Planning Ahead Makes for Quick Meals

I recently started a new job so my cooking time during the week is limited. This Sunday, I slow roasted an 8 pound pork shoulder. That night I made pulled-pork sandwiches and I split the rest of the pork up into 3 containers. Two went in the freezer and one was for tonight.

Pork-Shoulder Ragu (from EveryDay Food magazine)

2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 C dry white wine
2 tsp all-purpose flour
3 C Easy Pork Shoulder (roasted, shredded pork)
1 1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, 20 minutes. Add fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add pork and broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Serve over polenta, grits or mashed potatoes.

I served this over polenta:

Creamy, Cheesy Polenta (mine, all mine!)

2 C chicken broth
2 C fat-free half and half
1 C corn meal/polenta
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp butter

Combine broth and half and half in a saucepan. Whisk in corn meal and whisk constantly, over medium heat, until all liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat and allow it to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and butter.

My son ate two servings of the polenta. It was a big hit. This is a very nice combination of flavors. It is my first time using fennel seed and it's a lovely addition to the pork. I served the pork over the polenta with broccoli on the side.

Soup! It's What's for Dinner.

The weather is beginning to turn cooler and I'm ready to try some fall recipes. This one was as good as it sounded in the recipe book.

Roasted Beef, Mushroom and Barley Soup (from EveryDay Food magazine)

1 lb. sirloin, cut into half-inch cubes
1 lb. button or crimini mushrooms, stems trimmed and cut in half
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 TBS olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 C chicken broth
1/2 C quick-cooking barley

1. Preheat oven to 425. Place steak, mushrooms, and shallots on a rimmed roasting pan and toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until meat and mushrooms are browned, about 30 minutes.

2. Pour pan contents into medium pot. Add four cups of chicken broth and barley. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until barley is soft; about 12 minutes. Can be served sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley.

I made this and found the preparation times to be very accurate. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between regular barley and quick-cooking barley. I used regular barley and it cooked quickly enough. I served this with salad and take-and-break bread. It was delicious and filling. Perfect for cool fall evenings.

A New Fall Favorite

I found a cookbook on my shelf that I think my Mom sent me. It's called 29 Minutes to Dinner from The Pampered Chef. I love a quick meal and this one caught my eye.

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Stew (The Pampered Chef)

3/4 lb. hot Italian sausage links
2 medium carrots
1 medium bulb of fennel
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 C chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans
1 package (18 g) fresh basil

1. Remove casings from sausage. Cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/2 in nuggets.

2. Place sausage into large, heavy pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

3. As sausage cooks, peel carrots. Chop carrots and fennel, add to pot and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables begin to brown.

4. Stir tomatoes, broth and garlic into sausage mixture. Drain and rinse beans and add to pot.

5. Simmer stew, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender. As stew simmers, chop basil. Remove pot from heat; stir in basil. Serve immediately.

This is a lovely main course with a side salad and some warm, crusty bread. It makes 6 servings. It's also great as leftovers. My husband much preferred this to traditional stew since he likes the sausage much better than stew meat. The fennel is especially nice to balance the spicy sausage. If you can't find fennel, or don't care for it, you can substitute onions.

Fancy Comfort Food

This recipe is always a hit. It's basic comfort food with a sophisticated twist. Quick to make. Great for company.

Macaroni and Cheese with Prosciutto (I think this came out of a Bon Appetit)

8 oz (2C) cooked small elbow macaroni
1 1/2 C packed, grated Gruyere cheese (about 6 oz)
1 C whipping cream
1 C whole milk
3 oz coarsely chopped prosciutto
3 TBS grated Parmesan
1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. Position rack in bottom third of oven, preheat to 400. Butter 11X7 glass baking dish.

2. Whisk 1/2 C Gruyere, cream, milk prosciutto, Parmesan, and nutmeg in a large bowl to blend. Add macaroni and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Put in baking dish and top with remaining 1 C Gruyere cheese. Bake until cheese melts and macaroni and cheese sets; about 20 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 6.

This is great as a main dish with a side salad or as a side dish. This last time I made it with fat-free half and half and skim milk. It tasted just as good but wasn't as creamy. But it saved a lot of fat. You could easily leave out the prosciutto for a vegetarian version.

The Food of Kings

So, I've now discovered quinoa. It was eaten by the Incas and now, by my family. I used the basic recipe from EveryDay Food as a guide and threw this together.

Quinoa with Roasted Red Peppers and Parsley (mine, all mine)

1 C quinoa
2 1/2 C water
1 tsp salt
1/2 each red, yellow and orange peppers, roasted and diced
1/4 C finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
coarse salt and ground pepper
juice of one lemon
olive oil

1. Bring quinoa, water and 1 tsp of salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium simmer and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Move quinoa to a bowl and allow to cool.

2. To roast peppers, place them on a cookie sheet, skins up, and broil until skins are blackened. Remove from oven and place them into a ziploc bag to steam the skins. Once they cool, peel the skins and dice peppers. Add peppers, parsley, cheese, lemon juice and olive oil to quinoa. Toss and season with salt and pepper.

The Happiest Spice in the World

I'm trying to eat healthier meals and so we checked this one out and tried something all new- quinoa. Delicious and fun to say. Bonus points for anyone who gets the title reference.

Tilapia and Quinoa with Feta and Cucumber (from EveryDay Food magazine)

1 C quinoa
2 C water
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless tilapia fillets, divided into 8 pieces
3/4 tsp paprika
1 C English cucumber (6 oz), diced small
1/3 C roughly chopped fresh dill
1/3 C feta (1 1/2 oz), crumbled
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. In a small saucepan, bring quinoa, 2 C water, and 1 tsp salt to a boil over high. Reduce to a medium simmer and cook until water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl and let cool 5 minutes.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 1/2 tsp oil over medium-high. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with paprika. Cook fillets until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Stir cucumber, dill, feta, 1 tsp oil, and lemon juice into quinoa. Season with salt and pepper. Divide quinoa among four plates and top with fish.

So, this is considered 4 servings, but to be honest, my husband and I ate all the fish between us. I bought almost a pound of fish (in four fillets) and we each ate two. We ate most of the quinoa as well. There is a cup or so left over. This is a very light meal and delicious. My son tried the quinoa and said it was okay but he didn't each much of it. I suspect, like grits, they largely depend upon what you add to them. These had a light, Mediterranean taste. The would be great with any fish dish. The quinoa is a complete protein, so it would be an excellent vegetarian dish on its own. You could easily bulk up this meal with a side salad or some grilled veggies. The recipe says any flaky, white-fleshed fish or chicken cutlets can be substituted for the tilapia. It also suggests mint, parsley or basil in place of the dill.

A Little Spice in Your Life

I meant to make this Thursday but my plans changed. I used to make this fairly often but it fell out of rotation. I have no idea why, but it's going back on the regular schedule.

Spicy Grilled Chicken and Green Onions (from Bon Appetit)

2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP hot sauce
2 tsp honey
1 tsp paprika
7 green onions
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1. Prepare barbecue (medium high heat). Whisk oil, hot sauce, honey and paprika in a 9-inch glass pie dish to blend. Mince one green onion; mix into marinade. Transfer 2 TBSP marinade to a small bowl and reserve. Add chicken to glass dish to coat. Let stand 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Sprinkle chicken and remaining green onions with salt Grill both until chicken is cooked through and onions soften, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken and onions to plates. Drizzle with reserved marinade.

I served this with a green salad and cheddar bacon grits. It quick and delicious. It is flavorful but my 5 year old ate it, so it isn't too spicy. It can easily be doubled or more for a crowd.