Slow Cooker White Bean Stew

This blog is a year old today! Woot woot! (OK maybe I'm a day or 2 late.)

I haven't posted in quite a while. Life has been hectic around here. But with the onset of some cooler weather - FINALLY! - comes the craving for a hot, hearty meal. I've been experimenting with some meatless recipes too, and this white bean stew is flavorful enough to stand on its own without the ham. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!


Ingredients:

• 1/3- 1/2 lb diced ham
• 1 lb dry navy beans, soaked and rinsed
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
• 5-6 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1-1 1/2 qts Homemade Vegetable Broth , chicken broth, or water. (See directions for how much you will need.) 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp thyme (dried)
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• salt to taste
• 1 Tbl white sugar

To thicken:

• 4 fl oz heavy cream (1/2 pint)
• 3 med-large potatoes, peeled and diced

Instructions:

1. Either make your homemade broth now, or bring whatever liquid you're using to a boil in a separate pan first BEFORE adding to the slow cooker. Slow cookers take a very long time to heat liquid, and this gives the whole process a jump start while looking out for food safety.
2. Prep all of your vegetables.
3. Combine everything from the first set of ingredients to the slow cooker, and add your hot liquid last so you can tell how much you need. Only fill up to about 1 inch above the top of your beans and other ingredients. 
4. Boil the potatoes until soft and drain. Mix in the 1/2 pint of heavy cream and make mashed potatoes. *The mashed potatoes must be smooth as possible, this is what is going to thicken the entire dish.*
5. Stir the mashed potatoes into the pot until thoroughly combined. Set to cook on low for 6 hours. 
6. Top with cheese if desired and serve with crackers. Serves 4-6. 

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

I have been wanting a slow cooker for a while now, and finally took the plunge. It does take some getting used to, but the ability to throw it together ,set it, and forget it - I'm sold! If you want to make this in a regular stock pot, that's easy! Just brown the meat and onions, combine everything else, simmer covered until the celery is almost done, then add your barley and simmer for another 45 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 medium steaks, cut into small 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 2-3 fresh roma tomatoes, chopped (or use 1 can diced tomatoes, juice and all)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 Tbl dried parsley 
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbl soy sauce
• 3 quarts Homemade Vegetable Broth
• two 12-oz bags frozen mixed veggies (peas,carrots, green beans, corn)
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped fine
• 1 C plain pearled barley (do not use the quick cooking kind!)

Instructions:

1. If you have the broth made ahead of time, bring it to a boil in a separate pan to speed up the heating process. Slow cookers take a long time to heat up that much liquid, and it becomes a food safety issue. I just made the broth right then, so it would be hot going into the slow cooker.
2. Combine everything in your slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. 

Pepper Steak and Rice

Hearty, spicy, satisfying, and pretty easy to make. This will take about an hour and a half to make and feed 6 people easily. Cut the recipe in half if you need to. For a while there, I had 6-10 people to feed on any given night, and I really need to learn how to cook smaller batches of food!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb steak, stew meat, beef roast, any kind as long as it's beef. Cut into cubes.
• Vegetable oil
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4 sweet onion, sliced julienne style
• 3 bell peppers, any color, sliced into 1-2 inch strips 
• 2 C beef broth, chicken broth, or Homemade Vegetable Broth
• 3 cubes of beef bouillon 
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbl paprika

• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 3 Tbl corn starch
• Jar to make the gravy with 
• Salt to taste, at the end

For the Perfect Rice:

• 2 C parboiled rice
• 4 C water

Instructions:

1. Cut the beef into cubes. You can make just about any steak work, from very thin to very thick, just cut it into bite-size pieces.
2. Pour a little bit of oil into a large, deep skillet. Add the meat and chopped onions and peppers. Cook until the meat is well browned.
   
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, broth, and all spices (save the soy sauce and corn starch to make the gravy thicker). 
   
4. Cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
5. At the end of that hour, start making the rice. It should take 15-20 minutes to cook. Keep shaking the pan while it's covered to prevent the rice from sticking. 
6. Remove from heat and let the rice stand for 5 more minutes, covered.
7. Combine the 1/4 C soy sauce and corn starch in the jar. Make sure the lid is on tight and shake it until contents are smooth. 
8. Bring the pepper steak to a soft boil, and start adding your corn starch mixture while stirring until desired thickness is reached.
9. Salt to taste and serve! 

No-Lump Gravy and Sauce

You know why boxed pasta meals are so popular? Because they give you this powder stuff that makes a yummy sauce. You can do that yourself at home! You know what you like and what tastes good, all you need to do is thicken it. So here's an easy way to thicken any sauce, to make any gravy, with NO LUMPS:

• The next time you use a glass jar, wash it out and keep it. Any kind of glass jar with a lid will work: a jelly jar, a pesto jar, salsa, you get the idea. Keep that sucker.
  
• When you're ready to thicken your sauce/gravy, add some water, chicken broth, whatever you're working with to that jar - but it has to be cold or at room temperature. (Hot liquid will make lumps.) You can use plain water if you want, or you can use broth, white wine, or soy sauce like I'm doing here, to add extra flavor to the dish.
• Add flour or corn starch. I prefer flour for a thicker gravy (for pot roast, biscuits, or pork chops, for example) and corn starch for a lighter sauce texture (for pasta, vegetable, and Asian dishes). Just dump some in your jar. You'll figure out how much you need in a minute.
  
• Make sure the lid is on tightly and shake! Shake the hell out of it until you can see that it is a smooth mixture. Then pour a little into your pan, stirring while adding, and bring to a gentle boil. Add in parts while boiling. Keep stirring. If it's not thick enough, add more of your jar mixture.
  
• Voila. No lumps!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Growing up in San Antonio gave me a deep love for Mexican food. It's my go-to comfort food. I've since moved to a different state, but the cultural imprint is still running strong. You can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the girl!

This is another low-cost, easy to make recipe that feeds 5-6 easily, and leftovers will NOT languish in your fridge until the trash run comes next Tuesday.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken quarters (drumstick and thigh together)
• 3 qts water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ancho chile powder (or just use regular chili powder)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 Tbl paprika
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 2 C frozen corn
• 2 small cans tomato sauce
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 C rice
• 1-3 tsp salt, to taste (at the end!)

• tortilla strips for garnish
• avocado for garnish

Directions:

1. Cover the chicken with 3 qts of water and boil for an hour and a half.
2. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Pour the chicken broth through a fine strainer and skim some of the grease off the top. You can use a liquid measuring cup to do this or use one of those grease cups with the spout at the bottom, OR you can refrigerate the broth overnight and skim the fat off easily when it hardens. 
3. Add all spices, all the veggies, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for an hour.
4. While the broth is cooking, pull the chicken off the bone, keeping large chunks of meat.
5. Add the rice and chicken and set a timer for 20 minutes. Be careful not to stir too much after adding the chicken. 
6. Salt to taste, garnish with tortilla strips and avocado, and serve!

Country Style Pinto Beans

Bacon grease. Chili powder. Onions. Salt. Really, that's it! So simple and so good. Try these on top of Ruth's Best Cornbread or even better, cornbread waffles. 

"Cornbread Waffles??! What??" Yes! It's the same cornbread recipe, except with 1.5-2 cups of milk and a waffle iron. You can even make the cornbread waffles ahead of time and freeze them. Beans and cornbread will never be the same.

Ingredients:

• 2 C dry pinto beans
• 1 Tbl ancho chile powder (or substitute regular chili powder)
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 4 Tbl salt (3 Tbl to soak the beans and 1 Tbl to cook with)
• a big spoonful of bacon grease, about 1/4 cup

Instructions:

1. Soak the beans one of two ways: overnight in the fridge, or a quick soak. Quick soaking consists of bringing the pot to a boil, then turning off the heat and letting it sit for an hour and a half. Make sure you add the salt when you soak, to keep the beans from breaking apart when you cook them.
2. Drain the beans and rinse well.
3. Put them back in the pot and fill with water to 2 inches past the beans.
4. Add the onions, salt, bacon grease, and chili powder.
5. Simmer covered for an hour and a half. 

Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Pumpkin Pasta

I was skeptical at first about using pumpkin puree to make a pasta sauce. But then I tried it, and oh gosh, is it good! Whether you're wanting to sneak in more fruits and veggies or try an alternative to tomato and alfredo sauces, this recipe is a sure winner at your table.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch of fresh spinach
• 1 large can of pumpkin puree (29 oz)
• 5-count package of sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 1 16-oz package penne or bowtie pasta
• 2 tsp basil
• 2 tsp sage
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (I use the Knorr caldo de pollo kind)
• 1/2 C white cooking wine
• olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Wash the spinach and pull the stems off.  Chop roughly - you should have about 3 C chopped.
2. Saute the Italian sausage, sage, basil, and spinach together in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil. 
3. Start boiling water for the pasta.
4. When the spinach is wilted, add the pumpkin puree, cream, cooking wine, and chicken bouillon. Turn down heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally.
   
5. The pumpkin and sausage should simmer for at least 15 minutes to let the sausage finish cooking. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside.
6. Test the sausage by cutting one in half. Garnish with Parmesan and serve!

Ruth's Best Cornbread

The holy grail of Southern cooking: cornbread. I prefer mine to be slightly sweet, moist, crisp around the edges, not too dense, and not too crumbly. Sound good? I think so too!

Ingredients:

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 C cornmeal
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 Tbl baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 C milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (you gotta use real butter!)
• 2 eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400. 
2. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with a whisk or a fork.
4. Add the eggs, milk, and melted butter and mix well.
5. Pour into the greased pan. No matter what pan you use - large rectangle, muffin, etc - you want it to be about 1/2 full of batter like this.                                      
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if it is done (toothpick should come out dry). Let it cool slightly before cutting. 

Creamy Orzo Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms

Carbs. With veggies! A good substitute for rice or potatoes if you're looking for a hearty side dish.

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups of orzo pasta
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups of chicken broth (use vegetable broth or water if making vegetarian)
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
• 3 C fresh spinach, washed, stems pulled off, and chopped (I used about 1/2 a bunch of fresh spinach, to make 3 C chopped)
• 4-5 mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
• 1 tsp parsley
• 2 Tbl butter
• 1/3 C Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a wide, non-stick skillet. Add the spinach and mushrooms and saute until the spinach wilts.
2. Add the broth, milk, and all spices (not the Parmesan cheese); bring to a boil, then add the pasta. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer until pasta is done. Keep a close eye on it after about 8-10 minutes and instead of stirring, shake the pan back and forth instead. If it starts sticking to the pan, you will either need a little more water or the pasta will be done.
3. When the pasta is cooked, add the Parmesan cheese and stir well. Done!

Fried Rice

I love Asian food. Ok, I just love food, period. This homemade version is just as good or better than your favorite Chinese place. To make the potsticker dumplings pictured, go here.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of parboiled rice
• 1.5 cups frozen edamame OR frozen peas, whichever you prefer
• 4-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
• 3-5 green onions, chopped (some people like more or less)
• 3/4 to 1 lb raw meat of your choice (shrimp, sliced pork, chicken breast, chicken thighs)
• soy sauce to taste
• 1 Tbl rice wine vinegar
• sesame oil for frying
• optional: red or yellow bell pepper, chopped

Directions:

1. I found that the trick to making great fried rice begins with COLD rice. Make a batch of my Perfect Rice beforehand, and chill in the fridge. You can make the rice the night before if you want. Use 1.5 cups of rice and 3 cups of water, following all other directions in the Perfect Rice recipe. Add the frozen edamame or peas to the rice while it's cooking.
2. Use any meat you like - shrimp, chicken, beef, no meat, whatever! I used a package of chicken thighs because they're cheap and they have more flavor than chicken breast. Cut up into small pieces.
3. Place the onion, meat, and bell pepper (if using) in the pan, adding enough sesame oil to saute until the meat is cooked. 
4. Add the carrots, garlic, green onions, and the cold rice/edamame mixture to the pan. Add 2 Tbl sesame oil also. 
5. Mix everything well, add the rice wine vinegar and soy sauce to taste and let this cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until it starts to brown on the bottom. Patience is another trick to great fried rice. Take a peek to see if it's golden brown; if not, let it cook some more. 
6. Keep stirring and browning until it is cooked thoroughly. Push the rice to one side of the pan and use this bare space to scramble the 2 eggs.
7. Fold the scrambled eggs into the rice and serve! Makes about 6 servings.

Vegetable Potstickers

One day, I had a craving for potstickers. When I got off of work, I went to go buy some ready-made from the frozen food section, and they wanted 8 bucks for a bag of them. Naturally, I said "to hell with that" and set out to make them myself! You can use ground pork if you like, to make a good meaty potsticker - just use 1/4 to 1/3 pound and eliminate the cabbage. Take care not to make too much filling. What looks like a "good" amount of filling will easily keep you in the kitchen for an hour making 5 dozen potstickers. The fried rice pictured can be found here. Ok, here we go!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 head of cabbage, shredded
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded (use a cheese grater; if you buy the pre-shredded carrots, they will not have the same texture and the mixture will not fit as well.)
• 1/2 package of wonton wrappers
• sesame oil for frying
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 3-4 mushrooms, with the stem pulled out, and VERY finely chopped

For the dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbl honey
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper 
• 1 Tbl rice wine vinegar

Instructions:

1. Prepare a large work surface. You can cover the kitchen counter with wax paper and use that, or use a large cutting board like I did. You will also need a bowl of water to dip your hands in.
2. Peel off the outermost leaves of the cabbage. Cut in half, then half again. Use this 1/4 cabbage and shred it with a cheese grater. Shred the carrots with the cheese grater also. 
3. Rinse the mushrooms and pull the stems out. Slice and chop finely. You want to slice them and then go back over them until you have very small pieces.
4. Toss the veggies into a large mixing bowl, along with the egg, breadcrumbs, ginger, and garlic. Mix well.
   
   
   
5. You will need a large non-stick skillet. Warm up on medium heat with 1-2 Tbl sesame oil and 1/4 cup of water. As the potstickers cook, some of the water will be absorbed, so you will need to add a little as you go.
6. Lay out a bunch of your wonton wrappers. Place about 1 Tbl of filling in the middle of each one. To seal, dip your fingers in water, trace around the edge of the wrapper with the water, then press to make a seal.
   
   
   
   
7. Place them in your pre-heated pan and cook until browned on one side. Turn once and brown on the other side.
8. While the potstickers are cooking, mix up the dipping sauce. I like to make it in a measuring cup, that way I can pour it easily into a small dish for each person. Mix all ingredients and microwave until it just starts to boil. If you like a really spicy dipping sauce, add more crushed red pepper and heat in the microwave again. Heating the sauce really brings out the spicy kick of the red pepper.
9. When the potstickers are done cooking, place them in a covered dish so they don't dry out. Serve with dipping sauce. Enjoy!

As written, this recipe should make about 2 dozen potstickers. 

Mexican Rice

This rice is so easy to make and full of flavor, a perfect compliment to Mexican food. To make the shrimp pictured, go here : Mexican Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 cup parboiled rice
• 1 small can of tomato sauce
• 1 small clove chopped garlic
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped finely
• 1 can chicken broth (or homemade broth, if you have it!)
• fresh or dried cilantro to taste
• 1 Knorr caldo de pollo (chicken bouillon) cube
• 2 Tbl vegetable oil
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1/2 chopped red or yellow bell pepper (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a non-stick pan. When making rice, I find that the wider the pan, the better it will turn out.
2. Add the rice, bell pepper, and onions. Saute, stirring frequently, until the rice is golden brown and looks like rice krispies.
   
3. In a measuring cup, pour the tomato sauce and broth together to make 1.5 cups of liquid.
4. Add the liquid, the frozen corn, and all the spices. Mix well. Once it starts simmering, cover and turn the heat down to low.
5. Cook for 20 minutes and do not peek! Instead of stirring, shake the pan back and forth with the lid closed, and do this a few times while cooking. 
6. Remove from heat and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
7. Uncover and mix gently before serving.

Mexican Shrimp

This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes to make at home. Guests are always impressed and it is so easy to make!

For the rice recipe, click here: Mexican Rice



Ingredients:

• 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa
• 1 sweet yellow onion
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper
• vegetable oil 
• 3-4 cloves of garlic 
• Fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Once you have the shrimp peeled, place them in a large mixing bowl and pour in the salsa. 
2. Wash the cilantro well and chop roughly. Add cilantro to your taste; some people like a whole lot, but for me, about 1 Tbl is good.  Add this to the shrimp, mix well, and let the shrimp marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
3. Slice the onions and bell pepper thin, julienne style. Do the same for the garlic.
4. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a skillet and add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Saute on medium heat until the onions are clear.
5. Add the shrimp and salsa together. Simmer until the shrimp is done and serve!