maple and apple slow cooked venison

I was reading the blog Simply Breakfast during the holidays.  There was a recipe that that called my name:  Maple and Apple Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.  But I did not wish to go to the store and I had a venison shoulder in the freezer.  I tried the recipe with the venison and it is pretty fabulous.  It should be pretty fabulous with pork.

Maple and Apple Slow Cooked Venison

Note:  I actually had a smaller shoulder and kept the spices the same.  My family loved it!

3 pound venison shoulder

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

pinch of ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoon soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced

Put the venison shoulder in a crock pot that will hold it.

Pour everything on top of the shoulder.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat pulls apart.

I served this with mashed potatoes and coleslaw but you could put it on a bun and eat it that way.  This is one we are going to do again, probably with the venison neck next time.

chai

When our best friend was here, there was lots of food and conversation.  There was also just the tiniest bit of tea.  I am actually being facetious.  We drank lots of tea.  There was a request for chai which makes the laughter a little bit brighter.  

I have been making chai for a long time.  I will write down my basic recipe here but every pot changes.  My Beloved likes the pot that is very spicey.  Sometimes I like more vanilla.  This can be customized for evey mood.

Chai

Note:  I do substitute ground spices when there is nothing else in the cupboard

1 pint water

a piece of ginger the size of your gingertip, peeled and minced or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger

7 peppercons (medium grind makes it spicier and usually what I use)

1 cinnamon stick  or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 cloves

1 teaspoon or so of dried orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon black tea

milk

sugar

In a large pot, put the water.  Add the ginger, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, orange, and vanilla.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for ten minutes.  Add the black tea.  I like to use a tea ball.  Let steep for four minutes.  

Strain into cups and add milk and sugar to taste.

Enjoy!  We never seem to get enough of this but do not make it often.  It is always better then out because we make it to our taste.

pasta sauce from the bean pot

I am actually writing early today.  With another cup of tea.  There is a bit of tea around here.  Yesterday, I made two huge enchilada casseroles to feed the freezer and whoever walked through the door.  By the end of the night, I was tired and my head hurt.  I fell over asleep which always makes my Beloved laugh.    

Today, my thoughts are not being put together very well.  The head is still hurting but the Tall Short Person and the Smallest Short Person are here with me.  That is why there is a biscuit.  The Tall Short Person brought her creation for me to try.  It was yummy but we both thought it would better with sausage gravy.  We discussed the creation of these biscuits through text messages throughout the afternoon and she raided my kitchen while I was at work.  It is lovely that she live so close.

I am actually going to continue the thoughts I had from Tuesday.  The pot of beans started as bean soup.  Then I stored some in the refigerator for my Beloved's breakfasts or lunches.  The rest of the beans became a pasta sauce.  It was very rich and was wonderful on pasta.  I was able to put three pints in the freezer for later.

Bean Ragu

1/2 pound beans, cooked and seasoned for soup.  If they have onions, garlic, and greens added, all the better

1 28 ounce can tomatoes - fire roasted are the best

a glass of your favorite red wine or a 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

a bit of sugar to your taste if you wish

a handful of fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of cayenne if it is to your taste

My beans were in a crockpot but this can be done in a regular pot on the stove.  Dump everything in together.

 

Cook at a simmer for a few hours.  Blend together.  Adjust the seasonings.  Serve over pasta or polenta.

I did not get a picture of it all blended and eaten.  I think that is a good indication of how well this went down.  It is easy because you are using the beans from earlier in the week.  The real key behind an everlasting meal. 

Tonight is pizza.  The sourdough got started yesterday, bread kneaded before work and did a cool rise all day.  Yumminess.  

chocolate cake (gluten free) and best friend

Our best friend flew into town yesterday for less then twenty four hours.  She wanted to meet the smallest short person for the first time.  Nirinjan works on movies.  I could say everyday because I know she does not take any time for herself but it is the way she likes to tell stories.  These may not be her stories to tell yet but someday they will be.  She likes the learning process.  

But this does mean that she had to make the time to come see the Smallest Short Person.  And she did.  We had a lovely time of conversation, laughter, food, and sleep.  I actually thought I would be posting today about more beans because I was going to continue the thoughts from yesterday.  But this is really the same thing.  Sharing home cooked food with those you love.  Feeding the soul as well as the tummy.  There was a lot of feeding the soul in less the twenty four hours.  We miss her already.

