Flank Steak Tagliata with Arugula & Parmesan

Another easy and tasty meal, perfect for a weeknight (provided you remember to start the marinade early enough). Excellent! 10/10. I served it with a side of long grain & wild rice (Rice-A-Roni), as you can see.

link to original recipe: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/flank-steak-tagliata-with-arugula-and-parmesan/ 

Ingredients:

1 lemon, halved

3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. chopped fresh rosemary

kosher salt

coarse ground black pepper

1 1/2 lb. flank steak (I think I may have use just 1 lb)

arugula (we used about 2 oz.)

shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Juice half of a lemon into a gallon size zip-top bag (or shallow dish). Add 2 T. of the olive oil, the garlic, rosemary, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and pepper (to taste). Close bag and shake a bit to combine.

2. Add flank steak to bag and move around to coat well, pressing marinade into steak as you do. Seal bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (I think I went 2 hours).

3. Place rack in top third of oven. On this rack, place a large cast-iron skillet (or roasting pan) and heat oven to 450°F. Let skillet heat for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, remove steak bag from fridge and leave out to rest at room temperature while the oven and skillet are heating.

5. Once skillet is ready, transfer steak (discard marinade) to the skillet in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, turn steak over, then bake for 2-4 additional minutes (depending on how done you want it; I think I went just 2 minutes). 

6. Transfer steak to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. (I cut mine on a plate instead.)

7. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 1 T. of olive oil, juice from the remaining lemon half, and a pinch of kosher salt. 

8. Add arugula and toss to coat, then spread on plates for serving.

9. Thickly slice the steak against the grain and place slices on plated arugula. Top with shaved Parmesan and a bit of pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Spring Shortbread Cookies

I really like this recipe a lot, as it's easy (don't even need a mixer) and doesn't make a ton of cookies, and of course, it's delicious! 10/10 again! Obviously, you can make these any shape for any season, they are not specific to spring :)

Link to my YouTube video for recipe prep: https://youtu.be/ldCtDJQFxKo

Link to original recipe: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/spring-shortbread-cookies/

Ingredients:

8 oz. (2 sticks / 1 cup) very soft unsalted butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 c. (7.44 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

for the glaze--

2 c. powdered sugar

4 T. half and half

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

sprinkles, if desired

Directions:

1. Line a large baking sheet (or 2 small ones) with parchment and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir butter with wooden spoon until as smooth as you can get, then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla for around 30 seconds (should be well blended).

3. Stir in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined and dough looks a bit shaggy in texture.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Knead the dough a few times until becomes somewhat smooth, then press out with your hands into a disc shape.

5. On same lightly floured surface, roll out dough to around 3/8" thickness (I think mine may have been closer to 1/4", though). Lightly flour cookie cutter(s) and cut dough in desired shape(s). Place the cut cookie dough on to prepared baking sheet. The cookies don't need a lot of spacing (mine were maybe an inch apart), as they won't be spreading much (if at all). You can re-roll or press together the scraps as many times as needed to use up all dough.

6. Transfer baking sheet to fridge for at least 1 hour (this is how long I went) or up to 24 hours.

7. After fridge time is up, heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 12-14 min, or until just beginning to get golden around the edges.

8. Cool on wire rack. Once cooled, prepare icing: in a medium, wide bowl, whisk together all icing ingredients (powdered sugar, half and half, vanilla) until smooth and desired consistency is reached (you may have to adjust amount of half and half; I did not).

9. Dip tops of cookies in icing, let excess drip off, then place on wire rack to set. Add sprinkles while icing is wet if desired. Serve and enjoy once set!

Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

I loooooved this, 10/10 for sure! I added in some Kielbasa and highly recommend it--might even go with more next time.

Link to my video of the recipe: https://youtu.be/7CY3AB3ekj0

Link to original recipe: https://www.eatwell101.com/creamy-garlic-shrimp-pasta-recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. (dry weight) farfalle pasta

reserved pasta water (at least 1/2 c.; reserve more just in case)

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

~4 oz. kielbasa, sliced in rounds (could go more than this, too)

1 tsp. onion powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and cracked black pepper

4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (bottled in oil), chopped; reserve 2 T. of the oil

1 c. half-and-half

1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth (I used the latter)

1 c. shredded mozzarella 

1 T. dried basil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp. paprika

grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Cook farfalle pasta according to package directions. Reserve the pasta cooking water when draining (you will need at least 1/2 cup, likely a bit more).

