Here at MS Funds, we’ve found a new Jersey City restaurant to add to our rotation of 3 places we order from every night. Here it is: http://www.musclemakergrill.com/menu_general.php
Anywhere that calls their appetizers “Warm-ups”, boasts a sandwich called the Rocky Balboa, and offers turkey meatballs as a side dish is feeling the testosterone a little too much for my very feminine appetite. All I can say is, it’s the JC, where the hair is big, the muscles are bigger, and the restaurants are ghetto. Mama, that ghitt-toh to you.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beer-Braised-Beef-and-Onions-35144

Minestrone

1 C. chopped onions                                1/4 C. chopped celery

3 sliced bacon, chopped                        1 clove garlic, minced

3 C. water                                                      1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes, chopped

1/2 C. chick-peas (garbanzos) or small white beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 C. finely shredded cabbage           1/2 C. coarsely chopped carrots

2 T. minced fresh parsley                       1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried oregano                                  1/4 C. broken spagettini

Lightly spray an unheated medium saucepan with no-stick spray. Add the onions, celery, bacon and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onions and celery are tender. Add the water, tomatoes (with juices), chick-peas, cabbage, carrots , parsley, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cabbage and carrots are tender. Add the spaghettini. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the spaghettini is tender but firm. 6 servings.

Beer-Glazed Foccacia

Dough:

2/3 C. water                                          1/2 T. kosher salt

3 1/2 to 4 C. flour                              1/4 C. grated Romano or Parmesan

1 pkg. yeast                                           2. T. olive oil

1 T. sugar                                               1/2 t. ground black pepper

2/3 C. hefeweizen (room temp)    1/2 C. cornmeal

1/2 t. dried basil

Glaze:

1 1/2 T. olive oil                                        1/2 T. each dried basil and marjoram

2 large yellow onions, sliced thin

1/4 t. each salt and pepper                   1/3 C. Scottish ale 

Suggested toppings: strips of roasted red peppers, minced Canadian bacon, crumbled feta cheese, and strips of smoked provolone

1. Heat the water to 110 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 c. flour with yeast and sugar. Pour in water and whisk thoroughly. Let set for at least 15 minutes.

2. Stir in the hefeweizen, basil, salt, cheese, oil, black pepper, and cornmeal; beat thoroughly. Stir in more flour 1 c. at a time until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn dough onto counter and knead, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to the counter and your hands.

3. After 8 to 10 minutes of kneading, the dough will be smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled – approximately 1 hour.

4. While dough is rising, heat 1 1/2 T. olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently until translucent. Add salt, black pepper, basil, and marjoram and cook until mixture is golden. Add Scottish ale and raise the heat. Continue to stir and cook until liquid is evaporated.

5. Punch dough down and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Using fingertips and a lightly oiled surface, stretch and pat dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle. Place on a pizza stone or baking sheet.

6. Rub dough with olive oil and spread with glazed onions. Top with peppers, bacon, feta, and provolone. Bake at 450 degrees on lower shelf of oven until top is bubbly and bottom is golden – check after 15 minutes.

Greek Croustade

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach

1/4 C. onion

3 T. butter or margarine

3 T. flour

1/4 t. dried tarragon, crushed

1 C. milk

2 beaten eggs

1 C. cream-style cottage cheese

1/2 C. crumbled feta cheese

10 sheets frozen phyllo dough (17X12-inch rectangles), thawed

1/2 C. butter or margarine, melted

Cook spinach according to package directions; drain well, pressing out excess liquid. In saucepan cook onion in the 3 T. butter till tender. Stir in flour, tarragon, and 1/8 t. pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir till mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir a bit of the hot mixture into the eggs and keep adding until all mixed. Stir in cheeses and set aside.

Unroll the phyllo dough; cover with dampened towel (or work quickly!). Remove 1 sheet of dough; brush lightly with some of the 1/2 c. butter. Fold in thirds lengthwise; brush the top with butter. Place one end of the folded sheet in center of a 12 or 14-inch pizza pan extending it over side of pan. Repeat buttering and folding with the remaining phyllo dough and butter; arrange strips spoke-fashion evenly around pan. (The ends of each sheet will overlap in center and be about 3 inches apart at outer ends.) Spread spinach mixture in an 8-inch circle in center of pastry. Starting with the last phyllo leaf placed in the pan, lift end of leaf up and bring toward center of filling. Holding end with both hands, twist end several times; coil and tuck end under to form a rosette. Lay rosette over filling, leaving a 3-inch circle in center (filling should be visible). Repeat with remaining strips in the reverse order they were placed. Drizzle any remaining butter over all. Bake in 375 degree oven 35-40 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or cool. Cut into wedges to serve. Makes 8 side-dish servings.

If you will, allow me a non-cooking post, as the last thing I cooked was a frozen lasagna (not as good as Mom’s) and Mac n’ Cheese.

Last week during my fairly regular jaunt to the Chipotle that’s newly opened and about 50 ft (and 72 pre-war stairs) from my front door, I was surprised, shocked and disappointed to find several ingredients either missing or sorely amuck:

1) Brown rice. I don’t eat Chipotle for the nutritional value (as the gay man who scoffed at me for adding cheese and sour cream to my burrito can attest) so I have no particular interest in brown rice. It’s cruchy and weird. 2) Tomato-less corn pico de gallo. If you can even call it that without tomatoes.  3) Vinegar-y salsa.  Yesssss, I said vinegar. 

Family members, please tell me this: is this a bad Chelsea-marketing-to-the-homosexuals-among-us scheme?  Is this a New York test market for new lower quality Chipotle ingredients?  Do I need to write a letter?  It the great burrito of the past gone with the wind?

Dad (or Mom),

Could you please post three recipes sometime soon?

Vegetable Soup
Minestrone Soup
Foccacia Bread

Thanks, love you!!! 🙂

Betsy just requested this one… 

I love this potato salad, especially living in California, because we can get such fresh veggies.  I’m not a huge fan of mayo/mustard potato salad, so this kind of mixes it up.  It’s beautiful on the plate too! I can’t access the Roasted Potato recipe part, so we always just guess how many potatoes to use (we use 2lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes, spread them on a roasting pan with olive oil and S&P, roast at 450 degrees until soft), or you can just use the recipe for Roasted Potatoes posted below by Betsy.  I love the flavor of roasted Yukon Golds and the roasted corn. Yum!

Roasted Potato Salad

recipe courtesy Finecooking.com

1 ear fresh corn, in the husk
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups red, yellow, or orange cherry tomatoes (or a combination), halved
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
2lbs roasted Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes
3 Tbs. red-wine vinegar

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the husk and put the corn on a small baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tsp. of the oil onto the corn and rub it over all the kernels. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast, turning the cob occasionally, until the corn kernels are light brown in a few spots, about 20 minutes. Let the corn cool. Cut the kernels from the cob.

I made this for Will and he said he might not ever eat regular stuffed shells again…I was thinking the same thing.

Then I told Mama about it, and she wanted me to make it for her and Daddy. And Dad WANTED it.  He kept harassing me about making it! Goes great with California Syrah!

Stuffed Shells

Recipe courtesy Giada de Laurentis

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Enjoy!!