Slow Cooker Sweet & Savory Pork Roast with 'Gumes & Roots!

My fabulous husband got me a super-duper fantastic slow cooker!! Now, the reason for my excitement is that until last year, no one in Norway even knew what the Hell I was talking about when I asked about slow cookers or crock pots. This is something very new to Norway.

As an American, crock pots have been a part of our lives for decades. They were the "go to" way of cooking for working folk or if you wanted to slowly cook meats, beans, chickens, hens and such. Now that I have one here in Langevåg, life will never be the same. In a good way.

Cheaper cuts of meat or fattier meats will tend to benefit the most from slow cooking. The long low cooking process tenderizes the meat and the more fat content, the juicier the meat.

I had this lovely center cut pork roast just waiting to find a home in my cooker. Last night I seasoned it up:

Pork Roast Prep

1kg center cut pork roast
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsps molasses syrup
salt
crushed red pepper
2 tsps cumin powder
Creole Seasoning, to taste (optional)
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp balsamic creme
1 tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, large slices
2 large carrots, large slices
1 small leek, sliced, washed

Cut pockets into your roast so that the garlic tucks deeply inside without peeking out. You don't want it burning or slipping out while you're searing it.

Cover it with all of the spices, herbs, molasses syrup, balsamic creme and oil. Let it rest for 1 hour.

After the roast rests for an hour, cover it with the sliced veggies, cover it well and put into the refrigerator over night or for at least 8 hours.

Most people think when you slow cook it's all about throwing everything into a pot, setting it and not having to think about it until it's time to eat. Some slow cooker recipes are like that, this is not one of those. It's going to be some work involved here.

Remove the roast from it's little nest under the veggies. It's going to smell like heaven!

To ensure a lovely, juicy roast I like to sear the meat. I heat a skillet with a touch of oil on high heat. When it's nice and hot, sear the meat on all side for a couple of minutes to get a nice brown crust.

My slow cooker has a stainless steel rack, if your's doesn't, it's okay you can make a little riser for the roast with your veggies. I place half the veggies on and under the rack, the roast on top and then the rest of the veggies on top of the roast.

Set the cooker to medium and set a timer for 5 1/2 hours. Now onto my side dishes!!

You may be wondering what 'Gumes & Roots is all about. 'Gumes is my short word for Legumes or beans and their relatives. Roots are root vegetables of which there are many. The legumes I'm using are white beans and dark red kidney beans. I soaked them over night so they were ready to cook today.

My roots are sweet potato, new potatoes and carrots.

'Gumes & Roots

1/2 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight
1 cup dried dark red beans, soaked overnight
1 small sweet potato, cubed
2 new potatoes, cubed
2 small carrots, cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tsps oregano
2 tsps basil
2 tsps thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp Spanish paprika powder
1/2 tbsp olive oil

In a saucepan, heat your oil and sautee onions, garlic, bell pepper and celery until your onion are slightly transparent. Add herbs, beans a cover with water, about 2-3 inches over the beans. Add spices and stir. Cover and simmer over medium low heat. I like them to cook for 4-4 1/2 hours, adding more water as needed. In the last 30 minutes of cooking add diced root veggies and cook until those are tender. They will also help to thicken the liquid in the beans. Adjust salt & pepper as needed.

Fuzzy is in charge of sharpening the knife and slicing this pretty roast. After it comes out of the cooker, I let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

I serve with steamed brown rice.

Now...

Go, eat!!

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Our Norwegian Thanksgiving! (Photos)

Gobble, gobble, everybody!! I was on the road, on tour, when Thanksgiving Day rolled in. Although I'm in Norway, I celebrate Thanksgiving. In my family, in New Orleans, Thanksgiving really had nothing to do with pilgrims and their journey and such. For us, it was just about being thankful. Thankful for everything we were blessed with; family, health, a roof over our heads friends and food. Always enough food. Thankful that there's was also always enough to share with friends, old and new. That is the Thanksgiving I brought with me to Norway.

Peto picked up a beautiful, bone in turkey breast for me to roast. It's just the two of us so there's no need for the whole bird. We decided to celebrate on Sunday since I didn't get home until late Saturday evening.

Turkey can be dry, especially white meat. My trick to ensure a juicy turkey is to wrap it in a delicious fat content, BACON!!!! This is what I do. I'm not saying whichever way you choose is incorrect, but I love the flavor and I always have a juicy turkey. I season the turkey with sea salt, red pepper, paprika and a little Creole spice, all over and under the skin. I also slide about 3 small bay leaves under the skin. The herbs I used on Sunday were, parsley, thyme and sage. I then wrapped the turkey with a beautiful smoky bacon. On the outside of the bacon I rubbed in a mixture of orange marmalade, fig preserves and a bit more of the herbs. I topped with some Spring onions and roasted it low for 2.5 hours or until the meat is at least 75-78C on the inside.

