Home Style Slow Cooker Mustard Pork - Monthly Recipe Theme

Ending the recipe theme this month with a Crockpot recipe so you can make a great tasting pork dish without warming up the kitchen.

This is a traditional recipe using traditional pork herbs of rosemary and thyme.  They bring out the earthiness of pork and give a robust flavor to the sweetened sauce.

Home Style Slow Cooker Mustard Pork

ideal slow cooker: 4-quart

• 4-lb. boneless pork roast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbls. prepared mustard
• 1/2 tsp. thyme, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary, broken
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Place roast pieces in slow cooker. Top with onion. Pour water around roast and onion. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spoon over meat and onion. Cover and cook on high 1 hour and then on low 4 to 6 hours or until meat is tender. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  

To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, Recipe2019, or Recipe2020.

 
You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD for each month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2021 so you can find them all.

The themes are:
Jan 2021 – Baked Items
Feb 2021 – Breakfast Dishes
March 2021 – Italian Dishes
April 2021 - Chicken Recipes
May 2021 - Appetizers
June 2021 – Mediterranean Dishes
July 2021 – Pork Recipes
August 2021 - Seafood
September 2021 - Pizzas
October 2021 – Mexican Dishes
November 2021 - Cookies
December 2021 – Gift Recipes

Recipe theme for February - Tail Gate Snacks / Appetizers (with Mustard)

This month I the Big Game, for which snacky food is required.  That put me in the mood of great finger foods, so I thought I would share several of my appetizer recipes.  I have a large number of these and have shared many in the past, but since there are so many more, I am going to give you tqo each time.

This first time I am going to share two recipes to be made with mustard. Mustard is one of the earth's oldest savory flavors packed with minerals and omega-3 fatty acids.  It has about 25% protein and contains no cholesterol.  It is considered important to the body fighting cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes.

Spicy Italian Meatballs
This one can be a meal served over pasta or an appetizer served warm with just the sauce.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 1/2 cups tomato or pasta sauce, divided
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chipped parsley
1 Tbls whole mustard seed
1 tsp whole fennel seed
1 tsp basil, dried
1/2 tsp crushed red chile flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil

In a bowl, mix together beef, 1/4 cup tomato sauce , read crumbs, parsley, mustard seed, fennel seed, basil, chile flakes, garlic, salt and pepper.  Form into 18 meatballs, about the size of a small egg.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meatballs and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Pour in remaining tomato sauce, reduce heat, cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes or until internal temperature of meatballs reaches 170 degrees.

Mustard Cheese Sticks
 1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbls dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp chipotle seasoning
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cold water

 Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a bowl, stir together flour, dry mustard and chipotle seasoning,  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or rub together with fingers until mixture resembled a course crumb mixture.  Add cheese and mix well. Pour in water, mix with fork to form a ball.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 12 by 12 inch square.  Cut square in half horizontally to create two rectangles, then slice each rectangle into 1 inch by 6 inch strips.  Lay sticks on a non-stick baking sheet, making sure they do not touch.  Bake until lightly browned on the bottom, 18 to 20 minutes.  Let cool before removing from pan.  Store in an air tight container.  To make them more party worth, You can twist the strips  couple times before pressing the ends onto the baking sheet.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr)

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Ham Quiche with Potato Crust - Weekend Recipe

Not all quiche needs a traditional crust.  This recipe is from the book Will it Skillet by Daniel Shumski (Workman, 2017) and it uses potatoes as the crust and a skillet for the pan. It is a unique recipe that is especially tasty for a savory or dinner quiche.

The direct heat of the skillet crisps the shredded potato crust while this quiche sets. Be sure to keep the potatoes high along the edge of the skillet to create crunchy potato bits.

Ham Quiche with Potato Crust

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups diced white or yellow onion (about 1 medium-size onion)
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
5 oz baby spinach

1/2 cup diced cooked ham
2 medium-size russet potatoes (about 1 pound total)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried savory

1/2 tsp thyme

6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded mild cheese (such as Fontina, Gruyère, or Swiss)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with one rack in the middle.

Add 2 teaspoons of the oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil is hot, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, mushrooms, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and the mushrooms are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Add the spinach in two batches, cooking and stirring each time until the spinach wilts, about 30 seconds. The spinach will barely fit in the skillet at first, but will cook down quickly when stirred. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Drain off as much liquid as possible and scrape the vegetables into a large bowl. Add the ham and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean, then rub in a thin layer of oil into the skillet.

Using the coarse side of a box grater or a food processor, shred the potatoes. (You should have about 3-1/2 cups.) Squeeze the shreds in a clean kitchen towel until they’re as dry as you can manage.

In a medium-size bowl, toss the potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Press the potatoes into the skillet in an even layer across the bottom and all the way up the sides.

Bake until the potatoes are golden brown at the edges, about 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and re-set the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Pour off any liquid in the bowl with vegetables and ham. Distribute the cheese evenly atop the potato. Spread the ham and vegetables in an even layer over the cheese. Pour in the egg mixture.

Bake until the eggs are set at the edges (the center may still jiggle a bit), about 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days. Serves 6

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails