leeks and pasta

2 large leeks (tops removed, wasted, diced in 1/4 inch thick slices)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
2ish tbsp olive oil (add more once leeks are sauteing if needed, to coat)
1/2 cup vermouth
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt

spiral pasta, or other short pasta

Melt butter with olive oil, add leeks and saute over low-med heat ~4-5 mins until softened. Add garlic and saute ~1 min. Turn heat up to high and add vermouth. Cook a few minutes until thickened and vermouth is cooked off. Add chicken stock and salt. Simmer 30 mins until leeks are creamy. Boil pasta, add ~1/4 cup pasta water to sauce and mix in cooked pasta. Bring mixed pasta/sauce to a quick simmer and turn off heat. Let sit ~ 5 mins to adsorb/thicken sauce.

Adapted from Chao Italia

fennel, panchetta and beans over pasta

1/2 lb spiral pasta
1/3 lb panchetta (diced large)
1/4 of a large onion
1 can navy beans
1-1.5 lb fennel
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 cup white wine (semi-sweet or dry)
1 tbsp olive oil

parmesan cheese (to serve)

Cut stems off fennel, remove frawns and chop (~2 tbsp). Freeze remaining stems for stock, or throw away. Cut fennel in half and remove core. Chop 1/4 inch pieces and boil ~5 mins in the pasta water before adding pasta. Remove fennel from water, set aside . In a separate pan saute onion and panchetta until panchetta is rendered. Once panchetta is rendered and brown, add pasta to cooking water. Remove excess fat from pan and then add beans (drained), fennel, red pepper and wine. Simmer (and scrape all brown bits off the bottom of the pan) over high heat until reduced to a thick sauce. Add pasta cooking water to thin and add cooked/drained pasta. Bring to a simmer, mix together and then turn off heat and let sit ~5 mins. Mix in frawns. Serve with cheese

Adapted from Mary Ann Esposito, Ciao Italia cookbook

tres leche cake

1 box white/vanilla cake mix (to make one 9x13 in cake)
eggs/oil/milk as required by the cake mix

2 cups (1 pint) whole milk
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz can evaporated milk

2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Follow directions of the box mix and make a 9x13 inch vanilla cake. Cool for 10 mins and then poke with lots of holes and add milk mixture. For milk mixture combine whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, stir well (the sweetened condensed milk takes a few stirs to incorporate) and pour over the cake, and put cake in the fridge overnight. Whip the heavy whipping cream and sugar to form whipped cream and frost the cake before serving. Store in the fridge.

adapted from various recipes on allrecipes.com

hamburgers

8 lbs ground beef
1 onion (grated on a cheddar cheese grater, only add the pulp/juice)
5 cloves garlic (grated on a parmesan cheese grater)
6 eggs
~2 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp pepper

~ 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (add until meat is no longer moist and holds together)

Mix everything but breadcrumbs together, add the breadcrumbs until mixture holds together and is not moist. Form into ~1/4 lb patties, depending on the size of your buns.

Makes ~40 patties

lemon bars

crust:
1 stick butter
1 cup flour (plus maybe 1 tbsp-ish depending on how the dough feels when mixed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

lemon filling
2/3 cup lemon juice (2.5 lemons)
zest from the juiced lemons
4 eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup sugar

(next time try 3/4 or 1 cup sugar and 2 lemons)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix crust ingredients together, spread into a 8x8 inch pan and bake until slightly golden ~2o mins.

Let crust cool slightly (5 mins) before adding topping. Mix topping ingredients together (mix lemon juice, zest flour and sugar and taste to see if tartness is correct, then add eggs). Bake 25 mins, let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired

adapted from allrecipes.com

polenta

1 part polenta (i.e. 1 cup)
4 parts water (i.e. 4 cups)

Wisk together polenta and water, let settle and skim the hulls off the top with a mesh strainer. Simmer over low heat stirring often until water is absorbed and polenta is thick.

Stir in cheese/salt if desired.

stuffed cabbage

1 large head cabbage
1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup uncooked white rice
1 can navy beans
1 egg
1/4 of a large onion (grated)
2 cloves garlic (grated)
1/4 tsp cayanne
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
bread crumbs (~1/4 cup, add enough so that meat mixture is not moist but still sticks together)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomato

Bring large pot of water to boil, submerge cabbage in boiling water 30 sec-1 min until outer leaves soften, remove leaves (under cold water), submerge remaining cabbage under boiling water and remove, continue until all leaves are softened removed.

Chop any small amounts of cabbage and line large dutch oven (reserve some to cover stuffed cabbage if desired). Add a small amount of the diced tomato and tomato sauce to the bottom of the dutch oven

Combine meat, rice, 2 tbsp tomato sauce, egg, grated onion & garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme and beans. Mix, add enough bread crumbs to remove excess moisture.

Roll balls of meat mixture and wrap in cabbage leaves. Place each roll in dutch oven, seam side down, cover with any remaining cabbage leaves and sauce.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Served with polenta