Old Fashioned Beef Stew

We had a whole bunch of stew meat in the freezer and after a few cold and rainy days, I really started to crave some good old fashioned beef stew the other day. With my hands tied with the baby most of the day, stew is the perfect type of meal to throw together in a pot in the morning, and just forget about it the rest of the day until dinner time. I especially love that it's so simple and you don't need to add red wine, which I rarely have open bottles of kicking around.  Of all the stew recipes I've tried, this one is by far my favourite - lots of veggies, super tender beef, and nice flavourful sauce perfect for dipping some fresh bread into. Enjoy!

Beef Stew
Serves 6-8
Source: For The Love of Cooking

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb stew meat
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, diced 
1 can diced tomatoes
1-2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
6 cups of beef stock
1 cup carrots, chopped 
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups red potatoes, chopped
3 tbsp cornstarch (I used at least this much since I like mine pretty thick)

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, and brown the stew meat on all sides; Set aside.  Add onion, then cook for about 5 minutes. When softened, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding tomatoes, seasonings and stock. Add back the beef, cover and cook on the stove top at medium low heat for at least 3 hours (you could also cook it in the oven).

Add vegetables to the stew and add more beef broth if low; cook for an additional 1 - 1 1/ 2 hours. If you want the stew to be thick, add a slurry of cornstarch and cold beef broth (mixing thoroughly) then pour into stew while it's boiling, and let simmer for a little while longer. I serve mine with fresh bread for dipping!

Lettuce Wraps

Oh. my. goodness. SO delicious! So, eventhough lettuce wraps are not the type of thing that we ever make (and I've really only had them like 3 times in my entire life before now), my sister passed this recipe on to me that she recently tried, and they were a HUGE hit. My husband I and both loved them. As is typical for what I look for in a recipe, they were very easy to make... and like I said they were delicious. The oyster sauce did seem like a funky ingredient never having used it before, but all of the ingredients together made this dish taste amazing. We had no leftovers!

Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from chinesefood.about.com

Serves 3

1-2 heads butter lettuce
1 lb ground beef

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

1/4" slice of fresh ginger, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp sherry cooking wine

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

1. Wash and dry the lettuce, separating the leaves. Try not to tear them since you'll use them as a wrap. Set aside

2. Heat the sesame and olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and soften for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly, cooking until fragrant.

3. Add the beef to the onion and garlic mixture, and brown the meat until fully cooked. Once cooked, remove the meat mixture from the pan and set aside.

4. Using the same pan, add a little bit more olive oil to the pan, and add the red pepper, water chestnuts and celery, cooking until softened (about 4-5 minutes). Once cooked, add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry cooking wine and sugar to the pan - stir. Let it cook for a minute or two.

5. Mix the cornstarch and water together, and add to the vegetable mixture, stirring to thicken. Add the meat mixture back to the pan, and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. To serve, spoon some of the meat mixture onto the middle of one of the lettuce leafs. Wrap it like you would a taco or burrito, and enjoy!

Soup Week: Hot Cheese Soup

A couple of weeks back we had tacos for dinner, and whenever we have tacos for dinner, I always make this soup the next day with any leftovers we have left in the fridge - it's the perfect soup to use them up and is so easy! Actually, again it's a soup that my dad always made growing up, and I've continued doing it over the years. The soup itself is really cheesy, and pretty hearty (with the meat and tomatoes), and what really makes it is so good is that it's nice and spicy. I LOVE it, but my husband doesn't care for it. Oh well, more for me!

Hot Cheese Soup
Mikyn's Kitchen
Serves 3-4

1 can Cheddar cheese soup
4 cups milk
1/4 pound or so fully cooked taco-seasoned ground beef
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup taco sauce or salsa (I use the "medium" hot one)
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

1. In a medium size saucepan, add the can of cheddar cheese soup, stirring and slowly adding the milk until incorporated.

2. Add the ground beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, salsa, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Stir, and bring to almost a boil. Let simmer for a couple of minutes to ensure that the meat is heated through. Taste and re-season as necessary. Serve and enjoy!

Beef Chili

Do you ever have one of those days where you're just not thinking clearly? Well, did I ever have that day last week... It was probably 30 degrees (celsius) outside, and that was the day I decided to make homemade beef chili. You see, not only did I decide to make the chili, but it was also the same day I made the blueberry crumb bars. Ridiculous. The chili itself was incredible, but my goodness, was the house ever hot! Not that I'm complaining about the nice weather, but lets be honest, this could have been saved for a cooler day now that we're getting more of them. Oh well, I have to say it was worth it. The chili was probably one of the best beef chili's I've ever had. The chili had the perfect amount of spice and heat, and was the perfect ratio of beef, beans, veggies and sauce. We served it with homemade cheddar baking powder biscuits, and admittedly had it again the next day for dinner too. Same dinner day two doesn't happen very often around here, and so that's saying a lot about this chili. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Beef Chili

Adapted from For the love of cooking

Serves: 8 or more

2 pounds ground beef

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1/2 jalapeno, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin powder

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

1 796mL can diced tomatoes

1 398mL can tomato sauce (I used the no-salt added)

1 7oz can diced green chilies, undrained

3 14oz cans kidney beans, undrained

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 bay leaf

1) Heat olive oil and cook onions, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeno until just tender (about 4 minutes). Add garlic, and cook another minute or so.

2) Add ground beef to vegetable mixture and cook until mostly browned (note - only do this if you have the time to let the chili simmer on the stove for awhile, otherwise ensure that the ground beef is thoroughly cooked).

3) Add all the spices, stir and cook for a few seconds.

4) Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies and beans. Stir in vinegar and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cooking on low heat for at least a couple of hours (Cook it all day if you can - I let it simmer for about 2 hours or so).

5) Remember to remove the bay leaf when you're ready to serve. Enjoy!