Hoppin' John

It is sort of a tradition in the US to eat Black-Eyed peas on New Year's day.  Having lived in the US all my life, I had never heard of this tradition until I started getting interested in cooking and blogging.  I don't really remember any specific tradition on New Year's day (besides detoxing from the night before).  This southern tradition adds to the long list of traditions from all over the world symbolizing good fortune.  I am keen to these little bits and pieces of knowledge, especially when sharing a tradition from one country in a totally different country.  It makes for a wonderful intro before starting the meal.
In many cultures, eating beans or lentils is said to bring good fortune because they are round.  All round things represent coins.  Beans and lentils tend to swell while they cook, representing the growing good fortune.  I usually do black-eyed peas around the New Year but I usually do it in the form of pakoras.
In the middle east, India, and Africa, I've read accounts such as this.  It's funny how in the end people from all parts of the world have common acts in the name of tradition.
Couldn't we all just get along?
In the US, collard greens are usually added to the bean tradition because the green represents bills.. and it couldn't hurt to wish a few Benjamins to someone in need for the new year.
Pork is also essential across the globe to bring "good luck" on New Year's day.  From Asia to Africa to Europe, and finally to the Americas.. pork is one of the main highlights of the day.  The reason, apparently, is that they search for food using their snout, always moving forward, which is a good way of moving through life.  Birds, on the other hand, scratch the Earth using a backward motion, so it is better not to eat birds on the first day of the year.
I usually steer clear of pork because it's not very nutritious.. but smoked pork belly is really a treat.. especially if it's only once a year..

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients

30cL (10 floz) dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight 

1 Tablespoon Butter
1 whole Large Onion, Diced

250g (8.8 oz) piece of top quality smoked pork belly with rind, sliced (or bacon)

4 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Diced
5 cups water or broth
1 tsp freshly ground black Pepper

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar

Serve with:

cooked rice (the best is Carolina Gold if you can find it)

sauteed kale

garnish:

chopped green onions

Directions

1.  Heat the butter in a pan and sweat the onions.

2.  Add the pork belly slices and cook until the aroma is nice and smokey.. then add the garlic and bell pepper.

3.  Swish around for a few minutes, then transfer into a slow cooker with the black-eyed peas, bay leaves, water or broth, and black pepper.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours.

4.  Add the vinegar into the slow cooker.  Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.  Mine needed absolutely no salt.

5.  Remove the bay leaves and pork rind before serving.

I served over some leftover basmati and red thai rice with a hefty serving of sautéed kale, topped with green onions.

I put this on in the morning before going on my first hike of the year and discovering yet again what a beautiful place I live in.  I discovered canyons I can rock climb and waterfalls with wading pools with blue lagoon type of scenery.. right in my back yard.
So as I came home.. deep earthy aroma was a beckoning call to hungry souls.
Everybody licked their plates.. of course!
This will be my New Year's day tradition from now on as well...

Raclettiflette with Perfectly Steamed Potatoes

I haven't felt this feeling in a very very long time.. but today, all I wanted was some tartiflette.  Tartiflette is a traditional French casserole made with Reblechon cheese from the Savoy mountains.  It's typically eaten in the winter (unless you only visit France in the summer) and typically is what is served when you go on a ski-cation.  I don't know why, but I've always preferred making this with Raclette cheese.  Raclette is another cheese from the same region, but is usually served melted on potatoes instead of baked in a casserole.  My Raclettiflette is basically a Tartiflette, but with a different cheese.  Both ways are good, but I find Raclette cheese easier to lay into a rectangular pan.  I heard you can do this with St. Nectaire, my ultimate favorite cheese.. oooh.. tempting, but I can never  get around to cooking with that cheese since I eat most of it before my preparations can begin.

I've posted this recipe before, but it's been a while, and I've gotten better at seeking out good quality raw milk cheese.. and I've gotten better at making potatoes keep their natural taste through steaming instead of boiling.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) potatoes (about 10 large Bintje)

350g (12.3oz) salt-cured or smoked pork belly, sliced into bits

4 shallots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil (just in case)

1/4 cup dry white wine

450g (1 lb) raclette cheese, sliced into 1/4" pieces (I used raw milk cheese)

4-5 Tbsp heavy cream

Directions

1.  Cook the potatoes.  To do this in the most optimal way, scrub them with the skin on, stab them a few times with a fork, then place them in the steamer basket of your pressure cooker.  Place about 1 inch of water (enough to steam but not touch the potatoes.)  Close the cooker and cook on high.  When it starts to whistle, count 15 minutes.  I cannot give measurements for any other type of steaming because I don't see any reason to use another tool for steaming potatoes.

When they are done, let the pressure drop from the cooker and open up to let cook just a touch.  When they are cool enough, peel them.  The skin should come off easily.

2.  While you are waiting for them to finish cooking or cool down, prepare the rest.  Place the sliced pork belly in a heavy based pan or wok and cook on high for a few minute until nicely colored.  Add the thyme and pepper during this part.  I was expecting the fat to render, but since this was good quality belly, the pan was quite dry.  Remove and reserve.

3.  In that same pan, add a bit of olive oil if your belly did not render any fat.  Add the shallots and cook until translucent, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

4.  Deglaze with the white wine and let simmer 2-3 minutes so the alcohol burns off.

5.  Add the cooked peeled potatoes to the mix.  Smash a bit with a potato masher.  They should smash easily.  You don't want mashed potatoes.  You want it chunky.  Mix it all well and turn off the heat.  You can preheat your oven to 200°C 400°F at this point.

6.  Assemble.  In a baking dish, place half the potato mixture in one layer.  

Spread 2 Tbsp cream over this layer.

Cover this layer with the raclette slices.

Repeat once.

7.  Bake for 30-40 minutes at 200°C 400°F.  The result should be bubbly and golden as mine is. 

8.  This is the hardest step.  Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.  It needs time to set just a bit. If you don't wait, it will be too hot to eat anyway.

Serve with some salad.

This is the best version I've made of this so far.  A good piece of meat with good quality cheese and shallots instead of onions are the small simple changes that go a long way.

I don't indulge like this very often, so this is my coma meal of the month.. enjoy =)

Mil's Red Handed Meatballs

While grocery shopping, Eric had a sudden urge for one of his mother's inventions: Meatballs with Flageolet beans, or Boulettes en Flag' as I have so wittily renamed it. It was a test, because it is a family recipe and a childhood comfort food that his own sister was unable to recreate.
Well, I passed the test with flying colors because the hub was indeed very satisfied with my remake!
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 lb ground pork (or 1/2 pork, 1/2 turkey)
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
some flour
Dish
1 Tbsp (or more) of margarine or butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp thyme
2 bay leaves
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 large can of drained flageolet beans (use white beans if you can't find flags)
1 cup water
Directions:
Meatballs
1. Wash your hands and take off your rings. Place the ground meat in a mixing bowl with the egg, and mis around with your hands.
2. Add the parsley, salt, pepper and garlic and keep mixing.
3. Add the bread crumbs a little at a time while mixing with your hands. Keep adding until the texture is no longer gooey, but not all dry either.
4. Separate the meat into 6 big meatballs. Eric likes big big meatballs. Roll each meatball around in flour to keep them from sticking to each other and your meatballs are ready to be cooked.
Dish
1. In a big pot or pressure cooker, heat the margarine and brown the meatballs a little on each side. Remove the browned meatballs and set aside.
2. Sautée the onions and garlic with a sprinkle of salt in the same pot until golden. Add the thyme and bay leaves and stir.
3. Add the potatoes and stir around a few minutes. When the potatoes start sticking to the pot, add a cup of water and the meatballs back into the pot. If you have a pressure cooker, close it and cook this under pressure for 5 minutes. If you don't, simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
4. Open up and add the drained beans. Heat through for 5 more minutes.

You are ready to feast!
I only ate 1 meatball and it was more than enough for me.. but my carnivore husband had 2 and the guests we had each ate 1 1/2. We killed it, and I passed the MIL test!

