May 15, 2012

Shepherd's Pie


Ingredients
3-4 potatoes mashed with cheddar cheese and bacon inside
olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 carrots
1/4 lb frozen peas
2 lbs beef roast, cubed
1/4 c flour
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp ketchup
3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 box of beef stock
Rosemary
Thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot sautee onion and carrot until softened, then add your garlic. Push to outer edge of pan. Dredge your meat in the flour and salt and pepper mixture. Brown in batches. Add all meat back to pan then add in ketchup, broth, worcestershire, and all spices. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes until thickened. Then spoon into ramekins of a large serving dish. Cover the top with your mashed potato mixture making sure to get it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. Bake your dish 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie
Vegetables.
Shepherd's Pie
Saute.
Shepherd's Pie
Deliciously softened.
Shepherd's Pie
Add your meat.
Shepherd's Pie
And flour.
Shepherd's Pie
Now the spices.
Shepherd's Pie
Look good yet?
Shepherd's Pie
Stock in.
Shepherd's Pie
Peas!
Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Cover it in mashed potatoes loaded with bacon and cheese.
Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Eat!

May 8, 2012

Beef Stroganoff

Everyone has their own version of this dish. Mine is... the best. Just teasing. Mine is a bit different, it's fresher and a bit lighter than some of the others I've tried. It has less sour cream and cream cheese as well. Be prepared to be hooked. The amount of meat is subjective to how much meat you want to give each individual. I tend to stay in the three pound range and that will feed 4 people very well.

Ingredients
2-4 lbs steak or chuck roast cubed (I prefer steak but that's just me)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 box of beef stock
1-2 c water (if you need to thin your sauce)
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/3 c Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 c white wine (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon (or half based on your taste)
Chopped parsley

In a large skillet (with lid) over medium heat melt butter and oil. Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in batches. After all meat is done and add in onion and garlic saute until tender. Add flour to pan stir in well, and cook about two minutes. Add in your thyme, bay leaf and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir in mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer covered for about an hour. A few minutes before serving add in mushrooms, wine, and Greek yogurt. Remove from heat and add in your lemon juice. Stir well. TASTE. Salt and pepper if necessary. Serve over noodles or rice. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

Stroganoff
Browning the meat
Stroganoff
Onions and garlic.
Stroganoff
Flour
Stroganoff
Spices and liquids in.
Stroganoff
Almost done
Stroganoff
Enjoy!

May 1, 2012

Chicken and Dumplings

Yep, another stew/soup. I know you are quite possibly sick of these, but honestly guys, how easy is stew? One pot, delicious easy eating, what could be wrong? This is... not as simple as some other Chicken and dumpling recipes I've used, this is more along the lines of I guess you could say "gourmet" chicken and dumplings.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c flour
1 whole chicken cut into pieces, OR several bone in chicken thighs
Salt and Pepper
3 carrots finely diced
3 celery stalks finely diced
1 medium onion finely diced
1 tsp dried thyme
6-8 c chicken broth
1/2 c apple juice, or apple cider
1/2 c cream (optional)

Dumplings
1 c Bisquick
1/3 c milk
Paprika to sprinkle over top

In a large pot over medium low heat melt butter and oil. Add carrots, celery, and onion and saute until softened. Add in flour and mix well, cook for about two minutes. Add thyme, and pepper. Add chicken broth and apple juice. Stir well, no clumping wanted. Add chicken pieces, bring to boil. Boil 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through. Then pull it out, shred the chicken and remove all bones and nasty stuff. Add back into the pot. At this point your soup should be thickened nicely. Turn down the heat a bit you want a gentle simmer. Mix together your dumpling ingredients. Drop by spoonful in small amounts on top of the simmering liquid. Sprinkle with Paprika and cover. Let cook 5-10 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings
Veggies
Chicken and Dumplings
Sauteed down
Chicken and Dumplngs
Everything else in the pot
Chicken and Dumplings
Dumplings in.