DIY Dinners

[RadicalModerate]

All of the recent talk in here about Hatch Chiles and New Grocery Stores and Food Trucks and the possible opening of a Baked Potato Bar got me to thinking about the value of Home Cookin' . . .
So here's an easy one that anybody can cook.

We have a pepper plant, by the patio, that we thought had been killed by the drought and heat last summer. The other day my wife noticed that somehow it had almost miraculously produced about a dozen decent-sized, slim, yellow-green peppers. I decided we needed to use them before they were destroyed by the predicted freeze next week. This is what I came up with. You can use any fresh chiles (or combination of chiles) that you like or can find at the store.

"Volunteer Chiles" Chicken

1 pkg. chicken thighs (4) (or chicken breasts halves if preferred)
Fresh chiles (of choice, roasted, peeled and chopped)
1/3 cup Herdez Salsa Verde
1/2 onion, sliced
4-5 garlic cloves
2 Chipotles en Adobo, seeded and chopped
Olive oil

Seasonings:
Kosher salt (to taste)
Coarse ground black pepper (to taste)
Smoked paprika (to taste)
Mesquite Rub (a packaged seasoning blend)(to taste)
Ground cumin (to taste)
Ground New Mexico Chiles (to taste)

Roast fresh chiles (under broiler,or alt.), place in covered container (or paper bag) to cool. Peel and chop.
Rinse chicken thighs and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper, Mesquite Rub and Smoked Paprika.
Prep. onion, garlic and chipotles.
Heat oil in oven-proof skillet. Sear chicken on skin side for 4 min. Flip chicken pieces.
Add onion. Season with salt, pepper, cumin. Cook with chicken for 4 min. Remove chicken.
Add garlic, chipotles, Herdez Salsa Verde. Sauté for about 2 min. Add chopped chiles.
Mix well and cook for about one minute. Pull sauce to side and add chicken back to skillet.
Spoon some of the sauce over each piece and place skillet in pre-heated (375-deg.) oven for 40 min.
or until internal temp of chicken is at least 161-deg.
(If, during the cooking process, the mixture seems to be getting a little too dry, add some liquid.
I used some white wine we had on hand. I think it was Reisling. Whatever.)

Side:
1 box Goya Arroz Amarillo (yellow rice) prepared per box instructions.
1/3 cup frozen peas plus 1/3 cup frozen corn
(Defrost in microwave with a little water--one minute. Let stand until rice is ready.
Microwave for one minute. Drain any water. Stir gently into the rice.)

Serve with warmed tortillas or cornbread. (I like the Jiffy mix. =)

You can also make something with rice that doesn't come out of a box.
Of course you could swing by the Baked Potato Bar on the way home and pick up a spud for a side if rice isn't your thing. But be prepared to do battle with the Taterista if you ask for a plain baked potato.

[foodiefan]

RM. . .got this one on my "to do" list! Thanks!

[RadicalModerate]

Here is what hit the plates last night.
You might call it "Rib Eye Helper."
Or, "World Class Beef Stroganov".

I've been making this a couple of times a year for many years. There is a pork version that is just as good.
When I made this the first time--and last night--I reduced the recipe by half to serve two to three people.
The first time, I used a couple of those shrink-wrapped filet mignons. It was marvelous.
The next time I used a less expensive cut of beef such as Kansas City Strip and it turned out almost as delicious.
Last night I used a boneless ribeye that weighed in at a little over 3/4 lb.
It's all good. (Just stay away from Round Steak: Too tough.)

When you slice the onion into “rings” (or half-rings, whatever) its advisable to cut them only 1/8” to 1/4” wide.

This is good with noodles, rice or potatoes. In fact, it is good with just about anything.
Except maybe Cocoa Krispies.

BEEF STROGANOV - Classic Version
Serving Size : 6 Categories : Beef Dinner Party Fare
Posted by Jacqui T. at RecipeQuest

1 T. Colman's Mustard Powder
1 T. sugar
Kosher salt
6 T. butter, unsalted
4 C onion slices (rings)
1 Lb mushrooms -- thinly sliced
3 - 4 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
2 Lbs Filet of Beef
1 t. black pepper -- freshly ground
2 T. ketchup
2 C sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry red wine (burgundy, cabernet, merlot, shiraz, )

In a small bowl combine mustard,1-1/2 teaspoons sugar and a pinch of salt
with about 1 tbsp hot water until smooth. Stir in ketchup and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large, heavy frying pan over high heat.
Drop in onions and mushrooms, add salt and pepper to taste, cover and reduce to low.
Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic about 10 minutes in.
Remove cover and add wine, raise heat and reduce liquid. Remove to a bowl.

Place fillet in it's "side" and cut into 1/4" rounds; cut the rounds into 1/4" strips.
(Or, if using a different cut of beef, simply slice it thin, on an angle across the grain.)
Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tbsp butter over high heat, drop in 1/2 the meat and stir fry 1-2 minutes.
Add to onion/mushroom mixture and repeat with remaining meat.

Return all to pan, add salt & pepper if needed and the mustard paste.
Over low heat, stir in sour cream, a bit at a time and remaining 1/2 tsp sugar.
Taste for seasonings.

Heat through, but do not boil or sauce will break.
Place on heated platter and, if you like, scatter “straw potatoes* over the top.

I served it over wide egg noodles.
With some peas on the side. For color. And nutrition.
Asparagus or broccoli is good too.

There was enough left over for two small helpings.

Did I forget to mention Pinot Noir . . . ?

[metro]

Aka the slow food movement which has been gaining popularity in OKC for a couple years now.

[Martin]

cooking at home is not the same thing as the slow food movement, metro. -M

[metro]

I understand it's not one in the same, or it in complete, but cooking quality meals at home is PART of the slow food movement, m.

[RadicalModerate]

So, yesterday, my wife mentioned that she used to like beef short ribs (something I don't recall ever cooking before).
An hour later, on Ina Garten's cooking show, there Ina was: cooking short ribs in wine.
Here is my version of that recipe. It turned out to be "comfort food" fit for company.
Plus it is easy to make.

Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

2 pkgs. beef short ribs (8 pcs. total)
Kosher salt
Coarse ground black pepper
1 bulb fennel, chopped/diced
2 small leeks, 1/4" slice
1 yellow onion, half diced, other half cut into four wedges
3 carrots, half of them diced, other half cut into larger pieces.
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 or 5 cloves garlic, smashed and rough chopped
1/2 pkg. thyme (the packages with the little bit of potting soil included) (or a few sprigs fresh from your garden)
1/2 pkg. rosemary (same brand of herbs or some of the fresh stuff from your garden)
3 or 4 bay leaves
2 T. tomato paste
2 T. brown sugar
750 ml. red wine (yes: a whole bottle. I used Yellowtail Cab/Merlot.)
Olive oil
Mushrooms (optional)

Season ribs with salt and pepper, set aside. Prep vegetables.

Heat oven to 400-deg. Heat olive oil in dutch oven over med. heat.

Place ribs on sheetpan and brown in oven, for twenty minutes, turning every five minutes to get even browning.
Add fennel, leeks, onion, carrots and celery to dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauté vegetables, mixing/stirring frequently, while the ribs are browning.
After about ten minutes, reduce heat to low and add the garlic.
Cook for another ten minutes. Remove ribs from oven and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 325-deg.

Add tomato paste to the vegetables in dutch oven. Mix in well.
Add red wine, increase heat to medium-high and mix well.
Add ribs to the pot. Add brown sugar.
Tie sprigs of rosemary and thyme together with kitchen string and add to pot along with bay leaves.
When liquid just begins to come to a boil, cover pot and place in 325-deg. oven for 2 hours.

After two hours, remove pot from oven, remove ribs from pot and set aside.
Place uncovered pot over med. high heat and reduce liquid. (I let it go about 15 min.)
At the beginning of the reduction time, you can add the optional mushrooms that you have lightly pre-sauteéd in some butter and olive oil.
I used some Crimini's that I had halved and/or quartered depending on their size.

At the end of the reduction time, remove herb bundle and bay leaves.
Return ribs to the pot while finishing up your Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Serve ribs with "wine gravy/sauce" and mashed potatoes (or other starch of choice),
good bread, and wine of choice.

As I said: Comfort food fit for company.
This should easily serve 4 people.
And easy to prepare.

[Martin]

hmm... why do you brown the shortribs in the oven rather than on the stovetop? -M

[RadicalModerate]

Mainly because that's the way Ina Garten did it. =) Frankly, it never would have occurred to me to do it that way, except for seeing her do it. Ordinarily, I would have browned the meat in the Dutch Oven before starting the vegetables rather than using a separate skillet or whatever on the stovetop. This would have doubled the pre-oven time to 40 min. I'm confident that any way in which the meat is browned would work just fine.

