Again, hardly qualifies as a recipe, but hey.
1. Make slow cooker pulled pork according to this recipe.
2. Instead of the barbecue sauce of your choice, use the teriyaki sauce of your choice. I used Kona Coast Orange Teriyaki marinade. It was perfect.
3. Serve in a bowl on top of steamed rice.
4. Top with any or all of the following:
green onions, chopped as thin as you can
black (roasted) sesame seeds
pineapple chunks
This was ridiculously tasty.
Showing posts with label slow cooker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slow cooker. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Tomatoey beef stew
I modified this so heavily from the recipe I based it on that I won't even bother to link to the original. Here's what I did.
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
lots of baby carrots (a couple of handfuls at least)
lots of new potatoes (a couple of handfuls at least)
1 pound stew beef
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
2 cups or so beef broth
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1. Cut the potatoes in half. I found a bag of mixed-variety new potatoes - red, white, and blue, actually. The variety was nice. Don't peel. Don't cut too small. Place in the slow cooker, arranged around the edge of the pot.
2. Cut the carrots in half. Put in slow cooker, arranged around the edge of the pot.
3. Cut the beef into chunks and coat with flour. Brown in a skillet or wok. Transfer to the slow cooker, spreading evenly over bottom of pot.
4. Pour the wine into the pan you browned the beef in and stir until the bits of flour are all taken up. Pour into pot.
5. Chop onion into chunks, place in pot on top of beef.
6. Sprinkle thyme, Italian seasoning, celery seed, W sauce over veggies and beef in pot.
7. Pour tomatoes (don't drain) and tomato sauce over what's in the pot.
8. Add enough beef broth to almost cover ingredients in pot. More or less according to how soupy a stew you like.
9. Cook on low for about 8 hours.
10. Serve with good crusty bread.
This came out pretty good. A little more acidic than I would have preferred, so it's worth fiddling with the flavorings. But still pretty satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
lots of baby carrots (a couple of handfuls at least)
lots of new potatoes (a couple of handfuls at least)
1 pound stew beef
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
2 cups or so beef broth
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1. Cut the potatoes in half. I found a bag of mixed-variety new potatoes - red, white, and blue, actually. The variety was nice. Don't peel. Don't cut too small. Place in the slow cooker, arranged around the edge of the pot.
2. Cut the carrots in half. Put in slow cooker, arranged around the edge of the pot.
3. Cut the beef into chunks and coat with flour. Brown in a skillet or wok. Transfer to the slow cooker, spreading evenly over bottom of pot.
4. Pour the wine into the pan you browned the beef in and stir until the bits of flour are all taken up. Pour into pot.
5. Chop onion into chunks, place in pot on top of beef.
6. Sprinkle thyme, Italian seasoning, celery seed, W sauce over veggies and beef in pot.
7. Pour tomatoes (don't drain) and tomato sauce over what's in the pot.
8. Add enough beef broth to almost cover ingredients in pot. More or less according to how soupy a stew you like.
9. Cook on low for about 8 hours.
10. Serve with good crusty bread.
This came out pretty good. A little more acidic than I would have preferred, so it's worth fiddling with the flavorings. But still pretty satisfying.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Five-Spice Pork with Snap Peas
We got this out of Fine Cooking magazine, which is our new favorite. It's a crockpot dish and really easy.
1/2 cup cooking sherry*
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs Sriracha or other hot sauce
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 lb pork, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed
Mix together everything but the pork and snap peas to make the sauce. You can mix them right in the crock if you want. Then stir in the pork, cover, and cook on low for 6 or 7 hours or on high 4 to 5. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the snap peas and let them soften up just a bit. Serve with rice or bread. Feeds two adults and 3 kids with a bit to spare.
I used Tabasco instead of Sriracha and the dish wasn't spicy at all. The magazine also recommended low-sodium soy sauce but we didn't have any so we used regular and I didn't feel like it turned out too salty. I also think this would be awesome with some broccoli thrown in.
*You could substitute with apple cider or add honey to vinegar; just use something with flavor (not plain water).
Monday, December 10, 2012
Slow Cooker Chicken Marrakesh (or Madras, or Matsumoto)
It's winter, so it's slow cooker season again. (And it's winter break, so I finally have time to think about cooking again. I swear I don't mean to let this project die!) This is a recipe from allrecipes.com, modified according to what we had on hand, and it came out so well I wouldn't change a thing.
Ingredients:
1 large white onion
1 large or two medium sweet potatoes (preferably satsumaimo)
2 large carrots (or half a bag of baby carrots)
2 cloves garlic
2 large boneless chicken breasts
15-oz can garbanzo beans
14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1. Cut the chicken into chunks and place in one layer on bottom of slow cooker.
2. Peel the sweet potato(es) and cut into large chunks. Place on top of chicken, near outside wall of slow cooker.
3. Cut carrot and onion into chunks, place in slow cooker.
4. Mince garlic and add to slow cooker.
5. Drain and rinse garbanzos and add to slow cooker.
6. In small bowl mix together garam masala, parsley, and salt, then sprinkle over what's in the cooker.
7. Add tomatoes and stir.
8. Cook on high for 5 hours. Stir near end.
9. Serve with couscous.
Lately supermarkets here have been stocking satsuma-imo, the Japanese sweet potatoes that are purple on the outside and yellow-white on the inside. That's what we used, and they were perfect. I'm sure yams or other Western sweet potatoes would be good too, but satsumaimo have a lighter, almost parsnip-like sweetness that really worked well; plus, they get flaky and fluffy like a regular potato when you cook them, rather than soft and squishy like a yam.
The original recipe called for 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp black pepper instead of the garam masala, but we didn't have all those things while we did have garam masala (which includes those things and more), so we used it, and it was awesome. So this is the recipe.
It went perfectly with couscous.
Ingredients:
1 large white onion
1 large or two medium sweet potatoes (preferably satsumaimo)
2 large carrots (or half a bag of baby carrots)
2 cloves garlic
2 large boneless chicken breasts
15-oz can garbanzo beans
14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1. Cut the chicken into chunks and place in one layer on bottom of slow cooker.
2. Peel the sweet potato(es) and cut into large chunks. Place on top of chicken, near outside wall of slow cooker.
3. Cut carrot and onion into chunks, place in slow cooker.
4. Mince garlic and add to slow cooker.
5. Drain and rinse garbanzos and add to slow cooker.
6. In small bowl mix together garam masala, parsley, and salt, then sprinkle over what's in the cooker.
7. Add tomatoes and stir.
8. Cook on high for 5 hours. Stir near end.
9. Serve with couscous.
Lately supermarkets here have been stocking satsuma-imo, the Japanese sweet potatoes that are purple on the outside and yellow-white on the inside. That's what we used, and they were perfect. I'm sure yams or other Western sweet potatoes would be good too, but satsumaimo have a lighter, almost parsnip-like sweetness that really worked well; plus, they get flaky and fluffy like a regular potato when you cook them, rather than soft and squishy like a yam.
The original recipe called for 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp black pepper instead of the garam masala, but we didn't have all those things while we did have garam masala (which includes those things and more), so we used it, and it was awesome. So this is the recipe.
It went perfectly with couscous.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Clam Chowder
A slow cooker clam chowder recipe, slightly modified from this one, and annotated.
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
2 medium white onions
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup flour
3 6.5 ounce cans chopped clams
2.5 cups white wine for cooking
3 medium-large white potatoes
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 cups half and half
1 cup cream
1. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks (half inch to one inch cubes). Set aside.
2. Chop onions. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Mince the garlic or squeeze it through a garlic press. Open the cans of clams, drain clam juice into a measuring cup, set clams aside (refrigerate).
3. In a wok or large skillet fry the bacon until it greases the pan. Add onion, sautee until onion is soft. Add garlic, sautee until the garlic smells nice.
4. Reduce heat to medium or so and slowly stir in the flour. Fry until everything is coated.
5. Pour in clam juice and wine. Stir until everything is blended.
6. Pour all this into the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, chicken bouillon, marjoram, celery seed, and pepper. Stir.
7. Cook on low for 7 hours.
8. Add clams, half and half, and cream.
9. Cook on high for another 30 minutes.
Most slow cooker clam chowder recipes I've seen call for cream of mushroom soup. The Boston snob in me is shocked. This tastes more like what we remember. The wine especially adds a wonderful tang to the taste. This went perfectly with oyster crackers (natch) and a crusty sourdough bread.
Notes: Of course fresh clams would probably taste better than canned; in that case you'd want to buy bottled clam juice to use, and I unfortunately don't know how much because I forgot to notice how much juice was in 3 cans of clams. Also, a fourth can of clams wouldn't go amiss. As for the wine, the cooking wine we used had salt added; if you're using a normal white wine (i.e., made for drinking) you'll want to add salt to the recipe to compensate. Finally, next time we might try reducing the liquid to make the broth just a little thicker - but what to cut back on? Clam juice? Wine? Half and half?
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
2 medium white onions
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup flour
3 6.5 ounce cans chopped clams
2.5 cups white wine for cooking
3 medium-large white potatoes
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 cups half and half
1 cup cream
1. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks (half inch to one inch cubes). Set aside.
2. Chop onions. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Mince the garlic or squeeze it through a garlic press. Open the cans of clams, drain clam juice into a measuring cup, set clams aside (refrigerate).
3. In a wok or large skillet fry the bacon until it greases the pan. Add onion, sautee until onion is soft. Add garlic, sautee until the garlic smells nice.
4. Reduce heat to medium or so and slowly stir in the flour. Fry until everything is coated.
5. Pour in clam juice and wine. Stir until everything is blended.
6. Pour all this into the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, chicken bouillon, marjoram, celery seed, and pepper. Stir.
7. Cook on low for 7 hours.
8. Add clams, half and half, and cream.
9. Cook on high for another 30 minutes.
Most slow cooker clam chowder recipes I've seen call for cream of mushroom soup. The Boston snob in me is shocked. This tastes more like what we remember. The wine especially adds a wonderful tang to the taste. This went perfectly with oyster crackers (natch) and a crusty sourdough bread.
Notes: Of course fresh clams would probably taste better than canned; in that case you'd want to buy bottled clam juice to use, and I unfortunately don't know how much because I forgot to notice how much juice was in 3 cans of clams. Also, a fourth can of clams wouldn't go amiss. As for the wine, the cooking wine we used had salt added; if you're using a normal white wine (i.e., made for drinking) you'll want to add salt to the recipe to compensate. Finally, next time we might try reducing the liquid to make the broth just a little thicker - but what to cut back on? Clam juice? Wine? Half and half?
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Dilled Veal Stew
Yeah, it's veal stew, but veal is expensive and mean so I used stewing pork instead. But either way it was really creamy and good and totally worth the effort.
First You Need:
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 Tbs paprika
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
mix all these together in a little bowl and set them aside.
Then You Need:
3 Tbs butter, divided
2 lbs stewing veal (by which I mean pork), cut into 1-inch cubes and patted dry
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine (or more chicken broth)
Heat a big pan on medium and melt 2 Tbs butter. Cook the meat 3 or 4 minutes, then sprinkle your flour mixture over it. Stir it up and add to crockpot. Then use the pan to soften up the veggies for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring it to a boil, then add to crockpot.
Cook on high 4 or 5 hours or low for 8 to 10, until the meat is nice and tender.
Last You Need:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (or a generous sprinkling of dried)
Stir these in and serve. We ate it plain but I think it would be good with some rice or orzo to add some texture and starchy goodness. You could probably skip softening the veggies and just add them straight to the crockpot but I don't really know if you could do that with the meat-and-flour mixture. If anyone tries that let me know how it works.
First You Need:
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 Tbs paprika
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
mix all these together in a little bowl and set them aside.
Then You Need:
3 Tbs butter, divided
2 lbs stewing veal (by which I mean pork), cut into 1-inch cubes and patted dry
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine (or more chicken broth)
Heat a big pan on medium and melt 2 Tbs butter. Cook the meat 3 or 4 minutes, then sprinkle your flour mixture over it. Stir it up and add to crockpot. Then use the pan to soften up the veggies for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring it to a boil, then add to crockpot.
Cook on high 4 or 5 hours or low for 8 to 10, until the meat is nice and tender.
Last You Need:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (or a generous sprinkling of dried)
Stir these in and serve. We ate it plain but I think it would be good with some rice or orzo to add some texture and starchy goodness. You could probably skip softening the veggies and just add them straight to the crockpot but I don't really know if you could do that with the meat-and-flour mixture. If anyone tries that let me know how it works.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Split Pea Soup with Mint Cream
This is an easy slow cooker recipe with a lighter taste than your average split pea soup.
Soup:
1 cup dried split peas
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 or 6 radishes, chopped (this is supposed to be 3 stalks celery, but I'm allergic)
2 cloves garlic, chopped (you could totally use garlic powder--you're pureeing it anyway)
4 sprigs fresh mint
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 ½ cups cooked green peas
Cream:
¼ cup whipping cream
¼ cup sour cream
2 Tbs finely chopped mint
1. Add all soup ingredients EXCEPT cooked green peas to slow cooker and cook on low about 10 hours or high for 5 hours, until everything is super tender.
2. Meanwhile, make mint cream by whisking cream in medium bowl until thick and folding in sour cream and mint. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Just before serving, puree soup with hand blender (or puree in batches in blender/food processor) and stir in green peas. Pour soup into bowls and add a dollop of mint cream to each.
Soup:
1 cup dried split peas
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 or 6 radishes, chopped (this is supposed to be 3 stalks celery, but I'm allergic)
2 cloves garlic, chopped (you could totally use garlic powder--you're pureeing it anyway)
4 sprigs fresh mint
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 ½ cups cooked green peas
Cream:
¼ cup whipping cream
¼ cup sour cream
2 Tbs finely chopped mint
1. Add all soup ingredients EXCEPT cooked green peas to slow cooker and cook on low about 10 hours or high for 5 hours, until everything is super tender.
2. Meanwhile, make mint cream by whisking cream in medium bowl until thick and folding in sour cream and mint. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Just before serving, puree soup with hand blender (or puree in batches in blender/food processor) and stir in green peas. Pour soup into bowls and add a dollop of mint cream to each.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Jambalaya
This one's from our exciting new book, 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics, by Judith Finlayson.
1 lb mild Italian sausage, removed from casings
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked peppercorns
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup barley, any kind, rinsed under cold water
8 oz medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
1 roasted red pepper, chopped fine
1 long red chile or jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1. In skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Using slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker. Drain all but 1 Tbs fat from pan.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, Cajun seasoning, oregano, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to boil.
3. Pour mixture into slow cooker. Add barley and stir well. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours (or on high 3 to 4), until barley is tender.
4. About 20 minutes before serving, turn slow cooker to high and add shrimp, roasted pepper, and chile. Cover and cook until shrimp is heated through.
Without the chile, this turned out medium spicy--depends how spicy your sausage is, I think. I'd recommend tasting before adding a chle at the end, or just skipping the chili and adding hot sauce to your bowl if you want an extra kick.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Crock-Pot Chicken
"Chicken In A Pot"
Joannarequested a recipe for the Crock-Pot chicken that Dad and I used tomake as you children were growing up, so here it is.
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions sliced
2 celery stalks with leaves, cut in 1-inch pieces
3 pound broiler/fryer chicken
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon course black pepper
½ cup water or chicken broth
½teaspoon basil
Putcarrots, onion and celery in bottom of Crock-Pot. Add whole chicken. Top with salt, pepper, liquid. Sprinkle basil over top. Cover,cook on Low 8 to 10 hours (High: 3 ½ to 5 hours, using 1 cup water). Remove chicken and vegetables with spatula. 4 servings
Cal:252 Fat: 13 g. Carb: 8 g.
I'msure the “4 servings” refers to adult portions. This recipe wasin the little booklet that came with our first Crock-Pot, a 2 or 3quart one that we bought while living in Yakima. Therefore, in ourfamily, it dates back to Joanna's early childhood. As you mayremember, we served it with rice, putting the broth from cooking overthe rice and sometimes even thickening the broth to make it more likea gravy, thereby feeding the entire family with this one recipe.
- Over the years, we bought a larger Crock-Pot and added more vegetables to feed our growing family. We experimented with various herbs and seasonings, usually paired up with our home-canned tomatoes. After moving to Maryland, I no longer home-canned tomatoes because case-lot goods (Costco was in business by then.) were so readily available and less expensive. Also, Dad no longer grew a big garden. With a smaller back yard, we grew kids instead!
- We replaced the home-canned tomatoes with store-bought stewed tomatoes. Nowadays, we can buy canned tomatoes that are seasoned in a variety of ways and enjoy using those. Since we have a plentiful supply of rosemary growing in our back yard, Dad often uses that in cooking.
- Another variation that Dad does is pouring a bottle of sweet barbeque sauce over the chicken for the cooking liquid.
Thereyou have it! The name of the game is “Experiment to suit your owntaste and family size.”
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Pork ragout
Yet another slow cooker recipe, from the book. We've been using the slow cooker a lot this fall. Not only is the chilly rainy Oregon winter the kind of thing that makes you crave cocooning food, but I have an evening class, and by the time we get home, if there's not something waiting we end up doing takeout. So: slow cooker.
Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 pound of boneless pork chops
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 and 1/4 cup white wine (don't worry, the alcohol cooks out)
1 pound or so baby red potatoes
1 large carrot or 10-12 baby carrots
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
1 red onion
2 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
salt
Note: amounts of pork, potatoes, and carrots can be adjusted up or down according to how much your cooker holds, how many people you're cooking for, and how many days you want to eat this.
1. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes. Toss in the flour.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the pork. When the pork is brown, transfer it to the slow cooker, but don't scrape the bottom of the frying pan. The pork should be concentrated in the center of the cooker.
3. Add wine to the frying pan and bring it to a boil, scraping up the flour, oil, and browned bits in the pan. Pour this mix into the slow cooker.
4. Slice the potatoes (unpeeled) into quarters and place them around the pork, up against the sides of the cooker. Slice carrots and add to the cooker.
5. Chop red onion extremely fine - it's best if you use a food processor and chop it until it's almost (but not quite) liquefied. Add to slow cooker.
6. Chop celery extremely fine - again, food processor is best, until almost (but not quite) liquefied. Add to slow cooker.
7. Add diced tomatoes (and the liquid in the can).
8. Add water, garlic, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Add the cinnamon stick and make sure it's submerged in the liquid.
9. Cook on low for 6 hours or so. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.
Notes: You can do this without browning the pork (I did that the first time I made it), but browning it makes a big difference: it keeps the pork moist inside and adds a great flavor to the outside. But the real secret to this (which I only discovered because I'm lazy) turned out to be using the food processor to chop the onion and celery: rather than being pieces floating in the soup, they ended up being a component of the broth - and you wouldn't think wine, cinnamon, and celery would work together, but they really do. ...I found that adding salt when you eat this really brings out the flavor, but Akiko thought it was better without, so I suggest making it with only a pinch of salt at most and then seasoning to taste. Goes best when served with some nice crusty bread for dipping.
Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 pound of boneless pork chops
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 and 1/4 cup white wine (don't worry, the alcohol cooks out)
1 pound or so baby red potatoes
1 large carrot or 10-12 baby carrots
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
1 red onion
2 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
salt
Note: amounts of pork, potatoes, and carrots can be adjusted up or down according to how much your cooker holds, how many people you're cooking for, and how many days you want to eat this.
1. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes. Toss in the flour.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the pork. When the pork is brown, transfer it to the slow cooker, but don't scrape the bottom of the frying pan. The pork should be concentrated in the center of the cooker.
3. Add wine to the frying pan and bring it to a boil, scraping up the flour, oil, and browned bits in the pan. Pour this mix into the slow cooker.
4. Slice the potatoes (unpeeled) into quarters and place them around the pork, up against the sides of the cooker. Slice carrots and add to the cooker.
5. Chop red onion extremely fine - it's best if you use a food processor and chop it until it's almost (but not quite) liquefied. Add to slow cooker.
6. Chop celery extremely fine - again, food processor is best, until almost (but not quite) liquefied. Add to slow cooker.
7. Add diced tomatoes (and the liquid in the can).
8. Add water, garlic, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Add the cinnamon stick and make sure it's submerged in the liquid.
9. Cook on low for 6 hours or so. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.
Notes: You can do this without browning the pork (I did that the first time I made it), but browning it makes a big difference: it keeps the pork moist inside and adds a great flavor to the outside. But the real secret to this (which I only discovered because I'm lazy) turned out to be using the food processor to chop the onion and celery: rather than being pieces floating in the soup, they ended up being a component of the broth - and you wouldn't think wine, cinnamon, and celery would work together, but they really do. ...I found that adding salt when you eat this really brings out the flavor, but Akiko thought it was better without, so I suggest making it with only a pinch of salt at most and then seasoning to taste. Goes best when served with some nice crusty bread for dipping.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Chicken Tropicale
Another from our crock-pot cookbook, which worked without major modification.
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 parsnip
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 20-oz can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, with juice reserved
2 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (depending on size of breasts, size of cooker, number of people)
4 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp grated lime peel
1tsp cumin seed, crushed
wild rice
1. Cut your sweet potatoes into 1 to 2 inch cubes and put in slow cooker.
2. Peel your parsnip and cut into 1 inch cubes or rounds and put in slow cooker.
3. Drain the water chestnuts and add to slow cooker.
4. Add raisins and pineapple tidbits (without juice). Stir.
5. Sprinkle jerk seasoning on chicken. Lay chicken breasts on top of potato-parsnip-fruit mixture. Do not submerge.
6. In a bowl, combine pineapple juice, onion flakes, ginger, W sauce, lime peel, and cumin. Pour this mixture over the chicken. The liquid should filter down to the potatoes, while the ginger, onion flakes, lime peel, and crushed cumin should sit on top of the chicken breasts, to mix with the jerk seasoning.
7. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours, until everything's tender.
8. Serve with wild rice.
The result should be a nicely seasoned and tender potato-parsnip-water chestnut-pineapple stew, and chicken breasts that are basically roasted rather than simmered, with the ginger-lime peel- cumin mixture turning into almost a crust on top of them. Real, real good, especially with the wild rice. The water chestnuts, by the way, are the surprise ingredient that really makes the dish, to my mind.
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 parsnip
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 20-oz can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, with juice reserved
2 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (depending on size of breasts, size of cooker, number of people)
4 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp grated lime peel
1tsp cumin seed, crushed
wild rice
1. Cut your sweet potatoes into 1 to 2 inch cubes and put in slow cooker.
2. Peel your parsnip and cut into 1 inch cubes or rounds and put in slow cooker.
3. Drain the water chestnuts and add to slow cooker.
4. Add raisins and pineapple tidbits (without juice). Stir.
5. Sprinkle jerk seasoning on chicken. Lay chicken breasts on top of potato-parsnip-fruit mixture. Do not submerge.
6. In a bowl, combine pineapple juice, onion flakes, ginger, W sauce, lime peel, and cumin. Pour this mixture over the chicken. The liquid should filter down to the potatoes, while the ginger, onion flakes, lime peel, and crushed cumin should sit on top of the chicken breasts, to mix with the jerk seasoning.
7. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours, until everything's tender.
8. Serve with wild rice.
The result should be a nicely seasoned and tender potato-parsnip-water chestnut-pineapple stew, and chicken breasts that are basically roasted rather than simmered, with the ginger-lime peel- cumin mixture turning into almost a crust on top of them. Real, real good, especially with the wild rice. The water chestnuts, by the way, are the surprise ingredient that really makes the dish, to my mind.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Tomato and Sweet Potato Stew
Made a new recipe out of the crock pot cookbook that Akiko got me last year. It came out really well, so here it is, with only the minorest of modifications.
Assumes a 5-qt slow cooker. Makes enough for 2 people to eat for two or three days, or more people to eat for fewer days. YMMV.
Ingredients:
2 large or 3 small chicken breasts
2 large sweet potatoes
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 28-oz can whole stewed tomatoes
1 tspn salt
1 tspn paprika
1 tspn celery seeds
1/2 tspn black pepper
1/8 tspn ground cinnamon
1/8 tspn ground nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth
basil to taste
1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and put in the crock pot.
2. Peel the potatoes and sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Put in crock pot.
3. Peel carrot and parsnip and cut into smaller chunks than the potatoes. Put in crock pot.
4. Add the tomatoes with liquid.
5. Add spices EXCEPT basil.
6. Add chicken broth and stir.
7. Cook on high for 5 hours.
8. Serve. Sprinkle basil on to taste.
Couldn't be easier to make, and the result was heavenly. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the parsnip seep into the broth and blend perfectly with the heat of the paprika and the aromatic flavor of the celery seeds, and the cinnamon and nutmeg supply a nice richness. The basil adds the perfect finishing touch. (I used dried from a bottle. The recipe calls for fresh, but I have a feeling that might overpower it.)
It's edible after 4 hours, but the extra hour made the veggies nice and tender.
Assumes a 5-qt slow cooker. Makes enough for 2 people to eat for two or three days, or more people to eat for fewer days. YMMV.
Ingredients:
2 large or 3 small chicken breasts
2 large sweet potatoes
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 28-oz can whole stewed tomatoes
1 tspn salt
1 tspn paprika
1 tspn celery seeds
1/2 tspn black pepper
1/8 tspn ground cinnamon
1/8 tspn ground nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth
basil to taste
1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and put in the crock pot.
2. Peel the potatoes and sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Put in crock pot.
3. Peel carrot and parsnip and cut into smaller chunks than the potatoes. Put in crock pot.
4. Add the tomatoes with liquid.
5. Add spices EXCEPT basil.
6. Add chicken broth and stir.
7. Cook on high for 5 hours.
8. Serve. Sprinkle basil on to taste.
Couldn't be easier to make, and the result was heavenly. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the parsnip seep into the broth and blend perfectly with the heat of the paprika and the aromatic flavor of the celery seeds, and the cinnamon and nutmeg supply a nice richness. The basil adds the perfect finishing touch. (I used dried from a bottle. The recipe calls for fresh, but I have a feeling that might overpower it.)
It's edible after 4 hours, but the extra hour made the veggies nice and tender.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Coke roast pork
This is a recipe from Dad, but I'm posting it on his behalf because we haven't gotten him converted to the whole blog thing. We're working on it.
Coke Roast Pork
Ingredients:
pork roast - shoulder, or any cheap cut is fine, because the coke tenderizes it
onions and carrots to taste
1 pkg dry onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 bag frozen peas
1 can coke (regular or diet)
Note: we used about a 5 pound roast, to feed 6, and there was a lot left over. Because you're cooking it in a wet medium, it doesn't shrink.
1. Slice the veggies and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Sear pork on all sides in a hot pan on the stovetop. This seals in some of the juices and flavor. Place it in the cooker.
3. Pour onion soup mix on top, spoon mushroom soup on top, pour coke over all.
4. Cook on high until done - 4-6 hours. Timing and temp can be adjusted - we often put it in before church on high, then turn it down to low when we get home.
5. Can add fresh rosemary sprigs when you turn the temp down, or add mushrooms. I use the rosemary as sprigs so it can be removed prior to eating. Fresh rosemary from your Arizona backyard is preferable!
6. When pork is done, remove to a pan. Add frozen peas (as many as you want) to the now voluminous liquid in the pot.
7. Dissolve about a half cup of corn starch in some cold water, then stir into the liquid. Turn the slow cooker to low. The corn starch thickens the liquid into a nice gravy - can add more corn starch to taste. Cook until peas are warm.
8. Ladle out veggies, separating them from the gravy.
Garlic could be part of this dish as well.
Q: Where did you get this recipe?
A: From a Coke cookbook. There is one! We have one! This is nice because the coke tenderizes the pork so nicely. The coke taste completely disappears. And this is all the liquid you need.
Bonus:
Served this with Mary Ann's Cole Slaw:
1 slaw mix kit
1/2 cup or so craisin (cranberry raisins)
sliced toasted almonds
1/2 cup mayo (or Miracle Whip) if needed
Mix. Chill. Eat.
Coke Roast Pork
Ingredients:
pork roast - shoulder, or any cheap cut is fine, because the coke tenderizes it
onions and carrots to taste
1 pkg dry onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 bag frozen peas
1 can coke (regular or diet)
Note: we used about a 5 pound roast, to feed 6, and there was a lot left over. Because you're cooking it in a wet medium, it doesn't shrink.
1. Slice the veggies and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Sear pork on all sides in a hot pan on the stovetop. This seals in some of the juices and flavor. Place it in the cooker.
3. Pour onion soup mix on top, spoon mushroom soup on top, pour coke over all.
4. Cook on high until done - 4-6 hours. Timing and temp can be adjusted - we often put it in before church on high, then turn it down to low when we get home.
5. Can add fresh rosemary sprigs when you turn the temp down, or add mushrooms. I use the rosemary as sprigs so it can be removed prior to eating. Fresh rosemary from your Arizona backyard is preferable!
6. When pork is done, remove to a pan. Add frozen peas (as many as you want) to the now voluminous liquid in the pot.
7. Dissolve about a half cup of corn starch in some cold water, then stir into the liquid. Turn the slow cooker to low. The corn starch thickens the liquid into a nice gravy - can add more corn starch to taste. Cook until peas are warm.
8. Ladle out veggies, separating them from the gravy.
Garlic could be part of this dish as well.
Q: Where did you get this recipe?
A: From a Coke cookbook. There is one! We have one! This is nice because the coke tenderizes the pork so nicely. The coke taste completely disappears. And this is all the liquid you need.
Bonus:
Served this with Mary Ann's Cole Slaw:
1 slaw mix kit
1/2 cup or so craisin (cranberry raisins)
sliced toasted almonds
1/2 cup mayo (or Miracle Whip) if needed
Mix. Chill. Eat.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Pullt pork
Spring term is winding down, so finally I have time/energy to think about cooking again. We had a party the other night, and we made this recipe. It's so simple it's hardly a recipe, but it sure is tasty. I got it out of a slow-cooker recipe book that Akiko got me for Christmas.
Ingredients:
pork shoulder roast
1 or 2 bottles barbecue sauce of your choice
1 onion, chopped
buns or rolls
1. Cut any twine holding the roast together. Put the roast in your slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours.
2. Take the roast out, put it in a dish, and shred it with two forks. Discard the juice that has collected in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Put the shredded pork back in the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, pour the barbecue sauce over it, and mix. Cook on low for 2 more hours.
4. Stir. Serve.
Amounts: We were feeding 12 people. I used a 3.5 pound roast, and that was just right. We had none left over, and nobody left hungry. For that amount of roast I used all of one bottle of sauce (18 oz), plus about a third of another. That seemed right, too - but then, we like our pulled pork sloppy.
For sauce, of course everybody has their own preference, and if you're serious you'll probably make your own. Someday I'm going to try that, but for now I used Stubb's Honey Pecan. Perfect for pulled pork.
We served this with Akiko's potato salad, which disappeared very quickly, and some cole slaw that we got at the supermarket. That was because I realized that, as much as I love cole slaw, I've never actually made it.
Anybody have a good cole slaw recipe?
One of our guests was one of Akiko's grad students, and her back story is surprisingly similar to Dad's. Her mom's from Mississippi, but she was raised here in Oregon. She was telling us the difference between the "pullt" pork (real slow-cooked, barbecue-sauced stuff) that her Southern relations eat and the "pulled" pork (not soft enough, not flavorful enough) that she gets here. She (only a bit reluctantly) pronounced this recipe "pullt" enough. So, we were pleased.
Ingredients:
pork shoulder roast
1 or 2 bottles barbecue sauce of your choice
1 onion, chopped
buns or rolls
1. Cut any twine holding the roast together. Put the roast in your slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours.
