I {heart} Flavor

I am always looking for a good recipe for Beef Stew.  I mean it is a simple type of meal but I {heart} flavor.  I want it in all my meals but something about comfort foods ScReAmS FLAVOR.  So this weekend I bought a big ole' package of beef cubed up in nice bite sized pieces.

I didn't look in the book, I winged it as you might say.

1 1/2 pounds beef, cubed
1 cup flour
Salt
Pepper
Onion powder
garlic powder
1 medium onion
1/2 bag carrots
1-2 cups wine (Cabernet Sauvignon was on hand)
1 container beef stock (32 oz)
Olive oil

Heat Olive oil in a pot.  Season the flour with the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.  Cover the meat in flour and cook in pot until golden/brown on all sides.  Do not over crowd the eat in the pot, remove done pieces to plate while you cook remaining meat.  Add oil if needed.  You will see awesome pieces of goodness in the pot, leave them there it's all the flavor.  When all the meat is done, add wine and cook off - making sure to scrape all the goodness from the bottom and sides of pot (if need be add salt and pepper - it's okay you are adding stock soon so it won't be too salty).  Add onion, toss to coat in juices, sauce and cook for a minute or 2.  Then add the meat and again toss to coat and mix, let cook a minute or 2 and then add beef stock with the onion and beef mixture.  Cook on Medium with a cover on.  Add carrot after 5 minutes.  Still Cook until meat is tender.

This came out unbelievable.  The taste is awesome.  I found my goodness.

Enjoy. oh yeah, I took a slice of bread with a little bit of butter and dipped in the sauce from the pot before I cleaned it (put the meal in a container since we unexpectedly went to a movie premiere and didn't eat this for dinner) and it was great with the bread.  That is so exciting to me as I am a total dipper.

Zizette

Cooking Soothes My Soul

I really enjoy cooking.  I really enjoy baking.  There's something about cooking on a Sunday for your family that makes you feel so good.

Today I tackled Pasta Fagioli.  I think I am in love.  I enjoy it while out but today I made it and I don't think I will ever enjoy it as much as my own.

AND

I even managed to photo my cooking as I went along (a little secret, taking the flash off was amazing - even in my terribly lit kitchen.  Mucho happiness).

Here's the recipe and some yummy photos...

Pasta Fagioli (adapted from Rachael Ray)

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 oz  Pancetta
2 Sprigs Rosemary
1 Tablespoon Thyme (or 2 sprigs)
2 dried Bay leaves
1 medium onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 rib celery chopped
4 large cloves garlic
1 can cannellini  beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can crushed tomatoes (next time I may add more)
2 cups water
1 quart vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups dilatini
grated parm/reggiano cheese for table
crusty bread for "mopping"

Directions

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta.  Brown the pancetta bits lightly and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables and garlic.  Season vegetables with salt and pepper.  Add beans, tomato sauce, water and stock to pot and raise heat to high.  Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta.  Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Remove Rosemary stems and Bay leaves. Place pot on table on a trivet, let rest and cool.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of cheese.  Crusty bread for mopping.

The finished product, which was/is delicious.

Here it is in a favorite dish we received as a shower gift when we got engaged.  I so love it.  This soup just really seemed fitting for it.

Enjoy!  Bon Appetit!

Zizette

Healthy Eating

The other day grandma picked up some fresh flounder to make for dinner, before her purchase she asked me if I would make it.  I said absolutely and the wheels got a turning.

(courtesy of Healthyirishman.com)

I took the filets, washed and dried them.  Laid the flat, put frozen spinach on center of the filet, sprinkled parm/reggiano on top of the spinach, rolled the filet and put into a baking dish.  I repeated with the rest of the fish filling the dish.  The dish was oval shaped (I only cooked 4 filets).  I added the remaining spinach and tri-colored peppers (they come in the bag at Costco) sliced in half around the filets. Drizzle olive oil over the fish.  Then I sprinkled Sea Salt, a little pepper and smoked paprika on top of the filets.  Finally I topped the fish with chopped (little cubes) tomatoes.  Covered baking dish with foil and baked at 350 for about 20 minutes, then removed foil for another 5-10 minutes.

You can serve over more spinach or even rice.  I just ate it with a salad but everyone else had a little pasta.

For the children I fried the flounder after dredging in egg and then a panko/breadcrumb mixture.  That had leftovers which I had for lunch the next day.  I need to make fish more often.

**Recipe for Baked Flounder

4-6 Flounder filets
frozen spinach
1/4 cup parm/reggiano cheese
Sea Salt
Pepper
Paprika (I had smoked paprika)
6 tri-colored peppers (yellow, red, orange)
1/2 tomato
olive oil

Enjoy!

Zizette