2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the onion powder over the shrimp. Heat the 2 T. of reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet (I used 10") over medium heat. (Note: in the video, I forgot to sprinkle the onion powder in this step, so I added it during last cooking part. Still worked fine, but will do correctly next time.)

3. Add shrimp to pan, season with a little salt, and cook on each side until turning golden brown (it was around 2 minutes per side for mine). Transfer shrimp to plate.

4. Add kielbasa to pan and cook until starting to turn golden around edges. Transfer to a plate (can be same one as shrimp).

5. Add sun-dried tomatoes and the minced garlic to skillet and stir constantly for 1 minute.

6. Deglaze pan with chicken broth, then stir in half & half. Bring to a simmer.

7. Stir in the shredded mozzarella, adding a small amount at a time. If sauce is too thick, stir in some pasta water (mine was, so I did). Reduce heat to medium-low or low.

8. Stir in dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika. Season with pepper and 1/4 tsp. of salt (or more, to taste).

9. Return the shrimp, kielbasa, and farfalle to pan. Stir to combine, adding in enough pasta water to reach desired consistency of sauce. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes for flavors to meld.

10. Garnish with grated parmesan, serve, and enjoy!

Don't Make: Pork Tenderloin in Garlic Sauce

Tonight I tried a recipe I thought was going to be great (as most I try are)...instead, it was awful. Seriously, do not waste your precious ingredients and time on this one; I certainly wish I hadn't. It's one thing for a recipe to turn out as so-so, or just not to our taste, but this was a straight up disaster. 

Link to the recipe not to make: http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2008/06/pork-tenderloin-in-garlic-sauce/

I've made other recipes from this site that were awesome, so please don't take this as blanket warning against all their recipes. I'm honestly shocked that this was such a bad one. However, I will still try other recipes from the site going forward.

I followed the instructions almost exactly as written--the only change I made was using medium-high for the heat for the tenderloin, as I thought high would make it cook too quickly on the outside and not inside. Unfortunately, even at medium-high and reducing to medium eventually, the meat nearly blackened on the outside (it looked like it had been grilled) before it was done inside. 

Worse, the oil was burning off and I had to add some in to keep the skillet from going dry. Meanwhile, the milk-garlic sauce scorched a little on bottom, despite being on low heat to keep the simmer. At 25 min, I stopped its cooking, as the garlic was very mushy and could be easily mixed in with the cooked milk. 

Foolishly, I thought maybe this was the way it was supposed to go and still proceeded to add the marsala to the pan. As I feared, it smelled burnt and quickly ruined the marsala. Hoping I could still salvage it, I poured out the burnt stuff, wiped the pan, and tried again with more marsala.

I completed the sauce and tasted it. Nope, weird whang and not at all likeable. I tried to also eat the meat alone and it was just as unlikeable. Tasted like burnt peppercorns. I can only recall one other time where a recipe disappointed me so terribly. I hope to never have such an experience again.

Duck Breasts with Crisp Pancetta and Onions

MMMM. This is really awesome, 10+/10! As I was making it just for me and my husband, I modified the original just slightly, using only 2 duck breasts (instead of 4) and halved the amount of pancetta, which still ended up being more than we needed by far. Next time, I would go much easier on the kosher salt and would half the amount of pancetta again. There was a good amount of sauce left, but I would not recommend halving that, as it's not a huge amount leftover. For the chicken demi-glace, I made it from 'More Than Gourmet' concentrated demi-glace, which worked perfectly. For the "sturdy greens" part, I was not able to find what was listed in the original recipe, so I went with a pre-mix salad that had spinach and butter lettuce--again, worked perfectly.

Link to my YouTube video of recipe preparation: https://youtu.be/vpNKtuJqni4

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pan-roasted-duck-breasts-with-onions-and-crisp-pancetta

Amounts listed below include my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the veggies--

2 red onions, sliced in 1/2" thick rounds

2 sprigs of thyme

8 sage leaves

2 T. olive oil

-------

for the duck and sauce--

2 duck breasts

kosher salt (go lightly on this) and cracked black pepper, to taste

1/4 lb. thinly sliced mild pancetta (will half this next time)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 c. chicken demi-glace

2 T. sherry vinegar

3 T. walnut oil

2 T. olive

salad mix of spinach and butter lettuce

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed, medium baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a medium bowl, separate onions into rings, then add the thyme and sage, and drizzle all over with the olive oil. Stir/toss to coat evenly with the oil, then pour out onto the prepared baking sheet.

