Pork Roast & Sauerkraut

(Couldn't find my picture easily, so I'll just post this and try to add it later.)

This is a simple, "feel-good" kind of meal. If you use a crock pot, it takes less than 10 minutes to throw everything together, and you can enjoy the smell of it cooking all day long. Although I will warn you, you may feel tortured by the time dinner rolls around. Even if you aren't a big fan (as my kids like to say) of sauerkraut, I'd challenge you to try this recipe. I'm the only one in my family that eats the actual sauerkraut, but they love the flavoring it gives the roast. The apple in the recipe cuts the tartness of the sauerkraut.


Pork Roast & Sauerkraut
Pork Roast
can or bag of sauerkraut
small onion, sliced
1/2 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tsp minced garlic or a couple cloves fresh garlic

Pour 1/2 of the kraut into the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle 1/2 of onion and apple over kraut.
Sprinkle with caraway seeds and minced garlic
Place roast in pan.
Pour remaining kraut over roast. Add onion, apple, caraway seeds and minced garlic on top.
I set the crock pot on low for at least 6 hours for a small 1 lb roast and 8 hours for 2 lb roast.

You could buy a big roast and use an appropriate amount of sauerkraut for one meal and use the remainder of the pork for BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. If the pork is tender enough to pull apart, pull apart with a couple forks. Add BBQ sauce of your liking and reheat in a crock pot on high for a couple hours another day. If the pork isn't that tender, cook longer in the crock pot until tender. You can add some BBQ sauce to the remainder of the roast to start flavoring it, adding more once you pull it apart.


Cooking times will vary for different size roasts. I have always like to "over cook" my pork so it is fork-tender. For a quick guide to crock pot cooking times, click here. For a quick guide to roasting meats in the oven, click here.

Cabbage & Kielbasa Skillet

Continuing the theme in March, we'll consider this a tad Irish since there is cabbage in the recipe even though the pierogies make it Polish. This is another recipe I learned from my mother-in-law. There are no "measurements" so I looked up a few recipes and added the measurements I thought were close to the correct amounts.

Cabbage & Kielbasa Skillet

.

1 box frozen potato & cheese pierogies

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp oil

1 small onion

1 medium head of cabbage

1 1/2 lb kielbasa or smoked sausage (light works well)
.

1. Slice or coarse chop onions. Slice kielbasa and set aside.

2. Quarter and core the cabbage, then slice it into shredded cabbage. Place in large microwavable bowl.

3. Add 1/2 cup water and cover (not air tight) with paper towel, plate or an off-set lid. Place bowl in microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Stir and continue cooking at 2 minute intervals (stirring in between) until cabbage is tender. CAUTION: steam is very hot and can cause burns! Meanwhile . . .

4. Saute onion in large skillet with butter and oil until tender. (Tip: Adding a little oil to the butter when sauteing keeps the butter from burning.)

5. Add sliced kielbasa to skillet and heat/brown. (Are you still checking on the cabbage in the microwave?)

6. Add frozen pierogies to the skillet and cook according to package directions (5-7 minutes?). You can also remove onions and kielbasa first. (I usually pour them into a dish or bowl.) This will give pierogies more of an opportunity to brown and pick up the bits at the bottom of the skillet.

7. After cabbage has softened and pierogies have been cooked, add cabbage (and any liquid), kielbasa and onions to the skillet. Stir, cover and let simmer for a few minutes. Serve warm.
.

NOTE: You can always boil the pierogies according to direction and toss them in at the end. We prefer to brown them in the pan for more flavor. You can also cook the cabbage in the pan instead of steaming it in the microwave or a stove-top steamer. After Step 4, add the uncooked cabbage, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add kielbasa and cook until cabbage is tender.

Golden Shepherd's Pie

Since St. Patrick's Day is in March, I'm going to post an Irish dish today. (If it's not Irish, don't burst my bubble. I'm happy thinking it is.)

I don't remember how I stumbled on this recipe, but it was back when I was looking for recipes to use the turkey breast I got on sale. I misplaced it for a while (in a folder on my computer) and found it again! So I pulled out some turkey and stuffing* I had in the freezer, used leftover veggies and potatoes in the frig (I planned extra mashed potatoes the day before) and put this together.

Around Christmas, I found these little ceramic loaf pans for $1. I picked them up thinking I would make bread for someone and give them away. For some reason, I remembered they were laying around and made individual "pies". It worked great to send in my hubby's lunch to reheat in the microwave.


Golden Shepherd's Pie
2 to 3 cups prepared stuffing
1 cup cooked green beans, broccoli, carrots, or other vegetables
2 1/2 cups turkey, cubed or sliced
1 to 2 cups turkey gravy
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/4 cup butter, diced (optional especially if you preseasoned your potatoes)
Garnish: Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Paprika, Parsley
In four lightly greased oven-safe bowls, a 10" deep-dish pie plate or an 11x7" baking dish, layer stuffing, vegetables, turkey and gravy. Spread or pipe mashed potatoes over top; Dot with butter and sprinkles with garnishes as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and golden. Serves 4-6.

* Some recipes I have call for a small amount of stuffing, so I make a whole box and freeze the remainder. My MIL puts some in her chicken salad. I use it for various recipes.
------------------------
After some research, I found the source of this recipe: Gooseberry Patch (again!) Click on it to be linked to the recipe.