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Easy Yellow Squash Lasagna Bowl

March 12, 2018 By Tekesha 2 Comments

yellow squash lasagna

The weather has swung back to being cold, my daughter and I are under the weather, I’m nervous about my daughter’s upcoming first plane ride, I’m miserable about losing an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings Time, and I just want some comfort food! For me, that is usually the flavors of lasagna. But I’m finding that I can’t eat as much cheese as I used to and I had neither the time nor desire to pre-grill veggies, so I came up with this glorious dish.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Easy Yellow Squash Lasagna Bowl
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 10 mins
 
This easy yellow squash lasagna is low in carbs, fast to put together, and low on the cheese. Perfect weeknight comfort food!
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 24 oz spaghetti sauce
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 2 yellow squash
  • 7.5 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tbsp onion salt
  • ½ tbsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. In a skillet, brown ground beef.
  3. Add spaghetti sauce and cream to the ground beef and let simmer while you prep the remaining components.
  4. Cut off ends of squash and scoop out the seeds inside with a spoon.
  5. Cut the squash into ¼"-thick half-moon slices.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, onion salt and pepper.
  7. Layer as follows: little meat sauce, half the squash, half the ricotta, sprinkle of parmesan, ¼ cup mozzarella, half the remaining meat sauce, remainder of the squash, remainder of the ricotta, remainder of the meat sauce, and remaining mozzarella.
  8. Bake for 40 minutes.
3.5.3229

squash lasagna nutrition

You’re going to need:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 24 oz spaghetti sauce
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 2 yellow squash
  • 7.5 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tbsp onion salt
  • 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Grease a baking dish and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Brown your ground beef in a skillet.

ground beef in skillet

Add spaghetti sauce and heavy cream and let it simmer on medium while you prep the remaining items. I use Ragu Mushroom and Green Pepper sauce because it’s my favorite.

ground beef and spaghetti sauce

The cream sort of cooks out and makes the sauce really rich. I do this a lot when I make Indian sauces and it just makes them really velvety without drastically changing the flavor.

ground beef, spaghetti sauce and heavy cream

Get your squash out. I had a lone zucchini languishing in the fridge, so I threw it in as well.

yellow squash and zucchini

Cut off the ends and scoop out the inner seeds with a spoon. This is what will really cut down on the wateriness while the lasagna bakes. If you have time, you could also choose to grill the squash instead to get rid of moisture.

de-seeding yellow squash

Cut the veggies into 1/4″ thick half-moon slices.

sliced yellow squash and zucchini

Mix together the ricotta, egg, onion salt and pepper.

ricotta mixture

Now you’re ready to assemble your lasagna.

lasagna ingredients

Layer the lasagna as follows:

A spoon of meat sauce to keep the veggies from sticking to the pan…

layer 1

1/2 the veggies…

layer 2

1/2 the ricotta mixture…

layer 3

a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella…

layer 4

1/2 the remaining meat sauce…

layer 5

the remainder of the veggies…

layer 6

the remainder of the ricotta mixure…

layer 6

the remainder of the meat sauce…

layer 8

and the remainder of the shredded mozzarella.

top layer

Bake for 40 minutes and enjoy a nice big bowl of meaty, veggie goodness!

yellow squash lasagna bowl

 

Filed Under: Beef

Grilled Zucchini Lasagna

November 7, 2016 By Tekesha Leave a Comment

I’ve seen a lot of recipes that sub in various ingredients for noodles in a typical lasagna recipe, and I think zucchini is probably the most popular. After trying a few versions, I came up with this one that addresses the problems I had with the rest. First, if you just use raw zucchini, your lasagna can become VERY watery as the zucchini cooks in the oven. Second, zucchini doesn’t slice like thin pasta, so if you layer it, you are more likely to end up with a giant mess instead of discrete pieces. My version has all the flavors of lasagna but without those pitfalls.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-1

Grilled Zucchini Lasagna
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Total time
50 mins
 
