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Flemish Beef Stew

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
2 pounds bottom round, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 pound sliced cremini or white button mushrooms
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups brown ale or dark beer
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf

Flemish Beef Stew Recipe at Cooking.com
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DIRECTIONS
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the beef and brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Drain any fat from the pan. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and brown the remaining beef. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they give off their liquid and it evaporates to a glaze, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms; cook undisturbed for 10 seconds, then stir and cook for 30 seconds more. Pour in ale (or beer); bring to a boil, whisking constantly to reduce foaming, until thickened and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the slow cooker.

Add carrots, onion, garlic, mustard, caraway seeds, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Put the lid on and cook on low until the beef is very tender, about 8 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.
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Sherbet Punch Recipe

This sherbet punch recipe is prepared with orange sherbet you may also use other sherbet to give some color to the punch and present it beautifully as the cool Halloween punch.

Ingredients:

14 oz sweetened condensed milk
12 oz frozen orange juice (thawed)
2 liter frozen ginger ale (thawed)
Orange sherbet as required

Preparation:

1. Combine condensed milk, orange juice and ginger ale in a punch bowl.
2. When a uniform mixture form then add some small scoops of orange sherbet in the punch bowl and serve immediately.
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Celery and Stilton Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

4 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
50g/2oz butter
45g/11⁄2oz plain flour
1⁄2 glass white wine
900ml/11⁄2pt chicken stock
300ml/10fl oz milk
225g/8oz crumbled Stilton cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

• In a heavy saucepan over a low heat, gently sweat the celery and onion in butter until soft. Add the
flour and remove from the heat.
• Pour in the wine and stock, stirring continuously. Return to the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring
until the mixture thickens. Simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the milk, simmer for a further 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Whisk in the Stilton.
• Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, then push through a sieve into a clean pan. Season with salt and pepper.
• Reheat gently and serve.
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Butternut Squash Pie

 I had three huge butternut squash sitting on my counter generously given to us by neighbors. Here's my thing about this vegetable--I really like the flavor, but the texture kills me. Butternut squash soup is delish, but it pretty much gags me. Sorry, but it's true. So I wanted a way to use the vegetable without the negative affects. What better way to do that than with a PIE?!

Just a couple weeks ago I saw a recipe for this pie and heard it tastes even better than pumpkin. The problem is I have NO IDEA where I read that. So I did a little googling and experimenting and came up with my own version.

I had one small crust (a mini crust really) on hand, so I just wanted to make a little bit of the filling. Turns out I had twice as much as I needed so I used biscuit mix with a little milk and patted it into the bottom of second mini pie plate. It didn't turn out too badly. :) All that to say, the measurements may be a bit off for a 9 inch pie, but because it filled two 4 inch pans, I think it might be just right.

::Baking the squash



Ingredients
1/4 of the dough from the Never Fail Pie Crust Recipe*--recipe below
*this is an approximation. I used the remnants of dough and made a miniature pie crust. The filling filled two mini pies, so I'm estimating. I believe this will make one 9inch pie. 

1 medium butternut squash, cooked and pureed
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
less than 1 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 tsp cinnamon
scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg
scant 1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash butternut squash and place on a plate. Microwave 2 minutes or until just soft enough to run a knife through. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and add a small amount of water. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool completely--1 hour.

Scrap out the seeds of the squash and discard. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the squash, getting as close to the skin as possible without breaking through. Spoon into a food processor. Process until pureed and smooth. (I didn't need to add water, but you can if the squash isn't moving in the food processor.) 

Add to the processor the remaining ingredients. Pulse a couple times or until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared pie shell. 

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. (Be sure to line the crust with foil if it is browned but the pie is not finished baking. 


Never Fail Pie Crust
Makes two (2) two-crust pies (only need 1/4 of this recipe for this pie--freeze the rest!)

Ingredients
2 C. shortening
4 C. flour
dash of salt 

Directions
-mix the previous ingredients with fork until crumbly.
-in cereal bowl, mix 1 beaten egg, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, and 1/2 C. cold water.
-pour liquid mixture into flour.  Mix with flour until dough forms.

Helpful hint:  After dough is complete, divide the dough into 4 equal parts (or 2 if you halved the recipe) and flatten each portion slightly into a circle (approx. 5 inch round).  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  This allows for much easier rolling.

Also, the crust I used for this pie had been in the freezer covered in foil (not even in a ziploc) for almost a year. It was still flaky and amazing!

Also, if you need additional tips for rolling out the dough, feel free to ask.  I've learned a lot of lessons!


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Butternut Squash Pie

 I had three huge butternut squash sitting on my counter generously given to us by neighbors. Here's my thing about this vegetable--I really like the flavor, but the texture kills me. Butternut squash soup is delish, but it pretty much gags me. Sorry, but it's true. So I wanted a way to use the vegetable without the negative affects. What better way to do that than with a PIE?!

Just a couple weeks ago I saw a recipe for this pie and heard it tastes even better than pumpkin. The problem is I have NO IDEA where I read that. So I did a little googling and experimenting and came up with my own version.

I had one small crust (a mini crust really) on hand, so I just wanted to make a little bit of the filling. Turns out I had twice as much as I needed so I used biscuit mix with a little milk and patted it into the bottom of second mini pie plate. It didn't turn out too badly. :) All that to say, the measurements may be a bit off for a 9 inch pie, but because it filled two 4 inch pans, I think it might be just right.

::Baking the squash



Ingredients
1/4 of the dough from the Never Fail Pie Crust Recipe*--recipe below
*this is an approximation. I used the remnants of dough and made a miniature pie crust. The filling filled two mini pies, so I'm estimating. I believe this will make one 9inch pie. 

1 medium butternut squash, cooked and pureed
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
less than 1 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 tsp cinnamon
scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg
scant 1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash butternut squash and place on a plate. Microwave 2 minutes or until just soft enough to run a knife through. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and add a small amount of water. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool completely--1 hour.

Scrap out the seeds of the squash and discard. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the squash, getting as close to the skin as possible without breaking through. Spoon into a food processor. Process until pureed and smooth. (I didn't need to add water, but you can if the squash isn't moving in the food processor.) 

Add to the processor the remaining ingredients. Pulse a couple times or until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared pie shell. 

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. (Be sure to line the crust with foil if it is browned but the pie is not finished baking. 


Never Fail Pie Crust
Makes two (2) two-crust pies (only need 1/4 of this recipe for this pie--freeze the rest!)

Ingredients
2 C. shortening
4 C. flour
dash of salt 

Directions
-mix the previous ingredients with fork until crumbly.
-in cereal bowl, mix 1 beaten egg, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, and 1/2 C. cold water.
-pour liquid mixture into flour.  Mix with flour until dough forms.

Helpful hint:  After dough is complete, divide the dough into 4 equal parts (or 2 if you halved the recipe) and flatten each portion slightly into a circle (approx. 5 inch round).  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  This allows for much easier rolling.

Also, the crust I used for this pie had been in the freezer covered in foil (not even in a ziploc) for almost a year. It was still flaky and amazing!

Also, if you need additional tips for rolling out the dough, feel free to ask.  I've learned a lot of lessons!


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recipes's Eggplant Lasagna

I had eggplant and Italian cheeses in the fridge. I wanted to try my hand at eggplant lasagna once again. I had made Rachael Ray's version twice--the first with great success, the second with complete failure. It was awful. We literally scraped the cheese and sauce off of the eggplant and ate that for dinner. It was so bitter and the texture was terrible. But I wanted to be brave and give the beautiful purple vegetable another shot. 

I'm SO glad I did. My mom, husband, and myself all really loved this dish--it was DELICIOUS and quite healthy too! Unfortunately, I took no pictures of this dish for two reasons--one, it didn't look super pretty and two, we devoured it too fast. 

serves 3 adults (especially if served with a side of pasta)
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant 
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese (the one in a round shape--not in a block or shredded)
shredded mozzarella 
1-28oz can whole peeled tomatoes 
1 tsp dried basil
salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped 

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash eggplant and chop off the top. Slice into 1/4 inch rounds. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt. Allow this to sit for 30 minutes until moisture develops. This draws out the excess juice and tenderizes the vegetable. Use a clean towel to squeeze out the juice. Drizzle with oil and place baking sheet in the oven. Cook approximately 20 minutes or until soft, golden, and fragrant.

In the meantime, drizzle a large skillet with oil and heat to medium low. Saute onions and garlic until soft. Stir in tomatoes and crush with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper and basil. Stir and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. 

Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Spoon in thin layer of tomato sauce. Place a layer of eggplant rounds on top. Spread ricotta cheese. Add more sauce, then eggplant, then ricotta, until all the eggplant has been used--I had enough sauce leftover to coat 2 cups of cooked pasta. Cook for 20 minutes until bubbly. Slice mozarella and place on top of the layered dish. Cook for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

Serve with a side of pasta, if desired. (This would not be necessary if only 2 were eating.)

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Cauliflower and Walnut Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower, broken
into florets
1 onion, roughly chopped
450ml/3⁄4pt vegetable stock
450ml/3⁄4pt milk
25g/1oz walnut pieces
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Preparation:

• Put the cauliflower, onion and stock in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for
about 15 minutes until soft.
• Add the milk and walnuts, and stir through. Purée in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Return the soup to the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then bring to the boil – be careful not to
scorch. Serve hot.
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Carnitas Recipe

carnitasThe first time that I tried carnitas was in Chicago. There was a "super mercado" a couple of blocks from my apartment that sold them from a counter in the back of the store. Since then I have preferred carnitas over similar dishes that feature beef. Although this recipe takes a few hours to prepare, it's worth the wait. Carnitas have alot of flavor and they are inexpensive to make. For this recipe, I used a flour tortilla (heated in the microwave for 20 seconds), the carnitas, salsa, cilantro, and diced red onions. Here is how you make the carnitas:

Recommended Equipment:
slow cooker

Ingredients:
2 tspn kosher salt
2 tspn ground cumin
2 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn oregano
1 tspn coriander
4 pound pork shoulder
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock

Preparation:
  1. In a bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients.
  2. Cut pork into large chunks about 2 inches by 2 inches.
  3. Run spice mixture from step #1 into the pieces of pork.
  4. Place the pork and the bay leaf into the center of the slow cooker.
  5. Pour the chicken stock around the pork. Try to avoid pouring the stock directly on the pork so that the spices stay adhered to the pork.
  6. Place cover on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
  7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  8. Shred the pork into smaller pieces, place them on a baking pan and then bake the pork in the oven for 20 minutes. Reserve juices in the slow cooker.
  9. Remove pork from the oven and place it back into the juices in the slow cooker.
  10. Serve with rice, Cuban Black Beans, tortillas, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, juice of a quarter of a lime, and diced red onions.
Mexican Flag Mexico
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Homemade Whole Wheat Bread (with step by step photos!)

This post has been edited to add lovely photos detailing my every move as I take a lump of dough and create a loaf of deliciousness. 



I know I've posted a few bread recipes in the past, but this is the one I use a couple times a week. I have stopped purchasing store bought bread because this is so healthy and so easy to make. I know exactly what ingredients it contains and it's much much cheaper. 
I use my bread machine to make the dough which takes an hour and a half, then I roll out the dough, let it rise and bake in a loaf pan--this is just because I prefer the texture and shape of the loaf to the bread machine loaf. 

Ingredients
1-1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cup white flour (you can change the proportions of these flours as long as they total 3 cups)
1 tsp sugar (the recipe called for 1/4 cup. yikes!)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active yeast 

Directions
Put all ingredients in bread machine in the order of the manufacturer's directions. Use the "dough" cycle. When it's finished roll out on a lightly floured surface into an 8 inch by 12-15 inch rectangle. Roll up along the length of the dough pinching after each turn. Place the log into a loaf pan that has had the bottom sprayed with non-stick spray. Use the non-stick spray on the top of the loaf to assist with browning without adding fat. Cover with a light tea towel and let rise 30 minutes or until almost double--dough should be risen a bit about the edge of the loaf pan. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes--until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  

note: I keep my loaf in a used bread bag. I slice it as I go rather than all at once--this keeps the loaf fresh and moist. 


And now, for your step-by-step viewing pleasure:

1. Remove your rings and lightly flour your surface.

2. I used a nonstick baking mat as my rolling surface.
It's a bit more sanitary then the counter and much easier to clean AND it a hundred times better at keeping the dough from sticking

3. Dough from bread machine pan, prepare to become delicious.

4. Dump the dough out of the machine pan.
It's a globby mess.
You will want to flour your hands to keep from becoming a doughy mess.

5. Roll the dough around, sprinkling lightly with flour.

6. Shape the dough into a log as you're rolling it around in the flour.

7. Use your fingers to flatten the dough, release the air bubbles, and created a nice rectangle.

8. Here we have a perfect rectangle with my hand as a sizing comparison guide for your convenience. you're welcome. :)

9. Now the fun part!
Start rolling the dough towards you along the long side of the rectangle.
Pinch the seam after each rotation.

10. pinch. pinch. pinch.

11. pinch.

12. the final pinch and seal!

13. Turn the lovely roll over and drop in the loaf pan, seam side DOWN.

14. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

15. Cover with an adorable tea towel. 
I like this vintage one my mom gave me.
It's really from the 70s too! *wink*

16. hello, there, love!

 17. Here we have the loaf after 35 minutes of rising on the warming oven (set on top of oven while it's preheating)

18. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. 
19. Slice as you need (not all at once) to preserve freshness!


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Homemade Whole Wheat Bread (with step by step photos!)

This post has been edited to add lovely photos detailing my every move as I take a lump of dough and create a loaf of deliciousness. 



I know I've posted a few bread recipes in the past, but this is the one I use a couple times a week. I have stopped purchasing store bought bread because this is so healthy and so easy to make. I know exactly what ingredients it contains and it's much much cheaper. 
I use my bread machine to make the dough which takes an hour and a half, then I roll out the dough, let it rise and bake in a loaf pan--this is just because I prefer the texture and shape of the loaf to the bread machine loaf. 

Ingredients
1-1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cup white flour (you can change the proportions of these flours as long as they total 3 cups)
1 tsp sugar (the recipe called for 1/4 cup. yikes!)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active yeast 

Directions
Put all ingredients in bread machine in the order of the manufacturer's directions. Use the "dough" cycle. When it's finished roll out on a lightly floured surface into an 8 inch by 12-15 inch rectangle. Roll up along the length of the dough pinching after each turn. Place the log into a loaf pan that has had the bottom sprayed with non-stick spray. Use the non-stick spray on the top of the loaf to assist with browning without adding fat. Cover with a light tea towel and let rise 30 minutes or until almost double--dough should be risen a bit about the edge of the loaf pan. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes--until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  

note: I keep my loaf in a used bread bag. I slice it as I go rather than all at once--this keeps the loaf fresh and moist. 


And now, for your step-by-step viewing pleasure:

1. Remove your rings and lightly flour your surface.

2. I used a nonstick baking mat as my rolling surface.
It's a bit more sanitary then the counter and much easier to clean AND it a hundred times better at keeping the dough from sticking

3. Dough from bread machine pan, prepare to become delicious.

4. Dump the dough out of the machine pan.
It's a globby mess.
You will want to flour your hands to keep from becoming a doughy mess.

5. Roll the dough around, sprinkling lightly with flour.

6. Shape the dough into a log as you're rolling it around in the flour.

7. Use your fingers to flatten the dough, release the air bubbles, and created a nice rectangle.

8. Here we have a perfect rectangle with my hand as a sizing comparison guide for your convenience. you're welcome. :)

9. Now the fun part!
Start rolling the dough towards you along the long side of the rectangle.
Pinch the seam after each rotation.

10. pinch. pinch. pinch.

11. pinch.

12. the final pinch and seal!

13. Turn the lovely roll over and drop in the loaf pan, seam side DOWN.

14. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

15. Cover with an adorable tea towel. 
I like this vintage one my mom gave me.
It's really from the 70s too! *wink*

16. hello, there, love!

 17. Here we have the loaf after 35 minutes of rising on the warming oven (set on top of oven while it's preheating)

18. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. 
19. Slice as you need (not all at once) to preserve freshness!


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