Maple Mustard Marvelously Masculine Meal

This is one of those meals you want to fix to fill the house with a wonderful aroma. Sort of a teaser to remind everyone of the great holiday meals that will be coming soon. OK, maybe it’s just slave, but somehow the blending of maple syrup with mustard, the cooked apples with the bright spots of cranberries, just brings images of bearded bears wearing flannel shirts! Guys that want to cuddle after dinner with their shoes off. Mercy, you got me off track!

Pecans & pork have a together in the south. As does maple syrup. Bring in the cooked apples and cranberries and you have a wonderful blend just made for thick slices of pork!

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

½ cup maple syrup

 ¼ cup, mustard

1/4 cup apple cider

1 medium onion, finely chopped  divided

½ teaspoon allspice

3 golden delicious apples, sliced

2 lbs thick cut pork steaks

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup chopped pecans.

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Chop the onion and peel the apples & slice. Place a damp paper towel over the apple slices to help prevent them turning brown.

Sprinkle ½ of the onions on the bottom of the baking dish.

Combine maple syrup, mustard, rest of onion, and allspice in a small saucepan and cook together over moderate heat for about 5 minutes until sauce begins to thicken a bit.

Trim the fat off the pork steaks and lay them on the bed of onions in the baking dish. Arrange the apple slices over the top and sprinkle with cranberries and pecans. 

 

 

Carefully pour the maple-mustard mixture over the top. Seal the dish with foil and bake in the 325 degree oven for an hour and a half.  Be sure to place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below just in case of any boil overs.

Remove from oven and let sit for a full 7 minutes before serving.

This goes nicely with a side of green beans. The apple mixture can be considered a second side and compliments both the taste and texture of the pork. The aroma is heavenly!

So wonderful a dish to get to share on these nights that see autumn on its way.

 

How about a touch of country?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3G3xm1-spg

Slave is just so lucky to be owned by Master Indy.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

When you Can't Cannelloni you have to Manicotti

After searching all of the major stores in town for some cannelloni pasta to make this dish, slave took to Google! It is truly amazing how many people can not agree what it is, much less where to buy it! So for our purposes slave decided to use manicotti. It was believed that cannelloni was simply larger tubes of pasta than manicotti. This makes it easier to stuff with meat mixtures before baking. Master suggested using lasagna sheets and rolling them up! This is also recommended, however slave is a bit stubborn, so lets see how we can make this easier for you!

Master was reminiscing about the last time He enjoyed Cannelloni. He described it as elegant with fantastic flavor inside and a very light sauce on top. So slave decided to try the same.

 

This dish uses two different stuffings for the pasta. You can choose either or make both. Have a “Partito italiano” in your mouth!

Ingredients:

½ lbs hot Italian Turkey sausage (split off the casing and cook loose)

5 oz cream cheese (chives & onion)spread

½ cup shrimp cocktail sauce

1 cup Ricotta cheese divided

1 8oz. pkg. imitation lobster pieces (or other imitation sea food cut small)(thawed)

2 eggs

manicotti pasta

Sauce:

2Tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

1 can diced tomatoes (with garlic & basil)

¼ milk

2 tsp flour

Topping:

½ cup of shredded 4 cheese blend (Asiago/fontina/parmesan/provolone)

Directions:

Set the imitation sea food out to thaw. Or run cold water over the unopened package.

Split open the sausage and scrap insides into skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 – 10 minutes. Drain this well on paper towels.

When not quite cold, mix in the cream cheese spread and ricotta until well blended. Set aside.

Mix the ricotta cheese with the cocktail sauce.

In a large bowl, dump the thawed sea food bits. Use a knife to make sure this is broken into small pieces, no larger than ½ inch each. Then Mix in the sauce. Cover and set aside.

While both fillings are blending flavors, start the water to boil for the pasta. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; using a slotted spoon, carefully remove immediately to a bowl filled with ice water.

Lift pasta out of the cold water with slotted spoon and arrange on flat paper towels to drain.

While that is cooking, open the diced tomatoes and drain the liquid into a bowl.(about ¼ cup)

Mince the garlic clove and add to 2 Tbs. olive oil, let sit.

Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Mix the reserved liquid from tomatoes with ½ cup milk and 2 tsp four. (HINT: Use cake flour for a thicker sauce) Stir this until well blended. Heat the ¼ cup of infused oil in a saucepan, mix in the liquid mixture. Stir while this comes to a simmer ( about 1 -2 minutes. This will thicken into a creamy sauce, mix in the diced tomatoes. Spoon 2 tbls into the bottom of the baking dish. Set the rest aside.

Now to assemble. Stir into each filling mixture one egg yolk until well blended. This will hold it all together.

Take one tube and stand it on end in the bowl of stuffing. With a fork or spoon dish in the stuffing, shoving with your finger so that it fills up. Yes this does get messy!

Place the filled tube into the baking dish. Continue until the dish is filled with the manicotti. (half with each mixture). Slave stacked the lobster ones side-wise and the sausage ones lengthwise so that they could be told apart.

Ladle the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the cheese blend.

Bake, uncovered, in a 425° oven until sauce bubbles and pasta are hot in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer two rolls to each plate, spooning sauce around portions.

service:

Serve immediately on warmed plates, accompanied by some grated Parmesan cheese and a side salad.

Please remember if you are ordering this in an Italian restaurant: These are cannelloni not cannoli. Cannelloni is a tubular pasta dish, cannoli is the unique and delicious Sicilian pastry dessert! Slave remembers the difference as cannelloni is four syllables (longer - more to eat) and cannoli is only 3 syllables -smaller desert)

What a wonderful way to serve my Master by serving others when the chance appears.

Music today: Two of the greatest stars of the 20^th century!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kq1JQUhwVQ

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Too Easy to be This Good

This little trick is a last chance to have some slow cooked pork ribs before Labor Day! Normally, slave wouldn't buy 5.5lbs of boneless pork ribs, but this was on sale for less than $9 and there are never left overs! My friend Mary Ann is moving out today and Peggy is helping so extra helpings were set aside for them. All that left was to invite my neighbor Teri over!

This recipe is really too good to be this easy! In fact the only work you have to do is to zest the oranges! The crockery does the hard stuff while you are busy. And the orange taste is so slight and the creamy gravy filled with caramelized onions appears to have been the product of several hours over a hot stove!

Ingredients:

3lbs bag of yellow onions

5½lbs boneless country ribs

¼ Cup low sodium soy sauce

1 can condensed celery soup

1 can condensed Cream of chicken soup

Zest of 2 fresh oranges

Directions:
The night before:

Wipe out the slow cooker and spray it well. Set on low.

With a mandolin slicer peel and slice the whole bag of onions. When you fill the bowl, dump it in the cooker and continue.

PLEASE USE the safety handle! Slave can not stress this enough!

Let this cook on low overnight. You can sprinkle with salt if you like but it really needs nothing. It doesn't need stirring. It doesn't need watching. It will be fine overnight and the kitchen will smell like heaven in the morning!

Morning:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. You want to brown this meat but NOT cook it. Take about 4 minutes per side. Don't over crowd. When the first pieces are browned, place on a cutting board and start the next.

While the next ones are browning, cut off all of the visible fat you can find! This is very important when using a slow cooker as the fat can't “cook off”.

Normally slave wound not cook this much meat but it was on a super sale and it can be frozen after cooked!

Now add the pieces of meat to the pot.

In a large bowl, mix the 2 cans of condensed soup with the soy sauce.

Using a zest-er, try to get as much of the “orange” part of the skins from 2 oranges into this bowl. The “white” part can be bitter, so avoid that. This is the most work you will have to do! Mix thoroughly and pour over the meat.

Cover and continue to cook on low for about 6 hours. (5 hours if using less meat).

This makes another nice presentation served on old fashioned Crisped Rice cereal. Yes it might sound strange but the crunchy texture and little distracting flavors add so much. This could be served on rice or quinoa if you wish. Keep the side vegetable plain without a heavy sauce.

It just tastes too good to be this easy! The orange flavor will be so light that it only enhances the flavor profile of the pork. You will be tempted to “play” with this by adding your own special touches. But please fix it this way first! 

 

Now Mary Ann will have something to eat tomorrow without going to the store!

A last fling at slow cooked pork for Labor Day and serving my Master Indy before the cold sets in.

