So I’m doing the usual Sunday chores - laundry, tidying up, and I’ve got a couple of hands off cooking things on the go. #1 Applesauce in a slow cooker. I got a giant bag of apples last week at the farmer’s market for something like $3, and wanted to use them up. They were the “scratch and dent” kind - a mixed bag of apples with bruises, ugly spots, etc. I’ve already made an apple crisp out of them, and wanted to use them up before they were too far gone. I’ve never made applesauce before, but figured I’d give it a try.
#2 Beef Shanks - I figured that I’d brown these a little with some aromatics, then deglaze the pan with a little beef stock & red wine. Then it all will be tossed into the slow cooker and braised. I’ve got lots of onion, garlic and rosemary to toss in, and I’m debating whether or not this mix need some tomato. Any thoughts?
#3 A mixed bag of peppers, just like the apples (a big bag of “ugly” veggies at a bargain price). I’m thinking that those will get blackened under the broiler, then voila! Roasted peppers for pasta sauce!
I’m fixing Seven Layer Mexican Bean Dip with ALL the layers–my brother is being teased in absentia for omitting the tomatos and olives when he served it for New Year’s Eve.
I have relented and decided to make cocktail wienies for the big game tonight. Normally I would not really be cooking because it would normally be only me.
As soon as I submitted this, I remembered that it’s Super Bowl Sunday. Now I have a craving for some game watching snacks (even though I don’t really watch football, I heartily endorse game day snacks:p)
Now I have a craving for nachos and chicken wings!
I’ve got a big pot of chicken stock going on the stove to make white chili with- instead of the usual carrots, celery, etc, I’ve got lots of garlic and onions in it. After I get it done and strained through a coffee filter, I’ll add chicken, white beans, corn, jalapenos, and Penzy’s seasoning.
A piece of sea bass, straight from the fisherman yesterday, in the pan with a pinch of garlic, nearing the end add a couple of chopped tomatoes, a drop of hot pepper sauce and some coriander (cilantro). Served alongside a few new potatoes, with the resulting tomato/olive oil sauce poured over them. I was mighty pleased with how it turned out, particuarly as I was making it up as I went along!
Grilled salmon, smashed chickpea salad, and steamed zucchini.
And along the way, I also roasted peppers and pickled turnips, and put batches of leek&potato soup and borscht to simmer on the stove.
It’s days like this that makes me think buying another saucepan (and maybe another bowl) would make cooking easier. Two pans and two bowls is not enough for a Sunday cook-a-thon.
Ooooh!
I remember my parents making those bacon/water chestnut things as party food! They were delicious…And the Cajun grilling method sounds very intriguing, I’m adding that to my mental rolodex of party foodstuffs. Khadaji, what exactly does “cocktail wienies” mean? I’ve heard the term before, but as far as I know, no one I know has ever made or consumed them. GorillaMan and katie1341, both of those sound great.
And just to keep you all updated, I am about to tuck into a lunch of pan fried perogies and caramelized onions. mmmmmmm…
I like to try and make a few things over the weekend that I can pack up and freeze leftovers for lunches through the week. Last night was mac and cheese, today will be chicken and black bean enchiladas. And, I almost always make pancakes for Sunday morning breakfast–I make a double batch, and freeze the leftovers for easy weekday breakfasts for the kiddo.
There’s tons of recipes on the net. Here is just one page of them.
They are mini-hot dogs or mini-sausages cooked in some sort of sauce in a slow-cooker. My recipe has grape jelly, chili sauce and some garlic in it. There is probably a proper recipe, but I just add ingredients until I’m happy with the taste of the sauce.
Unlike most people Sunday is my day to cook something simple (I tend to get elaborate on Tuesday or Thursday). I don’t have anything in my fridge to cook so I’m about to go out to the store though I’m having second thoughts there due to the Superbowl. I may just grab some ground beef and fire up the grill…
Today I made a big pot of roasted vegetable soup. I roasted butternut squash, sweet onions, parsnips and garlic, and then I boiled some carrots in a small bit of water. Then I put the whole lot into the food processor. Back on the stove, I added some veggie stock, curry, and other spices. I’ll finish it with some yogurt or goat cheese. Yum! We’ll have enough to eat this on and off all week.
I also threw some pork ribs into the crockpot with some home-made barbeque sauce. Hopefully this can stretch to two meals, but it’s kind of hard to stop when it comes to ribs.
I also have a lettuce crop ready to be harvested from my Aerogarden, so I’ll make a big salad for dinner too. And to top it off, I have a fresh loaf of homemade bread that I baked in my breadmachine.
The applesauce turned out to be fantastic. The recipe called for sugar, which I omitted because the very ripe apples already seemed plenty sweet. I’m glad that I did, any extra sweetness would have been cloying.
I’m thinking that this delicious applesauce would make a nice addition to the braising liquid for pork…
The beef shanks are in right now, and the house smells amazing.
I might not get to roasting peppers today. Suddenly I’m feeling a little lazy.
I made a batch of Chex-Mix for my kids. I have a ham steak in the fridge for dinner later. I think I’ll serve it with macaroni salad and glaze it with a mustard/red currant sauce. Something easy so I won’t be distracted from whatever I’m watching that isn’t the frakking football game. Thank Og that shit’s over for the season, and we can get back to what’s important…baseball!
While I haven’t made anything nearly as awesome as Bacon Pig, I did make a batch of Blood Orange Marmalade this afternoon which I’m rather proud of. I’m going to stir some into my yogurt for brekkie tomorrow.
As for dinner, I’ve got some sweet potatoes roasting in the oven, a pot of brown rice on the stovetop, and a pork tenderloin marinating in Moroccan spices. In a few minutes, the roast will be brushed with some pomegranate molasses just before joining the yams in the oven. Needless to say, the house smells rather good right about now.
