Crock Pot Tacos

Hey ya'll! My awesome brother gave me a crock pot for Christmas, and I've made these slow cooked tacos three times since. They're super delicious and SPICY. Man up for this one, friends.

So obvi, you need to have a crock pot for this one. You could also do it with a dutch oven over medium low heat, but convenience says to get a freaking crock pot, people. They're all of $20-$30 at Costco. Get there.

This recipe is courtesy of the marvelous Martha, with a few adjustments (but you shouldn't mess with perfection ;). Start with two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Throw those in your crockpot with four cloves of chopped garlic, 2-3 chopped chipotles in adobe (you can find these in a can in the market, use three if you love the spicy, two if you're a little wimpy), one tablespoon of chili powder, 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa (be aware of the spice level; again, if you're a spice champion no worries, but I went with a mild salsa because of the chipotles), 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Give everything a good stir, then cover and crock pot on high for four hours, eight hours on low. Between the third and fourth hour, give everything a stir and taste for seasonings - you may need to add more salt. You'll know when the chicken is done because you'll be able to shred it easily with a fork which is what you should do. Right in the crockpot (turn it down to warm), shred all of the chicken up

with two forks, then cover until you're ready to serve.

Now for the accoutrement! The man and I are fond of hard shell tacos, but only if we make them ourselves. No no I haven't made tortillas from scratch yet, but I do like to fry soft tacos and shape them into hard shells. Super healthy (ha!), but it makes a huge flavor difference and I insist you try. It's super easy. Start with a wide frying pan that has fairly tall sides to stop splatter. Pour 1/2 inch of canola oil in the pan and heat over medium-high heat. After pre-heating for five minutes or so, drop one small corn tortilla in the oil with tongs. It should start sizzling immediately - if not, your oil is not hot enough.

Fry on one side for ten seconds, then flip with your tongs and fry on the opposite side for five seconds. Now you need to fold your tortilla in half, and this will take some practice. You don't want to fold too far or you'll have to break the shell in half to fill it with the chicken and other goodies. Use the side of the pan to help you fold, and after one or two you'll get it.

Once you've folded the tortilla successfully, cook it on either side until light golden brown. Transfer to an oven safe plate lined with paper towels in the 200 degree oven. The excess oil will drain off and your fancy homemade hardshells will remain hot and crispy until ready to serve.

To build the tacos you should have your favorite shredded cheese blend, shredded lettuce, guacamole (if buying or making, watch the spice level - you'll want mild guac to help cool the spicy tacos), salsa (ditto), and sour cream.

These tacos are delicious and dangerously addictive. Be brave and give the fried taco shells a try, you'll be surprised at how easy they are. Totally worth the extra effort. Let me know how you do!

xo,

d

Italian Wedding Soup

Two blogs in one day! I'm a maniac. I've been meaning to post about Italian Wedding soup for a while and with Steph's cream of asparagus soup post, I decided to make it a soup day. Let's get to it:

This is a Giada receipe that I fanangled a bit. Fanangled is totally a word. Start by making the most important part - the meatballs! Finely chop one medium yellow onion, and saute it in a small frying pan a two count of olive oil and 4 chopped cloves of garlic and 1/3 cup of chopped fresh parsley. Cook over medium heat for around ten minutes, until the onions are tender and just beginning to color. Remove from heat and let cool. In a mixing bowl combine the cooled onions/garlic/parsley with 8 ounces of ground pork, 8 ounces of ground beef (20% fat, just do it), one large egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, one teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. Get right up in there and mix everything together with your hands, then shape into small bite-sized meatballs - around one inch or so. Place on a plate or small baking sheet and refrigerate for fifteen minutes.

Get out your soup pot and heat a four count of olive oil over medium high heat for a couple of minutes. Cook your meatballs over medium heat in the pot (you may need to do this in batches to avoid over crowding), just to nicely brown the outside - they won't be cooked through so no chef tasting! You'll finish cooking them in the broth. Once you've removed the browned meatballs, de-glaze the pot with 1/2 cup of white wine. Next add ten cups of chicken stock, salt/pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Carefully add your browned meatballs back to the pot and cook through, this will take five minutes or so. Next add one bag of baby spinach leaves (note - Giada uses one pound of chopped escarole, which I may try next time, I think it will hold up better than the spinach for leftovers). Cook the spinach for a few minutes (note - escarole will take longer, around ten minutes, so I would add that with the meatballs) over medium heat. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together two large eggs with 2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add this mixture to the soup slowly, while stirring with a fork to make long strands of egg. Stir carefully for another minute, taste for seasonings and add if necessary, then add the juice of 1/2 lemon (or a whole lemon if it's small). You're done! Pretty simple, right?

Get to it and let me know what you think about spinach vs. escarole.

xo

d

Guest Blog! Cream of Asparagus Soup

And now dear friends, it's time for a long overdue guest blog. This one comes from my lovely and fabulous cousin Steph, who I hope will become a frequent contributor. In her first guest blog, she treats us to a delicious recipe for cream of asparagus soup - a recipe that I am soon to try. Peruse, enjoy, and let us know what you think! Take it away, Steph:

I made this soup for a Valentine’s Day party. Some mommy friends and I got together while our beauties played and this is what I served them. They ranted and raved over it – even my mom (who is not an asparagus lover) really enjoyed it.

First, I sautéed some onions and garlic in some butter (I suppose you could use EVOO if you wanted… I am a fan of the buttah). Maybe ½ an onion and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Once those become soft, add 2 bundles of asparagus that have been sliced into 1 inch pieces. The size doesn’t really matter because you will be blending it all up anyway. Make sure to remove the bottom 1/3 of the asparagus. It’s kind of woody and not really yummy to eat. Sauté that for a couple minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a teeny tiny bit of cayenne pepper (and by teeny tiny, I really mean teeny tiny, you don’t want that to over power). Then add 2 boxes of chicken broth – or 1 box of broth and the same amount of water. If you use water, you will need to add a tablespoon or so of chicken base for extra flavor. Boil the asparagus until it’s tender. At this point you can either bust out your handy dandy emersion blender which is one of Dana’s favorite kitchen tools or let the soup cool and in batches, put in the blender and blend until smooth. MUST. LET. COOL….or you will have an asparagus explosion on your hands.

Once everything is blended until smooth, add it back into the soup pot. Add a 16 ounce container of sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt would probably work too if that is more up your alley). Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Be careful how much salt you add because ….wait for it… you will be adding some roasted asparagus and homemade croutons to the soup!! Yes please! If the soup seems too thin, make a quick rue and add that to the mix. I used 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1 ½ tablespoons of flour. A nice loose rue will help to tighten up the soup a little bit. Make sure to cook the rue for a couple minutes so you don’t get the raw flour taste.

Now, on to the roasted asparagus and croutons. Slice another bundle of asparagus in 1 – 1 ½ inch pieces (discard the bottom 1/3 again). Put them on a baking sheet and coat them in EVOO,

salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for a half hour or so (until they are soft). For the croutons, cut up some French bread or some other kind of dense bread into 1 inch cubes. Drizzle with EVOO, garlic salt, and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for a half hour or so (until they are kind of crunchy). Serve soup with a few roasted asparagus pieces and some croutons on top. It is delish!!! And easy peazy lemon squeezy!!

Weeknight Dinner - Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Cider-Mustard Sauce

I really am going to try to post more, people. I promise. I even started a twitter account, so follow me for quick food insights and lots and lots of kitty pictures! Hit me up: @osterblum

Now for a quick treat, a weeknight meal that is simple but super delish - and uses a protein I am quite wary of: pork chops! If you're a regular reader here at SND you'll know that I rarely cook with pork tenderloins/chops (now bacon - that's another story). I just feel like pork chops are always overcooked and boring. Well I take it back! They're a great idea for a weeknight dinner because they cook quickly and if done right (and simply) they can be outstanding. Here's whatcha do:

