Potato Beef Soup or Stew

Potato Beef Soup or Stew

This is a very easy to follow recipe that can be made and on your table in less than an hour depending on whether you serve it as a soup or as a stew over mashed potatoes.

For a stew simply whisk up some corn starch with a bit of water, bring the pot contents to a boil, and stir in the corn starch mixture to thicken the broth. You can also use flour to do this, but I use cornstarch as a personal preference.

This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember. I believe it was brought over to Canada by my grandmother who was from the other side of the pond in Paisley Scotland. When I smell this cooking I fondly remember many good times of sitting and waiting for this at my grandmother's dinner table.

• Prep time: 20 min.
• Cook time: 40 min.
• Ready in: 1 hour
• Yields: 5-6 people

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of lean ground beef fried and drained
• Olive, Canola, or vegetable oil
• 1 large cooking onion chopped
• 2 ribs of celery chopped
• 2 -3 carrots peeled and sliced
• 3 cups of washed potatoes cubed
• 2 -3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 6 cups of water
• 6 tsp. of beef instant stock mix
• 1 Tbs. of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. of thyme
• fresh ground pepper
• 5 good shakes of marjoram
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas and or corn

Instructions

1. Fry the ground beef until it is cooked, drain, and set aside.
2. Prepare the carrots, onion, celery, potatoes and garlic.
3. In a 6 quart pot or Dutch oven coat the inside of the pot with oil.
4. On medium to high heat cook the onion along with the celery.
5. While this is cooking, boil the water to make the beef stock.
6. Mix the boiling water with the beef stock and add it to the pot once the vegetables have cooked for five minutes.
7. Add the Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, ground pepper, and thyme.
8. Next add the carrots, chopped garlic, potatoes, and ground beef.
9. Bring everything to a boil, cover and simmer for at least half an hour.
10. About 15 minutes before you're ready to serve add the pea and or corn, and continue to cook until the frozen vegetables are cooked.

Chipotle Chicken Wraps

These chicken wraps are the perfect take along food to a picnic as they're delicious hot or cold.

Easy to make and easy to eat. I bet you can't eat just one.

When hubby and I get into the kitchen to cook most times what comes out is pretty good. I made the wraps while hubby made his Mile High Nachos.

I added guacamole to the wraps but you could easily make them without if you prefer.

Prep Time: 15 min. Cooking time: 15 min. Ready in 30 min.  Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

• 3 pounds of cooked chopped chicken breast
• 1/4 bottle of chipotle sauce
• 9 -10 wraps (I used flour tortillas)
• 10 romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 large tomato chopped
• shredded old cheddar cheese (optional)
• guacamole
• sour cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut up the chicken breasts either before cooking or after cooking.
2. In a bowl toss the cooked chicken with 1/4 bottle of Chipotle sauce.
3. On each wrap place a lettuce leaf, chicken, chopped tomato, shredded cheese, guacamole and sour cream.
4. Wrap up and set on a plate to be served.
5. ENJOY!

Applesauce with Raisins Recipe

Applesauce with Raisins

Homemade applesauce is one of my family's favorite condiments served with a roast pork dinner. I personally do not add sugar when making this but you can if you wish to. I find it sweet enough with the natural sugar from the apples and raisins. 

Ingredients 

• 7-8 peeled, cored, and sliced apples of your choice
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• cinnamon 

Instructions

1. In a saucepan add the apples, water, and raisins bringing to a boil.  
   
2. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon stirring as the apples cook.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook until the apples are soft enough to mash with a spoon or potato masher.
4. Remove from heat, mash, and serve either warm or cold.
5. ENJOY!

Moroccan Flat Chicken

I cannot take all the credit for this recipe as I used a marinade recipe that I found on Canadian Living Magazine website. Because the flat chicken came out so good I just had to share it here.

I used a roasting chicken that was just over 3 pounds. It was very easy to flatten the chicken out. If you've never had chicken this way let me tell you that you'll want to try it as it cuts the roasting time in half.

First start by whisking well all the following ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup, or a bowl if you prefer.

Ingredients For Marinade

• 6 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 TBS of ground cumin
• 4 TBS of paprika 
• 4 TBS of white sugar
• 4 TBS of lemon juice
• 4 cloves of garlic pressed
• 1 tsp of salt 
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

How to Flatten a Chicken

Flattening a Chicken

1. Place the chicken breast down on your cutting surface. 
2. With sharp kitchen shears cut the chicken along the backbone.
3. Do this on both sides and and remove the backbone.
4. Press down firmly on the chicken to flatten.

Marinating the Chicken

1. Next step is to marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours in the fridge.
2. Place the chicken skin side down and pour 1/2 of the marinade onto the chicken covering the entire side.
3. Flip the chicken over and pour the remaining marinade onto the chicken covering the flip side.
4. Cover and refrigerate. 

Roasting the Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Spray a roasting pan with cooking oil.
3. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and into the oven for 40 - 45 minutes or until the chicken has reached and internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
4. Remove from the pan and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.
5. Serve and ENJOY!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies remind me of when I was a little girl and my grandmother would bake on a rainy day.

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats
• 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 cup of butter or margarine at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup of Sun-Maid raisins

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Place oven rack in the center of the oven.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (easier for clean up)
3. In a medium size bowl mix the first 4 ingredients together and set aside. 
4. In another medium size bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. 
5. Add the egg and beat again making sure everything is well mixed.
6. With a spoon mix the wet and dry ingredients together well. 
7. Add the raisins mixing again.
8. With a soup spoon measure out the cookie dough (making a rounded ball) and place on the parchment paper. 
9. Press each cookie with the back of the spoon.
10. Place in the oven for 14 minutes.
11. Cool on a rack.
12. Serve and ENJOY!

This recipe will make 20 - 24 cookies.

Sausage Rice Delight

An easy to follow recipe using hot Italian sausage where everything can be prepared ahead of time and cooked 20 minutes before serving. This one skillet dish will serve 3-5 people.

Ingredients

• 6 Hot Italian sausages cooked and sliced. 
• Uncle Ben's or Minute Rice (Follow package directions for 6 servings)
• 1 Tbs. of Canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large cooking onion chopped
• 1 large garlic clove diced
• 1 large red bell pepper chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbs. of Italian seasoning
• Slap Ya Mama white pepper blend seasoning (optional)
• Fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Ahead of time cook your sausage and rice. Set aside. If not making right away refrigerate the sausage. 
2. When you're ready to start cooking, in a large electric frying pan (or large stovetop skillet) heat your oil.
3. To the oil add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes. 
4. Next add the sausage slices and continue to cook and stir. 
5. Spoon out the diced tomatoes using a bit of the juice and add to the skillet.
6. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, ground pepper, and Slap Ya Mama.
7. Add cooked rice and cook until everything is heated through.
8. Serve and ENJOY!

   

Banana Bread on Wordless Wednesday

I've been collecting frozen bananas for a few months and wanted to use some of them up today by making 2 loaves of banana bread. Whenever I bake just one loaf it goes so fast and everyone says why didn't you make more. Well today I did just that.

My recipe is your basic banana bread but I would have added nuts to the mix if I'd had some.

Here is the recipe that I used.

Ingredients

• 5 frozen and thawed bananas
• 2/3 cup of softened (room temperature) butter
• 1+ 3/4 cups of white sugar
• 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 2 beaten eggs
• 3 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
• 2 tsp. of baking soda
• 2 good pinches of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease 2 loaf pans.
3. Remove peels from the bananas and set into a medium size bowl.
4. Mash the bananas and add the butter mixing well.
5. Next add the sugar and vanilla mixing well again.
6. Beat the eggs and then add to the wet mixture mixing well.
7. In a larger bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt mixing well.
8. Add the wet mixture to the dry and beat well. 
9. Add equal amounts to each pan and set in the oven for 60 minutes or until done.
10. Remove from the oven and cool for ten to fifteen minutes.
11. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on a rack.
12. Slice and ENJOY!

Linking up to +Ruchira Khanna over at ABRACABADRA for Wordless Wednesday.