Pork Roast in a Clay Pot

This was so simple and so good. I used my Romertopf clay pot again and the meal was super easy to prepare. Three hours later it was ready to eat: fork tender and flavorful.  Here's the recipe:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:


Rib end pork loin (3-4 pounds), browned for the pot.
Chili peppers at a heat level of 3 and 6 respectively on
the Hot Chili Pepper Scoville Scale (this scale rates
chillies on a scale of 0-12 with 12 being the hottest).
I used 2 pasilla and 1 poblano, 3s, and 1 jalapeno, a 6.
Adjust according to your chili heat preference.
One onion, 8 cloves garlic, cherry tomatoes, 1 T. cumin, 1
bay leaf, 1 T. smoked paprika, 1 T. tomato paste, 1 cup
vegetable broth, a cup of dark beer (I used lager because
that's what I had on hand), 4 fresh thyme springs and one
rosemary sprig, sea salt and pepper.

STEP ONE:



Cut 3 cloves into slices, slit holes in
the roast and place slices into the meat. Salt
and pepper the roast to taste.Brown the roast
in a pan with a tsp. of oil. You don't need
much. Set aside and cut up an onion in large
chunks and throw in the pan. Cook until slightly
softened and slightly charred.

STEP THREE:



Place roast, peppers and tomatoes in clay
pot or other oven proof pot. Spread the
tomato paste on top of the roast and
sprinkle the cumin on top. Pour in the
vegetable broth and beer.



Place the onions into the pot along with
the remaining 6 garlic cloves (smashed).
Top with the thyme and rosemary.



Place pot in a cold oven and turn it on to
450 degrees (if using a clay pot, you will need to
soak it in water for at least 15 minutes before you
fill it). Otherwise, preheat  oven to 450 and cook
for 30 min. and then turn down the heat to
325 for the remaining 2.5 hours.

STEP FOUR:



Allow to cook for 2.5-3 hours.

STEP FIVE:



Serve with the pan juices on the side and enjoy! I
served mine with Persian rice and a salad.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Forbidden Rice and Haddock

For this week's post, I'd like to feature black rice or "forbidden rice" a variety that has a high nutritional value. It is a source of iron, vitamin E and antioxidants (more than in blueberries) and is quick-cooking and delightful.  I found it in a local market and brought it home with some haddock. Haddock used to be overfished but the population has been making a steady comeback. It's population health is now deemed moderate and it has minimal contaminant levels. Hook and line caught haddock also prevents the environmental damage that bottom trawls cause.  Get a free seafood app to inform your seafood buying if interested. 

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



 

Black rice, 3 cloves chopped garlic, oyster mushrooms,
cherry tomatoes (halved), a quarter onion, chopped,
dandelion greens from my garden, haddock fillets (dipped
in milk and covered with breadcrumbs)

STEP ONE:



Dip haddock fillets in milk mixed with garlic powder.
Dredge in breadcrumbs and let sit for 20 minutes.

STEP TWO:



Cook rice according to package directions. While rice
is cooking, saute`the tomatoes and mushrooms with the
onion and garlic in a T. or so of olive oil. Add the dandelion
leaves a few minutes before the tomatoes and mushrooms
finish cooking.  Add a dash of sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper.





I'm growing my own oyster mushrooms. I'm on my
third flush (growing round). They're easy to grow and
yield a good amount of fresh, yummy schrooms.  This
is the third meal I've made with my homegrown mushrooms.
I highly recommend trying it!  My kit was given to me by
a friend from a company called www.rootmushroom.com.

STEP THREE:



Add the black rice (deep purple color when cooked)
to the skillet with the vegetables and stir.
Cook haddock fillets over a high heat. I used grapeseed oil,
about 1 T. per fillet.  Cook until golden and fish flakes when
pierced with a fork. Lightly salt.

STEP FOUR:



Enjoy with a green vegetable and a salad.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

TESTING A CLAY POT

I finally got around to cooking a meal in a clay pot, meals I love when I'm out but had never tried at home. My friend Amber gave me a Romertopf for my birthday, and it's lovely to look at and hold. To cook in a clay pot you must first soak the pot for at least 15 minutes in cold water and then when it's filled, place in a Cold oven. This allows the pot to slowly absorb the heat as it rises to the designated baking temperature.

Two great things about clay pot cooking are the convenience and ease of preparation. You simply add the ingredients to the pot as you would a crock pot and then sit back and relax as the pot performs its magic.

I took what I had in the fridge to make my first clay pot dinner.  Here's what happened.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Organic chicken thighs, onions, baby potatoes,
mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, green
pepper, fresh tumeric, ginger, dandelion greens,
sugar snap peas, lemon, red chilies, oyster sauce,
organic chicken stock and spice mix* (Use whatever
you'd like as a spice mix. I'm leaving this one totally
up to you. The variations are practically
endless!)

STEP ONE:





Cut a medium onion into large chunks,
mash about 6 garlic cloves, cut half a
green pepper into thin strips, add 8-10
potatoes, 8-10 cherry tomatoes, about
a cup of mushrooms, a dozen red chilies
and grated turmeric (1 and half-inch
piece) to the pot.

STEP TWO:





Take the chicken thighs and cut off any
excess fat and dredge in the spice mix (can
do this about an hour earlier to allow the
flavors to penetrate the meat). Add on top
of the vegetables in the clay pot. Add a quarter
cup of the chicken stock. Place pot in a COLD oven
and set to 425 degrees.  Cook for 30 minutes after
oven reaches target temperature and then check the pot.
Continue cooking for another 25 minutes, the last
10 minutes or so with the top removed to brown the
chicken, check for doneness (no pink in the chicken)
and remove from the oven.

STEP THREE:



Heat a wok with about 2 tsp. grape seed oil (or
canola or a high heat olive). Carefully add a large
bunch of dandelion greens and stir-fry for a couple
of minutes. Add a couple of minced garlic cloves and
an inch of minced ginger.  Continue to stir fry for another
minutes and add a cup of snow peas and one T. of
oyster sauce.  Cook until greens are wilted and peas
are still firm.  Adjust seasonings, squirt some lemon
juice on top and add some freshly ground pepper.

STEP FOUR:





Arrange chicken, vegetables and greens on a platter
and serve onto individual plates. Enjoy a meal that
is fork tender and delicious, having cooked in its own
steam. Healthy too!

*An organic mix of vegetables, fruits and herbs called
Wurzfee Streuwurze and Gemusebruhe, brought back from
Berlin by my friend Herta who talked so much about
it in her own cooking I asked for some when she visited
Germany recently.  It contains carrots, celery, onions,
turmeric, shitake mushrooms, parsley, apples, sunflower
seeds and sea salt.  You could use almost anything to flavor
this dish. I was thinking a good spicy mix of cumin, coriander,
chili powder, green chili paste and sesame seeds would be
good too.

I love my clay pot and will continue to experiment with
it.  It's an incredibly easy, quick and healthy way to cook.
Next time I'll try a whole fish and see what happens.


ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!