Music: 4 seasons Who Loves You?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObG9bBJFcIM&index=8&list=PLUtcRA24LzRTz9qKbB04XFDwOtAS1iAZz

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Beef Florentine

It was slave's intention to come up with a great name for this dish. Perhaps something from Greek mythology. Or maybe a hero to dedicate it to. However sometimes simple is just the best: so it is Beef Florentine! In the kitchen, the word Florentine (pronounced "FLOR-en-teen"), refers to a recipe that is prepared with spinach.

Presentation is important with any kind of healthy dish. Balance tastes with textures and colors and the key to a happy household will be yours!

Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef
½ lbs sausage – loose
yellow onion chopped
8 oz. Lower fat cream cheese
5oz fresh spinach
8oz. Fresh sliced mushrooms
¼ tsp. orange flavoring
Some crisped rice cereal
1 orange
½ cup shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:

Rinse and drain both the spinach and the mushrooms (separately)

  

Chop the onion.

Over medium heat, cook the sausage for 4 minutes breaking it apart and letting it release its grease. 

 

Add onions and cook for another 5 minutes until they start to brown.

Add the ground beef, breaking it apart. Let this cook for about 7 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. Now that all is browned, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid.

Return the skillet to heat and add the mushrooms. Let this cook down for about 7 minutes. This will start to brown the mushrooms.

Start adding the spinach by the hand full. Stir each in as it wilts down.

When all is in, return the meat – onion mixture and stir in. Add the ¼ tsp of orange flavoring.

Spoon in the room temp cream cheese by the tablespoon. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Let this simmer for at least 15 minutes. Remember spinach will taste so much better if you let it cook!

After 15 minutes are up start stirring occasionally as you set the table and fix a side dark green vegetable.

Now to serve: Trust me on this. Pour just a small amount of rice crispy cereal on the plate and spoon the Beef Florentine on top. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top.

Slice up an orange and serve with a couple of slices on the side. The dark green vegetable makes a great balance of both color and taste.

What a wonderful gift to give your special one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdr1w4gKgFg Mills Brothers Opus 1

So grateful that I get to serve my Master Indy.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Doodling in the kitchen

Master Indy is waiting for a transatlantic flight and slave is sitting here bored! So it was time for some “doodling” in the kitchen. Just rummaging through what is available and what strikes the fancy.

Son of a gun if some interesting things didn't come out of it. Try these as finger food for your next card party or guys night out.

Ingredients:

1 lbs ground beef

½ lbs sausage (Used pork & bacon – fantastic!)

1 large yellow onion

1 egg yolk

3 tbs soy sauce

S & P to taste

6 slices American cheese

Hawaiian rolls for slider buns.

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl mix 1 lbs grounded beef with ½ lbs sausage. Stir in the egg yolk with salt and pepper.

Finely chop the yellow onion up with chopper. Spread this in a 9 x 14 baking dish.

Spread the meat out on some wax paper the shape of the dish.

Invert this in an even layer over the onions and press down.

Use the tines of a fork to poke holes throughout the meat. Bake for 30 minutes.

As it bakes, the meat will shrink away from the sides and liquid will accumulate around the edges of pan.

When fully cooked, remove the pan from oven.

Carefully lift this out of the pan and place on a cutting board and cover with cheese.

The cheese will melt while you cut open the rolls for the buns.

This makes about 8 to 10 mini-hamburgers.

Easy pinwheel Roll-ups

Ingredients:

Shaves deli turkey

shaved deli ham

Cream cheese spreads:

chive & onion

Pineapple

small tortillas – warmed

½ cup water with 1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in.

These wrap so very fast and make a great finger food.

Directions:

Lay out some wax paper on the counter.

Open the tortillas.

Alternate spreading some cream cheese spread on the lower half of the tortilla. Half with the chive & onion, half with the pineapple.

Lay our 3 shaved pieces of turkey on the chive & onion and the same of ham on the pineapple. Roll them up tightly and seal with a pastry brush dipped in the cornstarch water.

Wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to blend and set.

Before serving, carefully slice these rolls into 1 inch thick pinwheel disks. Hold with toothpicks if necessary. Makes great finger food with little effort.

Here's an idea for some music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRC16gBAwck Fats Waller!

These treats are so easy with just what is on hand in your pantry.

Slave is so lucky to have a Master like Master Indy.

Socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon