Bra-what? Braciole!

Pronounced Bree-zshole.  The reason why I made this dish is because I saw it on an episode of Everyone Loves Raymond.  Nate and I loved that show.  The Braciole episode was particularly funny.  Nate said, "I love Braciole.  You should make it sometime."  I said, "ok" and now it's one of my favorite dishes to cook for people.  Most folks have never heard of this so it's fun to introduce them to this very tasty dish.  I made this last Tuesday night, so it's totally possible to pull this off during the week after work.  However Laurie, I know you are not a fan of weeknight cooking so make this Sunday.  It would be an awesome Sunday dinner!  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano

• 1/3 cup grated sharp provolone

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak - my grocery store actually sells braciole cuts of flank steak (hmmm - maybe it's more common than I thought...)

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 3 1/4 cups marinara sauce (sometimes I make my own for this recipe, but on a Tuesday night...puuuh-leeez...I used store bought - and my grocery store sells marinara from Little Italy so boom)

Directions

Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. I happened to be out of butcher's twine so this time I used toothpicks.  Those worked just fine.  Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

I serve the braciole with a side of pasta and salad.  

Enjoy yo!

If pumpkin pie and chocolate cake got married and had a baby...

It's fall time!  I love the fall.  I love how beautiful the trees look.  I love being just a little chili and snuggling under a blanket.  I love football on Sundays.  And most of all, I love the food - it's the time of year I usually get back to the kitchen.  Not sure about you, but I don't do much cooking in the summer.  I use the grill as much as possible and even as much as I enjoy baking, I would rather be outside working on my sweet tan.  I know you are jealous of my summer tan.

Back to what matters here. 

I know for sure I have made this one for you.  I remember you being a fan.  The cake itself is a pumpkin cake, it has a sweet cream cheese center and it's topped off with a bittersweet chocolate frosting.  While making this, I thought, huh, I bet this would make awesome cupcakes!  I might try that next time.  Using the batter for the cupcakes and then stuffing them with the yummy cream cheese center and topping off with a chocolate frosting.  I would probably use another chocolate frosting...we'll see.  Anyway, here is the recipe.

Pumpkin Cake w/Chocolate Frosting

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (recipe below)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs (room temp)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 of 8-oz package of cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Frosting
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup bittersweet chocolate pieces


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans.  Line bottoms with parchment paper, grease paper and lightly flour. 

2. In bowl combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a second bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until thick, about 5 minutes.  Beat in pumpkin.  Add flour mixture; beat just until combined.  Spread cake batter in prepared pans.  Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.

4. For filling, in chilled mixing bowl, beat whipping cream to soft peaks; set aside.

5. In a second bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in sugar.  Fold in whipped cream.  To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving platter.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bottom layer of cake.  Top with the second layer.  Put in fridge while you make the frosting.

6. In a small sauce pan, bring whipping cream just to a boil over medium high heat.  Remove from heat.  Immediately pour over chocolate pieces in a medium bowl.  Don't stir - just let it sit for 5 minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Cool for 15 minutes then frost your cake.

7. Enjoy yo!

Pumpkin Pie Spice:
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground clove

They seem to like it!  :)