Szechuan Orange Pork Loin Roast is spicy, tender, and moist. It’s very easy to prepare and makes a great presentation. It will be the star of your Chinese-inspired meal.
Szechuan Orange Pork Roast
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Stuffed Turkey Thighs in the Nesco
So, it’s just the two of us. We have a lot to be thankful for today. As a work-at-home Mom, I’ve been busy as a one-armed paper-hanger. That’s great for my pocketbook, but for spending time with my wonderful son, not so good. Today, we’re going to cook together, play the Monopoly game we started last night (he’s winning), watch a movie, enjoy our meal, and just enjoy our time together.
When I went to the market looking for our feast, I had a bit of a problem. Since it is just going to be the two of us, I couldn’t see the sense in purchasing a whole turkey, it’s just too much food. All I’m concerned with is The Sandwich the next day. I don’t want to have to eat leftover turkey until I start gobbling. I looked at a breast because it’s smaller, but neither one of us likes breast meat, and I wanted something we both like. I said to Spane, “Gee, I wish turkeys came with just thighs and wings!” He said, “Mom, don’t they have parts? Why not just get parts?” I love my son! He is so smart! Sure enough, there was a nice package with two large thighs, and those were the ones I took home. Hurray! We’re having stuffed turkey thighs in the Nesco.
Braised Chicken with Onions and Mushrooms in the Nesco
Recipes in this Post
- Braised Chicken with Onions and Mushrooms in the Nesco
- Whole Chicken vs Precut Chicken
- How to Peel Whole Boiling and Pearl Onions
I have a friend who has a chicken, who I have named Coq Au Vin. She’s a big orange chicken, and she is going to live a nice long life in my friend’s yard, with plenty of food, water and melon treats. Coq Au Vin even recognizes me when I go and visit with her. Why did I name her that? Well, when she is quite old, and not laying eggs anymore, then she will have the glory of becoming a real Coq Au Vin. It will be a good day for her to die because she will know that she is going to make a wonderful dinner.
Well, until that time, I’m not waiting to eat chicken. I bought a chicken, some nice boiling onions, and large mushrooms, most of which became Bacon Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms. I buy most of my produce at the local Armenian store, and they don’t usually have the kind of wine I would need to make Coq Au Vin, but I did have some Marsala in the pantry. I also had some dried leeks in my pantry, which also went into my dish.
Whole vs Precut Chicken
A word about whole chickens vs precut chicken. You know, you pay more for the meat-packing company to cut the chicken, and you don’t even know if it’s all coming from the same bird. When you purchase a whole chicken, you know everything is from the same bird, and you save money by cutting it up yourself. It takes about a minute, and you can find plenty of videos on Youtube showing exactly how to do it. Here’s my chicken, all ready to go.
Cat Costume – the Well Dressed Black Cat
I believe that accessories are everything when wanting to look well dressed. Accessories should coordinate by color, and sometimes texture. There is no point getting overdressed, and just a few things can make a simple dress look fantastic.
Tarantula Costume for Halloween – Scary and Easy
This tarantula costume is so easy to make. You can make it for a child or an adult. For a girl or woman who wants to be a “black widow”, just add some red ribbon in the shape of an hourglass. Have a great Halloween!
Barbecued Chili Garlic Shrimp – Gambas Al Ajillo
Barbecued chili garlic shrimp makes an excellent appetizer or main dish with salad. Something different to put on the grill or even on the stovetop.
Stove Top Cooked French Sweet Tart Dough
Stove Top Cooked French Sweet Tart Dough
This has got to be the easiest way to make sweet tart dough. It makes a dough that is almost like a good cookie, just delicious! My food processor is in very poor health, like not working, might be able to be fixed. So, I needed to find a way to make tart dough without using the food processor. I found a recipe at David Lebovitz that looked promising – it required melting butter in the stove. Hey, it’s summertime in Glendale, California, and I didn’t want to make my house any hotter if I could help it.
I figured that I could melt the butter on the stove top, and use the Kitchen Aid mixer to actually make the dough. I was right, it worked out perfectly. This will be my go-to recipe for sweet tart dough from now on. Because of the caramelization of the butter and sugar, the crust had a slight caramel flavor and color that was perfect for my Blue Cheese Stuffed Fig Tart with Balsamic Honey Glaze.
Jambalaya in the Nesco
In the midst of the last move, I forgot to close out the old gas bill and was not reminded when I turned the new gas on. I got a nasty letter from the gas company saying that they are going to turn off my gas in the new place if I don’t immediately pay the old bill and that I have to call a certain phone number when I make the payment. To make sure that the payment is properly recorded, I went to the local gas company on July 2, 2013, and paid the bill in person. Then I called the special number at about 3:30 pm and got a recorded message that the gas company was open from 8:00 am to 5:15 pm. I figured that in the information age, the payment would be recorded and all would be well.
The Problem
I was wrong. When I got home yesterday, Monday, July 8, 2013, Spane and I were hungry, so I started dinner early, at 4:30. I chopped the vegetables, cut the meat, put butter in the pan, and turned the knob – and ……. nothing. No gas. I called the gas company, the special number and again was told that the office was open from 8:00 am to 5:15 pm, a full 45 minutes before the office was supposed to close. When calling the regular number, I got a nice woman to whom I kept on apologizing to because I was so mad, and she said the gas would be turned back on tomorrow, Wednesday, July 10, 2013, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, and to make sure that all pets were secure and gates open. I chuckled and said, “Humph, you didn’t seem to have any problems turning it off, did you?”
The Solution
That meant that today, I don’t have gas. I have been on the phone with them, and have asked for a supervisor. I’m still waiting for a callback, but I’m not waiting anymore to make dinner. I have a small *Nesco, and I’m going to make my Jambalaya in it. This is one of the reasons I have this wonderful roaster oven, so I can cook no matter what.
My recipe for Jambalaya follows and I have more recipes for foods perfect for the Nesco.
I also have an updated recipe for Jambalaya in the Instant Pot. It’s a set it and forget it kind of recipe, just as spicy and delicious.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Poached in Beer AKA Gussied Up Beer Can Chicken
Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorite dishes. Usually, it is flattened chicken breast rolled around ham with cheese, breaded, and fried. An American dish, it has its roots in the Schnitzel from Switzerland and Chicken Kiev from Russia. Cordon Bleu means Blue Ribbon, not to be confused with the famous cooking school of the same name.
Beer Can Chicken has a wonderful flavor but does not lend itself to small pieces of chicken.
I try to not deep fry things too often, and I don’t like breading that much. I had chicken tenders, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, and a can of beer. I thought I could combine them and make Gussied Up Beer Can Chicken. Perfect!
My small 4-quart Nesco Roaster oven was the best appliance to use for this, just simply fill the well with some of the beer, and let it cook. Beer Can Chicken all gussied up. The 4-quart is no longer available, but the 6-quart will be just fine.
This is a really simple dish to make. If you don’t have a Nesco, then you can use a baking dish, a cake rack, some foil, and your oven. It might not turn out quite the same, but it will still be good.
This recipe calls for Lavender mustard – if you can get it, wonderful, if not, use Dijon.
Grilled Asian Orange Cornish Hens with Asian Vegetable Medley Salad
Grilled Asian Cornish hens are just wonderful on a summer day with a light vegetable and pasta salad. You can use an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill. Enjoy this with white wine or your favorite beer.