How a Food-Blog Recipe Works. Sausages with Sauerkraut, etc.

I have now forgotten how many times I have made this particular dish in the last month or two. I call it a "dish" because it is not yet a "recipe." I think this is #4. If you are a food blogger, this is just what we do .... A recipe is like math: add/subtract/multiply/divide. Erase. Start over.

I love this particular version because I added mushrooms, onions, and thyme. I also added some bacon, but it's flavor was lost. Still, why didn't I add chunks of ham?

In all my trials, there is one thing I have learned. The sauerkraut is not that important. In fact, it is what is most left behind after it is cooked and eaten. It is an ingredient that is constantly masked by other ingredients to lessen its flavor. Brown sugar. Caraway. Apples. Wash. Drain. Maybe it's something that should be prepared as a "side" and not as a main ingredient to a dish like this.

As a child, I have fond memories of sauerkraut. For my maternal grandmother and her German husband, it was ubiquitous. Pork Chops. Ribs. Sausages.

I will get it right, yet.

And thanks to the THOUSANDS of YOU who continue to visit Kitchen Bounty even tho I have not had the time to regularly post new recipes. You humble me. Really. And by YOU, I mean those from all over the world. Just incredible.

It's cold here, even in the South! Here's a few pics from my cat, Chalk, enjoying warmth where he can find it!

New linens and sheets. Chalk is always the first to enjoy their freshness.

Once night settles in, Chalk curls next to the portable heater.
I'm kind of jealous!

Easy, No-Mess Pot Roast

Fall-apart, savory goodness!

It's easy to get snared by "food trends." Unfortunately, trends usually involve ingredients and even apparatuses that are not commonly affordable or even available to the average person.

And then there is this recipe which uses the simplest of ingredients, and only a few, to produce a pot roast nothing less than amazing. Really. And, best of all, clean up is a snap because tin foil replaces a pan--a trend I can live with!

Through the years, I've done variations of this basic, beat-the-trend recipe. I used to just stick it in the crock pot. And then one year I did it on top of the stove (technique follows) which I also love. The crock pot is probably my least favorite way. Slow cooking in the oven just gives it a kind of nuanced, "roasty" flavor.

The gravy is wonderful, so be sure to serve with a generous side of mashed potatoes. I've also done it with noodles.

Seek a chuck roast that is well marbled without containing a lot of gristle and chunks of fat. Chuck roasts used to be cheap but, like most meat, that's no longer true. Don't settle for a crappy cut. Avoid the generic soup mixes, too.

Yes, you could add some carrots. Even potatoes. But I suggest mashed potatoes because of the incredible and flavorful gravy. I have never added mushrooms ... but ... most likely, yes. This is just a basic canvas. You add details you would love for a family landscape and masterpiece.

• 1, 2.5-3.5 lb. chuck roast
• 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 envelope Lipton's Dry Onion Soup Mix
• 1 large clove garlic, sliced thin
• Heavy-duty tin foil

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Criss-cross two large sheets of tin foil on top of that. Each sheet should be twice the width and length of the sheet. Place chuck roast in center of cross. Sprinkle with dried, onion soup mixture. Top with mushroom soup and scatter the sliced garlic on top of that.

Some people mix the soup and dried onion soup together. I scattered some on top for the visual thrill!

Begin folding up each side of the foil, forming a kind of "envelope" or box, crimping corners as you go. Finally, crimp the top so you have a tight seal.

Be sure to line the pan with foil....I didn't here so you could see the contrast.

Place in a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven and roast for three hours. Allow to sit for 20 minutes or so before unwrapping.

Stove-Top Method

Place roast in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. Follow same ingredient instructions as above, but add about 1/2 can beef broth. Cover. Bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook for about the same amount of time or until the meat begins to fall apart.

Carefully remove the meat to a platter leaving behind the gravy. Whisk in several tablespoons of sour cream to create a rich gravy. Serve with noodles.

Fried Egg Sandwich with Blue Cheese, Basil, and Bacon

Never mind that spear of rosemary I stuck into the sandwich ..... Man, this was good eating!

When all else fails of what to have for dinner (or lunch or breakfast), there is always the egg. That humble oval neatly nestled in its own styrofoam or corrugated nest. Versatile. Healthy. Just waiting to be cracked. And then adorned.

I had planned on a fried egg sandwich with ham and smoked gouda. But when I returned from the deli and nibbled on the sliced "ham off the bone," I discovered it was anything  but. Way too sweet. They mistakenly gave me the honey ham off the bone..... I hate sweetened hams.

Plan B.

