Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

I knew vinegar in a dish would get rid of food smells, but had not tried her way....granny

Friday, November 28, 2008
The CrockPot as an Air Freshener/ Odor Neutralizer

Day 333.

Happy Black Friday! I hope each of you had as wonderful of a Thanksgiving as I did. It was also terribly easy-—we had 6 crockpot dishes and a turkey-in-the-oven. Lots of food, and a super-easy clean-up.

But.

At about 10pm last night, the house was cleared, and I noticed a funk. It wasn’t bad, but it was a slightly sour smell of old mulled wine, and dirty dishes. Instead of actually cleaning the dishes and emptying the wine crockpot, I eliminated the odor.

With the Little Dipper!

The Ingredients.

—water
—baking soda (for the little dipper, I used 3 T)
—crockpot

The Directions.

Pour water into the crockpot you are going to use. Add baking soda. Mix. Plug it in and turn to low (the Little Dipper and some of the small ones don’t have settings, they just plug in). Keep the lid off.

Let the baking soda do the job of soaking up unpleasant odors.

If you would prefer to use the crockpot as an air freshener, fill with water, and add:

—drops of essential oil
—potpourri scent
—2 tsps of vanilla or other desired extract
—ground cinnamon, and cloves
—a cinnamon stick
—slices of lemon

The Verdict.

I was quite pleased with how the baking soda really did absorb the kitchen odors. I took the mini crock into another room later and smelled the water——it smelled strongly of mulled wine.
woah.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/gluten%20free

Thursday, November 27, 2008
CrockPot Pumpkin Pudding (crustless pumpkin pie)

Day 332.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful day full of warm memories and lots of love.

If you are in need of some last-minute crockpot holiday food ideas, here’s the list.

This year we’re going to have:
—cornbread stuffing
—sweet and sour caramelized onions
—candied sweet potatoes (I’ll update the picture and recipe for this, too, after we eat)
—mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream
—homemade cranberry sauce
—mulled wine
—this pumpkin pudding
oh! and an oven-roasted turkey.

I wasn’t planning on doing any more Thanksgiving-y dishes; my mother-in-law is bringing store-bought pies and ice cream. My kids aren’t huge pie eaters, and have never shown any interest in pumpkin pie. Like, EVER. But my seven-year-old convinced me last night that it’s the crust of the pie that she doesn’t like, but she likes the filling. And then her younger sister decided to say the exact same thing.

Crustless pie? That’s easy. I can do that. This is much better than my original plan, which was to open a can of pumpkin pie filling and hand them each a spoon.

The Ingredients.

—1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
—1 can evaporated milk (12 oz—the big can, not the little guy!)
—3/4 cup white sugar
—1/2 cup Bisquick-type mix (I used Pamela’s Baking Mix)
—2 eggs
—2 T butter, melted
—1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
—1/2 tsp nutmeg
—1/4 tsp cloves
—1/8 tsp ginger
—2 tsp vanilla extract

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot and it was the perfect size. If you only have a big one, you can use it, but be aware that the batter will be spread out more and will cook much quicker. If you insert an oven-safe dish into the crock, it will work, but the batter will be quite thick and will take a VERY long time. Plan accordingly.

Spray cooking spray into your crockpot.

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and whisk until fully blended. No need to use a hand or stand mixer, just some elbow-grease.

Pour the batter into the prepared crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for about 6. Check your “pie” after 2 hours on high, and 3 hours on low, then check every 30 minutes.

When fully cooked, the pie will look just like a finished pumpkin pie. The batter will have browned and will crack in a few places. The center will have set enough for you to touch it without getting batter on your finger.

Let sit in the crockpot until room temperature, then spoon into serving dishes and top with whipped cream.

The Verdict.

Perfect. It tastes fantastic, is gluten-free, and was terribly easy to do. We’ll be making this again, and I’m happy to have it to serve today.

yay!

I’m off to peel potatoes. For hours.
serenity now!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/gluten%20free

CrockPot Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Day 331.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I think I’m in denial.

If you’re looking for tried-and-true CrockPot Holiday (any holiday!) Dishes, here’s a list.

Today, however, I’m posting about baked oatmeal. I started making baked oatmeal when my first was about a year old and I was working out of the house. The mornings were never long enough, and I wanted her to have something hearty (and healthy) for breakfast. I’d make a pan on the weekend and cut off squares each morning for her to eat in the car.
It worked really well.

Baked oatmeal can be uber-healthy, or packed with sugar. I’ve cut the sugar and butter in half since I first started making it. If you think your family will meet this with resistance, start with a full cup of brown sugar (no need to double the butter in the crockpot, there’s plenty of moisture) and then cut it back each time. You can sneak in nuts (ground or whole), extra grains, fresh and dried fruit, and protein powder.

The Ingredients.

—3 cups rolled (not instant) oats (if gluten free, make sure they are certified)
—1/2 cup brown sugar
—2 tsp cinnamon
—2 tsp baking powder
—1 tsp salt
—2 T flax meal (optional)
—1 cup milk
—2 eggs
—2 tsp vanilla
—1/4 cup butter, melted
—3/4 cup dried fruit

updated 11/29: if you are going to use steel-cut oats, you’ll need more liquid. I don’t know how much though, so if you figure it out, let me know! :-)

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart round crockpot. You’re baking this, but no need to vent the lid of the crock; keep all the moisture in.

I really wanted this to take 6 hours on low so I could see if it could be done overnight. It took 4 3/4 on low for me——so unless you hardly sleep, do this in the day time so you can keep an eye on it.

Mix all the ingredients together in the crockpot. I dumped in all the dry stuff, then added the melted butter and milk. Stir well with a spoon-—make sure the baking powder gets dispersed evenly.

Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours, checking every so often. This is done when the edges are brown and are beginning to crust, and the center is set. An inserted knife should come out clean.

Let it sit in the cooling crockpot for at least an hour before attempting to cut. The longer you let it sit, the more set and brownie-like the pieces will be.

The Verdict.

I made this on Sunday evening and it’s already all gone. The kids hadn’t had it in a while and had a bunch for breakfast each day and wanted it for dessert last night. The flavor is like a great big oatmeal cookie. I like mine heated with my morning coffee, and Adam likes to crumble his on top of yogurt.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/gluten%20free

CrockPot Chicken Adobo Recipe

Day 330.

I actually just got a pang of something weird when I typed that number in. 35 (36) days left in the year? Really? That’s it? I actually feel really sad about that (today. tomorrow, I might decide to spend the afternoon jumping on the bed.)

Thank you so much for the wonderful birthday wishes, and for the great comments directed towards Adam. He read every one of them. Probably thrice. I’ve got a lot of scheming to do before his birthday, but it looks like he’s going to be spending it with a thousand women for BlogHer.... that’s a good gift, right?

I’ve never made Chicken Adobo before. My grandma read me this recipe over the phone out of a xeroxed booklet of International Food put out by my first grade class. We all really liked the chicken a lot, and have a bunch saved in the freezer for future soups. Thank you, grandma, for keeping the booklet!

The Ingredients.

—3 to 5 pounds of chicken meat (I used a whole chicken. Next time I will use boneless pieces.)
—1/4 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are gluten free)
—4 cloves garlic, chopped
—1 tsp black pepper
—1/2 tsp salt
—1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (can use regular white)
—4 bay leaves
—1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
—1 yellow onion, sliced in rings

The Directions.

If you have the time to assemble the chicken in a plastic zipper bag with the salt, pepper, soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar the night before, do so. The chicken will be much more flavorful if left to marinate overnight. Then dump out in the morning on top of the vegetables.

I used a 6.5 quart crockpot. If you use 3 pounds of chicken, everything will fit in a 4 quart or larger.

I had a 5 pound chicken. I did skin it, and I am certainly getting better at skinning chickens.

Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. If using a whole chicken, shove 2 bay leaves inside. Set aside.

Slice the onion in rings and place the rings at the bottom of the crockpot. Add in the shredded carrot-—I used the bagged shredded carrot to save time. Put the chicken on top. Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and has reached desired tenderness.

I cooked our whole chicken on high for exactly 4 hours. It was fully cooked, but completely fell apart. The vinegar is such a tenderizer that I wouldn’t attempt this again with bone-in chicken—the bones freak me out with the kids.

The Verdict.

