Rutabaga: Swedes and Tatties Smash

 My better half has been diagnosed pre-diabetic.  Time for a lot of menu changes.  Out with the starch in with the veggies. I've been working on this for years... But I love potatoes, pasta and corn.   Rice, meh.

In the UK Rutabagas are also called Swedish Turnips or Swedes.  I have no idea where I read that but I love Rutabagas and all things Brassica.  I think Rutabagas are related to cauliflower and mustard, and those are genus Brassica.  I could look that up and be correct but the stream of conciousness is flowing freely now.

I think potatoes are Tatties.  Hence Swedes and Tatties. Basically a lower carb replacement for Mashed Potatoes.

4 LB Rutabaga 1/4" dice
1 LB Potato 1/2" dice
1 Large carrot chopped
1/2 onion diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, smashed.

Boil all of the above until fork tender, drain. reserve some water if needed to thin the smash. using a hand masher or imersion blender smash to desired consistency. 

1/4 cup  butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Good Cheddar (grate yourself for better flavor)  
    Adams Reserve, Cabot Reserve, Cathedral City, Dubliner
1-2 tsp herbs du provence
1-2 tsp salt to taste
1 - 3 tsp garlic to taste
1/2 - 1 tsp ground pepper to taste

Blend all of the above into the smash, increase ingredients to taste. 

I didn't say it was healthy, just lower in carbs 

Quick Notes DYI Mustard & Noodles

Mustard Un

1/2 Cup Wine/Beer/Cider
1/2 Cup Vinegar
1/2 Cup Mustard Seeds (mixed)
+ tsp "ish" Salt

Mustard Deux
3/4 C Powder
1/4 C Seed
1/2 C H2O
3/4 C Beer
+ tsp "ish" Salt
+ 2 tsp Sugar / Honey
+ Wostercsire

Soak 2 days, Blend


Noodles 
2 Eggs + 1 C Flour + 1/2 tsp salt

Ravioli + Oil/Butter
Spaetzle + 3/4 Milk

Black Bean Burgers - The Pioneer Woman
2 x 14.5 OZ cans Black Beans (seasoned?)
 - drain do not rinse!  mash by hand
1 C seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Egg
1/4 C grated onion
1/2 tsp chili powder
S/P to taste
let sit 5 min

make patties and fry

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/black-bean-burger/

  

Meatloaf Revisited

I finally revisited the namesake dish, and have a few observations.

1.5 LB Meatloaf mix or a combo of Beef/Pork
1 C Soft Breadcrumbs (definitely makes a difference)
1/2 med onion chopped fine  (1/2 - 1 C)
1 Egg
2 garlic cloves cut lg.
4-5 TBS BBQ sauce
2 TBS Milk
1 TBS Whole grain mustard
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Top with strips of Bacon if available.

Preheat Oven.
Mix in Bowl, Place in Loaf Pan Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Soft breadcrumbs are better than broken crackers which are better than commercial breadcrumbs.
The quantity of sauce here 8 TBS = 1/2 cup did not over power the flavor of the meat.  I often add too much mustard/BBQ sauce.  Add another TBS.
MISSING: Wocestershire Sauce and Steak Sauce!
No milk flavor. I like a little hint of milk, but I am beginning to think that it is not right for these flavors.

Gravy 
I also meant to take 2 TBS of raw meat and brown / crisp it in a pan to make a base for gravy.  Since I forgot to do that I will try it with the leftover grease and some cooked meat.

meat
pepper / paprika
grease
onions
mushrooms
flour
deglaze with broth
thicken

Oven Roasted Herb Pork Loin

2 - 3 LB pork loin roast
handful fresh rosemary
handful fresh thyme
TBS grey poupon country style grained mustard
1 elephant garlic clove (abt 3-5 regular cloves)
fresh ground pepper
2 TBS Olive oil

1/2 C white wine
2 tbs flour + 1/2 c water mixed (shaken) in jar
2-4 TBS mustard
pepper to taste

preheat oven to 400

rub roast in olive oil
chop rosemary and thyme rub on roast
cut garlic into slivers and slit meat, insert slivers into slits
sprinkle roast with ground pepper
roast 30 minutes fat side down
flip and roast to 146
remove roast and tent for 15 min. before slicing

deglaze pan (iron skillet) with white wine
add water/flour mix wisking
add mustard
add pepper

wisk until simmering and serve

Carolina Style BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork.

I prefer Carolina style, with it's vinegary tartness and sweetness on pulled pork. It complements, rather than overpowers the pork. Oh yeah, I like kraut to cause I'm part kraut. Und kann Deutsche sprechen. Stimmt.
Anyway, I always thought that flavor was in the cooking, and only just realized ...
(duh) the flavor is in the sauce. So today I did this:

1 C Prepared brown mustard (mostly Guldens)
3/4 C Cider Vinegar
1/2 C White Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Pork crock pot juice (see below)
2 TBS chili powder
1-2 TBS Ground black Pepper
1 TBS Hot Szeged Hungarian Paprika >not regular sweet<
You can also use another ground hot pepper in smaller quantities

1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Combine all except the last 2 ingredients, simmer for 30 minutes.
stir in the last 2, heat for 10 more minutes.

Which is a mod from this:
http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuesaucerecipes/r/blb00114.htm

but... It was too sweet, and not tangy enough. Ergo batch #2 will be:
Fresher vinegar. I don't know how old my vinegar is. Probably beyond vintage.
Brown sugar not white.
Called for 1/2 C white AND 1/4 brown. less than 1/2 C light brown next.

Oh and Crock Pot Pork Juice...

Boneless Pork Loin, abt 5 LBS
1 Can Progresso French Onion Soup (18.5 oz 524g)
1 med onion sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
fresh basil, torn
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp HOT Szeged Hungarian Paprika
1/2 tsp salt
(I'm not a big sodium fan, there's plenty in the soup, and you can always add at the table)

Place the onion slices on the bottom of a crock pot
lay garlic, basil on top.
place the pork on top
pour in the soup
sprinkle with seasonings
Low for 8-12 hours.
shred with forks, using bubba style.
*** reserve leftover juice for sauce - see above ***

serve on hamburger buns with sauce - see above.

Mustard Herbed Pork Tenderloin

2.5- 3 LBS pork tenderloins pack
2 TBS whole grain Mustard (Grey Poupon)
1 TBS Dijon Mustard (Grey Poupon)
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 TBS dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)
1.5 Tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375
Place pork in crinkled aluminum foil "bowl" in pyrex baking dish
splash with wine
mix other ingredients
spread over all sides of tenderloin

Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes or until internal temp = 155 degrees
remove from oven let sit for 10 minutes and carve.
Use pan (foil) drippings to make a gravy

Serve with Ten Minute Mushrooms, Mustard Potato Salad* and Knox Asparagus*


* Recipies to follow