#with sautéing I can just chuck it into the pan

[autogeneity]

pro tip: if you're sautéing something in a savoury flavour, especially meat replacement products and such, consider adding cumin seeds. really good. rounds out the flavour in some sense? combines beautifully with soy sauce

[world-store]

The BEST Pot Roast (Made 3 Ways!)

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Fork-tender, melt-in-your-mouth pot roast with delicate potatoes and sweet carrots in a perfectly seasoned broth. This recipe is super simple but will make you feel like you’ve spent all day cooking. Nothing completes a Sunday pot roast like a fresh chopped salad and some homemade rolls. These perfect soft and buttery rolls or copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls should do the trick!

Melt in Your Mouth Pot Roast

Not only is this melt in your mouth pot roast a quintessential Sunday meal, it’s also perfect for company or a special occasion! It’s just so easy. Prep it, throw it all together and at the end of the day you have a perfect sit-down dinner hearty enough to satisfy any appetite. Generously seasoned meat, coupled with onions and vegetables surrounded by a savory broth is just so heavenly. One of the best things about this roast is that it’s almost better the next day. It’s perfect for leftovers or to use for sandwiches, tacos or other hearty roast meals. It’s one of those dishes that you make once and can usually use at least twice. Perfect a hectic work week, and the whole family loves it! Win win! Pair it with these Instant Pot mashed potatoes for a quick and easy dinner the family will go crazy over.

Pot Roast Ingredients

I’ve given you three ways to cook the roast but the ingredients are all the same. It’s one of those hearty meals that brings everyone together around the table for good conversation and great memories. Exact measurements can be found below in the recipe card. - Olive Oil: You can use canola oil, but I like the extra bit of flavor the olive oil adds. - Chuck Roast: You’ll need a 3-4 pound roast. If your roast is much bigger, you’ll need to adjust the seasonings to accommodate so you have enough flavor. - Salt and Pepper: This is for generously seasoning the roast before searing. - Carrots: Use large carrots you have to cut yourself, they have so much more flavor than baby carrots. - Potatoes: The best potatoes for putting in a roast are yellow, golden or Yukon potatoes. - Onion: Yellow or white onions are flavorful but mellow enough to add flavor but not overpower. - Beef Broth: Make your own or buy prepackaged beef broth. - Red Wine: The alcohol will cook off and you’re left with flavor and tenderness. You can also substitute this with apple juice, cranberry juice or more beef broth. - Worcestershire Sauce: Boosts and intensifies the meaty flavor. - Garlic: Use fresh minced garlic for the best taste. - Onion and Garlic Powder: Adds the best savory flavor! - Salt and Pepper: This is to add to the sauce.

How to Make the Most Tender Roast

The wonderful thing about this pot roast recipe is that you can make it three different ways and end up with the same result any way you make it. The way of putting it together is the same for all three methods. So whether you use a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or the oven, it will always be fall-apart tender. - Sear: For the oven and slow cooker, heat the oil over medium high heat in a cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan. Then salt and pepper the roast generously. Once the oil starts to smoke, sear each side of the roast for 2-3 minutes to give it a nice dark brown crust. If using an Instant Pot use the sauté button. Wait until it says “hot” before adding the oil and once it smokes sear the roast on all sides. Then remove the roast from the instant pot. - Assemble: In the slow cooker, instant pot or a large casserole dish place the carrots, potatoes and onions into the bottom.  Next place the meat on top. In a small bowl combine the beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Then pour over the roast. - Cook: In the slow cooker, cook pot roast on low for 10 hours or till tender. In the Instant Pot cook on high for 60 minutes and natural release. For the oven, cover tightly with foil or a fitted oven safe lid and cook at 425 for ONLY 30 minutes then turn the oven down to 300 for 4-5 hours.

Tips for the Best Pot Roast Here are a few extra tips to make your pot roast the talk of the neighborhood! This homemade pot roast is so tender and delicious, it may just be your new Sunday tradition! - It’s All About the Beef:  For that super tender pot roast it starts with the cut of meat. You want a cut that has lots of marbling. Which means it’s got lots of striations of fat running through it. This produces that amazing texture. Chuck roast is the ideal cut, but Brisket is another heavily marbled meat. Bottom or top round roasts are leaner and won’t be as tender. - Sear: Don’t skip this essential step. Searing the meat at a high temperature brings out the most flavor in the meat by caramelizing the natural sugars and brings out the savory flavor of the beef with it’s rich brown crust. It will also seal in those amazing juices. Make sure your pan is HOT. If your pan isn’t hot enough you will steam the meat which can actually make it tough. - Simplify: You can make the morning prep faster for yourself by prepping the veggies the night before. Place in a sealed container or bag in the fridge till morning. - Size: Size of meat and vegetables matter. If your roast is too large for your pan, pot or cooker you can cut it down to fit. Sear the cut pieces individually before adding them. Cut all the veggies to roughly the same size for even cooking. Chunk your onions don’t finely chop them. I find they give off more flavor and don’t turn to mush. - Low and Slow: To achieve the perfect tenderness it is always best to cook your roasts long and low. It will yield the best flavor and texture.

Storing and Freezing Pot roast makes the BEST leftovers. You’re going to love having them on hand to heat up and enjoy throughout the week! - In the Refrigerator: Cool the roast and vegetables and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. - In the Freezer: Freeze the pot roast in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pan on the stove in it’s sauce or microwave.

More Amazing Beef RecipesBeef is so tasty, hearty, and versatile. You’ll have to try out these other delicious recipes! They’re perfect for this chilly weather and will warm you up from the inside out. Find my full list of beef recipes here! To make in the slow cooker:In a large cast iron skillet heat the olive oil on medium high heat until it starts smoking. Salt and pepper each side of the roast and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side to give it a dark brown crust. In a 5 quart slow cooker add the carrots, potatoes, and onion. Place the roast on top. In a small bowl combine beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the top of the roast. Cook on low for 10 hours or until tender. Press the sauté button on the instant pot and wait for it to say “HOT”. Add in the olive oil. Salt and pepper the beef and slice the beef in half if it doesn’t fit. Working in batches, sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Place the carrots, potato, and onion into the bottom of the instant pot. Place the meat on top. In a small bowl combine beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the top of the roast. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes and then do a natural release. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large cast iron skillet heat the olive oil on medium high heat until it starts smoking. Salt and pepper each side of the roast and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side to give it a dark brown crust. In a large casserole dish add the carrots, potatoes, and onion. Place the roast on top. In a small bowl combine beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the top of the roast. Cover tightly and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees and allow to roast for 4-5 hours. Originally posted September 20, 2020 Updated on January 9, 2023 Serves: 6 Calories566kcal (28%)Carbohydrates22g (7%)Protein47g (94%)Fat31g (48%)Saturated Fat12g (60%)Cholesterol156mg (52%)Sodium987mg (41%)Potassium1377mg (39%)Fiber3g (12%)Sugar4g (4%)Vitamin A6823IU (136%)Vitamin C20mg (24%)Calcium82mg (8%)Iron6mg (33%) All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household. Course Dinner, Main CourseCuisine AmericanKeyword pot roast, pot roast recipe Read the full article

[bonniebelleklyde]

Mistletoe

Word Count: 2871

Pairing: Loceit (romantic)

Warnings: Mild cursing, kissing

Summary: Janus finds himself the victim of a cruel prank involving Logan and a  baffling amount of mistletoe. Janus is completely unbothered. No, really, he is.

When you’re done here, check out sequel Things Unsaid and Prequels A Storm to Weather and The Small Hours.

The first time it had happened had been an unfortunate accident. Logan had been leaning casually against the doorframe that opened the living room up into the hallway, engaged in a conversation with Roman that must have been exasperating judging by the long-suffering huff of his breath and the roll of his eyes. Upon closer inspection, however, it was clear that the exasperation was mostly feigned—the lopsided curve of the logical side’s lips betrayed his fond amusement at whatever asinine argument Roman must have been making. All of this was readily apparent to Janus at a mere glance in Logan’s direction. Janus was, after all, keenly observant and had his gaze landed on Roman instead of Logan, he would have gleaned just as much information about the prince. Obviously.

