Slow-cooked Shredded Beef

This summer, I decided to get a meat CSA instead of produce. It turns out that even though I need a high protein diet because of the gastric surgery, I hate shopping for meat. And I look back and realize I always have. I don't mind cooking, I just hate shopping. This was taken care of in Cleveland with Fresh Fork Market CSA. We got everything in our shares! Meat, dairy, veggies, fruit...even things like quiche, pasta and roasted tomatoes and peppers.

My first delivery contained several roasts: two beautiful pork shoulders and two beef chuck roasts. I thawed one of the chuck roasts and was looking for barbacoa beef recipes for the slow-cooker. I can't make real barbacoa because for some reason, I haven't found a brand of canned Chipotle peppers that I can stomach. Not sure where restaurants get them because I am fine with those. I did, however find a recipe that looked interesting, so decided to give that a try.  I should mention that I think most people do not use enough cumin in their recipes, so there are some adjustments to the seasonings.

Shredded Mexican Beef
Adapted from: www.fromvalerieskitchen.com/2011/10/shredded-mexican-beef-and-a-marriage-proposal/

3 lb boneless chuck roast*
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chile peppers
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp fresh spicy oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim any excess fat from the edges of the roast. Place the roast on a sheet of heavy-duty foil large enough to enclose the meat. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Mix well. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Then rub with pepper mixture. Enclose meat in foil so it is sealed on all sides.

Place wrapped roast into slow-cooker. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Remove foil and she'd meat into cooking sauce. Serve with tortillas for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.

*CSA ingredients

Eggplant and Frittatas

I happened to catch The Chew last week when Michael Symon made his ratatouille frittata.  This morning, I was thinking that something like that sounded good because I had made ratatouille last week, so I just typed "ratatouille frittata" into the search bar and lo, and behold, up popped the actual recipe.  While his version sounds really yummy (with the addition of okra), I adjusted it to what I had available in my refrigerator.  That is the nice thing about quiches and frittatas.  They are today's pot luck.  They are both great ways to use up things in your fridge.  In my case, I had ratatouille, asiago bread and feta cheese.

Ratatouille Feta Frittata
Adapted from: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Ratatouille-Feta-Frittata-Michael-Symon

• 3 cups ratatouille** (see recipe: http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2012/07/ratatouille.html)
• 4 slices day-old bread (I used asiago bread)
• 8 eggs*
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
• salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat broiler to low.  Place 12 inch skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat.  Spoon ratatouille into skillet and warm.  Cut bread into 1-inch cubes.  Add to the ratatouille and mix well.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs with milk until smooth.  Season as desired with salt & pepper.  Pour over fillings and sprinkle with feta cheese.  Cook until eggs begin to set up.  Once the eggs are 75% set, place the skillet under the broiler and broil about 8-9 minutes or until the top begins to brown.  Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Dutch Baby!

I bought some MI blueberries this week.  I wait for this every year because for 20 years, I couldn't get MI blueberries when I lived in VA.  There is no comparison for flavor, so I celebrate them every year!  I also have been craving a Dutch baby pancake.  So much so, I tried to talk John into going to The Pantry this weekend.  The problem with that place is that if you don't get there before church lets out, there's a 30-60 minute wait to get in.  So we settled for The Breakfast Club (which is just as good, but they don't make Dutch Babies).  So, today, I decided to make my own!  Blueberries are great for any type of pancake, so here's the recipe.

Blueberry Dutch Baby

• 4 eggs*
• 1 cup milk
• 1 scant tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Powder sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place a large cast iron skillet in the oven to warm while the oven is preheating.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs.  Add the zest and vanilla and mix well.  Add the sugar and flour and continue whisking until well combined. Allow batter to rest while the oven preheats.

Carefully remove the skillet from the oven.  Add the 2 Tbsps of butter and swirl until the butter is melted and coats the pan.  Pour in the batter.  Then sprinkle with the blueberries.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and the edges are brown.  Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.  Cut into slices and serve immediately.

*CSA ingredients

New house, new appliances!

It's been a while since I have done any real cooking and that's partially because I just got tired of being so cramped in my tiny little kitchen.  Well, my big news here is that I have purchased a new house with a bigger kitchen AND replaced all the appliances with bright, shiny new appliances.  Including a beautiful, new GE gas range with convection oven.  I have not done a lot of cooking yet because I am living between two places until the end of the month.  But this morning, I decided it was time to "break in" my range. 

I had a beautiful head of broccoli from the farmers market.  So I decided that a broccoli quiche was in order.  It's amazing how much of a difference a farm-fresh head of broccoli makes.  So much tastier than anything you can get from the grocery store.  And of course, I had farm-fresh eggs as well, which everyone knows makes all the difference in the world!

Broccoli Bacon Quiche

• 1 head broccoli*
• 6 thin slices bacon
• 1 cup sharp cheddar
• 5 farm-fresh eggs*
• 1 1/4 cups 2% milk
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut broccoli into small florets.  Place in a microwave safe bowl with 2 Tbsp water.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes on HIGH.  Drain and place in prepared baking dish.  Cook the bacon and crumble.  Sprinkle bacon and cheese over broccoli.

Beat eggs with milk and seasonings.  Pour carefully over fillings.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*Farmers market ingredients.