Grandma's Old Fashioned Harvest Root Vegetable Pot Roast

2 Tbsp oil
1 beef chuck roast
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups beef stock
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh black pepper
8 small red potatoes, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled, quartered
4 carrots, peeled, coarse cut
2 small turnips, peeled, quartered
2 small parsnips, peeled, coarse cut
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
In a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe big pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
When hot, add the beef chuck roast and cook on both sides until browned very well.
Remove the beef from the Dutch oven and set aside.
Add the onion, rosemary, bay leaves, and rosemary to the Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until herbs are fragrant.
With the heat still on, pour the wine in the Dutch oven and stir, loosening the brown bits.  Continue cooking and stirring until the liquid thickens and reduces.
Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring back to a simmer.
Add the black pepper, then lay the roast in the Dutch oven and put the cover on.
Put the Dutch oven in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove and add the potatoes, onion, carrots, turnips, and parsnips; put cover back on and return to oven and continue cooking for 30 minutes more, or until the veggies are fork tender.
To serve: Remove the beef roast and vegetables from the Dutch oven and set aside, covering to keep warm.
To the Dutch oven, add the dill and parsley, taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Serve plates with meat, vegetables alongside, and spoon the sauce from the Dutch oven over everything.

Never Fear A Potluck Dinner Again: Perfect Cooking Tips

Have you ever caught yourself wondering how a restaurant prepares a particular meal? Have you ever wanted to make your favorite restaurant dishes at home? Apply the following insights to educate yourself in preparing your favorite dishes in addition to new discoveries. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing for anyone.

If you are trying to lose weight or lower your cholesterol, try to decrease the amount of fat in your diet. Most of the time, the oils you cook with have high amounts of unnecessary and unhealthy fats. This is also true of butter. Use nonstick cooking spray instead to get the same results as you do with oil but with fewer unhealthy ingredients.

If you want to reheat a greasy dish, bake it again instead of making a mess in your microwave. Microwaves cook with intense heat that causes the oil to separate because the oil cooks faster. When you bake, however, the entire dish heats at the same rate, so no ingredient heats too quickly or separates from the rest of the dish.

Brine is an easy, handy method of cooking. Soak any poultry in a brine 1 hour before cooking to get a great taste out of it.

One thing that you can do is to bake a pie or tart crust longer to optimize quality. They should be a light golden brown instead of pale in color. The caramelizing of the sugar in pie crust gives it crispness and extra sweetness.

Vegetables should be cooked rapidly to obtain peak results. Taste and nutritional value suffer when vegetables are slow-cooked. A plus is that faster cooking methods usually yield vegetables which are, generally, simply better for you health. You should only cook them just as long as it takes for them to be done.

With the above advice you can be a better chef right at home! Think of cool ways to spice up existing recipes or learn entirely new recipes. There is no limit to the kinds of foods you can come up with, there are so many food varieties from all over the world.

Cast Iron Skillet Nutmeg Parsnip Sticks

1 lb small parsnips
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and black pepper

Peel the parsnips and cut into equally sized small 'sticks' - lay out on papertowels so they dry well.
In a large castiron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the parsnip sticks, stirring gently to coat them well with the butter.
Sprinkle the nutmeg over the parsnips and stir again to coat.
Cover the skillet tightly with either a lid or aluminum foil, turn the heat down to low heat, cooking slowly for 8 to 10 minutes.
The parsnips should be tender and slightly caramelized.
Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
Will serve 4 people.

Fresh And Moist Zucchini Nut Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
In large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to combine well.
In separate medium bowl, add the egg whites, zucchini, sugar, oil, and lemon peel.
Add the zucchini mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined, then stir in walnuts.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove and let cool slightly, then tip out of loaf pan to continue cooling.
Makes 1 loaf.

A Sample Tour Of Your Local Farmers Market

Walk through your local farmers market and you're walking into a world of wonder.  You'll immediately be intrigued with the amazing scents and sights.  Let's just take a tour through a sample farmers market.  We'll choose a scenario in the South as an example just to get you thinking.  Here we go.

The Entry

Farmers markets are mostly outdoors in the South, or possibly in several tents or shelters, but with sides wide open. There may or may not be a single entry point. Either way, the masses of people arrive usually pretty early in the morning to avoid the heat of the day. Shoppers descent on the booths and the farmers just after daybreak. You're right there with the swarm, making the chicory coffee tent your first destination. 

