Red Wine Beef Stew & Yummy Banana Pudding

Snow in Mason, again? You gotta be kidding me! We don't see snow for years and then we get snow 3 times in one winter. Unbelievable! Well at least we finally got an early release and a late start out of it. Today, since I got home so early I decided to make a great slow cooked stew and even a dessert for the family. They love it when I make desserts. Sadly, I gave up sweets for Lent. Lydia gave up cookies, but not sweets entirely. She didn't think she could do it. So her banana pudding was sans Nilla Wafers. She tried to argue that a wafer and a cookie were not the same thing but she didn't win that argument!

Red Wine Beef Stew
Ingredients
2 1/2-3 pounds tenderized round steak
8 large carrots, peeled and sliced thick diagonally
1/2 stalk celery with tops, cleaned and sliced thinly
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cups good red wine (I used a Cabernet Sauvignon)
3 cubes beef bullion, dissolved in 3 cups warm water
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 small can hominy

Cut the steak in 1-2 inch pieces, not bite size but a little larger. Combine flour and some salt & pepper to taste. Dredge the meat in the flour and set aside. In a large stockpot put enough oil just to cover the bottom and heat on medium heat. Brown the meat on both sides lightly in batches, just a couple minutes on each side. Remove to a plate until it is all done, adding oil as needed. Once the meat is all browned, add a little oil if you need to, there should be a lot drippings in the bottom of the pot, just leave it there. Saute the chopped onion until translucent. Add the red wine and stir until the pan frond (drippings) come loose from the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes, thyme and the cayenne pepper, then the water dissolved with the beef bullion. Add the carrots, celery. Then add the meat in and stir a little. Let it come to a boil and then turn heat down to very low and simmer. Stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking on the bottom of the pot. After it has simmered for at least 30 minutes, add the hominy and the olives and let it simmer for about another 20-30 minutes. (I had to move my pot to my small burner to keep it from sticking too bad.)

Cook's Note: You may also need to add a little water. I think I added about one extra cup of water when I added the hominy. I wanted some good juice to soak up with my yummy French bread!

Rating:
Tommy 5 stars *****
Lydia 4.5 stars ****^
Spencer 4 stars ****
Whitt 2.5 stars **^

Banana Pudding
2 small pkgs Jell-O French Vanilla instant pudding
4 cups cold milk
1 container Cool Whip
1 pkg Nilla Wafers (Don't use the cheap ones!)
4-5 bananas

Mix the instant pudding packages with the 4 cups cold milk with a whisk very thoroughly so there are no lumps. Sit in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes. Put the Cool Whip in the microwave on defrost for about 60-70 seconds. Stir and make sure there aren't any frozen lumps. Fold the Cool Whip into the pudding. In some decorative glasses put 5-6 slices of banana, then put 4 Nilla wafers around the edges, then spoon in some pudding. Then do another layer of sliced bananas, wafers, and pudding. Garnish with another wafer and a couple slices of banana on top! Chill until ready to serve.

My grandmother, Mimi loves banana pudding and every time we would have her come over for supper, the kids always wanted her to bring her banana pudding. I'm not sure what her recipe is but the kids say this one is pretty close!

Ratings:
Tommy 3 stars *** (Because I used store bought Cool Whip rather than homemade whip cream - he just can't give anything with store bought cool whip more than 3 stars.)
Spencer 10 stars **********
Lydia 7 stars ******* (because she didn't get any wafers)
Whitt (not available for rating, because he went to bed)

Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips

These are so delicious and fast for any weeknight meal. My family loves these and it seems that I can never make enough of them. I usually serve them with mashed potatoes, salad, and steamed peas or green beans. These are better than store bought chicken strips and not much trouble. I promise that your family will choose these over Tyson's or Schwan's anytime!

Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 pkg of chicken tenders
1 cup very finely chopped pecans
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese divided
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon, Italian seasoning
Olive Oil

Combine the chopped pecans, bread crumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a small flat container, mix well. Combine the egg and milk – whisk together with a fork. On medium high, heat enough olive oil in a skillet to cover the bottom and just go up the side a little, you don’t want too much. Rinse and pat dry the chicken strips. Dredge the chicken in the egg mixture and then coat with pecan mixture. Fry lightly in olive oil until pecan crusted mixture is golden brown. Remove to a baking dish. Once all the chicken strips are in the dish, sprinkle them with more shredded Parmesan cheese, and bake in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes on 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook's Note:
I always bake these on my Pampered Chef large bar pan. It makes the chicken strips get crispy even though they aren't fried the whole time, making them a little healthier than the deep fried ones.

