Comments

I will probably put some comments at the end of most recipes. I'm going to try to post all the dishes I make, whether they turn out great or just average. Usually its pretty easy to know what I did wrong, so point out those mistakes can help everybody, including myself, learn and develop a better understanding for cooking and the techniques. Also understand that I am my own biggest critic, so I usually point out want most consider a small flaw.

Beef pot roast

Braised Beef Pot Roast

3 pound bottom round(you can use other cuts, this was just on sale)

2 small-medium onions, cut into eighths

2 carrots, cut into thick rings and quartered

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 8oz package white mushrooms, quartered

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

½ bottle red wine(I used cabernet)

2 cups beef stock

1 tbsp tomato paste(I freeze mine in saran-wrapped roll, so it’s easy to cut off a piece)

Fresh herbs – 3 sprigs time, 1 sprig oregano, 1 small sprig rosemary, 1 small sprig basil, 1 sprig parsley

1-2 tbsp. Brandy

1/3 cup half and half

Olive Oil

Butter

Flour

Garlic powder

Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

Chop all the vegetables and set aside.

Bring a 6qt pot or dutch oven to medium heat. Put some olive oil and 1tbs butter in the pot. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and dust with flour, then place in the pot. Sear on all sides then remove from heat. I then wiped up the oil left in the pot, but left the brown bits in there.

Put some oil and a tbsp. of butter in the pot, and put the carrot, celery, and onion in. Season with pepper(Salt? Be careful of adding salt because of the beef stock). After 4-5 minutes, put the garlic and mushrooms in. Sauté for another 4-5 minutes, then deglaze the pan with brandy. After about 1 minute, add the wine, beef stock, and tomato paste. Bring up to a simmer. Add the herbs(tied together in a bundle) and cover. At this point, I transferred to a crock pot. You could also cover and put in a 300-350 degree oven. Let simmer for 3 hours. Check for salt and pepper.

When finished, take out the beef and vegetables. Pour juice into a saucepan. Mix half and half with 2 tbsp. flour and pour into the sauce. Reduce until desired consistency.

Serve over mashed potatoes with sauce.

Comments: I didn’t put enough salt in during cooking so it tasted a little bland. I added some salt to my plate on top of the food and mixed it up, and it fixed it and tasted great. Also, the meat was still a little tough. It could have been the cut of meat I had, but I think simmering it on low for a longer time could have made the meat fall apart as I intended. It still turned out good though, because the dryness of the meat was hidden by the sauce and the mashed potatoes.
Also, it made for a great lunch meal the next day.

First post!

I've been pretty busy, as every first year law student is, but i definitely haven't sacrificed cooking. I've made some great dishes so far including ceviche, caribbean pork tacos with mango salso, sausage and cheese tortellini, and chicken parmesan just to name a few. I don't know which of those will make it on here, but i'm sure ill make most of them again. To get to the point, tonight a made thai basil chicken. It turned out really good, so I'm going to share it.

Thai basil chicken

2 chicken breasts

1 green onion, chopped small

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

Handful of Thai basil, roughly chopped

½ jalapeno, minced

½ tbsp. chili-garlic paste

1 tbsp. light brown sugar

Juice of half a lime

Soy sauce

1/3 cup chicken stock(rough estimate)

Vegetable oil

Sesame oil

Onion powder & Garlic powder

Salt & pepper

Instructions:

Mince chicken breasts into small cubes.(easier to chop if still partially frozen) Season with jalapeno, salt, pepper, a little bit of garlic and onion powders.

In a bowl, mix together about 1/4 cup of soy sauce, chicken stock, a splash of sesame oil, lime juice, chili-garlic pasted, brown sugar, and pepper. (Can add salt, but be careful as the soy sauce and chicken stock have lots of salt)

Heat up the wok. When hot, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil and about a teaspoon of sesame oil.  Sear chicken until it starts to slightly brown, then grate in garlic. Continue to cook for a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add several splashes of soy sauce to deglaze the wok, then at the bowl of liquid mixed together earlier. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the basil. After about 10 seconds, pull the plug on the electric wok(or take pan off heat) and continue to stir the mixture to wilt the basil. Taste and add salt/pepper if needed. Serve over white rice, and be sure to spoon some of that delicious juice over the top.

My recipes definitely arent exact because I rarely measure, but I try to estimate as best I can. Enjoy!