shredded beef chuck roast sandwiches... 6 hours and 20 minutes

the goods:

3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 3 equal pieces

1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

4 cups low-sodium beef broth

Hawaiian rolls, for serving

barbecue sauce, for serving

In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, combine beef, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and broth. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on high until beef is tender and can be pulled apart with a fork, 6 to 7 hours.

Remove beef from cooking liquid; using two forks, shred beef. Serve on sliced Hawaiian rolls topped with barbecue sauce.

pork shoulder roast with tomatoes... 2 hours and 15 minutes

the goods:

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, tied and patted dry

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 pints cherry tomatoes

2 and 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

4 teaspoons paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add pork, fat side down, and cook, turning until browned on all sides, 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Pour off fat, return pot to medium-high, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion; cook until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Add broth and vinegar and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits.

Return pork to pot with juices; sprinkle with paprika.

Bring mixture to a boil over high. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook 1 hour.

Remove from oven; with tongs, flip pork. Return to oven and cook, uncovered, until tender, 1 hour, basting pork with juices every 15 minutes.

Transfer pork to a cutting board; let rest 15 minutes. Slice pork and serve with sauce.

buttermilk-cornmeal drop biscuits with honey butter... 30 minutes

the goods:

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus 1/4 cup (1/2 stick), room temperature

1 cup buttermilk

5 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry cutter, cut in 1/2 cup cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces remaining. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and 3 tablespoons honey. Add to flour mixture and stir with a fork until dough just comes together. (Dough will be slightly sticky; do not overmix.) With two large spoons, drop 10 mounds of dough, 2 inches apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until biscuits are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer biscuits on parchment to wire rack and let cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons honey until combined. Serve honey butter with warm biscuits.

vegetable-bean soup... 50 minutes

the goods:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium carrots, diced small

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

grated Parmesan, for serving

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan.

steak sandwich wrap... 25 minutes

the goods:

6 slices bacon

1/2 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 ounce Parmesan, shredded (1/2 cup)

2 piece lavash flatbread or sandwich wraps

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 leftover cooked steak, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup baby spinach

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add onion, and cook until onion caramelizes, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together yogurt and Parmesan; season with salt.

Spread yogurt mixture over half of each lavash piece. Spread mustard on other half. Layer steak, bacon, onion, and spinach on each lavash piece and roll up. Cut each roll in half.

steak au poivre with roasted fingerling potatoes... 45 minutes

the goods:

3/4 pound fingerling or other small potatoes, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup crushed black peppercorns

3 boneless New York strip steaks, excess fat trimmed

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, season with salt. Roast until golden brown and crisp, about 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Meanwhile, spread peppercorns on a large plate. Season steaks with salt, then press into pepper, coating both sides. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter over high. In 2 batches, cook steaks until medium-rare, about 10 minutes, flipping once. Let rest on a cutting board, 5 to 10 minutes.

Discard fat from skillet, lightly wipe with a paper towel to remove any loose pepper, and heat over medium. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add cream and cook until sauce coats back of spoon, about 4 minutes. Stir in mustard and season with salt.

Refrigerate 1 steak for dinner tomorrow. Slice remaining steaks against the grain, divide among plates, and top with sauce.

Serve with potatoes and parsley.

slow-cooker garlic chicken with couscous... 4 hours

the goods:

3 to 4 split chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on, patted dry

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, halved

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 coup couscous

chopped fresh parsley, for serving

 

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. In batches, cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Combine onion, garlic, and thyme in a 5-t-6-quart slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Top with chicken, skin side up, in a tight layer. In a small bowl, whisk together wine and flour until smooth and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until chicken is tender, about 3 and 1/2 hours (or 7 hours on low).

Cook couscous according to package instructions. Serve chicken and sauce over couscous, sprinkled with parsley.