Category Archives: Main Courses

Frittata

Frittata’s nothing more than a quiche without crust.  But its eggs.   And the weird thing about eggs is that, even though they can be made any one of a thousand ways, people are fixated on what they consider to be the best way to cook them.  Don’t believe me?  If you’re ever in a room with two cooks, ask them for guidance on the best way to poach an egg.  Just don’t do it when kids are around.

So play with this and come up with something that works for you.  The neatest thing about this recipe’s that, with a little practice, it can be done entirely on autopilot and early in the morning.

 Nothing Special to Look at

Nothing Special to Look at

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Filed under Main Courses, Vegetarian

Oven-Cooked Pork Ribs, Wet or Dry

This is one of the ultimate comfort foods.  It’s as basic as a rural tradition can be without involving cousins who marry.  This is food meant to feed large groups of people with the least amount of effort (let’s face it, the folks cooking ribs usually spend more time drinking and socializing than anything else).  So if you’re wrapped up in a sophisticated recipe or stressing over the finer points, you’re doing it all wrong.

Wet or Dry, the Trick’s to Go Low and Slow

So get over it.  Take a breath.  Have a drink.  Enjoy the ribs.

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Filed under Main Courses, Pork

Osso Bucco

The foundation of many Tuscan recipes is a combination of wine, protein, celery, carrot onion and tomato.  Mix it one way and you get a bolognaise sauce, do it another and the result is osso bucco.   Like most of the recipes on this site, the technique relies on patience and confidence.

It’s done when the meat’s ready to fall off the bone

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Filed under Beef, Main Courses

Prepping & Preparing Chicken Wings

There are a couple of ways to make folks believe you know your way around a kitchen.  One of them’s knowing how to prep and cook chicken wings.

Say Hello to Your Little Friend

Say Hello to Your Little Friend

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Filed under Baking, Main Courses, Poultry, Technique & Dirty Secrets

Stuffed Cabbage

This one takes time but it’s worth the effort.  The weather’s cold and comfort food is the perfect remedy for a dreary winter day.

serve plain or with sauce.

This old-world classic takes a whole afternoon, so grab a book and make some tea, and settle into a little quality down time.  Note:  I’ve amended the stuffing to include tomato, which is not in the pictures.  Give it a try and let me know how it turns out.

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Fillo Veggie Rolls

This is another great addition for the holidays.  It’s also deceptive.  Fillo pastry is easy and forgiving, and a selection of robust vegetables and spice provides an illusion of complexity.

deceptively easy

In addition, fillo is vegan.  This can serve as a main course for vegetarians or a side for everyone else.

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Filed under Main Courses, Sides, Vegetarian

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

For most large gatherings and holidays vegetarians have to suck it up – they’re lucky if there are enough sides at a meal to put three colors on a plate.  This dish adds variety to the meal and doubles as a main course for vegetarians or a side for meatetarians.

great as a main course or side dish

If you’re cooking for vegans, you can substitute vegetable stock and olive oil for butter and cream in the mashed potatoes.

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Filed under Main Courses, Sides, Vegetarian

Potato Pancakes

Food processors cut down the prep time for this from hours to minutes.  Potato pancakes, or latkes, are great as a main course or side.  And like anything fried, they’re just as good as leftovers.

an all-time favorite

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Turducken!

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”  With this endorsement from a loving spouse I set out to cook a turducken.  My rationale?  “It’s my birthday.  I’ll cook what I want.”

easy to cook, easy to serve

Relegated to the universe of food porn & possessing those unfortunate first four letters, turducken’s much better than its reputation.  First, it’s efficient.  The recipe below is the size of a small turkey but serves 15 people.  It’s also fast.  Cooking time is a little over 3 hours.  And it’s good.

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Filed under Main Courses, Poultry

Stuffed Flank Steak

This is a full bodied recipe.  It’s got big taste, rich flavors and bold colors.  You have the fatty goodness of meat and cheese, the tangy spinach and aromatic carrot and pepper.  And the colors – green, orange and red – to liven up the meal.

tender goodness from tough meat

Great hot or cold.  This technique is know as rouladen in Germany, paupiettes in France, or rollatini in Italy.  If it’s that popular it’s gotta be good.

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Filed under Beef, Main Courses