Is there a market for a recipe swapping thread?

[greatcyber]

And even if you want to use a crock pot for pot roast, you really need to brown the roast on all sides first. I guess you could do this the day before and store it in the fridge.

The next day put the browned roast in the crockery, toss in some quartered potatoes, and other root veggies (whichever ones you like) such as Onions, turnip, parsnip, celery root. Add seasonings (salt and pepper) a splash of red wine, and pour in beef broth to come about 3/4 the way to the top of the veggies. You can also add a handful of frozen peas. I also add a couple of bay leaves and sometimes some herbs de provence. Basically, add whichever herbs you happen to enjoy. A couple of cloves of garlic add a nice flavour.

Cook on low all day and when it is tender and you are ready to serve, remove the liquid to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Take a small cup and add about 1/4 cup of corn starch and mix with cold water. Add to liquid and stir. It should thicken almost immediately. If it is still not thick enough to your liking, repeat the cornstarch and water, again stirring into the mixture. Once you have the thickness you are happy with you will now have a wonderful gravy. Taste and correct the seasonings. To add a velvety richness to the sauce, add a couple tablespoons of butter and mix together.

Slice the pot roast in thin slices and arrange on a platter. Put veggies around the meat and pour gravy over the meat. Offer extra gravy in a gravy boat for pouring over the veggies and meat (for those who want some more)

Hope you enjoy it.

[Tûrwethiel]

Sounds yummy, Stephen. Here's a little something I've discovered ... I use rice flour when I need to thicken a sauce as it's less inclined to go all lumpy on you.

Cheers

Vicki

[the_drumminator]

Here's one I got from an old bandmate-kind of Asian style Hot/sweet flavor.

HOT PEPPER CHICKEN

2-3 boneless chicken breast halves-cut into small chunks
3-4 (depending on your heat tolerance) hot italian finger peppers, chopped fine.
minced garlic-I use about 3 tablespoons but again you can adjust.
packed 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
about 4 tablespoons corn starch
2 cups water
a little olive oil

Heat a little olive oil in a wok or other deep pan. Add the chicken, garlic and hot peppers, cook on med-high heat until chicken is no longer pink. Mix together the soy sauce, vinegar and 1 1/2 cups water and add to the pan, the dissolve the corn starch in the other 1/2 cup of cold water so that there are no lumps, and add that as well. Mix it all together and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is done, usually about 25 minutes or less. The sauce will thicken as you cook. Serve over noodles, pasta, rice, stir fry veggies-whatever you want......DELICIOUS!!!!

[Tûrwethiel]

Sounds delicious, drumminator. I'll give it a try and let you know how it went.

Cheers

Vicki

[greatcyber]

Sounds yummy, Stephen. Here's a little something I've discovered ... I use rice flour when I need to thicken a sauce as it's less inclined to go all lumpy on you.

Cheers

Vicki

Hey Vicki,

If you use corn starch and mix it with cold water, you never get lumps. You can also use potato starch or Pillsbury "Wondra" flour (ultra-fine sifted just for gravies). It's all a matter of taste. Regular flour tastes "floury" (duh) but whichever method is used, as long as you don't just dump dry anything into the sauce, you won't get lumps. I like corn starch or potato starch just because it works so fast. But from what I have seen at market, there are starches made out of just about everything you can think of.

[the_drumminator]

Sounds delicious, drumminator. I'll give it a try and let you know how it went.

Cheers

Vicki

you will love it!

[greatcyber]

Hi All, just wanted to share this with you. I was at market and saw a pork loin roast that had been sliced down the centre, not all the way, almost like butterflied, but not quite. Anyway, there were sliced almonds placed in the slit. I thought it looked good so I bought a big roast since it was on sale and cut it in half. One for the freezer, one for dinner. This is the type of roast that center cut chops are cut from.

Anyhow, when I looked into my pantry, the sliced almonds I thought I had were not there so I took a different route and came up with a right yummy alternative.

