Pot Roast Breckenridge

From: Colorado Cache – The Junior League of Denver, page 154

1 3-pound bottom round beef roast

¼ cup butter

3 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

12 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ pound mushrooms, chopped

1 10½-ounce can consomme

½ cup dry red wine

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon capers

¼ cup flour (optional)

1 cup sour cream

Brown roast in butter in a large Dutch oven. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic to pan and cook until onion is limp. Add mushrooms. Combine half of the consomme, wine, salt, pepper, paprika and capers. Add to beef. Cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove meat to a heated platter. With a slotted spoon remove most of the vegetables from the pan liquids and puree them in a food processor or blender. Return the puree to the an. Combine flour, if desired, with remaining consomme and stir into pan liquids. (If not using flour, just add consomme.) Cook until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in sour cream and heat but do not boil. Serve the sauce over the sliced meat.

Nancy’s Notes: I had a note in the cookbook that Betsy recommended this recipe years ago and finally got around to trying it. I could not find consomme in the stores and used broth and did not use the wine. I used the leftovers by cutting the meat in bite-sized pieces and heating in the remaining sauce and serving over rice.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 169

2 pounds round steak, cut into small strips

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium (about ½ cup) onion, sliced and rings separated

2 beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1 cup hot water

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon catsup

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup (about 4 ounces) mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons dry white wine, optional

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cold water

1 cup sour cream

Cooked noodles or rice

Season steak with salt and pepper and place in the bottom of a crock pot. Top with onion rings. Combine bouillon, garlic salt, Worcestershire and catsup. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, add mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to crock pot and add wine, if desired. Dissolve flour in cold water and add to crock pot, stirring until well blended. Increase crock pot heat to high and cook for 15 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Stir in sour cream and serve over noodles or rice. Serves 6.

Nancy’s Notes: Made Nov. 23, 2009 – Easy and tasty. I used some Guy’s seasoning in addition to what was called for. I cooked on high for first four hours then on low until I added the mushrooms. After I sauted the mushrooms I melted another tablespoon of butter in the pan, added the flour and water to thicken, then added it all to the crock pot. No floury lumps. After 4 hours I worried about the meat not being tender but by the time we ate it was falling apart, very tender.

Best Focaccia Beef Sandwich

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 171

Marinade

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon

2 teaspoons dried parsley

Sandwich

1 pound deli-style roast beef

3 avocados, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 loaf focaccia bread

olive oil

Combine marinade ingredients and place in a covered pan or ziplock bag. Add beef, avocados and onion. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready mustard to assemble sandwich, brush focaccia lightly with oil and bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Slice focaccia horizontally in half. Remove beef, avocados and onions from marinade and arrange on top of the bottom half of focaccia. Top with other half of focaccia. Slice into wedges and serve. Serves 6-8.

Adding monterey jack cheese to this sandwich is an enjoyable option.

Nancy’s Notes: Made for the family memorial service for Mother, Dec. 5, 2009. Michael McPheron really liked. I would like to find a thinner loaf of focaccia in the future. I was surprised that the avocado slices stayed green – be sure they get well coated with the marinade. We found the leftovers were good after zapping in the microwave.

Pork & Black Bean Burritos

 

Shredded pork spiced with:

Chimayo Holy Chile

Chipotle Powder

Black Pepper

Garlic

Smoked Sea Salt

Cumin

Cook in broth with spices 45 minutes.

Saute ½ cup chopped onions in olive oil, add one large can black beans (drained and rinsed), add ¾ cup broth from pulled pork. Heat until hot through and some of the broth is absorbed. Mash beans until most are broken but not totally smashed.

Grease a 13-x9-inch dish. Spread ¼ of a can of green enchilada sauce across the bottom of the dish.

Using extra large, thin flour tortillas spread a scoop of beans down the center – about 2-inches wide. Cover beans with ½ cup spiced pork, sprinkle with shredded Mexican 4-cheese mix. Fold ends towards filling and roll. Place in greased baking dish with seam side down. Top with the remaining green enchilada sauce and the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake in 350° oven, uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.

Nancy’s Notes: This recipe evolved from my expectations and didn’t disappoint. The burritos were good enough to take the time to write down the procedure.

Oaxacan Pork Tenderloin

From: Colorado Classique – Junior League of Denver, page 166

2 1-pound Maverick Ranch Naturally Raised Pork Tenderloins

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 cups orange juice

Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup minced shallots

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups orange juice

1 ½ cups chicken broth

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

½ tablespoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, optional

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

Season tenderloins with salt and pepper. Place in a plastic bag with orange juice and marinate at least 6 hours or overnight.

For the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add shallots and sauté until soft. Add wine and boil for 10 minutes or until reduced to a glaze. Add orange juice and broth and boil 20 to 40 minutes or until reduced by ½ cups.

When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium heat. Drain pork and pat dry. Grill pork, turning often, until meat reaches desired doneness, about 25 to 30 minutes for medium. Remove from grill and let stand for 5 minutes.

To serve, reheat sauce and add cilantro, chives and chipotle peppers. Slice pork and arrange on a platter. Pour sauce over sliced pork and top with pine nuts and lemon zest.

Nancy’s Notes: Made Nov. 2, 2009 – we all liked. Nice presentation with a spicy bite in the sauce. I rubbed the meat with Guy’s seasoning (from Houston, Texas) before marinating in the orange juice.

The Santa Fe Cooking School markets a minced chipotle in adobo that is much easier to use that the products available in most markets.

Pork Chops and Sliced Apple

From: Art of Cooking – The Junior League of Ogden (Utah)

6 pork chops

2 ½ cups sliced apples

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup boiling water

Brown pork chops on all sides and place in ovenproof baking dish. Combine all ingredients (except for water) and pour over chops. Then pour boiling water over top. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours.

Kids love this recipe. – so says the cookbook

Nancy’s Notes: This was not a success.The idea seemed right but was not successful when I tried it. I think there could have been a number of reasons – too much water, letting the finished dish sit overnight with the foil covering on, the variety of apple I used (Fuji). I might try again sometime.

Pinto Bean Roast

From: Beyond the Rim – A Taste of Amarillo, Junior League of Amarillo

1 (1-pound) bag dried pinto beans

1 (3- to 4-pound) chuck roast

1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes with green chiles

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon salt

1 large onion, sliced

1 package chili seasoning mix

Sort and rinse the beans; drain. Place in a Dutch oven. Place the roast on top of the beans. Combine the canned tomatoes with green chiles, chiles and garlic in a bowl and pour on top of the roast. Add enough water to cover the roast. Add the salt. Cover and bake at 225° for 9 hours. Season the onion slices with the chili seasoning mix and place on the roast. Cover and bake for 1 hour longer. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Nancy’s Notes: I made 9/23/09, using a crock pot on high instead of the over. I had a smaller roast to use and ended up with more beans than meat to go with for leftovers. Michael really liked this dish. I served with baked cheesy mashed potatoes which proved to be a great match.