Archive | December, 2010

Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Brussels Sprouts

29 Dec

I am really enjoying experimenting with my new slow cooker. I see why people start cooking this way. It’s all prep and then let it work its magic for a few hours… then when the timer is up, a hot meal is all done.  Fantastic.

So it seemed like the perfect place to make a pot roast.  I really had no idea what I was doing, so I decided to wing it.

I threw a roast in some chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce, added onions, and topped with ketchup.

DSCF2659

(Yes… I stirred it all together before turning it on)

It smelled AMAZING while it was cooking.

DSCF2663

We paired it with the brussels sprouts that we love to make (Recipe at the bottom of this post).  This would make the time that I learned that the brussels in brussels sprouts is actually plural.  Nearly 30 years and I never knew that.  Learn something new everyday!

DSCF2665

The onions with this were fantastic.  The meat itself was good, but no “Grandma’s Pot Roast.”  I may try to cook it a bit longer next time as it wasn’t as soft as I would have liked it to be.  But it sure was easy!

DSCF2666

Tags: , , , , ,

The Popover Cafe

27 Dec

The Popover Cafe is on 86th Street and Amsterdam Ave.  My sister recommended  it to me since I am such a huge popover fan.

DSCF2741

The inside was quaint and a great setting.  The menu mentioned that the owner decided to cook her favorite foods and that people just kept coming back for more.  It definitely all had that “homemade” feel, from decor to food.

DSCF2740

 They had some hot winter drinks on the menu, which quickly made me think that more restaurants should do this.  I got the warm cider punch.

DSCF2726

And Mike got a hot chocolate. 

DSCF2727

 We started with the mini popovers.

DSCF2729

They were a perfect 4 bite portion. 

DSCF2732

 And we got them with apple butter (along with regular butter and strawberry butter).  The minis were okay, but part of what makes popovers so great is all the delicious fluffy center.

DSCF2733

 Mike got the eggs benedict that came on an open popover. 

DSCF2735

 I got the Kobe Beef Corned Beef Hash.  It was a delicious blend of beef and potatoes, topped with a scrambled egg.  It was delicious!

DSCF2737

 And the popover was just perfect.   AND HUGE!

DSCF2738

Flakey (but not overly eggy) on the inside.

DSCF2739

I absolutely loved my meal.  It was just wonderful comfort food and sent over the edge by delicious popovers. 

I highly recommend the journey to the Upper West Side, especially if you love popovers.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Meringue Minis

24 Dec

So… now you have mastered meringues after watching my first forray into vlogging.  And you’re ready to pump it up a bit?  Good.  here is an awesome thing to do with meringues that actually made the president of my company say it was the best dessert he has ever had.   

So how do you do it?  Well… if you won the first NYC Nom Nom giveaway, you can make them yourself in the non-stick baking cups that I am obsessed with.

You just use the same meringue recipe and pour it into the cups.

DSCF2714

 I used my fingers to spread the meringue up the sides of the cup.  I was hoping this would create a divot to fill with whipped cream and berries.

DSCF2716

 But a few minutes into cooking, I realized that just the opposite was happening.

DSCF2718

I wound up getting pretty little mounds of meringues that were perfectly fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. 

DSCF2719

 While the domes made them impossible to fill, they sure looked lovely. (I actually remade this a few days later and didn’t move the batter up the sides… it wound up flat on top.  Still delicious, but these look much more fun.)

DSCF2720

 I wound up having extra batter, so I took the extra and combined it with fall spices (cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg) and putting it into a separate dish.  It was delicious, but wouldn’t really come out of the dish.

DSCF2721

 The mounds wound up perfect perched in homemade schlag and some balsamic strawberries.

DSCF2723

Now that it’s winter and strawberries are about $100 per pint, I need to find some fruit to replace the berries.  But if you have access to berries, this is just perfect. 

DSCF2725

Trust me.  You and everyone else will LOVE this!

Merry Christmas Nom World.

Tags: , , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →