Category Archives: Main Dishes

Farro Risotto with Asparagus and Tofu

Grainy goodness with faro, mushrooms, asparagus, and tofu

Before I get into this recipe, let me first say, I’m happy to be back! I was away with work and family travel for a few weeks and, oh how I missed my food blog and foodie friends. I thought about the posts I would do when I got back, so get ready, because I have lots of ideas. Also, a big thank you to my blog partner Edie for keeping the posts coming while I was away!

Next, let’s get started with this delicious vegetarian, über grainy recipe. If you haven’t tried farro, it is a great grain to add to your repertoire with one caveat, it takes a while to cook. It’s not the easy-peasy quinoa that you throw in a pot of water and it’s cooked before you even have time to grab a fork or a spoon. This requires a little more time and effort, so plan ahead.

Next, it is grainy. Did I mention that already? Well, it’s worth re-iterating. I kept thinking it wasn’t cooked, but in the end I realized, it is just chewy. You won’t have to try to eat this meal slow because there is no other choice! I love it and I think you will too. I added asparagus, dried mushrooms, and of course, cubed tofu (which I seem to add to just about everything!), but you can add whatever you like.

Ingredients

1 oz. dried mushrooms (any kind will do)
1 lb. asparagus
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cups vegetable stock (you can use the water left over from soaking the mushrooms as part of this vegetable stock, plus a vegetable stock – see below)
1 1/2 cups uncooked farro
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. variety of mushrooms (shiitake, chanterelle, crimini, oyster, porcini), sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Place dried mushrooms in medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and coarsely chop. Use mushroom water as part of vegetable stock if desired.

Toss asparagus in 2 Tbsp olive oil on baking sheet and roast in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring half way through. Cut stalks into thirds and set aside to add to farro later.

Sauté cubed tofu in a little olive oil with the smallest dash of cayenne pepper. Set aside to add to farro later (you can totally skip the tofu if this adds too much work).

Bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Keep stock warm over low heat.

Heat remaining olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add farro and onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add all mushrooms (rehydrated and fresh). Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Add wine and thyme and cook until liquid almost evaporates.

Add 1/2 cup broth to farro mixture; cook over medium heat for approximately 4 minutes or until the liquid is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 4 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time until liquid is almost absorbed each time, stirring occasionally. This will take about 50 minutes so you are definitely committed for the long haul, but as stated above, it is worth it.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once farro is cooked, add in asparagus, cubed tofu, and top with fresh parsley and cheese.

Cooked and ready to CHEW!

Prep for adding later

Pre-cooked Farro sautéing in oil

Fi-Fi to the Rescue (with chicken taco chili)

I have a friend (and you know who you are) who refers to her slow cooker as FiFi, short for “Fix It and Fugget It.” Of course, she is on her second slow cooker because she forgot about FiFi for three months while it was filled with leftover Chicken Marbella. But let’s fuggedabout that image right now, and focus on dinner….tonight…with zero effort. This recipe comes from Amy, who I am calling right out because she deserves credit on at least two fronts.

First, Amy appreciates the vast the difference between crockpot cookery and crockpot warmery, an issue discussed in the Fast and Slow Lasagna post. Other than chopping up one onion (and some cilantro unless you are a slacker like me and blew it right off), the only effort involved here is opening cans, and FiFi is the only dish called into service.

Second, Amy offered up a recipe that is as delish as it is easy. With a whole lot of cold winter nights and aprés ski opportunities in the forecast, and with the Super Bowl right around the corner this comes just in time. We ate this for dinner, for lunch the next two days and were not the least bit relieved when it was gone.

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 16-oz can of cannelli beans (use whatever combo of beans you have)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn kernels (canned works too)
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or equivalent weight boneless, skinless thighs)
chopped fresh cilantro (for overachievers)

Method

Combine beans, onion, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half an hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Dig deep and serve with cheese and sour cream to show you care.

OK we’re ready. Bring on FiFi’s finest chicken chili!

Lunch, Deconstructed

Deconstructed lunch elements, waiting to meet each other.

Lunch can take me down, especially in winter. When we are scrambling to get out the door to training or a race, the idea of preparing lunch, after making breakfast, cleaning up and gathering/loading gear is a major buzz kill. But the penalty for not making lunch is hunger or French Fries. Lots of French Fries. NOT that I have anything against French Fries, and particularly the ones at the Dartmouth Skiway that must be double fried because they are so good. But we all know, the sad, cumulative consequence of too many French Fries.