None of that, however, was what stopped Janus dead in his tracks as he made his way down the hallway. No, what ground his mind and body both to a full stop was the small sprig of green and red hanging from the top of the doorway, just to the left of Logan’s head. Later, Janus would wrack his brain for some good reason that the sight of mistletoe arrested him so thoroughly, but for now he did the only thing he seemed capable of doing—he just…stared. His eyes locked onto the tiny plant as if it were the most fascinating thing that Janus had ever seen…or maybe as if it were something horrific that he couldn’t peel his eyes from. His feet moved without direction of any kind from his mind, as if the damn mistletoe had some sort of magnetic pull on him. He took one step toward the doorway and then another, knowing full well he’d had no intention of going to into the living room when he’d started down this hallway. In fact, he’d never be able to recall where he wanted to go in the first place.

He had no idea how much time had elapsed before Roman noticed his presence or his staring, but Janus’s eyes were finally torn from the mistletoe at the sound of a low chuckle, and he looked in the creative side’s direction to see a slow grin spreading over the other’s face. Roman’s eyes flicked from Janus to the mistletoe hanging over Logan’s head—Janus didn’t dare let his gaze fall to Logan for fear of what expression he might have been sporting—and took a step closer to the doorway.

Oh god, Janus’s useless, horrified mind provided. Suddenly, the deceitful side was absolutely certain of two things: first, that he was about to watch Roman step into the offending doorway and kiss Logan under that godforsaken mistletoe, and second, that he would rather tear off a limb than bear witness to that for one second. Upon reflection after the incident had passed, Janus would become certain of a third fact—that he’d never in his life looked more ridiculous than he did then, sprinting down the hallway to avoid two idiots and a stupid plant.

The second time it happened was all Roman’s doing. In hindsight, Janus really should have known that Roman was up to something when the other had called him into his room from down the hall, asking him to assist with some vaguely mysterious “problem.” Janus was deceit for crying out loud. He should have known.

“Wait, don’t come in yet—just stand right there by the door,” Roman said in a rush, his voice all giddy excitement.

Janus stopped short, confused, and looked passed Roman to see an equally perplexed Logan sitting on the creative side’s bed. Since when were these two attached at the hip? If there was some sort of happy announcement forthcoming, Janus suspected he might literally be sick. Because Janus simply had neither time nor the patience to hear about the romantic exploits of the other sides. And for no other reason. Clearly.

“Roman, whatever this is, I really don’t—” Janus started to drawl, affecting a bored, disinterested tone, when he cut himself off in his own surprise and confusion as Logan was shoved unceremoniously to stand directly in front of him.

Janus blinked hard, attempting to discern exactly what was happening here and coming to no conclusions whatsoever because he was struck by the much more important realization that he’d never been close enough to Logan to get a good look at the logical side’s eyes behind his glasses. They were rich and dark and surprisingly soft, and Janus was vaguely aware that his own lips had parted slightly of their own accord, his mouth gone completely dry in a matter of seconds. He was…ill. There could be no other explanation for his dry mouth and his complete inability to think straight.

He was torn from his reverie by the sound of Roman clearing his throat. Janus glared daggers at the prince standing behind Logan. The prince who was now jerking his head upward in an obnoxiously exaggerated motion, his eyes moving pointedly from Janus’s face to a spot above his head. Reluctantly, Janus followed Roman’s gaze upward and cursed under his breath when the sight above him finally shed clarity on this ridiculous situation. Mistletoe. Of course.

Like a child, Janus closed his eyes to avoid reality. Logan was anything but stupid, and he must have noticed that thrice damned mistletoe by now. Janus was totally unwilling to look Logan in the (deep, liquid, lovely) eye and see any of the myriad unpleasant emotions that must be there. Discomfort. Disgust. Horror. Pity. No, Janus refused to see any of it, refused to acknowledge that this cruel joke was being played on him. For a second time, he turned tail and ran without a word. Roman was yelling something from behind him, but Janus was too busy wiping at his face to pay attention to what it was. His eyes were watering because he must have some sort of allergy to mistletoe—it was the only plausible explanation.

The third time, Patton had somehow become involved. The moral side had cajoled Janus into helping him in the kitchen, and as Janus focused on his attempt to avoid burning the contents of the pan he’d been placed in charge of, Patton waved at something—or as it turned out, someone—behind them.

“Oh hi, Logan! Lucky you’re here; we need a third man over here. Could you grab the salt for me? It’s in that cabinet next to Janus.”

“Luck was in no way involved in my presence here, Patton,” Logan replied as he approached the relevant cabinet. His tone was equal parts exasperated and confused, and Janus hadn’t the slightest clue why it made him smile to himself, why such a mundane statement from Logan seemed to cause something to constrict in his chest. “You did, after all, provide an exact time at which my help would be urgently required in the kitchen.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Patton said, his voice overly chipper even for him. “Well, now that you’re here, why don’t you just add that salt to Janus’s pan there?”

“I hardly see why you needed a third person for this,” Logan remarked, but he didn’t sound particularly bothered despite his words.

Janus watched out of the corner of his eye as Logan moved to do what he was told, reaching over Janus’s arm to sprinkle salt into the pan. And Janus was imagining things when it looked as if Logan paused for no reason when he’d finished, and imagining again when he felt the brush of an arm gently over his. He was certainly imagining things when he snuck a peek at Logan’s face and saw a slight flush in the other’s cheeks. Janus…simply had a vivid imagination.

As Logan’s arm finally moved away, Patton’s hand suddenly shot out, causing Janus to jump violently backward. And sure enough, there was that fucking mistletoe again, dangling over Logan’s head from Patton’s hand. Subtle.

At this point, the mere sight of mistletoe must have triggered Janus’s flight response, as he had sunk out before he could so much as blink. He spent the rest of the day locked in his room. Because he was tired. What did he have to avoid anyway? No, he’d just had a trying day of…sautéing vegetables.

The fourth time, Janus had woken far earlier than he normally did and decided to fix himself a proper breakfast. In the kitchen, he found Logan looking absolutely nothing like himself.

The logical side was, for lack of a better term, a mess. He was on his feet but slouched over the counter as if without its support he would sink to the floor. He dawned a royal blue pajama set that looked like silk and was certainly something Janus had never seen the other wear before. Several buttons of his top were undone, and his glasses were nowhere to be seen. He was looking down at what was likely his fourth cup of coffee, so Janus couldn’t quite see his eyes, but they must have been tired because Janus could make out the bags under Logan’s eyes that, today, rivaled even Virgil’s. When Logan finally registered that someone had entered the room and met Janus’s expression with tired and inexplicably sad eyes, Janus had to make a concerted effort to restrain himself from the sudden impulse to round the counter that stood between them and wrap this man in his arms. To stroke Logan’s bedraggled hair and hum soft melodies in his ear until the stubborn man could be coaxed back to bed.

The deceitful side cleared his throat violently to dispel that dangerous train of thought, a sound that caused Logan to wince as if Janus had shouted at him.

“Are you going to run away from me again?” Logan asked in a tone that sounded like loss, like tragic defeat.

Janus blanched. Was Logan’s current state somehow Janus’s fault?

“No,” he answered in a tentative voice, just above a whisper. “And I don’t…I haven’t been running away from you,” he added weakly.

Logan chucked at that, the sound carrying no humor in it.

“I am many things, Janus, but I think we can both agree that an idiot is not one of them,” he said, and Janus would pay any price if someone would tell him why in the world Logan sounded like he was on the verge of tears. “Roman and Patton have conspired to play a cruel trick on you, it seems. I did attempt to talk them out of it, once I realized what it was they were trying to do.”

Janus wanted very badly to lie. To pretend he didn’t know exactly what Logan was talking about. Like he was blissfully unaware of the goddamned mistletoe and just how unfair this prank was to both of them. Somehow, his normally silver tongue had turned to lead, and he struggled to find any words at all, let alone a lie.

“I’m sorry,” was all he managed to choke out, distressed as he was by the redness of Logan’s dark eyes.

“Don’t,” Logan returned, and it sounded like plea. “Apparently, it is I who should be making apologies.”

There was a bitterness to Logan’s last statement that Janus couldn’t understand.

“What do you have to apologize for?”

Logan blinked and a single tear escaped its duct to roll slowly down the logical side’s face. Janus watched it in horror. He opened his mouth to speak again, to say something, anything to fix this, but Logan cut him off.

“I don’t know,” he exclaimed. “I’ve recounted every moment of the past week in painstaking detail and I cannot come up with what it is I could have done.”

“You haven’t—” Janus rushed to interject, but Logan soldiered on.

“I understand that the nonsense with the mistletoe has distressed you. I understand that you find the act that Roman and Patton have attempted to set in motion with it is unpleasant to you. I understand that my feelings for you have always been unrequited—”

“Your feelings for—?”

“But what I cannot understand is what I have done to convince you so thoroughly that I would ever force you. That you had to physically run away from me to prevent…how exactly did you arrive at the conclusion that I would ever kiss you without your consent?”

In that moment, the slightest push would have knocked Janus to the ground. Since none came, he simply stared, frozen, mouth hanging open and he struggled to process all that Logan had just said. Logan stared right back at him with wet but determined eyes, evidently awaiting Janus’s answer. Regrettably, Janus’s bewildered mind had none to offer.

“Your feelings for me?” he tried again, a slight quiver in his voice betraying his fear.

Logan tucked his head downward at that, and Janus’s heart clenched painfully at the realization that he probably did so to conceal more tears. It was several moments before the logical side had composed himself enough to look up once more, his face confirming Janus’s suspicions.

“Must we talk about that part of it?”

Logan asked the question as if these feelings Logan apparently had were obvious, that there had been some sort of unspoken understanding between the two of them. But Janus continued to stare dumbly back at Logan. Perhaps it was cruel, to push further now. But Janus was selfish, and Janus was afraid—he was not going to subject himself to rejection. He couldn’t; it would defy the very fabric of who he was. He had to be sure.

“Yes,” came his answer on a disbelieving breath.

Logan nodded as though in defeat. He took a long, shaking breath before delivering his answer.

“Though I have been aware of the…unusual affect you have on me for quite some time now, it was only recently that Roman assisted me in coming to terms with the fact that the feelings I have for you have a name. That name being, as I am sure has been obvious to the rest of you, love.”

Love. Janus’s brain halted on the word and he was sure that Logan was still speaking, but the deceitful side’s mind had short circuited. His feet moved of their own accord, and before Janus could register what was happening, he had rounded the edge of the counter and was now standing directly in front of Logan, his hand resting on Logan’s hip.

Logan stopped speaking abruptly—may have even stopped breathing from the sound of it—and blinked heavily, eyes fixed on the spot where Janus’s hand had fallen. He opened his mouth several times and closed it again without speaking. He furrowed his brows as if recalculating a difficult equation to see where he’d gone wrong with it the first time. His brows were still furrowed when he met Janus’s eyes once more.

“Roman…told me it was obvious, that I loved you. You…you knew how I felt.” Logan’s last statement came out like a question.

Janus shook his head in slow motion, still struggling to believe the turn this conversation had taken. Logan’s eyes widened.

“You didn’t…you didn’t know…”

“It would appear,” Janus said softly, bringing a reverent hand to rest against Logan’s cheek and reveling in how easily the logical side leaned into his touch, “that you vastly overestimated my intelligence, dearheart.”

Logan’s breath hitched at the term of endearment, and the logical side moved closer to Janus as if pulled by magnetism, his shaking hand rising to rest against Janus’s chest.

“Why did you run away?” Logan asked as Janus’s thumb moved to brush a stray tear from the other’s face.

“Because I was afraid,” Janus answered, for once completely honest.

“You’re…afraid of me?”

Janus chuckled, the sound soft and fond and full of affection.

“Dearheart, you are terrifying. Now kiss me.”

Logan needed no further prompting. In an instant the logical side had closed the short distance between them, placing his free hand at the back of Janus’s head, and suddenly nothing registered in Janus’s mind apart from the feeling of Logan’s lips on his. They tasted like black coffee, and Janus had always hated coffee but all at once nothing had ever tasted so sweet. Janus moved the hand he’d placed on Logan’s hip to wrap it tightly around the logical side’s waist and pull him closer. The kiss was sweet and soft and gentle, and Janus couldn’t help but smile against Logan’s lips. There was a breathy sound of contentment that could have come from either of them—Janus hadn’t the slightest clue. Janus kissed Logan a second, third, fourth time, unwilling to come up for air as if the moment they parted, Logan would vanish.

The sound of Logan’s quiet laughter gave him pause. He pulled back just far enough to look the other in the eye, and saw that, at some point, Logan’s eyes must have turned skyward, as he was now chuckling at the ceiling. Janus followed Logan’s gaze upward and nearly doubled over in laughter at the small sprig of green and red taped to the ceiling above them.

“Goddamned mistletoe,” he muttered before leaning in for yet another kiss.

The stupid plant had its merits after all.

[abagginses]

Valentine’s Treats

Dean wanted to surprise his roommate but he couldn’t keep it in, “I got a surprise for you,” he blurted. Cas had just got home and didn’t respond right away. His blank expression made Dean nervous and he quickly looked away. “I’m not going to give it to you until tomorrow, when it’s Valentine’s Day.”

“What is it?”

“I won’t say!” Dean went back to frying steak and onion and checked the firmness of their baked potatoes in the oven. He had his back to Cas but could feel his lingering stare.

Ever since they moved in together Dean has cooked for Cas. He liked to cook and he especially liked to cook for Cas. Even though he spends most evenings frying burgers and deep frying fries he likes to whip him and Cas up something healthy and satisfying like a raw cabbage salad and baked sweet potatoes and sautéed chuck steak with mushrooms , or sometimes, not so healthy like baked chicken wings and ranch with deep fried beer-battered bacon strips (a recent discovery).

Cas loved all his recipes, even the ones he made up. He would moan in happy bliss and praise Dean’s talents. They may have just started as acquaintances, friend of a friend type of thing and then roommates mostly out of convenient timing but Dean and Cas became close at meal times. Dean looked forward to eating with Cas, only before now, he hadn’t realized how much.

Cas had a busy schedule as a professor that could be flexible when Cas wanted it. On Dean’s days off he would plan and prep dinner for them and if Dean had to work at night they would have breakfast together. Cas wasn’t a morning person and had a way of arguing for what he wanted so he didn’t have a class until noon. Dean knew enough not to talk to Cas before his first cup of coffee but after that he became his quiet sweet self. Dean knew Cas just liked his mornings to be his.

Dean had to work Valentine’s night for the burgers and wings crowd. The brewpub he cooked at wasn’t really a romantic place but they would probably get some business. He planned to make Cas something special before work, something that would inspire him to say how he really felt…

It wasn’t anything extraordinary that made Dean see Cas for how beautiful he was and generous and patient, how well he got on with Sam, how much he respected Dean. Since they moved into their place they had tiffs and silly arguments that amounted to nothing, but they never really fought. They understood each other enough to know when the other was just tired or stressed. They’d grown to support the other in ways that only love can provide. It wasn’t so much being there for each other all the time as it was giving quiet nudges of understanding and truthful compliments to ward off doubt.

Dean never baked. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t bake, he didn’t like baking. He woke up at a quarter to ten on Valentine’s day to bake Cas red velvet heart-shaped cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

The smell of the cake made Dean lightheaded. He opened the window above the sink to let in the cool breeze. That helped a little. Dean fretted about his cake. He thought about Cas, sleeping, breathing, curled up under the covers, his hair mussed from his pillow.

“Good morning, Dean.”

Dean turned around and Cas was dressed and smiling at him.

“Uh, hey, Cas,” Dean stammered.

“What are you baking?” Cas poured himself coffee.

“Heart shaped cupcakes.”

“For me?”

“Well, yeah.” Dean rubbed his neck, his cheeks flushed.

“They smell amazing.”

The buzzer went off and Dean took the cake out of the oven. He let it cool under the window and poured himself a cup of coffee. He sat down across from Cas, “They have to cool.”

“I got you something, too.”

“You did?”

Cas nodded, “wait here.” He got up and disappeared through the door. He was wearing a blue button up that brought out the vibrant sea tones in his eyes and dark pants that fit his round ass. He came back with a medium sized brown box and set it on the table.

Dean opened the lid and smelled the apples and sugar and cinnamon beneath a buttery crust before he even saw the round pan of heaven. The crust was actually beautiful, around the edge were hearts that glittered with sugar.

“Thank you, Cas, this is the best fucking Valentine’s ever.”

“You’re welcome.” Cas beamed.

Dean frosted two cupcakes and Cas plated two pieces of pie. Dean bit into the fluffy, warm cake and murmured a moan of satisfaction. His eyes were closed so he didn’t see Cas lean across the table to kiss the white frosting off Dean’s pink lips. Dean moaned louder and pressed harder. Cas pulled away first and Dean opened his eyes. Cas’ were right there looking into his with a brilliant light. He had a smile on his parted lips and his honey breath fell on Dean’s skin.

Dean noshed on the rich cake and cream frosting again coated his lips, “Yup, best fucking Valentine’s ever.”

~~sharing from my Ao3 SleepyHunters

[thevintagebluebird]

Unpinned - Ratatouille

Wow. I imagine that after ten months everyone is REALLY FUCKING EXCITED to see how my ratatouille experiment turned out, right? Right?! (And if anyone thinks I can spell ‘ratatouille’ without glancing up at the open recipe tab you are sadly mistaken). Anyway. A lot has happened in ten months! Since last April I’ve started a garden in my community plot (after eight years on the waitlist), gone to two weddings and two book fairs, taken on about three other people’s worth of job responsibilities at work, and oh! Got engaged! Sorry to have dropped off the face of the earth, but finally nabbing myself a hunky fiancé threw everything into a whirlwind of planning (ironically, he also had an eight year waitlist :P). But a venue is booked, a dj is hired, hair and makeup will be wrangled, and now it’s late winter and I’ve got a lot more free time on my hands to bore you all to death with my cooking disasters. So without further ado:

Ratatouille! From the folks who brought you those kind-of-annoying-but-also-addicting-to-watch cooking videos you see on facebook all the time, Tasty!

Verdict: Is the Pintrest photo complete bullshit? - Yup. Because they make you think your mountain of veggies is just gonna like FIT in the pan. Lies.

Is it crazy expensive/time consuming/confusing? - No! It’s literally just a bunch of sliced vegetables lined up and made hot.

Does it taste good? - All I could think as I ate it was ‘this is fine’.

Ratatouille

Ingredients

VEGGIES

2 eggplants

6 roma tomatoes

2 yellow squashes

2 zucchinis

SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves

HERB SEASONING

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Preheat the oven for 375˚F (190˚C).

Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into approximately ¹⁄₁₆-inch (1-mm) rounds, then set aside.

Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.

Arrange the sliced veggies in alternating patterns, (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the herb seasoning: In a small bowl, mix together the basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spoon the herb seasoning over the vegetables.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.

Serve while hot as a main dish or side. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day–cover with foil and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for 15 minutes, or simply microwave to desired temperature.

Enjoy!

Yeah that last step is a bit of a stretch. Let’s explore why, shall we?

Well FIRST off the company couldn’t have been better! Back from wandering the wide world, it’s the lovely Melanie from our adventure with zoodles! She recently co-authored a guidebook to Florence and if you want to feel like you’re chatting with your bestie about the inside info for your trip to Italy, her book is all you need :) I was very excited to have her help tackling this heavyweight of the vegetable culinary world.

Here’s what we started with! ‘But Rew!’ you may ask (if you knew me and were sitting next to me) - ‘what’s with all the potatoes?!’ And I’d look at you knowingly, because I get that question a lot. This time I actually have an answer. We were hosting a few other friends, and in order to make sure there was plenty of vegetable goodness to go around, I brilliantly decided that the ratatouille should be served ON POTATOES. Because who doesn’t think of plain baked potatoes going alongside one of France’s best known dishes?

(It was a horrible idea, btw)

The lovely Melanie, starting the endless task of chopping a bajillion vegetables. They never ended - because not only does the ratatouille itself require a metric fuckton of vegetables SO DOES THE SAUCE.

This is not in the recipe but we needed the potatoes to not be raw so I chucked them in the oven.

What’s with the horrible face? Why I’m nearly thirty agonizing seconds into chopping onions, of course! Seriously, I used to get laughed out of the kitchen by my coworkers when I worked in a restaurant and got onion-chopping duty. I’d run wailing out of the back door with tears streaming down my face.  

Proof: I could not take a steady photo of the onions, I was crying so hard.

MOAR VEGETABLES

Ooooh, starting to look like something! These were all the bits for the sauce. I think. I don’t remember the details it was like ten months ago.

The eggplant was the toughest one to cut thin, mainly because our knives could desperately use a sharpening. Starting to run out of plate space for the raw stuff!

Canned tomatoes added! Now we have a pan overflowing with sauce.

Oh okay so now we add two plates worth of vegetables to the overflowing pan? I grow concerned.

Let’s just build a vegetable pyramid! Whatever! What could go wrong?! (Spoiler alert: it took over an hour of scrubbing to clean all the burned vegetable goo off the bottom of my oven).

Post oven! They shrank a tiny bit but this pan is still aggressively full. Good thing we’ve got a full table!

And my worst ‘plated’ shot to date as I forgot to take a picture of the final result before handing them out! These cute mugs are way better anyway :)

Final final verdict: With the potatoes they were…strange. It wasn’t a great pairing - probably just thin pasta or polenta would be better. And I clearly need a bigger cast iron pan. But I might try it again if I found myself with a plethora of veggies!

[midnightjamlady]

Open-face veggie egg omelette

I like breakfasts, as long as I’m not forced into eating it the moment I wake up. I need time to warm up to breakfast but once it’s time, I’m ready for eggs.

I think eggs are truly the best value nutritious food you can get. It’s cheap, it has proteins, and can be made and eaten in so many ways so it never gets boring.

When I’m pressed for time then it’s just a plain egg omelette. But on weekends I’ll put in a few more minutes to make this, a mushroom and kale egg “pancake”, essentially an open-face omelette.

Just sauté some sliced shiitake mushrooms in olive oil, and when it’s almost cooked through, add a handful of chopped kale leaves (I used Toscano kale and sliced them into ribbons). Add salt and pepper the season the mushrooms and kale. Do it at this stage as the salt helps to boost the mushroom-y flavor; you need not salt the egg much, if at all, later on.

When the vegetables are done, add the beaten eggs to the pan and cook on gentle heat. Stir the eggs to give it a more fluffy texture and so that the bottom doesn’t burn. Cook until the eggy bits no longer wobble too much. Add thin shavings of parmagiano cheese over it and serve.

I made this for 2 persons. I used 4 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, 4 large kale leaves, and 4 eggs.

If you’ve got an oven, you can even make this into a frittata and just chuck it in to bake the eggs and you’ll get a nice browned crust if u add some cheese over it. But my oven is broken so this is more like an open face egg omelette.

This takes maybe 10 mins to whip up so it’s something I like to make on a Sunday and slowly enjoy it with coffee. If you want a more substantial breakfast, pair this with buttered toasts, sausages if you want meat, or a tomato avocado salad if you prefer a wholly vegetarian meal (which tends to be my preference these days).

[ohmytomatoe]

recipes

Sauce

1 large can tomato puree/sauce (Cento, Hunts, San Marzano)

1 can diced tomato

1 can tomato paste (Use about 1/4 of can)

Sometimes i’ll use a can of crushed tomato with basil or fire roasted diced

A few cloves of garlic

1 Onion (white or yellow)

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Basil (Fresh preferred MMMM bitch or dried)

Parsley (Fresh or dried)

Oregano

Onion powder

Garlic powder

You can add some crushed red pepper too!

I use Italian seasoning as well even though I am already putting in that combo. 

Prep:

Chop onion

Press garlic with a knife to flatten it, chop up

Heat a few Swirls of oil in a pot on medium

Put in onion and garlic with tomato paste and sauté for a few minutes , not too hot so you don’t burn the garlic

Pour in can of sauce and diced tomatoes

Fill can with water and pour in pot and stir that shit up. If you use a little can, fill it twice

Turn up the heat to high

Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, parsley, and stir it well

Cover for a about 10 minutes med-high heat, sometimes I do longer I just MAKE SURE THE SAUCE DOESN'T STICK

Add some Italian seasoning, more salt and pepper before turning on low heat and cover it with the lid half on so heat can escape

Leave on low for an hour at least and stir occasionally. Can cook up to 4-6 hours but who has that kind of time?!

*f you want to do a meat sauce (like sausage, any cut of steak like chuck or short ribs) sauté meat in pot first thing. Once it's browned take it out and add the chopped garlic and onion with the tomato paste and saute on medium heat and add sauce & spices.  You don’t have to cook the meat fully because it will go back in the sauce and finish cooking in the saucy bath.

Turkey Meatballs

1 package ground turkey

1 egg

2 cloves garlic chopped small

Optional onion, I love onion in everything

1 cup breadcrumb- sometimes I’ll add more than a cup

Salt

Pepper

Parsley (fresh is better)

Oregano

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Mustard

Worcestershire sauce 

Grated cheese

Then mash it up in a bowl! I used my hands cause its easier. I don’t have measurements on each ingredient, I’ll just do whatever feels RIGHT

Mix well enough and if it feels dry add a little water, if it feels too watery, add more breadcrumb

You can let the turkey firm up in the fridge for like 20 minutes to make rolling the balls easier, or not, and just start rolling them. Use a small cup of water to dip your hands in between each ball rolling. Haha.

You can put some of the raw meatballs in the sauce and turn the heat up a bit and let them cook for a half hour or more and fry some on the stove.

You could probably air fry them too! 

Eggplant Parmesan

2 large eggplant

Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

Parmesan grated cheese

Shredded mozarella

1 egg

1/2 cup ish milk of choice

Fresh Basil

Italian seasoning

Garlic powder

Dried parsley

Oregano 

2 large ziplock bags

Prep:

Wash eggplant

Slice off stem and bottom to create flat ends

Slice length wise or round any thickness you prefer. The thicker it's cut, the longer to bake.

Salt the slices and put in colander or tray to sweat out the moisture. Wait for 15 minutes.

See: Sauce

Fill 1 ziplock with breadcrumbs, grated cheese, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, and whatever spices of your choice.

Fill 1 ziplock with egg wash. 1 egg /milk should be enough but add more as needed)

Rinse salt off eggplant

Drop each slice in egg wash, then fork it out, let it drain for a few seconds

Drop slice in breadcrumbs and shake it like shake and bake

Fork slice out and place on oiled baking pan. You want to have a layer of oil so it absorbs in the eggplant and breading. 

Lay slices evenly, cover top with drizzle of olive oil and place in 410 degree oven for 20 minutes

Flip half way through to ensure both sides are baked, I like em crispy

Assembly required

Scoop sauce into large baking dish

Layer eggplant, sauce, grated cheese, mozzarella, fresh basil x 2

Top layer of eggplant with sauce only

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Take out and add grated parmesean and shredded mozzarella

Put back in oven for 25 minutes 

Remove from oven and let cool before serving

[sexydeathparty]

Parents Swear By This Instant Pot Cooker (And It's 30% Off Right Now)

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Here at HuffPost UK Shopping, we like to draw your attention to a good deal and, my golly, we’ve found one for you today – especially if you’re a parent.

Among parenting circles, the ‘Instant Pot’ has a genuine cult following – and it’s easy to see why. To give it its full name, the Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Smart Cooker is a kitchen godsend, multi-tasking as a slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté pan, steamer, food warmer and even yoghurt maker (if that’s your thing).

It makes healthy cooking easier and quicker, it saves space on the kitchen worktop, and –*grabs megaphone* – it’s got a brilliant 30% this weekend on Amazon. That means you buy one for £69.99 rather than the regular £99.99, a very respectable £30 saving, which takes this gadget from wishlist to buy now.

When our parenting writer Mike Rampton got his hands on one, he was in raptures. “I’d heard of the Instant Pot before I saw one for myself,” he writes. “And then my family got one – and it’s the goddamn best.”

Let Mike explain the genius (or you can read his full review here):

“The main thing the Instant Pot does is cook stuff absurdly quickly that would normally take you a while. And for those who no longer have the time or the freedom for more leisurely cooking, it’s a game-changer...

“Something to do with pressure, and steam, and temperature, and Christ knows what, means you can chuck a bunch of food in with no real care and half an hour later sit down to something magnificent. You can do a stew in, what, 45 minutes? And you end up with beautifully tender meat falling off the bone. The first thing we made in it – a short-rib ragu – is just about the best thing I’ve ever eaten, and went from a vague thought to satisfied belches in an hour.

“It’s also pleasingly intense. For an item that feels really high-tech, it coughs and splutters quite terrifyingly when you release the pressure, shooting a jet of steam into your kitchen ceiling for way longer than you’d expect it to. I love it!”

At full price, the Instant Pot is not cheap, as Mike pointed out, “but it definitely feels like it pays for itself over time.” Right now, it’s nothing short of a bargain.

Related...

8 Kitchen Life-Savers That Make Prepping Meals Less Of A Chore

5 Genius 'Clean Tok' Hacks (And The Products You'll Need To Pull Them Off)

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from HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public) https://ift.tt/IXUVbiP via IFTTT

[ronniefein]

Baked Beans for July 4th

I was thinking about which "real American" foods to serve on July 4th. Not just the usual icons: burgers, apple pie, lemonade. I wanted something that represented the "mongrels" that we are: Americans may be tribal in some ways, but we are also an odd mix-and-blend of a zillion cultures.

And so is American food.

For example, some say that Baked Beans are originally from France -- some sort of easy version of cassoulet. But the countries where they eat baked beans the most are English speaking: England, Ireland, Canada and Australia.

And yet ... baked beans are also a favorite in Holland and Hong Kong.

And of course beans themselves are native to South America, so who knows?

The original Puritan colonists in New England made baked beans often and for the same reason as observant Jews make cholent -- the dish cooks slowly in a pot so there's no work to be done during the Sabbath. Baked beans have been popular ever since, and particularly so after the canned versions first came along at the turn of the 20th century.

Green labelled Heinz Vegetarian baked beans were a standard item at my house when I was a kid.

So, baked beans it is.

I like making my own because when they're homemade I can season the beans the way I like, make them spicy or not, use more or less sugar (or sugar substitutes such as honey or maple syrup), make them vegetarian or with meat.

I recently had a couple of slices of flanken left over, so I decided to use them in a new recipe.

My husband usually likes my cooking and there are some dishes he thinks are so good he brags to people about them. Like my recipe for Carrot Soup with Harissa and Coconut.

These beans? He told me several times that they are among the best foods he has ever tasted. In fact, one night he only had baked beans (and a few of the chunks of flanken in them) for dinner.

So, this recipe is a yes for July 4th.

Baked beans take time. But you can make them several days ahead. They last for a week in the fridge. If you don't have flanken you can use chuck, smoked turkey or some kind of sausage.

BAKED BEANS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY

1 pound dried navy or great northern beans

water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6-8 ounces beef chuck or flanken , cut into chunks

1 medium onion, sliced

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon powdered mustard

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the beans soak for one hour. Drain the beans and return them to the pot. Cover the beans again with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, cover the beans with water and let them soak for at least 8 hours.) Drain the beans and place them in an oven-proof casserole. While the beans are cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the meat and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until they are browned. Remove the meat from the pan and add to the beans. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add to the drained beans and meat. Place the brown sugar, honey, ketchup, salt and mustard in a bowl and mix thoroughly to blend the ingredients. Stir in 2-1/2 cups water. Pour the mixture over the beans and meat. Cover the casserole and put it in the oven. Set the temperature at 300 degrees and cook the beans at least 5 hours, or until they are tender.

