Beef Stew

This stew was one of the first recipes that I ever made by myself (other than scrambled eggs and boxed cakes). I based it on a recipe I found online and then adapted it for what I had in my pantry. I have now made this stew many times and it is one of my favorite winter meals. The stew is warm, hearty, and rich in flavor! 

To make 2-3 serving of this beef stew you will need:

• 2 Tbs VEGETABLE OIL
• 1 lb. BEEF STEW MEAT (could also use chuck roast and cut it into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 ONION, chopped 
• 3 GARLIC cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs TOMATO PASTE
• 3 cups BEEF STOCK
• 2 BAY LEAVES
• 1/2 tsp SUGAR
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1/4 tsp ALLSPICE
• 1/4 tsp PAPRIKA
• 1 Tbs WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
• 3-4 CARROTS, chopped
• 1 lb. POTATOES, peeled and cubed 
• 1-2 cups WATER

Pour the vegetable oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the beef in the oil. 

When the beef is browned, but not necessarily cooked through (it will continue to cook throughout the rest of the preparation) stir in the onion, garlic, and tomato paste.

Next, stir in the beef stock, bay leaves, sugar, pepper, allspice, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and allow the stew to simmer for about 1 & 1/2 hours.

Add the carrots and potatoes. If the liquid does not mostly cover the meat and vegetables, add 1-2 cups of water. Then simmer for another 30 minutes.

(Not enough liquid!)

(Perfect!)

Once the carrots and potatoes are tender, taste the broth and season as needed. Remove the bay leaves and serve! 

The beef tastes tender and juicy while to potatoes are soft and flavorful! This is a great comfort dish!



I am already looking forward to making this again!

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Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs VEGETABLE OIL
• 1 lb. BEEF STEW MEAT (could also use chuck roast and cut it into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 ONION, chopped 
• 3 GARLIC cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs TOMATO PASTE
• 3 cups BEEF STOCK
• 2 BAY LEAVES
• 1/2 tsp SUGAR
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1/4 tsp ALLSPICE
• 1/4 tsp PAPRIKA
• 1 Tbs WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
• 3-4 CARROTS, chopped
• 1 lb. POTATOES, peeled and cubed 
• 1-2 cups WATER

Directions:

1. Pour the vegetable oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the beef in the oil. 
2. When the beef is browned, but not necessarily cooked through (it will continue to cook throughout the rest of the preparation) stir in the onion, garlic, and tomato paste.
3. Next, stir in the beef stock, bay leaves, sugar, pepper, allspice, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and allow the stew to simmer for about 1 & 1/2 hours.
4. Add the carrots and potatoes. If the liquid does not mostly cover the meat and vegetables, add 1-2 cups of water. Then simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Once the carrots and potatoes are tender, taste the broth and season as needed. Remove the bay leaves and serve! 

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The recipe I based this one on was Paula's: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/old-time-beef-stew-recipe/index.html

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Last month my husband and I were watching an episode of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and we found this recipe. Imagine a bunch of sauteed vegetables covered in a delicious marinara sauce, and then topped with melted mozzarella cheese. It doesn't have any meat in it, but trust me, you won't miss it!

This makes enough food to fill both halves of the spaghetti squash (which is enough for me to eat for about 4 meals, so it's probably 3-4 servings depending on how hungry you are):

• 1 SPAGHETTI SQUASH
• 1 RED BELL PEPPER, diced
• 1/2 RED ONION, diced
• 3 cloves of GARLIC, minced
• 2 stalks of CELERY, sliced
• 2 CARROTS, sliced
• 1 ZUCCHINI, diced
• 1 small head of BROCCOLI
• 1 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 cups MARINARA SAUCE (I used the sauce that I make for spaghetti & meatballs, but a store bought jar would also work!)
• SALT, to taste
• PEPPER, to taste
• 1 ball of fresh MOZZARELLA CHEESE (shredded mozzarella would also work)

Start off by cutting the spaghetti squash in half long-wise. Be careful because the skin of the squash is really tough. Put the squash halves into a pot of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

While the squash is cooking, dice up the bell pepper, red onion, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli. 

Next, start sauteing the vegetables in a large skillet. Heat the olive oil in the skillet and then add the bell pepper. Once that starts to heat up, add the onion and  garlic. When that is also warmed up add the celery and carrots. Adding the vegetables a little bit at a time will keep the pan hot and the cooking consistent. 

Once all of the vegetables are turning translucent and getting tender, add the broccoli and zucchini. You want to add them last because they cook faster than the other veggies and you don't want them to get mushy. 

By now the spaghetti squash should be done cooking. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Then take a fork and scrape the stringy, spaghetti-like squash out. Set aside in a small bowl. 

Once all of the vegetables are tender but not mushy, stir in about 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups of your marinara sauce. 

Once the sauce has gotten hot, add the spaghetti squash.

At this point you might want to add a little more sauce, but make sure that you still have about 1/2 cup left to put on top. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. (You may want to add more depending on how much salt is already in your marinara sauce.)

Once you are happy with your vegetable and sauce mixture, scoop it into the 2 halves of the spaghetti squash shell. 

Vualá!

Next, place the filled halves of the squash on a cookie sheet and and lay 2 slices of the fresh mozzarella on each squash half. 

Put the cookie sheet with the squash in the oven and bake for 10 minutes to get the mozzarella nice and melted.

When the squash comes out of the oven, top the halves with the remaining marinara sauce and serve!

Look out gooey and wonderful the cheese was after baking in the oven!

We will definitely be making this again soon!

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Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Ingredients:

• 1 SPAGHETTI SQUASH
• 1 RED BELL PEPPER, diced
• 1/2 RED ONION, diced
• 3 cloves of GARLIC, minced
• 2 stalks of CELERY, sliced
• 2 CARROTS, sliced
• 1 ZUCCHINI, diced
• 1 small head of BROCCOLI
• 1 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 cups MARINARA SAUCE (I used the sauce that I make for spaghetti & meatballs, but a store bought jar would also work!)
• SALT, to taste
• PEPPER, to taste
• 1 ball of fresh MOZZARELLA CHEESE (shredded mozzarella would also work)

Directions:

1. Start off by cutting the spaghetti squash in half long-wise. Be careful because the skin of the squash is really tough. Put the squash halves into a pot of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
3. While the squash is cooking, dice up the bell pepper, red onion, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli. 
4. Next, start sauteing the vegetables in a large skillet. Heat the olive oil in the skillet and then add the bell pepper. Once that starts to heat up, add the onion and  garlic. When that is also warmed up add the celery and carrots. Adding the vegetables a little bit at a time will keep the pan hot and the cooking consistent. 
5. Once all of the vegetables are turning translucent and getting tender, add the broccoli and zucchini. You want to add them last because they cook faster than the other veggies and you don't want them to get mushy. 
6. By now the spaghetti squash should be done cooking. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Then take a fork and scrape the stringy, spaghetti-like squash out. Set aside in a small bowl. 
7. Once all of the vegetables are tender but not mushy, stir in about 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups of your marinara sauce. 
8. When the sauce has gotten hot, add the spaghetti squash.
9. At this point you might want to add a little more sauce, but make sure that you still have about 1/2 cup left to put on top. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. (You may want to add more depending on how much salt is already in your marinara sauce.)
10. Once you are happy with your vegetable and sauce mixture, scoop it into the 2 halves of the spaghetti squash shell. 
11. Next, place the filled halves of the squash on a cookie sheet and and lay 2 slices of the fresh mozzarella on each squash half. 
12. Put the cookie sheet with the squash in the oven and bake for 10 minutes to get the mozzarella nice and melted.
13. When the squash comes out of the oven, top the halves with the remaining marinara sauce and serve!

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http://media.wix.com/ugd/60b189_879cce613030aede7fa7a8e1e75cd9bb.pdf?dn=spaghetti_squash_pitstop.pdf

How to Stir Fry!

My husband found an article a few months ago that did a really good job of explaining how to put a stir fry together. The article was written like a recipe, but rather than giving a list of ingredients, it explained more about how to prepare ingredients you like and how to best cook it up into a stir fry. So in this post I will try to explain in as few steps as possible how to prepare a fantastic stir fry for two people! ...And the best part is that you can use all of your favorite ingredients (or just use what is currently in your refrigerator)!

To make a stir fry for 2 people you will need the following ingredients.

Protein:

• 1 Tbs OIL
• About 10 oz. of a PROTEIN, cubed or cut into thin strips. Here are some suggestions:
• CHICKEN (breast or thighs)
• RED MEAT (tenderloin, sirloin, skirt or flank steak, etc.)
• SHRIMP
• SCALLOPS
• TOFU

Aromatics:

• You don't have to use all of these, they are just suggested proportions if you choose to use them. (I left out the ginger.)
• 1 Tbs (5-6 cloves) GARLIC, minced 
• 1 medium ONION, sliced into strips
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced

Produce:

• 1-2 Tbs OIL
• 2-3 different types of VEGETABLES totaling about 3 cups in volume. (I bought a few things especially for this stir fry and used a few things that I just has leftover in my fridge. I ended up using 1 head of broccoli, 2 carrots, 1 can of bean sprouts, 1/2 a green pepper, and 3 green onions.) Here are some produce suggestions:
• BROCCOLI
• CARROTS
• BEAN SPROUTS
• GREEN PEPPERS
• MUSHROOMS
• SNOW PEAS
• WATER CHESTNUTS
• BABY CORN
• BAMBOO SHOOTS
• GREEN ONIONS
• The options are endless!!! 

Sauce:

• Choose one of the following SAUCES. I used the Soy-Sesame Sauce in the pictures, but all of the sauces are delicious! You could even skip making a sauce and just use about 1/4 cup of soy sauce if you prefer that!
• Lemon Sauce
• 1/4 cup LEMON JUICE
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Sweet & Sour Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs CIDER, BALSAMIC, or RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Soy-Sesame Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1/4 cup SOY SAUCE 
• 2 tsp RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 2 tsp SESAME OIL
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 1 tsp SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH

The most important thing I have found with making a stir fry is to chop all of the ingredients and mix up the sauce before you start cooking anything. Once all of the ingredients are prepared, the cooking part goes pretty fast. If you wait and chop as you go the veggies will probably be over-cooked by the end (although that would not be the end of the world). 

So, step 1, chop your protein and all of your veggies into bite sized pieces. 

Next, mix up the sauce! In a small bowl stir together all of the ingredients in the sauce of your choice (I used the soy-sesame sauce). Then set it aside for later.

When you are ready to start cooking heat a large skillet over high heat and then give it a few minutes to get good and hot. (If you use a cast iron skillet it will take longer to heat up than if you use a nonstick skillet. Cooking over high heat is one of the most important things when stir frying.)

Once the pan is hot, pour about a tablespoon of oil into the pan and give it a few second to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the protein. (I used a chicken breast.) Cook the protein for 2-3 minutes, or until the protein is cooked through.

Once cooked, take the protein out of the pan and set it aside in small bowl.

With the heat still on high, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot add the aromatics and cook them for 1-2 minutes until the onion starts to get translucent around the edges.

Next, add the vegetable that you think will take the longest to cook (In my case it was the carrots and green onion). If you aren't sure, or if you think they will all take about the same time then just pick one!

Cook the first round of vegetables for about 2 minutes. (The vegetables will continue to cook as you add more and more vegetables into the pan so don't worry about getting them cooked all the way yet!)

Then add the next round of vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Adding the vegetables to the skillet in rounds helps the pan to remain hot and cook consistently high. When you add a bunch of things to the skillet at once that are cool or room temperature it brings down the temperature of the pan.

If you haven't added all of your vegetables at this point, add the rest of them now! Cook for 1 minute.

Next, add your protein back into the skillet and pour your sauce over the stir fry. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thicken and all of the vegetables are tender and coated in sauce.

Yummm!

Remove from the heat, serve over rice, and enjoy!

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Stir Fry

Ingredients:

To make a stir fry for 2 people you will need the following ingredients.

Protein:

• 1 Tbs OIL
• About 10 oz. of a PROTEIN, cubed or cut into thin strips
• CHICKEN (breast or thighs)
• RED MEAT (tenderloin, sirloin, skirt or flank steak, etc.)
• SHRIMP
• SCALLOPS
• TOFU

Aromatics:

• You don't have to use all of these, they are just suggested proportions if you choose to use them. (I left out the ginger.)
• 1 Tbs (5-6 cloves) GARLIC, minced 
• 1 medium ONION, sliced into strips
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced

Produce:

• 1-2 Tbs OIL
• 2-3 different types of VEGETABLES totaling 3-4 cups in volume. (I bought a few things especially for this stir fry and used a few things that I just has leftover in my fridge. I ended up using 1 head of broccoli, 2 carrots, 1 can of bean sprouts, 1/2 a green pepper, and 3 green onions.) Here are some produce suggestions:
• BROCCOLI
• CARROTS
• BEAN SPROUTS
• GREEN PEPPERS
• MUSHROOMS
• SNOW PEAS
• WATER CHESTNUTS
• BABY CORN
• BAMBOO SHOOTS
• GREEN ONIONS
• The options are endless!!! 

Sauce:

• Choose one of the following SAUCES. I used the Soy-Sesame Sauce in the pictures, but all of the sauces are delicious! You could even skip making a sauce and just mix about 1/4 cup of soy sauce with 2 tsp of corn starch if you prefer that!
• Lemon Sauce
• 1/4 cup LEMON JUICE
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Sweet & Sour Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs CIDER, BALSAMIC, or RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Soy-Sesame Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1/4 cup SOY SAUCE 
• 2 tsp RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 2 tsp SESAME OIL
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 1 tsp SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH

Directions:

1. Chop your protein and all of your veggies into bite sized pieces. 
• The most important thing I have found with making a stir fry is to chop all of the ingredients and mix up the sauce before you start cooking anything. Once all of the ingredients are prepared the cooking part goes pretty fast. If you wait and chop as you go the veggies will probably be over-cooked by the end (although that would not be the end of the world). 
2. In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients in the sauce of your choice. Then set it aside for later.
3. When you are ready to start cooking heat a large skillet over high heat and then give it a few minutes to get good and hot. 
• If you use a cast iron skillet it will take longer to heat up than if you use a nonstick skillet.
• Cooking over high heat is one of the most important things when stir frying.
4. Once the pan is hot, pour about a tablespoon of oil into the pan and give it a few second to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the protein. Cook the protein for 2-3 minutes, or until the protein is cooked through. Once cooked, take the protein out of the pan and set it aside in small bowl. 
5. With the heat still on high, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot add the aromatics and cook them for 1-2 minutes until the onion starts to get translucent around the edges.
6. Next, add the vegetable that you think will take the longest to cook. (If you aren't sure, or if you think they will all take about the same time then just pick one!) Cook the first round of vegetables for about 2 minutes. 
• Adding the vegetables to the skillet in rounds helps the pan to remain hot and cook consistently high. When you add a bunch of things to the skillet at once that are cool or room temperature it brings down the temperature of the pan.
7. Then add the next round of vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 
8. If you haven't added all of your vegetables at this point, add the rest of them now! Cook for 1 more minute.
9. Next, add your protein back into the skillet and then pour your sauce over the stir fry. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thicken and all of the vegetables are tender and coated in sauce.
10. Remove from the heat, serve over rice, and enjoy!

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My husband found this recipe for how to stir fry on the following website: http://allrecipes.com/howto/super-easy-stir-fry/

Fried Rice

Whether it is the main part of my meal or on the side, I always order chicken fried rice when I get Chinese food. How could I not? It is so delicious! My husband and I have been trying to find a good chicken fried rice recipe for about a year now and we have finally found a good one! By combining a ideas from a few different recipes we have manages to create a recipe that tastes just like take out!

To make 3 to 4 servings of chicken fried rice you will need:

• 1 cup RICE, uncooked
• Optional: 12-16 oz. of CHICKEN BREAST or THIGHS, cubed (If you are vegetarian you could leave the chicken out altogether!)
• 2 Tbs CORNSTARCH
• 1/4 cup + 2 tsp SOY SAUCE
• 2 cups PEAS & CARROTS, frozen
• 1 medium ONION
• 1 EGG
• 1 Tbs SESAME OIL
• 1 tsp OYSTER SAUCE

The first thing to do is cook the rice. It is important to do this ahead of time so the rice is cold when you get ready to prepare the dish. Boil the rice in a large pot of water for 10 minutes. When the rice is tender, use a strainer to drain the water out of the rice and then refrigerate it for a few hours or until the rice is cold (you could do this the night before if that is more convenient). 

When you are ready to make the fried rice, mix the cubed chicken with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and a splash of water. Let this mixture sit and marinate for 10 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, chop the onion and measure out the peas and carrots. (I like to have plenty of veggies in my fried rice!) Set aside.

Once the chicken is done marinating, cook the chicken in a large skillet. Then, transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside.

Add a tablespoon of sesame oil into the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil gets hot, add the cold rice, the onion, the carrots, and the peas. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from burning.

After the 10 minutes,  push the rice and vegetables to one side of the skillet. Then scramble the egg in the open side of the pan. When the egg is cooked, mix it into the rice.

Add the chicken back into the skillet and stir it into the rice mixture.

Lastly, stir in 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tsp of oyster sauce. Then eat up! 

Doesn't it look good?!

Yum!

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Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup RICE, uncooked
• 12-16 oz. of CHICKEN BREAST, cubed
• 2 Tbs CORNSTARCH
• 1/4 cup + 2 tsp SOY SAUCE
• 2 cups PEAS & CARROTS, frozen
• 1 medium ONION
• 1 EGG
• 1 Tbs SESAME OIL
• 1 tsp OYSTER SAUCE

Directions:

1. The first thing to do is cook the rice. It is important to do this ahead of time so the rice is cold when you get ready to prepare the dish. Boil the rice in a large pot of water for 10 minutes. When the rice is tender, use a strainer to drain the water out of the rice and then refrigerate it for a few hours or until the rice is cold (you could do this the night before if that is more convenient). 
2. When you are ready to make the fried rice, mix the cubed chicken with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and a splash of water. Let this mixture sit and marinate for 10 minutes. 
3. While the chicken is marinating, chop the onion and measure out the peas and carrots. Set aside.
4. Once the chicken is done marinating, cook the chicken in a large skillet. Then, transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside.
5. Add a tablespoon of sesame oil into the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil gets hot, add the cold rice, the onion, the carrots, and the peas. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from burning. 
6. After the 10 minutes,  push the rice and vegetables to one side of the skillet. Then scramble the egg in the open side of the pan. When the egg is cooked, mix it into the rice. 
7. Add the chicken back into the skillet and stir it into the rice mixture.
8. Lastly, stir in 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tsp of oyster sauce. Then eat up! 

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I combined a few different recipes to make this one. The recipes that I took ideas from are the following:          http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/14/better-than-takeout-chicken-fried-rice/

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgFwFoqglKc