What I ate for dinner this week

I don't post here nearly enough, so I thought I might beef up the blog with a quick run down of our weekly din-din's. 

What do you think?

Simple and easy enough, just grilled bratwurst with a smattering of mustard and crispy cold sauerkraut. I picked up the sauerkraut at my local farmers market where they make it in-house, but the bagged kraut at the grocery store isn't too bad. Just make sure to avoid the canned stuff...ick!

 

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Charred Corn Salad. The chicken was literally as it sounds...marinated in a little lemon juice with olive oil and grilled. The corn salad was the highlight of this meal, my husband went back for seconds and I later caught him scraping the last bits out of the bowl. Needless to say, I'll be making this again soon. 

Thai Larb. I make variations of this same dish but this was my first time trying this particular recipe. We liked it, but I'll make some adjustments the next time around. I made it with ground turkey because it's what I had on hand, and I'll add chopped nuts for more texture. OH...and shortly after this photo was taken this was slathered in sriracha. Sriracha makes everything better...didn't you know?

                                    

Chips do not a meal make, and no...we didn't eat this for dinner. BUT these little chippies were a satisfying pre-dinner snack. Chicken + Waffles and Sriracha are two of the limited time Lays flavors that were submitted during their "Do Us A Flavor" contest. I think the Sriracha flavor has the best chances of winning, but they were both fun to try!

                                       

This is also not something we ate for dinner. I'm still getting used to remembering to take photos of what we eat before we dive in. However, this doughnut is notable because it haunts my dreams. No really. I have a difficult time articulating how wonderful it is. It's from a local doughnut shop in Atlanta called Dutch Monkey Doughnuts. If you're even remotely local, let me first say that it's way out in the burbs but I would still suggest paying them a visit. I'll never look at doughnuts the same way again. Their lemon meringue is my favorite with it's not-to-sweet lemon filling and wonderfully silky meringue topping. Ugh...I'm dying just typing about this. 

     

So that was a snapshot of what we had this week! Did you have a notable meal?

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Tomato Soup for the Soul

Seriously? Why does chicken soup get all the glory? There are few things that a piping hot bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese can't fix. 

Now that Fall has officially arrived in Georgia, it's finally appropriate to start pulling out the cozy sweaters, warmer recipes, and (dare I say) boots?!?! I'm super pumped that it's Fall, not only because it's my favorite season but because I love the sense of renewal that comes along with each season. Inevitably, by the time each season comes to a close we are so ready to move on that any change in temperature is cause for a mini celebration. 

These days, I've been eager for a little change in my life. With Josh graduating school, we've closed a chapter in our lives and the next chapter is waiting in the wings. Of course there's excitement that comes with new opportunities, as well as uncertainty about what's around the corner. Not to worry...before my excitement gets out of control my anxiety swoops in to make sure I don't get carried away. You know that saying "the only thing that's certain is death and taxes", well it should be "the only thing that's certain is death, taxes, and Carolyn's anxiety".

At any rate, here's to a new season and new beginnings!

Tomato Soup
Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
1 28oz Can Whole Tomatoes
1 Tbs Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Butter
1 Large Shallot, Minced
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1 Tbs Flour
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/3 Cup Milk (or Cream if you'd like to add richness)


Pre-heat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set a strainer over a bowl, and cut the tomato's in half and remove the seeds. Make sure you retain as much of the juice as possible! We're just trying to get rid of those pesky seeds! Spread the tomato half's on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Roast them in the oven for about 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Pull them out of the oven and set them aside to cool.

Melt the butter of medium heat until foamy and add the tomato paste and minced shallots. Reduce the heat to low and cook the shallots for 7 - 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook until completely incorporated. Gradually start to add the chicken broth and whisk constantly until all of the broth is combined. Add the tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes and bring to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. 

Pour the soup into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend to make the soup creamy! Add the soup back to the pot and add in the milk (or cream) and cook for another 5 minutes. 

