Split Pea Soup With Bacon, Potato, and Barley

Peas. I'm not a really big fan. Well, when they are alone that is. I am fine with them in salads, pastas etc. But on their own, not so much.

Split pea soup on the other hand, is a favorite of mine. There is something about this hearty soup that makes my heart warm. I thought it might just be because of the addition of the bacon. Because, in my opinion, bacon can really add to ANY meal. But, no. I think it is the consistency, and heartiness that makes a cold night seem warmer with this soup. (okay, and the bacon.) : )

The potato and barley in this recipe really gave it oomph too. This meal is perfect on its own, or add some bread for a real stick-to-your-ribs meal.

Oh, I tried to get the best pictures I could of this soup, but it just isn't pretty to begin with, sooo...

Split Pea Soup with Bacon, Potato, and Barley

1 lb. split peas rinsed and sorted

2 tsp. canola oil

1/2 cup onion diced

1/2 cup celery diced

1/2 cup carrots diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 Tbs. parsley chopped

7 strips bacon cooked and crumbled (save 1 1/2 Tbs. bacon grease)

3/4 cups barley

2 medium potatoes diced

8 cups chicken stock (or water)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat a large heavy stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add canola oil and bacon grease. When it is shimmering, add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until onion is wilted and almost carmelized. Add the peas, parsley and garlic. Saute for a few more minutes. Add stock or water and stir to combine. Cover pot and let simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occaisionally.

Uncover pot and stir. If you have an immersion blender, blend until creamy. If not, remove about 1/2 of the soup and put into a blender. Blend until creamy.

Add potatoes, barley and bacon and cook another 1/2-3/4 of an hour. Serve and Enjoy!

Red Wine Braised Beef and Herbed Dumplings

The grocery store had a sale on beef chuck stew meat, so I took advantage and bought a 1 1/2 package of it. I had originally thought of making beef and barley stew, but for some reason, I wasn't settling on that in my mind. I waited until tonight to make the stew meat, because I knew whatever I did with it, I'd be cooking it low and slow, so I'd need at least an hour and a half.

Remembering the robust flavor of the Cabernet Pot Roast I made a while back, I decided I'd recreate that but with the chuck in cubes rather that a big hunk. I wanted to have something to accompany it, but I wasn't in the mood for potatoes, or barley for that matter. Of the dishes I wanted to make this week, one didn't make the cut, and that was chicken and dumplings. And I have been craving dumplings all week. After some pondering, I decided to incorporate the dumplings in this dish.

The only thing I would do differently is use my cast iron stock pot rather than the large cast iron skillet I used. I just feel like the dumplings needed to cook longer, and after I added them, the sauce/gravy became a little too thick. After adding some water it was fixed so no biggie, but next time I'll use the stock pot. You can use any good red wine you like, here I used a Pinot Noir.

Red Wine Braised Beef and Herb Dumplings

1 1/2 lbs. stew meat in cubes

1/2 cup flour for dusting

Salt and pepper to season the meat

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

3 garlic cloves minced

1 Tbs. fresh parsley chopped

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 cup red wine

4 cups (or more if you want more of a soup/stew) beef stock or broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Season meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. (I like to put the flour in a plastic grocery bag then add the meat and shake the heck out of it)

Shake off excess flour and set aside. Preheat a large skillet (or oven safe stock pot) over medium heat and add oil. Sear meat on all sides until dark brown and set aside. Add onion, celery, mushrooms, parsley and thyme to skillet. Saute until brown and caramel-y. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add beef back to pot and deglaze the pan with the wine. Let wine reduce by 1/2 and add stock. Cover and put in oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Herbed Dumplings

(modified ATK recipe)

2 Cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

3 Tbs unsalted butter cut into cubes

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl.

Heat Milk and butter in microwave for one minute. Take out and stir about a minute or so until all the butter has melted. Add to flour mixture and fold until incorporated, don't over mix.

Putting it all together:

Take skillet out of oven and put it over low heat on the stove top. Add spoonfuls of the dumpling batter into skillet and cook for 15 minutes, or until the are cooked through. Serve in shallow bowls.

Hearty Lentil and Sausage Stew

Tonight I made a soup exactly how I was craving it. I didn't realize it until I started to sit down and eat it. I love, love when this type of thing happens. I was craving a hearty, bean type stew/soup for dinner and I got just that. This is a very pocketbook friendly meal, the most expensive item is the smoked sausage. Not too labor intensive either, just throw things in a pot and let simmer. At the end to make it thick and creamy, I pureed some lentils in my blender. Serve with crusty bread and your good to go with this winter friendly meal.

Hearty Lentil and Sausage Stew

1lb. smoked sausage cut into half moons
1 lb. green lentils
1 medium onion diced
2 large stalks celery diced
1 cup (about) diced carrots

2 medium resset potatoes peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbs. parsley chopped
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp. ground allspice
7-8 cups chicken stock or broth
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add butter and oil. When butter is melted add onions, celery, bay leaves, cumin, allspice, and parsley. Cook about 3 minutes and add sausage. Cook mixture for about 5-8 minutes then add garlic. Cook another couple minutes and add lentils and potatoes. Stir to combine and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook about 30 minutes. At the end scoop out about 2 cups of the lentils and puree in a blender. Add back to pan and stir. Serve and enjoy!

Layered Enchilada Casserole

What a way to cure my Mexican craving! Cheesy, saucy, layers of corn tortillas with re fried bean and ground turkey mixture nestled in between. This is comfort food at it's best. I made this up as I went along, but this isn't really a difficult concept. Think of it as a lasagna, just with tortillas instead of noodles. I doubt this is a unique idea, I think I've seen a recipe or two like it. Nonetheless, it really was delicious, and I'll happily be taking it to work with me the next couple of days.

Layered Enchilada Casserole

1 1/2 lb. ground turkey

1 can re fried beans

1 Tbs. canola oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 garlic cloves minced

1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

3 8oz cans (it's all I had on hand) No Salt added tomato sauce

2 Tbs. Chili powder divided

2 Tbs. cumin Divided

2 tsp. smoked paprika divided

2 tsp. dried oregano

Pinch of sugar

a few shakes of cayenne powder

salt and pepper to taste

18 corn tortillas

2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar and some left over Monterrey jack)

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add ground turkey. Add 1 Tbs. of chili powder, 1 Tbs. cumin, a tsp. of oregano and salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels and add oil. Put skillet over medium heat and saute onions and pepper. When onion becomes translucent add garlic and parsley. Cook another minute. Add tomato sauce and the rest of the spices and sugar. Let simmer about 5 minutes.

Transfer ground turkey to a mixing bowl and add re fried beans and about 1/4-1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Mix well.

In a 9x13 casserole dish layer 6 tortillas on the bottom, cover with sauce, then meat-bean mixture, then cheese.

Repeat the process ending with tortillas, sauce and more cheese. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, uncovering the last 10 minutes.

My New Favorite Mac and Cheese

Last Saturday I put a pork shoulder in the fridge to defrost for Sunday evening. When I went to take it out to season, I wondered how the hell Chad and I were going to eat 3 lbs. of pulled pork. That's when I decided to invite the parents over for dinner. I used my favorite recipe for pulled pork, it comes out perfect every time.

When it came to thinking of sides to serve, I knew I couldn't go wrong with mac and cheese. I have made so many variations of this dish in the past, and I was ready to try another. So I looked on the Food Network site and Alton Brown's recipe caught my eye. That was the one. I made a few variations (very few, highlighted in red) and I am now claiming this as a new favorite.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(Alton Brown)

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk ( I used half and half)
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded ( I used sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.



Look who belongs to the clean plate club!

Hearty and Healthy Turkey and Vegetable Chili

I bought a couple of turkey thighs a couple weeks back and needed to use them. I decided to slow cook them in some broth and herbs today while I ran errands. When I got back they were fork tender and ready to work with. I added two types of beans to this chili and even contemplating adding another, but I left it at the black and kidney. I used a bunch of fresh oregano which gave this chili depth of flavor, and I added a bit of cayenne for some spiciness. This made a ton, which is great to freeze for days I don't have anything to bring for lunch. This recipe is only 5 WW points but tastes like it could be 10.

Hearty Turkey and Vegetable Chili
(Makes 8 Servings)

3 1/2 cups dark Turkey meat (I used 2 thighs cooked w/o the skin)
2 tsp. olive oil butter spray
1 cup each: carrots diced, celery diced, green pepper diced onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
6 cups fat free chicken broth
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. cumin dash of cayenne (more if you like it hot!) dash of hot sauce
1 Tbs. fresh oregano
1 Tbs. fresh parsley chopped
1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter spray. Add carrots, celery, green peppers, and onion. Cook until onion turns translucent. Add parsley, oregano, bay leaf and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and spices, cooking a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with a Tablespoon of cheddar cheese and a dollop of fat free sour cream.

Meatloaf- The Healthy Kind

As I was making the menu for the week for my grocery trip Chad had mentioned he wouldn't mind some meatloaf. Not a typical meal for 90 degree weather, I like to think as meatloaf as a fall/winter type of meal. Happy he was suggesting something, I wrote down meatloaf. I remembered a meatloaf recipe I made from Cooks Illustrated earlier this year (during meatloaf season) and decided to use that recipe. When I looked at the ingredients (2 lbs of meat for 2!) I decided I would have to modify the recipe to make it fit for just us, and also to use a different meat, turkey.

I omitted a few things, to make it lighter and when I put my ingredients into my trusted recipe calculator, I found what I was looking for. A healthy kind of meatloaf.

The gelatin remained in the recipe, as I like my loaf to be slice-able, and not falling apart. I reduced the amount of sugar and ketchup in the glaze to make it less fattening.

The end result was fantastic. I couldn't even tell I was eating turkey. This healthy eating isn't so bad after all.

Turkey Meatloaf

(Modified from CI)

1 lb. ground turkey

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

2 garlic cloves minced

1 Tbs. fresh basil chopped

1 Tbs. fresh parsley chopped

6 whole wheat saltines crushed fine

2 Tbs. egg beaters or other egg substitute

2 Tsp. lite soy sauce

1/4 cup 2 % mozzarella chopped fine ( I just used shredded and chopped it with my knife)

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin

2 Tbs. low sodium, fat free chicken broth

Glaze:

2 1/2 Tbs. ketchup (low fat would be great but didn't have any)

1 Tbs. cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. cover a broiler pan or a cookie cooling rack with two layers of foil and punch holes in it so fat can drain. Then put pan or rack in another pan to catch drips and prevent your oven from smoking you out of the house.

2. Add meat to a medium sized bowl and add all ingredients except gelatin and broth.

3. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add the gelatin to the ground meat; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into an oval about 2 inches high. Bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and turn on broiler.

4. While meat loaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium low heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 3-5 minutes. Let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4

Calories 277.4

Total Fat 13.9 g
Saturated Fat 4.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.9 g
Cholesterol 89.9 mg
Sodium 665.7 mg
Potassium 356.1 mg

Total Carbohydrate10.2 g
Dietary Fiber1.4 g
Sugar 2.4 g
Protein 27.0 g

Northern Bean Soup with Turkey Smoked Sausage

Tonight I was in the mood for something simple yet hearty and healthy. For some reason I have been on a bean kick. I have had some sort of beans the past 4 days. No big deal since beans are healthy, I just find it funny that every meal has to incorperate some sort of legume.

I came up with this soup, which was really quick and easy to make. I even entered all the ingredients into Sparkpeople and it turns out it is pretty darn healthy, and under 500 calories! I know it is summer, and this soup is more fall or winter-ish, but I'm a soup freak. I could eat it every day. Unless it is a cold soup, like gazpacho. We had a discussion about cold soups on my message board (The Nest) and most of the ladies agree that soup should be served hot. I have nothing against those who enjoy a cold soup, but I can't get over the, well, coldness of it.

Northern Bean Soup with Turkey Smoked Sausage

7 oz. Louis Rich smoked sausage chopped ( one link)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

3 garlic cloves minced

2 cans northern beans rinsed and drained

1 1/4 cup pearl barley

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. salt

3 tsp. pepper

2 bay leaves

2 Tsp. canola oil

7 cups chicken stock

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add canola oil and saute pepper, onion and celery until onion gets soft. Add garlic, sausage, bayleaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Saute about 4-6 minutes. Add barley and toast about 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring contents of the pot to a boil. Add beans, lower to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes or until barley is cooked. Using an immersion blender, blend soup about 15 seconds to thicken. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 408.2
Total Fat 7.2 g
Saturated Fat 1.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g
Cholesterol 19.5 mg
Sodium 775.7 mg
Potassium 864.0 mg

Total Carbohydrate 65.5 g

Dietary Fiber 14.2 g
Sugars 5.0 g
Protein 21.9 g

Cheesy Grits with Roasted Corn and Shallots

Last Sunday after church Chad and I went to lunch. We wanted to try a restaurant near us that is said to have amazing brunches, unfortunately when we got there the wait time was like an hour. Both of us starving, we decided not to wait. I did however grab a to-go menu so I could see what I was missing out on that day.

The menu did look awesome. I was pretty disappointed that I wasn't able to have some grits, which was one item that caught my eye. I imagined them being creamy and cheesy and I wanted them. I still did tonight.

Tonight I decided to make grits. To dress them up I roasted some frozen corn kernels and sauteed some shallots and garlic. The best part is the cheese. Oooey gooey cheese and grits, what is not to like? I am a content woman.

Cheesy Grits with Roasted Corn and Shallots

1 1/2 cup grits

2 tsp. oil

2 Tbs. chopped shallots

1 Garlic clove minced

2 1/2 cups milk

3 cups chicken stock

1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

1 cup frozen corn kernels thawed

1 tsp. oil

1 1/2 cups cheese (you can use what you have on hand or like, I used colby/jack)

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat and add oil. Add shallots and garlic and saute a few minutes add liquids and bring to a boil. When liquid comes to a boil wisk grits in a steady stream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.

While grits cook, heat oven to 400. Toss corn kernels with oil and lay on a small baking sheet. cook 15-20 minutes until corn starts to brown.

Uncover the sauce pan and toss in the parsley, cheese, corn, and butter, stirring to combine. Serve immediately.

Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Onions

I have been on a comfort food kick this week, and this is comfort food at it's best. It is odd because the weather here has been very warm and in warm weather I crave a lighter fare.

This isn't like school cafeteria salisbury steak, you'll find no mystery meat here. Lean ground beef, caramelized onions all simmered in wine and beef gravy. I thought about serving this cafeteria style, with mashed potatoes and green beans, but decided to make barley instead. I am glad I did, I love the texture of barley and it paired wonderful with the beef-y-ness of the steaks.

Salisbury Steaks with Caramelized Onions

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

1 1/2 Tbs. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried (divided)

1 tsp. coriander

1 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram (divided)

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 c. bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. flour

1/2 cup red wine

2 c. beef stock or broth

Salt and Pepper (to your taste)

Put ground beef in a bowl and add garlic powder, parsley, coriander, marjoram, thyme, slat and pepper and bread crumbs. Break eggs in another small bowl and whisk, add to beef mixture.. Cut onion in half and process one half in a food processor until very fine. Add to onion to beef mixture and mix everything together until smooth. Shape into oval patties about 1-1 1/2 thick.

Heat a large heavy skillet over med. high heat and add olive oil. Sear patties on each side about 2-3 minutes per side, or until a brown crust forms. While the patties are cooking slice the remaining onion and mince the garlic. Remove patties from pan, add 2 Tbs. of butter, 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. marjoram, salt, pepper and onions. Cook onions for about 5-8 minutes, or until caramelized. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Add flour to the onions and stir until smooth. De glaze the pan with the wine and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add beef broth and bring contents of the skillet to a simmer. Put the beef patties back in pan and simmer for 15 minutes. (if gravy isn't thick enough add some corn starch to water and make a slurry, pour in skillet and stir) Serve over mashed potatoes, barley, rice, egg noodles etc.

Guinness Braised Brisket

To honor St. Pattys day I thought I'd make a brisket. But to go a step further I decided to braise it in Guiness and Irish whiskey (I got this idea from the FN). After browsing a few recipes, I decided to not follow one but go at in on my own. It was so hard to wait for this. Chad and I were starving by the time dinner was ready, it took about 3 hours for this 2.45lb brisket to get nice and tender. It was well worth the wait, but I wouldn't classify this as a weeknight meal unless you don't mind eating a little later (we like to eat at 7ish).

I made a simple gravy with the pan drippings and a flour and water slurry. It made a great addition to the whole dish.

Guiness Braised Brisket

1 2-3 lb brisket

flour for dredging

salt and pepper for seasoning the meat

1 Tbs. canola oil

1 onion chopped coarsly

5 garlic cloves smashed

3 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped.

1 sprig rosemary

2 tsp. whole allspice

2 tsp. caraway seeds

2 bottles guiness

1/3 cup Irish Whiskey

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Preheat oven to 325

Bring brisket to room temperature and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet (or dutch oven) over med. high heat. Sear meat on both sides 4-5 minutes each until you get a nice brown crust. Add beer and whiskey (stand back when you do this) and the rest of the ingredients except carrots. Bring to a simmer cover tightly and put in oven for 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours, or until tender (add carrots the last 45 minutes). Take brisket out of pan and let rest covered with foil for 10 minutes.

To make the pan gravy:

Heat remains in the pan over low heat and bring to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup water and a flour and water slurry. Stir vigorously with a whisk until it all comes together and continue to simmer for a few minutes longer. Spoon over sliced brisket.

Bean and Pasta Soup

I made this soup last week solely for the fact that I needed lunch the next day. I toyed with the idea of whether or not I was going to leave the white beans whole, or puree them. I decided to puree one can of the beans and leave the other 2 whole. This is one of those soups where you just add ingredients as you go. I checked what was in the pantry and fridge and just threw it all in. Turned out great and now I have some extra portions in the freezer that I can bring to work the next time I have nothing to bring.

Bean and Pasta Soup

2 cans cannelini beans

1 can garbanzo beans

9 cups chicken stock

4-6 strips of bacon diced

2 tsp. olive oil

1-2 cups penne (or what ever pasta you may have on hand)

2 srpigs fresh thyme

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

2 carrots sliced

2 celery stalks sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high until crispy. Remove from pot and and drain all but 2 Tbs. of fat. Add onion, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, celery and carrots. Saute until onions are soft. Add garlic and saute a few minutes longer. Add stock and one can of the cannellini beans. Let cook for 20 minutes and blend with an immersion blender, or transfer 1/2 the soup to a blender. Add the rest of the beans and penne and cook for 15 minutes longer.

Spicy Rubbed Roasted Pork Loin

Oh man did I have a time thinking of how I wanted to cook this roast. I bought it on sale, and I was determined to prepare it this evening. I browsed probably a million recipes, and nothing really stood out to me. So once again, I started to throw things together. One thing I did do is brine the pork one day ahead of so it would lock in the flavors, and ensure a moist and tender roast. I think I was in the mood for something south of the border, or southwestern, because all the spices I used were of that family of flavor. I will probably add a little more of the seasoning and let sit for about an hour in the fridge the next time I make this. Or I may make a sauce out of the drippings. But tonight, I was just too hungry to do all that. It came out perfect, and moist like I had hoped. I think I will be brining all my pork roasts in the future.

Brine:

1 gallon cold water

1 cup boiling water

1 cup kosher salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs. peppercorns

2 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and sage

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the boiling water and add to cold water. Add rosemary and sage. Let water cool completely before adding pork. Add pork and put in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to use, rinse and pat dry.

Rub for pork

1 Tbs. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 garlic cloves

1 Tbs. spicy mustard (dijon will work)

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 sprig rosemary leaves removed

2 sprigs thyme leaves removed

2 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth. Score pork with a sharp knife in a few places and spread rub all over pork. Let sit for about a half hour until pork comes to room temperature.

1 onion quartered

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup chicken stock

preheat oven to 325 degrees

Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil. Sear pork on each side until well browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add onion, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Cover and cook about an hour or until internal temperature reads 140. Take out of oven and remove from pan. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve

Shepherds Pie

This is my first one of these. I never had this growing up, except for maybe in restaurants. I have always wanted to make one, so I thought why not tonight. I used the recipe from America's Test Kitchen because I wanted to make sure I was making a tried and tested recipe.

I make a few variations like adding a package of fresh, sliced white mushrooms, and a chopped celery stalk That I sauteed with the onions. I also used a lb. ground turkey instead of 2 lbs. of ground beef, just to make it a bit lighter(and really because I only had a lb. of ground beef available).

Mine didn't come out as pretty as I envisioned it would but that is my fault. I was a little shy on the potatoes (which were yukon gold's and not the recommended russets, btw), but it still came out looking decent (despite the bubble over on the left in the pic above) and tasting out of this world.

