Spaghetti Two Ways

These recipes are both basically ''take a box of spaghetti, make a sauce, then eat it!' but one of them involves stirring sliced hot dogs (wieners, in the parlance of the recipe, which, since I am 12, is hilarious to me) into the finished sauce. As this sounds revolting, I am lucky because I live in a country with little to no respect for the hot dog so I was unable to find hot dogs and had to make this with chorizo,* thus combining both recipes into a simpler single version with optional chorizo sprinkles.

Since both recipes require some kind of pre-made sauce base that obviously doesn't exist anymore, I made my own sauce from scratch (-ish) using their additions to dress it up. I had mine with chorizo and Judson tried it without, so you can make it either way, or, if you're feeling really authentically 1950s, go ahead and stir in some sliced hot dogs. What could be better?

I made this for us one night when it was raining (not snowing for once!) and I couldn't be bothered to cook anything that required much thought but still wanted to be in the kitchen because it's always the warmest room in our flat. I really love mindless cooking like making pasta sauce or chili sometimes- the kind of thing where you just chopchopchop sizzlesizzlesizzle simmersimmersimmer taste and adjust, then start again from the beginning. I love zoning out to an old episode of the Golden Girls, my favourite playlist, or an audiobook (my newfound passion- I can read twice as many books at a time now!), listening to the rain and filling the kitchen with steam and good smells until it's time to eat, and this recipe is no exception.

Very much intended to be a 'clean-out-your-fridge' type recipe, this sauce is the kind of thing you'll never make the same way twice because it's completely dependent on what you've got to hand; have an open jar of anchovies you need to use up? Throw 'em in! A stalk or two of celery that are going soft? Chop 'em up! Half an onion, one shallot, and a piece of leek? In they go! A carrot? Fine! A handful of strawberries? WHOA, no. This is not a free-for-all, you know.

Anyway, here's how I made mine, based on what the original recipe recommended to add to a prepared sauce base, but as I said, edit it to your heart's content. You can cook this for as little as 30 minutes including softening time, but it's going to keep getting better the longer you leave it, so if you have time, do your prep a few hours before you need it and then let it simmer for a few hours so the flavours really blend. It'll be worth it.

*Truly, this country has so little respect for the hot dog that the only ones I have ever seen in my shop come full-length in a can packed in water, and the label is, of course, an American flag. Once upon a time, the existence of those water-packed canned weiners was the most embarrassing thing about being an American abroad.

The verdict:

3 spoons out of five. I'm knocking off one spoon because this is no spaghetti bolognese made with fresh tomatoes when they're actually in season, but for a recipe that cleared out my fridge of all the veg I would otherwise probably have had to toss, it's great. And I'm knocking one more spoon because the chorizo didn't really add anything and I can all but guarantee the requested hot dogs would have been even worse.

ONE YEAR AGO: TOLL HOUSE MARBLE SQUARES
TWO YEARS AGO: ASIAN CHICKEN TWO WAYS

the recipe:

Spaghetti

the directions:

Saute the anchovy in the oil in a deep saucepot until it melts.
Add the celery and stir well, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4 minutes, until slightly softened.
Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until well-softened and slightly browned, at least 10 minutes or up to 20 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with a generous glug of wine, turn up the heat to medium and add the tomato paste. Stir to combine, then add the passata and stir well.
Bring to a simmer, add red pepper flakes, then taste.
If needed, add sugar, salt and additional red pepper flakes.
Reduce heat to medium-low and either allow to simmer with the lid on for up to an hour, or cook your spaghetti.

To serve, place spaghetti in four individual bowls, top generously with warm sauce, sprinkle with cheese and, if desired, add a sprinkle of chorizo. Note that according to this recipe, adding the chorizo turns this into 'Frank n' Spaghetti Supper.'

the ingredients:

Customise the below to fit what you have in your kitchen:

3 anchovies
3 tbsp olive oil or the oil from the anchovy tin
2 celery ribs, chopped very fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped coarsely
1 bell pepper, chopped coarsely
1 handful white or chestnut mushrooms, chopped coarsely
1 glug red or white wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 box tomato passata
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp sugar or brown sugar
2 tbsp salt or to taste
4 servings of spaghetti
Fresh grated parmesan or pecorino

Optional: 1 generous handful of chorizo, chopped coarsely

Speedy Beef Barbecue USA, or, Steak & Rice with Tomato Sauce

You might, upon reading the title of this recipe, think to yourself, ‘Oh, a patriotic summer recipe that would have been perfect for celebrating American Independence Day yesterday. I wonder why she didn’t post it then?’ but the answer to that question is simple: this is neither barbecue (by any definition I know of), nor is it particularly USA. In fact, if I had to choose a country where this seems like it should have come from, it would be the UK, where meat-in-sauce is inexplicably paired with rice. (See: British chili)

I didn’t read this recipe before I decided to make it and had Judson pick up the ingredients, but I was excited for proper barbecue-type meal since summer in Scotland can otherwise be a bit of a letdown. But then I started making it and quickly realised it’s not barbecue and not ‘American’ by any definition I’ve ever read. So I saved it for the day after 4th of July (the LEAST patriotic day of the year).

Considering the title of this recipe sounds like something two cartoon bears would try to sell you after climbing onto each other’s shoulders and zipping themselves into one long coat to pretend to be a businessman, my hopes weren’t high. And while this is absolutely not American summer food, it was way delicious and a good way to warm up on a day when the hottest recorded temperature in history in my city is only 22 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s not pretty, but it is ‘speedy’ and it was definitely delicious. Might I recommend this next time you find yourself soaked to the bone in a sudden summer rainstorm and in need of a non-salad meal?

The verdict:

4 spoons out of five. Judson and I literally fought over the leftovers, they were so delicious. I’m only knocking off a spoon because the steak was so expensive that, while this was definitely a ‘speedy’ meal, a budget meal it was not.

two years ago: Seven Layer Salad

The recipe:

Speedy Beef Barbecue USA

The directions:

Cut steak against the grain into strips 1 ½ inches thick.
Brown steak in goose fat until just browned on the stovetop in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Blitz tomatoes in a food processor until smooth, then add lime juice, soy sauce, onion, brown sugar and ginger.
Pour sauce over meat.
Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes until thickened and reduced.
Cook rice according to package directions, then add butter, salt and green pepper in last 3 minutes of cook time.
Fluff rice with a fork, then spoon around the edge of your serving platter.
Spoon Speedy Beef Barbecue USA in the centre.

Yields 4-6 servings.

The ingredients:

1 kilo (2 lbs) round steak
2 tbsp goose fat (or drippings)
16 oz canned tomatoes
2 tsp lime juice
¼ c soy sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp ginger
1 tsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 small green pepper, cut into strips
1 c instant rice

Western Swiss Steak

Ok, ok. After my last post about the joys of Spam, everyone is ready for something that actually tastes good and is, ideally, not a chocolate cake. So here we go: Western Swiss Steak.

Is it steak from the western part of Switzerland? Is it made from a Swiss cow? Or is it Swiss steak made in the style of the Old West?

I don’t know, but you guys, this is tasty. So let’s say you live on an island, but you don’t live in a tropical paradise (ahem, Scotland), and so you’re still stuck in the throes of winter, with spring nowhere on the horizon. You’re trying your hardest not to think about spring… or summer… because you know you’ve got another month before the weather is anything less than grey. The days have finally lengthened enough that it’s daylight when you leave work in the evenings (for at least half of the bus ride home), which is worth celebrating, but you’re still trying to temper your excitement because, I mean, it’s at least another month or so before you start getting any real flowers outside or any predictable sunshine. This is the perfect dish for you. This isn’t a steak recipe, but it’s also not a stew. It doesn’t require fresh veggies, in case your grocery, like mine, is currently a minefield of nothing but root vegetables and a few sickly-looking tomatoes. In the vein of coq au vin or cassoulet, this is a hearty dish perfect for noshing after a day out hiking the moors… or, you know, an average weekend. The tomatoes reduce to a sticky, tangy sauce and the onions give the meat an amazing flavour. Plus, the meat comes out so tender and delicious you can cut it with a fork. If you’re trying to add a little more veg to your diet, this would be amazing with a couple of handfuls of mushrooms, or some cippolini onions or a bunch of tiny shallots. You could also easily double or triple the garlic and leave some of the cloves unpeeled to roast really nicely and bulk up the non-meat parts of this meal. It’s definitely a hearty dish, so you’ll want something light to go with it, like a green salad with vinaigrette to help offset the heavier, mellow flavours of the main course. And since it shares all the characteristics of a really amazing stew, it gets even better the second day, when the flavours have continued to meld together.

Best of all, this is super easy—especially if you can get your hands on a giant piece of beef instead of the wee ones like we found. It even gives you a chance to use your meat mallet (the absolute joy of Judson’s life, who always wants to be involved with any recipe that allows for use of a tenderiser). And since it cooks for several hours, you can even get your whole kitchen clean before dinner, then serve this to friends who will be in awe of your homemaking abilities.

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. You want something cosy and warm that will make your entire house smell amazing, something to eat while you listen to the rain pattering on your roof and daydream about vacations past (and yet to come)... so make this for dinner ASAP. We’re heading off to Tenerife next week to celebrate our anniversary, but in the meantime, I’m going to be eating this for dinner (and lunch tomorrow) while I anxiously await my next holiday.

New! One Year ago: Crepes!

The recipe:

Western Swiss Steak

The directions:

Pound flour into steak, ½ c on each side if you're using one large piece of meat, or generously on each side of smaller pieces.
Preheat oven to 160C/325F.
Heat oil in a deep, oven-safe casserole on the stove.
When hot, drop steak into pan.
Brown both sides, then add onion, tomatoes, and garlic.
Pour in enough water to barely cover meat (for me, this was only about ¼ c).
Cover with a tight lid and cook in preheated oven about 2-2 ½ hours.
Dish is done when meat is fork-tender but still pink in middle and sauce has thickened and reduced slightly.
Just before serving, add salt and pepper and serve warm.

the ingredients:

2 lbs round, 1-inch thick
1 c flour
3 tbs olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
20 oz can chopped tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

See above for other suggestions to jazz this up if you want to (but it's great as-is)!