Moms Cooking

Here is the deal. I never follow a recipe to exact. I always play with it. Here are some that we love to eat.

I found this recipe for a roast. I was drawn to it because Nana also put a ton of garlic in the roast. The juices that come from this is awesome! So yummy for gravy or to add to a aju sauce. I use cooking wine.

Ingredients

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) sirloin tip roast, netted or tied at 1-inch intervals
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise, plus 4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon Essence, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 large carrots, scrubbed
• 2 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 pound small new potatoes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup beef stock, or canned low-sodium beef broth
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

With a small, sharp knife, make 30 (1 1/2-inch deep) slits around the outside of the roast. Insert the half cloves of garlic into the slits. Rub the roast with 1 tablespoon of the Essence, 1 teaspoon of the black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato paste and 1 cup of water. Add the tomato paste mixture to the red wine and cook for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven, alternate the carrots and celery flat on the bottom of the pot. Place the bay leaves on the vegetables. Scatter the onions, potatoes, and garlic over the bottom. (The vegetables will form a "nest" on which the roast will be placed.) Place the roast on top of the vegetables. Add the red wine mixture and the stock. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Uncover the pot roast, baste with the pan juices, and lower the heat to 350 degrees F. Cover the roast and continue cooking until the meat is completely tender and begins to fall apart, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, uncovering and basting each hour. Remove from the oven, uncover, and baste. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve each portion of the carved roast with onion quarters, new potatoes, 1 carrot, and 1 piece of celery. Spoon the pan juices over the meat and vegetables, and serve.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

And for a fatty yet so yummy pasta is the Chicken Scampi

WHITE SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ¾ cup milk , hot

SCAMPI SAUCE

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons garlic , crushed
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro (optional)
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
• black pepper
• ¾ cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

• ½ lb angel hair pasta , cooked and drained
• 2 bell peppers , thinly sliced
• 1 red onion , thinly sliced
• 10 garlic cloves , roasted
• 2 chicken breasts , sliced
• olive oil

Directions:

1. 1
   For white sauce: Heat 1 tablespoons butter in sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons flour and cook for 2 minutes on med. heat. heat stirring constantly. slowly add 3/4 cup hot milk (hot so it won't get lumpy). Set aside. (Make sure that the white sauce is hot when adding to the scampi sauce).
2. 2
   For scampi sauce: Heat butter over low heat. add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and black pepper. cook for about 2 minutes on low heat. add the wine and chicken broth. stir until combined. (I usually cook mine for about 30-40 minutes). add 1/4 cup white sauce and cook till slightly thickened.
3. 3
   In a large skillet, saute chicken in a little olive till nearly done. add the peppers and onions, saute till chicken is done. add the sauce. saute until everything is warmed. add roasted garlic cloves. serve over pasta.
4. 4
   ROASTED GARLIC: Separate head of garlic into individual cloves still in 'paper'. toss in olive oil and wrap tightly in aluminum foil or a small pint sized dish with a lid. bake in 350* oven for 45 minutes. when the garlic has cooled to the touch you should be able to squeeze it out of the 'paper' shell of the individual cloves.

Than Dad makes some awesome PB oatmeal chip cookie (He always seems to make the fluffy cookies, mine are flat)1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2-1 cup rolled oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes 16 cookies.