BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER’S STEW)

Bigos, the national dish of Poland.

The long-awaited wait is over!!! I would like to introduce to you BIGOS!!! I know, I know…why a Polish dish on an Italian website. This website is actually a celebration of all food, not just Italian. This is a shout out to all my Polish friends. So, most of you are probably asking, “What is Bigos?” That is exactly what I was asking 1 1/2 years ago. I stopped by an English pub, and it was the special of the day. I said to myself, why not? I tried it and fell in love with the meal. As a matter of fact, I have probably made this meal 6-7 times in the past 1.5 years. It is the perfect winter dish. Bigos is also the “National Dish” of both Poland and the Ukrane according to Wikipedia. This recipe has 3 different types of pork meat. It is very important to note, do not skip the last step of adding the crusty bread torn by hand. In my opinion, this completes the meal. Enjoy a Triplo G Italian Kitchen favorite.

Prep Time: 20 min

Bake time: 2 1/2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 50 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lbs Pork Roast, Cubed
• 14 oz Kielbasa, Sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Slices of Thick Bacon, Chopped
• 2 Carrots, chopped
• 1 Portabella Mushroom, Chopped
• 1 Medium Onion, Chopped
• 4 Cups Shredded Green Cabbage
• 2 Cups Sauerkraut, Drained
• 3 Cloves of Garlic Pressed and Minced (Do you have a Garlic Press?)
• 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper – use a Pepper Mill.
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Dry Red Wine
• 4 Cups Beef Stock
• 2 Dash Worcestershire
• 1 Cup Diced Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 Dash Red Hot
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Package Egg Noodles
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Loaf Crusty Rustic Bread

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In your Dutch Oven, combine chopped bacon and kielbasa. Cook on stove top over medium-high heat until bacon and kielbasa are browned. Remove meat and set aside the bowl leaving the oil behind.
• In a large bowl, take cubed pork and dust with flour, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix to coat the pork cubes very lightly.
• Increase the flame to medium to high heat on the Dutch Oven. Add a single layer of pork cubes to oil and brown pork on all sides. You will probably have to do the cubes in batches. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add onions, garlic , mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, sauerkraut, and fresh ground pepper. Sautee over low-med heat until vegetables are soft, about 10-12 minutes.
• Add wine, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, italian seasoning, Worcestershire, red-hot, and paprika.
• Return to boil. Add the meats (pork, bacon, kielbasa) back to the dutch oven.
• Remove from stove top and place the Dutch Oven in preheated oven.
• Cook 2 1/2 hours at 325 degrees
• Rip off a handful of bread (see picture above) and serve with the stew in a bowl for dipping.

Serves 6-8

RELATED POSTS:

• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: DUTCH OVEN
• BRACIOLE (Rolled Steak)
• CHRISTMAS LIST
• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: PEPPER MILL
• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: GARLIC PRESS
• BEEF BOURGUIGNON (aka BEEF BURGUNDY)

BEEF BOURGUIGNON (aka Beef Burgundy)

Beef Bourguignon, a classic french dish that will make you come back for seconds.

Beef Bourguigon, mmm mmm, what a great dish!  It makes me think of my first trip to Paris.  This is a classic French meal that is so amazingly complex in tastes.  Simmering the beef in red wine for 2 1/2 hours does something that can’t be described with words.  You must try this recipe for yourself.  This meal is surprisingly very easy to make.  There’s really not much prep work that needs to be done at all.  The vast majority of the time is letting it sit in the oven and having the “magic” take over.  This is an incredible recipe to try when entertaining some friends or on a cold fall/winter day.  If there is only one recipe you are going to try from this site, this should be the one.  But don’t be foolish, try them all!!!  When picking the wine for the stew, don’t forget the rule.  If you wouldn’t drink it, then don’t cook with it.  Because this is a French recipe, why not use some French wine like Bordeaux.

Prep Time: 20 min

Bake time: 2 1/2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 50 min

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs of Sirloin Tip Roast, Cut and Cubed
• 3 Slices of Thick Bacon, Chopped
• 4 Celery Hearts, Chopped
• 2 Cloves of Garlic Pressed and Minced (Do you have a Garlic Press?)
• 12 Small Onions, Peeled and Chopped in Half
• 6 oz Carrots, Chopped
• 2 Portabella Mushrooms
• 3 1/2 Cups of Dry Red Wine
• 14 oz Beef Broth or Stock
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper – use a Pepper Mill.
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Package Egg Noodles
• 1 Tbsp Butter

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In your Dutch Oven, combine chopped bacon and olive oil.  Cook until bacon is crisp.
• In a large bowl, take cubed beef and dust with flour, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.  Mix to coat the beef cubes very lightly.
• Increase the flame to medium to high heat on the Dutch Oven.  Add a single layer of beef cubes to oil and brown beef on all sides.  You will probably have to do the cubes in batches.  Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add onions, celery, garlic ,and carrots.  Sautee over low-med heat until vegetables are soft.
• Add wine, broth, 1 tsp fresh ground pepper, and italian seasoning.
• Return to boil.  Add the beef back to the dutch oven.
• Remove from stove top and place the Dutch Oven in preheated oven.
• Cook 2 1/2 hours at 325 degrees
• Prepare one package of egg noodles and toss in tbsp butter.
• Serve the Beef Bourguignon in a bowl over the egg noodles.

Serves 6-8

RELATED POSTS:

• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: DUTCH OVEN
• BRACIOLE (Rolled Steak)
• CHRISTMAS LIST
• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: PEPPER MILL
• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: GARLIC PRESS

BRACIOLE (Rolled Steak)

I remember the first time I made Braciole. Honestly, I thought it was going to be really hard to make. That assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. This is such an easy dish to prepare. Guests will think you spent countless hours preparing this meal. Now, it does take a little time to bake it, so it’s not easy to prepare on a weekday after a long day of work. But, it is perfect for a Friday or Saturday night or, my favorite, Sunday feast. The 2 hours of baking time in the dutch oven, along with the added wine, make for such a robust and deep flavor. This entree has an explosion of flavor with every bite. It will soon turn into one of your favorite dishes. It’s truly a great recipe for date night or when entertaining friends or family. Another plus is that this recipe uses a little less than a half bottle of wine, so that means there is a little left over for the chef. One last note, this is my Dad’s all time favorite meal.

Prep Time: 10 min

Bake time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 min

INGREDIENTS:

For the steak and stuffing:

• 1 1/2 lbs thin cut steak (Top Sirloin or Flank Steak cut thin)
• 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 grated romano cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1 can 280z whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup dry white wine (I recommend Pinot Grigio. Do not use anything oaky like Chardonnay.)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, pressed and minced

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat your Cast Iron Skillet and spray with olive oil using your Misto Stainless Steel Olive Oil Sprayer.
• Pound steak using your OXO Meat Pounder so the steak is even thickness.
• Combine the stuffing ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed. Dont forget to add the olive oil to make it pasty.
• Put a thin layer of stuffing on the flat steak.
• Roll steak, tie with three pieces of string. One on the left, middle and right.
• Brown the rolled steak on all sides on the preheated cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients in a Dutch Oven or a casserole pan. If you don’t own a dutch oven, I highly recommend a dutch oven.
• Add steak to sauce, cover and bake at 350 degrees for two hours. Every 20 min, remove and flip steak then baste the steak with the sauce.
• While letting the steak cook for 2 hours, remember you have an opened bottle of white wine. Feel free to consume. We don’t want to be wasteful.
  

  Glass of red, glass of white, braciole in the oven.

• Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes.
• Transfer steak to cutting board, slice into half inch pieces.
• Top with leftover sauce.
• We served this with brown rice and green beans.

 

Serves 4 people

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast

Parmesan Crusted Chicken, oh yeah, ready in 12 minutes.

Okay, so we just got back from vacation late last night.  We had MAJOR jet lag today.  Let me tell you, we did not feel like cooking dinner tonight (especially after a long day of work).   I’ll be honest, we ate our faces off on “vaca”!!!!  We needed something quick, easy, and healthy tonight.

I personally am afraid to get on the scale after the gluttony of the last week.  We hardly had any food in the fridge, so we just whipped up a tasty meal with what we had.  Quick, easy, and very enjoyable.  Let’s just say it hit the spot.

Prep Time:  2 min

Cook time:  10 min

Total Time:  12 min

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (approx 2 breasts)
• 1/2 Cup of Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Low-fat Milk
• 2 Cups Green Beans
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat your Cast Iron Skillet with 1/4 cup olive oil over med-high heat.
• Pound chicken breast using your OXO Meat Pounder.  Cut in half.
• Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and 1 tsp fresh ground pepper (use your Pepper Mill).
• Dip chicken breasts in milk and then coat in bread crumb mixture.
• Sautee chicken breasts for about 5 minutes each side until crispy.
• Spray green beans with olive oil using your Misto Stainless Steel Olive Oil Sprayer.
• Cook until they get soft and dark green.  Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

4 Servings

QUICK HEALTHY PIZZA

This great tasting pizza only has 300 calories.

PIZZA!!!!!  This one word can put a smile on almost everyone’s face.  But I know, it comes with a major guilt factor.  Well, problem solved.  This pizza recipe is quick, easy, and LOW CALORIE.  What???  You don’t believe me?  Well, read on.  The key to low-calorie pizza is two-fold.  First, limit the cheese.  You don’t need a cup of cheese per slice, and use low-fat 2% cheese instead.  On my numerous trips to Italy, pizza has never been served drowned in cheese like it is in America.  Load up on veggies and low-fat meats instead.  That means no artery clogging pepperoni either, sorry.   Substitute low-fat meats like ham, chicken, etc. instead.  The second key is to have a low-calorie crust.  For this quick easy recipe, I use Schwebel’s Old World Flatbread.  Which comes in at only 100 calories.  This low-fat, low-calorie pizza has only about 300 calories, sure to fit any health conscious diet.

It is so fun building these pizzas.  We have had parties centered around this where everyone gets to build their own pizzas however they want.  We call it, “Build your own Pizza Night“.  Pretty creative, right?  Well it’s fun for the whole family.  All you have to do is chop up about 10 different toppings and let everyone get creative.  So easy and so fun, what are you waiting for.  Get chopping!!!

Prep Time:  5 min

Bake Time:  6 min

Total Time:  11 min

INGREDIENTS:

• Schwebel’s Old World Flat Bread (Wheat) or 6″ Pita Bread Equivalent
• 1 Jar Pizza Sauce
• 1/4 cup Grated 2% Mozzarella Cheese

TOPPINGS:

• For this recipe we used:  Basil, Banana Peppers, Capicola Ham, Tomatoes.  However you can you whatever you want. (Oh yeah, all veggies and herbs came from the garden.)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Spread Sauce on pita shell.
• Cover with 1/4 cup of cheese.
• Add chopped toppings of your choice.
• Bake at 450 for 6 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serving Size – 1 Pizza per Person

NOTE:  The pizza as prepared above only contains around 300 calories.  Now you can enjoy pizza whenever you want without the guilt!!!