Meals are going to be a bit simple over the next couple of weeks. A friend and I are embarking on a freezer reduction project. I've inventoried my upstairs freezer and, while I knew I had a plethora of grains, I had just kinda let them languish. Like, say, three bags of quinoa. Really? Three bags? And a large bag of wheat berries - need to boil some up and start adding them to the morning oatmeal. A bag and a half of polenta will make some great sides. A bag of barely will make its way into soup.
Haven't looked at the downstairs freezer yet...
Pulled Pork Tacos (365 Days of Slow Cooking blog)
Repeat after me: The Slow Cooker is My Friend! Say it again: The Slow Cooker is My Friend! If you haven't pulled this very handy kitchen tool out, do so now. This is great for hot weather, cold weather, busy schedules, this is the one kitchen utensil that can be used year round. I'm a strong advocate of the 'dump-n-go' as I noted a couple weeks ago with the Greek Soup. You can do soups, meats, pasta dishes, rices dishes, you name it.
This week was pulled pork tacos. Very quick and simple. Onions, broth and pork go in in the morning. Right after work before I went outside to help with yard chores, I shredded the meat (it shreds itself, it's that tender) and let it finish cooking for another hour or so.
Makes about 6-8 servings
1 large onion, cut into large slices
2 cups chicken stock
2-3 lbs shoulder pork roast (look for the words shoulder, butt, or boston), trimmed of excess fat
1 (15 oz) can diced tomato with jalapenos (I used diced tomatoes with chilies)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 cup frozen corn (you could probably use canned and it would be fine)
1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Any toppings that you'd like (sour cream, cheese, chips, cilantro, lime, avocados etc)
1. Place onion slices in bottom of slow cooker. Pour in the chicken stock. Place trimmed roast on top of onions.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, or until roast is very tender and falling apart.
3. Remove roast and place on large cutting board. Discard the onion
and juices in the slow cooker. Shred the roast, discard of any excess
fat, place meat back into the slow cooker.
4. Stir the tomatoes, paste, garlic salt, pepper, oregano, corn and
peppers into the meat. Cover the slow cooker and cook for another 30-60
minutes on HIGH until flavors are incorporated and corn and beans are
warm. Adjust seasonings if needed.
5. Serve as tacos, nachos, quesadillas, tostados, over salad...the options are endless!
Review by 365 Days:
I don't know what it was about this recipe but I just keep dreaming and
thinking about it. It was so good! Maybe it's because I love pulled
pork. Maybe it's because I was super hungry. I'm not sure. I loved
how easy it was to get started in the morning. It cooks all day and
smells great. Then add in a few ingredients and boom you have dinner!
The options of how to serve it are endless too. My kids ate theirs in a
taco, my husband over nachos and I ate mine over salad. So many
choices. I had never heard of diced tomatoes with jalapenos before (I
have often used the tomatoes with green chiles). But I really think
they were the key ingredient. Delish! 5 stars (I could eat this every
week for sure).
Southwestern Baked Rice Casserole (The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas)
This was not the rice dish I had intended to make, but was what worked in the end. I *think* I made have made this before, but I didn't note it as such in the cookbook. This is a nice change from they typical orange-Spanish rice; creamy with Southwestern flavors and versatile. I think this could easily be a main dish or a side dish. I have been neglecting this cookbook - I think it's time to pull it out and start using it!
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups cooked brown rice (about 1 1/3 cup raw) I used white - was out of brown
8 oz (2 cups) grated Monterey Jack cheese I used sharp cheddar
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat milk, rice milk or soy milk
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup minced cilantro (optional)
1/3 tsp chili powder
1. Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly oil a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
2. Heat oil in a small skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat until lightly browned.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the onion with all the remaining ingredients. Sitr together thoroughly. Pat the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Serves 4-6
Dubbed as kid friendly, but might want to omit the cilantro if serving kids.
And as it's fall, it's bread baking time!
Molasses Wheat Bread - Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads
This was an awesome bread. Perfect crumb, great crust and a really nice sweetness to it. I'll be making it again.
2 cups hot water 120*-130*
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
1 tbsp salt
2 1/2 cups WW Flour
2 1/2 cups bread or unbleached flour
2 pkg dry yeast
3 tbsp shortening, room temperature (I used butter)
Pans: 2 medium loaf pans (8"x4"), greased or teflon
1. Into a mixing or mixer bowl pour the water, molasses, dry milk, salt and 1 cup each WW and bread flours. Stir to form a thin batter. Sprinkle on the yeast and add the shortening. With a mixer flat blade, beat for one minute at medium speed or use 75 strokes with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the balance of the WW flour (1 1/2 cups). Beat at high speed for 3 minutes or 150 strong strokes with the spoon. Stop mixer. Gradually work in the white flour, first with the spoon and then by hand, or with a dough hook if using a mixer, until a rough and somewhat shaggy mass if formed.
3. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead with a strong push-turn-fold motion. If the dough sticks to the work surface or your fingers, dust lightly with flour. Knead in this fashion 8 minutes or an equal length of time in the mixer bowl with the dough hook.
4. First Rising 1 Hour. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a grease bowl. cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until the dough has risen to about twice its original size, about 1 hour.
5. Shaping. Punch down the dough and knead for 30 seconds to press out the bubbles that formed during rising. Divide into 2 pieces. roll and press under the palms so that each piece is about half again as long as the pan and shaped somewhat like a fat French baguette. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes or it will resist twisting. Twist each piece 2 or 3 times and place in the pan.
6. Second Rising 45 Minutes. Cover the pans with wax paper and leave at room temperature until the center of the dough has risen to 1/2" to 1" above the edge of the pan, about 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 375* 20 minutes before baking.
8. Place pans in the oven. When the loaves are dark brown and tapping the bottom yeilds a hard, hollow sound, they are done. about 35-45 minutes. If the crust is soft and gives off a dull thud, return to the oven, without the pans, for an additional 5-10 minutes.
9. Remove pans form the oven and turn the hot bread onto a wire rack to cool before slicing.
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