Sunday night dinner for the powerless...

If you didn't already know, we got a new grocery store around here a few weeks ago. Nice little place called Wegmans. Took a trip out there yesterday to see what it was all about.
Mistake number One- going there on a Saturday afternoon, right before a blizzard.
Mistake number Two- going there without a list, just to "check it out".
I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I mean, this place is MASSIVE! And, when filled with tons of crazed pre-storm shoppers, it was also Insane! But, once I could get past the crowds, and my murder-suicide thoughts, things were good.
I started in produce.
Decided I would make a roast beef with winter veggies, so I loaded up the card with tons of random things: parsnips, turnips, butternut squash, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, onions, garlic, asparagus, heirloom tomatoes, strawberries, apples, pears, figs... just to name a few.
Then it was on to the meat department.
Got myself a lovely little top of the round, and a big package of chicken breasts that were on super sale.
Then I spent about another hour perusing the store, checking everything out, until I found myself at the end, in the liquor section. And, of course, I had to take advantage of this area, so I grabbed a giant bottle of Sangria, which I had for dinner with some cheeses and olives I got too.
And by the way- this may be, by far, some of the best sangria I have ever had. Plus it was only $13.99 for this big bottle. And if you know me, you know I love (and make my own) sangria. So this is a great review.

Now we get to Sunday. Or, as I like to call it- cooking day.

I got a call from my mom shortly after I woke up, asking if I had power (which I did) because she didn't- most people around here didn't thanks to yesterday's storm. So I decided to invite them for Dinner since I had all this food, and a nice warm house (with a TV we could all watch the Pats game on). And so I began tackling all this produce.

First order of business- dessert.

I decided to make a fruit tart with the figs and pears I bought yesterday.

Now, I have never cooked with fresh figs before (making this the first "new to me" ingredient of the day), but I love eating them so I knew I couldn't go wrong. And I also knew they would go great with pears.

Then I thought, I need another flavor. Something different. So I decided to put some almond paste and mascarpone cheese into the mix.

And so, the prepping began...

I mixed the almond paste and mascarpone (my second and third "new" ingredients) in the food processor with a little sugar and vanilla extract until it was nice and creamy. Then I put a thin layer on top of a pie crust. This would become a delicious base for my fruits.

Next: the fruits.

Pears (cored and sliced), and figs (stems cut off, then quartered), layered on top of the crust.



Once they were all layered nice and pretty, I folded the crust over the edges, then popped the whole thing into the oven. 400* for about 40 minutes.

OK, now while that is baking, I move onto dinner.

First step- peel and chop all these veggies and get them into a roasting pan. Garlic and white onion go first.

And, if you have never used garlic before, and plan on chopping it, or roasting the cloves like I am about to, here's a tip: whack the bulbs with the side of a large knife. This will Instantly free it from it's peel, making it far easier to work with. But you must know- this also releases all the oils in the garlic, which will make things a little sticky and fragrant. But it is a nice quick way to skin the cloves.

Next: turnip and parsnip (my fourth and fifth "new" ingredients of the day). Both peeled and chopped. Hint: chop these into smaller pieces because they take the longest to cook.

Then, purple potatoes (yes, I said purple. They are so Delicious, and added some much needed color to the mix), butternut squash (my fav!), brussel sprouts and mushrooms.

     

Little salt and pepper, and into the oven. 425* for about an hour or so.

P.S.- if you want to really Roast these, they need to be much further apart on a cookie sheet. The way I am cooking them, they will really steam/bake more than roast. Although, I did put them on broil near the end so they could crisp up a little.

Next- the beef.

This is really simple, it's just one ingredient: Top Round Roast. I got a 3 pounder.

I pan-seared it on all sides, then popped it into the oven. 20 minutes/lb. at about 325*. The veggies were about done at this point, so I lowered the temperature for the meat.

Sooo.... this is about when my Mom & Dad showed up, and I totally lost track of everything and stopped taking pictures.

I know... sorry.

