Slow Cooker BBQ Beef

A crock pot is an easy, efficient method of slow cooking meats. In some parts of the country (Not Tucson) it's getting too cold to grill outside and oven roasting can overheat the house. This quick and easy recipe calls for BBQ beef, but a pork loin can be substituted.



                                                    Slow Cooker BBQ Beef


3# chuck roast or bottom round
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 Tbl spoon Lee and Perrins  or Worcestershire Sauce
5-6 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper



Place beef in slow cooker set on low. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, then high for 2 hours. (If you are out, cook on low for 8-9 hours)

When beef pulls apart easily, remove from pot, and shred. replace in slow cooker, spooning liquid over meat. Serve on a bun with fries and a side of slaw or baked beans. Sauce can be thickened by reducing over med heat in a saute pan.

Herb Roasted Pork Loin

In honor of the javalinas descending on my front lawn and destryoing everything, here is a great recipe for pork. You could substitute javalina, but don't get caught.


                          Herb Roasted Pork Loin

1- 4# Pork loin, trimmed
10 small red potatoes, quartered.
2 white onions, peeled and quartered (Leave one end intact to hold together)
5 carrots, peeled, halved (large end), and sliced into 1-inch pieces
4 tbl spoons olive oil
2 tsps dried thyme
2 tsps garlic powder
2 tsps onion powder
2 tsps cumin powder
salt/pepper

In a small bowl, toss onion, potatoes, and carrots with 2 tbl spoons olive oil, and half the
herbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Rub pork loin with remainign 2 tbl spoons olive oil, then pat on dry herbs and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

In a preheated 350 degree over, place pork loin on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Cook 45-50 minutes. Place vegetables around pork loin and cook 45-50 additional minutes (Internal temperature 140-145 degrees). Remove from heat, cover with foil, and let rest 15 minutes for juices to settle before slicing.

Serves 8

In Arizona or Texas, eat on back deck and pretend you're eating obnoxious javalinas.

A Warm-Me-Up-Meal: Adobo Chicken

As the weather grows colder, a good, spicy meal serves to warm you up. Southwestern is perfect for this. This complete meal is quick and easy.


                                                      
                                                                   Adobo Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbl spoons Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except chicken. Divide mixture and spread over breasts skin side. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 6 minutes per side or bake in 425 degree oven for twenty minutes.


                                                          Adobo Jack Mashed Potatoes

8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (Precooked microwave mashed potatoes or even instant         potatoes can be used, but fresh potatoes have more flavor)
1/4 stick butter
1 Tbl spoon Adobo sauce (More if you like heat)
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
S/P

Cover potatoes with water and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain. Mash, stir in butter, Adobo sauce, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.


                                                                        Arizona Corn

4 cups frozen corn
1 tbl spoon butter
1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 Tbl spoons small diced red peppers
1 tsp dried oregano
s/p

Place corn in microwaveable dish, add other ingredients and cook for 6-7 minutes, stopping and stirring every couple of minutes.

The Devil Made Me Do It Eggs

For picnics, Sunday lunches, and holidays, Deviled eggs have always been a favorite treat. Everyone has their own recipe. This recipe is spicy, tangy and delicious.


                           The Devil Made Me Do It Eggs

12 eggs, boiled, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise

2 tbl spoons mayonnaise
1 tbl spoon Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Chinese dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small shallot, minced
2 small sweet Gherkin pickles, minced
pinch salt and pepper

1/4 tsp paprika for garnish
24 small parsley leaves for garnish.


Cooking Eggs. Cover eggs with water in saucepan. Add 1 tsp vinegar to water. Bring to a boil. remove from heat and cover. Let sit 10 minutes. Immediately run under cold water or plunge in ice bath. Peel. Carefully slice in half lengthwise, remove yolk and place yolk in bowl.


Mixture.  In a bowl, mix mayo, both mustards, cayenne, salt, pepper, shallots and pickles. Mix thoroughly. Combine with yolks. If not creamy enough to pipe, add a touch more mayonnaise. (Important: taste mixture for heat level. These eggs have a little kick. Heat level can be raised or lowered by use of dry mustard. Adjusted it here). Place in piping bag or a plastic baggie with one corner cut off. Squeeze into halved eggs. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and a parsley leaf.

Scallops with Fettucine in a Spicy Cream Sauce

Scallops are delicious shellfish, especially served with pasta. Add a few veggies and you have a winner. This dish has just a touch of heat, but the sweetness of the scallops and the cream sauce calm it to a faint memory.


         Scallops with Fettuccine in a Spicy Cream Sauce

1# U-10 count scallops, cleaned and dried
1/4 cup chopped bacon
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and diced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sliced shitaki mushrooms
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 small shallot, diced
1 Tbl spoon chopped parsley
4 Tbl spoons butter
2 Tbl spoons olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt/pepper to taste


In a saute pan at medium heat, add olive oil and bacon. Cook until done, add garlic and shallot and cook 1 minute longer. Set aside. Reheat pan, add butter. Saute scallops and cook until somewhat firm, about 3 minutes per side. Should be white inside. Don't overcook or they will turn rubbery. remove from heat. Add mushrooms and asparagus and saute until done. De-glaze with white wine. Reduce by half. Add pepper flakes, salt, black pepper and Old Bay Seasoning. Add cream and reduce. Add saved bacon and garlic mixture and scallops and toss a few times until heated.

Remove scallops. Pour sauce and veggies over cooked fettuccine and place scallops on top, four per serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with buttered and toasted slices of Italian bread.

Spicey Shrimp Alfredo

One of my all-time favorite comfort dishes is pasta. Sometimes a heavy red sauce or meat sauce is just too much, especially on a hot summer's day. This recipe is perfect - just a little bite of heat but light and filling.  This is a recipe for two people.


                                   Spicy Shrimp Alfredo

1# 24ct shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz. fettuccine pasta, dried  (If you use fresh fettuccine, add after sauce to saute pan)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/cup butter
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream (You can substitute more half and half for lighter sauce)
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
s/p to taste


                                           Alfredo Sauce
In a sauce pan, heat half and half, heavy cream and butter until light boil, reduce to low and whip in egg and add Parmesan cheese. Cook until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.


To cook pasta, bring 2 quarts water to a boil (1 quart per 4 oz dried pasta is best). Add 4 pinches salt and 1 tsp olive oil to season and to keep pasta from sticking. Cook approx. 12 minutes or until al dente, just done. Do not overcook!

To cook shrimp, add 2 tsps. olive oil to saute pan on medium heat-high, add onion, pepper, garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add shrimp, red pepper flakes, pinch of salt and black pepper, and cook 2 minutes, tossing a few times until shrimp just turns pink. Add cooked pasta, toss to mix, then add Alfredo sauce. (Do not drench pasta. Add enough sauce to coat pasta with a little left over) Cook on medium heat for another minute to heat sauce.

Serve with a good garlic butter Italian bread and a glass of Pinot Grigio or your choice of beverage.

Plum Glazed Salmon with Saffron Rice

Seafood is delicious, low calorie and good for you. This easy recipe delivers a mixture of Occidental-Oriental flavors to please the taste bud.


                                  Plum Glazed Salmon

4 pieces center-cut salmon fillets
4 tbl spoons olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
4 tbl spoons plum preserves
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt
Pepper


Heat broiler. Oil broiler pan. Mix plum preserves, lime juice and thyme. Salt and pepper fish to taste, then brush fish with plum preserve mixture. Place fish skin side down on broiler. Cook 5-6 minutes until brown.


                                         Saffron Rice

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp minced onion
1 pinch saffron threads  (More if golden color desired)
Salt to taste

Add butter to pan on medium heat. Saute onions. Add rice and coat with butter mixture. Add stock. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Turn of heat and set aside.



                                   Shitake Mushrooms

1# Shitake mushrooms, cleaned
1/4 cup butter
1 tbl spoon Oyster Sauce
Kosher Salt
White pepper

In a saute pan, melt butter on medium heat, add mushroom and saute until almost tender. Add Oyster sauce, salt and white pepper to taste. Toss and serve with Salmon and rice.


Let me know how this works for you. Of course, any good mushroom will work - crimini, button, Enoki, straw or a mixture.