Slow Cooker Pork Roast

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium potatoes cut into sixths (red, Yukon gold)

2 carrots cut into large chunks

3 whole peeled garlic cloves

1 small-medium sized leek, sliced, white and light green parts only

Handful of crimini mushrooms (halved or quartered if they are larger)

Fresh oregano sprigs

Fresh thyme sprigs

(Optional fresh rosemary sprigs - I forgot to put this in the first time)

3 cup chicken broth

2-3 lb pork roast 

Salt

Pepper

Dried thyme

Dried rosemary

Olive oil for drizzling

Place all large chopped vegetables into the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Including whole garlic cloves. Leaving a place to nestle your roast. Place roast in the pot (fat side up if you're cooking a pork loin) and heavily coat the top with salt (perhaps a tsp or two- I just tried to make a decent coating as if I were making a rub). In the same spirit, only a little more sparingligly coat with pepper, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the roast, again to lightly coat. Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables, careful not to pour over the roast. Surround roast with 5-10 sprigs of thyme, 6-8 sprigs of oregano (and 4-6 rosemary sprigs if you're using it). Do a few turns of salt and pepper over the vegetables and broth. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours (or more depending on the size of your roast). Once the roast is cooked and easy to pull apart with a fork begin to prepare the pan gravy.

INGREDIENTS FOR GRAVY

2-3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp of flour

2-2 1/2 cups broth from slow cooker

1 cup of sherry (I just use cooking sherry)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a pan over medium heat warm olive oil. Once warm whisk in flour until smooth. While continuing to whisk pour in broth making sure to break up all lumps as you go. Add the sherry and turn temperature to medium-high allowing gravy to boil until the gravy begins to thicken (and alcohol has been cooked off), stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pork and vegetables.

Veggie & Meat Kabob Marinade

This marinate is good on just about everything

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp basil (1/2 tsp dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Use to coat veggies or meat when roasting or barbecuing.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Viv and I were both a little under the weather so chicken noodle soup sounded wonderful. I also had some fresh sage I wanted to use so this recipe I found online sounded perfect, especially with some adjustments...

Ingredients 

3 chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion diced

1 cup celery sliced

1 cup carrot diced

(After that I added veggies I had that sounded good)

1 handful of crimini mushrooms quartered

2 small red potatoes diced

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tsp fresh sage minced

1 tsp (heaping) fresh rosemary minced

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 quarts chicken broth

2 cups egg noodles

(Cilantro is optional)

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in baking dish with maybe an 1/8 inch of water and drizzle each breast with olive oil and then salt pepper as well. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45-55 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender (should tear apart easy). In a large pot over medium heat add your olive oil and vegetables until they are soft or onions become transparent. Add garlic and herbs and cook until they become fragrant, 1-2 minutes. I typically start cooking the veg before I'm even done cutting the softer veg so at this point I deglazed my pan with a couple tbsp of white wine since my veggies cook longer than just to the point of being soft, but that is optional. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once pot boils cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Once chicken is finished cooking shred using two forks or you may cut them into small cubes. Add chicken and pasta to soup and allow to continue cooking (raise the heat again to medium if you need to) until pasta is tender.

We had this soup with yummy biscuits that Morgan made

Biscuits:

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/view2/biscuits

Soup:

http://www.food.com/recipe/lauras-tickle-your-tastebuds-chicken-noodle-soup-348436

Pan Seared Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples

(From The American Diabetes Association Vegetarian Cookbook)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2 pints Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed and heads sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (Granny Smith or gala apples recommended)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the butter begins to brown. Add the Brussels sprouts and apples.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, over high heat 4–5 minutes until sprouts are just tender to the bite. Add the honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

http://sarahscucinabella.com/2013/09/30/pan-seared-shredded-brussels-sprouts-apples-american-diabetes-association-vegetarian-cookbook/

Pasta carbonara

We like this version of carbonara best:

Ingredients:

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti or rigatoni
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pan)
• 1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 large egg yolks
• Freshly grated Romano cheese
• Handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Put a large saucepot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and the pasta. Cook to al dente, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.

3. In a separate bowl, beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.

4. Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lots of pepper, and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and extra grated Romano.

Note: I like to add capers as well- keep in mind the capers are salty so season accordingly.

Veggie enchiladas Viv likes

This recipe is based off of the pulled pork enchiladas we used to love making. Still do. This is a good meat free option that is still pretty darn good and can easily be made with pantry items. The ingredients are very flexible you could add whatever

Ingredients

- cumin

- chili powder

- salt and pepper

- 1/2 chopped onion

- 1/2 chopped bell pepper

- can diced green chilies

- 1/2 can of black beans

- 1/2 can of garbanzo beans

- 1 cup or so of fresh or frozen corn

- 2-3 tbsp of tomato paste

- 1 cup and 1/2 cup of cheese (Monterey jack, cheddar, muenster. Whatever)

- 7-9 tortillas

- 1 cup veg broth

- sour cream

- salsa of choice (I use tomatillo salsa)

Grill peppers and onions in skillet with 1 tbsp or so of olive oil and about 1 tsp each of cumin and chili powder until both onions and peppers are tender. Transfer to bowl and combine with green chilies, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn and cheese. Add about a 1/4 cup of salsa, tomato paste, and two large scoops of sour cream. Mix well, salt and pepper to taste.

Place about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling into each tortilla, roll and place each enchilada snuggly into pan.

In a separate bowl combine 1 cup of broth with 2 scoops of sour cream and mix very well (no chunks, I used a hand mixer- it may help to slowly add broth to the sour cream mixing thoroughly as you add the broth). If you want you can replace sour cream with heavy cream. Pour broth and cream mixture over enchiladas then top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. 

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

*If you wanted to make these ahead of time and freeze then simply don't add the broth cream mixture or final sprinkle of cheese until right before you are ready to bake it.

Udon with Tofu and Asian Greens

This was easy and yummy. Worth remembering so I thought I'd post it. 

Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package udon noodles
- 4 tablespoons roasted peanut oil, or 3 tablespoons sesame oil mixed with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 12-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 12 pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 bunch of any Asian greens (I use bok choy, or Savoy cabbage) and a large handful of spinach leaves
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
- Large pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- Pinch of sugar

Directions:

Cook the udon noodles as the label directs. (Don't overcook or they will get mushy.) Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Pat the tofu dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and the greens to the skillet. Cook, tossing, until just wilted. Add the scallions, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce and sugar. Add the reserved cooking water; heat to create a broth. Divide the noodles and greens among 4 bowls and top with the tofu.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/udon-with-tofu-and-asian-greens-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback