Carnitas, my way

What follows is actually 2 recipes; the first takes a bit of preparation, and the second can be thrown together easily for a quick and delicious week night meal.

Beef brisket

This dish takes a bit of planning, but once made can be the source of several delicious meals.

Notes

There are tons of recipes like this out on the internet, and they're all about the same. Cover the meat with some kind of sauce, season to taste and cook until the meat's ready to fall apart. Most briskets are really fatty--but most of the fat dissolves into the sauce while cooking.

This recipe produces a very beefy-flavored beef brisket. It has no kick for a reason -- namely that, as the ingredient for other recipes, I wanted something fairly mild in flavor.

As always, season to taste.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 hours
Serves: 6-10

Equipment

• Chopping board and knife.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• Deep frying pan with cover.
• Wooden spoon.
• Crock pot

Ingredients

1	Onion, roughly diced
3 cups	Chicken stock
1	Carrot, roughly diced
1 stalk	Celery, roughly diced (leaves included)
2 cloves	Garlic, skinned and chopped in half
1	Bay leaf
2 cups	Ketchup
1 teaspoon	Cumin
1 teaspoon	Oregano
1/2 teaspoon	Salt
1 teaspoon	Black pepper, freshly ground
1	green bell pepper, seeded and rougly chopped

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients in the crock pot.
2. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hours.
3. Remove the meat from the crock pot and pull it apart with 2 forks.
4. Reserve the liquid separately.

Carnitas Tacos

A great way to use up pulled beef, this quick and easy meal can be served dozens of ways (covered in sauce, fried, etc); but this is the recipe that works best for me.

Notes

Caramelizing onions is a neat trick to add sweetness to a dish, but it's not always necessary. If you're in a rush, just cook the onions until they are translucent.

You can use flour tortillas (or any kind of flat bread) for this dish, but I prefer corn tortillas (the non-deep fried not from El Paso kind).

I like to add my heat at the table (thus I serve this with salsa). Feel free to add some kick with a blend of chili pepper, red pepper flakes and a few drops of choice chipotle peppers or hot sauce.

As always, season to taste.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 with leftovers

Equipment

• Chopping board and knife.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• Deep frying pan with cover.
• Wooden spoon.

Ingredients

1	Onion, finely diced
1/2 cup	Chicken stock
2 cloves	garlic, finely diced
1 teaspoon	Cumin
1 teaspoon	Oregano
1 teaspoon	Olive oil
2 cups	Beef brisket, pulled
1/2 cup	Beef brisket sauce
1 cup	Cheese, finely grated
12	Corn tortillas
2 cups	Salsa (optional)

Directions

1. Put the olive oil in the bottom of a cold pan and bring it to temperature.
2. Add the onions and stir to coat.
3. Cook until the onions have caramalized, reducing the temperature as needed to make sure they don't stick or burn. Stir often.
4. Add the garlic and herbs and cook until fraigrant.
5. Add the beef brisket and sauce, stiring to incorporate.
6. Add another teaspoon of olive oil in a second pan.
7. Warm a corn tortilla, flipping when pockets begin to form.
8. Fill the tortia with 3 teaspoons of the meat and sauce mixture.
9. Add a pinch of cheese and roll.
10. Place on a plate, seam side down.
11. Cover to keep warm.
12. Repeat until the beef mixture and/or the tortilla are gone.
13. Serve immediately with salsa.

Beef fajitas for 3, spanish rice and guacamole

Beef fajitas are one of those recipes that I tend to make when I don't really want to cook. Funny, because it still involves a lot of cutting, measuring, and the like. But I've made it so often that I can almost make it with my eyes closed (but then I'd probably cut myself and that would be bad).

So, with company coming, I set to work preparing the meal.

First I made spanish rice.

I diced up a red onion (I didn't have any others, so red it would be), and put half in a pot with a nob of butter. Once the foam subsided I added a cup a rice and stirred it. This toasts the rice and provides it some initial flavour. Then I added some chicken stock (freshly thawed in the microwave) and some pureed tomatoes (canned diced tomatoes pureed with an immersion blender). I then covered the pot and brought it to a boil. Once boiling, I lowered the heat, set the timer and promptly forgot about it.

By then, my guest had arrived and joined me in the kitchen. We chatted as I dug out my favourite frying pan. I coated the bottom with a teaspoon of olive oil, and tossed in strips of sandwich steak to fry. As the meat cooked I diced a clove of garlic, mixed it with 1 rounded tablespoon of cumin and half a tablespoon of chili pepper, and added that and the remaining half of red onion in with the meat. I cleaned, and cut a red bell pepper and a green bell pepper into strips and added that to the hot pan.I stirred the mixture to coat everything with the spices and meat juice equally. Then I added a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and a cup of medium salsa to the mix. I stirred it again and let it cook until the rice was done.

I mixed another crushed and diced clove of garlic along with two tablespoons of crushed tomatos and two avocado's, adding another heaping teaspoon of cumin as I stirred. Once the lumps were mostly gone (or at least very small), I stopped and set it aside.

Taking out a second (and smaller) frying pan, I turned on the heat and cooked the corn tortillas until they were soft and pliable (8 seconds according to the package, less time in my experience). I then added a small amount of sour cream, an equal dollup of guacamole, a pinch of cheese and a ladel-ful of fajita mix. I then folded the hot tortilla around the mess and placed it seam side down onto the plate.

Three of these plus a third of the rice and another tablespoon of guacamole made the meal. It was delicious.

Beef fajitas

Serves 6.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs sandwich steak (preferably lean)
  
• 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green) cut into slices
  
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced (I used red)
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 1 cup salsa
  
• 1 tablespoon cumin
  
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1/2 tablespoon chili pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup guacamole
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
  

Directions

1. Coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil.
   
2. Cut the sandwich steak into strips and add them to the hot pan.
   
3. Mix the garlic, cumin and chili pepper together and add that to the pan, stir well to incorporate.
   
4. Cut the bell peppers into strips and add them to the pan. Stir well.
   
5. Mix the salsa and Worcestershire sauce together. Add them to the pan. Stir well.
   
6. Cook until the meat is cooked, the onions are nearly transulcent, and the peppers still crunchy.
   
7. Heat the tortillas slightly.
   
8. Fill in the following order: sour cream, guacamole, cheddar cheese, fajita mix.
   
9. Fold the tortilla and serve.

Spanish rice

Serves 3.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
  
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  
• 1/2 yellow onion
  
• 1 teaspoon butter
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, optional.
  

Directions

1. Put the butter in a hot pan. Add the onion and the rice and stir to mix.
   
2. Once the onion starts to become translucent, add the tomato sauce and chicken stock.
   
3. Stir well.
   
4. Turn up the heat and wait for the liquid to boil.
   
5. Once boiling, cover and cook for the duration recommended for your rice.
   
6. Serve hot with a bit of cheese on top.

Baked potato soup

So, at one point in the past there was a potato soup that someone loved. It was served to him at a restaurant. It was thin with just the hint of potato and a ton of cheese. He doesn't remember any other flavorings and has been looking for me to make this recipe (of a food I've never eaten) for a while now. It is, sad to say, one of many such requests.

I found a nice potato soup and tried it out on Sunday night. It was fairly easy to make, and quite tasty but the milk got the better of me and I shan't make it again.

The original recipe is here: Baked Poato soup from Cooking light.

The first time I tried to make the molk and flour mixture, it burned. The pot sits still in the sink, scrubbed and waiting to be saved from the black scars that mar its shiny bottom.

New pot, second attempt. Now I was paranoid. I whisked the flour and the milk together over a low heat, keeping the milk in a rathful foam for the duration until it just barely started to shimmer. It magically thickened as I thrashed it mightly; refusing to let the flour settle and burn (again). I covered it only reluctantly, and even then only until I heard it pop a single bubble. Far less time I'm sure than the recipe called for. Then I wisked the cover off and thrashed it mightly again, even tipping the pot to make sure my over-used wisk got into the corners.

I added the roughly mashed potatoes (there were chunks, I'm not afraid to admit it), cheese, salt and pepper into the mix and stirred (a softer version of my previous thrashing, and with a wooden spoon instead of a whisk) until everything was hot and nearly bubbly. I turned off the heat and moved the pot to another burner.

There, I added the sour cream and green onions. I put it back on the cooled burner and turned the heat to low. I stired it slowly, watching the ripples form and spread across the surface and stood on guard against it ever boiling again. When it was shimmering anew, I called dinner. I dumped in two good handfuls of diced cheese, and garnished it with a tablespoon of diced bacon and cracked pepper.

The soup was delicious, but unbelievably creamy and rich. It would have been better, I think, if I'd added the bacon instead of the onions to cook with the sour cream and then topped with the onions; as the onions almost overpowered the dish.

The cooking time as a scant 30 minutes (I microwaved the potatoes rather than baking them); but it took all of my attention during that time.

It was, alas not the recipe we were looking for. In addition, despite pills that help me deal with milk and using lower fat milk than the recipe called for -- it was still too rich for me. So, as pleasant as it was; it shall not be mine again.

Ingredients

• 4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
• 6 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
• 1 1/2 cup (6 ounces) reduced-fat Montaray Jack cheese, divided (1/2 shredded, 1/2 chunked)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup green onions, chopped & divided
• 6 bacon slices, cooked & crumbled
• Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Microwave potatoes according to your microwave's instructions. Mash coarsely and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside to drain and cool before crumbling.
3. Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup.
4. Dump the flour in a large pot and gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.
5. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes).
6. Add the mashed potatoes, grated cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until the cheese melts.
7. Remove the pot from the heat.
8. Stir in the sour cream and 1/2 cup of onions.
9. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil).
10. Add the remaining cheese to the pot.
11. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls.
12. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Mexican Pie

Taken from a Live Journal’s Recipe Maven post. Posted by neokibo on the 6th of December, 2005. This is a variation on shepherd’s pie. It’s far more flavorful and downright messy to cook.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Modification/Notes
Cilantro is optional, as to some it has an unpleasant taste. Remember to put a baking sheet beneath your casserole dish as Mexican Pie tends to overflow the container. The batter bakes best if the casserole dish remains uncovered.

Mexican cheese is just a pre-shredded mix of cheddar, Monterey jack, bits of jalapeño and often a mild cheese (like Emmentaler). Feel free to make your own. I recommend equal portions of jalapeño-flavored cheese (Havarti, Gouda or even Monterey jack), cheddar and Colby.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons & cups
• Paring knife & cutting board
• Non-stick skillet
• Baking sheet
• Casserole dish

Ingredients
Corn bread batter

1 cup	flour
1 cup	cornmeal
1/4 cup	sugar
3/4 teaspoon	salt
3 teaspoons	baking powder
1/4 cup	oil
2	eggslightly beaten
1 cup	milk
1	jalapeños, minced (optional)
1/2 cup	"Mexican mix" cheeses, shredded (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons	lemon juice

For the meat mixture:

1 to 1.5 pounds	hamburger
2 tablespoons	oil
1 medium	onion, roughly chopped
2-3	garlic cloves, minced
1 can	whole tomatoes, crushed
1 cup	frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon	chili powder
1 teaspoon	oregano
1 teaspoon	cumin
½ teaspoon	ground black pepper
	cilantro, roughly chopped
2-3 cups	"Mexican mix" cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C) degrees. In a medium-hot skillet sauté the onion in oil for 5-7 minutes
2. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add hamburger, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and fresh cracked pepper and saute until hamburger is browned through.
4. Add corn and crushed tomatoes with juice and cook until warmed.
5. Add cilantro and cheese (as well as optional ingredients as you desire) and mix until incorporated.
6. Pour a thin layer of batter on the bottom of a 2-quart oven-proof casserole dish.
7. Add the meat mixture.
8. Top with corn bread batter.
9. Bake for 30-45 minutes

Crockpot Hamburger Soup

Taken from: Recipe*Zaar. Recipe #133649. Posted by Kittencal; and Shirley Downey. Both recipes had good points to them, so I’ve combined them.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups.
• Paring knife and cutting board.
• Can opener.
• Skillet (to brown the meat).
• Plate with paper towel (to drain the meat).

Modification/Notes
I keep consomme in my freezer whenever I can, store-brought broth can be used instead. Fresh tomatoes can be used, but you’ll have to dip them in boiling water to remove their skins before adding them to the recipe. I prefer to cut up my tomatoes before adding them.

Ingredients

2 lbs	hamburger
2 tablespoons	garlic, minced
1 large	onion, chopped finely
1 (28 ounce) can	tomatoes (undrained)
1 ¾ cups	water
30 ounces	beef consomme, undiluted
1-2 tablespoons	worcestershire sauce
10 ounces	salsa
5-6	carrots, chopped
5-6 stalks	celery, chopped
1-2	bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon	Each: thyme, oregano, rosemary, and basil
	black pepper, to taste
	grated Parmesan cheese, optional, to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the hamburger with the onion and garlic. Drain well.
2. Add in all remaining ingredients except the Parmesan cheese, and turn the crockpot on low for 6 hours (or high for 3).
3. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper just before serving.

Meatball soup

Originally from the Relish! menu planning website, I modified the recipe to reduce the salt. I picked the recipe originally because it seemed straightforward and probably could be modified to work with the crock-pot. My first test of the recipe was a resounding success.

Version: 2.0
Serves: 6 (1 1/2 cups each)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Equipment

• Measuring cups & spoons.
• Cutting board & knife.
• Dutch Oven.
• Ladle.
• Stirring spoon.

Modification/Notes
The original recipe used canned beef broth and onion soup mix. Both taste good, but I wanted something lower in salt. So, I switched to chicken broth and real onion. I also reduced the amount of butter down to a tablespoon (from 2). I had 2 cups of rice (cooked in chicken broth) in my fridge - so I added it to the soup to positive effect.

Ingredients

• 38-ounces frozen meatballs
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 carrot(s), thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 26-ounces (6 cups) chicken broth, fat removed, low-sodium
• 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
• 1 bay leaf
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 1/2 the butter.
2. Sauté the onion until the onion begins to become translucent.
3. Add the carrots and celery, and continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes or until softened.
4. Add all the other ingredients except the meatballs and the cheese.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add meatballs; cover and simmer meatball soup 10 minutes longer.
8. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
9. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Leek, Potato & Carrot Soup

This is a simple soup with a gentle onion flavor. Adding a spiced cheese on top makes it much more spicy - but you could just as easily add a drop of hot salsa or hot sauce for the same effect. Such spiciness is always optional. The soup stores well, but cannot be frozen unless it is first pureed (otherwise the potatoes develop an odd texture when they thaw).

Peeling vegetables is never a favorite chore. I lug the vegetables, a pot, and a bag into the living room, sit before the TV and start peeling the vegetables into the bag. That way I can watch something interesting and (hopefully) not cut my fingers by trying to peel too quickly.

I doubled this recipe (or tried to, you'll see) so I peeled 12 carrots (6 for the recipe, 6 for eating) and 6 medium-sized potatoes. It...took a while. Once everything was naked, I returned to the kitchen. There the veggies got a good wash, and I beheaded the leeks. I cut their bottoms off, then sliced the stalk into quarters that didn't quite cut through the bulb at the end. By fanning out the layers of the stalk under running water I was able to get rid of most of the sand. I repeated the process three times (just to make sure).

I took the fresh-made chicken broth out of the fridge and skimmed its fat off. Then I measured the amount I had. I needed eight cups, I had six. Dang. Looking at the recipe, I mentally calculated the amounts of carrots and potatoes I'd need for six cups of broth.

The extra potatoes I put in a bowl and covered them with water. Guess I'm having smashed potatoes tomorrow.

Then I began chopping. Were it not for my worrying about my finger-tips - dicing vegetables would be almost as boring as peeling them. But the proximity of a sharp knife to my very fragile flesh always keeps me alert. My knife-skills are fair and I was able to complete the chopping in about 10 minutes. More than 1/2 the carrots were put in Tupperware with enough water to cover them. They went into the fridge for snacks for the week.

I poured the olive oil into the pot and turned on the heat. While it warmed up, I cleaned up my chopping board, rinsed my knife and brought all my ingredients to the stove. I let a drop of water fall from my finger-tips into the pan. No sizzle? Not warm enough yet. I busied about, swept my kitchen floor and wandered out to see what was on TV.

When the water sizzled I added the vegetables to the pot all at once. I stirred them to coat them with the hot oil and help in the cooking. When the leeks were mostly transparent, I added the salt and pepper and stirred again. Then I poured in the broth, covered the pot, set the timer, and walked away.

I came back when the timer screamed at me. I stirred the pot, tasted the broth (hot!), and adjusted the seasoning. The vegetables were soft - so it was ready to serve.

I ladled it into bowls and threw a sprinkling of Gouda jalapeño cheese on top. Delicious.

Leek, potato & carrot soup
Serves: 4 people.
Preparation: 15 minutes.
Cooking: 20-30 minutes.
Equipment: Peeler, vegetable knife, cutting board, soup pot, ladle, wooden spoon.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, green discarded, well washed, and diced finely
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
4 cups broth, I use chicken
pepper, freshly ground, to taste
salt, to taste
1/4 cup cheese, preferably spicy (optional)

Directions

1. Place the olive oil in the bottom of a deep soup pot, and place it on a warm burner.
2. Test the olive oil to see if its hot. When the olive oil spits as a drop of water touches it - it's ready.
3. Add the diced vegetables and stir until the leeks become mostly transparent (about 3 minutes).
4. Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine.
5. Add the chicken broth and cover for up to 20 minutes. Reduce the heat if it starts to excessively steam or if the cover jumps.
6. Check that the carrots and potatoes are easily crushable (they mash well with a fork or between two spoons). If the carrots and potatoes are not yet soft, cover for another 10 minutes and check again. Soup should be gently boiling. If not, increase the heat.
   
7. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings.
8. Serve with a sprinkling of cheese on top.

Note: Originally this recipe was posted with 2 tablespoons of fresh ground pepper and 1 of salt. As commenters rightly pointed out -- this is a lot of pepper. I've modified the recipe so that seasoning is now to taste.