Ragoo'd Pork

It's Dinner Time! 

After going through the Outlander Cookbook I wanted to make something savory and a bit different than what I normally lean towards. Which means something meaty LOL! I thought that Craig would appreciate a good meat dish, so I settled on the Ragoo'd Pork, and boy was he happy!

Alright, let's get started! First we need to prepare the meat. Not my favorite part of cooking, but it had to be done to satisfy the meat-a-saurus in our family he he.

The recipe calls for 4 to 5 pounds of boneless pork shoulder cut into 6 or 8 pieces. Don't worry about size variations of each piece, you will end up shredding the tender pork.

Next sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper into a pan. You will then dredge the pork pieces in the flour, cover all sides.

In a large pot, or whatever kind of Dutch oven/stock pot you have, melt 1/4 butter over medium heat. Once the butter is bubbling place half of the pork pieces into the pot to sizzle. Leave space in between the pieces and cook until all sides are browned. Move cooked pieces to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork.

While you're cooking the pork, gather up 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 rosemary sprig and 1 strips of lemon zest for your seasoning/garnishes. You will want to enclose these items into a tea ball or small cheese cloth. Set aside for now. I love that the cookbook calls them a bouquet garni, so cute! Next, once all meat has been cooked and removed, it's time to create the stew. In the same pot add 1 large chopped onion (julienned preferably) and scrape up any browned meat bits. Stir constantly until the onions are a golden color. Then add in 1 tbs tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute. Pour in 1 cup of red wine, to dilute the meat sediments, and bring to a boil. Then add 1 cup of chicken stock, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tbs Worcester sauce and all pork pieces. 

This is when you will add your bouquet garni. Sadly I had neither a cheese cloth or tea ball, so when it was time to plunge them into the stew and then remove, I just picked the pieces out. This didn't detract from the overall taste wheeew! Then reduce heat, cover and let the stew simmer until the meat is tender. This takes about 3 hours.

After you have waited FOR-EV-ER, remove the bouquet and skim any fat from the stews surface. Shred the pork pieces, 2 forks are actually the easiest way. Congrats you have created a delicious hearty ragoo'd pork! 

I went ahead and made some wheat pasta to accompany the ragoo, much like the Italian version of this dish. It's a little funny to create something that I don't intend on eating but my thrill comes from trying something new and pleasing someone's taste buds. In this instance I also got pasta and our kitchen smelled delicious! Craig's take, "the ragoo is authentic, hearty and satisfying. Pairs well with some more red wine! With dinner a success, thank you Theresa Carle-Sanders, this recipe also yielded some tasty leftovers.

In case you were curious, Jack pretty much slept through most of this process LOL! He was a bit disappointed that the pork wasn't for him.

Cheers, Bunny

Outlander: Jam Tarts

Happy Holidays! 

Christmas is here and I decided that this holiday season needed some delicious Jam Tarts and boy was I RIGHT!

This Outlander treat called for 1/2 Short Crust Pastry recipe and 1/2 cup of Fraser Strawberry Jam.

To start set the oven to 375 degrees and prepare your muffin tin. For the dough, mix together flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse until you have mostly pea sized lumps. Then whisk together ice water, egg yolk and lemon juice. Add to the bowl and pulse a few more times. I eventually had to mix a little more thoroughly by hand.

Sprinkle some flour on your counter and knead the dough into a ball. Flatten with a rolling pin and roll to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a 4 inch "cookie cutter" to cut out 12 rounds. If you don't have one, I used a large mason jar. Press the pastry into each muffin tin cup and poke the bottoms three or four times with a fork. Bake for about 5 mins. Don't worry, you will be baking the pastry a bit more once the jam is added. 

The tasty Fraser jam is at the back of the Outlander Cookbook, detailing how to make and can preserves. For this strawberry jam, you will need Granny Smith apples, strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. Start by cutting the apples into 1/2 inch cubes and the strawberries into halves or quarters. 

