Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Russian Beef and Cabbage Soup

One of the first things I did when looking for Russian type recipes to make during the Olympics was check Eat Your Books to see if I had any non-russian cookbooks that might have Russian recipes. Not many came up. One that did was this soup from Americas Test Kitchens Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2. Not exactly authentic but the dish sounded appealing and the fact that it used a slow cooker meant more time for me to watch Olympic events.

If you take a look at the ingredients you'll notice there is no cabbage listed. The recipe calls for sauerkraut. I admit at first that using sauerkraut instead of some fresh cabbage sounded like something that wouldn't normally be done, but in reading some of the Russian cookbooks I bought, sauerkraut was used in the old days due to the fact that fresh vegetables weren't always available. Americas Test Kitchen said that they used sauerkraut as a way to get around prepping fresh cabbage.

And gnocchi? Well, it seems Russians do make their own versions of gnocchi, though the authors of the cookbook said they used the packaged version so they didn't have to make the gnocchi from scratch. Hardly authentic but I said what the heck, and I decided to give this recipe a try.

The soup came out decent. The meat, though very tender was a little dry (more on that in the notes). Mr. L asked for seconds, which is always a good sign. I liked the bit of tang that the last bit of sauerkraut gave the soup. There wasn't an overwhelming sauerkraut flavor so don't be afraid of that. The soup heated up really well the next day and became much more flavorful.

 

RUSSIAN BEEF AND CABBAGE SOUP
(Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2)

2 cups chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups beef broth
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed
Salt and Pepper
1 pound vacuum-packed gnocchi
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
sour cream

1. Microwave onions, garlic, tomato paste, oil, and thyme in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and 1 cup sauerkraut. Season beef with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

2. Transfer beef to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of soup.

3. Stir in gnocchi, cover, and cook on high until tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in shredded beef and remaining 1 cup sauerkraut and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream. Serves 6 to 8

Notes from the recipe:
*Use a 5 1/2 to 7 quarts slow cooker
*Be sure to rinse the sauerkraut well or the soup will become too sour
*Do not use refrigerated or frozen gnocchi, it will turn gummy in the soup

NOTE: I asked my butcher about "steak tips" and he said use either a sirloin steak (which I did) or to use stew meat. I chose the sirloin because the butcher said it would be more tender (and of course it did cost more). The meat was a bit dry for my taste. It was very tender so maybe less time in the crockpot next time? Or maybe I figure out what steak tips are?

NOTE: Part of the recipe explains about smart shopping for sauerkraut. I agree that the canned versions are horrible. There are some great versions in jars or vacuum-sealed bags (check the refrigerator section). Or if you're lucky, you might be able to find a farmers market like the one locally here where the guy sells some awesome homemade sauerkraut.

NOTE: As per instructed I used vacuum packaged gnocchi. There were several brands available at my local supermarket and I know you can buy them at Cost Plus World Market. I was surprised how well they held up and how tasty they became in the soup.

NOTE: I cooked this for a bit over 9 hours and then the addition 30 minutes.

NOTE: The sour cream actually added a bit of richness which I really liked so I'd definitely add that to the finished dish.

All in all, not a bad soup. Though the taste didn't blow me away, I'd make it again if I had someone who liked sauerkraut. Can't say it's even close to any real Russian dishes, but it was nice to serve during the Olympics while watching all those folks in the snow (of course it was pretty warm there though LOL).

 

Saucy Mama's Lime Chipotle Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Still continuing my Operation Pantry Project, I came across a bottle of Saucy Mama's Lime Chipotle Marinade. I checked on the Saucy Mama's website where they have a ton of recipes using their products, but didn't find anything that tickled my taste buds. I then searched online and found this pulled pork recipe from A La Carte Kitchen. The fact that it could be made in the slow cooker made the recipe sound even better.

Super simple to make, you throw everything in the crock pot and let it do it's thing for 8-10 hours (makes this a nice slow cooker dish if you're not sure you'll be home on time). I served it between some wheat sandwich rolls, with some packaged cole slaw.

This turned out okay. The pulled pork did have a nice taste and it made a ton of sauce (maybe too much for the sandwich) which made it great to serve over mashed potatoes later. I think my problem was with the coleslaw and bread. The coleslaw was store bought and had no flavor which made a nice crunch in the sandwich but I think I wanted something a bit tangier to go with the pulled pork. The wheat bread buns I used completely fell apart when you tried to eat the sandwich. I'd use a sturdier roll next time. Bread that's a bit chewier. But I did like the Saucy Mama's Lime Chipotle Marinade and would use it again.

You can find the recipe for the Pulled Pork on A La Carte Kitchen's blog here:

SAUCY MAMA'S LIME CHIPOTLE PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Note: I used pork butt. I used whole wheat sandwich buns. I used packaged coleslaw. I used KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce.

Again, though the pulled pork made with the Saucy Mama marinade was fine, the dish as a whole didn't turn out so great. I was trying to be healthy and save calories buy using the whole wheat buns and cheap coleslaw. I did love the Saucy Mama's Lime Chipotle Pulled Pork over mashed potatoes and think it would work over rice or polenta too.

Note: Though I was sent this sauce from another blogger in a giveaway, I have not been compensated for this post nor was I asked or requested to blog about this marinade.

Balsamic-Glazed Short Ribs

I found a three pound package of beef short ribs in the freezer that I decided to pull out as my next Operation Pantry Project meal. I then went looking for a slow cooker recipe thinking that would probably be the best way to cook the ribs. I found this recipe in The Italian Slow Cooker (via Eat Your Books) and though I didn't have the right amount of short ribs, thought that a balsamic glaze sounded good.

This dish tasted pretty good, though I did have a few problems. My short ribs didn't turn out as tender as I would have liked. That may have been because I used a large crock pot and I didn't have the right amount of beef ribs (I did make the entire amount of sauce though). My rosemary sprig completely fell apart during the cooking process so I had to strain the liquid before I reduced it. Alas, the strainer also retained much of the bits of garlic that had been in the sauce. Yes, I stood there trying to get little bits of garlic out of the strainer from among the rosemary leaves before realizing I probably looked like an idiot. I decided that whatever garlic was already in the sauce would have to work cuz pickin' the little bits out wasn't working for me. I don't think anyone noticed the lack of garlic bits in the finished sauce.

I never got the "glaze" the recipe was calling for. It took a good 20 minutes before I had a decent sauce. I think part of the problem was I didn't get as much of the fat off the sauce as I would have liked. Since I didn't allocate twenty minutes to make the sauce, I took some of the sauce out at the 10 minute mark of reducing to serve Mr. L and take photos (so the photo above has a very watery sauce compared to what I served).

Even with the problems, the sauce had a wonderful flavor. We used it over rice for one meal and over potatoes the next. Making extra sauce even though we didn't have the full amount of ribs called for turned out to be a great idea for leftovers too as it kept the short rib meat somewhat moist.

BALSAMIC-GLAZED SHORT RIBS
(The Italian Slow Cooker)

1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, well trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 3-inch fresh rosemary sprig

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry and add only as many pieces to the pan as will fit comfortably without crowding. Cook until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a large slow cooker and brown the remaining meat. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper to taste.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and vinegar and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan. Pour the liquid over the ribs and add the rosemary.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the ribs are very tender. Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and discard the rosemary sprig and any loose bones. Cover the ribs and keep warm.

Skim the fat off the liquid. Pour the remaining sauce into a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced and slightly thickened. Spoon the sauce over the ribs and serve hot.

Serves 6

Note: With my big crock pot, I would try to use the full amount of meat called for next time. Either that or use short ribs that probably haven't been in the freezer half a decade (okay, not that long, but I don't even remember when I bought them so they had been in there a bit).

Note: I would think about maybe putting the rosemary into a bit of cheesecloth before tossing it in so it wouldn't disintegrate in the sauce. Or maybe I needed to use a fresher piece of rosemary sprig? Not sure if that would make a difference in it falling apart during cooking.

Note: In retrospect, I may not have had the heat up enough to reduce the liquid. I would have liked more of a "glaze" than a sauce, though the sauce was excellent.

Even though this took more time than just dropping everything into the slow cooker (you have to brown the meat, saute the garlic and liquid beforehand and then spend the time reducing liquid after) I did like the flavor. Since we usually have beef short ribs in the freezer, I think this is a great recipe to have on hand.