Makes 8 servings

[momminonabudget]

Dinner for the next 29 days on less than 200 dollars! Recipes included below

4 hamburger helper nights w mashed potatoes

Hamburger helper is pretty self explanatory, I use ground turkey instead of ground beef just because it’s 1.) healthier and 2.) cheaper. For mashed potatoes I always use instant, we are lazy and it’s about a dollar a bag!

2 pizza roll up nights

Pizza roll ups are our favorites!

You take crescent rolls, 2-3 pieces of pepperoni, and half a mozzarella cheese stick, roll it up, and bake according to the crescent roll instructions. I dip in pizza sauce!

2 pigs in a blanket nights

Pretty self explanatory again,

crescent rolls, half a piece of sliced cheese, and a hot dog, rolled up and cooked to what it says on the can of crescent rolls, we dip in ketchup!

2 Alfredo nights with cheese bread

For this I use frozen cheese ravioli and canned Alfredo sauce, that’s it! For cheese bread I use frozen garlic bread, use whatever makes you happy!

A homemade pizza night

Me and my family LOVE pizza, we could eat takeout everyday, so every once in a while we make pizza at home. We just use ready to bake pizza crust, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and top with Cajun sausage and green bell peppers. We brush the crust with garlic butter as well, but this is such a versatile recipe you can put whatever you want on it. We bake at 450 until golden brown.

2 brats and peppers nights

This one is a new favorite. We use the Johnsonville jalapeño and cheddar brats and sear them until done to our liking, I sauté tri colored bell peppers while I’m cooking the brats, then we assemble on hot dog buns, I use just mayonnaise on mine but my fiancé uses brown mustard on his! We usually serve with potato wedges

2 broccoli cheddar soup nights

I totally cheat when it comes to this, I use bear creek package and put bacon bits on top while serving. It’s cheap, easy, and yummy!

2 chicken and gravy nights

Chicken and gravy is a southern favorite, and slow cooks in the crockpot all day, it’s an easy comfort meal. For this recipe I use

chicken breasts,

2 cans of cream of chicken soup,

2 cans of water,

and 2 chicken gravy packets,

layer it in the crock pot with salt and pepper and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3.

When it’s done I shred the chicken and serve over white bread and mashed potatoes. Perfect for a fall night!

Mississippi mud roast with mashed potatoes!

For this recipe I use beef chuck roast, au jus gravy mix, 4 Peperoncinos with the juice, and a ranch seasoning packet. On low for 8 hours, and served over mashed potatoes. Any leftovers we have we freeze and use later!

taco nights x 2

I white people taco night this, because I live with a picky boy. We just use flour tortillas, ground turkey, a taco seasoning pack, and just assemble with cheese. I add sour cream and lettuce to mine, he eats his with just lettuce and cheese!

A meatloaf night w corn and potatoes

As someone who doesn’t own a meatloaf pan, we use the crockpot for this one. Which works so well! For this one I have to use ground beef, not turkey, i can’t skimp for this recipe just because it’s a classic.

2 pounds of ground beef

One small onion diced

2 large eggs

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup of milk

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

And mix together in a mixing bowl with my hands.

I line in crockpot with aluminum foil into a meatloaf shape, and form the meat mixture into there. I cook on low for 6 hours

After it’s almost done, I start with the glaze!

2/3 cup ketchup

1/4 brown sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon worstershire. I glaze the top of the meat loaf with it 15 minutes before it’s done.

Served with veggies of your choice, and mashed potatoes!

2 sloppy Joe nights

For my sloppy joes, I use a pound of ground turkey. I brown it fully then use

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

A tablespoon of mustard

And a tablespoon of worsterschire.

Adapt to taste!

I serve on buns with American cheese, pickles, and a side of Mac and cheese.

2 taco soup nights

Taco soup 7 can recipe here

https://togetherasfamily.com/7-can-chicken-taco-soup/

2 chili nights

For my chili, I use ground turkey again! I brown it till there’s no more pink, and

then add two chili beans, one can drained one not

One can of diced tomatoes, not drained

Then a packet of chill-o seasoning

Keep on stove until it’s to a boil!

[ssportlive4]

Beef Stew on the Stovetop.

Hello everybody, I hope you're having an incredible day today. Today, I'm gonna show you how to prepare a special dish, beef stew on the stovetop. It is one of my favorites. This time, I'm gonna make it a bit unique. This is gonna smell and look delicious.

Beef Stew on the Stovetop is one of the most well liked of recent trending foods on earth. It is easy, it is fast, it tastes yummy. It's appreciated by millions every day. Beef Stew on the Stovetop is something that I've loved my entire life. They are fine and they look wonderful.

To get started with this recipe, we have to prepare a few ingredients. You can have beef stew on the stovetop using 23 ingredients and 6 steps. Here is how you cook that.

The ingredients needed to make Beef Stew on the Stovetop:

{Get of Chuck Roast--------------------.

{Prepare 4 pound of Black Angus chuck.

{Prepare 1 tablespoon of lard.

{Take 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.

{Take 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

{Take 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder.

{Take 1/2 of large onion diced.

{Prepare 1 cup of sliced celery.

{Make ready of Vegetables------------------------------.

{Take 4 pound of white potatoes.

{Take 2 pounds of carrots.

{Prepare 1-1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

{Take 2-1/2 quarts of water.

{Make ready 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder.

{Get of Thickener------------------.

{Prepare 1/4 cup of butter.

{Get 1/2 cup of all purpose flour.

{Prepare 1 pint of beef broth.

{Get 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder.

{Prepare 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

{Get 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

{Make ready As needed of water to thin if needed.

{Take 12 cup of cooked rice see any of my recipes.

Instructions to make Beef Stew on the Stovetop:

Heat a pan and add a little lard to it. Slice the beef into bite sized pieces and remove tendons pieces and any other hard pieces. Season the beef. Boil the water..

Add the pieces of beef to the hot pan with the onions and celery. Sauté the mixture till the beef is no longer pink..

Add the potatoes and carrots to the boiling water along with the spices. Cook covered till fork tender. Add the beef mixture to the potatoes and carrots..

Add the butter to a pan and melt. Add the flour and spices to the butter. Stirring constantly till it's browned a bit..

Add the broth. It will thin out then thicken back up. If too thick then thin with the water just enough to pour into stew..

Stir well simmer 10 minutes covered then let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with rice. I hope you enjoy!!.

So that is going to wrap it up with this exceptional food beef stew on the stovetop recipe. Thank you very much for your time. I'm confident you can make this at home. There's gonna be interesting food at home recipes coming up. Remember to bookmark this page in your browser, and share it to your loved ones, friends and colleague. Thanks again for reading. Go on get cooking!

[hmhbooks]

Adam Fleischman’s Umami Burger

The Umami Burger is excerpted from FLAVOR BOMBS © 2018 by Adam Fleischman. Photographs © 2018 by Wendy Sue Lamm. Used by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Makes 1 burger

This is it. This is the original. The Umami Burger, the burger that I pulled together in my home kitchen with not much more than a few umami-intense ingredients, a cast-iron skillet, and a food processor. This is versatile: If you don’t have time to make the Oven-Dried Tomatoes, sub in ripe tomatoes. If you’re out of Parmesan cheese, omit the Parmesan cheese crisp. It’s your burger. Do it your way.

1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 6 ounces chuck, boneless short ribs, skirt steak, or hanger steak, nicely marbled, about 20% fat, or a combination Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1½ ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed 1 potato bun, split Umami Ketchup (see below) Caramelized Onions 2 slices Oven-Dried Tomatoes or ripe tomato

1.     Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

2.     Divide the cheese into neat piles on the baking sheet about 4 inches apart. Flatten the piles with a spatula or the bottom of a cup to form 3-inch rounds.

3.     Bake until the rounds are crisp and golden, about 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cheese crisps to a rack and let them cool completely before using; you should have 15 to 20 crisps. You’ll need only one Parmesan crisp per burger; save the rest for other burgers, or for snacking on later. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not refrigerate.

4.     While the cheese crisps cool, make the patty. Cube the meat and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes (see page 102). When the meat is cold, place it in your food processor and pulse a few times, just until it’s coarsely ground.

5.     Place a cast-iron skillet on the highest heat. You want the pan to be wicked hot so you can quickly sear the patty crisp without overcooking the inside.

6.     Dump the meat out on a plate and loosely shape it into a flat ball or something close to that general shape. Don’t pack the patty—it should barely hold together. Season the patty generously with salt and pepper.

7.     Add the oil to the pan, wait a few seconds, then carefully place the patty in the pan; it should crackle and pop right away.

8.     Sear the patty for 3 minutes, then flip it over and cook another 3 minutes for a medium-rare burger. Set aside.

9.     Lower the flame to medium. Place ½ tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet, then toss in the mushrooms. Sauté until the caps are softened, about 2 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, throw in the remaining ½ tablespoon butter, and toast both halves of the potato bun cut side down.

10.  When the bun is nice and toasted, remove it from the pan and assemble your burger, starting with the ketchup. I like to ketchup both the top and bottom bun, but use as much or as little as you want. Place the patty on the bottom bun and top with the Caramelized Onions, a Parmesan crisp, mushroom caps, tomato slices, and the top bun. Eat. Enjoy.

Umami Ketchup

Makes 4 cups

It may seem like a lot of effort to make your own ketchup from scratch when you could just grab a bottle the next time you’re at the market, but trust me: This is worth it. The Umami Ketchup is super savory and makes even the blandest french fries taste amazing.

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped ¼ cup tomato paste 2 cups packed dark brown sugar 1 cup cider vinegar 1½ teaspoons sea salt Dash of Worcestershire sauce Dash of fish sauce Pinch of truffle salt (optional) Pinch of Umami Master Dust 1 teaspoon Umami Master Sauce

1.     Puree the tomatoes, including the juice from the can, in a blender until smooth.

2.     Place the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and when it’s smoking, add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, and sea salt and simmer, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the whole thing is very thick, about 1 hour. Toward the end of the cooking time, stir more frequently to prevent the ketchup from scorching.

3.     Back to the blender. Puree the ketchup in batches until smooth. Chill, covered, overnight to allow the flavors to develop. Add the Worcestershire, fish sauce, truffle salt, if using, Umami Master Dust, and Umami Master Sauce.

4.     Stored, covered, in the fridge, the ketchup will keep for up to 2 months.

[gelasssoek]

Nessa's Meatball Sandwich. Meatballs in tomato sauce with melted cheese on a lightly toasted baguette. The meatball sandwich is a common sandwich that is a part of several cuisines, including Italian-American cuisine and American cuisine. The sandwich primarily consists of meatballs, a tomato sauce or marinara sauce, and bread, such as Italian bread, baguette and bread rolls.

Nate's Meatless Meatballs - a line of vegan and vegetarian "meatballs" - is the perfect solution to a Nate's brings you a delicious homemade meatless meatball sandwich recipe that can make for a. The Meatball Marinara sandwich is drenched in irresistible marinara sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, topped with whatever you want (no judgement) and perfectly toasted just for you. A great meatball sub sandwich begins with great meatballs, duh.

Hello everybody, I hope you are having an incredible day today. Today, I'm gonna show you how to make a special dish, nessa's meatball sandwich. It is one of my favorites. For mine, I'm gonna make it a bit tasty. This will be really delicious.

Meatballs in tomato sauce with melted cheese on a lightly toasted baguette. The meatball sandwich is a common sandwich that is a part of several cuisines, including Italian-American cuisine and American cuisine. The sandwich primarily consists of meatballs, a tomato sauce or marinara sauce, and bread, such as Italian bread, baguette and bread rolls.

Nessa's Meatball Sandwich is one of the most well liked of current trending foods in the world. It's enjoyed by millions daily. It's simple, it's fast, it tastes yummy. They're fine and they look wonderful. Nessa's Meatball Sandwich is something that I have loved my entire life.

To begin with this particular recipe, we have to first prepare a few ingredients. You can have nessa's meatball sandwich using 32 ingredients and 10 steps. Here is how you can achieve it.

The ingredients needed to make Nessa's Meatball Sandwich:

{Make ready of Red Sauce.

{Prepare 2 tbsp of Vegetable Olive oil.

{Prepare 1 of Yellow Onion, chopped.

{Make ready 4 of Cloves Garlic, minced.

{Prepare 1 tsp of Dried Basil.

{Take 1 tsp of Dried Oregano.

{Prepare 1 tsp of Crushed Red Pepper.

{Prepare 2 of (28-ounce) Cans of San Marzano, Whole Peeled Tomatoes.

{Get 2 of (15-ounce) Cans of Any Tomato Sauce.

{Prepare 3 tbsp of Tomato paste.

{Get 1 cup of Water.

{Prepare 1 tbsp of Sugar.

{Take of Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

{Make ready of Meatballs.

{Prepare 2 tbsp of Vegetable oil.

{Get 1 of Yellow Onion, minced.

{Prepare 4 clove of Garlic, minced.

{Get 2 lb of Ground Beef Chuck.

{Make ready 1 lb of Italian Hot Sausage, ground.

{Prepare 1 tbsp of Garlic Pepper.

{Prepare 2 cup of Italian bread crumbs.

{Make ready 1/3 cup of Fresh Parsley, minced.

{Make ready 1 tbsp of Dried Basil.

{Take 1 tbsp of Dried Oregano.

{Prepare 2 of Egg.

{Make ready 1 cup of Grated Mozzarella Cheese.

{Make ready 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, finely grated.

{Prepare of Meatball Sandwich.

{Make ready 12 of Hoagie rolls.

{Get 3 tsp of Olive oil.

{Prepare 2 cup of Mozzarella cheese, grated.

{Make ready 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, finely grated.

And while we've made more than our share of meatballs in our lives—more on that later—our love for meatballs began here. If you have other sandwich related content, I'm pretty sure this is a good spot for it as well. This is The Perfect Meatball Sandwich, made on toasted, buttery garlic bread, with an easy homemade marinara sauce and my favorite beef and sausage meatballs. The Meatball Sandwich is a decimal rarity Reborn-tier upgrader added in The Trinity Update.

Steps to make Nessa's Meatball Sandwich:

Sauté chopped onion with vegetable oil, season with salt/black pepper. When the onions are almost translucent add minced garlic, cook for 2-3mins..

Then combine the rest of the red sauce ingredients thoroughly into a large heavy pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot..

Do this again for your Meatballs - Sauté your chopped onion with vegetable oil, season with salt/black pepper. When the onions are almost translucent add minced garlic, cook for 2-3mins. (You could do this once and just divide the onions/garlic in half for sauce/meatballs) Let onions/garlic cool down before adding it to a large mixing bowl..

Next, add the remaining meatball ingredients together in large mixing bowl using your hands to combine gently..

Using a Ice cream scooper, divide the meatball mixture into 25 - 30 even portions and roll into smooth meatballs. Place meatballs on a wire rack/cookie sheet with lip..

When all the meatballs are shaped, place them in the fridge for 20 mins to firmly mold together. Preheat oven to 400°.

Roll the meatballs in flour and brown them on both side in a Sauté pan | Place in oven 400° for 25 mins. Then gently place the meatballs into the simmering sauce 1 at a time. Stir gently and continue to simmer for an additional 20 - 30 minutes..

Now slice a hoagie bun and then using your hands, remove some of the bread interior to form a hollowed-out pocket shape. Brush the inside of the hollowed out buns with the olive oil. Divide half the grated mozzarella evenly between the hoagie buns and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and buns are lightly golden, about 3 - 4 minutes..

Remove from the oven and ladle some of the sauce into the buns. Place 2 or 3 meatballs inside each bun and top with more sauce. Divide the remaining mozzarella cheese among the tops of the buns and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Return to the oven and bake until the cheeses are golden brown, 4 - 6 minutes..

Bon Appétit :).

It was picked by the community in a strawpoll, competing against The Holy Cheese. Meatballs can be easily reheated or frozen for later. They're tough to overcook and they're deeply This is an amazing sandwich. The flavors are complex and complimentary. For this meatball sandwich, we like a combo of spicy and sweet Italian sausage, but use any uncooked sausage you like—merguez or chorizo would work.

So that is going to wrap this up with this special food nessa's meatball sandwich recipe. Thank you very much for reading. I'm sure you can make this at home. There's gonna be interesting food at home recipes coming up. Don't forget to save this page in your browser, and share it to your loved ones, friends and colleague. Thank you for reading. Go on get cooking!

[tango-mango]

Enchiladas Con Carne – a story and a new recipe  

When I was twenty-one years old I became friends with someone from Texas who introduced me to Tex-Mex cooking. Since then, and I do not exaggerate, I have been making enchiladas at least once a month ever since. Most of you don’t know my current age, but I can tell you that is a LOT of enchiladas.

My enchiladas are incredibly good, they’re inexpensive to make, and they’re not too hard to fix. Another reason we eat them so often is because long ago I landed on a perfect recipe. I rarely venture off into new territory because I have no motivation to fix something that doesn’t need fixing. However…

A few days ago I changed things up a bit when I found this recipe on The New York Times website (an excellent source for great recipes), and was running to the store for ingredients thirty minutes later.

With a few modifications, this recipe is a winner. The tortillas are crisp around the edges, the meaty sauce/filling has a wonderful, complex flavor, and the cheese melts like a dream. When I made these for dinner, we went back for seconds, and then warmed up the leftovers for breakfast the next morning! It looks like I’ve added a new recipe to my repertoire.

I took the time to read most of the reviews, and as I envisioned the preparation and cooking process, realized that a few of the reviewers made some excellent suggestions. What you see below is the original recipe, but I’ve noted my modifications in parentheses.

Chili con carne ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour (most reviewers agreed that 1/2 cup was way too much, and I agree. I cut this down to 3 tablespoons and it was perfect)

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola

1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped

1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons chile powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican

2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought

Enchilada ingredients:

½ cup neutral oil, like canola (this is for softening the tortillas – I used a different method so this extra oil wasn’t needed)

12 yellow corn tortillas (try to find ones that are very soft)

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese (I actually used part American cheese and loved it!)

Optional garnishes:

Chopped white onion

Sour cream

Diced tomatoes

Directions:

Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool. Note: you need to watch this like a hawk, as it burns really easily.

Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.

Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.

Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days. Note: I found that as this cooled, there was a lot of extra fat that rose to the surface. I skimmed this off.

When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly. Note: I found that just setting a soft tortilla on a hot pan for 10 seconds or so softened it sufficiently. You can also steam them quickly, or microwave briefly.

Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately. Note: I found that I needed to extend the baking time significantly. 25 minutes was more realistic. If you make these entirely ahead of time and refrigerate, you’ll have the increase your time even more.

[theodosian-kitchen]

Ferelden Roast Dinner I'm sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I had it once, but it never showed up, and then my life got chaotic. Anyways here's a recipe For roast beef and onion gravy. (I figured that the sauted vegetables and mashed potatoes were pretty self explanatory.) ROAST Ingredients: 1 Chuck roast (mine was about 2 pounds) Sea salt Coarse black pepper Garlic powder Thyme (I forgot to measure these things, but enough to cover your roast generously.) 5 cloves of crushed garlic 1 medium yellow onion, halved and then sliced 3 sprigs of rosemary (I had more, but it was a little too much.) Right out roast down with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme. (I didn't measure, but I would estimates teaspoon of each, depending on the size of your roast.) Place the roast in a baking dish (I just used a pie pan because it was what I had handy) over top of the sliced onions. Place the crushed garlic and rosemary on top. Wrap the dish tightly with tin foil and refrigerate. (I left it in the for about 24 hours. You can do more or less.) When you're ready to cook your roast just put it in the oven still wrapped in foil. For a medium rare roast I put mine in at 200 degrees (fahrenheit) for about 5 hours. (If you want it cooked more just increase time or heat.) Remove roast from oven and take off the foil. I took my roast out of the dish and wrapped it in the foil to rest. Then you can start on the gravy GRAVY Ingredients: Pan drippings from the roast (mine let off about a cup and a half of liquid) Roasted onions (from under your roast) Half of the roasted garlic and rosemary from your roast, finely chopped Three cups of beef broth Cornstarch Separate the roasted garlic and sprigs of rosemary from the dish and chop them finely, reserving half for your vegetables. Pour the liquid that cooked off of your roast and the onions into a saucepan with the beef broth, garlic, and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat down to a gentle simmer and stir in a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water) Bring the temperature back up while stirring to thicken the gravy. Serve with roasted mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. This turned out really well. I feel like this would be something eaten in Ferelden, because it is hearty and comforting. Plus it's pretty easy to make as well. (P.S. look out for another recipe tonight as well)

[jackspratcooks]

Fall Apart Beef Stew

It’s been too long since I’ve posted any new recipes, or anything at all for that matter. Between having hernia surgery, and being in Tibet climbing Mt. Everest, the last thing I've wanted to do is be hunched over a stove in my Hobbit kitchen, ducking under a too short range hood, and chopping on too short kitchen counters...but I digress and I took advantage of the mid-week holiday yesterday. 

As I described it to my hubby, this recipe is like a beef stew/beef bourguignon hybrid. Either way you look at it, be ready for melt-in-the-mouth beef, and a rich, thick, and flavourful stew that’s to die for especially on rainy days (like today!). My Nana used to make beef stew whenever she craved it (even if it was the middle of summer). Though the base of it is similar, I’d basically call this my own original recipe, since she never cooked with wine, and me....well, any chance I can cook with wine (one for the pot and one for the cook!), I take it. So here’s my interpretation on classic beef stew. 

Side note: this recipe is easily scaleable to make as much or as little as you want. The benefit of making a large batch is it freezes beautifully for the next time you have a craving, and a larger batch does much better in the long slow oven.

 Ingredients...

2lbs of beef stew chunks, or beef chuck/round cut into 1.5″ chunks

3 medium carrots - chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large onion - chopped (about 1 cup)

3 large celery stalks - chopped (about 1 cup)

2 cups of good red wine...good enough to drink

2 1/2 cups low sodium beef stock (reserve 1/2 cup)

3 cloves garlic - minced

1 cup of crushed tomatoes with juice

3 dashes (about 2 tsp) of Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp all purpose flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

(optional) 8-10 whole mini potatoes - I mean the mini ones, smaller than a ping pong ball (or you could cube up full sized russets in 1″ chunks).

Directions...

Preheat your oven to 300F/150C

In a large Dutch oven or heavy, oven proof stock pot, heat about 2 tbsp of high heat oil such as grapeseed in the pan (make sure your lid is also oven proof!)

Sear your beef on all sides being careful not to crowd the pan, and not to cook it through. Sear in batches if necessary*

Remove the beef to a plate or bowl to let rest

Add in your mirepoix; celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and sautée until your onions are translucent - about 3 minutes

Add in your spices, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste has turned a rich brown colour and it no longer smells like raw tomato paste. 

Add in your wine, and Worcestershire and bring to a simmer, stirring while scraping the bottom of the pan for about 5 minutes 

Add the chopped tomatoes, potatoes (if adding), and beef stock and bring back to a simmer 

Add your reserved beef stock to a jar with a lid, or shaker with the all-purpose flour. Shake it until there are no lumps, pour into the stew while stirring, and bring back to a full simmer for 3 minutes to make sure the flour has cooked through and thickened your stock 

Cover the pan (again, make sure your lid is oven proof) and place in the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, stirring every hour or so

After the first hour, taste and check for seasoning adding more salt or pepper if needed

While it’s out of the oven, take the time to remove any excess oil left over from sautéing your veg, or has rendered out of the beef. By now it will have levelled out on the surface and be very easy to skim off  

At the 3 hour mark, check the beef, it should be nearly falling apart. If it’s falling apart, it’s done. If not, well, it’s not. Patience is a virtue here

Once done, the beef should literally be so tender, you can cut it with a wooden spoon. 

Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with a great crusty bread and a glass of the wine you added to the stock and enjoy! 

*Pro tip: To get the most flavour and best sear on your beef, do as Julia Child said “it won't brown if it’s not dry!” I typically take my beef out of any packaging and lay on paper towels in the fridge, covered with another paper towel, for at LEAST 24 hours before I cook it. Just trust me on this.