3. Transfer to oven and roast for around 20 minutes, tossing once around halfway through, until veggies are becoming tender and golden (mine went a bit past this, but still tasted great). Remove from oven and discard thyme stems. Fold the aluminum foil over the onions to keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Score the fat on the duck breasts in cross-hatch pattern, being careful to not pierce the meat (you will need a VERY sharp knife for this). Season the duck with kosher salt and cracked pepper, then add to pan, fat side down.

5. Cook for 7 minutes on the fat side down, then turn breasts over. Transfer pan to oven and roast for 6 minutes.

6. Once it has finished roasting, transfer breasts to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest at least 5 minutes (more is also fine).

7. While duck is resting, return the pan to the stove with heat just under medium. Line a plate with a paper towel. Add pancetta to heated pan, in a single layer, and cook until just crisped. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.

8. Pour off all but 2 T. of the oil from the skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and add the minced garlic. Stir constantly for one minute, then stir in the demi-glace and sherry vinegar. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits in pan.

9. Remove from heat and whisk in the walnut oil and 2 T. of olive oil. Season with kosher salt and cracked pepper (I will likely skip the salt next time).

10. Slice duck breasts crosswise and serve with the sauce, onions, pancetta, and salad mix. Enjoy!

6 in (15 cm) Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting

In the mood for cake, yet don't need a huge layer cake? Get a 6" round cake pan and try this recipe, it's very tasty and easy! The frosting is great--it really makes the cake (which is good on its own, though). The only modifications I made were the baking time (which is likely just a difference in pan the original recipe used and/or oven), and the sprinkles I used for topping. 10/10 rating for this cake :)

Here is my video of making / trying out the recipe: https://youtu.be/CLsIKkt3Wz4

Original recipe post here: https://bakeorbreak.com/2020/12/6-inch-chocolate-cake/

Ingredients:

for the cake--

3/4 c. (90g) all-purpose flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. light brown sugar (packed)

1 large egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. + 1 T. buttermilk

for the frosting--

1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. marshmallow creme

optional: sprinkles for topping/decoration

Directions:

1. Prepare the pan: grease and flour a 6" (15 cm) round baking pan. Cut a circle of parchment to line the bottom of the pan. Grease the parchment on the side that faces up and place in pan. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

5. Using low speed, alternate mixing in a third of the reserved dry mixture and half of the buttermilk at a time until all are combined.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 min, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (I had to go 40 min).

7. Cool cake in pan for 15 min, then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

8. Prepare the frosting: in a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together all 4 frosting ingredients until well combined and smooth. 

9. Spread atop cake and, if desired, top with sprinkles. Enjoy!

• 
  

Sheet pan roasted chicken thighs and asparagus

So easy and delicious! 10/10 again! Very flavorful, moist chicken, and hubby declared this is the best way to have asparagus. I've made the asparagus alone using same method and ingredients in this recipe and served it with steak, was just as good. Try this recipe tonight! (BTW, this came together so easily and quickly I forgot about taking production pix until the end, so I'll try to add those the next time I make this.)

Link to original recipe: https://www.eatwell101.com/oven-baked-chicken-with-asparagus-recipe

Recipe below includes my modifications.

Ingredients:

olive oil (to prepare the baking sheet and brush on chicken thighs)

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt (not kosher)

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper 

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

juice of 1 small or 1/2 of large lemon

6 T. butter, cut in small slices/chunks

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat to 425°F (note to self: used full oven, convection roast setting). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush all over with olive oil.

2. Arrange the chicken thighs on one side of the prepared baking sheet and brush tops with olive oil.

3. Mix the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, turning to coat both sides.

4. On the other side of the baking sheet, arrange the asparagus as best you can to form a single layer (okay to have some overlaps if needed). Drizzle with the lemon juice.

5. Top both the asparagus and the chicken with the pieces of butter, distributing as evenly as possible.

6. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 min (or until chicken has reached internal temp of 165°F). Serve immediately and enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Pork LOIN

Recipe with video #4! This is super easy and super delicious, 10+/10 all the way. I has intended to try a different recipe originally, which was for pork TENDERLOIN, not the same thing, can't substitute. I had thawed the pork LOIN out in the fridge and didn't look closely at the label (obviously)...and didn't have enough time to go get a TENDERLOIN, so I had to find a different recipe to try. I'm very glad this happened, as this recipe is sooooo tasty! In the video, I keep accidentally calling it a tenderloin, and I'm a bit less organized than usual, so I hope everyone still enjoys it anyway (and pardon the parts where we forgot to do the lighting correctly) :)

Link to my YouTube video for the recipe: https://youtu.be/OQo4pq9YOhQ

Link for original recipe: https://diethood.com/instant-pot-pork-loin/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1.7 lb. pork LOIN (this is the weight I used; you can go up to 2.5 lbs, and if you do, increase pressure time by a minute or two)

3 T. butter, melted

1 T. bottled minced garlic

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. soy sauce

3/4 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. dried parsley (or 2 tsp. fresh)

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 tsp. fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper (I didn't measure, but recipe says 1/2 tsp)

1 T. olive oil

1 c. chicken broth

optional: small amount of cornstarch slurry (I used about 1/2 tsp. with maybe equal amount of water)

Directions:

1. Leave pork loin out at room temperature for 20-30 min prior to cooking. Trim off silverskin (if any), but leave fat cap in place.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, and thyme.

3. Season the pork loin all over with the sea salt and fresh pepper, then brush the melted butter mixture all over.

4. Add the 1 T. olive oil to the pot of a pressure cooker and set to "sauté". Once the oil has heated, add the pork loin (I also scraped the excess seasoning from the plate I had it on, into the pot) and cook for 2-3 min per side.

5. Stop the sauté function. Transfer pork loin to clean plate, leaving drippings in the pot. Place the pressure cooker trivet in the pot, add the chicken broth, then place pork loin atop the trivet.

6. Close lid (check that the pressure valve is closed!) and set for pressure cook for 14 min (I used "poultry" setting on mine, as it doesn't have a "pork" setting).

7. At the end of pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 min, then quick release the rest. (Note: you can go until fully released naturally if desired; I went 20 min and there was barely any pressure to "quick" release).

8. Carefully open lid and transfer pork to cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 15 min. 

9. Meanwhile, set the pressure cooker to "sauté" and cook the sauce for 5 min. If desired, mix in a small amount of cornstarch slurry to help thicken the sauce. (Note: I added the slurry after the 5 min and let cook for remaining rest time of the pork.)

10. Slice up pork, serve with sauce and enjoy!

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Video recipe #3 is here! These cookies turned out pretty good, would go with 9/10, would make again. Next time, I will use parchment on the cookie sheets, as the bottoms were fairly stuck, despite using nonstick style cookie sheets. The cooking time was not correct as written; I had to go 10 minutes and even at that, I think I could have gone 11 or even 12.

Link to my YouTube video for the recipe: https://youtu.be/FwgcJdM0xv4

Link to original recipe: https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/dessert/vanilla-sugar-cookies

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (11.68 oz.)

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

colored sugar (not sanding sugar)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until well blended.

4. Gradually mix in the reserved flour mixture until well blended.

5. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

6. Heat oven to 400°F. (next time: line baking sheets with parchment)  Roll dough into 1" balls, then toss the balls in the colored sugar until completely coated. Place on baking sheet at least 2" apart.

7. Bake for 10-12 min. After removing from oven, let rest on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs

Happy Easter! Well, it was Easter when I made these, but you could make them anytime, in any shape. They are really, really tasty...and rich. I altered the original recipe in that I opted to coat the "eggs" in regular chocolate rather than white chocolate. Instead, I colored the white chocolate to drizzle over the eggs, and glad I did it this way for two reasons: 1. we like regular chocolate better than white and 2. the coloring didn't take well, was not uniform (used Wilton gel-style coloring), would have made for rather unattractive "eggs". Will absolutely make these again, they are 10/10 level tasty. For the regular chocolate coating, I tried three different ones: Lindt 55% milk with intense cocoa notes, Ghirardelli 72% dark, and some milk chocolate chips (for the last 5 eggs I had left). As much as I love dark chocolate (and it turned out just as well), I will go with Lindt 55% for the whole batch next time. Will NOT use milk chips, as they did not melt as well as the other two by far. And I would have the whole amount of chocolate ready to go to dip all right away, as their being frozen helps them set fast.

Link to original recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a52101/cookie-dough-easter-eggs-recipe/

Ingredients:

3/4 c. peanut butter

3/4 c. brown sugar (packed)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers

1/4 tsp. kosher salt (*I accidentally used regular salt, worked just fine)

3 T. whole milk

3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

10-12 oz. good quality chocolate bars for melting/coating (see my notes about this in intro)

3 oz. white chocolate, melted, divided into bowls, dyed with pastel colors

rainbow sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla for 2-3 minutes. 

