Jennifer's bolognese

 This may just be the very best bridal shower gift we ever received- Jennifer's bolognese recipe!

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion
2-4 carrots
2-4 celery stalks
1 red or green bell pepper
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Ground beef, veal, and pork (1/2 lb. each)
2 cups red wine
San Marzano crushed tomatoes (1 28 oz. can)

Instructions
1. Finely dice all veggies.
2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the onion, carrots, celery, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook the vegetables until they brown, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning. Don't rush this part- browning the vegetables develops serious flavor!
3. Add minced garlic for 30-60 seconds.
4. Add meat, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and brown the meat.
5. Add wine and reduce by three-fourths.
6. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer covered for at least 1 hour, but the longer the better!
7. Before serving or storing, use a shallow spoon to skim the top of the sauce to remove excess fat rendered from the meat.

*The sauce always tastes better the next day!
**Definitely make big batches- it freezes well. BUT be sure you double everything, not just the tomatoes otherwise it will be too watery.

pasta alla norma

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, San Marzano are the best!
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
12 oz. whole wheat penne
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated

Instructions

1. Line a large microwave-safe plate with a double layer of paper towels and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Toss the eggplant with 1/2 tsp. of salt and spread evenly over the plate. Microwave the eggplant on high until dry to the touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through the cooking time. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Gently toss the cooled eggplant with 1/2 tsp. olive oil in a bowl. Heat 1/2 tsp. more olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
3. Add the remaining tbsp. oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.
4. Stir in the eggplant and simmer until it is heated through, 3-5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and season with pepper to taste.
5. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
6. Add pasta to the eggplant-tomato mixture and toss to combine. Before serving, add the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

*from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Cookbook

avocado BLT

Ingredients

1 small avocado, sliced

4 strips of thick-cut bacon

1-2 tomatoes

lettuce

mayonnaise

2 Portuguese rolls, sliced in half

Instructions

1. Grill or fry bacon.

2. Grill or broil rolls.

3. Spread very thin layer of mayo. on each side of bread.

4. Layer your sandwich: lettuce, 3 slices of tomato, 4 slices of avocado and 2 slices of bacon.

lubia

Lubia is a Lebanese dish that I grew up eating. I've tweaked it bit and made it my own. Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, San Marzano preferably
2 lbs. fresh green beans
2-3 tsp. Syrian Spice
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
white rice

Instructions

1. Brown beef in large Dutch oven.
2. Add onions to the pot and cook until soft.
3. Add Syrian spice, salt, and red pepper flakes; mix together.
3. Add tomatoes; bring to a simmer.
4. Add green beans. Cover and let it simmer for 15-25 minutes to soften beans. Don't cook too long...I like to keep the beans on the crunchier side.
5. Serve on top a bed of rice.

three bean chili

Ingredients

1 lb. of lean ground beef, turkey, or bison
2 white onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 (15.5 oz) cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15.5 oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5 oz) can of cannelinni beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5 oz) can of corn, drained and rinsed OR half bag of frozen corn
2 (28 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. Tabasco sauce (or more to taste)
salt

Instructions

1. Brown meat in Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Once meat is just browned, add onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Cook until onion is soft.
3. Add all dry spices. Cook until well incorporated, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, chicken stock, and Tabasco sauce.
5. Salt to taste.
5. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until beans are soft.