Monday Menu

Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice


Going through my recipes to try folder I came upon this one and don't remember where it came from online, but when I can find the source I will post.  This is an easy and tasty meal for these chilly winter nights, and is great as a leftover.

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1 lb. dried red kidney beans
7 cups of water

white rice

Please first 8 ingredients into crock pot and cook on high for 7.5 hours.  Remove the lid partway for the last 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.  Serve over cooked white rice.

NOTES:  I didn't have Creole seasoning, so I sprinkled in some cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme and garlic powder.  I'm not a fan of spicy so I went very light on the cayenne, actually may not use next time.  Also added two chicken bouillon at the end.  I found that this was cooked quite a bit before the suggested time, so I would suggest checking after about 5 hours.  Next time I am going to try this with italian sausage.  Its a nice meal and going into the keeper recipe file. 

Monday Menu

I like starting the work week off knowing what dinner will be, seems to take the pressure off a little especially when Monday is going to be a busy day.



Tonight's fare:

Oven Barbecued Pork Chops 
Vegetable Barley Bake
Corn
Salad
Apple Slices

Oven Barbecued Pork Chops

1 1/2 bone in, 3/4 inch thick porck rib chops (fat trimmed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet, add pork chops and brown, 1-2 minutes per side, transfer to a plate.

Add onion, saute 3-4 minutes until softened.  Stir in garlic, cook, stirring until fragant, 30 seconds.  Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated - 30 seconds to 1 minutes.  Stir in barbecue sauce.  Put pork chops in pan, turn to coat then put in baking dish.  Cover with remaining sauce.

Recipe said to bake 6-10 minutes but I covered them with foil and baked 20-30 minutes beside the vegetable barley bake which had alreay been in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Vegetable Barley Bake

3 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
4 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups vegetable broth (used chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups barley
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Saute the peppers, mushrooms and onions in butter till tender.
Transfer to 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Stir in broth, barley and pepper.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes until liquid absorbed.

I'm usually not a big barbecue sauce fan but I was pleasantly surprised with these pork chops and thought they went well with the barley.  I could even make a meal out of the barley dish alone.  Both are in my keeper recipe file.

Oh and by the way, any leftovers, chops and barley, can be mixed together and heated up, very nice!

Hope your week is a good one.

Monday Menu

Its been a while since I've posted a Monday Menu.  Seems with the warmer weather lots of veggies and salads are on the scene, however today will be trying a recipe I found a while ago.  Unfortunately I don't remember where I got it from so I cannot give credit.  If anyone knows, please advise and I will give mention.

We're still reaping tomatoes with much more to come so a fresh tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad and fresh bread will be on the table to accompany

Spicy Beef and Bean Stuffed Peppers

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (or pork, turkey, chicken)
1 large onion, diced
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (or salsa - I'm going to use the salsa)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tsp dried oregano
2 Tsp cumin
1/2 Tsp cayenne or to taste (I probably will not use)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced (garlic powder = 1 1/2 Tsp)

1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
1/2 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tsp salt
1/2 cup water
6 Large red bell peppers - using the chopped off tops, dice and add to mixture
8 oz Pepper Jack cheese or Jack Cheese

Prepare peppers, removing and dicing tops, trim bottoms so they will stand.  The recipe calls for placing peppers in micro and steaming for 6 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook the beef and onions over medium heat until lightly browned.  Drain off excess grease, add tomato sauce/salsa, chili powder, oregano, cumin, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, beans, salt, pepper and water.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Fill peppers with mixture, place upright in baking dish, top each stuffed pepper with the cheese, bake for 35 minutes until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden brown.

These will be prepared this afternoon then transported to MIL's for critique.   I hope this tastes as good as it sounds to me.  Time will tell.

Sliced fresh fruit, probably peaches or nectarines topped with sliced strawberries will finish the meal.   

Results:   It was good and a change.  The filling was a chili and quite tasty.  I didn't microwave the peppers but just put in the over after I had stuffed them and baked for about an hour leaving the peppers with some crunch to them. DIL loved them.  So its going to be a keeper recipe and will be made every once in a while.  I think next time I am going to mix in the cheese as well as put on top.  Oh, instead of the cayenne I did add some red pepper flakes as well.

Monday Menu

Simmering as I type ...   Kalyn's Kitchen: Recipe for Barley Minestrone with Canadian Bacon, Savoy Cabbage, and Rosemary

Picked up some wonderful whole grain dinner rolls, tossing a salad, slicing up some fruit and almost ready to dig in.   If this tastes as good as it smells this will be a new keeper recipe.

So far any recipe I have tried from Kalyn's Kitchen has been a keeper.  Her recipes are amazing and if you haven't visited her then do yourself a favor and do so.  Lots of good eats from her site.



Barley Minestrone with Canadian Bacon, Savoy Cabbage, and Rosemary

(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe adapted very slightly from Barley Minestrone at Fine Cooking.)

1 T olive oil (plus a little more if needed to saute vegetables)
1/2 cup very finely diced Canadian Bacon (or use a smaller amount of diced pancetta or bacon)
2 cups coarsely diced cabbage (savoy cabbage is best, but regular green cabbage will work)
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 cup sliced carrots (use small carrots, or cut slices in half)
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1 tsp. minced garlic
8 C chicken stock, plus a little more if needed (I used homemade chicken stock, but you can use canned chicken broth)
1 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 sprig fresh rosemary (probably optional, but adds a lot of flavor)
small piece of Parmesan rind (probably optional, but adds a lot of flavor)
1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Finely chop enough Canadian Bacon to make 1/2 cup (or use a slightly smaller amount of pancetta or regular bacon if you don't care about the saturated fat.) Heat 1 T olive oil in heavy soup pot, add Canadian Bacon and saute over medium heat until it just starts to crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

While Canadian Bacon cooks, chop the cabbage, onions, celery, and slice the carrots. (If you're not a fast chopper, you might want to do that before you start to cook the bacon.) When Canadian Bacon is starting to crisp, add the vegetables and minced garlic to the soup pot and saute for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are starting to soften. You may need to add a little more olive oil, depending on your pan.

While vegetables are cooking, rinse the barley, cut a chunk of Parmesan rind, and cut a small sprig of rosemary. When vegetables are partially soft, add chicken stock, water, diced tomatoes with juice, barley, rosemary sprig, Parmesan rind, and about 1/2 tsp. of salt. Let the soup cook at a low simmer until the barley is soft, about 30-40 minutes. (I like the barley to be fairly soft, but taste to see when it seems done enough to you.)

While soup simmers, put 1 can red kidney beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. When the barley is done, remove the Parmesan rind and rosemary and discard. (If the soup seems too thick, you can add a little more chicken stock at this point.) Add kidney beans, season soup to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and simmer 5-10 minutes more. Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for each person to add to their soup. This soup freezes well if you can manage to have any left.

Minestrone is a traditional Italian soup made from whatever vegetables were left in the fridge. Other things you could add or substitute in this recipe include green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, kale, or swiss chard. You can also use small pasta instead of the barley.

The verdict ..... its a KEEPER!

Rainy Day Recipe

Its gloomy, rainy and I think a good day for a nice bowl of soup for supper.  Just found this recipe at All Recipes  Italian Sausage Soup II Recipe - Allrecipes.com and I think this fills the order of the day.  Easy enough to be tossed together when I get home late this afternoon and filling and warming.  Add a nice salad, crusty italian bread, maybe a chocolate pudding for dessert and I'll call it a done deal!


Italian Sausage Soup II

Rated:   Five Stars
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 (14.5 ounce) can canned diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken broth
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 cup uncooked pasta shells

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until evenly browned, and break into pieces. Stir in the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, rosemary, red pepper, and sage. Continue cooking 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Mix in tomatoes, and cook until heated through. Stir in the broth and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.

2. Stir pasta into soup, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente.

Nutrition Information
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Calories: 376 Amount Per Serving, Total Fat: 22.2g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 1349mg

Amount Per Serving
Total Carbs: 28g
Dietary Fiber: 5.9g
Protein: 15g

Addendum:  had the leftovers for lunch, it was even better the second day.  Its a keeper.

