The Ulitmate Beef Stew

Okay I'm trying to get back into Meal Planning.  Since I was surprised in November and took over as PTA President I have let Family Dinners slide.  Then our Church hosted a big event titled "Rescuing Dinner" with the Food Nanny speaking about the importance of Family Dinner.  I already knew it but I was recommitted to get back into Weekly Food Planning.  Cooking a Family Dinner makes me feel whole.   I LOVE the time around the dinner.  I'm sick of fast food.  I hate eating at those fast food places because there are always televisions and it's hard to carry a family conversation.  We don't have cable in our home anymore and our TV is in our bedroom so it's not a focal point in our home.  So why do we frequent these places with TV's everywhere that only serve as a distraction for face to face conversation?  Lazinesss.

Okay so the first meal of the new week was requested by Charlie ... Beef Stew.  So I borrowed from a few recipes, especially Tyler Florence and came up with this.  TASTY.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more to drizzle
3 tablespoons butter
2 - 3 lbs beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Worcestershire
1 bottle good quality dry red wine

8 fresh thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 orange, zest

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups chopped onions

2 Tbs tomato paste
1 pound white mushrooms, cut in 1/2

1 bag of frozen fire roasted corn
1/2 pound garden peas frozen or fresh

mashed potatoes
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Horseradish Sour Cream, recipe follows, for garnish

With hot olive oil in a large stock pot brown the beef chunks with salt and pepper, and a little wine and Worcestershire Sauce.  Remove from pot and then sautee the onions in the leftover oil.  Add the thyme and the rest of the wine after about 10 minutes.  Add the rest of the wine, stock, orange and simmer for a few hours.  About an hour before I added the carrots and mushrooms.  I added the peas just about 30 minutes before we ate.  

Meanwhile prepare the mashed potatoes to your liking.  Serve with the potatoes in the bowl first and poor the stew over it.  Serve immediately or the mashed potatoes will dissolve and it doesn't look that pretty.  

Now I didn't find the Horseradish Sour Cream until just now but it sounds awesome!  So I'm going to try it later!

Horseradish Sour Cream

1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chives, finely chopped, as garnish

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-beef-stew-recipe2.html?oc=linkback

French Onion Soup

This was our Christmas Eve Soup.  Soooo good.

5 sweet onions (like Vidalias) or a combination of sweet and red onions (about 4 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white wine (a nice a fruity one)
10 ounces canned beef consume
10 ounces chicken broth
10 ounces apple cider (unfiltered is best)
Bouquet garni; thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley tied together with kitchen string

Garlic

Garlic salt

1 loaf of sourdough bread chopped up

olive oil
Kosher salt 

Pepper

1 cup Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated

Just cook those onions for a good half hour or more.  Get them nice browned.  Great time to clean up your kitchen while stirring these occasionally.  

Turn the sourdough bread into toasted croutons.  Sprinkle with olive oil and cook for 10 minutes or so at 400 until they look a little toasty.

A Little Bit of Everything Soup

I walked into Trader Joes recently and asked one of the produce guys … what do I want to make for dinner?  Without hesitation he said, "go ask "so-and-so" he just made us this awesome soup yesterday for just the staff.  It was SOOOO good."

So I took what he said and embellished it and he was right!

Ingredients

chicken
basil
olive oil
leeks
bell peppers
onions
parmesan
cream
pineapple

bok choy
jalapeños
chicken stock
lemon pepper
smoked sweet paprika

Those are the basic ingredients. Grill the chicken in a big soup pot until it is nice crisp.  Then take it out of the pan and put in a separate bowl.  Use that same pot with all the good chicken greece in it simmer the leeks, onions and bell peppers for about 10 minutes until nice and translucent.

Then add the cream and parmesan until nice and thick.  I used about 2 cups of cream and about 2 cups of parmesan.   Add the pineapple and chopped bok choy.  Stir in the chicken stock and however much jalapeño you can handle.  The smoked sweet paprika is what made the soup for me.  My new favorite ingredient. Found at Sur La Table.

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I combined a few recipes and added a few things of my own, and this is what I came up with. It was spectacular!  The saffron was perfect.