2. By hand, mix in the graham crackers, salt, and milk. Fold in the mini chips.

3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough onto the parchment and press into the shape of an egg; repeat with remaining cookie dough.

4. Transfer baking sheet to freezer for 1 hour.

5. Just before the hour is up, melt the chocolate(s) in a double boiler (or very carefully in short intervals in the microwave). 

6. Use a spoon to dip the frozen "eggs" in the melted chocolate, returning to the parchment to set. Once they are set, drizzle with the dyed white chocolate and top with sprinkles if desired. 

7. Place in fridge to set for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy (with a napkin, as the chocolate will melt easily on your fingers)! 

Cajun Chicken Stroganoff

So happy for the very positive and supportive reactions to my first cooking video, thank you to everyone! And here is another one, my second video recipe, another 10/10 tasty and wonderful recipe. It's super easy and comes together quickly, thus why it is from the magazine/booklet "Weeknight Menus" by Cuisine at Home. I had made this a long time back and forgotten about it until now; glad I remembered and made it for my second video entry. Even better, I used it to try out the new induction burner I just got over the weekend...and I love it, cooks great!

Link to recipe video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g6ivB6m7Sy4

Recipe listed below contains my modifications from the original.

Ingredients:

cooked egg noodles, for serving (I used Racconto medium egg noodles)

4 T. olive oil, divided

1/2 lb. kielbasa

1/2 lb. button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/3 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cut in 2-3" sections

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 T. tomato paste

2 tsp. bottled minced garlic

1/2 c. dry sherry

3/4 c. chicken broth

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. crème fraîche

Directions:

1. Add 2 T. of the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, stir in the kielbasa and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until starting to brown (around 5 minutes). Transfer kielbasa and mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the oregano, basil, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Add the chicken tenderloins and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. 

3. Sprinkle the flour atop the chicken pieces, then stir to coat evenly.

4. Heat the remaining 2 T. of the olive oil in the same large skillet as before, again on medium-high. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, for around 5 minutes.

5. Push the chicken to one side of the pan, then add the tomato paste and garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

6. Deglaze the pan with the sherry, stirring until liquid has nearly dissolved, then stir in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. 

7. Return the reserved kielbasa and mushrooms to the pan, stirring to coat in the mixture. Bring sauce to simmer and maintain simmer for 5 minutes (I had to reduce the heat to medium-low at this point).

8. After the 5 minutes of simmering, remove from heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Serve over the cooked egg noodles and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pork and Sausage Meatballs

Hello all! This is my first recipe with videos rather than pictures, and I'm launching a YouTube site to go along with it! Please keep in mind that this is not some professional, studio quality production; my son did the camera work and it's our first attempt at any such thing :) Planning to do more of these going forward and hopefully our production techniques will improve along the way. Link to my YouTube video about this recipe:

https://youtu.be/imgqs46aXjw

This recipe is very tasty, highly recommend, 10/10. I only modified the recipe a tiny bit, which was adding more crushed tomatoes than called for as written, and the amounts of pork and sausage were slightly different. Next time I make it, I will add the entire 28 oz. of the can (I only went about 2/3 of the can during this attempt). It is equally delicious leftover, though you may want to supplement with some jarred sauce when reheating.

Link to original recipe: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/slow-cooked-pork-and-sausage-meatballs-with-porcini-sauce

Written version below includes my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the meatballs--

1 1/2 c. coarse fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 c. sweet red vermouth (I used Gallo brand, which I purchased at Jewel-Osco)

1 lb. ground pork

18 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed (I used Kroger store brand)

1 large egg

6 T. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

for the sauce--

~20 oz. crushed tomatoes (I will use full 28 oz can next time)

1/4 c. tomato paste

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

1. Begin making the meatballs: in a large bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and vermouth. Set aside and let stand for 20 minutes.

2. After the 20 minutes, add the ground pork and the Italian sausage to the mixture. Use your hands to break up the sausage and thoroughly combine the mixture.

3. Mix in the egg, Parmesan-Reggiano, sage, oregano, salt, and nutmeg. 

4. Form into 12 meatballs.

5. Make the sauce: in a 5-6 qt slow cooker, combine all the sauce ingredients (from crushed tomatoes through kosher salt), stirring until the tomato paste is dissolved.

6. Nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Cover and set to cook on "hi" for 1.5 hours, then reduce to "lo" setting for around 5 additional hours.

7. Serve with cooked spaghetti and enjoy!