Taco Pie

The husband is the middle child of three boys. Needless to say, my mother-in-law spent a lot of time in the kitchen when they were growing up. (It's no surprise that she's a fantastic cook.) Taco Pie was one of the fast and easy meals she relied on to quell their endless appetites. The boys loved it. No...they love it. Present tense. And so do I.

Whenever the husband has had a particularly rough week, Taco Pie makes its way to the dinner table. If I'm going out of town for a few days, I'll leave a Taco Pie in the fridge for him to heat up. Whenever I need a fast, easy, delicious dinner, it's time for Taco Pie.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Taco Pie

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1/3 cup chopped onion (optional)
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning (or make your own with Andrea's recipe)
1/3 cup sliced black olives (optional)
1 can refrigerator biscuits
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Saute beef and onion (if using) until the beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and olives (if using) and remove from heat.

Press biscuits into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate to form a crust. Add taco meat on top of biscuits. Spread sour cream on top of meat and sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips. Bake for 20 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese is melted. Allow taco pie to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Sausage and Mint Stuffed Tomatoes

I brought this recipe back from France 20 years ago. Gosh, that makes me feel very grown-up. Not old, just grown-up.

Anyhow, back in Fall 1995 I was living in Paris and interning at the Associated Press. The woman I boarded with made these sausage and mint stuffed tomatoes. She'd also pick up lamb or a whole fish from the outdoor market and do nothing in the way of prep, literally just throwing them in the oven. But when dinner was ready, it was incroyable. Until I met Francoise, I'd never seen anyone cook so simply and so wonderfully at the same time.

I still haven't made a whole fish, though it is on my culinary bucket list. But I have made these tomatoes beaucoup. Merci, Francoise.

XOXO,
Amy

Sausage and Mint Stuffed Tomatoes

4 red tomatoes, beefsteak are ideal
3/4 pound to 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
1/3 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Handful of mint, roughly chopped
Salt, pepper to taste

First, remember that all quantities are approximate. All depends on how large your tomatoes are, how much you like mint, how bready or meaty you like your sausage stuffing and how many people you are feeding. While big beefsteak tomatoes are best, heirlooms won't work due to their odd shapes, which make it hard to form a big hole inside the tomato to fill with the sausage stuffing.

The last time I made this dish, which was for this blog, I had smallish vine ripened tomatoes (see photo), which weren't ideal, but I made do. I used 3/4 pound of sausage and 1/3 cup breadcrumbs. While the meat and bread crumb ratios will change depending on the size of your tomatoes, you can pretty much always get away with using just one egg.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Hollow out your tomatoes so there is a hole for the sausage stuffing. Place tomatoes in baking dish.

Combine sausage, bread crumbs, egg and mint. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Stuff tomatoes. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the sausage should be brown and crispy and the inside should be barely pinkish.

Mediterranean Lamb Chops

Well hello from the west coast! As I mentioned, my boys and I packed up our junk and moved across the country to Seattle. We've been here about two weeks, and things are starting to feel like home. I mean, we still have box tunnels set up for Danny in the living room and all, but my kitchen is ready for action.

Recently we were sick of unpacking, so we decided to invite the husband's cousin and his wife over for dinner. (They promised they didn't mind climbing over the box tunnel.) When we were discussing the menu, we wanted something easy and delicious. Mediterranean Lamb Chops were just the ticket.

Mouth-watering, tender lamb loin chops are marinated with Middle Eastern-inspired flavors and charred on a hot grill. The marinade includes za'atar, a spice my mother-in-law introduced me to. It's a blend of oregano, thyme, basil, sesame seeds, sumac, and other spices. We are big fans. If you don't find it at your local supermarket, you can order za'atar from Amazon or through Penzey's Spices. It has a unique flavor, and it's worth seeking out.

