Fast Foodie, Easy Gourmet Meals

Everyone likes to hate on Sandra Lee and despise Rachel Ray. But we are all at one time or another looking for a shortcut to gourmet meals. It is especially hard if you don't have a ton of disposable income to spend on premade gourmet sauces, stocks and ingredients, or the money to eat out at a decent restaurant when time or effort is on the short side. This is the first post in series that will give ideas and inspiration for gourmet home cooked meals that aren't labor intensive, and expensive to make. 
For my first Recipe I give you Slow Roasted Pork with mashed rutabaga and biscuits.  I never liked store bought biscuits until I tried these Simply...Buttermilk biscuits by Pillsbury, they are almost as good as from scratch, and a million times better than Bisquick. The pork takes about 3 hours to cook, however the actual time spent preparing this meal is about 15 minutes. The extra time is definitely worth it, especially if you consider the amazing results, and the fact that you will have enough slow roasted pork to last you for several meals.

Recipe adapted from Forgotten Skills of Cooking

• 6 lb pork butt (cut in two to speed up cooking slightly)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
• sprinkle of chili flakes
• 1 cup of liquid (chicken stock, cider, water, beer, whatever you have)

Just score the skin with a sharp knife rub with seasonings. Place in roasting pan with liquid and cook at 325-350 for about 2 and a half hours covered. Uncover for the last 30 minutes to brown. (throw in your biscuits to cook in the last 15 minutes) That's it!

For my rutabagas I just cooked them in salted water until tender and then mashed them with milk and sour cream.

Enjoy! What do you like to make when you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen?



Pickles!