Pot Roast in the Dutch Oven - My Version

This One has been Brewing for Quite a While. . . 

Or should I say "roasting"?

I haven't posted any recipes in quite a while. I often use Pinterest as well as some other sources to try some new things but if I'm using someone else's recipe I want to make sure to give credit. I haven't stopped cooking obviously (although I do go through phases) but sometimes it's just going through the routine with a tried and true recipe.

I have been playing around with a Dutch oven for cooking for a little while now. We actually purchased it with the single minded purpose of creating French Onion Soup after the husband saw a recipe that required a Dutch oven. Honestly the end result was disappointing but after that stage of cooking those onions down for hours it was anticipated to be perfection. Something clicked and I realized this new cookware could probably be a good addition to our kitchen.

The first recipe I tried was The Pioneer Woman’s Braised Short Ribs. That is really tasty and if you haven’t made it I highly recommend it. I have made it several times and I learned from this recipe how much putting red wine in the recipe, in combination with the beef broth, will do to add to deepen the flavors into a more complex offering. Using the wine to scrape the sides of the pot, and then to boil it, just makes it taste so much better. 

I also began researching different pot roast recipes because short ribs are not cheap and while they are delicious I wanted to try something with a chuck roast which can be close to a third of the price. Pioneer Woman has one of these recipes too but it didn’t include roast potatoes, most likely because she serves it with mashed potatoes – and wasn’t in the Dutch oven. The best pot roast recipe that I have tried so far was as at Real House Moms and was made in a Dutch oven. It came out very tasty, with meat that was almost buttery in texture, and a nice combination of potatoes, carrots and parsnips. I wouldn’t have thought to put parsnips in my pot roast although I use them when I make chicken soup. 

So in doing this “research” which included sampling actual recipes, perusing others, and taking some of the experiences from other dishes, I came up with what I wanted to do. I have learned parsnips are a nice addition, that I really can’t stand peeling all those little mini potatoes, and that I think an addition of garlic and an abundance of red wine would be better than just a sampling and that adding some additional flavors with red pepper and brown sugar might be interesting. I also thought that thicker gravy might make this all around heartier. So without further ado, here is my version which I hope you will like.

I prep ahead of time. I can’t help it. I like all the vegetables peeled and cut and ready to go. It’s kind of silly since the meat had to cook in the Dutch over for a couple of hours but here you have it. I want to move on to other projects today including painting a chair that I have been working on over the course of a few months. I also have kids running around and am anticipating shuttling them before the Super Bowl starts. . .

I started with a handful of multi colored carrots and two large parsnips. You could use regular carrots. I just can’t resist this bag from Trader Joe’s that does not cost any more money than traditional orange carrots. They look so pretty, especially that purple one with the cream colored center. No, they won’t be as vibrant when they are cooked but gosh they look nice now. I peeled all of these vegetables and cut them into slices. I do try to get them somewhat consistent but it’s usually a losing battle.

I also peeled about 1.5 lbs. of Yukon Gold potatoes. I refrained from the Dutch Yellow Baby Potatoes out of sheer laziness. This way I only had to peel four potatoes instead of the thirteen last time. I cut these into bite sized pieces as well. 

I cut a Vidalia onion into thick slices. I imagine any onion would work but I like something a little sweeter than and not as sharp as a white onion. I also minced three cloves of garlic to put in with the onion. I have a wonderful little gadget that smashes the clove and minces it with one squeeze. I don’t even have to peel it completely. The wonders that you can find at Home Goods!

The star of this dish was a 3.25 lb. boneless Chuck Roast. I have seen the recommendation of getting one with a bone in it but it’s not an option at my local butcher. I sometimes do put in a strip of short ribs for the bone flavor but I skipped it this time. I know that with the size of this particular roast, along with my vegetables, there won’t be any room to spare. I rinsed the roast, patted it dry, and then sprinkled it with a generous helping of sea salt. 

