Yum!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Mario — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:07:14 +0000

Here is a recipe I’ve been working on for a little over a year. This is one where I have take a recipe for ingredients and proportions only and worked to give it my own spin. I’ve put it together it with different vegetable variations–all of which turned out great getting the overall flavor right, but needing to work on the consistency of the gravy. It has always come out too watery in the past. I remembered a cooking show I saw years back where they added some corn starch to a stir-fry to make the sauce thicken, so I tried it in the past and ended up with small balls of corn starch. This time I dissolved the corn starch in some water and added that to the mix, and it came out just right!

I also added something I saw on Julie & Julia, peas! And they worked out great! The trick is to add them at the end, a little before serving–frozen peas work nicely–and they’ll be perfectly firm with the meal.

Without much further ado, here is the recipe…

Ingredients

1-2 lb. cubed chuck
1 large onion
2-3 large carrots
2 celery ribs
2 potatoes
1/2 lb. mushrooms, quarted
1 bag frozen peas
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon thyme
3 sprigs minced parsley
salt
pepper
flour for dredging
4 tsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
3tbsp olive oil
1 cup red wine (Burgundy works well)
1 12oz can beef broth
1 can tomato paste
1 can sliced tomatoes

Directions

Chop the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms and potatoes in large chunks and add them to the crock pot.
Crush and chop the garlic and add to the pot along with the thyme and parsley.
Put the flour along with some salt and pepper into a gallon-sized zip-top bag and dredge the beef, shaking off any excess flour.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meat on all sides, add to the pot after.
If the flour didn’t burn too badly, you can deglaze the pan with the wine and add that to the pot along with the broth, tomatoes and paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Dissolve the corn starch in the water slowly so as not to make any lumps and add that to the pot.
Mix the ingredients together with a large spoon inside the pot to get everything coated and well blended. I usually do all the preparations at night before bed and let the ingredients mingle in the pot overnight and cook it the next day.
I then set my crock pot for 4-6 hrs. on medium. My crock pot will automatically switch to “warm” once the timer is over, so I leave it on warm until we’re ready to eat.
10 to 20 minutes before serving, mix in the frozen peas. They’ll warm up nicely before you eat, and will not get mushy.

Variations:

This is the basic recipe I use, though, there are other options I’ve been known to use. Butternut squash makes a great substitute for potatoes, I’m sure any firm vegetable will be good in lieu of or along side potatoes. Sauteing the mushrooms in butter before adding them is also a good thing. I’ve also toyed with the idea of adding a little balsamic vinegar to give it a little more depth.

Well that’s it, I’m sorry I didn’t get any good photos of the stew, maybe next time I make it I’ll get some to add.

Albondigas Soup Recipe

Mario — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:20:52 +0000

Albodingas Soup (credit: simplyrecipes.com)

Found this recipe at SimplyRecipes.com. My mother used to make this soup when we were kids and I’ve always wanted to make it because I remember it being so good. Now I can cook it for my kids!

If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can also vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water
as the meatballs will create their own stock)*
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup of raw white rice
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 raw egg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
A dash of cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free.

METHOD

1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.
2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 6-8.

Homemade Goat Cheese

Mario — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:58:00 +0000

Found this recipe here. Another one I haver to try.

Homemade Goat Cheese
Tweaked from Over the Rainbeau, Living the Dream of Sustainable Farming

Feel free to experiment with your herb(s) of choice and any other flavor combinations that float your boat. The sky’s the limit! Be careful not to drain your cheese for too long, as it may begin to dry out and lose that supple, smooth consistency you’re going after.

Music Pairing: Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac

Ingredients

1 quart goat’s milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 clove freshly grated garlic
a few pinches herbs de provence
freshly chopped parsley
coarse salt, to taste

Method

In a medium saucepan, slowly heat milk until it reaches 180 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let stand until milk starts to curdle, about 15-20 seconds. If milk does not curdle, add a little more lemon juice.

Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Ladle milk into colander. Pull up and tie the four corners of cheesecloth together and hang on the handle of a wooden spoon, set over a stockpot or very deep bowl. Allow to drain until the consistency of slightly dry cottage cheese is reached, about 1-1.5 hours. Transfer to a bowl and fold in salt, herbs and garlic. Serve immediately atop warm crostinis. Can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 1 week.

Gluehwein

gin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:05:46 +0000

In preparation for Chili Bowl 2010, here’s the recipe for the spiced mulled wine we make every year (this is the regular recipe, but for the party we double or triple the recipe):

Ingredients
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange
10 whole cloves
1 (750 ml) bottle red wine (burgundy works well)

Directions
In a saucepan, combine the OJ, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.
Cut the orange in half, and squeeze the juice into the simmering water. Push the cloves into the outside of the orange peel, and place peel in the simmering water. Continue simmering for 30 minutes, until thick and syrupy.
Pour the syrupy mixture and the wine in a large Percolator or Crock Pot. Using the Percolator is best because you can put the cinnamon sticks and clove-studded orange peels in the coffee grounds section of the Percolator so that the wine mixture is continually cycled through the spices for more flavor. If you don’t have a large Percolator, maybe you could tie up those items in cheesecloth and place in the Crock Pot, so that guests don’t inadvertently scoop up a clove into their cup (ouch).
Serve hot.

Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich

Mario — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:35:03 +0000

Found here, had at Saigon Express on Main and always wanted to try.

makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
Carrot Daikon pickle condiment:
1/2 cup carrot matchsticks (or thin coins like I did)
optional 1/2 cup white daikon radish matchsticks
Generous pinch of salt
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
Marinade:
1 TBS finely minced garlic
1 TBS fish sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 TBS high heat cooking oil plus more as needed (divided)
1 lb (500 g) sirloin, top round, or rib eye (as thinly sliced as possible)
Sandwiches:
1 shallot thinly sliced (or you can use some red onion)
2 8 in hoagie rolls or baguette sections
4 large pieces green lettuce
10-15 leaves of cilantro, parsley, basil, or other fresh herbs

Instructions
Toss carrots and daikon with the salt, sugar, and vinegar. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, add enough vinegar to cover veggies, stir, and store in glass jar or plastic container up to 1 month.

In a bowl whisk together garlic, fish sauce, sor sauce, sugar, black pepper and 1 TBS of the oil. Add beef slices and mix well to coat each slice. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Set a large frying pan or grill pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 TBS of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. You’ll be cooking the beef in batches, how many depends on how big your pan is.

Add the beef slices, laying them flat and in a single layer. Fry 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on how thinly it’s sliced. Flip and fry other side 30 seconds to 1 minute. Edges of the beef should be just slightly charred, but cooking time should be kept to a minimum to avoid overcooking meat. Pour any juices left in the pan into a small bowl. Fry additional batches of meat slices the same way, adding a touch more oil if necessary, and reserving pan juices.

Return pan to stovetop on high heat. Add a touch more cooking oil and when hot, add the sliced shallots. Fry for 30 seconds, until just softened, mopping up any remaining pan juices and caramelized bits during the frying.

To assemble sandwiches, slice the hoagie rolls or baguettes in half lengthwise. Brush each side with some of the reserved pan juices. To each sandwich add a layer of lettuce, then grilled beef, carrot daikon pickle, grilled shallots, and finally sprinkle on the herbs.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Mario — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:27:59 +0000

Here is the recipe I use for our Christmas/BIrthday Chili Party.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat (I use thigh meat, and brown it before adding it to the pot)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can white beans
2 ears fresh corn
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 lime, sliced

Directions

Dredge the chicken in flour and brown in oil.
Set chicken aside and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, chicken, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with these toppings for people to choose from: limes, cilantro, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Savory Corn Pancakes

Mario — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:42:08 +0000

I’ve been looking for these since I had some at the restaurant in the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. I just found this recipe. I’ll post some pics when I try them.

