Beef Stew

Beef stew just screams "comfort food" to me. I'm not sure why, but I haven't made it in years. I stumbled across this particular recipe on Allrecipes.com about a month ago and it was to die for! The beef literally melted in your mouth and the vegetables remained slightly crisp...far from being overcooked. When I've made beef stew in the past, I've found the meat to be rather dry and tough and the vegetables to be mushy. I read through a great number of the reviews, prior to making it, and I did take a few suggestions, in addition to tweaking it a bit on my own. The original recipe did call for 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed, but my family prefers it served over mashed potatoes, so we omitted them in the stew. If you prefer to add them while cooking, they would be added to the pot the same time as the other veggies. As written, this recipe should easily feed 5-6 people.

1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 lbs cubed stew meat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
32 oz beef broth (or 4 beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in 4 cups water)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces (or 1 lb baby carrots)
6 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons cold water

Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper and onion powder in large ziploc bag or bowl. Add cubed stew meat and shake to coat.

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Add beef broth to pot. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.

Stir carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 4 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer 1 hour more.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Classic Hamburgers and Crash Hot Potatoes

The summer is winding up and I just could not resist making grilled hamburgers at least one more time! This recipe comes from a cooking magazine that I recently won in a giveaway...there are SO many wonderful recipes--thank you again, Lynda!!! We're having some "grill issues", so the hamburgers did get a tad bit charred on the outside, but they were still really good and actually were a little too rare on the inside...I hate to admit this, but we actually just stuck them in the microwave for a minute! I kept trying to decide what to serve with them (in addition to corn on the cob) and as I was looking through my refrigerator, I came across about 8 good-sized red potatoes that I needed to use. I went in search of a recipe and found this recipe for "Crash Hot Potatoes" on For the Love of Cooking. Pam has absolutely wonderful recipes on her blog--I've never been disappointed by anything I've tried! The potatoes were a little too "grown up" for my 4 year old and 17 month old, but my husband and I really liked them.

Classic Hamburgers

1 pound ground round
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, minced (about 3/4 cup)
1 large egg white (I used the whole egg)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
4 slices Provolone cheese (*my addition*)
4 lettuce leaves
4 slices red onion, separated into rings
8 thin slices tomato
4 whole wheat kaiser rolls, split (or your "roll of choice")

Directions:

Prepare grill. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Shape into 4 (1/4 inch thick) patties---(I actually increased the ingredients and made them closer to 1/3 - 1/2 pound each!).

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. (Add cheese last couple of minutes, optional!)

Top hamburger with lettuce, onion and tomato...and any other condiments you so desire!


Crash Hot Potatoes

12-15 baby red potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. Place on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray or drizzled with olive oil. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and with a potato masher, gently smash each potato. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper (I also added a Rosemary Garlic Seasoning that I had from Sam's Club!).

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Eat plain or top with a little sour cream and green onions. (I didn't have any green onions, so I actually sprinkled them with chives).

Source: Cooking Light Healthy Summer Grilling and For the Love of Cooking

Breakfast Potatoes

I made these potatoes as part of my husband's birthday breakfast last Saturday and everyone seemed to really enjoy them! My husband is a big "breakfast fan"--much unlike myself! He's all about having a breakfast complete with eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, biscuits, etc, whereas I'm content just having a bagel and coffee :) Since it was "his day", I wanted to make it as special as possible, so I prepared all of the above components--minus the sausage, because I thought that might be overkill! There's really nothing particularly fancy about these potatoes--just a simple, quick recipe!

Breakfast Potatoes

5-6 red potatoes, diced
1 stick butter (or margarine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons onion powder
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Melt butter and oil on medium-high heat in 12 inch skillet. Add potatoes, garlic and onion powder and stir to coat. Generously season with Kosher salt and pepper. Stir frequently until tender, brown and crispy--approximately 20 minutes.

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Chicken Francese, Buttery Garlic Potatoes and Garlic Green Beans

Today is my husband's 30th birthday...now I no longer have to listen to all of his little digs about my age! We're only about 8 months apart, but I happen to be the older one, so he's always teasing me--especially because he knew I had a rough time with turning 30 :) Having two small kids and no babysitter makes it a bit rough to plan an evening out, so I decided that I would plan a nice, romantic fondue dinner for tonight (after the kids go to bed) and I made this meal last night in honor of his birthday. The chicken recipe is from Donna (My Tasty Treasures) blog and as usual, this recipe was fantastic! It reminded me a lot of a lemon chicken recipe that I have made in the past, but it did slightly vary and I really enjoyed it for a "change of pace". I was extremely "iffy" about the potatoes--I kept looking at the recipe and knew that the ingredients sounded wonderful, but never before have I made potatoes in the microwave...other than when I just start baked potatoes in the microwave, but they inevitably end up in the oven to crisp up a bit. I thought the flavor was outstanding and I didn't mind in the least bit that they weren't prepared in the oven--they would be perfect for a quick weeknight meal! The green beans weren't really a formal recipe...I just kind of played with them until I got them right!

Chicken Francese

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs (I only used 2 and had plenty left)
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon with rind, cut in thin rounds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flat chopped leaf parsley (I forgot to get some, so I used dried)

Directions:

Pound your chicken breasts till they are about ¼ inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter, season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Dredge both sides of chicken in flour mixture, and then dip them in the egg wash. Let it coat completely. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Until golden, turning once. Remove cutelts to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, and lemon juice, and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Roll the butter in some flour and add to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce. Stir to incorporate and dissolve the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and returnt he chicken to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.



Buttery Garlic Potatoes

6 small red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a 2-qt. microwave-safe dish. In a small bowl, combine the butter, seasoned salt, paprika, parsley and garlic; pour over potatoes and toss to coat.

Microwave, uncovered, on high for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently.

Source: Taste of Home



Garlic Green Beans

1 pound fresh, washed, trimmed green beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 - 3/4 cup finely chopped vidalia onion
2 garlic cloves, minced (I tend to use a bit more garlic when I cook! We can never have too much garlic!!!)
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Steam green beans to desired tenderness (approximately 10-12 minutes). While beans are steaming, add oil and butter to a skillet on medium-high. When butter melts, add garlic and onion and saute until onion becomes tender. Add cooked beans to the skillet and stir to coat. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Onion Roasted Potatoes

I've spent a LOT of time looking through my cookbooks recently, trying to come up with new ideas. Both of these recipes come from a cookbook that was put together for me as part of my bridal shower gift. My Mom and sister enclosed recipe cards in my bridal shower invitations and requested that each guest share some of their favorite recipes. I had two bridal showers and received two separate cookbooks...both filled with countless recipes from my family and friends. This chicken recipe was from one of my Mom's friends from college and it was incredible!!! I couldn't get over how moist and flavorful it was. Whole chickens really do intimidate me, but this is definitely worth making. The potato recipe was given to me by one of my grandmother's close friends and they, too, were delicious! The onion soup mix with the potatoes is a wonderful combination!

Roast Chicken with Lemon

1 whole roasting chicken
Lawry's seasoned salt and pepper
1-2 whole lemons, depending on size

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash chicken in cold water and drain/pat dry. Sprinkle inside and outside with salt and pepper (rub into all areas). Soften lemon(s) by rolling, then prick them all over with a fork and place INSIDE chicken. Put chicken on roasting pan, breast down and bake 15 minutes (no basting needed).

Turn chicken breast side up. Bake another 20 minutes, then turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees. Bake another 30-60 minutes, checking for "doneness" on poultry setting of meat thermometer.

Source: Tricia Smith

Onion Roasted Potatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix
2-3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1/3 cup margarine, melted
garlic powder, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large plastic bag, add all ingredients. Close bag securely and mix until potatoes are evenly coated. Empty potatoes into shallow baking or roasting pan. Discard bag.

Bake, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Source: Shirley F.

BBQ Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes

My husband always used to ask me why I never made meatballs--I guess it was because I don't really remember my Mom making them growing up. I absolutely love meatloaf, so you would think I would have attempted to make meatballs at some point. I think I already mentioned the cookbook I was given as part of my bridal shower gift...well, included was a recipe for meatballs that were to die for! (I'll have to post that recipe in the near future!) Ever since I tried them, I have been in search of other meatball recipes that sounded appealing. I constantly hear people raving about the "Pioneer Woman" and having tried her spicy shredded pork last week, I figured that I couldn't go wrong with this recipe! They were DELICIOUS!!!!!! The Pioneer Woman suggested serving her BBQ Meatballs with egg noodles or mashed potatoes and I, personally, chose to serve mashed potatoes. I've experimented over the years, adding different ingredients/spices, in an attempt to get mine "just right". There's nothing fancy about this recipe...just a classic take on mashed potatoes!


BBQ Meatballs

Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup oats
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons very finely minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
plenty of ground black pepper

Sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
4 to 6 tablespoons onion
Dash of Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

Remove from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty french bread.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Mashed Potatoes

8-10 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine
3/4 cup warm milk (or more, depending on desired consistency)
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt (add more if necessary)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place potatoes in a pan and cover with water. Add 2 teaspoons salt to water and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain well. Add butter and mix with an electric hand mixer (or mash by hand) until blended in. Add warm milk, Kosher salt, garlic powder and pepper. Continue to mix/mash until desired consistency.

Source: Rachel Guajardo (Rachel Vs. The Kitchen)

Oven Roasted Potato Wedges

By now, you've probably realized that it's not a huge secret that my family LOVES potatoes! It probably seems as if we eat them with every meal--well, actually, we likely do! I figured that I would make these potatoes to accompany the chicken that my husband grilled tonight. These would be delicious with most any beef, chicken, pork or fish dish--they have a relatively "delicate" flavor. I did sprinkle some Rosemary Garlic Seasoning in addition to all of the other spices the recipe called for. If you don't have this seasoning, you MUST purchase it the next time you're at Sam's Club...Costco may sell it, too! (It's one of those giant containers of seasoning, made by "Tones"). You can never have too much garlic :)

Oven Roasted Potato Wedges

4 unpeeled baking potatoes (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil or Canola Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Cut potatoes lengthwise into wedges; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with onion, garlic, rosemary, salt if desired and pepper; stir to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 45-50 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Source: The Taste of Home Cookbook (New Revised Edition)

Homemade Garlic and Olive Oil Baked Potato Chips

Who doesn't love potato chips...especially paired with their favorite sandwich?!? I really have been trying to be as conscientious as possible with my cooking and I'm proud to announce that my husband has lost over 20 lbs in the past 8 weeks...23 lbs to be exact :) I hate to sabotage his diet, so I was thrilled when I found this recipe. It comes from "Picky Palate" and I have been anxious to try some of her recipes. This seemed like the perfect opportunity, because I was wanting something to serve with my barbecue pork sandwiches. The chips were SO good...nice and crispy, just like we like them! We didn't mind the least bit that they didn't come from a bag :) Plus, I was SUPER excited to use my mandolin for the first time...talk about a "must have gadget"!!!

Homemade Garlic and Olive Oil Baked Potato Chips

2 large russet potatoes, washed, not peeled
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
few small pinches Kosher salt
small pinch Lawry’s Garlic Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. With a mandolin on the thinnest blade or a sharp knife, slice potatoes into thin slices. Place sliced potatoes on paper towels to gently pat dry. With a pastry brush, very lightly brush the potatoes with extra virgin olive oil. Lightly sprinkle one side of the potatoes with kosher salt and garlic salt. Place seasoned side of potatoes down onto 2 large baking sheets that have been sprayed lightly with cooking spray then do the same to the unseasoned side. Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove and flip each potato. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. If you have one baking sheet on the bottom rack, it will brown a bit faster so watch closely.

Remove chips and place onto a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes to finish crisping, then serve.

(***Watch the chips very carefully when they're in the oven, because they burn pretty easily!***)

Source: Picky Palate

Baked French Fries

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE potatoes?!? I knew I needed some form of potatoes with my baked chicken nuggets and what would be more appropriate than "baked french fries"?!? My son really enjoyed these--they got nice and crisp and had really good flavor. I added some garlic powder and garlic salt to the recipe, so they wouldn't be too bland and they turned out perfectly! Again, another great healthier alternative to fast food!

Baked French Fries

3 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
cooking spray
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet. Arrange potato strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, skin sides down. Spray lightly with cooking spray, and sprinkle with basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Source: Allrecipes

Oven Roasted Potatoes

I LOVE potatoes...baked, mashed, fried---anything "potato"! I was desperately trying to come up with a new side to go with my Garlic Roasted Chicken and I happened to stumble across this recipe. These might go down as my absolute favorite potatoes--my husband couldn't stop raving about them and don't forget...he's SUPER picky! My favorite part about this recipe was that I was able to put all of the spices in my spice rack to use--you know, the ones the "novice cook" like myself have never even opened! I didn't even think I had marjoram on hand, but sure enough, I had an entire little unopened jar! (Of course I still have no idea what it is!) All kidding aside, these potatoes were just bursting with flavor and per my husband's request, they will definitely enter into my "rotation".

Oven Roasted Potatoes

1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.

Roast for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Source: Allrecipes.com