. 

Turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cook the Potatoes:

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15-20 minutes, until tender.

Drain well, then add the butter, milk, and salt, and mash with a potato masher until smooth.

Place the lamb into the bottom of a 20 x 27 cm (7.8 x 10.5") or similar-sized, baking dish.

Spoon the mashed potatoes over the surface and smooth them out with the back of a spoon.

With a fork, drag lines across the top of the mashed potatoes – these will become crispy in the oven.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Eat straight away.

Rack of Lamb Two Ways

Merry Christmas! Today we had my sister, Lenore, and her husband, Ralph, over 
for dinner.



I had to remove the cap meat and the sinew from the rack for the Jamie Oliver recipe.

If I do say so myself, I was very impressed with the meal!

We kicked things off with drinks and kept the appetizers easy so we could focus on the main event. I served a spread of Goldfish crackers (a nostalgic favorite!), Salami, and Cheese.

For the first course, Lenore brought her famous Cupalets. They are always a crowd-pleaser and the perfect way to lead into the main course.

The Main Event: The Switch to Lamb

Usually, we lean toward beef for Christmas, but the idea of something different started when I saw the meat specials at Fresh Market. I decided to go with Rack of Lamb. I think I’ll make this a permanent Christmas tradition from now on.

I followed a recipe from a Jamie Oliver video that seemed straightforward and delicious. His recipe suggested one rack per person, so I bought two racks for the four of us.

Then I coated one rack in the Dijon Mustard, parsley, and pistachio crust.

The other version: I coated the second rack with just olive oil and fresh herbs.
Add chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, and 1 tbsp olive oil and butter into a small bowl and stir. The herb-coated recipe was from Dude that Cookz.

In hindsight, two racks were very generous! One rack probably would have been plenty for four people, but having leftovers isn't the worst problem to have.

The Verdict? It’s a toss-up! Both were fantastic. The pistachio crust adds a lovely crunch and festive green color, but the herb-crusted rack really lets the lamb's flavor shine through. You truly can't go wrong either way.

Here is the link for the Jamie Oliver Rack of Lamb video.

Link to Jamie Oliver's Rack of Lamb Recipe.

The herb-coated recipe was from Dude that Cookz.

Ingredients-
1 rack of lamb
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp butter

Method-

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Season the entire rack of lamb evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Evenly coat the lamb rack with the marinade on both sides.

Heat an oven-friendly skillet or cast iron to medium heat.

Once hot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and butter to the skillet.

Place the rack of lamb with the fat side down into the skillet.

Sear for 5 minutes. While holding the bones, rock the meat slowly back and forth to brown the top and back of the rack. 

Bake the rack of lamb at 400 degrees  (I roasted mine at 350 degrees because I was also following the Jamie Oliver recipe) for 20 to 25 minutes*. See notes for cooking time for the desired doneness.

Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes and serve by cutting the chops in between the bones.

* Notes: Depending on how you like your meat cooked: For medium-rare, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees; for medium, the center should read 150 degrees; for well done, the center should read at least 160 degrees.

Side dishes, Vegetable Bundles, and Potato Romanoff.

Mom's Baked Macaroni

This is always a winner.

The recipe -
Boil 1/2 pound of elbow macaroni.

Grease a Pyrex loaf pan.

Alternate layers of macaroni and American cheese, starting with the macaroni.

Break 3 eggs and pour over macaroni. 

Fill the baking dish with milk to almost cover macaroni.

Top with bread crumbs and parsley. 

Bake 350 degrees until set, usually about 35 minutes to 45 minutes.

I think, if I had to pick my last meal, this would be it.

Honestly, that is the way the recipe was given to me.

It is pretty forgiving. 

Just boil macaroni and add cheese. I have used whatever cheese I have in the house. Mom used American. It is a good basic recipe you can build to fit your taste.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I wanted something simple tonight. I had picked up some fettuccine from Bishops. I used the Alfredo sauce recipe from Epicurious.  The meatballs were made yesterday and cooked in the air fryer. It was amazing how light a meal this was, even with the meatballs. This is not your restaurant-style Fettuccine Alfredo that has a lot of cream and cheese. Well, there is no cream in this recipe. This is the traditional Roman recipe, and they don't use cream.

This is our go-to recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo, from Epicurious.

Ingredients-
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
Dried egg fettuccine
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

Method-
Melt butter in a large saute pan.
Cook fettuccine in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain fettuccine in a colander.
Immediately toss the fettuccine with butter and salt in the sauté pan, then slowly add 3/4 cup cheese, tossing constantly and adding enough cooking water to keep pasta moist.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.