Start with four bone in pork chops (Trader Joes or Whole Foods). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and preheat your favorite large skillet over medium high heat. Coat the pork chops in S/P seasoned flour (1/2 cup or so), then egg (2 whisked on a plate), then panko bread crumbs (a japanese bread crumb with a great texture - you'll need probably 2 cups). I like to set up the dredging station right next to the stove for minimal spillage. Be sure to really press the panko crumbs in after you've floured/egged. Pour a six count of olive oil in your heated pan, let it heat for a moment or two, then cook the chops for a few minutes per side to get the coating nice and crispy. Once each side has a nice brown crust, remove the chop from the pan, and place into the oven on a sheet pan with a rack. The chops will be rare at this point, but if you cook them in the oven after browning whilst you prepare the rest of your meal, they should come out perfectly juicy and medium (it's about 15 minutes).

Pour the oil from your frying pan, and over medium to medium high heat add some hard apple cider (I used half of one of those tall bottles, I think it's a 20 ounce bottle? I'm awesome with details, I know). Reduce the cider for a few minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of whole grain mustard and whisk in. Once the mustard is combined add some S/P to taste as well as 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or more, if you want it spicier). I added the cayenne because the cider was super sweet and I didn't want the dish to be cloying. In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of chicken stock with 2 tablespoons of flour, then whisk that into your sauce to tighten it up a bit. Once it's thickened, taste for seasoning and then add about 1/4 cup of half and half. Turn the heat down to low and bubble for a few minutes more.

And you're donesies! Serve the chops with the sauce on the side and over some gnocchi (pre-made and purchased from Trader Joes) and asparagus with garlic. I made the gnocchi (which cooks very quickly) and asparagus as the sauce was coming together, so your timing should be just right if you start the sauce and sides after the chops go into the oven. The asparagus is super easy, just chop 1-2 cloves of garlic, fry them over medium heat in a little olive oil for thirty seconds, then add your asparagus (be sure to trim the bottom third from the asparagus stalks). Add some S/P and a few glugs of white wine - they'll take about five minutes to get tender but still have plenty of bite (longer for super thick asparagus, I like using the really thin stalks). A nice spritz of some fresh lemon at the end of cooking brightens the asparagus up nicely.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Give this one a try and let me know.

xo,

d

Grandma Lillian's Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Last month I got the rare treat of a visit with my dear Aunt Sandy and cousin Tricia, when Tricia's husband Johnny was at a conference in Anaheim. Adam and I drove down to have dinner with Tricia and Sandy and it was delightful. As we chatted, I mentioned to Sandy that I hadn't had chicken and wild rice soup in forever and wondered if she could send me Grandma Lil's recipe, to which she readily agreed :) The recipe came this week, and today was the perfect day to try it: cold and rainy. As I typically do, I altered the recipe just slightly (love you Grandma!), but it's mostly OG. Oster-cousins: do you have any additions/alterations? Mom says Aunt Kay puts duck in her version and that sounds divine.

Alrighty, start with a rotisserie chicken for this soup, as it's my ultimate soup cheat. Skin, de-bone, and set aside. You'll need two cups of the chopped chicken. You should also start your wild rice at this point - the recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked wild rice, and it usually takes and hour, so get that going first. Slice six slices of bacon into lardons and fry in your stock pot with a one count of olive oil until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon then set aside, and pour out most of the bacon fat. Add one stick (yup!) of butter, then 1/2 cup of minced onions and cook over medium heat. As the onions are cooking, finely chop (or use your food processor if you don't like the texture of celery) 2 stalks of celery. Remove the leaves from the top of the stalks before you chop, slice those up and add to the onions. Add the minced celery, then chop up 1/2 pound of crimini mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Stir these veggies occasionally as you chop and be sure not to burn. Peel and slice up one cup of carrots and add to the pot. Add one teaspoon of dried dill and taste for seasonings, add s/p if needed. Deglaze with a few glugs of white wine (optional, I like the flavor it adds) and cook for a few minutes more to cook the wine out. Add 1/2 cup of flour and cook for a moment, stirring well to combine. Now pour in six cups of warmed chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly until the soup has thickened. Turn to medium low and bubble away for a few minutes. Taste again for seasoning, I added a few shakes of celery salt and more pepper at this point.

Now for some decadence: add 2 cups of half and half. Yum. I used whole milk that is lactose free because as we know, Adam does not tolerate lactose. Aunt Sandy also recommends whole milk, so use either. Simmer, stirring occasionally for a few minutes more. Be sure to taste for seasonings again before serving.

Ladle some of this thick, delicious amazingness into bowls, and crumble the crispy bacon on top. I served this soup with some crusty bread infused with rosemary on the side and it was heaven. Absolutely perfect for a rainy day, and I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow.

I'm so grateful to add this recipe to my repertoire, and it reminds me of sitting at Grandma's table. I still miss her every single day, so cooking her food makes me feel a little closer to her. Love you, Gram! Thanks Aunt Sandy for this precious food memory.

xoxo,

D

Sally Tomato Dinner Party

Hi friends! Sorry I've been absent lately, don't think it's because I don't love you.

Let's jump right in, it's the holiday season and I'm sure many of you will be involved in dinner parties. The below menu follows my love of slow cooking, but would also be really easy to make ahead with minimal effort. I had the lovely Sally Tomatoes over on Saturday night for a fancy cocktail/dinner party and the food seemed to go over well :) For those of you who don't know, I'm in an all girl (aw yeah) a cappella group (check out our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216667725069213) and we felt the need for some fanciness. Give this party menu a try and you won't be sorry!

I started with dessert first (duh). Now I'm not a huge sweets fan (gives me a tummy ache, natch) but I wanted the girls to be able to finish the meal off with something delectable. The result was a compromise: salted butterscotch pudding. A-freaking-mazing. I made it the night before so all I had to do the night of was whip some cream right before serving. Start with 2 1/4 cups of whole milk and one cup of heavy cream (yeah, this isn't fat free. deal). Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, bring to a simmer, then set aside. In a large frying pan melt six tablespoons of butter then add 1 1/4 cups of dark brown sugar, cook -whisking frequently- over medium high heat. The recipe that I found for this on foodnetwork.com says that you should cook this 5 to 7 minutes until you smell a caramelized scent. I've found (making this recipe twice) that this happens in 2-3 minutes. You want to caramelize the sugar, not burn, so cook stirring frequently and sniff for that nutty delicious smell. When you get it, whisk the butter/sugar into the milk and cream mixture (use your hand blender if it's lumpy). Meanwhile, separate three egg yolks into a small bowl, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot milk/cream along with 1/4 cup of cornstarch and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Now whisk the eggs/cornstarch into the milk/cream/sugar mix over medium heat until it gets good and thick. Turn off the heat and mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla. Separate the puddin' into ramekins and refrigerate uncovered overnight. When ready to serve, top with fresh whipped cream and BOOM. Delicious town.

Okay now it's time for the main course. Brisket: let's do this. Sara Moulton has provided the most perfect recipe pretty much ever. Okay first thing - Sara wants you to peel a whole head of garlic. If you're not lazy, you break the bulb apart, boil the cloves for thirty seconds, drain, cool then peel. Orrrr you can buy them already peeled in the refrigerated section of your market. Your choice.

Ooh pre-heat the oven! 325 degrees! (I totally added this sentence when I was almost done with the blog. I'm terrible at remembering to pre-heat the oven).

