September 8, 2012

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork x1

Serves 8-10

1 (6-7lb) boneless Boston butt

6-7  cups BBQ sauce

cider vinegar

Tabasco

Season pork with salt & pepper, put in slow cooker with sauce. Cook 7-8 hours on high.

Slow Cooker Hungarian Beef Goulash x1

                ATK p 423

1 (5lb) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed & cut into 1.5” pieces

5 Tbs sweet paprika

2T vegetable oil

3 onions, chopped medium

2 red bell peppers, chopped med

6 garlic cloves minced

3 c chicken broth

2T tomato paste

½ c flour

½ c sour cream

3T red wine vinegar (when serving)

¼ c parsley minced (when serving)

1.      dry beef, season with 1T paprika and salt & pepper. Heat 2 tsp oil & brown half of beef about 10 min. Add to slow cooker, repeat with rest of beef

2.      With remaining 2T oil, sauté onions, bell peppers, 4T paprika & ¼ tsp salt. Cook until softened, stir in garlic for 15 sec. Stir in 2.5 cups broth and the tomato paste, bring to simmer then pour in slow cooker

3.       Cover & cook on low 9-10 hour or high 6-7 until meat is tender.

4.       Wisk the flour with sour cream, 1/2c broth and stir into slow cooker on high. Cover & cook until sauce is thickened 15-30 min. before serving add vinegar & parsley & season to taste

All American Meatloaf x2

ATK p 353

1T veg oil

1 onion, chopped fine

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp dried thyme

½ c ketchup

¼ c brown sugar

4 tsp cider vinegar

2 eggs

½ c milk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp Tabasco

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 1/3 c fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 c minced parsley

1.       Heat oven to 350.  Heat oil in skillet & cook onion, stir in garlic & thyme until fragrant, set aside.

2.       Mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar. Set aside

3.       Mix eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, Tabasco

4.       Mix meats, crackers, parsley, onion mixture, egg mixture until mixture doesn’t stick to the bowl. If it still sticks add more milk, 1 T at a time.

5.       Turn meat mixture onto foil-lined baking sheet and shape into 9x5 loaf. Brush with half of the ketchup mixture. Bake 45 min. Brush with remaining ketchup mixture and bake until loaf reads 160 degrees, about 15 min.

Minestrone x2

Serves 8-10

½ c kidney beans

½ c white beans

5 slices bacon

1 med onion, diced

¼ head cabbage, shredded

2 med carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 clove garlic

3 small zucchini or yellow squash

1.5 c brown stock

½ tsp parsley flakes

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp basil

¼ tsp thyme

¼ tsp Turkish oregano

½ c green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ c macaroni noodles, uncooked

1 can tomatoes, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

8 leaves Swiss Chard

soak & cook dried beans separately.  Puree white beans. Chop the bacon into small pieces and fry to release fat & crisp it. Remove from pan & set on paper towels, leaving bacon grease in pan. Fry the onion, adding olive oil if needed. When onion is tender add cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic & squash. Fry for 20 min until veggies are softened, then add all other ingred except swiss chard & kidney beans. Simmer another 20 min, then add kidney beans & chard. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese & bacon bits to serve.

Midnight Moroccan Chili x1

Makes 6-meal sized servings.

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

3 cloves minced garlic

1/2c chopped onion

16 oz beef broth

1/4c  raisins

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (more or less for heat)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste

16 oz can black beans

1/4c sliced almonds

1/4c green olives

Combine beef, pork, garlic and onion.  Put oil in dutch oven.  Brown meat until no longer pink.  Remove excess fat.

Add beans, broth, raisins, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar, pepper and salt.  Stir well.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Add almonds and olives.  Simmer, uncovered 30 minutes.  Serve.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes x1

½ c softened butter

½ c oil

1 ¾ c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ sour milk

2 c grated zucchini

2 ½ c flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

4 T cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

½ c chocolate chips

Cream butter, oil, & sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, sour milk. Beat well. Stir in zucchini. Add dry ingred. Pour into greased cupcake tin. Sprinkle chips on top.  Bake 325 for until done (40-50 min for 9x13 pan).

Enchiladas Verde x4

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

¼ cup chicken broth

1 pound cooked chicken (2 to 3 breasts)

1 ½ pounds tomatillos (16 to 20 medium), husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried

3 medium poblano chiles , halved lengthwise, stemmed, and seeded

1 - 2 ½ teaspoons sugar

Table salt

Ground black pepper

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

8 ounces Pepper Jack cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, grated (2 cups)

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions

Adjust oven racks to middle and highest positions and heat broiler. Meanwhile, toss tomatillos and poblanos with remaining 2 teaspoons oil; arrange on rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, with poblanos skin-side up. Broil until vegetables blacken and start to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Cool 10 minutes, then remove skin from poblanos (leave tomatillo skins intact). Transfer tomatillos and chiles to food processor. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees. Discard foil from baking sheet and set baking sheet aside for warming tortillas.

Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining teaspoon garlic, and broth; process until sauce is somewhat chunky, about eight 1-second pulses. Taste sauce; season with salt and pepper and adjust tartness by stirring in remaining sugar, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce aside (you should have about 3 cups).

Pull chicken into shreds using hands or 2 forks, then chop into small bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken with cilantro and 11/2 cups cheese; season with salt.

Smear bottom of 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 3/4 cup tomatillo sauce. Place tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Spray both sides of tortillas lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, 2 to 4 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place warm tortillas on countertop and spread 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly and place in baking dish, seam-side down. Pour remaining tomatillo sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so that it coats top of each tortilla. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and cover baking dish with foil.

Bake enchiladas on middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with scallions, and serve immediately, passing radishes and sour cream separately.

Onion and Maple Conserve x2

5 (4oz) jars

For an incredible appetizer, top baked squares of puff pastry with this savory-sweet conserve, goat cheese, and fresh thyme.  For a more intense flavor, use aged sherry vinegar in the conserve.

Ingredients

¼ cup butter

¼ cup olive oil

2 ½ pounds Vidalia onions or other sweet onions (such as walla walla), quartered and thinly sliced (8 cups)

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup sherry vinegar

Directions

In an extra large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat until butter melts.  Add onions and salt.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until onions start to soften, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium-low; add thyme and pepper.  Cover skillet; cook for 10-12 minutes or until onions are very tender, stirring twice.

Increase heat to medium-high.  Add maple syrup; bring just to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat; stir in vinegar.

Ladle hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving a ¼ inch headspace.  Wipe jar rims; adjust lids.

Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 5-minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling).  Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.

Sage Brown Butter Pesto x 4

Makes 1.5 cups

8 T unsalted butter

¾ c sage leaves chopped

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

Salt & pepper

1 c fresh parsley

1 ½ oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 c)

½ c walnuts, toasted

Melt 6 T butter in 10” skillet over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases a nutty aroma, about 2 min. Off heat, add sage. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in remaining 2 T butter; set aside to cool. Cook garlic in boiling water for 1 min. Remove garlic and run under cold water to cool. Peel and mince garlic. Pulse garlic, butter mixture, parsley, cheese, walnuts and ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper in food processor until finely ground. Season with salt  & pepper to taste.  Add pasta cooking water as needed to obtain desired consistency when serving.

Apple Pies x 4

ATK

3.5 lbs apples (7-10) peeled, cored & sliced ¼” thick

¾ c plus 1 T sugar

2T flour

1T lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon zest

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 recipe double crust pie dough

1 egg white

Heat oven to 500. Toss the apples with ¾ c sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & spices & set aside. Roll out pie crusts. Mound apple mixture in bottom crust & cover with top crust.  Brush with the egg white & 1T sugar.