Season To Taste

Chilly weather makes me crazy for chili! I love all sorts— black bean, red bean, vegetarian, turkey, beef…you name it.  Years ago I discovered a recipe for white chili with chicken that I’ve made over and over again.  The other night, I realized I hadn’t planned very well for the week’s meals, and I was left with nothing to make for dinner.  To the pantry I went, and found I had a few cans of cannellini beans and some onions.  In the refrigerator I found a red bell pepper and a few sprigs of parsley hiding in the back of my vegetable drawer, and in the freezer I had a package of chicken breasts.  Perfect—I’d make a variation on the great white chili recipe I’ve loved for years! 

 If you haven’t noticed—my recipes often have a theme of utilizing whatever I have on hand to create something delicious.  This is not to say that I don’t plan plenty of meals.  However, I think this is the type of situation many people find themselves in many evenings: “What the heck am I going to make for dinner?” This is usually followed by “I REALLY don’t want to go to the grocery store!”  This is a perfect example of how a well-stocked pantry can come to the rescue on one of those nights.  It is also a good illustration of how you can make variations of different recipes based on what you have available.  The original version of this recipe did not use any red bell peppers, and instead used a jalapeno pepper.  It also called for cilantro, but I didn’t have any…so parsley would have to do!  Feel free to experiment with different ingredients, either as substitutions or to jazz up a recipe.  If it doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t worry.  The more you get comfortable in the kitchen the more likely you will be to start creating your own versions of recipes. 

To read more about a well-stocked pantry on my other blog, The Secret Ingredient Online, click here.

White Chicken Chili with Beer

Serves 4

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 -15 oz cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 bottle of beer

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and saute onion and garlic until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for an additional minute or two.

Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 7 minutes.

Add about 3/4 of the bottle of beer and all the beans, lower heat slightly, and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and beans are heated through.

Add parsley and serve topped with cheddar cheese.

My Italian American grandmother was the true cook in our family, but once a year on December 31^st,  her sister, my great Aunt Nellie, made her specialty New Year’s Eve Pizza.  We all converged on the Brooklyn brownstone she shared with my maternal grandparents to celebrate well into the early morning hours.  It didn’t matter that we were children who should haven been in bed.  The neighborhood came alive at midnight, complete with noisemakers, fireworks, and the aromas of late night meals being prepared in all the adjoining homes.   We all gathered on the front steps of the house, and zealously rang in the New Year with the rest of the neighbors.  

However, the real treat was when we went back inside to eat Aunt Nellie’s pizza.  It was a family favorite, but it was saved only for this special night.  Aunt Nellie made two types of pizza, “red” and “white”.  The red (recipe to follow) featured mounds of sautéed onions and grated Sardo cheese (a sheep’s milk cheese from  Sardinia, an island off Italy‘s western coast) atop a tomato sauced crust.  The white was served without tomato sauce and was flavored with anchovies and garlic.  Unfortunately, after many attempts to recreate it, I haven’t been able to do it justice.  Aunt Nellie loved secrets, and her few recipes were among her favorite things to keep to herself.  

Now that my grandparents and Aunt Nellie are gone and their house has been sold, I still make her red pizza.  To me, it is too good to make only once a year, so with some short-cuts (such as prepared dough and good-quality prepared tomato sauce) and substitutions (such as Pecorino-Romano for Sardo, which is difficult to find), it becomes an easy weeknight meal which my whole family loves.  I think Aunt Nellie would approve!

 Aunt Nellie’s New Year’s Eve Pizza

Serves 4-6

1-16 oz. bag prepared pizza dough (available in the refrigerator section at most grocery stores or your local pizzeria)

4 medium yellow onions, sliced

1 cup prepared basic tomato sauce (your favorite brand)

½ cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

 Saute the onions and oregano  in 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat, until lightly browned (about 15 minutes).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly oil a 12×18 inch jelly roll pan.  Stretch out the pizza dough  onto the pan so it reaches to each corner.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the dough.

Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border on all sides.

Spread the sautéed onions  over top of the sauce, and sprinkle all over with grated cheese. 

Drizzle with olive oil again, and sprinkle more oregano if desired.

Bake on lower rack of oven for about 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and baked through. 

Cut into squares and serve.

Lately I’ve been having a hankering for my mom’s cooking.  In the past month, I’ve made her meatloaf with mushroom gravy, her homemade mac and cheese, and her famous “Chicken Waikiki Beach”.  Tonight, I was in the mood for her Chicken Pizzaiola (”peets-aye-ola”).  I think it is actually my grandmother’s recipe, to which she likely made some updates along the way.  They both always made this dish in a huge, electric skillet.  Since I do not have an electric skillet (and no, mom, I don’t have room for one either!), I decided to do some updating of my own and do this entire dish in the oven.  Sure, it would have more closely approximated the cooking method to do it in a big pan on my stove top, but that would require more attention than I was willing to give it at that point in the day.  I’ve always been a big fan of low-maintenance dishes, and this is probably one of my favorites.

The ingredients are simple—chicken, potatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and tomato sauce.  My mother and grandmother always used bone-in chicken pieces…a combination of breasts, legs, and thighs.  To cut the calories a bit, which come in large part from the skin and dark meat, and more importantly, to cut the cooking time, I opted for skinless, boneless breasts.  I’m the first to admit that chicken, or any meat, on the bone is very flavorful.  However, I think the full-on meatiness of the breasts is enough to make up for a little loss in flavor.  Besides,  I never have been a fan of having to pick through all those bones just to get a nice bite of chicken on my fork!

Be sure to cut the potatoes relatively small so they will cook quickly.   The breasts will not take long, and you don’t want to dig into a perfectly cooked piece of chicken only to have the potatoes underdone. 

Mom’s Chicken Pizzaiola

Serves 4-6

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise

1 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce (or  3 cans if you like it more saucy)

1 tablespoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly spray a large baking dish or pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the chicken breasts into the pan so they are not touching. 

Add the potatoes, sliced onions, and garlic to pan, and spread around the breasts.

Season everything with salt and pepper.  Pour the cans of tomato sauce over the top of the entire dish and sprinkle with oregano.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and potatoes are fork-tender.

On Christmas Eve, Italians and many Italian-Americans eat a seafood feast.  There is no meat whatsoever.  Traditionally, up to eleven different kids of fish were served (for the Apostles, minus Judas), but over the years, my family has scaled that back to three (for the Holy Trinity).  It has to be an odd number for good luck.  We always start the meal with one of my favorite dishes, Pasta con Sardo, which is spaghetti in red sauce, embellished with sardines, raisins, fennel, and often pine nuts.  The creation of this dish can get complicated.  The following dish is a lot simpler to make, but adheres to the same Christmas Eve standards I’ve come to follow.  It uses canned anchovies instead….wait!  Don’t stop reading!!  I promise you it is delicious!

Anchovies do not sit at the “popular table” in the cafeteria.  They are not pretty or sweet, and many foods don’t want to hang out with them.  Anchovies definitely have a following, but their friends are a little more alternative…they wear black and are sometimes seen as antisocial.  But what most people don’t know about the anchovies are that they are actually MUCH cooler than most of the foods at the popular table, they are just more of an acquired taste. 

Popular or not, I happen to love anchovies.  I grew up eating anchovies on white pizza, which was my great Aunt Nellie’s New Year’s Eve specialty.  I love bagna cauda, an olive oil dip made with anchovies, and I especially love anchovies in pasta dishes.  Over the summer, while visiting Italy’s Liguria region, I was in anchovy heaven.  Bordering the Mediterranean in the Italian Rivera, the local cuisine relies heavily on seafood.  Anchovies are the regional specialty, and “pasta con accuighe” is found in most every restaurant.   

This pasta dish is features a simple red sauce studded with chunks of fresh anchovies.  Fresh anchovies have a decidedly different taste than the tinned or jarred varieties with which we are most familiar here in the states.  Not only is the texture different (they are meatier), but they are more mellow and a little less salty.  However, since fresh anchovies are not widely available in most U.S. grocery stores, I’ve re-created the recipe using the tinned version. 

For this dish I pair the anchovy-enhanced red sauce with a lemon-pepper papparadelle I found at Trader Joe’s (although you could easily substitute regular pasta).  Lemon and pepper flavors go well with most seafood, and the zip in the pasta is a great compliment to the salty sauce.  On a recent night, I was short on time and decided to use my favorite jarred tomato sauce instead of making one from scratch (cue Grandma rolling over in her grave).  While the pasta cooked, I added some sauce to a small pan, added the anchovies, and stirred until they dissolved into the sauce.  I topped the dish with fresh parsley and a few chopped walnuts for texture.  It wasn’t exactly what I ate in Monterosso back in August, but it was a great 15 minute alternative with great flavor. 