I had some leftover smoked and slice pork jowl (bacon to you Yankees) and some blue cheese crumbles. And I have a porch-load of basil that re-seeded itself from last year. So that's what I did.

The trick to a fried-egg sandwich is not to overcook the eggs. Once over easy and that's it! You want that wonderful, runny yolk to act as a thick sauce to bind everything together.

I used a hearty, seven-grain bread for this sandwich. You don't any wimpy bread or it just all falls apart. 

It's a messy venture eating a sandwich such as this. Have plenty of napkins. Truly, I savored every bite. And licked my fingers. The smoky bacon played well with the earthy blue cheese. Do not omit the basil. It's what brings this sandwich home!

• 2 slices hearty bread, lightly toasted
• 3-4 strips smoked bacon, cooked until crisp
• Fresh tomato sliced thin
• Mayo
• Blue cheese crumbles (Maytag Blue if you can get your hands on it!)
• Green leaf lettuce
• 3-6 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2-3 eggs, light fried, salted and peppered

Toast the bread. Give a light smear of mayo. Layer it with your bacon, tomato, torn up basil leaves, lettuce and blue cheese crumbles. Then fry your eggs. Carefully place them on the bread . . . Top with second piece of toast. Lightly push down to release all that drizzly, wonderful, runny golden yolk.

Okra with Tomatoes and Bacon (with or without Shrimp)

If you look closely, you will see the bits of bacon. They are not crisp and simply allowed
to render their fat.

Here in the South, okra is as much an essential kitchen ingredient as collards. Both are readily available in supermarkets and okra is almost always found in loose bulk at local farmers' markets during the summer months and early autumn.

Commonly, okra is simply "stewed" with tomatoes and onions on top of the stove and served over white or brown rice, usually accompanied by sausage or shrimp.

Here, I've added bacon, celery, green pepper, jalapeno and smoked paprika. A little bit of dried thyme goes a long way. Instead of using canned tomatoes, I used cherry tomatoes which impart a wonderful sweet taste that plays well with the spicier/smokier flavors. I then added tomato sauce.

While it is started on the range, it finishes in the oven at a low temperature. The baking times does great things to the okra. For one thing, it gives the stew time to marry all those great flavors. It also gets rid of any "slime" from the okra.

Some people enjoy their okra and tomatoes hot and spicy. While this recipe has a bit of heat, I prefer to let people add their own with a few shakes of Tabasco on top. Tabasco has that kind of nice vinegar base which goes well with this dish.

For this particular recipe, I used 1/2 cup diced, smoked hog jowl (readily available in the South). You may sub 2-3 slices of bacon, which will actually have more flavor (and it won't quite be as much as 1/2 cup).

I suggest grilling the shrimp for added flavor (no grills allowed where I live). Here I've simply sauteed it in a bit of olive oil, bacon grease, and Old Bay's. I finished it off with a bit of white wine and a squeeze of lemon. You can simply give it a quick boil, too, for convenience since the okra packs plenty of tastes to accompany a simply-done shrimp.

• 1 lb. fresh okra
• 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup diced smoked hog jowl or 2-3 slices diced smoked bacon
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and de-ribbed, and minced/diced
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated black pepper (or more to taste)
• 1/2- 1 teaspoon Old Bay's
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dry thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 T. tomato paste
• Water
• Olive oil

Look for fresh green okra pods such as these that have
no or few brown blemishes. If buying fresh packaged okra,
be sure to check for mold around the stems.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Wash okra and drain. Cut off ends and slice into 1/2-rounds. Set aside. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and set aside (you'll have about 2.5-3 cups.)

Put a bit of olive oil in a large stainless-steel pan and add the pork jowl or bacon. When it just begins to sizzle a bit, add the onion, celery, and green pepper. You do not want the bacon to brown but to cook with the vegetables. Saute until soft and most of the bacon has rendered its fat. Now add the garlic and jalapeno and stir for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes and stir. Stand back to admire the beautiful colors. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomato sauce. Mix the paste with 1/2 can of water from the empty sauce can and add to mixture. Stir in Okra. Stir in, Old Bay's, smoked paprika, and bay leaves. Cover. Lower heat and allow to simmer for five minutes or so.

Uncover. Taste for seasonings and re-season if necessary.

If your pan is oven safe and has a cover, transfer to oven. Or transfer contents to a lidded casserole dish of appropriate size. I used an earthenware casserole dish with a glazed interior. Avoid cast iron unless it is enameled. Bake for one hour, removing lid for the last 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve over rice. Pass the Tabasco sauce.

While it's anything but traditional, I sprinkled mine with a bit
of Parmesan cheese . . . (I'm such a Yankee!).