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

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

Laoghaire's Whisky Sour

Morning Outlander Fans!

Saturday night I watched the finale (of Outlander) and it still sits heavy with me today. Such a beautiful episode. My eyes filled with tears at Claire's memories and their dance toward the stones. I could see the emotion and love as they were forced to part. Sam and Caitriona did a wonderful job! I still can't believe the season is already over BUT I do have the cookbook to keep me company. Thank you Theresa he he!

Feeling a bit sour about the end, I thought it perfect to start with Laoghaire's Whisky Sour, it just sounded yummy and I was correct! 

Start by stirring together 2 tablespoons of hot water with 2 tablespoons of honey until it's dissolved, then add 2 oz of whiskey and 2 tablespoons of lemon, freshly squeezed. In the OK cookbook it says to use bourbon...but online it says whiskey...unsure about what to use, we chose one of Craig's favorites, Green Spot Irish Whiskey(I hope Theresa won't mind). Then I add crushed ice and a lemon curl and there you have it! A slightly sweet and rich Whiskey Sour. Craig liked it very much and said it was better than any Whiskey Sour he has ordered at a bar. The lemon and honey were perfect! 

As Theresa Carle-Sanders adds: "The perfectly naturally sweet, lightly sour whisky cocktail for a hot summer's evening, whether you shot someone that day or not." he he!

Cheers! Thanks for reading...next, a lovely almond cream pastry!-Bunny