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This recipe has quickly become one of my family’s favorites for week nights. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE using the crock pot during the week; especially on those really busy days… you can throw some ingredients in it and slow cook it all day and come out with a deliciously tender and flavorful meal at the end of a busy day. This recipe is not one of my own, but I tweaked it to my taste from an old issue of cooking light magazine. Also it is worthy to note for those of you who aren’t huge Indian food fans, the underlying ‘curry’ note of flavoring in this dish is very mild, so it is not an overwhelming or strong curry flavor. I like to serve this dish over Basmati rice, but white, jasmine, or brown rice will work just as well.

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I’ve been on an Asiago cheese kick lately… it’s such a refreshing alternative to Mozzarella, Provolone, or Parmesan. Those subtle hints of smoked flavor as well as a bit of sharpness and bite to the cheese makes it lovely to add as a garnish or to deepen or enhance flavors, which is how I used it in this particular recipe. It was love at first taste with me and Asiago… I’m sure you will have a similar encounter!

Meat Stuffed Shells
Makes approximately 18 stuffed shells

3/4 – 1 lb. lean ground beef
3 links of Italian sweet sausage, removed from the casing (may use hot sausage as well… i just accidentally pulled out the sweet from the freezer, but either works!)
2 large cloves of garlic
salt and black pepper
olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves (8- 10 leaves)
Dried oregano
1 small onion or shallot, chopped finely
1 c. Asiago cheese, grated
1/2 c. Romano cheese, grated
1 package of Jumbo shell noodles
1 jar of Dellalo brand Pink Vodka Sauce (feel free to use any regular spaghetti sauce for this, I just wanted to spice up the dish a bit, so I used something a little less traditional)

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I love, love, love pizza made with all kinds of different flat breads (pitas, naan bread, lavosh, etc.)…. it just never gets old with me, not to mention its so easy to make and you can literally put almost anything on it and it tastes wonderful. Here is a quick and easy idea if your feeling a bit “Greek” for the day.

P.S. Sorry about some of the photos, it was really dark out when I made this, so I didn’t have very much light.

Ingredients: yields one pizza (feeds about 3 ppl., I usually make two)

1/2 lb. of ground lamb or beef
olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/2 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
feta cheese (about 1/4 c. crumbled)
Mushrooms
Jalapeno
Kosher or Sea Salt
Black pepper

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During a recent trip to on of the first large Asian markets I’ve ever been to (Lee Lee Oriental Market in Peoria), I discovered a lot of useful and interesting food items. My goal was to find some fresh ingredients to make this Pho noodle soup. One of the best things I found out about the Asian market was that they sell the paper thin slices of eye of round. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get home and use it. They had a delicious selection of Basmati rice, rice noodles, and fresh vegetables/spices. I hope you enjoy this quicker version of Vietnamese Pho.

Ingredients:
yields 4-6 servings

For Broth:
2 onions, halved
fresh ginger root, halved
10 – 14 beef bullion cubes (give or take, depending on how beefy you want the flavor)
8 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 Tsp. fennel seeds
3 Star of anise
6 whole cloves
pinch of salt
1/3 c. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar

Other soup ingredients:
1 lb. eye of round steak, sliced paper thin (you can find packages of pre-sliced at a local Asian market)
1 lb. rice noodles

For garnish: (IMPORTANT TO ADD FLAVOR!)
arrange a plate of fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, and mint leaves
lime wedges
sliced jalapeno peppers
sliced chili peppers (opt)
bean sprouts
Sriracha Sauce (found in local grocery store)

Directions

1. Pour water into a medium – large pot and heat on high until boiling.
2. Meanwhile, turn broiler in oven on HIGH. Move the oven rack to the highest slot. Place halved onions and ginger on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and place under broiler until charred. Should take 8 – 12 minutes. Arrange the spices (cinnamon, coriander, fennel, star anise, and cloves) inside a cheese cloth and tie up to secure the bundle.
3. Add beef bullion, ginger, onion, and spices in cheese cloth bundle to the boiling water. Turn temperature down to medium to simmer. Add fish sauce, sugar, and salt to broth. Let it cook for 15 – 20 minutes to simmer the spices together.
4. While broth is simmering cook rice noodles according to package directions and arrange garnishes listed above (lime wedges, herbs, etc.) onto plates or bowls and place on the table.
5. Once rice noodles are cooked, strain in a strainer and set aside. If broth has simmered and smells like the spices have cooked through, taste test the broth to see if it needs any additional beef bullion. If broth is ready, use a slotted spoon to take out the spice bundle, ginger, and onion (may leave onion in if you like).
6. If broth is ‘beefy’ enough, add in slices of the eye of round to quick cook the beef… it only takes maybe 20 – 30 seconds for these paper thin slices to cook. Turn off stove and serve immediately once meat is browned.
6. Scoop some rice noodles into a bowl and ladle over some broth with some meat slices.
7. Guests can garnish their own bowl of soup with whatever they like (chili sauce, lime wedges, jalapenos, basil, etc.). I personally recommend garnishing your bowl with EVERYTHING you lay out on the table that I’ve listed above under Garnish.