2-3 Tbs olive oil
3 cups of diced onions
4 cups of chicken stock
4 cups of fresh tomatoes
large pinch of saffron
salt and pepper to taste
chili powder (as much as your taste buds can handle)
couple shakes of paprika
1/2 cup wild rice or orzo
1 cup heavy cream

Saute the onions in the olive oil for 15 minutes or so.  Chop the tomatoes up in a blender along with the sauteed onions.  I like a little bit of chunk in mine.  Pour back into your pot and add the spices.

Cook the 1/2 cup rice in 1 cup of the chicken broth for about 10 minutes.  Then pour into the soup and wait another 20 minutes or so as it heats up.  Add the cream last and enjoy.

You can serve with either Gruyere shredded on top or make your own grilled cheese.  Here is my favorite way to make it.

Grilled Cheese

Butter both sides of the outside of the sandwich and grate fresh parmesan onto both sides.  It crisps up the sandwich beautifully.  Then shred some gruyere on the inside and grill it up.  Perfection.

Clam Chowder

This is my mom's classic.

Clam Chowder

2 6 ½ ounce cans clams
1 cup minced onions
1 cup chopped celery
2+ cups of potatoes
¼ cup of butter
1 quart of half and half (must use =)
1 ½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
¾ cups of flour if you want it thicker

Pour clam juice over onion, celery and potatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Start with one can and add more juice if  desired.

Stir in butter, half and half, salt and pepper.

Add in clams, but do not over cook clams (no one likes them chewy)

Serve in a bread bowl on a beautifully decorated table done by your daughter and enjoy.

Kathie's Tortilla Soup

We make this for our Youth Committee mtgs at church. I like the green version for a change too. I think I'll add olives next time and a bit more rice.

6 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Chopped Onion

2 cans Ortega Chilies

1/2 Cup Rice

2 Cups Chicken

4 tsp Cumin

Fresh Lime Juice

In large pan combine: Broth, onion, chilies, rice, chicken and cumin.

Bring to a boil and cook until onions' are soft.

Right before serving add the LIME juice.

In bowls on the table:

Cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocados, onions, sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Butternut Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons

I went to NYC a week ago. We had lunch at Bouchon. I was told I couldn't leave without getting the Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. But when I saw the special of the day was Butternut Squash Soup, I caved. I'm glad I did. The Tomato Soup was lacking and I may a way better grilled cheese. (Perhaps I should post that sometime.)

So I'm home now and desperately had to recreate their Butternut. It was all vegetables. No cream! Can you believe it? Although, again, I caved in my version. I viewed several recipes who tried to mimic Bouchon and this is what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbs butter
1 butternut squash
2 leeks
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbs parsley
2 Tbs sage
4 ish cups of chicken stock
3 Tbs honey
1 ish cups of heavy cream
1-2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

375 degrees. Cook the butternut squash until you can stick a knife cleanly into it. About 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile melt the butter and simmer the onions and leeks for about 10 minutes. Peel the squash and cut into chunks. Add to the pot along with the chopped parsley, sage and garlic. Let simmer on low. After about 10 minutes add the stock and cumin.

Blend it well.

Just before you serve it add the cream.

GRUYERE CROUTONS

8 slices sourdough bread cut into small chunks
olive oil
gruyere

Place the bread chunks on a silpat with some olive oil - just enough to cut most of them. Toast them at 350 in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until lightly toasted. then sprinkle gruyere and toast for another 3 minutes.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Red Beet Chips

Okay sometimes a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do. I know it's usually Pizza and Movie night on Friday night like tonight, but we've had two birthday parties in two days and one more tomorrow where I'm sure pizza will be served once again. So I broke tradition more than 100% and went with an absolute kid un-favorite.

But knowing their little bellies were plenty filled on cupcakes, tootsie rolls, peanut butter cups and juice boxes, I had no problem serving this soup, knowing they wouldn't eat it. At least they were extra ready for bed after coming down rapidly off of their sugar high. =)

But as for me, I thought this soup was heavenly. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. It is rich and smooth and a very full flavor. My cousin gave this recipe to me over a year ago. (The same cousin who once tried out for America's Next Top Chef.) It was time I gave it a try.

(And just so you know, tonight I just made the soup and not the beet chips or the fancy floret toppers. Come on! I've got three little kids. Never enough time.)

CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP with RED BEET CHIPS
(adapted from Keller’s “Ad Hoc”)

1 head of cauliflower
2 T butter
3/4 cup chopped yellow onions
1/8 tsp curry powder
kosher salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 + 1/2 cups water

peanut oil for frying beet chips
1 beet
1 tsp white vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground

Make the soup….
Remove the leaves and core of the cauliflower, separate about 1 cup of good-looking florets, not larger than a quarter, and reserve them. Chop the rest of the cauliflower in chunks of similar size. Melt 1.5 T of butter in a large saucepan, add the chopped onions, curry powder, and cauliflower, sprinkle 1 tsp salt, and cover. Cover the saucepan with its regular lid, cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower starts to get tender.

Add milk, cream, and water to the pan, and simmer for 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender, and blend until fully smooth. Adjust the seasoning.

Make the red beet chips….
Peel the beet (wear gloves) and make paper-thin slices using a mandoline. Ideally, you want to use only nice, full circles (good luck!). Heat the peanut oil (about 1 inch of oil in a deep pan), and once it is hot but not smoking, add a few beet rounds. Fry them until they stop bubbling hard, it should take a little over 1 minute. Place them on a baking sheet over paper towels, seasoning with a little salt right after frying. If needed, keep them warm in a 200F oven.

Cook the reserved florets….
Bring some salted water to a boil, add the teaspoon of vinegar, and cook the reserved florets until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain them. Right before serving, melt the remaining 1/2 T butter in a small pan and allow it to get dark golden. Watch it carefully, because burned butter is nasty, and tastes bitter. Once the butter is turning a nice golden brown, add the florets and saute them until golden too.

Serve the soup….
If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little water. Ladle it into a bowl, add some cauliflower florets in the center, and a few beet chips on top. Serve more florets and chips alongside.

Chicken Verde Stew and Hominy

I was sick the other day. My friend said that if she lived closer she would make me this stew for me. So since I was feeling better that day I went to the grocery store and bought it all and made it. Tasty.

Ingredients

• 2 Anaheim chiles
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups chicken broth
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 (29-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
• 6 tablespoons sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Halve, stem, and seed chiles. Place chiles, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil for 5 minutes or until charred. Let stand for 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Arrange tomatillos on prepared baking sheet, and broil 14 minutes or until blackened, turning once. Combine the chiles, tomatillos, 1/4 cup cilantro, cumin, and oregano in a blender. Add 1 cup broth; process until smooth.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper; sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour; sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Place onion mixture in a large bowl.

4. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of chicken; sauté 3 minutes. Add browned chicken to onion mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and 2 teaspoons oil. Combine remaining 1 cup broth, tomatillo mixture, onion mixture, and hominy in pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Ladle 1 2/3 cups stew into each of 6 bowls, and top each with 1 tablespoon sour cream. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

YUM! Last week I helped host a lunch for the teachers at our school. We made this soup from The famed Barefoot Contessa. YUM! I added a few changes like eliminating water and adding much cream. I tried the original way which was still good. But Oooooh I like it my way muuuuch better.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (about 3)
2-4 Tbs curry
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples (4 apples)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2ish cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups of apple juice or cider

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper to the pot. Cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Blend it all together in my favorite VitaMix.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough cream to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

African Tomato & Peanut Soup

This was a Nadia find back from my Rochester days. It's a very full soup and I looooove it.

1 Tbs canola oil
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground corriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
3 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can)
2 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes
1 carrot coarsely chopped
4 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne
2 Tbs peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped dry roasted unsalted peanuts
1 Tbs chopped cilantro

Brown the onion in the oil. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Dump into a blender and puree. Return to large cooking pot. Add water, salt, cayenne and peanut butter and bring to a boil. Serve and top with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Mmmmm mmm.

Carrot Soup

For Valentine's Charlie and I went to a couples cooking class at Sur La Table. It was heavenly. We made a Carrot Soup that was perfect. Although it wasn't in our recipe packet. So I used this one from Cooks Illustrated. Thank you!!!! Soooo good.

Carrot Soup

2	tablespoons unsalted butter , or the same amount of vegetable or olive oil
1	medium onion , 3 medium shallots, or 1 medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
2	tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
1 1/2	pounds carrots (about 8 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin (about 4 cups)
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth or low-sodium vegetable broth
1	teaspoon table salt
	ground white pepper
	pinch ground nutmeg
1 - 1 1/4	cups whole milk
2	teaspoons minced fresh tarragon , mint, chives, or parsley

1. Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add sherry and carrots; stir constantly and cook until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, salt, pepper to taste, and nutmeg to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Ladle carrot mixture into blender. Add 1 cup milk; blend until very smooth. Return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. (Soup can be refrigerated for 3 days and reheated just before serving.

4. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with minced herb and serve immediately.

Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup

Another winner from Abundant Harvest Organics. Too bad I just canceled my weekly delivery with them. A 30 minute round trip visit on a Saturday morning with just a 30 minute window to arrive at the truck was just not working for us every week as a family. Soooo I found Farm Fresh To You and am hoping to get their weekly deliveries to my doorstep starting next week. BUT I will gladly keep my door open to Abundant Harvest if they ever have a delivery site closer to home.

ANYWaaaaay... to quote my husband while he was dishing his second bowl, "You've outdone yourself! This soup is Rockin'. And this is HEALTHY for you??? Seriously, this is right up there with your Wedding Soup. I don't know how you do it." =)

Serve with Garlic Toast ... slice toast and butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt and dried parsley. Heat in the oven at 450 for a few minutes until lightly browned. Mmmmm mmm ... that makes goooooood dipping toast.

Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup

• 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled & finely chopped
• 1 medium celery stalk
  
• 1 leek finely chopped
• 1 ½ tsp rosemary
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch kale, center ribs removed, and leaves chopped
• 1 ½ tsp cider vinegar
• ½ lb Italian sausage, cut into bite size pieces (optional)

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery or leek, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften. Add tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the broth, beans, kale. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer gently until vegetables are tender. Heat remaining oil in pan with Italian sausage. When browned and cooked through add to soup, stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Black Bean Soup

Oooooh so good. Anything with Cilantro, I'm sold. This recipe came from Cooks Illustrated. A favorite Recipe source.

I used the Trader Joe's 1 lb bag of various beans. Still wonderful. But remember beans cook unevenly. So test each bean before you're sure it's done. If it is too thick on leftovers day, just add more chicken broth when reheating.

Ingredients

Beans
1	pound dried black beans (2 cups), rinsed and picked over
4	ounces ham steak , trimmed of rind
2	bay leaves
5	cups water
1/8	tsp baking soda
1	tsp salt
Soup
3	tsp olive oil
2	large onions , chopped fine (about 3 cups)
1	large carrot , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
3	ribs celery , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1/2	tsp salt
5 - 6	medium cloves garlic , minced (about 1 1/2 Tbs)
1/2	tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2	Tbs ground cumin
6	cups chicken broth
2	Tbs cornstarch
2	Tbs water
2	Tbs lime juice
Garnishes
	lime wedges
	minced fresh cilantro leaves
	red onion , finely diced
	avocado , diced medium
	sour cream

Instructions

1. FOR THE BEANS: Place beans, ham, bay, water, and baking soda in large saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Bring to boil over medium-high heat; using large spoon, skim scum as it rises to surface. Stir in salt, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer briskly until beans are tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (if necessary, add another 1 cup water and continue to simmer until beans are tender); do not drain beans. Discard bay. Remove ham steak (ham steak darkens to color of beans), cut into 1/4-inch cubes, and set aside.

2. FOR THE SOUP: Heat oil in 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add onions, carrot, celery, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, pepper flakes, and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in beans, bean cooking liquid, and chicken broth. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 30 minutes.

3. TO FINISH THE SOUP: Ladle 1 1/2 cups beans and 2 cups liquid into food processor or blender, process until smooth, and return to pot. Stir together cornstarch and water in small bowl until combined, then gradually stir about half of cornstarch mixture into soup; bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, to fully thicken. If soup is still thinner than desired once boiling, stir remaining cornstarch mixture to recombine and gradually stir mixture into soup; return to boil to fully thicken. Off heat, stir in lime juice and reserved ham; ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately, passing garnishes separately.