Thyme and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Thyme and Caramelized Onion Pizza1 batch pizza dough (I love this recipe from la cucina italiana.  you make the dough the night before which gives it a wonderful flavor.)

1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 medium Vandalia onions, sliced
3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
tomato sauce (optional)
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, sliced

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven.  Preheat your oven to 425.

Stretch the pizza dough to form a roundish pizza on a piece of parchment paper.  Allow it to rest while you prepare the toppings.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir until it begins to turn golden (about 1 minute).  Add the onions, and stir regularly until they begin to caramelize and turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in thyme, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

To assemble the pizza, pour the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough.  If you prefer a white pizza, brush the dough with olive oil.  Arrange the mozzarella in slices over the sauce followed by the onions.  Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in your preheated oven.  Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is brown.

Recipe Notes: If you want to skip a step, buy pre-made dough.  I haven't tried it, but I have heard that Whole Foods makes really good frozen pizza dough.  This pizza would also be delicious with goat cheese instead of the mozzarella cheese.  If you use goat cheese, however, don't use tomato sauce!

Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

pasta with wild mushroom sauce1 lb ground beef
2 medium Vandalia (or other sweet onion), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups red wine
1/2 cup dried mushrooms, broken into small pieces
2 large cans (28 oz) whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped

1 lb spaghetti or linguini

Heat a Dutch over or a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the ground beef and stir regularly until the beef loses its raw appearance.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook for about 12 minutes, until the onion is translucent and tastes sweet.  Add the salt and pepper.  Carefully add the wine to the pot and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Cook for about 4 more minutes so that the wine begins to reduce.  Add the tomatoes, oregano, mushrooms, and bay leaves.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and then reduce the heat to maintain a consistant, gentle simmer.  Cook the sauce for 1 hour until it is thick and flavorful.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add plenty of kosher salt and the pasta.  Cook until the pasta is al dente.  Toss the pasta in the sauce and sprinkle with plenty of freshly grated parmesan and the basil.

Recipe notes:  I used a mixture of crimini and porcini mushrooms, but really any combination will do.  You could also use fresh mushrooms, although I would still add the dried mushrooms to give the sauce a depth of flavor.  If you use fresh mushrooms, chop the mushrooms and add the mushrooms after you cook the onion and the garlic.  The mushrooms will release a lot of water, so make sure the onions and the garlic are cooked before you add the fresh mushrooms.  You can also make this sauce ahead of time and then reheat it when you are ready to eat.  If you have leftovers, it freezes beautifully.

Elk Burgers with Stone Fruit Chutney

1 Lb Ground elk Meat
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, minced
2 peaches, peeled and chopped
2 nectarines, peeled and chopped
1 mango, peeled and chopped
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs sugar (optional depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
salt and pepper

For the Chutney:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.. Add garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 30 seconds Add onion and sauté for about 7 minutes until the onions are translucent and begin to caramelize (turn golden) around the edges. Add tomato paste, and stir for about 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste begins to turn brown. Add stone fruit and cook until the fruit is hot and begins to decompose, about 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add vinegar, cinnamon, and sugar. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

For the Burgers:
Season the elk meat with salt and pepper. Form into 1/3 pound burgers. Over hot coals cook on each side about 3-4 minutes. These burgers cook fast, so be careful not to overcook!

Recipe notes: I chose not to heavily season the elk meat because I was pairing the burgers with a very flavorful chutney. If you don’t make a chutney, I would suggest adding ¼ finely minced onion and 1 clove of garlic as well as salt and pepper to the elk meat. You can really use any combination of fruit in the chutney. If I had made a solely mango chutney as I originally intended, I probably would have added 1 Tbs of freshly ground ginger, substituted 1 tsp of Chinese five spice powder for the cinnamon, and used rice vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.

If you have any leftover chutney, mix with Balsamic vinegar—it makes a fabulous salad dressing!

Fajitas

For the Steak:Enjoying fajitas

2 lb Sirloin Steak
2 cups soy sauce
1/3 cup Worcester sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine the soy sauce, Worcester sauce, mustard, oil, and sugar.  Add steak and just enough water to cover the meat.   Marinade for 24 hours.  Grill over hot coals, about 6 minutes per side (depending on the thickness and how you like your meat cooked).  Allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes.  Slice thinly against the grain.

Carving the MeatFor the chicken:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine soy sauce and sugar.  Add chicken breasts and just enough water to cover the meat.  Brine for 24 hours.  Grill over hot coals, about 5 minutes per side.  Allow the chicken to rest at least 10 minutes, and slice thinly.

Recipe notes: do not be tempted to use the same mixture for both the chicken and the steak.  One (for the chicken) is a brine, and the other (for the steak) is a marinade.  The vinegar in the Worcester sauce will turn the chicken into a mushy, unappealing mass.

For the accompaniments:

3 onions, sliced thinly
3 peppers, sliced in strips
1 can refried beans
Guacamole
flour tortillas
cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro

Sautee the peppers and onions in a little bit of olive oil until they are translucent and begin to brown, about 10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Heat refried beans, and serve.  Heat tortillas in a skillet over high heat, about 30 seconds per side.

Braised Meatballs

1/2 Lb PorkBraised Meatballs
1/2 Lb Buffalo
1/3 Lb Veal
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 slice bread soaked in 1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (if you use regular salt, decrease the amount to 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp diced fresh oreganoThe Key is Fresh Ingredients!
1 Tbs diced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/3 cup red wine
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving pasta
1 jar tomato sauce
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Heat the olive oil until it shimmers in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  And the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about five minutes.  Turn off heat.  In a large Meatballs braising in the ovenbowl combine all of the ingredients except for the tomato sauce and diced tomato.  In a 3 inch deep roasting pan, combine the tomato sauce and the canned tomatoes. Take about a third of a cup of the meat mixture and roll into a ball.  Place each ball into the roasting pan and coat with sauce.  Braise for 20 minutes.  Turn meatballs over and braise for an additional 20 minutes.  Serve over your favorite pasta garnished with more cheese and freshly shredded basil.

Recipe Notes: I use my hands to thoroughly mix the ingredients.  Don't be scared of the raw meat.  It's the best way and you have to use your hands to make the meatballs.  If you don't have diced tomatoes, just use two jars of the tomato sauce.  This is just a cheaper option that tastes delicious since the sauce gets a lot of flavor from the braised meat.  I serve my meatballs over ridged penne--the hole in the ridges are a great conduit for the flavorful sauce.