Garlic Pot Roast

Posted on September 19, 2011 by okieranchwife

I am a meat and potatoes type girl. This dish doesn’t have spuds in it but it does have meat, nicely browned meat. And brown food is good food! It does call for red wine but if desired you can use red wine vinegar.

  • 6 large Garlic Cloves, 3 cloves thin sliced, 3 cloves peeled and pressed
  • 3 pound Beef or Bison Roast
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • 1 medium Onion, sliced
  • 1 cup Red Wine or 1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cup Beef Broth
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Hate the EVOO in a cast iron Dutch Oven over medium high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Brown the meat well on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic to pot. Brown the onions and garlic for about 7 minutes. Add meat back to the pot. Add the wine or vinegar and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Turn meat occasionally. 

Preheat oven to 300 F.  

Place the covered Dutch oven into the oven and roast for an additional 1 1/2 hours.  Remove the meat from the pot and set aside, covered with aluminum foil to stay warm. Heat the Dutch Oven on the stove and bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Cook on a high simmer until the liquid is reduced and slightly thickened. Use this as a sauce for the meat and any side veggies, like sautéed green beans or steamed broccoli.

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Sauerkraut with Apples

Posted on September 19, 2011 by okieranchwife

In honor of Oktoberfest, here is a typical German side Dish.

  • 2 pounds Sauerkraut, drained
  • 2 Sweet Onions, sliced
  • 2 medium Apples, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Bacon Drippings or Crisco type Shortening
  • 2 cups dry White Wine
  • 1 whole Carrot, peeled
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2 whole Cloves
  • a few whole Black Peppercorns
  • a dash of Caraway Seeds

Heat the grease in a heavy skillet, add onions and apples. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add sauerkraut and wine and bring to boil. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Remove carrot and bay leaves. Pairs well with sausages, potatoes, beer and wine. Guten Appetit!

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Spicy Apple Compote

Posted on September 19, 2011 by okieranchwife

The apple harvest is here. And I am loving it. Apples have to be my most favorite fruit. Two years ago we planted 3 tart apple trees in our yard. This year we had one tiny apple, but it is getting red! LOL! We are going to enjoy that little apple.

  • 6 cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
  • 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 cups Apple Juice
  • 2 teaspoon liquid Sweetener such as Agave Nectar

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place in a casserole dish.  Mix cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with 1/2 cup apple juice until smooth. In a different saucepot bring the remaining apple juice to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and sweetener. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour over apples and bake for about 30 minutes until soft but not mushy. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

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Sauteed Green Beans

Posted on September 18, 2011 by okieranchwife

Tonight we had this side dish with grilled chicken thighs. Steaming the beans first makes the beans tender, then the sauteing makes them a little crispy.  

  • 1 pound fresh Green Beans, keep whole but trim vine end
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • 2 teaspoons Butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Lemon Zest, fresh or dried
  • Sea Salt to taste

Use a medium soup pot and a steamer basket to steam the whole green beans until tender about 7 minutes. Don’t let them get mushy.  Heat the EVOO and the butter in skillet over medium high heat. Take the green beans from the steamer and place in the skillet. Add garlic powder, lemon zest and salt. Saute the green beans until nicely browned.

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Cheddar Cheese Ball

Posted on September 18, 2011 by okieranchwife

The holidays are just around the corner and I always try to offer different munchies. Now I do like the healthy broccoli, carrot sticks and cauliflower nibbles but sometimes you just want the decadent cheesy snack!

  • 40 ozs Neufchatel or Cream Cheese, softened
  • 40 ozs Cheddar Cheese, shredded (the mild version works better with the Bleu Cheese) 
  • 4 ozs Bleu Cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise
  • Hot Sauce to taste (We enjoy Scorned Woman and Tejas Tears)
  • Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder to taste
  • Dried Dill Weed

Thoroughly mix all ingredients except the dill weed. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and shape into balls. Roll the cheese balls in the dill weed to coat. Chill until firm about 2 hours. Serve with any type of cracker.

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Braided Challah Bread

Posted on September 18, 2011 by okieranchwife

This is another recipe that I copied down from “The Frugal Gourmet” cooking show from the early 1980’s. My recipe is stained and well used and loved.

