Sunday, December 6, 2009
Stirring the Stew Pot
Beef stew was the perfect cure for this bitterly cold day. This time of year, we spend many of our evenings walking the streets near our house, admiring the lights strewn upon neighbors' homes and dangling from frosty trees. Suddenly our humble development transforms into a magical wonderland.
When the mercury drops, there's only a few things I can think of to warm me inside and out. I bring you my newest recipe. A simple Beef Stew that you can make right now. No need for hours of simmering time or a special run to the grocery.
You'll Need:
Ingredients:
When the mercury drops, there's only a few things I can think of to warm me inside and out. I bring you my newest recipe. A simple Beef Stew that you can make right now. No need for hours of simmering time or a special run to the grocery.
You'll Need:
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Stock Pot
- Frying Pan
- Food Processor
- Veggie Peeler
- Tablespoon
- Mason Jar
- Measuring Cup
- Large Stirring Spoon
Ingredients:
- Beef Roast- 2.5-3 lbs
- Large Potatoes- 3
- Onion- 1/2 Large
- Garlic- 6 Cloves
- Cilantro- 1/2 Cup Chopped
- Butter- 2 Sticks
- Beef Bouillon-2 Tbsp
- Milk- 1 Cup
- White Rice Flour- 3 Tbsp
- Pepper
- In your frying pan, melt butter over medium high heat.
- Dice Beef in to smallish bite-size pieces. Shake pepper and beef bouillon onto meat while on the cutting board (after it has been diced).
- When diced, add to the hot frying pan and let it cook while you are prepping you other ingredients. Remember to stir frequently.
- Preheat stock pot on your largest burner to medium/high heat.
- Peel and place onions into your food processor. Process until there are no chunks, or just as smooth as you can achieve. You will be making an onion paste to add to the thickness of the Stew. Then place into the frying pan with the Beef, stirring well.
- Peel Garlic and place it into the food processor. Chop for about 30 seconds, and add to Beef.
- Pour the contents of frying pan into the stock pot with 6 Cups of hot water. Stir well.
- Peel and dice potatoes. Add to stock pot. Stir well.
- Grab about a handful of Cilantro stems and chop as finely as you like. I prefer larger chunks of Cilantro...I love it!
- Add cilantro.
- In your mason jar: Add cold milk and white rice flour . Placing the lid on tightly, shake very well until you cannot see any chunks of flour inside. Add to the stock pot. After you do this, you will have to stir very well, because there may be some sticking onto the bottom of the pot. Don't worry, this is flavor!!
- Lower the heat to low and let simmer, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes.
- Test to see if you need more salt or pepper at this time. Adjust accordingly.
- Serve and ENJOY!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
When I was young, I despised pot roast. It was always too dry and best described as like chewing on an old belt. The potatoes and carrots tasted like beef and the Roast somehow had no flavor...hmmm...curiously I chewed and chewed and chewed and chewed. My brothers and I would start laughing hysterically after a pile of gnawed-on meat was piling up high. Trying to please our parents and finish our dinner was utterly unsuccessful. With tired jaws, dessert was always bittersweet. My mother admitting defeat yet again. It wasn't until later on in my life that I discovered there was no reason for the shortcomings. Pot Roast is Wonderful...... when executed in it's own time.
Walking the meat aisle in the grocery store is always an adventure. Searching for the best package of "sale meat", digging through various cuts, and trying to save money. Many of my friends have given up on meat. Me? I love it. The key with roast is to find one with fat around the edges, but not so much throughout. My father completely disagrees...he says the more fat the better!
Tonight you can make a great fall classic dinner from my childhood...with a twist! Horseradish Crusted Beef Roast with Acorn Squash. For my family of four, I plucked the perfect London Broil from the sea of meat. 4lbs and fatty enough. The preparation is simple for the days I will not be home. I can season, put it in the oven and let it bake for 4-5 hours. That's it! Acorn Squash appears among the latest of summer produce. Pretty overlooked, but inexpensive and so satisfying on these chilly Fall evenings.
HORSERADISH CRUSTED BEEF ROAST w/ Baked Acorn Squash
YOU'LL NEED:
• Roast Pan
• Medium Glass Baking Dish
• Aluminum Foil
• Chef’s Knife
• Medium Sauce Pan
• Stirring Spoon
• Measuring Cup
• Small Mixing Bowl
• Teaspoon
INGREDIENTS:
• 4lb Beef Roast
• 16oz Jar of prepared Horseradish paste
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• Dried Spices: Cumin, Sage, Fennel, Garlic Salt, Pepper
• Acorn Squash-Enough for everyone to have 1
• Prepared Rice- 3 Cups
• Non-Dairy Margarine- 1 ½ Sticks
• Brown Sugar- ¼ Cup per half
PREPARATION:
• Preheat Oven to 300 degrees
• Unwrap Roast & Pat with paper towels
• In your small mixing Bowl, combine ¼ Cups: Cumin, Ground Sage, Garlic Salt & Pepper; 3 Tbsp Fennel, 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil, 16oz of Creamy Spicy Horseradish. Stir well.
Spread mixture, Cover the entire roast and pat spices to form a crust.
• Place in Roast Pan and Bake for 3 Hours.
• When finished, the crust on outside should be crispy. Remove from oven and let it set for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve!
