Beef Stew

Yesterday I tried two recipes from the newspaper that turned out to be successful. One was a slow-cooker beef stew that I just happened to have most of the ingredients for. I didn't have a can of beef broth so I used water and beef bouillon and the frozen peas I thought I had could not be located in either freezer. That didn't stop me because the beauty of a stew, is that you can add more of another ingredient to make up for one that you might not have on hand. I plugged the slow-cooker in at 2:00 p.m., started the homemade bread, and by 6:00 dinner was ready to be served. You've got to love a success like that!

BEEF STEW-Deseret News-Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross

1 c. cubed white potatoes (I used 3 potatoes to make up for the missing peas.)
1 c. baby carrots (I used about 1 1/2 cups, leave them whole.)
1 c. diced celery
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 lbs. lean beef cubes (I cut up half of a cross rib roast.)
1/2 of an envelope dry onion soup mix (Lipton)
2 bay leaves
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. dried thyme (I used ground thyme.)
1/4 t. black pepper
1 can beef broth (I used 2 c. water + 2 t. beef bouillon.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 c. frozen green peas
3 T. cornstarch + 3 T. water

1. Cut up all vegetables and stew meat.
2. Layer ingredients in the order listed above except for the peas and cornstarch. The potatoes and carrots need to be at the bottom in order to cook completely. Do not stir until later.
3. Cover and cook: crock pot 8 - 10 hours; slow-cooker on medium 4 hours. At 8 hours (or 3 1/2 hours depending on what kind of appliance you used,) remove lid, stir well and add frozen peas.
   
4. Mix the cornstarch with water and combine well. Gently stir in half of the cornstarch. Add remaining cornstarch as needed to reach desired consistency.
   
5. Serve immediately.
   

Creamy Broccoli Soup

My friend, HP, invited us over for dinner and served this soup. It was delicious so naturally I asked for the recipe. I love it because the ingredients are things that I almost always have on hand. I buy the broccoli from Sam's Club in a huge 3 lb. bag, already cut up, for less than $4.00. That's a steal! I always feel cheated when I purchase broccoli by the pound and end up throwing a large portion of the stems in the garbage. Now that I've discovered this little secret I never buy broccoli at a regular grocery store unless it is on sale. Yes, I'm cheap. I hope you enjoy this soup as a side or a meal. Don't forget the fresh baked rolls to go with it!

BROCCOLI SOUP

1 1/2 lbs. broccoli or cauliflower, chopped (sometimes I do half of each)
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cube butter
1 small onion or 2 T. dried onion
3/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1 can evaporated milk

1. Combine 2 c. water, broccoli and bouillon in a pot and boil until it reaches your desired tenderness. I don't like it too soggy, it should still have a tiny bit of crunch left in it.
2. Saute butter and onion.
3. Now we will make a roux. Add the flour to the butter mixture. It will be really, really thick, almost like play dough.
4. Whisk in the milk a little at a time. Whisk in the evaporated milk until smooth. Cook on low until thick, about 10 minutes. Pour into broccoli mixture.
5. Do not boil! The milk will curdle if the heat gets too high.
6. Serve topped with shredded cheese. Yum!
   

Chili

My favorite chili recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Bridal Edition cookbook. It's simple, not too spicy, and makes just enough for our family without leaving a huge pot of leftovers. I'm not a big fan of leftovers. I would much rather cook dinner every night than eat something that has been sitting in the fridge for a few days. Anyway, if you are serving more than four people you might want to double it. I have one child that only eats the beans (go figure) so I like to add an additional can of beans. Serve it with yummy cornbread and you've got a tummy warming meal.

CHILI

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 T. chili powder
3/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1. Cook beef, onion, and garlic together. It's best to let the beef cook for a minute until some of the grease turns to liquid. This way you don't scorch the garlic and onion. Drain and set aside.
2. Stir all remaining ingredients except beans in a large pot. Add beef. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes stirring occasionally. The cookbook says one hour but I think too much liquid cooks out of it.
   
3. Stir in beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until it reaches your desired thickness.
4. Sprinkle with shredded Cheddar and top with sour cream if desired.
   

CREAMY POTATO SOUP

My friend DW brought this soup to me after I had a baby. It was so good that I begged for the recipe. I will post the recipe as she gave it to me, but I've discovered that this is the perfect soup for using up those little amounts of vegetables that get left in the produce drawer. Sometimes I throw in cauliflower and broccoli, other times I only add potatoes and carrots. Whatever you have that needs to be used up will work in this creamy, comforting dish. You can add ham or chicken. It tastes great with either meat. Serve it with warm bread and salad and your set!

CREAMY SOUP

2 large potatoes, cubed
1 -2 celery stalks
2 large carrots, sliced
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk
1 can water (Use the water you boiled the veggies in.)
1 t. dried onion (I prefer 3 sliced green onions.)
1 -2 c. cooked meat (chicken or ham)
1 c. cheese, shredded
3/4 c. broccoli, chopped
1/2 t. celery salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Boil potatoes, celery, and carrots in water. When potatoes are soft, empty the water except for about the amount of 1 can. Add both cans of soup and 1 can of milk. Add onion, meat, broccoli, celery salt, garlic powder, and cheese. Heat through making sure the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

TACO SOUP

Cold weather makes me crave comfort food like soup. I've been making several dinners of the comfort variety lately due to the temperatures in this valley. It seems like I can walk up to the school at 3:30 p.m. and I'm just fine wearing only sweatshirt, but by 4:15 I'm freezing and wishing I had on thermals and a hat. All it takes is for the sun to creep close to the West mountains and I'm ready to hibernate for the day.

I made this soup today in about 15 minutes. It is so fast it should get a speeding ticket (ha-ha lame!) Anyway, everyone loves it and there's plenty left over for lunch tomorrow. Remember those bottled tomatoes we did early this year? They add an extra special taste to this soup. If you don't have home canned tomatoes, diced ones from the store will work just fine.

TACO SOUP

1 lb. hamburger, browned
1 quart tomatoes (2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes)
1 onion, chopped (cook with hamburger or add 1 T. dried, minced onion)
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can corn
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 c. water

Mix all ingredients and heat through. Serve topped with cheese, green onions, olive slices, and sour cream. Put corn chips (Fritos or tortilla chips) to the side or underneath the soup in the bowl. Note: You can use any beans you like, the three listed above are what I prefer but pinto or white beans would be just fine.

OCTOBER WARD RECIPE SWAP

We only had a few recipes this month. One of them was the pretzel jello dessert that I blogged about. Here are the other two recipes.

BAKED POTATO SOUP-DW

2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
6 c. milk
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
4 baked or boiled potatoes, cubed
6 green onions, sliced
1 3/4 c. shredded cheddar
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 c. water
8 oz. sour cream
8 - 12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Melt butter on low, then add flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add milk and cook on medium until thick. Add salt, pepper, cooked cubed potatoes, onions, cheese, bouillon cubes, and water. Cook until heated through. Add sour cream and more milk if necessary. Serve and top with bacon and more cheese.

CINNAMON SUGAR COOKIES-HP

1 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
2 eggs
4 1/3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar
1 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. finely chopped pecans.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, and oil. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cream of tartar. Stir in the pecans if desired. Roll in 1-inch balls. Place on greased baking sheets; flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes.