SLOW: Braised and Roasted
There is nothing that says home more than walking in the door to the smell of dinner roasting in the oven or simmering on top of the stove. When meats, vegetables and beans break down slowly, the result is a succulent and complex mélange of flavors. These dishes take some time to cook slowly, but the actual prep time for most of these recipes is about 30 minutes. Planning a dinner party? Chose one of these no-worry, do-ahead dishes so you can sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy your guests.
These chorizo and beef meatballs simmered in a zesty sauce are irresistible. They take a couple hours of cooking, so try this on a Sunday afternoon. If you are lucky you will have leftovers for Monday.
All over the Mediterranean you will find chicken dishes influenced by the Spice Trade of the middle ages, when spices from eastern Africa reached Italy and then the rest of Europe over land and later by sea. The crunch of the nut mixture served on top elevates this slow braised dish.
Prunes get such a bad rap. They are just dried plums, sweet, juicy and succulent when cooked down into a sauce for chicken, duck, or pork. This chicken has a nicely balanced sweet, sour and spicy sauce and is easy to prepare ahead and bake later. When friends ask you what is in the sauce, just tell them "plums".
Winter soup/stews are great comfort food. This versatile soup can be made with or without smoked sausages, depending on your mood or eating style. There are many varieties of heirloom beans available now, so you can choose any white bean like great northern, hutterite, cassoulet (tarbais bean) or flageolet. Soak the beans overnight for best results before cooking.
