June 2013 – Cooking With Kristy

Dilemma: for 2 weeks now, my kitchen has been ripped out for an unplanned remodel. Tired of sandwiches and eating out, I went online and searched for “kitchenless cooking” ideas. There are so many blogs, websites and Pinterest posts that it was overwhelming. If you have no oven, pull out one of your long-lost appliances – you can use your microwave, crockpot, electric grill, BBQ, waffle iron, rice cooker, or griddle to make parts of your meal, and then just buy pre-made side dishes.

I thought I’d get a little creative and pull together some old favorites but made in a new way. I used my washing machine as a countertop. Utility sink to rinse veggies and wash dishes. The crockpot? Made my garage smell like a southern BBQ joint. And the electric griddle went on my bathroom counter. It was like camping out in my own house, but a little less rainy.

BBQ Pork & Corncakes

(1) 4-5 lb. pork roast

1 c. BBQ sauce

2 T. Dijon stone ground mustard

I box cornbread mix

Place roast in crockpot and smear with ½ c. BBQ sauce and mustard. Cook on low 6 hours or until meat falls off bone. Spoon off fat and shred meat with two forks. Toss with ¼-1/2 c. more BBQ sauce.

Mix cornbread according to directions. Scoop ¼ cup onto each section of a well-oiled waffle iron or electric griddle (like a small pancake) and cook until crisp on outside and done on inside. Serve on plate with a heaping scoop of the shredded BBQ pork. Options: add a bit of chipotle or hotsauce to the crockpot for spicier pork, or, try with chicken breasts instead.

Pesto Corn Salad

(2) 11-oz. cans southwestern style corn (with peppers, black beans & onions)

(1) 10-oz bag shredded carrots

1 container each red grape tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes (cut in ½ if you prefer)

¼ c. pesto

juice from 2 lemons (or approx. ½ c.)

Mix the pesto and lemon juice together. Pour over and toss with the corn, tomatoes, and carrots. Refrigerate 1-2 hours to let flavors meld. Serve in small bowls alongside BBQ pork. Options: Try with lime juice or sundried tomato pesto.

Next to potatoes, cucumbers are my favorite vegetable, year-round. My mom used to throw together a light summer salad with our garden-harvested cukes and it was one of my preferred side dishes. Once I ventured off the farm and started dining out in Portland more, I discovered that this salad tasted very much like tzatziki, a Greek appetizer/sauce made with yogurt. So gourmet!

Our household preferred Miracle Whip® over mayo, and it gives this dish a signature tang, but yogurt, sour cream or mayo can be substituted. I added the melon to Mom’s recipe because I love the sweet/salty combo. This is a perfect salad, even for the dead of winter because all the ingredients are readily available.

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

½ honeydew melon, peeled and chunked or in balls

2 large cucumbers, sliced (peeled if you prefer)

½ c. Miracle Whip® salad dressing

2 tsp. chopped fresh dill

2 T. white vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix salad dressing, dill, vinegar, salt and pepper together. Toss with the melon balls and cucumber and serve in chilled margarita glasses. Best if refrigerated for few minutes and served immediately.

If you want to make this ahead of time, make dressing and refrigerate. Chunk or make the melon balls and refrigerate (drain before using). Toss cucumber slices with a bit of salt and set in strainer for 20 minutes to drain juices, or slice and refrigerate. Toss all ingredients together just before serving.

Options:

• Add chopped onion or garlic to taste.

• Use fresh chopped basil instead of dill and include sliced strawberries.

• Substitute cantaloupe for honeydew melon for a bit more color.

• Try with lemon cucumbers or other varieties for different texture and color.

• Chop up cucumbers smaller, toss with dressing, use lemon juice instead of vinegar, and serve with pita bread for tzatziki-like appetizer.

• Experiment with flavored vinegars such as citrus champagne, lemongrass mint, or white balsamic

Archive for month: June, 2013