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Monday, March 17, 2008

Mario Batali, Have I Told You Lately How Much I Love You?

And not so much for your cooking - although it looks scrumptious. No, I love you for being one of the many celebrity chefs that put out their own line of cast iron cookware. Yours is affordable, well made and the colors in your line are perfect for my kitchen! So, thank you Mario Batali! Thank you for my gorgeous and sexy Dutch Oven that I heart so very, very muchly! :)

Oh hells yes, the love of my Dutch Oven is another reason why I chose Crockpots, Dutch Ovens and Pressure cookers for the theme of this months WCC, just so I could show off the sexiness once again! Behold and be dazzled..

My new pride and joy =)
My GOD is that not the cat's meow in cast iron cookware??

Everything I make in this bad boy always turns out spectacular. I'm not exaggerating either. For instance.. my very Irish mother, makes the best Spanish rice ever and I've never been able to quite get it as good as hers - until just a few days ago. And I totally credit my success to my Mario Batali 4 quart Dutch Oven in Chianti (damn you Crate & Barrel for discontinuing to sell that color). This time it was perfect.. I dare say better than my mother's. *gasp* DON'T TELL HER!!

It turned out creamy with such a fantastic flavor. You could really taste the tomato, peppers and onion this time. In the past when I've made it, we've always had lots left over for freezing (and then eventually throwing out because of freezer burn) but there was none left this time. We had it for dinner that first night as the main course and the next night we had it as an accompaniment to Ben's Enchiladas Verde uhh Rojo. Damn store didn't have one fakkin tomatillo in the place! So we had to go with tomatoes. Not that that was a bad thing, as the sauce turned out beautifully. Thanks, Ben!! Deeeelicious! :)

Lisa's Spanish Rice
Awww lil wilty Cilantro :P

Mom's Spanish Rice

1 lb. lean ground round or sirloin
1 medium Spanish or Vidalia onion, diced small
1 medium bell pepper (whichever color that floats your boat), diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS. olive oil
1 32 oz. can of plain tomato sauce
1 32 oz. can of water
1 scant TBS. dried oregano
2 Bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
1 TBS. garlic powder (optional)
1 1/8 c. short grain white rice, uncooked

Lisa's Spanish Rice

Sauté the onion, pepper and garlic in the olive oil until just translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the ground round and cook until browned, then drain any excess fat (although there shouldn't be if you are using lean round or sirloin).

Lisa's Spanish Rice

Once the meat is browned, pour in the can of tomato sauce, then fill the empty can with water and pour that in. Season with the oregano, bay leaves, salt & pepper and the garlic powder if using. Add the uncooked rice and let simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Lisa's Spanish Rice Lisa's Spanish Rice

You should end up with a pot full of thick and creamy Spanish (Americanized) rice with not a lot of sauce left over. We love it this way as it resembles risotto, but it might be dry to someone else, so you can thin it by adding a little water or low-sodium chicken broth.

Lisa's Spanish Rice

And with Ben's Enchiladas..
Ben's Enchilada.. Rojo?
Delicious chicken Enchilada, Rojo sauce, Spanish Rice and Corn Cake. *swoon*

Beef Bourguignonne

Another fantabulous, you won't be sorry, recipe to make in your sexy Dutch oven is Ina Garten's Beef Bourguignon - a big bowl of this with crusty bread for dipping.. let's just say you will want to make out with Ina afterwards. ;)

xoxo

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Comments on "Mario Batali, Have I Told You Lately How Much I Love You?"

 

Blogger Carrie said ... (3/17/2008 8:27 AM) : 

OK,
That's it. I need to come to your house for dinner!!! Damn, your food looks good. Time for me to go use my dutch oven :)

Carrie

 

Blogger Mary said ... (3/17/2008 10:11 AM) : 

I got the Target $35 dutch oven in red last year and I love it too! It's similar, but I think yours is sexier. And I totally have to make that Spanish Rice because I wish I could have had that for breakfast!

 

Blogger Peabody said ... (3/17/2008 11:14 PM) : 

I wondered about the quality of his stuff. Good to know you give it a thumbs up.

 

Blogger MyKitchenInHalfCups said ... (3/18/2008 9:32 AM) : 

Wonder if that rice would cook in one of my ol cast iron pots as good as yours. Looks so very good!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3/18/2008 9:36 AM) : 

ooh, i've been wanting to try that ina recipe. yum.

we got a le creuset a couple years ago during broadway panhandler's yearly sale (great deals!) and it changed my life. i really mean that.

 

Blogger Brilynn said ... (3/18/2008 11:36 AM) : 

I'm so buying myself a dutch oven, enough of this foolishness, it needs to be done!

 

Blogger Annemarie said ... (3/18/2008 1:41 PM) : 

I *love* that the color of the pot is called 'chianti'. I wonder if there's one in cream called 'pinot grigio'. I've found there's NOTHING that can't be improved by cooking in my hulking great cast iron pot, and the special Le Creuset cleaner does magically restore the inside to near-new once it has been through the wars. Who knows what evils are in that cream cleanser, but it smells like oranges so I figure it HAS to be good on some level.

 

Blogger Brittany said ... (3/18/2008 7:29 PM) : 

Oh yeah- I'm kind of turned on by your dutch oven. GRrrrraawrrl!
Food just tastes better cooked in a dutch oven.
I'm gonna need to try that spanish rice in my way too expensive Le Cruset that I spent most of my paycheck on years ago because these equally as good cheaper models had not come out yet. Damn I feel like a sucka'

 

Blogger Ed Tep said ... (3/19/2008 2:26 AM) : 

Lis - Oh my, what a sexy Dutch oven you have!

 

Blogger kellypea said ... (3/19/2008 3:15 AM) : 

I'm thinking jeffrey will be upset with anybody who tries to make out with Ina. I'm just saying. I love, love, love Spanish rice. And I was sorely tempted to buy one of those loverly Dutch ovens, but went for the lasagna pan instead. It's amazing how great it cooks. Even on the stove top! It's Orange. I couldn't help myself. BTW...Howz the weather?

 

Blogger Cheryl said ... (3/19/2008 8:38 AM) : 

I love, love, love, Spanish rice and it looks so fantastic with the enchiladas.

 

Blogger Cynthia said ... (3/21/2008 10:20 AM) : 

Show off on us! :)

How have you been?

 

Blogger Liliana said ... (3/21/2008 7:50 PM) : 

Your Mom's Spanish rice looks sooo good! Believe it or not I bought my Mario Batali dutch oven at Costco! It's apple green and I love it! Everything I have cooked in it from sauces to soups came out great! Now I will use it to cook the Spanish rice. You just can't help but love that Mario Batali!

 

Blogger Andrea said ... (3/24/2008 10:42 AM) : 

Crap, now I have Dutch oven envy! I almost got one of those in THAT color at Christmas when Amazon was selling them for $79. Should have done it.

Love the rice!

 

Blogger Kiandra said ... (4/12/2008 11:02 PM) : 

oh my land...can i tell you how much i'm loving your pot?!

i'm so in drool land, is it the pot? or the food? let's be honest it's both. that is one sexy pot...i'm putting it on my list!

the spanish rice looks so good...as do the wings...as do everything on your blog!

i'm looking forward to being a db'er!!!

 

Blogger Maggie said ... (4/19/2008 6:19 PM) : 

Wow! I love the color on that pot! I have a little blue Le Creuset from my wedding that I love but I need a larger size too. Off to browse Cooking.com...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5/07/2008 2:45 PM) : 

I just got this pot too. I love it! I love it! I have to try your recipes. Thanks!

 

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