Delicious. This results in very flavorful and moist chicken. There is a lot of juice, and we served it over basmati rice. The kids each ate a plateful. When I make it again, I might put in some shredded cabbage-—Adam and I both really liked the pickled vegetables an awful lot.

other great chicken recipes:

Vietnamese Chicken
Brown Sugar Chicken
Rotisserie-style chicken
Lemon and Herb Chicken
Whole Chicken with Salad Dressing

[I use coffee or beer, for beef and coffee for pork..granny]

Saturday, November 8, 2008
Java Roast CrockPot Recipe

Day 313.

Nancy emailed me this recipe at the beginning of this week, and since I had everything in the house, I plopped it in the crockpot yesterday.

This is a fun roast! The coffee really tenderizes the meat, and it becomes fork-tender than other roast recipes. I tweaked her original recipe according to what we had in the pantry, and was pleased with the results.

Adam and I ate ours with a spinach salad and the girls dipped their “steak” in barbecue sauce.

The Ingredients.

—3 lb chuck roast, trimmed of fat
—3/4 cup brewed coffee
—1 yellow onion, chopped
—1 red bell pepper, chopped
—8 oz sliced mushrooms
—1 t garlic powder, or 4-5 chopped cloves
—1/2 tsp salt
—1/4 black pepper
—1 T Worcestershire sauce
—3 T red wine vinegar
—4 oz cream cheese (to add at the end)

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart or larger crockpot.

I opted to not brown the meat and onions, and instead plopped everything in to the crockpot. I put the vegetables on the bottom, and then the meat.

Add the coffee, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, and spices.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. I cooked our meat on low for exactly 8 hours, and then it was on warm for another 3.

Carefully remove the meat from the pot, and stir in the cream cheese. I’d cut the cream cheese in slices and add it one at a time, if you can, to help it from separating in little white dots the way mine did. I got impatient. If you do get a bunch of little white dots, they will taste fine, but annoy you.

The Verdict.

Yummy! If I didn’t know coffee was in there, I wouldn’t have guessed that’s what the hint of flavor was. I liked how the gravy was dark brown, and rich. Adding the cream cheese thickened it up nicely, and gave it a creamy texture.

Thank you, Nancy!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20meat

Sunday, November 2, 2008
John McCain’s Rib Recipe—in the CrockPot

Day 307.

Did you know that John McCain had a famous rib recipe? I had no idea, but was excited to see a post on BlogHer listing the ingredients.

These are the most simple ribs I’ve ever made, and they are good. Really good.

Obama’s chili is coming up tomorrow!

The Ingredients.

—4 lbs of ribs (I used beef, but you can certainly use PORK)
—2 T garlic powder
—2 T kosher salt
—2 T black pepper
—3 lemons, juiced

The Directions.

I used a 6.5 qt crockpot. 4 lbs of ribs fit comfortably, but I maybe could have squeezed in another pound.

Cut the ribs to fit your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the dry spices.

Rub the rack of ribs with the dry mixture, covering all sides of the ribs. Put them into your crockpot. If you have extra seasoning, pour on top.

Squeeze the lemons (use one of those hand-held juicer things, to make sure all the juice gets out) on top of the ribs.

Cover and cook on low for 7-10 hours, or on high for about 5. The meat will be more tender if you cook it on low.

Serve with corn on the cob and baked potatoes.

The Verdict.

I’ve never made ribs in the crockpot with a dry rub before. I was nervous that they’d get awfully tough and burn. I couldn’t have been farther from the truth. The meat was flavorful, tender, and juicy. The lemon gave a neat tartness I’ve never had with ribs before. The kids ate the meat, and there were happy noises at the table. They’ve asked me to make this again.

CrockPot Red Ribs Recipe

Day 289.

My mom brought over a few Cooking Light magazines this weekend, and this one recipe caught my eye right away. I learned that “Red cooking refers to a Chinese technique of braising meat in a soy sauce and sherry mixture. The ‘red’ comes from the color soy sauce acquires after long cooking.”

I know how to cook things for a long time.

I did change the recipe a bit-—I added more honey. After the meat cooked for a while, the sauce tasted bland, so I quadrupled the honey. This probably means it can no longer be featured in Cooking Light, but now it tastes better.

The Ingredients.
adapted from Jan/Feb 2008 issue Cooking Light, page 130.

—2 lbs boneless beef short ribs (I used 1 lb short ribs, 1 lb stew meat)
—2 tsp ground ginger
—4 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
—1/2 cup cooking sherry
—3/4 cup gluten free beef broth
—6 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat-Free are GF)
—1/4 cup honey
—1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used 1/4, and the kids ate it)
—1 (8oz) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
—1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, sliced or whole, your choice
—1 cinnamon stick
—2 cups sliced mushrooms (I forgot these. I bought them, but then forgot them in the crisper drawer)

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart crockpot. Any size 4 quarts and up will work.

Rinse off your meat and add to the crockpot. Open the cans of bamboo and water chestnuts and drain. Add dried ginger powder. Add mushrooms (boy I wish I hadn’t forgotten those guys), and the cinnamon stick. Smash the garlic, chop and add. Do a happy dance that this is the only chopping, and make a mental note to have some of that already-chopped stuff on hand in the future.

Add your wet ingredients.

Stir to distribute.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat has reached desired tenderness.

The Verdict.

We all ate this! Hooray! I am glad that I only added a bit of the red pepper flakes, because there was not one whine of “this is too spicy”——I, actually, would have preferred some more heat, but I’m so glad to know that the kids had some protein this week. Other than peanut butter.
Adam had two servings. I made a big pot of brown rice to soak up the juice. Tasty, without being too sweet.

In a line-up, the Korean ribs would win——the kids really liked those, too.

I will make this again. I really liked the water chestnuts.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20meat

Jalapeño Pot Roast CrockPot Recipe

Day 259.

This is a set it and forget it recipe. I came up with this recipe while I was holding a package of frozen chuck meat and was looking through the fridge and pantry. I’ve never made this before, but I will again. It was easy and quite flavorful.
6 adults ate this last night for Sunday dinner-—while the 2 kids ate buttered pasta.

The Ingredients.

—3 lb chuck roast (frozen solid is fine)
—can of cream of soup (or homemade, or you can make it on the stove)
—2-4 T of sliced jalapeno peppers (a can or two of green chilies would work. We had the jalapenos on hand)
—can of black beans, drained and rinsed
—1 yellow onion, sliced in rings
—1-2 cups plain non fat yogurt (to add at the end of cooking—you can use sour cream, too)

The Directions.

Dump everything into the crockpot. I used frozen homemade cream of mushroom soup-—it took about 40 minutes for it to melt all the way and coat the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

After cooking, remove meat with tongs, and stir in the yogurt or sour cream.

It’s up to you how spicy you’d like this meal to be. I used 4 T (1/4 cup) of the sliced jalapenos, and then used 2 cups of plain yogurt to mellow the flavor. I liked it like that, and so did my family. There was definitely a kick, but it wasn’t too crazy.

If you’re worried about the heat, stick with 2 T of the sliced jalapenos, and then slowly add the yogurt at the end to taste.

The Verdict.

I really liked this, and so did Adam, my parents, my brother, and his wife. I rinsed the meat off and offered it to the kids, but they didn’t give it a try.

When the cold yogurt (or sour cream) hits the hot liquid, it will separate a bit and create white chunks. Don’t be alarmed-—they will dissipate after heating fully and with some quick stirring.

CrockPot 3-Packet Pot Roast Recipe

Day 239.

I was going through the archives the other day and started laughing when I realized I haven’t made a pot roast yet this year. I usually make pot roast in the crockpot 4-5 times a year——but 2008 has sort of taken on a life of it’s own.

Usually I make pot roast the same way, each and every time: 1 envelope of onion soup mix, and a cup of whatever wine I have open, or some broth.

Back in February, I bookmarked a recipe that I was given by Terri W. for a 3-packet pot roast, and then promptly forgot about it.

I finally made it yesterday. It was simple and easy, and makes awesome gravy. If you wait until the envelope packets are on sale, and stick with chuck roast, this is a very inexpensive meal that can be stretched for a few days.

The Ingredients.

-packet of ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
—packet of Italian salad dressing mix
—McCormick Grill Mates Peppercorn & Garlic (the original recipe called for a packet of beef gravy or au jus, but all of the gravies and jus packets contain wheat starch. Please read labels carefully a few times if you are avoiding gluten.)

—3 lb chuck roast
—1 to 3 cups of water

The Directions.

I used my 6 quart Smart Set crockpot for this dinner.

I opted to not throw any vegetables into the crock because we had leftovers I needed to use. Feel free to throw in some chopped potatoes, an onion, carrots, and celery.

Trim the roast of any visible fat and place it into the crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the contents of the 3 packets. Pour on top of the meat. Flip the meat over a few times to get it covered with seasoning on all sides.

Add 1 cup of water.

Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5. The meat will be more tender if you cook it low and slow.

20-30 minutes before eating, add 2 more cups of warm water to the crockpot, and flip to high.

The meat only needs 1 cup of water on it to cook properly, but the spices are too concentrated to only have 1 cup of water in the pot when it’s time to eat. Waiting to add the water until the end will help the meat retain it’s shape, and the added water will make a nice juicy gravy.

The Verdict.

We ate this with some leftover curried rice and vegetables while we watched Michelle Obama speak. This was a great dinner.

The kids dipped their meat in barbecue sauce and Adam and I ladled broth over the top of ours.

I will make this again.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20meat

So! This the Americanized version of Haggis. Everyone who tasted it at mom’s party enjoyed it. I did, too.

The Ingredients.

—1/2 pound ground beef
—1/2 pound ground lamb
—1 chopped red onion (doesn’t need to be diced, largish chunks are okay)
—1 cup oats (if you are gluten free, make sure your oats are certified GF)
—pinch each of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon
—1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
—1/2 tsp black pepper
—1 tsp kosher salt
—1 egg
—1/2 cup of broth or stock (I used chicken broth)

The Directions.

In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients, minus the broth, the same way you’d make a meatloaf.

Plop it into your crockpot. I used a 4qt round crock for this. I didn’t spray with cooking spray, but it might be a good idea.

Shape with your hands into a round blob.

Pour in your broth.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for about 4. This is cooked fully when it has browned on the edges and is beginning to brown on top. Don’t overcook and risk drying out.

I cooked ours on low for 5 hours, and then on high for another hour.

Using large spatulas, carefully remove and set on a cutting board. Let rest for a full 30 minutes before slicing.

The Verdict.

I’d make this again! I loved the flavors of the clove and nutmeg, and liked the kick of the cayenne. It was salty, but not too salty, and it reminded me of the Haggis I ate in Scotland when I was twelve.

I don’t think I’d bother with tracking down a pluck again—after speaking with Michael and Kate and learning that no one eats that part anyway, it just seems like an added step. I was pleased with the moistness and tenderness of the meat after it was crockpotted.

The kids ate cupcakes.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20meat

CrockPot Layered Dinner—Steak, Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Day 232.

I made a complete meal in the crockpot last night, and it wasn’t a soup, stew, or casserole. I made rib eye steak, baked potato, and corn on the cob. It wasn’t soggy, nor was it dried out, and I was able to leave the house for six hours.

The crockpot rocks.

I had been meaning to try a layered dinner in the crock for a few months, now, but kind of forgot. I am so glad that Julie emailed me! She made steak and sweet potatoes that way last week, with great success.

The Ingredients.

This is what I used. You can use whatever meat or vegetables you have in the house. The trick is to not use too much liquid when cooking the meat, so the potatoes and the corn (or whatever you’re using) isn’t floating in juice.

—1 1/1 lbs rib eye steak
—1 T of your favorite seasoning rub
—1 T dried onion flakes (a fresh onion would be fine. I wasn’t in a chopping mood.)
—2 T Worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins is GF)
—1/4 cup tequila (or broth, apple juice, etc.)

—2-4 potatoes
—2-4 ears of fresh corn
—aluminum foil

In my 6 quart Smart Pot, I used 2 whole brown potatoes, and 4 ears of corn. I could have fit another potato in, probably.

The Directions.

Put meat in the bottom of the crockpot. Rub with seasoning and onion, and flip over to get the other side. Add tequila and Worcestershire sauce.

Wash potatoes and cover with foil. Add to the pot. Shuck the corn, and wrap each ear in foil. Add to the crockpot.

It doesn’t seem to matter if the potatoes are closer to the meat, or the corn. The new crockpots heat from the sides as well as from the bottom, so everything will cook through regardless of location.

Cover and cook on high for 5-7 hours, or on low for about 8. I cooked our dinner for 6 hours on high. My crockpot was quite full.

The Verdict.

