Sunday Cooking

As you know, instead of resting yesterday I spent at least 6 hours online reading random blogs. Several featured recipes that got me thinking about cooking with my slow cooker and cooking in general, I guess. Despite the long list of things that I should be doing today, I decided to cook up a storm and have planned more big meals throughout the week. Cooking a different meal each day was also something I hadn't thought of in awhile and was reminded by the various whacko homemaker blogs that I'm also reading for whatever reason. Anyway, here's the list of what I have made today and hope to make later this week:

1. Sticky chicken with mango cumin couscous
- This recipe came from the December 2008 BBC Good Food Magazine. As you can see I made so many modifications that it made sense to rewrite the recipe, but my product is still similar to what's pictured. Today, because I didn't feel like making couscous, after tossing the mango with the cumin and rice wine vinegar, I added a little chicken stock, brought it to a boil, and tossed some cooked jasmine rice that I had on hand. I made this for lunch and have two portions left over.

2. Slow Cooker North Woods Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- This is simmering in the crockpot as I type. I used lefter turkey from Xmas that I had in the freezer.
Edited to add: This turned out a lot thicker than I had expected. Though it may have been partially because I didn't measure to wild rice, just eye-balled it, I added about 2 cups more chicken broth than the recipe called for and it was still very thing. Good, but thick.

3. Coffee-Braised Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions
- This will be made in the oven as soon as I rest for a bit and read the paper, hopefully for dinner this evening, although my turkey wild rice soup will also be done around the same time.
Edited to add: I cooked a smaller roast (<3 lbs) for about 2.5 hours and it was perfect. The coffee braising gives it almost a chocolate-like flavor. I can't wait to have this tomorrow night.

4. Irish Lamb Stew
- I will make this stew also using my slow cooker once I go to Trader Joe's later this week for boneless leg of lamb. This is what I had hoped to make this weekend in honor of St. Patrick's Day, but I didn't feel up to it.

5. Bread from scratch, maybe sourdough. I watched a number of how-tos on YouTube, including this one, but I think I'll try something that starts with yeast rather than trying to grow it naturally. I may try this one from good 'ole Emeril as it sounds straightforward enough. I bought an extra-large bag of flour today!

6. Kalua pig, also in the crockpot. The recipe is simply to make: Cook about 4 lbs of pork in the slow cooker with a tablespoon of liquid smoke for 8-10 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. After shredding, salt liberally with sea salt or something more flavorful than table salt.
- I bought a pork shoulder today at the market when I couldn't find the leg of lamb. I may make this Wednesday or Thursday, or pot it in the freezer.