Have a good day.

Monday Menu, Sunday Prep

Such beautiful fall weather that's calling for a nice stew, my son's favorite. Tomorrow night's fare:

Addictive Mexican Stew
Salad
Corn Muffins (from my leaf and pumpkin mold) ... how fallish...lol
Dessert TBD!

A super easy recipe which I'm making today as a full schedule is in view for tomorrow, plus the 2nd day taste is even better.
This is a keeper recipe in our household.


1 cup diced onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can black beans or kidney beans, drained (I used a can of both)
1 can corn, drained
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
1 cup chicken broth (I used 2 cups)
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (I don't use)

1. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.
2. Add cooked chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes, beans, corn and chilies
3. If using the cornstarch blend with chicken broth and add
4. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
5. Serve with cornbread.

Found this at Recipezaar, http://www.recipezaar.com, Recipe #114558.

Monday Menu

Starting the week with a super easy, yet tasty dinner is needed for Monday. So here goes ...

Pasta & Vegetables

Romaine Salad

Fruit

Chocolate Pudding

1 pound of penne pasta

1 pkg 16 oz. frozen Italian Vegetables

1 can chic peas

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

pecorino romano cheese

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil

Add vegetables and chic peas, cook till vegetables have thawed

Add chicken broth, simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes or at least

while pasta is cooking.

Spoon vegetable mixture over pasta, sprinkle cheese, salt and pepper to taste and

enjoy.

This is so very simple, quick and tasty. A good way to start the week.

Monday Menu Sunday Prep

With a full day plus in the plan for tomorrow, tonight was the time to prepare Monday's menu. It will be nice to get home tomorrow evening and just heat up the main dish while getting the accompaniments fixed and then just sit down to a nice Fall dinner. I love the stews and soups that this weather brings out and this new recipe I tried out ... Lentil Soup with Ground Beef and Brown Rice ... is another keeper recipe. And again from Kalyn's Kitchen. This makes for two keeper recipes from her in the past week!

I have my own recipe for Lentil Soup (which I have to say is very good), but when I saw this at Kalyn's site I had to try it and am I glad that I did.

Soooooo, tomorrow night's fare will be ...

Lentil Soup with Ground Beef and Brown Rice
Biscuits
Romaine Salad with carrots and tomatoes
Fresh Peach Slices with Strawberries

Kalyn's Kitchen: Lentil Soup Recipe with Ground Beef and Brown Rice

Try it, you'll like it!

Picnic Fare - Bean Salad

Bean Salad

supereasy, refreshing, very tasty!

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

1 green pepper, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 red onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantra, chopped

drizzle with Olive Oil

Splash some Vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Perfect accompaniment to grilling and hot weather.

Keeper Recipe

Even though its almost summer and the temperatures are heating I can see that I will be using my crockpot throughout the summer. Very tasty, not a morsel was left. Quite simple (falls into my super easy category with ease) and leaves you to be out and about doing something else while dinner is cooking.

Crockpot Caribbean Ribs

3 lbs. pork long back ribs, cut into 4" pieces
1 tsp.pepper
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

Combine spices and rub into ribs. Place in 3-4 quart slow cooker and pour the water over them. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours of until ribs are tender when pierced with a port. Remove ribs from slow cooker and discard cooking liquid. Replace ribs in crockpot and add barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. 6 servings.

by Linda Larsen, About.com Guide : Crockpot Caribbean Ribs Recipe - Slow Cooker Entree Pork Recipes - Pork Entree Recipes

Great Side Dish for Dinner

Found this oh so simple, super easy, side dish at All Recipes and made it last night to go along side some pork chops. It was really, really good. I can see that this is going to be a summer favorite.

I didn't have the beans it called for and used a can of butter beans, a yellow pepper and red onion. I cooked the pepper and onions just a bit so they still had a bit of a crunch to them.


White Beans and Peppers

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 large onion, chopped
1 yellow gypsy (bull horn) sweet pepper, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can great Northern beans, drained
1 pinch dried oregano
ground cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and sweet pepper, and cook until tender. Mix in beans. Season with oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through.

White Beans and Peppers Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Mmmm, mmmm good! There were no leftovers, makes for a keeper recipe.

Have a great day!

Strawberries in Season

The farm behind us is now harvesting their strawberry crop. Years ago you were able to go pick your own and each June my parents would come up to this farm to pick strawberries and then home for a feast of freshness beyond words. Now you can only buy them. The picking started this week, think I will have to stop on the way home and get some of these lovelies and then will try out this recipe I found.

Diabetic Frozen Fruit Cups

1 cup slice fresh strawberries
2 slices juick-packed canned pineapple, chopped
1 medium banana, peeled and chopped
3 8 ounce cans sugar-free orange soda.

In a small bowl combine the strawberries, pineapple and banana. Spoon an equal amount into six 6 ounce paper cups. Pour 1/2 cup of the soda over the fruit in each cup and freeze until firm. Let stand at room temperature for a few minutes before serving to partially thaw. Eat with a spoon.

Per Serving: 36 cals, trace protein, trace fat, 9g carb, 1g dietary fiber, 0 chol, 18 mg sod

I am thinking this would be cooling in the warm weather. I am going to make this with the orange soda but will also be trying with fruit juice.

To a berry good day!

Monday Menu

Slow Cooker Cassoulet

Ingredients
3 chicken leg quarters
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
(I used a can of pinto beans and a can of northern beans)
4 hot sausage, cook and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup white cooking wine

Directions

Place the chicken into the bottom of a slow cooker. Stir together the onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cannellini beans, and sausage in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker, and pour the wine over all the ingredients. Cover, set the cooker to Low, and cook until the chicken is very tender and the cassoulet is thickened, 5 to 6 hours.

As the chicken was still a bit frozen when I put this together I cooked on high setting for the last hour.

The original recipe can be found here. Slow Cooker Cassoulet - All Recipes

As I used what I had on hand my ingredients are a bit different but this is very, very tasty. This is going in my keeper recipe file!

mmmm mmmm good!

Monday Menu

Monday night menu, at least part of it, is pea soup. Have had a ham bone with a few chunks of ham in the freezer for a bit and with all this rain I'm craving soup so pea soup it is. Dug into the fridge for what was there, tossed together and simmered for most of the morning.


Easy peasy! Smells wonderful!


Pea Soup

1 bag dry split peas
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bag baby carrots, sliced
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 cubes chicken bouillon
olive oil
10 cups water
ham bone with chunks of ham

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil while cutting up the carrots and celery.
Add water, peas, carrots, celery, ham bone, ham pieces and bouillon.
Bring to rapid boil, simmer for about 3 hours.

Mmmm, mmmm good!

Serve as a meal with a salad and muffins or bread, or add to dinner.

Monday Menu

Having arrived home a short while ago I stepped into a house full of wonderful cooking scents as my crock pot is simmering away with tomorrow night's dinner - Teriyaki Pork Roast. I can only hope that this tastes as good as it smells.

Tomorrow night's dinner will be:

Terriyaki Pork Roast

Green beans with chic peas in oil and garlic

Mashed potatoes

Green salad

Pineapple slices

Teriyaki Pork Roast

3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice (I used chicken broth, the recipe writer did also)

2 tablespoons sugar (I left out)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon peper

1 bonelss pork loin roast (about 3 pounds)

------

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

Combine first seven ingredients in a greasted slow cooker. Add roast and turn to coat. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the roast reads 160 degrees.

Remove roast and keep warm. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cooking juices. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes of until thickened.

Yield: 8 servings.

2/16 addendum: This was ok, it did need the gravy. After trying this I think a pork loin oven roasted is better.

My Valentine Dessert

Made these for a Valentine's Day dessert. Ohhhh, these are so very good - a keeper recipe. They are quite simple to make and the ingredients are usually what is on hand ... I didn't have a fresh lemon to I used Real Lemon and obviously then left out the zest.

The recipe is from Lemon Pudding Cakes Recipe - Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan Food & Wine

These will be on the table later this afternoon with some strawberries and a small box of chocolates at each place setting.

Lemon Pudding Cakes


3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup skim milk
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt



Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray six 6 ounce ramekins with vegetable oil spray. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar with the flour. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the butter until well blended. Whisk in the milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour the lemon mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until firm peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture. Pour the batter in the prepared ramekins and transfer them to a roating pan. Place the pan in the oven and pour enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake the pudding cakes for 35 minutes or until they are puffy and golden on top. Using tongs, transfer the ramekins to a rack to cool for 20 minutes.

These can be refrigerated for 2 days.

Monday Menu

I usually try to find a new recipe to make each week ... have had this recipe in my to try folder for a bit now and putting together tonight for this week ... I'm not sure where I got this from, might be Epicurious ??


Quick Chicken and Chorizo Paella

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
14 oz. chorizo, cut into 1/2 slices on the diagonal
1 onion, choped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 gloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. pimenton or paprika
2 cups short of medium grain rice
1 pinch saffron threads
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 pounds roast chicken (meat from 3 lb chicken, skinned, deboned and torn into chunks)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tomato, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Heat over to 400 degrees F. Heat oil in large pan over high heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, red pepper and garlic, continue cooking, stigging occasionally, under vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.

Add rice, pimention or paprika, saffron and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add roast chicken, frozen peas, and tomato; stir to combine.

Transfer to baking dish/pan and to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains (about 20 minutes). Remove from oven, fluff with fork and enjoy.

Monday Menu Prep

The rains are upon us and will be for another day so a nice stew is in order.

Tomorrow night's fare will be


Lentil Stew
Whole Wheat Croissants
Salad with the fixens
fruit and/or pudding

I found the recipe Argentine Lentil Stew at All Recipes http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Argentine-Lentil-Stew/Detail.aspx
and with a few minor changes* this is my version:

Lentil Stew

2 cups dry lentils
2 quarts water
1 veg. bouillon cube
2 15 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup frozen peas
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1 can chicken broth
1/2 - 1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot bring lentils to a boil, while simmering prepare veggies. Add all ingredients and simmer for 3 - 4 hours. Season to taste. It is very, very good! A keeper! Enjoy.

*My changes (already included in the recipe above): I doubled the amount of lentils, water, and barbeque sauce, used two can diced tomatoes, 1 can chicken broth and increased the cooking time. Its an excellent stew.

Monday Menu

Off to a running start on the week with dinner simmering as I type. The only change I made to this is that I am cooking it on the stove top rather then crockpot as right now I am home. I don't know if that will make a difference or not, it did seem quite tasty so far. Time will tell.

Tomorrow's dinner menu:

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
Rice
Salad
Fruit
Chocolate Pudding

another recipe from All Recipes
I love this site!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Pepper-Steak/Detail.aspx

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Ingredients
2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
garlic powder to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar (I'm leaving this out)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

addendum = this was quite good, would thicken it more next time, will be keeping this one too.

Monday Menu

Since the holidays haven't been meal planning and need to start again. The week always starts off a little easier if I know before hand what dinner will be for at least on Monday night and even easier if its cooked or at least started Sunday evening. Tomorrow's fare is:

Chicken Pot Pie IX
Salad
Canteloupe Slices

Found this recipe at
All Recipes
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Pot-Pie-IX/Detail.aspx
a 5 star one! I just finished the filling part so all I have to do tomorrow is put it into the pie crust and bake while the table is being set and readied for dinner. Very tasty I might add.

Chicken Pot Pie IX

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 cup slices carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk

2 9 inch unbaked pie crusts

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees.
2. In a saucepan combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Removed from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over med-low heat until thick. Remove from heat, set aside.
4. Place chicken mixture in bottom pie crust, pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filing is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

mmm, mmm, good!

added note 1/11/10 - this was very good. Its a keeper recipe.