Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Since my last post was on slow cooking pork I thought I’ share my slow cooker pot roast recipe. I like to use onions, carrots, and red potatoes but you can use any vegetables you like. Like the pork I usually only cook about 2-3# with leftovers for 2 people. Sometimes it’s hard to find roasts that small so in that case I suggest cutting it in half and freezing it.

Ingredients:

Chuck Roast, Rump Roast or Bottom Round Roast, about 2-3#

3 cups Beef Broth

2 tsp Tomato Paste

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 Yellow Onions, quartered

1/2 cup Baby Carrots

2 Red Potatoes, Quartered

For gravy:

2 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Flour

2 quarts Cooking liquid (8 cups)

Method:

1. Season roast with salt and pepper. Combine all remaining ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cook for 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.*

3. Remove meat from slow cooker and let rest for about 5 minutes.

4. Heat butter in a saucepan until melted. Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes or until it has a nutty aroma.**

5. Gradually whisk in cooking liquid a few cups at a time until it’s all combined. Simmer for about 2 minutes to ensure the flour has cooked out. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Slice or shred the meat and serve with vegetables and gravy.

*While you can cook the meat on high in the slow cooker for less time, I think it comes out even more tender when cooked on low.

**The gravy can be made with roux (butter & flour) as above or can be made with a cornstarch slurry. For the cornstarch method, combine 2 tbsp water and 2 tbsp cornstarch in a bowl and mix until combined into a liquid. Heat up cooking liquid over medium heat. Turn heat to low and whisk in slurry until combined. Turn heat back up to medium and bring to a boil. Using the slurry will diminish some of the flavor in the sauce so you may need to re-season.

Slow Cooker Pork

I love my slow cooker so I’ve been trying to use it more often. Last week I made a pork shoulder in the slow cooker that I made carnitas (pork tacos) with. I have about half left that I will be mixing with BBQ sauce to make pulled pork sandwiches on Friday.

I don’t usually use a recipe when I use a slow cooker but I’ve been using too much liquid so I browsed a few recipes. I have the Williams-Sonoma Slow Cooker cookbook that I use for a guideline when using my slow cooker. Most recipes call for about 4 pounds of meat but since there’s only two of us I only cook 2 pounds and get two meals out of it (and freeze the other 2 pounds).

Slow Cooker Pork

Ingredients:

Pork shoulder (Also known as pork butt), about 2 #

1 Lime, juiced

1 Orange, juiced

1 cup Chicken broth

2 Yellow Onions, quartered

6 Garlic Cloves, smashed

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Smoked Paprika

1 1/2 tbsp Chili Lime Seasoning*

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Combine all remaining ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cook for 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.

3. Shred pork with two forks. Keep cooking liquid to keep moist, especially if storing.

*Chili Lime seasoning can be purchased at Williams-Sonoma stores or online. If not available, 1 1/2 tbsp Chili powder and zest of 1 lime can be substituted.

For Carnitas, serve with warm corn tortillas and fresh tomato salsa.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

1 Tomato, diced

1 Yellow onion, minced

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 Lime, juiced

2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients. Let sit for 1 hour up to overnight.

For Pulled Pork, combine shredded pork with barbecue sauce. Serve with cornbread and/or macaroni and cheese.

Chicken Meatball Subs

This recipe is inspired by Barefoot Contessa’s chicken meatballs for Italian Wedding Soup. Her recipe comes from her new book Back to Basics. I love her recipes because they’re classic and always come out great. I wanted to make healthier meatball subs and they were a big hit. They are small and you can fit 2 on a regular size roll (more on a hero roll).

Chicken Meatball Subs

1 pound ground chicken

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp dried basil

2 tbsp dried parsley

1/8 tsp mustard powder

3 tbsp skim milk

1 egg white

1 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper, to taste

Whole wheat rolls-Weight Watchers or Martin’s Potato Rolls

Speedy Tomato Sauce-see below or store-bought tomato sauce.

1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients for meatballs except breadcrumbs. Mix together with hands. Add breadcrumbs a little bit at a time until mixture is no longer sticky but holds shape when pinched.

3. Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure, portion out meat and roll into balls. Place on a parchment paper lined sheetpan or nonstick sheetpan.

4. Bake for 20 minutes turning once. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

5. Toast rolls and heat sauce.

6. Cut meatballs in half and place 2 on one side of each bun. Ladle sauce over meatballs and top with cheese. Cook for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

7. Serve and enjoy!

My husband asked me to make tomato sauce like I used to-before I got all fancy haha. It isn’t cooked for hours so you really get the taste of the tomatoes instead of sauce.

Speedy Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes (Preferably San Marzano tomatoes)

Salt and pepper, to taste.

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large sauce pan. When shimmering, add onion and garlic. Sweat until translucent-about 3 minutes.

2. Add herbs and tomatoes. Break up tomatoes using a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use an immersion blender or food processor to smooth sauce.

3. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove garlic cloves and cook sauce for 2 more minutes. Ready to use now or can go into refrigerator for use later.

Chili Recipe

This is my chili recipe I’ve been working on for a little bit. I make it mostly in the winter. I finally got it right (in my opinion) for this year’s Superbowl party. We just got the meat grinder attachment for the KitchenAid so I’m sure fresh ground beef will make this even better.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced 

4 Cloves Garlic, peeled and minced

1 Jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced

2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce, chopped*

1 tbsp Canola/Vegetable Oil

2 # Ground Beef

1 28 oz. Can Tomatoes (preferably San Marzano-see tomato sauce recipe)

1 8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce

2 tbsp Chili Powder

1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tbsp Seasoning Salt

1 tbsp Ground Oregano

2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and sweat until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add jalapeno, chipotles, and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Drain off fat before proceeding.

3. Add canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add all remaining seasonings and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy.

*Chipotles are dried smoked jalapeno peppers. When you find them canned, they are usually in adobo sauce. It’s a 7 or 8 oz. can usually found in the international aisle. I only use one or two at a time so I keep them in a container in the fridge and they usually last me three-four months.

Lemon Parmesan Asparagus Recipe

Here’s another recipe from my previous blog. I love the flavor of roasted vegetables, especially asparagus.

Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 bunch Asparagus (*Peeled if thick stalks)

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tbsp Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp Fresh squeezed Lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss asparagus with Olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Put back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Tomato Sauce Recipe

This is my basic tomato sauce from my previous blog. I always make a large pot and freeze it if I have any extra.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 medium Onion, diced

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes*

1 28 oz. can Whole Peeled Tomatoes*

1 tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil

S & P to taste

Method:

1. Over medium heat, add olive oil to a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pan. Add diced onion and sweat until translucent.

2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

3. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Cook for 30 minutes or until desired consistency. Fold in fresh basil.

Cook’s Notes:

*Preferably San Marzano Tomatoes

Specialty Pantry Items

I started thinking about some things I have in my pantry that don’t fit into the categories I already listed or they are more specific things in those categories. I also listed which stores you can find the ingredients at. So here are some things that you’ll find in a not-so-basic pantry:

Oils-Peanut Oil and Sesame Oil are some oils you may want to have on hand. Peanut oil is great for frying and can be used as a substitute for canola or vegetable oil in Asian recipes. A lot of Asian recipes will call for Sesame Oil as part of a stir fry or as a finishing item in sauces.

Vinegars-There are hundreds of types of vinegars on the market-you’ll find the most variety at stores like Whole Foods, Uncle Giuseppe’s, and Williams-Sonoma. Some vinegars I use often are red wine vinegar and champagne vinegar. At these specialty stores, you can find specific types of red wine vinegar such as a Cabernet red wine vinegar.