Comforting grilled zucchini lasagna with all the traditional flavors of lasagna. Not watery like other versions of zucchini lasagna. Perfect winter meal for curling up in front of the fireplace!
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 big zucchini or 3 small zucchini, cut in ¼ inch slice
  • Cooking oil spray
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp ground thyme
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 24 oz spaghetti sauce
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup each of shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Cut off the ends and slice zucchini into thin slices.
  3. Spray a grill pan or other nonstick pan with cooking oil spray and grill zucchini in batches.
  4. Set zucchini aside.
  5. Brown ground beef and ground thyme.
  6. Add spaghetti sauce and red wine vinegar.
  7. Mix the ricotta, egg and parmesan cheese.
  8. Layer the lasagna as follows: A little bit of the meat sauce…All of the grilled zucchini slices…Half of the ricotta mixture…All of the remaining meat sauce…The remaining half of the ricotta mixture…The mozzarella and cheddar.
  9. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered.
3.5.3208

 

Get together:

  • 2 big zucchini or 3 small zucchini, cut in ¼ inch slice
  • Cooking oil spray
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp ground thyme
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 24 oz spaghetti sauce
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  •  ¾ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup each of shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut off the ends and slice zucchini into thin slices.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-2

Spray a grill pan or other nonstick pan with cooking oil spray and grill zucchini in batches.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-3

Set zucchini aside.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-4

Brown ground beef and ground thyme.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-5

Add spaghetti sauce and red wine vinegar.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-6

This is one of my favorite cooking shortcuts. When you are using jarred sauce, add vinegar if you want a very savory sauce or add sugar if you want a sweet sauce. The addition of either one really elevates a jarred sauce into something that tastes homemade.

Mix the ricotta, egg and parmesan cheese.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-7

Layer the lasagna as follows:

A little bit of the meat sauce…

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-8

All of the grilled zucchini slices…

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-9

Half of the ricotta mixture…

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-10

All of the remaining meat sauce…

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-11

The remaining half of the ricotta mixture…

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-12

And finally, the mozzarella and cheddar.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-13

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-14

Serve.

grilled-zucchini-lasagna-15

Filed Under: Beef

Blueberry Filet Mignon

March 16, 2015 By Tekesha 18 Comments

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Right before law school, my husband backpacked through Europe with some friends. One night in Florence, they had an amazing blueberry steak in a local restaurant called Acqua al 2. It was so good, he’s often said he would return to Florence just for that dish! And he’s not the only one. I went in search of the recipe and there were a bunch of people online looking for a copycat recipe. I found one page that purported to be the actual recipe from the restaurant, but it used ketchup, flour, mustard, vinegar, orange juice… it just sounded like it would taste like a blueberry barbecue sauce and I didn’t want to go in that direction. Also, ketchup on an expensive cut of steak is a sin. 😀 What I came up with is a light, sweet blueberry sauce that has an incredible depth of flavor because of the wine reduction and spices. It pairs beautifully with the meat and brought my husband right back to Florence.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Blueberry Filet Mignon
 
Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
12 mins
Total time
14 mins
 
Juicy, rare filet mignon with a sweet-and-savory blueberry sauce similar to the dish Fileno al Mirtilio served at Acqua al 2 in Florence, Italy.
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 lb filet mignon (2 pieces, 1-inch thick)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp oil, divided
  • 1 shallot, sliced thin
  • 1 cup red wine (I used a red zinfandel)
  • 6 oz fresh blueberries
  • Juice and zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp rubbed sage
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar splenda
Instructions
  1. Pour a tablespoon of oil into a pan and heat on high heat until it is smoking hot.
  2. Salt and pepper each filet and grill them in the hot oil for 2 minutes on each side.
  3. Remove from pan and let rest on a plate.
  4. Set out all of the blueberry sauce ingredients.
  5. Sauté the shallots in a tablespoon of oil until translucent.
  6. Add the red wine and bring to a boil.
  7. Boil for approximately 2 minutes on high heat, until wine is reduced by half.
  8. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and sauté on medium heat 5 minutes, using the back of your spoon to mash up some of the blueberries as they cook.
Notes
The nutrition information includes the amount for the entire batch of sauce, even though you won’t come close to using all of it for just 2 steaks.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 803 Fat: 29 Saturated fat: 8 Carbohydrates: 42 Sugar: 34 Sodium: 143 Fiber: 3 Protein: 65 Cholesterol: 150
3.2.2929

You’ll need:

  • 1 lb filet mignon (2 pieces, 1-inch thick)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp oil, divided
  • 1 shallot, sliced thin
  • 1 cup red wine (I used a red zinfandel)
  • 6 oz fresh blueberries
  • Juice and zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp rubbed sage
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar splenda

Pour a tablespoon of oil into a pan and heat on high heat until it is smoking hot. Use an oil with a high smoking point, like olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil).

Salt and pepper each filet.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Grill them in the hot oil for 2 minutes on each side.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

I like my steak rare, so I stop right here and just let the meat rest on a plate. If you like your steak medium, remove it from the pan and place it in a hot oven (about 400 degrees) for 5-10 minutes before letting it rest. Likewise, if your filet is thicker, you will need to place it in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes to achieve rare meat and even longer for medium doneness.

The reason for transferring the meat to the oven to continue cooking is so that you don’t burn or overcook the outside of the steak in a hot skillet while you are waiting for the center of the meat to reach the level of doneness you prefer.

PRO TIP: When you are resting your steak, don’t rest it in the same pan or on the baking sheet you use while cooking it. When I first started cooking, I made this mistake. I just shut off the stove and let my meat rest in the hot skillet, lol. Your meat will continue to cook from the residual heat.

Set out all of the blueberry sauce ingredients.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Sauté the shallots in a tablespoon of oil until translucent.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Add the red wine and bring to a boil.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Boil for approximately 2 minutes on high heat, until wine is reduced by half.

Add the remaining sauce ingredients.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Sauté on medium heat 5 minutes, using the back of your spoon to mash up some of the blueberries as they cook. You should be left with a glossy, thick sauce with chunks of blueberries.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Look at that tender, rare steak! The more expensive the cut of meat, the more rare I prefer to eat it.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

I like to drizzle a spoonful of the sauce around the sides…

Blueberry Filet Mignon

And then drizzle a line of blueberries down the center.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

That way you can still see the gorgeous steak under the sauce.

It’s a plate of decadent perfection.

Blueberry Filet Mignon

Filed Under: Beef

Ricotta Meatballs with Tomato Butter and Onion Sauce

January 19, 2015 By Tekesha 6 Comments

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

I love meatballs, but it can be difficult to achieve a juicy, tender meatball without using breadcrumbs. A while ago, I ran across Chef Michael Symon’s mother’s recipe for meatballs made with ricotta cheese instead and I’ve been making my meatballs that way ever since! I’ve played around with the ingredients and the amounts to find a balance that suits my taste. I simmer them in Marcella Hazan’s iconic Tomato, Butter and Onion sauce to complete the dish. It’s perfect with a glass of red wine. We went to a holiday party last month and I picked up a bottle of Louis Martini 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon as a hostess gift. It’s delicious! As soon as it was opened, it was gone. I actually did a double-take. Pick up a bottle, make these meatballs and celebrate making it through another Monday 🙂

5.0 from 1 reviews
Ricotta Meatballs with Tomato Butter and Onion Sauce
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
35 mins
Total time
45 mins
 
Juicy, flavorful meatballs made with ricotta and parmesan cheeses instead of breadcrumbs and Marcella Hazan's classic tomato, butter and onion sauce.
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork or veal
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp nutmeg, grated
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 28 oz. can whole San Marzano Tomatoes
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ½ onion, peeled
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork/veal, ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  2. Roll into large meatballs about the size of your palm. I usually get about 13 meatballs.
  3. Pour oil into a large pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
  4. Place meatballs in the oil and flip them over a few times so that the entire surface of the meatball is coated in a little oil.
  5. Lightly brown both sides of the meatball on medium heat.
  6. Add tomatoes, butter and onion to the pan.
  7. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
  8. Uncover, raise heat to medium high and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 838 Fat: 43 Saturated fat: 21 Carbohydrates: 24 Sugar: 11 Sodium: 2304 Fiber: 8 Protein: 86 Cholesterol: 299
3.2.2885

Gather together:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork or veal
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp nutmeg, grated
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 28 oz. can whole San Marzano Tomatoes
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ½ onion, peeled

In a large bowl, combine beef, pork/veal, ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

Roll into large meatballs about the size of your palm. I usually get about 13 meatballs.

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

Pour oil into a large pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

Place meatballs in the oil and flip them over a few times so that the entire surface of the meatball is coated in a little oil. Don’t you hate when you put oil in a pan, brown something on one side, go to flip it over and realize the pan is now dry as the Sahara Desert? This step takes care of that by pre-coating the entire meatball with oil.

Lightly brown both sides of the meatball on medium heat. Normally, I do not fry meatballs. I put them straight into sauce or broth raw. I fry them here because the sauce I am making with them is on the dry side (not a lot of liquid) and I want to make sure that they are cooked without burning the sauce.

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

Add tomatoes, butter and onion to the pan. As you can see, you don’t need to cut up the onion. It’s there for flavor.

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

Uncover, raise heat to medium high and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes.

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

These juicy meatballs and rich, velvety tomato sauce are perfect all on their own.

Ricotta Meatballs Tomato Butter Onion Sauce

Filed Under: Beef

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

December 29, 2014 By Tekesha 12 Comments

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

My favorite kind of meatloaf is the kind you make with the packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Soo good!! I’ve been playing around with a few different versions of french onion meatloaf and this was is the best. I topped it with a version of mashed cauliflower that includes hearts of palms, which was minimally adapted from Eat Paleo 4 Health’s How to Make the Best Cauliflower Mash. Then I topped that with shredded Jarlsburg cheese. Ay yi yi, out of this world amazing! And so easy to slice up and take to work for lunch. If you can’t find Jarlsburg cheese (it should be in the deli section with the fine cheeses), you can swap out Gruyere or Swiss. All three taste similar.

5.0 from 3 reviews
French Onion Meatloaf Pie
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 10 mins
 
French onion flavored meatloaf topped with creamy, buttery mashed cauliflower and hearts of palm and tangy Jarlsberg cheese.
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs Ground Chuck
  • 1 extra large beef bouillon cube, crumbled
  • 6 oz tomato paste, divided
  • ¾ cup dried minced onion
  • 2 tsp celery salt
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 16 oz frozen cauliflower
  • 14 oz hearts of palm, sliced
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ¼ lb Jarlsberg cheese, grated
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, add ground chuck, crumbled bouillon cube, half the can of tomato paste, dried minced onion, celery salt, onion powder, parsley, eggs, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and water.
  3. Mix gently with a fork until well-combined, making sure not to overwork the meat.
  4. Place the meat mixture into a baking dish and top with the remaining half of the tomato paste.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes.
  6. While the meatloaf layer is baking, steam the cauliflower until very soft.
  7. Combine the cauliflower with the hearts of palm, heavy cream and butter.
  8. Using a masher, blender or food processor, process the cauliflower mixture until it turns smooth and looks like mashed potatoes.
  9. Remove the meatloaf from the oven. At this point, I like to drain off any accumulated oil with a spoon.
  10. Top the meatloaf with the cauliflower mixture.
  11. Shred the Jarlsberg cheese and add it to the top of the cauliflower mix.
  12. Return the meatloaf pie to the oven to cook for another 30 minutes.
  13. Serve.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 311 Fat: 19 Saturated fat: 10 Carbohydrates: 17 Sugar: 8 Sodium: 664 Fiber: 5 Protein: 20 Cholesterol: 116
3.2.2802

You’ll need:

  • 2 lbs Ground Chuck
  • 1 extra large beef bouillon cube, crumbled
  • 6 oz tomato paste, divided
  • ¾ cup dried minced onion
  • 2 tsp celery salt
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 16 oz frozen cauliflower
  • 14 oz hearts of palm, sliced
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ¼ lb Jarlsberg cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add ground chuck, crumbled bouillon cube, half the can of tomato paste, dried minced onion, celery salt, onion powder, parsley, eggs, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and water.

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

Mix gently with a fork until well-combined, making sure not to overwork the meat. The water will start to re-hydrate the minced onion and dissolve the bouillon. The juices from the meat will continue this process as the meatloaf cooks in the oven.

Place the meat mixture into a baking dish and top with the remaining half of the tomato paste.

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

Bake for 30 minutes.

While the meatloaf layer is baking, steam the cauliflower until very soft.

Combine the cauliflower with the hearts of palm, heavy cream and butter. I love the taste of hearts of palm, but its main purpose here is to give the mash an improved texture. I could barely taste it in the final dish.

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

Using a masher, blender or food processor (shown below), process the cauliflower mixture until it turns smooth and looks like mashed potatoes.

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

Remove the meatloaf from the oven. At this point, I like to drain off any accumulated oil with a spoon.

Top the meatloaf with the cauliflower mixture.

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

Shred the Jarlsberg cheese and add it to the top of the cauliflower mix.

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

Return the meatloaf pie to the oven to cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve.

It’s a meal all by itself, but I also like to serve it with a chilled side salad with champagne vinaigrette for contrast.

French Onion Meatloaf Pie

Filed Under: Beef

The Best Bolognese Sauce

December 1, 2014 By Tekesha 5 Comments

The Best Bolognese Sauce

Marcella Hazan. All the best Italian recipes come from this lady. So much emphasis on real, fresh ingredients! I love it! The very first sauce of hers that I made was her Tomato, Butter and Onion Sauce. I hesitated to try it for a long time because there were so few ingredients, I didn’t think it would be worth it. Wrong! Wrong! It’s the best thing ever. When I told my husband I was thinking of making Marcella’s Bolognese sauce, he looked me straight in the eye and said “That lady has another sauce recipe out there that we haven’t tried yet?! Of course you should make it!” So this is a take on another take of Marcella’s famous Bolognese sauce by David Leite. He added pork and veal. If you scroll down to the comments, you can see that Marcella herself approved. I swapped out the pork for more veal because the ground pork I have access to is totally tasteless, changed the order of adding ingredients to something similar to Marcella’s first version of this recipe, and added a healthy dash of allspice to compliment the nutmeg. Let’s get started!

You’ll need:

  • 8 tbsp butter, divided
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 1 stalk of celery, minced
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • 2 cups milk
  • 28oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes

Prepare your celery, onion and carrots.

The Best Bolognese Sauce

In a large pan, add oil, 4 tbsp butter, ground beef, ground veal, nutmeg, allspice, celery, onion, carrots, salt and pepper.

The Best Bolognese Sauce

Cook on medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the beef is mostly browned, approximately 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

The Best Bolognese Sauce

Add the white wine to the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Nevermind that I’m doing this on top of a filing cabinet to get better lighting 🙂

The Best Bolognese Sauce

Cook until all of the wine has evaporated from the pan, approximately 45 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add San Marzano tomatoes, 4 tbsp butter and milk to the pan.

The Best Bolognese Sauce

Turn the heat down to medium low.

Let it gently simmer for 3 hours, gently breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

This is what it looks like after the first hour…

The Best Bolognese Sauce

This is what it looks like after the second hour…

The Best Bolognese Sauce

The sauce should be very dry, meaning not have a lot of liquid, when it’s done. If you find that it is drying out too quickly, make sure your heat is on medium low and add a half a cup of milk as necessary to prevent the sauce from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. When it’s done, you should be left with a really concentrated meat sauce and the oil released from the meat.

This is what it looks like after the third hour, when it’s done:

The Best Bolognese Sauce

Because everything has been simmering in milk, there is an unforgettable creaminess to the sauce even though there isn’t much liquid left at the end.

I toss the oil with some hot, fresh fettuccine noodles and then top with a bit of Bolognese…

The Best Bolognese Sauce

And maybe an almond flour cheddar bay biscuit 🙂

The Best Bolognese Sauce

It’s not necessary to eat it with pasta noodles. This is also really good inside low-carb soft tortillas. I tried to snap a picture of my husband eating it that way, but he was in no mood to be separated from his Bolognese for even a second!

You could also crack a few eggs into the pot for the last few minutes for a kicked up version of Eggs in Purgatory. Or top it with mashed root vegetables and mozzarella cheese for an Italian spin on shepherd’s/cottage pie. This sauce is much more versatile than just an accompaniment to fresh pasta!

The Best Bolognese Sauce
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
4 hours
Total time
4 hours 5 mins
 
Adaptation of Marcella Hazan’s famous Bolognese sauce featuring tender beef and veal, comforting diced veggies and earthy spices.
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 8 tbsp butter, divided
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 1 stalk of celery, minced
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • 2 cups milk
  • 28oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Prepare your celery, onion and carrots.
  2. In a large pan, add oil, 4 tbsp butter, ground beef, ground veal, nutmeg, allspice, celery, onion, carrots, salt and pepper.
  3. Cook on medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the beef is mostly browned, approximately 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the white wine to the pan and turn the heat down to medium.
  5. Cook until all of the wine has evaporated from the pan, approximately 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
  6. Add San Marzano tomatoes, 4 tbsp butter and milk to the pan.
  7. Turn the heat down to medium low.
  8. Let it gently simmer for 3 hours, gently breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
  9. The sauce should be very dry, meaning not have a lot of liquid, when it’s done. If you find that it is drying out too quickly, make sure your heat is on medium low and add a half a cup of milk as necessary to prevent the sauce from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. When it’s done, you should be left with a really concentrated meat sauce and the oil released from the meat.
Notes
Nutrition information provided is for the bolognese sauce alone.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 439 Fat: 22.4 Saturated fat: 11.4 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 12.8 Sugar: 8.8 Sodium: 233 Fiber: 2.9 Protein: 34.5 Cholesterol: 145
3.2.2802

 

Filed Under: Beef, Other Meats

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

November 10, 2014 By Tekesha 11 Comments

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

This is an elegant winter meal that comes together surprisingly quickly. I feel like it needs to be made while wearing a cashmere scarf and lots of diamonds. If only I owned a cashmere scarf and lots of diamonds :-). There are a couple minutes of prep work, but this is all going to cook lightning fast because the oven and the stove are going to be lightning hot. Perfect for a cozy evening when you want to eat something special without being stuck in the kitchen all night. Light a fragrant candle and get together your ingredients:

  • 1 lb asparagus spears
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • Nonstick spray
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 ribeye steaks (about 2″ in thickness each)
  • 1 tbsp montreal chicken seasoning
  • 2 tbsp warm hollandaise sauce, divided (optional)(I like the little glass jars of Musette brand hollandaise if I’m not making my own)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare your asparagus by cutting off the last inch of each spear and shaving off any rough spots with a vegetable peeler.

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

Line a baking sheet with foil.

Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and place it on one side of the baking dish.

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

Spray a grill pan with nonstick spray and toss in 2 tbsp butter.

Heat on high until the pan is almost smoking, approximately 1 minute.

Season both sides of the steaks with Montreal Chicken Seasoning. I know that a lot of people use Montreal Steak Seasoning on their steaks, but I find that sometimes the pepper in that one can be overwhelming.

Place steaks inside the pan and do not move for 3 minutes. This will allow them to develop a nice sear.

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

Flip the steaks over and let the other side sear for 1 minute.

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

Move steaks to the empty side of the baking sheet with the asparagus and place in the oven.

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

Roast for approximately 10 minutes, until asparagus is only slightly crunchy.

Remove from oven and let steaks rest for at least 10 minutes.

Serve.

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

I like to pair this with a little warm hollandaise sauce over the asparagus and a glass of pinot noir.

Steak and Asparagus Dinner

5.0 from 2 reviews
Steak and Asparagus Dinner
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Lightly seasoned, pan-seared steak roasted in the oven with dressed asparagus makes for a simple, elegant meal for two.
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 lb asparagus spears
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • Nonstick spray
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 ribeye steaks (about 2" in thickness each)
  • 1 tbsp montreal chicken seasoning
  • 2 tbsp warm hollandaise sauce, divided (optional)(I like the little glass jars of Musette brand if I'm not making my own)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Prepare your asparagus by cutting off the last inch of each spear and shaving off any rough spots with a vegetable peeler.
  3. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  4. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and place it on one side of the baking dish.
  5. Spray a grill pan with nonstick spray and toss in 2 tbsp butter. Heat on high until the pan is almost smoking, approximately 1 minute.
  6. Season both sides of the steaks with Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
  7. Place steaks inside the pan and do not move for 3 minutes. This will allow them to develop a nice sear.
  8. Flip the steaks over and let the other side sear for 1 minute.
  9. Move steaks to the empty side of the baking sheet with the asparagus and place in the oven.
  10. Roast for approximately 10 minutes, until asparagus is only slightly crunchy.
  11. Remove from oven and let steaks rest for at least 10 minutes.
  12. Serve.
Notes
I like to pair this with a little warm hollandaise sauce over the asparagus and a glass of pinot noir.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 1362 Fat: 108.4 Saturated fat: 42.8 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 12.7 Sugar: 4.6 Sodium: 763 Fiber: 4.9 Protein: 92.8 Cholesterol: 319
3.2.2802

 

Filed Under: Beef

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

June 6, 2014 By Tekesha 8 Comments

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

My brother Cardo is totally against burgers cooked in the oven. He was at our house one time and I was in the kitchen seasoning burger patties and putting them onto a baking tray. He saw what I was doing and said TWICE “I am absolutely against that. I do not eat burgers from ovens.” I continued with what I was doing and he said “Seriously. I am totally against what you are doing right now.” Ha ha ha! He was very relieved when I explained that we just needed something to use to transport the meat to the grill.

