FALL-OFF-THE-BONE SLOW COOKED ASIAN SHORT RIBS

Ever since I have been in self-isolation due to COVID-19 I have been cooking up a storm. Yesterday, Adam and I decided to try to make some Asian style beef short ribs in the Le Creuset his parents got us for Christmas and they turned out even better than imagined! Adam said I can definitely make this again! The best part, everything goes into one pot and you just have to let it sit on low. It’s so easy!

INGREDIENTS:

 Serves 2 People

-Short Ribs-
3 LBS of Beef Short Ribs - bone-in, cut crosswise into 2” pieces
1/2 a CUP of reduced-sodium soya sauce
1/2 a CUP beef broth
1/4 CUP of brown sugar
3 Garlic cloves (minced)
1 TBSP Ginger (freshly grated)
1 TSP of Sesame Oil
1 TSP of Crushed Red Chili Pepper flakes (optional)
2 TBSP of Corn Starch
1/4 CUP of Water
Sesame Seeds for garnish
Fresh parsley (chopped finely) for garnish

-Sides-
Sticky Rice

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine soya sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, sesame oil, and chili flakes (optional) in a large bowl. Wisk until well incorporated.

Place short ribs (bone down) in Le Creuset and add in the soya sauce mixture. With Le Creuset’s you will need to give each piece of meat a little space, in other words, don’t pack them in too tight. Make sure meat is well coated with sauce - there should be a pool but not necessarily completely submerged.

Cover and bring to a boil on medium before lower temperature to low and allowing to cook on low heat for 5-6 hours.

30 minutes before the meat reaches the end of its cooking time, in a separate small bowl mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the cornstarch mixture to the Le Creuset and stir well. Allow meat to cook for the remaining 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

After, start to preparing/cook your sticky rice!

Once meat is finished cooking, garnish with sesame seeds and freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately over sticky rice.

Enjoy!

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If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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BAKED ITALIAN KETO MEATBALLS!

My mom and I have been on the keto diet for over a year and we are always looking for new keto-friendly recipes to fit our keto-lifestyle. About a month or two ago my mom found this old ‘baked Italian meatball’ recipe on the internet and we decided to give it try, with a couple of our own keto-friendly twists of course. That evening when we sat down to dinner we could not believe how juicy and delicious the meatballs were, and the sauce - a little spicy but so flavorful. For the next three weeks straight we started a Meatball Monday tradition because we honestly couldn’t get enough! My mom and I love this recipe so much we figured It wasn’t fair for us to keep it all to ourselves, so here it is my keto loving friends! I’ve written it out so you can enjoy it too!

Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS:

-Meatballs-
1 lbs of medium (15-20% fat) ground beef
2 Italian pork sausages - casing removed and chopped
1 cup of Parmesan - grated
1.5 cloves of garlic - minced
1 cup crushed pork rinds
1 Egg
2 tbsp of fresh, chopped Italian parsley
Salt and Pepper

-Sauce-
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 small sweet onion - chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 tsp of oregano
2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped roughly
1-2 dashes of hot chili flakes (if desired)
1 - 800g (28oz) can of peeled tomatoes (Roma / San Marzano)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

-Toppings-
Fresh Parsley
Parmesan Cheese

-Extras-
Baguette

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and form 7-8 large meatballs. Place meatballs on a tray covered in parchment paper and store in a cool place.

In a deep skillet or dutch oven, add olive oil and let it heat up on low/medium heat.

Once hot add onion to skillet and let sweat 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to let simmer stirring occasionally.

Once onion and garlic is translucent add in your spices and continue to cook 1-2 minutes.

Add in the canned tomatoes and chop up any large tomato bits. Mix thoroughly before covering and allowing to simmer at a low temperature for 30 minutes, stirring periodically.

After 30 minutes of simmering pre-heat oven to 350F.

Place meatballs in the skillet or dutch oven on top of the simmering sauce. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese and add in fresh thyme.

Bake (no lid if you are using a dutch oven) for approximately 20-25 minutes turning meatballs over half way.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

Beef and Barley soup is the quintessential fall/winter hearty soup. There are so many nutrients and vegetables in this soup that will pick you up if you are felling sick.  The beef and broth will also warm you right up on a cold day and give you the energy to continue on. My mom always made this soup when I was sick because she knows it was my favorite and I guess its only right to pay that forward. When I asked me mom to send me the recipe I was not really surprised to see it was a Barefoot Contessa recipe. Of course it is, she is queen - all hail the Contessa! Ill post the original link below. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

1 TBSP of Olive Oil
2 Lbs of Stewing Beef
2TSP of Salt (divided into 1 TSP portions)
2 TSP Pepper (divided into 1 TSP portions)
2 Cups of Leek (clean and chopped white bit - green bit is no good)
2 Cups of Carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 Large Spanish or Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 Cup of Celery (copped)
3 Bay Leaves
2 Stings of Thyme
8 Cups of Beef Broth
1 Cup of Uncooked Barley (rinsed)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot heat up your oil on medium heat. Once ready throw in your stewing beef. Add 1 TSP of salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes stirring periodically. You want the beef to be browned on all sides and to let out the fat and juices.

Once the beef is browned remove the beef and set aside but leave the juices!! We are going to use the juice to cook the vegetables so once the beef is out throw in the leeks, carrots, celery, and onion! Let that cook releasing the water from the vegetables and cooking them down for 10 minutes. They will also absorb some of the oils/fats left behind from the meat - YUM!

Once the vegetables are cooked down you can add your meat back in as well as your 2 springs of thyme, bay leaves, and beef broth. You can also add in your remaining salt and pepper at this time. Bring to a boil before lowering to a simmer and covering. You will need to let the soup continue to cook on a simmer for an hour.

In the meantime, we are going to cook the barley so bring four cups of water in a separate pot to a boil and throw in your barley and reduce to a simmer. Let the barley simmer UNCOVERED for 30 minutes before you drain and set it aside.

When the 60 minutes are up for the soup throw in the barley and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes. Depending on how you like your soup you may want to add some salt and pepper before serving. Also, I like to remove the thyme and bay leaves so that they don’t get in people’s bowls.

Original Recipe -> http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rich-beef-barley-soup-recipe.html

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

GLUTEN FREE MEATBALLS - PALEO FRIENDLY

Dat's a spicy meat-a-ball!!! lol Sorry couldn't help myself. I love a good meatball but never order them unless I'm dining at a proper Italian restaurant. Its kind of a crap shoot as to weather they are moist enough or taste good, especially if they dont have breadcrumbs in them; but this meatball recipe would make any Italian grandmother/mother proud! These meatballs when done right come out so juicy and great with tomato sauce or in a soup or even just by themselves. If you have leftovers you can even chop one up later and put the meat in your breakfast omelet. Meatballs are obviously high in protein so it can be a really healthy dinner option especially if your restricted by a gluten intolerance. Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs
3 lbs - Ground beef/pork mix (you can use just ground beef if you want but the pork makes it even juicier)
1 Medium Onion (chopped finely)
3-4 Cloves of Garlic (chopped finely)
1 TBSP of Oregano
1 Egg
1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese (grated finely)
1 TSP of Chili Peppers (adjust to how spicy you want them
1 TBSP Salt
1 TBSP of Pepper

Olive Oil for the pan

Tomato Sauce - quick and easy option (optional)
Strained Tomato - i used Molisana Passata Di Pomodoro
Fresh Basil
Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees and oil your oven pan so it has a light layer of oil

Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together with your hands. Once mixed start to form the meatballs about the size of your palm - try not to squeeze them together to tight, you dont want them to be dense.

Once meatballs are formed place them on the oiled tray. Keep going until all the ingredients in the bowl are gone.

Place pan with meatballs in the oven for 35 Minutes

Once done you can remove them and store them for later use or continue with the final steps.

In a frying pan add olive oil and a bit of the fat drippings from the roasting pan, brown the meatballs at medium heat to get a nice outer sear. Once browned on all sides reduce heat to low and add in your tomato sauce, fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.

As the sauce warms coat the meatball in the sauce until the sauce is warmed through.

You can move the meatball into a serving bowl, drizzle the sauce from the pan on top and add more freshly grated Parmesan if you want.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!