I love Fridays. It's 9am, I'm still in my pjs, watching Marnie on AMC (ooh, Tippi Hedren and a yummy young Sean Connery) . . . 
. . . and looking through cookbooks for something tasty to make my man for dinner tonight. 
Which reminded me of that huge dutch oven we got last weekend. And I started wondering what might fit inside it. My beloved dvd of Gone With the Wind surely does. 
As does a gallon of milk (one of my other favorite things). 
And the complete works of Shakespeare fit quite nicely, too. 
But my trusty compy? Not so much. 
So, friends, what do you make in a dutch oven? Any recipes or ideas you'd like to share with me, because I'm at a loss here.
. . . and looking through cookbooks for something tasty to make my man for dinner tonight. Which reminded me of that huge dutch oven we got last weekend. And I started wondering what might fit inside it. My beloved dvd of Gone With the Wind surely does. As does a gallon of milk (one of my other favorite things). And the complete works of Shakespeare fit quite nicely, too. But my trusty compy? Not so much. So, friends, what do you make in a dutch oven? Any recipes or ideas you'd like to share with me, because I'm at a loss here.
3 comments:
Dutch ovens are great!
Ideas:
- A roast or chicken. (Brown in butter with onions & garlic for a few minutes on each side, then add broth, salt, pepper and simmer on low for a few hours. Then, an hour before serving, add some chopped veggies until tender. Then, 15 -20 minutes before serving, add some soy sauce, honey, and seasonings (fresh parsley, basil, thyme, ginger, or other herbs.)Thicken with milk/flour or cornstarch (shake in a container with lid until there are no lumps); stir this mixture in until desired thickness and serve.
Sometimes I might add potato quarters in as my starch and then you have a 'one pot' dinner. Other times, I boil a pot of rice on the side, or make mashed potatoes (you already have your gravy!) Or, add wide egg noodles 30 minutes before serving.
Easy & versatile with many options.
Idea #2:) BTW--this also works in a crockpot. Brown your meat in butter or oil, together with onion & garlic (same as above); add one can of Cranberry sauce, a small container of French Salad Dressing and a few spoonfuls of sugar (brown is always best). Let simmer on low for an hour or two. Thicken with cornstarch/water mixture before serving w/ rice. YUMMY!
(If you want to get fancy, add some fresh herbs & a dash of soy)
3.) Or make French Onion Soup. (Super easy)
Two other ideas that I LOVE in a skillet/dutch oven of any kind:
1.) Make your cornbread in it. Pour the batter into the skillet w/ oil or butter and let it brown/sizzle for just a couple of minutes. Then finish baking in the oven. There is a special, yummy/buttery taste when you do it this way.
2.) Do your dessert in it. Apple, peach, berry pies/cobblers are especially fantastic when done in cast iron. Brown your fruit with some sugar & butter on the stovetop for a few minutes (until it looks a bit carmelized). Then, add a cobbler mix (mix almost equal parts butter, flour, brown sugar, oats & some pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon;) sprinkle over fruit and bake until it looks good to you. (You can also cover with a traditional pie crust or make a yellow cake better to spread on top.)
Bon appetit!
YUM! Those sound so good. How'd I ever survive without a dutch oven before? :) Thank you!
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