Antipasto Pasta Salad

1 lb rotini
salt
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
12 oz jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
1/2 lb mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 lb thinly sliced sweet soppressata, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 lb pitted Kalamata olives
1 1/2 cups flat leaf parsley leaves
black pepper

Cook rotini according to package directions in salted water.  Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.  Toss with the vinegar and oil. Mix with artichokes, peppers, cheese, meat, olives, and parsely.  Season with salt and pepper and serve chilled or at room temperature.

shredded barbecued beef

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, minced
2 onions, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1.5 cups ketchup
1.5 cups brewed coffee
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp brown mustard
1 5-lb boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and quartered
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp liquid smoke

Cook bacon in 12-inch skiller over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in onions, chili powder, and paprika and cook until onions are softened and lightly browned: 8-10 minutes.

Stir in ketchup, coffee, sugar, and 1 Tbsp mustard and simmer until mixture is thickened and measures 4 cups, about 10 minutes. Transfer 2 cups to slow cooker, reserve remaining separately.

Season beef with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 on high.

Transfer beef to large bowl, shred into bite size pieces, discarding extra fat, cover to keep warm. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface. Strain liquid into saucepain and simmer until thickened and measures 1 cup (20-30 minutes).

Whisk in reserved ketchup mixture, hot sauce, vinegar, remaining Tbsp of mustard, and liquid smoke and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss shredded beef with 1.5 cups sauce, add more as needed.

slow cooker chicken and dumplings

Ingredients:

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, minced
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 1/2 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Dumplings: 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup milk, 3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Dry the chicken with papper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Brown half of chicken lightly on both sides, 5-8 minutes, transfer to bowl. Repeat with 1 Tbsp more oil and remaining chicken and transfer to a bowl.

Heat remaining Tbsp of oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add onions, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and thyme, and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Whisk in 1 cup broth, smoothing out any lumps and transfer to slow cooker.

Stir remaining 3.5 cups broth, carrots, and bay leaves into slow cooker. Nestle browned chicken with any accumulated juice into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4-6 hours on low.

Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite size pieces. Let stew settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface. Discard bay leaves. Stir shredded chicken, peas, parsley into stew and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on high until simmering or transfer stew to Dutch oven and bring to simmer over medium heat.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Microwave milk and butter together until warm, about 1 minute, then whisk to melt the butter. Stir into the flour mixture until just incorporated and smooth. Drop golf ball size dumplings on top of simmering stew. Cover and cook until dumplings have doubled in size, 25-35 minutes. Serve.