Lazy Day Gourmet

Southern New Year's Stew - Crockpot

If you've ever spent New Year's in the South, then you know about the tradition of eating black eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day.  Eating this traditional meal is supposed to guarantee you plenty of green money in your wallet and coins in your pockets. 

This is a fabulous crockpot recipe that includes all the necessary New Year's ingredients (and then some!) to make sure your upcoming year is fat and happy.

Southern New Year's Stew
1 1/2 cups black eyed peas, dried
4 cups water
2 cups cooked cubed ham
1 15 oz can white hominy, rinsed and drained
1 10 oz package frozen oka, cut
1 cup chopped onion
2 TBS minced garlic
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 1/2 cups water
4 cups chopped collard greens (or spinach if you don't "do" collards)
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1. You can either soak your black-eyed peas overnight, or use the quick soak method.  To quick soak, rinse the peas and drain.  Combine peas in 4 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and then reduce heat down to a simmer. Let the peas simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse peas again.
2. In your crockpot, combine the peas, ham, hominy, okra, onion, garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper.
3. Add 4 1/2 cups water to the crockpot.
4. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours. (Or cook on high for 4 to 5 hours)
5. If you're using the low setting, after 8 to 10 hours, turn the crockpot to high. Stir in your collards and the undrained tomatoes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. 
6. Serve hot with cornbread!

Let's Roast a Chicken!

If you're an incredibly busy cook like myself, you have probably (more than once!) bought a pre-cooked roasted or rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.  They come in all flavors like Mojo, BBQ, Lemon Pepper, and really couldn't be any more convenient.  And oh man, if you've even gotten one from Costco, YOWZA, so juicy!

Cooking the whole bird may seem like some sort of mystical task that should only be tackled by your grandmother and on special occassions, but roasting a chicken is actually super easy, and makes the house smell divine while dinner is cooking.  Give it a try this week!

Yummy Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
1 TBS mayonaisse
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Onion Powder

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Remove the giblets from the chicken.  If this if your first time roasting a chicken, the giblets are usuallly packed in a little bag inside the chicken body. Just reach in, and remove the giblet package. You can dispose of them. We won't be needing those!

3. Pat your chicken nice and  dry with paper towels.

4. Now comes the fun part! Take your 1 TBS of mayonaisse and rub it all over the chicken, just like you're applying it's oven ready suntan lotion.  Don't miss an inch. Just keep rubbing.

5. Once the chicken is well lotioned, sprinkle it will equal parts of salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Make sure you flip the chicken and season it on all sides. 

6. Place the seasoned chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and place it in the center of your pre-heated oven.

7. Roast for 1 and 1/2 hours.  Juices should run clear when you penetrate with a fork between the thight and the body.  Once the juices run clear, remove the chicken from the oven, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 

And THAT IS IT!  That's all there is to it.  This is the perfect meal to make while you are preparing your Lazy Day Gourmet meals for the week. By the time you finish preparing and packing 5-7 dinners in the freezer, you've got a succulent roasted chicken ready to serve for dinner.   Now that's smart cooking.

Pineapple Pork Chops

This delicious pork chop recipe is designed to be made ahead, and is the perfect freezer meal. Pull it out of the freezer on cooking day, and create a fresh pineapple sauce to top off your chops.  This is an island delight that uses everyday items found in Hawaiian kitchens.

Ingredients
4 center cut pork chops
1/4 Cup soy sauce
1/4 Cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Day Ingredients
1/4 Cup maple syrup
1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar
Fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks

Freezer Instructions: Prop open a one gallon freezer bag.  Add soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame seeds, and sesame oil to the freezer bag.  Mix the marinade together by working the outside of the freezer bag with your hand. Salt and pepper the pork chops. Add the pork chops to the bag, and turn to coat. Squeeze excess air out of the bag, seal, and label the bag with a Sharpie.  Lie bag flat in freezer. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions: Thaw. Heat grill to Medium Hot. Place the marinated pork chops on the grill once it has preheated.  You can discard the rest of the marinade. Grill the pork chops until  done, around 6 minutes per side.  While the pork chops are grilling, add maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and fresh pineapple to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until pineapple starts to break down and create its own syrup goodness! Serve the pork chops hot with pineapple on top.

Lazy Day Gourmet- Hawaiian Style is written by Beth Berry, exclusively for AlohaLiving.com 

Seoul Food Korean BBQ

Ingredients
1 pound sirloin steak
3 TBS brown sugar
3 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS rice wine (If you don't have it, skip it!)
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves chopped garlic
Bamboo skewers

Freezer Instructions: Prop open a one gallon freezer bag. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Mix with your hand until well blended. Slice the sirloin across the grain into strips around a quarter inch thick. Once completely coated, let out the excess air in the bag, seal, and label the bag.  Tape skewers to the outside of the bag. Lie flat in the freezer*. Freeze.

* The freezer bag, that is. Not you. You do not have to lie in the freezer. But you can lie to yourself near the freezer that this recipe is calorie free.

Cooking Instructions:
Thaw.
Remove bamboo skewers from outside of the freezer bag, and soak in water for at least one half hour.

Pull the steak from the marinade, and throw away the remaining marinade and the bag. Thread the steak onto the soaked bamboo skewers.

Lightly coat your grill with cooking spray BEFORE you preheat to high.  Once the grill is nice and hot, grill the bbq skewers for 3 on each side. Remove the skewers and serve right away. Korean BBQ is best when served hot.

Serving Suggestion: Basmati rice and grilled vegetables.

Outlaw Sirloin Steaks

These amazing sirloin steaks get their name from the couple of shots of whiskey used in the marinade. I like to think of this an an old cowboy outlaw kind of recipe. "Throw a little bourbon on it, boys!"

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb sirloin steaks

Dry Rub Ingredients
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Marinade Ingredients
1/4 cup Worstershire Sauce
1 shot of bourbon (or 3 Tablespoons)
1 shot of bourbon for the cook (Optional)
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon garlic

This is a great recipe for doubling, tripling, or quadrupling since it's so easy to prepare. But beware of tripling the shots for the cook...

Freezer Prep: Prop open a one gallon freezer bag. Add all marinade ingredients, and blend well using your hand on the outside of the bag.  Once you have completed this step, take the remaining shot of whiskey and shoot it straight into the cook's mouth before proceeding.

After recovering from the shot, add the steaks to the bag, coat well by turning, seal bag, and label. Prepare the dry rub, and place it into a smaller bag. Attach the small bag to the larger bag with a little tape. Label, and place in the freezer.

Cooking Instructions
Thaw.
Remove steaks from marinade, and discard the bag.
Rub both sides with the dry rub mixture, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Before grilling, brush lightly with olive oil. Grill over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, and then turn. Grill for an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove from grill, let the meat cool for a few minutes, and slice.

Serving Suggestion
Spring Mix salad with Parmasean Cheese & Mashed Taters

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb sirloin steaks

Dry Rub Ingredients
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Marinade Ingredients
1/4 cup Worstershire Sauce
1 shot of bourbon (or 3 Tablespoons)
1 shot of bourbon for the cook (Optional)
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon garlic

This is a great recipe for doubling, tripling, or quadrupling since it's so easy to prepare. But beware of tripling the shots for the cook...

Freezer Prep: Prop open a one gallon freezer bag. Add all marinade ingredients, and blend well using your hand on the outside of the bag.  Once you have completed this step, take the remaining shot of whiskey and shoot it straight into the cook's mouth before proceeding.

After recovering from the shot, add the steaks to the bag, coat well by turning, seal bag, and label. Prepare the dry rub, and place it into a smaller bag. Attach the small bag to the larger bag with a little tape. Label, and place in the freezer.

Cooking Instructions
Thaw.
Remove steaks from marinade, and discard the bag.
Rub both sides with the dry rub mixture, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Before grilling, brush lightly with olive oil. Grill over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, and then turn. Grill for an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove from grill, let the meat cool for a few minutes, and slice.

Serving Suggestion
Spring Mix salad with Parmasean Cheese & Mashed Taters

Honey Bear Pork Medallions

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin medallions
2 Tablespoons honey
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Freezer Prep: Salt and pepper both sides of the pork medallions, and place them in a one gallon ziplock bag.  In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, honey, and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Transfer to a small freezer safe container or freezer bag. Label, and place in freezer together.

Cooking Instructions
Thaw.
In a grill pan or skillet, cook the pork medallions, using the honey butter as your cooking oil. Save enough to spread a dollop on each medallion before serving.  Cook pork until completely white, approximately 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Tex Mex Sirloins

1 1/4 lb sirloin steak
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Corn Salsa
15 oz can of corn
1 small red pepper
1/2 shallot or red onion
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 hot pepper, chopped (Optional)

Freezer Prep: Combine the pepper, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, salt and oregano in a small bowl to make an herbed rub for the sirloin steaks.   Spread and press the rub onto both sides of the sirloins. Once they have been rubbed, place the steaks into a one gallon freezer bag, and seal.

In a small bowl, mix the vegetable oil, Dijon mustard, vinegar, sugar, cilantro, and add a pinch of salt. This will make the vinaigrette for the corn salsa.

In a medium bowl, pour in the can of corn, and then add the red pepper, shallot or onion, cilantro, and any hot pepper you have chosen.  Mix together with a large spoon. Pour the vinaigrette over the corn salsa, and mix it in well.  Once the salsa is prepared, place it into a one gallon freezer bag, or a freezer safe container.

Place both the steak freezer bag and the salsa freezer bag into a one gallon zip log bag together. Label, and place in freezer.

Cooking Instructions
Thaw.
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Grill sirloins over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side, for a total of 12 minutes grilling time.
Remove steaks from the grill, and let them sit for around 5 minutes.
Slice and serve with a big helping of corn salsa.

Serving Suggestions
Baked potato and Biscuits

Stuffed Basil Chicken

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices proscuitto
Dijon mustard
Balsamic vinegar
8 large basil leaves
1/2 cup mozarella cheese

"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate."
Julia Child

Freezer Prep:
On your cutting board, lay out your 4 proscuitto slices. Spread dijon mustard evenly on all 4 slices.  Then take 2 basil leaves, and lay them on tof of each slice of proscuitto. Sprinkle mozarella cheese on each slice of proscuitto, and then roll the proscuitto up into neat small rolls. Set the rolls aside.

Prepare your chicken for stuffing by cutting small 2 inch pockets into the thickest part of each breast.  Fit a proscuitto roll neatly into each pocket.  Sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar on top of each stuffed chicken breast and brush it evenly on the outside of the breast until lightly coated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the stuffed chicken breasts into a one gallon freezer bag, label as Stuffed Basil Chicken, and place in the freezer.

Cooking Instructions:
Thaw. Grill the stuffed chicken for approximately 7-8 minutes per side, or until thoroughly cooked.

Serving Suggestions:
Mashed potatoes & garden salad.

Note: This recipe can also be cooked in a grill pan over medium heat.  

Rosemary Roast

1 1/2 lb Roast (Tri-Tip Roast, if available)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons Worstershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary
Salt & pepper to taste

Freezer Prep: Prop open a one gallon freezer bag.  Add the rosemary, olive oil, dijon, worstershire, balsamic vinegar, and coarse salt and pepper to taste.  Blend in the bag with your hand until mixed well. Add the roast to the freezer bag, and turn to coat.

Let excess air out of the bag. Label as Rosemary Roast, and lie flat in freezer.

Cooking Instructions:
Thaw. Remove roast from marinade. Discard marinade. Grill over medium heat for 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper, and turning the meat once.  Switch the grill to indirect heat by turning off the burner directly underneath the roast, but leaving the surrounding burners on medium heat for an additional 30 minutes.

Once the roast has been thoroughly cooked to your taste, remove it from the heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Slice the meat against the grain into slices to serve.

Serving Suggestions:
Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing
 

Buttermilk Turkey Drumsticks Fit For a King

1 1/2 pound Turkey drumsticks (3-4 drumsticks)
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 Tablespoon dill
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 bottle KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce

Prepare for Freezer:
Prop open a one gallon freezer bag, and pour in all ingredients except the BBQ sauce and the turkey drumsticks.  Mix ingredients by squeezing your hands on the outside of the bag. When the marinade is blended, add the turkey drumsticks to the bag. Turn the bag to coat. Let out all excess air, label, and lay the ziploc bag flat in the freezer.

Label the BBQ Sauce: Save for Buttermilk turkey Drumsticks Fit for a King

Cooking Instructions:
Thaw.
Discard marinade.
Grill turkey drumsticks on medium heat until cooked through, approximately 2 hours. While the turkey is grilling, baste and turn regularly (every 20 minutes or so) with the KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with mashed potatoes, and a garden salad with homemade ranch dressing or Buttermilk Ranch Dressing from Scratch