Soffritto

Soffritto is an Italian cooking base made by gently sautéing finely chopped vegetables—traditionally onion, carrot, and celery—in olive oil (or sometimes butter).

It’s similar to the French mirepoix or the Spanish sofrito, but the Italian soffritto is usually cooked longer and at a lower heat until the vegetables soften and become aromatic, without browning too much.

👉 Purpose:
It’s the foundation of many Italian soups, sauces, braises, risottos, and stews, providing depth and a subtle sweetness that builds flavor in the dish.

👉 Ratio (traditional):

• 2 parts onion
• 1 part carrot
• 1 part celery

Sometimes garlic, pancetta, or herbs are added depending on the recipe.

Here’s Chef Vincenzo’s beloved soffritto recipe—his signature flavor base used in his famed Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce:

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Chef Vincenzo’s Soffritto (from Vincenzo’s Plate)

Ingredients

• 1 carrot
• 100 g onion
• 1 stalk of celery (including leaves)
• Approx. 100 ml extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Instructions

1. Blend the base
   Add the carrot, onion, celery, and EVOO to a hand blender. Blend until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth—this is Vincenzo’s soffritto.

2. Cook gently
   Heat 3–4 tablespoons of EVOO in a pot over very low heat. Add the soffritto blend, stirring to evenly coat the base of the pot. Cover and let it simmer for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring it doesn’t burn.

3. Add tomato and season
   Once the soffritto starts to deepen in color, stir in your blended passata or chopped peeled tomatoes. Add approximately 2.2 teaspoons (10 g) of rock salt and black pepper. Then cover and simmer slowly for 1–1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Uncover and reduce
   After the initial simmer, remove the lid and continue cooking (simmering) for another 30–45 minutes to thicken the sauce.

5. Finish with fresh basil
   Turn off the heat. Tear 75–100 g (about 2.6–3.5 oz) of fresh basil leaves by hand, then stir them into the hot sauce to release their aromatic flavor. Avoid chopping with a knife to preserve their aroma.

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Overview—Vincenzo’s Method vs. Classic Soffritto

• Chef Vincenzo's soffritto: A creamy, blended base of carrot, onion, celery, and EVOO, intended to dissolve seamlessly into the tomato sauce for a silky texture.

• Traditional soffritto (Italian classic): Finely chopped carrot, celery, and onion—sautéed (not blended) in olive oil until softened (often not browned), typically following a 2:1:1 ratio (onion:carrot:celery).

Vincenzo’s version elevates the standard soffritto by blending it into a smooth, aromatic base—perfect for a sauce that’s both rich and velvety.

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with different dishes! Buon appetito!

One Pan Cajun Sausage and Rice for two

My father was always a believer in cooking for an Army.

But sometimes you don't have an Army to feed.  Its just the two of you.

Ingredients 

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 smoked sausage, chopped

1 tsp Cajun spice

1 cup minute rice

1 cup water

Stuff you will need 

Wide Pan with lid

Stiring spoon

Cutting board 

Sharp knife 🔪 

Directions

Cut up your bell pepper 🌶  and sausage.

Put that in your pan and cook over medium heat till the sausage is browned.

Add the remainder of the ingredients and bring the water to a boil.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Fluff up the rice and serve right away.

Sausage Rolls

This is another dish that brings me back to my years in the Navy.

What Are Sausage Rolls?

• Sausage Rolls are savory pastry snacks that consist of pork sausage meat wrapped in puff pastry.

• The meat is formed into logs then sealed in the pastry with egg wash. They are popular in Commonwealth nations and are considered to-go foods.
• Although Sausage Rolls are known especially in the UK, they actually originated in 19th-century France. However, the English made this snack popular after filling the pastry with ground pork.

Homemade Sausage Rolls 

How To Make Homemade Sausage Rolls:

Prep

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the roll dough

2. Mix the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, egg, onion, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Rol out the puff pastry dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into roughly a 12 x 14-inch (30 x 35 cm) rectangle.

Assemble the Irish sausage rolls

4. Cut the puff pastry sheet with a sharp knife in half lengthwise so that you have two 6 x 14-inch (15 x 35 cm) strips of dough.
5. Divide the sausage mixture in half. For each piece of dough, form half of the filling into a sausage log that runs the length of the rectangles. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash.

6. Wrap the dough over the filling and shape into a log. Trim the pastry a little to tidy up the edge and press with a fork to seal. With the fork piece so holes in the top of the pastry.
7. Cut each log into equal pieces, about 1½-inches (4 cm) long at the seam side and place on your prepared baking sheet. You will yield around 20 sausage rolls.

Bake the sausage rolls

8. Brush with the egg wash and bake for 35-40 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

FAQs

Why are the bottoms of my Sausage Rolls Soggy?

The soggy bottom of your Sausage Rolls may be because your pastry absorbed the extra moisture from your sausage filling, or your pastry softened from handling, causing the gluten structure to collapse before fully forming.

To prevent soggy Sausage Rolls, keep in mind:

1. Try squeezing out as much moisture from your onions as possible to keep them from affecting your pastry.
2. Or refrigerate your pastry for a bit to keep its shape when baking.
3. You can also blind-bake the pastry to create a solid base for your sausage filling.
4. Another method to prevent a soggy bottom is to place your rolls on a cooling rack to let the steam come out from the bottom.

Why are my Sausage Rolls splitting open?

Your Sausage Rolls may split open while baking because the meat filling will shrink and release fat.

1. Try your best to wrap the pastry as tightly as possible over the filling.
2. Press your fork to seal the edges.
3. Brush a good amount of egg wash.

How do I keep my Sausage Rolls from going dry?

To ensure a moist Sausage Roll, make sure to incorporate fresh breadcrumbs and non-lean pork into your sausage filling.

1. Breadcrumbs add a great amount of moisture to your rolls, as they absorb the fats of your meat and will keep the bottom from going soggy.
2. Using non-lean pork will increase the fat and moisture in your roll; however, make sure not to work the sausage filling too much otherwise it can make it tough and dry.

How do I know if my Sausage Rolls are cooked through?

The best way to know if your Sausage Rolls are cooked through is to check the pastry.

1. If it becomes golden brown and crispy, it’s likely your rolls are properly cooked through.
2. If you want to double-check, feel free to take one out of the oven, cut it open, and use a meat thermometer or check the color of the meat. An internal temperature of 165°F or higher is safe for consumption.
3. But you can also look out for a mostly brown interior. If it’s slightly pink, that’s okay.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (16 oz/450 g) ground sausage meat*
• 1 large egg
• 1 small onion , finely diced
• ¾ cup (1¼ oz/35 g) fresh breadcrumbs 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 recipe Puff Pastry 
• Egg wash

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, egg, onion, breadcrums, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into roughly a 12 x 14-inch (30 x 35 cm) rectangle.
• Cut the pastry sheet in half lengthwise so that you have two 6 x 14-inch (15 x 35 cm) strips of dough.
• Divide the sausage filling mixture in half. For each piece of dough, form half of the filling into a log that runs the length of the rectangles. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash.
• Wrap the dough over the filling and shape into a log. Trim the pastry a little to tidy up the edge and press with a fork to seal. With the fork piece so holes in the top of the pastry.
• Cut each log into pieces, about 1½-inches (4 cm) long at the seam side and place on your prepared baking sheet. You will yield around 20 sausage rolls.
• Brush with the egg wash and bake for 35-40 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
• Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Puff Pastry

Ingredients

14 tablespoons (7 oz/198 g) butter ,frozen

4 – 5 fl oz (120 -148 ml) ice water

1 tablespoon (½ fl oz/15 ml) lemon juice

2 ⅓ cups (11 ½ oz/ 325 g) all purpose flour

⅙ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Place your butter in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
• In a jug, mix together the water and lemon juice and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt.
• On the larger side of a grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour mix. Stir the butter into the flour to coat it.
• Add in the water and lemon juice mixture, holding a little back just in case you don’t need it all. Bring your pastry together gently to form a ball. You want to add just enough water to bring the pastry together. Too much water will not yield you a flakey dough.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it to use at a later day. (Note: Once you put the pastry in the fridge and it relaxes, it will get a little wetter, so factor that in)
• To use your pastry: Follow the instructions required by the recipe you are making. Always bake in a HOT oven for the best results.

Sheetpan Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Soup:

• 1 head of garlic
• 3 red bell peppers, halved and deseeded
• 10 oz carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (~5 large carrots)
• ½ of a small head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 3 small tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Juice from 1 lemon (~2 tbsp)

Grilled Cheese Croutons:

• 2 slices of bread (we used sourdough)
• 2-3 slices cheddar or American cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Slice off the top of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. You'll only use half of the cloves in the recipe, but roast the whole head and save the remaining cloves for another recipe!
3. Place the bell pepper (skin side up), carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, garlic and onion to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, then evenly sprinkle with the salt, smoked paprika, cayenne and cumin. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until all vegetables are fork tender.
4. About 10 minutes before the vegetables are done, add the broth to a small pan over medium heat or pop it in the microwave until it's hot.
5. Once the vegetables are done, immediately add to a blender. Squeeze out the garlic cloves from ½ of the head of garlic. Save the other half for another recipe. Add in the hot broth and the lemon juice and blend until smooth. Taste and add remaining ½ teaspoon salt if needed (this will depend on how salty your broth is and the type of salt you use).
6. Serve hot with grilled cheese or these grilled cheese croutons.
7. To make grilled cheese croutons, add butter to a pan over medium low heat. Begin toasting bread in the pan until it's golden brown and caramelized, then flip one piece over and add cheese slices to the caramelized surface. Place the other slice, cooked side down, on top of the cheese. Cover with a lid. Cook until bottom is brown and crispy, then flip again and cook until other side is brown and crispy, and cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat and slice into small cubes. 

Chinese Pepper Steak with Onions & Peppers

Chinese Pepper Steak with Onions & Peppers Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ¼ lbs flank or sirloin steak, thinly sliced

1/2 red, 1/2 green, 1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 large onion, thick slices

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp ginger, optional 

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Marinade:

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp sesame oil 

Sauce Mix:

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce optional

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp vinegar, apple cider

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

Directions:

Marinate the beef in soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Let marinate for approximately 15-30 mins.

Next, heat oil in a pan or wok if you have one. Sear the beef in batches until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add and sauté the garlic, the ginger, onions, and bell peppers for 4-5  mins until they’re tender-crisp.

Then add the beef back into the pan and pour in the sauce mixture.

Mix well until the sauce thickens and coats everything (approximately 1-2 mins). Serve hot over rice.