Wascally Winter Wabbit

Earlier this week I processed a couple dozen rabbits with my cousin and kept one in the ice box trying to decide how I wanted to cook it. After thinking about it I began to consider that the sweet flavor of rabbit meat might pair nicely with spicy curry. One thing I was sure of is that a spicy curry on a cold dark winter night turns dinner into a comfort meal. I started by taking the rabbit out of the ice box and let it come to temperature on the cutting board.

 Cut into individual servings

I prepped all my veggies - Garlic, Ginger Root, Tomatoes, Jalapeno, Onion, Sweet Pepper and Parsley

I browned the rabbit pieces in a hot pan with olive oil. Once all the pieces were browned I moved them to a plate and sauteed the veggies with the addition of a little chili oil. Once everything was soft I added the rabbit pieces back into the pan. I added a couple ounces of vodka to deglaze the pan before adding 2 cups of chicken stock and some red curry paste.

Once the liquid was boiling I lowered the heat to a low simmer and covered the pan to cook for 2 hours. Once the liquid had condensed to a thick sauce I added in a can of coconut milk and a large handful of unsweetened coconut shavings and returned to a simmer till reduced and thickened. During that time I steamed some rice to go along with the meat. just before serving I added a few splashes of cream into the pan with a handful of fresh chopped parsley.

I accompanied the meal with a local micro-brew Coffeehouse Porter

The entire family enjoyed the meal and we all agreed this was as good as the Rabbit Puttanesca and even better than the normal Braised Rabbit with Red Wine that I usually make. 

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner

Tonight I felt like a champion as I chanted, "Winner, winner chicken dinner" while prepping the plump and juicy bird. In my little food processor I chopped several garlic cloves with fresh ginger root, olive oil, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley. I placed the neck and giblets in a stock pot for a mid evening snack and as a way to make base of my gravy. I separated the skin from the meat on the breasts and legs and rubbed the chopped herbs and spices under the skin and the remainder all over the skin. I surrounded the chicken with potatoes, onions and carrots for nostalgic treat.

I roasted it at 350*F for several hours and once the juices ran clear between the legs bones I covered it and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This time though I remembered to take a picture of the final product!

The gravy was delicious on top of the roasted veggies and the fluffy biscuits that Rebecca painstakingly made while the chicken was resting! And the great part about making chicken for dinner is now the bones are boiling away on the stove top for a batch of yummy all natural stock for another meal down the road.

Comfort Gourmet

Who says that comfort foods can't be turned into a gourmet dinner? Some times I crave hot dogs and while I prefer a juicy charcoal grilled frank with a natural casing some times a steamed sports venue style hot dog is what hits the spot. Tuesday nights are usually pretty hectic at our house so we often need a no nonsense meal so hot dogs it was. So now you know where the "Comfort" part of the title fits in now onto the "Gourmet" part.
While I love a hot dog with a little ketchup and mustard the are so many other ways to enjoy a cylinder shaped meat. for our dinner tonight I cooked some bacon in the oven while the hot dogs steamed and the jalapeno cheddar melted over low heat. While the meat and cheese were cooking I diced up fresh tomatoes, parsley, sweet onion, green onions and jalapenos. I also cooked up some steak fries as a side keeping with the no fuss utensil free dinner. Once everything was ready I gently placed the hot dogs in steamed potato rolls with a slice of bacon on each side. I topped them with the melted spicy cheese along with all the veggies. There was extra cheese so I topped the fries with it as well! The clean up after dinner was easy with the use of paper plates which ensured everyone made it to their evening obligations with time to spare.

Of course you can use whatever toppings you like best, in the past I have topped these with chili and coleslaw as well! These would be good with natural cased, tofu, chicken, beef or even turkey hot dogs.

Pork - it does the body good

Sunday afternoon I decided to make a boneless pork loin for lunch. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it but after rummaging through the pantry and refrigerator I decided I would make a teriyaki style roast. I started by placing the pork roast in a honey teriyaki marinade for an hour. After prepping the rest of the ingredients I placed the pork with the marinade in a roasting pan surrounded by sliced onions, peppers and carrots. I then topped the roast with green onions and parsley. The next layer was diced fresh ginger and garlic with orange juice and then I finished by covering it with pureed pineapple and orange slices and fresh cracked pepper.

I baked it in the oven at 325 degrees for about 3.5 hours. The meat was juicy, sweet and oh so good! Unfortunately after smelling it cook we were all so hungry I forgot to take a picture of it all sliced and plated with the veggies surrounding it but I'm sure you can imagine how yummy it was. I think this is a meal I will repeat as well as try with different types of meat including rabbit and chicken next time!