JBug's Kitchen Antics

Witches Brew Stew

All day rain, cold weather and memories were my inspiration for last night's dinner. My Mother used to make this dish  all the time when I was growing up and we called it "Witches Brew", although I'm not quite sure why. I admit I took cook's license and added a few flavor boosters. Bless her heart, my Mom was from the era that thought salt and pepper were spices so quite honestly there weren't many little spice bottles hanging around the kitchen and no hotsauce of any kind either.  As you can tell, this apple fell a rather long distance away from the tree.

Simply a cross between a hamburger soup and a stew, it's made from a mere pound of lean ground beef, onions, garlic, carrots and potato along with dried onion soup mix, canned diced tomatoes and a can of beef consomme. Feel free to add a little pasta to the mix if you're so inclined for added heartiness like I did and I added some peas too just because it's guaranteed to get a rise outa' you know who.

It was darn near perfect with a little cheese garnish and you can be sure I'll be enjoying it for the next several days because it made a rather large pot. No matter though because it does get better with age.

 Witches Brew Hamburger Stew An original from JBug’s Kitchen

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano

1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 – 10 ounce can beef consommé

1 cup water

4 small carrots, peeled and sliced

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1/3 cup small pasta (I used Orzo)

1/2 cup frozen green peas

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened. Crumble in ground beef and cook, stirring until beef is no longer pink. Add salt, pepper, basil, oregano, red chile flakes and dry onion soup mix and stir well to combine. Add tomatoes, beef consommé, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add carrots, onion and pasta. Cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until pasta and veggies are cooked. Add green peas and cook for additional 3-4 minutes.  Serve garnished with grated cheese if you wish.  Serves 4 to  6.

A year ago - Whip Lash Chicken 

Two year's ago - Six Sided Burger

 

Deep Very Deep Dish Beef Pot Pie

My friend Sharron was over for dinner a while ago and I very wisely saved the leftover Five Hour Stew we had for dinner that night and hid it in the back of the freezer. 

Normally reserved as our annual first night's cookin' during our one month each summer of heavenly bliss on the Oregon coast, it's the kind of entree that's about to become a regular repeat on our menu now that we're living here full time. Notice I said "we" and "we" certainly will be a "we" once Big Guy gets back here for good in another six weeks. 

Anyway, he happens to love this dish as much as I do and he's a push over for a double crusted pot pie too (who isn't, right?) so earlier this week I used up the rest of the veggies left over from Monday night's dinner (minus the sauce and the peas, although peas would have been dynamite), added some sauteed mushrooms and the rest of the stew and put the whole thing in between layers of pastry in my favorite deep dish fluted pie pan with the removable bottom.

Now I'll admit to having a panic attack when it came time to take the sides off the pan to serve the pie, but the darn thing turned out absolutely perfect. About the only thing that could have made it better would have been a huge spoonful of horseradish on the side - but condiments are on short supply around here at the moment.

Next time you're making a stew and think you've got to eat the leftovers the same way as you did round one - think again! Believe me, whip up one of these beauties and you're sure to be voted the most popular cook in your kitchen. Just sayin'!

Incidentally, hit this link (or this one) and head on over to recipe for this fabulously easy full of flavor stew and put it on your menu as soon as you can. It's a winner. 

A year ago - Butter Chicken

Two year's ago - Lamb Vindaloo 

Three year's ago -  Grilled Eggplant Gratin

Four Onion Pot Roast

There's something wonderful about a pot roast in the oven on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I mean really not only is it one of the easiest no stress meals one can put together, but the aroma coming from the oven equates to comfort in my book. 

We've shared a recipe for some pretty fabulous Swiss Steak before, so I figured I'd use the ingredients to elevate a lovely 3.5 pound chuck roast to another level. My problem was that I forgot to buy sweet bell peppers so instead I cleared out the onion bin and used leeks, shallots, sweet onions and the remainder of a package of frozen pearl onions in this one along with lots of garlic and mushrooms too.

It worked out just fine and their unique flavors really came through, especially with the roast pulled apart into pieces and settled on top of soft and pillowy potato gnocchi. Bliss in a bowl, I'm tellin' ya. 

Four Onion Pot Roast (inspired by Wall Drug Cookbook)

3.5 to 4 lb. chuck roast

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

½ cup flour to dredge meat

2 tablespoons vegetable oil and more as required

1 large sweet onion, peeled and quartered

3 large shallots, peeled and sliced

8 ounces frozen pearl onions, defrosted

1 large leek, white part only well washed and sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 14oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 can mushroom soup

1 can beef consommé’

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven until shimmering. Salt & pepper both sides of roast and dredge in flour, coating well. Brown well on both sides then remove from pan and set aside. Add oil as required. Sauté onions, shallots, pearl onions and leeks until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for additional 3 or 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, mushroom soup, beef consommé, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine, and then return meat to the pan, making sure it is covered by the liquid and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and bake in a 350 oven for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender. Taste and correct seasoning as necessary. Add parsley just before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

A year ago - Maui Tacos

Two year's ago - Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

Mozzarella Stuffed Beef and Sausage Meatloaf

Thanks go to Epicurious.com and Armandino Batali (Mario's Dad) for this beauty, although I'll admit to using cook's license and making a few adjustments. So sue me. 

If you're looking for something different to make in the meatloaf department, this one's a real keeper. I used spicy Italian sausage rather than sweet, and once again divided the recipe in half so we're not eating it indefinitely, but otherwise I almost followed the recipe as is. It's loaded with garlic, fresh basil, chopped onion and sun dried tomatoes ...if it sounds like too much fuss for you, just throw it all in the mini chopper attachment for your immersion blender like I did and the job's done in no time. Oh, rather than shredding the mozzarella, I cut it into chunks and stuffed it in the center of the loaf before rolling it up like a jelly roll. 

The end result is a moist basil filled celebration of all that's fabulous about Italian flavors. Delicious with smashed potatoes and a large green salad, just wait until you see what we're doing with the leftovers. 

Mozzarella Stuffed Beef and Sausage Meatloaf (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Epicurious.com)

1.25 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage (I used spicy)

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes

1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cut into half inch sticks

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the mozzarella until well mixed. Pat out onto a sheet of foil or parchment paper as you would if you were making a jelly roll. Lay a layer of mozzarella down the center of the loaf and using the foil, fold the meat up over to meet in the center, covering the cheese. Press loaf together to seal the seam and turn over so seem is down. Transfer loaf using the foil to a sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until loaf is cooked through. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 

A year ago -  Creamy Onion Horseradish Sauce

Two year's ago - Crispy Orange Beef

Three year's ago - Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie

I think there may be as many versions of tamale pie as there are cooks in the kitchen. I'm not sure I even knew what it was until I moved to the sunny southwest but I've made up for lost time over the past several years. There's several different versions on this site but as you all know I'm always game for trying new recipes.

       May 20, 2009                       March 2, 2010                August 19, 2011

     

To twig your memory, the first edition has kind of a chile style base with cornbread on top while the second version's made from leftover shredded pork carnitas. The third one included a flavorful filling surrounded by layers of oh so creamy polenta. The point is there's no right or wrong way to make a tamale pie.

Last night's version inspired once again by the Cast Iron Cookbook, is more like a picadillo in that it includes sliced green olives and sweet golden raisins along with black beans and ground beef. The salty sweet flavor is balanced by lots of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce to say nothing of the Tapatio hot sauce I used for added heat. 

It is delicious and a good thing too because there's enough leftover to feed the entire neighborhood. I'll be sending some off with the Big Guy tonight as he rejoins his huntin' partner John in their quest for the ever elusive javalina. Surely that will bring them some luck, don't ya think?

Tamale Pie (adapted from Cast Iron Cookbook)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 -15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 – 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice

2 canned chipotle chiles chopped with 1 teaspoon adobo sauce

1 tablespoon Tapatio hot sauce (or to taste)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup spicy barbecue sauce

1/2 cup sliced green olives

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1-1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used jalapeno cheddar)

Heat large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion begins to soften, stirring often to prevent garlic from burning. Crumble in ground beef and cook until beef is no longer pink. Add bell pepper, black beans, tomatoes, chipotle, hot sauce, cumin, barbecue sauce and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a high simmer then add green olives and raisins. Keep warm while making cornbread topping.

Cornbread Topping:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarse ground cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

3/4 cup corn kernels, drained (I used canned)

2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl combine eggs, buttermilk and oil and beat until well combined. Add liquid to dry ingredients along with corn kernels and mix until well combined. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over filling in pot and pour cornmeal mixture on top, smoothing surface with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese has melted and topping is set (about 5 to 10 minutes). Serve with guacamole, sour cream and salsa on the side.  Makes 8 servings

A year ago - Buckets of Lemons 

Two year's ago - Roast Pork Loin with an Apple Crown

Three year's ago - Pasta Salad with Smoked Salmon and Asparagus

Sicilian Orange Beef Stew

It's been so long since we've been in touch, I hardly know where to begin. I've certainly missed all of you and of course, I've missed being in the kitchen too. I tried to make up for it a bit last night.

Big Guy's home from the hunting grounds as he has classes to teach for the next few days and that was reason enough to try something new last night. This Sicilian Orange Beef Stew is from Joanna Pruess' book, Cast Iron Cookbook and it's a real winner too.

Simply a 2 pound chuck roast cut into man sized chunks and browned then braised along with pearl onions (I used a package of frozen ones) and garlic, the flavoring ingredients include cloves, cumin and cinnamon. I didn't happen to have any ground cloves in my spice box, so I used allspice instead and it was a great substitution if I do say so myself. Ground cloves can be a little strong in my opinion.

Anyway tomato sauce, a half bottle of merlot, a cup of orange juice and a little orange concentrate as well as a couple of bay leaves and 2 hours in the oven was all this braise needed. Garnished with  orange zest and served with some creamy polenta, the "tangy-sweet" stew is full of exotic flavor reminiscent of Morocco or even the Caribbean. 

I'd make it again in a heartbeat. Just sayin'. 

Sicilian Orange Beef Stew (adapted from Cast Iron Cookbook)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

1 – 12 ounce package frozen pearl onions, defrosted and blotted dry

4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

3/4 teaspoon ground all spice

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 cups merlot

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup frozen orange concentrate

3 bay leaves

Orange zest for garnish

Preheat oven to 325. Heat oil in Dutch oven until very hot. Meanwhile season beef cubes well with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Brown well in batches without crowding pot. Move to a bowl when meat is browned on all sides. Add onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown  - about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add all spice, cumin, cinnamon, tomato sauce, wine, orange juice and orange concentrate. Heat to boiling stirring any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return meat to the pot and add bay leaves. Cover and place in preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove lid from pot and continue cooking for additional half hour or until beef is very tender and sauce is reduced to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Garnish with orange zest. Serve over polenta, grits or rice. Serves 4.

Two year's ago - Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie

 

I'm Back!

Wiser, tired, stressed, sick and from just a moment ago cat bit but I'm back. We've survived all the moving curfuffle, the decision making process on the kitchen and master bathroom remodel in the new to us house in Oregon and resulting reality check between the "want" list and the budget. Now I'm back in Tucson almost settled into our temporarily permanent rental at least for the next month or so.

The fur kids survived all the upheaval and are adjusting well except for the cat, obviously. She's a little turncoat and has decided she's a Daddy's girl. Unfortunately Daddy's off on his annual javalina hunt so the once feral cat who fooled him into thinking she wasn't feral anymore just took a chunk out of my left index finger. Hey, no problem. I'm already on antibiotics anyway so why not.

Unfortunately with Big Guy away and J'Bug at less than one hundred percent recovering from a bug I picked up two days before the movers arrived at our former desert home way back in mid January, there isn't much cooking going on; however, I'm going to use the opportunity to remind you about one of the more popular items on the blog - last year's post for Meatballs - One Recipe, Two Delicious Meals.

Meanwhile, I'll be back in a few days with a whole new repitoire and hopefully a new attitude along with it. Oh and don't worry about the cat. She obviously needs reminding that I'm the one that saved her mangy little soul in the first place. 

 

 

 

 

One Pot Spaghetti

I would make this again in a heartbeat, and not just because I'm hungry enough to eat skunk butt fried in butter either but because it is THAT good! 

 

After another day spent packing, a long hot shower and a quick no fuss but yummy dinner were the order of the day and quite honestly you can't get much easier than this. From Southern Living via myrecipes.com, this pot of gloriousness starts with a Dutch oven and a sauce - not just any old sauce either. Just pretend you're actually making a ragu but add a little more liquid, in my case V-8 juice, the spicy kind instead of regular tomato juice and you'll find yourself on the right track. Oh, I also replaced the chili powder called for in the recipe with my favorite spaghetti spices including garlic powder, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes along with the oregano, salt and lots of pepper.  

Set to simmer for a half hour while the cook enjoyed a glass of red, the uncooked spaghetti hit the saucey pot for a 20 minute cook off. Course it requires some tending during that period so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom, but it's a lovely excuse to inhale the fabulous aroma and salivate over the results.

Garlic toast, another glass of wine and dinner was on. Best of all, clean up was a breeze...easy for me to say because Big Guy did it! It's a smart man that knows when his wife's at the end of her tether and a smarter one yet that uses initiative. 

One Pot All-in-one Spaghetti (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from myrecipes.com)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 – 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste

3 cups V-8 juice (I used Spicy Hot)

1 cup water

7 ounces spaghetti, uncooked

Grated Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Crumble in ground beef along with onion and garlic. Cook stirring until beef is no longer pink and onions softens – about 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt, oregano, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Stir well to incorporate into meat mixture then add tomato sauce, tomato paste, V-8 juice and water. Stir well to combine, then bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spaghetti to the pot, cover and cook additional 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Garnish with cheese.

A year ago -  Ravioli in Sherry Mushroom Alfredo

Two year's ago - Leg of Lamb Provencal

Three year's ago - Pork Medallions with Mushroom Madeira Sauce

Goulash Soup

If you're looking for something to warm your winter weary bones, then here's just the thing. From Reader's Digest, Just One Pot this Hungarian soup is loaded with beef, onions, green pepper and spiced with garlic, caraway and paprika. Potatoes added during the last half hour of cooking add to the heartiness too. 

I made some adjustments to the original recipe by using sweet Hungarian paprika and a dash of cayenne pepper instead of the hot paprika called for and threw in canned tomatoes instead of fresh; dry marsala wine took the place of regular red wine and I left the cream out of the recipe in exchange for a bigger dollop of Daisy (sour cream) on top. 

The soup's siren song called us both back to the pot for seconds and I can't wait to enjoy a bowl for lunch today because as we all know, the flavor of soups and stews really improves with an overnight in the refrigerator. It's a keeper, no doubt about it!

Goulash Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Reader’s Digest, Just One Pot)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds lean beef (I used chuck roast, cut into half inch cubes)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

3 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 cup dry masala wine, divided (or dry red wine)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1-1/2 quarts low sodium beef stock

3 large red potatoes, peeled and cut into half inch cubes

Sour cream as garnish

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering. Season beef with salt and pepper and coat in flour. Brown well in batches if necessary (don’t crowd the pot). Remove beef and set aside. Add onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and green pepper and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, cayenne pepper and caraway seeds and stir to combine. Add 1/4 cup of Marsala wine and stir well to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Add tomato paste, tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a boil and return beef to the pot. Lower heat, cover pot and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. When beef is tender, stir in potatoes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed. Cook for additional half hour uncovered so soup thickens slightly and potatoes are tender. Add rest of the Marsala wine. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream. Serves 6 to 8. 

A year ago - Roast Beef Sandwiches with Grilled Onions and Gorgonzola 

Two year's ago - Lamb Stew with Trinidad Curry

Great Grub for a Cold Winter Night

It's been cooler here in the far southwest the past several evenings and it's a perfect excuse to enjoy some old fashioned hearty comfort food. 

For example Monday night I whipped up a caldron of Cabbage Roll Soup just like the one we had back in August when we were really craving some cold weather. Months of triple digit temperatures can do that for ya', kinda' like months of minus temperatures, snow, rain and cold can make you crave sea, sun and sand. Funny isn't it?

Anyway to get back to the point as you can see this pot of warm kitchen love is filled with meatballs constructed from ground beef, rice, and onion cooked up in a cabbage laden beefed up tomato broth studded with sweet golden raisins and spiced with red pepper flakes. It is absolutely awesome and worth a spot on your regular good grub rotation.

Last night's comfort quotient took the shape of a large casserole of ooey gooey cheesey old fashioned Mac and Cheese. A recipe from a very old and treasured Purity Cookbook, this particular version's been made so many times the page is practically illegible but thankfully I have the darn thing memorized.  

 

I apologize for the quality of the photograph. Obviously the photographer needs to readjust her camera.

Simply cooked elbow macaroni folded into a simple white sauce loaded with cheese (I used 3 different kinds) and seasoned with Dijon mustard, I topped the casserole with buttered panko crumbs and let it rip in the oven for a good hour resulting in an absolute vision of loveliness - at least for a couple of very hungry, tired and rather stressed out individuals. 