Today, we had a simple dinner of leftover risotto, chai, and chocolate cake.  I guess I have a lot of recipes here to share but today I am going to share the chocolate cake.  To die for.  I picked up the cookbook Home Cooking with Jean-Georges from the library.  It was recommended in the nytimes.com.  I liked a lot of the ideas but there was only one I wished to try.  It was this chocolate cake.  I did make it gluten free.  Oh, by the way, I made this cake before dinner and two hours afterwards, it was all gone.  Really!

Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges.  I realized I adapted it more then I thought!

4 tablespoons butter

3 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

Whisk the egg whites with the granulated sugar until medium-stiff peaks form.

Melt the chocolate and butter together.  Beat in one egg yolk.  Beat in the remaining yolks.  Then beat in the confectioners sugar and almond flour.

Add a third of the whipped egg whites and beat well to loosen the chocolate mixture.  Gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined.  Pour int othe prepared pand and gently spread evenly.

Bake until puffed and knife comes out clean, 17 minutes.

Gently remove from pan after ten minutes of cooling.

Yes, this is a very thin cake but it is lovely.  It has a bit of a brownie texture but it is a wonderful cake.  We started plotting how we could use it in a layer cake or a groom's cake (no one is getting married).  

My Beloved used to think my vanilla cake was the best.  He is really not a chocolate person unless it is VERY good chocolate.  He says I need to make the vanilla cake again.  Then the chocolate.  Then the spice.  Again and again until he can decide which is his favorite.  

I think I see a trend here..... giggle

beans

I was reading a new cookbook for me.  It was on a Christmas book list.  An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler.  I really enjoyed it but I would call it more a philosophy of cooking book rather then a recipe book.  But it truly the way I cook and bake.  There are many times I hear or say "it is time to start beans" or "it is time to start sourdough."  I cook most of what we eat.  Cooking most of what we eat started with allergies, then it was just I was cooking better then anything we could buy, and now it is a combination of frugal (we tip REALLY well and we buy really nice food) and I cook and bake better then anything we can get out.  We still go out for Japanese because I do not really make that yet.  Part of being able to eat this way is a bit of planning, cooking in large portions so there is something in the freezer to reheat, and just taking the time because it is important.  It is really what Tamar Adler speaks too.  None of the recipes inspired me but the philosphy felt like coming home.

So I needed to start some beans.

I picked a couple of handfuls of kale and chard from the garden.  Sauted them with some garlic and onion in a cast iron skillet.  Added a couple teaspoons of salt, a teaspoon of pepper, and pinches of paprkrika, chipolte, and ancho to the greens.  The beans went into the crockpot with vegetable broth.  The greens were added.  The lid was put on.  It was time to walk away and let them bubble.

Hours later (about eight), we had soup.  Many things were done in between, including skating and a fall.  I made toast from the bread ends and we had a lovely meal.  There were many beans leftover so I used them the next night in a different dish (which of course I will blog about tomorrow).  

See how a bit of beans just keeps going.  I could imply it is everlasting but not around here.  We eat beans so the pot always needs to be started again.  Just like we eat bread and the starter needs to be started again.

I would make the suggestion to read Tamar Adler's book.  Then cook some vegetables.  Or a few beans.  She does not really do much bread yet but if you do chose to bake bread, feel free to ask.

Bean Soup

1 pound Hutterite Soup Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

a handful of kale, cleaned and chopped fine

a handful of chard, cleaned and chopped fine

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 pinches paprika (1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon or to taste)

2 pinches ground chipolte (1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon or to taste)

2 pinches ground ancho (1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon or to taste)

6 to 8 cups vegetable broth.

In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil.  Add the onion and the hard parts of the kale and chard.  Let the start to brown.  Add the garlic and the leafy greens.  You want some brown bits and the greens to lose their bulk.  Add the salt, pepper, and spices. 

In a large pot or crockpot, put the beans.  Cover with broth.  Add the onion and greens mixture.  Turn on the crockpot or bring the beans in the pot to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer.  Let both cook until the beans are very soft (when blown on the skins will split).

Serve in bowls with crusty buttered toast and salad.  

Just a lovely, homey meal.  One of those that fills the soul as well as the tummy.  Especially when eaten with loved ones.