Bolognese Sauce

So it comes to that time of day again. I'm standing in front of the freezer wondering which meat to defrost, and what to do with it. So I decided that I want to try another recipe. So I bust out my veggies and get dicing, then i hit the store and get anything I don't have. I decided today I'm going to experiment with my first sauce, something that isn't just a regular tomato sauce. So I decided, after some recipe searches, to make a variation of a Bolognese sauce.

Bolognese Sauce

• extra virgin olive oil


• 1 med onion chopped finely


• 2 stalks of celery chopped finely


• 2 carrots chopped finely


• 4 cloves garlic minced


• 1 cup mushrooms chopped finely


• 1 lbs extra lean ground beef


• 1 lbs lean ground veal


• 1 cup of white wine (pinot grigio works well.. Something dry)


• 14 oz crushed peeled tomatoes


• 1 quart of chicken stock


• dash of cayenne


• 1 tsp curry powder


• 1 tsp dried oregano (or tbsp fresh)


• 1 tsp dried basil (or tbsp fresh)


• 1 cup table cream ( I used 18% m.f.)

start by heating up a big pot with the olive oil. Toss in your onions, celery, garlic, carrots and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
Raise the heat a little and add your meats, cook it until its no longer pink.
Add the white wine and simmer until the wine evaporates. This could take a while.
Add the tomatoes, and the chicken stock, the cayenne, curry powder and some salt and pepper to taste, add basil and oregano.
At this point it gets easy. Lower the heat and simmer for around 2-3 hrs until its thickened.
Once its thickened up add the cream and simmer for another 20 or so minutes.

So.. Delicious.  My 1 year old is doing laps around the rooms acting like my wooden spoon is a lollipop! My husband set aside a container full for tomorrows work lunch before he was even finished his dinner.

Easy Beef Bourguignon

I was always intrigued by this meal.  The way its always spoken of in high regard.   So I found a relatively easier recipe because as a mom I don't exactly have time to do all the fine points and details of a Julia Child Beef Bourguignon.  The smell was sweet, like that of when my mother cooks her flour dumplings for our Czech goulash.  The taste was wonderful, the onions were soft and flavourful.  I was very pleased with it and I will definitely do it again!

• 3 tablespoons olive oil


• 2 strips bacon, cut into l-inch pieces


• 2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1" cubes


• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


• 12 small white onions, peeled, whole (cut in half, if desired)


• 1 clove garlic, crushed


• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 2 cups dry red wine


• 2 cups water


• 2 tablespoons tomato paste


• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme


• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley


• 3 bay leaves


• 7 peppercorns


• 1 pound mushrooms

First, you heat the oil in a deep stew pot on medium and then cook the bacon for about a minute.  Then add the meat (salt and pepper it first!)  and brown it on all sides (takes about 6-7 minutes) and empty the meats from the pot.  Toss in the garlic and onion, let that cook for 2-3 minutes then re-add the meat and flour and mix that around.  once the flour isn't visible anymore add everything else except the mushroom.  Stir it around a bit, then just let it cook for 1.5 - 2 hrs on low setting.  Once you're satisfied with that toss in the mushrooms and let them cook with everything for about 15 minutes, discard the bay leaves and voila! Easy Beef Bourguignon! Easier to make than to spell.