Coconut Martini

By no means would I ever wish harm or sickness on ANYONE, especially those that I love. That being said, after three full days of being a human taxicab for my children, carting them back and forth to camp, work, and cheering practices, I secretly did a little "happy dance" in my head when my oldest daughter really didn't look well after working yesterday (she has a sinus infection that keeps coming back and the doctor FINALLY gave her some antibiotics to help fight it). 


Now why would I be happy about that you ask?


For those of you who don't know the area I live in, let me explain why this would cause some bit of angst after a while. For starters, each one-way trip into the center of town from where I live is 10 miles. That is backroad miles with stoplights (one of which happens to be the longest stop light in NJ and was recently featured on a news program), random bear sightings and crossings (you have to be extra careful and have your eyes scanning the woods on the sides of roads at all times), and takes you 15-20 minutes to drive each way (depending on whether or not you get someone in front of you that is unsure of the area and goes 15 miles under the speed limit). So, in three days, I have driven approximately 200 miles and spent 6 1/2 hours just driving in the car to get the kids where they need to be and home again, not including the time I have to sit around and wait for them to be done (I stay so I don't have to make the trip back and forth in between..trying to save on gas ya know!). 


So, my point is, after the three days, I was relieved that after my youngest daughters cheering practice ended at 6pm, I was able to go home for the night since my oldest daughter wasn't going to go to her practice (that would have ended at 8pm), sit on my deck for the first time in over a month and enjoy the gorgeous 73 degree sunny, non-humid weather we had yesterday here in NJ with a nice Coconut Martini. I learned how to make this drink from Susie, our favorite bartender on the ship, where we would go every night for a drink before dinner. I normally do not like martini's, simply due to the fact that most martini's are made with vodka or gin, but being this one was made with Malibu rum, I figured I'd try it out one night. To my surprise, it was very good. It is a little sweet but that's probably why I liked it. This recipe makes 1 martini but if you're making it for several people, it is equal parts of all four ingredients. 

Coconut Martini
*Adapted from Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas Champagne Bar
2 Shots Malibu Rum
2 Shots Di Saronno Amaretto
2 Shots Pineapple Juice
2 Shots Orange Juice
Ice


Directions:
1. Fill shaker with ice. 
2. Add all of the ingredients and shake well. 
3. Pour in a martini glass. 


Enjoy!










*Adapted from Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas Champagne Bar

Italian Sunday Dinner...Angel Hair Pasta with Neapolitan Ragù

As one of my fellow bloggers commented yesterday, it's never too early to start thinking about the weekend (Thanks Coop!) and by that he meant what else but...FOOD! I know it's only Wednesday, but now is the time to start thinking about what it is you may want to cook this weekend so that you have time to prepare and shop for the items you may need.  And, as weather has it this weekend, Sunday looks like isolated thunderstorms in the northern NJ area which is the perfect kind of day to make this Italian Sunday dinner!

According to Wikipedia, Neapolitan ragù is one of the two most famous varieties of meat sauces; the other one being Bolognese sauce. Like Bolognese sauce, the Neapolitan veresion is also made from meat and tomato sauce; however, a major difference is how the meat is used. The Bolognese version uses very finely chopped meat, while the Neapolitan version uses whole meat, taking it from the casserole when cooked and serving it as a second course or with pasta. 

Now, THIS is the type of sauce I'm talking about when I make my sauce! Thanks to my Southern Italian Stepmother (Thanks Michele!), this was the ONLY way to make a red sauce. And, when we made it, we made sure to use the largest pot we had so that you could freeze the leftover sauce and meat for other meals during the month (mainly because over the years, it was harder and harder to get everyone together for the traditional Sunday Italian dinner with duel household working families). This is also the perfect time of year to start preparing some meals to freeze now that sports season is approaching. And if you're like me, you're lucky to be home for 1/2 hour to feed the kids before heading out. 

So that brings me to my pot of sauce I made this past Sunday. While visiting Southern Italy and hearing about how they eat pasta at least once a day and had the full 3-5 hour meal on Sundays, I got a little nostalgic and realized I hadn't made a pot of sauce (this way anyway) for quite a few months. Now, before you venture out and make this sauce, you need to be prepared to sit tight at the house for at least 5-6 hours the day you're making it. WHY you ask? That's where all the flavor comes from! (that and you need to stir it every 15-20 minutes so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn). By letting the sauce simmer with all of the meatballs, braciole, pork chops(I didn't use this time but normally would throw in some of those on the bone too), and sausage, those flavors intertwine with the sauce to give it that deep, red color. And, I promise you that you will never forget the smell that wafts through your home for as long as you live!

First, I prepare the meat I want to put in the sauce so that it is nicely browned and partially cooked. You don't want your meat to boil in the sauce and the browning helps add to the deep red color and flavor. I cheated on the pork products and purchased them at a local Italian market called Corrado's. I like to go there every month or so and find new items to try and they never disappoint. I used Pork Bracciole, Fennel Sausage, Bronx Sausage (which was  stuffed with eggplant and Pecorino Romano cheese), and Santa Lucia Sausage (which was stuffed with mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, basil, broccoli rabe and roasted peppers). I cut the bracciole in half before frying as the pieces are usually quite large and wound up with 16 pieces of bracciole and 12 pieces of sausage. 

In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. Canola Oil over medium heat. Add your bracciole and sausage and cook until all sides are lightly browned. Remove from pan. 

While your pork is cooking, prepare your meatballs. 

Italian Meatballs

1lb. Ground Beef

2Tbsp. Red Onions, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Parsley

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

3 Tbsp. Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Italian Flavored Breadcrumbs

Mix all ingredients together and shape into 2-3" meatballs. Add to the frying pan, and lightly brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Depending on the size you prefer, this will make approximately 15-18 meatballs. 

Next, it's time to make your tomato sauce. Generally, I will just use the canned products but luckily, I had a full basket of Roma tomatoes to use up from my garden so I added them to my sauce as well.  When using fresh tomatoes in your sauce, you must first steam them to remove the skins. Steam them in a steamer pot until the skins start pulling away from the flesh of the tomato. Cool the tomatoes, then peel the skins and remove any blemishes or stems. Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. 

Now, this makes quite a bit of sauce, enough to feed a family of 4 approximately 4-5 times, but like I said, it freezes well!

Neapolitan Ragù

4 Cups Pureed Fresh Tomatoes (I used approx. 20--they were small as you can see)

3-280z. Cans Hunts Crushed Tomatoes

18oz. Hunts Tomato Paste

3-28oz. Cans of water

3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

4 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped

2 Tbsp. Parsley

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1/4 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

1 Tbsp. Canola Oil

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and add garlic and basil. Saute until the garlic starts to release smell and add your tomato products, water, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the paste dissolves completely. If it still looks a little thick, add a little more water (while cooking, the sauce will thicken and reduce further). Add in your par-cooked meat and stir well; making sure it is all submerged. Lower heat to very low and simmer 4-6 hours; stirring every 15-20  minutes so that nothing sticks to the bottom and burns your sauce. (trust me, once you get something stuck on the bottom, it ruins the entire pot!). 

Serve with cooked pasta(I happened to use Angel Hair). 

Well my family dinner turned out to be a little different than I had anticipated as my eldest daughter went to her friends house and my youngest daughter had one of her friends come over by us, but all in all it was a great relaxing day and everyone loved it.  

Enjoy!

Ground Turkey Product Recall

Cargill, which produces ground turkey under many names including Honeysuckle White, Shady Brook Farms, Aldi Fit & Active, and more, is recalling 36 million lbs. of meat with the product code Est. P-963.


Salmonella is a bacteria that is responsible for a large number of food-borne illnesses. Typically, the bacteria is found in meat, poultry, eggs and milk states the World Health Organization. Chicken products become contaminated with the bacteria during slaughter when fecal matter, which contains salmonella, makes its way onto the items before packaging. Thoroughly cooking chicken products and practicing safe handling techniques can reduce the risk of salmonellosis, or salmonella infection. 


The most common symptoms of a salmonella infection are known collectively as gastroenteritis. The symptoms of gastroenteritis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, muscle pains and blood in the stools. In some cases, the diarrhea can cause severe dehydration, requiring hospitalization, intravenous fluids, anti-nausea medications and antibiotics. In more severe cases, the infection may spread from the intestines to the brain and spine, known as meningitis, or the bloodstream, known as sepsis.


For the complete list of products being recalled, click here.