Comfort Foods from Miles Away. . .

Living up north has several advantages--you don't roast in the summer, you get to make fun of tourists from the south who pull out the coats when the temperature hits 50 degrees (that's 10° for everyone else on the planet), there is plenty of snow to play with in the winter, and you tend to develop a serious relationship with comfort foods.  Whether it's chili, stew, pasties, cottage pie, etc., comfort foods are often piping hot and very filling.  If they're easy to make, that's just a bonus.

Meteorologically speaking, life in Upper Michigan can be a roller coaster--trees begin showing color in early August, and you can have snow well into June.  Today was a somewhat warm day, as the afternoon temps touched the 40° mark.  We were able to get a few things cleaned up outside, and the chickens got to stretch their wings a bit.  Of course, there is a lake effect snow maker coming tomorrow, but today was nice.

Inspiration on days like today come from the most innocent places.  Today, whilst running a few errands, we stopped at the local Co-Op for a few small odds and ends.  Just walking into the place makes you want good food, as the first thing you smell is an amalgam of spices and fresh tea, with underlying hints of sandalwood incense and the aroma of whatever the deli is making that day.  Among other things, I picked up some Tandoori Masala and Vindaloo Curry powder, which I had to smell for the rest of the ride home.  Kim and I had the usual "what's for dinner tonight" conversation, in which we remembered the inexpensive pork loin I picked up the day before, and a dish we haven't had in a while.  My kids have deemed this meal a winner--a consensus so little seen in our home.

Jamaican Pork Stew

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1.5 lbs. Cubed Pork (loin, chops, etc.)
2 Tsp. Flour
2 Medium Onions, Thinly Sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
4 Tsp. Light or Dark Rum
32 oz Crushed Tomatoes
4 Small Potatoes, Diced
2 Cups Beef Broth
2 Tsp. Molasses
1 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 Tsp Ground Allspice
Salt to taste
Cooked Rice

Heat the oil in a good-sized pan.  Dust the pork with flour and brown it in the oil, moving the meat to a stew pot when it is done.

Saute the onions until they begin to get tender, then add the garlic and cook for just a bit more (until the garlic becomes fragrant).  Add the rum to the pan, taking care to scrape up any browned bits, then dump the whole smash into the stew pot, over the pork.  

Stir in all of the remaining ingredients and bring the pot to a boil.  Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.  If you think it looks too dry, add a can of tomato sauce. 

This recipe translates well to slow-cookers (that's how I made it the first time!)--Prepare everything as described above, but add it all to your slow-cooker.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve over rice (I season mine to taste with Tandoori Masala powder)!

I am currently working on two new manuscripts; a light-hearted look at home improvement, and an addition to the 'Cooking for Adventurers' idea, focusing on sustainable living.  If you haven't purchased a copy of Cooking for Adventurers yet, please do!  It will be one step closer to getting my other works off the ground, plus it will help fund the instructional material I want to put forth on my You Tube channel and within this blog.  You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!  For copies of Cooking for Adventurers, you can go to my Etsy shop, or Amazon (The latter can provide you with both paperback and electronic formats, the former will get an autographed copy).

Good night and good cooking, fellow adventurers!  Next time, we'll talk backyard chickens!