Baked Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 Pork Chops

3/4 tsp Garlic Powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbls flour

1 1/3 cups seasoned bread crumbs

2 tbls EVOO

1 can cream of mush soup

3 tbls white whine

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350

2. Rinse Pork Chops. Pat Dry and season with garlic powder and salt. Dredge Pork Chops in Flour, Dip in Egg, and coat with Bread Crumbs

3. Heat Oil in Skillet over medium heat. Fry Pork Chops for 5 mins on each side. Transfer to baking dish, cover with foil.

4. Bake for 1 hr. While baking, combine cream of mush soup, milk and white wine in medium bowl. After they pork has baked for one hour, top with soup mixture. Replace foil and cook for additional 30 mins.

Stuffed Veggies..mmmmm

Made this again, but with my new market's delicious "sausage stuffing" (chair à saucisse) and fresh vine tomatoes and bells.
This time I poured a drizzle of beer over everything before popping them into the oven, and I used shallots instead of onions.
This is how Eric likes to eat his: with fries (surprised?)
And this is how I like it: with rice and shredded swiss

Artichoke and Tomato Cream Linguini

Artichokes make my heart go wild. Really! I stole this one from Pioneer Woman and then added Italian Sausage for the carnivore hub. Then I realized it was a lot like my first time cooking with artichokes and italian sausage, but much much much better!
Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Small Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 can whole Artichoke Hearts Drained and gently squeezed
• 3 diced tomatoes or 1 can with Juice
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 3/4 cups Chicken Broth
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 pound Linguini or Thin Spaghetti
• 1 tsp dried Basil
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped
• 2 or 3 cooked and crumbled Italian Sausages

Directions:
1. Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sautée for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add the cooked sausage and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.
Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.
What a dream! Eric loved it too although he claimes not to like artichokes. If I was going to do this vege style, I'd use vege broth and add 1 more can of artichoke hearts. Also, I would not quarter my artichoke hearts as I did here.. they fell apart. I served with grated swiss, fresh ground pepper, and of course, red pepper flakes (on my plate only). I will definately do this again and definately do it vege style, too!

Filet Mignon in Mustard Sauce

Fancy. I'd only had filet mignon in classy restaurants before. When it went on sale, though, I had to give it a whirl. It is actually a very tender part of the animal; pork, veal or beef. I only found pork, so here it goes..
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
2 filet mignons
4 tbsp good mustard (not that neon crap)
5 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 handful fresh mushrooms, sliced
some chopped parsley
1 tbsp butter
Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the cream, mustard, and pepper and set aside.
2. In a heavy based pan, heat the butter and brown the filet mignons on all sides.
3. Deglaze with 1 or 2 tbsp of the mustard and cream mixture, and add the mushrooms. Cook on high for about 5 minutes.

4. Pour in the rest of the mixture, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. The filet mignons should be cooked through if you use pork. You can make it rare if it is veal or beef. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

I cut the filet mignons and served with basmati rice and steamed broccoli, with sprinkled parsley on top.
Just delicious!

Sausages with smashed potatoes & Cornichons

I also made this awhile ago...better late than never, right? ;) Okay, first what the hell are Cornichons!?? Are they Spanish, are they American?? Again, Google always comes through...and I found that they are actually pickles! Why, couldn't they just say that in the recipe!? I guess, I learned my something new that day, as well as, looked like a crazy women walking up and down the aisles looking for those darn things. Anyways, I found this yummy recipe in Real Simple magazine. It was delish, easy and a money saver, seriously under $3 a serving. Try it.

Stuff Needed

1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes (about 18), halved
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 Italian Sausage links (about 1-1/2 pounds total)
1/2 cup cornichons, chopped, plus 3 tablespoons of the brine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

How to do it

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 18 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornichon brine, mustard, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the potatoes, cornichons, onion, and parsley and mix, mashing gently. Cut the sausages into large pieces and serve with the potatoes.

Italian Eggplant and Mushroom Pasta

Eggplant is expensive..very, so when it's on sale, I grab. I originally was planning to make my famous Stuffed Eggplant, but I hadn't had my pasta fix this week, and I had just made a batch of Italian Sausage, so I decided to throw it all together. How wonderfully delicious! I will definately make this again and again.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced like stiry-fry meat
2 Italian sausages, crumbled, cooked, and drained
2 chopped tomatoes
1 handful fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cube vegetable bouillon
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream (only if you want)
4 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp basil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
fresh ground pepper
1 box (500g) pasta of your choice.. I chose Linguine, cooked al dente
Directions:
1. Heat a heavy based frying pan with 2 tbsp EVOO. Sautée the mushrooms until colored, then add the garlic and eggplant. Stir around and add the basil, paprika, and chili powder, and add 2 more tbsp EVOO.
2. When the eggplant gets a bit tender, add the tomatoes, then the wine and the cube bouillon. Bring to a boil and lower the heat and add the cooked crumbled italian sausage as you wait for your pasta to cook.
3. Add water and taste to adjust the seasoning. As the pasta finishes cooking, stir in the heavy cream and fresh ground pepper.
4. Toss your al dente pasta with the prepared eggplant sauce.

Serve with shredded swiss or parmesan, or both..mmmm!

Pork Fajita Plate

Mmm I miss my Mexicans! That's seriously what Europe needs more of.
Eric requested me to make this for company this weekend in the light of celebrating his birthday, so I knew I had to make it perfect. We're missing the tortillas (I know, sacriledge) but it's too hard to find quality ones here on a regular basis. When I see them, I buy, but I'm not trying to spend 4€ for 8 corn tortillas, especially when I know I'll probably eat 4 and Eric will probably eat all 8! This recipe comes from what I think I remember, but is in no way "the official fajita" recipe.. it just came to mind this way, and tasted right.
Serves 6-7.. but I don't know we haven't finished the leftovers yet.
Ingredients:
2 lbs pork, sliced stir fry style
1 diced jalapeño (or not, for spice)
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lemon
some cerveza
2-3 bell peppers, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 bunch green onions, half sliced lengthwise, half chopped
4 tbsp EVOO
Directions:
1. The night before, mix all the spices together with the chopped jalapenõ, lemon juice, and drizzled beer and rub it all over your sliced pork (or whatever meat you desire, actually). Place in fridge or let marinate for 2 hours.
2. The day of, heat 2 tbsp EVOO in a heavy based pan and cook the meat. Add the sliced green onions and half the chopped cilantro. Stir around so all the pieces brown, then cover and let simmer approximately 30 minutes or while you chop your veggies and do the rest.
3. In another skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp, oil and add the bell beppers and onions, stirring. After about 3 minutes, add the tomatoes. The vegetables should be to your desired crunchiness.
4. Check and adjust the seasoning in your meat.

Serve with warmed tortillas, mexirice, and black beans.. and top with sour cream, chopped green onions, and cilantro with a wedge of lemon or lime.

Oh wow.. Mexigasm!!

Chili Ginger Stir Fry

I'm completely inspired by Chinese and Vietnamese food these days. I NEED to eat things that explode with flavor and that is not your everyday meal, especially since I've been hosting a lot, and people here now expect to eat dishes that are outside the box at my place.
This is my latest creation, completely inspired by what I had on hand and the flavors I was looking to find in my very hungry belly. I have to admit this is the recipe I'm most proud of so far.. mostly because I didn't steal it from anywhere, and it came out perfect!
serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb chunk of pork, sliced thinly (I found the cheapest cut.. pieces of pork shoulder that I sliced myself)
2 tbsp soy sauce (or GF alternative)
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 inch piece of ginger
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp red chili paste (if you want some kick)
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 package Chinese egg noodles (or whatever you want, rice noodles would work too, but I like egg noodles better)
1 zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
4-5 mushrooms, quartered
1 egg, scrambled
whatever else you feel like adding

Directions:
1. In a heavy based frying pan (or a wok if you have one), heat the oil and cook the meat, adding 1 tbsp soy sauce, the fish sauce, chili paste, and sweet chili sauce. Grate the piece of ginger over the pan and stir, cooking through. Add the mushrooms and cilantro, deglaze with the water and let simmer
2. Follow the instructions on the noodle package to cook the noodles, meanwhile..
3. In another heavy based frying pan, sautee the rest of the vegetables in a little bit of vegetable oil. You want the veggies to be a little crunchy. When the noodles are done, drain and transfer to the veggie pan with 1 tbsp soy sauce. Add the cooked egg and Stir-and-fry.

