HH's Family Favorite Pot Roast

Katie couldn't come for her birthday party with the Woodchuck Chicken because she had some sort of virus.  (Her birthday is the same day as John, but three years earlier.)  A week later, she was much better, and everyone still wanted to see her.  I needed to make dinner for six, had a broken-down dishwasher, and yet another dinner party the following day.  I needed something that would be EASY.

I had a lightbulb moment.

Pot Roast!  Pop it all in the crock pot and let it go.  Then I have time to visit and only one pot to clean.  I bought cupcakes for dessert (an especially pretty one for the birthday girl).  We all sang "Happy Birthday" and watched her open presents. 

HH's Family Favorite Pot Roast
(Serves 6-8)

Take a 3-lb pot roast.  (Once I had a larger dinner party and used a 5-lb roast.)

Trim the fat.  In a skillet brown the roast on all sides in a little oil. 
Place it in an appropriate-size crock pot.

Mix in a small bowl: 
1/2 cup red wine,
1/4 cup catsup,
3 Tbs quick-cooking tapioca,
1 Tbs. GF Worstershire sauce,
1 tsp thyme, and
1 tsp oregano. 
Pour this over your roast.

If you want, add new potatoes and cut-up carrots around the side of the roast. 
When I had the 5-lb roast I did not do this.  Last weekend I did. 
Both ways are delicious.

If your family likes onion, by all means add some. 
But my daughter does not like onion, so I left it out. 

Cover, cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 8-10 hours. 

Parmesan Bread Sticks

We will be seeing this word a lot now that the holiday season is fast approaching.  But joy is an interesting concept when you start to ponder it.  For example, my dishwasher has been broken for the last week.  I will have a new one delivered this week, but in the meantime we have been washing by hand.  Although I am not thrilled at this extra work, and I continue to automatically open the non-functioning dishwasher to put my juice glass in at breakfast time, it does have its good points, such as the teamwork of washing and drying together. 

I have also been pondering the mindfulness exercise of washing dishes.  In books about mindfulness meditation, they discuss washing a dish mindfully.  Feel the water, sense the soap, take your time and involve your whole being in it.  Come to think of it, my dishwashing liquid smells pretty nice.  It's possible to find joy in the mundane.

We continue to do a fair amount of entertaining lately.  It's much cheaper than dining out, and by doing things for others we activate the pleasure centers in our brains.  I get a lot of joy out of making food that not only does John enjoy, but everyone else does as well.  When it was his birthday last weekend I attempted to make breadsticks like the "Chebe" brand.  The recipe is below.  We then tasted both the Chebe and my attempt....and the agreement was that although the Chebe has a slightly better texture, mine have more flavor.  Everyone seemed to like them both.  If you try them, let me know what you think!

Yes, John took every last one back to school.  They are considered to be a successful recipe that brought joy to all. 

Parmesan Bread Sticks
(Makes 16)

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix in a bowl:

1 7/8 cups gluten free flour (I used a tapioca blend, specifically "Jules" brand.  If you use GF flour that doesn't have xanthan gum already in it, consider adding a tsp or so.),
1/2 tsp salt,
1 tsp Italian herbs,
1/2 tsp garlic powder, and
1/2-3/4 cup parmesan.  (I used 1/2, am wondering if 3/4 will work better.)

Add 2 Tbs oil, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup milk. 
Mix, adding more milk as necessary to make a dough consistency.....like pie crust.  Use your hands and knead it a little. 

Separate dough into 16 pieces.
Form dough pieces into sticks about 1/2" in diameter.

Place sticks into an ungreased pan.  I did put some into my cast iron pan and that worked nicely, but some also went on a cookie sheet.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Flying Off the Handle: Woodchuck Chicken

I took this photo at the Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, Vermont.  We like their cheese. 

The tall trees remind me of wood.  The wood reminds me of Woodchuck Hard Cider.  John really wanted to try this as he turned 21 last weekend.  Peter had the idea of marinating boneless chicken in it.  And it came out nice and tender!!!  We were happy to have two pieces left over for Monday night's dinner.  A keeper recipe....with a catchy name!