Shepherd's Pie

(ATK recipe)

Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion , chopped fine
2 medium carrots , peeled and chopped fine
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
Table salt and ground black pepper

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup beer (I used Amstel Light)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 cup frozen peas

*note* I used half a bag of frozen peas and carrots. I added them when the recipe said to add the peas at the end. Oh, and I also added 3 cloves of garlic that I threw in there when I began to brown the meat.

Topping
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes . peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
Table salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1/3 cup heavy cream , warmed
Ground black pepper
1 large egg , beaten

1. For the filling: Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add meat, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 12 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste and cook until paste begins to darken, about 1 minute.

2. Add cream and cook until it spatters, about 1 minute. Add broth, beer, soy sauce, and thyme and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick but still saucy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in peas, adjust seasonings, and transfer to broiler safe 2-quart casserole dish.

3. For the topping: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan, and mash potatoes with butter and cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread potatoes over filling, using spatula to smooth top (see photo at left). Brush with egg and drag fork across top to make ridges. Bake until filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Turn on broiler and cook until top is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Serve.

Make Ahead
Make the filling through step 2, but do not add the peas. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to proceed, reheat the filling in a large saucepan, stir in the peas, and transfer to a broiler safe 2-quart casserole. Proceed with the recipe from step 3.

Hearty Chicken and Dumplings

After a little too much partying for Chad's surprise (no he wasn't surprised, he knew something was up) birthday party last night we were in need of a hearty home style meal. The only thing I had in the fridge were chicken legs that I bought on sale so our dinner had to incorporated those. I thought about just roasting them and making some rice and veggies as our sides but instead I decided to make chicken and dumplings (I like to say "dumplins").

I have to admit, I looked online for recipes but the only one I wanted to make was the Cooking Light version. But it was pretty complicated, and I just didn't have the energy. So I totally threw this thing together remembering bits and pieces from the recipes I viewed online. It came out so well, and I am thankful I made a huge batch that we can take to work for lunches later in the week.

Chicken and Dumplings

6 chicken legs roasted(I basted them with a butter, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper mixture before roasting), meat removed and roughly chopped (or 3 cups cooked chicken)

1 medium onion chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1/2 bag of peas and carrots combo

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

3 Tbs. dripping from roasted chicken or 3 Tbs. butter

1 1/2 Tbs. flour

1/4 cup white wine

10 cups good quality chicken stock(warmed)

2 bay leaves

1 Tbs. fresh sage chopped

1 Tbs. fresh flat leafed parsley chopped

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried marjoram

Salt and pepper to taste

Dumpling ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

3/4 cups half and half

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. butter

In a large heavy pot heat drippings or butter over medium heat. Add onions,celery, bay leaves, thyme, sage and marjoram and saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add flour and stir constantly for about 3 minutes so the roux doesn't burn. Add wine and deglaze the pot scraping any bits from the bottom. Add chicken stock a couple cups at a time whisking constantly. Add the cooked chicken and the parsley and bring to a gentle boil.

Add the dumplings and cook for about 10-15 minutes longer. Add peas and carrots take off heat and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Dumplings:

Sift all dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Combine half and half and butter and heat in a microwave until butter has melted. Add to flour mixture and mix together with a fork until well combined. Knead a couple of times on a floured surface until smooth (a couple of times, don't over do it). Pinch off about a Tbs. size (you can make the dumplings as big as you want them but if they are larger they may have to cook longer) and add to soup.

The Best Meatloaf I've Ever Eaten

Most people are either meatloaf lovers, or haters. I am a meatloaf lover. I always have been. But now, I love it even more with this recipe. This meatloaf recipe has been on my list of things to try for a while now. So when I happened to have a couple lbs. of ground round in the fridge that I bought on sale, I jumped at the opportunity to make it.

I despise a crumbly meatloaf You know the kind, when you try to slice it the meat crumbles all over your fork and plate and you are left to pick up the little pieces. Not this meatloaf. The unflavored gelatin is the key in holding it together, as well as the eggs. So when I sliced a piece with my fork it stayed together all the way up to my mouth. Heaven. The glaze was tangy and delicious and a wonderful compliment. Although I did stray from the original recipe with the type of ground meat (I used 2lbs. ground round) it didn't matter one bit. I forsee this being my go to recipe for meatloaf in the years to come. Maybe next time I'll add a little more spices, but really it didn't need a thing.

All Beef Meatloaf

(cooks illustrated)

3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)

1 medium rib celery , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)

1 medium clove garlic , minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2/3 cup crushed saltines

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound ground sirloin

Glaze

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on plate and place in freezer until ready to use. Prepare baking sheet--cover a broiler pan or a cookie cooling rack with two layers of foil and punch holes in it so fat can drain. Then put pan or rack in another pan to catch drips and prevent your oven from smoking you out of the house.

2. Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown. Add garlic, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool.

3. Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, mustard, saltines, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture. Add ground meat; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into 10 by 6-inch oval about 2 inches high. Bake 55 to 65 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and turn on broiler.

4. While meat loaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meat loaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.

Baked Pork Chops

Another seat-of-my-pants creation, looks like I'm on a roll here! I guess I was feeling guilty for cooking very little last week, or that I was sending Chad out to get ingredients for a recipe I just had to have, but really could do without. I am fully stocked in the pantry folks, and there really is no reason for all this running out kind of business. A lovely woman (TheBridesMom/TBM) on The Nest, a message board I frequent, really got me thinking about this. She had mentioned how this is the type of cook she is, and I admire that. I forgot how fun it was to come up with things last minute. So I vowed to tap back into my creative side and do a little of the same this week.

So I had 2 1/2" thick bone in, center cut pork chops that needed to be used in the fridge. I wanted to keep them healthy so I knew there would be no frying. I basically pan seared them and baked. I kept it really simple, but the flavor was incredible! Chad was happy too, mostly because there was no last minute ingredient request.

Baked Pork Chops
Kosher salt, fresh pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning
Flour for dredging
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbs. fresh sage chopped
3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 small onion sliced into large chunks
1 sprig fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat olive oil a medium sized oven proof skillet over medium heat. dredge seasoned chops in flour. Transfer to skillet and sear on both sides, 3 minutes each. Add broth, sage, thyme, onion and garlic. Let come to a simmer, cover and transfer to oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until chops are tender. Serve with spinach risotto below.

Simple Pot Roast with Vegetables and Barley

Sunday evenings and pot roast. So cliche, but so true. I always want something of the like to start the week off right. And Sunday is the best day to let a roast... well, roast for a couple hours. Going back to school after being off for 2 1/2 weeks is going to be tough. So I definitely needed my comfort food. I just made a simple roast, no wine, no fancy veggies (unless you consider parsnips fancy) and no crazy spices. Just your basic pantry and crisper/counter staples. I was going to make mashed potatoes, but I was already having so many veggies, I wanted more of a grain. I looked in the pantry and contemplated the quinoa, but decided on the barley. I think I would pick barley over any grain. It is just that good to me.

So after a delicious and stick to the ribs meal that I paired with a glass of Ravenswood Cab, I am now blissfully sitting on my couch watching tv And Trying very hard not to block out the image of chaos that will start my week. Sigh.

Simple Pot Roast with Vegetables

1 2 1/2 lb. chuck roast trimmed of excess fat

flour for dredging

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbs. canola oil

Vegetables:

2 large parsnips peeled and chopped in large chunks

2 large carrots peeled and chopped in large chunks

1 med. onion large dice

3 celery stalks chopped in large chunks

1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms

4 cloves of garlic chopped

Seasonings

3 sprigs fresh thyme

tsp. oregano

tsp. basil

Kosher salt and pepper

1 1/2 cup beef broth

I used my cast iron skillet for this, but any large oven safe pot or dish can be used.

preheat oven to 350

In a large skillet (or the like) heat oil over med. high heat. After seasoning and dredging roast, sear meat about 5 minutes on both sides to get a deep brown color. Set meat aside.

Add all veggies to pan and saute until onion is starting to brown, add garlic. Saute for about 4 or 5 more minutes and remove veggies. Add broth and seasonings and deglaze the pan. make sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottome of the pan. Return roast, then veggies to the pan. Cover tightly with foil or a lid. Put in oven and cook 1 1/2-2 hours.