ACORN SQUASH:
• Cut off ends of the squash. Then cut in half & remove seeds with a spoon.
• Place the open side up in the medium glass baking dish.
• Add ¼ stick of non-dairy margarine to each half of squash. Salt & pepper inside and smother with brown sugar.
• Pour 2 Cups of water into the baking dish and cover with foil.
• Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven (at 275 degrees).
• Uncover, sprinkle more brown sugar on them and bake for another 15 minutes.
When you're ready to eat the Squash, you can eat directly from the shell or you can spoon onto your plate. Don't for get the juice!
For more information, find it at:
glutenfreesugarshack.com
Walking the meat aisle in the grocery store is always an adventure. Searching for the best package of "sale meat", digging through various cuts, and trying to save money. Many of my friends have given up on meat. Me? I love it. The key with roast is to find one with fat around the edges, but not so much throughout. My father completely disagrees...he says the more fat the better!
Tonight you can make a great fall classic dinner from my childhood...with a twist! Horseradish Crusted Beef Roast with Acorn Squash. For my family of four, I plucked the perfect London Broil from the sea of meat. 4lbs and fatty enough. The preparation is simple for the days I will not be home. I can season, put it in the oven and let it bake for 4-5 hours. That's it! Acorn Squash appears among the latest of summer produce. Pretty overlooked, but inexpensive and so satisfying on these chilly Fall evenings.
HORSERADISH CRUSTED BEEF ROAST w/ Baked Acorn Squash
YOU'LL NEED:
• Roast Pan
• Medium Glass Baking Dish
• Aluminum Foil
• Chef’s Knife
• Medium Sauce Pan
• Stirring Spoon
• Measuring Cup
• Small Mixing Bowl
• Teaspoon
INGREDIENTS:
• 4lb Beef Roast
• 16oz Jar of prepared Horseradish paste
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• Dried Spices: Cumin, Sage, Fennel, Garlic Salt, Pepper
• Acorn Squash-Enough for everyone to have 1
• Prepared Rice- 3 Cups
• Non-Dairy Margarine- 1 ½ Sticks
• Brown Sugar- ¼ Cup per half
PREPARATION:
• Preheat Oven to 300 degrees
• Unwrap Roast & Pat with paper towels
• In your small mixing Bowl, combine ¼ Cups: Cumin, Ground Sage, Garlic Salt & Pepper; 3 Tbsp Fennel, 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil, 16oz of Creamy Spicy Horseradish. Stir well.
Spread mixture, Cover the entire roast and pat spices to form a crust.
• Place in Roast Pan and Bake for 3 Hours.
• When finished, the crust on outside should be crispy. Remove from oven and let it set for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve!
ACORN SQUASH:
• Cut off ends of the squash. Then cut in half & remove seeds with a spoon.
• Place the open side up in the medium glass baking dish.
• Add ¼ stick of non-dairy margarine to each half of squash. Salt & pepper inside and smother with brown sugar.
• Pour 2 Cups of water into the baking dish and cover with foil.
• Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven (at 275 degrees).
• Uncover, sprinkle more brown sugar on them and bake for another 15 minutes.
When you're ready to eat the Squash, you can eat directly from the shell or you can spoon onto your plate. Don't for get the juice!
For more information, find it at:
glutenfreesugarshack.com
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
What is Gluten Free?!
As I roamed the aisles of the grocery store I caught myself swearing. Wasting precious moments looking for sunflower kernels. The trouble was not finding them, but finding some that were not contaminated with wheat starch. Baffled at this phenomenon in itself, I finally ran into an employee. Out of sheer desperation, I asked the question. The lady with the frizzy blonde hair says with a sneer, "Oh, well I guess you're probably going to have to learn to live without!" She's lucky I had already wasted my allotted time searching in the first place! Generally ignorance does not grant a reaction on my part.
While in my kitchen making the best Spinach Salad ever, I was thinking about living without. There was a time I felt deprived, cheated and defeated. Mmmmmm.... I love the crunch of sunflower kernels in my salad. I'm glad I persevered today.
SPINACH SALAD:
2 Handfuls of Fresh Baby Spinach
Tear off stems and rinse well in a colander
1/8 Cup Sunflower Kernels
Usually Store brand has no poison
1/8 Cup Dried Cherries
DRESSING:
1 Handful of Fresh Cilantro
Just the leaves picked off
Juice from 1 lemon
3 tsp Mayo
1 tsp Cider Vinegar
3 tsp Parmesan Cheese
1 Clove of Garlic
Finely Minced
For a printable version of this, you can find it at:
www.glutenfreesugarshack.com
While in my kitchen making the best Spinach Salad ever, I was thinking about living without. There was a time I felt deprived, cheated and defeated. Mmmmmm.... I love the crunch of sunflower kernels in my salad. I'm glad I persevered today.
SPINACH SALAD:
2 Handfuls of Fresh Baby Spinach
Tear off stems and rinse well in a colander
1/8 Cup Sunflower Kernels
Usually Store brand has no poison
1/8 Cup Dried Cherries
DRESSING:
1 Handful of Fresh Cilantro
Just the leaves picked off
Juice from 1 lemon
3 tsp Mayo
1 tsp Cider Vinegar
3 tsp Parmesan Cheese
1 Clove of Garlic
Finely Minced
For a printable version of this, you can find it at:
www.glutenfreesugarshack.com
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