Wintery nights spent snuggled up at home call for the ultimate in comfort food – and what can be more comforting than a creamy, cheesy Savoyarde Tartiflette? Straight from the French region of Haute-Savoie (where dairy products are no laughing matter), this delicious casserole of potatoes, bacon and Reblochon cheese ticks all the right boxes – unless of course you’re starting a diet.

Yes, granted, runny cheese and salty meat loaded with carbohydrates and full-fat cream isn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but let’s face it, sometimes, it’s just so worth it.

3 medium waxy potatoes
1 onion, sliced
150g pancetta, cut into 1cm lardons
100g Reblochon cheese, cut into cubes (leave the rind on as this gives the dish a nice crispy crust)
100ml double cream
Salt and pepper

Serves 2

1. Peel and slice the potatoes into thick slices – about 1cm. Boil until tender.

2. Heat some oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Fry until soft, add the bacon, and continue to fry until the onion becomes lightly browned.

3. Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Layer the sliced potatoes and onion and bacon mixture in a suitable heatproof dish (if making for a special occasion this also works well in individual casserole dishes). Place the cubes of Reblochon amongst the potatoes and bacon so that everything is more or less evenly distributed.

4. Drizzle with cream and season with salt (not too much as the bacon is already salty) and pepper.

5. Grill for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and brown on top. Serve with a green salad (or another similar vegetable) and a tart dressing. Bon appétit!

The article Tartiflette for Two: Go On, Treat Yourselves appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Grammy, a 70-year-old Italian woman from New Jersey, makes the best meatballs and gravy that you will ever eat. For those of you who don’t know, gravy refers to a very thick, red sauce for spaghetti. By the time it is done, the concoction is so thick and delicious, starches aren’t necessary to enjoy the meal… all you need is a spoon.

The following recipe is how Grammy dictated it to me, as her mother did to her. The recipe is a family tradition that has been passed down, made every Sunday, here now for all to enjoy. However, there are secrets to the sauce. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t come out perfectly the first time. Some of Grammy’s secrets: the longer it cooks, the tastier it will be; use fresh basil; and use a lot of garlic.

Meatballs:

• 1 pound of ground beef, pork, and veal (meatloaf mixture)
• 1 egg
• handful of grated romano cheese
• half a handful of parsley
• 6 cloves of garlic, choppedn (more or less, according to taste)
• 1/2-3/4 cups of bread crumbs
• salt
• pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Roll them and transfer them to a well-oiled pan. Fry them in a frying pan until dark and crispy. If you make more than a pound of meat, bake in oven at 375 until well browned.

Jersey gravy (spaghetti sauce):

• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
• medium onion, sliced thinly
• 2 cans of San Marzano whole Italian tomatoes, squeezed
• 1 can of tomato purée
• Tablespoon of basil
• Sprinkle of oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• Pepper

Put oil in a heavy pan, and sauté onion until transluscent. Add and sautéd garlic. Add the squeezed tomatoes and tomato purée and seasonings, and cook for at least 3 hours, on simmer. Add meatballs or any other meat (and scrapings from pan to the pot). You could also use any other meat including: pork, chicken and braciole.

This should serve 2 to 4 people.

The article Grammy’s Sunday Gravy and Meatballs appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Vegetarian Baked Ziti is one of my favorite dishes to make. It is a delicious and filling pasta dish that goes well with cheese and garlic biscuits. Vegetarian Baked Ziti replaces real meat with soy imitation meat and uses vegetarian cheese that contains no rennet or animal enzymes.

I use Boca ground crumbles, which can be found at most grocery stores. Whole Foods’ 365 brand cheese specifies that it is vegetarian, unlike most cheese brands, even if they contain no animal enzymes or rennet. It is a great alternative to the original, non-vegetarian version.

The ingredients needed for this recipe are:

• 1 pound of dry ziti pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound of Boca ground crumbles (or other brand of fake meat soy crumbles)
• 2 jars of spaghetti sauce (26 oz.)
• 6 oz. of sliced Provolone cheese
• 6 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ cups of sour cream
• 2 tbsp. of grated Parmesan cheese

First, lightly salt a large pot of water, and bring to a boil. Pour in the ziti pasta, cook until al dente for about eight minutes, then drain. In a large skillet, mix the onion and soy crumbles together and brown over medium heat. Then, add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and butter a 9×13” baking dish. Then, layer as follows: one half of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, one half of the spaghetti sauce, the rest of the ziti, mozzarella cheese, then add the rest of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake this dish for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Pull out of oven when done, let cool, then enjoy! The preparation time for this meal takes about 20 minutes. The cook time will take 35 minutes, and it will yield about 10 servings.

The article Vegetarian’s Choice: Baked Ziti appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.