Yes to tender spring lettuces lightly bathed in a vinaigrette of fruity olive oil, vinegar with provenance, sharp dijon mustard, and coarse salt...but ALSO coarse or crunchy salad bases like kale or romaine, slicked in a creamy dressing that comes out of a blender and involves commercial mayonnaise. And Bobbie's Boat Sauce. I have room for both in my life.
I have always loved the Portuguese style of pairing seafood and sausage together, because it feels so indulgent and lusty. This is a simple recipe that can be halved or doubled, or elevated with herbs, olives, or preserved lemon. It's also a great opportunity to use a sustainably harvested fish like Pacific rockfish, or cod (in most cases, but always good to check with NOAA or Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch if your fishmonger doesn't have that information)
Pure comfort food that can be modified for meatless diets without sacrificing rich umami flavors. If you have time, mix and form meatballs a few hours ahead of time and chill in the fridge. They will firm up nicely and be easier to handle in the pan. Alternatively, as a healthier and less messy option, you can freeze the meatballs and cook them in an air fryer, but you'll be sacrificing some depth in your sauce.
I hesitated on creating this recipe since using store-bought puff pastry goes against my "make it as complicated as can be" mentality around baking. But not only are they easy to make, they are too good not to share . Keep puff pastry in your freezer with the knowledge that you can create a showstopper in less than 25 minutes!
When it comes to making a stellar and low-maintenance pasta, Bobbie's Boat Sauce creates a deeply flavored pan sauce that is much more than the sum of its parts. I recommend the Marirara editions in a traditional and fast preparation of a pantry linguine and clam sauce, but the OG Boat Sauces will work here too. Amounts are approximate, to accommodate your own tastes.
Though I'm sure there are people out there who don't like meatloaf, I still have yet to meet anyone who doesn't hold a candle for this comfort classic. And like nothing tastes as good as the water you grew up with, so goes for meatloaf recipes...that is until you put your own spin on it. I present to you my mom's recipe, with an umami infusion of both mushroom powder and Bobbie's Boat Sauce.