Ingredients

2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, small dice
3 tablespoons cilantro, minced
8 ounces corn kernels
1/2 c milk
1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 c cornmeal
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

In a medium bowl, combine flour and cornmeal. Set aside.

Combine corn and milk in food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Beat in eggs and yolks.

Stir in dry mixture.

Fold in scallions, bell pepper, and cilantro.
Heat heavy skillet (you can’t beat cast iron!) to medium high heat with a little bit of vegetable oil.

Spoon about two tablespoons of batter into the pan and smooth out a little to form a round.

Cook like a pancake, browning both sides—about three minutes per side.

Serve as a side for grilled meats, as a topped, blini-like appetizer, or, as a main course covered with black beans and herbs.

Makes about ten four-inch pancakes.

RrrrrrruuuuuuuB!!

Mario — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:46:13 +0000

Rub

With the 4th Annual Mario’s B-Day-Q recently past, I thought I’d pass on the dry rub I use for my brisket. This is by no way a secret, I adapted the recipe from one that Bobby Flay uses in his Boy Meets Grill show on the Food Network.

This rub is not only good on brisket, but it goes great on steaks, chicken and pork.

I mix everything in a 1-to-1 ratio:

Kosher Salt
Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Ground Cumin
Ground Coriander
Dried Thyme
Garlic Powder
Ancho Chile Powder
Chipotle Chile Powder
Paprika

I dump it all into an old coffee can and shake it up until it’s evenly mixed.

The night before I’m smoking my brisket I will slather it with yellow mustard, then sprinkle the rub liberally on all sides of the meat. Wrap it all in foil and let it sit in the refrigerator over night to absorb all the flavors.

Cuban Party Recipes

Mario — Sun, 20 May 2007 21:32:27 +0000

I know this is late, but here are some of the recipes I made at our Cuban/Mambo themed party.

Herbed Mojo Chicken

I adapted this from a recipe I found on Recipezaar.com.

Ingredients
3 lbsChicken Wings (skin on)
1 tbsplime zest
1/4 cuplime juice
3garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbspchopped fresh coriander
2 tbspchopped fresh basil leaves
1 tspred pepper flakes (to taste)
salt
1/4 cupolive oil
Cuban Mojo
2 tbspchopped fresh parsley
2 tbspchopped fresh coriander
2 tbspchopped garlic
salt
¼ cupfresh lime juice
¼ cupfresh orange juice
1 tsphot pepper sauce
¼ cupolive oil

Trim fat and extra skin from wings. Combine lime zest and juice, garlic, herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and 3 tbsp oil in a bowl. Toss with chicken and marinate for 1 hour on the counter or up to 4 hours, refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 400Â°F

Heat remaining oil in non-stick skillet. Drain chicken, add the pieces skin-side-down, do not crowd the pan. Fry 3 minutes. Turn over and fry 1 minute more. Continue browning remaining chicken.

Place on rack in oven over a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until juices are clear.

To make the mojo:
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in bowl. Heat olive oil in a pot until very hot. Pour olive oil over mixture. Cool and reserve until needed. Serve chicken drizzled with mojo sauce, or keep sauce on the side for dipping.

Cuban Bread

This is the bread recipe I used to make the Cuban Sandwiches with from Recipezarr.com

Ingredients
3packages active dry yeast (eg Fleischmanns)
4tspsbrown sugar
2 cupswater
5–6 cupsbread flour, divided
1 Tbspsalt
cornmeal, for sprinkling on baking sheet
1egg (or 1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash)
3/4 cuphot water

Combine yeast, brown sugar and warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir to mix. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; beat well. Let stand 10 minutes for yeast to develop. Stir in salt. Add remaining 3 to 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until a stiff dough forms.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Dough should be smooth, elastic and not sticky.