Alrighty, so you need to coat a five pound brisket with seasoned (s/p) flour, shake off any excess. Heat three tablespoons of evoo in a dutch oven until almost smoking, then brown the brisket on all sides. Remove the brisket and set aside. Cook four sliced leeks (Sara says onions, I like leeks) with your garlic cloves (season with some s/p) for ten minutes or so until lightly browned. Pour in three cups of red wine (I went with a zinfandel) and scrape the yummy bits from the bottom of the pot. Add 1/4 cup of tomato paste, 2 bay leaves, and one teaspoon of dried thyme. Bring to a boil and cook out most of the liquid, stirring frequently. I got super impatient at this part of the recipe but I promise it's worth the wait. You are reducing the sauce and intensifying the flavor by like, I dunno, a million or something (math isn't my strong suit). Next pour in one quart of chicken stock (I actually used half chicken stock, half beef stock) and bring to a boil again. Add the brisket, cover the pot with aluminum foil and the lid, then roast for 3-4 hours. The brisket is ready when a fork comes out easily after piercing the meat.

Take a nice break whilst the meat is in the oven, put your feet up, and have a glass of wine. Take five minutes and make the amazingly delicious horseradish sauce: mix 1/2 cup of prepared horseradish with one cup of mayo, a handful of chopped chives and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Okay when the brisket is ready, remove from the braising liquid and cover with foil, letting the meat rest for at least 15 minutes. Strain the liquid into a fat separator (I refuse to believe you don't have this amazing implement by now), then cook the liquid down until it's reduced by half. I mixed a little of the liquid with a few tablespoons of cornstarch, then added to the liquid to speed up the thickening (impatient!). Now you have an amazing gravy. Slice your gorgeous brisket against the grain and serve with the gravy and horseradish sauce.

Also! I made goat's cheese polenta (4 cups of liquid -chicken stock- to one cup of corn meal, whisk the corn meal into the boiling liquid. Add s/p, some cream and goat's cheese, perhaps some chives and you're donesies). Another delicious side: caramelized shallot brussels sprouts. Yeah that happened. Saute 1/2 pound of sliced shallots in 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat (add s/p) until golden brown. Then you'll add a pinch of sugar and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Stir for another three minutes or so, until the vinegar has cooked down, then set aside. Quarter 1 1/2 pounds of brussels sprouts and saute in 2 tablespoons of olive oil (s/p) until they begin to color. Add 3/4 cup of water and saute until most of the water has evaporated, then add 3 tablespoons of butter :). Cook that down and add the caramelized shallots and serve. Best. Brussels sprouts. Ever.

This was a relatively simple dinner party with fantastic results. I insist you try this at one of your upcoming holiday parties. You won't be sorry!

xo,

d

Sunday Pizza Pie!

What up peeps? I know I know - I've done pizza before. But this one is different! We're making the dough from scratch (a new, fantastic recipe), the sauce from scratch, and....the sausage! That's right homemade sausage! It actually quite easy and really really delicious.

First things first: you need to start with the dough because it has to proof (rise) for two hours. This dough recipe is really delicious and simple. It's from the same fantastic old school book that the recent meatball recipe is from. Begin with 1/2 an envelope of yeast and mix with 1/3 cup of lukewarm water and set aside. Next you should sift 1 1/2 cups of water with one teaspoon of salt. Cut 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter into cubes and mix it into the flour with your fingers. Mix one egg with the yeast and water, then stir into the flour mixture until a ball dough is formed. If the dough is feeling a little stiff, add a smidge of water. Now comes the fun part: kneading! Sprinkle some flour on your kneading surface and turn your dough ball out onto it. Don't know how to knead? It's easy! Use the palm of your to push the dough into the surface, turn a quarter turn, and repeat. I'm sure if you Google it you'll find a video demonstrating. Knead that dough until it's smooth and elastic, form into a ball, an then place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place for two hours.

Whilst your dough is rising, make the snausage! Now, don't be intimidated, it's really quite easy. If you have a stand mixer with a meat grinding attachment, fantastic! If not, don't worry! That's what your food processor is for! This recipe is a modified Mark Bittman. Begin with one pound of boneless pork shoulder and 1/4 to 1/2 pound fresh pork fatback.

..Uh, Dana? Where the hell do I get fresh pork fat back?

