Cooking with BusyDad and Mr. Lady

On March 16, 2011, BusyDad and Mr. Lady (aka Jim and Shannon) broke new ground here in themotherhood.com by hosting a live cooking show from their kitchens in Texas and California.

 

http://youtu.be/NIs9MwTzego

 

With cameras on them as they cooked their favorite recipes, Jim and Shannon demonstrated ‘East-West’ versions of ribs, side dishes and favorite desserts.  Joining them in themotherhood.com was an exceptional and enthusiastic group of blogger co-hosts:

 

Eddie Carroll; Life, One Pixel at a Time

Lotus Carroll, Sarcastic Mom

Julie Dance, Angry Julie Monday

Dan Deguia, Deguia.net

Ashley Evans, Schadenfreudette

Robin Sue Joss, Big Red Kitchen
Mishelle Lane, Secret Agent Mama

Diane Lang, Momo Fali
Tanis Miller, Attack of the Redneck Mommy

PJ Mullen, Real Men Drive Minivans

Gregory Ng, Freezer Burns
Melanie Sheridan; Mel, a Dramatic Mommy

 

Jim and Shannon’s class concluded the Cooking Connections series, sponsored by ConAgra Foods.

 

Now We’re Cooking

 

Jim kicked off with words of support for those who aren’t quite comfortable in the kitchen.  “We want to show you that even if you don’t have all the skills you think you need in the kitchen,” he said, “there are ways to make you LOOK like you know what you’re doing!”

 

Shannon and Jim prepared variations of beef short ribs in their separate kitchens.  Jim offered up an Asian version of the short ribs (with soy sauce and ginger), along with side dishes and dessert, and Shannon cooked an Irish version (with Guinness), also with sides and dessert.

 

The Crockpot is Your Friend

 

“The crockpot is a great tool for the busy parent,” said Jim.  “It’s hard to mess up something in the crockpot, you can set it and leave it, and it’s good at tenderizing tougher meats, which are usually cheaper.”

 

As Shannon moved around her kitchen gathering ingredients, she pointed out, “Baking is an exact science.  With cooking, nothing is an exact science.”  For unsure chefs, that means it’s okay to improvise – for example, using water in place of beef broth in the crockpot, as Shannon did – without worrying about ruining the meal.

 

Shannon asked everyone to notice that she was literally dumping the components of her recipes into the crockpot – not defrosting or stirring or any other involved steps.

 

“Hey, ‘Non-Cookers!’” said co-host Lotus Carroll, Sarcastic Mom.  “It doesn’t get any easier than ‘dump it all in.’”

 

In a matter of minutes, Shannon had completed her crockpot meal.  After putting in the last ingredient, she instructed, “Turn it on low and walk away from it – it’s already cooking.  You can do that while you’re making lunch for your kid in the morning.”

 

Jim added, you can “set it up, turn it on and leave the house.”  In other words, the crockpot does all the work for you and makes cooking that much easier.

 

Even if you forget an ingredient, “when you’re cooking in the crockpot, you can just throw it in later,” said Shannon.  It won’t affect the flavor – but you might need to add some cooking time.

 

If you have frozen meat, you can use it as is.  Shannon doesn’t bother to thaw meat before putting it in the crockpot – using it frozen will keep the juice in the meat, and therefore, the flavor and tenderness.  It just requires an extra hour or two of cooking time.

 

“I do use frozen meat too,” said Robin Sue Joss, Big Red Kitchen. “Will buy it fresh, add a marinade, place in ziptop bags, freeze, pull out another day and throw in crockpot.”

 

According to co-host Daniel De Guia, DeGuia.net, “Another good crockpot tip is if you happen to overcook a chunk of meat (in my case, a recipe had a typo in the time & my beef roast was a brick), throw it in a crock pot on low with a can of broth for about 5 hours and you’ll end up with shred-able meat for tacos or something.”

 

Clean-up is easy too.  Co-host Gregory Ng, Freezer Burns, uses crockpot liners.  “You can find them in the Ziploc and foil aisle. They are called ‘Slow Cooker liners,’” he said.  “Plastic bags that are strong enough to not melt and to hold all contents without bursting. Pull the bag when you’re finished and throw it away. (About $4 for box of 3).”

 

 

Short Ribs in the Crockpot

 

Cheaper cuts of meat are better in the crockpot, according to Jim.  Cheaper cuts of meat are usually tougher, and the long process of slow-cooking in the crockpot tenderizes the meat better than any other method.

 

The group had a few tips of their own for crockpot cooking with short ribs.

 

“No lie – when I do short ribs or anything in the crock pot – I add Mountain Dew” to create a sweet, sticky glaze, said participant Curtis Silver.

 

Co-host Mishelle Lane, Secret Agent Mama, said her mom adds Pepsi, and co-host Gregory Ng uses maple syrup for the same effect.

 

Soda products can be used in all sorts of cooking.  “I do a brisket that is rubbed with cocoa powder and chili powder in Coca-Cola,” said co-host PJ Mullen, Real Men Drive Minivans. “Comes out great.”

 

 

Help a Non-Cook Out

 

Even without the aid of a crockpot, there are ways to get your non-cooking spouse or other family member into the kitchen.

 

Jim suggested helping your family’s non-cook by chopping and measuring for them ahead of time, then leaving step-by-step instructions – “put A into B and cook for X number of minutes.”

 

And Shannon pointed out that even fancy and complicated-sounding recipe components aren’t always difficult to create.  For example, to paraphrase Shannon, “reduction sauce sounds complicated, but it’s not.  Just boil the juices from the meat a whole lot until it turns thicker!”

 

“Reduction sauces are liquid gold,” commented co-host PJ Mullen, Real Men Drive Minivans.

 

 

Side Dishes – Not as Tough as You Think

 

In addition to the short ribs, Shannon and Jim prepared their own versions of potatoes and green beans.

 

“Green beans can definitely be easy! We love to steam them,” said co-host Lotus Carroll.  “All I have to do is throw them in the steamer and turn the knob. When they’re done I come back and put them in a plastic container with light butter spread, garlic, salt, pepper, close the lid and shake. Perfectly coated delicious, and importantly: EASY.”

 

“This may sound blasphemous coming from me, but DO NOT buy frozen green beans,” said freezer master and co-host Gregory Ng, Freezer Burns. “Some frozen veggies are good and help as components to a home cooked meal for quick prep. Beans are not one of them. I only recommend frozen peas, corn, onions, peppers, and edamame.”

 

Added co-host Tanis Miller, Redneck Mommy, “I tried frozen beans once. It was like eating rubber bullets. Never again.”

 

Jim used a wok to stir-fry his veggies, and he offered advice for inexperienced wok cookers.

 

1) The secret to wok cooking: a really hot wok so food gets seared instead of soggy.  It should be hot enough to be smoking.

 

2) Don’t “wok” away from the wok.  The key to stir-fry is stirring.  It requires even heat and a coating of oil on everything in the pan.

 

3) Use oil with a higher smoke point, like Wesson canola oil.

 

“I like peanut oil,” said co-host Eddie Carroll; Life, One Pixel at a Time. “It has a really high smoke point, but you lose flavor that you can get out of sesame oil.”

 

“Avocado oil is really yummy too,” added co-host Ashley Evans, Schadenfreudette.

 

“And don’t scrub/clean the wok 100% afterwards (according to my dad),” said co-host Daniel De Guia. “Keep the wok oiled and ‘used/seasoned.’”

 

 

Shannon’s Tips For Good Mashed Potatoes

 

As Shannon prepared her mashed potatoes, the co-hosts raved about how delicious they looked.

 

“Ohhhhh, mashed taters with butter and cheese,” said co-host Lotus Carroll. “SO GOOD. I also love making mashed sweet potatoes and blend in melted butter, cinnamon, and HONEYYYY.”

 

“Shannon introduced me to Gruyere in mashed potatoes. It is divine,” said co-host Ashley Evans.

 

Shannon said one question she always gets is how to keep the potatoes from getting lumpy, and pointed out that most people boil and mash hot potatoes and then add cold cheese, milk and sour cream to the mix.  “Of course you’re going to have lumps” that way, she said.

 

Instead, she heats the cold ingredients first, then adds her boiled potatoes and mashes everything together.  She uses milk, butter and sour cream, but there are other options – “I use whipping cream in my mashed potatoes,” noted co-host Diane Lang, MomoFali.

 

And peeling the potatoes ahead of time doesn’t have to be an arduous process.  Shannon told a quick story about how “potato peels save lives” and showed us that her potatoes are always imperfectly peeled, leaving some of the peel on.

 

 

Jim’s Ancient Secret To Perfectly Cooked Rice

 

Watch this (very funny) video to get the ancient secret.

 

On a more serious note, “I can show you how to make perfect rice… http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NS-ZCC10-Cooker-Warmer-Premium/dp/B00007J5U7.  Just saying. LOVE IT,” said co-host Eddie Carroll.

 

 

Dessert Without The Hassle

 

Jim cooked the easiest sort of dessert – the one that requires no cooking.  Just put some berries in a martini glass, add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint, and you have a beautiful dessert with virtually no effort involved.

 

He demonstrated how to make your own whipped cream (just whisk heavy cream until it thickens, and add flavored liqueur if you choose), but he also loves Reddi-wip whipped cream from the can.

 

 

“I make parfaits all the time with nuts and whipped cream/yogurt, and berries. Best dessert EVAR!!!! Oh, and sometimes chocolate!!” said co-host Mishelle Lane.

 

And if your dessert requires measuring honey, Shannon had a great tip: use PAM cooking spray in the measuring cup so the honey doesn’t stick.  It makes cleaning much easier.

 

After the broadcast, co-host Julie Dance, Angry Julie Monday, said “Thank you to everyone for this deliciousness tonight!!! … I’m starving now…I blame Jim and Shannon.”  If you feel the same way, here are some recipes you can try on your own!

 

 

Recipes

 

Root beer pulled pork: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/03/slow-cooker-rootbeer-pulled-pork-recipe.html (From co-host Melanie Sheridan; Mel, A Dramatic Mommy)

 

“Did you know that if you put root beer and chocolate ice cream in a blender, you make a Tootsie Roll milkshake? IT’S TRUE,” said Shannon.

 

Here’s my go to crock pot recipe: http://www.peachesenrisotto.com/coconut-and-mango-braised-country-ribs/ (From co-host PJ Mullen, Real Men Drive Minivans)

 

Sausage Cacciatore: http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/12/italian-sausage-cacciatore.html (From co-host Robin Sue Joss, Big Red Kitchen)

 

Robin Sue’s favorite crockpot recipes: http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/03/favorite-slow-cooker-meals.html

 

Beef brisket with beer: http://bit.ly/g7Cmkl (From co-host Lotus Carroll, Sarcastic Mom)

 

“I do lazy meatballs in a crockpot,” said co-host Ashley Evans. “Frozen meatballs, jellied cranberry, jar chili sauce, tbsp lemon juice, brown sugar. Simmer in crockpot and take all the credit.”

 

“Frozen meatballs and a bottle of barbecue sauce works too,” said co-host Gregory Ng.

 

Tanis Miller cooks a whole chicken in the crockpot for “about five to six hours. And I throw carrots and potatoes, etc, right in too. Turns out perfect every time!”

 

And for additional inspiration, “you CANNOT go wrong with this crock pot cookbook” according to co-host Daniel De Guia: http://www.amazon.com/Fix–Forget–Cookbook-Cooker-Recipes/dp/156148685X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1300323462&sr=8-2

 

 

A big thanks to our wonderful co-hosts and amazing hosts, who cooked up plenty of hilarity and great suggestions:

 

Jim Lin, The Busy Dad Blog

Shannon, Whiskey in My Sippy Cup

 

 

And the biggest thanks of all to the fabulous ConAgra Foods, which made the entire Cooking Connections series of classes possible!!!  THANK YOU!

 

 

See the original Talk here: http://tmotherhood.wpengine.com/talk/show/id/62137