Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, February 18, 2011

Beef Stew with Dumplings



Beef Stew with Dumplings

1 1/2lbs Stew beef cubed (if it's on sale I will use sirloin tip)
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 Cups Water
1 Can Beef Gravy (this is optional, but it sure adds alot of flavor, my kids love it)
1 Beef Bouillon cube
1/2 Sweet onion diced
6-8 Potatoes (I use russet and if it's just me & my dh eating I will leave the skin on)
3-4 Carrots
1/2 Cup of butter
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Bay Leaf


Dreading Mix:

1/2 Cup Flour
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
Pinch of Oregano


Directions:

1) Mix flour, pepper, salt, garlic salt & oregano to make dreading coating. Roll cubed beef in dread mix. Brown in skillet.

2) In large pot, combine 1/2 of beef mixture with 3 cups water, onion, garlic, bay leaf & bouillon cube. Simmer for 10 minutes, use this time to peel potatoes and carrots.

3) After peeling potatoes, cut into quarters and sit them in a large bowl of water so they retain their color.

4) Add remaining uncooked beef and cubed potatoes to stew pot, cook on med/low heat (light boil) for 10 minutes.


5) Peel carrots and cut into 3/4" sections, leaving the smaller end pieces slightly larger for a more uniform cook.

6) Stews can burn fast, so watch your water content in the pot, if you see it getting low add another 1/2 cup of water and keep adding 1/2 cup until liquid covers at least 1/2 the stew. Now is the time to add the optional can of beef gravy and/or bouillon cube.

5) Add carrots and cook another 20 minutes. Now start your dumplings following the recipe below.

6) Once dumplings are mixed add them by the spoonful and sit them on top of the stew (DO NOT MIX IN), cover pot with lid and let cook (simmer) a remaining 10 minutes. Check to see if dumplings are fully cooked by cutting one open. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve.


Easy Dumpling Recipe

2 Cups of White Flour
4 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Garlic Powder
4 Tbsp Soft Butter or Margarine (room temperature)
1 Cup of Milk

Pinch of Parsley

Directions:

1) Mix flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl.

2) Cut in soft butter OR margarine.

3) Stir milk into flour mixture.




4) Bring stew mixture to a gentle simmer, do not let it get to a rapid boil.

5) Drop dumpling dough the size of a tablespoon onto stew. Cover pot with lid so that dumplings can steam. Dumplings will puff up as they cook.




6) After cooking for 10 minutes, check to see if dumplings are cooked inside. They should be moist but not doughy. If they are still doughy, cook another 5 minutes, keep an eye on the liquid content of your stew to make sure it does not burn. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.





YUM!

YUM!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Banana Bread

I love to bake and one of our families all time favorite lunch box must haves is my BANANA BREAD, I have three versions, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Sauce and Mixed Berries. Today I will be sharing 2 versions with you. If there's interest for the mixed berries I can add that too!


Saturdays are usually my baking day and I always do two double batches once every 2 weeks, because my kids and hubby love to eat and well maybe I take a nibble here & there too. That gives me 6 loaves (I seperate the double batches into 3 seperate loaf pans). These recipes reflect one batch and one double batch.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread



Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening OR softened butter

1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 medium)

1 cup Chocolate chips (I use Hersey's Milk Chocolate or Semi-Sweet)


Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan (save the wrappers from the butter to coat the pans.

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add bananas and mix. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and beat. Slowly add in chocolate chips. If you find the mixture to be a bit dry, add one more banana.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. 1 loaf (18 servings). I cut mine into individual peices and then freeze so that they come apart more easily.



Banana Cranberry Sauce Bread





Banana Cranberry Sauce Bread

1/2 cup shortening OR softened butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs

2 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 - 4 bananas)

4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt

1 cup cranberry sauce (I use the frozen Ocean Spray Cranberries & Recipe that come with the bag.)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugar and eggs together. Add bananas and mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and beat. Slowly add in cranberry sauce. If you find the mixture to be dry, add one more banana or 1/4 cup more of cranberry sauce.

Bake 65-70 minutes in 2 greased loaf pans.

Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 2 loaves (32-34 servings).

* I normally cook the above recipe in 3 loaf pans for a shorter amount of time (55-60 mins., so that the younger kids get a smaller sized piece as they eat a bit less than the rest).


Both these recipes freeze up well, happy baking!!http://adventuresinpixieland.blogspot.com/p/recipes_17.html