Eat with chopsticks!
Eric was blown away.. he said it I absolutely had to serve it to company!

*do not use egg noodles if GF

Chipotle Pork with Mexirice

Ok, I've been craving REAL spicy mexican food (which by the way, you can NOT find here) and so when my dad was here in august, I told him to bring be a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce just in case I had one of those "can't get over it until I get my fix" cravings.
No, I'm not pregnant.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork shoulder, cut into cubes
3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (I used 1/5 of a 12 oz can)
2 tomatoes, diced
1 bell bepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup beer (eh, why not?)
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp EVOO
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup basmati rice
1 cube chicken stock (consommé)
1 tbsp tomato sauce (I used a tube, but you can blend some tomatoes with onion and garlic)
approx 2 cups water
Directions:
1. Sprinkle the cumin all over the meat and fry in a dutch oven or pressure cooker with EVOO until golden.
2. Add the onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, and adobo/chipotle sauce and the beer. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes or simmer for 30 minutes if using a regular pot.
3. When meat is cooked, add the bell peppers and simmer until tender.
For Mexirice:
1. Heat some EVOO in a pan and toast the dry rice until opaque. Add a few thin slices of onion and the tomato sauce with the chicken bouillon cube and a small amount of water.
2. Lower the heat and cover until the liquid has absorbed and add 1/2 more of the water etc. until the rice is fully cooked. I'm sorry but I didn't time it or measure it out, but I did use less than 2 cups water.

Serve with shredded cheese and lots of sour cream (cuz it's seriously spicy). I was out of beans but some black beans and tortillas would be awesome with this.
I got my fix!!

Pork Chops on Bulgur Wheat

I discovered bulgur wheat through eating kebabs (Doner Kebob for all you connaisseurs...). They serve their meat with fries, salad, and this stuff that is not couscous, but not rice. It is actually broken wheat that you can cook in water and season as you wish. I decided to experiment with this stuff as a side to my pork chops for a change, which by the way is probably sacrilegeous considering bulgur is mostly eaten in Turkey.. haha
Ingredients:
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 tbsp EVOO
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
handful grean peas
1 chopped chili (if you wish)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups or more stock (choose whatever)
Directions:
1. In a pot, brown the onions and garlic in the oil. Add the spices, peas, and chilies and heat through.
2. Add tomato paste and stock and heat. The liquid does not need to full on boil, but should be hot.
3. Add the bulgur and turn down the heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed. Taste and add more liquid if needed.

Serve with a nice pork chop, or whatever you want!

The ROOTS Roast

Love the Roots! So when my dad was in town, he inspired me to use beets in different ways. This week my MIL came over for dinner and I had no idea what to do. They are the hardest since they come over most, they've had the rotation of most of my recipes, and I hate making guests eat the same thing over and over again. I looked in the freezer and found a nice pork roast (here they come bundled up in string) so I just went with the flow. I used almost all roots for this dish and everyone was impressed with the unusual flavor! I just threw in a bunch of stuff I had on hand and needed to use up.
This served 4 plus 1 leftover. It depends on how much you feel like putting in actually.
Ingredients:
1 roast (I used pork, but use whatever)
roots: 1 beet
1 turnip
10 very small potatoes or 5 large ones
1 carrot
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
non roots: 1 cup fresh pumpkin
1 cup beer (take a few swigs and sacrifice the rest)
1 cube chicken bouillon (or beef if you're using beef roast)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp thyme
salt/pepper
Directions:

1. Peel and chop into chunks all the vegetables.
2. Place your roast in the crock pot, and all the veggies around it... keep your beets on the bottom.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and pour the beer in.
4. Wipe your tear off, you can always just grab another beer.
5. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or however long your crockpot takes to cook things.
Serve.. well, just serve.. it is a one pot meal!

Everyone loved it. It's sweet, red, earthy, but not too much, and the beer just makes excellent broth!
My FIL went in for seconds.. SECONDS!! He never does that! Especially at dinner.

Zuppa Toscana

Ahh finally the reason I made Italian Sausage the other day! A hardcore craving for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana... how creamy and potatoey and delicious! I had to wait until the weather cooled down, so as soon as I saw rain, I grabbed my sweater and started making this.
I'm not proclaiming this is THE OG recipe, but the taste is exactly the one I remember.... dreams in a bowl. Even Eric, Mr. "I don't like soup" loved it and licked the bowl clean.
This serves 6.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb crumbled Italian sausage
• 1 Tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 large diced white onion
• 2 tsp finely minced garlic
• 7 cups water
• 3 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3-5 large potatoes
• 2 knobs frozen spinach or a bunch of fresh

Directions:
1. Sautée the sausage and drain the fat. Please do drain, I forgot to, and my grease floated to the top. It was still fabulously delicious, but I scraped the fat off my leftover portion... it's psychologically better. Take out the cooked sausage.
2. Sautée the onions and garlic a few minutes, then add the potatoes and crushed red pepper (use to your spice level.. I usually go easy and then add the heat in my own bowl) and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring.
3. Pour in the water and cubes chicken bouillon and cook for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. I used a pressure cooker and did 10.
4. Add the cooked sausage and spinach. Cook until it wilts (or your frozen cubes come apart) and stir in the heavy cream.

Serve with parmesan and fresh ground pepper.. and good bread!

My picture is kind of orange-ish.. that's because I forgot to drain the fat. Please drain the fat..it will still blow your mind, but there is no need to ingest extra calories for nothing.

Carnitas Plate

MMM... Carnitas. I've been eating leftovers of this for 2 days now and it still makes me drool! I really didn't think it would be so easy, but alas, it is!
Ingredients:
2 lbs pork shoulder or butt
juice from 1 Orange (1/2 cup)
juice from 1 juicy lime (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup beef broth
7-10 peeled but intact cloves garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt/fresh pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients and rub all over the meat.
2. Dump everything in the crock pot and cook on low for a looong time... or high for about 4 hours.

I would have served this with corn tortillas, but I didn't find any that were reasonably priced or appetizing around here... they definately need more Mexicans in France. I served over shredded cabbage with sour cream, swiss cheese, chopped tomatoes (lazy pico de gallo), avocado slices, and of course, loaded my plate with red pepper flakes.. because I'm the only one that can handle it =)
Needless to say, it might not be the real mexican way of making carnitas, but it definately is delicious and the taste was exactly what I was craving. It is also the healthier alternative to frying the meat!

I have to find some corn tortillas so I can make tacos out of this... I seriously feel like I found a hidden treasure with this recipe!! It's cheap and delicious, and feeds like 10 people!

Italian Sausage and Artichoke Penne

Ahh that looks so crazy with black Penne!!! I've been craving Italian sausage and OG's Zuppa Toscana lately, and then I realized... THERE IS NO ITALIAN SAUSAGE HERE =(
I decided to make my own.. It's too hot to eat soup these days, and then since I had an artichoke waiting to be consumed in my fridge...I decided to use it! I know an artichoke isn't something one would usually have on hand, but I found some beautiful ones on sale for 2/1€50 and I jumped on it... how much are they in the US? I steamed one the other day and ate it with lemon butter... it went down so fast and I forgot to photograph it, so maybe next time.
So I found black penne and thought it would be cool to freak out my FIL who's not used to "out of the ordinary" food... he liked it though.. 1 point for me!!
Italian Sausage:
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked fennel seeds
1 Tbsp paprika
3 cloves minced/mashed garlic
1 tsp sugar
1tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

Mix it all together with your hands... then fill casings if you want to. Let rest a few hours in the fridge.. I left mine overnight. I didn't use casings.. I kind of rolled them into little meatballs and used a little less than half for my pasta, and froze the rest. How easy and spot on. I didn't put in red pepper flakes for heat because most of the people I feed can't handle it.. but I always add them into my plate =)