But luckily I remembered to snap a few after dinner, before I packed it all away, so here you go!

Needless to say, dinner was a Huge hit, absolutely delicious, and by the time Mom & Dad got home their power had come back on. Great news! 

God I love Sundays...

and on the 7th day... She Cooked!

Today's menu: oven roasted chicken, meatballs and sauce. Three very simple things to make that I love to make on Sundays. Why Sunday? Well, because it's the one day of the week I like to relax, clean, do laundry, cook, and be lazy- especially in the fall and winter. Plus, it gives me food for the week (chicken) and I can freeze the meatballs and sauce so I can use them later.
So, let's get started.
First task- get the chicken in the oven.
Before I can do that though, I've got to give it a little pat-down, and a little flavor.
Patting it dry, I have found, helps it get a crispier skin. Plus, if you use butter or oil, they will "stick" to the skin better if it is dry.

Now, as far as flavor goes, it really depends on your taste. Pretty much anything goes when it comes to flavoring your bird. All I do is fill the cavity with herbs, veggies- whatever. Today I used garlic. Just garlic.
And a drizzle of olive oil on top (which I rubbed in)

Then, into the oven she goes. 350' for about 2 1/2 hours (this was an 8 lb bird).



Next up- tomato sauce.

I like to use some oven-roasted tomatoes, garlic and peppers in mine, so I loaded them onto the sheet pan, gave them a toss in olive oil, then popped them into the oven with the bird

Oh, and speaking of the bird, after about an hour, I like to cover the legs and wings with foil so they don't over-cook



Alright, so, while those are cooking, I got started on the sauce. First, chop up a large onion, and let it cook down in the stock pot. If you aren't a fan of onions, skip this step.

Next step- add tomatoes.
In addition to the fresh tomatoes I bought (and some that I picked from my garden), I also use canned tomatoes. Peeled and crushed. I mean, hey- for $1/can how could you Not use them!
I also threw in a bunch of basil from my garden too :)

Now, as far as the roasted tomatoes go, I like to roast them in the oven for about 45 minutes, intil the skins are practically falling off, and they juices have started caremelizingo n the pan. This gives a really rich flavor to the sauce. But, they are good even if you only roast them for a sort period of time, just to get them cooked. Maybe about 15 minutes.
Once they are cooked, I gave them a quick spin in my trusty 'ol food mill. God I love this thing! All the skins and seeds get left behind. Perfect!

Well, now that the sauce is all set, let's move on to the meatballs! Beef, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley... that's mostly it. Oh, and Love. You need to make these with love. Trust me.

Now, some people use stale bread that they soaked in a little milk Instead of using bread crumbs, and that is fine! I have done that before too, and I love it! I just didn't do it that way today.

You can also use turkey, chicken, pork, veal, or sausage.... or mix a couple of them together. It really doesn't matter. Anything goes here too!
Then... Mix. By hand. don't be lame and use a mixer or a spoon. Use your hands. get dirty. This is the best way to do it.

Once everything is well. mixed, it's time to start rolling!

I rolled a little more than half, then I added chopped spinach to the mix. I just used frozen spinach that I let defrost, and I rung out all the water using a cheesecloth (I like to so this so the meatballs won't have too much liquid in them.)

Once they are all rolled, pop them into the same 350' oven that the chicken was in. (don't worry- I didn't forget about the chicken... it's coming!). I cook them for about 15 minutes, then I take them out and pop them into the sauce. This step is totally optional, I just like to do it because the meatballs help flavor the sauce a little more.

Then (several hours later, which I did not photograph), I boiled a little spaghetti to have with the meatballs and sauce. And, what better way to top it off than with a dollop of ricotta cheese. Mmmmm....

Now- the bird!!! (I told you I didn't forget it). Here she is, in all her golden, juicy goodness!!!

I can not wait to carve this thing.... maybe I will blog about what I do with it? We shall see...

Until then, enjoy.

And thanks if you are still reading. I really appreciate it. Seriously.

See you soon <3