Pork Ragu. My new favorite slow cooker recipe.

I have said it before... I do not like the slow cooker.  Yet, I keep using it.  The lure of an easy meal at the end of a day of work is too hard to resist.  But more often than not in my experience it turns out mush or just way to bland.  And the recipes that I have seen that promise to rectify this problem take way too much prep time.  We are talking browning/searing meat or cooking ingredients first.  Wait, isn't that what the slow cooker is supposed to eliminate?

Whatever recipe I use has to be as simple as plop and plug.  So using this prerequisite, I have found a few new favorites.  The brisket french dip was great.  And now I'll add Slow Cooker Pork Ragu to my list of "make agains".  It makes it into the binder for sure.

Real Simple's Pork Ragu (with a few tweaks)

2 celery ribs, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion (we generally have a "no onion" household, so not used here!)
2 cloves garlic
2 T tomato paste
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried oregano
salt and pepper as desired
1-2 cans (14.5oz) undrained diced tomatoes (if using 2 I suggest draining one of them)
1/5-3lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat

combine all ingredients and cook on low for 7-8 hrs (love that)
serve over pasta and garnish with Parmesan

And here is the binder.  Pages of favorite recipes tucked into protective sheets and generally splattered with food: to which I am now adding the pork ragu.  A pocket for my blank menu/grocery lists and a few coupons stuck in there for my next trip to the store.

Comfort food: Chocolate chip cookies and beef vegetable soup.

Chocolate chip cookies.  Every mom makes her own special-no-other-mom-makes-them-better variety.  I know my mom did.  I hope someday my own girls make them for their children and think of me.
Funny how something so simple has me thinking of my own mommy legacy.

Well, that and it is my mom's birthday.  Happy Birthday Mom!  Thanks for all the chocolate cookies.  I hope I can do this as good as you.

I have been making chocolate chip cookies since my mother showed me how to break an egg in a cup to avoid getting shell in the mixer.  I asked for a Kitchen Aid mixer for my 21st birthday.  Mainly so I could make my own chocolate chip cookies in my very own college apartment.  So with a little experience I have tweaked the classic Tollhouse recipe to my own taste.  See what you think.

2 sticks butter

3/4 c white sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

cream together

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

mix each in separately

2 1/4 c flour

1 t baking soda

2 t salt

whisk together separately and slowly add to other ingredients in the mixer

I like to use about 3 equal parts of Ghirardelli milk, semi sweet, and dark chocolate chips.  I usually have a few open bags, so I just eye ball it.  I generally feel that there should just be enough batter to make the chips stick together.

Cook for about 10-13 minutes in a 375 oven

And for supper?  America's Test Kitchen Beef Vegetable Soup.  Ruby (6yrs) has a thing for soup.  Would she eat steak, carrots, and potatoes on a plate, no.  But put them in a soup and magic happens.  She will eat it!  

I am excited about this recipe because of the deep rich flavors... soy sauce, red wine, anchovy paste (my own addition), and tomato paste.  Let me just say this smells fantastic.  I added the link to the recipe, we'll see if it works!

America's Test Kitchen Beef Vegetable
http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=8629&incode=M**ASCA00

The week in preview and living prairie style...again.

As you may know I was without a fridge for about three weeks.  It was a bad feeling to open up the freezer and see everything limp and thawed.  But you know what is an even worse feeling?  Turning on the faucet and... no water, not a drop.  Very bad indeed.  We have a well and after some work a few years ago, I just feel that we know our well guy way to well...well.

So last night I improvised, without the time or dish washing ability I usually have, I traded off Baked Cod with Crunchy Lemon Herb Topping for something a bit less dirty dish producing.  Enter salad and hearty bruschetta.

