Pot Roast

With the colder weather approaching, I begin to think of hearty dinners.  You know, comfort food.  Food that "sticks to your bones", as my dad would say.  There's just something about dish, slowly cooking, in the oven to fill the house with a delicious aroma, but it also seems to warm the heart.  There was a bit of a chill in the air today and I had a lot of things to do, so I decided on a pot roast.  With just a few steps to get it ready for the oven, it left me with plenty of time to accomplish other things, but still have a good meal on the table.

Here's what you'll need:
2-3 lb top round roast
1 lb new potatoes (small red ones)
3-4 carrots, peeled, cut into 2" chunks
1 onion, cut into wedges
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 c beef broth or water (if meat is frozen, skip the liquid)

Arrange vegetables in a large casserole dish.  Arrange the herbs over the vegetables.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour the beef both over the vegetables.  Place the beef roast on top.  Sprinkle the beef with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

Cover with aluminum foil.  Seal tightly.  Bake at 325 for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.  I like mine to be fork-tender and falling apart.  If you like your meat firmer, bake it less.  Remove from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes. Remove the herb stems.  Slice the meat and serve with the vegetables.  Serves 4-6.

You can make gravy with the broth, or freeze it for later use.

Enjoy!

Black Beans

Any one who knows me can tell you how much Mexican food I eat.  It's just one of those things that I could eat every day.  A typical side dish is black beans.  People find cooking beans to be a little overwhelming.  If you start out with dry beans, it can be a long process.  I see no problem with using canned beans.  It cuts out the LONG step of soaking and slowly cooking the beans, and lets me get right to the flavoring part.  They can be high in sodium, however, so I buy the reduced sodium variety, and I always rinse them before I use them.  Put them in a colander in the the sink and run them under water until most of the thick stuff is gone, and the water is pretty clear.  Let drain.

For my beans you'll need:
1 TBSP bacon grease or oil
3 cans black beans
1 small onion, chopped
1 can diced green chiles
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c chicken stock or water
3 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp mesquite chipotle powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Warm the bacon grease in a large pot.  Add the onions, green chiles and garlic.  Cook until the onion begins to soften.

Add the drained, rinsed beans and the water to the pot.

Stir in the seasonings, then bring to a boil.

Chop the cilantro.  You don't need to worry about picking each of the leaves from the stems.  Just cut it off where the leaves stop growing from the bulk of the stem, and chop it up.  The little bits of stem that remain are full of flavor and will be undetectable in the beans.

Once the beans boil, reduce to low and cover with a lid.  Allow the beans to simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  They will thicken, and the sauce will reduce.  Remove from heat.

I like my beans to be more mashed, like a refried bean.  I use a potato peeler to smash about half the beans. This gives it a thicker texture.

Just before serving, add the lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

Stir well to allow the flavors to blend.  This recipe makes enough beans for 4 people to eats about 4 times.  So, I freeze the left-overs in 2-cup plastic containers.  Just thaw it in the microwave hen you want it.

Enjoy!

Corn on the Cob

Nothing says "summertime" like corn on the cob.  Fortunately, I live in a place where the corn is sweet and readily available, but there is no reason you can't get corn from the grocery store and have it taste delicious. This summer I have heard so many people complain about their corn not being good.  Sometimes, I have bought corn from the same place, and it's been fantastic.  So, that leads me to wonder if technique might be the issue.

I generally cook corn in one of two ways: boiled in a pot, or roasted on the grill.  Let's go through both of them.  Start by picking corn this fresh and the husk tightly closed.  Remove the husks and the silk (hair). Running it under cold water and using a vegetable brush will help remove the last clinging pieces.

First. let's go through boiling.  Place the corn in a pot large enough to allow it to be submerged in water.

Fill the pot with water and add 1 Tablespoon of SUGAR.  I know, the common belief is to add salt, but salt will actually toughen the kernels while the corn cooks.  The sugar helps bring out the natural sweetness.

Bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Cover the pot with a lid, turn off the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and eat.

To roast the corn, clean like you would for boiling it, except pat it dry with paper towels.  Preheat your grill to a medium heat.  I use a gas grill, so it heats up pretty quickly.  Place the corn on the grill.

The corn will begin to sizzle, and you'll start to smell it.  Turn the corn when it shows grill marks.

Continue turning the corn, every 2-3 minutes, until it roasted how you like it.

Roasted corn is delicious just like this, with salt and butter.  It also adds great flavor to salsas, chowders and salads.

Enjoy!

Peeling a Cantaloupe (Minted melon salad)

Cantaloupe is just delicious this time of year!  It seems there is always a BIG bowl of it, cut up, in our refrigerator.  We eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Cutting it up can be a little tricky, though.  When I was growing up, my mom just cut it into wedges, either with or without skin, and we just ate it with our hands.  That's fine for a picnic, but not so great at the table when you have company.  Here's the easiest way I have found to remove the skin and seeds, but still keep the most flesh.

Lay the melon, on it's side, on a cutting board.  Use a large knife to cut a thin slice off each end.  This will give you a level surface to stand the melon.

Steady the cantaloupe with one hand.  Using a large, sharp knife, slide the blade between the peel and the flesh, cutting away the green pars of the melon.

Turn the melon over and repeat the process to remove any rind that is left.  Then, lay the melon on it's side and cut it into two halves.

To remove the seeds, just scoop them out with a spoon.  The riper the melon, they easier they will come out.

Now, just dice it up.  It's ready for eating, as is, as part of a fruit bowl or try this simple recipe for Minted Melon Salad.

Here's what you'll need:
1 Cantaloupe, peeled and diced
1/2 honeydew, peeled and diced
2 c watermelon cubes
1/2 pineapple, peeled and diced
1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Combine all the fruit in a large bowl.  Add the orange juice and mint.  Stir to mix well.  Cover and allow the flavors to mingle, several hours or overnight.  The longer it sits, the mintier it will become.  It's really refreshing on a hot day.

Enjoy!

Basic Meat Sauce for Pasta

Spaghetti or some shape of pasta seems to be a staple at just about any family's dinner table.  I know it's so convenient to just crack open a jar of sauce.  When you're under time constraints, that makes perfect sense. But some night when you're a little less rushed, try making your own.   It's super easy and doesn't take long, but the flavor just can't be beat.  This is a basic recipe, but once you get it down, it's very easy to customize it to your own tastes.

Here's what you'll need:
1 TBSP bacon grease or oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 TBSP garlic, chopped
1 lb ground beef (you can use turkey, but you'll need to increase the seasonings)
salt and pepper
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 TBSP dried parsley
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the bacon grease or oil in a large skillet.  An old Italian woman once told me that pork is what makes your sauce.  I don't know how true that is, but I do think bacon makes just about anything better.  Since I always have bacon "juice" on hand, that is what I use.

Add the onion to the pan, and sprinkle with a little salt.  This will help the onions to "sweat", which means they will release some of their liquid, and soften a bit.

Add the ground beef to the onions.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  It's important to flavor every layer of a dish.  I'm not talking teaspoons of the stuff.  Just enough to give it the meat some flavor as it browns.  Crumble up the meat as it browns.

When the meat is thoroughly browned, drain fat, if necessary.  I use beef that is 93% less fat, so there isn't usually much to drain.  Return to the meat to the pot and add the garlic, tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and the herbs.  (I use dried herbs because I like my sauce to cook pretty long.  If you're looking to eat it really soon, you can use fresh herbs.  You will have to use 3 times as much fresh.)

Bring the sauce to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat.  Allow the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, at least 30 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Your sauce is now ready to eat.  This is a hearty sauce, so it needs a sturdy pasta to go with it, like rigatoni, ziti or papardelle.  It's also good in lasagna and other baked pasta dishes.  This serves 4-5.  I usually have enough to freeze for a second meal.  Give it a try! When you see how easy and delicious it is, the jar will be no more.

Enjoy!

Saving Zucchini (Chocolate Zucchini Loaf)

If you've ever grown a garden, you know what it's like to have a surplus of vegetables.  I've seen a lot of cartoons where people are looking for sneaky ways to get rid of it.  I don't recommend dumping your zucchini on your neighbor's porch, especially when it's so easy to preserve for future use and there's so many yummy things to do with it.

Using a box grater, grate the zucchini using the largest holes.

It grates quickly, and gives a lot of strips.

I portion it into 2 cup portions, put it in zip top bags and label it.  Now it's ready to be stored in the freezer.

Zucchini has a high water content. If using it in baked goods you will need to either drain it in a colander or squeeze it with paper towels to remove this excess moisture.

Frozen zucchini can be used in most recipes calling for fresh, and since it's shredded it's also an easy way to sneak some extra vegetables into your meals.  I add it to soups and stews, pasta sauces, cakes and brownies.  A chocolate zucchini loaf is a great example.

Here's what you'll need:
3 c shredded zucchini
1 2/3 c sugar
2/3 c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 1/3 c flour
2/3 c cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking powder

Combine the zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and egg in a large mixing bowl.  Stir to combine.  Set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Add the dry mixture to the zucchini mixture, stirring to blend well.

Grease the bottom only of a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.  Greasing only the bottom will allow the bread to rise more easily in the pan, and achieve a nice rounded top.

Spread the batter in the greased pan and smooth the top.

Make sure the oven rack is in the lowest position so that the top of the loaf is in the center of the oven.  Bake the bread at 350 for 70-80 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then loosen the bread from the pan's sides with a knife.  Remove from pan.  Cool completely before slicing.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Will stay fresh on your counter for 4 days, or up to 10 days in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Fresh Applesauce

We are in the height of apple season.  I love all things apple, and the smell of apples and cinnamon cooking together is one I can rarely resist.  Applesauce is quick and easy to make, can be eaten hot or cold, and freezes well for future eating.

Here's what you'll need:
5-6 pounds mixed apples, peeled and cored
1/2 - 3/4 c water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 -1 c sugar

I use a variety of apples because I like a blended, smoother flavor.  If you like it tart, use granny smith.  If you want it sweeter, use Rome or Macintosh.  The apples don't have to be perfect. They're going to be cooked, so they'll all look like mush anyway.

Start out by paring your apples.  You can do this with a small, sharp paring knife or with a potato peeler. The potato peeler is my preference.  It works much quicker when you have a large amount of apples, and it also removes a set amount of skin, leaving more of the flesh for you to use.

There are also two ways to remove the core.  One is to use a sharp knife and just cut around the seeds, then remove the stem.

The other is to cut the apple into quarters.  Lay each piece on it's side, and with a large knife slice a wedge from the apple, removing the core in one piece.

After the apples are pared and cored, cut each apple into eight pieces.  Place the apples into a large pot.
Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. This will help the apples to break down as they cook. Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir to incorporate.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer.

As the apples cook, they will break down.  Stir every now and then, pushing on the apples with the spoon.

When the apples have softened, and the sauce is the texture you want (we like ours chunky), remove from the heat.  Carefully taste for sweetness.  Add 1/2 - 1 cup of sugar, til it's as sweet as you like.

The applesauce is ready to eat.  My son likes it hot and will often eat it right from the pot.  It's also delicious cold and will keep in the fridge for a week or so.  It can also be frozen.  I usually divide it into 2-cup portions, put into airtight containers or zip top bags and stack it in the freezer.

Enjoy!