Ratings:
Whitt: 5 ***** (Especially when they are served with some mashed potatoes!)

Fried Curry Chicken Strip Meal

What a fabulous meal we had tonight! I enlisted the help of my youngest child, George Whitt and we prepared a delicious meal. Tommy and Lydia went to watch the Varsity basketball games so it was just me and my boys. Spencer was doing homework so George Whitt and I cooked. Spencer did contribute as he was the videographer for the event. If I had done the meal myself it probably would have taken about 45 minutes, however since I had a 7 year old assistant, it took about an hour and a half! But it was loads of fun. We made Fried Curry Chicken Strips with gravy, Roast Carrots, Pasta with Pesto and a Green Salad. Fried Curry Chicken Strips 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 tbl curry 1 cup flour 1 cup vegetable oil salt and pepper 1 egg 1 cup milk Begin by cutting the chicken breasts into strips. Combine egg and milk in one bowl and mix well. Combine flour, curry powder, and salt/pepper to taste, mix well. Put the chicken strips in the egg mixture and coat well. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and put on a plate. Once the chicken is ready, heat some of the oil in a skillet and begin lightly frying the chicken strips. It won't take long if you cut them pretty thinly as I did. You may have to add some oil as you cook the chicken. Once the chicken was all done, I drained some of the grease and made some gravy because Spencer loves it so much and we are really trying to fatten him up! Stir about 3 tbl of flour into the remaing 2-3 tbl of grease and pan drippings. Quickly add about 2 to 2 1/2 cups milk and stir so it doesn't get lumpy. The heat should be on low and it should thicken in a few minutes. Roast Carrots 7-8 large carrots 3 tbl olive oil 1 tbl seasoning (I used Pampered Chef Citrus Basil Rub.) 1 tsp ground white pepper Peel the carrots and slice in chunks on the diagonal. Mix remaining ingredients and then pour over carrots. Stir until well coated then pour onto a baking pan. I used my Pampered Chef large bar pan. They roast up nicely on this piece of stoneware. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. You may want to stir them around on the pan about halfway through. Pasta 1 pkg farfalle pasta (bowtie) salt 1 tbl olive oil 2-3 tbl pesto Cougar Gold Cheese Boil the pasta according to package directions, with a little salt and olive oil in the water. Drain, then add the pesto (I had some leftover basil pesto from HEB.), 2-3 tbl butter, 1/2 cup crumbled Cougar Gold Cheese. (We get this cheese as a gift every year from some friends at Christmas and it is so great!) You could use feta or parmesan or other cheese you like. Stir together until cheese gets a little melted. Salad lettuce tomato Tonight our salad was very basic. It was green leafy lettuce and a few grape tomatoes cut in half. This was a fun evening meal to make and George Whitt and I had such a good time together. When you are cooking there is always something that your kids can do to help. Surprisingly enough, I let this little 7 year old cut the carrots using my very sharp Pampered Chef knife - not the big one! He did a great job and we got to talk about our day as we were cooking. Plus, we made enough for leftovers so no one has to cook tomorrow night! That is my goal with a lot my weeknight meals - leftovers. Good thing my family doesn't mind eating leftovers.

Ratings:
Spencer - **** (It would have been a 5 if there had been a dessert!)

So Easy the Kids Can Do It!

This is such an easy weeknight meal and the kids will love it. In fact, it is so easy and delicious that my kids can make it by themselves now, with very little supervision. And they love to do this too. I got kind of tired of the "Taco Ring" because we had it so often. It is Spencer and Whitt's favorite and they have been making it on Wednesday nights when I'm gone for Bible Study.