I added the warmed-up meatballs before putting the pasta in the pan.

Everything blended perfectly.

Italian Wedding Soup

This soup holds a special place in our home—it's truly one of our favorites, and it was absolutely perfect for a relaxed Sunday night.

The secret is definitely in the meatballs. I use a classic blend of beef, pork, and veal. Instead of breadcrumbs, I chop up about five Apicella Freselles s and soak them in a quarter cup of milk until soft. Once mashed, I mix that gorgeous binder with a beaten egg, plenty of Parmesan, fresh parsley, and just enough salt and pepper. I hand-shape the mixture into small, golf-ball-sized bites.

Starting the soup is simple: sautéing the aromatics—onions, carrots, and celery—in olive oil. Four cups of homemade chicken broth go in next to simmer. Then comes the good stuff: chopped spinach, the meatballs, and some pre-poached, shredded chicken breast. A dash of salt, pepper, and earthy thyme seasons the pot, and it simmers low and slow for about 50 minutes.

Just before serving, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a beautiful brightness that cuts through the richness. 

It Should Be Called Chicken Parm

I felt a little anxious about dinner. This recipe—Chicken Fritters from Natasha's Kitchen—was going to be a gamble. As I told Chris, this dish was either going to be a hands-down winner or land squarely on the "please do not make this again" list.

Spoiler alert: It was a winner! A huge, resounding, satisfying success, and a recipe I'll be adding to the regular rotation.

The Secret to Speed: Prep Ahead!

What made tonight so manageable was the magic of meal prep. I tackled the chicken yesterday, which was a game-changer. By getting the fritter mixture prepped and chilled, all I had to do tonight was pull it out of the fridge and start frying.

If you're looking for a super-fast weeknight meal, this is the trick! The fritters came together incredibly quickly in the pan, crisping up perfectly on the outside while staying tender and juicy on the inside.

We served the fritters with a simple, classic pairing. I did not use the suggested dipping sauce from the original recipe:

• Noodles: Just plain, buttered noodles provided the perfect comforting base.

• Marinara Sauce: A side of Marinara Sauce (Rao's Homemade Tomato  Sauce, Sensitive Formula) was absolutely essential. Dipping the crispy chicken into the rich, warm tomato sauce elevated the whole dish. The combination of the chicken, the soft noodles, and the sauce was truly perfect together.

Chris gave it two thumbs up. It’s a definite keeper, and I can't wait to make them again!

Chicken Fritters for Two

Ingredients-
3/4 lbs chicken breasts (1 large)
1 large egg
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp Extra light olive oil, to saute (or any high heat cooking oil)

Method-

Using a sharp knife, dice chicken into 1/3" thick pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Tip: If chicken breast is partially frozen, it will be a little bit easier to slice.

Into the mixing bowl, add remaining batter ingredients.

Stir the mixture until well combined, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp oil. 

When oil is hot, add the chicken mixture a heaping Tablespoon at a time. 

Slightly flatten out the tops with the back of your spoon and sauté uncovered 3-4 min on the first side, then flip and sauté 3 min on the second side or until outsides are golden brown and chicken is fully cooked through* 

Repeat with the remaining fritters, adding more oil as needed.

Anniversary Dinner on Repeat

34th anniversary dinner. Osso Bucco. This recipe was delicious last year and just as good this year.

The recipe is from the Table for Two blog. The recipe is for 4, so I obviously made 1/2 the recipe.

Slow Cooker Osso Bucco

Ingredients-

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 pieces veal shank, each about 1 1/4 inches thick (about 2 pounds total)

1/3 cup (53 g) chopped onion

1/3 cup (34 g) chopped celery

1/3 cup (43 g) chopped carrots

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/4 cups (303 g) canned crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup (178 ml) beef broth

Fresh ground black pepper

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 large sprig of fresh rosemary

Chopped fresh parsley, for topping

Method-

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 

I tied the veal shanks so they would stay together while braising. Click here for a video on how to tie the shanks and brown the meat before adding to the slow cooker.

Season veal shanks with salt, then sear all four sides until browned but not cooked through. 

Add to the insert of a slow cooker.

Then add the onion, celery, carrots, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary. 

Stir to mix a bit.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. 

Discard sprigs of thyme and rosemary. 

Sprinkle fresh parsley on top prior to serving, if desired.