Mississippi Pot Roast

 

I'm new to the Gulf Coast, the Third coast as it were.  I'm still catching on to local food culture and bringing it into my repertoire for weekly menu planning.

I kept hearing "Mississippi Pot Roast" is so (insert superlative here).  Then Food Network mentioned it a few times and I thought what am I missing?  I googled and found out its stupid easy, crock pot friendly, super tasty pot roast.  In fact since I discovered it its the only Pot Roast the family lets me make any more.  Now if I could find out why its called Mississippi Pot Roast with a definitive answer...but I digress.

Ingredients

• 2 -3 lb Chuck Roast
• 1 package au jus mix
• 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing dry mix
• 4-5 Pepperoncini peppers
• 2T pepperoncini pickling juice
• 1 can low sodium beef broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 carrots peeled and cut to 3" pieces
• 1 package brown gravy or onion gravy mix*

Method

Lightly salt and pepper both sides of Chuck Roast.  Heat a non-stick searing skillet over medium heat.  Sear each side 8-10 minutes until rich deep crusty brown.

Place seared chuck roast in a large crock pot.  Sprinkle Au jus mix and Ranch Dressing mix over the top of seared beef.  Pour beef broth over seared beef.  Place pepperoncini on top of roast and sprinkle the pickling liquid over the seared beef.  Place carrots along side the beef submerged in the broth.

Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low.  At end of cooking time remove pot roast and place on platter.  Remove carrots to small serving bowl.  In the hot liquid whisk in gravy mix until lump free and thickened.

Serve with  Anne Burrell's Garlic Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

*If you haven't tried Ah Bisto! brand gravy granules yet, I highly recommend you do so.  Its a British product I got hooked on for easy lump free perfect gravy every time.  You can pick up at your local British Market (even my local H*E*B stockes the basic beef in their international aisle) or by mail order.  Add it to pan juices and add enough liquid to make a cup for awesome gravy.

Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

Why do I call this the ultimate?  Well it is the culmination of a few different recipes and refinement to create a light, ethereally fluffy cheesecake.  Not some leaden bomb, just perfectly soft and airy.  Using brown sugar in the filling adds to the depth of flavor of the pumpkin.  It is the perfect accompaniment and grand finale to a Holiday dessert table. 

Ingredients/Equipment

10 inch spring form pan

large roaster

boiling water

aluminum foil

Crust 

• 14 oz gingersnap cookie crumbs 
• 1 heaping T brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 c melted butter

Filling

• 4, 8 oz packages cream cheese
• 1/4 c sour cream
• 1 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 6 eggs - lightly beaten
• 1 15 oz  can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 heaping T pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 t kosher salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Wrap bottom and outside of springform pan tightly so when you do water bath water does not leak into the cheesecake mixture.

Break up cookies and put into a food processor.  Add brown sugar and pinch of salt.  Pulse until you have fine crumbs the size of sand.  Pulse and pour in melted butter until thoroughly moistened. Pour crumb mixture into springform pan and press evenly across bottom and an inch or so up the sides of the pan.

Place crumb mixture into preheated oven and bake 12-15 minutes until golden and aromatic.  Remove from oven and cool.  

For the filling make sure cream cheese and eggs are room temperature. DO NOT use straight from fridge as they will not mix well.

Place cream cheese, sour cream, sugars, salt, and vanilla to stand mixer.  Start at low speed and work to medium speed.  Beat on medium 3-4 minutes until thoroughly creamed and mixture is light an fluffy. You will need to use spatula to scrape down sides a few times. 

Reduce speed to low.  Add pumpkin pie spice.  With mixer running spoon pumpkin into cream cheese mixture allowing each addition to be be incorporated.  Scrape down the sides a few times to ensure all of the pumpkin is incorporated evenly.

Increase speed to medium and beat in eggs a little at a time until incorporated. 

Place foil covered pan into a large roasting pan.  Pour filling over the crust.  The filling will come nearly to the top of the pan but it won't overflow while baking.

Drop heat to 325F.  Place roaster with the cheesecake into the oven. Add boiling water until it comes up to top of foil, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the side of the pan.  ITs important not to skip this step as it will promote even baking with the steam keeping the top for drying out an cracking.  Add boiling water as needed during baking.  This set up is called a bain marie.

Bake 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.  When done it will have a slight wobble in the center and a toothpick will come out clean.   

Remove from oven and let cool slowly to room temperature.  When cooled remove from pan and place on serving plate.  Wrap carefully in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator at least 12 hours or overnight.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and maybe even a drizzle of caramel sauce and a sprinkle of toffee bits for some crunch.

Sausage and Greens Soup

 

Its not often we get cool rainy days here in S.E Texas, but when we do I'm loaded with an arsenal of rib sticking soups.   This is a new(ish) one loaded up with baby greens that you need a fork to practically get through it.  Man is is hearty.

Thank goodness for supermarkets wising up and prepackaging greens along with the usual suspects of a "salad bar".  In this case I used Kroger's baby green mix...spinach and kale in their tender young form.  Just add to a soup and you'e done.  In terms of the kale, thats a labor savor using baby version as you don't neet to destem and chop them before adding.  Makes for stupid easy cookery.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs mild smoked sausage such as kielbasa
• 1 large sweet onion
• 48 oz chicken broth
• 1 lb  mixed baby greens (kale and spinach)
• 2 T finely chopped basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T flour

Method

Thinly slice saudage (approx 1/4'').  Heat large stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil then sausage.

Stir occassionally.  Coarse chop the onion and add to browning sausage.   Cook 5-8 minutes until sausage is browned and the onions ar translucent.  Add flour and cook 1 minute.

Stir in stock.  Simmer 10 minutes until lightly thickened.  Slowly add greens by handfuls in batchs slowly stirring in and allowing to wilt before adding next batch. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed to taste.  Add basil.

Simmer 10 minutes to fully wilt kale.  Serve hot with additional basil and maybe a sprinkle of parmesan.

Stupid Easy Shrimp Scampi

 

Whew its been a few crazy weeks.  First mty oldest daughter's wedding then a shoulder surgery and we are nearly on the eve of Thanksgiving.  Both kept me out of the kitchen for a while.  

This is the simplest dinner ever and is it ever tasty.  Shrimp Scampi, lemony tart made in minutes with simple on hand staple ingredients.  I use Buitoni 

Ingredients

• 1 pkg Buitoni linguini or 9 oz dry linguine
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1/4 c chopped Italian parsley
• 2 t chopped garlic
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• zest of one lemon
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp

Method

Bring salted pasta water to a boil. 

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the butter just starts top sizzle add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute.

Add fresh pasta* to boiling water.  Cook 2-3 minutes.

At same time you added fresh pasta to the water,  add shrimp to the butter mixture.  Cook and stir often until bright pink and opaque (about 2-3 minuites depending on shrimp size).  Add cooked pasta and toss to coat with butter mixture.  Add zest, lemon juice and parsley, toss to distribute.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 c pasta water as needed to thin if needed.  

Serve hot with crusty ciabatta rolls and a nice Tuscan white like Villa Antinori.

*If using dry pasta start cooking it about 6 minutes before you start to melt the butter.  Dry pasta takes about 11 minutes to cook and timing like this will ensure the pasta is cooked and ready to add to shrimp mixture when shrimp are cooked.

Pots de Creme

 Decadence to remember

This is one of those show stopper desserts that people will be talking about for sometime to come.  The highest compliment I was paid for this silky decadent dessert was "I don't normally like dessert but this is too good to not finish."  These delightful pots de creme have a texture between pillowy mousse and a more traditional custard thickened with corn starch.

Its not a difficult recipe, just a little time consuming.  Attention to detail is everything.  

Select good quality, high cacao content semisweet to bittersweet chocolate bars for maximum flavor and the right texture.  The chips we love in cookies have a lot of emulsifiers and preservatives that can mess with the melting properties needed for the final silky result.  I usually use Valrhona chocolate but its difficult to fine here in SE Texas.  A good substitute was the Ghirardelli 70% Cacao baking bars found at the local H*E*B.

Ingredients and Formulation:

• 1 1/3 c whole milk
• 1 c heavy cream
• 4 t Triple sec
• 1 T Vanilla extract
• 2 t orange zest
• pinch of salt
• 8 oz 65-70% cacao baking chocolate, chopped
• 8 egg yolks
• 6 T Sugar
• whipped cream
• raspberries

Preheat oven to 350F

gather 6, 10oz ramikens

In a heavy bottom non-reactive sauce pan combine milk, heavy cream, triple sec, zest, vanilla extract and salt.  Bring to boil and remove from heat.  Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted into the milk mixture and you have a smooth homogenous mixture.