  • 1 1/4 tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
  • 3/4 cup Warm Water
  • 1 tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 White Flour, unbleached

Glaze:

  • 1 Egg Yolk mixed with 1/3 teaspoon Water

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stirring the flour in one cup at a time. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes on a floured surface. Add more flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and place in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about an hour.

Dough should feel alive and bouncy. Punch the dough down. If it is too moist to handle add a bit more flour.  Divide the dough in half. Take one portion and divide that into 3 equal parts. Roll the 3 parts into 10 inch long “ropes”. Braid the 3 ropes together and pinch together lightly at both ends.  Take the other one half portion and divide that into a larger portion and a smaller portion.  From both of these 2 portions, make 2 braids like you did for the first half. 

When you have 3 different size braids, stack them on top of each other with the largest braid on the bottom.   Place the braided loaf on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Pinch braids together in several spots to keep the loaf together.  Cover, place in a warm spot and let rise until it is doubled, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Brush the loaf with the glaze. Bake in 375 F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The loaf should be crusty and sound hollow when knocked on. Cool on a rack.

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Corn Slaw

Posted on September 18, 2011 by okieranchwife

This is a nice change from tradtional cole slaw. You can kick up the heat a bit by adding some Red Cayenne Powder.

  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream ( I use Cacique Crema Mexicanna Agria, a Mexicna style sour cream)
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dry Mustard
  • 2 teaspoon White Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar or Sugar Substitute
  • 1/4 teaspoon Lemon Pepper
  • 1 can (15 ozs) Whole Kernel Corn, drained
  • 2 Carrots, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 cup Sweet Onion, diced
  • 3 tablespoons Diced Pimento
  • 1/2 can (3.5 ozs) Chopped Green Chilies
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients well. Chill in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

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Hot Crab Dip

Posted on September 18, 2011 by okieranchwife

This is a really easy dip for guests or even for tailgating at those sports games.

  • 1 can (6 ozs) Crab Meat
  • 1 package (16 ozs) Neufchatel or Cream Cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Milk
  • 1 tablespoon Prepared Horseradish
  • Onion Powder and Garlic Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together in a small baking casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot with crackers. So good!

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Pork Chops with Apples

Posted on September 17, 2011 by okieranchwife

In honor of German Oktoberfest here is a great meal to pair with Oktoberfest Beer! And it’s in a crockpot. You can also try this dish with lamb chops.

  • 4 Pork Loin Chops, at least 1 inch thick, trim off fat layer
  • 2 medium Tart Apples like Granny Smith or Fuji, peeled and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon of cold Butter, diced in pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated Nutmeg
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium high heat, quickly seer the chops to a nice golden brown. The quick seer will seal in the juices and make a moist piece of chop.  Drain well. Arrange a layer of apples in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the browned pork chops in the crockpot. Place the butter pieces on top of the chops. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours. Test the level of seasoning before serving and adjust if needed. This dish can be served a side sauerkraut for a true German meal. Enjoy.

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Crockpot Beef Ragout

Posted on September 17, 2011 by okieranchwife

We like using the crockpot on a day that we know will be busy. It’s great for starting in the morning and letting it do its thing all day while you are at work, away from the house or working outside.

  • 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut in 1 inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour or Wondra
  • 2 teaspoons Sea Salt or Kosher
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper, Black or Red
  • 1 package pre-cooked Sausage links, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 cups Leek, cleaned and chopped (Can use a large Onion)
  • 4 ribs Celery, chopped
  • 3 Potatoes, cubed
  • 1 can (15 ozs) Whole Tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 teaspoon fresh Leaf Oregano (If you use dried Oregano, add it about an hour before serving. The dried or ground herbs will lose its flavor during a long cook time.)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and pressed
  • 1/2 cup Low Sodium Beef Broth or Home made
  • 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (This is a brown sauce you can find in the gravy section of your grocery.)

 

  • 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour or Wondra
  • 3 tablespoons Water

Dry the beef with paper towels to let the flour coat the meat better. Mix 1/3 cup flour, salt and pepper. Toss the meat in the flour mix and coat well. Place the meat in the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients, except the last flour and water. Stir well. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours. One hour before serving turn up to high. Make a roux with the flour and water and blend into the crockpot mix. If using dried oregano put it in now. Cook for another hour until thick. Serve warm with bread.

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