Lemon-Pepper Pasta with Anchovies

Serves 2

1 - 12 oz package Lemon-Pepper Papparadelle (or other lemon-infused pasta)

1 cup basic tomato sauce (I opt for Victoria brand)

6 anchovy fillets packed in oil (drained)

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.

While pasta cooks, add tomato sauce to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.  Once simmering, add anchovy fillets and stir until dissolved.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce.  Top with parsley and walnuts and serve immediately.

On Sunday I was in the mood for something homey…some sort of comfort food.  I’d had pasta the night before, so homemade macaroni and cheese was out, and I’d just made a roasted chicken earlier that week.  After scanning my pantry and fridge, I decided I was in the mood for pot pie.  But as much as I love traditional pot pie, with its flaky crust and creamy sauce, I thought we’d all be better off with a healthier, updated version. 

 I started with some skinless, boneless chicken breasts and a variety of vegetables.  Since I have small kids, who can sometimes be picky, I thought it best to choose veggies I know they’d eat:  carrots, peas, and corn.  Next, instead of a white, cream-based sauce, I opted for a lower-calorie, healthier tomato-based sauce for my pot pie.  Any prepared sauce will do…everyone has their personal favorites.  Just to add a touch of creaminess to the mixture, I tossed in a little half-and-half, which really transformed the entire dish. 

When it came to the crust, I chose to omit the bottom crust entirely, partly to cut back on fat and calories, but also to save time.  A flaky pastry crust may taste good, but can be tricky to prepare.  By using a multigrain baking mix, I prepared a biscuit-like crust to top my pot pie, and sprinkled it with a little parmesan cheese to give it a little extra flavor.

 This dish is really easy to prepare, and is absolutely delicious.  My whole family loves it….and I was almost disappointed when there were no leftovers! 

Healthy Family-Style Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 4

 1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 medium carrots, diced

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 ears of corn, cooked and removed from cob (or about ¾  cup kernels, thawed if frozen)

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into a ¾” dice

1 cup prepared tomato sauce

¼ cup half and half

For crust:

2 cups whole wheat or multigrain pancake mix

2/3 cup of milk

1-2 t sugar

2 T parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large skillet or saucepan, sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in a about 2T of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove veggies to a bowl.

In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and add diced chicken.  Cook about 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink.

When chicken is cooked, add the cooked vegetables back into the pan and add tomato sauce and half and half.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.   Pour into a 9″ deep dish pie plate.  Set aside.

Preheat  oven to 425 degrees.

In another bowl, mix the multigrain pancake mix with 2/3 cup of milk and sugar.   Dollop biscuit mixture on top of chicken and vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until biscuit is golden and cooked all the way through.

Like most foodies, I subscribe to a number of cooking magazines.  As I read through them each month, I’ve gotten into the habit of ripping out pages with recipes I want to try.  Into a folder they go, but only the lucky ones make it back out.   The really appealing recipes are usually stuck on my refrigerator until I can get to the store to buy the necessary ingredients, and I often make them within the week.  If they are a hit, into the recipe box they go.  A miss goes into the trash. 

Occasionally, I hit up the “to try” folder for a little inspiration…and that is how this recipe came to be.  By the looks of it, this was a recipe my mother ripped out of a Sunday supplement and passed along to me. ” Udon Noodles with Shrimp”.  It had been kicking its way to the front and back of my folder for at least a year, and finally sounded like something I was in the mood to make.  The only problem was that  I didn’t have shrimp, and I didn’t feel like making a trip to the grocery store.  The shrimp became salmon, which I had stashed in my freezer, and the stir fry sauce took on a life of its own when I realized I was out of a few other ingredients too.  In the end, it turned out really well….it was healthy, colorful, and had a nice kick.  I removed a few portions of it before adding the spicy sauce, since I knew my small kids wouldn’t tolerate the heat, and they gobbled up the noodles, veggies, and salmon (or “pink chicken” as I call it) before I picked up my chop sticks! 

Spicy Udon Noodle Bowl with Salmon

Serves 4

¼ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Asian chile paste (available at specialty markets or in the Asian aisle of the grocery store)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 carrots, sliced

1 bell pepper, chopped (red, orange, or yellow)

½ medium red onion, chopped

1 cup broccoli florets

1 ¼  lb salmon, skin removed and cut into ¾” cubes

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

8 oz Udon noodles

In a measuring cup, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, chile paste, sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil.  Set aside.

Fill a large, wide pan with water and bring to a boil (such as a chef’s pan or everyday pan).  Add Udon noodles, cook until tender (about 5 minutes), drain and rinse quickly with water.  Set aside.

Return the pan to the stovetop and heat canola oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute.  Add vegetables and stir fry for about 5 minutes, until crisp-tender.  Remove to a bowl, return pan to heat and add salmon cubes.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, until salmon is cooked through and firm to the touch.  Return veggies to pan, add udon noodles, orange juice mixture, and stir quickly over high heat.  Add fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Today, I continue my conversation with cookbook authors and fellow food bloggers Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati.  Their first book “Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s” is a must-have for anyone who is a fan. 

STT: What audience did you have in mind while writing your cookbook and blog?

Deana: We envisioned busy moms like us as our primary target.  However, we’ve been pleasantly surprised to hear from men who have discovered our book.  So it seems that our cookbook really appeals to both genders.  We’ve received emails from people in all walks of life, from busy professionals, to stay-at-home moms, to retired couples traveling the country in an RV.  It seems what everyone shares in common is a love of Trader Joe’s and limited time to cook.

STT:  When you are developing recipes, what is your main goal, besides incorporating TJ’s ingredients?
Wona: We want to make it possible for busy people like us to put dinner on the table in minutes.  So, making it easy and fast is really important.  We also like to eat healthy, so we try to make our menus varied and interesting by using fresh ingredients and different combinations of flavors.
Deana:  It’s also been great getting our kids involved in the kitchen - they love to help and they even come up with their own recipes.  For a while, my son was even insisting on photographing his plate of food before eating!  I think it’s so important to instill the fun of cooking and the habit of healthy eating in kids at a young age.  And when recipes are short and easy, you really can include them.

STT:  How do you test the recipes?

Wona: First, we test the recipes ourselves multiple times, and then the recipes have to be husband- and kid-approved.  Finally, we enlist the help of testers across the country, and our testers include complete novices as well as two trained chefs.  They test to make sure they understand the recipe, can find all the ingredients, and like the results.

STT:  Do you have a favorite recipe from the cookbook? 

Deana:  I think that the Black Bean Soup and the South Seas Chocolate Mousse are my current favorites.  I’m not a huge fan of sweets but I am completely hooked on good dark chocolate.  This mousse is made with light coconut milk, so it’s a lower fat version that tastes so creamy and rich. 

Wona: The 2 recipes my kids ask for over and over are Turkey Chipotle Chili and Spicy Szechuan Tofu (fondly called “Tofu Squares” in our home; I may have misnamed this recipe because it really isn’t spicy — even my 2-year-old gobbles it up).

STT: What’s up next for you? 

Deana: We are really excited about a new website we will launch in a couple of months, where Trader Joe’s fans can exchange their own recipes and share ideas for using their favorite TJ’s items.  They will even be able to print out a master grocery list they can take to TJ’s.  So many people have asked us for a second cookbook, such as a vegetarian cookbook - we’re considering a few different themes.  

Thanks to Deana and Wona for a great interview, and for sharing one of their favorite recipes! 

Chipotle Turkey Chili

On a cold night, warm your body and soul with a big bowl of homemade chili.  Refried beans thicken the chili, giving it long-cooked texture and flavor in just minutes.  Chipotle salsa adds a kick of heat, while a splash of barbecue sauce balances the spice with a touch of smoky sweetness.

1 ¼ lb. ground turkey (one package)
1 medium onion, chopped, or 1 ½ cups bagged Freshly Diced Onions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 (28-oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1 (15-oz) can Organic Black Beans
1 (16-oz) can Refried Black Beans or Refried Pinto Beans
½ cup Chipotle Salsa
2 Tbsp barbecue sauce, such as All Natural Barbeque Sauce
Sour cream (optional)
Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend cheese (optional)

• Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions 5 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until brown, breaking it up as it cooks. Add ground cumin and cook 1 minute longer.
• Add remaining ingredients. Refried beans need to be broken up and stirred into the chili until dissolved.
• When chili comes to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

•    Garnish with sour cream and cheese.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Hands-off cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

 I am a huge fan of one-pot-cooking, mostly because I hate doing dishes.  All that standing in front of the sink and continually bending to the dishwasher is enough to put me in traction, so I avoid it as much as possible.  Therefore, a large percentage of the meals I make are done either on the outdoor grill, or in one “pot”.  Perhaps when my kids are old enough to do the dishes I will change my mind, but for the time being, I’m a one-dish-wonder.

One of the simplest, most satisfying meals around is roasted chicken.  Much of the time I prepare my whole chickens “beer can style” on my outdoor grill, but when I’m in the mood to stay indoors, I turn to my oven.  What is best about roasting a chicken is that it is a very low-maintenance meal.  It pretty much takes care of itself in your oven, so as long as you give yourself a good hour for cooking time, you can read a book while it cooks. 

There is a lot of debate about how to properly cook a whole chicken.   Some people cook it breast-side up, so the skin gets nice and crispy.  Others cook it breast-side down so the juices all run into the breasts, instead of away from them.  Some truss the legs, some don’t.  Should you place the bird on a rack, or not?  The list goes on and on, and every home cook has his or her favorite fool-proof method. 

I keep things as simple as possible in order to minimize my prep time.  I simply season the bird, inside and out, with salt and pepper, rub some olive oil on the skin, and place it breast-side-up on a rack in a metal roasting pan (so the underside can crisp up).  If I happen to have a lemon lying around, I’ll quarter it and stuff it into the cavity.  The same can be done with an apple or even an onion.  Then, I cut up some carrots and potatoes and toss them into the pan alongside the chicken.  Hit them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and you’re good to go.  Protein, veggie, starch….all in one pan.

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Serves 4

1 -  5 lb whole chicken

3-4  medium carrots, roughly chopped

3 medium potatoes, roughly chopped

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken and place on a wire rack in a roasting pan.  Generously season the bird inside and out with salt and pepper.

Rub about a tablespoon of olive oil over the outside of the chicken.

Toss the vegetables in the roasting pan around the chicken.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in oven for approximately 60-75 minutes, or until internal temperature (taken near the inner thigh) reaches 160 degrees.  Chicken should no longer be pink and juices should run clear. Vegetables will be softened and nicely caramelized. 

Allow bird to rest for approximately 15 minutes, then carve and serve.

Although I’m a summer baby and have Mediterranean blood coursing through my veins, there is something about fall I just adore:  the changing leaves, the crisp weather, the soccer games, and of course, the autumn produce.  Butternut squash is one of my favorite veggies, and is easier to prepare than one might think.  Inspired by a cooking method borrowed from Mark Bitman (award winning cookbook author and New York Times food columnist), I embellished upon one of his ideas to create a fantastic fall pasta dish, perfect for a cool, Sunday dinner.

Butternut squash is wonderful roasted, but this definitely takes some time.  To streamline the process for turning the squash into a savory sauce for pasta, Bitman peels and quarters it before running it through the food processor (fitted with the disk attachment) to create gorgeous golden shreds of squash.  Then, by cooking it in a pan with water or broth, added a little at a time (almost like you would when preparing risotto), the squash begins to dissolve creating a rustic sauce. 

I begin my recipe with Italian sweet sausage, which nicely compliments the butternut squash.  I buy sausage patties, which are easy to break up in the pan as you cook them.  If you cannot find patties, simply purchase links and remove the casings before cooking the sausage.  Once the sausage is cooked, I remove it and allow it to drain on paper towels to get rid of any excess fat.  At this point your pan should have lots of little browned bits stuck to the bottom…and this is a good thing.  When you transfer the shredded squash into the same pan and add the liquid, it deglazes the pan, thereby infusing all that great sausage flavor right into the sauce.  So, not only do you have fewer pans to clean, you’re giving your sauce a boost as well.

For this dish, I like to use a short pasta shape, like rigatoni.  Chunkier sauces pair well with chunkier pastas.  Varieties such as angel hair pasta just wouldn’t hold up to the texture of this sauce.   I also like to garnish the pasta with fresh sage and lots of parmesan cheese.   Both pair perfectly with both the sausage and the squash, creating a hearty fall dish you’ll want to make again and again.  I recently taught this dish at a “Farmers Market” cooking class and it was the hit of the evening!

