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Monday, November 7, 2011

Recipe Review from 10/31/11

Deer opener was this past weekend - which meant that Saturday I needed to be creative on how I was going to get two bouncy hounds some exercise that did  NOT involve running around our yard/property. While the Husband went out back to hunt, I headed into town for yoga with the gang, brunch afterwards, then a great walk with a friend and her dog around a local golf course that had finally closed for the year.  GREAT place to let the hounds run.

Downside was I nearly lost Andy-dog twice.  He seems to have a hard time hearing where I'm whistling from.  First time he took off in the opposite direction, second time, he got turned around on an adjacent trail.  We got him back both times, but I need to figure out a way to teach Andy to listen to the whistle direction. 

A couple of good recipes last week.  I'm doing really well at finding at least one slow cooker recipe to either start the week or to have mid-week.  So far it's working out great!  What a time saver. 

Indian-Spiced Squash Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2011)
Super fast to pull together once all the squash is chopped.  I loved how everything was tossed into the oven - onions, garlic, squash - and roasted, then final assembly is on the stove.  I did say Poo! to some of the directions at the end for simplicity and just did a dump and blend, then simmer for 30 minutes.   I swear, sometimes people try and make recipes harder than they need to be.   Heads up on this one, it has some ZING! when made as written.  Omit chili powder for more of a curry taste. 

Total: 1 Hour+
Pic from CookingLight.com
Ingredients
1 cup chopped yellow onion
8 ounces carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (1-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
1 (8-ounce) acorn squash, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
 6 teaspoons honey
1. Preheat oven to 500°.

2. Arrange the first 5 ingredients on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Toss. Roast at 500° for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning once. Cool for 10 minutes. Peel acorn squash; discard skin.

3. Combine vegetable mixture, 2 cups water, curry powder, garam masala, and red pepper in a food processor; pulse to desired consistency. Scrape mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and stir in salt. Combine yogurt and honey, stirring well. Serve with soup.

Eunice Munn, Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2011



Balsamic Vinegar BBQ Pork Sliders   (Ckng Lght BB)
I was dubious about the amount of Balsamic Vinegar in this, but oh my goodness, I shouldn't have been.  These were delish! 
Very very easy to make - cook the pork roast in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours.  Assemble BBQ sauce (which can be done ahead of time).  Shred pork, add sauce, and eat!  I used warmed whole grain cibiatta buns.  Fantastic.  My only complaint with this recipe was I thought I should get three meals out of it and we got two.    Please note - I also halved the BBQ sauce quantities per a suggestion below.

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast

1 large onion -- chopped
1 medium sweet green pepper -- chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
pinch red chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

15 slider buns -- or small dinner rolls, split
coleslaw, pickles, etc.

Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker. In the cooker, combine onion and green pepper. Add meat; sprinkle with thyme and rosemary. Pour broth over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Meanwhile, make the barbeque sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Let simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Transfer meat to a cutting board. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds, discarding fat. Strain vegetable mixture, discarding liquid. Return meat and strained vegetables to the slow cooker. Stir in barbeque sauce. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.

Source:"Better Homes and Gardens"

NOTES from the BB : I used Boston Butt and only added about half of the bbq sauce. It was really good!


2 comments:

Karl A. said...

Did SSG D bring home the bacon (or venison at least)?

Kristin said...

Not yet. He saw nothing Sat morning; two deer Sun night, one button buck that was an option and decided that at 5p at night, not worth it.

Did hear a deer (maybe two?) moving about the woods on the east side Monday night about 8:30p. Ben knew it was there, Andy was oblvious.

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