Autumn in San Diego, Time for Pork Braised with Apples and Cider

 70 degrees feels like fall here in San Diego after the very hot, humid weather we have been experiencing into October.  I never thought I'd get tired of wearing sandals and tank tops, but I've been jealous of my friends on the East Coast in their new sweaters, and boots.  One of my favorite dishes in cool weather is one we had in Normandy, France, pork braised with apples and cider.  I usually serve this over buttered noodles, but you could serve it over mashed potatoes, or polenta.  It's a great slow cooker recipe, but you can also make it on the stovetop in a Dutch oven.  

Pork Braised with Apples and Cider

Serves 6

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Six one-inch-thick loin pork chops (bone-in or boneless---the bones fall off in cooking)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

4 Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges

1 1/2 cups apple cider

2 beef bouillon cubes, or 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon beef base

1/3 cup heavy cream (this is optional, but really rounds out the flavor)

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

1 pound wide egg noodles, cooked al dente for serving

1. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and sugar.  Spread it onto the pork chops, this is a messy business, but it works. 
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, and brown the pork chops on both sides.  Remove the pork chops to a plate, and add the onion, thyme and apples to the pot.  Saute until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the apple cider and bouillon cubes.  
4. Return the pork to the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat (at a simmer) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the pork is tender.  
5. Add the cream and the cornstarch mixture.  Bring to a boil, and taste for seasoning.  
6. Serve the pork over buttered noodles, mashed potatoes or polenta.  

Slow-Cooker Savvy: 

Saute through step 3, then transfer to the slow cooker insert.  Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours.  Add the cream and cornstarch, cook on high for 30 minutes, on low for 1 hour, till thickened.  

Brown the pork chops

Saute onions

Saute apples and thyme

Add the cider, bouillon, and pork to the pot

Add the cream and cornstarch

I served this with sauteed spinach

So I still have no idea what day it is, but I do know that crisp fall days are a welcome relief after hot and humid weeks.  I'm wearing a sweater today, which feels cozy, and the daytime temperature will probably be 70, but it feels like fall!  

I've finally gotten out into the garden to whack away some of the milkweed which feeds the monarch butterflies.  We are hoping they are on their way to Mexico, and we'll see them back here in the spring. 

The wildfire season has been devastating combined with the pandemic, right now we are praying for our friends in Orange County evacuating from the fires that exploded yesterday. 

Stay safe and stay well.  

Quarantine Kitchen, Day 23, Chicken Pot Pie

 

It's been raining non-stop since Sunday night here in San Diego.  This morning dawned with a beautiful rainbow over the lagoon across the freeway.  Dr. C. and I have been trying to walk in the neighborhood every day, yesterday we walked in a light drizzle.  This week after Dr. Birx said to stay home and not go to the grocery store or pharmacy, we are taking that seriously, so I'm cooking comfort food. 
When we came back from our walk, I started work on a chicken pot pie, which, to me is comfort food, that takes me back years ago when I wrote a book about pot pies.  These are bubbling stews covered by any number of pastry options; pie crust, puff pastry, biscuits, focaccia.....you name it.  What's not to love? 
Our son Ryan loved chicken pot pie as a kid, but it had to be "neat" with only chicken in it, these days I make it with potatoes, carrots, and corn---nothing green inside, since the peas or green beans can sometimes turn an ugly khaki green in the stew--I serve the green veg on the side.  This pot pie is pretty simple, and the stew can be made up ahead. Just before baking, roll out a piece of puff pastry, cover, and bake. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups diced Yukon gold or red potatoes

3 medium carrots, diced

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 chicken breasts, diced ** see Cook's Notes

salt and pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups corn, either frozen and defrosted, or fresh from the cob

salt and pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream, whole milk, or 1/2 and 1/2 (this is optional, but enriches the sauce)

1 sheet puff pastry, rolled to fit the casserole dish

Put the broth into a saucepan, add the potatoes and carrots.  Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Drain the vegetables, saving the broth for the sauce.  

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, and saute the chicken until it is white on all sides, season with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside.  

Melt the remaining butter, and saute the onion, sage, and thyme, until the onion is softened, and translucent.  

Add the flour, and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, gradually add the reserved chicken broth, whisking until the sauce boils and is thickened.  

Add the potatoes, carrots, chicken, and corn.  Add the cream, season with salt and pepper and heat through. (at this point, you can cool, cover and refrigerate the stew for up to 2 days)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.    

Pour the stew into a 13-by-9-inch casserole, top with the puff pastry, and bake for 30 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling. 

Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into portions and serving.  

Cook's Notes:  

1. If you have leftover cooked chicken, shred, or dice, and add to the sauce with the potatoes, carrots, and corn.  
2. I used Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry---it's the easiest to roll out and you get a great result.
3. If you want to make individual pot pies, ladle the filling into ovenproof vessels, top with puff pastry and bake for the same amount of time. 
4. I use Better than Bouillon chicken broth base---just add water to the base, it keeps for 1 year in the fridge, a great pantry item if you don't have homemade broth in your freezer.
5. I usually put my pot pie onto a lined baking sheet to catch any drips from the casserole.  
6. You can also top with biscuits or pie crust; I find that pie crust sinks into the filling, and I don't line the pan with pie crust, since it usually gets really soggy, and no one likes a soggy bottom. 

Dinner is served

As day 24 is upon us I urge you to support your local restaurants and businesses that are open.  We have been doing DoorDash for deliveries this week, rather than picking up.  Stay well and stay home. 

It Never Rains in California

This was the view from our kitchen this morning.  We here in San Diego are in for 6 straight days of rain.  After years of drought, I think we will have our water problems solved for the moment, although there will be problems with this much rain in a short period of time.
And, as usual here at Casa Phillips, it's time to make some soup.  Soup is one of those delicious foods that soothes your insides when your outside is cold and wet.  Today it's minestrone.  Minestrone is different in every part of Italy--literally it means 'without stock' and many cooks in Italy make theirs with water instead of broth, adding rinds from Parmigiano Reggiano and lots of herbs to the pot.

Mine began with sweet Italian sausage in my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker.  If you have a slow cooker, this is a great way to make soup, just set it and forget it.  In the Multi-Cooker, you can saute everything then turn it to slow cooker and you're done.  If you decide to use another protein, chicken, or pancetta will work here.  Or you can make this vegetarian by using olive oil to saute and then vegetable broth for the liquid.

Brown the sausage and remove any excess fat

Next in is the battuto; onion, celery, carrot and some tomato

Saute everything until the onion begins to soften

I add stock, and this is my go to when I don't have homemade, it's a concentrate so you can add as much as you like with water

Parmigiano Reggiano rinds (cut into cubes) zucchini, and some leftover green beans go in

1/2 a head of escarole, cleaned, and then cut into 1/2-inch ribbons---this is about 4 cups

Four hours on high

Minestrone

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped, including the leaves

1 tablespoon dried sage leaves (or rosemary or thyme)

1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes

8 cups broth or water

3 medium zucchini, cut into dice

Rind of Parmigiano Reggiano cut into small pieces

1 cup green beans, ends snipped, and cut into 1-inch pieces

One 14.5-ounce can small white beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chopped greens (I used escarole, but chard, or kale, or spinach works here)

salt and pepper

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish

In a Dutch oven, cook the sausage until it is no longer pink.  remove any excess fat from the pan, add the onion, carrot, celery and sage leaves, saute for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is softened.  Add the tomatoes, and saute another 2 minutes.  (If you are using a slow cooker, saute everything, add it to the slow cooker, then proceed)

Add the broth, zucchini, rind, beans, and greens, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low in the slow cooker.  Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  

Cook's Note:  If you want to add pasta, cook it first before adding it to the pot since it will absorb some of the liquid.  

Cook's Note 2:  Instead of canned beans you can add lentils or split peas (about 1 cup) not only do they add bulk, but they also thicken the soup.

Soup is a great way to use up leftovers, too.  That leftover rotisserie chicken would be perfect in this soup, or any leftover vegetables from other dinners can be tossed in.
Ciao for Now.

Shrimply Irresistible

I'm a shrimp lover from way back; I could double as Forest Gump's friend Bubba in describing all the shrimp dishes that I love.  This summer, Mexican shrimp have been showing up here in San Diego at great prices, and I've got a freezer full of my favorite crustacean just waiting to be transformed into new dishes.  Leftover Chino Farm corn gave me the inspiration to make a soup with a Cajun twist, the sweet corn and shrimp are balanced by the heat of the Cajun seasoning.  This soup is terrific any time of the year, but when fresh corn is available,it's spectacular.          

Cut the corn off the cob

Better than Bouillon reconstituted lobster stock, Penzeys' Cajun seasoning, flour and corn from the cob

Cooking the shallots and Cajun seasoning

Add the flour, and cook for 3 minutes after white bubbles form on the bottom of the pan

Add the stock and bring back to a boil, otherwise it won't thicken correctly

Add the corn and break it up

Cooked shrimp, chop up large ones, you want the shrimp to be bite size

Looking good

Good enough to eat!


Creole Corn and Shrimp Soup

Serves 6

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

1/4 cup finely diced celery

1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning or Old Bay Seasoning

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups seafood stock

4 cups white corn, fresh cut from the cob, or frozen and defrosted

1/2 pound medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup snipped chives

1. Melt the butter in a 4-quart saucepan and add the shallot, celery,and Creole Seasoning, sautéing for 3 minutes, until the shallot is softened.

2. Add the flour, and stir until the flour begins to bubble in the bottom of the pan.

3. Slowly add the stock, and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the corn, and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup for 3 to 4 minutes, add the cream and shrimp bring to serving temperature and serve garnished with chopped chives.

Cooks Note: If you would prefer to use chicken, substitute 2 cups of cooked chicken for the shrimp and chicken broth for the seafood stock. For a vegetarian soup, omit the shrimp and substitute vegetable broth for the seafood stock. I have a friend who makes this soup with leftover ham (about 2 cups cut into 1/2-inch dice)

I'm taking the weekend to finish my editing, so I'll be back early next week with eating and cooking adventures from the weekend. Although it's the end of the summer, I'm looking forward to a scrumptious fall!