I used a mixture of veggies, also roasted. Gold and orange carrots, Brussel sprouts, sugar snaps, green beans, green peas, mushrooms, garlic and red onions. Seasoned with sea salt, pepper flakes, Provence herbs and olive oil.

We also had a homemade bread & sausage stuffing with a little diced smoked ham. We roasted Mandel and sweet potatoes with olive oil, sea salt and rosemary.

The house, of course smelled like Holiday, which we always love!

and, voila!!!

Now...

Go, eat!!

If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com

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Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Veggies

Oh yes!! I love stuffings! All kinds of stuffings! They make food-life more interesting. I got my hands on 2 beautiful little free-range, organic chicken breasts. They were boneless but the skin was left on. This makes for a lovely little crunchy layer on top of this dish.

I washed these little babies and set them aside. Now its time to prepare the stuffing!!

Spinach & Feta Stuffing

1 1/2 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of ALL liquid
1 large toe garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 tbsp minced fresh curly parsley
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup marinated feta cheese, coarsely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil or use the oil from the feta cheese

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl, mix well and set aside.

Let's prepare the chicken breasts for stuffing! Slice the breasts through the middle, butterfly them. Season them on each side with a little Creole Seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Separate your stuffing into equal amounts to put onto chicken breasts.

Fold the chicken over, skin side up and sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Preheat oven to 190C and set the chicken aside while you prepare your vegetables for roasting.

You can use any veggies you'd like to roast. I usually go with things I find that are fresh and beautiful in the market. I used, these lovely, small, waxy potatoes that were a gift after a concert from a little town called Fitjar here in Norway, fresh Brussels sprouts, shallots, peeled and sliced in half, shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced, carrots, peeled and sliced, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Okay, here's where it gets interesting! I know a lot of people hate Brussels sprouts, but give them a chance! Put all of the veggies in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, (I like to use a balsamic creme) and molasses syrup. Sprinkle with Provence herbs (I use the kind with lavender) and give it a good stir so that all of your veggies are coated. Cover with aluminium foil, shiny side down.

I put the chicken and the veggies into the oven at the same time for 40 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, I uncover the veggies.

Voila!!!! Deliciousness!!!

Your house is going to smell sooooooo good while this cooks! Your belly will be equally happy when you eat this.

Now...

Go, eat!!

If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com

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Citrus Water, Ginger Chicken, Couscous & Spicy Cabbage (With Photos)

First I will begin this little food exploration with the Citrus Water. A great way to make water more appealing and delicious is by dropping in fresh fruit. Almost any fruit can be added to water to make it tasty and gorgeous! Some people who have no interest in drinking water need a little encouragement. My favorites are, lemon and red grapefruit, melon and cucumber, red and green apple & green grapes and strawberry. The one I choose for this dish is lemon and red grapefruit because it compliments the flavors in the Ginger Chicken.
 

Add a few slices to your water and put it into the fridge until its time for dinner. You want it to sit for a while so that the fruit can lightly flavor the water.
 
Now onto the chicken!
 
This is an easy dish yet full of flavor. It makes a good weekday meal but can also be served for an intimate dinner party with friends. Just add a nice bottle of white wine.
 
I don't have this in true recipe format, but it's easy to follow.
 
I like to get nice large boneless skinless chicken breasts and that way you only need one per person. I wash the chicken breast under cold water and then pat dry with a paper towel. Lay the chicken breast on an antibacterial chopping board or a plate and score it in a crisscross pattern, making sure not to cut all the way thru.
 

This process makes the seasoning embed itself into the chicken, giving you delicious flavor through the chicken.
 
 
 
Finely mince, 1 teaspoon of each, garlic, pickled ginger and cilantro (coriander). Sprinkle sea salt and crushed red pepper over the chicken breast to taste and then press the minced ingredients into to your chicken.
 
 

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and set your oven at 185C. I use a paper towel with olive oil and rub it along the bottom of a glass baking dish to bake my chicken.
 
Now you can prepare your cabbage. I slice my cabbage into long thin strips, wash it and place it into a medium stock pot. On top I add minced garlic, sliced red onion, and a spice mix that I prepare of 17 spice no salt seasoning, cayenne pepper, smoked sea salt, paprika powder, white pepper and dried oregano.
 

 

I drizzle a little vegetable oil over the top and turn it on a medium heat. I stir it around and only cook it until the cabbage and onions soften slightly. I like a nice crisp to the vegetables.
 
I prepare my couscous according to the box directions but I always use chicken broth instead of just water for more flavor. I stir in sliced green onion, cover and set aside until its time to serve.
 
I pop the chicken into the oven for 25 minutes or until the chicken runs with clear juice. 15 into cooking I sprinkle sliced green onion over the chicken.
 
When the chicken is done I take it from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. I place a chicken breast onto a bed of the spicy cabbage and the couscous next to this lovely fragrant birdie!
 

 

 

 
 
Now...
 
