This recipe isn't new by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm posting it here because I've been enjoying it lately and because I have a couple of helpful tips. I may have broken my no-convenience-foods rule and my meat-is-only-for-special-occasions guideline (read here to find out why), but I'm still trying to make it as healthy, as un-processed, and as cheap as I can.
Since I was craving red meat, I decided to get a cut of beef and stew the you-know-what out of it in the crockpot. I wanted to get a good value for my money, so I did some reading about the leanest cuts of beef. Apparently the round cuts (top round, eye of round, bottom round) and the rump roast are the leanest cuts of beef, with about 20% to 25% fat. Top round is most tender and bottom round is least tender (not sure how rump roast compares), but when you're stewing it in the crockpot, that doesn't matter so much. For $7, I found a 2-pound roast that looked about the right size to feed me for a week. Last week, it was an eye of round roast; this week, it was a rump roast. (Sounds elegant, doesn't it?)
The next step is to pour onion soup mix over it, except for the fact that onion soup mix has MSG. So do the cheap beef bouillon cubes. I don't think I react badly to MSG, but I'd still rather stay away from it if I can. So I decided to assemble my own.
Onion soup mix is mainly made up of three things:
1) Beef bouillon, in some form. There's a store near here that sells beef-free beef bouillon powder that smells just like beef bouillon--and they sell 4 oz of it for under $1.50. I poured 1 teaspoon (equivalent of one bouillon cube) on the roast, poured 1/4 cup water over it, and then poured another generous teaspoon over the top of the roast.
2) Dried chopped onion flakes. The brand name 5th Season sells a good-sized jar of dried chopped onion flakes for 50 cents. You can find it at dollar stores or at some grocery stores (including Wal-Mart) on the bottom shelf below the expensive spices. I poured two tablespoons of those (at least) on top of the roast. (Since all these ingredients are dirt cheap, you can use as much as you want--you don't have to be limited by the size of the onion soup packet.)
3) Onion powder. This is cheapest when you buy it in bulk at a natural foods store, where you spoon some into a plastic bag and it costs a certain amount per pound. I got a 4 oz bag at the same place where I got the beef bouillon (for a similarly cheap price), and I poured 1 tablespoon of this on the roast.
4) If you want to add any celery salt or pepper, you can add some of that too. The beef bouillon will probably have a lot of salt, but if you want to add more table salt, sprinkle that on top.
To summarize: put unfrozen roast in crockpot, pour over aforementioned seasonings, and cook for a good long while. I like to do it 2 hours at HIGH and 4 hours at LOW. (This is because I can't seem to manage to get it in the crockpot early enough for it to cook for 8 hours on LOW.) It's done when it falls apart at the touch of a fork. Don't expect to slice it. It'll be too tender.
Now, a true Southerner would make gravy out of the drippings, but I haven't gotten that far yet. I asked my landlady how to dispose of the water-grease-mess that was left in the crockpot, and she replied: "You know what I like to do... I go out behind the house, off to the side a little way, and pour it out there for the critters. After all, they have to eat, too." I got quite a good laugh out of that, especially given that I was raised in suburbia (with homeowner's associations that forbid all kinds of random things), but she had a good point, and I took her advice. I hope the critters got a good meal out of it.
Showing posts with label Main Dishes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Main Dishes. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Cherry Pork Roast
Apparently this recipe is famous in our church. I'm not surprised. It's so good! I don't even know who it started with, but it seems like almost everyone in the church has made it at some point or another. I adapted it for some friends who can't eat sugar or other sweeteners (except for honey). I'm not much for sugar, either, and I actually like the low-sugar version better.
This recipe is intended for Sunday dinner, which is the meal after morning-church. It's a large and joyful meal, and a lot of fun. My kitchen may be modest, but this week I had six people over for Sunday dinner. It was delightful.
Make-ahead tip: You can make the sauce in advance, cool it, refrigerate it, and when you want to use it, heat it in the microwave on half power until it's the same consistency it was when you made it on the stove. My new "stove" didn't come until yesterday, so my landlady was kind enough to let me use hers to make the sauce two days in advance. She also provided the white wine vinegar. I have the best landlady ever.
Cherry Pork Roast
4-5 lb. Boston Butt roast or other pork shoulder cut, frozen
Place frozen roast in crockpot on LOW the night before serving. If the crockpot has an auto shut-off feature, make sure to turn it off and turn it back on partway through the cooking time so that the auto shut-off doesn't interfere.
