Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

I think we’ve only ever done two or three things in a crock pot that really turned out well; my crock pot has gotten the most use as a way to carry to a party and warm up dishes that have already been cooked otherwise. But one of the things we’ve found that the crock pot does pretty well is pulled pork. (Don't laugh, Texans - we're currently apartment dwellers ;-)

We’ve tried several recipes that turned out OK, but I wanted to make pulled pork in the crockpot like the Carnitas that we get at Chipotle (again, don't laugh! I just like it). A few months ago, I ordered what looks like a lifetime supply of Juniper Berries, because someone online had insisted that they were the key – but for us, they were not; and now I’m stuck with a huge vacuum-packed jar of berries that I’ll probably never use up in the remaining time that the Lord has allotted me.

But: I think I found the recipe last weekend. My husband signed up to receive email recipes from Cooks Country, and a recent one was for ‘Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas’; we tried it, and it was excellent. The secret seems to be citrus, which you don’t really taste AS citrus; but somehow, it adds that elusive 'je ne sais quoi'.

A slight variation of the recipe is available at the Mels Kitchen Cafe website; the Cooks Country recipe suggested crisping the final product in a fry pan, but Mels Kitchen does it under the broiler, and I think that makes a better product:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-pork-carnitas

After about a year of ‘window-shopping’ pressure cooker options, we have decided to purchase an Instant Pot. We are going for the 8-quart ‘Duo’, because that seems to offer the most versatility. I became interested in this product because of all the reviews on how well it does hard-boiled eggs (makes them very easy to peel, even very fresh eggs) bone broth, and yogurt-making. Husband is interested in the fast-cooking of meats.

Do any of you who have an Instant Pot have favorite recipes/uses for it?

Instant Pot Lentil Chili {Stovetop and Slow Cooker Variations Too!}

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (optional)
1/2 cup chopped yellow or white onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups (about 14 ounces) brown lentils, rinsed, picked through and drained
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and small diced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
All the chili toppings your heart desires

Directions:
Instant Pot: Using the saute function, brown the ground turkey/beef (if using) with the onions and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, green bell pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (if you are impatient, you can quick release right away, but liquid may sputter through the valve). After 10 minutes, quick release the remaining pressure.
Stir the chili and add any additional broth if you want to thin out the consistency (it will thicken as it cools). Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with any and all chili toppings your heart desires.

Stovetop: In a 5- or 6-quart pot over medium heat, brown the ground turkey/beef (if using) with the onions and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, green bell pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and moderating heat so the chili doesn’t burn on the bottom.
Add additional broth, if desired, to thin out the chili. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with any and all chili toppings your heart desires.

Slow Cooker: In a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat, brown the ground turkey/beef (if using) with the onions and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
Add the ground meat to the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, green bell pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir the chili, and add any additional broth if you want to thin out the consistency (it will thicken as it cools). Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with any and all chili toppings your heart desires.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/vegetarian-lentil-chili-instant-pot/

It helps more than you know. I talk too much sometimes but I think this group is one of the nicest, friendliest left. There are many others scattered around FR to be sure but this is different.

I didn't know squat about it either. My daughter got them but she didn't communicate with me too much during that time so whatever she went through I didn't hear about it until after-the-fact. She had 11 teeth pulled, Twilight Sleep, and she takes more xanax than I will. She came over one day and said how happy she was not to have to deal with any more toothaches. And she's doing well now with that. But she has a heart procedure scheduled for tomorrow that's got me worried. She had a very close call a few weeks ago with a disruption in the beating.

Like you, I went in ready to have them out, let it heal but after the oral surgeon explained they like to have people have the dentures ready to pop right in so the gums will heal to fit the dentures for an eventual better fit and seal so you don't have to mess with fixatives like Polident. I gave that a quick thought and decided if I have any chance of a good outcome, I guess I'll go that route because one reason I put it off as long as I did is I knew I wouldn't like it.

And, yes, you can eat right away. As if I felt like it. Soft foods. I'm still smarting by that remark, feel like a baby, but I NEVER take pain pills. This time when the novocaine wore off sooner than I expected, it hurt really bad. He scraped some bone. And I was afraid to be alone until I was sure I was going to be ok in case I had to go to the ER or something. All previous extractions, you bite on gauze, I never had any problem but once when I swished with water continually without reading the instructions :-(. That time I drove to the drugstore drive up and asked the pharmacy if they could get me some gauze. As I remember she wasn't too happy about it either. So that night I took one pain pill some Tylenol he prescribed. But this time with the dentures over the open sores (I did make sure to ask him to use plenty of stitches), the bleeding (some is normal but if it starts getting darker red, you are to take out the dentures and bite down on gauze for 20 to 30 minutes! Wow, I didn't want to take them out. Bleeding scares me and I hate the taste of blood in my mouth. I've gotten better about some of it otherwise.

The next day I took one more pain pill at one point but the pain was much better and felt I was now I was on the upside with the uppers. But then I did a stupid thing that or the next night. I go to bed late, bedtime routine, went in my room where I keep the light dim, grabbed the "bigger" bottle I was used to, dumped out 2 round pills, and swallowed them down. Oops. those looked and felt a little bigger than my clonazepam for anxiety. I put the pain med in a drawer and hope I don't need any more.

Now I was scared again.; I try really hard not to get too many of some especially blood pressure; some it doesn't matter so much. So just having the paramedics July 4, I didn't want to call 911 with a question for fear they would send someone. So I called Walgreen's and the pharm said just not to take my clonazepam and it would be ok. I was pretty sure I decided that and hadn't so didn't. I was kind of weirded out the next day though.

The bottom is supposed to be worse than the top. They "float", can't be fitted the same, hard to get used to, not looking forward to it. Don't know anyone who has them. But my daughter's good friend, she says she has top and bottom and does fine with them now. It's like you get where you have to do it and decide you will do your best to get used to it.

One little caution. I never thought of it but my regular dr one time further back when he found out I was having a tooth pulled looked at my meds and advised me not to take my daily aspirin the night before. I think aspirin is salicylic acid but I got it confused and thought the acetaminophen in Tylenol was the one to take care about. It's ok. I can take Ibuprofen if only occasional but am not supposed to regularly because of my blood pressure medicine.

Just thought I would mention it; it's because of bleeding, just a precaution. Just thought I'd mention some of it in case it helps. Thanks for being so nice about it.

Now for a dessert recipe..

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

Ingredients:
For the Oreo Crumb Crust
3 cups (10 ounces or 24 cookies) finely ground Oreo cookie crumbs
2/3 cup (132 grams) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake
32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 cups ¾-inch cubes of your favorite brownies

For the Chocolate Ganache
4 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
Make the Crumb Crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Oreo crumbs, sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until evenly moistened. Press into the bottom and up sides of the prepared springform pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Make the Cheesecake: Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt until the mixture is creamy and no lumps of cream cheese remain, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat to combine. Beat in the eggs and yolk one at a time, beating for about 15 seconds before adding the next. Using a rubber spatula, mix a few times by hand to ensure that all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Gently fold in the cubed brownies.
Pour the filling into the chilled crust and spread into an even layer. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the outer couple inches of cheesecake looks puffed and set, but the center still jiggles when you move the pan, about 40 to 55 minutes. Turn off the oven, crack open the door and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven, place on a wire cooling rack and run a thin knife around the edge of the cake. Allow to cool completely to room temperature. Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Make the Chocolate Ganache: Place the chocolate in a 4-cup measuring cup; set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Begin whisking the mixture in the center, gradually working your way outward until the ganache is completely smooth. The ganache should be slightly thickened, yet still a pourable consistency. If it is still too thin, let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the correct consistency.
Pour the ganache evenly over the top of the cheesecake. If it’s a little thinner, it will likely spread out on its own; if it is thicker, you may need to use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the ganache to set.
When ready to serve, unmold the cheesecake and place it on a serving platter. Leftover cheesecake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen (whole or in slices) for up to 2 months.

Recipe Notes:
You can use your favorite brownie recipe for this (homemade or store-bought); I chose to use my better-than-box-mix brownies.

https://www.browneyedbaker.com/brownie-mosaic-cheesecake/

Thanks all so much. I called my daughter to tell her I was thinking about her surgery tomorrow. An update. They post-poned it again until I think she said November 15. She was on Medicaid; her husband got a good job, don't know what's with her insurance but until they know she's insured, obviously they don't want to do it. I asked her what was she supposed to do, die? She said as long as she was on the heart medicine she was ok. I'm not convinced because my brother-in-law went through something very similar.

It's the window for Medicare re-enrollment. The plans are so confusing. Maybe I should take it to chat. Surely there are other FReepers with aging and getting proper medical care issues. I don't think I've ever been rude to any of them ever, and some of those nurses types especially say the meanest things to me. I can't imagine any of them would talk like that to my sister who would have Cadillac ins, is wealthy and has good connections where doctors and insurance people wouldn't mess with her.

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