Go, eat!!
 
If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com
 

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Secondline Oyster Dressing

Secondline Oyster Dressing
Serving: 4 – 6


3 tablespoons unsalted Butter
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup onion, finely diced
3/4 cup celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/8 cup green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon Fresh Sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
½ tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
6 cups French bread, cubed
1 dozen oysters, shucked, drained, and chopped; liquor reserved
2-3 cups chicken stock, hot
Kosher salt, to taste
Coarse ground black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste




Preheat oven to 350F degrees.


Melt the butter and shortening in an oven-safe Dutch oven (cast iron if available) over medium heat. Add the onions and celery; sweat until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, green onions, sage, parsley, thyme, and rosemary, cook for 2 minutes. Add the French bread, stir to coat. Add the Oyster liquor and 1 cup of the stock, stirring constantly, and then add the stock in ½ cup intervals until you have a moist dressing. Stir in the Oysters; cook until they’re just cooked through. Season the dressing to taste with the salt, black pepper and Cayenne.  Bake for 15 minutes until the top of dressing becomes firm.


** It is unsafe to place any dressing or stuffing into raw fowl, especially dressing or stuffing containing any sort of seafood.  This can cause severe food poisoning.  Cook your fowl separately!!!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Stuffed Zucchini Boats


2 Large Zucchini
1 Small Onion (Chopped)
2 Toes Garlic, (Minced)
1 Cup Mushrooms (Coarsly chopped)
1/2 Cup Celery (Chopped)
1 Medium Tomato (Chopped)
1 Tbsp Butter
3/4 Cup Bread (Crumbs)
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese (Grated)
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese (Grated)
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika




Preheat oven to 350 F
Halve zucchini lengthwise. Scoop out pulp and set aside, leaving 1/4" shell.
Chop pulp coarsely.
Combine with onion, mushrooms, celery,  garlic and tomatoes in 2 quart pot. Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Stir once and drain.
Stir in crumbs, egg, cheeses, salt and pepper. Mound 1/4 of filling into each shell. Sprinkle with paprika. Place dish uncovered in the oven and bake until bubbly and tender.


This dish is very simple and a great side dish, especially with grilled food. It can also be prepared on the grill, set atop aluminium foil.

Potato & Salmon Patties

Potato & Salmon Patties
Servings: 5

1 lb cooked salmon, deboned, skin removed and flaked
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 cup cooked mashed potatoes
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
¼ teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon Creole Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil


In a medium bowl, mix salmon, eggs, bread crumbs, mashed potatoes, onion, garlic, dill weed, celery salt, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 2 inch balls, and flatten into patties about ½-inch thick.
                           
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. In batches, cook patties about 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms with Grilled Onions

Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms with Grilled Onions
8 servings


1 lb. fresh mushrooms, stems removed
8 ounces blue cheese
3 medium onions, sliced into rings
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste, remember the cheese is salty


Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate. Fill mushroom caps with crumbled blue cheese and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onion slices and mushrooms (cheese side up) onto the prepared grill. Turn onions over frequently until tender. Do not turn over mushrooms. Grill until blue cheese has melted, and mushrooms are tender. Remove mushrooms to a serving plate, and top with grilled onions.


These mushrooms are great with grilled meat, poultry and fish. They can also be prepared in the oven under the broiler.

Cajun Corn and Shrimp

Cajun Corn and Shrimp


Serving Size: 4


1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup butter or margarine
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen corn
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and
  green chilies, undrained
1-tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8-teaspoon pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp,
  peeled and deveined


In a large skillet, sauté onion, green pepper and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Add the corn, tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook for 10 minutes or until heated through. Stir in the milk and green onions; simmer for 10 minutes. Add shrimp; cook for 8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

Garlic & Herb Green Beans

Garlic & Herb Green Beans
Serving Size: 6


  2 pounds string beans -- fresh, cleaned and ends removed
  1 tablespoon kosher salt
  ½ tablespoons olive oil
  ½ tablespoon butter
  4 cloves garlic -- thinly sliced
  1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves -- chopped fine
  1 tablespoon fresh parsley -- chopped fine
  1 bay leaf
  1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 cup mushrooms -- thinly sliced
  1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  Salt -- to taste


Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt.  Add green beans and cook until slightly tender, not soft.  Remove beans from water and run under cold water until they are cooled.


Heat oil and butter in large sauté' pan and add beans and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic, herbs and spices.  Sauté' for 1 minute and add Worcestershire, balsamic stir.  Finally add mushrooms and stir cover for 1 minute.  Turn off fire and leave covered for 2 minutes.  Serve hot.
                                  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Leftover beans can be served chilled with fresh salad greens, sliced tomato and a splash of balsamic vinegar as a great lunch salad the following day.


Serving Ideas: This side dish is delicious with any type of meat, fowl or seafood.  If served with a wild rice pilaf or couscous, it can become a great vegetarian main course.