- Susan's Musings

My Favorite Beef Stew Recipe

Feb 272014

My favorite beef stew recipe - I took this photo when there was only one bowl left, which had mostly carrots and very little meat in it :) This is the best beef stew that I have ever had…EVER! The red wine was the “key ingredient”. It made the soupy broth so delicious, I could have just eaten the broth with bread and butter….Yum!

I took this photo a little too late. There was only one bowl left, which had mostly carrots and very little meat in it 🙂

Normally, I make beef stew with the leftovers from my pot roast. I have never used wine in my pot roast or stew. However, this was so good I will add the wine to the pot roast next time.

This recipe yielded 6 servings.

Ingredients

2-3 lbs. stew meat or chuck roast, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 yellow onions
1/4 cup flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
2 15 oz. cans beef broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 lb. baby carrots, or several whole carrots cut into 1-inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch slices
3-4 medium russet potatoes, or 6-8 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a large dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid.
Add beef and brown well on all sides. Add salt and pepper as the beef browns. Remove beef and set aside.
Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add the flour and stir for two minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute.
Add wine and de-glaze the pan, scraping brown bits on the bottom. Let wine thicken and simmer for five more minutes.
Return beef to pot and add broth, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.
Add carrots and celery, and simmer covered for two hours, or until the meat and vegetables are tender to your liking. I like my carrots and celery soft, and the meat fork tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, either add potatoes to stew or boil separately. I like serving white potatoes, not soaked in stew.
Preheat oven if you are making dinner rolls.
Throw some biscuits in the oven while the stew sits for approximately 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.

This is similar to My Mother’s Beef Tips and Gravy, without the vegetables. Just serve over wide noodles.

Homemade Chicken Soup – Good For Your Body and Soul

Soups and Chowders No Responses »

Nov 132013

I felt a cold coming on, and I had a craving for some homemade chicken soup. I browsed the Internet for recipes and ended up with my own variation. I picked up a whole chicken, some vegetables, and a couple of cans of chicken broth for a little added flavor.

The following recipe is for the chicken stock, and then the soup. I discarded the vegetables after making the stock, and then used fresh vegetables for the soup. You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to, but I think the flavor cooks out of the vegetables into the stock, so you get a nice full flavor of fresh vegetables in the soup. Thus, the reason for the large chunks of vegetables. This makes it easier since you will strain the vegetables and discard them.

If you want to cut corners, instead of making your own stock you can use 2 quarts of chicken broth or chicken bouillon. If you don’t want to make your own stock, skip the first part and go on to the chicken soup recipe. I was in the mood to make my own stock, and this is the recipe that I came up with:

Ingredients:

Chicken Stock
whole chicken, approx. 3-5 lbs
3 ribs of celery, cut in large chunks
2 medium onions, quartered
1/2 pound baby carrots, whole (or 3 large carrots cut in large chunks)
2-3 quarts of water, enough to cover
1 head of garlic, halved
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
4 fresh thyme sprigs, or just use 1 tsp of dried thyme
handful of flat leaf parsley, or again you can throw in some dried parsley
2 bay leaves

Directions for Chicken Stock

Place chicken and vegetable in a tall soup or stock pot, 8 to 12-quarts. Cover with cold water. Add thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns. Slowly bring to boil, then let simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. You want the chicken to start falling off the bone. Skim the foam off periodically and add more water, if necessary, to keep the chicken covered.

Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate. Cool, then discard skin and pull meat from bones. Shred some of the chicken and cut some into bite-sized chunks.

Place a fine sieve over another pot and strain the stock. Discard vegetables. Use stock immediately or freeze for later use.

Ingredients for Chicken Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bag of baby carrots or 2-3 large carrots, cut into 1/2″ thick slices
3 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2″ thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2-3 quarts chicken stock, recipe above
1-2 cans chicken broth if needed for more flavor*
3 or 4 small potatoes, peeled and quartered OR 1/2 pound dry wide egg noodles
1 whole tomato, peeled and chopped (or add a small can of diced tomatoes)*
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste

* Optional – Use your imagination. Throw in your leftover peas, green beans, corn, whatever flavors you’d like to have in your soup. I always add extra celery, but since no one else in the family likes celery, I cut it into larger pieces so they can remove it.

Directions for Chicken Soup:

Heat olive oil in large pot. Add chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced carrots and celery. Cook on medium heat for 6 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in chicken stock, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are tender. If you prefer noodles, either cook them separately or cook in soup until tender.

