New Recipes!

Hello, fellow chefs! I have been very long in posting and I apologize. I have been cooking, but haven't been able to take pictures of what I've prepared. I think the pictures make such a difference that I wanted to wait until I had some to share.

So, my first recipe is a pot roast recipe. I make my pot roast in the crock pot. On a side note...I LOVE MY CROCK POT!! I use it all year long. In the cold winter months, it's such a cozy feeling to know I have dinner bubbling away in the crock pot and in the hot, summer months, I plug it in out on the front porch! (seriously!!) It keeps the house cooler and I still have the freedom of dinner being cooked all day without me doing much at all!!


Pot Roast dinner:


1 3-4 pound chuck roast for slow cooking
1 cup beef broth, burgundy wine or plain water
1 Tablespoon thyme leaves
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Put roast into crock pot. Pour broth (or whatever liquid you desire to use) over roast. Season with thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. (you have to get up early to start this dinner!!)

At about 1 hour before the roast is done, prepare potatoes to steam in chunks. Also, prepare some other vegetable to serve along with potatoes and roast. (you can cook the roast with carrots and potatoes, if you cut them small and put them under the roast in the crock pot...I prefer to cook things separately.)

At about 15 minutes before you want to eat, remove roast from crock pot to platter.
Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup cold water in a seal able container. Shake well. Add to broth in crock pot, stir to blend. Cook for 15 minutes on high. Salt to taste.


The other crock pot recipe is for chicken breasts. I found a similar recipe and tweaked it! It's in the crock pot as I type this...we can't wait to try it! (Stay tuned: I'll update how it was after dinner tonight...)

Stuffed Chicken breasts in the crock pot


This is my homemade stuffing.

I dried out some bread, broke it up into chunks, added some poultry seasonings.
I sauteed' about a half cup each of celery and onion in 4 Tablespoons butter until soft.
Added about 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and mixed it all together.


I stuffed 5 chicken breasts that I had pounded to about 1/4 inch thick. I browned them in 2 Tablespoons butter and put them into the crock pot.


Poured over a jar of Alfredo sauce (about 2 cups). (the original recipe called for 2 cans of cream of celery soup...I don't really like the flavor of those types of soups, so I used my Alfredo sauce)


*Side dish idea for this meal: garlic and whole green beans sauteed' in olive oil until caramelized.

Update to come!

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

Put 4-6lb whole chicken in crockpot. Place 1/2 cup of chopped onion inside of chicken cavity. Rub 2 Tablespoons butter OR oil on the skin. Squeeze juice from one lemon over chicken and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 2 Tablespoons parsley, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. (I don't see why you couldn't oven-roast this chicken. It would be just as yummy that way!


After 8 hours in the crockpot, the meat is just falling off the bones...I did drain the juices before taking this picture. You can cool the juice, skim the fat and use it for soup or gravy.


My dinner plate:


Coming soon: Asian steamed dumplings

Success!

DINNER~CHICKEN CACCIATORI (a new family fav. I will be making this one again very soon!)

In slow cooker, layer 3 sliced onions, 4 skinned chicken thighs, 2 skinned chicken breasts, 5 cloves chopped garlic, 1 28oz can chopped plum tomatoes, 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth. Cook on low for 6 hours.



At the end of the cooking time, add 20-25 roughly chopped pitted kalamata olives and one Tablespoon dried basil. (or a bunch of fresh basil, roughly chopped)


Serve with vermicelli. The flavors are fantastic!


DESSERT~MARTHA WASHINGTON CAKE

Make Dinette cake recipe. (Recipe follows) Slice into two layers with a long bread knife.



Place on serving platter, spread 1/2 cup of strawberry or seedless raspberry jam over bottom half.


Replace top half.


Glaze with any simple vanilla glaze.


Enjoy! (TacCom's favorite dessert!)



Dinette Cake

1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup softened butter
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a one round 8 inch cake pan. Mix all ingredients together until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack. Follow above directions to assemble Martha Washington Cake.

Beef Bourguignon

My shiny, new crockpot! Just the base model...that's all I need...something to slow cook my meal!


Beef Chuck stew meat. Put in a gallon ziploc bag with 1/2 cup flour to coat:


Fry 5 or 6 strips of bacon in a large skillet:


After bacon is crisp, use same skillet and bacon fat to sear beef in:


Tomato paste, Red wine and beef broth:


Everything goes in the pot. (ingredient list and recipe follow):


And we have been hovering over the pot all day long, waiting for the dinner hour:


Finally the cover comes off:


Fresh bread from the oven to accompany:


Our meal:


Look at that broth:


And we are satisfied...but Wynne can't get enough!



Beef Bourguignon

1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
6 strips cooked bacon
1 1/4 cups beef broth
2 cups red or Burgundy wine
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

~Fry bacon in large skillet.
~Coat beef in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Sear beef in same skillet bacon was cooked in.
~Place meat in slow cooker and add remaining ingredients.
~Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender.

Serves 6-8

Come and get it!!!

Cornmeal muffins! Easy peasy!






They go perfectly with my version of bean stew! (recipe follows)



Very Versatile Bean Stew
1 can (29oz)ANY KIND of beans (I like black beans)
1 can (28oz)petite chopped tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped pepper
1 cup frozen corn
1 small jar of salsa (you decide how spicy or mild)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
Any leftover meat (sausage, hamburger, roast beef, etc)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

~Drain and rinse beans well with water in a colander.
~Put beans and rest of ingredients (except for cheese)in a crockpot.
~Cook on low for 3 hours or more.
~Serve with shredded cheddar cheese on each serving.
Serves about 8 people

Another option is to make the cornbread batter and spread on top of the cooked bean casserole. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. (This works for a crockpot that can go in the oven OR you can pour the beans into a 2 quart oven safe casserole dish and bake the cornbread on top that way.)

p.s. I just found out that one of my most beloved appliances, (my crockpot pictured above) has a crack in the bottom...and because I can't live without it, I'm going to have to replace it!! The sooner the better, as I use this thing a couple of times a week...