Well, THESE burgers are cooked in the oven, after marinating in a ton of soy sauce and spices, and I think even my brother would love them. They are salty and juicy and after sitting in the marinade, the onions seem to almost caramelize in the oven. Give them a try!

Gather up:

  • 4 lbs ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 15-oz bottle of soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp paprika

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce with the onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, ground ginger, and paprika. I had a picture of this, but you really couldn’t see what was happening because the soy sauce is so dark.

In a very large bowl, toss in your ground beef.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Chop your onion and add it to the ground beef. I leave my onion pieces kind of large (about 1 inch in length) because I like them to still have a bite after the burgers are cooked. If you don’t like onions with even a little bit of crunch, I would sauté the onion in some water until fully cooked, let it cool, and then add it to the burger mixture.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Pour the soy sauce mixture into the bowl with the ground beef.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

There will be a lot of soy sauce swimming in the bowl. That is perfectly okay at this stage.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Gently mix the meat and onion with the soy sauce so everything is coated.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Leave beef to soak up the soy mixture for 30 minutes, gently mixing the meat occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

The soy marinade should be totally absorbed into the meat at this point.

Line a baking tray with foil and a rack.

Shape your burgers into patties and place them on the rack. Because the soy sauce mixture has soaked into the meat, these burgers will be a little dark. They almost look like they are already cooked.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Use a knife to poke 3 holes into each burger. This step will prevent the burgers from puffing up into giant meatballs in the oven.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Bake for 1 hour. I cannot even really describe to you what your house will smell like while this is baking. It is heavenly.

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Serve open-faced…

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

wrapped in lettuce leaves…

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

or on a soft bun…

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Yum!

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

5.0 from 1 reviews
Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers
 
Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 2 mins
 
Salty, juicy burgers packed with fresh onion and baked in the oven.
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 4 lbs ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 15-oz bottle of soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce with the onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, ground ginger, and paprika.
  2. In a very large bowl, toss in your ground beef.
  3. Chop your onion and add it to the ground beef.
  4. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the bowl with the ground beef.
  5. Gently mix the meat and onion with the soy sauce so everything is coated.
  6. Leave beef to soak up the soy mixture for 30 minutes, gently mixing the meat occasionally.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  8. The soy marinade should be totally absorbed into the meat at this point.
  9. Line a baking tray with foil and a rack.
  10. Shape your burgers into patties and use a knife to poke 3 holes into each burger. This step will prevent the burgers from puffing up into giant meatballs in the oven.
  11. Place each burger on the rack.
  12. Bake for 1 hour.
  13. Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition information provided is for the burgers only and does not include condiments, lettuce or buns.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 362 Fat: 23 Carbohydrates: 7 Sugar: 3 Sodium: 2497 Protein: 31
3.2.1303

 

Filed Under: Beef

Grilled Strip Steak

May 30, 2014 By Tekesha 6 Comments

Grilled Strip Steak

One of the few recipes my husband has passed on to me has been for crazy delicious steaks. He learned it from a friend and it couldn’t be simpler. Just steaks left to marinate in a bottle of Dale’s Seasoning (a blend of soy sauce, sugar and seasonings) for a few hours and tossed on the grill. The dark soy sauce just soaks into the meat and every bite is perfectly seasoned all the way through.

Grilled Strip Steak

When I saw Kookie’s The Best Steak Marinade in Existence, I knew I had to give it a try with some strip steaks. It’s got the same soy sauce base, but no added sugar. The lemon and the hot sauce also give it a spicy tang. I’ve slightly adapted the ingredients to accommodate finishing the steaks in the oven like The Kitchen Whisperer’s Better-Than-Restaurant-Quality New York Strip Steaks.