I heated about a tablespoon of oil in the Dutch oven and added the roast to sear it on all sides. The Real House Moms website recommends that you put your stovetop vent on and it’s true. I take the added precaution of putting the Dutch oven lid on, slightly askew, to avoid oil spattering everywhere. With this cut of meat, you can really only sear the two larger sides but I held it with a pair of tongs to at least get a little browning on the other smaller edges. It will take 10-15 minutes per side to get it really seared. The browner the better. Once this was done, I removed the meat, and put it on a plate. The best part is as it rests, it collects some juices which are going to get put back in that Dutch oven along with the actual meat.

I placed the onions and garlic in the pot, and let it cook on medium for about fifteen minutes. A lot of recipes state that it will only take a few minutes to soften onions but I find it always takes longer than anticipated. After they were semi soft, I added a ¼ cup of flour to the pot and stirred it for a few minutes. There was a lot of flour that didn’t actually coat the onions but I am going for a thicker gravy rather than meat juice.

Once I had the onions coated, I added a cup of red wine. I used a Cabernet Savion from Trader Joe’s that I used for the last pot roast. It is what they refer to as “two buck Chuck” but costs three something in Michigan. Good wine for cooking. With the onions it made a bubbly roux to which I added three cups of beef broth. Once this was boiling I added a 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp each of dried rosemary and thyme, two bay leaves, and generous amount of salt and pepper, as well as some Aleppo pepper. I actually ran out of the Aleppo pepper and added some cayenne. I figured the heat with the sweetness of the brown sugar would add some more depth. I am not saying that you need to go out and buy Aleppo pepper, it’s just a staple in my pantry from some other recipes and I really like it.

I added the meat back into the pot, along with all those reserved juices. I put it in my oven at 300 degrees on Convection Roast although I believe that just backing it in the Dutch oven works. It smelled really nice, permeating the entire house in those two and a half hours. 

 
At that point, I turned the meat over, adding all those vegetables, and returned it to the oven for another two hours. I really don’t think you can overcook in the Dutch oven with all that liquid. It’s a low temperature and it’s a slow process to really break down that meat to its ultimate softness.

The meat will easily break down to chunks. I take it out of the oven and make it into bite size portions. With the vegetables and potatoes, it’s really a complete meal but adding a nice hearty slice of bread (with some butter of course) wouldn’t hurt my feelings! A bottle of beer would be nice too since its Super Bowl Sunday.

Hearty Pot Roast in the Dutch Oven

Ingredients:
1 boneless chuck roast, approx 3-4 lbs.
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Vidalia onion, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cup Beef Broth
1 cup Red Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Alpeppo pepper, or Cayenne
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
5 - 6 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size wedges


Rinse meat and pat dry. Sprikle with sea salt. Place into Dutch oven that has been preheated to high, with the oil. Sear meat on all sides, using your vent fan, and a lid on top, slightly askew to keep down spattering. Heat each side ten - fifteen minutes.

Remove meat and place on plate to collect juices. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir every so often to soften. Add flour and coat the onions, allowing to soften some more. Add wine to pot and scrape the sides of the pot to get all stuck morsels into the liquid. Let boil and thicken, making a roux. Add beef broth and bring to boil again, before adding all spices.

Add meat back to pot, along with meat juices, and place in the preheated over at 300 degrees. Let cook for 2 1/2 hours. At that time, turn the meat and add vegetables into pot. Return to over for another two hours to cook.

Remove bay leaves to discard. Take meat out of the pot and tear into chunks. Place back in the pot with the other items to serve.

Gnocchi with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Brought to you by. . . A New Cookbook!

Sometimes (well mostly always), gifts are the best.

To me, gifts are the things you won't buy yourself. I recently went to lunch with two dear friends and had no idea that part of the agenda was to bring belated holiday gifts. Apparently, the challahs I baked in lieu of Christmas cards, made me deserving of tangible objects this year. Both of these friends are "foodies" and I received many wonderful items, including "new" vintage cocktails supplies (shakers and glasses) as well as some wonderful chocolate bars with that special balance between heat and sweet, and some popcorn that I had previously seen on Shark Tank. I also received this new cookbook called "America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook: A Faster, Smarter Way to Cook Everything from America's Most Trusted Test Kitchen".

Now this is one of those examples of a gift being something you won't buy yourself. As a rule I don't buy cookbooks anymore, although now I'm seeing I may have been to harsh with this rule, because with the accessibility to the Internet in all its forms I thought I really didn't need them. I have easy access to the Food Network's host of recipes online and Pinterest offers me a variety of eye candy. . . When we moved I actually purged most of my cookbooks that had been collecting dust with a few exceptions. . . mostly cookbooks with sentimental value and ones that focused strictly on breads. This new cookbook however really is changing my perspective.

If you have ever watched America's Test Kitchen on PBS, you already know the extensive research that they do for you on the show. I feel like I'm doing a commercial but I am not getting paid for this. . . simply watch an episode to see. . . They offer a subscription on their website (see the link) for access to all their recipes and I'm thinking that having the cookbook is just easier. I will give you just one example. . . My husband watched an episode in the summer that featured barbecued ribs. They examined what kind of ribs to use, how to prepare them, how to smoke them, what kind of rub to make, a homemade BBQ sauce that was analyzed and tweaked for the most flavor, etc. etc. They used corn cobs as part of the smoking process with water and showed the viewer how to set it up in the charcoal grill. Hmmm, charcoal grill. . . alas we did not have one as we had used propane for years. Not surprisingly we made our first purchase of a Weber charcoal grill after repeatedly watching the episode and taking notes.

So all this being said, America's Test Kitchen impresses me but it's typically a ton of work to make one of their recipes based on this experience. However, this cookbook features QUICK recipes designed for families so this is a new twist. All of the recipes take less than an hour, from prep to at the table, and I need that. They also feature many shortcuts that I appreciate, teaching you how to do things quicker and actually recommending some store bought items down to the best brand for the recipe.
 
I have been playing around with several of the recipes to tweak them for our family and taking notes. Anyone that cooks with picky eaters knows that sometimes you make the recipe one time, almost if not 100% exactly as written, but the revise it over time to get it right. I have done that with a couple so far that I will feature over the coming weeks but today, I'm almost going to do it exactly as it's a new one. 

I'm especially interested in this version of Gnocchi because they use the vacuum packed ones that I often buy at Trader Joe's. Not frozen and not dried ones that you typically buy at the grocery store. I have made recipes where you boil them or alternately put them in a skillet with sauce and let them simmer. This recipe asks you to first boil them and then actually put them in a nonstick pan with a little butter to brown them a bit, before adding sauce. I thought that was pretty interesting so we are going to try this tonight. I'm actually typing this first part of my blog article before I cook them as I had some prep work to do ahead of time.

The recipe called for two types of mushrooms. Cremini and porcini mushrooms are used. The cremini mushrooms are often called "baby bellas" and were fresh, only requiring a quick trim at the stems and then slicing them thinly. The porcini mushrooms came dried and had to be rinsed before they were minced. My initial thought was the porcini mushrooms were kind of expensive as it was 6.99 for a little bag of dried nothings, but when I saw that I was getting an ounce (which I know is really nothing) and I only needed a 1/4 ounce for the recipe, I did some quick math. These smell really earthy. The cat came to check them out and he's typically not interested in anything that isn't cheese or meat, so I'm thinking they will add a dimension of flavor to the dish. My mincing was a little difficult to achieve with these dried chewy things but I think it will be okay.

I did have some other "cheats" that perhaps the cooks who created this book may frown upon but I'm always trying to save a little time. I have a confession to make, I hate working with fresh garlic cloves. I'm not very good at it, despite watching countless techniques with knives so I often use the jarred stuff. Yes, I'm admitting it and I'm not ashamed. This recipe also called for shallots and I'm not above using the jarred form of these either. I also am not using my homemade chicken stock for recipes as it takes a lot of time to prepare so I'm cheating with Trader Joe's broth in a box. I do it all the time. Also, no fresh herbs around here, they would never last. Thyme in a jar. Yes a jar, and I don't have any parsley so we are skipping that from the recipe.


Speaking of spices I think I may have an issue but I bet most of you also do if you love food and cooking. Here is my spice rack. . . It started out with the first basic rack on top but over time I have had to add new components to make this work and hold everything. If you squint you may see that they are organized in alphabetical order. Yes, I'm sick that way. I have learned that it really isn't my fault. I recently had to take a S.E.L.F. assessment to determine what personality type I was. I came up with an "E" and of course there are shortcomings with all of the types but I did learn that my "tunnel vision" is completely normal for me and that I like to organize CD's in alphabetical order. So my CD's are spices instead of songs. . .  These things can't be helped sometimes.