The week in preview

Sunday:  Beef vegetable soup with garlic bread.  Ruby begged for more soup after the black bean soup last week.  So I am feeling a soup week coming on!
Monday:  Left overs with grilled cheese.  I like my grilled cheese with added lettuce at the last minute.  Ruby prefers sliced pickles.
Tuesday:  Thai chicken soup with frozen egg rolls and snap peas.  That's right, I'll buy frozen egg rolls on occasion.  I should really buy some from the local Hmong fund raiser.  They must be good, when they have a sale the parking lot is full!  Anyone else ever do this?
Wednesday:  Slow cooker pork ragu with this fun pasta I picked up at Target.  It is called Fusilli col buco.  Picture long curly spaghetti.  Target is great at having interesting new stuff.  I also bought this amazing gelato that I wish I had never found.
Thursday:  Left over pork ragu with salad.
Friday:  The classic chicken caesar salad.  I love a simple caesar, this is my comfort food.

Buy this at your own risk!  The sea salt caramel blew my mind.  I would venture to say, best store bought dessert ever.

Pork loin roast with cranberry and then its transformation into cuban sandwiches

America's Test Kitchen is my newest recipe treasure trove.  I like having the option of labor intensive or not.  Plus, every recipe is practically guaranteed to be my new favorite.

Wednesday is usually a night that has to be pretty quick, so I was excited to try a new slow cooker recipe.  I have exciting plans for transforming this into a fun dinner on Thursday.

Slow cooker cranberry pork loin

Dry the 4-5lb pork loin roast with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Brown it all over in about 1 T vegetable oil on the stove.

Mix together the following in the slow cooker insert

(14oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 c dried cranberries

1/2 c OJ

3 strips of orange zest

1/8 t cinnamon

Nestle the pork loin into the cranberry mixture and cook on low for about 4 hours.  Allow the roast to rest for about 10 minutes while you boil the cranberry mixture down to make a yummy sauce. 

The sauce was a definite hit.

cuban sandwich with left over pork loin

So for Thursday night I made my own version of a cuban sandwich.  The pork loin, ham, swiss, pickles, banana peppers, and mustard.

Black Bean-tomato soup with lime sour cream

And just to round it out I made one of my favorite quick soups.  This combines a little bacon with black beans, diced tomato, and chicken broth.  Just enough cumin and chipotle chile pepper makes it spicy.  Sure Lisa, one magical animal...

The week in preview and Frozen Mocha Cheesecake.

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake.  This is a favorite around here.  As I tried to take the photo, I was fending off three sets of little hands.  However, despite the name it is not all that mocha-y and not all that cheesecake-y.  It is indeed frozen though.  Well, mostly.  It does taste best served slightly melted.  That's it, I need a new name.  Frozen mousse or ice cream perhaps?  Actually after further research I think the best name is semifreddo.  Which ups the fancy level tremendously.  Semifreddo for the dessert course girls!

semifreddo- (half-cold in Italian)  usually two parts ice cream or gelato folded into one part whipped cream

This is a surprisingly easy recipe.  Sort of like that old rice krispie commercial.  Splash a little water and flour on your face before serving.

1 and 1/4 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (or about 20 crushed oreos)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter melted
Mix together and press into bottom of 9 inch springform pan.  Chill.

8 oz cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup chocolate syrup
If desired add 1-2 t of instant coffee granules mixed into 1t hot water.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add sw. condensed milk, and syrup (coffee mixture if desired).  Mix well.

Whip 1cup of heavy cream.

Fold whipping cream and cream cheese mixture together and add to crust.  Allow to freeze.  It does taste best served a little melted.

The week in preview

Sunday: This is our Christmas in January dinner, so I want it to be special.  Hence the semifreddo:)  Also, pan seared rib eye steak with mushroom sauce, broccolini, and smashed potato.
Monday: Spaghetti with salad and baguette.  I'll use some pre-prepped mushrooms from Sunday night in the spaghetti sauce.
Tuesday: Left over spaghetti.  Sometimes I throw in a little ricotta to make it interesting.
Wednesday:  Cook's Country Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Cranberry dressing.  The rest of the smashed potatoes and green beans.
Thursday:  Left over pork loin transformed into Cuban sandwiches.  I have an easy and delicious black bean soup recipe too.
Friday:  Another Cook's recipe and favorite...  Baked Cod with Crunchy Lemon Herb topping.  Broccoli and oven fries on the side.

Halibut in lemon brodetto with pea puree

I keep an inner tally when I am making my menu for the week.  I have to keep a fair balance between kid friendly (anything with noodles for instance) and mom friendly (a fritter or puree perhaps).
I have gotten them to suppress the "Oh boy that does look disgusting" groans.  But I can understand why it is easier to do chicken nuggets every night.
One bite is all I ask and sometimes it is all that I get.  But, there are times that they surprise themselves...

Tonight, I just cooked and crossed my fingers.

It did look even more impressive before I moved it and the lovely green pea color mixed with the lovely lemony color of the brodetto and turned sort of olive...

This is not chicken nuggets!  And even so, it was really great.  Dave and I both slurped up the pea puree with a spoon when a fork just wouldn't do.

I stumbled on "Salmon in lemon brodetto with pea puree" on the Food Network.  I was intrigued by brodetto...what could that be?  Not gardetto or amaretto... brodetto?  Turns out it means italian fish soup.  Well this isn't exactly fish soup, but if that is what Giada says, then more power to her.  Here is my somewhat simplified version...

Brodetto
Juice and zest one lemon, add about 1.5 cups chicken broth cook and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Pea Puree
Cook one bag of frozen peas, 1/3 cup mint leaves, and 1/4 cup water until peas are soft.
Blend in food processor with 2 T butter and 2T half and half.

Halibut*
Heat 1 T olive oil on the stove.  Dry the halibut with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side.  Depending on how thick the halibut is, until flaky when separated with a fork.

*I know Giada had salmon in mind, but I went for halibut- much better I think:)

I would say success!  The girls ate a few bites of everything.  I have a feeling Delle thought the peas were reminiscent of baby food, but so so much better!

Being fair to the girls, Thursday we had calzones.  Made easy with the prepared pizza dough at the grocery store.  I sauteed some olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Let it cool and added it to a cheese mixture of parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta.  I baked it at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.
That with some tomato sauce on the side was just what the girls were asking for.  The usual salad on the side and we were set!

Tomorrow will bring a whole new menu and likely a treat... I have a craving for frozen mocha cheesecake Jen!

Two nights of chicken. Starting with Peanut Lime Chicken Noodle Bowl.

I am always thinking ahead on Sunday.  Who has to go where tomorrow?  What is going on with work?  Where are those backpacks?  When am I going on vacation?  That kind of thing (wink).  So prepping the chicken for two nights is one of my favorite strategies to get ahead.

When I want to make chicken breasts fast I get out one of my old favorites...the Foreman!  A favorite of college students, bachelors, and planning ahead mothers alike.  Salt, pepper, and six minutes later... tasty chicken.  Who could ask for more?  I should probably call it my "panini maker", but I like the nostalgia.  The good ol' Foreman.

Tonight I made Peanut Lime Chicken Broccoli Asian Noodle Bowl.  Maybe a little long to be catchy... but the Peanut Lime sauce was very catchy.  I'll bet I can find lots of uses for this!

Peanut Lime Sauce
3T fish sauce
3T rice vinegar
9T lime juice (I juiced 3 rather big limes)
3T soy sauce
1 T prepared ginger
6 T peanut butter
1 T sesame oil
pinch cayenne
And mix.  I used the food processor, but I think a whisk would work too (and less to wash).

I made some noodles, steamed some broccoli, and done.

I'll see the rest of that chicken tomorrow in the form of chicken soup.  Nice to know it is ready and waiting in the fridge.  Nice to have a fridge.  Take a moment to appreciate your fridge.