ENJOY!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of stew meat OR 1 Roast of choice cut into cubes and fat trimmed
1 1/2 c. water
2 beef bullion cubes (I used the Herb Ox brand because it’s gluten free… you can substitute 1 can of low-sodium beef broth if you like also)
1/2 packet of Beefy onion dip mix
1/2 c. Red wine (I used Big House Red)
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, quartered
2 potatoes, cut into chunks
4-5 carrots, cut into chunks
4 celery stalks, chopped
frozen petite peas (optional)

Place stew meat in crock pot. Heat 1 1/2 c. of water in the microwave on high for about 2-3 minutes until it is nice and hot to the touch in a glass measuring cup. Add the 2 bullion cubes to the hot water and let them dissolve. Once bullion cubes are dissolved, add 1/2 c. of red wine and beefy onion soup mix and whisk until contents are well blended with the beef broth. Pour liquid over the stew meat inside the crock pot. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic, bay leaf, and onion. Cover crock pot with the lid and cook on LOW for about 3 hours.

After 3 hours of cooking time add in the potatoes, carrots, celery, and peas. Cook for another 4 hours on Low or until vegetables are all softened. Remove Meat and vegetables from the crock pot with a slotted spoon and set aside in a large bowl, leaving the liquid behind in the crock pot. Mix a little water with 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch, then whisk into the crock pot liquid broth. Stir until it becomes slightly thickened (for thicker broth continue to add more cornstarch and water mixture until the broth reaches your desired consistency). Return vegetables and meat to the crock pot. Serve in bowls and with a nice slice of crusty bread.

Various red and white wines

I do not claim to know much about wines by any means, in fact I don’t even drink wine for social occasions, except at communion. One thing I do know and appreciate about wines though, is that they can deepen or freshen certain tastes in food. There are times when a good meal calls for some wine to be added and times when it doesn’t, but the enhancement of flavor and aroma it brings to those few special dishes can make all the difference in the world! I often like to use red wines to enhance beefy flavors like a red wine pot roast, beef and vegetable soup, sausage soup, or one of my favorite recipes, beef burgundy. As far as white wine goes, I often like to use it to freshen up flavors such as shrimp scampi dishes, light pastas, or in some rare cases add it to a red sauce to give it something extra special. Wonderful things happen… trust me! One of my favorite dishes to add white wine to is my crock pot chicken cacciatore. For a red wine I recommend the brand “Big House Red”, it has a well balanced deep flavor. For white wine I recommend a Chardonnay variety. I have little experience with a wide variety of cooking wines, but with the little experience I have had, these are the two wines I keep coming back to. Enjoy the recipes! P.S. So sorry I don’t have pictures of these two beautiful dishes, but if I make them in the future I will be sure to upload them.

Beef Burgundy
(you may need to modify amounts accordingly, this recipe is made to feed a large crowd)

4 medium onions, sliced
1.5 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter

Add ingredients above to a pot and saute onions and mushrooms, then remove and set aside.

2 lbs. Top Eye Round Steak, cut into bite sized strips
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/3 tsp. thyme
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp. black pepper
4-6 cloves of crushed garlic
1 c. red wine
2 beef bullion cubes
Uncle Ben’s Original recipe Wild Rice, cooked according to package directions ( 1 package serves 4 people)

Saute ingredients above in pot until browned and steak is cooked through, then set aside. Meanwhile in another small measuring cup or bowl, dissolve 2 beef bullion cubes in water. Make a rue in the pot over medium heat by adding 2 Tbsp. butter, and about 1 -3 Tbsp. of flour. Mix together until it forms a paste. Add liquid beef broth to the rouge and whisk together. Add in 1 cup of red wine and 1/2 cup of water. Cook for about 15 minutes, then add in the meat mixture and onions and mushrooms you set aside earlier to the liquid. Cook on low for about 1.5 – 2 hours. You may need to adjust the flavoring by adding a few more beef bullion cubes and some salt and pepper. Serve over wild rice.

