365 Days of Crockpot: Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Parmesan Pasta

So, the inspiration for this dish was rather mundane - I wanted to clear some stuff out of my pantry and fridge.  Plus, any time I can dump a bunch of stuff into a cooker and let it handle the process for me is a big win in my book.  I had never cooked pasta in the Instant Pot before, so I wasn't sure if the five minute cook time was really going to do it, but it turned out fantastic, so I guess now I'm a believer.

Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Parmesan Pasta
Adapted from 365 Days of Crockpot blog

1 pound Italian sausage

10 to 12 cremini mushrooms, quartered

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried sage

1¾ cup chicken broth 

1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 pound trottole pasta
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach

Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. When the display says HOT, add in the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Brown the sausage for about 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms.  Continue to sauté until the mushrooms release their water and then it cooks off.  Sprinkle the sausage mixture with the garlic powder, onion powder, and sage, and stir to combine.  Deglaze the pot with the chicken broth, then add the tomatoes and the pasta.

Cover and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to HIGH for 5 minutes.  When the time is up perform a quick release by moving the valve to venting.  Once the valve has dropped, remove the lid.  Stir in the cream and parmesan cheese. Stir in the spinach until it has wilted down.

Makes 6 servings

Alton Brown: Beef Jerky

So I recently bought myself a Excalibur dehydrator.  Because why not.  I mean, this is a pandemic.  That means I can buy whatever weird cooking implement I can think of, and I am not to be judged.  But back to the dehydrator.  What is the first thing most people think of to make in a dehydrator?  That's right, jerky.  So of course I had to whip up a batch.  And it was fan-frickin-tastic.  Alton Brown is definitely one of my go-to chefs.

Note: Alton has a lot of instructions about building your own dehydrator set.  But I just stuck it in my premade dehydrator because I don't hate uni-taskers with the same passion Alton does.  Mine took about 5 hours to dry, but follow your unit's directions.

Beef Jerky

From Alton Brown

1½ to 2 pounds flank steak
⅔ cup Worcestershire sauce
⅔ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Trim the steak of any excess fat, place in a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up. This makes the meat much easier to slice.

Remove steak from the freezer and thinly slice, with the grain, into long strips.  Place the strips of meat, along with all of the remaining ingredients, in the zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Put the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat on 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug it in, and set it to medium.

Allow the meat to dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Once dry, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Nestlé: Chocolate Truffle Pie

Sometimes a girl just needs a little chocolate.  Okay, a lot of chocolate.  And in those instances, the more delicious the chocolate, the better.  So why not a chocolate cookie crust filled with chocolate truffle?  It perfectly satisfied my craving, but I must warn you - it's VERY rich.  Very.  You may need a glass of milk with it.  But it will definitely scratch that chocolate itch.

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Adapted from Nestlé

1 prepared 9-inch (6-ounce) Oreo cookie crust
1½ cups heavy cream

2 large egg yolks
¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 (12-ounce) package Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon salted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together heavy cream, egg yolks, and espresso powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is very hot and thickens slightly; do not boil. Remove from heat; stir in morsels, butter, and vanilla extract until morsels are completely melted and mixture is smooth.

Pour into crust; refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

Makes 10 servings

I Am a Food Blog: Full English Breakfast

This isn't so much a recipe as a set of directions for balancing the preparation of multiple breakfast items at one time so that you arrive at the finish line with a fantastic hot meal, care of our cousins across the Atlantic.  And as long as you can get past the fact that there are beans for breakfast, you'll be just fine.  Make sure and serve with milky tea.

Note: Here is a picture of the ingredients I used.  If you want to be super authentic, you need that teal can of beans.  Alas, I was not able to locate black pudding from any grocery delivery service, so I was missing one item.  Still think I did well, considering the pandemic constraints.  I also added a little Italian herb mixture to the mushrooms and tomatoes; they were delicious.

Full English Breakfast

Adapted from I Am a Food Blog

1 can beans Heinz preferred
4 links sausage, breakfast sausage preferred
4 slices back bacon or Irish bacon
4 slices black pudding, if desired
1 cup white mushrooms, halved or sliced
2 small tomatoes, halved
4 slices white bread
4 large eggs

Heat up the beans over low in a small pot. Keep warm on low.

Cook the sausages over medium to medium low heat, turning occasionally, until brown and cooked through. In the same pan, cook the bacon, flipping as needed. Fry the blood pudding slices over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

In another pan, heat up a bit of oil or butter, and cook the mushrooms, without moving, until brown and caramelized. Remove from the pan, then sear the cut side of the tomato briefly. Remove from the pan, season everything with salt and pepper.

Wipe the pan down and heat up a bit of oil or butter over medium heat. Fry the bread until golden, flipping and adding more oil or butter as needed. Remove and set aside. Finally, fry the eggs to your liking. Plate everything up: sausages, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomato, bread, and eggs. Enjoy immediately!

Makes 2 large servings that will keep you full all day

Garlic and Chives: Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef)

There's a local Vietnamese restaurant that serves this pretty fantastic beef dish.  No, I mostly do not order phở like everyone else.  I wasn't even sure what I was ordering the first time, but I was very happily surprised.  The next step?  Trying to figure out how to make it at home.  Luckily, a restaurant in California was spilling its secrets!  For a dish that's pretty simple, ingredient-wise, this recipe yields a very flavorful dinner in not much time at all.

Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef)
Adapted from Garlic and Chives restaurant, Garden Grove, CA as seen at Plate Art for Kids blog

1½ pounds filet mignon or boneless ribeye steak

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium green bell pepper

1 medium sweet onion

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

Marinade:

6 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Salad:

1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 shallot, thinly sliced

Dash sesame oil

4 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, chopped, or watercress leaves

Trim excess fat from beef, and then cut into ¾-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the beef and toss well to coat. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

For the dressing: In large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar and water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the shallot and sesame oil. Put the romaine or watercress salad on top but hold off on tossing.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the cubed beef and spread it out in one layer. Cook in batches, if necessary. Let the beef sear for about 1 minute, before shaking the wok or skillet to sear another side. Cook for another 30 seconds or so and shake. Cook the beef this way for about 4 minutes total, until nicely browned and medium rare. Add cubed bell peppers and onions. Finally, add the dark soy sauce to enhance the flavor and color of the beef.

In between shakes, toss the romaine or watercress salad and transfer onto a platter or serving dish. When the beef is done, pile the beef on top of the romaine or watercress salad and serve immediately with lots of rice.

Makes 4 servings

Betty Crocker: Bacon-Cheddar-Ranch Pinwheels

Ah, the wonder of a pandemic Halloween! No trick-or-treating. No parties. No nothing. So my family decided to do a distanced, outdoor Halloween get-together with lots of good food and fun decorations and crazy costumes. I wanted to try something new, but it had to be something whose ingredients could be added to a quick Amazon Fresh order, so I ended up with these cuties. Perfect for popping in your mouth as you pass the food table.

Bacon-Cheddar-Ranch Pinwheels
Adapted from Betty Crocker

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1½ tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
5 (8-inch) flour tortillas

In large bowl, beat all ingredients except tortillas with electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Divide mixture evenly among tortillas, spreading evenly. Tightly roll up tortillas. Cut into ½-inch slices, and serve.

Makes 10 servings

Poblano Chicken Casserole

I'm going to try not to age myself, but a very long time ago when I was in college, I lived next to a very nice HEB grocery store.  And this grocery store had a delicious frozen meal that was a poblano chicken casserole.  I loved that frozen casserole, and it made for a great dinner on multiple occasions, but then I moved out of HEB territory.  I've tried looking it up online, but I'm not even sure they make it anymore.  Regardless, I finally got a recipe together that does a pretty decent job of mimicking what I remember of the dish.

Poblano Chicken Casserole

3 poblano peppers

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided use

4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups long-grain white rice

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon Goya adobo without pepper seasoning

1 (15-ounce) container crema Mexicana agria, or sour cream

½ cup whole milk or half-and-half

1½ teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided use

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Rub peppers with 1 tablespoon of oil and place on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to ensure even charring.  Once evenly charred, remove from baking sheet, place in a glass bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let set for 15 minutes to steam.  Working carefully to avoid burning your fingers, and using plastic gloves to keep from spreading capsaicin to your eyes or other areas, peel off the charred skin of the peppers and deseed.  Dispose of the skin, seeds, and stem, then slice pepper flesh into squares, approximately 1 centimeter square.  Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

In a saucepan, bring chicken stock and butter to a boil, then add the rice, stirring well.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low or low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the chicken stock is absorbed and the rice is tender.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, toss the chicken chunks with the Goya adobo seasoning.  In a large sauté pan, heat the oil until shimmering over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, and cook, tossing occasionally, until no longer pink.  Reduce the heat to medium, then add the reserved poblano pepper squares, crema Mexicana agria, milk, onion powder, and salt.  Stir until crema has melted and the mixture is smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice and the chicken mixture; stir well.  Sprinkle in the cilantro and half of the Monterey Jack cheese, then stir well again to combine.

Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray, then spread the rice mixture evenly in the dish.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese has browned some.

Makes 6 servings

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

My brother-in-law has a bit of a pig problem.  Wild pig, that is.  They rampage over his and my sister's property, tearing everything up and having a million baby pigs.  So occasionally some delicious wild pork products end up in my freezer.  At that point you have to do the pig justice, so I found this absolutely revelational way of cooking a pork tenderloin.  It's rich and spicy, with slightly candied bacon on the outside.  I found it hard to stop popping pieces in my mouth.  Even if your pork happens to come from the grocery store, this recipe will make it magic.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning

2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped

1 pound applewood smoked bacon

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Lightly oil a baking dish or roasting pan.

Cut a slit, lengthwise, down the center of the pork tenderloin to within ½-inch of the bottom, being careful not to cut all the way through. Open the tenderloin so that it lies flat and cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to a ½-inch thickness by gently pounding with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting from the middle and working outward. Remove plastic wrap.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and chopped jalapeño pepper.  Mix well.  Spread the cream cheese mixture over the flattened pork, then, working from the long side, roll the pork up.  Place in a baking dish, ensuring the open end is on the bottom.

Weave the bacon strips into a crosshatch pattern, if desired (see instructions here).  Lay the bacon over the pork roll and sprinkle with the brown sugar.  Rub the brown sugar into the bacon to ensure it adheres.

Roast until the bacon is crispy with the fat rendered, and the pork is done (165°F on a thermometer), about 30 to 45 minutes.  Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The Chunky Chef: Homemade Freezer Pickles

One time when I went to a family event, my sister brought out these little pickles for us to snack on.  And I thought, okay, it's pickles.  But then I tried one.  And there was something so addictive about them.  And I found myself eating more of them.  And more.  And then it was like I only wanted pickles.  So I asked for the recipe.  And I made a big batch just for me.  And yes, I had pickles for dinner tonight.  I am not ashamed, although I probably should be.

Note: I used a mandoline to get perfect even slices, but these pickles probably won't last long enough for that to matter.

Homemade Freezer Pickles

Adapted from The Chunky Chef blog

1 pound mini pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 red onion (approximately ⅓ pound), peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons mustard seed
1½ teaspoons celery seed

Add cucumbers and onions to a large non-reactive mixing bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and stir to combine. Let sit for 1 hour. Transfer mixture to a colander to drain, then rinse to remove excess salt. Wipe out the same mixing bowl, then add drained and rinsed cucumber mixture back to the bowl.

In another small mixing bowl, combine sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seed, and celery seed. Stir together to combine. If the sugar isn't mixing well, add bowl to the microwave (make sure it's microwave-safe!), and heat for 30 seconds or so, until the sugar will dissolve into the vinegar when stirred.

Pour liquid over the cucumber mixture in the bowl and stir to combine. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 full day. Transfer freezer pickles to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months.

To eat: Thaw pickles out in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, pickles should be eaten within 2 weeks. Enjoy on their own, on top of a burger, on top of hot dogs, on top of sandwiches, or however you'd like!

Note: Pickles can be frozen in glass containers (leave about ½-inch of headroom at the top to allow to expansion), plastic containers, and freezer-safe resealable plastic bags.

Makes approximately 3 cups

The Kitchenista Diaries: Smothered Oxtails

I've had a pack of oxtails in my freezer for a little while, just waiting for me to find a recipe that would bring out all of their fantastically delicious flavor (they've been waiting a while now).  I had tried fancy recipes that used wine and all sorts of aromatics, but I just wasn't loving them.  So this time I decided to go bare bones, down home, how-does-your-mom-make-it, and it was fantastic.  Best oxtails I've ever made.  Funny how that works.

Smothered Oxtails
Adapted from The Kitchenista Diaries blog

4 pounds oxtail, trimmed of excess hard fat
1 tablespoon Kosher salt, more to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons Greek seasoning, divided use
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, Noonday, or Walla Walla, sliced
1 whole head garlic, top sliced off

1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock

2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce

Toss the oxtail pieces in salt and let sit for an hour at room temperature. Combine the flour with one tablespoon of Greek seasoning, and stir to combine.  When ready to cook, pat the oxtail dry and toss in ¼ cup of the seasoned flour. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Brown the oxtail on all sides, taking the time to allow it to get crusty. This will take at least ten minutes, but more if you need to brown the oxtail in batches. Don't crowd the pot, otherwise, they'll just steam.  Control your heat so that the meat browns without the oil burning. If you're done browning your oxtail and the bottom of the pot is blackened, it's better to clean it out before proceeding, or it could impart bitter scorched flavors into the gravy. The goal is to have lots of crusty browned bits in the pan, which is where your flavor starts, so control your heat.

Place the browned oxtail pieces in the bottom of the crock of the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to medium-low. You should have quite a bit of fat left in the pot, but if not add oil or butter to get to about two or three tablespoons. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, then the remaining 1 tablespoon of Greek seasoning, garlic, and bay leaf. Fry the aromatics for a minute, until fragrant. Sprinkle the onions with the remaining seasoned flour, then stir to coat. Cook the roux for a few minutes until bubbly and light brown.

Pour in your chicken and beef stocks, Worcestershire sauce, and browning sauce, scraping up the fond at the bottom of the pan.  Bring the liquid up to a boil. Once the liquid comes to a boil, carefully transfer it to your slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours, depending on the size of your oxtail pieces. Once the meat is fully tenderized, remove it from the pot. Discard the bay leaves. If you see a ton of oil floating at the top, skim it or drag a piece of bread across to soak it up. Oxtail renders a ton of fat, but the flour helps to keep most of it in the gravy. Squeeze out the garlic and mash it against the side of the pot before whisking into the gravy. If the gravy is too thin, let it cook longer to reduce. If it's too thick, thin it out with water. Give the seasoning a final taste for salt and pepper before returning the oxtail to the pot to warm through.

Makes 4 servings