Rice-This is an ingredient that also has many varieties. They vary in size-for example short grain vs. long grain and also the starch content in them. Arborio rice is a short grain rice and the rice most often used for risotto. The starch content in this particular type of rice is what makes the finished product so creamy. (You can also use carnaroli rice for risotto but arborio is more readily available.) Basmati rice is also a good rice to have on hand if you like to cook Indian food. This is a long grain rice that has a subtle fragrance to it.

Panko Breadcrumbs-Panko is now readily available in supermarkets. It’s an Asian type of breadcrumbs. These breadcrumbs are lighter and a course cut to create a crispier crust. You can use them in the same way you would use regular breadcrumbs-flour, egg, and the panko last. They are also nice because you can use them to create a healthier recipe by baking them. Because of their texture, they are great for baking things that are traditionally fried. For example, you could make a quick baked chicken tender by coating the chicken tenders with oil, seasoning, and rolling in panko. Then bake on a cookie sheet and they will be extremely crispy on the outside.

Canned Tomatoes-There are a number of brands of canned tomatoes but my favorite type are from the San Marzano region of Italy. I don’t think any other type of canned tomatoes can touch their flavor. I also find that you don’t need to cook them as long as other varieties because of that great flavor. They are still a little tricky to find at regular supermarkets but the specialty shops noted above should have them. The Waldbaum’s that I shop at does regularly carry them but it differs from store to store. The label usually stands out to me-they have a white background with red tomatoes around the can. The different types have different color bands on the the white label. For example, the whole peeled tomatoes have a dark green band.

Herbs de Provence-This is a dried herb blend made up of lavender, savory, thyme, fennel, and rosemary. There are sometimes other herbs in addition to these such as basil, chervil, and sage. This flavor profile is used a lot in the south of France. One of my favorite recipes uses this seasoning and some salt and pepper on a grilled flank steak with goat cheese sprinkled on top.

Smoked Paprika-There are many different spices and spice blends that you can find in the grocery store. This has been my secret ingredient lately because I’m loving the heat and the smoky flavor it brings. It’s not in your face hot like chili powder or cayenne pepper. The smoke hits you subtly at the end. I use this in all recipes that call for regular paprika. You can find this at specialty shops but many supermarkets now carry specialty spices by McCormick. They are in a glass bottle with a dark lid and there are a wide variety of the spices.

Perfect Pantry Part 2

Broths/Stocks-Broth and stock are very similar and a lot of times in recipes they’re used interchangeably. The difference is that stock is made from the bones and a broth is made from meat and bones. For example: if I’m making my own chicken soup, sometimes I buy a whole chicken, pour cold water to fill the pot and simmer. Then I can also use the meat in the soup. That would be a broth. Sometimes though I’ll make chicken soup with a leftover roasted chicken. I will take all the meat off of the bones and then put the bones in a pot of cold water. This would be a stock. The idea is that the flavor is very similar and it’s hard to tell the difference especially in a recipe where you’re using a little. I usually use stock when I’m making a chicken dish (because the flavor is a little bit stronger) and broth when I’m making a sauce or a meat other than chicken (for example: pork). I like to keep a lot on hand because I use it a lot. The two brands I use most often are: Kitchen Basics Stock and Swanson Broth.

Canned Tomato Products-There are so many types of canned tomatoes-tomato paste, tomato puree, tomato sauce, whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, etc. I tend to have at least one can of each of them but I use whole tomatoes most often. I make my homemade tomato sauce with some tomato paste, whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. You’ll see different combinations of the tomatoes in a lot of recipes though and it just depends what you like. For tomato paste, I usually buy the one in the tube because I usually only use a tablespoon or two at a time and that can goes to waste. You can usually find it in a little box right around the canned tomatoes.

Canned Tuna-Tuna is a staple because you can make tuna salad, a tuna melt, or you can add it to some mac ‘n cheese. It’s an instant protein item that is already cooked so it’s great in a pinch. I also keep canned chicken in the house which is good for chicken salad and dips.