Oil the surface of the dough and put it in the rinsed mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Knead lightly. Form into two long loaves.

Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet; place loaves on baking sheet. Let rise, uncovered, 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf. Brush loaves with egg wash.

Place on middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a shallow pan on the bottom shelf; pour hot water into pan. Set oven temperature at 400 degrees and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves are well browned and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire racks.

Note: For the best results, this recipe requires bread flour. All-purpose flour works, but it often produces a low loaf if it is not kneaded thoroughly. Notice the absence of oil or butter in the dough, which makes the bread crustier. This bread is so good you won’t have to worry much about leftovers, but if you think you’ll use only one loaf within a day, don’t freeze the other—just give it away!

Cuban Sandwiches

Ingredients
Sliced Cuban Bread (see above)
Shaved Ham (I used Serrano, a Spanish ham)
Thin sliced Salami (I used Geona Salami)
Slices Swiss Cheese
Thin sliced Red Onion
Sliced Dill Pickles
Dijon Mustard
Butter

No quantities/measurements given since, this all depends on how big or how many you want to make. The steps are pretty easy:

Have 2 cast iron skillets heating on the stove, make sure one is larger, since you will be stacking them to press the sandwiches
Slice the bread about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick and spread both sides with mustard
Pile on the meat
Put a slice or two of cheese
Add the onions and a good hand-full of pickles (the more the better)
Close the sandwich and slather both sides with butter
Place the sandwich on the larger skillet, cover with foil and press the smaller skillet down on it. Both skillets should be hot so it will toast on both sides simultaneously. (If you must you can use your new-fangled pannini press, but it won’t be as fun)
Once the bread is nice and toasty and there is cheese coming out the sides, your sandwich is ready, enjoy!

There they are. We had a great turn-out and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. If you were there, thanks for coming!

Margaret’s Southwestern Turkey Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

gin — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:53:24 +0000

This is what Margaret Engel brought to the party:Â

“This recipe was adapted from The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson. I didn’t like her cornbread crust, so I used Jiffy instead. Nobody makes cornbread like Jiffy!

Southwestern Turkey Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbsskinless turkey breast, cut into cubes
1large portobello mushroom, sliced
2medium onions, finely chopped
4large carrots, peeled and chopped
4stalks celery, diced
2jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
2 tspcumin
1 tspsalt
1 tspcracked black peppercorns
2 Tbspflour
1 cancondensed chicken broth (10 oz.), undiluted
Crust
1 boxJiffy corn muffin mix (8.5 oz.)
1egg
1/3 cupmilk
2green onions, finely chopped

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey pieces, in batches, and brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware. You’ll need one of the larger slow cookers (5 quart).

2. Add mushrooms to skillet and saute until they begin to lose their liquid. Transfer to stoneware. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions, carrots and celery to pan. Stir, cover and cook about 10 minutes until soft. Increase heat to medium. Add jalapeno, cumin, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add broth and cook, stirring, until thickened.

3. Pour mixture over turkey and mushrooms and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 7-9 hours or on High for 4-5 hours.

4. To make crust, follow directions on Jiffy box, blending in chopped green onion before spooning over turkey mixture in cooker. You can sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top if you’d like. Cover and cook on High for 45 minutes.

If you like spicier dishes, just add another jalapeno and a dash of cayenne. If anyone is on a gluten-free diet, I’ve modified this recipe successfully and would be happy to share the GF version.”

Thanks for sharing, Margaret!

Yum!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Albondigas Soup Recipe

Homemade Goat Cheese

Gluehwein

Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients

Directions

Savory Corn Pancakes

RrrrrrruuuuuuuB!!

Cuban Party Recipes

Herbed Mojo Chicken

Ingredients

Cuban Mojo

Cuban Bread

Ingredients

Cuban Sandwiches

Ingredients

Margaret’s Southwestern Turkey Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

Ingredients

Crust