Next time you fire up the grill, change it up from your usual steak and give these Mediterranean Lamb Chops a try.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Mediterranean Lamb Chops
Serves: 4

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons za'atar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds lamb loin chops (about 8 bone-in chops)
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, za'atar, salt, and pepper. Place lamb chops in a baking dish or a gallon-sized ziploc baggie and pour marinade over the top, turning to coat. Marinate lamb at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

When you're ready to cook, allow lamb chops to come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your grill to medium high and oil the grates. (If you have a charcoal grill, build a fire that's hot on one side and cooler on the other.)

Grill the lamb chops for about 4 minutes on each side, until they're nicely charred. Then turn the heat down to low (or move the chops to the cooler side of your charcoal grill), and continue grilling for an additional 5 minutes or until lamb reaches desired doneness in the center. Remove the lamb chops to a plate and cover with foil. Allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices can redistribute. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Grilled ABC (Avocado Bacon Cheese) Sandwich

My husband and I do our best to instill important values in our children.

There's the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would like to be treated."

And then there's Lucy's and Penny's Golden Rule: "Bacon makes everything better."

The grilled avocado bacon cheese sandwich is not an every day sandwich; it's a special treat, for sure. I make it whenever we have the good fortune of having ripe avocados and a little bit of bacon that needs to be used up.

XOXO,
Amy

Grilled Avocado Bacon Cheese Sandwich

Bacon
Butter spread or softened butter
Sliced bread
Avocado, sliced
Cheese slices

Cook bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees. It will take about 15 minutes. No need to flip the bacon halfway. You will know when the bacon is done when it is sizzling all over. (BTW, I recently learned there is no other way to cook bacon. The mess is contained and the bacon stays flat versus curling up like it does in a frying pan.)

While bacon is in the oven, butter the outside of your slices of bread. Place buttered side down in a skilled sprayed with Pam. Turn heat under the skillet to medium to medium high. Place a piece of cheese on top of the bread and then layer with avocado. Next, layer with the cooked bacon, which you blotted with paper towels after removing from the oven. Layer another piece of cheese on top of the bacon. Add the top piece of bread. Cook as you would a grilled cheese. Be carefully flipping the sandwich so the insides don't spill out all over.

Eat up and enjoy just like this little girl!

Here's Penny giving thumbs up to her first grilled avocado bacon cheese sandwich. It was February 2, 2014, a date that called for a fun, festive, yummy dinner to honor Penny's fifth birthday and Super Bowl Sunday. The only thing that would have made the occasion better would have been if Penny's beloved Carolina Panthers had been playing in the big game.

Sriracha Pork Noodles

Move over Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork. Amy has a new favorite HDHH pork dish: Sriracha Pork Noodles.

I'm joking. Erin's Thai Peanut Pork became the first recipe on this blog to win over my belly. I've made it many times and passed it along to many friends, all of whom gave it rave reviews. I'd say they gave it two thumbs up but they were too busy shoveling the food in. So, if you love that dish, you are going to love Sriracha Pork Noodles.


XOXO,
Amy

Sriracha Pork Noodles
Adapted from Good Housekeeping

1 pound linguine or lo mein noodles
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sriracha (or other hot sauce)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground pork
Red pepper
Ground black pepper
11 ounces fresh spinach

Start water to boil to cook noodles according to package directions.

Mix together soy sauce, sriracha and balsamic vinegar and set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add pork and cook through, breaking up big pieces. Add a pinch of red pepper and and pinch or two of ground black pepper. When pork is cooked, add in the sauce and spinach and stir through until spinach is wilted.

Drain noodles and combine with meat, spinach and sauce.

Yum!

London Broil

When the weather starts getting nice, I typically send the husband out to the grill when I want beef for dinner. (Thanks for being the grill master, honey!) But some days it's rainy. Or neither of us is in the mood to grill. Or I'm just looking for a change of pace.

And that's when I turn to the broiler.

A quick hit of high heat from the broiler caramelizes the exterior of your London broil while leaving the interior rosy pink. And doesn't it seem appropriate to cook London BROIL in the BROIL-er? Yeah, I thought so, too.

One last tip. London broil can be a tougher cut of beef. Cooking the meat to medium-rare or medium, letting it rest for 10 minutes before serving, and slicing it thinly across the grain helps to make sure each serving is perfectly tender.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

London Broil
Serves: 3-4

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Pepper to taste
1 pound London broil*

Whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Set aside.

Use a sharp knife to score both sides of the London broil in a diamond pattern. (Scoring just means making shallow cuts in the meat. I think this helps the marinade absorb better. But mostly I just do it because that's what my mom did. Seems a good enough reason to me.) Place meat in a shallow baking dish or a Ziploc baggie. Pour the marinade over the meat and turn to coat. Cover the dish or seal the baggie and place in the refrigerator for a couple hours or up to overnight. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before you're ready to cook so it comes to room temperature.

Adjust an oven rack so it's about 4" from the broiler element. Heat the broiler to high. Place the meat on a broiler-safe baking sheet (not glass!) and place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes per side, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees for medium rare. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. (This will allow the juices to redistribute and the meat to come up to temperature another 5-10 degrees.) Thinly slice the London broil against the grain and serve.

*They sell a cut of beef called "London broil" at my grocery store. If you don't see it at the butcher counter, try using flank steak instead.

Amy's Roasted Chicken

About seven years ago, I taught myself to roast a chicken. I've been roasting birds ever since. I consider it my signature dish. It's one way I know my French heritage is legit.

If someone asked me my favorite meal, it would be this: roasted chicken, green salad, roasted or scalloped potatoes, baguette, red wine.

The roasted chicken is super yummy and super easy. And sometimes I make it for Easter dinner.

XOXO,
Amy

Amy's Roasted Chicken

Whole chicken
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425. Remove bird from refrigerator and let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the microwave and mix together the dry ingredients. Brush the melted butter all over the bird. Press the salt and herb mixture into the bird, covering the entire bird. Place in a roasting pan breast side up. Cook for 15 minutes at 425. Reduce temp to 375 and cook for 50-60 minutes.

Carve. Or, in my case, have hubby carve. (He does a much better job.) Enjoy. Save carcass to make chicken stock and chicken soup.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots

I tend to go through cooking phases. For instance, there was my stir fry phase. I'd make stir fry at least once a week. Pork, chicken, beef... No protein was safe from my skillet. I'd saute slivers of meat with whatever veggies I had on hand and pile it over rice. Et voila. Dinner was served. My stir fry kick went on for too long. One day at dinner I noticed the husband pushing beef & broccoli around his plate. "What's wrong, hon? Don't you like the stir fry?" Always one to be frank, the husband laid it out for me. "It's good, but..." Here he paused, searching for the right words. "I think we've been having a bit too much stir fry."

Apparently weekly stir fry isn't for everyone.

Same situation with pork tenderloin. Since it's delicious, lean, and quick-cooking, I went through a serious pork tenderloin phase. After another honest talk with the husband, I realized I overdid it. So I cut back. And when I made Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots, my judiciousness paid off.

"This is so good!" the husband exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Pork tenderloin is delicious. I really like this."

Is this a sign that I can commence Pork Tenderloin Phase II? I can only hope.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots
Adapted from The Chew
Serves: 4

1 (1.25 pound) pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 shallot peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/3 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork with salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear pork until it's browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove pork to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add apples, shallot, garlic, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence. Cook, stirring, until apples and shallot begin to soften and caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add apple juice and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Place reserved pork on top of apples. Roast in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees. Remove from oven, tent with foil, and allow pork to rest for 10 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Slice pork into medallions and serve with apples and shallots.

Beer Braised Pot Roast

I have been eating Thanksgiving leftovers since Thursday, and I need some beef in my life. Now don't get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving leftovers—love them—but I'm just a little over poultry right now.

The other thing? I'm not in the mood to slave over a hot stove. Putting on the big turkey day meal wore me out. The leftovers were a good break, but since I'm out of frozen pizza, I have to cook dinner again. This roast is the perfect meal to coax me back to the kitchen. A quick sear to add flavor and seal in the juices, then pop the roast in the oven to cook low and slow. A few minutes of work yields rich, tasty results.

P.S. I haven't tried it, but I think this would be great in the slow cooker. After searing the beef and vegetables on the stove, cook in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours instead of putting it in the oven.

Beer Braised Pot Roast

3 pounds rump roast
Salt and pepper
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
9 carrots, peeled and cut into 1"-2" chunks
1 large onion, cut into thick slices
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
12 ounces beer
1 cup chicken or beef stock or water
1 bay leaf
Sprig rosemary
Sprig sage
Mashed potatoes for serving, if desired

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Generously season roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high. Add roast and sear on all sides until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove roast and set aside.

If the pot is dry add another tablespoon of oil. Add carrots and cook until they begin to get golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside for later. If the pot is dry, add another tablespoon of oil. Add onions and cook until they start to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Pour in beer and broth and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate any browned bits into the liquid. Once liquid comes to a boil, add roast and any accumulated juices, bay leaf, rosemary, and sage to the pot. Cover and cook for 3 hours, turning the roast every hour or so.

After 3 hours, add the carrots to the pot. Cover and continue cooking another 45 minutes-1 hour, until the carrots and roast are fork tender. Remove carrots and roast to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Remove bay leaf and herb stems from the cooking liquid. Allow the cooking liquid to sit for about 10 minutes and then skim any fat from the top. Serve roast and carrots with cooking liquid and onions. If desired, serve over mashed potatoes.

Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Coleslaw

I was sitting at the dining room table yesterday and working on my grocery list for Thanksgiving: one bag of cranberries, five pounds of potatoes, three onions, eight ounces of sausage for stuffing... I checked my list against my menu several times, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Then it struck me: I didn't have any groceries to make meals for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I mean, we all know I love cereal, but I don't think three days of it is going to fly.

With most of our food prep energy being channeled to turkey day, it's time for easy meals. Enter the homemade Sloppy Joe. Ground beef or turkey is coated with a sweet and tangy sauce that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy. Piled high on soft rolls and topped with crunchy coleslaw, it's filling and delicious comfort food. The best part? This recipe doubles beautifully so you can have dinner for Monday and Tuesday! 

And on Wednesday? Order pizza. 

Sloppy Joes

Adapted from Real Simple

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground turkey, ground beef, or a combination

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

8 ounces tomato sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar (You could use a bit less brown sugar, if you want.)

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

4 hamburger buns

Crunchy Coleslaw (recipe below)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Cook ground meat and onion until the meat is browned and cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. 

Stir in tomato sauce, dark brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on buns topped with coleslaw. 

Crunchy Coleslaw

Adapted from Foodie with Family

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon agave (or substitute honey)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (14 ounce) package coleslaw mix (or 7 cups of shredded carrots and cabbage)

Stir together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, agave, vinegar, poppy seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in coleslaw mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

BBQ Rub

A few weeks back the husband and I decided to take a stroll with Danny. On our adventure, we stumbled upon a massive garage sale. (They call them "rummage sales" here in Milwaukee, but I just can't get used to that.) The entire neighborhood was peddling their wares on driveways and in garages. Lemonade stands sprung up like weeds. Cars lined the streets as bargain hunters haggled over prices. Some enterprising and talented youths were even playing violins for tips.

The husband and I didn't think we needed anything...until we came upon a smoker for $10. We needed that smoker. The folks selling it were donating the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House, plus they threw in some wood to get us started and a jar of their favorite seasoning for the meat. How could we pass up a deal like that?

We couldn't. We didn't.

Perfecting smoked pork shoulder has turned into our summer challenge. Since we're still nailing down the technique, I won't share that with you quite yet. What I can share is this delicious BBQ Rub.

It takes about 3 minutes to pull the spices from the cupboard, measure them out, and stir together this simple, flavorful seasoning. And it's incredibly versatile; we have used this BBQ Rub with delicious results when smoking pork shoulder as well as grilling steak.

If you're looking to try something new next time you fire up the barbecue, give it a whirl. I think you'll like it.

BBQ Rub

6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Stir together ingredients and store in a jar until you're ready to use. I've heard varying opinions on when to apply the rub to the meat, but I've had success seasoning the meat right before cooking or seasoning a few hours before. So, if you think of it and have time a few hours before you want to cook, apply the rub then. If not, don't sweat it. Just rub the seasoning all over the meat right before you cook. Use this rub for smoking or grilling beef, pork, or poultry.

Ginger-Soy Marinated Steak

You know what really frosts my cookies? When you put a bunch of time into something and get zero payoff. Like the other day, for example, I decided it seemed like a good idea to clean the windows. I'd watched a couple episodes of My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (I know...quality programming), and all the Gypsy wives were cleaning their windows. I figured if they were doing it, maybe I should, too. You know, to be a good (non-Gypsy) wife and all. So I busted out the Windex and scrubbed away.

Those darn windows looked exactly the same as when I started.

This could have to do with the fact that I only washed the insides of the windows. Being a bit technically challenged, I couldn't figure out how to do the fancy maneuver to get the windows to fold down so I could wash the outsides. And I sure-as-shoot wasn't about to drag my sorry rear end outside with a stepladder to do it. So, the windows still look streaky and dirty and completely not up to Gypsy wife standards. This particular endeavor was not worth the time.

You know what was worth it, though? Marinating this steak. It took 4 minutes to throw together the marinade, then it sat in my fridge all day while I did nothin'. The husband did the grilling, and I just stuffed my face because this steak tasted awesome. That's the kind of work that I can get behind.

Ginger-Soy Marinated Steak
Adapted from Fresh Frugal Fabulous
Serves: 3-4

5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1.5 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak

In a blender (or the Magic Bullet you bought from an infomercial) blend together soy sauce, onion, garlic, vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil. Place steak in a baking dish or ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Turn the steak so it's evenly coated with marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to a day. Flip the steak every once in a while so the marinade has a chance to soak into both sides.

Allow the steak to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you toss it on the grill. Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high. Grill steak for about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil, allowing the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice steak thinly across the grain and serve.

Note: If you feel like it, reserve the marinade and boil it for a few minutes to kill the germs. Then you can serve it as a sauce on the finished product. The husband and I decided we didn't need any sauce, so we skipped this step.

Beef Paprikash with Egg Noodles

This dish isn't exactly seasonally appropriate. But you see, sirloin steak was on sale. And, fortuitously, I found a page I'd torn from Real Simple magazine with this recipe on it. The stars aligned, and I had to make Beef Paprikash. It was out of my control, really.

When I first read the recipe I was a bit nervous about the amount of onion. The husband tends to be a bit onion-averse. But when he took a tentative bite, dubiously eyeing the slivers of onion, he exclaimed, "This doesn't taste onion-y!" That's a high compliment, people.

So if you're feeling in the mood for a relatively cozy dish on this fine Spring day, give Beef Paprikash with Egg Noodles a chance. It doesn't taste onion-y. In fact, it tastes quite good.

Let's make dinner.
--Erin

Beef Paprikash with Egg Noodles
Serves: 4
Adapted from Real Simple magazine

3/4 pound egg noodles
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled, halved, and sliced very thinly
2 tablespoons paprika
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving
Chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Cook the egg noodles in salted water until al dente according to package instructions. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cut steak into 1" chunks and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add steak and cook until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Remove steak from the skillet and set aside.

Add sliced onions and paprika to the skillet and cook until the onion is tender, about 6 minutes.

Return steak to the skillet. Stir in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring chicken broth to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer until thickened, about 12 minutes.

Off the heat stir in 2/3 cup sour cream. Serve beef paprikash over egg noodles. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream.

Oven Baked Pot Roast with Bacon

I'm a total weenie.

Fraidy cat. Wimp. All of the above. Sometimes my fears are logical, but mostly they're ridiculous.

It started when I was a kid. I was afraid of The Original Pancake House, roller coasters, and sleepovers at Jillian Voglino's house. Through the years, my fears morphed, but they were always there: vacation Bible school at The Chapel, sleep-away camp, flying, getting murdered by Hannibal Lecter when I'm alone at night. I could go on, but I think you get the drift.

In addition to all the things previously mentioned, I'm afraid of large cuts of meat. I think it's because I'm not as familiar with the big stuff. On most nights, I cook for two...chicken breasts, salmon fillets, pork tenderloin.  So I'm more comfortable there. But a giant roast? Yikes.

Someone once told me that it's important to face your fears, and that doing the very thing you're afraid of helps conquer them. This has proven true in my life. After many visits, I love The Original Pancake House. (49er Flapjacks, anyone?) And I no longer imagine Hannibal eating my innards with fava beans and a nice Chianti every time I close my eyes. Over the years I have successfully roasted turkey, glazed ham, and even slow-cooked pot roast. But every time I get started, I gaze at the meat with trepidation. (It's much scarier than sleep-away camp.)

In my quest to conquer fear, I made another pot roast this week, and I really took it up a notch: I made it in the oven. In my neurotic brain, that seemed much scarier than the slow cooker. After the husband and I inhaled it for dinner, I decided something profound: cooking a bacon-scented roast to fork-tender perfection in the oven makes facing your fears absolutely worth it.

Oven Baked Pot Roast with Bacon
Serves: 6
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

4 slices bacon
2 1/2 pound boneless rump roast (or whatever roast is on sale)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and divided--dice 2 carrots and cut the rest into 1" chunks
1 rib celery, diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups chicken broth
About 1 cup water
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
Mashed potatoes for serving, optional

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven over medium high. Cook bacon until it's just barely crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Once it's cooled, crumble the bacon.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon grease from the pan and return to medium-high heat. Season the roast generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Brown roast in the bacon grease until all sides are browned, about 8-10 minutes total. (You'll know it's ready to turn the roast when it's easy to flip. If it's sticking to the pot, it's not ready. Give it another minute to cook then try again.) If the browned bits on the bottom of the pan start to burn, turn the heat down to medium. When the roast is browned, remove to a plate and set aside.

Add diced carrot (set aside the carrots cut into 1" chunks until later), celery, and onion to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in thyme, garlic, and sugar for 30 seconds.

Return meat to pan. Pour in chicken broth and enough water so the liquid reaches about halfway up the side of the roast. (For me, this was about 1 cup of water.) Bring liquid to a boil. Cover, turn off the stove, and put the covered pot in the oven.

Allow the roast to cook for 3 hours, turning the meat over a few times while it cooks. Add the remaining carrots and parsnips to the pot, making sure they're submerged in liquid. Re-cover the pot, and cook for an additional 45 minutes, until meat and vegetables are tender.

Remove meat to a cutting board and tent with foil. Remove vegetables to the serving dish. Skim any fat from the liquid remaining in the pot. (If you have one, you can use a fat separator to remove the fat and then return the liquid to the pot.) Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Save a bit of the bacon for garnish, and stir the rest of the reserved bacon into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice the roast, drizzle with sauce, and sprinkle with remaining bacon. Serve with the vegetables and, if desired, mashed potatoes.

Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham

I've waxed eloquent about my love of pork, but one cut I don't cook frequently is ham. Since the husband and I are just a little family of two, a big ham is a bit daunting. But it is so delicious. And when it was dirt cheap around Easter time, I just couldn't pass it up.

I bought the smallest ham I could find, which was boneless and spiral-sliced. I've heard, though, that bone-in ham is more flavorful. If you're family is a bit larger, or if you can handle leftover ham for a few years, you might want to give the bone-in ham a shot. Just brush the glaze on the ham for the last hour of cooking.

Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves: 8? 10? A million?

3/4 cup apricot preserves
1-2 tablespoons ground mustard
3 pounds boneless, spiral-cut smoked honey ham

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together apricot preserves and 1 tablespoon ground mustard. Give it a taste. If it's mustard-y enough for you, leave it alone. If not, add more ground mustard until it tastes perfect. (I used about 1.5 tablespoons of ground mustard.) Set the glaze aside.

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Place ham in the dish cut-side down. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until ham reaches an internal temperature of about 115 degrees. According to all the websites and cookbooks I read, this should take about 15 minutes per pound. Mine took longer, but I'm assuming that's a fluke.

At this point, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush the apricot-mustard glaze all over the ham. Turn the ham on its side and brush glaze in between the slices to make sure every piece is coated.

Continue baking the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees, basting with the glaze every 10-15 minutes. This will take about 30 minutes of cooking. Once the ham reaches 140 degrees, brush it with any remaining glaze, tent with foil, and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Leftovers: Thai Peanut Pork Lettuce Wraps

Did you like the Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork we made on Wednesday? Well, I hope you made extra because you're going to love this leftover remix.

Thai Peanut Pork Lettuce Wraps
Serves 3-4

2 cups leftover Thai Peanut Pork
1/2 cup diced water chestnuts (about half of a 5-ounce can), optional
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
10-12 large lettuce leaves from a head of iceberg or butter lettuce
1.5 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup very, very thinly sliced red pepper
1 cup chow mein noodles
1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Stir water chestnuts into leftover Thai Peanut Pork and reheat for in the microwave until warmed through. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Let everyone build their own lettuce wraps by piling rice, pork, red pepper, chow mein noodles, and hoisin sauce into a lettuce leaf. Serve with plenty of napkins...this one is as messy as it is delicious!

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork

I've discussed many of my cooking fears. Today I'm going to share one of my cooking pet peeves: overcooking things in the crock pot. In my mind, the crock pot should be fool-proof. I want to set it and forget it. I want to leave that sucker bubbling for 12 hours and come home to perfectly tender meat. In reality, this ain't how it works in my kitchen.

Last year, I conquered beef pot roast in the slow cooker. But cooking pork in my crock pot has remained elusive. It's dry. Dry, dry, dry. Now, I should mention that I've always been using pork loin roast. I recognize that this is a leaner cut of meat and that other chunks of pork are more appropriate for my slow cooker. But I'm stubborn, you see. I couldn't leave well enough alone until I'd successfully cooked a pork loin roast.

This weekend, I finally did it. I cooked a delicious pork-based dinner in my handy-dandy crock pot. The clouds parted. Angels sang. I stuffed my face.

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork
Serves: 6-8

2-3 pounds pork loin roast
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on your spice tolerance)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger (optional)
2-3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Cooked rice, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Chopped peanuts, for serving

Place pork, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, and ginger in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 4-5 hours or high for about 2-3 hours. (The pork should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees in order to be cooked through.)

Remove pork and shred it using two forks. Stir peanut butter and lime juice into the remaining cooking liquid in the slow cooker until well combined. Stir shredded pork back into the slow cooker. Keep warm on low heat until you're ready to serve.

Sprinkle pork with cilantro and serve over rice. Top each serving with chopped peanuts and an extra lime wedge.

Beer Marinated Flank Steak

Serendipitously, the husband was out of town on a boy's weekend the same time my pal Mo's husband was out of town at a bachelor party. Since we were ladies of leisure without our men, we got together to cook dinner. And chat. Ok, honestly it was mostly chatting interrupted by cooking.

Anyway, Mo and I (with the help of her grill-savvy father-in-law), made a fan-freaking-tastic flank steak. I've shared with you the husband's Lime Cilantro Marinade, and this one is just as good. We only had time to marinade our steak for a couple hours, but I bet it'd be even better if you let this sucker rest in the fridge overnight. (If you give the overnight marinade a try, please let me know how it is!)

