Pot Roast and Stuffed Mushrooms

Oh my gosh! Looking back over the two main summer months they were dismal to say the least. It was unseasonably cool with above average rainfall. Our main living level hovered around at a balmy 20ºC (68ºF) for most of the summer. Several nights the temperatures dipped down to 15ºC (60ºF) tempting me to turn on the gas fireplace but I didn't. Instead I curled up in a cozy, homemade knit afghan. Most days I wore sweaters and long pants indoors. It definitely was a summer unlike our normal hot, humid weather! Unlike other summers where most food is cooked outdoors it became a summer of finding excuses to cook indoors just for a bit of extra heat.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Sunday afternoons are usually set aside for family and in the summer boating. The cooler temperatures meant less boating and more home time. My husband had picked up mushrooms for one of his he said/she said contest recipes (Burgers with Mushroom Sauce) so the following day I decided to use half of the remaining mushrooms to make stuffed mushrooms topped with Asiago cheese. I posted earlier about escargot stuffed mushrooms, one of our favourite appetizers.

I stuffed the mushrooms for the pictured appetizers using a simple bread stuffing. The stuffing consisted of a couple of left-over hamburger buns broken into small pieces, chopped onion, homemade poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and a few dabs of soft butter. Then I pressed the stuffing into walnut sized balls and placed them in the prepared mushroom caps, topped with Asiago cheese and baked at 176º C (350ºF) until the cheese was golden brown and bubbly. This is a simple yet sure to please appetizer!

Pot Roast

Later that same afternoon we debated hauling our our winter jackets, gloves and hats so we could go out on the boat. We had planned on a day of boating and eating out but it was seriously one of the coldest days of the summer, more like a very crisp fall day! I took one look at my husband curled up in an afghan on the couch watching golf and made the executive decision we were staying home. I pulled a small rump roast from the freezer and popped it into the countertop roaster set to 120ºC (250ºF) with a bit of water and seasoned with sliced onion, Montreal steak seasoning and a couple of small bay leaves. About and hour before dinner I added potato and carrot pieces. The gravy was thickened in the roaster once the roast and vegetables were removed. This was a very easy meal to put together on a very unseasonably chilly, lazy summer day!

Kitchen Quick Tips - Cottage Cheese

If cottage cheese is on sale pick up a few containers. Turn the containers upside down in the fridge. They will last several weeks to a couple of months when stored this way.

He Said (6) - Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops

If you recall my husband and I were having a bit of a contest with each of us using a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens® New Grilling Book to create a meal. There were 12 recipes in total, 6 of his choosing and 6 of mine. The contest ended August 31 so here is final recipe. I will post a summary with links to all of the recipes and the first poll where you can vote for the meal you liked best later this week. I will also post a follow-up on some of the things we learned with this fun contest. The rules were all the ingredients must be used but the amounts can be altered.

The Prep

The prep work for the mushroom stuffed pork chops was quite simple. My husband picked up fresh butterflied pork chops from our local butcher shop (1). The nice thing is the butcher shop custom cuts to our specifications so we always get exactly the cut we want. The recipe called for making a pocket in the pork chops but getting them butterflied is easier so the instructions have been modified to reflect that. He mixed the mushroom stuffing together then placed it in the centre of each pork chop (2). Then he fold the pork chops together to form a pocket (3) and grilled on a covered grill on medium heat. During the last 5 minutes of grilling he brushed on orange marmalade (4) which reminds me I need to make orange marmalade.

Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops
source: Meredith Corporation, Better Homes and Garden New Grilling Book, 2005. Pp. 214

4 pork loin chops (1¼-inch thick)
½ c coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms
¼ c chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 c coarsely chopped fresh spinach
¼ c soft bread crumbs
¼ c orange marmalade

Cook mushrooms and onion in hot butter until onion is translucent. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in ginger, salt, pepper, spinach and bread crumbs. Gently toss to mix. Spoon the stuffing onto the butterflied pork chops. Fold the pork chops to form a pocket. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Grill on indirect heat on medium for 35 to 40 minutes or until chops are slightly pink in the centre and juices run clear (160ºF), turning once. During the last 5 minutes of grilling, brush with orange marmalade.

Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops

I think it is official! My husband is seriously trying to show me up when it comes to grilling. These are some of the best tasting pork chops you will ever taste! The meat was nicely grilled and tender. The simple stuffing was just a delight. The orange marmalade added a nice high note without being over powering. The flavours just complimented each other so nicely! Hands down I really think this is the best of the 12 recipes. It was simple yet delicious with all the hallmarks of a great recipe!

I served the pork chops with grilled potatoes and fresh lettuce, tomato, basil from the garden accented with cucumber slices. It was an excellent meal!

He Said (5) - Shrimp Po' Boy With Dried Tomato Aїoli

If you recall my husband and I are having a bit of a contest with each of us using a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens® New Grilling Book to create a meal. In total there will be 12 recipes, 6 of his choosing and 6 of mine. The contest ended August 31 so the first week of September tomorrows post will be the 12th and final recipe. I will post a summary with links to all of the recipes and the first poll where you can vote for the meal you liked best later this week. I will also post a follow-up on some of the things we learned with this fun contest. The rules were all the ingredients must be used but the amounts can be altered.

The fifth contest recipe my husband made was Shrimp Po' Boy With Dried Tomato Aїoli with two minor modifications. Aїoli is a sauce made from garlic and olive oil. An egg is often added for ease of mixing but there are many variations of the sauce. Aїoli is traditionally served with seafood. The recipe called for chopped oil packed dried tomatoes but the garden is overflowing with cherry tomatoes so he used those instead. He also used a Vadelia onion instead of a red onion.

The French loaf of bread was cut in half, brushed with olive oil and grilled along with the shrimp (top right). When the shrimp was cooked the tails were removed. The sauce was spread on the bottom piece of the grilled bread and topped with shrimp (bottom left). The top piece of the bread was place on top then the assembled loaf was wrapped in tinfoil and returned to the grill where it heated through nicely (bottom right).

Shrimp Po' Boy With Dried Tomato Aїoli
source: Meredith Corporation, Better Homes and Garden New Grilling Book, 2005. Pp. 335

1 lb fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp in shells
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp seafood seasoning (eg. Old Bay)
half loaf unsliced French bread
½ c mayonnaise
¼ c chopped dried tomatoes (oil packed), drained [used fresh]
2 tbsp dairy sour cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ of a medium red onion, thinly sliced [used Vadelia]
shredded lettuce (optional)

Peel and devein shrimp removing tails. Rinse and pat dry. Place the shrimp in a lidded container. Stir together 1 tbsp of the lemon juice,1 tbsp of the olive oil and the seafood seasoning in a separate bowl. Pour the marinade over the shrimp and put the lid on. Marinate for 1 hour gently shaking container occasionally. Thread the shrimp onto soaked wooden skewers. Halve bread horizontally and lightly brush with remaining olive oil. Grill bread and shrimp on medium 7 to 9 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and bread has well defined grill marks. While the shrimp and bread are grilling combine the remaining ingredients in small bowl. Remove shrimp and bread from grill. Place bread bottom on large tinfoil square. Spread the mayonnaise mixture onto the bread bottom. Top with shrimp and onions. Add the bread top. Form a sealed packet over the sandwich. Return to the grill and grill 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through turning once.

Shrimp Po' Boy With Dried Tomato Aїoli

If you like seafood submarine sandwiches then you are going to love this sandwich! Pictured is the Shrimp Po' Boy With Dried Tomato Aїoli sandwich my husband made. This wonderful tasting sandwich served 3 adults and was served for peaches & cream corn-on-the-cob. The mayonnaise sauce was rich and creamy, just perfect with the shrimp!

This recipe is a definite keeper with a couple of modifications. The lemon juice flavour was a bit pronounced so the next time we make this sandwich we'll cut back on the lemon juice a bit. I also think this sandwich would be even better with crab meat stirred in.