I pretty much went through my refrigerator to see what else I could throw into the chicken soup. I found an over ripened tomato, so I peeled it, chopped it up and threw it in the pot.

Bon appétit!

Family Rating: Five Smileys

Amazon.com Widgets

Two Week Menu Plan

Beef Recipes, Chicken & Poultry Recipes, Fish & Seafood Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Pork Recipes, Side Dishes, Slow Cooker Recipes, Soups and Chowders, What's Cooking? No Responses »

Apr 182013

I went shopping on Saturday and I went a bit overboard. I’m not always able to buy much more than chicken and ground beef, but this time I picked up some really nice finds in the meat and seafood departments, thanks to the weekly sales and manager’s specials at Kroger.

So, here’s a list of meat that I purchased:

I didn’t buy chicken because I have a freezer full.

Following is a draft of meals that I will make in the next two weeks, plus the links to the recipes that I used/will use:

My Mother’s Pork Loin Chops Simmered in Beef Gravy – http://susans-musings.com/my-mothers-pork-loin-chops-simmered-in-beef-gravy

From Stove to Oven Baked Pork Chops.

Cincinnati Style/Skyline Chili

Beef Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes, Soups and Chowders, What's Cooking? 3 Responses »

Jan 142013

My husband was born and raised in Cincinnati, and he makes his mom’s recipe for chili (may she rest in peace). Although he is from Cincinnati, this chili is somewhat different than most of the recipes I’ve found for Cincinnati chili, or any chili for that matter. I sometimes wonder if he left out some of the ingredients since it was never written down (that I know of), but it is delicious just the way it is.

This is the recipe that we eat most often, since my husband enjoys making it 🙂 Continue reading »

My Mother’s Corn Chowder

Soups and Chowders No Responses »

Sep 062011

Another favorite of mine when I was growing up, I usually make it once a month or so. It’s a hearty soup and is great by itself, or served with BLT or grilled cheese sandwiches, crackers or warm bread and butter. Serves 4-6. I make it for three adults and always have two or three bowls leftover.

It’s a rainy day, and it’s a great time to stay in, read a good book, and have some comfort food.

Ingredients:

Directions:

On top of stove, in large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon and onions, then drain.

Fry bacon

Cut bacon strips in fourths

Chop one medium onion

Saute onions in bacon grease

* I usually boil cubed potatoes separately for about five minutes to speed up the cooking process but, if you prefer, you can just add raw cubed potatoes to chowder and let simmer on low until cooked. Just make sure the milk doesn’t boil over.

Peel potatoes and cut into cubes

Boil cubed potatoes for 5 minutes

Add two cans of cream style corn and two cans of milk, stir. Add bacon pieces, pre-cooked potatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for a bit until potatoes are tender and flavors are all combined, taste to test. That’s it!

Add two cans of cream style corn

Add two cans of milk

Add cut-up bacon

Add pre-cooked potatoes

Simmer until potatoes are tender

For those of you who think chowder must contain clams or fish:

Chowder (noun)
: a soup or stew of seafood (as clams or fish) usually made with milk or tomatoes, salt pork, onions, and other vegetables (as potatoes); also : a soup resembling chowder (corn chowder)

Printable recipe without images:

My Mother’s Corn Chowder

This has always been a family favorite, especially on a cold or rainy day.

Ingredients:

Directions:

On top of stove, in large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon and onions, then drain.

For those of you who think chowder must contain clams or fish:

Family Rating: Five Smileys

What’s for Dinner? Week 9/4/11 – 9/10/11

Beef Recipes, Chicken & Poultry Recipes, Soups and Chowders, What's Cooking? No Responses »

Sep 052011

Here’s what’s for dinner this week:

Meal Plan for Week 9/4/11 – 9/10/11

Sunday – Chicken Ala King served over rice
Monday – Leftovers – Steak, chicken ala king, baked chicken strips with hot sauce
Tuesday – Hot dogs, mac & cheese, and My Mother’s Corn Chowder – Click for Recipe
Wednesday – Baked chicken pieces, mashed potatoes w/gravy, green beans
Thursday – Open House tonight, maybe McDonald’s after
Friday – Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings – Click for Recipe
Saturday – Top sirloin steak, grilled, with baked potatoes and tossed salad

Bon appétit!


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