We should have taken a picture, but we didn't.  It looks like grilled chicken.....and tastes fabulous!


Woodchuck Chicken

Take 4 1/2 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts.

Drizzle them with 2-3 Tbs. of olive oil,
2 Tbs of lemon juice, and
garlic powder to taste.

Mix this all up.  Add some salt if you want.  I meant to add some, but didn't get to it. 
It was still excellent.

Poke holes with your fork all over the chicken.

Pour 1/2 bottle of Woodchuck Hard Cider over the chicken.  Cover and let sit in the fridge for 6 hours.

Grill.  Use an instant read thermometer to make sure you cooked it properly.

MMMMM!

And....FYI....there are woodchucks among those trees.  Take a look at this photo:

HH's Basic Little Meatballs

I picked up this sign this summer and placed it over my stove.  I thought the message is worth seeing over and over.  It makes sense.  When I think back on my life, the stuff that stands out are little things:  a funny story, a look that someone gave you, cooking steak and potatoes over a fire at a state park on a Sunday afternoon, a baby sleeping on your chest......great memories, but little events at the time. 

John came home for the weekend.  I have been wanting to make him meatballs for a while now.  I finally did it! 

Meatballs are something we all take for granted.  It's easy to pick up a bag of frozen meatballs for your pasta, unless you need to be GF.  It's a little thing to enjoy.  Not hard to make, but a nice complement to a pasta meal.  You can adapt these in a number of ways, but this is the basic recipe:

HH's Basic Little Meatballs

Preheat oven to 350.  Get out your 12-inch skillet.

Mix in a bowl:

1 lb lean ground beef,

1/2 cup GF breadcrumbs,

1 tsp GF Worstershire sauce,

1/4 tsp garlic powder,

1 tsp Italian seasoning, and

1 egg.

Add salt as desired.  I didn't add salt, but I thought a little would have improved it slightly.  Try 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.  I'm not one to go overboard on salt.

I have a little meatballer-gadget that makes meatballs 1-3/8 inches in diameter.  You don't need to be quite that precise, lol!  Make them 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter with your fingers, if you don't have a meatballer-gadget.  I made about 22 meatballs.  Put them in the skillet.  No need to grease it first. 

Bake 20-25 minutes.  Celebrate that meatballs are so easy!  They can be frozen to heat up again in the microwave as needed. 

Flying Off the Handle: Avocado Salads

These are angora goats.  We get mohair from them. 

(And you may have thought we get mohair from mo's!!)

These goats were at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival a few weeks ago.  They are funky looking, in a cute sort of way!  Mohair is fun to knit with.  It is super-warm, and the finished project has a "halo effect" from the fuzziness of the fiber.

When I met with my knitting friends last week, we discussed ways we all get vegetables into our meals.  My friend, Monica, shared that she buys little bags of avocados at Whole Foods and makes salads from them.  My ears perked up.  Avocado?  I love avocado, but I am not sure what to do with it other than guacamole.  A few days later I bought my own bag of avocados.  The first salad is one I threw together; the second is from Monica. 

Monica is from Chile.  She says that lemon trees (and avocados) grow very well in most parts of Chile - hence the use of lemon juice as a dressing for her avocado salad.  Nice and easy to throw together as you are heating up other parts of a meal!  

Chunky Guacamole Salad
(Serves 2)

Toss together:

One avocado, chopped,
1/2 of a red onion, chopped,
1/2 of a 14.5-oz can chopped fire roasted tomatoes,
3/4 tsp. WOW seasoning,
a splash of lime juice, and
1 tsp. sugar.

Avocado and Chick Pea Salad
(Serves 2)

Toss together:

1 avocado, chopped,
1/2 of a 19-oz can of chick peas, rinsed,
1/2 Tbs. olive oil,
1 tsp lemon juice, and
1/2 tsp garlic pepper seasoning (with salt in it).

Veggie Pasta Toss

Happy Halloween!!

I have been reading about the importance of fruits and vegetables in preventing osteoporosis.  Unlike ghosts, we humans need our bones!  Consequently, I have been pondering ways to increase the proportion of fruits and vegetables in my cooking.  I made two different pasta toss dishes, one with gluten free spaghetti and the other with gluten free penne.  We really enjoyed them both.

Veggie Pasta Toss #1

(serves 2)

Heat water to cook 1/3 lb gluten free spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a 6-inch skillet, heat 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Add 1 small green pepper, chopped, and

1 small onion, chopped.

Cook until onion is translucent, then add 1 tsp "Gobs of Garlic" seasoning.

Cook the pasta; rinse.

Toss the pasta with the veggies

and 1/2 cup of leftover pasta sauce, heated gently in the microwave.

Pass the parmesan!

Veggie Pasta Toss #2

(serves 3)

Heat water to cook 1/3 lb. gluten free penne according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in an 8-inch skillet, heat 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil;

Add 1 small onion, chopped,

2 small frying peppers, chopped, and

10 oz sliced mushrooms.

Add 1 1/2 tsp. WOW! seasoning.

Cook the pasta; rinse.

Toss the pasta with the veggies

and 1/2 of a 14.5-oz can chopped fire roasted tomatoes.

Pass the parmesan again!



HH's GF Macaroni and Cheese

John was home this past weekend to study for midterms.  Above you can see him hard at work, with roasted pumpkin seeds as brain food.  I would post the pumpkin seed recipe....after all, I did it in the cast iron skillet....but no one devours pumpkin seeds around here.  Therefore, it doesn't pass a critical test.  You don't want to see recipes that no one ate up, do you?

He had a special request before he headed back to the University:  Could I please make him some macaroni and cheese?  That's the one thing he can't get at school......

Okay.  I accepted the challenge.  But seriously....I had never made "real" macaroni and cheese!  While the kids were growing up, I would simply open a box of the stuff with the package of powder, and that was that.  I had tried a gluten free version of it when we first needed to cook gluten free, and I was not pleased.  There had to be a better way. 

I researched the web for standard mac and cheese recipes to adapt.  I liked part of one recipe.  I found baking directions from another recipe. I wanted a topping, and couldn't find what I was looking for, so I made my own.  Below is the result of a conglomeration of my findings. 

When I made it, John, Peter and I all sat down to critique it at lunch.  I was pleased to find that the texture of the pasta itself was perfect!  Could it be?

We also liked the crunchy crust and topping.  100% success!  Excellent!

"John," I began, "I don't think this will be as good reheated as it is now.  Don't you want some more?"

Well, he has never been one to stuff himself.  The answer was no, although he certainly loved it.

Today Peter and I ate leftovers for dinner.  I splashed water on the leftover mac and cheese, heated it in the microwave (covered), let it sit a few minutes, and.....

Good grief!!!  It tasted as good as before!!!  And NO ONE would believe this is gluten free pasta!!!

The upshot?  TRY THIS.  It's darn good!!!


HH's GF Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease your 10" skillet.

Cook 8 oz of Tinkyada Pasta Joy Shells in boiling water (uncovered) for 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse.

Mix together 1/2 cup of nonfat instant milk powder and 5 oz water. 

Place 1/4 of the pasta in the skillet.  Take 8 oz. of Hoffman Sharp Cheddar (or your favorite cheddar that isn't low-fat; it can be sliced or shredded).  Put 2 oz over the pasta.  Layer a few more times until you have used up the pasta and cheese.  Pour your milk mixture around the edges.
Mix in a bowl: 

1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (I made mine from previously purchased GF breads, and stored it in the freezer),
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese,
1/2 tsp Italian herbs, and
1/2 tsp garlic powder.

Sprinkle this over your macaroni and cheese mixture.  Drizzle the top with 1 Tbs. olive oil. 

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the top is starting to brown.

Let it sit a few minutes and serve.