In a pot of medium heat stir the fruit and lemon juice together. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir constantly to avoid any scorching. Next stir in the sugar until it's dissolved. The jam needs to reach about 212 degrees which takes about 15 to 25 minutes. 

It was kinda fun making a fruit compote, I always see chefs turn to this 'filling' solution on the Food Network and they make it look effortless. Turns out it is pretty easy and quick to create. I'll definitely have to make it again. My mom kept wanting to add in a thickener and I had to convince her that I needed to follow Theresa Carle-Sanders recipe exactly. It was pretty funny!

Hindsight, I should have cut the apples a bit smaller but their size did not take away from the old-fashioned compote-style jam. It was just a bit chunkier and there's nothing wrong with that he he! 

Now you're ready to create your tarts. Fill each cup with about 1 teaspoons of jam (I was a bit heavy handed) and return them to the oven. Bake until the jam bubbles and the pastry is golden. This took about 15 minutes. 

Gently remove the tarts from the muffin tin and set on a cooling rack. The recipe says to let them cool completely and they were right LOL! I didn't want to wait and tried to eat one a bit early. I topped a few tarts with a strawberry slice and plated them. Voila! Outlander Jam Tarts! Thanks Theresa! 

These lovely creations were both savory and sweet. I couldn't get enough and my whole family really enjoyed them. Craig described these as tasting like the original strawberry pop tarts of his youth and he's not wrong!

Thanks for readin!

Cheers, Bun

Millionaire's Shortbread

Hey there, 

What do you do when two lovebird soulmates are about to meet again after a few decades apart and separated by 200 years? The answer is, you make amazing chocolate caramel bars! This recipe was actually quite simple and didn't take long at all. 

First, butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch pan. I chose to not use any parchment paper and the butter worked just fine. Then I started on the shortbread layer. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Grate in 1 1/2 sticks of butter and mix. Use your fingertips to blend the mix together until it resembles cornmeal then press the dough into the pan and poke with a fork. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 30 mins.

While the shortbread cools down, grab a saucepan and melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a gentle boil and stir frequently. Then reduce the heat and stir until it thickens for about 10 mins. Pour over the shortbread evenly and let cool.

Embarrassing but I didn't realize that caramel was just brown sugar and condensed milk. Sure you have to keep your eye on it to prevent burning, but it is quite simple! This caramel came together well, the texture wasn't as silky but the flavor was perfect. 

While waiting for the caramel to set, melt the chocolate and remaining butter in a double boiler. This way the chocolate melts evenly. Once smooth, pour over the caramel. 

Check out my poor-person makeshift boiler! 

I let the bars cool and then cut out a nice square to taste. The chocolate melted in my mouth with the delicious crunch of cookie and I was in heaven....SO GOOD! So rich! Craig's review..."These bars combined a bit of sweet and chewy crunchy decadence."  

Just the right amount of chocolate to caramel to cookie. Perfect! I even took some to work to share. They were a hit! Thank you Theresa Carle-Sanders!

They were indeed worthy of a great romance.

Thanks for readin!

Bunny

Outlander Apple Fritters

Outlander is BACK! 

We waited for what seemed like hundreds of years for Claire and Jamie to come back to us. To celebrate I opened up my Outlander Kitchen Cookbook courtesy of Theresa Carle-Sanders and whipped up some whisky soaked apple fritters. 

To start mix together:
1/4 cup whiskey
1/4 cup whole milk 
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest from one lemon 
1/4 cup of sugar 
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground ginger 
A sweet whiskey lemon flavor filled the kitchen as I whisked letting me know, already, that these were going to be delicious. Next peel and cut up about 3 Gala apples into cubes and add them to the mixture to soak. I let them absorb every bit of goodness for 30 mins then drained the apples, saving the marinade into a bowl for later.

Next, making the pancake-like batter! 
In a bowl stir together:
1 cup flour 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp salt 
Then whisk in both eggs, 1 tablespoon melted butter and half of the remaining marinade juice. Fold in the apples, making sure to coat every piece, and you are ready to cook!

