I love stew on cold winter days. It's such a comfort food. My goal with this stew was to have really tender meat, which is why I recommend marinating the meat so long. I also found that by adding caramelized onions, it added a wonderful flavor.
2 lbs beef chuck
Italian salad dressing
White wine
Prior to making this stew marinate the beef chuck in about 1/2 cup of salad dressing and lots of white wine for a couple of days, this will make your meat very tender.
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion
5 cloves minced garlic
1 cup dry brown rice
8 sliced Crimini mushrooms
salt and pepper
1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes
1 tbs dried thyme
2 cups beef broth
1 tbs chantarelle bullion
1 cup Italian dressing
Salt and pepper
On medium-high heat fry onion and minced garlic in 2 tbs olive oil until carmalized and very soft, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile boil 2 cups of water, add rice, cover and bring to a simmer until onion/garlic is done, and remove from heat. Set garlic/onion mixture aside. In the same pan add remaining olive oil. Cut up chuck into 2 inch pieces, salt and pepper; then brown in batches just slightly on all sides. Do not overcook meat, or it will become tough.. Place stew meat in crock pot. Drain half cooked rice-add to crock-pot. Cut other half onion into slices and mushrooms, fry for about 2 minutes in pan over medium heat-add sliced onion, mushrooms and caramelized onion/garlic to crock pot.
Cut whole tomatoes into small pieces. Add tomatoes and thyme to crock pot. Add beef broth, Chantarelle bullion, and Italian salad dressing.
Heat crock pot on low all day, for at least 8 hours, and you will have tender, and delicious stew for dinner! When you come home add 1 tbs flour to thicken if needed, and enjoy!
***A note about Chantarelle Bullion***
I love chantarelle bullion, I use it in gravies, soups, and various other recipes where I want a tasty mushroom flavor. I get this bottle called Touch of Taste, by Bond. I get it in Sweden, but you can buy it online
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Lisa's Thai Curry Soup
I love Thai food. Coconut milk and curry are so fantastic together! I have read many Thai soup recipes, and this is a combination of my favorites. I would never have thought to put apples in a soup, but they added the perfect compliment to the spicy broth. The list of ingredients looks long, but its mostly just spices. This experiment turned out to be the best soup I've ever made! Enjoy!
-1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
-Italian dressing - salt and pepper
-1 tsp paprika and cumin -1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown Basmati rice
-1 Gala (or other tart or slightly sweet variety) apple chopped into 1 inch pieces
-1 lime
-1 tbs butter
-1 small chopped onion
-4 large cloves minced garlic
-1 carrot, finely minced
-5 Crimini mushrooms, finely sliced
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded, and finely minced
-1 tbsp yellow curry powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp cayenne pepper
-1 can coconut milk
-2 1/2 cups milk
-1 tbsp flour
-1 tsp red curry paste
-1 1/2 tsp Chantarelle and Chicken bullion (substitute more chicken or fish bullion if you don't have Chantarelle)
A day to an hour before you begin this recipe marinate the chicken in Italian Salad dressing to make it tender and juicy. Season chicken with paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Bake chicken breast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees, let cool, and cut up into small pieces.
Boil 1 cup of water in small sauce pan, add 1/2 cup rice. Reduce heat to low and cook until done, about 35 minutes.
Set chopped apple pieces in lime juice, we will add them at the end of the process so they retain some of their crunch.
While chicken is baking and rice is cooking melt butter in a large frying pan. Add onion, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne; fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add mushrooms, carrot, and chili pepper,- fry 4 more minutes.
In a large soup stock pot bring coconut milk and milk to boil, quickly stir in flour, whisking fiercely to avoid clumping. Add curry paste, chicken and Chantarelle bullion. Add fried vegetables, diced chicken, rice, and apples. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about five minutes minutes. Enjoy my Swedish taste of Thai!
-1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
-Italian dressing - salt and pepper
-1 tsp paprika and cumin -1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown Basmati rice
-1 Gala (or other tart or slightly sweet variety) apple chopped into 1 inch pieces
-1 lime
-1 tbs butter
-1 small chopped onion
-4 large cloves minced garlic
-1 carrot, finely minced
-5 Crimini mushrooms, finely sliced
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded, and finely minced
-1 tbsp yellow curry powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp cayenne pepper
-1 can coconut milk
-2 1/2 cups milk
-1 tbsp flour
-1 tsp red curry paste
-1 1/2 tsp Chantarelle and Chicken bullion (substitute more chicken or fish bullion if you don't have Chantarelle)
A day to an hour before you begin this recipe marinate the chicken in Italian Salad dressing to make it tender and juicy. Season chicken with paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Bake chicken breast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees, let cool, and cut up into small pieces.
Boil 1 cup of water in small sauce pan, add 1/2 cup rice. Reduce heat to low and cook until done, about 35 minutes.
Set chopped apple pieces in lime juice, we will add them at the end of the process so they retain some of their crunch.
While chicken is baking and rice is cooking melt butter in a large frying pan. Add onion, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne; fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add mushrooms, carrot, and chili pepper,- fry 4 more minutes.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Chicken Curry with Peas and Peanuts
Curry sauce is one of my favorite things to have for dinner. There are so many variations from weather to used chicken or shrimp, to what variety of veggies should be included in the sauce. This is the first time I have made my curry sauce with peas and peanuts, and it turned out very nicely. Next time I might try adding some broccoli or bamboo shoots as well.
To get really great curry sauce, the chicken needs to be moist and full of flavor, so I highly recommend marinating the chicken in Italian salad dressing for about two days. I like my curry sauce fairly thick, but if you like it thinner simply add more milk, and more flour for a thicker sauce. To get that authentic curry sauce taste you must use coconut milk, do not substitute with normal milk.
4 tbs olive oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 chicken breasts (pre-marinated)
1/4 cup curry powder (plus a little for the chicken breast)
1 tablespoon cumin (plus a little for the chicken breast)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
freshly ground salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons flour
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup milk (I use 1 percent)
3/4 cup thawed peas
1/2 cup peanuts (toasted)
.
Heat a large, deep pan on medium-high with two tbs olive oil. Add chopped onion and fry, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. In another pan add the rest of the olive oil and fry chicken on medium heat, season with a little curry, cumin, salt and pepper. Add garlic to onions and fry 3 more minutes, then add curry, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. When chicken is cooked almost all the way through, remove from heat, cut into small pieces, and add to rest of sauce, fry for a few minutes.
Whisk in flour and let cook another two minutes. Add coconut milk and 1 percent milk. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook until desired thickness on medium heat. Right before serving stir in peanuts and peas. Serve with brown rice
To get really great curry sauce, the chicken needs to be moist and full of flavor, so I highly recommend marinating the chicken in Italian salad dressing for about two days. I like my curry sauce fairly thick, but if you like it thinner simply add more milk, and more flour for a thicker sauce. To get that authentic curry sauce taste you must use coconut milk, do not substitute with normal milk.
4 tbs olive oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 chicken breasts (pre-marinated)
1/4 cup curry powder (plus a little for the chicken breast)
1 tablespoon cumin (plus a little for the chicken breast)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
freshly ground salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons flour
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup milk (I use 1 percent)
3/4 cup thawed peas
1/2 cup peanuts (toasted)
.
Whisk in flour and let cook another two minutes. Add coconut milk and 1 percent milk. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook until desired thickness on medium heat. Right before serving stir in peanuts and peas. Serve with brown rice
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki and Greek Salad
It's Greek night at the Covingtons! These meatballs have a great flavor, that goes great with the yogurt Tzatziki sauce. The light Greek salad balanced out the meatballs nicely. I was going to serve this meal with Pita bread, but decided to try it with a great bread known as Naan, it's actually Indian, not Greek, but went great with this meal.
Greek Meatballs
1.5 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 an egg
3/4 pound lean ground beef
3/4 ground pork
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 cup feta
1 tbs oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Stir together breadcrumbs and milk, let stand ten minutes. Puree onion, garlic, and egg. Mix breadcrumbs together with onion/garlic puree. Add ground beef/pork, salt/pepper, feta, oregano, and red pepper flakes and form a uniform mixture. Roll into about 40 meatballs and broil on a lightly sprayed baking sheet at 425 for about 14 minutes or cooked all the way through and brown on top.
Tzatziki
3/4 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 tbs finely chopped mint
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. And Woo-laa: Tzatziki!
Greek Salad
1 Roma Tomato
1 cucumber
6 olives, cut into slices
Crumbled feta cheese
8 leaves romaine lettuce
small bunch spring mix lettuce
Dressing
6 tbs olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Cut up veggies and mix together in a large salad bowl. Whisk together all dressing ingredients, and pour on top (you won't need all of it).
Serve meatballs with Tzatziki, Naan, and Greek Salad.
Greek Meatballs
1.5 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 an egg
3/4 pound lean ground beef
3/4 ground pork
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 cup feta
1 tbs oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Stir together breadcrumbs and milk, let stand ten minutes. Puree onion, garlic, and egg. Mix breadcrumbs together with onion/garlic puree. Add ground beef/pork, salt/pepper, feta, oregano, and red pepper flakes and form a uniform mixture. Roll into about 40 meatballs and broil on a lightly sprayed baking sheet at 425 for about 14 minutes or cooked all the way through and brown on top.
Tzatziki
3/4 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 tbs finely chopped mint
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. And Woo-laa: Tzatziki!