 “Triple S” Rigatoni (Squash, Sausage & Sage)

Serves 4

¾ lb Italian sweet sausage patties (or links, casing removed)

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Pinch of sugar

 Salt and pepper

1 lb pasta (rigatoni, penne, or other short pasta)

¼ cup fresh sage, chopped (or more, to taste)

Grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Salt & pepper

Slice the squash into pieces and feed it into the tube of a food processor fitted with the grating disc.  Alternatively, you can use a box grater to coarsely grate it.  Set aside.

In a large skillet or pan, cook sausage until no longer pink.  Use the back of your spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks, creating bite-sized crumbles.  Remove to a bowl lined with paper towel and set aside.

Add the grated squash to the pan and add about ¾ cup of broth.  Stir until liquid evaporates, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan.  Continue to add the rest of the broth, ¼ cup at a time, until squash has dissolved into a thick sauce.

Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar and nutmeg.  Return the sausage to the sauce, add sage, and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt, and add pasta.  Cook according to package directions, or until “al dente”.  Drain and add to pot with sauce. 

Serve hot with plenty of grated cheese.

Pulled pork is one of my favorite no-fuss meals.  For years, I always considered pulled pork something to order at a barbeque restaurant, rather than something to make at home.  I envisioned gigantic cuts of pork being cooked for hours in a mammoth smoker, then being shredded by a team of cooks.  Since I have neither a smoker nor a kitchen staff, I just assumed truly good pulled pork could not be achieved at home.  I’m happy to say I was very wrong.

My inspiration for home-made pulled pork came from my next-door neighbor and my sister-in-law, who, unbeknownst to them, share an unlikely pulled-pork connection.  They both have different methods for cooking their pork, but both swear by a very special ingredient, which is what I think makes this dish spectacular.

My neighbor and his wife love to throw big, casual parties with tons of food.  Most of the time, JT fries a whole turkey, but lately, he’s been experimenting with pulled pork.  He favors the method where you take your cut of pork (the fattier varieties are best—butt, shoulder, or even the rib end of a roast), place it in a large pot, add water, throw in a few aromatics (onion, etc), and let it simmer VERY slowly for about 10-12 hours. 

My sister-in-law and brother had us over for dinner this summer and also served pulled pork.  I asked if theirs was cooked it in water like my neighbor, and she said she simply tosses the meat alone into a big crock-pot and lets it slowly cook for a few hours. Once it is cooked through, she trims the fat, shreds it, and returns it to the crock-pot for the final step.

This last step is where my neighbor’s and my sister-in-law’s recipes converge to create perfect pulled pork, and the secret is in the sauce!  It is a jarred sauce (gasp!), and the one they both use is from the very same upstate New York barbeque joint.  The family-owned Brooks’ House of Bar-BQ in Oneonta, New York is hands-down, one of the best barbeque restaurants into which you’ll ever set foot.  Even though Oneonta isn’t exactly on the beaten path, Brooks’ was featured on the Food Network a couple of years back…it is really that good.  The best part is that Brooks sells their sauces online (both the bbq sauce and a fantastic chicken marinade), so you can enjoy great pulled pork at home. 

The preparation for this dish is minimal—all you need is time.  I combined the methods for the most flavorful pork-which is also the easiest to prepare.  I also tend to favor the rib end of a pork roast, which although not as fatty, doesn’t smell up your house like the pork butt tends to do (I’m sure there is a joke in there somewhere).  So get some big, soft sandwich rolls, some tangy coleslaw (served on the side, or as they do in traditional barbeque restaurants, in the sandwich on top of the pork), and some beer, and have yourself a delicious but simple meal.

BBQ Pulled Pork

Serves  6

6 lbs boneless pork roast, rib end

1 onion, cut into quarters

1 ½ cups prepared barbeque sauce

Place the pork, onion and 1 cup of water into a crock-pot.  Turn to the “high” setting and allow to cook for approximately 3 hours.

Use a fork to break into the meat, and check to see that it is no longer pink in the center.   It should also be very tender and should break apart very easily.

Remove the pork, trim away any excess fat, and use two forks to shred apart the meat.  Remove the onion and water from the crock-pot, and return shredded meat to pot.  Add the sauce, change the setting to “low” and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, or until heated through.  Add more sauce if it seems too dry.

Serve warm on buns.