Heat up a few inches of oil in a sauce pan, on high heat, and drop in spoonfuls of batter. Don't crowd the pan and fry until each side is golden brown. Once cooked, remove and drain on a paper towel. While still warm, serve with sprinkled powdered sugar. Voila! Perfect bites or yummy.

 As the Scottish melody opened the new season I took my first bite of fritter heaven. Dusted with some powdered sugar they came to life inside my mouth and I couldn't get enough. Such a savory and sweet combination. I will have to make these again! Thank you Outlander for coming back to us and Theresa for making such an amazing recipe.

Thanks for readin! 

-Bunny

Scotch Eggs

Hi there, 

This Sunday I made Scotch Eggs! 

Something I let Craig pick from the Outlander Cookbook. I thought that they would be difficult, but in fact they were very simple. Plus he loved them!!! It was interesting to read that these were mostly used as travel snacks, full of protein. What a great idea!

Ingredients: 

7 large eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups of panko-style breadcrumbs

1 1/2 pounds of pork sausage and vegetable oil

To start you need to hard-boil 6 eggs, let cool and peel. Next set up three bowls, one with the flour, salt and cayenne pepper, one with an egg wash (use the 7th egg and a tsp of water and mix well) and last the flakes.

Next, take a good potion of the pork and flatten into your hand and wrap around one of the eggs. Roll in the flour, then egg wash, then flakes and set aside. The final step, before eating of course, is to take a large pan and add 3 inches of vegetable oil. Heat it up to 350 degrees and be careful not to splash. Place each ball into the oil and turn regularly. The flakes should begin to turn a nice golden color. 

Take your time and make sure that the insides are fully cooked. There were a few that once split, needed extra time and had to put back in for longer. Once cool enough to eat, take a bite and enjoy. Craig sure did, he finished off most of them! If you would prefer a spicier "ball" add some hot sauce. I don't think anything could ever be too spicy for that man!

Thanks, Bunny

Scotch Eggs Attempt

Morning!! 

Okay I asked Craig to pick out something from my Outlander Cookbook....and he picked Scotch Eggs. It looks a bit difficult but I am up for the challenge!! 

Stay tuned! 
http://outlanderkitchen.com/2012/09/24/scotch-eggs-from-an-echo-in-the-bone/

-Bunny

Warm Almond Pastry w/ Father Anselm

Hi there,

Last night I took to my mixer and created the Outlander Kitchen Warm Almond Pastry w/ Father Anselm. It looked way to good to pass up! 

First things first, I set the oven to 375 degrees and started to mix the almond meal and flour in a small bowl. Then in my awesome pink mixer, on medium, I mixed together the butter and sugar until fluffy, then added the egg and vanilla. Once combined I slowed the mixer down and added in the flour and almond meal, creating a delicious paste/filling. 

It took everything I had not to consume the whole bowl of almond filling! I kept reminding myself that I had to share..so when Craig came home from work last night, the first thing I said to him was,"Do you want to know what heaven tastes like?" I handed him a small spatula with a bit of almond mix on the end. His eyes lit up and he said that it was probably dangerous to keep in the house ha ha!

Next I took my pastry dough (I went ahead and bought the pre-made dough, as I was not that confident in my skills) and cut it into a large rectangular shape. I scored two lines to help guide the dough and cut sections off the top and bottom of the pastry dough sides. These "flaps" would then be folded over the almond filling. I cut diagonal lines on each side, to interlace. Once I added the almond to the center of the dough, leaving some space on the top and bottom sections I folded over the "flaps" and began to weave together the rest of the dough. It was so cute and delicate looking.

Next, I lightly brushed on egg and a little bit of sugar onto each pastry. After topping it off with sliced almonds, it went into the oven for about 25 mins or until turning into a nice golden brown color. 

I did not want any of this masterpiece to be wasted so I used some of my extra almond filling and dough scraps to make little delicious pastries. Plus then I could try it before serving the main Almond Pastry.

Our apartment quickly filled with a sweet aroma as it began to bake...so delicious and mouth watering. I waited patiently as the dough rose and began to brown. They were perfect! After removing from the oven, I let them cool for a bit and plated the smaller pastries to try. So scrumptious! Thank you again OK!

To my surprise the almond pastry was not too sweet, it was perfectly balanced and a bit hearty. The almond slivers were a nice touch as well. The flaky dough paired well with the almond filling creating a wonderful balance between sweet and savory. Once again I had to try and control myself...it's a bit funny how something to little could be the highlight of our taste-bud's night ha ha!

I will, without doubt, be making this again! Thanks for reading, cheers 

- Bunny

The Comte St. Germain’s Poison

Hello my darlings!

My second drink for Outlander is the
The Comte St. Germain’s Poison, basically a Gin Zesper,which was quite refreshing. Thank you Chef Theresa Carle-Sanders!

*Outlander Kitchen Photograph

I have always loved the smell of St. Germaine Liqueur, flowery and sweet, and the bottle that it comes in... so interesting and almost feels like an old relic from a time long past. Plus the name is perfect for our St. Germaine! What a great idea to create a drink inspired by the Comte. As the Outlander Kitchen says, "Poison never tasted so good!"

Simply take:
Gin – 1½ oz
St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur – ½ to ¾ oz
Tonic – to taste
Ice and a Lemon Twist

*Jack waiting for his drink ha ha ha! He looks so pleased!

 Pour the gin and St. Germaine over ice into your glass then add the sparkling tonic and the lemon twist. Use as much of the tonic as you see fit. I found that the gin is a bit powerful so I needed some extra bubbles!

*Outlander Kitchen Photograph

*mommies little vampire

Adding in the lemon zest was a nice touch and I even squeezed a bit of the lemon into the drink. Like I said, this one was strong but refreshing. Wonderful for a sunny Saturday!

Cheers Outlander fans! Here's to a lovely season and even more lovely treats. Thanks for reading.

-Bunny

Madame Nesle de la Tourelle’s Slippery Nipple

Hi everyone! 

Outlander is back and the much anticipated Outlander Cookbook is almost here!! I am so excited! Hopefully I get it for my upcoming birthday...wink wink Craig. For now here is a link to webpage in case you want to get more familiar with the recipes. http://outlanderkitchen.com/ 

Chef Theresa Carle-Sanders has really outdone herself with each dish. Taking bits and pieces from the books/show. I wanted to start off small...but yummy... so I decided to make a few cocktails. First on the list...Madame Nesle de la Tourelle’s Slippery Nipple. 
I love a good shot and this one was so perfectly paired with Madame's erotic fashion. 

Purely:  
1 oz of Sambuca
1 oz of Bailey's Irish Cream
1 Blueberry
I loved the instructions for this simple shot...just too perfect! Plus here is one of the cookbooks pics, much better than mine!
"Pour the sambuca into a shot glass, then pour the Bailey’s gently down the backside of a spoon to float it on top. To make this an authentic “Nesle Nipple,” float a small blueberry in the middle before serving...Sláinte!"
I was actually impressed with myself that I got the Baileys to float on top...took a few tries though he he!

As I took the shot I tasted the sweetness of the Baileys right away and then the liquorice in the Sambuca! The liquorice lingered in my mouth, tingling my tongue. Such a simple drink with quite the punch! While I don't like liquorice I did not mind it this time. Must be the mix with the Irish Cream!

Seeing as how the fashion in Outlander is so extravagant, I had to add a few pictures of my favorites! Claire is such a lucky girl...that red dress was AMAZING!! 


My immediate response to seeing the garden scene dress was "Yes, I need that on my body!" So beautiful!!

Thanks for readin! 

-Bunny

Next: The Comte St. Germain’s Poison (Gin Zesper)