I sliced the roast down the center vertically, leaving about 2 inches uncut. Then I salted and peppered the entire thing. Next I inserted a couple of bay leaves inside the slit. Since I had made some flavoured honey with lavender buds a while back, I coated the entire roast with the honey, including inside the slit. Then I took more lavender (not the buds that I used to make the honey, but the dried leaves) and covered the roast.

I put it in a hot oven for about 20 mins and then reduced the heat to about 365F and baked it until there was a whitish "ooze" coming out of the roast. The top was nice and toasty looking. I let the roast settle on the cutting board for about 10 mins to let the juices settle.

The result was fantastic! The top was crunchy and the "glaze" was truly delicious.

Since I have a huge supply of dried lavender, I now use it in all sorts of dishes and it is incredible. Guess I'll be growing lavender every summer from now on. Last year's crop should last until this summer.

Just a thought.

[Tûrwethiel]

Stephen, you have me salivating!!! I read this earlier today and then visited my parents. Mum's a very good gardener (can get stuff to flower that is not supposed to in Sydney) and took me for a stroll around the garden. My eyes lit upon her French Lavender in full bloom and I cried "dry it, dry it ... I need it for a pork recipe". Now she wants your recipe too!

Cheers and thanks

Vicki

PS: I have five tomatoes on my potted plants and am very excited!

[marval]

That sounds delicious Stephen, well done with the tomatoes Vicki.


Margaret

[marval]

This is a nice chicken dish.

Chicken in Honeyed Tomatoes.

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 lbs.
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves, crushed
1 cup pitted black olives, halved
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


Directions

Flatten chicken breasts slightly by pounding them between 2 pieces of waxed paper.
Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook chicken breasts about 3 minutes per side, until browned. Remove and keep warm.

In same skillet, cook onion and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, wine, honey, thyme and tarragon. Simmer sauce about 15 minutes or until thick.

Return chicken to sauce; add olives. Cover and cook another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

To serve, divide chicken and sauce evenly between serving plates.

Sprinkle with parsley.


You can use real tomatoes (not tinned.)

[marval]

And here is a quick and easy dessert.


Honey Fried Bananas.

Ingredients.

Juice of ½ lemon
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise
50g (2oz) butter
25g (1oz) flaked almonds
30ml (2tbsp) clear honey


Directions.


Sprinkle the lemon juice over the bananas.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the bananas and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides.

Transfer to a warmed serving plate.

Add the almonds to the butter remaining in the pan and cooked until lightly browned.

Stir in the honey and heat through.

Pour over the bananas and serve immediately.

[greatcyber]

Stephen, you have me salivating!!! I read this earlier today and then visited my parents. Mum's a very good gardener (can get stuff to flower that is not supposed to in Sydney) and took me for a stroll around the garden. My eyes lit upon her French Lavender in full bloom and I cried "dry it, dry it ... I need it for a pork recipe". Now she wants your recipe too!

Cheers and thanks

Vicki

PS: I have five tomatoes on my potted plants and am very excited!

What good news about your tomatoes. I had some this past summer, too. But not like in Florida. I'll find a pic and post it to show you. My grandfather used to visit New Jersey every summer and he would bring back beefsteak tomatoes. One night while at dinner we had a salad with those tomatoes. I took a few seeds and put them on a piece of paper towel and let them dry. Then I planted the piece of paper and what grew was amazing. I had 3 plants with 300 tomatoes! It was like Jack and the Beanstalk. They just kept growing, up to 14 feet and I had to keep building "scaffolding" around them to hold them up. They were the hit of the neighborhood and were higher than the lowest part of the roof!

Anyway, glad you want to try the recipe. Since your mom has some lavender, why not try and make some of the lavender honey, too? I think you will enjoy it.

Margaret, your recipe sounds yummy. Trying to think of what to make for dinner tonight. If I get "inspired" I will come back and share my thoughts.

[marval]

Look forward to that Stephen.


Margaret

[greatcyber]

I'm thinking about it, and starting to get hungry. I have to go to market and will see what inspires me. In the meantime, here's a pic of my tomato plants (about 15 years ago). It isn't the one I was looking for, but it's the one I found.

[marval]

Wow Stephen,

Those are enormous tomato plants, you did very well from just seeds.


Margaret