Tender Roast Beef, Crock Pot Style!

I so enjoy when I come home from work, open the door and I am greeted with the aroma of a beef roast waiting for me to devour. And I know it will be tender because it has been simmering all day long!

That meal is so comforting and satisfying; I often make the meal for family too.

I always use my crock pot for this meal, ALWAYS, I seem to have more success with the beef being tender. I don’t have a particular type of beef to use either, I choose whatever looks good to me at the market or whatever might be on sale.

A lot of people swear that you must sear the beef first; I typically do not have the time to sear the beef, which is why I use my crock pot. I have seared the beef a few times but as a time saver I do not. I can’t say I notice a difference in the taste when I have seared it.

Into the pot goes the beef. I like to add 2 medium onion cut into quarters, red skinned potatoes, and carrots. I don’t use the bagged mini carrots, since this cooks all day in the crock pot so I go for the regular big carrots. Ya know, the carrots that Bugs Bunny likes to munch on!

I pour in about 2 cartons (-/+) of beef stock, as long as the roast and veggies are covered but I also make sure it won’t cook over. This really depends on the size of your crockpot, the size of the beef and how many veggies you use. I really just eyeball everything. That said, the beef stock gets poured in last.

Beef consume can also be used, but then I only use about 1 carton for the beef stock and then add a little water to help even out the taste.

So, either use about 2 cartons of beef stock OR 1 carton of beef stock, 1 can of beef consume and finish with water to finish. The consume has a little bit more concentrated flavor. Beef broth can be used in replacement of the stock. You can play around with the both to see what you like and don’t like. But honestly, the beef stock has enough flavor.

I sometimes add about 1 cup to 1-1/2 cups of a good red wine, use what you like or omit. Totally optional! The alcohol will cook off so no worries if you serving this to the kiddos, the wine just heightens the taste but again, totally optional.

Parsnips are good for this recipe too.

I love adding tomato paste, about ¼ cup or so. To make sure the paste blends in well I put it in a bowl and then add a little of the stock until blended well and then pour into the crock pot. I season with salt and pepper, and add a sprig of thyme and rosemary. I sometimes add a bay leave too. These herbs go well with this meal to give it a little more punch of taste.

I turn the crockpot to high and let it cook while I’m at work, about 8 hours. My pot has a setting where it will stop cooking and simmer until I get home.

For this particular recipe today, I pulled some leftovers from the freezer. The last time I made this meal, I had a lot of beef and broth left over so I popped it in the freezer. I did not freeze any of the veggies.

After thawing, I put the broth and beef in a large pot and added baby carrots and heated over medium low heat until the carrots were just fork tender. I also added fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme. While that was simmering I put red skinned potatoes in the microwave and cooked until I could easily pierce with a fork. Then I smashed the potatoes, adding some milk, butter, salt and pepper, and a hint of garlic and dill. You could also use cream or half and half.

Just before serving, I took a couple of spoonful’s of the broth out of the pot and transferred it to a jar with flour so that I could thicken the broth. This is typically how I make my gravy, it’s how my Mom taught me. I never measure so my suggestion is to start with about 2-3 tablespoons of flour in the jar, add about 4-5 tablespoons of the hot broth, put the lid on and give a little shake to blend. You may need to adjust the broth to the flour, just make sure it’s pourable and not a glob!! Be careful, it’s hot! You can also use a cornstarch slurry in place of the flour. Then, slowly pour the flour mixture, a little at a time, into the beef and broth. Stir to make sure it is blended and let it simmer for a few minutes. It will thicken as it cooks. Just eyeball it and slowly add more if you need to. You are not looking to make it thick like gravy, you just want the broth thickened.

Then just serve over the potatoes and enjoy! This is so delicious and hearty.

Farfalle with goat cheese, spinach and roasted red pepper

I forgot how much I love using goat cheese in my recipes, it’s been awhile. This dish turned out so good and was insanely delicious! I consumd way more than I should have.

And like a lot of my recipes lately, it comes together quickly, which I really love now that I am back to doing yard work. I don’t have a lot of free time to spend in the kitchen most days.

The first thing I did was to get my water boiling for the pasta and salted it well. While the pasta was cooking I chopped my roasted red pepper (I use jarred) and tore up all the spinach. I also broke up the goat cheese into several small pieces to help it melt quickly.

When the farfalle was just about done, I put just a little bit of olive oil and a pat of butter in my fry pan over medium heat. As soon as the butter melted I added the red peppers and seasoned with salt and pepper. I heated the peppers well and then ladled in the pasta, added the cheese and the spinach.

I gently tossed everything to get it going, and then added 2 ladles of pasta water. As soon as the cheese melted and the spinach wilted, it was ready to serve. I added a light topping of parmesan cheese too!

Just a quick note, you may need a little bit more or less pasta cooking water. Just eyeball the dish as the cheese melts. Also, when I ladled in the pasta, some of the cooking water went with it, I did not strain it. The water will help with the sauce. So yummy!

I cannot wait to make it again!!

 

Farfalle with goat cheese, spinach and roasted red pepper

Serves 2

Half pound of farfalle pasta (about half the box)

Salt and pepper

1 T butter

1-2 T olive oil

1 roasted red pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces

2 large handfuls spinach, torn and stems removed

4 oz package of goat cheese

Fresh grated parmesan cheese for topping

*Reserve the pasta cooking water for the sauce

1. Cook pasta, season well with salt.
2. Over medium heat in a large pan melt the butter along with the oil.
3. Add the chopped roasted red pepper, season well with salt and pepper, stir until heated and then add the cooked pasta.
4. Immediately add the goat cheese and torn spinach. Toss gently.
5. Add 1-2 ladles of pasta water, one ladle at a time. This will help create the sauce, melt the cheese and wilt the spinach.
6. Serve as soon as the sauce is ready. Top with the fresh grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

I need more flowers!

For anyone that knows me and knows me well, knows that I love plants! Not only house plants, but I am equally in love with annuals and perennials. There are a ton of flowers I want for my yard and just do not have the place to put them. Whether it be due to the sun they need to the space they require for full growth.

I have been in my house for 5 years now, there were absolutely NO flower beds on the property when I moved in.

This flower bed was the last one that I added at the end of the summer last year. I desperately wanted bearded iris and roses but I didn’t have a good place so….

When I found these 3 iris plants reduced to half price at the end of the summer, I bought them and went to work to put in a new bed. Now I am looking for a raspberry colored rose bush as well as a beige colored rose. Then I will fill in the rest of the bed with perennials and pots of annuals.

Seriously, I go nuts with flowers over the summer. I am still filling in the other beds with perennials. Last year I found a gorgeous orange cone flower and some pretty asters.

Last year I also struggled with all the bunnies in my neighborhood eating my coneflowers! Thus the large concrete bricks you see along the fence. My yard is incredibly uneven so when the fence was installed, I ended up with gaps where rabbits, squirrels, and my dog, could get in and out.

Like a lot of you, we are having an early spring so my plants are coming along quite well BUT we still have some occasional chilly days and nights. I am so anxious to get out and play in the dirt and not have to worry about the temps.

Anyway, this particular bed is looking a little sad and lost right now and as soon as I can flower shop I will be filling it up for gorgeous blooms that warm my heart and make me happy to be home.

Be well my friends!

Refurbished Chest of Drawers

I was hesitant to post this furniture makeover. I still haven’t finished it, there is one little detail left to do that will make this chest of drawers amazing, at least to me.

I found this vintage chest at an antique shop and brought it home to refinish. I had been looking for something to store some of my craft supplies, even though it is not as big as I had hoped for, it still works. And it has eliminated some plastic storage tubs that were under my craft table.

I discovered this primer that is supposed to cover furniture with a shiny finish, so I gave it a shot. It also is good for covering paint and stain from bleeding through, which it absolutely did for the red cabinet that I posted earlier. This primer did cover the shine and the color well BUT, I did not seal the piece and the very first thing I set on the top as décor pulled the paint and primer right off. AGH!!!

I still have a lot to learn about furniture refinishing. Maybe next time I should still give it a little sanding just to play it safe.

So anyway, the one little detail that I wanted to do was to stencil or decoupage a floral design on the front. THEN I was going to put a poly over the entire chest.

But now, I am unsure if I want to waste my time and the materials to stencil if this isn’t going to seal well. Regardless, I do still love how the chest turned out.

If I decide to add the detail later, I will be sure to share it with you.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

These homemade tortilla chips are amazing! I love making them, I just can’t make enough at one time to satisfy my tummy.

I only use the corn tortillas and honestly, I have not made them with the flour tortillas but I’m sure they would work too.

I used a pizza cutter to cut each tortilla into quarters, and I set them aside. I good sharp knife works too.

Before you start frying, keep a large platter covered with paper towels to drain the tortillas as you pull them from the oil.

In a fry pan or cast iron skillet I heat just enough oil to slightly cover the tortillas as they fry. But, I keep the oil bottle nearby because I keep adding extra oil as needed as I fry each batch.

Make sure the oil is hot enough to immediately start cooking the tortillas as soon as you add them to the oil.

Don’t crowd the fry pan, and turn to cook each side. It only takes a few minutes for each batch. You only want to fry them until they are golden, do not overcook. When you pull them from the oil to drain you need to season them right away.

Here’s where you can get creative. You can just season with salt, I love using sea salt. You can also add other spices, seasonings and/or herbs. I have used cumin, salt & pepper, thyme, chopped rosemary. The possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!

“Un”stuffed Shells

I love my stuffed shells, but these are so much easier to make since I didn’t actually have to “stuff” any shells. I usually bake my shells in a glass baking pan but this time I used my cast iron skillet.

I just made my usual cheese stuffing, this works for ravioli and manicotti too, mixed in spinach and tossed with cooked shells.

The cheese mixture that is usually the stuffing is just 2 eggs, ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until combined and then add 2 handfuls of spinach and stir until blended in well.

Next, pour in cooked large shells and stir gently to combine. To the bottom of a baking dish or cast iron skillet add a little marinara pasta sauce. Using canned tomatoes that have been seasoned well would work too.

Pour in the shells and cheese, top with a little more sauce and top with grated parmesan cheese and more shredded mozzarella if you want.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese and sauce is bubbly, about 20-30 minutes depending on your oven. Also, you can broil the top for a few minutes to toast the cheese, just for a few seconds.

Now, just a few words on the shells.  The “jumbo” shells are used for “stuffing”, then there are the large, medium and small.  I used the large shells for this recipe.

Unstuffed Shells

Half box of large shells

16 oz container of ricotta cheese

1-1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

16 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 large handfuls of spinach

2 eggs

1 jar marinara sauce

Salt and pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook shells, salt the water well.
3. In a large bowl add the ricotta cheese, ½ cup of parmesan cheese and the mozzarella cheese. You can hold half for topping if you wish.
4. Add the eggs, salt and pepper to the cheese and stir until blended.
5. Add the spinach to the cheese mixture and stir gently.
6. Pour about 1 cup of the marinara sauce to the baking pan or cast iron skillet for a good base.
7. When the shells are just al dente, immediately ladle into the cheese mixture. It’s okay if some of the pasta water gets into the cheese mixture. Gently stir together.
8. Pour entire shells and cheese mixture into the baking pan or skillet and spread evenly.
9. Pour another 1 cup or so of the marinara sauce over the top of the shells and cheese.
10. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese and any of the mozzarella that you reserved. You can also top with slices of provolone cheese if you have it.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the sauce and cheese are bubbly. You can also turn the broiler on for a few seconds to toast the top if you wish.
12. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then serve.

Amazing and Easy Cake Mix Cookies

Warm, Gooey cookies are always a favorite in my tummy.  Gifting cookies is a favorite in my heart.

Did you all know you can make cookies from boxed cake mixes? Yea!  For real!  I used to make these fudgy, chocolate cookies when my kids were little. They are still a favorite for me at during the holidays or just making them for the grandkids.

And then spice cookies came to mind.  So I had to make them too. There are a few ways to enjoy these spicey cookies. Other than just a plain spice cookie, you can add cinnamon chips or white chocolate chips to the batter, you could top with a little bit of cream cheese frosting or drizzle cinnamon glaze over them.

        

But, these lemon cookies came into my life….. Heaven! These little sweeties are perfect for spring. I just added about 1tsp of lemon extract to the batter to enhance the lemon flavor. I have also made a lemon glaze to drizzle over them, that takes the lemon flavor over the top! These lemon cookies are perfect to serve when you are sitting outside and enjoying a gorgeous spring afternoon.

I don’t like using “boxed and food” due to chemicals and processing BUT, occasionally I do indulge in certain things! If I am making cookies for guests and my time is limited, I will make these.

Or, if I want to make cookies and gift them so someone just because I love them, I will make these too.  Especially if my time is limited.

I love being in my kitchen cooking and baking things from scratch but sometimes, I just need some shortcuts to help me out a little.  And these are a great time saver and as an added benefit, they are so very delicious.

And addictive.

The possibilities are absolutely endless! There are so many flavored cake mixes available and you can create your own cookies based on the flavors you love.

The basic recipe is to one box cake mix, add ½ cup vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. That’s it. The creativity is up to you! You can add various flavors of chips (chocolate, white chocolate, etc), extracts and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, etc.

Have fun creating and developing you own favorite cookies and be sure to let me know what you make!

Taco Chili Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet

I love taco’s so much that I have prepared them many different ways, all of which I am sure you do too: Taco pizza, taco flatbread/naan, taco salads just to name a few basics.

Then I came up with this taco chili recipe. And it is crazy good!

First, I made my cornbread in my 12inch cast iron skillet. I preheated the oven and the pan to 400 degrees. The recipe for the cornbread is below. When the batter was prepared, I pulled the pan out of the oven and put 2 T of butter in the pan and swirled it around to coat the pan. Then I poured in the batter and baked for about 30 minutes, just until it is golden and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. It’s important to not overbake so keep an eye on it.

You could chop a jalapeno and add that to the cornbread batter before baking, that would be delish!

While that cornbread is baking I prepared the taco meat by browning the ground beef and onion. After that is cooked add the taco seasoning and mix well. Add 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes and the juice and 2 T water, let that simmer for a few minutes. Then I tossed in a chopped bell pepper that was sautéed from a previous meal. Mix that well and remove from the heat.

I wanted to add beans to this recipe but, I didn’t have the can of beans that I thought I had in my pantry sooo….due to the COVID-19 virus I was not running back to the store.

When the cornbread comes out of the oven spread the meat mixture over the cornbread and top with a package of shredded cheese. Pop that back in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes then serve. Top with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, whatever you want.

My next experiment with this is using refried beans instead of the meat mixture, then lettuce and tomatoes and top with cheese. That I am sure will be just as delicious.

Taco Chili Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet

Serves 6

Cornbread:

1-1/2 cup buttermilk *see note below

8 T butter, melted

2 cups cornmeal

½ cup flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

2 T sugar

2 eggs

2 T butter for skillet

1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl, mix by hand until well blended. Set aside until oven and cast iron skillet are heated.
2. Before pouring batter into the 12” cast iron skillet, melt 2 T butter and swirl around skillet to coat.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden and starting to pull away from the side of the skillet. Do not overbake.

*NOTE: if you do not have buttermilk, just add 1-1/2 T of white vinegar to the milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes, stir before pouring into the batter.

Taco chili meat mixture:

1 lb ground beef

Salt and pepper

1 small onion, diced

1 bell pepper diced

2 T taco seasoning

2 T water

1 14 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

8 oz package of shredded cheese of your choice to top the meat mixture

1. Brown ground beef and onion, add salt and pepper to taste.
2. When the beef is almost cooked, add the diced bell pepper. Drain the beef when cooked and reduce heat to low.
3. Add the taco seasoning, water and tomatoes and mix well.
4. Pour the meat mixture over the baked cornbread and top with the shredded cheese.
5. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Do not overbake.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or whatever you usually like with your taco’s and/or chili.

Enjoy!