Part II: The Actual Recipe

The recipe called for the gnocchi to be cooked first, and then drained and sauteed in a bit of butter. We thought that was interesting, as I mentioned before, and we also decided after tasting the recipe that it was quite good. It added a whole new dimension to the texture and flavor of the dish. While I don't think that I would perhaps make this recipe again, as is, I would definitely use this technique with the gnocchi with other recipes, including a homemade Alfredo sauce. This recipe itself was a little too much like a broth and not a thick sauce.   

While most of the recipes in this book are simple takes on more complicated dishes, I found myself wondering why I had to go through that many steps for a cream sauce. I did like the addition of the porcini mushrooms and will probably add that as a new step or ingredient to my own recipe, but I wouldn't repeat this recipe in the book "as is". I make my own ad hoc Alfredo on a regular basis and even add mushrooms and it's never been this complicated, and it's actually much heartier and flavorful.

The finished dish was not bad, but it was not exemplary. I will definitely use my own recipe next time with some of the new tips I learned. . . I also thought that some grated cheese on top would add garnish and some more flavor so you will see that pictured in my photo.

Tips we learned from this dish to adapt for others:

1. Adding dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and then minced, to fresh mushrooms for a more earthy flavor.

2. Cooking the vacuum packed gnocchi per directions on the package but sauteing them in butter after before adding to dishes.

3. Sprinkling some flour on the mushrooms as they cooked as a thickening agent (I would note that you can't rely on only that and should make a roux for the actual sauce - that's where I think this recipe went wrong).

Please don't use this post as a criticism of the cookbook. Many of the other recipes in here are very very good. I will post reviews of the two beef dishes we tried once I play around with them a little more. They were delicious!

Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Cream Sauce

From The America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook with notes

Ingredients:
1 lb. vacuum-packed gnocchi (I use Trader Joe's)
Salt and Pepper
4 Tablespoons Butter
12 oz of creminin mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin (these are often called Baby Bella)
2 shallots minced (I used the kind in the jar)
1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced (jar!)
2 teaspoons all purpose flour (this will not make a roux!)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (I used jar)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley (I omitted)

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi are tender, and float to the top, about two minutes. Drain.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 12 inch non-stick skillet (I don't have one with a lid so I used a regular one and it was fine) over medium high heat. Add the gnocchi and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 minutes, transfer to plate.

Melt the remaining butter in the empty skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cover, until the mushroom have released their liquid, about 4 minutes (I found it was closer to 7). Uncover and continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are well browned, about five minutes (closer to 10).

Stir in garlic, flour, and thyme, and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, cream and wine and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and reduced to about 2 cups, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the browned gnocchi and peas, and cook until well coated and cooked through, about a minute. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley and serve. I added grated cheese instead.

Gnocchi Made in a Skillet!

Yes, it's true! You don't even have to boil it ahead of time.

I found this recipe in my travels on Pinterest and pinned this to make when I had time. Really, it's a super simple recipe and came from the Food Network here as "Cheesey Gnocchi Casserole".  What makes this so interesting, at least to me, was that I didn't have to boil the gnocchi in water. Every time I add the pasta to the boiling water in the pot it's an adventure as I try to avoid scalding myself with the droplets of water that bounce back at me! This recipe has them simmering gently in a skillet with chicken broth.

I did find that the original recipe called for water in the narrative but was not listed in the ingredients. I followed the recipe besides that to a "t" except for reducing the amount of onion. Truth be told, the family would like to see even less onion next time. They are not big onion fans and seem to detect it even in minuscule amounts. I suppose I should also mention that I did not have fresh Thyme and used some dried herbs

I started by melting the butter in a heavy duty skillet I have that is oven proof. I bought this pan years ago on clearance at Williams Sonoma and it has served us well. To the butter I added the chopped onion and let it cook for a good five minutes or so to really soften it.

Once the  onions were softened (next time there will be less of them), I added a slice of deli ham that I diced into even little cubes, along with the Thyme. I let this cook until it was a little bit golden. Boy did it smell good. The chicken stock was added (courtesy of a box from Trader Joe's) along with the water mentioned in the recipe but not in the ingredient list.

Once all these ingredients were added and combined, I raised the heat a bit and then added the gnocchi. If you are a Trader Joe's fan, you know that they have some great gnocchi that is both tasty and cheap. I highly recommend it. I typically make it with a cream sauce and some pancetta but like I said before, the idea of putting it in a simmering skillet instead of boiling it was very intriguing. I may do this from now on with my own sauce.

I was really unsure if this would work but once I put the lid on the simmering pan the gnocchi really did cook quickly without getting overdone. I would say they were fork tender in about five minutes or so. Once that was done, I added the cream (it called for a 1/4 cup but I probably added closer to a half cup) and the peas. I probably should not say I followed the recipe to a "T", huh?

I used shredded cheese from Trader Joe's for the top (a combination of Swiss and Gruyere that they sell prepackaged). I really don't have stock in the company. I promise. I placed the skillet in the oven with the cheese and broiled it on low for about five minutes, until the top was golden brown.

Final verdict? Yes, I'm making this again with the following revisions: 1. Less onion, way less onion, 2. Bacon instead of deli ham, 3. A little less cheese, maybe switching to Parmesan.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Bacon Makes Everything Better

Years ago I received a version of this recipe from a friend and have adapted it over the years to suit my kids as they are picky eaters. I had to reduce some of the recommended vegetables and saute the onions rather than putting them in raw but I think my version works as they do indeed eat it. That is no small accomplishment.


It does indeed start with the bacon. While meatloaf obviously consists of ground beef (and in this case also some ground pork), my first step is to fry up some bacon. The bacon strips are cut in half and then dipped in some brown sugar before frying commences.

I then use the same pan, without draining off the fat, to saute some finely diced onions. They caramelize pretty quickly with the fat and sugar residue in the pan.

Alas, we do have to drain these onions. I put them in a little mesh basket to get rid of the extra grease.

I then take the onions, along with most of the other ingredients (ground beef, ground pork, diced peppers, bread crumbs, a slightly beaten egg, grated Parmesan cheese, BBQ rub, Worcestershire sauce, and half and half) and mix them all together in a bowl.

Once the ingredients are incorporated I shape the mixture into a loaf on a rimmed cookie sheet that has been lined with two layers of foil. Less mess to clean up later.

Now is where the fun starts. Spread BBQ sauce on the loaf and then cover with the strips of bacon. I use the original flavor of Sweet Baby Ray's for this recipe.

The loaf is put into a 350 degree preheated oven for between an hour and an hour and ten minutes. The trick is to get the bacon crispy without burning it.

The end result is a beautiful meatloaf that is really delicious.

Here is my version of the recipe that has been adapted over the years.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Ingredients:

5 strips of bacon - I typically purchase it as platter bacon from the butcher

2 teaspoons brow sugar

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

1/4 cup of finely chopped onion (sauteed in the bacon grease)

1/4 cup of finely chopped red, yellow or orange pepper

2/3 cup fine bread crumbs preferably unflavored (I have used Panko in a pinch)

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon of BBQ Rub Seasoning (I used Trader Joe's for this batch)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (Soy will also work if you don't have any in your pantry)

1/3 cup of Half and Half

1/2 cup of BBQ Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)

 

Directions:

Cut bacon strips in half crosswise and coat with the brown sugar. In a large skillet, fry the bacon for about two or three minutes to render the excess fat. After removing the bacon, add the onions and fry until soft and translucent. Drain onions and reserve.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foiled and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients with the exception of the bacon and BBQ sauce. Shape the mixture into a loaf on the lined cookie sheet.

Spread BBQ sauce on the loaf and cover with the bacon strips.

Bake for about an hour, or an hour and ten minutes, until bacon is crispy. Remove from oven and let rest for ten minutes before slicing or moving on to another plate.

Awesome Corned Beef and Cabbage. . .

. . . Slow Cooker Recipe with Apple Juice and Beer,

AND Finished with Apricot Mustard Glaze

Core Ingredients for the Crock Pot

I supposed I could have put all of that in the post title but I don't think it would fit, so "Awesome" to draw you in will have to work.

 

Cooking in a slow cooker is obviously used in most recipes to cook a recipe over a long period of time with a little less effort. Truly, because of timing on a Sunday filled with errands (including going to get the Corned Beef), I didn't start this until early afternoon so I cooked the dish on high. Truthfully, because I glaze the corned beef after cooking, I guess that there is a little more effort and work but I think it's worth it. To be completely honest, I have never cooked the corned beef in a pot per the directions on the package because I think it tastes so good and is so soft and tender when you make it in the crock pot.

Vegetables

I have referred to a lot of recipes over the years to complete the crock pot portion of cooking, using bits of this one or that one to come up with my own version of slow cooker corned beef. Two of my inspirations over the years have been  the Apple and Brown Sugar Corned Beef at About.com Southern Food as well as Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner for the Slow Cooker at Food.com Recipes. I like portions of both recipes but there were things that I wanted to add to make it even better and some timing considerations. I really like the use of apple juice rather than water and by adding a bottle of beer, I think it's even better. The first recipe had a lot of juice with I liked and the cabbage was cut into chunks to cook with the corned beef so it got very soft. However, I did not like the addition of mustard in the crock pot and thought the brown sugar made it too sweet without it. The second recipe calls for you to remove the corned beef and keep it warm, then add the wedges of cabbage to the crock pot at the very end. I found that the cabbage did not cook enough a couple years back with this method. That recipe also did not have an onion and the apple juice was diluted with water.

To start, I prepared all of my vegetables. I cut the large white onion into eighths that naturally fell apart. The small redskin potatoes were quartered and I also cut up a small head of cabbage after peeling back a couple of outside layers. The carrots. . . well, I cheated with the carrots. Trader Joe's has carrots already washed, peeled and cut so I could not resist. Typically I use baby carrots because it avoids all that work but I think that the larger carrots are sometimes tastier and won't be as mushy after being cooked.

Layered vegetables, add the corned beef, and then the seasoning and liquids.

After preparing the vegetables, I placed them in the crock pot. Potatoes and onions went on the very bottom, followed by carrots and then topped with cabbage. I then placed the corned beef down on the bed of vegetables and wedged more cabbage around it. I sprinkled about half of the enclosed seasoning packet on top of the corned beef and then added a bottle of beer. I then filled the rest of the crock pot with apple juice until it reached the top. I placed the lid on top, trying to get a good fit, and then set the timer for five hours on high.

Now this is the challenging part. . . not opening the lid! I recently read an article where removing the lid during cooking was one of the pitfalls in slow cooker cooking. I believe that they actually stated that every time you lift the lid you are adding an extra half hour to the cooking time. So today I demonstrated restraint - which is difficult for me - and did not peek, stir, sniff or add anything once I put that lid on.

 

So five hours later. . . 

Five Hours on High Heat - No peeking!

I really did let the food go without touching it once in the five hours! I am really proud of myself - I need to add that. This is what the dish looked like when I lifted the lid for the first time.

Glaze Ingredients

I removed the corned beef and put it in a pan lined with heavy duty foil and let it rest for a few minutes while I prepared the glaze to finish the meat up.

In a small bowl, I combined the Apricot Preserves, Rice Wine Vinegar, and the Dijon Mustard. I add a little of the vinegar to add some tartness but also to make it easier to mix.

I then spooned the glaze on the corned beef and placed the pan in a preheated oven at 375 degrees. I watched it carefully to ensure it didn't burn and basted the glaze on to the corned beef every five minutes or so. Total time in the oven was about 15 minutes.

Glazed Corned Beef

I let it cool a bit so the glaze would harden and then served it with the vegetables still warm in the crock pot.

Awesome Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Slow Cooker

1 Package of Corned Beef with Seasoning Packet (I used Sy Ginsburg)
1 Small Head of Green Cabbage, cut into chunks
2 lbs Small Redskin Potatoes, quartered
1 Large Yellow Onion, cut into eights
2 Cups Carrots, peeled and cut into sections
1 Bottle of Beer
3 Cups of Apple Juice

Glaze
1 Cup Apricot Preserves
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar

 

Directions:

Line bottom of the crock pot with the potatoes and onions, layer with carrots and then top with cabbage. Add corned beef, fat side down. Sprinkle with about half of the seasoning packet. Add the bottle of beer and then the apple juice until you reach the top. Place lid on top and cook for 4-5 hours on high, or alternately on low for about 10 hours.

Remove corned beef from crock pot and place in a lined pan and let it rest for about five minutes. Combine the glaze ingredients and spoon over the meat. Place in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, basting every five minutes or so. Let cool before slicing. Plate with crock pot vegetables that are removed from the pot with a slotted spoon.

 

 

 

Tofu and Vegetable Korma

Sometimes a restaurant can be an inspiration, especially when a visit to the grocery store further reinforces it!

 

I made a concoction based on Vegetable Korma last night. Inspiration came from two sources. The first was dinner at a new (for us) Indian restaurant in town on Saturday night. The second was a jar of Korma simmer sauce that I happened to see during my travels shopping at Target yesterday afternoon.
 
There was also a glimmer of something else - epiphany, adventure, daring, or just an excuse but Ghee was also involved. See, I have wanted to try Ghee for a long time but never had an excuse. Ghee is clarified butter and has an extremely hot smoke point so you can use it for frying or cooking without the usual issues where it burns before it can heat the food.

There are few things less tasty that burned butter tainting your food. Of course, in the past I have tried to combat that by putting half butter and half olive oil or vegetable oil in the pan to increase the allowable temperatrure. In any event, Ghee is used a lot for Ethiopian cooking. After finding this at Trader Joe's I found out that it also has an indefinite shelf life, had good bacteria that you find in things like Yogurt, and is perhaps healthy. I didn't need all those reasons but it does add to my "pat myself on the back moment".

But I digress. Let's talk about the Indian food Friday night when we adventured to a new restaurant in our city. I did not take pictures but I plan on going again so I will post a separate article at a later date. We have been eating Indian food for years, being selective of the dishes we really favor. Our favorite for years has been Paneer Makahani, cubes of homemade Indian cheese that are simmered in a delicate sauce with cream, tomatoes and subtle Indian spices. Often you can't find it on a menu but you can usually find Chicken Makahani or Butter Chicken and you can often just ask to substitute the meat with the cheese. That is how we originally discovered a treasure of this dish locally.

We had been eating the Chicken version for years at a local restaurant but after having Paneer Makahani in Toronto at a fabulous gem called 309 Dhaba Indian Excellence, I asked our original Indian local restaurant to make it for us. I can't continue with out plugging Dhaba - if you go to Toronto it's worth the dining experience while you are there. I dream about it.

So for years Paneer Makahani at our original local restaurant has been a go to dish. So much so, it became an annual tradition on Christmas Eve. But over time, the quality and the consistency has been less that stellar. Sometimes the food is awesome, and other times it's mediocre. Indian food is too pricey typically to roll the dice. So we haven't had it in a very long time. This past Saturday night we decided to adventure to Moti Mahal in Royal Oak to see if we could find a local substitute. Their menu was a little different than what we are familiar with but the waitstaff were patient and helped us to find some items to start with. We had the Butter Chicken with Paneer (they spell it Poneer) instead and we also tried the Pasanda that already featured cubes of Paneer but had your choice of meats. I picked shrimp. Orders came with Basmati rice included but Naan was extra but well worth it. The Paneer Makahani was a little different than our usual taste of it but very much enjoyed. It was less creamy but sweeter and both kids (who are super picky) enjoyed it. My Shrimp Pasanda had the cubes of cheese but was a little spicier. My plan next time is to try the Korma or the Kashmir.

Which bring me back to dinner last night and the Korma I made. I found that bottle of simmer sauce and decided since I had to wait to try Korma at Moti Mahal maybe I could try something at home. I started with firm tofu from Trader Joe's, using both halves of the pack of sprouted extra firm tofu. I let it drain for a bit with a Pyrex dish on top to get rid of some of the excess water and then diced it into cubes (similar to Paneer - no coicidence there) and sauteed in the Ghee. I was patient, stirred them to get them a little golden brown.



I then took those out of the pan and started sauteeing some vegetables. First I used some cauliflower, carrots and yellow peppers, adding some crushed garlic and shallots once they got going. To this I added some sliced white mushrooms. Once this was really cooking, left firm but definitely sauteed, I switched them from the non stick frying pan to a pot that has a fitted lid, and added the tofu back in.

I used the whole jar of the simmer sauce but found that my quantity of ingredients really made for a sparse sauce so I added a can of cream of coconut to the pan and then simmered for about 20 minutes so the flavors could really meld. I checked it frequently, stirring gently but  often with a wooden spoon.

The verdict? Delicious! I served it with some instant saffron rice (totally unncessary, regular basmati will do next time) and the consistency of the tofu made this is a wonderful dish along with the fresh vegetables. I will definitely make this again. In fact, it's leftover lunch today!

As it wasn't a real recipe, I will do my best with estimates here:

Tofu and Vegetable Korma

Ingredients:

1 package of extra firm tofu, drained and diced
2 Tablespoons of Ghee, divided into two (1 Tbsp. each)
Assorted vegetables (carrots in disks, cauliflower florets and sliced yellow pepper), approxamitely 1 cup in total
1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms
1 teaspoon of shallots, packed in water
1 teaspoon  of crushed garlic, packed in water
1 jar of Patak's Taste of India Korma simmer sauce
1 can of cream of coconut or coconut milk

 

Directions:

Drain and dice tofu, and place in heated non stick pan with a tablespoon of Ghee. Toss frequently on medium heat until golden brown. Remove tofu from pan and add another tablespoon of Ghee. Add firmer vegetables to saute, then add garlic, shallots and mushrooms.

Place vegetables and tofu in a new pot with a lid. Add simmer sauce and coconut cream (or milk) to pan. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve with Rice.

Crockpot Cherry Coke and Hoisin Pot Roast

Admitting You Have a Problem is the First Step. . . 

Okay, I'm going to admit it. I look at an intriguing recipe on Pinterest and I say to myself, this time I'm going to make it exactly like the poster instructed. No deviations. I put all the items on the shopping list and have every intention to at least make it identical the first time I try it. After all, I have never even made a pot roast like this before.

Here is the original recipe that I found on Pinterest: Pot Roast from Pinterest The title even says "The Best Pot Roast. . . Ever!

But my mind starts planning, even if I tell it (very nicely) to be quiet. I think about the braised pork belly I had at Baconfest a couple of weeks back that was braised in Cherry Coke, and I think to myself, I bet that would be better than a cap of Pepsi. . . I read in the comments of the original recipe that the Au Jus packet made the recipe kind of salty and I think about adding some Hoisin with the Cherry Coke right in the beginning. Then I think about how nice some vegetables would be with this roast since I'm taking the time to cook it all day. Carrots, onions and some small little potatoes.

So here is my version, based on the original post I have referenced above.

Crock Pot Cherry Coke and Hoisin Pot Roast

Ingredients

2 1/4 lbs. Chuck Roast
The butcher told me this would get very tender and to approximate about .5 lbs per person you are serving
1 Sweet Onion, cut into wedges
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3/4 lbs. small Dutch Yellow Potatoes, quartered
1 packet of McCormick's Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast seasonings packet
1 cup water
12 oz Cherry Coke
2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

Directions

Prepare vegetables and lay on the bottom of the crock pot. Place the roast on top. 

Mix the seasoning packet with 1 cup of water. Pour into crock pot.

Measure out 12 ounces of cherry coke (or use a can), stir in the hoisin sauce. Pour over the roast.

Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours). I found several warnings online, as well as on the seasoning packet to NOT lift the lid during cooking. You know I really want to. . . I want to flip the meat, smell the sauce, etc. I'm not going to do it!

8 hours later. . . 

So this is how the meat looked, undisturbed, after 8 hours. Tender, fall off the one (if there had been one) and tender veggies.

It was delicious and the liquids really tasted good poured over the top of the meat and vegetables. Leftovers the next day were even better!