Incidentally, there's several recipes for macaroni and cheese on this site, some more involved than others and all of them fabulous in their own right but without a doubt this simple version is every bit as good as any so called "gourmet" versions. Take it from the most frugal of frugalists, it's a great way to use up the drips, drabs and mini chunks of cheese hiding in the snack drawer of your refrigerator.  

                Special M/C                                        With Gnocchi  

  

              Bacon N Blue                                               Buffalo

   

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Purity Cookbook)

1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked per package directions

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

2-3/4 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

8 – 9 ounces assorted cheese (I used white cheddar, Swiss & Velveeta)

2/3 cup panko crumbs

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon each coarse salt, pepper and garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly for a few minutes, then slowly whisk in milk. Cook, whisking constantly until mixture is thickened. Stir in salt, Dijon mustard and grated cheese (I left the Velveeta in half inch cubes). Cook until cheese has melted. Stir in cooked macaroni and transfer mixture to a buttered casserole dish. Mix panko crumbs with melted butter and seasonings. Sprinkle crumbs on top of casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until top is browned and filling is bubbling. Serves 6.

A year ago -   Blackberry Mustard Glazed Ham

Two year's ago -  Greek Burger with Cucumber Sauce

Beefy Beany "Benchiladas"

I'm calling last night's feast of ginormous proportions "benchiladas" because they're kind of a cross between a burrito and an enchilada and yes people the word "ginormous" does exist in the Merriam Webster dictionary. Surprised the heck outa' me, I'll tell ya'.

A JBug's original, they're fashioned from very large flour tortillas rather than little iddy biddy corn ones. The filling includes sauteed onion, peppers and tiny cubes of sweet potato, ground beef and cheese which makes 'em more of a burrito than an enchilda; however, I added salsa and enchilada sauce just to be different and to use up some of the jars and cans hiding in my oh so handy circular pantry. Topped with grated sharp cheddar and served along with a very large extra dry gin martini with 3 olives, it made Big Guy smile big time when he walked in the door last night - that and the "Sale Pending" sign announcing to all and sundry the deed is done.

It's official! We're moving and much more quickly than we had anticipated. What we thought would take about 6 months to accomplish took a little over 2 weeks which is proof we have ourselves one heck of a Realtor, don't we? Thanks Pam Devine, Keller Williams Southern Arizona. Take a bow because you're the bomb!

Beefy Beany “Benchiladas” An original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped mixed sweet peppers (I used red and yellow)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1&1/2 teaspoons hot taco seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup chunky salsa

1 cup sweet potato or yams, peeled and cut into quarter inch cubes

6 large 10 inch flour tortillas

1 can red beans in chile sauce (chili beans)

1 10 ounce can prepared red enchilada sauce

1/2 cup chunky salsa

4 ounces processed cheese cut into long strips (I used Velveeta)

1-1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and add onion and peppers. Sauté until vegetables are soft. Add ground beef, breaking it up well with a fork and cook until no longer pink. Add seasonings cook stirring constantly for 1 minute, and then add salsa and sweet potatoes. Cover pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until potatoes are soft. Uncover, remove from heat and cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350. Coat 9 x 13” pan with cooking spray. Cover bottom with approximately half cup of salsa. Warm tortillas if necessary until pliable.  Spoon some undrained chili onto tortilla, followed by a half cup of beef mixture. Top with strips of cheese. Roll into a cylinder, tucking in ends and place seam side down into casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until casserole is bubbling hot. Serve garnished with sour cream, and salsa. Pass the hot sauce as necessary. Serves 4 to 6.

 A year ago - Perfect Pear Puddin'

Two year's ago - Eggs in Purgatory

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

We have Rachael Ray to thank for these little beauties and not only are they absolutely delicious, there's no doubt your dinner will be ready in 30 minutes, including prep time. I can vouch for that!

Homey, spicy, incredibly moist, far from boring and delicious ...did I use enough adjectives???...the bonus other than the fact you can hide a bunch of veggies in the meat, is that all the chopping's done in the food processor. My only glitch in their construction was one of my own making - who knew one needs to check the seals on everything before taking it home from the store. I went to use a brand spanking new bottle of barbecue sauce only to find that some moron had already opened it and removed the seal, obviously to taste test it so I had to garbage the whole bottle. I suppose it serves me right for buying off the front of the shelf, but don't people realize what they're doing is stealing. Sheesh! Anyway, enough of my rant because I doubt very much you want to hear it. I ended up whipping up a cup of my own BBQ sauce using ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce and red pepper flakes.

Carrots, parsnip and iddy biddy potatoes shared the same 450 oven allbeit nestled into a nice hot cast iron pan and roasted and got all caramelized in exactly the same amount of time it took to cook the meatloaf muffins (20 minutes). Steamed brussels sprouts took 7 minutes - though I could have roasted them too. A colorful heirloom tomato salad dressed with balsamic, olive oil and sea salt finished the deal and dinner was done. 

Not bad for an amateur, eh? Hit the link and head on over to Food Network for Rachael's meatloaf muffin recipe.  It makes a dozen of the little beauties and boy do I have plans for the leftovers. You'll see!

A year ago - Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup

Two year's ago - Turkey Mushroom Bread Pudding

Beef and Carrot Ragu

Don't fall over backward but I actually cooked this sauce in the crockpot yesterday. What with worrying about having to leave the house for showings at a moment's notice and at the same time trying to get some pre-Thanksgiving grunt work done, it seemed like a good idea to make something in the appliance I have so little use of (for).

I made a couple of not so subtle changes to the recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, the first being I browned the meat really well before adding it to the crockpot. In fact, rather than make a mess of the kitchen I'd just finished cleaning, I took the meat outside to Big Guy's bailiwick and gave the beef a good sear on the little red gas grill. A whole bulb of peeled garlic hit the pot followed by a pound of chopped fresh roma tomatoes, 8 ounces of chopped carrots and a glug of red wine along with a can of tomato paste. I added a chopped onion and spiced up the mixture with some dried Italian herbs and a good dash of red pepper flakes - too good a dash because the ragu ended up being so darned spicy, I had to add heavy cream at the end. 

So what's the verdict? I daresay I'm not the one to ask because as you know, I'm more than a little biased against slow cookers to begin with but let me admit it was convenient. I'm just sorry I didn't use the Dutch oven and pull double duty by cooking the ragu in the oven at the same time I browned off all the goodies for the turkey stock I also whipped up yesterday.

Oh, and should you want to know another truth, head on over to Fig's and Artichokes and take a gander at the ragu Lorraine posted yesterday. I'm absolutely positive I'd have been much happier with a bowl of her glorious flavor filled ragu instead of this one. Just sayin'.  

Beef and Carrot Ragu from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Better Homes (bhg.com)

2 pounds boneless beef short ribs

Salt and ground black pepper

1 bulb garlic, peeled and cloves smashed

1 medium onion, chopped

8 ounces peeled carrots, chopped

1 pound Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

1/2 cup water or beef stock (if needed)

1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Season beef well with salt and pepper and brown in a hot non-stick pan. Cut into cubes and place into slow cooker. Add smashed garlic cloves, onion, carrots and tomatoes. Mix together tomato paste, red wine, Italian herbs, oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour over meat and vegetables, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir well before serving, adding additional water as necessary to create a sauce. Stir in heavy cream. Serve over pasta.  Makes 4 servings.

 

A year ago - Cajun Poached Shrimp Linguini

Two year's ago - Curly Corn Dogs

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Swiss Steak - An Old Favorite

There's something wonderful about recipes that have been handed down through generations and there's no doubt this one for Swiss Steak from the Wall Drug Cookbook is one of the better ones. 

Not just any old braised meat in tomato sauce, this one's enriched with the addition of a couple of Campbell's products - consomme for added beefiness along with mushroom soup too. Both make the gravy incredibly rich and flavorful. As for the meat, well there's no better way to enjoy a tough cut of meat like round or rump than by "swissing" it. An old English method of cooking, according to Gourmet Sleuth and the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, swissing refers to the preparation of pounding tougher cuts of meat to tenderize it before cooking, and bless the English because this method's supposedly been around officially (in print) since 1915 although something tells me it's likely a lot older than that.

Regardless, this verison's about the best I've ever made so head on out to your local butcher and ask for some slices of round ...I used bottom for this, but top or even eye of the round will work just as well. As you can see, I used some of those lovely little minature sweet peppers that have become so popular lately and they worked very well too. Simply cut the stem off, take out the seeds and add 'em whole to the pot for incredible flavor and great visual appeal. 

