12/28/2009
Lazy Day Braised Pot Roast
This recipe comes from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, which has some interesting recipes in it. I turn to it from time to time, but it seems like there are a lot of ingredients that are not typical pantry fare, so I don't end up trying the recipes. Then I forget what ingredient it was that I needed, or what recipe the ingredient I picked up was for, and so I still don't try the recipes. I think my system needs some fine-tuning.
Anyway, I got a couple roasts out the other day, when we thought we might be having company for dinner. Good thing I didn't cook the roasts, because they didn't show up! It did give me some time to look for a new recipe to try.
Number One isn't a fan of roast, so I'm hoping this is a good one. He says they are "too dry" but maybe this one will be different...The cider vinegar is interesting; I'm eager to see how it turns out. I'm typing this up and publishing before I know the results...I will update after the roast is done and dinner is served!
Oh, and I always spray my slow cooker insert with PAM Cooking Spray before I put the ingredients in there--it helps to prevent that stubborn, stuck-on stuff that's so hard to clean.
After Dinner Update: The pot roast has a nice flavor, it cooked just over 6 hours. I think it could have cooked longer (the potatoes were not quite as mushy as I like), but Number One disagrees. He said this roast wasn't too dry, but he thought if it cooked longer, it would have been. Who knows.
I can tell you: that weird little beurre manie? While it sounds like a nice idea for making gravy, it just didn't do a darn thing for mine. I started out turning the crock pot on HIGH as directed, whisking away, but after 10 or 15 minutes of Nothing Happening, I gave up and dumped everything into a saucepan. On high heat. Still nothing (or not enough for me to call it gravy).
I had plated the roast and vegetables and stuck it in a 200 degree F oven to keep warm--thank goodness. Finally, Number One asked if he could take the meat out and serve the boys. Of course. I tried longer to make the gravy, I really did, whisking in front of the stove while everyone else ate and I knew my portion of dinner was getting cold. I whipped up another mixture of butter and flour, whisked it in, the gravy boiling away (hoping for a bit of reduction).
Still not enough to call it gravy. I gave up. I poured some into a bowl, and as you can see it is just thin thin thin. I am disappointed in the gravy ordeal, which normally isn't a problem for me. But, thankfully my dinner wasn't quite cold, and the gravy was flavorful if not thick.
I'd make this again. I'll just plan an extra hour for the gravy-making time.
Lazy Day Braised Pot Roast
This is lazy because there's no browning, no fussing. Just load up the cooker and later in the day thicken the flavorful juices collected in the crock. This recipe has much more liquid than the others, and that is the basis for your gravy. The meat stays moist and tender, just the way we like our pot roast. It is just as good the next day.
Serves 6 to 8
Cooker: Medium oval or large round or oval
Setting and cook time: LOW for 6 to 8 hours
One 4-pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible and blotted dry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths (I peeled mine)
4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
3 cups water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1. Put the roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add the carrots, potatoes, onion and bay leaves. Pour the water and vinegar over the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
2. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a heated platter and cover with aluminum foil. Turn the cooker to HIGH. You will have about 3 full cups of liquid. In a small bowl, mash together the butter with the flour to make a beurre manie (using a fork or small food processor, mash or pulse together until the mixture becomes a semi-firm mass). Add to the hot liquid in the cooker and stir with a whisk until melted and the liquid thickens. Ladle some gravy over the meat and vegetables and serve the remainder in a bowl.
Anyway, I got a couple roasts out the other day, when we thought we might be having company for dinner. Good thing I didn't cook the roasts, because they didn't show up! It did give me some time to look for a new recipe to try.
Number One isn't a fan of roast, so I'm hoping this is a good one. He says they are "too dry" but maybe this one will be different...The cider vinegar is interesting; I'm eager to see how it turns out. I'm typing this up and publishing before I know the results...I will update after the roast is done and dinner is served!
Oh, and I always spray my slow cooker insert with PAM Cooking Spray before I put the ingredients in there--it helps to prevent that stubborn, stuck-on stuff that's so hard to clean.
After Dinner Update: The pot roast has a nice flavor, it cooked just over 6 hours. I think it could have cooked longer (the potatoes were not quite as mushy as I like), but Number One disagrees. He said this roast wasn't too dry, but he thought if it cooked longer, it would have been. Who knows.
