Bolognese Sauce

Comfort food at its finest, this bolognese sauce hits the spot every time.  If you don't subscribe to it already, the  ANNA magazine is absolutely a stunning compilation of wonderful recipes.  This bolognese sauce comes from ANNA and it is perfect.

As the fall days are getting crisp and cool, let this sauce simmer up a fragrance in your home that is irreplaceable.  It freezes well, so make lots and then you can have it any day of the week....even on those crazy busy school nights.

Enjoy!

From ANNA magazine:


3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 small carrot, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 ounce pancetta, minced
1 pound ground veal
1⁄2 pound lean ground beef
1⁄4 pound lean ground pork
1 cup whole milk
1 cup white wine ( I use red too and it is great)
1 (28-ounce) can diced good-quality tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can crushed good-quality tomatoes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Melt butter in large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add pancetta and cook 7 minutes. Add ground meats and cook until mixture breaks up but is not yet browned. Add milk and bring to simmer, cook 15 minutes. Add white wine and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and partially cover. Cook 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 cups.

Note: Use 2 cups of Bolognese sauce for 1 pound of uncooked pasta. Sauce becomes very thick as it cools. When serving, leave a bit of the pasta water with the pasta when combining with Bolognese sauce to thin it. Sauce can be frozen for up to 1 month. For best results, ensure that the cooking temperature is set at low for the final cooking stage.

Irresistible Granola Bars

Granola Bars

These chewy granola bars are irresistible.  Simple to make and they keep for several days.  Great for lunches or breakfast on the go kind of mornings.....


Adapted from Healthy Recipes From the White House to You


Ingredients

6 tablespoons grape seed oil, or other neutral oil, plus extra for brushing the pan
2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup mixed seeds (such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
Pinch of salt
1 cup nuts (optional) walnuts, almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit (such as cranberries, raisins, cherries, apricots, papaya, and pineapple — use at least three kinds and cut large fruits into dime-sized pieces) I used only cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon

Directions

This recipe calls for one teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon, so I used 1/2 teaspoon of each.

Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line a nine-by-nine-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, letting a few inches hang over the sides of the pan. Brush with oil.
Spread the oats and seeds and nuts if using them on another baking pan and toast in the oven until they're golden and fragrant, about six to eight minutes, shaking the pan once during toasting.
In a saucepan, combine the oil, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Stir over medium heat until smooth and hot.
Transfer the toasted oats and seeds, dried fruit, and cardamom and/or cinnamon to a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the oats, seeds, and dried fruit, and stir until well combined.
While the mixture is warm, transfer it to the prepared pan, pressing it into the pan easily with an offset spatula. Bake until brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Using the overhanging foil or parchment paper, lift the fruit and oat mixture out of the pan and place on a work surface. Cut into 1-1/2-inch-by-3-inch bars.
Serves nine.