MMM Beef

Oh dear! I'm posting again already! What has happened to me? Oh right, the new layout. I just love it! Anyway, I was dreadfully divided about what to cook for dinner. You see, I was craving spaghetti with beefy tomato sauce, something that has no recipe whatsoever because the sauce comes from a jar. But I also have a super fantastic recipe for a hearty, beefy ragu that I've been wanting to try for a few weeks now. What's a pregant girl to do?

No, I didn't make both! Are you crazy?!? I haven't been able to eat leftovers lately so the last thing I need is an overabundance of spaghetti meals in my fridge. Gross. I went with the recipe, obviously, so that I could have something to share with you. Oh man, am I glad I did! It was exactly what I've been wanting today. Beef and tomatoes and pasta. Pretty sure the only thing that could make it better would have been some alfredo sauce (mmm, pink sauce). I also added some spicy Italian suasage because I wanted to.

And can I just say that I'm addicted to bread at the mo? I seriously need to get my lust checked out or learn how to make it myself before I go broke buying it from the store. It is seriously that good right now with some butter. I might actually need to go break off another piece before I finish this post up. Gotta keep my energy up to give you the recipe now don't I?

Penne with Hearty Beef Ragu
Recipe by Confections of a Foodie Bride, adapted by me

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
12 oz ground beef, extra lean
2/3 cup red wine (I used beef stock cause the mell of wine does things to my insides that is not fun)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 2-3 inch section of Parmesan rind (optional; I did not use this because I didn't remember to buy fresh Parm)
1 lb whole wheat penne (I actually debated on just using spaghetti but then I thought about and decided to do the whole wheat penne; I was good)

1. Add the olive oil to a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary and cook until the vegetables are softened, 8-10 minutes. Add 1 to 2 Tbsp water, if needed, to keep the pan from drying out and the vegetables from browning.
2. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and aromatic, about 40 minutes. Add the Parmesan rind and cook an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Before the sauce is finished, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta. Remove the rind and add the pasta to the sauce, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Risotto Again

I've been called a lot of names in my life. Some of them flattering, some of them not so much. One name I've been called that bemuses me is "Little Martha." Yeah, that Martha. I think I may be one of the few food bloggers that does not hold a soft spot in her heart for her. She certainly is a polarizing figure. I haven't met a single person who is just middle of the road on their feelings for her. Love her or hate her though, the woman is a crafting wiz as well as genius in the kitchen.

Now, I realize that risotto is not necessarily the healthiest food, but Ms. Martha crammed two very good for you veggies into this dish. Tomato and sausage risotto calls for one giant can of diced tomatoes and 10-14 oz. of spinach (it also calls for an onion, but I don't know that much about the benefits of those tear-inducers to say that they are a super food). So the sausage and parmesan kind of cancel out the goodness from the veg, it still tastes incredible and pleases almost every person I know (pretty sure I can count on one hand the people who would not eat this).

To round out our meal, we had a small spinach salad with some fat free vinagarette and small chunk of crusty bread with a schmear of butter). Welcome to my Heaven! Thank you, Martha for giving me a reason to love you.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto

Recipe by Martha Stewart

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 Cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

MMM MMM Good!

Earlier this week was Mardi Gras as most of you know. I had the fortune of spending the evening with two of my most favorite people, my hubby and my sister. We got spent the evening in dowtown Tulsa for the parade that was put on by the businesses located in the Blue Dome district. Dinner at McNellie's followed (yummy burgers and beer) where the hubby and the sister played some pool while I tried to take pictures (none of them were very good though). Anyway, a day or two later my sister uploaded her own pictures to her Facebook. Comments kept trickling into my email about some of the ones that had been tagged of me. When I got around to looking at the pictures, I was disgusted at what I saw. I know that I'm a big girl. No one could ever mistake me for being anorexic. But the person staring back at me from those pictures was not the same person I see in the mirror. Needless to say, I started taking stock of what I've been eating (and cooking). I've been making very rich and fattening foods. I'm making a promise to myself to try to be more healthy, and to show I'm serious, I've included the picture that made me sick (all the way at the bottom).

The first recipe I decided to tackle for my new healthier version of myself is a soup recipe I found in Taste of Home magazine. Tomato Tortellini soup is so simple and super tasty. I adapted the heck out of this thing and plan on doing some things even more differently next time (I'll add some grilled chicken and have a smaller portion with a small salad next time to make it extra filling). I hope you'll keep me company as I go on this journey to try to lighten some recipes up. Enjoy the soup!

Tomato Tortellini Soup
Recip by Taste of Homes, heavily adapted by me

1 pckg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini (next time I'll use the whole wheat variety, they just didn't have any this time at the store)
2 cans (10-3/4 oz. each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3-3/4 cups skim milk
1/4 half and half cream
1/2 chopped oil packed sundried tomatoes (I cheated and used a pre-chopped variety; next time I won't use the oil packed)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1.2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions (should just be boil some water, add tortellini, cook for 7-9 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine soup, broth, milk, half and half, tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently.
3. Drain tortellini and carefully add to the soup. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Serve and top with remaining cheese.

So we'll call this the before picture, and hopefully by this time next year, the after picture will be much better.