Greek Salad
1 Roma Tomato
1 cucumber
6 olives, cut into slices
Crumbled feta cheese
8 leaves romaine lettuce
small bunch spring mix lettuce
Dressing
6 tbs olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Cut up veggies and mix together in a large salad bowl. Whisk together all dressing ingredients, and pour on top (you won't need all of it).
Serve meatballs with Tzatziki, Naan, and Greek Salad.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Date Cookies: Peanut Butter and Chocolate
So I'm in a love affair, a love affair with sugar. I just love anything sweet, and the more sweets I eat, then more sweets I want. I've been trying to break it off for some time now. This recipe is my goodbye letter to refined sugar. Dates provide an all natural way to get my sweet fix. No one would guess these sweet cookies are good for you.
Peanut Butter Cookies
13 dates
1 tbs peanut butter (no salt)
1/3 cup oats
Chocolate Cookies
13 dates
1/2 tbs peanut butter (no salt)
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup oats
Place dates in food processor on high until dates are in little pieces. In a mixing bowl add dates, peanut butter/or peanut butter and cocoa powder, and oats -mix until combined. Roll batch into 4 balls, and place in-between wax paper. Press down until cookies are thin, about 2 1/2 inches across. Remove cookies from wax paper and enjoy!
Nutritional Analysis of Dates
Dates: help fight constipation because they are high in fiber and easily digestible. Dates also give you a lot of energy because they are high in natural sugars and carbohydrates. They are also full of potassium, and contain calcium and iron.
13 dates
1 tbs peanut butter (no salt)
1/3 cup oats
Chocolate Cookies
13 dates
1/2 tbs peanut butter (no salt)
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup oats
Place dates in food processor on high until dates are in little pieces. In a mixing bowl add dates, peanut butter/or peanut butter and cocoa powder, and oats -mix until combined. Roll batch into 4 balls, and place in-between wax paper. Press down until cookies are thin, about 2 1/2 inches across. Remove cookies from wax paper and enjoy!
Nutritional Analysis of Dates
Dates: help fight constipation because they are high in fiber and easily digestible. Dates also give you a lot of energy because they are high in natural sugars and carbohydrates. They are also full of potassium, and contain calcium and iron.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Chile!
Growing up I never liked Chile. Let's just say Chile out of a can isn't really Chile, it's just a bunch of mush. I realized it's not that I don't like Chile, it just has to be handmade with fresh, wholesome ingredients. Hope you enjoy this Chile, it's aroma will light up the darkness of this dreary winter.
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 chopped onions
1 chopped red pepper
7 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup Chile powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
1 pound lean ground beef
2 16-ounce cans red kidney beans
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce pureed tomatoes
1 10-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tsp tomato paste
salt
Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, garlic, and spices; fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add half the ground beef, break into small pieces, and fry for four minutes. Add remaining ground beef and cook another 4 minutes, or until all browned. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to medium-low. Heat covered for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and continue to simmer for one more hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with avocado slices, cilantro leaves, sour cream, or plain.
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 chopped onions
1 chopped red pepper
7 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup Chile powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
1 pound lean ground beef
2 16-ounce cans red kidney beans
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce pureed tomatoes
1 10-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tsp tomato paste
salt
Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, garlic, and spices; fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add half the ground beef, break into small pieces, and fry for four minutes. Add remaining ground beef and cook another 4 minutes, or until all browned. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to medium-low. Heat covered for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and continue to simmer for one more hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with avocado slices, cilantro leaves, sour cream, or plain.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Scalloped Potatoes
These are the best potatoes I have ever had. Period. Perfect for a dinner party or cold winter day.
2 tbs butter
1 medium onion, minced
3 big garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Adjust oven rack to the middle, and heat to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. After about a minute add potatoes, chicken broth, cream, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 12 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
Transfer mixture of 8-inch baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake until cream is bubbling around the edges and top is golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Nutritional Benefits:
Potatoes: Good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and some fiber.
Garlic: High in vitamin B
Thyme: High in vitamin K, and iron
Cheese: High in vitamin B, which is good for your skin
*Cheese and Cream are high in fat, so limit portion size and serve with something light, such as Cod of Salmon along with a fresh spring salad.
2 tbs butter
1 medium onion, minced
3 big garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Adjust oven rack to the middle, and heat to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. After about a minute add potatoes, chicken broth, cream, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 12 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
Transfer mixture of 8-inch baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake until cream is bubbling around the edges and top is golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Potatoes: Good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and some fiber.
Garlic: High in vitamin B
Thyme: High in vitamin K, and iron
Cheese: High in vitamin B, which is good for your skin
*Cheese and Cream are high in fat, so limit portion size and serve with something light, such as Cod of Salmon along with a fresh spring salad.
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