Yeahhhh. I'm going to guess Whole Foods or a specialty butcher. If you don't feel like searching fatback out (which we didn't because we're lazy) you can go with pancetta or bacon. You can buy the pancetta nice and cubed up right at Trader Joes, but I'll warn you - as delicious as our sausage was, I think it was a tad dry. The fatback (I think) would have been perfect.

Okay so cube up the pork and fatback (or pancetta/bacon). Place around one cup of the mixture into a food processor and mince in one second pulses until well chopped. If you have a meat grinding attachment for your stand mixer, use the medium-small grinder plate, and you don't have to do grind in batches. Add some fresh parsley (a small handful) to your food processor or meat grinder to incorporate with the meats. If food processing, take your time and be careful not to pulverize the meat. Place the ground meats/parsley into a bowl.

Time for spices! If you have a mortar and pestle, this is a great time to use it! If not, do you have a coffee grinder for spices only? If you don't have any of that, I would use ground fennel, not fennel seeds. I have a mortar and pestle (a great investment - you may not use it often, but when you do it's incredibly handy; when you don't they are beautiful to look at), so I went with the fennel seeds - one teaspoon. Crush the fennel a little, then add one teaspoon of minced fresh garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Crush with the pestle until well mixed, then gently incorporate your spices with the ground meat with your hands. Wrap the sausage mixture in parchment paper and then place into the fridge for 1-2 hours. Let those delicious spices do their work! If you don't use all of this sausage on your pizza (and you probably won't) the sausage can be in the fridge for three days or frozen for up to three months.

Okay, next! I made some tomato sauce by mincing one small yellow onion with two cloves of garlic, and sweating that out in a three count of olive oil in a small saucepan. After 5-7 minutes over medium heat, add one 14 ounce can of pureed tomatoes. Turn the heat to medium low and season with salt/pepper to taste. If you have some red wine it would be lovely to add a few glugs of that. Some fresh basil and or parsley would be fantastic as well. Partially cover and let this bubble away as you prepare the rest of your toppings.

We made one pizza pie with sausage and fresh mozzarella (grated parm on top) and the other with minced sauteed mushrooms and artichokes (not minced). For the mushrooms, put a three count of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. While that is heating up, finely mince one basket of brown mushrooms and add to the pan. I know you're tempted to salt now, but don't do that until the end! Saute the mushrooms until they've browned, then add a pinch of dried thyme and salt/pepper to taste. Set aside. Next grab a bag of frozen artichoke hearts (defrosted - you can find these at Trader Joe's) and saute in the same pan as the mushrooms with some red pepper flakes (to taste, I used a large pinch), S/P and fresh parsley. Once you get some color on the artichoke hearts, deglaze the pan with a few glugs of marsala wine. Cook the wine out and they're done! Set aside. Now it's time to brown that gorgeous homemade sausage! Take a large pinch of the raw sausage, flatten in the palm of your hand, then brown in the olive oil in batches. Drain on paper towels, and now you're FINALLY ready to build those pizzas! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Grease two 8 inch pie pans. Divide your dough ball into two, then roll out on a floured surface to fit the pie pans - it's okay if it falls over the top of the pan because you're going to roll it down. Spoon some of your delectable red sauce on top of the dough and spread around. There's no rule here, if you like a ton of sauce put it down! For the sausage pizza, place a good amount of your brown sausage around the pie plate. Dot with torn pieces of fresh mozzarella, sprinkle with grated parmesan, drizzle with a touch of olive oil and that's ready for the oven! Same for the veggie pizza - spread the sauce, dole out the mushrooms, divide up the artichoke hearts, tear the mozzarella, sprinkle the grated parmesan and olive oil! There are before and after pictures above for reference. Once all of your toppings are in, roll down the excess dough (see above photos!).

Bake for twenty minutes or so, but keep a weather eye on those 'zas in the last five minutes - no burning! Let them rest out of the oven for at least five minutes so those guys can set up and so you don't burn your poor mouth!

Use any toppings that you love, but do try the homemade sausage. It's mush easier than you think and one million times more delicious!

Xo,

D