You’ll need:

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 3 tbsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp Frank’s hot sauce
  • 2 1-inch strip steaks, trimmed
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp butter, divided

Grab your strip steaks…

Grilled Strip Steak

and trim off all the fat from the edges.

Grilled Strip Steak

Get out your soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley flakes, white pepper, and hot sauce.

Grilled Strip Steak

Put your steaks in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade ingredients into the bag and seal.

Grilled Strip Steak

Let the steaks marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Get out a cast iron skillet or  any other oven-safe pan and put it on the stove top at high heat.

Once the skillet is hot, remove your steaks from the marinade and place them in the hot skillet. Discard the marinade.

Grilled Strip Steak

Do not move them for 4 minutes. This will allow a nice sear to develop on the steaks.

Grilled Strip Steak

Get out your fresh thyme and your 2 tbsp of butter, divided into a tbsp each.

Flip your steaks over in the skillet and turn off the stove top.

Place a sprig of thyme and a tbsp of butter on top of each steak.

Grilled Strip Steak

Put the skillet with the steaks in the oven and cook for 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and put the steaks on a plate to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Grilled Strip Steak

Slice thinly and serve.

Grilled Strip Steak

This is wonderful with scrambled eggs for breakfast, on top of a spinach salad for lunch, or even just with a little drizzle of chimichurri sauce (pictured below).

Grilled Strip Steak

 

Grilled Strip Steak

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Grilled Strip Steak
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
Lean strip steaks marinated in spicy soy sauce, seared, and finished in the oven with butter and thyme.
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 3 tbsp dried basil
  • ¼ tsp Frank's hot sauce
  • 2 1-inch strip steaks, trimmed
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp butter, divided
Instructions
  1. Trim all the fat from around your strip steak.
  2. Place steaks in a large ziploc bag.
  3. Pour the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley flakes, white pepper, and hot sauce into the bag with the steaks and seal the bag.
  4. Let the steaks marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 24 hours.
  5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  6. Get out a cast iron skillet or any other oven-safe pan and put it on the stove top at high heat.
  7. Once the skillet is hot, remove your steaks from the marinade and place them in the hot skillet. Discard the marinade.
  8. Do not move them for 4 minutes. This will allow a nice sear to develop on the steaks.
  9. Get out your fresh thyme and your 2 tbsp of butter, divided into a tbsp each.
  10. Flip your steaks over in the skillet and turn off the stove top.
  11. Place a sprig of thyme and a tbsp of butter on top of each steak.
  12. Put the skillet with the steaks in the oven and cook for 6 minutes.
  13. Remove the skillet from the oven and put the steaks on a plate to rest for at least 10 minutes.
  14. Slice thinly and serve.
Notes
NOTE: The nutrition information included below includes the estimates for the marinade, even though the marinade is not consumed in the final dish.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 380 Fat: 29 Carbohydrates: 9 Sugar: 3 Sodium: 1311 Protein: 22
3.2.1303

 

Filed Under: Beef

About Me

Hi, I'm Tekesha! I started this blog to chronicle my attempts to eat more "real" food -- the kind of items generally found in the perimeter of the supermarket. I take step-by-step photos of all the recipes on the blog, many of which are low in sugar.

Instagram// EatMoreFoodProject

Birthday dinner for my dad. Filet mignon with herb Birthday dinner for my dad. Filet mignon with herb butter, grilled lobster, lemon ricotta potatoes, and heirloom tomatoes with homemade bleu cheese dressing. Potato recipe came from @framedcooks. Dressing recipe came from @gwynethpaltrow. #celebration
That second COVID vaccine got me making a big pot That second COVID vaccine got me making a big pot of #jamaicanchickensoup!
Seafood boil for the fam bam 😁 Seafood boil for the fam bam 😁
Seafood boil to lift spirits 🙂 Seafood boil to lift spirits 🙂
Ham & Turkey Chef Salad with mushrooms, American c Ham & Turkey Chef Salad with mushrooms, American cheese, onions, pickles, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, salt, pepper and thousand island dressing from @jonsmithsubs. #keto #salad
Asian flank steak, wasabi mashed cauliflower, and Asian flank steak, wasabi mashed cauliflower, and buttery green beans. #keto #mealprep

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