Oh, before I forget - be sure to have lots of mashed potatoes, noodles, spatzle or biscuits to soak up all that yummy gravy goodness and put some good music on too. I predict a very silent dinner hour because your family's likely to be too busy chowing down on this one to have the inclination to carry on any kind of meaningful conversation. Just sayin'.   

Old Fashioned Swiss Steak (inspired by Wall Drug Cookbook)

2 lb. round or top sirloin steak, cut into serving portions

½ cup flour to dredge meat

2 tablespoons vegetable oil and more as required

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red or green pepper, sliced or 6 to 8 assorted mini peppers, stems and seeds removed

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 14oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 can mushroom soup

1 can beef consommé’

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Salt & pepper both sides of steak portions. Dredge in flour, coating well and place between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound thin (about a quarter inch). Sauté in batches in a small amount of oil over high heat in hot pan until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add oil as required. Sauté onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic until vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, mushroom soup, beef consommé, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine, and then return meat to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and move to the oven. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender (remove cover from pot during the last 20 minutes of oven time to reduce the sauce). Taste and correct seasoning as necessary. Add parsley just before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

A year ago - Deep Dish Pulled Pork Pizza

Two year's ago -  Braciole (Stuffed Beef Rolls) in Tomato Sauce

Hoisin Beer Beef Short Ribs

Please don't say "not again" even though I know it's well deserved. I love to make braised dishes when the weather turns cooler and goodness knows we love to eat the stuff but this one's really different.

 

While most braised meats can guarantee a lot of gravy, this one doesn't but believe me what there is has an amazingly rich flavor. What I couldn't believe about this recipe from Dave Lieberman via Foodnetwork.com is that so few ingredients could yield such fantastic results. I'm not sure I've ever braised anything before that didn't have onions, carrots and/or peppers or celery, but this one does not. Instead it is a celebration of garlic and ginger and amber ale with Hoisin thrown in as a glaze during the last 30 minutes. The beef shines, the "glaze" is shinier and the flavor absolutely stellar.

It's a winner people - I kid you not.

Braised Hoisin Beer Short Ribs (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Dave Lieberman via foodnetwork.com)

3 pounds beef short ribs (I used extra lean boneless)

Salt and course ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

10 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

1-1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch pieces

1 bottle ale (I used Jumping Cow Amber Ale)

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 cup hoisin sauce

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat until oil is hot and shimmering. Sprinkle beef short ribs with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in hot oil. Do not crowd pan. Remove ribs to a plate and discard excess fat (if any) except for 2 tablespoons. Add garlic and ginger to the pot and cook, stirring constantly for 2 or 3 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot and add beer and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a slow simmer, cover and cook for 2 to 2-1/2 hours until ribs are tender. Preheat oven to 300. Pour hoisin sauce over ribs and cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not allow liquid to completely reduce (may be necessary to add a few tablespoons of water). Serve ribs with mashed potatoes. Serves 4.

A year ago - Pasta Carbonara with a Twist

Two year's ago -  Pasta with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

A Big Guy Burger - Beef, Beer and Stilton

Bigger may not necessarily be better in a burger as I found out last night when trying to chow down on this giant. You see, I made it a mission to find out why a regular hamburger bun is a mere 3 or 4 inches in diameter instead of bigger so it can hold more stuff?  

I had a lovely 12 inch loaf of Ciabatta hanging around, waiting for the perfect occasion and while I could have made a panini of gargantuan proportions, or simply cut it up to accompany a bowl of soup or chili, I figured a nice crusty loaf of bread could be the perfect platform for a burger we could share and the size of which would make my resident carnivore swoon. 

Now that's a big honkin' burger wouldn't you agree? Loaded with a 1.5 pounds of ground 85/15 beef, flavored with garlic and Montreal steak seasoning, moistened with lovely dark lager, and held together with bread crumbs and egg, I shaped that meatloaf sized puppy into a loaf the exact size of the ciabatta. Browned in a screaming hot cast iron pan first, it hit the oven to finish cooking.  I know for a fact my carnivore would have preferred it rare, but I wasn't taking any chances because I didn't grind the meat myself from scratch. 

Served up on grilled Ciabatta slathered with horseradish and mayo and loaded with golden brown Guinness flavored onions, pungent Stilton and cool refreshing sliced tomato it was all rather impressive, or so I thought. 

He did too. Big Guy's eyes were shining and he couldn't wait to get his teeth into all that yummy good stuff. In fact, therein lies the answer to the burger bun question. Get his teeth into it he did with no problem at all while it was a knife and forker for me.  It's kinda the obvious answer as to who has the bigger mouth around here too, huh!  Now that's a relief.

A year ago - Oven Roasted Pulled Pork

Two year's ago - BBQ Beans

Meatball Pie

You know how some meals are kinda' "prissy" 3 or 4 course sit down, take a break in between each course for more wine kinda' events? Well this isn't one of them.

Big Guy insisted it's a "real man's meal" in that it's a slap it on the plate and get 'er done kinda' deal. It rather fits the "man's meal description" because it's a pain in the butt to put together but don't tell him I said that OK?

From our friends at Better Homes and Gardens it is a take on the spaghetti pie we all know and love but with a few additions...and meatballs of course. I used the leftovers I'd frozen when I whipped up the meatball stroganoff (just the meatballs sans the sauce of course) along with ricotta cheese, TJ's Italian cheese blend instead of  plain mozzarella, Prego Tomato Basil sauce and of course I had to ramp up the spices somewhat with the addition of  red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and coarse ground black pepper to the ricotta layer that's next to the spaghetti/cheese crust.

It's really OK and it certainly looks impressive although unfortunately you can't see all the layers in the picture. Big Guy liked it a lot but I found the caramelized onions just didn't suit the dish, so next time I'll replace 'em with roasted red peppers and maybe some sauteed mushrooms ramped up with a touch of dry marsala or some chianti. Of course I'll also spend the time making my own marinara sauce and maybe throw in a bit of Italian sausage or pepperoni along with the meatballs. After all, what's wrong with a little excess flavor.

Oh the other thing - they made a big deal out of lining the springform pan with parchment or aluminum foil (I used foil) and it wasn't really necessary. It just made cutting the darn thing a challenge and if you've a good solid springform pan and spray it well with cooking spray you really don't need to bother.  Slip a knife or large lifter between the pan bottom and the pasta crust and slide it onto a serving platter. It'll be a darn site easier than having to deal with the foil.  

Hit the link and head to BHG.com for the original recipe. I'll give you my version after I make it again to perfect it. You know who wants it on the menu again PDQ. 

A year ago - Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta

Two year's ago - Blueberry Roly Poly Pudding

Stroganoff Meatballs

I've said it before and no doubt I'll say it again - the thing about everyday blogging is we don't get to repeat our favorites very often. It's really kind of dumb in a way because JBug's Kitchen is all about "everyday food" or at least that's my excuse for this particular repetition. 

This recipe is from the Ladies of the Best of Bridge series of cookbooks and it's been in my repertoire for many moons. It's one of Big Guy's absolute favorites and guaranteed to elicit moans, groans and limited dinner conversation so if you'd relish silence while chowing down, this will do the trick nicely. 

While the meatballs are keepers - in fact I made 2 pounds worth of 'em and froze half for later on because they'll take to almost any flavored sauce, sandwich or soup, the real pièce de résistance is the sauce.

Finely chopped onion sauteed until carmelized and jazzed up with ketchup, sherry, and worcestershire sauce, the liquid is a can of beef consomme or even French onion soup courtesy of Campbell's and Company. Thickened with a touch of flour and tarted up with sour cream, it's a perfect foil for the juicy meatballs and darn near addictive topping plain old egg noodles. 

If you're not into making meatballs, you could really just throw the whole shebang together by browning the meat, adding onion, parsley and cooked egg noodles and call it a casserole, but honestly the meatballs are hardly any effort at all. I roll and bake 'em in the oven for 25 minutes and they just kinda' cook themselves.  

Stroganoff Meatballs (adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, The Best of the Best)

1 lbs lean ground beef

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons milk

¼ cup onion, minced

1 eggs beaten

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Combine ingredients together and form into balls (approx. 1”). Place on edged cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, then bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauce:

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 – 10 oz. cans beef consommé or French onion soup, undiluted

2 Tablespoons sherry (optional)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Wide Egg Noodles cooked per package directions 

Caramelize onion in butter (about 10 minutes on medium low heat). Add flour and mix well. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add consommé and cook, stirring well until thickened. Add ketchup, sherry, and Worcestershire sauce. Lower heat, add sour cream and stir to combine. Add meatballs reheat gently over low heat. (Watch your heat or the sauce will curdle.)  Serve over egg noodles. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs with Veggies

Two year's ago - Butternut Squash Galette

Braised Beef in Port and Ale Sauce

Another recipe from Cinda Chavich in her High Plains Cookbook and my old home Province of Alberta, last night's dinner actually called for bone in shortribs but stew meat was on sale so I substituted. Hey - I'm a pretty frugal cook in case you haven't noticed. 

No matter the substitution -  this one's a real keeper. In fact, Big Guy has another package of beef cheeks hiding in the freezer and we both agreed they're destined to be done this way pdq. Incidentally I made other changes as you might expect and dredged the beef in flour before browning it and while I may have cut back on the amount of meat in the recipe, I left the liquid the same and let it reduce naturally by leaving the cover off for part of the cooking period. You can see the results. 

Who would ever imagine that tawny port, oatmeal stout, soy sauce and orange juice would marry so incredibly well, never mind the garnish of orange rind and coarse sea salt. I mean it's incredible and really makes the dish sing so for goodness sake, don't leave it out! 

Served on a bed of horseradish mashed potatoes beside more of those fabulous little cipollini onions roasted up all purdy like along with roasted brussels sprouts and purple cauliflower, it was a Sunday night dinner to remember but then again we're celebrating.

The neighbors from hell moved out yesterday and life as we know it will never be the same. Hallelujah! 

Braised Beef in Port and Ale Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from High Plains Cookbook, By Cinda Chavich)

1 tablespoon canola oil (more if necessary)

2 pounds stewing beef

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 large onions, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon crushed juniper berries

1 -12 ounce bottle dark ale (I used oatmeal stout)

1/2 cup port (I used tawny port but ruby would be fine too)

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 – 10 ounce can beef consommé undiluted

1/2 cup orange juice

1 small orange, zest removed and reserved

Freshly ground black pepper

Fleur de sel (course sea salt) and reserved orange zest as garnish.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Dust meat with all-purpose flour and shake off excess. Brown well in hot pot without crowding – do in batches adding more oil as necessary. Remove browned meat to a plate and set aside.

Add onions, carrot and celery to the pot and cook until vegetables are softened, stirring fond (browned bits) from bottom of the pot as the vegetables release their juices. Add garlic and juniper berries and cook, stirring for one minute. Add ale, soy sauce, brown sugar, cumin, consommé and orange juice. Cook, stirring up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot and bring liquid to a simmer. Cut orange in half and add to the pot along with the browned meat. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Cover pot and cook in preheated 325 oven for 2 hours. Remove lid from pot and continue to cook until sauce is reduced and meat is very tender (another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes). Serve garnished with orange zest and sea salt.  Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Ginger Fried Beef

Two year's ago -  White Bean Soup with Ham

Beef Nacho Casserole

Sometimes casseroles get a bad rap and I'll be the first to admit to being critical, often with good reason. Several of them are kind of bland and boring in my estimation although I'm not adverse to using convenience foods on occasion. I was prepared to complain about this casserole had I not been intrigued by one of the ingredients.

I mean really - who doesn't wonder about a Family Circle recipe that calls for tubes of uncooked pizza dough? Personally I make my own dough and was totally prepared to hate the addition of pre-made stuff in this recipe or any other pizza dough for that matter, but boy was I wrong. 

Granted I made several changes (hit the link above to see the original), but isn't that what cooking's all about. Recipes, even from venerable sources like Family Circle are only guidelines afterall. I reduced the amount of sweet bell peppers, added chopped onion along with a can of rinsed and drained red beans. I even ramped up the spices somewhat with garlic powder rather than garlic salt, and a bunch of taco seasoning and red pepper flakes too, but you all know we love some spicy heat. I cut down on the cheese too and I'm here to say I don't think it made much of a difference. I didn't bother with the black olives or scallions either because I'm not much of a fan of regular old canned black olives and didn't have any green onions in the refrigerator. Corn niblets would be a great addition too although I didn't think to add 'em until I was writing this post this morning.  

It's a good solid casserole full of meaty goodness and definitely nacho like. The pizza dough takes on a dual personality if you know what I mean. It can't decide whether its a crunchy biscuit or soft doughy noodles (biscoodle???) and the added spices really enhanced the overall flavor.

Garnished with a touch of sour cream and some pickled jalapenos, it was all we could do not to go back for thirds. So much for moderation huh. 

Beef Nacho Casserole (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Family Circle aka familycircle.com)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces chopped assorted sweet mini bell peppers

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

1 – Large tube refrigerated pizza dough (I used no-name brand)

1 – 16 ounce jar prepared medium or hot salsa (I used Pace brand)

1 – 15 ounce can red beans, drained, rinsed and drained again

1 cup frozen corn, defrosted (optional)

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

   Sour cream, pickled jalapenos as garnish

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a large casserole (13 x 9 inch or similar) with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat bottom. Add chopped bell peppers and onion and cook until vegetables start to soften – about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, crumbling, until beef is no longer pink and onions are transparent. Sprinkle in garlic powder, taco seasoning and red pepper flakes. Season lightly with salt but add a fair amount of black pepper. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Meanwhile remove pizza dough from tube and cut into half inch discs. Cut each disc into quarters and place in a large bowl. Add salsa, red beans, corn if using and half the cheese. Stir in ground beef mixture. Turn into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes until casserole is lightly browned and bubbling. Serve garnished with sour cream and jalapenos. Makes 8 servings. 

A year ago - Salmon Pot Pie

Two year's ago - Stacked PIzza and Fried Ravioli

Old Fashioned Pot Roast

We've been testing our marriage around here and doing more work on the house. This time since the kitchen renovation's already done, we figured it was time to paint the master bedroom/bathroom. Now just so you know, I'm not into clutter much and can't stand things being out of place although there's a few areas that doesn't apply to - messy closets and a desk that's screaming "help me I'm drowning". 

When your world is discombobulated, there's nothing better than comfort food. Last night's dinner was a huge mood improver and goodness knows my mood definitely needed improving.

I seasoned and floured a nice little 1.9 pound chuck roast and browned it well, added onion, garlic, carrots and celery, some marsala wine, a can of consomme and a bit of tomato paste, put the lid on and into the oven it went at 3 bells yesterday afternoon and did it's job of perfuming the house with great grub smells.

By the time it was done Big Guy was nursing his tired bones with a rather large gin on the rocks and yours truly was resting on her laurels with a cool G & T and gloating about the painting being finished. Of course I could gloat since Big Guy did most of the work.

Today he's off to the rodeo and I'm cleaning carpets and getting the house back in order...oh and burning the blow up mattresses we've been camping out on for the past 2 nights.  I can't wait to see the last of those puppies!  

Old Fashioned Pot Roast (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Family Circle)

1 – 2 to 3 pound boneless chuck roast, tied

Salt, pepper and all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

5 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

2/3 cup dry Marsala wine (or red wine)

1 10 ounce can beef consommé

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup beef stock (or water)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Heat oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven (I used medium sized cast iron). Liberally salt and pepper the roast and dredge it in flour, shaking off the excess flour. Brown well on both sides then remove from pot and set aside. Add onion to the pot and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Return roast to the pot along with carrots and celery. Mix together Marsala wine, beef consommé, tomato paste, beef stock, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over roast, cover and cook in a 300 oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until roast is very tender. Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Jalapeno, Green Chile and White Cheddar Hushpuppies

Two year's ago - Braised Orange-Ginger Short Ribs

Cabbage Roll Soup

I've been on a bit of a cool weather food kick - not that we're having any cooler weather mind you. It's just that being a born and bred Northerner, I crave the change in seasons and the food that goes along with them. Here in Tucson, if we had to wait to have cool weather food, we'd be hanging in there at least until December; however, thank goodness for air conditioning because we needed it last night.

From Food Network, this soul warming hearty soup has all the ingredients and flavor of stuffed cabbage rolls but without the fuss and bother. Loaded with tomatoey goodness, the broth (if you can call it that), is fortified with sauteed onion and garlic and lots of carrot coins too. Once the vegetables have softened, the whole mess a' good stuff is smoothed slightly with an immersion blender (or food processor) before the rest of the good stuff hits the pot. That includes sliced cabbage and meatballs made from ground beef, uncooked rice, onion and spices.

Speaking of spices, I added more garlic along with oregano and red pepper flakes to our pot of glory, along with beef stock instead of the water they called for. I also threw in a couple of tablespoons of Knorr tomato bouillon powder too which is totally optional but really adds to the flavor profile of the dish. 

Finished with fresh lemon juice and lovely golden raisins for a touch of sweetness, we garnished our soup with a dab of sour cream just because we like it. This one's a keeper people - definitely hearty and oh so delicious. It'll be perfect for one of those crisp autumn evenings, or when you're feeding the crowd fresh off the slopes this winter.

Hit the link and head on over to see the official Food Network version but I've got my revised recipe listed below.  As an aside, the official version says the meatballs take only 25 minutes to cook in the broth but after 25 minutes simmering in my Dutch oven, the rice in the balls was still hard as a rock and took another 20 minutes on top of that to soften up. Next time I'll cook the rice first and cool it down before making the meatballs so it doesn't take so long to cook. It smells so darn delicious, you shouldn't have to wait that long. I've amended my recipe to show the change.

By the way, if you're looking to compare the soup to the real thing and have the inclination, check out the other versions of stuffed cabbage we've enjoyed in JBug's Kitchen and have at 'er. They're all rather tasty and well worth the effort. 

Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls                               Whole Stuffed Cabbage

Cabbage Roll Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Food Network)

Meatballs:

1 cup rice, cooked per package directions

2 pounds ground beef (I used ground chuck)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup finely chopped onion

Combine ingredients together and form into 1-1/2 inch meatballs. Refrigerate until needed.

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 -1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste

2 tablespoons Knorr tomato bouillon (optional)

1-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 cups low sodium beef broth (or more as needed)

1 bay leaf

1 medium head cabbage

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup golden raisins

Sour cream and parsley as garnish

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds until it starts to give off its aroma, then add onion. Sauté, stirring frequently until onion is softened. Add carrots, red pepper flakes, oregano, tomato paste, tomato bouillon, water, brown sugar, ketchup and diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until carrots are softened – about 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow cooling briefly, and then using an immersion blender, carefully blending until mixture is fairly smooth. Leave some chunks of carrot for texture.

Return pot to heat and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Add bay leaf. Cut cabbage in quarters, then remove core. Slice cabbage crosswise into quarter inch strips. Add to the pot and stir to incorporate into tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until cabbage is slightly softened. Stir in enough beef broth to bring the soup to the desired consistency (it is still a very thick soup). Add meatballs to the soup cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice and raisins. Cook for additional 5 minutes until raisins are plumped. Serve in bowls and garnish with sour cream and chopped fresh parsley. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

 A year ago - Easy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

Two year's ago - Deviled Chicken Drumsticks

Steak with Lime Mojo

Some people think beef tenderloin should be reserved for prissy date night celebration dinners only. I mean don't we usually wrap the thing in bacon, or top it off with hollandaise with crab or bernaise sauce and call it special?

Well, I'm about to blow that theory all to heck - not that hot August Friday nights aren't enough reason to celebrate that is. You see Sprouts, our favorite market where we buy darn near 99 percent of our meat, had a sale on filet steaks last week and while this recipe from Fine Cooking specifically called for "cube steak", it was more per pound by a longshot than the filet so I thought why not? I mean wouldn't you rather have a filet than a beat up hunk of round any old day? Yeah, that's what I thought too!

I tied our filets up into nice tight little rounds, gave them a pat dry and a dusting of coarse ground black pepper and then went ahead with making the mojo. Mojo is a garlicky citrus sauce popular in Latin American cooking that's used to add flavor with a capital "F" to darn near anything. In this instance, orange juice, lime, lots of garlic, fresh oregano and cumin all go into this scrumptious marinade.

The point is however, not to marinate the meat for longer than 10 minutes or it'll turn to mush and heaven knows filet can be mushy enough without benefit of too much citrus. 

Cooked on a hot gas grill to the perfect medium rare for me, and blue rare for you know who, the filets are topped with sauteed onions and sweet red pepper that benefit from a splash of reserved marinade. Served with a side of black beans mixed with a little corn, some jalapeno, red onion, a little of the marinade and a nice fresh tomato, our weekend started off with a definite Latin flair.  

Give this one a try when you've a chance because I doubt you'll be diasappointed. The fresh flavor's quite spectacular and I for one will be trying the mojo out again using other proteins, like maybe chicken, pork or lamb. Can't wait! 

Steak with Lime Mojo (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Fine Cooking)

Marinade:

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 beef tenderloin filets, about 6 ounces each

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

In blender or small processor, combine garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, lime juice, orange juice and sugar. Process until smooth. Reserve a quarter cup of the marinade and place rest into a flat dish the right size to hold the marinade and steaks.

Tie steaks tightly using kitchen string into nice little rounds. Pat meat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place meat into marinade and allow to sit at room temperature for no more than 10 minutes.

Remove steaks from marinade and grill until done to your tastes. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile sauté onion and red pepper until vegetables are softened.  To serve, remove string from steaks and top with sautéed vegetables. Drizzle with reserved marinade. Makes 2 servings.

A year ago - Brats with Braised Cabbage

Two year's ago - Sticky Ribs with Apricot BBQ Sauce

Three year's ago - Nicoise Salad well kinda'

Steak Quesadilla with Bacon Onion Jam

I was on my own for dinner last night and rather than grab a couple of celery sticks and some yogurt out of the fridge which is what I should have done, I had the yen for a nice crispy quesadilla instead. After all, not only are they quick and simple to make, they're the perfect use of any odds and sods you have hiding in the refrigerator.  Trouble is they're not exactly diet material but this is a moderation plan, so I didn't have to think of that. Did I?

This one contained leftover grilled steak from the other night, chopped up into bite size pieces along with some of our bacon onion jam, a touch of barbecue sauce and a few sliced up mozzarella pearls - all on a flour tortilla. Sprayed with butter flavored cooking spray it hit a hot cast iron pan and dinner was on the table in less than 4 minutes. It really hit the spot and could only have tasted better had it been accompanied by a nice cold Corona; however, you know there's none of that happening in this house at the moment. Oh well. Baby steps, baby steps ...right?.

A year ago - Asparagus with Maltaise Sauce 

Two year's ago - Chicken With Roasted Lemons, Green Olives and Capers

Warm Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Salad with Italian Burgers

Other than the fact the holiday's over, the second worse thing about the post vacation blues is getting rid of the excess weight. Too many full meal deal breakfasts and lots of dinners out never mind afternoon "beer thirty" all combined with the fact our little Rose Cottage was exactly midway between two local workout spots, one 9 miles north and the other about 9 miles south of us meant we had a built in excuse NOT to join a gym and exercise this year. Consequently the next month or more we'll be working on whittling the additional pounds off our 55 year old plus bodies. 

What it means for us is regular exercise, a relatively healthy diet, smaller portions and no alcohol; however, since this is a food blog I figured none of you would be too impressed if I told ya we were joining "Jenny", so here's the first of our "moderate" dinners.

Just because you're watching the old calories doesn't mean food has to be plain, boring or tasteless. I mean Rome wasn't built in a day and the pounds didn't come on overnight although they sure as heck pile on a lot faster than they disappear.

Anyway, I'm not saying this salad is totally without calories, but it is filled with roasted eggplant, assorted peppers, and dressed lightly with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Now personally, I would be satisfied to have eaten it as a stand alone item but you know who wouldn't think of coming home to such an obvious vegetarian meal, so to prevent Big Guy from hitting the burger joint on the way home for an appetizer, I fashioned this Italian burger sans the carb loaded bread. Simply extra lean ground beef along with chicken sweet Italian sausage and extra spices, I topped the burger with a sundried tomato, a couple of fresh mozzarella pearls and a hot pepper.

It's a flavorful meal that'll transport you to the sunny shores of Sicily and perfect for this time of year when peppers are plentiful and inexpensive and the eggplant's fresh too. The salad's great leftover too - on a sandwich, or crustini or even in an omelet. Add a few olives and a touch more cheese and you'll have all the bases covered for a superb lunch to take to work too.

Incidentally, I roasted the vegetables under the broiler because it's too uncomfortable outside to use the barbecue, but feel free to use your outdoor grill if you wish.

Warm Roasted Eggplant Salad with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte cookbook)

Feel free to substitute 2 cups of cherry or pearl tomatoes because there’s a lot more flavor packed into those little things and they roast beautifully too.

1 large eggplant

Coarse salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 ripe tomatoes cut into halves

1 each red, green and yellow pepper, roasted

3 cloves garlic, minced

Fresh ground black pepper

Garnish with fresh mozzarella, basil or parsley

Cut eggplant into quarter inch slices leaving the peel on. Sprinkle with salt on both sides, and place on sheets of paper towels, wrapping it well. Place a cutting board and heavy pot on top to squeeze out the moisture. Allow to sit that way for 20 to 30 minutes before continuing. Preheat broiler. Brush excess salt from eggplant and dry well with paper towels. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and place on a sheet pan along with tomato halves. Roast until eggplant slices are golden brown on both sides and tomatoes start to brown.

Slice eggplant into narrow strips and cut tomato halves into wedges. Peel, seed and slice roasted peppers into thin strips. Add to eggplant in bowl along with garlic, any remaining olive oil and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh mozzarella and chopped basil or parsley. Serve either warm or at room temperature.  Makes 6 servings

Italian Flavored Burgers (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com)

3/4 pound extra lean ground beef

3/4 pound crumbled sweet Italian sausage (I used chicken)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup cold water

Combine all ingredients together and form into four 6 ounce patties. Pan fry or grill for approximately 7 minutes a side or until internal temperature reaches 165. Serve on eggplant salad.

A year ago - Mexican Pot Roast in Soft Tacos

Two year's ago - Pizza con Proscuitto Coto

Big Beautiful Burgers Again

School's out on the best way to make burgers. There’s differing opinions as to how to prep the meat, whether it be ground beef, pork, veal, chicken, Italian sausage or any combination thereof.

Some just spice it up with grill seasoning and/or garlic powder, salt and pepper, and form it into patties (that’s how Big Guy does it). Then there’s decisions to be made as to the size and thickness of the patties, whether to stuff the cheese inside or put it on top and what kind of bun to use never mind whether to toast it, steam it or serve it naked out of the wrapper.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Personally, I don’t think there’s a wrong or a right way to make ‘em, I just know  I’d rather have a burger than a steak, although I live with a guy that begs to differ. Last night’s burger extravaganza included 80/20 ground beef mixed, combined with Italian bread crumbs, dry onion soup mix, various spices and an egg and water to bind and moisten because when I make ‘em, I like ‘em that way. I formed the patties into a thinner patty each consisting of a half cup of beefy goodness, then Big Guy took over.

He cooked them outside on a flat top grill and the patties ended up crispy, crunchy and yummy on the outside, moist and tender inside. Stacked in pairs on a grilled bun topped with mayo, blue cheese crumbles  and some of the bacon, onion and beer jam Big Guy cooked up a couple of days ago, it was enough to make the golden arches weep with envy.

In case you’re wondering, we’re prepping ourselves for the shock of leaving the lovely Oregon coast to return to the desert. Needless to say the euphoric moods enjoyed the past 3 weeks are a little less euphoric, in fact we’re all kinda’ quiet…down in the dumps if you really want to know the truth. We’ve had a blast visiting old haunts, walking the beaches and generally enjoying a place that’s really become our second home; however, yesterday was a day that needs to go down in history as a first!

You see, the owners of our lovely little Rose Cottage have a garden that just doesn’t quit and shared some fresh and I mean FRESH snow peas with us yesterday. If you’re a regular to this site, you’ll remember that Big Guy doesn’t do peas in any way, shape or form but yesterday he finally saw the light and ate a plateful, simply washed and uncooked. He says a guy'll eat anything if he's starving and I say maybe so, but why'd he look so darn happy while he was doing it if he didn't like it? Just sayin'. 

Beefy Onion Burgers (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 pounds 80/20 ground beef

1 envelope dry onion soup mix (I used Lipton)

1/2 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Montreal grill seasoning

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 egg

2/3 cup water

Combine ingredients together and form into patties, using a half cup per patty. Refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes to blend flavors and firm up patties. Cook on a flat top grill until crispy outside and medium inside (about 3 minutes per side). Serve on warmed hamburger buns with toppings of your choice. Makes 10 thin patties.

 

Braised Oxtails in Red Wine

There’s nothing quite like braising meat low and slow in the oven when the weather’s cool and a misty rain is falling. That was our excuse yesterday although I’ll admit we got peeks of sunshine throughout the day. It’s one of the reasons I love the Oregon coast so much – if you get tired of the weather, just wait a minute because sure as shootin’ it’s going to change.

I know we’ve been doing a lot of braising this month while we’ve been here at the beach but we’re just taking advantage of being here because back in Tucson where we live during the rest of the year it’s salad weather now.

As for the oxtails – considered by many to be merely a vehicle for making a pot of soup or stock, Big Guy has a fondness for this particular preparation that calls for the larger pieces braised in a vegetable laden red wine concoction and finished at the very end with a splash of cognac or brandy. Actually, I would have used some of his Knob Creek bourbon had he not been standing right beside me at the time. The richly flavored tender meaty morsels of the tail end of the bovine are perfect done this way; however, if eating this particular part of the animal gives you shivers just substitute short ribs but be sure to choose some that have the bones in them because that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from.

Served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, in our case loaded with horseradish and black pepper because we’re on a horseradish kick, along with a side of newly harvested locally grown carrots, it was truly the perfect dish for a perfect finish to another perfect day. You see, we happen to be entertaining “our” sweet Sophia, a true bonus that’s come into our lives as a result of the last ten years spent in Tucson. A former student of Big Guy’s, we couldn’t love her more if she were our own daughter …and that’s the honest truth.

Oxtails Braised in Red Wine (Adapted from Gourmet)

One 750 ml bottle good Bordeaux or Burgundy

2.5 pounds oxtails

Flour for dredging

Salt & pepper

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 shallots

6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 medium carrots

2 medium leeks (white part only)

1 medium onion

3 small celery ribs with leaves

3 fresh thyme sprigs

3 bay leaves

1 bunch parsley stems

2 cans beef consomme’

Preheat oven to 325. Place wine in a heavy saucepan and reduce by half. Trim oxtails and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Heat butter in a heavy Dutch oven and brown floured oxtails over medium high heat. Remove from pot and set aside. Coarsely chop vegetables and add to pot and cook over moderately low heat until just softened. Place browned oxtails over vegetables, add wine, herbs and consommé to cover oxtails. Bring to a boil, then place in oven and cook covered for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove lid from pot 30 minutes prior to finish to reduce liquid. If necessary you may thicken sauce with a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch to quarter cup of water). Stir in brandy or cognac just before serving. Serves 4 people.

 

Whole Stuffed Cabbage

Just because you’ve got yourself a cabbage that’s on the miniscule side doesn’t mean you can’t have cabbage rolls. Granted it’s a lot easier to make the things when you’re working with large cabbage leaves, but we found such a gorgeous little head of cabbage at the market on Saturday, I figured I’d think outside the box and stuff the whole thing. 

I cut around the core and steamed the leaves off the same as you would when making the rolled version then dried off the leaves and placed them into a small bowl, weaving them together like they were when God made the original head of cabbage.

I filled the inside of the bowl with stuffing consisting of sautéed onion and garlic, ground beef, and cooked rice spiced up with garlic powder, Herbs de Provence, salt and lots of pepper. Bound together with a couple of eggs, I packed it all in much like a giant meatball, then placed the rest of the cabbage leaves on top and folded the outer cabbage layers over that. Then I tied the whole thing up into a ball with string to keep it all together.

Placed in a casserole dish on a bed of rinsed and well drained sauerkraut and topped with tomato sauce along with a can of Rotel, it hit the oven for an hour and 15 minutes. It went into the oven looking list this ...

...and ended up looking like this!

Garnished with a dollop of Daisy, it tasted even better than I imagined and you all know me - I’m my own worse critic but I sure as heck couldn’t think of anything wrong to say about this experiment.   By the way, my version’s inspired by a recipe from Elise at Simply Recipes for pork filled cabbage rolls that we had here before so hit this link and follow the trail to Elise’s site.

Whole Stuffed Cabbage (inspired by a Simply Recipes)

1 small whole green cabbage (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup cooked rice

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1 large jar sauerkraut

1 -8 ounce can tomato sauce

3/4 cup water

1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

Sour cream as garnish

Fill a pot big enough to hold the head of cabbage with boiling water and heat over medium high heat. Remove any damaged outer leaves from cabbage and cut around the core. Place in boiling water, cover pot and steam to loosen leaves. Remove cabbage from water and remove leaves as they loosen. Arrange leaves in a bowl, overlapping them to cover bottom and sides, using the bowl as a mold. Return cabbage to boiling water and repeat process until you’ve used up all the leaves. Set some aside to cover the top of the cabbage once it is stuffed.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat and sauté onion and garlic until onion has softened. Cool slightly and place into a large bowl. Add ground beef, rice, eggs, paprika, salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence and mix together well to combine. Pile the meat mixture into the cabbage lined bowl, packing it in and rounding the top slightly like a giant meatball. Place reserved cabbage leaves on top, then fold over sides of cabbage leaves to cover top. Flip the whole thing out of the bowl and tie tightly with kitchen twine so it stays together as it cooks.

Preheat oven to 350. Empty sauerkraut into a colander and rinse well under running water. Squeeze water out of sauerkraut and place into bottom of a large casserole dish with a cover. Place tied stuffed cabbage on top of sauerkraut. Top with tomato sauce, water and Rotel. Cover casserole and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

When cooked, remove string from cabbage and cut into wedges. Serve on sauerkraut tomato mixture and garnish with sour cream. Makes 6 servings.

 

Welcome To Rose Cottage

As I write this, it is early morning and Big Guy’s off on his first clamming expedition. Max is sleeping on the sofa wrapped in his favorite fleece blanket, Finnigan’s gone back to bed wrapped in the feather duvet and here I sit in the bay window of the dining room looking out over a perfectly beautiful garden and the endless sky filled with cotton batting clouds kissed by the early morning sun. What can I say …surely I’m in heaven. Welcome to Rose Cottage. Are we lucky or what?

Located at Ona Beach about half way between Waldport and Newport, our little home for the month is a miniature palace. In fact, I have to pinch myself ( Big Guy’s already done it for me) because there’s absolutely nothing and I mean nothing that we don’t love about it.  Light filled, warm and truly comfortable with a lovely ocean peek from the living room, it sits high on a bluff in a neighborhood filled with incredibly warm and welcoming people.  It’s cozy, comfortable and most important; the kitchen’s very well equipped and definitely big enough for all of us.

We broke it in last night as we shared our traditional first meal at the beach with fellow blogger Lorraine from Figs and Artichokes. That's her in the pic with Big Guy...go visit her site now ya' hear. It's fabulous!

Now, if you’re a blogger you’ll understand me when I say there’s a sisterhood that develops over time in the food blogging community and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to make some fantastic friendships thanks to this thing I call a hobby.

While Lorraine and I had met only briefly last year in person, we’ve spent the past 365 days getting to know each other so when she arrived for dinner last night bearing a huge beautiful basket of wines, cheese and incredible locally smoked salmon and bacon (stupid me, I forgot to take a pic) it was as if greeting a long lost sista’ from anotha’ motha’ if you know what I mean.  We’re so blessed but enough or I’ll get all gushy.

As for dinner, our  menu included a simple salad of mixed greens, dried cranberries, crunchy almonds, creamy goat’s cheese and a purchased raspberry vinaigrette followed by our traditional first real cookin’ night entrée of 5 Hour Stew. Of course we got talking and I forgot to take a picture of the main course, but here’s the one from last year …oh and the year before too. Served on a bed of creamy horseradish mashed potatoes – it was a perfect way to initiate a new to us stove to fill the air with delicious smells and warm the soul of our little cottage.

Dessert  was simply a plum kuchen made with huge and incredibly tart red plums in one of our favorite sweet treats. We’ve made it here before; however, I had to do some quick thinkin’ and substituted sour cream for the heavy whipping cream the recipe asks for – so here’s last night’s “new” version. As you can see, it was crunchy on the bottom – or would have been if most of it hadn’t stuck to the pan…. But the creamy custard filling and crumbly top were darn near perfect. Along with a scoop of Umpqua’s finest vanilla, it was a tart, not too sweet and every bit satisfying end to a laughter filled evening.

Incidentally – as I mentioned yesterday the only thing missing at this perfect little place is internet service so posting won’t be as regular as it is the other 11 months of the year. Keep checking in though, OK because while you might be able to pry  JBug away from her computer, you sure as heck can’t keep her out of the kitchen.

Easy Five Hour Beef Stew (adapted from Slicing, Hooking & Cooking, Jackie Eddy)

2 to 3 pounds good quality stewing meat (I use chuck)

Flour, black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 large carrots, sliced

2 cans golden mushroom soup

1 cup red wine, plus more if needed

1 package dried onion soup mix

Cut meat into 1-1/2 inch cubes. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper. Dredge in flour and sauté in large Dutch oven until well browned. Work in batches so pan isn’t crowded and meat browns well. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add onions and garlic to casserole and cook until onions are softened. Scrape browned bits from bottom as onions cook. Add carrots, mushroom soup, red wine and dried onion soup mix. Return meat to pot and stir well to make sure meat is well coated with liquid. Cover pot and cook in 275 oven for 5 to 6 hours. Check pot after 3 hours to make sure there is enough liquid and add more red wine if needed. Serves 4 to 6.

Plum Kuchen

1 cup sugar

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces

6 large red or black plums, cut in half and pit removed

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup half and half

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla                                                                  

Whisk together sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder until well mixed. Add cubed butter and using a pastry blender or your fingers, rub butter into dry ingredients until crumbly. Reserve 2/3 cup of mixture then press remaining crumbs into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes until slightly golden in color.

Remove kuchen from the oven and maintain oven temperature. Place plums cut side down onto par baked crust. Beat together egg, sour cream, half and half and vanilla until well mixed.  Pour custard mixture over top of plus and sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.  Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until custard has set and top is golden brown. Cool to room temperature before serving.

 

BBQ Beef Chili

My apologies to my regular readers but there's nothing even close to being inspired coming from JBug's Kitchen at the moment. I'm trying to get the freezer contents down to a bare minimum so our house sitter doesn't have to worry about it next month in case the power goes out for any length of time as is normal during monsoon season. At least the freezer losses will be minimal.

One of my foraging finds was a 3 pound chunk of barbecued beef the Big Guy cooked up for our big party in May and since he's nutso about our chili created from leftover beef, he was a happy camper last night when he saw the big pot of red on the stove.

Hit the link and it'll take you to our original post, but in case you'd rather not read about chili created from leftovers that includes lots of onions, garlic, tomatoes, beef consomme and beer, never mind a good amount of barbecue sauce, I've re-posted the recipe below.  Just remember you can make a pot of this anytime you've leftover meat and that doesn't mean it has to be beef either. Try it with chicken, turkey or pork and I guarantee you'll be really happy with the outcome.

Incidentally, I added another can of tomatoes to the pot along with a little more beer because I had a lot more meat in this pot of chili than I usually do, never mind that I only had 1 can of beans in the pantry;  however, there were no complaints coming from the resident carnivore. None, nada, zilch...no siree!

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking 

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

10 ounces of beef stock or a can of beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno, lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Cornbread with Pancetta and Beef and Chorizo Chili 

Two year's ago - Tres Leches

Crispy Dogs - a new kinda' corndog

Big Guy took me out to our favorite restaurant last night - The Parish. I've bragged about this place several times but I'm going to say it all again, so hear me out OK? If you're lucky enough to live in Tucson or unlucky depending on your point of view since the heat's arrived along with monsoon season, then The Parish is the perfect place to go to cool off and drown your sorrows or celebrate. 

Their menu contains an eclectic mix of Louisiana style food with a modern twist and there's not a bad thing on it. From incredible tennis ball sized crawfish hushpuppies to dead on perfect gumbo to a blue rare blackened steak salad that Big Guy enjoyed immensely last night to their crunchie bacon popcorn, I've yet to see a plate return to the kitchen or see an unhappy customer.

The atmosphere's fabulous, the staff fun to be around and the Owner's are a constant welcoming presence and sincerely want everyone to have a great experience. Oh, the beer on tap's pretty darn special too and we've yet to try their homemade infused spirits, but hey, we'll be going back so there's plenty of time for that.

If you live here or you'll be visiting, you've got to go. They paid me nothing for this review and barely know we exist except that we met Bryce one of the Owner's last night, so take me at my word - from an incredibly discriminating foodie, this place rocks. 

Now, on to a JBug's kitchen antic for the day. I saw these crispy dogs on Homesick Texan and knew we had to give 'em a try. I mean Big Guy'd rather have a tube steak than a filet mignon so I knew he'd be happy and I'm good to try anything as long as it's a good quality "dog". 

Simply a weiner (we used Hebrew National 97 percent fat free), sliced in the middle and loaded with cheddar, then wrapped in a warmed corn tortilla and fried, they're so darn easy to make I kinda' wonder why we didn't think about it ourselves. 

More important, they're absolutely addictively delicious and a fabulous lunch or perfect summertime snacker. We had our crispy corn doggies along with some of the avocado dip we had the other day and some purchased salsa. 

Head on over to Homesick Texan for the more info on the "how to's" and here's the link to our Guacamole Dip. 

A year ago - Chicken Mushroom Lasagna with Bechamel 

Two year's ago - Biba's Bolognese with Risotto