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Grilled Clams

I'm a bit short on words this time around. Probably one of the few times a year that I'm not incredibly long winded. 

At any rate, these grilled clams are absolutely delicious. I saw this recipe a few months ago in one of my food magazines and knew that I at least needed to try it. 

In absence of a fun little story wrapped around a great recipe, I figured I'd give you some tips on how to enjoy these little gems.

• Eat these for dinner after a lazy Sunday afternoon
• Grill up some really (and I mean really) good bread with garlic and butter to go along with the clammies
• Make sure you have a really nice, crisp white wine to sip along side the clam's.
• Eat these outside on your deck, or back patio and soak in the last bits of the day
• Make sure to use your grill for this entire meal...grilled clams, grilled bread, grilled vegetables. Perfect for the last hurrah of Summer.

Grilled Clams
Adapted from: Bon Appétit 

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 Tbs Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped
1 Tbs Chives, Chopped
1 Tbs Scallion, Chopped
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
24 Little Neck Clams
Lemon Wedges

Combine the butter, herbs, and lemon juice together until well blended. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Scrub the clam shells to remove any excess grit that might be clinging to them. Set your grill, either gas or charcoal to a medium-high heat. Place clams directly on the rack and close the grill cover to cook. Cook for 6-8 minutes, the clams should have all popped open at this point (discard any that haven't opened). 

Transfer the clams to a platter, being careful to keep as much juice in the shells as possible. Dot the clams with the herb butter, and let stand until the butter melts. Serve with lemon wedges to add a bright splash of flavor!

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Family Traditions

So I sat down and wrote 99% of this post and saved it in draft format. Only to find out later that for some reason my "draft" didn't save and I was left with only the title. Enter sad pouty-face Carolyn. Sadly I don't remember what I said in my post. Like at all. I'm sure it was cleverly composed and teeming with wit, but alas...we'll never know.

Anywho...I'm not going to try to recount what was written previously, but to simply state the main theme of this post which is as you might have guessed...Family Traditions. 

I love traditions. Traditions are just memories that you have the opportunity to recreate, relive, and revive with new people in a different time. I love sharing experiences with other people and especially with my family.


My Dad and I made this ravioli one weekend while I was visiting home and it was such a cool experience. Although pasta making isn't traditionally something that I've done with my family, it has been a large part of my family. While my dad and I were cranking out sheets of fresh pasta dough, he was telling me stories of my 'Big Nonni' (my great-grandmother) and the pasta that she used to make for him. He remembered her kitchen counter being covered with all kinds of fresh pasta that she would roll out by hand. And he told me about the special way that she used to twist her thumb into a ball of pasta dough to make orecchiette (or-kee-yet-tee) and cavatelli's (cah-vah-teel's). 

That's the good stuff...that's why I love traditions. It's getting to hear stories about my family's past and in a way, traveling back in time and getting to know my great-grandmother a little better. It's stories like these that remind me of where I came from, and let's me know that deep down inside I have a little of her in me.


I like to think that Big Nonni would have been proud of our ravioli adventure and this is definitely something that we'll be working into our future family traditions!


Fresh Pasta
Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
4 Large Eggs
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons Water


*Requires Food Processor


Combine all ingredients in the bowl of the fo-pro (food processor) and blend until the dough just begins to form a ball (add water drop-by-drop if the dough is too dry). Process the dough for another 15 seconds more and transfer to a floured surface and let stand, covered with an inverted bowl for 1 hour.


Filling
16 oz Ricotta Cheese (full fat)
2 Cups Parmigiano Reggiano*, freshly grated
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil leaves, chopped
2 Tablespoons Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
1 Large Egg
Salt


Combine all the ingredients together and set aside


*It is SO important that you use the real stuff here...please make sure it's Parmigiano Reggiano and not domestic parm. you'll thank me later :)


Sauce
1 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Red Wine


Heat Olive Oil over medium heat until shimmery, then add the chopped garlic and cook until brown (be careful not to overcook). Add the tomato paste (the mixture will sputter) and stir to combine with the garlic. De-glaze the pan with the red wine and simmer until the the liquid has almost completely evaporated.