2. Take the roast out, put it in a dish, and shred it with two forks. Discard the juice that has collected in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Put the shredded pork back in the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, pour the barbecue sauce over it, and mix. Cook on low for 2 more hours.
4. Stir. Serve.
Amounts: We were feeding 12 people. I used a 3.5 pound roast, and that was just right. We had none left over, and nobody left hungry. For that amount of roast I used all of one bottle of sauce (18 oz), plus about a third of another. That seemed right, too - but then, we like our pulled pork sloppy.
For sauce, of course everybody has their own preference, and if you're serious you'll probably make your own. Someday I'm going to try that, but for now I used Stubb's Honey Pecan. Perfect for pulled pork.
We served this with Akiko's potato salad, which disappeared very quickly, and some cole slaw that we got at the supermarket. That was because I realized that, as much as I love cole slaw, I've never actually made it.
Anybody have a good cole slaw recipe?
One of our guests was one of Akiko's grad students, and her back story is surprisingly similar to Dad's. Her mom's from Mississippi, but she was raised here in Oregon. She was telling us the difference between the "pullt" pork (real slow-cooked, barbecue-sauced stuff) that her Southern relations eat and the "pulled" pork (not soft enough, not flavorful enough) that she gets here. She (only a bit reluctantly) pronounced this recipe "pullt" enough. So, we were pleased.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sausage and Sauerkraut Stew
Made this in the crock pot last weekend, and it was goood. It's basically this recipe here, but with a couple of slight modifications.
Ingredients:
1 lb kielbasa sausage*
1.5 pounds sauerkraut**
2 Granny Smith apples
2 pounds small red potatoes
1 medium-size white onion
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
*The original recipe calls for 2 pounds, but I cut it to just under 1 lb and it was plenty, plus another pound of sausage wouldn't have fit in our slow cooker.
**User comments on allrecipe say you can use Bavarian sauerkraut if you want a milder taste, but I used regular and it was fine.
1. Cut your sausage into one-inch pieces, your potatoes into quarters, your onion into thin rings, and your apples into half wedges or smaller. Don't peel the potatoes or the apples unless you want them to disintegrate.
2. Put the potato in the crock pot first, followed by the sausage, sauerkraut, onion, and apple in that order.
3. Add the broth, then sprinkle the caraway seeds on top.
4. Cook on high for 4 hours.
The apples probably sound like the weirdest ingredient, but they add a welcome touch of sweetness that goes surprisingly well with the sauerkraut. The red potatoes are amazing - I wouldn't use any other kind. The original recipe recommended sprinkling shredded swiss cheese over when you serve it, but we liked it better without. Instead, serve with a good sourdough bread for dipping.
Ingredients:
1 lb kielbasa sausage*
1.5 pounds sauerkraut**
2 Granny Smith apples
2 pounds small red potatoes
1 medium-size white onion
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
*The original recipe calls for 2 pounds, but I cut it to just under 1 lb and it was plenty, plus another pound of sausage wouldn't have fit in our slow cooker.
**User comments on allrecipe say you can use Bavarian sauerkraut if you want a milder taste, but I used regular and it was fine.
1. Cut your sausage into one-inch pieces, your potatoes into quarters, your onion into thin rings, and your apples into half wedges or smaller. Don't peel the potatoes or the apples unless you want them to disintegrate.
2. Put the potato in the crock pot first, followed by the sausage, sauerkraut, onion, and apple in that order.
3. Add the broth, then sprinkle the caraway seeds on top.
4. Cook on high for 4 hours.
The apples probably sound like the weirdest ingredient, but they add a welcome touch of sweetness that goes surprisingly well with the sauerkraut. The red potatoes are amazing - I wouldn't use any other kind. The original recipe recommended sprinkling shredded swiss cheese over when you serve it, but we liked it better without. Instead, serve with a good sourdough bread for dipping.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Pesto-Potato Soup
I made this soup today and it was the easiest tasty soup I've ever made. It's a crock pot dish but you could do it stove top pretty easy, too.
2 Tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups vegetable stock
enough pesto to put dollops in your bowl
1/4 toasted pine nuts (optional)
Set your cooker to high and add oil and garlic. Peel and chop the potatoes while the garlic softens up. When the garlic smells nice, add your potatoes and broth and set the crock pot to low for 6 to 8 hours. When you're ready to eat, puree the potatoes with an immersion blender or run it in batches through a regular blender or food processor until smooth (it shouldn't take long).
After you pour your soup into bowls, swirl in a spoonful of pesto and sprinkle some pine nuts on it.
Notes: your broth is a major flavor here, so pick a good one that you really like. You can make your own pesto, of course, but I just used a pre-made one that I like.
2 Tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups vegetable stock
enough pesto to put dollops in your bowl
1/4 toasted pine nuts (optional)
Set your cooker to high and add oil and garlic. Peel and chop the potatoes while the garlic softens up. When the garlic smells nice, add your potatoes and broth and set the crock pot to low for 6 to 8 hours. When you're ready to eat, puree the potatoes with an immersion blender or run it in batches through a regular blender or food processor until smooth (it shouldn't take long).
After you pour your soup into bowls, swirl in a spoonful of pesto and sprinkle some pine nuts on it.
Notes: your broth is a major flavor here, so pick a good one that you really like. You can make your own pesto, of course, but I just used a pre-made one that I like.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff-ish Stew
This is adapted from this slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe and its comments. It came out a little more soupy than would have been quite proper for beef stroganoff, but that was fine because we were looking for a stew, rather than something to serve over noodles, anyway. And that's what this is.
Ingredients:
1 pound beef for stew
1 red onion, chopped
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms
5-6 small new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
1 tbsp dried chives
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cube beef bouillon
1/2 cup red cooking wine
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp flour
16 oz sour cream (could do with less)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1. Put the beef in the bottom of the slow cooker. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add the potatoes, onion, and mushrooms.
3. Add the mushroom soup, water, chives, garlic, W-shire sauce.
4. In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk the flour together with the cooking wine. Add to the pot.
5. Cover, cook on low for 5-6 hours.
6. Add sour cream and parsley, stir. Cook for another 45 min. to an hour.
7. Serve with rice.
Note on sour cream: The original recipe calls for 16 oz sour cream. That's what we did, and it tasted great. That much sour cream did, however, kind of dilute the awesome beef-mushroom taste that was going on before I added the sour cream. Next time I'll try only using half to two-thirds as much sour cream.
In any case, it's hardly a healthy meal, but it was really good. Especially with the fresh chanterelles. I'm sure other mushrooms would be good, too, but the chanterelles really hold their flavor nicely.
