French Dip Sandwiches au Jus

Like many couples, Stan and I have different ideas about what makes a good meal.  I take more of the foodie approach.  I like variety; I want different flavors and colors and textures.  I like to try new things – even when they take a long time to make and turn our kitchen into a disaster.  I like the process almost as much as the eating.  I also think vegetables are a necessary component of every (non-breakfast) meal. 

Stan, on the other hand, is more of a stereotypical man.  He sees food as fuel.  To him, trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen merely delays getting food on the table – and leaves more dishes to wash.  He most certainly does not consider vegetables a necessary part of any meal.  Stan likes meat.  With a side of meat.  And some potatoes.  And ideally, some bread for dipping. 

Considering our different approaches to eating, I feel pretty lucky that Stan will eat pretty much anything I put in front of him, including vegetables.  Since he eats kale, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, and other assorted green food on a regular basis, I like to “reward” him from time to time with a “man meal”.  Like French Dip Sandwiches au Jus. 

When I told Stan I was going to be making French Dip Sandwiches for dinner, he actually got excited about food.  (This is rare unless we’re talking about Doritos.)  When he came home the next night and I was shredding the beef, I actually had to kick him out of the kitchen so he wouldn’t eat all of it before I had a chance to turn it into sandwiches.  (I felt a little guilty about that since I couldn’t stop snacking on the meat myself.)  And then the sandwiches were ready - crusty bread filled with tender, salty, savory beef and sliced provolone cheese with a cup of jus (the beef’s cooking liquid) for dipping.  I even made roasted potatoes to go with the sandwiches. Stan was a happy man.  So happy he didn’t even mind the kale salad.

Slow Cooked Puerto Rican Pork

Today’s recipe is quite different from the Artichoke Heart Stuffed Shells I told you about earlier this week.  Those shells were crazy delicious, but they were quite time and labor intensive.  Today’s recipe?  Not so much.  In the time and labor department, that is.  This truly might be the easiest recipe I’ve ever posted.  But don’t let that fool you into thinking the flavor suffers one bit for lack of effort.  One taste of this Slow Cooked Puerto Rican Pork just might make you swoon.  And if you make this for the man in your life, I absolutely guarantee you’ll make him swoon – and love you forever. 

This recipe is based on the traditional Puerto Rican recipe for Pernil, a dish consisting of pork shoulder simply prepared and cooked for hours in the oven.  Taking the same flavors and placing them in a slow cooker makes for a recipe that absolutely couldn’t be easier.  Or tastier.  When it’s done cooking, this pork is juicy, succulent, and fall apart tender.  It’s a little salty, a little tangy, a little garlicky, and completely delicious.  You can serve it with rice or beans, use it to stuff tortillas, or just eat it straight out of the slow cooker.  However you serve it, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser – which is good, since this recipe makes enough to feed a small crowd.

Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos

Today I was planning to share a side dish recipe with you guys.  It has vegetables and cheese and a crunchy breadcrumb topping.  I made it last night, and it rocked.  But then I got to thinking…  Cinco de Mayo is coming up next week, and I have a whole lot of Mexican recipes in the backlog waiting to be posted.  Seems like the perfect time to share them with you, no?  (Let’s just agree to ignore the fact that I completely ignored posting holiday recipes for Passover and Easter.)

To kick things off right, today’s recipe comes from Mexican food and Top Chef Master Rick Bayless.  If you’re not already a Rick Bayless fan, let me tell you - he’s kind of awesome.  He takes traditional, authentic Mexican recipes and makes them accessible.  And incredibly delicious.  Like that recipe for Jalapeno-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes I told you about a couple weeks ago.

Or today’s recipe for Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos.  Tacos which are good.  So very good.  And so very, very easy – because you make the filling for the tacos in a slow cooker.  Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you?  Authentic Mexican food coming out of the slow cooker at the end of a long workday?  Yes, please.  Especially if that food tastes like this – soft corn tortillas filled with tender, smoky chunks of pork and cubes of potatoes steeped in the meat juices.  Topped off with cubes of creamy avocado and fresh cheese, these tacos take slow cooker food to another level. 

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I know I don’t typically share a whole lot of personal stuff with you in my posts, but I’ve got some great news I just can’t keep to myself. And no, before any of you who are related to me get super duper excited, we’re not having a baby. I can’t even get Stan to agree to get a dog…yet. But I’m working on it. In the meantime, I am thrilled to tell you that I began an exciting new job this week. After not working full-time since starting grad school in 2007, this has been quite an adjustment. I’m enjoying the work, but man oh man, I am so tired I could fall asleep standing up.

Needless to say, cooking has not exactly been on my radar this week.  Fortunately, I have a slow cooker to do some of the cooking for me.  Take today’s recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff.  It’s crazy delicious.  And ridiculously easy. Like throw everything in the pot and let it go, easy. No need to brown the meet first. No need to sauté vegetables.  Yes, you have to add some more ingredients towards the end of the cooking time, but all you’re doing is adding them in – nothing difficult whatsoever. Honestly, I was a bit shocked by the depth of savory flavor produced by this simple slow cooker meal.  Served up over buttered egg noodles (or mashed potatoes or rice), this beef stroganoff is comfort on a plate – exactly what you need after a long day’s work.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken

So, I had this whole witty, anecdotal introduction all planned out for this post. Well, scrap that, because I just can’t wait. I need to tell you about this recipe now. Today’s recipe for creamy black bean salsa chicken might just be the easiest dinner recipe EVER. (You know, if we don’t include cereal or pbj.) Made in a slow cooker, this dinner requires 5 minutes of prep… and that’s it. It is fast, it really could not be easier, and it is delicious. The only down side? It won’t be winning any beauty pageants any time soon. But if you can look past appearances, you are in for a treat. Stan actually said I could give our beloved Chipotle a run for their money with this creamy mix of succulent shredded chicken, plump black beans, and juicy corn.

Now you might be wondering why I’m using a slow cooker, known for producing cold weather comfort foods, in the middle of summer grilling season. Well let me tell you. Yesterday was my first day back at work post-mono, and I didn’t think I’d have it in me to cook dinner when I got home. I wanted dinner to be done and waiting for me. Thank goodness I did, because I was beat! And while it’s true that this dish doesn’t exactly make the most of summer produce, sprinkling some fresh cilantro on top and serving a chunky chopped salad alongside brightens things up nicely.

Slow Cooker Hoisin Beef Stew

Spring may be just around the corner, but it’s certainly taking its time here in Nashville. Flowers have yet to bloom, and the sky has taken on a seemingly perpetual shade of gray. Needless to say, things are looking a little gloomy around here. Instead of being depressed about, well, the depressing weather, I am instead choosing to look on the bright side – from a gastronomical perspective if not a meteorological one.

Gray skies and cool temperatures are the perfect excuse to try out warm and cozy recipes. If the recipes simmer all day in a slow cooker and fill your house with rich, meaty, mouthwatering aromas, so much the better. Culinary good times can certainly be found indoors, at least until sunny skies lead us outside to picnics and barbecues.

This recipe is a new spin on a classic beef stew. The traditional beef, onions, carrots, and celery are mixed with Asian flavors for a stew with a uniquely savory, slightly sweet flavor profile. If you haven’t tried it before, hoisin sauce is sometimes referred to as Chinese barbecue sauce. It is a little sweet, a little tangy, and a little spicy; how sweet, tangy, or spicy depends on the brand you use. You can find hoisin sauce in the Asian foods section of pretty much any big grocery store. They also carry it at places like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and of course, Asian markets.