NOTE: This dish does well prepared one day ahead of time. Just simply store in a pot with a lid or in a large container in the refrigerator over night, then reheat before serving.

Rachel’s Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:
2 -3 boneless/skinless Chicken breasts or chicken thighs/legs
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 package of mushrooms, chopped in quarters
1 Tbsp. bacon grease (optional)

For Sauce:
1 Large can of stewed or diced tomatoes
1 – 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 cup of white wine
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
1 package of thin regular or whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions

Put all ingredients into the crock pot and stir around until the tomato sauce is blended in with the wine and spices. Cover crock pot with lid and cook on medium/high heat for 2-3 hours, or on low for about 4-5 hours. 30 min. before serving prepare thin spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Break up chicken pieces (if using chicken breasts) into a few sections, usually I pull apart each chicken breast into 4 pieces. Serve chicken and sauce over thin spaghetti noodles, garnish with some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Enjoy!

French Apple Pie with Creme Anglaise Sauce

umm… I can smell the wafting scents of cinnamon and vanilla coming out of this photo as I remember back to baking this little beauty of a pie.  This pie has always been a favorite of mine growing up and now that I’m on my own I’ve always wanted to learn how to make this pie.  It always seemed out of reach or too difficult because there were a few more steps than a regular old fashioned apple pie, so I never ventured down that road… until now.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard to make… and I enjoyed it.  It will be sure to please any crowd this Thanksgiving or even for Sunday dinner’s dessert!  I hope it warms your soul and your tummy as much as it did mine!

French Apple Pie

For Pie Filling you will need:
1 top and bottom prepared or store bought pie crust
About 8 apples peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges (use a variety of apples such as Jonagold, Grannysmith, Macintosh, Braeburn, Winesap, etc.)
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

For custard you will need:
1/3 c. softened butter
1/3 c. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs, slightly beaten

For creme anglaise sauce you will need:
1 c. whipping cream
2 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Directions:
Once apples are sliced, combine all the filling ingredients with the sliced apples. Add apple filling to a large skillet over medium-low heat and saute for a few minutes until just softened and the sugar melts and forms a glaze. Set filling aside.

Using a hand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and 2 Tbps. of flour. Add spices and mix until well combined. Lastly, add in beaten eggs an mix until it forms a pasty mixture.

Prepare the bottom pie crust in bottom of pie plate. Add in the apple filling and top with custard mixture. Spread custard mixture all throughout the apple filling until it is all throughout the mixture evenly.

Place top pie crust over filling and crimp the edges together. Cut 2 – 4 slits in the top pie crust to form steam vents. Dab top pie crust with milk and sprinkle sugar over the top.

Bake pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the pie filling is bubbly and the crust is browned.

For Creme Anglaise Sauce you can prepare ahead of time and store in the fridge overnight or you can prepare the sauce just before serving.

For sauce:
In medium sauce pan bring whipping cream to a just almost boiling. Turn down heat to low. In a small bowl combine 2 egg yolks and sugar. Pour some of the hot cream into the bowl with the egg mixture and blend. Then pour the bowl with the egg mixture into the sauce pan of hot cream and blend together with a whisk. Cook and continually stir creme sauce over low heat until thickened for about 10 minutes. Add in vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Drizzle spoonfuls over a slice of pie just before serving.

Sunday night my husband surprised me by making me dinner!  He snuck out to AJ’s grocery and brought home an abundance of packages all tightly wrapped and stuffed them in the fridge before I could guess what they were.  That evening, he cooked a wonderfully prepared meal.  Grant it, he did need some help navigating my kitchen and had to ask how to work the oven… but  I was very impressed.  What a great husband I have!! I was able to enjoy and savor my meal without thinking about everything I did wrong or could have done better … It was truly an enjoyable experience.. and I can’t believe I ate the WHOLE potato!

Sunday Dinner Menu:

Twice baked potatoes with cheddar cheese and green onions
Bacon wrapped asparagus spears
Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon
Grilled Steak and Vegetable Kabobs

and for dessert… a combination of dark chocolate and tiramisu gelato!

It was a splendid and pleasantly delicious surprise!  Thank you sweetheart!

My Husband: The wonderful man himself (Lukas)

Twice baked potatoe and asparagus

Salmon and Steak Kabobs