I can tell you: that weird little beurre manie? While it sounds like a nice idea for making gravy, it just didn't do a darn thing for mine. I started out turning the crock pot on HIGH as directed, whisking away, but after 10 or 15 minutes of Nothing Happening, I gave up and dumped everything into a saucepan. On high heat. Still nothing (or not enough for me to call it gravy).
I had plated the roast and vegetables and stuck it in a 200 degree F oven to keep warm--thank goodness. Finally, Number One asked if he could take the meat out and serve the boys. Of course. I tried longer to make the gravy, I really did, whisking in front of the stove while everyone else ate and I knew my portion of dinner was getting cold. I whipped up another mixture of butter and flour, whisked it in, the gravy boiling away (hoping for a bit of reduction).
Still not enough to call it gravy. I gave up. I poured some into a bowl, and as you can see it is just thin thin thin. I am disappointed in the gravy ordeal, which normally isn't a problem for me. But, thankfully my dinner wasn't quite cold, and the gravy was flavorful if not thick.
I'd make this again. I'll just plan an extra hour for the gravy-making time.
Lazy Day Braised Pot Roast
This is lazy because there's no browning, no fussing. Just load up the cooker and later in the day thicken the flavorful juices collected in the crock. This recipe has much more liquid than the others, and that is the basis for your gravy. The meat stays moist and tender, just the way we like our pot roast. It is just as good the next day.
Serves 6 to 8
Cooker: Medium oval or large round or oval
Setting and cook time: LOW for 6 to 8 hours
One 4-pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible and blotted dry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths (I peeled mine)
4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
3 cups water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1. Put the roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add the carrots, potatoes, onion and bay leaves. Pour the water and vinegar over the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
2. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a heated platter and cover with aluminum foil. Turn the cooker to HIGH. You will have about 3 full cups of liquid. In a small bowl, mash together the butter with the flour to make a beurre manie (using a fork or small food processor, mash or pulse together until the mixture becomes a semi-firm mass). Add to the hot liquid in the cooker and stir with a whisk until melted and the liquid thickens. Ladle some gravy over the meat and vegetables and serve the remainder in a bowl.
The Dr. Seuss Wedding Cake
Feast your eyes on the Winner of 2009 Whimsical Cake Contest held over at Cake Central 
Dr. Seuss Wedding CakeEverything is cake... except for the glove which is styrofoam and modeling chocolate. There is a central threaded steel pipe and every tier has a pvc sleeve to protect the cake from the metal. The light blue cake is supported by 3" washer and a 16 gauge nut. All the gears are gumpaste (and they turned!) and the lorax tree is gumpaste. Total height is 41".
Simply unbelievable!
The Dr. Seuss Wedding Cake
Created by: The People's Cake
12/27/2009
Three -Tier Wedding Cake - Ferns and Roses
This wedding cake was made for a couple whose wedding theme was lime and electric green.With the christmas festivity on, we wish you all merry days that shall herald 2010 with fun and brighter moments all along ! A joyous embrace to all of you !
12/25/2009
12/24/2009
Six-Tier Wedding Cake: Christmas Wedding - December 2008
It felt nice to have made this wedding cake on occassion of festivity. The wedding theme was lime yellow and lime green and i made this six-layer fruit cake with rose creepers and lilies as thought of by the bride. I hope you all like my idea.I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Christmas and beautiful ushering into 2009. I thank you all for your encouragement and advice and wish to receive them all along the years to come. Here's some Quotes:
C S Lewis: Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'what ! you, too ? Thought i was the only one.'
Oprah Winfrey " Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."
I would also like to share nature's marvel, pictures taken by my son, when the moon came in-between Jupiter and Venus recently.
Heartiest Wishes Once Again ! 12/22/2009
Chicken Chasseur
Chicken is the ultimate fall-back food for me. If I don't have any plans for dinner, or any meat thawed, chicken seems to thaw fast in the microwave without starting to cook, and it's usually delicious. So that's what I seem to turn to time and again. (unless I turn to mac & cheese from a box. but that is another story...)
Yesterday, I was so busy I just hadn't thought about dinner. I pulled out my Food & Wine Quick from Scratch Chicken Cookbook. This dish quickly caught my eye, and I'm so glad it did.
It's relatively easy to put together, and the results are fabulous. Indeed, we have another entry for Chicken in a Fabulous Sauce right here, folks! I will admit, it took longer than the advertised "30 minutes," but it's worth it. Just start a bit earlier than, ahem, 5:45PM...
