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!

Southwestern Chicken Chili

Oh dear. It's been a year since I've posted my last recipe. Many good recipes have collected in the meantime! This one is delicious (as usual) - Not sure that the picture does it much justice, but this Southwest Chicken Chili is amazing. I so love it, especially since it's so fully of veggies and lots of other goodies! So filling, and so tasty. So yum. And now especially since the snow is starting, it's perfect to warm you up on a chilly day!

Southwestern Chicken Chili

Adapted slightly from Best of Bridge

Serves 8-10

5 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp chili powder (use all of it)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

3 Tbsp coriander

salt & pepper to taste (I use at least a tsp of pepper, and 1/2 tsp or less of salt)

4 carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 stalks celery, chopped

28 oz can diced tomatoes

7 oz can diced green chiles

3 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp sugar

12 oz can kernel corn

14 oz can white kidney beans

14 oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a dutch oven or large pot, brown the chicken in the oil.

2. Add onions and saute until soft. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.

3. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt and pepper to the mixture, and cook and stir for about 3 minutes.

4. Add carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles, lime juice and sugar to the mix. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for one hour.

5. After the chili has simmered for an hour, add the corn, kidney beans, chick peas and bell pepper, and simmer for about 30 minutes more.

Serve with a fresh bun, or just if you want to be simple a couple of pieces of bread! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Jalapeno and Corn Bisque

I've been wanting to make a soup lately that uses yams or sweet potatoes in it, and so when I saw this one at everybody likes sandwiches, I figured it would be perfect. The texture was really velveety, with just a bit of spice from the jalapeno, matched by the sweetness from the corn. A perfect soup to warm you up on those cold, windy and wet days that we've been experiencing lately around here!

Sweet Potato, Jalapeno and Corn Bisque

Adapted from everybody likes sandwiches (originally from The Wednesday Chef)

Serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium yams, peeled and chopped

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped

3 cups chicken broth

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp ground pepper (or to taste)

tiny pinch of ground cinnamon

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, saute onions for a minute or so, then add garlic until fragrant. Add the yams and sweet potatoes, stirring for a few seconds.

2. Add the chicken stock - I used just enough to make sure that the vegetables are covered. Use more or less as needed. Cover, and boil over medium heat until cooked - about 10-15 minutes.

3. If you have an immersion blender, you could use that to puree the vegetables... I used a blender, pureeing in batches until everything was very smooth.

4. Return the soup to the soup pot, and add the jalapenos, corn, syrup, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Stir well, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Enjoy!

End of Soup Week: Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

So, I decided one day that it was time to venture out from my corn chowders and chicken noodle soups, and like usual wanted something quick and simple. You know when co-workers start saying to you "how's the corn chowder?" before they even see what soup I'm eating that particular day, that it's time to vary it a little bit! Well, I had seen this recipe a couple of months back on the Picky-Palate, and not only did it look delicious, but I knew I wanted to try it right away - especially since I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. I think its both the wild rice and the spinach in this soup that make it so tasty. Since I freeze all of my soups to enjoy later on for work lunches, I just leave the spinach out when I freeze it, then add it to the soup once it's reheated.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Source: Picky-Palate
Serves 6

1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups homemade chicken broth
1 can Cream of chicken soup
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
3/4 cup milk (I used soy milk)
2 cups roasted chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup cooked wild rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Spinach, shredded into smaller pieces (For a whole pot of soup about 4 cups; for individual soup about 1/2 handful per bowl)

1. In a large pot, saute onions and carrots over medium heat until soft (about 5-7 minutes). Add garlic, and cook stirring constantly for another 60 seconds or so.

2. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese soup, milk, chicken, salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil. Once heated through, remove from heat and stir in the spinach. Serve immediately ~ enjoy!

Soup Week: Roasted Chicken and Barley Soup

Since I had a lot of time on my hands this past winter, and wanted something else to do whenever I had the energy to do it, I thought making homemade chicken noodle soup would be a good start. It was pleasantly simple to make, and was an excellent comfort food on top of that. I've never been a fan of the packaged or canned chicken soups out there, and now I'll never go back. The soup is so delicious and is full of tons of vegetables, nice big chunks of roasted chicken, and lots of flavour. Thanks to my grandma for teaching me how to make this.

PART 1: Homemade Chicken Broth
Mikyn's Kitchen

Chicken carcass and bones, meat removed
10-12 cups water
4 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove garlic, peeled (optional)
Salt
Pepper

Homemade chicken broth is most easily made from the leftover bones and carcass of a roasting chicken. Once the chicken is roasted, remove as much of the chicken meat from the bones as possible, reserving for future use (If you leave the meat on the bones, it tends to go rubbery, and so it's better to remove before making the broth).

In a large pot, add the bones, carrots, celery, onions, water and spices, and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, remove any scum, reduce the heat and simmer on low for 1.5-2 hours. After a couple of hours, taste and re-season as necessary - salt is definitely the key here. Don't be afraid to add some - it will still be less than the canned versions in the store.

