Are you hungry?: 12/1/10

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Food, Family, and Friends = Holiday Blessings

Wishing you and yours a Blessed, Happy, and Safe Holiday.

Merry Christmas ♥

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Pulled Pork and Pasta, Christmas Craziness Round One

This year I simply could not get into holiday mode. In fact, I did not even trim the tree until last week. Once the tree was trimmed and lit, my vision of sugarplums arrived… along with the realization that there was less than two weeks until Christmas. Oh, wow the Christmas craziness spirit has begun! In addition, my brother was planning a visit from South Carolina. We discussed the details two days prior to his arrival and as Christmas craziness would have it, turns out he would have just one day to spend here.

In no way did I plan to have back-to-back Christmas meals. However, with my crazy brother driving 500 miles (one-way) for a one-day visit, I got busy. This would be Christmas for my siblings, nieces and nephews, and father as well as my brother and his daughter's family. Everyone in the family had other holiday obligations during the day on Saturday except for me. Christmas meal, round one.

Pulled Pork and Pasta, two one-dish entrees that feed a crowd were perfect. I called my sister and brother, they agreed perfect menu! Out came the big slow cooker and my laptop. I wanted to serve a Carolina style pulled pork, not with a vinegar base but suitable for barbeque sauce to be served on the side. Of course, I searched my foodie folder in Google reader for pulled pork recipes. After reading four or five scrumptious recipes, I came up with this one.

Pulled Pork

1 small onion sliced thin
1 granny smith apple peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

8.5lb pork shoulder butt
1 -2 teaspoons minced garlic gloves
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Rub
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare onions and apples and line the bottom of the slow cooker. Combine the chicken broth, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce; blend until sugar is dissolved then pour over onion/apple layer. In a small bowl, combine seasonings for the rub. Rub the minced garlic into the many crevices of the shoulder roast. Next, take the bowl of seasoning and rub all over the roast, pushing it into the cracks and crevices. Place roast in slow cooker. Slow and gentle, pour the cider vinegar over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 12 – 14 hours. At this point, carefully turn roast. Being aware of the amount of heat loss, I turned the cooker heat setting up to 3. Cook for 2 – 3 more hours. Remove the roast, take out the bone, and shred the pork. Return to slow cooker, tossing several times to combine with juices and onions. Cook on low for one hour. Serve with hard rolls and barbeque sauce.

This pulled pork was really tender and juicy. The stock combination was very flavorful. The flavors from the rub on the other hand were hardly detectable. The smoky flavor of the paprika was non-existent. I planned to include ground chipotle pepper in the rub however, the guest list included children. This was very disappointing, well at least for me. While everyone ate seconds and complimented the flavor, it was not what I expected. The rub definitely needed to be doubled, maybe even marinated before hand. The family enjoyed it, making the effort worthwhile and somewhat successful. You can bet I will be preparing this pulled pork again. Oh man, I can taste that recipe in my head, now I have to master it, right?

The pasta, Ronzoni brand Garden Delights, was your typical Bolognese sauce, or as some call it “ragu” turned out nicely. I never measure ingredients when making this sauce. It is a see, taste, and smell preparation method.

The ingredients include lean ground beef, onions, garlic, basil, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. As a rule, I cook the meat until pink, add the veggies, and cook until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper then add the paste, crushed tomatoes, and finally the sauce, stirring after each addition. To that add the basil, a bit of fennel seed, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir well, cover, and cook for about an hour on low, stirring occasionally. At one hour, check thickness and seasoning. Add chicken broth if thinning is needed, basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for at least 5 hours, again stirring occasionally. Serve over your favorite pasta topped with grated Romano cheese.

Dessert included Christmas sugar cookies, candy canes, and chocolate covered pretzels. Afterwards, the kids enjoyed hot coco with marshmallows while the adults sipped Lambrusco. Everyone seemed to have a delightful time. We ate, we drank, and we reminisced. I really miss my brother and sister so you know I had a blast! However, I believe that of everyone there my Dad had the best time of all.

Christmas craziness round two, Christmas Eve and the Seven Fishes Tradition!

Wishing you and yours a Blessed Christmas and Holiday!

♥

Comments Recipe Tags: Christmas, dinner, entertaining, pasta, pork

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Ham Pepperoni Chili - Hormel Party Recipes Rock

Hormel + Foodbuzz = another great Tastemaker opportunity! Being outnumbered four to one in the gender department, I knew MY family would definitely support a Hormel Party. Hubby was the first to encourage the event. The product and coupons arrived last Wednesday afternoon and the hub’s immediate response was, “Do the party tomorrow night for the game!” Football, Ham, and Pepperoni, how could I loose right. With the upcoming weekends scheduled to the Holiday hilt, Thursday night worked very well. Additionally, Hormel products are typically ready-made which makes recipe preparation fast and easy. What’s more, Red invited his girlfriend which made me feel less outnumbered lol.

In shopping for the party not only did I purchase Hormel Cure 81 boneless ham and original pepperoni but two varieties of new Chili Master, the chipotle chicken with beans and roasted tomato with beans. The chili turned out to be a tasty party addition and one of my favorites.
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The menu included All American and Mexican infused filled crescent roll ups, two varieties of Hormel Stromboli, and loaded spicy chipotle chili cheese fries. Of course, I served the classic pepperoni, ham, and cheese tray with crackers. The ham salad I originally planned to include ended up being prepared and served the next day but we can talk about salads on a warmer day.

Hormel Stromboli

1 pizza dough (refrigerated classic pizza crust or home made)
8-10 slices Cure 81® quarter ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin, pre cooked, drained well
1/2 small onion, sliced, pre cooked, drained well
Hormel® real bacon bits
Cornmeal
Olive Oil

Pre heat oven to 375. Sprinkle work surface with cornmeal. Unroll packaged pizza crust, pressing lightly to form a uniform 12” square. Layer ingredients on one-half of the dough in the order given. Mound shredded cheese layer in the center of the ham, as it will spread during baking. Fold open side of dough over layers. Press the folded edge into bottom edge and pinch closed. If there is enough dough at bottom edge, fold the bottom edge over the top and then pinch. I prefer this method as it seals in the juices nicely. Lightly brush top with olive oil for a crispy crust. Make two vent holes it the top of the dough, place on a sheet pan, or preheated baking stone. Bake for 20 minutes.

Stromboli is the perfect party food in my opinion. Change up the ingredients to suite your taste or party theme. We also enjoyed a Hormel Italian Style Stromboli filled with Cure 81® ham, Hormel sliced pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese, onion, and black olives. The stromboli was seasoned with Italian seasoning and grated Romano cheese before closing.

Filled Crescent Rolls

Unbelievably, this was my first filled crescent roll attempt! Now I know why so many rave about them. In addition to the ease of preparation, their versatility is unbelievable. Y’all would have laughed watching me roll these I am sure. I turned the triangular dough at least five times. Huh? After rolling about half, I got the hang of it as you can tell by the rather unique shapes. Anyway, the All American rolls were filled with ham strips, shredded sharp cheddar, and onion. The Mexican infused rolls were filled with diced tomato, green chili peppers, bacon bits, black olive pieces, and sprinkled with chili powder.

Loaded Fries

Finally, I baked a batch of seasoned fries then topped them with the new Chili Master Chipotle chicken with beans, shredded Colby and cheddar cheese, and a whole package of bacon bits; never can have too much bacon on loaded fries. This was served with salsa, black olives, and sour cream on the side. The Chili Master is extremely flavorful and chunky in a lighter sauce whereas the original Hormel chili more dense and thick.

Everyone was impressed with the flavor and quality of the Hormel foods, especially the Cure 81 ham. My niece was super excited about the $10 Hormel Cure 81 coupons. And her hubby just loves ham, thus the super excitement. Oh and about the football game… Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans viewed in HD, of course – “The Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns as the Colts ended their three-game losing streak by beating the Tennessee Titans 30-28 on Thursday.” Besides that, Peyton Manning had 300 yards passing for the 63rd time, tying Dan Marino for the most ever. Score!

Thanks to Hormel and Foodbuzz for providing me with Hormel products and coupons to host a fabulously flavorful and fun Hormel party!

♥

Comments Recipe Tags: dinner, entertaining, ham, italian, snack

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Christmas Eve, Seven Fishes, and the Waverly Collection

Hefty has been part of our family Christmas Eve Feast since I took the reins back in the early 90s. Ok my foodie friends I know what you must be thinking, disposable dishes with seafood, pasta, sauce, Christmas Eve... Is she serious?

For years, I have hosted this dinner to accommodate two shifts, serving half the food around five and the balance later in the evening. I try to make our tradition stress free, giving an alternative time for those who work on Christmas Eve, have Christmas church services, or children with early bed times. The double shift is most appreciated. The disposable dinnerware provides for "no dish washing help" from relatives and is therefore widely accepted. Now if Grandma were still with us I don't think this modernization would fly.

This year thanks to Hefty, my table will be adorned with the beautiful Waverly Collection disposable dinnerware. You all know how excitable I am and you can imagine my reaction when I read the email outlining the review opportunity. Once again, hubby was grinning and shaking his head as I read him the email. You know, I think even Grandma would be OK with this collection, disposable or not.

The Waverly Collection features drinking glasses, napkins, and plates. The patterns are beautiful. The 10 1/4” octagonal dinner plates are durable, coated to resist bleeding of sauce, and sized to hold more than an average paper plate. The 8” plates are of the same fine quality and shape but patterned in red and green stripes. They are the perfect size for a luncheon or Baccala Salad. Both have matching dinner and luncheon style napkins with coinciding patterns. The glasses, well friends those are quite festive. Available in two sizes, they are not only very stylish but sturdy as well.

Would you like a chance to try this festive disposable dinnerware? Hefty has provided me with two coupons to give away to one lucky reader. Each coupon is valid for (1) FREE package of Waverly Collection cups, plates, or napkins (up to $3.29 value). The coupons are valid through October 2011. Keeping with the stress free theme, just leave a comment telling which of the Waverly Collection would be beneficial to your holiday celebration. One winner will be chosen via random.org on Friday December 10.

Additionally, a money-saving coupon is available for print now. Visit Waverly’s Facebook page and click the coupon tab to print a Buy 2 - Get 1 Free coupon, I did. You know we will definitely need more dinner plates, napkins, and cups for our seven fishes feast!

While I am on the Christmas Eve Feast topic, I would like to share the seven fishes portion of the menu. Breads and desserts have yet to be determined.

Linguine with clams (Linguine con le Vongole) This sauce has been handed down for many generations and includes fresh clams, onions, garlic, parsley and olive oil.
Fettuccine Alfredo with baby shrimp. This dish is my personal contribution to the tradition. Even the non-seafood consumers like this dish!
Baccala Salad, which is served cold containing a medley of vegetables, olives, and salted Cod fish (baccala) dressed with a traditional Italian vinaigrette.
Calamari in spicy Marinara Sauce, my mother's original recipe. I am considering serving this with some sort of polenta squares this year.
Seafood Primavera is Claudia’s recipe from What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine. This year it will be served with a combination of scungilli (conch), scallops, and crabmeat over Ronzoni Garden Delight Penne Rigate. My thought was how beautiful the colors will be.
Angel Hair Pasta with Joan Nova’s Caper Pesto (Pesti di Caperi). Oh my gosh, upon visiting this post on FOODalogue I knew instantly this would be part of my Christmas Eve Feast!
Baked Ziti - A traditional baked pasta and triple cheese dish for my non-seafood eating family and friends J

Hope everyone enjoyed the review and the menu. Thank you to Hefty for providing me with the Waverly collection to sample and review. The Waverly Collection will undeniably enhance our family Christmas celebration.

♥