By the way: This is one of those dishes that is even better when heated up the next day. It isn't like leftovers at all.

[Martin]

well, i guess that makes sense! : ) just like you were thinking... i would've browned the meat on the stovetop in the dutch oven, set that aside and then sauteed the vegetables. once those took on enough color, i'd add the tomato paste and then deglaze with the wine. it just seems to me that you'd lose the flavorful drippings on the sheet pan doing it ina's way. regardless of me splitting hairs, that does sound tasty! -M

[RadicalModerate]

Just FYI: Actually, I didn't use a "sheetpan" per se. I used a medium-sized, non-stick, metal baking pan just big enough to accomodate all eight ribs. When the meat was done browning and removed, I gave the bottom of the pan a little scrape--with a "plastic" spatula to avoid scratching what remains of the non-stick coating--and poured all the flavorful drippings (read "grease" =) into the veggie mix that was in the dutch oven on the stove. Waste not, want not and all that jazz . . . =)

"Splitting 'hairs'" . . .
Hmmm . . . Why do I feel as if rabbit (my first attempt ever at cooking rodents =)
is moving up on the Recipe To-Do List . . .
I've eaten rabbit prepared by others . . .
Yet . . . Actually Doin' It Myself . . . Interesting idea....

Sorry . . . I digressed . . .

In any case, try that shortrib recipe.
It's sort of like extra good pot roast . . .
I can't imagine anyone (except Vegans and their ilk) not enjoying it.
Heck, even Reform Vegans would love the "broth/sauce/gravy".
Tofu might be an appropriate platform for the sauce.

I forgot to mention that all the necessary ingredients--other than the wine (from Camelot)--for the recipe were purchased at the recently remodeled Homeland location at May and Britton. I'm sure the essentials would also be available at Sunshine Market, Whole Foods and maybe even Buy For Less. Not so sure about Crescent Market, at least at this date and time . . . =)

[jstaylor62]

RM! Dude! These recipes are awesome! Thanks for sharing them.

[RadicalModerate]

Glad you liked the recipes, JST . . .
Here's one on "the lighter side" so to speak.

I mentioned "produce waste" on one of those "Grocery Store Threads" elsewhere in here . . .
I have some leftover produce from the "Short Rib Spectacular" (and that dish was even better on the SECOND day, BTW).
Specifically, I have a fennel bulb . . . a leek . . . a handful Crimini mushrooms . . . most of a head of garlic . . . most of a bag of "Butter Gold" potatoes.

In the freezer I have a partial bag of Tilapia filets (from Buy For Less, BTW.)

In a bowl on the counter are some limes (probably left over from G&Ts a while back?).

So, here is another Adventure in Leftover (Ingredient) Land . . .

Pan-Seared/Oven-Finished Tilpia with Roasted Vegetables (for two)

2 or 3 Tilapia filets, thawed, seasoned with Kosher salt and Coarse Ground Black Pepper,
(Or other seasoning of choice that you have on hand)
drizzled with lime juice and a pinch of sugar
(or white wine instead)

1 fennel bulb, (sliced into 6 small wedges through the core)
1 leek, split longitudinally (a.k.a. lengthwise)
2 small potatoes, (sliced longways, see above, into small wedges)
Mushrooms (quartered or halved depending on size).
4 to 6 cloves garlic, halved
Decent olive oil (like Colavita)

Heat oven to 425-deg. Prep vegetables and mushrooms.
Place vegetables in mixing bowl (or in baking pan, or on baking sheet), drizzle with oil and toss well to coat.
(If "oiled" in a bowl, move to baking vessel of choice, above. Duh. =)

Season with S&P to taste. Place all but mushrooms and garlic in pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 min.
At about 15 min. in, add the mushrooms and garlic. This is a good time to toss the veggies.
When desired doneness is reached, remove from oven and set aside.

Heat three turns of oil in an oven proof skillet, over medium-high heat, just to the smoking point.
Add tilapia and cook for 4 min. Flip and place in oven for 4 min.
Remove and serve immediately with the roasted vegetables . . .
some good bread . . .
and some decent wine.
(whatever you have on hand).

You can also time this so that you put the fish in the oven when the vegetable mix is 4 minutes out,
but I've found that flavors are enhanced if you allow the vegetables to cool a bit.
Like, for example, the eight minutes it takes to cook the fish.

Oh! Almost forgot: If you want to add some color to the dish,
you can toss in some of those roasted red peppers in a jar from Marzetti
(when adding the mushrooms and garlic)
and garnish the plates with chopped, fresh, Italian parsley.

[RadicalModerate]

Here's a little (Semi)-DIY dinner for a day or two after a visit to The Colonel . . .
Remember: The cooking vessel is the "casserole" . . . What is in it is a "hotdish" . . . =)

Kentucky Grilled (or Fried) Hotdish (Serves 3 or 4)

1 KFC breast pc. (skin removed, meat pulled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 KFC thigh pc. (skin removed, meat pulled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
1/2 red onion, diced
1 Serrano pepper, seeded, de-veined and diced
3 or 4 Pepadew peppers, chopped (available in jars at Braums or the olive bar at Homeland)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 or 5 button mushrooms, sliced
Frozen peas (a handful)
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Black pepper
Dill Mix seasoning (or other "accent" of choice)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
White wine (or other liquid)
Parmesan cheese
Wide egg noodles (about 1/2 to 2/3rds of a package)

Heat three turns oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and Serrano pepper.
Season with salt and pepper, sauté until tender. Remove to saucepan.

Add oil and 2 T. butter to skillet, allow oil to heat and butter to foam.
Add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, sauté until tender and slightly brown.
Add garlic when mushrooms are about half cooked. Remove to the saucepan.

Put saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add Pepadew peppers and peas to saucepan and gently stir into other ingredients.
Add mushroom soup (undiluted) and mix well. Season with some of the Dill Mix.
Stir in a big pinch of grated Parmesan and blend well.
Dilute mixture with about 4 oz. white wine, chicken stock, milk, half and half, (whatever)
and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350-deg. Cook noodles per package directions until just al dente (about 4 min.)
Drain, rinse and toss with olive oil.

Spray an 8x8 Pyrex baking dish with Pam.
Put noodles in the dish and cover with the sauce from the saucepan.
Cover with aluminum foil and place in pre-heated oven for 30 min.

Let cool for about 5 min. before serving.

[RadicalModerate]

This swine really IS "devine" . . .

Pork Tenderloin Number One

1 pork tenderloin, silverskin and connective tissue removed
Olive oil
1/2 pkg. (8 or 9?) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Butter
Marsala
4 or 5 cloves garlic, sliced/chopped
Basil (fresh, small handful, rough chopped)
Fettucini (for two or three servings)
Salt
Pepper
Tarragon

Prep pork, season with salt, pepper (and other seasonings of choice: I used some "Garlic Sea Salt Herb" Grinder Mix, that we had on hand, and some Chipotle Grinder for a bit of heat.) Place in refrigerator until about 15 min. before time to cook.

Preheat oven to 425. Heat oil in oven-proof skillet, over med-high heat, to smoke point. Sear tenderloin on one side, flip, place in heated oven for five minutes. Flip again and cook another five minutes in oven (or until pork reaches suitable internal temperature for you). Remove pork from oven (and skillet), put aside to rest. Deglaze the pan with Marsala, add oil and butter. Add garlic and sauté for about one minute. Add mushooms, S&P to taste, dried tarragon (and or fresh/dried thyme) sauté with garlic for about five minutes. Add the basil, mix in. Drain and add the "al dente" pasta (that you started cooking in boiling, salted water about 12 min. before this point). Toss with the "sauce" until pasta is well coated.

Slice the tenderloin into thick slices on an angle.
Place the slices on a bed of pasta.

I served this with some basic, steamed asparagus to which I added a little salt, butter and a splash of vinegar.

[RadicalModerate]

The key to this thing is Good Salmon . . . THANKS, KYLE!! . . . and The Glaze.
(Maple Glaze concept originally c/o my brother-in-law, Patrick, up there in Minnesota.)

I'm sure that any leftover glaze would be good on pork chops, chicken and probably other stuff, too.
The piece of fish we had to work with would have made three nice servings.
And not even a single pin bone to be found in the filet! =)

(They did a great prep/packaging job up there around Ketchikan, at Alaska Sportfishing Expeditions.
And you can tell them I said so! =)

It is said that the "proof of the pudding is in the eating" . . .
The proof of the goodness of this dish was the fact that my rather "selective" (read: "picky") granddaughter--who arrived at the door, with her Mom, just after we finished out dinner and who refuses to even think about eating fish--had two small helpings of the piece of salmon (left over after my wife and I had previously enjoyed our portions) along with a couple of appetizer-sized pieces of the potato cake.

=======
Maple Glazed Wild Salmon (w/Bok Choy) (For two):

Glaze:
1/2 cup maple syrup (real maple syrup--Carey's seems to be the least expensive)
1/4 cup soy sauce (Kikkoman, not some off brand)
1 t. (plus) grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

8oz. (more or less) good salmon

Method:
Thaw salmon if frozen (the big pot, small stream of cold water method works well).
Heat maple syrup, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes, over medium heat, in a small saucepan, to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by one third. Do not allow to burn or scorch. (Est. 8 to 9 minutes).

Heat oven to 450-deg.

Cut bok choy leaves from the stalk, wash thoroughly and pat dry.
Place two or three large leaves on a foil-lined sheet pan. Place the salmon on the leaves.
Coat salmon heavily with the glaze, cover with bok choy leaves.
Sprinkle bok choy with a little salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and place in pre-heated oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

Pull from oven, remove and discard all "overcooked" bok choy leaves (like, most of them), reserve the others.
Turn on broiler, return salmon to oven under broiler for 2 min.

Remove and cut salmon filet into serving sized pieces. (The skin will stick to the pan, which is a good thing.)
Serve immediately with remaining (not the overcooked/charred) bok choy and sides.
==========
Obviously, I need to perfect the cooking of bok choy, but this method is a bit like cooking the fish in parchment paper or foil . . . except more "organic".

I served this with Pommes Chef Anne ala John (a layed potato cake), a mixture of peas and corn for garnish, and cornbread.
I know it would be great with rice or some form of thin pasta like capellini (angel hair) or any other form of potatoes.

Plus it follows The Jacques Pepin Rule: "Yu mahst ellow the ahn-gred-ee-ant tu dee-clahr eetself." (Translation: "You must allow the ingredient to declare itself.")
This ingredient declared itself "Excellent"!!!

[RadicalModerate]

On another thread, in conjunction with comparisons of various local meat markets,
C.T. Chandler mentioned that he had purchased a quantity of bacon at Cusack Meats
and wasn't quite sure what he was going to use it for.

Here is a suggestion on one way to use up bacon--
beyond the ubiquitous (and EXCELLENT) BLT
or even a BCCOB (BaconChiliCheeseOnion Burger).

I've made this about four times.
All it does is get better and better . . .

From Tyler Florence's Cookbook: TYLER'S ULTIMATE
He says: When this is done right, it is one of the best recipes in the book.
Tyler ain't lyin'.

Tagliatelle With Mushrooms, Cipolline Onions and Bacon
(Serves 4--Adjust quantities appropriately, like, duh =)

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 pint cipolline onions, peeled and halved
1 pound field mushrooms or whatever mushrooms you find at the supermarket, such as ****akes or criminis, sliced
2 garlic cloves, whacked with the side of a large knife
Needles from 1 small rosemary sprig
Cracked black pepper
1 pound tagliatelle
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving
Big handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Note on Ingredients:
Tagliatelle (the pasta) is apparently impossible to find in OKC.
Heck, even Barilla doesn't sell a version here in the U.S.
The first time I made this, I partially cooked some lasagne noodles
and cut them into appropriately wide strips in order to approximate the "tag" . . .
This was a total waste of time and effort: Fettucini works just fine.
Even egg noodles would do in a pinch.

Don't settle for less than Colavita Olive Oil . . .Unless you can't find it.
The Famous Rao's Italian Restaurant in NYC uses Fillipo Berio.
I guess there is no accounting for taste . . .
Unless someone made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

The only cipolline onions at Homeland (on the day I went shopping)
were nasty little shriveled up, semi-rotten blobs.
I used some shallots instead.
Later, when there was a better selection of the cipollines (at Homeland) I used them.
The difference is notable--in a positive way.
However: The peeling of the cipollines is an exercise in time-consuming patience.
Did I forget to mention that "regular" onions are OK too?

Any mushrooms--except oyster mushrooms--will work for this.
I prefer Criminis (baby Portobellos). Button mushrooms are okay too.
Even a mix of mushrooms is perfectly fine.
Except for the oyster mushrooms.

I think Tyler goes a little light on the garlic.

The expensive Parm is the best.
The stuff in the bag is just fine.
(Think of all the other flavors going on here)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta
Heat a "three-count" of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the bacon and the onions and cook for 7 to 8 minutes to render the bacon fat and get the onions nice and browned
Add the mushrooms, garlic and rosemary and cook for about 12 minutes until the mushrooms are well caramelized.
Season with salt and pepper then rake the contents of the skillet out into a big serving bowl.
Cover with a plate to keep it warm. Don't wash the skillet: You'll need it for the sauce.

Add pasta to the water that should be boiling by this point.
Cook until "al dente"--about 8 or 9 minutes depending on actual cooking directions for the pasta.
When pasta is about half done (at about 4 minutes) scoop out a cup of the pasta water and add to the skillet.
Put the skillet over medium heat, add the cold butter, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced and thickened to a nice, saucelike consistency
Drain the pasta and add it to the bacon, mushrooms, etc. in the holding bowl.

Pour in the "burro buso" (the butter sauce) add the parmesan and parsley.
Season with pepper and toss everything together.

Serve with extra Parm on the side.

Some good bread and nice red wine are the only other things involved.
This is basically The Ultimate Mac and Cheese Deluxo.
With bacon. =)

Extra, Added Ingredient: A smile at the way TheVirtualVirtuousCyberCop won't allow the spelling of s-h-i-t-a-k-e mushrooms.
It's even harder to find ****akes as it is to locate tagliatelle =)

[RadicalModerate]

By request (from "a regular") and in honor of all the Restaurant Critics =)

So, it's a chilly day, in February--in Oklahoma (imagine that!)--and I have invited my mother over for Sunday dinner. This little get-together has been postponed, a couple of times, for various reasons, but it is on for "today." She has often said that her favorite meal is "Pot Roast."

I've done the Ina Garten version of Pot Roast from her Back to Basics cookbook--and it is superb--but I think that I'll go even more basic. Since there will be such a vast quantity of food, it occurs to me to invite my son-in-law over as he has done too many nice things for us, over the years, to count. Plus, he is "batchin'" it this weekend on account of significant others being at a dance competition up in Tulsa. This recipe serves three hungry people--and my Mom--plus it provides way more than enough leftovers to send "Care Packages" home with our guests.

In addition to that, the re-worked leftover leftovers in the fridge will provide the filling for a Pioneer Woman Meat Pie (which is a re-work of her famous and delicious Flat Apple Pie. Like what we enjoyed for dessert =).

Minnesota French Canadian Irish Ex-Patriate Pot Roast

1 - 3 lb. (m.o.l.) beef chuck roast
1 - 2 to 3.5 lb. (m.o.l.) pork roast (unsure of the cut I used, but "Boston Butt" is good here)
1 yellow onion (1/4 cup finely chopped, the rest large chopped)
7 carrots (peeled, 1/4 cup finely chopped, the rest large chopped)
4 celery stalks (1/4 cup finely chopped, the rest large chopped)
1- fennel bulb (sliced)
1 head garlic (cloves separated and peeled)
1 bag new red potatoes
1/2 pkg. white mushrooms, small ones whole, larger ones halved
1/2 pkg. crimini mushrooms, small ones whole, larger ones halved
1 handful grape tomatoes
Fresh thyme (about half a container of the store bought variety)
Fresh rosemary (about half a container of the store bought variety)
Salt (Kosher or Melissa's Garlic, Sea Salt and Herbed Grinder)
Pepper (coarse ground or freshly ground, black)
Ground lemon pepper (without salt)
1 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine (I used Yellowtail Cab/Merlot)
Worcestershire sauce (One to one-and-a-half dousings)
1- 8oz. can tomato sauce (2 cans wouldn't ruin this)

Season the beef and pork with salt, pepper, lemon pepper (with no salt) and douse liberally with Worcestershire Sauce. Put back in the fridge in a holding pan (for at least two hours) until one hour before ready to cook. Note that any seasonings that you--and your guests--like is perfectly fine here from Smoked Paprika to Ground Coriander to a little Mustard Powder and everything in between. I stayed with the most basic seasonings this time. A key thing is not to oversalt anything.

Prep all of the vegetables and mushrooms. Spread them out on a flat surface (such as a sheet pan) and sprinkle with salt and pepper (plus any other seasoning of choice).

Preheat the oven to 325-deg. (Read and follow the directions on the cooking bag.)

Add the finely chopped vegetables to the cooking bag. On the stovetop, in a skillet, brown/sear the roasts and add to cooking bag along with the skillet juices and remains of the holding/marinating pan. Add the rest of the vegetables and the mushrooms to the bag and distribute evenly. Tie the sprigs of thyme and rosemary together with some kitchen string and add to the bag. Add the wine, beef broth, tomato tomato sauce and the handful of grape tomatoes. Seal and tie the bag, cut the vent slits and place in pre-heated oven for two hours.

When two hours is up, pull the pan containing the cooking bag and contents from the oven. Remove the roasts from the bag, tent with foil, and set aside. Remove the vegetables to a bowl or serving bowl, tent with foil and set aside. Drain the liquid from the bag into a saucepan. Retrieve the remains of the "herb bundle" and add it to the pan. Allow liquid to boil, over medium-high heat, to reduce somewhat. When you get tired of waiting for the gravy to reduce enough to coat the back of a spoon, make a cornstarch or flour slurry and add it to the saucepan a little at a time, stirring constantly, until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.

Instead of "plating up" . . . Slice the roasts and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the gravy. Place the "Vegetable Bowl" on the table along with a decorative little "Gravy Boat" and some good ol' Sister Schubert rolls that you heated up while the gravy was reducing. Pass around Family Style and enjoy.

The remains of the Yellowtail Cab/Merlot that you used in the cooking process goes well with this.
So does a bottle of 2005 Jessup Cellars Zinfandel.
Another alternative could be some 2010 Annabella Carneros Pinot Noir. If you can locate it.
(BTW: Everything in this recipe, except the wine, came from the Homeland on N. May. I'm not sure that purchasing the ingredients at Whole Foods or Sunflower Market would have made a noticeable improvement in this dinner.)

As to how to deal with the leftovers . . .
(The Gravy is The Gold)

Okie Pioneer Flat Meat Pie
(Another Adventure in Leftover Land, with a tip o' the hat to Ree "Pioneer Woman")
1- pkg. Pillsbury Pie Crusts (sorry, Ree, that whole "pie crust making" thing is Way too Involved, even if infinitely superior =)
1- small half a fist-sized chunk of the leftover beef, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1- small half a fist-sized chunk of the leftover pork, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 of a medium red onion, sliced half-moon style.
1/2 of a fennel bulb, sliced and chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed and rough chopped
Some of the leftover gravy
1- handful of the leftover grape tomatoes
Some of the leftover fresh rosemary
Olive oil

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and fennel and sauté together until they are tender and begin to caramelize (get brown and tender). Add the garlic and let it soften for a few minutes without burning along with the rosemary. Add two small ladles of the leftover gravy and mix well. Add the chopped meat (and mix well). Add maybe one or two more small ladles of gravy if the mixture seems to dry. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit while the oven pre-heats to whatever the temperature on the package of pie crusts says it should be.

Prep the pie crusts according to package directions, fill each with some of the meat mixture, fold the dough up around the filling in the artistic and careful way that only my wife can do (garnish with some leftover grape tomatoes) and put in the oven for the time suggested on the package. She also suggested adding some Allspice to the meat mixture during the cooking/reheating process which was a good idea because it gave the dish a vaguely Scandinavian undertone (as in Swedish Meatballs) without bringing it down to some sort of depressing Ingmar Bergman Film level.

'Taters (Side)
Take the five or six leftover potatoes from the roast recipe, drizzle them with olive oil, add salt and pepper, put them in the oven with the pie.

'Shrooms (Side: do this about ten to fifteen minutes before pie is done)
Slice the remaining mushrooms, heat some oil and butter, add the mushrooms, season w/salt and pepper, sauté to desired point of doneness add some leftover thyme, some spinach and chopped up pickled Spanish red peppers from a jar--or other mild red peppers on hand--and allow spinach to wilt to point of desired wiltedness.

Slice the pie, plate up and "garnish/drizzle/flood" with rewarmed, unstrained "gravy" leftover from the pot roast.

Serve with bread of choice.
(I think we used the leftover Sister Schubert Rolls option, but leftover Pugliese--if you can locate it locally--or Pan Bigio is just as good. Ciabatta will do in a pinch. =)

Remember: There are no "new" thoughts. We are all compilers. =)

[ctchandler]

RadicalModerate,
They look good, but the first one I'm not sure I could get small enough portions for a single person household. I have a couple of recipes I have wanted to try, but just couldn't cut them down enough to be practical. Regardless, I am putting both of them in my file.
Thanks,
C. T.

[FoodFuser]

RE "Extra, Added Ingredient: A smile at the way TheVirtualVirtuousCyberCop won't allow the spelling of s-h-i-t-a-k-e mushrooms.
It's even harder to find ****akes as it is to locate tagliatelle =) "

.......................

Crest has fresh shii---takes, grown by J&M Mushrooms, up NE in Miami, Oklahoma. It's been a pleasure to watch that company grow.

As for tagliatelle, they are easy to make with a rolling pin. In fact, there might be a saying among transplanted Italian Cajuns: "Laissez le bon tagliatelle rouler!"

Recipe, with tutorial photos: http://www.italyum.com/italian-recip...gliatelle.html

[FoodFuser]

RE "Extra, Added Ingredient: A smile at the way TheVirtualVirtuousCyberCop won't allow the spelling of s-h-i-t-a-k-e mushrooms.
It's even harder to find ****akes as it is to locate tagliatelle =) "

.......................

Crest has fresh shii---takes, grown by J&M Mushrooms, up NE in Miami, Oklahoma. It's been a pleasure to watch that company grow.

As for tagliatelle, they are easy to make with a rolling pin. In fact, there might be a saying among transplanted Italian Cajuns: "Laissez le bon tagliatelle rouler!"

Recipe, with tutorial photos: http://www.italyum.com/italian-recip...gliatelle.html

[RadicalModerate]

The first time I made Tyler Florence's comfort food involving "tagliatelle" I actually parboiled some dried lasagne and sliced it. After that, I decided that fettucini works just fine. Probably egg noodles would too. And thank you for the suggestion! Cooking/prep techniques are part of the fun (if cooking is a hobby) =)

I'm a big fan of J&M Mushrooms, as well! And not just because my brother lives up there in Miami (My-Am-Uh). Having been by The Mushroom Plant, I am also a firm believer in washing my mushrooms because "farm raised fungus" isn't the same as "forest picked fungus" (that only needs to be "brushed off with a mushroom brush or damp towel." according to Ina Garten and her Hamptons-dwelling ilk. =)

[kevinpate]

... I'm not sure I could get small enough portions for a single person household. I have a couple of recipes I have wanted to try, but just couldn't cut them down enough to be practical. Regardless, I am putting both of them in my file.
Thanks,
C. T.

Just a thought. Have any others you are close to who are in 1-2 person households? They make something and send over part of that meal to you. You make something different and send over part of that meal to them. Variety w/o lots of leftovers.

[RadicalModerate]

I think that is a GREAT idea, Kevin . . .
Kinda like combining "Meals on Wheels" (without involvment of "The Church") with "A Moveable Feast" (not involving highly regulated Food Trucks). . .

I suppose that "the secret to success" here would be to keep The State and The Lawyers out of it. =)
(Sorry . . . It's that danged ol' Right Brain/Left Brain thing acting up again =)

Speaking of Confusion on The "Logistical" Details . . . =)
Tonight it will be a couple of Homeland (N.May) purchased pork chops with a Steven "BBQ U" Raichlen "onion sauce" without any grilling! (on account of the forecasted wind . . . pan-sear/oven finish works real good).

But, talk about feeling like an idiot at the butcher counter . . .
All I was able to come up with in an attempt to describe the way that I wanted the pork chops to be (to the gentleman behind the counter) was:

"Imagine that you were going to create a Crown Roast of Pork . . .
Like, for Christmas or New Years or whatever . . .
I want two pork chops/slices from that about 1 to 1-1/4" thick."

This, in itself, provides a raison d'etre for Cooking Skools. =)

The butcher/meatcutter was accomodating.
Without being "over solicitous" or "obsequious" =)

Perhaps, in part, because I didn't drag out a cellphone and attempt to make him watch the entire re-run of Steven R's show so he would know exactly what I was talking about.

Edited to Add: The best part of even hobby cooking "in quantity" is the opportunity to share. That's why we have so many plastic leftover containers. =)

[ctchandler]

Funny you should mention sharing, I purchased a 15+ pound Smithfield ham about six years ago and fixed it for me and my single son for Thanksgiving. It was excellent but in this case, still too much. Now I did prepare one about three years ago and took it to Colorado and fed a family of five plus three guests and there was nothing left. I will watch out for singles when I finally move back into town.
C. T.