Add the can of Crushed Tomatoes and let simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes, but preferably and hour. Salt & Pepper to taste.


Assembly
Use a pasta roller to roll the sheets of pasta dough into uniformly thin long sheets. 


Once the pasta sheets are finished, lay half of them out on a work surface and drop tablespoon size dollops of the cheese mixture onto the pasta sheets about two inches apart from each other. Place the other half of your pasta sheets on top of the cheese mixture and press down to eliminate as many air bubbles as possible. Cut the pasta sheets into individual ravioli's with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Crimp the edges of the pasta with a fork to prevent the cheese from seeping out while cooking. 


Cook the ravioli's in salted boiling water for a few minutes (fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried) until the dough is al dente. 


Pluck the ravioli's out of the water with a slotted spoon and cover with sauce so that they don't stick to each other. 

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Apple Braised Turkey Thighs

We've been on apple overload lately. I keep finding ways to throw them into sweet and savory dishes because they're delicious and I have an entire bushel of them. A few weekends ago we did our annual trip to North Georgia to pick pumpkins and apples. We've been making this trip for the past several years and it's I look forward to it all year!

The weather this time of the year is gorgeous, which doesn't even compare to the colors of the fall leaves in the mountains. Not to mention we have the coolest pumpkin farm on the face of the planet. The apple farm is pretty fun too, the apple season is almost over at this point so instead of picking apples off the trees we generally buy them from their store. We also buy their apple butter and the best dang candy apple I've ever tasted. For realz.

Anyway - on to more important matters. This was one of those recipes that I found knew that I had to make this immediately. It's a good thing I did, this recipe is the epitome of Fall. It's super delish, crazy easy to make, and makes you want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a book. There's nothing better!


Apple Braised Turkey Thighs
Adapted from: Martha Stewart


1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Turkey Thighs or 2 lbs (Boneless, Skin-on)
2 Large Shallots, thinly sliced
4 Apples peeled, quartered, & cored (I used a mixture of granny smith and gala)
2 Cups Apple Cider
14.5 oz Chicken Broth
3 tsp Cider Vinegar 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. Season the turkey thighs with S&P and place skin side down and cook until skin is crisp and golden and then transfer to a plate to rest (yes, just cook one side). Add shallots and cook until soft. Add apples and cook until slightly soft (about 5 minutes).


Return the turkey to the pot (skin side up) and add the cider, chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once the liquid starts to boil, cover the pot and place in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hour. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes.


Take the pot out of the oven and move the turkey to a plate to rest. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid or use a fat separator, and stir in the vinegar to the remaining gravy. Serve turkey with apples and gravy! Enjoy!

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Meatballs. Oh, and that pasta stuff.

I recognize that the title of this post is disturbing. In fact, I deleted three times. But let me hit you with some truth.


The truth is...meatballs are amazing. So amazing that pasta can (sometimes) pale in comparison. I mean really, I feel so blasphemous for even saying that but that's what real friends do...they're honest with each other. Right?


The thing is, I didn't grow up eating a lot of meatballs. It just wasn't really my thing. In fact I still don't eat meat with the "holy mother" 8+ hour sauce because, well who does? But meatballs really elevate my everyday sauce that I make during the work week. 

It turns out that beef, pork, and veal are pretty awesome when they're held precariously together by a little egg, breadcrumb, and cheese. Then you can amp things up to a little bit of awesome when you pan fry them, and finish cooking them in a tomato and wine sauce. Yes.

I have no other words other than, make. this. immediately.


Meatballs & Linguine*
Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen


meatballs
1/2 lb Beef
1/2 lb Veal
1/2 lb Pork
1 Cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
1.5 Tbs Flat Leaf Parsley
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan**
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 Egg, beaten
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil


sauce
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 tps Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Cup Red Wine
28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
Salt
Pepper


pasta
1 lb Linguine
Freshly Grated Parmesan




Make the Meatballs: 
Combine all the meatball ingredients plus 1/4 cup  of warm water and mix with your hands until just combined. Make sure not to over mix. With your hand or the (the cookie scoop you've been eyeing) form the mixture into 1.5 inch meatballs.


Pour vegetable oil into a 12-inch skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat the oil on medium heat and carefully brown the meatballs (in batches) on all sides. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, remove them and set aside on a plate. Once all the meatballs have been browned, discard the oil except for 1 Tbs but do not clean the pan.


Make the Sauce: 
Heat the oil on medium heat, and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up any yummy bits that have clung to the bottom of the pan until half of the liquid evaporates (2 minutes). Stir in the tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.


Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer over very low heat for 30 - 60 minutes. Stir occasionally and watch the sauce so that it doesn't burn.


Cook the linguine to al dente. Drain the pasta, and toss with a bit of sauce to coat the pasta. Serve with a helping serving of more sauce, meatballs, and freshly grated Parmesan.


*I can't stand spaghetti, so I sub Linguine for everything
**Please, for the love of our dear Lord don't use pre-grated parm. It's really unnecessary.

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Everyday Craziness & Appetizers for Dinner

I'm going to get right to it. You know, cut to the chase.


It's been about a zillion years since I've posted, and let's be honest...I've not been the best at staying regular (ha! I'm so funny). I mean I've never been great about sticking to a schedule. Sometimes I go two or three days without washing my hair. So it's only normal that I go several months between blog posts.


But for this, I am sorry. I promise I'm going to work on posting more frequently, but this means that some things are going to change around here. While MiniGuinea will largely remain a blog centered around my escapades with recipes I find all over the interwebs, I'm also going to start posting about my everyday craziness. This past year has been amazing and amazingly crazy...I can only imagine where our lives will go from here. So for now I'll leave you with our dinner of appetizer's and the notion that there's no telling what kind of non-sense will ensue from here.


Goat Cheese & Pancetta Salad on Sweet Potato Medallions

Anyway for an unknown reason, I find the idea of eating appetizer's for dinner really appealing. Don't you? It sounds like so much fun.


So, after a much needed weekend of nothing (is tomorrow really Monday?) Having appetizer's for dinner only seemed like the right thing to do.


These were completely delicious and and I know this, well...because I ate them and I liked them. But also because Josh ate them and loved them too. As he should because I added pancetta solely for his enjoyment...right, solely his enjoyment.

Goat Cheese & Pancetta Salad atop Sweet Potato Medallions
Adapted from: (my idol) Smitten Kitchen

Serves 2


1 Sweet Potato (very large) peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch medallions
4 Tbs Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Cashews
1/4 Lb Pancetta, diced
1 Shallot, minced
2 Stalks of Celery
2 Tbs Flat-Leaf Parsley
3 Oz Goat Cheese
1 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard (the good stuff)


Preheat the oven to a screaming 450 degrees.


Coat a baking sheet generously with olive oil, and lay the sweet potato medallions in one layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast the potatoes without interruption for 15 minutes (possibly 20). Flip each piece over (the bottoms of the potatoes should be dark and blistered) and roast a remaining 10 minutes so that the tops match the bottoms.


While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the salad.


Cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until crisp and the fat has rendered. Once the pancetta has cooked, set aside to cool on a paper towel lined plate. In a separate bowl, combine the minced shallot and the red wine vinegar and set aside. Chop the cashews, celery, and parsley and crumble the goat cheese, then toss together to combine.

Stir the dijon mustard into the shallot, vinegar mixture. Once the mustard is combined, Whisk in a few tablespoons of olive oil into the dressing. Add the cooked pancetta, and shallot dressing to the celery mixture and toss to combine. Eat a little bit of this salad that is totally delish to tide you over.


To serve, place the sweet potato medallions onto a platter and spoon the salad mixture over each medallion. Dust the finished medallions with a bit of freshly cracked black pepper, and snarf them down immediately.

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