What are you Cooking the week of December 15, 2019?

Home Forums Cooking — (other than baking) What are you Cooking the week of December 15, 2019?

Viewing 12 posts - 31 through 42 (of 42 total)
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  • #19998
    Mike Nolan
    Keymaster

      We're still finishing off the roast beef, so we had sandwiches and a salad. There's enough beef left to have it on a salad for lunch tomorrow.

      #20002
      chocomouse
      Participant

        Easy dinner from the freezer: dinner rolls, and mushroom soup for me, clam chowder for my husband. After a big grocery shopping trip in the morning, I made a quadruple batch of Chex Mix for gifts.

        #20009
        Joan Simpson
        Participant

          I pulled the leftover beef roast apart and stirred in a can of mushroom soup,heated that and we had mashed potatoes on top of toast with the beef-n-gravy,good and gone.

          #20012
          chocomouse
          Participant

            Dinner was spaghetti and salad. I made the sauce from our garden tomatoes I froze last summer, and added chopped cauliflower, also frozen from the garden last summer.

            #20015
            BakerAunt
            Participant

              Chocomouse--It is so nice to have the summer bounty in the freezer for winter.

              We had friends over for dinner tonight, and I made "Pork Loin Roast with Barley, Butternut Squash, and Swiss Chard"--except that I substituted Kale for the Swiss Chard and adjusted the cooking time at that step of the process. I would do that again, especially since kale's calcium can be used, while Swiss chard holds onto its calcium.

              I always thought this recipe, from Cook's Illustrated collection "Fall Harvest Recipes" (p. 22) would be great for company in the fall or winter, and it is.

              I do have one issue with the recipe. It uses a three pound boneless pork loin. After it is browned in a 5 1/2 qt. Dutch Oven (I use Le Creuset), the barley and onion and garlic are sautéed in the pan, then after deglazing with 1/4 cup white wine 4 cups broth is added. After bringing that mixture to a low boil (recipe says simmer), the roast goes back in. A piece of foil is placed tightly over the top of the pan, then the lid goes on and it is put on the bottom shelf of a 250F oven.

              Here's the problem: Although the recipe states that the roast will be done in 25-35 minutes (temperature 135F), I've never had it finish at 25, so this time I didn't even check until 35 minutes. It wasn't done. I turned the roast over (which supposedly the recipe does not require), and I returned it to the oven, increasing the oven temperature to 275F for another 10 minutes. It still wasn't done. I increased the temperature to 300F and cooked another 10 minutes, and this time it registered done.

              I've made this recipe in three different electric ovens, and this was the first time in my new oven. I looked at the recipe again, it says 25-35 minutes. However, in the introduction, where the format has the recipe developer go through how the recipe was developed, it clearly says 40 minutes, which contradicts the recipe as given. I plan to write up a version for myself that is easier to follow than the Cook's format, and I'll be sure to include the correct time. That way, dinner won't be twenty minutes late.

              • This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by BakerAunt.
              #20017
              BakerAunt
              Participant

                Chocomouse--How nice to have summer bounty available in the freezer!

                We had friends over for dinner tonight, and I made "Pork Loin Roast with Barley, Butternut Squash, and Swiss Chard"--except that I substituted Kale for the Swiss Chard and adjusted the cooking time at that step of the process. I would do that again, especially since kale's calcium can be used, while Swiss chard holds onto its calcium.

                I always thought this recipe, from Cook's Illustrated collection "Fall Harvest Recipes" (p. 22) would be great for company in the fall or winter, and it is.

                I do have one issue with the recipe. It uses a three pound boneless pork loin. After it is browned in a 5 1/2 qt. Dutch Oven (I use Le Creuset), the barley and onion and garlic are sautéed in the pan, then after deglazing with 1/4 cup white wine 4 cups broth is added. After bringing that mixture to a low boil (recipe says simmer), the roast goes back in. A piece of foil is placed tightly over the top of the pan, then the lid goes on and it is put on the bottom shelf of a 250F oven.

                Although the recipe states that the roast will be done in 25-35 minutes (temperature 135F), I've never had it finish at 25, so this time I didn't even check until 35 minutes. It wasn't done. I turned the roast over (which supposedly the recipe does not require), and I returned it to the oven, increasing the oven temperature to 275F for another 10 minutes. It still wasn't done. I increased the temperature to 300F and cooked another 10 minutes, and this time it registered done.

                I've made this recipe in three different electric ovens, and this was the first time in my new oven. I looked at the recipe again, it says 25-35 minutes. However, in the introduction, where the format has the recipe developer go through how the recipe was developed, it clearly says 40 minutes, which contradicts the recipe as given. I plan to write up a version for myself that is easier to follow than the Cook's format and put down 40 minutes, but I'll plan on perhaps needing more time.

                • This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by BakerAunt.
                #20019
                Mike Nolan
                Keymaster

                  The National Pork Board guidelines say a pork loin roast should take 20-30 minutes per pound at 350 degrees, but that's to reach an internal temperature of 150, not 135.

                  135 sounds a bit low for pork to me. 165 was what they used to recommend, but that produced pork that was dried out and flavorless and usually tough. I remember going to a Rotary luncheon where they served pork chops that would have been better as soles for my shoes than food.

                  #20022
                  BakerAunt
                  Participant

                    During its resting period under foil, after coming out of the oven, the temperature rises to 145 degrees, which I think is the newly recommended temperature. I checked at the end of the rest period when I sliced it, and got 147F. Clearly the oven time in that recipe needs to be a minimum of 40 minutes before the meat is checked, since opening up the lid causes a heat loss.

                    I have a complimentary six month access to the America's Test Kitchen website, given to me by Wolf when I bought my stove. I may see if I can find the recipe there and if there are adjustments. I bought this issue of the magazine two years ago.

                    #20024
                    BakerAunt
                    Participant

                      I checked out the recipe and comments by four posters. The 25-35 minute time range is still given. The first poster asked if the time were wrong, and ATK said it had checked with the recipe developer who says it is correct. That poster assumed that maybe he did not have a tight enough seal on his pot. However, an additional three posters also mentioned that they had to lengthen the time to get their roasts to 135F and one person said close to an hour. I added my own comment, suggesting a minimum of 40 minutes before checking the roast temperature. That is what I will do next time, and if that does not do it, I'll let it go 45 minutes the time after that. Apparently, ATK wants us to do our own testing....

                      #20028
                      Italiancook
                      Participant

                        Yesterday, I made Vegetable Beef Soup. I used a tried and true recipe that I'm losing taste for. Last time I made it, I modernized it by adding a small, finely diced jalapeno (seed and ribs removed) during the 2 hours the beef simmers in seasonings. That gave the beef a spicy flavor but didn't do much for the broth. Nevertheless, I liked the change. This time, I also used a jalapeno -- a large one (seed and ribs removed). It didn't impart much of anything. I heard on a food show that the larger a jalapeno, the less heat it has. I now think that's true and will look for a small one the next time I make this soup. I ended up with 5 quarts, four for the freezer. And 3 cups broth to use with a different type of soup . . . also in freezer.

                        #20029
                        Joan Simpson
                        Participant

                          Tonight we had taco salad and the biggest surprise ever.Our son called us as he was suppose to come in Christmas Eve but while he was talking to us a car pulled in our drive,my husband went out to see who it was and out of that car came our three grandchildren and son.Biggest surprise ever.They will only be here till Christmas morning but I'll take that.Now I had to get things done that I'd planned for tomorrow.If I don't check in with you all I'll catch back up later.Loving me some family.Wishing each of you a Merry Christmas.

                          #20030
                          chocomouse
                          Participant

                            What a wonderful surprise, Joan! Merry Christmas to all of you!

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