Ingredients:
1 pound beef for stew
1 red onion, chopped
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms
5-6 small new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
1 tbsp dried chives
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cube beef bouillon
1/2 cup red cooking wine
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp flour
16 oz sour cream (could do with less)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1. Put the beef in the bottom of the slow cooker. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add the potatoes, onion, and mushrooms.
3. Add the mushroom soup, water, chives, garlic, W-shire sauce.
4. In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk the flour together with the cooking wine. Add to the pot.
5. Cover, cook on low for 5-6 hours.
6. Add sour cream and parsley, stir. Cook for another 45 min. to an hour.
7. Serve with rice.
Note on sour cream: The original recipe calls for 16 oz sour cream. That's what we did, and it tasted great. That much sour cream did, however, kind of dilute the awesome beef-mushroom taste that was going on before I added the sour cream. Next time I'll try only using half to two-thirds as much sour cream.
In any case, it's hardly a healthy meal, but it was really good. Especially with the fresh chanterelles. I'm sure other mushrooms would be good, too, but the chanterelles really hold their flavor nicely.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Borscht
This is another recipe I got from allrecipes, modified a bit according to the comments, and will probably modify a bit more next time I make it. Here's what I think needs to happen.
Ingredients:
*2/3 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch or 1 inch cubes
*3-4 beets, peeled and chopped (see #1 below)
*1 large or 2 smallish potatoes, peeled and chopped
*1/2 cup baby carrots, chopped
*1/2 white onion, chopped
*3 cloves garlic or to taste, minced
*4 cups beef broth (may not use all)
*1 6-oz can tomato paste
*1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
*4 tbsp red wine vinegar
*3 tbsp brown sugar
*1 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
*1 tbsp dried parsley
*1 bay leaf
*1 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
*2 cups shredded green cabbage
*sour cream
1. Chop the beets. Supposedly beets are hard to peel unless you boil them for about 10 minutes first. I did this, and that did make them pretty easy to peel. I chopped them into cubes of no bigger than 1 cm, and smaller might even be better.
2. Chop the carrots, potato, and onion. The potato(es), too, should be chopped rather small. I chopped it large, because that's how we like it in curry and stuff, but it didn't get as soft as we would have liked: small is better here.
3. Put beef, beets, carrots, potato, garlic, and onion into slow cooker. Open diced tomatoes and put them into the slow cooker without draining.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper with 2 cups of the beef broth. Pour into slow cooker. Add more beef broth if needed until everything is covered and there's as much liquid as you'd like. Put the bay leaf in.
5. Cook on low for 7 hours.
6. Add the cabbage and cook on high for an hour.
7. Serve with plenty of sour cream and some good hard crusty bread.
Notes: The amounts given in the original version of this recipe were too much for our 5-qt cooker - I ended up having to discard some potato and beet and carrot just to be able to fit the tomatoes in. And in the end there was no room for the cabbage, either, so we actually skipped that. According to the comments the directed half hour on high for the cabbage isn't long enough, so I'm guessing an hour might be, but that's just a guess. ...If you've never used them, everything you've heard about beets is true: they make an amazing mess. Their juice looks just like blood. But cleanup was easier than I'd expected, and my hands aren't pink, even though I didn't wear gloves. I think next time I might use canned (non-pickled) beets, to see if they work as well. I had a hard time judging how much beet to use, too: the recipe called for 4, but didn't say what size. I used five, because the ones I got seemed a little small to me, but further research makes me think maybe they weren't, so I think next time I'll use 4 or maybe only 3, if they're medium size. ...Obviously a lot of what we liked about this was the beef, but I'm sure it would be just as good without it, and with veggie broth instead of beef. The essence of it is the beet/tomato/dill soup, with the sour cream as a garnish.
Anyway, all those caveats noted, this came out pretty satisfying. I've only had borscht in restaurants a couple of times, so I don't have too much to compare it to, but it was a nice warm way to end a rainy day (you'll read those words many times between now and next May, I'm sure!).
Ingredients:
*2/3 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch or 1 inch cubes
*3-4 beets, peeled and chopped (see #1 below)
*1 large or 2 smallish potatoes, peeled and chopped
*1/2 cup baby carrots, chopped
*1/2 white onion, chopped
*3 cloves garlic or to taste, minced
*4 cups beef broth (may not use all)
*1 6-oz can tomato paste
*1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
*4 tbsp red wine vinegar
*3 tbsp brown sugar
*1 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
*1 tbsp dried parsley
*1 bay leaf
*1 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
*2 cups shredded green cabbage
*sour cream
1. Chop the beets. Supposedly beets are hard to peel unless you boil them for about 10 minutes first. I did this, and that did make them pretty easy to peel. I chopped them into cubes of no bigger than 1 cm, and smaller might even be better.
2. Chop the carrots, potato, and onion. The potato(es), too, should be chopped rather small. I chopped it large, because that's how we like it in curry and stuff, but it didn't get as soft as we would have liked: small is better here.
3. Put beef, beets, carrots, potato, garlic, and onion into slow cooker. Open diced tomatoes and put them into the slow cooker without draining.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper with 2 cups of the beef broth. Pour into slow cooker. Add more beef broth if needed until everything is covered and there's as much liquid as you'd like. Put the bay leaf in.
5. Cook on low for 7 hours.
6. Add the cabbage and cook on high for an hour.
7. Serve with plenty of sour cream and some good hard crusty bread.
Notes: The amounts given in the original version of this recipe were too much for our 5-qt cooker - I ended up having to discard some potato and beet and carrot just to be able to fit the tomatoes in. And in the end there was no room for the cabbage, either, so we actually skipped that. According to the comments the directed half hour on high for the cabbage isn't long enough, so I'm guessing an hour might be, but that's just a guess. ...If you've never used them, everything you've heard about beets is true: they make an amazing mess. Their juice looks just like blood. But cleanup was easier than I'd expected, and my hands aren't pink, even though I didn't wear gloves. I think next time I might use canned (non-pickled) beets, to see if they work as well. I had a hard time judging how much beet to use, too: the recipe called for 4, but didn't say what size. I used five, because the ones I got seemed a little small to me, but further research makes me think maybe they weren't, so I think next time I'll use 4 or maybe only 3, if they're medium size. ...Obviously a lot of what we liked about this was the beef, but I'm sure it would be just as good without it, and with veggie broth instead of beef. The essence of it is the beet/tomato/dill soup, with the sour cream as a garnish.
Anyway, all those caveats noted, this came out pretty satisfying. I've only had borscht in restaurants a couple of times, so I don't have too much to compare it to, but it was a nice warm way to end a rainy day (you'll read those words many times between now and next May, I'm sure!).
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Taco soup
We just got a slow cooker the other day (Crock-Pot, 5-quart: is that good? I dunno: it's just what BB&B had), and this was the first thing we tried. I got the recipe here, but modified it, partially according to the comments on the recipe, and partially according to what we had.
Taco Soup
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 can chili beans (15 oz), with liquid
1 can black beans (15 oz), with liquid
1 can whole kernel corn (15 oz), drained
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz) (update 2/13/11: 8-oz can tomato paste works better)
12 oz or so chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (14.5 oz), with liquid
2 tbsp or so of taco or similar seasoning (we had a bottle of Paul Prudhomme's Fajita Magic, so that's what I used)
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, whole
shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream
tortilla chips (we like blue corn, Garden of Eatin' brand, unsalted)
1. Open all the cans and pour them into the cooker. Chop the onion and pepper (not too fine) and put them in. Stir in the seasoning. Put the chicken breasts in and press them down so they're just barely covered by the other things.
2. Cover, turn slow cooker on "low," and cook for 5 hours.
3. Remove chicken breasts and shred them with knife and fork. Return the chicken to the soup, cover, and cook for another 2 hours.
4. Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, and/or crumbled tortilla chips to taste.
Next time I might increase the amount of corn, and maybe even use two onions and/or peppers: more veggies might be good. As for the ways our version diverged from what's on allrecipes: we used more diced tomatoes because our market only had 14.5-oz cans, instead of the 10-oz cans the recipe called for, so it was either have a half a can left over or use it all. We also took a commenter's advice and substituted chicken broth (storebought) for the bottle of beer the recipe originally called for. Also I threw in 1/2 a can of chopped olives because we had an open can in the fridge - but to tell the truth I didn't notice them at all in the finished dish, so next time I'll either skip them or use more or maybe use sliced olives instead of chopped.
We loved this. A perfect hot spicy meal for a cold and wet autumn evening, easy to make, and really convinced us that the slow cooker was worth it. The chicken got incredibly tender. And it made way more than enough for two people: we're looking forward to leftovers tomorrow night.
I'm sure this would be just as good without the chicken and with veggie broth instead of chicken broth. In that case, maybe it wouldn't even need to be made in the slow cooker, just done on the stove in much less time.
Taco Soup
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 can chili beans (15 oz), with liquid
1 can black beans (15 oz), with liquid
1 can whole kernel corn (15 oz), drained
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz) (update 2/13/11: 8-oz can tomato paste works better)
12 oz or so chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (14.5 oz), with liquid
2 tbsp or so of taco or similar seasoning (we had a bottle of Paul Prudhomme's Fajita Magic, so that's what I used)
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, whole
shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream
tortilla chips (we like blue corn, Garden of Eatin' brand, unsalted)
1. Open all the cans and pour them into the cooker. Chop the onion and pepper (not too fine) and put them in. Stir in the seasoning. Put the chicken breasts in and press them down so they're just barely covered by the other things.
2. Cover, turn slow cooker on "low," and cook for 5 hours.
3. Remove chicken breasts and shred them with knife and fork. Return the chicken to the soup, cover, and cook for another 2 hours.
4. Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, and/or crumbled tortilla chips to taste.
Next time I might increase the amount of corn, and maybe even use two onions and/or peppers: more veggies might be good. As for the ways our version diverged from what's on allrecipes: we used more diced tomatoes because our market only had 14.5-oz cans, instead of the 10-oz cans the recipe called for, so it was either have a half a can left over or use it all. We also took a commenter's advice and substituted chicken broth (storebought) for the bottle of beer the recipe originally called for. Also I threw in 1/2 a can of chopped olives because we had an open can in the fridge - but to tell the truth I didn't notice them at all in the finished dish, so next time I'll either skip them or use more or maybe use sliced olives instead of chopped.
We loved this. A perfect hot spicy meal for a cold and wet autumn evening, easy to make, and really convinced us that the slow cooker was worth it. The chicken got incredibly tender. And it made way more than enough for two people: we're looking forward to leftovers tomorrow night.
I'm sure this would be just as good without the chicken and with veggie broth instead of chicken broth. In that case, maybe it wouldn't even need to be made in the slow cooker, just done on the stove in much less time.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Hot and Sour Soup
This one's a slow cooker recipe. I think our crockpot is five or six quarts, but the recipe would probably fit in a 4-quart cooker.
1/3 cup dried shiitake or cloud ear mushrooms
One 6-oz can bamboo shoots, drained, rinsed, cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger (dried will work in a pinch, though)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Thai chile paste (the red stuff)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 oz. firm tofu
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbsp. minced scallions
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1. Soak mushrooms in hot water about twenty minutes, then cut into strips and add to slow cooker. Add bamboo shoots, garlic, ginger, stock, vinegar, soy sauce, and chile paste. Season with salt and pepper, cover, cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
2. Just before serving, stir in the peas, scallions, and sesame oil and tofu and let cook about 10 minutes more. Serve hot.
If you make it according to the recipe this is more of a side dish, but if you add a generous scoop of brown rice into your bowl it works as a main dish.
Also, fresh shiitakes work great when you can get them. And if you're using dried you don't really have to soak them first--you can just crumble them right into the pot and they soften up just fine.
You can also use water chestnuts instead of bamboo, or if I double the recipe I like to add one can of water chestnuts (sliced) and one can of bamboo.
1/3 cup dried shiitake or cloud ear mushrooms
One 6-oz can bamboo shoots, drained, rinsed, cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger (dried will work in a pinch, though)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Thai chile paste (the red stuff)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 oz. firm tofu
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbsp. minced scallions
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1. Soak mushrooms in hot water about twenty minutes, then cut into strips and add to slow cooker. Add bamboo shoots, garlic, ginger, stock, vinegar, soy sauce, and chile paste. Season with salt and pepper, cover, cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
2. Just before serving, stir in the peas, scallions, and sesame oil and tofu and let cook about 10 minutes more. Serve hot.
If you make it according to the recipe this is more of a side dish, but if you add a generous scoop of brown rice into your bowl it works as a main dish.
Also, fresh shiitakes work great when you can get them. And if you're using dried you don't really have to soak them first--you can just crumble them right into the pot and they soften up just fine.
You can also use water chestnuts instead of bamboo, or if I double the recipe I like to add one can of water chestnuts (sliced) and one can of bamboo.
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