H-Bomb loves mushrooms, so he loved this dish. He ate a second helping of mushrooms and even ate most of his chicken despite being sick! We served it with, what else, Artisan Bread for mopping up this fabulous sauce!
There are various measurements of salt and pepper added here and there throughout this recipe. I didn't measure, just added some here and there when called for...it was perfect. Measure if you must!
Incidentally, this dish is on the cover of the cookbook that I have, and I just couldn't get a pretty picture of this last night! It would have helped if I had remembered the parsley...oh well. You're just going to have to trust me that this is delicious. Again.
Chicken Chasseur
A French classic that never seems to go out of style, this dish combines mushrooms and chicken in a tomato and white wine sauce. The name, literally "hunter's chicken," harks back to a time when game birds and mushrooms from the woods were a natural autumn combination. Prep time: 6 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Serves 4
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 1/4 pounds in all)--I used 2 1/4 pounds of thighs because that's what I had
1 teaspoon salt, DIVIDED
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, DIVIDED
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
6 tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine (I used wine)
2/3 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, drained (I used diced tomatoes)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned, turning, about 8 minutes in all. Remove. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. (I didn't pour off anything)
2. Add the butter to the pan and reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately high. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the wine and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, thyme and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices. Reduce the heat; simmer, covered, until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Wine recommendation: This earthy dish is perfectly suited to the rustic charms of a country red wine from southwestern France. Look for a bottle from one of the various appellations in that region, such as Cahors, Madiran, or Bergerac. Or simply choose a lovely Merlot! (I added that last part, can you tell?)
Yesterday, I was so busy I just hadn't thought about dinner. I pulled out my Food & Wine Quick from Scratch Chicken Cookbook. This dish quickly caught my eye, and I'm so glad it did.
It's relatively easy to put together, and the results are fabulous. Indeed, we have another entry for Chicken in a Fabulous Sauce right here, folks! I will admit, it took longer than the advertised "30 minutes," but it's worth it. Just start a bit earlier than, ahem, 5:45PM...
H-Bomb loves mushrooms, so he loved this dish. He ate a second helping of mushrooms and even ate most of his chicken despite being sick! We served it with, what else, Artisan Bread for mopping up this fabulous sauce!
There are various measurements of salt and pepper added here and there throughout this recipe. I didn't measure, just added some here and there when called for...it was perfect. Measure if you must!
Incidentally, this dish is on the cover of the cookbook that I have, and I just couldn't get a pretty picture of this last night! It would have helped if I had remembered the parsley...oh well. You're just going to have to trust me that this is delicious. Again.
Chicken Chasseur
A French classic that never seems to go out of style, this dish combines mushrooms and chicken in a tomato and white wine sauce. The name, literally "hunter's chicken," harks back to a time when game birds and mushrooms from the woods were a natural autumn combination. Prep time: 6 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Serves 4
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 1/4 pounds in all)--I used 2 1/4 pounds of thighs because that's what I had
1 teaspoon salt, DIVIDED
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, DIVIDED
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
6 tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine (I used wine)
2/3 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, drained (I used diced tomatoes)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned, turning, about 8 minutes in all. Remove. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. (I didn't pour off anything)
2. Add the butter to the pan and reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately high. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the wine and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, thyme and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices. Reduce the heat; simmer, covered, until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Wine recommendation: This earthy dish is perfectly suited to the rustic charms of a country red wine from southwestern France. Look for a bottle from one of the various appellations in that region, such as Cahors, Madiran, or Bergerac. Or simply choose a lovely Merlot! (I added that last part, can you tell?)
Shotgun Shells on a Groom's Cake?
Notice the shotgun shell "pillars" between the cake layers?Notice the doe on the top is wearing a wedding veil?
Notice the grass and antler wedding stand?
If we didn't know any better, we'd say this was a Deer Hunter's Groom Cake! Click on the pic to enlarge
12/20/2009
Colorful Theme
Thanks to Marlini for these 2 boxes of colourful and ceria cuppies...:)
Marlini ordered these to celebrate her staff in Shell..Thanks!
Marlini ordered these to celebrate her staff in Shell..Thanks!
12/18/2009
Asian Wedding Cakes
Although not traditional, it is becoming increasingly popular to have a wedding cake at Asian wedding celebrations. So why not have the cake designed to suit the occasion. The example on the left was designed by taking patterns and colours from the bride's wedding outfits and using them to create a truly Asian cake. The example on the right was for a much smaller celebration where the bride required a more stylised form of pattern.
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