Weekly Recipe Roundup #4

It's time for another weekly recipe roundup. Yesterday was a spontaneous cooking day for me. I tried 3 new-to-me recipes .... I think that is a record for me for one day. So I thought I'd give you a recap of what I tried and how they came out, plus what I made for breakfast this morning.

First up was thai noodles from a recipe I found on Pinterest. Verdict: quite yummy! It called for sauteing up red pepper in oil and then straining the little pepper seeds. I wasn't able to strain all the little seeds, so even tho I only used 1 Tbsp of the hotties instead of 2 Tbsps the recipe called for, the dish was a bit hot. Loved it! But the hubster wasn't quite as impressed. He's not into "hot" quite as much as I am.




Recipe #2 was an easy little appetizer number that I've been wanting to try again for awhile. I made Bruscetta many years ago and loved it, so when I ran across this recipe (again from Pinterest) I had to give it a try. The stars (ingredients) finally aligned themselves up last night, so before they could run away (mold, mildew and turn into mad science projects)I whipped up some delish nibbles right before dinner. Verdict: extra yummy!

The big finale of my cooking day was The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast. Now when she makes it I am SURE it IS perfect. For me, not so much. But I do not lay any of the blame at her or her recipe's feet. But totally and squarely on my own pot roast feet of clay.

If you remember, one of my 11 in fall of 11 was to improve my cooking skills and I quote:

10) Improve My Cooking Skills: I've always enjoyed trying new recipes, but now I want to improve my skills and techniques.... techniques I will conquer: making a great pie crust, a great pot roast, and cheesecake.

I'm a little bummed that it didnt' come out as well as the Pioneer Woman's, but not all is lost. I learned a couple things. One: I need a smaller covered pan to cook my pot roast in. I ended up using my turkey pan, cuz that is the only roaster I have that has a lid. Way too big! And two: I need a recipe that helps me check the doneness and not just give me a vague "it'll be done in 3-4 hours." Part of my problem was that 30 min before it was suppose to be done I checked on it and it didn't look done to me, but in actuality was probably done or close to being overdone at that point. So I think I need a meat thermometer and a recipe that guides me that way. What'd ya think? Am I off the deep end? What's your tried and true method of making a pot roast?

And no, we didn't have to order pizza. The meat was a bit well done, but still edible. Lots of gravy, the yummy carrots and mashed potatoes made up for a little toughness.

Finally, this morning, or rather last night, I whipped up some Deluxe Oatmeal. Yes, that is really what the title of the recipe is. An old favorite I got off the internet a long time ago. The photo below is similiar, not my actual oatmeal. You dump all the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook overnight. Then Ta-Da, the next morning you have a yummy b'fast just waiting for ya. Here's the recipe if you're interested.

Deluxe Oatmeal
2 c milk
1/4 c brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c quick cooking oats (I use old fashioned and haven't noticed a problem)
1 apple finely chopped
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c chopped walnuts or almonds

Grease inside of crockpot (very important, or else its going to be a bear to clean, just ask my hubster). Put ingredients inside crockpot and mix well. Cover and turn on low heat. Cook overnight or 8-9 hours. Stir before serving.

Makes 4 cups. Which is enough for our family of 3 hungry peeps in the morning.

So what have you been cooking lately? Tried out any new recipes? And, please, tell me your secret to a great pot roast. My hubster will be so thankful!

Til next time ....