Thursdays Are For Cooking….

Since the temps outside are dragging their heels and even the birds are in hiding, it is the kind of weather where you want to stay indoors and contemplate the wonders of the Universe while your dinner is stewing away in the crock pot.  There is nothing better when you come into the house, after shoveling snow into a ten-foot pile in your yard, than the scent of food cooking. You go to the crock pot, turn the lid just a tad, and lift it slightly, and the moist, warm air bearing the scent of cooking comestibles rises to meet you.

And while I’m at it, OWB sent me a link to someone who addresses the issues of prepping wild game such as geese and turkeys for the table and preserving the meat correctly, so I’m providing the link to his website here: https://honest-food.net/

I checked his website, and he’s got some very good stuff for those of you who hunt for the larder.

Now it’s crock pot time, again, and that’s partly because Aysel likes to have things that Hubby can’t mess with because, as she said, he can burn water.

This week’s choice is Corned Beef and Cabbage. It is quite good. I’ve made this one several times, the benefit being that it is simple to fix and quite tasty and filling, and only needs a dessert to follow it, something simple such as a pie of your choice.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

3.5 to 4 pounds of lean corned beef brisket

pickling spice – it may be included with the brisket in a packet, so keep it

1 medium rutabaga, cut into 4″ pieces. (Hint: small turnips are also good if you can’t find a rutabaga – and it is not necessary to go full rutabaga with this dish.)

1.25 pounds of potatoes: fingerlings if you can get them. If not, use reds, but scrub them well first.

1 lb of carrots – (full size, not the baby carrots) cut into 3-inch pieces

1 leek, white & green parts only, cut into wedges. (Hint: onion may be substituted for this.)

1/2 head of cabbage, cut into wedges.

1/3 cup of horse radish, drained (commercial brand is okay)

1/3 cup of creme fraiche or sour cream (Hint: if you don’t want to make the horse radish sauce yourself, buy a good commercial brand.)

Cooking instructions:

Put the corned beef into a crock pot of suitable size, and scatter the pickling spices on it.

Layer the rutabaga/turnips, carrots, potatoes, cabbage chunks and leek/onion on the brisket. Add enough water to cover the entire thing including the veggies, by at least one inch. You can also use chicken broth for this.

Cook on “High” for 7 to 8 hours, and leave the lid alone!!!!!

This recipe recommends putting the cabbage into the microwave with 2 cups of the cooking liquid, and microwaving it until tender, but I have yet to find it not tender or cooked when I follow this recipe.  If it is not tender, then about 5 to 8 minutes, covered,  in the microwave with the cooking liquid.

The recipe also recommends boiling a cup of the cooking liquid in a small skillet, reducing it to about half volume, and then mixing it with the horseradish sauce. However, if you use a commercial brand of horseradish sauce to save time, I don’t think you need to do this. Just warm it slightly in the microwave.

What you don’t use up can be made into sandwiches and corned beef hash. And I’m ready for all of that.

 

Category: Economy