Beer Marinated Flank Steak
From Bon Apetit via epicurious.com
Serves: 6

2 pounds flank steak
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
6 green onions, sliced
12 ounces dark beer (we used Guinness)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce (or a little more if you love this stuff as much as Mo and I do)

Score the flank steak in a crisscross pattern. (Your scoring should only be about 1/8" deep.) Place steak in a glass baking dish large enough to hold it. Sprinkle oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper all over the steak. Pour oil over the top, and rub it into the meat, making sure you cover both sides. Add green onions, beer, and Worcestershire, flipping the steaks to make sure they're coated evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinade at room temperature for an hour or in the fridge overnight.

Once the meat is marinated, grill over medium-high heat. Cooking about 3-4 minutes per side should result in a medium-rare steak. Let steak rest 5 minutes and thinly slice across the grain to serve.

Lime Cilantro Marinade

Last Saturday, the husband hosted a small get-together for his buddy who's getting married tomorrow. All the boys came to our place to toss bean bags, eat good food, and drink some beers. The bachelor requested one thing...beef. With some sort of marinade. Preferably including lime and cilantro.

The husband really wanted to marinade the meat for a full 24-hours, so on Friday night we headed on a romantic date to Costco. We picked up flank steak, the biggest bag of limes I've ever seen, and a couple pieces of pizza at the food court. You can't cook on an empty stomach, right?

Back at home, the husband whipped up a gorgeous marinade. I might have weighed in with a few suggestions, but he gets all the credit for this one.

Since I made sure I was far, far away from the house before the bachelor party got into full swing, I don't have a picture of the finished, grilled steak to share with you. But you can take the husband's word that it was absolutely delicious. He grilled it over medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side until the center was medium-rare. Try it yourself, and let me know what you think!

Lime Cilantro Marinade
From: The genius mind of my husband
This will make enough to marinade about three pounds of flank steak, so feel free to scale it back.

Juice from 5 limes
6 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup chopped cilantro (one large bunch)
1/2 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper

Whisk together all ingredients in a large dish or gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Add meat and turn to coat. Marinade up to 24 hours, turning the meat occasionally to ensure it remains coated.

Skewers

Hot Dinner Happy Home received a cry for help from an Anonymous Reader who I have never met, is not related to me, and who certainly never ripped my Barbie's head off when she was a toddler. This Anonymous Reader (heretofore referred to as A.R.) had volunteered to help her boyfriend get ready for a housewarming party at his new digs. Being a woman known for her party-throwing prowess and excellent hostessing skills, she was perfect for the job. That said, she was feeling a bit daunted at the prospect of preparing food for the large gathering of people...especially since guests would be arriving at the open house throughout the day and late into the night. 

After a series of telephone calls to discuss the fete, A.R. and I came up with a perfect plan for feeding the hungry masses about to converge on the new house: kabobs. These were the perfect meal solution for several reasons:

1. They can be prepared ahead of time.
2. You can thread your skewers with a variety of ingredients to please even the pickiest of palettes. 
3. Kabobs can be cooked throughout the party so guests have something warm to nibble on whenever they arrive. 
4. By filling skewers with veggies and/or fruit in addition to meat, kabobs are a budget-friendly meal for a large group.

On the morning of the housewarming party, I woke up bright and early and drove down to Illinois, where the festivities were set to take place. A.R. and I set to work preparing about a million kabobs. For meat, we used a variety of cubed steak, chicken, and shrimp. We interspersed the meat with slices of onions, red and green peppers, and mushrooms. We were in a bit of a hurry, so we didn't marinate the meat, but we did sprinkle the beef kabobs with Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning and the chicken and shrimp kabobs with Penzey's Mural of Flavor. Although, I'm sure a healthy dose of salt and pepper would have been delicious as well.

The prepared kabobs waited patiently for us until the guests were getting hungry, and then the new homeowner manned the grill. He prepared several batches of kabobs throughout the evening as additional revelers arrived, grilling kabobs for about 10 minutes each, until the meat was cooked to the desired temperature (165 degrees for chicken and 125 degrees for medium-rare steak).

All in all, the party was a huge success. My favorite part, though, was spending an afternoon cooking and chatting with my wonderful little sister, uhhh, I mean, an Anonymous Reader with whom I have never shared bunk beds.