 

Current Cookbook - The Italian Slow Cooker

THE ITALIAN SLOW COOKER - by Michele Scicolone

This cookbook has a copyright of 2010. I bought this cookbook from Amazon.com. I have never cooked from this before.

I admit, that most of the recipes I have for the slow cooker or "crockpot" don't involve a lot of prep. You take ingredients, toss them all in the slow cooker, set it for 8 to 10 hours and then you come home to dinner. When I first got this cookbook it threw me off a bit. Pretty much every dish has some sort of prep you have to do before you start. Searing meat. Sauteing onions. Adding wine to ingredients and then simmering for a bit on the stove before you add it to the crockpot. All a bit labor intensive and not the "quick" kind of slower cooker "set it and forget it" meals I expected.

There was also the cooking time of these dishes. As a working person, it's at least 9 hours from the time I leave for work until I get home. Rarely does a dish in this book take even eight hours. Timing ranges from 30 minutes on high, 3 hours on low, six hours on low...definitely not something I can toss together on a weekday.

Scicolone's reasoning on this is that dishes will taste better if you do some prep before you toss everything in the slow cooker. Browning the meat will get you a depth of flavor that tossing it in raw won't. Same thing for cooking the veggies or reducing some of the liquid before using, it's to bring out a flavor that traditionally adding raw items to the cooker won't get you. She also states that the slow cooker helps with the lengthy cooking time that a lot of Italian dishes normally take using traditional cooking methods. As for the reduced crockpot times, I've learned from experience that if a dish says six hours on low, keeping it on low for eight hours doesn't always work (ie the thought that the meat will be even more tender). Many of the new slow cooker cookbooks reiterate this thought. But I did keep thinking why use the slow cooker for three hours for a dish when I could just cook it on the stove or in the oven for three hours? The slow cooker concept for these will come in handy when it's too hot out to cook I guess.

The Italian Slow Cooker starts out with a page about slow cookers, specifically essential features...which mine has few of...I don't have a warm temp setting, nor does my cooker have a timer, a beeper, flexible programming or an after cooking warm period (though honestly I don't think not having these features will be a problem most of the time). There are a few pages on Techniques and Tips (following temperature instructions, what to do if the polenta gets too thick); a page on slow cooker safety (never heat an empty slow cooker); and several pages on The Italian Pantry (like what Burrata is).

Chapters are Soups; Sauces for Pasta; Risotto, Polenta, and Grains; Seafood; Eggs, Chicken and Turkey; Beef, Veal, Pork, and Lamb; Vegetables and Dried Legumes; Desserts. Recipes seem easy to read and understand. Most of the ingredients shouldn't be hard to find though some might have difficulty in some of the cuts of meat and fish (cleaned calamari with tentacles). Most of the recipes have full page color photos.

Recipes I'd like to try: Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup; Mushroom Soup with Marsala; Cauliflower, Pancetta, and Pasta Soup; Chickpea and Porcini Soup; Tomato and Red Wine Sauce; Meat and Mushroom Ragu; Spicy Tuscan Sausage Ragu; Chunky Pork Shoulder Ragu; Three Mushroom Risotto; Creamy Polenta with Gorgonzola and Marscarpone; Polenta with Pork Ragu; Pasta Frittata; Chicken with Rosemary and Garlic (using a whole chicken); Chicken with Vinegar and Garlic; Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Turkey, Prosciutto, and Cheese; Beef Goulash; Beef Shanks with Red Wine and Tomatoes; Balsamic-Glazed Short Ribs; Sausage and Beef Meat Loaf; Osso Buco with Red Wine; Milk Braised Pork Loin; Cauliflower with Prosciutto and Olives; Apricot Baked Apples; Pears in Masala; Dried Fruit Compote; Panettone Bread Pudding.

The book surprised me in some of the dishes cooked in the slow cooker. I'm not used to vegetable and fish dishes being cooked this way (though something like the Seafood Stew you cook the sauce for 3 hours and only add the seafood in the last 30 minutes so I guess that works). Same thing with risotto and polenta. I do like the fact that most of the ingredients used here are fresh...you make your own sauces, nothing is coming from a can. I guess I'm still questioning why some of this stuff couldn't just be cooked on the stove or in the oven for the same amount of time. The recipes do sound intriguing though.

 

 

 

 

 

Red Posole

Though I've previously bookmarked recipes for Posole on blogs and in recipe books, I've never made it before (or eaten it for that matter). The magazine I got this recipe from, Skinny Slow Cooker (a Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publication that says display until March 13, 2012), had two recipes for Posole...Green Chili-Pork Posole and Red Posole. The only reason I made the red version first is that I had some pork shoulder in the freezer and figured this recipe was a good use of it.

I have no idea how authentic the recipe or flavors in this dish are, but we loved it. The fact that I could just toss everything together in the crock-pot and have a wonderful dinner when I got home made this dish even better. I did cut up the pork and onions the night before and measured out the spices. Got up in the morning, tossed everything in the crock-pot and came home to a wonderful smelling house! Do remember that you don't add the cabbage or enchilada sauce until half an hour before the dish is done (I almost put them in at the start!).

RED POSOLE
(Skinny Slow Cooker)

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch-cubes
2 15-ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 14.5-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce
Lime wedges
Fresh pineapple wedges (optional)

In a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker combine pork, hominy, onion, green chiles, chile powder, oregano, garlic, and cumin. Pour broth over mixture in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

If using low-heat setting, turn cooker to high-heat setting. Stir in cabbage and enchilada sauce. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more.

To serve, garnish with lime wedges and, if desired, pineapple wedges. Makes 8 servings at 279 calories a serving.

Note: I used white hominy because that was the only kind I found. I used a large carton of chicken broth that was not low-sodium and had an ounce or two more broth than called for.

Note: I cooked the Posole on high for 9 hours.

Note: I did not add the pineapple (pineapple?) but I did add a quick spritz of lime just before serving which brightened the flavors a bit.

Definitely make this again. Loved the crunch of the cabbage as, adding it late, it didn't get all mushy. Though this works fine on it's own, I can see serving this over rice (which my Mom did and loved) or maybe even polenta.

There are a ton of great sounding crock pot recipes in this magazine, all low calorie which is great this time of year!

 

Jerk Chicken

When life is crazy busy I tend to turn to my crockpot for meals. Doesn't matter if it's the dead of winter or the hottest days of summer, my crockpot is my friend.

So in the crazybizzies of life recently I decided to make a crockpot recipe from the Plugged In cookbook. Seems like a cop-out since there were so many other appliances I could have tried out, but I really wanted to make a dish I didn't have to think about.

I've come across many recipes for Jerk Chicken online, in my cookbooks, and magazines. For some reason I always thought of the recipes using a dry rub, the meat being barbecued and that the chicken would come out pretty much coated with the sauce. This recipe is much more of a marinating type, and with the way it's presented, you kind of pour what sauce there is on the chicken.

The finished Jerk Chicken had really nice heat to it. Mr. L said that it didn't burn your lips, mouth, and tongue all the way down...it just had a nice heat in the back of your throat. I added more of the chipotle chilies than they suggested.

The chicken did come out a bit dry. The recipe called for the dish to be on the low setting for six hours. I'm thinking that my newer crock pot was probably hotter than the one she used 16 years ago while writing this cookbook so next time I'd try this at five hours. Even though the chicken wasn't as moist as I would have liked, the meat did fall from the bone. When I went to serve it, I only had one breast that was left whole, the rest disintegrated into the sauce.

JERK CHICKEN

1 large onion, cut into 8 pieces

1 generous tablespoon candied ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies, or more to your taste

1/2 teaspoon ground  allspice

2 tablespoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons garlic oil

One 3 1/2 pound chicken, skin removed and cut into 8 pieces, or 3 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

To prepare the sauce, place the onions and ginger in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process to chop into very fine pieces. Add everything but the chicken and pulse to combine.

Place the chicken in a slow cooker and coat with the sauce. Cover, set on low, and cook for 6 to 8 hours or set on high and cook until the chicken is tender, 2 to 3 hours. Serves 4

Note: I ran out of candied ginger so I added some ground ginger. I put in two large of the adobo chilis (no extra adobo sauce). I didn't have any garlic oil so I just chopped up some garlic and added some olive oil. I used a regular chicken cut into pieces.

Note: I'd really watch the time on this. If I had let it cook on low for 8 hours the chicken would have been rubber. Of course if you have an older crock pot that might not be as hot as mine even on low, you might want to go longer.

Since the chicken sort of disintegrated in the sauce, this would have gone great over rice, potatoes, cauliflower, noodles, quinoa or any other grain. Even if the chicken had stayed in whole pieces, there was enough sauce to wish I'd made one of the above starches to serve it on.

Simple to throw together which is nice. But I'm thinking I may want to try other jerk chicken recipes for variations. I'd make this again though.

Crockpot Chocolate Candy

Drop what you're doing and make this. No really, if you don't have the ingredients, stop and make a quick trip to the store (be sure to buy enough for a double batch, trust me). There is a reason this is known as 'Chocolate Candy Crack' around here. This stuff is super simple to make and it's addicting. You won't even realize how addicting until the entire batch has ended up on your thighs. Should you send bags of the stuff to work with your husband, be aware his co-workers will clamor for more. Don't even bother trying to hide some from your loved ones because they will hunt it down no matter where you hide it in the house and they will not share it with you when they find it. This actually got messed up and it was still incredibly edible. Meet Crockpot Chocolate Candy from Trisha Yearwoods Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood cookbook. Or like I said, around here it's known as Chocolate Candy Crack.

Did I mention simple? You throw some peanuts in your crockpot, add some chocolate, turn the thing on low  and several hours later you have salty, peanuty chocolate goodness. The only thing to watch for is how hot your crockpot gets. I kept this on low for the required three hours and the chocolate either got too hot or was over cooked. When I stirred the mixture at the end of the cook time all I got was a thick blob. I was still able to put some in cupcake liners as required but most of the mix I plopped out on a piece of wax paper, leveled it out (to about a half inch) and made sort of a chocolate peanut brittle. Doing some research turned up that some crock-pots are hotter than others. If you know your crockpot runs a bit hot, you might want to check this at two hours. It didn't seem to matter that the chocolate didn't turn out smooth. Everyone was too busy devouring this to notice. 

CROCKPOT CHOCOLATE CANDY

2 pounds (36 ounces) salted dry-roasted peanuts
4 ounces (4 squares) German's sweet Chocolate
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 pounds white almond bark (I used white chocolate chips)

Put the peanuts in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Layer the chocolate over the peanuts, beginning with the sweet chocolate, followed by the chocolate chips, and then the almond bark (or white chocolate chips). Set the temperature on low and cook for 3 hours. Do not stir the mixture.

After 3 hours, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Drop the candy into cupcake liners using about 2 tablespoons per liner. Allow the candy to cool completely before removing the cupcake liners. Makes 30 to 40 pieces.

Note: Trisha states that you can substitute white chocolate chips if you can't find white almond bark so that's what I did. Wondering how this would taste should I use the peppermint almond bark I have in the pantry?

Note: German's Sweet Chocolate can be found in the baking section of supermarkets where you find all the other chocolate chips and baking bars. The one I found was from Bakers and was in a green box.

Note: I bought my dry roasted peanuts (shelled) in bags from Trader Joes. Buying the jarred or canned versions at the grocery stores was too expensive. 

Note: If you do a search there are many different versions of this to be found. Some have you adding the peanuts after the chocolate melts, (I think putting the peanuts on the bottom of the crockpot and cooking them under the chocolate must add some sort of wonderful roasted goodness, that's my story and I'm sticking to it), some recipes have you stirring halfway through the cooking time. I just went with Trisha's recipe.

Note: Spreading this out and making more of a chocolate peanut brittle made the process even faster. Didn't have to worry about cupcake liners and folks could just grab a handful of the stuff from the bowl when they went to eat it. I lined a baking pan with wax paper, dumped the batch of chocolate candy crack on to it and spread the mixture out with a  spatula. (See photo below). I'm sure you could just drop spoonfulls onto waxed paper if you wanted to make individual servings without the cupcake liners.

Really, really liked this. It has that salty chocolate taste that I love. Mr. L thought the taste reminded him a bit of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. And though my batch didn't exactly look great, no one seemed to mind.