Hungry Homebody

If yours hasn’t been brought out of storage for a while because you’ve been waiting for some Crock Pot Inspiration, have I got some tasty options for you!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Pulled Pork

Crock Pot Chili

Fire up one of these recipes first thing in the morning so you can enjoy the fall colours and the fresh fall air all day without having to worry about what’s going on in the kitchen.

Hungry Homebody

This recipe comes with a minor mystery attached to it. The first time I made it I didn’t read the recipe word for word (and I call myself a food blogger, I know, I know!), specifically the words where after the tomatoes and beer are added, you cover the pot and DO NOT OPEN THE LID OR STIR IT FOR ONE HOUR.

Let’s break that sentence down:

1. I didn’t realize the recipe would take almost 2 hours from tip to tail…and I was hungry when I started it…Damn.

2. What, I was supposed to cover the pot?

3. Why am I not allowed to stir the stew, seems like a natural thing to do? Hence the mystery.

Despite my faux pas, the stew was still great, but heck I was starving by the time it was ready and probably would have thought shoe leather smothered in ketchup was yummy. But the next time I made it, I took the advice of the recipe – and suddenly WOW WOW WOW, what a difference DOING NOTHING makes!

Pork, Beer and Chickpea Stew

(from One Pot Best Ever Recipes)

2 tsps ground cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp olive oil

13 oz lean pork, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup beer (I use a light beer)

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley

Cook the spices in a dry pan for one minute, until fragrant. Remove from heat and add to the flour in a small plastic bag. Dry the cubed pork and shake in the spice and flour mixture in batches. Brown in olive oil in a large Dutch oven.

Add the carrots, onion, garlic and celery and 1/2 of the stock, mixing well. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

Then add the remaining stock, beer and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil then return to medium low heat. Cover and then go put your feet up for an hour, after all the dicing and chopping and stirring you deserve a break.

After an hour add the chickpeas and parsley and cook for 5 minutes until the flavours come together.

This stew is even better the following day for lunch

Hungry Homebody

Two homebodies versus baskets of produce represents a challenge which takes creativity, ingenuity and an endless supply of new recipes to enjoy the bounty – just look at my endless series of fresh tomato recipes in the past few weeks and you’ll see what I mean. We want to enjoy as much of the freshness as we can, but not feel like we are eating the exact same thing every night – perhaps you feel the same way

A dessert moratorium was imposed by Mr Homebody after an onslaught of baking in the summer… so much dessert and only so much we can eat without help! He has produce issues, I have baking issues, we are such a great pair! I know the ban is over when he comes home from the bakery with all kinds of out sourced sweets, smiling like a kid in a candy store. That means it is time for me to fire up the oven and get the flour out of the panty, and then it’s my turn to be the kid in the candy store, and YOU get a long overdue dessert post

Peach Upside Down Cake

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

5 fresh peaches – peeled, pitted and halved

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375*F. Melt the butter in an 8 inch square pan, then sprinkle the brown sugar and nutmeg over the butter. Spread the sliced peaches over the butter.

Cream together the white sugar and butter, then add the egg, almond extract, salt and baking powder, mixing well. Alternate the flour and the milk to make a thick batter. Spread evenly over the peaches.

Bake for 35 minutes. Allow to stand and cool for 5 minutes and using a butter knife cut around the edges of the cake.

Gently flip the cake upside-down onto a serving plate. If you wait too much longer than 5 minutes the sugar at the bottom and sides will harden and it will be difficult to remove the cake from the pan.

This cake wasn’t even completely cooled (I just managed to get my photos done) before Mr. Homebody had to do a taste test for “quality control”. He is a tireless advocate of making sure the recipes I post are worthy of my readers, or at least that is what he says Good thing this cake was not meant for company, because I am now missing several forkfuls from the corner of the cake…

Hungry Homebody with special guest, a Really Hungry Mr. Homebody!

But I guarantee you – try out this roasted version, which are slathered in a bit of oil, salt and orange juice to get them nice and crispy and then served with a cool and zippy sour cream dip, and suddenly sweet potatoes will be coming home with you more often!

These are perfect for burger night or a casual dinner featuring sausages or ham.

Savory Sweet Potato Wedges

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into thinnish wedges (I keep the skin on after a good scrub)

3 tbsps orange juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin powder

pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400*F. Arrange the wedges on a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil and lightly coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, oil, salt, pepper and cumin then spread it over the wedges using a pastry brush.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until crispy, turning once in the middle of the cook time.

While the wedges are in the oven, combine 4 generous tablespoons light sour cream, 1/2 chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. Mix well and refrigerate to allow the flavours to come together.

Serve the wedges with dip and watch entire platter disappear!

Hungry Homebody

I originally came across this recipe on the Weight Watchers website and over time have tweaked it to make it my own. It is endlessly adaptable to the ground meat and veggies you have on hand. It is also relatively quick to make, save except the cooking time for the barley – but that part is pretty hands off, leaving you time to do other things, like pet needy cats, pester your better half to empty the recycling bin or browse for shoes online. All the while claiming you are “busy making dinner”.

If you are feeling especially motivated, serve this with a side of greens and maybe some garlic bread, but it is a complete meal all on its own.

 Beef Barley Skillet

(modified from Weight Watchers)

1-2 lbs lean ground beef, crumbled

½ cup pearl barley (uncooked)

1 large onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

(or substitute a half of a yellow and half of a green zucchini instead)

2 – 2 1/2 cups beef broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 generous tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 375*F. In a large Dutch oven, sauté the onion, mushrooms and garlic in a bit of water until just softened. Brown the ground beef with the veggie and garlic mixture.

Remove from heat and add the thyme, salt, pepper stock, Worcestershire sauce and barley. Stir well.

Cover with a lid and place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the barley is tender. Check on the skillet from time to time to make sure the barley is not sticking to the bottom. A little more beef stock can be added if needed.

This recipe is a great way to give the old starchy standbys of pasta, rice and potatoes a much needed break. Experimenting with various veggies and seasonings is a fun way to add this easy skillet to your monthly menu plans and still keep the flavours fresh.

Hungry Homebody

PS If you are still in the mood for more barley after making this skillet, try out my Greek Salad with Barley and Shrimp!

But not just any old pancakes will do! Sure I could pull out a box of pancake mix, but why pass up the chance to try something new and seasonal? Inspired by fall’s first apples and an overflowing cheese drawer (don’t ask!), I whipped up some whole wheat Apple-Cheddar Pancakes.

Apple Cheddar Pancakes

1/4 cup white flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese (old works the best)

1 large cooking apple (such as Macintosh), cored and grated

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Lightly beat the eggs, then add the milk, flour, nutmeg, salt and baking powder, mixing well. Then add in the cheese and grated apple – the batter will be dense.

Over medium heat, melt butter in a large cast iron pan and place the batter in the pan to make small pancakes. You may need to need to nudge the batter to spread it out – do no make these too thick or too large so they will cook evenly. Flip when the underside is lightly browned.

Serve with maple syrup and some sliced apple. These are hearty and filling, perfect for chilly autumn mornings. But don’t limit these to breakfast, but substituting the nutmeg for chives and adding 1/2 a tsp of good quality mustard, these become the perfect choice for a weeknight pancake supper!

Hope you are making the most of your weekend,

Hungry Homebody.

Chicken and cheese, two of my favourite things together at last!

Never mind that this recipe is quick to throw together for a week night supper, but just fancy enough to serve for company if you make a larger batch.

If you still need more convincing, just check out these beauties…

Mountain Chicken with Feta and Rosemary

8 medium boneless, skinless chicken thighs

About 1/2 cup feta, sliced rather than crumbled

Generous dose of rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp milk

3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil

In a large baking pan coated with cooking spray, arrange the chicken pieces smooth sides down. Place a slice of feta on one half of the thigh and sprinkle the rosemary over the feta cheese.

Fold the thigh over the feta and coat the top with milk using a pastry brush. Divide the flour among the thighs and sprinkle over top. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 400*F, or until the juices run clear, the top is slightly browned and the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until just soft, but not brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook down for about 15 minutes until saucy.

Pour sauce over the chicken to serve. The sauce is also great if you serve the dish with a side of brown rice.

Hungry Homebody

That is, I’ve got a bad Crock Pot addiction. Does that make me a “Crock Addict” or just someone with a bad habit of punning?

Probably both

There is something about coming home to a meal already made that just can’t be beat. Since I can’t convince Mr. Homebody to cook EVERY night, I have to plan ahead and make sure the crock pot can deliver tasty results on Mr. Homebody’s night off.

What can be better than saucy pulled pork on a fresh bun? Actually the only thing that can make it better is when it is topped with some homemade coleslaw (but that is just my humble opinion).

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

2-3 lbs pork

1/8 cup white sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsps chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili flakes

pinch of cayenne pepper

generous sprinkle of black pepper

1 tbsps olive oil

1/4 cup beer

Combine the sugar and seasonings in a small bowl.

Spread liberally over all sides of the pork roast, including the sides, or what Mr. Homebody refers to as the “bum”. I know, he’s a little weird.

Place in the crock pot and pour the beer and olive oil combo around the sides of the pork. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Shred the pork and add your favourite BBQ Sauce (my vote is for my own Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce and a healthy dose of habanero hot sauce) and mix well. Serve on the freshest bun you can find, with some coleslaw.

Since you slaved so hard on dinner, get someone else to pitch in to take care of the clean up, at least that is what I would do!

Hungry Homebody

HH.

When I have the house to myself and want to watch a direct to video comedy film I find myself longing for a cheesy meal as a companion to the viewing delight. What better delight than a homemade hamburger with blue cheese and bacon. This experience of course is best enjoyed if it is grilled on a barbeque. Don’t worry; it will still taste great fried in a pan if you don’t have a barbeque or if your propane supply has run out.

Backyard Blue Cheese Burgers

1 lb medium ground beef
2-3 pieces of lean raw bacon chopped finely
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of mustard powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground garlic
Pinch of salt
1 egg
Quarter cup of bread crumbs
4 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese (or several slices of old cheddar cheese)
4 sesame seed hamburger buns

Fresh Salsa Topping
Two Roma tomatoes
Half of a medium white onion
Two tablespoons of olive oil
One tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Start by lighting your barbeque as it will need at least 10 minutes to get to the proper cooking temperature. Set the temperature at about medium to medium high heat depending on your cooking appliance. Then mix the ground beef, chopped bacon, paprika, mustard, ground garlic, salt, pepper, egg and bread crumbs in a bowl. Form the meat mixture into four evenly sized burger patties.

To make the tomato salsa topping chop the tomatoes and onions. Add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Put the burger patties on the hot grill. Cook them about 5 minutes on each side depending on how well done you like your ground beef. Sprinkle the blue cheese on the patties and close the lid for about 30 seconds to a minute. If you are not a blue cheese fan, like my wife who I can literally chase around the kitchen with a slice in my hand then you can use strong cheddar cheese as an alternative.

Serve the patties on toasted sesame buns and top with the fresh tomato salsa. Add whatever other condiments you’d like. However, you may find like I did that the burger didn’t need anything else as the flavours stood up tall and proud on their own.

Mr. Homebody