Strain out the vegetables, bones and bay leaf, reserving the broth. If you allow the broth to cool in the fridge overnight, you can easily remove any fat that may have solidified on top - I find though that the roasting of the chicken actually renders most of the fat, and so there's usually very little left. Enjoy as needed in your recipes.

PART 2: Roasted Chicken and Barley Soup
Mikyn's Kitchen
Serves 8

10 cups homemade chicken broth
4 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup roasted chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup barley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add carrots, celery, onions and barley, and cook until soft.

2. When nearly done, add the chicken and heat through. Taste and re-season as necessary. 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!

Soup Week: Best ever Corn Chowder

I know, I KNOW. I've only been doing this for a couple of months, and ALREADY another corn chowder recipe. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I love this soup so much, I'm constantly trying out new corn chowder recipes. This though has to be one of my favourites so far. Perfectly spicy, lots of veggies and corn, and the bacon adds lots of extra flavour!

We just got back from two weeks out of town, with a week spent beside the lake and visiting one of our family member's farm. Seriously, who wouldn't want to look out at this every day?










Well, the last one isn't from the farm, but it is one of the areas we visited. I miss it already. So pretty, so relaxing, so fabulous. Oh, and lots of fresh organic vegetables and herbs right out of the garden. We were lucky enough to be able to bring some home with us, and so they immediately went into both the corn chowder and the borscht I made (both over the weekend). Again, lots of fun for me! This recipe I used for this soup was adapted from this one I saw on For the love of cooking. Her original recipe is delicious, and this one has even more of the flavours I love and was a huge hit for me. Can't get enough, and you won't be able to either.

Corn Chowder
Adapted slightly from For the Love of Cooking
Serves about 8

4 pieces of bacon, chopped into small pieces
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 hot banana pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 russet potato, diced
1 yam or sweet potato, diced
4 cups chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only) or 1 tsp dried
1 bay leaf
4 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
3 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook bacon, and set aside.

2. Saute onions, celery, carrots and peppers until soft (about 8 minutes). Add garlic and thyme and cook for about another 45 seconds, stirring constantly.

3. Add stock, both potatoes, corn, bay leaf and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once it's reached a boil, in a separate bowl, ladle the hot soup into the milk until the milk is warm, then transfer into the hot soup. Simmer (being careful not to let it come to a boil), and cook until the potatoes are soft (about 10 minutes or so).

4. If you like a smoother soup, blend until smooth, but I much prefer the chunkier version (make sure to remove the bay leaf!). Mix in the reserved bacon (or use to garnish), and enjoy!

Soup Week: Dad's Borscht

Ok, ok, so I never promised to be a food stylist, nor an excellent photographer. So, forgive me when it comes to the picture. I think I took like 10 or more pictures of this same bowl of soup, and it seems that I'm still trying to figure out how to avoid flashes in the soup itself though here obviously I need to work on clarity. I'm working on it though!

I mentioned before that I'm a soup lover, and I think every time I talk to someone about cooking, I always always say that soup is my favourite thing to make. So, that's why I've decided to do a soup week. All are SO delicious!! Check in every day, and you'll find some delicious soups that I think are all currently or at least have been stocked in my freezer at some point over the last couple months.

Growing up, my father was the cook, and a fantastic one at that. While as a kid I could never bring myself to eat a soup that had both beets and cabbage in it, I do still have many memories of it being around quite often: Dad enjoying the "chunkier" version, and mom pureeing it for a "smoother" version. I personally vote for the chunkier version. I know what you're thinking... beets, cabbage and carrots in a soup? Could it really be that good? Well, if you've ever tried borscht (and even if you haven't), let me tell you that it IS good (and I'm pretty picky)... and no it is not "the devil in soup form" as I've heard it so affectionately referred to :) So, try it - you'll love it. And a huge thank you to my wonderful dad for passing on his recipe! I did adapt it a bit from his recipe, but it still turned out delicious.

Borscht
Adapted slightly
Serves 10-12

5 russet potatoes, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 large beet, shredded
2 stalks celery, shredded (omitted from original version)
4 cups chicken broth (or you could use beef broth... I used homemade)
1 tomato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium to large red cabbage, shredded
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 stalks fresh dill, chopped and stalks removed (the key here is LOTS of fresh dill!)
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2-1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pepper)

1. In a large pot, boil the potatoes, carrots, beet and celery in the chicken broth until soft, about 5 minutes. When it comes to a boil, add the tomato, and reduce it to a simmer. (Note: in my dad's version, rather than using shredded potatoes, he chops and boils the potatoes separately and then mashes them, adding lots of whipping cream and butter until the mixture is almost runny.... then add it to the vegetable/soup mixture to make a creamier and thicker soup. This sounds incredible, though I opted for the healthier version by omitting both).

2. Using the butter and the olive oil, fry the cabbage and onions until just softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 60 seconds. Once cooked, add the whole mixture to the vegetable mixture. Season with dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper, seasoning to taste. With the salt especially, season with just a little bit, then taste it and re-season as necessary. Be sure to use a bit of a heavy hand with the pepper. It'll give you a bit of a spicier soup, and it's delicious! Bring to a boil and enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ok, so you know that you're starting to become a foodie when getting a cookbook for your birthday excites you, but I have to say that I'm so excited about this! I recently got the Joy of Cooking and couldn't WAIT to try one of the many soup recipes in there! I tried the Roasted Red Pepper soup and was pretty darn pleased with it. It has a little bit of tang, and that sweet red pepper flavour. Also, when I know I've had a fairly carb- or protein-heavy week, I can have this soup and get a few servings of my veggies for the day! Oh, and it fills you up too! I hate nothing more than having a bowl of soup, and being starving 2 hours later... this one has not been like that at all for me. Have a couple of crackers or croutons with it, and I can have it for lunch, and be good to go until dinner time!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking

Serves about 8

6 large red bell peppers

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

6 cups chicken stock (I used homemade)

3 tablespoons uncooked brown rice

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup milk (I used soy)

3 drops balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

1) Roast bell peppers in the oven: Place whole (washed) peppers on an aluminum foiled lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and place under the broiler (about 6 inches from heat). Roast for about 7-8 minutes until pepper looks blistered (it will look black)... rotating until the whole pepper is equally blackened. Once done, place peppers in a resealable plastic bag, seal closed and let stand for about 10 minutes (the peppers will steam, and help the skin to come off). Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove, peal and remove stems and seeds. Make sure not to rinse them at this point, as the smoky flavour lies in the surface. Cut into long strips and set aside.

2) Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, and cook onions, carrots and celery until tender. About 10 minutes or so.

3) Stir in the roasted peppers, chicken stock, rice, basil, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until rice is tender, about 30-40 minutes.

4) Once cooked, remove the soup from the heat and puree until smooth. I pureed mine in a blender in batches (since I *gasp* don't have a hand-held immersion blender), which works just fine... just be careful when putting hot liquids in the blender, you don't want to fill it all the way up! It'll go everywhere if you put too much in at once.

5) Once smooth, return the soup to the pot and stir in the milk. In order to make sure the milk doesn't curdle since you're adding cold milk to hot soup, I actually ladle a couple of ladle-fulls of the warm soup into the milk first, in order to bring it up to temperature. Once warmed, I then add it into the full pot of soup.

6) Add the balsamic vinegar and season to taste. Yum.

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!

Roasted Anaheim Pepper Corn Chowder

I first tried corn chowder only about 2 years ago, and I think I fell in love with it immediately! How could I have missed out on such a delicious soup for so long? This summer, I have tried at least 3 or 4 different corn chowder recipes now, and have yet to be disappointed... well except for the chipotle pepper version that was just WAY too hot! I do really love a corn chowder with a bit of spice in it though, and so when I saw this recipe for a Poblano Corn Chowder over at The Other Side of Fifty, I knew that it would be delicious. Poblano peppers seem to be very difficult to find around here, and so I've used Anaheim peppers instead, which worked perfectly!

This recipe also called for creamed corn, which I did include since I knew it would add a bit of creaminess, without too much of that fat. Next time however I think I'll leave it out the creamed corn, since you could probably achieve the same effect by just blending up half of it (while leaving some unblended for a bit of a chunkier texture that I love!)

Roasted Anaheim Pepper Corn Chowder

Adapted from The Other Side of Fifty

3 anaheim peppers, seeds removed

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed

1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

6 cups chicken broth (I used homemade)

2 medium potatoes, peeled & diced

2 10 oz cans creamed corn

2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup milk or heavy cream (I used soy milk)

1. Roast anaheim and bell peppers in the oven: Place whole (washed) peppers on an aluminum foiled lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and place under the broiler (about 6 inches from heat). Roast for about 7-8 minutes until pepper looks blistered (it will look black)... rotating until the whole pepper is equally blackened. Once done, place peppers in a resealable plastic bag, seal closed and let stand for about 10 minutes (the peppers will steam, and help the skin to come off). Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove, peal and remove stems and seeds. Make sure not to rinse them at this point, as the smoky flavour lies in the surface. Dice and set aside.

2. Heat some olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, and add onions and celery. Season with cumin, oregano and salt & pepper. Saute until onions are soft (about 5-7 minutes). Add garlic, and saute for another 60 seconds.

3. Sprinkle flour over onion mixture, and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add chicken broth to pot.

4. Bring to a boil, and add potatoes, creamed corn, and diced roasted peppers. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add corn kernels, and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in milk. In order to make sure the milk doesn't curdle since you're adding cold milk to hot soup, I actually ladle a couple of ladle-fulls of the warm soup into the milk first, in order to bring it up to temperature. Once warmed, I then add it into the full pot of soup. Taste and re-season if necessary.

6. If you like a smoother soup, puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. For a chunkier soup, serve as is. I served this with a garden salad for lunch. It also freezes really well. Enjoy!