You can make a pan gravy from the excess in the pan by adding a flour or corn starch slurry to the pan over medium heat and bringing it to a boil. Let simmer a couple minutes and serve over roast, veggies and barley.

Obligatory Fork Shot : )

Lemon Thyme and Rosemary Roasted Chicken with a side of Rice Medley

I love roasting chickens. It is so easy, and it is fun to come up with different flavor combinations. Tonight I browsed through my fridge and found that I had fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and lemons. Combine those ingredients with butter, lots of garlic, and onion, and this chicken was good to go.
The side dish tonight I call a "Rice Medely". It wasn't anything I had planned on doing I just started adding things. It contains long grain rice, lentils, vermicelli, walnut pieces, celery, onion, garlic and a couple dried herbs. So what am I supposed to call it? Yeah, that's why it is a "Rice Medley". I would like to say that this little side dish was freaking awesome. Especially with the pan gravy I made with the drippings from the chicken. I'm glad I have leftovers.

Lemon Thyme and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

• 1 31/2 -4 lb chicken rinsed, patted dry and giblets removed

For the Cavity:

• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 whole lemon halved (juice reserved)
• 1 onion quartered
• 6 garlic cloves
• salt and pepper

Stuff cavity with all ingredients and tie legs together with butcher twine

Rub:

• 1 sprig thyme and 1 sprig rosemary leaves removed
• juice of lemon
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 TBS. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1tsp. pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock

Put all ingredients in processor and blend thoroughly. Massage into bird making sure to get under the skin. Put bird in roasting pan add stock and roast for 30 minutes breast side up. Turn chicken and roast another 35-40 minutes breast side down. Cover with foil for the next 10-15 minutes so skin does not overcook. When thickest part of thigh reads 180 on a meat thermometer the bird is ready. Take out of oven put on carving board to rest for 15 minutes. (cover with foil to retain heat.)

Rice Medley

• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• 1/2 cup lentils
• 3/4 cup vermicelli
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• tsp. salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions and celery and sauted until onions are limp and transluscent. Add garlic, rice and vermicelli and saute for about 2 minutes. Add lentils, herbs, salt, pepper and stock and bring to a boil. When mixture comes to a boil reduce heat to low cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Cabernet Pot Roast and Roasted Potatoes

Today was definitely not a chilly fall day. Here in HOT-lanta we rose to a high of 75 degrees. It certainly did not feel like a normal fall November day. So why am I making a fall/winter type meal? It's because of the braised short ribs we had for dinner the other night. They were so good, I have been craving more.

This time I decided to use a 2lb Chuck roast, and roast the potatoes seperately. I cooked this in my huge cast iron skillet because I still don't own a heavy dutch oven. Not yet anyway (hint hint Chad). This would be a great meal to entertain with and I'm thinking of making it for my lunch club. The meat is inexpensive, and using the braising technique will guarantee a juicy roast with remarkable flavor. Let me add that the leftovers are phenominal, almost better the next day.

Cabernet Pot Roast

• 1 2 lb. chuck roast trimmed of excess fat
• Flour for dredging plus 1 Tbs. for slurry
• salt, pepper and garlic powder for seasoning
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 cup Cabernet
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cup beef broth divided
• 3 med. sized carrots cut into long strips
• 2 celery stalks roughly chopped
• 1 medium chopped
• 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 1 rosemary sprig cut in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sage stems with leaves
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325

Heat skillet over med. high heat and add oil. Season meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder and dredge in flour. Sear meat in skillet on all sides, and set aside. Add butter to the pan and take off burner to cool down. Lower heat to med. low and return the skillet to the burner after a few minutes. Add all veggies and herbs except garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook a couple minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine scraping all the stuck on bit from the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes, and broth and bring to a simmer. Let simmer about 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Add roast, cover skillet tightly with foil and roast for 2-2 1/2 hours.

Take skillet out of oven and put meat and veggies on a platter. Discard stems and make a slurry with 1 Tbs. of flour and water. Turn heat on burner to low and stir in slurry and 1/4 cup of beef broth. Continue stirring until you have the consistency desired. Serve over roast and potatoes.

Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes

• 3 Medium sized potatoes cut into one medium wedges
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped

Put all ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine. Line a cooking sheet with foil and roast in the oven with the beef at 325 for 30-40 minutes.