My solution is (to try at least) to have a fridge full or delicious and healthy lunch fixings, ready to be combined the night before, or easily enough in the morning. Below are basic recipes for some essential elements, along with suggestions for the makings of the best darned lunch you can cram into a takeout container. The recipes for the beets, lentils and onions come from Stone Soup. Build an arsenal of sauces from Get Saucy With Me to have on hand and you’re good to go, to the Skiway and beyond.

Skiway Deconstructed Lunch Basics:

Baked Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Beets
Massaged Kale
Parisian Lentils
Balsamic Onions

A few suggestions for other awesome things to have on hand:

Roasted nuts and seeds
Avocado
Roasted vegetables
Cooked grains like brown rice, quinoa and millet
Hummus
Hard boiled eggs
Chopped olives or tapenade
Cooked BACON, chicken and other protein. Did I say bacon?

Salads for two, in brilliant take out containers. Dressing in a repurposed caper bottle.

Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

However many sweet potatoes you want to cook in your hot oven.

Method

Turn oven on to 400.

Wash potatoes and dry them with a paper towel. Prick all over with a fork. (One exploded potato will cure you from ever forgetting this step.) Put potatoes on a cookie sheet to catch the goo that escapes from the holes. Line the sheet with foil if you want zero cleanup.

Bake potatoes for about an hour, squeezing them to test for doneness starting at about 45 minutes. I like mine to have some structural integrity for slicing later.

When done, let potatoes cool. They can be easily peeled by hand if desired. Store covered in the fridge.

Massaged Kale

There are many methods for this so don’t worry too much about the ingredient measurements or timing. Some recipes only call for salt in the massaging, others only for oil, others for oil, lemon juice and salt and still others for the entire dressing. The point is just to break down the kale a bit so it is still raw but friendly and makes a worthy bed for all kinds of other good stuff.

Ingredients

One or two bunches kale, washed, spun dry, stemmed and shredded or torn. *
Olive oil, salt, lemon juice

*(You can easily stem kale with a big sharp knife by holding it vertically from the stem end and running the knife down the stem. Or you can go rogue and use your fingers. Grip the stem between thumb and forefinger and zip down the stem.)

Method

Put kale into a big bowl. Drizzle with a Tablespoon or more of olive oil, a splash of lemon juice and a good sprinkling of salt. Massage kale with your hands until it softens a bit and is a shinier, dark green. Store covered in the fridge until ready to use.

Roasted Beets

These keep a week or more in the fridge, so I generally make enough to fill up a large 9 x13 baking dish.

Ingredients

1-2 bunches beets, or a few large ones.
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove stalks from beets and scrub them well. Chop into wedges – either quarters, sixths or eighths. The smaller you chop, the faster they will cook. I like big wedges because I have more slicing and dicing options later

Splash with a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the same of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Cover tightly with foil and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beets are tender. Season to taste. When cooled you can easily peel them by hand or with a knife, or just eat them with the peels.

Parisian Lentils

I love these any time of day, even for breakfast with an egg on top. Full disclosure: I never measure these. I just boil a bunch of lentils and add equal splashes of the seasonings at the end. And if I don’t have sherry vinegar I cut to the chase with a splash of straight sherry. Saves you the trouble of having a separate glass of wine with dinner (or breakfast in some cases). The recipe calls for topping these with fresh ricotta and parsley, which sounds awesome.

Ingredients

7 oz French style green lentils (aka puy lentils)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Method

Place lentils in a medium saucepan and cover generously with water. Cover and bring to the boil.

Remove lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Drain lentils and return to the pan. Season with vinegar, soy and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Taste and add salt as needed.

Balsamic Onions

I wasn’t going to include these but they are so good on pizza, sandwiches, salads and soups that they need to be in. If you’re over the taste of balsamic at this point just use a combo of olive oil and butter and sprinkle generously with salt. This clearly makes a ton, but they keep for a long time and are addictive so a ton is a good thing. Feel free to halve of quarter, but don’t complain when you are out of them so soon!

Ingredients

8 onions
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

(No need to use your best olive oil and balsamic)

Method

Heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat.

Halve onions, lengthwise, then remove the skins and slice into half moons. Adding chopped onions to the oil as you go.

Cover and cook on a medium low heat, stirring occasionally for about 1/2 hour or until onions are very soft but not browned.

Remove cover and add balsamic. Bring to a simmer and cook, again stirring from time to time for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced a little and the onions are slightly brown.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Spicy Peanut Sauce

How often do you make pasta with some variation of red sauce or pesto? A lot? Well, try a peanut sauce! Everyone loves it and it is so easy and forgiving. I got this recipe from Naturally Ella’s which is a site I go to often. I want to make and eat every recipe Ella posts. If it weren’t for my day job, I might give it a try. She says this recipe is tied with her sweet potato tacos as one of her two favorite meals. I’m making those tomorrow night. But back to the peanut sauce… I’ve made a lot of peanut sauces in the past and this one is by far the best. You should really try this recipe. It will end up in your repertoire of “recipes you must make again and again”. Ella uses rice noodles in her recipe, but I made mine with whole wheat pasta. In the end, any kind of noodle will work. Okay, get to it!

Ingredients

Sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/3 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)

Other Ingredients:
1 lb. whole wheat pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
4 cups assorted vegetables ( such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)

Toppings:
Bean Sprouts
Cilantro
Peanuts

Method

1) In a bowl, whisk together ingredients for sauce. Taste sauce and add more of whatever you like. Set aside.
2) In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until onion is fragrant and translucent, 6-7 minutes. Stir in your choice of vegetables and cook for 2 more minutes. Add peanut sauce and reduce temperature to low. Cover and let vegetables cook, 6-8 minutes.
3) While vegetables are cooking, cook pasta according to instructions.
4) Mix pasta with peanut sauce and vegetables and serve with toppings for everyone to pick what they like.
5) Feel free to throw in cooked shrimp or tofu – Yum!

Fast and Slow Lasagna

It’s a great day to be slaving away making lasagna…NOT!

I have a thing about crock-pots. Ok, a few things. First, I love them, so that’s a thing. They allow for Bringing It on an entirely different level which is another thing. But then, I have a thing that bugs me. I hate it when crock-pot recipes involve multiple steps and pots and pans, that take us from the realm of crock pot cookery to the realm of crock-pot warmery. So technically this recipe, which involved browning the meat before putting it in the crock, goes against my principles. However, it gives you lasagna that is ready when you walk in the door vs. lasagna an hour plus later. This can be life changing on a weeknight.

This is really more of a method than a recipe. It turns out a darned good lasagna, not a transcendent meal. We are feeding our families here people. Some days it doesn’t need to be art–it just has to happen.

On another note, everyone says lasagna is “so easy.” Sure, cooking and serving it may be easy, but making it is not. It’s kind of a pain, involving multiple steps and multiple vessels. That’s why I really like this one. You need your crock-pot and one pan to brown the meat and make the sauce. That’s it. And rather than follow an involved process you simply keep layering the same stuff until it’s all gone.

This recipe is adapted from the “Make it Fast, Cook it Slow” cookbook, by crock-pot aficionado Stephanie O’Dea. I made it this morning before we headed out a day on the slopes and it was in my crock, ready to get cooking in 30 minutes. Much of that time was browning the meat, so during that half hour I unloaded the dishwasher and made breakfast and lunch for the family (all of whom are old enough to make their own meals, but I wanted to prove a point on efficiency.)

So here it is. Mix it up with different meats and veggies, totally meatless versions or whatever. Celebrate your awesomeness by serving it with Easiest French Bread Ever.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, turkey or sausage browned and drained
1 (25 -ounce) jar pasta sauce
10 dry lasagna noodles (traditional, not the no-cook kind)
1 (15- ounce) container ricotta cheese
Sliced mushrooms, chopped onion, a few handfuls of spinach, sliced carrots and/or and any other veggies you want to sneak in.
2 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Italian cheese
1/2 cup water

Method

1. Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Brown the ground meat with mushrooms or other veggies in a pan on the stovetop. Drain well. Add the jar of pasta sauce to the meat. Save the jar, you’ll need it later.
2. Spoon some of the meat and sauce mixture into the bottom of your slow cooker. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking them as necessary to fit as a single layer. Smear some ricotta cheese on the noodles. Sprinkle a handful of mozzarella on top, and 1/3 or so of the Parmesan cheese. Add another spoonful of the meat and sauce mixture, and repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients, or the crock is full. Mine makes 3 layers but probably could fit four. Adjust proportions according to how many layers you think can fit.
3. Put the water into the empty pasta jar and shake. Pour the contents over the assembled ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Crock-pots vary a lot on their cooking times so this is not an exact science. Check about an hour before serving, and push down the top noodles into the liquid, if they are getting too brown and crispy. The lasagna is done with the pasta has reached the desired tenderness and the cheese has melted completely and has begun to brown on the edges.

All great things start with a step…and often cheese.

Halfway there. Not a lot of precise measuring going on here.

Lasagna Finito!

Whitewater Veggie Burgers

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I was backcountry skiing with some friends near Nelson, British Columbia recently. We decided to spend the first day skiing the terrain off the backside of Whitewater Ski area before flying into the Carlyle Hut to backcountry ski for the week. The group was stout to say the least and I spent the entire day “off the back” hyperventilating. After 7-8 hours of trying to hang on at their blistering pace, I headed back to the lodge to lick my wounds and re-fuel my depleted body. I pictured the normal ski lodge food scene were you grab a tray and head to the hot beverage machine, then help yourself to burgers and fries that have been under the warming lamp for hours. Much to my surprise, the charming and welcoming Fresh Tracks Café was open for business and looked like an oasis in the desert. I stumbled into the café, grabbed a seat and ordered the first thing I saw on the menu which happened to be the Whitewater Veggie Burger. I loaded it up with gruyere cheese, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomatoes all on a toasted whole wheat bun (is your mouth watering yet?). It saved me! Well, truthfully it was the greasy French fries that saved me but I’m trying to think healthy after the holiday blitz I’ve been on for the past 2 weeks!

Your search for the perfect veggie burger has ended. This is it – load it up and enjoy! For more Fresh Tracks Café recipes, click here.

And why is there no photo of the veggie burgers, you ask. Have you ever tried to take a photo of a veggie burger? Not exactly easy!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 19oz can black beans, drained, rinsed, roughly pureed
1 tsp oregano
¼ cup parsley or cilantro, chopped
2 tsp seasame oil
1 cup sunflower seed, roasted
½ cup almonds, roasted and chopped
3 cups fine bread crumbs
½ cup soy sauce
5 eggs (I use 2 egg whites as a substitute for whole eggs but that’s a lot of eggs!)
2 cups carrots, grated
2 cups oats
Flour for dredging
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method

In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in oil. Place in large bowl and let cool a little. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well and shape into patties. Dredge lightly in flour. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan to brown burgers on both sides and warm through. You will probably need to cook these in 2 or 3 batches. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil for each batch.

Bring It!

For all my vegetarian friends, how many times have you gone to a cookout only to see the grill loaded up with hamburgers, chicken, hot dogs, and steaks? Grills are meat magnets. Here is what I do to manage these meat laden meals. I ask the host if I can bring veggie burgers to feed any vegetarians in the crowd. I pre-cook the burgers at home, wrap them individually in foil, and then heat them on the grill (in the foil). Everyone is happy! Oh, and make sure to freeze some so they are at the ready whenever you need them at home.

Load it up burger toppings

Maybe don’t look great but taste great!

Battle of the Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut squash lasagna – a winner!

I have a foodie friend who claims to have a better butternut squash lasagna recipe than mine. I’ve tested his claim many times with friends and family, and hands down, this one is the winner. His recipe is good, but it does not compare to this masterpiece. He is a far better cook than me so I have to take the advantage where I can!

This is the perfect recipe for a vegetarian main dish at your Thanksgiving meal. Having said that, this recipe is not for the cook who is short on time. I once made this lasagna for a friend and he loved it. He asked for the recipe, counted the ingredients, and quickly responded with, “18 ingredients, I’m out”! Prepare for about 2 hours of prep, cooking, assembly, and clean up. That is about what it takes me and I’ve made this lasagna at least a dozen times. However, I must say, it is worth it.

Ingredients

Squash Filling:
1 large onion
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
4 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 cup hazelnuts (4 oz) toasted, loose skins rubbed off, coarsely chopped

Sauce:
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
5 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt

Assembling lasagna:
½ lb fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz)
12 sheets no-boil lasagna

Method

Make filling:
Cook onion in butter in a deep, 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until golden (about 10 minutes). Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and hazelnuts. Cool filling.

Make sauce while squash cooks:
Cook garlic in butter in 3-quart sauce pan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Remove bay leaf. Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.

Assemble lasagna:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cheeses together. Spread ½ cup sauce on bottom of buttered 9×13 inch pan, cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving space between sheets. Spread 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with heaping ½ cup cheese. Repeat, layering 2 more times beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

Bake covered 30 minutes, then uncovered for 10 – 15 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Sauce and filling can be made 1 day before, kept separate, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before assembling.

Bring It

Make sure your host has room in the oven to heat the lasagna and probably a good idea to bring printed copies of the recipe because there is no doubt you will be asked!

Sautéed squash would be a great side dish even without the lasagna

Sage and garlic make a great accompaniment

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

As my blog partner Edie said in her last post, it is soup season. We here at Bring It are non-stop soup making machines lately. This sausage tortellini soup is hearty! It is so hearty that you can practically eat it with a fork.

I made this soup recently for the Upper Valley Haven where I volunteer to cook once a month. I make dinners for the adult shelter with two other cook partners. We love this opportunity to cook and share meals with these individuals each month. The Upper Valley Haven is a fantastic organization providing temporary shelter and educational programming for homeless families and adults as well as food and clothing to anyone in need. The people working at the Haven are the nicest group of people anywhere! They are always smiling and so willing to give. I am fortunate to have found such a perfect volunteer opportunity to combine my love of cooking with an organization such as the Haven. If you want more information about the Upper Valley Haven, click here.

As for me making this soup filled with meat, well, I’m a meat-cooking vegetarian. I have a son who is a carnivore extraordinaire and there are plenty of dinner parties where I make a meat dish and a veggie dish just to cover all my bases. So, I really didn’t get a chance to try this soup, but from the way it was lapped up, I think it was a success.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 cups beef stock
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
Fresh spinach, amount is up to you
2 small zucchini, sliced
½ cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp dried oregano
Red pepper flakes to taste

10 oz cheese tortellini
Parmesan cheese

Method

Saute sausage in Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through, crumbling with back of spoon, about 10-12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings from Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Return sausage. Add all other ingredients. Simmer 40 minutes.

Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender (check package instructions for how many minutes). Season soup with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bring It

This soup will be thick which is perfect for the transport. This thickness will minimize the soup sloshing around in your backseat while you navigate the highways and byways. I usually leave my soup in the pot and tape the lid to the pot. Or you could transfer to a very large Tupperware which is probably a safer bet.

Guinness Fondue

Because we cannot live on bread alone, we have fondue.

Beer and cheese—it’s what’s for dinner. I realize I am pushing the season a bit with après ski fare, but we get really excited about the arrival of winter in this household. It’s also Friday, and in keeping with a tradition started by our dearly loved and sorely missed neighbors (come back from Sarajevo already you guys!), it’s the day of the week we collectively throw up our hands and say “Uncle!” to dinner planning. Friday is the day for take-out, appetizers, creative leftovers and raiding the Etna store on the way home. When it happens to be a chilly Friday It’s also a perfect night for fondue.

This came from an über healthy, fit mom who I never would have suspected loved beer and cheese so much. It made me like her immediately. Using a dark beer instead of wine is a different taste, and often more appealing to kids who don’t like the wine smell and taste. A little sweeter than traditional fondue, this is great with apples, grapes, potatoes, veggies, of course bread and quite possibly even cardboard. And it’s totally easy.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. Cabot cheddar (as sharp as you like it), grated
1 Tbsp flour
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 pinch garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp green onion
1 cup Guinness beer- flat
2 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp worcestershire sauce

Method

Open the beer today and let it get flat…

Combine flour, parsley, garlic powder and paprika. Toss with cheese, set aside.

Saute butter & onion until soft – set aside

Warm, but do not boil beer, add lemon juice. Slowly add cheese mixture, stirring constantly. Do NOT let cheese come to a boil. Allow cheese to melt before adding more.

Add butter/ onion mixture when cheese is melted, turn up heat so cheese will thicken. Stir in worcestershire sauce. Transfer to fondue pot.

Bring It

Someone somewhere has to open a can of Guinness in the morning. Pre-grate and bag the cheese with garlic powder, flour, paprika and parsley. The rest of the chopping and prepping can be done with the group, by the group. You can be a really nice guest and do it all beforehand and arrived with pre-cut bags of veggies, bread, fruit etc. But that might make people envious of your organizational prowess. Your call.

Game Day Pulled Pork

In honor of the first day of the World Series, and the official beginning of crock pot season, I present you with the only pulled pork recipe you will ever need. Known elsewhere as “Ultimate Cheater Pulled Pork” via the Splendid Table this recipe is, needless to say, easy. Ridiculously easy. And if you ask the butcher to cut your large hunk of pork into pieces (don’t mention that is it for pulled pork or he/she will try to dissuade you) you won’t have to mess up your pristine (right?) workspace, or even a knife.

It’s so darned easy that I rebelled against the effort of making the barbecue sauce, opting instead for any of the dazzling array of bottled sauces. But don’t you know we had nary a capful of bbq sauce in the house tonight so I made the sauce and I think even monkeys could do it. If they were really jonesing for pulled pork, that is. At any rate, it’s good to at least know how to make bbq sauce so I recommended at least trying it once. Oh, if you want to make even more friends serve this with Easiest French Bread Ever or Peoples Choice Cornbread and Hero Slaw.

Ok, get the couch ready and find that remote. Here we go!

Game Day Pulled Pork As heard on the Splendid Table podcast, and further poached from The Bitten Word. If you want a picture of it look at theirs, because for the life of me I could not get a decent picture of pork.
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Sweet Potatoes

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Massaged Kale

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Roasted Beets

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Parisian Lentils

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Balsamic Onions

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Bring It!

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Bring It

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