Saturday, December 26, 2009

Maybe my best creation EVA: Mojito Carrots


Okay - listen - this stuff is good. Seriously, seriously good. It's at least the best carrot recipe you ever had and at most: The Best Thing You Have Ever Put Into Your Mouth. Or, you know, something in between...


Here was my thinking:

I want to make some carrots...some glazed carrots....I need to use up that rum...like butter rum glazed carrots....I should make mojitos....mmmm...mojitos....oooh, I have mint, too!....OMG! I should make mojito carrots!! Done. And done gloriously - seriously - MAKE THIS!! (unfortunately my drasted camera is still on the fritz, hence the crappy photo - don't let this stop you!!)


MOJITO CARROTS


4 pounds raw carrots

about three or four mint branches (stalks? thingies?)

1 stick of unsalted butter

about 4 shots of dark rum

about a cup of brown sugar

Kosher salt to finish


Slice the carrots diagonally and boil in salted water for about 45 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Turn on medium heat. Chop the mint leaves and throw those in there. Throw the whole stick of butter in there. Add the sugar and the rum. Stir and toss to coat as the butter melts - about 10 or 15 minutes. Turn the heat up a little until the mixture bubbles and looks caramely.


Pour into serving bowl and sprinkle with salt. Serve hot.


Enjoy it and be happy to be alive, baby!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Vinegary Stove-top Pot Roast

Because pot roast is super fatty and needs some acid to balance it out, but also because I didn't have any beer or wine on hand and had to improvise...

The result was a very Italian-like taste. I'd already made mashed potatoes to go with it, but I think it would be outstanding with a creamy parmesan polenta (I might even make some to go with the leftovers now...).

1 3-4 pound cross rib roast or other pot roasty type roast
1 white onion
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
a bunch of fresh chives
3 stalks celery
2 orange bell peppers
2 cans of diced fire roasted tomatoes
4 carrots
about a pound of crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste (the kind that comes in a tube)
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp coriander
2 bay leaves
about 2 cups or so of water or broth
oil or fat for browning (I used bacon grease)
salt and black pepper

In a large pot or dutch oven, brown all sides of the meat in oil or grease. Take meat out of the pot and set aside on a large plate.

Add all vegetables except for the cans of tomatoes to the now meaty oil and saute until soft. Add all other ingredients except for the water.

Add the roast back into the pot. Add enough water or broth to make sure the meat is submerged in liquid. Bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook that way for at least 4 hours, or until the meat easily falls apart with a fork and the house smells really good. For about the last hour or so, turn the heat up to medium high and cook uncovered to ensure all excess liquid cooks off.

You can then either tear all of the meat apart with a fork or serve as a whole roast.

Serve over something hot and starchy and creamy.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Bacon Tostadas. Yep, that's what she said.

So, yeah...I made some bacon tostadas.

This was a very good idea, you know, if I do say so myself.

A real mix of high end and low end and leftover stuff, all fabulously mixed up together:

I used some lovely super thick bulk bacon and made itin the oven, in what I have found to really be the simplest way ever to make bacon - 375 degrees with the strips laid out on a cookie sheet for about 15-25 minutes or so.

Drain the bacon grease into a skillet with some canola oil for the tostadas.
I used blue corn organic tortillas from Whole Foods - fry on both sides until crisp, but try to leave that glorious soft spot in the center where it stays chewy (I fricking love that).

I microwaved a cheap can of refried beans (vegetarian, of course - maybe I should have called this the hypocrite tostada....)

And then put it all together - I just broke the bacon strips kind of in half and chunked them on there. And I used this as an opportunity to use up my bounty of takeout taco leftover condiment stuff (because a lot of that usually ends up in our trash and I HATE throwing stuff, especially GOOD stuff, away)- some luscious whole grilled spring onions from Los Comales in Pilsen, shredded lettuce, tomato, green salsas, sour cream and a mild cheddar cheese.

Oh my. Just perfect. The bacon was think and really meaty, the grease in the frying oil gave the tortilla a great smokiness and the coolness of everything else...mmmm...awesome....

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Warm & Orange: Beta Sweet Potato Hash


ugh...grooooaaaan....it's cold as...December... outside and I can't afford one of those fancified sun lamps to ward off my near certainly coming seasonal affective disorder....

Solution: Something warm and buttery tasting with lots of colorful veggies co-mingling with breakfast sausages and maple syrup. Breakfast at night, baby!

BETA SWEET POTATO HASH


1 big ol giant sweet potato or two or three little one
I bosc pear (I saved it from going bad! Another victory against trash!
3 carrots
3 garlic cloves
1 yellow onion
1 lb crimini mushrooms
2 yellow bell peppers
2 orange bell peppers
1 package breakfast sausage (I used Applegate Farms Chicken & Sage Breakfast links)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
like a jigger or two of beer

Now, pretty much any way you combine all of these items together, it's probably going to taste good, but here's how I did it:

Boil the whole, unpeeled sweet potato and the whole unpeeled carrots in a large pot of salted water for about 30 minutes or so, or until you're done chopping up all of the other stuff.
Chop up everything else into good sized chunks. Throw the sausages in there whole and smash em around with the spatula a bit. Dump spices on top, pour olive oil on it all, cover with a lid and let cook for about 20 or 30 minutes or so, or until everything cooks down and gets kind of mushy. When it starts to stick to the bottom a bit or gets super hot/not enough moisture/etc, throw in a couple shakes of beer and let cook on medium covered for a little bit more.

Take the sweet potato and carrots out of the boiling water and peel the peel off of the potato. Chop into chunks. Slice carrots and add both to the other pot. Stir it all up and let cook cover for a little while longer, or until it looks hashy.

I served it with buttery scrambled eggs with chives and cream cheese. This was a great idea. I am awesome! I feel warm and alive for at least a moment! Yay! The end.