Italian Sausage and Artichoke Penne: Serves 6
2-3 Italian sausages or 1/2 lb mixture rolled into balls
1 fresh (or frozen) artichoke heart, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped bell pepper
1 chopped tomato (or sub in handful of sundried)
1/2 cup vegetable stock (I used chicken)
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 bag (500g) penne or other pasta
1 handful fresh chopped parsley
Parmesan and/or swiss cheese

Directions:
First of all, start your pasta water...
1. Sautee garlic and sausage until browned.. drain the grease, please.
2. Add the artichoke heart and stir around for 5 minutes, then add the bell pepper and tomato and let cook 3-5 more minutes.
3. Add the vegetable stock and cook for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.
4. When your pasta is done, add the heavy cream and parlsey to your sauce, and toss your pasta in it.

Serve with parmesan on top and enjoy!

Yum!
Btw.. too hot to eat soup usually doesn't figure in my vocab, but alas I am We, and I will make my Zuppa Toscana as soon as the weather cools. I have to remember that if I made it, I would be the only one to eat it, sadly.

Thai Red Coconut Curry

I love Thai Curry! This one is really good. It can feed 4-5 people, and it has a bunch of veggies in it too. I stole if from the slow cooker Goddess.
Ingredients:
- 1 can coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1 T red chili paste
- 1 T fish sauce
- 2 inch chunk fresh ginger, grated
- 1 lb pork in chunks (or 6 skinless chicken thighs)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-2 bell pepper in big chunks
- 2-4 zucchinis in big chunks (or an eggplant)
- 1 sweet potato
Garnish:
lemon or lime wedges
chopped cilantro
Directions:
1. Mix the coconut cream, chili paste, fish sauce and soy sauce in the bottom of your crock pot.
2. Add the meat and coat it with your mixture.
3. Put all your chopped veggies on top without mixing them into the sauce.. they will nicely steam without desintegrating and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
4. Serve over rice with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

You can substitute other veggies or other meat. I personally prefer it with pork, but its good with chicken too.

Veal or Pork Blanquette

This is a typical French dish you can eat at any typical French restaurant. I, however, had never officially eaten one, and there is this cream commercial that comes on all the time where they make this dish and it made my mouth water... and when I read that it is a dish that is supposed to cook on low for a loong time, it made me even happier, because i just threw it all in the crock pot! Well, no, this actually needs a little bit of prep before and after the crock cooking, but still, it's so ridiculously delicious!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs pork or veal meat cut into thick chunks
1 cube (rectangle) dehydrated chicken stock (knorr is good)
5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 chopped onion
2 cloves pushed into a piece of onion
1 can mushrooms (or use fresh)
1 stick of celery cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
1 piece of rosemary (mine was still on the branch, but use 1-2 tsp)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
Right before serving ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
juice from 1 lemon
Wow this is a lot of ingredients, and I had all this on hand without purposefully planning ahead? I'm proud of me!
Directions:
1. On the stove, brown your meat in the butter, and then sprinkle flour so that the meat is well coated.
2. Transfer all ingredients (except the cream, egg yolk, and lemon juice) into the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. 15 minutes before serving, in a bowl, whisk your heavy cream, egg yolk and lemon juice together, then stir into the crock pot.
4. Taste to see if it needs salt/pepper, and serve over rice or fettuccine!

I used pork instead of veal because I'm a cheapass, and it was really good. I've heard that it is just as good with turkey chunks too. If it is too watery, leave the lid open on the crock for a little while. The heavy cream here has the same consistency as light sour cream, so the sauce came out thicker than it might with a "heavy whipping cream." This meal probably cost me less than 5€ and it was enough to feed 4 very very hungry people..and it ROCKS!

Better Stuffed Tomatoes

I wanted to post the remix of this recipe before I left for France (which is coming up very very soon) and wouldn't have to make it anymore. I found a better way to make the stuffing with US ingredients. This way tastes a lot closer to the original.

Stuffing Ingredients:

-1/3 lb mild pork sausage

-2/3 lb ground turkey (or half one half the other.. pork sausage is fatty)

-2 cloves minced garlic

-1/2 tsp cumin

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1 tsp basil

Directions:

Get your hands dirty by mixing all the ingredients for the stuffing well by hand, and then follow the original recipe!