Pork Marengo

I have had never heard of Pork Marengo but the recipe was easy and enticing (and successful). It's basically pork and mushrooms in a heavy gravy/sauce.  And I loved it. We lucked out and had it on a rainy day but it will definitely be in the winter-comfort food- rotation.

Pork Marengo
Adapted from Everyday Slow Cooker

•  pounds boneless pork shoulder, cubed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 14 1/2 ounce diced tomatoes, UNdrained
• 8 ounce package sliced mushrooms
• 1 chicken bouillon
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooked rice

Cook pork cubes and onion in oil in a skillet over medium heat until browned.  Drain and place in slow cookers.

In the skillet combine tomatoes, mushrooms, bouillon, and seasoning in skillet. Pour over pork.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.

Blend water into flour in a small bowl then stir into pork.  Add salt and pepper.  Increase the heat to high and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Serve over cooked rice.

Pesto Chicken Turnovers

Like a hot pocket...but, you know.... good. 

Pesto Chicken Turnovers
Adapted from Sheet Pan Dinners
Makes 8 Turnovers

• 1 box frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup pesto
• 1 cup frozen peas, unthawed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesesan
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

On a floured surface, unfold the puff pastry sheets and cut into each sheet into four pieces.  Use a rolling pin to roll each piece to a 7in by 9in rectangle. Place on parchment paper and set in the refridgerator to keep cool.

Mix together chicken, pesto, and peas in a medium bowl.  Place 1/2 cup of the chicken filling onto the bottom half of each pastry rectangle. Leave a small border on the bottom.  Fold the top half of the pastry over the filing, lining up the edges.  Press the edges with a fork to seal the turnover.

Brush each one iwth a beaten egg. Then sprinkle Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Bake each pan for 25 to 30 minutes until the turnovers are a light golden brown.  Serve hot.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese for the masses. This is a hell of a lot of mac and cheese so make some friends before you dive in. Or, you know, quarter the recipe.  It pretty rich and definitely not good for you, but the best things in life rarely are.

This was my first time making mac and cheese from scratch so I took the easy route.  There was no stove top work done and I only had a blender and bowl to clean.  I highly recommend the disposable tin as moving is hard after consuming so much cheese.

Baked Mac and Cheese
Fills one of those big disposable tins
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups cottage cheese (not low fat)
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• pinch cayenne
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 pound elbow pasta, uncooked

Heat oven to 375 degrees F with the rack in upper third of oven. Use 2 tablespoons of butter to grease the baking dish.  I used a big disposable tin so I could leave it at a party.

In a blender, puree cottage cheese, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Once that is smooth, add the milk and blend until mixed.

Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese, then mix the rest of the cheese, uncooked pasta, and cottage cheese mixture in a very large bowl. Pour into baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and gently stir. Spread the reserved cheese over the top and dot with the remaining two tablespoons of butter.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until browned.  Let cool until it won't burn your face off and eat.

Broccoli Cheddar Rolls with Pesto

When you know the guy who makes the best BBQ in Texas, you gotta step up your appetizer game. (This is me stepping up my appetizer game).

Broccoli Cheddar Rolls
Makes 14 small rolls
Adapted from Shutterbean

• 1 pound pizza dough (store bought is great)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups broccoli, roughly chopped
• a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• pesto for finishing touches

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, then add broccoli. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 9in by 16in rectangle. Top the dough evenly with the broccoli and cheddar cheese, leaving a 1 inch border along the long edges of the rectangle.

Roll up the dough to make a long cylinder.  Cut the cylinder with a sharp knife about every inch to make 14 rolls.  Place the rolls cut sides up on the foil, nestled together so they are touching.  Brush the tops and outside edges with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper then bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven, brush some pesto on top, let rest for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

I remember when Pinterest first came out.  My friends raved about how it was even better than stumbleupon. It was by invite only and I couldn't be more disappointed when my invite finally came.  It was full of crafts (which I hate) and cooking (which I only did to survive). 1,433 pins later and look how far I have come. I may still hate crafts but I definitely don't live off of canned corn and croutons anymore.

This was my first successful attempt at anything on pinterest and it has stuck around in the rotation of meals. It's low carb but high fat. You win some, you lose some. It definitely delicious though.

Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Serves 2 (actually more but we have plans for these leftovers)

Adapted from something I saw on pinterest

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 pound roast beef (may I suggest the Boars Head London Port Roast beef, thinly sliced)
• 2 large bell peppers
• 8 slices provolone cheese

In a large skillet melt butter and olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Saute until onions and mushrooms are caramelized (about 25-30 minutes). Add roast beef, stir and allow to cook for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthways, and remove seeds,stem, ribs. Place a slice of provolone at the bottom of the four bell peppers. Stuff with as much roast beef filling as possible and top with another slice of provolone cheese. Bake for 15 or 20 minutes until top is golden brown.

Serve!

Refrigerate any leftovers. When ready to eat, chop up the entire bell pepper and heat on a skillet. Serve on a  crusty sub with extra provolone cheese.

Three-Bean Cassoulet with Cornmeal Dumplings

Even though it's summer this cassoulet hit the spot with all the rainy days we have been having. My only complaint is there are never enough dumplings. We served the leftovers with biscuits since we fought over all the dumplings the day before. Highly recommend. This had a lot of flavor and I think it had to do with using a red onion as part of the base. 

Three-Bean Cassoulet with Cornmeal Dumplings
Adapted from Southern Living Magazine

Cassoulet:

• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounce package of cubed ham
• 1 pound frozen lima beans
• 1 pound frozen butter peas
• 1 cup frozen black eyed peas
• 32 ounces of chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• a couple of shakes of ground thyme

Dumplings:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plain yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

Heat oil over medium heat in a dutch oven. Saute carrots,onions, and garlic for 4 minutes until tender. Add ham and brown for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients for the cassoulet.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Whisk all dry ingredients for dumplings in a medium bowl. Press butter into flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk and stir until dough is moistened.

Drop dough by the tablespoon full on to the bean cassoulet.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until dumplings are done and dry to the touch. Serve hot.

Next time:  I'm going to throw some celery in as part of the base

Marinated Roasted Peppers with Capers and Mozzarella

These peppers are bitey but are perfectly balanced with fresh mozzarella and of course, the baguette. They make a fine light meal or would work well as a tapa with a couple of other dishes. We included them as part of our snack plate and ate along with dried salamis, soft cheeses, and fruit.

And sorry about the world's worst picture to follow. You can make this dish pretty, I know it.

Marinated Roasted Peppers with Capers and Mozzarella
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 3 bell peppers (go ahead and splurge for the yellow, orange, red pack)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (always)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1/4 pound of fresh mozzarella, sliced
• toasted baguette

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line the peppers on a large baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour using tongs to rotate every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, tent with foil and let completely cool.

Remove skins and seeds with your hands. Then slice into 1/4 inch wide strips.

Toss peppers with red wine vinegar, garlic, and salt. Let marinate for 1 hour to 4 days in the fridge.

Toss peppers with salt, pepper, olive oil, capers, and parsley.  Arrange mozzarella on top.

Eat with toasted baguette as a light meal.