Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

This has become one of my favorite soups. It is REALLY worth it. You can complete tasks while other parts are cooking. Currently I'm using wood-parched wild rice and like it. Pictures coming soon. 

Ingredients

¼ ounce dried shitake mushrooms
4 ¼ cups water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled, plus 4 cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup wild rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon tomato paste
⅔ cup dry sherry (Lustau Amontillado works well)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup minced fresh chives (optional)
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grind shiitake mushrooms in spice grinder until finely ground (you should have about 3 tablespoons).

1. Bring 4 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, garlic clove, ¾ teaspoon salt, and baking soda to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add rice and return to boil. Cover saucepan, transfer to oven, and bake until rice is tender, 35 to 50 minutes. (While rice is in oven, move on to the next step.) Strain rice through fine-mesh strainer set in 4-cup liquid measuring cup; remove thyme, bay leaf, and garlic. Add enough water to reserved cooking liquid to measure 3 cups.  
    
2. Melt butter in Dutch oven over high heat. Add cremini mushrooms, onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and dark fond develops on bottom of pot, 15 minutes. Add dry sherry, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced and pot is almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add ground shiitake mushrooms, reserved rice cooking liquid, broth, and soy sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until onion and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.
    
3. Mix cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water in small bowl. Stir cornstarch slurry into soup, return to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in cooked rice, cream, chives, and lemon zest. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This is my take on a very popular dish. I'm working on a smoked version, but use liquid smoke in this one. 

Ingredients

1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast - Boston butt

1 cup barbeque sauce

½ cup apple cider vinegar

⅛ teaspoon liquid smoke

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup light brown sugar1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 extra large onion, chopped 
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
8 hamburger buns, split
2 tablespoons butter, or as needed

Mix the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke and chicken broth in the slow cooker. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker and spoon some liquid over the top. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours. I flipped mine about halfway through. 

Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.

Serving ideas...

Classic: on buttered and toasted buns with pickles, pickled red onions, etc. 

Grilled Cheese: Texas Toast bread, slice of provolone and American cheese with some pulled pork in the middle. 

Storage: This makes a lot. Freeze in muffin tins then transfer to Ziplock in the freezer. Zap in microwave and use as needed.