An hour before serving, after noon the next day, make the sauce:
16-20 oz cherry spreadable fruit (it's with the jams and jellies, but it's sweetened only with fruit)
2 T honey
1/4 C white wine vinegar (the recipe says red, but I like the white better)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Combine sauce ingredients in pan. Bring to boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Remove meat from crockpot onto a plate (it'll shred on its own) and drain grease from crockpot. (I learned this weekend that if you pour the grease down the drain, it'll coat your pipes like it would coat your arteries. Happily, I didn't learn that by experience.) Trim the fat off the roast, discard, and return meat to crockpot. Cover with sauce. Cook on LOW for 30 minutes to an hour more. Serve with sauce.
This recipe is intended for Sunday dinner, which is the meal after morning-church. It's a large and joyful meal, and a lot of fun. My kitchen may be modest, but this week I had six people over for Sunday dinner. It was delightful.
Make-ahead tip: You can make the sauce in advance, cool it, refrigerate it, and when you want to use it, heat it in the microwave on half power until it's the same consistency it was when you made it on the stove. My new "stove" didn't come until yesterday, so my landlady was kind enough to let me use hers to make the sauce two days in advance. She also provided the white wine vinegar. I have the best landlady ever.
Cherry Pork Roast
4-5 lb. Boston Butt roast or other pork shoulder cut, frozen
Place frozen roast in crockpot on LOW the night before serving. If the crockpot has an auto shut-off feature, make sure to turn it off and turn it back on partway through the cooking time so that the auto shut-off doesn't interfere.
An hour before serving, after noon the next day, make the sauce:
16-20 oz cherry spreadable fruit (it's with the jams and jellies, but it's sweetened only with fruit)
2 T honey
1/4 C white wine vinegar (the recipe says red, but I like the white better)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Combine sauce ingredients in pan. Bring to boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Remove meat from crockpot onto a plate (it'll shred on its own) and drain grease from crockpot. (I learned this weekend that if you pour the grease down the drain, it'll coat your pipes like it would coat your arteries. Happily, I didn't learn that by experience.) Trim the fat off the roast, discard, and return meat to crockpot. Cover with sauce. Cook on LOW for 30 minutes to an hour more. Serve with sauce.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Crockpot Mac & Cheese (with real cheese)
I don't have a picture for this one. I assembled it yesterday morning, let it cook during church, and by the time the potluck was over, the mac and cheese was gone. Which is why I'm posting the recipe.
It's from a healthy cookbook, but they made this recipe healthy by using fat-free cheese. I refuse to use fat-free cheese. What on earth is it made out of, anyway? My guess is that it tastes like cardboard. However, I was able to lighten this recipe in other ways. I lessened the amount of cheese and doubled the amount of pasta (the original wanted 4 cups of cheese for 1/2 pound pasta, which is insane).
My mom tells me that macaroni and cheese has to have at least some Velveeta in it to make it creamy. I think Velveeta is really gross (and she does too, even if she does use a tiny bit). I was glad this recipe didn't call for any, because I didn't want to pay way too much money for just a tiny amount of it. (Yes, I know they sell slices of it. I also know that one package of slices costs the same as a 2-pound block, and even if it does keep for eight weeks--ick!--how on earth would I use the rest of it?)
Here's a helpful hint. When testing to see if pasta is done, use a slotted spoon. Dip out a couple pieces of pasta, bring the spoon to the sink, and run cold water on the pasta before you taste them. I am so glad I can do this now that I have a slotted spoon! I've been looking at thrift stores for a slotted spoon with no luck (nothing that looked decent enough to buy), but I saw a good one in the $1 bin at Walgreens the other day, and I was delighted to have it. On Saturday night, after I cooked the pasta, I accidentally dropped a fork on my toe, tines down (ouch!), and I remember thinking, "Well, at least I have a slotted spoon."
By the way, why on earth do manufacturers keep making plastic cooking utensils with metal on the handle? They're always in the really-cheap bin, because the metal will burn your hand if you use it near the stove. I learned my lesson five years ago, but apparently the manufacturers haven't learned theirs yet. You would think they'd have figured it out by now...
Crockpot Mac & Cheese (with real cheese)
adapted from the Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly cookbook
1 pound of elbow macaroni (or other small shapes), cooked al dente
1 can fat-free evaporated milk
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray (do not omit this step).
2. In the slow cooker, mix together everything except the parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese.
3. Top with parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
4. Cook on low 3 hours.
It's from a healthy cookbook, but they made this recipe healthy by using fat-free cheese. I refuse to use fat-free cheese. What on earth is it made out of, anyway? My guess is that it tastes like cardboard. However, I was able to lighten this recipe in other ways. I lessened the amount of cheese and doubled the amount of pasta (the original wanted 4 cups of cheese for 1/2 pound pasta, which is insane).
My mom tells me that macaroni and cheese has to have at least some Velveeta in it to make it creamy. I think Velveeta is really gross (and she does too, even if she does use a tiny bit). I was glad this recipe didn't call for any, because I didn't want to pay way too much money for just a tiny amount of it. (Yes, I know they sell slices of it. I also know that one package of slices costs the same as a 2-pound block, and even if it does keep for eight weeks--ick!--how on earth would I use the rest of it?)
Here's a helpful hint. When testing to see if pasta is done, use a slotted spoon. Dip out a couple pieces of pasta, bring the spoon to the sink, and run cold water on the pasta before you taste them. I am so glad I can do this now that I have a slotted spoon! I've been looking at thrift stores for a slotted spoon with no luck (nothing that looked decent enough to buy), but I saw a good one in the $1 bin at Walgreens the other day, and I was delighted to have it. On Saturday night, after I cooked the pasta, I accidentally dropped a fork on my toe, tines down (ouch!), and I remember thinking, "Well, at least I have a slotted spoon."
By the way, why on earth do manufacturers keep making plastic cooking utensils with metal on the handle? They're always in the really-cheap bin, because the metal will burn your hand if you use it near the stove. I learned my lesson five years ago, but apparently the manufacturers haven't learned theirs yet. You would think they'd have figured it out by now...
Crockpot Mac & Cheese (with real cheese)
adapted from the Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly cookbook
1 pound of elbow macaroni (or other small shapes), cooked al dente
1 can fat-free evaporated milk
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray (do not omit this step).
2. In the slow cooker, mix together everything except the parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese.
3. Top with parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
4. Cook on low 3 hours.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Pasta à la Rose
As I was heading out to Wal-Mart on Monday, I suddenly remembered a flavor of a certain dish, sort of like you remember a phrase from a song and suddenly you have to find out what song it comes from. So I was trying to remember what recipe this flavor came from, and it turns out it's from one of the first recipes I ever created, about ten years ago.
When I was growing up, sometimes my mom would make a chicken recipe that she got from a friend named Marge. We called it "Chicken à la Marge." I called this dish Pasta à la Rose. I'd forgotten all about it, but I made it again on Monday night and it tasted just as good as I remembered.
Pasta à la Rose
8 oz. (1/2 lb.) tiny pasta
1/2 large onion, minced or grated
2 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg
1. Saute onion in a bit of oil on medium to medium-high heat until onion is lightly browned and smells sweet.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain pasta but do not rinse.
3. Immediately put steaming-hot pasta into a large bowl. Break egg into pasta and add cheese. Stir a lot. The heat from the pasta should cook the egg and melt the cheese. Add onion and stir some more. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Option: If you want more onion flavor, serve it topped with dried minced onion (found in the spice section).
As a sidenote, many cheese-sauce dishes are really unhealthy, but there's an easy way to make them healthier. Most of these dishes have you make way too much sauce for the amount of pasta/potatoes/vegetables they call for. Double the amount of pasta/potatoes/vegetables, but keep the amount of cheese sauce the same. It'll still give you the flavor without all the extra calories. Also, always use extra-sharp cheese to give you lots of flavor with a smaller amount of cheese.
When I was growing up, sometimes my mom would make a chicken recipe that she got from a friend named Marge. We called it "Chicken à la Marge." I called this dish Pasta à la Rose. I'd forgotten all about it, but I made it again on Monday night and it tasted just as good as I remembered.
Pasta à la Rose
8 oz. (1/2 lb.) tiny pasta
1/2 large onion, minced or grated
2 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg
1. Saute onion in a bit of oil on medium to medium-high heat until onion is lightly browned and smells sweet.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain pasta but do not rinse.
3. Immediately put steaming-hot pasta into a large bowl. Break egg into pasta and add cheese. Stir a lot. The heat from the pasta should cook the egg and melt the cheese. Add onion and stir some more. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Option: If you want more onion flavor, serve it topped with dried minced onion (found in the spice section).
As a sidenote, many cheese-sauce dishes are really unhealthy, but there's an easy way to make them healthier. Most of these dishes have you make way too much sauce for the amount of pasta/potatoes/vegetables they call for. Double the amount of pasta/potatoes/vegetables, but keep the amount of cheese sauce the same. It'll still give you the flavor without all the extra calories. Also, always use extra-sharp cheese to give you lots of flavor with a smaller amount of cheese.
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