In stand mixer add egg yolks and sugar.  On medium high heat beat until light lemon color with the mixture doubled in size. This should take about 5 minutes. It should fall in ribbons from the beater.

Add chocolate mixture 1T at a time with mixer on medium low speed until half of it is incorporated into the egg mixture and it is tempured.  With mixer still running pour in the remaining chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely incoroparted into the egg and no streakes remain.

Divide chocolate mixture between the 6 ramikens.  In a large pan with a rack add the ramikens.  Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan.  Water should come up about 1/2 way up the sides of the ramekins.  Do not get water in the ramekins.  Cover with foil and put in the preheated oven.

Bake 45-55 minutes until just set.  To test stick a toothpick into the center of a ramiken.  If liquid give it another 5 minutes until just set with a little wobble in the center.

Remove from oven and place ramekins on a kitchen towel. Cool to room temp.  Once cooled cover each with cling film and chill 4-6 hours.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a few raspberries.

Tips and Tricks...

Don't be timid with the egg yolks.  They really need to be beaten until double in size and the yolk sugar mixtures fall from the blade in a ribbon.  This incorporates air that is important to the texture of the final product.

A large roasting pan with a rack is perfect for the waterbath to cook these pots de creme.  The water bath aka Bain Marie is used to ensure gentle even baking.

The easiest way to remove the hot ramekins from the water bath is with a canning jar tool.  Easily lifts them from the water without risk of dipping your oven mit into the scalding water.

Cooling the pots de creme to room temp before putting in the refrigerator with the cling film ensures no moisture collects and mars the final product.  Don't skip this step.

Wrapping each ramiken in cling film ensures they don't get a crusty top while chilling.  Also helps them not absorb flavors odors form other foods like from say your kim chi in the corner.

Sausage and Spinach Pappardelle

 

A family favorite that makes a bunch.  Even spinach haters love it cause its so darned good.

Ingredients:

• 4 mild or hot Italian sausages (about 12 ounces)
• 1/4 c minced shallot or sweet onion
• 8-10 oz baby spinach
• nutmeg
• 1/4 c parmesan grated
• 1 stick butter
• 12 oz pappardelle pasta
• parmesan for serving.

Put on a large pot of water and bring to boil  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Do not drain pasta as you will need pasta water

Remove sausage from casing and crumble in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  When cooked add shallot (or sweet onion if you can't find shallots).  Sautee' 1 minute until translucent.  

Reduce heat and start adding spinach in batches, adding more as it wilted. Add a couple of scrapes of nutmeg (a large pinch worth).  When the butter is about half melted add a ladle (scant 1/2 cup) pasta water and stir into the melting butter to emulsify.  DO NOT skip this step or your sauce will break.  Finish adding spinach, when all wilted down add parmesan cheese and stir into butter emulsion.  If it starts to break add another 1/4-1/2 c pasta water to re-emulsify. 

At this step your pasta should be ready to be pulled from water and added to the mixture.  Simmer in sauce a minute or two tossing with tongs to coat all the pasta with the glorious butter cheese sauce.  Serve in bowls with additional grated parmesan.

I'm back bearing gifts - Lemon Bomb Dump Cake

 

 Its been a long while since I dusted off this password and shared something from my kitchen to yours.  A lots happened since I last blogged here the biggy of course was a move to League City TX and a whole 'nother style of cooking.  Southern Comfort is what I've been exploring the last couple of years.

The Lemon Bomb Dump Cake is just one of those comfort foods that Texas and the South are known for.  (BBQ is a whole nother story for another time).

Lemon Bomb Dump Cake

• 2, 21 oz cans lemon pie filling
• 1 boxed Lemon Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• 1 8 oz cream cheese - room temp
• 1 stick salted butter

Preheat oven to 350F

Lightly grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.  Spread evenly lemon pie filling into the bottom of baking dish.  Cut off marble sized nubs of cream cheese and dollop onto the pie filling.  Lightly spoon out cake mix over the pie filling cream cheese in one even layer.  Cut thin slices of butter and put on top of the cake mix.

Bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown.

A few notes.  If you don't want it as strong a lemon you can substitue out the cake mix for vanilla or yellow style cake mixes.  The cream cheese really needs to be soft as it is easier to cut off little nubs than the cold stuff.   The exception to the room temp is the butter, to get nice even slices you really need it refrigerator cold.

Stay tuned for future installments...fraz