This was a great dinner. It’s out-of-the-norm for us to have such a complete meal on a Monday night, which made it fun and new. I plan on doing more layered crockpot cooking-—it’s so nice to have everything plopped in and the kitchen clean by noon.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20meat

Coconut Beef CrockPot Recipe

Day 225.

I bought some really cheap stew meat the other day, and played around with a few different coconut and curry recipes to make a coconut beef. I was concerned that the meat wouldn’t tenderize as much as I would like—because I needed to cook it on high in 4 hours, instead of low for 8. I didn’t need to worry. The meat was tender and infused with a great coconut creamy flavor.

The Ingredients.

—1-2 lbs stew meat
—1 yellow onion, cut in chunks
—1 can coconut milk
—1 juice from one lime
—2 T of butter (optional. I used it, but don’t think it needs it next time)
—2 cloves chopped garlic
—2 tsp brown sugar
—1 tsp curry powder
—1/2 tsp ground coriander
—1 tsp cumin
—1 1/2 T chili paste (or 1-2 tsp red chili flakes)
—1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

The Directions.

I used a 6qt Smart-Pot for this dish. Anything 4qt and up will work.

If using, put butter into crockpot, and turn it on to begin to melt. Add meat, lime juice, and coconut milk. Follow with the onion and garlic. Add the brown sugar and all the spices. Grate the ginger. Toss meat a bit in the liquid and spices to coat.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8.

The coconut milk will be yellow from the curry, and will separate a bit. A quick stir will turn it all creamy again.

Serve over white or brown rice.

The Verdict.

I liked this a lot. So did the kids, Adam, and my in-laws. We will most definitely make this again. Although it looks like there are a lot of ingredients, don’t be intimidated. Once you find all the spice bottles, it comes together really quickly. This can easily be assembled the night before. Like always, if you are going to use a crock straight from the fridge, let it sit on the counter for a bit to warm up before plugging in. You aren’t supposed to “shock” the crock.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20meat

Thursday, August 7, 2008
You Can Use Your CrockPot as a Smoker

Day 220.

Alternative title: CrockPot Smoked Brisket Recipe

I have been reading Jared’s blog, the CrockPot Alchemist, with interest this year. He has the same think-out-of-the-box (crock!) mentality I seem to have when it comes to crockpotting, and not only does he come across as an awfully nice guy you’d like to have dinner with, he is quite funny.

Jared likes things to taste smokey. He uses Liquid Smoke, and has written about how it isn’t a super-scary-chemical-concoction.

But I can’t find it. I’ve looked in about 6 grocery stores around here, and just. can’t. find. it. I’ve emailed a few people who have given me liquid smoke recipes and they can find it at Walmart. We don’t have Walmart here. I guess I need to take a Walmart field trip, which is fine by me, because they have the most comfortable tank tops I’ve ever worn, and I’d like to stock up on layering options for fall. (in case you were wondering. you may have been.)

Anyways-—since I couldn’t find any liquid smoke, and because I was spurred on by the Last Food Network Star when the comedian guy built a smoker, I turned the crockpot into a smoker yesterday.

And it totally worked.

The Ingredients.

—3-4 lbs beef brisket or comparable hunk o’ meat
—1-2 cups mesquite wood chips (depends on size of crockpot), soaked
—favorite spice rub. I used McCormick’s Roasting Rub.
—1/2 cup of water. or beer. or wine. or broth.
—parchment paper

The Directions.

Soak your wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes, and drain the water.
Spread out a good-sized length of parchment paper on the counter, and put the wood chips inside.
Fold over the edges of the paper to enclose the wood chips and make a packet, similar to a foil packet (I was worried foil would rust), that fits inside your crockpot completely.
Put it in.
With scissors, cut teeny tiny holes here and there in the top level of the parchment paper to let smoky steam escape.
Rub all sides of your meat with spice rub. Put it in the crockpot, directly on top of the parchment paper packet (lots of Ps, there).
Cover with whatever liquid you are going to use. I stuck with water.
Put the lid on and cook on low for 8-10 hours. The meat is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired tenderness. I wanted ours to fall apart, and cooked it on low for 9 hours.

The Verdict.

It worked!

The parchment didn’t disintegrate, and the wood chips never touched the meat. The brisket was flavorful and had a definite smoky flavor in each bite.

My spice rub was quite peppery, so after the first few bites, I mostly tasted pepper, but the smoke was infused.

The kids loved it, and called it “the best steak my mom has ever made in the crockpot.” It cracks me up that they included the “in the crockpot” part.

I have POUNDS of mesquite chips left, and am interested in smoking some salmon.

http://greatbigvegchallenge.blogspot.com/

I thought I had seen it all early this year with the four year old ordered by his Gucci-clad Mama to take part in a diary synchronisation meeting whilst in the sandpit of Holland Park. But on the weekend I visited the new mammoth Westfield Shopping Centre where I saw two mothers, who looked as if they were cacooned in cashmere, eating lunch with their two 18 month old babies. Each baby had their own portable DVD player enabling their mothers to discuss the effects of the credit crunch on their Jimmy Choo buying habits uninterrupted by tiresome infant noises. And the two babies sat mouths open, eyes staring blankly at their DVD entertainment which was propped up on the table in front of them. What hope is there for humanity I thought, if two Mums can't even be bothered to speak to their children during lunch. Desperate.

Anyway, I digress. This is my latest cheap school lunch creation, which scored a healthy 9 out of 10 from Alexandra and an 8 from Freddie. Each tortilla which I baked in a silicone large muffin tray costs about 25p to make. Now I am thinking I might branch out and make new combinations - any ideas? The trick is to include potato because they hold their shape better. Otherwise they flop like a souffle.

Edamame Bean and Potato Frittata.
6 large eggs
a small knob of butter
Freshly grated parmesan or parmeggiano
200g of potatoes, boiled and diced
200g of edamame beans
1 large onion
2 tbsp of olive oil

Cook the frozen edamame beans in boilking water for 4 minutes. Drain. Cook and finely dice the potatoes and then drain. Cook the finely diced onion in the olive oil on a medium heat until translucent and soft. Beat the eggs in a bowl with some asalt and pepper. Allowing the vegetables to cool down, distribute them equally in each of the muffin holes. (Having lightly oiled the muffin baking tray)Make sure they all have a decent amount of beans, potato and onion. Pour over the egg equally divided between each muffin hole. Srpinkle some parmesan on the top and then place in the oven at 180 for about 2o-25 minutes. They will rise and are ready when they are lightly golden brown. Eat hot or cold. Deliicious and cheap!

If there was an Elizabeth Craig cult, I would be tempted to join. The other morning a parcel arrived, a book bought through eBay. 'Cooking in Wartime' was written in the 1940's. When I read the back cover I felt myself sit up straight and reach for a sensible pinny. "Are you worried?" it asked me. "Because the butter ration won't go far? Because your family will eat meat? Because the children need puddings and cakes, but the eggs make them so dear? Because you won't have enough sugar to make jam? Because you've got a dog to feed? Because fuel costs you more? LET THIS BOOK HELP YOU - It can take that load off your mind!"

Ms Craig could be writing in 2008 and not 1941. She wants me to make satisfying tasty dishes from cheap rationed cuts. And who am I to say no? Ox cheek is being marketed in some supermarkets as a 'forgotten cut' which is an odd phrase a bit like 'heritage' vegetables. I went to the butchers to buy some. The butcher appeared to have come directly from central casting. He looked like an Enid Blyton butcher; round, red cheeked and wearing a striped navy and white apron. And when I asked for my ox cheek, small dimples popped out from his plump cheeks and he cooed at me approvingly."You won't be disappointed with this. All my older ladies love ox cheek." I left wondering whether I had now joined the ranks of the older ladies with their sensible shoes and quilted jackets, smelling of talcum powder. I shuffled home to make my ox cheek casserole.

The butcher was right. Noone was disappointed. Freddie took a mouthful, smiled and asked, "Exactly which cheek on an ox is this from?" Then he gave the dish 10 out of 10. And Alex asked for the leftover portion to be out aside for her next school lunch. And I thought that Elizabeth would have approved of us. Alex walked off to school the following morning swinging her lunch box with its hot ox cheek casserole in a thermos flask. I leave you with her stirring words, "Never allow it to be said that we British women, whose job it was to cook in the war, failed at our post. Armed with wooden spoon, basin, and saucepan we'll keep the pots boiling whatever happens."

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