Pressure Cooker Spicy Pork Shoulder

 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PORK:

• 5 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon Korean chile flakes (gochugaru) or other chile flakes (Maras, Aleppo or crushed red pepper)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into two or three pieces

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 4 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
• ⅓ cup gochujang (Korean chile paste) or other chile paste or sauce such as Sriracha
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

FOR THE SESAME PICKLED CUCUMBERS:

• 6 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced (or about 4 cups sliced cucumbers)
• 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

FOR SERVING:

•  Cooked rice or toasted slider rolls
•  Kimchi (optional)

PREPARATION

1. To prepare pork, combine garlic, brown sugar, chile flakes, salt and pepper. Rub marinade all over pork. If you have time, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to up to 24 hours. Otherwise, proceed with recipe.
2. Set electric pressure cooker to sauté (or use a large skillet). Add pork in batches and sear until browned all over, about 2 minutes per side. Add 3/4 cup water to pot (or to skillet to deglaze, then move to pot), cover, and set to cook for 90 minutes on high pressure. Or cook in a slow cooker for 5 to 7 hours until tender.
3. While pork cooks, prepare sauce: In a small pot, warm peanut oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Set sauce aside. (It can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)
4. Manually release steam. Let pork cool until you can handle it, then shred it into bite-size pieces. Pork can be made to this point up to 3 days ahead.
5. While pork cools, strain liquid from bottom of pot. Pour off fat (or chill liquid, then scoop off solidified fat with a spoon). Reserve.
6. Prepare cucumbers: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except sesame seeds, and let sit, tossing one or twice, for at least 20 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds.
7. When ready to serve, heat broiler. Toss pork with sauce and 1 to 2 tablespoons cooking liquid — just enough so pork is evenly coated but not wet or runny. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet, and broil until crisped on top, 2 to 3 minutes; it will char in places, and that’s fine.
8. Serve pork over rice or on slider rolls, with cucumbers and kimchi, if desired.

Butter Chicken

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Serves four.

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
5 or 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
4 ounces butter, cut into cubes, or ½ cup coconut oil
½ cup heavy (whipping) cream or full-fat coconut milk
¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In the inner cooking pot of the Instant Pot, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, one teaspoon of garam masala, cumin, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then place the chicken pieces on top of the sauce.

2. Lock the lid into place. Select Manual or Pressure Cook, and adjust the pressure to High. Cook for ten minutes.

3. When the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Unlock the lid. Carefully remove the chicken and set it aside.

4. Using an immersion blender in the pot, blend together all the ingredients into a smooth sauce. Let the sauce cool for several minutes.

5. Add the butter cubes, cream, remaining teaspoon of garam masala, and cilantro. Stir until well incorporated. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon when you’re done.

6. Remove half of the sauce and freeze it for later, or refrigerate for as long as three days.

7. Add the chicken back to the sauce. Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting Sauté and adjust to Less for low heat. Let the chicken heat through. Break it up into smaller pieces, if you like, but don’t shred it.

8. Serve over rice or raw cucumber noodles.

Tieban Tofu

This dish’s a classic a nightmarkets in China – you’ll usually see the tofu slowly frying on a flat top, smothered in a type of Chinese BBQ spice mix, and then chopped into bite sized pieces to serve.

1. Firm tofu (老豆腐), 2 blocks, ~800g. Cut into larger ~2 cm pieces – four slices per block. This needs to be thicker because we can’t have bubbling oil muffing up and making our spice mix clump.
2. Oil. For brushing. Peanut oil or sunflower oil are nice.
3. Scallions. Sliced, for garnish.
4. Spice mix: 1 star anise (八角), ½ tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), ½ tsp cumin seeds (孜然), ½ tbsp Perilla seeds (苏子) -or- up the cumin seed by 1 tsp, ¼ tsp white pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ¼ tsp ginger powder (姜粉), ¼ tsp garlic powder (大蒜粉), 2 tbsp chili powder (辣椒面), 1 tbsp salt, ½ tbsp MSG (味精), 1 tsp sugar. These’ll all get ground together. Perilla seeds are also used in Korean cuisine so you might be able to try your luck there. For the chili powder, you’ll want one that’s not overly fiery, so the bog standard cayenne pepper from the bottle should work great.

That spice mix above’s one of the classic spice mixes used in Chinese BBQ. Just add in a bit of anti-caking agents and you’ve basically got what the street vendors use.

Process: Street food style Tieban Tofu:

1. Grind together the spice powder. First grind together the star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Then add everything except the salt/sugar/MSG and grind again. Finally, add the salt/sugar/MSG and give it a final grind. The reason the salt/sugar/MSG is added at the end is so that it doesn’t cake.
2. Brush the widest skillet you have with a thin layer of oil. Less oil for this one because any oil bubbling over the top’ll muff up the layer of spice – this’s kinda mimicking Chinese BBQ dishes here.
3. Add the tofu to the pan, brush on a top layer of oil, and smother with the spice mix. I know ‘smother’ isn’t really a proper amount but… just use your own judgement. Take a look at a picture of how much we added if you need.
4. Fry the tofu for 5 minutes, then rearrange if needed. The street food vendors use a flat top so they can cook these nice and even. For us on a stove, rearranging halfway through’s a nice idea.
5. Fry for 5 minutes more, and with a minute to go top with sliced scallions.
6. Optionally chop into 2 cm cubes. This’s the way they’ll often do it on the street, then toss it in a bit of a plastic cup, then eat with disposable chopsticks.

Kale Salad

I made this for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful!  In fact, we made it again 2 days later for friends.

Tuscan kale, also known as dinosaur kale, lacinato kale and cavolo nero, is abundant at farmers’ markets in the fall and winter, making this pretty salad studded with bright red pomegranate seeds the perfect side dish for a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Unlike most salads, it should be dressed about 30 minutes in advance, which allows the kale to soften slightly.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
• 2 bunches Tuscan kale, stems removed and discarded and
    leaves julienned
• 1/2 cup (3 oz./90 g) cooked and cooled quinoa
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) coarsely chopped pistachios
• 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) pomegranate seeds

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, the 1/2 tsp. salt and the 1/4 tsp. pepper.

About 30 minutes before serving, in a large bowl, combine the kale and half of the vinaigrette. Toss to evenly coat the kale. Set aside.

When ready to serve, add the quinoa, red onion, pistachios and pomegranate seeds to the kale and toss to combine. Taste and add more vinaigrette if desired, tossing to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen

Carrot Layer Cake

 

 

Carrot Layer Cake

Serves 10-12

Shred the carrots on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the shredding disk. Do not substitute liquid buttermilk for the buttermilk powder. To ensure the proper spreading consistency for the frosting, use cold cream cheese. If your baked cake is of an uneven thickness, adjust the orientation of the layers as they are stacked to produce a level cake. Assembling this cake on a cardboard cake round trimmed to a 6 by 8-inch rectangle makes it easy to press the pecans onto the sides of the frosted cake.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 3/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2teaspoons baking powder
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) light brown sugar
• 3/4cup vegetable oil
• 3large eggs
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3cups shredded carrots (4 carrots)
• 2/3cups dried currants

Frosting

• 16tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3cups (12 ounces) confectioners' sugar
• 1/3cup buttermilk powder
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 12ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces
• 2cups (8 ounces) pecans, toasted and chopped coarse

Instructions

• 1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and grease parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves together in large bowl.
• 2. Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until mixture is smooth. Stir in carrots and currants. Add flour mixture and fold with rubber spatula until mixture is just combined.
• 3. Transfer batter to prepared baking sheet and smooth surface with offset spatula. Bake until center of cake is firm to touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack (do not remove parchment) and then reinvert onto second wire rack. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.
• 4. FOR THE FROSTING: Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla, and salt on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-low; add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time; and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• 5. Transfer cooled cake to cutting board, parchment side down. Using sharp chef’s knife, cut cake and parchment in half crosswise and then lengthwise to make 4 equal rectangles, about 6 by 8 inches each.
• 6. Place 6 by 8-inch cardboard rectangle on cake turntable or plate. Place 1 cake rectangle, parchment side up, on cardboard and carefully remove parchment. Using offset spatula, spread 2/3 cup frosting evenly over cake layer. Repeat with two more layers of cake, frosting each layer with 2/3 cup frosting and pressing gently on each layer to level. Place last rectangle of cake on top and frost top of cake with 1 cup frosting. Use remaining frosting to coat sides of cake. (It’s fine if some crumbs show through frosting on sides, but if you go back to smooth top of cake, be sure that spatula is free of crumbs.)
• 7. Hold cake with 1 hand and gently press chopped pecans onto sides with other hand. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
• To Make Ahead: The cake may be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving.

Spicy Beef Kabobs

We tried this camping a few weeks ago and it's a keeper.  

• 51

Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless beef sirloin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Special equipment: 4 (12-inch) metal skewers

Directions
Cut the beef into 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-inch cubes and place into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor combine the garlic, paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar. With the processor running drizzle in the olive oil.

Pour the marinade over the meat and toss to coat. Place in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a sealable plastic bag and allow to marinate for 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread the meat onto the skewers leaving about 1/2-inch in between the pieces of meat. Place on the grill and cook, with lid lowered, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all (8 minutes for rare and 12 for medium). Remove from the heat to aluminum foil, wrap and allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes prior to serving.



Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/spicy-beef-kebabs-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Metho Valley Salad

PCC Methow Valley Salad

These ingredients are:
Vegetarian Vegan Corn-free Dairy-free Egg-free Peanut-free Soy-free Tree nut-free

t

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup farro
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup basil oil
• 1/4 pound roma tomatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut at an angle into 1/2-inch, half-moon chunks
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/3 pound chard and kale mix (equal parts green kale, red kale and red chard, stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces)

Preparation

Soak farro in water overnight. Bring water, pre-soaked farro and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool slowly at room temperature. Do not rinse. When cooled, place in a large bowl and refrigerate.
Mix together lemon juice, garlic, dill, basil, remaining salt, pepper, and both oils until dressing is blended. Toss dressing with grain, tomatoes, cucumber and carrots.
To serve, toss equal parts farro-vegetable mixture and loosely packed greens in a bowl.

Each serving: 231 cal, 10.1g fat (1.3g sat), 0mg chol, 63mg sodium, 31.9g carb, 5.1g fiber, 6.8g protein

Tuscan-Style Spareribs with Balsamic Glaze

I forgot the balsamic glaze and it was still amazing.  I will remember next time!

 

From: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/tuscan-style-spareribs-with-balsamic-glaze

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves
1  tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped sage
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6 pounds pork spareribs
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, preferably one aged for at least 5 years

1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, rosemary, kosher salt, fennel, black pepper, sage, thyme, paprika, crushed red pepper, coriander and allspice. Rub the spice paste all over the spareribs and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°. Arrange the ribs on a large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, meaty side up. Roast the ribs for 2 hours, or until tender.
3. Preheat the broiler. Brush the meaty side of the ribs with the balsamic vinegar and broil 6 inches from the heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut between the ribs and serve.

Fruit Salad

I made this for a brunch today and very well received.  Love the orange/vanilla flavor!

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• Juice Of 1 Orange
• Zest Of 1 Orange
• 2 whole Vanilla Beans, Caviar Scraped Out (or 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract)
• 4 pints Strawberries, Hulled And Halved
• 2 pints Blueberries
• 2 cups Red Grapes, Halved
• 2 cups Green Grapes, Havled
• Mint Leaves

Preparation Instructions

Place the sugar, water, orange juice and orange zest into a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 to thicken slightly. Set aside to cool, then store in the fridge until cold.
Mix together all the fruit in a large bowl and pour the syrup over the top, tossing gently. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jeff found this on the Serious Eats Blog and loves them.   Worth the extra work.

 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield:	Makes about 28 cookies
Active time:	30 minutes
Total time:	1 day
Special equipment:	baking sheet, whisk, rubber spatula, 1 ounce ice cream scoop
This recipe appears in:	The Food Lab: The Science of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rated:

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 standard ice cube (about 2 tablespoons frozen water)
• 10 ounces (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
• 5 ounces (about 3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 ounces (about 1/2 tightly packed cup plus 2 tablespoons) dark brown sugar
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped with a knife into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks
• Coarse sea salt for ganish

Procedures

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, gently swirling pan constantly, until particles begin to turn golden brown and butter smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and continue swirling the pan until the butter is a rich brown, about 15 seconds longer. Transfer to a medium bowl, whisk in ice cube, transfer to refrigerator, and allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes, whisking occasionally. (Alternatively, whisk over an ice bath to hasten process).
   
2. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Place granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium high speed until mixture is pale brownish-yellow and falls off the whisk in thick ribbons when lifted, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Fit paddle attachment onto mixer. When brown butter mixture has cooled (it should be just starting to turn opaque again and firm around the edges), Add brown sugar and cooled brown butter to egg mixture in stand mixer. Mix on medium speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just barely combined but some dry flour still remains, about 15 seconds. Add chocolate and mix on low until dough comes together, about 15 seconds longer. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate dough at least overnight and up to three days.
   
4. When ready to bake, adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 325°F. Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon, place scoops of cookie dough onto a non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Each ball should measure approximately 3 tablespoons in volume and you should be able to fit 6 to 8 balls on each sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown around edges but still soft, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating pans back to front and top and bottom half way through baking.
   
5. Remove baking sheets from oven. While cookies are still hot, sprinkle very lightly with coarse salt and gently press it down to embed. Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for remaining cookie dough. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container, plastic bag, or cookie jar at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Salad

Hi Natasha,

This is the salad I made for Thanksgiving.  It can be served with
lettuce or without, like a chopped salad.

It was nice being able to spend Thanksgiving with you and your
family.  The boys are really wonderful; so sweet, smart and
growing up!  I was glad to hear you were able to join the others
last night for dinner and the show.

Enjoy the holiday season, and your new kitchen!

Jean



Red cabbage cubed NOT shredded
Chopped apples (soak in lemon water to preserve color) Fugi are best for holding crispness
Golden raisins, crazines, or dried Mango or some of all
Nuts  I used hazelnuts, slivered almonds or pecans are equally good
Orange, red, or yellow but NEVER green pepper.
Celery
(I added  organic dried figs, cut in fourths) jean


Dressing I usually just eye ball it but I would guess it is
2 tea. Fig balsamic
1/3 to ½ cup olive oil
½ to whole teaspoon sea salt
Squeeze or two of lemon juice

At the time of serving, I mixed this with Spring Mix lettuce or can use without lettuce
as a chopped salad

Spinach and Cheese Strata

I found this recipe on a blog recently and made it for a brunch.  It may not be too healthy, but it was a definite hit!


Spinach and Cheese Strata
Adapted from Gourmet (sniffle), February 2003
Serves 6 to 8
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeeze of all excess liquid, and chopped
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes (1/2 lb)
6 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 ounces finely grated parmesan (1 cup)
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.
Spread one third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of bread cubes,one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.
Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for eat least 8 hours or up to a day.
The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Shrimp Gumbo

Modified recipe from Alton Brown: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shrimp-gumbo-recipe/index.html 

Love how all parts of shrimp are used.  No need for chicken broth as in many gumbo recipes.  A great weekend evening winter meal.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces vegetable oil
• 4 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 pounds raw, whole, head-on shrimp
• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced green peppers
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• cayenne pepper to taste (typically < 1/4 tsp)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned
• 1 tablespoon file powder

Directions

De-head, peel and devein the shrimp.  Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce to 1 quart.

Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine.  Cook on medium heat, whisking periodically until chocolate brown.

Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic to roux and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.

* Add sausage earlier to lower the spiciness of sausage.

Black Pepper Spice-Rubbed Roast

We made this for a dinner party last night and it was amazing!  Spices give a unique Indian flavor without being overbearing.

Based on the following recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Pepper-Spice-Rubbed-Beef-Tenderloin-354976

I could not find tenderloin, so I bought a Kobe beef tri-tip roast instead.  Super tender and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds (preferably brown)
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods, crushed, reserving seeds and discarding pods
• 1 (1 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
• 1 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 (2-pounds) trimmed and tied center-cut beef tenderloin roast, at room temperature 30 minutes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

 

Toast spices with salt in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mustard seeds begin to pop, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool completely, then grind in grinder and mash in mortar.

Pat beef dry, then rub spice mixture all over it (including ends).  Before cooking let it come to room temp.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

Heat oil in same skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Brown beef on all sides, about 10 minutes total. 

Transfer beef to a small roasting pan and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of meat registers 130°F, about 25 minutes. Transfer beef to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.

Udon salad

SERVES 4
METHOD
1. Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces and julienne cut the cucumber. Dice the tomato and avocado.
2. Add the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the udon noodles to al dente. Drain the noodles, and rice under cold running water. Leave to cool in cold water.
4. Drain the water really well and place onto a deep serving dish.
5. On top of the noodles place the lettuce, cucumber, tomato, avocado.
6. Pour the dressing over the salad, and decorate with sesame seeds to taste.

INGREDIENTS

400g udon noodles
¼ lettuce
1 cucumber
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 avocado
Sesame seeds to taste
You can substitute other vegetables into the salad, for example bean sprouts or broccoli.
Dressing
5 tablespoons soy sauce
5 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Split Pea Soup

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1882

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 (16-oz) package dried green split peas, rinsed

1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 ribs celery plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth

Method

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.

Mango Lassi

Gabe just started eating fruits and trying smoothies.  I decided to see if he would like a Mango Lassi.  He drank 2 of his own and then asked to finish Lucas'.   Success!

Ingredients

• 2 mangos - peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup ice

Directions

1. In a blender, combine mangos, yogurt, sugar and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

To Die for Crock Pot Roast

 

Crock Pot Roast

• 
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 9 hrs 5 mins
• Servings: 8

About This Recipe

"Amazing flavor, and so simple! No salt needed here. In fact, you may wish to use half the ranch dressing mix to cut back on the saltiness. Found this Crock-Pot pot roast recipe on of a website called www.recipegoldmine.com. It's all the rage there, so I thought I'd try it."

Ingredients

• 1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages brown gravy mix, dry
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages dried Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages ranch dressing mix, dry
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Place beef roast in crock pot.
2. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.
3. Pour the water around the roast.
4. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

**I added a bunch of vegtables to the bottom of the pot after putting the roast in.   Worked out great.
** Use only 1/2 the packet of Ranch to decrease sodium.

Malaysian Chicken Soup

(adapted from the Slow Cook Book)

3 lb. free range chicken
1 onion, quartered
2” piece of ginger, peeled sand sliced
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
Soy sauce, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste
Noodles (fresh, if available)
Scallions, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Greens, cut into small pieces (I use chard, bok choy)

Put the chicken in upside down in the slow cooker. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and season
with salt and pepper. Pour enough water to cover chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours (high
3-4 hours).

Remove chicken and let cool. Strain the remaining stock. Discard skin and bones, and
add chicken back to stock. Reheat, adding in soy and fish sauce to taste.
If your noodles are not fresh, cook and drain them. Toss in the veggies to cook in the
soup for about 5 minutes. Toss in the noodles to warm, then serve.

Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup with Shrimp

The red curry and coconut milk turn the standard butternut squash soup into something divine.  Adding shrimp makes this nice one pot meal.
 

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon red curry paste, more to taste
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, about 4 cups
2 cups low-sodium gluten-free chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted (optional)
Lime wedges

Method

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, sugar and salt and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in squash, broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Stir in shrimp and simmer just until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro, sprinkle with coconut and serve with lime wedges on the side.