Time and the Sensuous Cook

I must apologize to my readers out there for the long delay in writing; as a full time student and a part time writer , I sometimes get "burn out " on writing. I often hear friends say the same about cooking- the daily struggle of what to eat sometimes drives us to the drive thru. This doesn't have to be the case, there are a few simple things that can help you have good home meals without exhausting yourself or resorting to canned, frozen or boxed meals.

First of all, the next time you're watching television, grab a scratch pad and make a list of meals your family enjoys and that are easy to prepare. Some of the entries on my list include Steaks and Baked potatoes with tomato onion salad, BBQ chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and a tossed salad, and Pot Roast with potatoes & carrots and braised cabbage. If you think I spend hours in the kitchen preparing these meals--- think again. All of these are on the table within 30-45 minutes of coming home- thanks to my old friend – the crock pot.

There are thousands of wonderful stews and soups you can cook in a crock pot- but did you know you can also bake potatoes, make a great mac and cheese and even make a cake in them? Don't limit your thinking when it comes to this versatile piece of equipment- and don't limit your recipes to thoughts of canned cream soups, or pre -made sauce mixes.

So, looking at the first meal – steaks, baked potatoes and tomato-onion salad. The steaks- if you are the outdoor griller- go for it; for the rest of us- drag out that indoor grill or broil them- but please, please, please make sure you don't overcook them. The sensuous cook considers any steak cooked more than medium rare to be the equivalent of eating beef jerky- and not nearly as tasty. Your steaks will be the food with the longest cooking time- Why ? Because you've already baked the potatoes- in the crock pot – while you were out. That morning, wash up your potatoes, rub them down with a little vegetable shortening- or vegetable oil, and roll them in some kosher salt. Wrap them up in foil and place them in your crock-pot. Turn it on low and head off to work- that's all!!!!! When you come home – steaming hot baked potatoes. Now the last thing , slice three thick slices of tomato per person and two slices of sweet onion ( Vidalia's, Maui- whatever are available to you) and arrange them on a plate alternating onion and tomato,. Now here's the twist- top them not with dressing or marinade but with a thin stream of A1 sauce (I like the bold and zesty for this). It makes a unique dressing and blends well with the hearty meal. Of course you don't have to use it- use what you like - but part of being a sensuous cook is using old ingredients in new ways.

So there's one easy meal for you- starting to feel better? Let's try the next one- BBQ chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and tossed salad. This one requires two crock pots and some prior day prep- I suggest using this menu on a Monday- that way, while you're doing the usual Sunday cooking- it won't be hard to add this extra step. You will need enough legs and thighs to feed your family. Place them in a roasting pan and brush them with a mixture of ½ cup oil (olive is the best but vegetable will do in a pinch) , ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, and a ¼ tsp garlic powder. Roast them in the oven at 350 until the juices run clear when pierced and the skin is golden. Remove from the pan and refrigerate. The next morning- put the chicken in the crock pot and add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce- yes I occasionally make my own but there is some a large variety of quality sauces –don't be embarrassed to use them. In the second crock pot, peel and quarter several large russet potatoes (six will serve four people generously) add just enough water to cover them and a dash of salt. Go to work. When you come home- the house will smell wonderful and you won't have a whole lot to do to put supper on the table. The chicken only needs to go in it's serving dish; the potatoes need to be strained and mashed- if you feel like being fancy- add some cheese, sour cream and chives to them to make ultimate mashed potatoes, and open up a bag of salad mix , quarter some tomatoes to top the salad and top with your favorite dressings. How easy can it get? Just wait for the final supper…

For this recipe you can use a rump roast, chuck roast , or even a brisket- however I do not suggest eye of round- the flavors don't seem to penetrate it well enough. So.. in the morning-put in the crock pot in this order ( this is one time that order is important)- the roast, two onions quartered, a small bag of baby carrots, and six to eight russet potatoes peeled and quartered. In a bowl, mix up ¾ cup La Choy soy sauce, ¼ cup Lea and Perrin's Worcestershire sauce, and 1 can of beef consommé ( not broth- if you use broth the flavor will lack). I have specified name brands here- not because I get a kick back ,but because of a lot of experiments have shown these will give an excellent flavor. Pour this over the contents of the crock pot and then add enough water so that the liquid covers the contents. Turn it on low and go do your thing. When you come on that evening, supper is ready. Strain out the meat and Vegetables into a serving dish- you will have to slice a rump roast or brisket- a chuck roast will be falling apart. Serve some of the cooking liquid on the side as an au jus sauce. All you will need to do is fix the cabbage. For this you will need a bag of angel hair coleslaw mix or you can thinly slice a head of cabbage. In a large skillet, bring a couple of cups of water to boil – lightly salted. When it boils, add the cabbage and stir until it is crisp tender- about 5-7 minutes. Strain and toss with several pats of butter. Guess what?!?! Supper's ready…. And you didn't even break a sweat.

So- I've provided you with three meals- I'll leave it to you to improvise one more. On Friday, declare it family movie night – order pizza and grab a movie- and pat yourself on the back for feeding your family so well all week.