Beans-I’m not really a bean person so I don’t keep many types of beans but there are some recipes that I will buy beans for. I like cannelini beans (medium size white beans) and they can be used to make a white bean dip or added to a soup or stew to make it more hearty. Dried beans require a lot of extra work because you must rinse them and soak them overnight so I rarely use them. If using canned beans, check the recipe, but most times you should rinse them before you add them to the other ingredients.

Prepared Sauces-Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Mustard, Tabasco/Hot Sauce, BBQ sauce, Soy Sauce. The condiments you obviously want to use as condiments but they can also be used in other sauces or dips. The sauces are great to have on hand and they can also be doctored up with some other spices or flavorings (Sandra Lee-style).

Peanut Butter & Jelly(or jams/preserves)-Besides for obvious reasons like sandwiches, these are also great bases for sauces. Some Asian sauce recipes use peanut butter in them. Jellies/jams/preserves can be used as a filling for a cake or heated to make a glaze for a cake.

Baking Ingredients-Flour, Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Chocolate, Baking Powder, Baking Soda. These are the basics for creating most basic recipes. You may want a variety of flours-cake, whole wheat, all purpose, etc. You may also want a variety of chocolate such as chocolate chips, dark, white, and milk chocolate bars.

Dry Mixes-Cake Mix, Brownie Mix, Cornbread Mix, Pancake/Waffle Mix. It’s good to have these on hand. You never know when you’re going to want a brownie sundae one evening or pancakes on a Sunday morning. Cornbread makes a quick side dish especially with BBQ foods.

Dried Herbs-My favorites are dried Basil, Oregano, Thyme, and Bay Leaves.

Spices-I always have paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, chili powder, coriander, and mustard powder.

Perfect Pantry Part 1

This post is about setting up your pantry from my previous blog. This is one of those things that makes your life easier if you plan ahead. If you have certain things on hand you don’t have to stop on the way home from work and wait on the line with everyone else who did the same exact thing. Since we don’t have our own place yet, our pantry isn’t set up like this but when we move into our house these are things that I will make sure we have on hand.

I’ll start with the most basic things that I use for almost everything I make. Salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. Now since I’m a chef, I have a little bit more variety of these than most people but here are the essentials:

Salt-recipes always call for kosher salt-even if it doesn’t say that in the recipe. This type of salt has the lowest sodium content which means you will need more of it. The salt found in most grinders is similar in flavor and texture to sea salt but has been processed to have less moisture. (It needs to have less moisture so that it does not break down the grinder mechanism.) It has a higher sodium content than kosher salt so if you’re using this, be careful not to oversalt.

Pepper-most recipes will call for fresh ground pepper. Affordable pepper mills are easy to find-Bed Bath and Beyond, Williams-Sonoma, and even Target and they come pre-loaded with pepper. You can also get an inexpensive disposable pepper mill at grocery stores or Costco.

Oils-There are a variety of oils out there but how much cooking you do, what types of cooking you do, and how much space in the pantry you have will determine which ones you need. The two you should always have are: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Canola/Vegetable Oil. Olive oil is good for drizzling or dipping bread in, salads, and sauteeing. Canola or vegetable oil is good to have for anything that requires a more neutral flavor such as Mexican or Asian cooking, baking, or pan or deep frying.

Balsamic Vinegar-This vinegar is not just for salad dressings although it does make a great one. In my previous post, I talked about a marinade made with balsamic dressing. Balsamic is also very good with chicken-you can make a pan sauce with it for chicken breasts or as a glaze on roasted chicken. You can also buy a cheap balsamic vinegar and cook it down so it becomes a fancy glaze like what you get in a restaurant. (I’m willing to bet that they made it the same way. ) It’s a very versatile vinegar that adds a lot of flavor to a lot of dishes.

Now let’s talk about the staples. These are the things that your parents always had in the house so you knew you’d never starve. They’re also usually pretty cheap so you can build a dish around them. A lot of these things you probably have in your pantry too:

Pasta-I like to keep a variety of shapes and sizes on hand. I also like to have elbow macaroni (for mac ‘n cheese) and egg noodles (a quick and easy side dish with some butter, dried herbs and breadcrumbs).

Rice-White rice is cheap and relatively easy to cook (unless you are me). It’s good in soups and casseroles and also a great base for a stir fry. If you add a few ingredients-onions, chicken broth, and some spices-you have a pilaf that’s a great side dish. (You can keep some boil-in-bag rice in there too-I won’t tell).

Couscous-Couscous is the absolute easiest thing in the world to make. You boil some chicken stock or water. You pour in the couscous, stir, take pan off the heat, cover, and walk away. Come back in a few minutes and you have a side dish that you can make in 5 minutes. (1 1/2 cups liquid to 1 cup of couscous). You can add flavors that you like but usually I add onions, paprika, and some herbs. I’ve also done carrots, raisin, and dried apricots. It doesn’t cost a lot either.

Breadcrumbs-They make the best topping for a casserole or as a breading for a chicken cutlet. I go through them very quickly so I like to have a back-up. Nothing is worse than having “club hand”-the expression I first thought of working on the breading station at my very first restaurant job. You end up having more breading on your hand than on the ingredient you are breading. The last thing you want to do is to have to wash that off and run to the store. I prefer the plain variety so I can add my own flavors because the seasoning differs from brand to brand and I tend to buy whatever’s on sale so I don’t necessarily know what they taste like.

Saucy Chicken Enchiladas & Recipe Contest

I’m back after a summer hiatus. Here’s a recipe I’ve been working on for awhile.  I wanted to make enchiladas but most recipes suggested using canned enchilada sauce. I checked out the ingredients and everything was artificial and barely sounded edible. So I browsed some more recipes. Enchiladas verde are made with tomatillos and I like them but I’m not crazy about them. I decided to try a tomato based sauce. I’ve been tweaking and trying to find the right amount of seasoning, sauce, etc.

I entered my recipe is the Ro-tel Across America recipe contest. I am interested in entering recipe contests but most times I am not eligible to enter because (according to most rules) I’m considered a professional. Even though I don’t currently work in a restaurant or as a chef, because I went to culinary school I’m a professional. So I read the fine print very well on this one and found I was able to enter. Yippee! It was a cool concept for the recipe contest. They linked it with their facebook page and updated when new submissions were entered. On their website, they had a map with little captions of where each recipe & entrant were from. About a week after the deadline, they posted the top 10 recipes so far and then from there people were able to vote on facebook. I was hoping to at least make the top 10 but didn’t. They had a lot of great eclectic recipes in the top so I’m not surprised that a pretty basic enchilada recipe didn’t make it. I’m really glad that I went for it though. And it also forced me to perfect my recipe.

So here it is. This recipe can be made a few days ahead and kept in the refrigerator. I wonder if it would be good if I made it ahead and put it in the freezer but until I test that theory I cannot say. The sauce makes enough for two batches so I usually make it and freeze half of the sauce so I have it.

Saucy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

Enchilada Sauce:

1 Yellow Onion, Diced
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 10 oz. can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
28 oz. Crushed Tomatoes
1 tsp Chili Powder
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
¼ cup Chicken Stock
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Enchiladas:

2 cups Chicken, cooked & shredded
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
6 Flour Tortillas
Enchilada Sauce

Method:

1. In a saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, sweat onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Add diced tomatoes & chilies and crushed tomatoes. A Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken stock and puree using a food processor or stick blender.
4. Warm flour tortillas in the preheated oven for about 1 1/2 minutes, until pliable. To assemble enchiladas, divide chicken between tortillas down the center of tortilla. Sprinkle each tortilla with 2 tbsp cheddar cheese. Ladle about 2 tbsp of sauce on each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased glass 9X13 rectangle dish.
5. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbling.