Sunday Pork Roast

I came across this recipe looking for ideas for my pork roast and we absolutely loved it. When I love a recipe I just have to save it here so I can use it again!!

I love all the fresh ingredients and the apple juice seems to make it so much more savory. At first when you heat it up fast I wasn't so sure, my kitchen was kind of smoky, but now I know it sears the flavors in until it is done roasting. Definitely keeping this one around!

Ingredients

3 to 5 pound pork shoulder or butt roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Vegetables

2 large white onions cut into 2 inch chunks
1 pound baby carrots
1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes
2 cups apple juice
1 sprig fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Rub oil onto pork roast. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning mixture onto pork roast. Place fatty side up in a roasting pan or large cast iron dutch oven.

Roast, uncovered, in the 450 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue cooking an additional 1 hour.

Remove roast from oven and place the onion chunks, carrots, and potatoes around the meat. Pour apple juice on vegetables. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Place rosemary sprig on top.

Cook an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until vegetables are tender and meat shreds easily with a fork. Season vegetables with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Credit to "The Stay at Home Chef" - sunday-pork-roast 

M-I-SS-I-PP-I

Pot Roast that is! This is the best Sunday no heat in your kitchen or slaving away meal you could ask for. Heck throw it together the morning of a work day and when you get home dinner is waiting! (I say Sunday because mom made a roast every Sunday) Sure it is beef, aka red meat artery clogging goodness - but it is a very rich and decadent beef recipe hence why I only make it once in a while. Here's how you do it:

Put an unseasoned beef chuck roast, about 3 lbs, (thawed or frozen!) or any kind of roast in a low cook set crock pot. The more marbled the better and actually you can use any size you wish (as long as you make sure to leave room for the goodness below). Keep in mind the larger the roast the more of the next ingredients you'll need to buy.

Throw in a stick of cold butter - cut up in cubes or not, doesn't matter!

A packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

A packet of Au Jus mix

About a third or so of a tall bottle of whole Mezzeta's Golden Greek Peperoncini's. Practice saying; "pep-per-awn-CHEE-nees" - kind of fun isn't it? Be sure to include a third of the juice from the bottle.

Put the lid on and forget about it for 7-8 hours. This is the hard part - you're gonna get hungry from the smell way before it is dinner time!

When ready, cut or shred the meat - however you like it falls apart either way. But leave it in the juice! There is a richness in the drippings (thank you butter!) and a pop of flavor from the peppers so do not discard! You will want to spoon this goodness over a bed of mashed potatoes with or without the meat. And wait until you bite a peperoncini! MMM! You could also use the beef for sliders, french dip, tacos, enchilada meat, or  anything - but in my family it never makes it past the crock pot to the plate.

So delicious it is making my mouth water right now! It was the first thing my husband asked for for on this Father's Day so I am pretty sure it is big hit with my beef eater.

Lovin' some Sunday Food

Today Charlie and I made home made bread and beef barley soup. Delicious! I have never made bread from scratch before, and now it doesn't feel quite so intimidating as it once was. Our oven cooks much faster than the recipe called for so it was a good thing I caught it before the top crust any darker than it was.

It was a beautiful fall day here too so I am happy we were given an extra hour for daylight savings time. I am lovin' it. 

It seemed to rise faster than I thought. 

Beautiful

I never write down how I make this so I didn't get quite enough barley in there.

Slices of heaven. 

It even looks like bread!

Simple Shepherd's Pie

I got this recipe from my ex mother in law...and am posting it here for Michael, who seems to be raving to everyone about my cooking -huh? I know. I am good at creating poor man food with 5 ingredients or less, and thing is I am happy with eating it too. I like to eat, but I am no chef.

Brown 1 pound of ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper. The fattier the beef the more flavor of course, but any can be used.

While the beef is cooking make the mashed potatoes. Peel about 10 or so, to make a nice hearty size.

After beef is browned, drain and add to cover bottom of a 9x13 casserole pan. I use the pyrex glass kind, but any will do.

Drain two cans of salted kitchen cut green beans and add to beef. Pour two small cans of tomato sauce on top. Spread the beef, beans, and sauce evenly on bottom of pan and level out.

Drain and mash potatoes with a nice amount of butter a little milk, not too much. I like mine a little lumpy but my MIL used to whip them to the point they were baby food.

Top the beef and bean mixture with the mashed potatoes to make a layer. Then top with a cup of shredded cheddar, medium or sharp depending on how much flavor you like.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the beef mixture is bubbly. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Lola's Clam Chowder

This recipe I learned from a dear friend named Lauri. I called her Lola...she is a VERYgood cook. She made this for me one day when I was down with my foot surgery. I often watched her cook a lot and took some of it home with me! I miss her but she and her family is happy and prosperous in Montana now.

Lola's Clam Chowder

1/2 pound bacon slices, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 stick butter (real butter - not that margarine crap)
3 - 4 stalks of celery, chopped
1/3 white onion, minced
7 medium potatoes, peeled & diced (use less or more depending on how you like)
1 quart of heavy whipping cream
1 quart of milk
3 small cans clams, chopped style (keep the juice)
Bon Appettit, salt, pepper to taste.
1/3 cup corn starch
1/2 cup cold milk

Brown the bacon pieces over medium heat in a large dutch oven until thoroughly heated through. Leave drippings in pan and added the celery, onion, and butter. Cook until celery and onion are just barely starting to get soft. Add cream, milk, potatoes, clam juice from cans, and seasoning. (set clams aside) Simmer on low heat stirring often about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are the consistency you like. Add 1/3 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup cold milk to thicken. Turn heat off, let sit for 15-20 minutes and stir often to cool and to break up the film that will cover the top that has cooled. Throw in the clams and serve with home made sour dough or other type of bread.

(My  husband gives me the credit for this recipe as he tells the kids he loves "my" clam chowder. I hate to have to remind him that I didn't make it up at all. He apparently is still in denial that he married someone who can't really cook but can follow directions easily.)

Basil Rub Roast Chicken

1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Rub mixture on whole roasting chicken, stuffed or unstuffed, and bake in cooking bag as directed by package instructions.