I got a seasoned pork shoulder roast on sale some time ago and put it in the freezer for an easy dinner. I had a crazy day/night ahead of me so I thawed the roast and put it in a small pan in the fridge. Then when I finally got us all home from school/work it was basically time to go right back out to gymnastics class. That worked out well because the roast needed to cook for an hour.
When I got back I turned the oven off but let the roast stay in to stay warm. I wasn't afraid that it would dry out because it had been packed in a marinade and was very moist to begin with, so I knew it could take the heat. I steamed a veggie mix in the microwave and the chopped the larger sprouts in half and steamed them on the stove top. I got some olive oil hot in a saute pan and then added the semi-steamed sprouts. When they were getting good color on them (golden brown and even darker in spots) I added about half a cup of chicken broth and slammed a lid on them and kept them on the heat for a few minutes to continue cooking. All done!
We had the kids in the bath by 7:30 on a night when they are usually up till 9! *Does happy dance* Maybe working has been good for me, I have been getting much more done lately!
Showing posts with label brussels sprouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brussels sprouts. Show all posts
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Weird Wednesday and Thirsty Thursday
What made Wednesday so weird was the fact that someone else made me dinner. Our older daughter had to go to a softball award ceremony where dinner was provided. It was a kid-feast, big fat strips of white meat chicken fingers, tiny sliders topped with lettuce tomato and onion rings, salsa and cheese nachos and honey BBQ chicken wings. The kids loved it. Softball has been a ton of fun, but very difficult in terms of dinner scheduling. Practice and games went back to back from 5 to 7 twice a week! Here is the on the go, high energy snack I've been making the kids to get them through until we make it to dinner around 7:15.
Snack Mix:
3 parts whole grain cereal (I used Cheerios)
2 parts dried fruit (I used raisins and sometimes dried blueberries)
1 part chopped nuts (used walnuts)
1 part chocolate chips
I shake all of the mix up in a large bag and let the kids have a sandwich baggie full of them. If your kid is nut allergic I would use some sesame seeds. Or for a tasty different version you could use pine nuts, which are delicious!
Thirsty Thursday: It is H O T in Florida right now and to me, there is no better hot weather drink than Southern Sweet Tea. I suggest boiling briefly enough tea bags to make 1 gallon of tea in about 5 cups of water. Pour the hot tea concentrate over 1 C of sugar (more or less to taste) stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Next add enough water and ice to dilute the concentrate, making 1 gallon. You can garnish individual glasses with lemon slices or mint sprigs. If you make it this way you don't have to wait an hour or more for the tea to cool down and not instantly melt your ice cubes on a hot summer day.
Thursday's dinner was SUPPOSED to be Beef Stroganoff with Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts. I freaking LOVE Brussels sprouts and so does my hubby. Our kids will eat maybe one or two, which I consider an unparalleled success. But I had forgotten we were having a one of my daughter's friends over for a slumber party. I ended up making a box of mac and cheese and some steamed green beans with butter. That's like the same thing, right?
Tonight I am going to make the stroganoff because the meat is defrosted, but I am going to make some AWESOME fish this weekend.
Snack Mix:
3 parts whole grain cereal (I used Cheerios)
2 parts dried fruit (I used raisins and sometimes dried blueberries)
1 part chopped nuts (used walnuts)
1 part chocolate chips
I shake all of the mix up in a large bag and let the kids have a sandwich baggie full of them. If your kid is nut allergic I would use some sesame seeds. Or for a tasty different version you could use pine nuts, which are delicious!
Thirsty Thursday: It is H O T in Florida right now and to me, there is no better hot weather drink than Southern Sweet Tea. I suggest boiling briefly enough tea bags to make 1 gallon of tea in about 5 cups of water. Pour the hot tea concentrate over 1 C of sugar (more or less to taste) stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Next add enough water and ice to dilute the concentrate, making 1 gallon. You can garnish individual glasses with lemon slices or mint sprigs. If you make it this way you don't have to wait an hour or more for the tea to cool down and not instantly melt your ice cubes on a hot summer day.
Thursday's dinner was SUPPOSED to be Beef Stroganoff with Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts. I freaking LOVE Brussels sprouts and so does my hubby. Our kids will eat maybe one or two, which I consider an unparalleled success. But I had forgotten we were having a one of my daughter's friends over for a slumber party. I ended up making a box of mac and cheese and some steamed green beans with butter. That's like the same thing, right?
Tonight I am going to make the stroganoff because the meat is defrosted, but I am going to make some AWESOME fish this weekend.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Roasted Garlic Redux
Last night I roasted some garlic to make my hummus and to just eat it by itself, because roasted garlic = YUM in my world. Since I so rarely make it I decided to go ahead and roast 5 heads worth of the stuff just to use in other recipes. Tonight when I warmed up my leftover pot roast I made a side of creamy cheese grits to go with it. I made the grits according to package directions and added some salt, butter, cheese and 3 cloves worth of the roasted garlic, stirring to combine. Cheesy, garlicky grits = HEAVEN ON A PLATE.
Roasted garlic is something that can add an unexpected flavor to so many dishes, you can put it in a vinaigrette or add it to rice, it works well in most pan sauces and gravies, you can even stir it into a side dish as simple as sauteed green beans for a special kick of flavor. I love it in mashed potatoes, rubbed on roasts, or seasoning some steamed asparagus. I'm like the guy at the end of "Green Eggs and Ham" I would eat roasted garlic in a box, I would eat with a fox, I would eat it here or there, I would eat it everywhere!
The other side dish I made was lightly steamed brussels sprouts. I just steamed them with a little bit of water and a pat of butter, when they were done I added a bit of kosher salt. My kids aren't crazy about brussels but my husband and I love them, so the kids got 2 tiny sprouts a piece on their plates and whether they eat them or not is immaterial to me. I know someday they will and I am fairly sure when they do they will love them.
The secret to good sprouts is NOT to overcook them. They should still be bright green when you are done with them. If they are small sprouts I simply trim the stems, peel off any tough outer leaves (if necessary) and steam them. If I have larger sprouts I will cut them in half first and either steam or oven roast them. Brussels sprouts can also be "dressed" at the end of cooking time with a bit of bacon grease, which gives them a smoky flavor, or you can pair them beautifully with caramelized onions.
Roasted garlic is something that can add an unexpected flavor to so many dishes, you can put it in a vinaigrette or add it to rice, it works well in most pan sauces and gravies, you can even stir it into a side dish as simple as sauteed green beans for a special kick of flavor. I love it in mashed potatoes, rubbed on roasts, or seasoning some steamed asparagus. I'm like the guy at the end of "Green Eggs and Ham" I would eat roasted garlic in a box, I would eat with a fox, I would eat it here or there, I would eat it everywhere!
The other side dish I made was lightly steamed brussels sprouts. I just steamed them with a little bit of water and a pat of butter, when they were done I added a bit of kosher salt. My kids aren't crazy about brussels but my husband and I love them, so the kids got 2 tiny sprouts a piece on their plates and whether they eat them or not is immaterial to me. I know someday they will and I am fairly sure when they do they will love them.
The secret to good sprouts is NOT to overcook them. They should still be bright green when you are done with them. If they are small sprouts I simply trim the stems, peel off any tough outer leaves (if necessary) and steam them. If I have larger sprouts I will cut them in half first and either steam or oven roast them. Brussels sprouts can also be "dressed" at the end of cooking time with a bit of bacon grease, which gives them a smoky flavor, or you can pair them beautifully with caramelized onions.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Chicken in White Wine
I love wine. I don't drink enough of it at any one time to justify buying a bottle unless I am also going to cook with it, so you know I am ALL about cooking with it. Tonight I sauteed some seasoned chicken breasts in bacon fat (yes I did) and then removed them from the pan and sauteed some chopped onion. I deglazed the pan in white wine and let it reduce. Then I added a pat of butter and some mushrooms and mixed those together into a sort of duxelle. When they were cooked I reduced the heat to low and allowed the chicken breasts to continue to cook until done. Then I covered them to keep warm.
Meanwhile I added a handful of celery and baby carrots to my pressure cooker. I added some salt, 1 TB of butter, 1 C of brown rice and 3/4 C of "mushroom water". When you reconstitute dried mushrooms, the water they are left sitting in can be saved and frozen for future us, it adds delicious flavor. I added another 1 1/4 C of plain water to the rice as well and started it on high pressure for 25 minutes.
I then cut the stems off some brussels sprouts and a few of the tough outer leaves and microwaved them in a little butter and water and sea salt for about 5 minutes.
Right before I serve the plates I will remove the chicken from the pan and briefly wilt the last of my baby spinach, and serve the chicken on top of that.
My husband stopped at the store for milk and saw some gorgeous cream puffs in the bakery on his way to the dairy case. So... guess what we are having for dessert?
Oh yeah baby! I AM BACK!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Take this lying down
I am making a standing rib roast today and I have never made one before. I am following Paula Deen's recipe, pretty much exactly here, so you can use your google-fu to get it. Let me just take this opportunity though to talk about Paula Deen's "house blend" (which miraculously does not contain butter!) House blend is her go-to seasoning and it is becoming one of mine too. It is simply 1 C of salt, mixed with 1/4 C of pepper and 1/4 C of garlic powder. I have seasoned everything from artichokes to zucchini with this stuff and I mix it up and put it in a little shaker that I keep by the stove. Terrific, easy flavor.
I am also making Yorkshire Puddings, which are not "puddings" in the American sense, but are in fact a quick light pastry, steam-risen (no leaveners) similar to a popover. My friends from Scotland showed me how to make these once when they came to visit.
This is a proportional recipe, so no exact measurements. Take 4 large eggs and place them into a liquid measuring cup. Take an equal measure of milk, and an equal measure of flour. Mix the eggs with the milk and let them sit with a pinch of salt in them for about 10 minutes. Then sift in the flour and beat until completely lump free. You can break up any lumps with a sieve if needed. Then let the batter sit for at least half an hour but you can let it sit for several hours if necessary. Take a 12 cup muffin tin and melt a small amount (pea sized) of oil, beef drippings, or bacon fat in the bottom of each muffin well by placing the tin in an oven set at 450 degrees F. When the fat is smoking remove the pan and place equal amounts of batter in each cup. Place back in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
I plan on making mashed potatoes, and then making some roasted brussels sprouts and carrots. I will place the baby cut carrots and the already pre-steamed brussels on a baking pan, mist with olive oil, season with house blend and roast them after the meat has come out of the oven. This gives the meat a chance to "rest" and let the juices go back into meat. I had leftover brussels from yesterday so I am using them up today. I might also add some chunks of onion to the pan as well.
I like making a big meal on the weekends, something with more sides than I do, or a more complicated recipe. I really do enjoy cooking but my weekdays are too busy for any serious experimentation. Also, I make a BIG meal on Sunday, for instance, I will more likely have leftover for lunch or dinner the following day, which means less prep time on a busy weekday night.
One of my go-to Sunday dinners has always been roast chicken for that reason, roast a chicken with veggies on day one, use the leftover chicken meat the next day in a casserole or in another dish (Stir fry, chicken quesadillas, etc.)
I am also making Yorkshire Puddings, which are not "puddings" in the American sense, but are in fact a quick light pastry, steam-risen (no leaveners) similar to a popover. My friends from Scotland showed me how to make these once when they came to visit.
This is a proportional recipe, so no exact measurements. Take 4 large eggs and place them into a liquid measuring cup. Take an equal measure of milk, and an equal measure of flour. Mix the eggs with the milk and let them sit with a pinch of salt in them for about 10 minutes. Then sift in the flour and beat until completely lump free. You can break up any lumps with a sieve if needed. Then let the batter sit for at least half an hour but you can let it sit for several hours if necessary. Take a 12 cup muffin tin and melt a small amount (pea sized) of oil, beef drippings, or bacon fat in the bottom of each muffin well by placing the tin in an oven set at 450 degrees F. When the fat is smoking remove the pan and place equal amounts of batter in each cup. Place back in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
I plan on making mashed potatoes, and then making some roasted brussels sprouts and carrots. I will place the baby cut carrots and the already pre-steamed brussels on a baking pan, mist with olive oil, season with house blend and roast them after the meat has come out of the oven. This gives the meat a chance to "rest" and let the juices go back into meat. I had leftover brussels from yesterday so I am using them up today. I might also add some chunks of onion to the pan as well.
I like making a big meal on the weekends, something with more sides than I do, or a more complicated recipe. I really do enjoy cooking but my weekdays are too busy for any serious experimentation. Also, I make a BIG meal on Sunday, for instance, I will more likely have leftover for lunch or dinner the following day, which means less prep time on a busy weekday night.
One of my go-to Sunday dinners has always been roast chicken for that reason, roast a chicken with veggies on day one, use the leftover chicken meat the next day in a casserole or in another dish (Stir fry, chicken quesadillas, etc.)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Carmel? Caramel?
Tonight we had chicken alfredo pasta with steamed carrots and caramelized brussels sprouts. I realized I say "carmel-ized" when properly it is spelled "caramel-ized". But I have seriously never heard anyone say anything but "carmel". do people say, caramelized?? But I digress! The pasta was good. I used a bottle of alfredo sauce my husband bought. Frankly since I figured out how easy it is to make alfredo sauce I haven't used a bottle or a mix, but he saw it and wanted to use it, so it was fine. A good little time saver. We sauteed the lightly seasoned chicken tenderloins in a grill pan and then threw the jar of sauce over it to warm, easy-peasy.
The real treat was the brussels sprouts! First I chopped off the tough stems and removed a few of the outer leaves. Then I put them in a glass bowl and steamed them in the microwave for 3 minutes, just enough time for them to get slightly soft, but keep the bright green color. While they were cooking I started about half of a medium onion, sliced, cooking in a pan with some olive oil. To truly caramelize onions you need to cook them on low heat for about 20 minutes. I was running short on time, so I added a bit of kosher salt to soften the onions and kept them on medium. I also added about a teaspoon of brown sugar to hurry things along. Then I threw the sprouts in then pan too and let them get a good sear while the onions continued to cook. At the end of the cooking time I added several splashes of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan and add a bit more sweetness. Then I put the pan in the oven with the oven light on to stay warm while I finished dinner.
I chopped some baby carrots into rounds; this is totally unnecessary. Baby carrots steam just fine the way they are, however my kids sometimes like their food in itty bitty pieces, so this was a kid-friendly concession. Plus, small pieces cook faster, so it was also a time saver. To the carrots I added a sprinkle of kosher salt, 1/2 tsp of sugar and a splash of olive oil. I covered the carrots and cooked them for 6 minutes in the microwave, checking on them and giving them a stir after 3 minutes. You could also add an herb at that point like some fresh dill for instance or perhaps some ginger, but I left them plain.
When they were done the pasta was also done and ready to be strained. The kids loved it. They didn't eat the brussels sprouts (of course) but they each tried a bite, and that is all I ever ask them to do. They each wanted seconds on the carrots and the pasta. All in all a good night. Tomorrow is a busy day, after church I peruse the sales circulars for our local stores and clip any coupons I deem necessary. I am not a coupon queen by any stretch, but on things I know we use all the time, I feel like its silly not to at least grab those. Then I go through and make a really quick menu for the week, trying (though often failing) to keep in mind the eccentricities of our schedule for the following week. Dance class and basketball and PTO nights and all the same stuff that seems to slip my mind more and more thee days. I have to say "Using the calendar" was at the top of my New Year's Resolutions this year. I hate to flake on something just because I didn't plan ahead. But then again, "planning ahead" goes against my very nature... ah, the drama. :)
My husband played in a softball tournament today and the way he is moving I may need to plan a menu of things that are easy to pick up and chew. He went from being a fairly healthy man in his mid-30's to Methuselah in the course of a double-header! He is walking like the Tin Man pre-oil can and is complaining about aches and pains in a way that one expects to hear from an old folk's home. Weekend-Warrior's menu.... hmmm. (I kid because I love! Lord knows you didn't see ME out there chasing down balls and sliding into second base!)
The real treat was the brussels sprouts! First I chopped off the tough stems and removed a few of the outer leaves. Then I put them in a glass bowl and steamed them in the microwave for 3 minutes, just enough time for them to get slightly soft, but keep the bright green color. While they were cooking I started about half of a medium onion, sliced, cooking in a pan with some olive oil. To truly caramelize onions you need to cook them on low heat for about 20 minutes. I was running short on time, so I added a bit of kosher salt to soften the onions and kept them on medium. I also added about a teaspoon of brown sugar to hurry things along. Then I threw the sprouts in then pan too and let them get a good sear while the onions continued to cook. At the end of the cooking time I added several splashes of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan and add a bit more sweetness. Then I put the pan in the oven with the oven light on to stay warm while I finished dinner.
I chopped some baby carrots into rounds; this is totally unnecessary. Baby carrots steam just fine the way they are, however my kids sometimes like their food in itty bitty pieces, so this was a kid-friendly concession. Plus, small pieces cook faster, so it was also a time saver. To the carrots I added a sprinkle of kosher salt, 1/2 tsp of sugar and a splash of olive oil. I covered the carrots and cooked them for 6 minutes in the microwave, checking on them and giving them a stir after 3 minutes. You could also add an herb at that point like some fresh dill for instance or perhaps some ginger, but I left them plain.
When they were done the pasta was also done and ready to be strained. The kids loved it. They didn't eat the brussels sprouts (of course) but they each tried a bite, and that is all I ever ask them to do. They each wanted seconds on the carrots and the pasta. All in all a good night. Tomorrow is a busy day, after church I peruse the sales circulars for our local stores and clip any coupons I deem necessary. I am not a coupon queen by any stretch, but on things I know we use all the time, I feel like its silly not to at least grab those. Then I go through and make a really quick menu for the week, trying (though often failing) to keep in mind the eccentricities of our schedule for the following week. Dance class and basketball and PTO nights and all the same stuff that seems to slip my mind more and more thee days. I have to say "Using the calendar" was at the top of my New Year's Resolutions this year. I hate to flake on something just because I didn't plan ahead. But then again, "planning ahead" goes against my very nature... ah, the drama. :)
My husband played in a softball tournament today and the way he is moving I may need to plan a menu of things that are easy to pick up and chew. He went from being a fairly healthy man in his mid-30's to Methuselah in the course of a double-header! He is walking like the Tin Man pre-oil can and is complaining about aches and pains in a way that one expects to hear from an old folk's home. Weekend-Warrior's menu.... hmmm. (I kid because I love! Lord knows you didn't see ME out there chasing down balls and sliding into second base!)
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