As you make your way into the line of tents, you see people bartering over the prices, learning techniques on how to skillfully pick the ripest produce off the vine. You see the samples of honey, salsa of all types, and fruit preserves being tasted and swooned over. The sun is up now and shining bright, but a cool breeze is blowing, thankfully. “Turned out to be a pretty nice day,” is commonly exclaimed by the farmers. The fall season offers a break from the heat, and any break from the heat is a “pretty nice day.” At this point, you have to decide which way to go, so you look and decide to follow the crowd.

The Senses

You don't get far before you notice the aromas. You take a deep breath and enjoy.  Depending on the season, you're treated to the smells of fresh fruit like cantaloupes, peaches, strawberries, and watermelon.  Suddenly you feel extremely hungry.  You begin to check out the offerings, hoping for samples now. You aren't disappointed.  There's a display of cut up cantaloupe.  And there's a peach with a knife stuck in it, meant for you to help yourself.  It looks like there are little spoons next to the honey and salsa display.  Bingo!

You realize you've been sampling a bit too much and decide to buy some honey before you move on.  There are other tables that draw your attention now with an array of gorgeous colors and aromas. You begin to move through the market.  You now spot the deep eggplant purples, the Swiss chard red and greens, and the pale mix of creamy white and yellow of the corn on the cob.  Then you see the beautiful colors of the bins and bins of pumpkins, squash, fall beans, potatoes, beets, and onions.  And then there are the greens; collards, kale, mustard, beet greens.  You turn the corner and the air is thick with a blend of aromas from the rows and rows of fresh herbs.  Now your arms are loaded with an array of colors and aromas, promising flavors beyond compare. You could linger longer just to let your senses enjoy, but, it's time to continue exploring, and sampling.

The Surprises

On your trip around the tents, you come across some rather unique stations. One farmer is selling everything dairy you could possibly think of including homemade butter, raw milk, and soft cheeses.  He offers you a taste of the chocolate milk he is selling and amazingly it tastes like liquid pudding in a cup.  Now you notice another merchant who is making fresh kettle corn.  He picks up his little paddle and begins to make circular movements in a large black kettle. Suddenly, kernels come popping out as he stirs faster and faster.  This may be the perfect snack right now.

You find more of a variety of products than you could ever imagine, from homemade soaps, natural cosmetics, garden decorations, and handmade jewelry and accessories. There is one tent that has  handmade organic cotton baby clothes. There is a woman at another tent selling rag rugs she made using her grandmother's patterns.  If you can imagine it, you'll probably find it.  You wander into another section and you are met with a wall of canned goods.  Now you're exhausted.  You're only halfway through the market.  Do you leave or continue your journey?  One more tent.  Just one more.  Then you hear popping in the background and make your way towards the noise and find a farmer freshly grinding grits and cornmeal.  These are the things you didn't really plan to see.  What's next?  Will your pocketbook be able to handle the surprises?

The Purchases

You've exhausted yourself and your supply of cash.  You finally head back out to the car with your bags of goods and examine the spoils you came away with.  A half gallon of that delicious chocolate milk, a small bag of kettle corn, a couple cantaloupes, a jar of honey, some peaches, collard greens, potatoes, carrots, okra, and even a bar of homemade soap.

Oh yes, you will definitely be back. Maybe you should measure that spot you've been thinking of putting a rug.  You never know what you'll find at the farmers market.

Apple And Butternut Herbed Pork Stew

2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 1/2 lbs. lean pork roast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp sage, rubbed
1 bay leaf
3 cups cubed butternut squash
2 apples, cored and cubed
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced

Heat the butter or oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Carefully set pork roast in and cook, turning until all sides are browned.
Stir in the onion and continue to cook until the onion has softened and the pork is no longer pink, about 5 minutes; stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
Pour in the broth, add the salt, rosemary, sage, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
Uncover and add into the Dutch oven the squash, apples, potatoes, and carrots.
Return to a simmer, then set lid on tipped slightly, and cook gently until the added vegetables are fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and serve hot, spooning stew into heavy shallow bowls.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Fall Harvest Chicken Stew

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can chicken stock (large size)
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour

In a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the chicken pieces and cook until just browned.
Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, add all the vegetables, and return to a boil, then immediately turn heat down to a simmer.
Simmer slowly for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender crisp.
Add the thyme, salt, and pepper and continue simmering while you prepare the roux.
In a small bowl, smash the butter and flour together with a fork until completely combined, then add to the liquid in the pot and whisk until the liquid thickens, then stir through the entire mixture and allow to heat for another minute, then remove from heat and serve immediately.
This will serve about 4 to 6 people a hearty meal.