Taco Ring
1 pound ground meat
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 pkgs crescent rolls
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
lettuce
tomato
Ranch dressing
Sour cream
Salsa

Brown the ground meat, drain and then season with Taco Seasoning. On a pizza pan or pizza baking stone, lay the crescent rolls in a circle alternating directions, they will overlap some. Press them out a little with a rolling pin to make them a little flatter. Mix the grated cheddar cheese in with the meat. Then spoon this meat and cheese mixture in the middle of the crescent rolls in the fattest part of the roll, to make a ring. Fold the thin ends back over the top of the meat and cheese mixture.

Place in the oven and bake according to the crescent roll directions. Watch the top of the "ring" so it doesn't burn. While this is baking shred lettuce and slice some tomatoes. Once the taco ring is done, remove from oven and put the shredded lettuce and tomato salad in the middle. Serve with sour cream, Ranch dressing and salsa for garnish. If you have more than 4 hungry family members, you may want to make two taco rings!

Comfort Food for Cold, Rainy Days

Don't you love cold, rainy weather? I love to make some delicious soup or stew, then sit by the fire and read or watch a good movie. On Sunday I wanted to make some potato soup but no one else in the family wanted that. Of course, Tommy wanted some meat in it if I made soup. He doesn't believe in having a meal with no meat. It's a shame really because there are some fabulous meatless meals. So we compromised and I made a Potato and Corn Chowder with Ham. We had a green salad and some cheese toast with it. It was creamy and yummy and it really hit the spot.

Potato and Corn Chowder with Ham
3 large baking potatos, peeled, cut in small chunks & rinsed
5 carrots, peeled and sliced large
1 bunch celery, cleaned and sliced thinly
1 large onion, diced
1 stick butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup flour
2 packages frozen corn
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds ham, cut in cubes
2 cups half and half
2 teaspoons thyme
salt/pepper to taste

Place the potatos and carrots in a large stockpot, add enough water to be about 2-3 inches over the potatoes and carrots. Add salt and pepper and boil until just tender. DO NOT DRAIN! Mash the potatoes and carrots up in the water and then set aside. In a skillet heat olive oil and butter, add the onion and celery and saute until translucent and tender. Add the flour and keep stirring until the flour soaks up all the liquid. Keep stirring until it begins to brown on medium-low heat, just a few more minutes. Then add the chicken stock and stir until combined, it will be very thick. Add the celery and onion to the potato mixture, along with the chicken stock. You may wish to add a little more than two-three cups of chicken stock. Add the thyme and salt/pepper to taste. Stir until it's all combined. Heat and bring to a simmer. Then add the frozen corn and the ham. This will be a pretty thick soup. After it begins to simmer again on low heat, add the half and half. Just cook until warm and be careful because it can stick and burn pretty easy.

Let me know what you think when you try this recipe. Hope you like it!

Heavenly Chocolate Pie

For Tommy's birthday last October, he wanted fried chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes, peas and chocolate pie for dessert. So being the wonderfully sweet wife that I am, I made all of that for him after teaching school all day. I know, he's very lucky! Actually, I'm the lucky one, with all of the cooking I do - he cleans the kitchen. Well, I didn't make him clean on his birthday, but he does every other day just about.

This is the chocolate pie I made. It is really fast, easy and so very delicious. I have made it several times and each time we eat it so quickly after I make it that it doesn't really have time to set. But if you have it the next day, the pudding part is set from being in the refrigerator. The thing I haven't figured out or fixed is the sweating meringue. I have read that the meringue will "sweat" if there is humidity or moisture in the air. I'm not sure how to keep that from happening. One other thing I have read about is that if you put the meringue on the pie filling as soon as the filling is done, then the heat will help bake the meringue from the underside as well. I have not yet tried that, but next time I will.

Heavenly Chocolate Pie
1 9 inch baked pastry shell (I have made homemade but I like to use the Pillsbury pie crusts in the red box. They are easy to use and delicious every time.)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 tbl unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla

Meringue Topping
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
6 tbl sugar

In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. (I like to stir with a whisk to keep the lumps out.) Pour some of this mixture in with the egg yolks and stir, then pour the egg mixture into the remaining chocolate mixture and continue cooking until mixture boils, then cook for one minute more. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool for 10 minutes, pour into the pie shell.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile to prepare meringue topping: In a small mixer bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stff peaks form. Spread this on warm pie filling, carefully sealing to the edges of the crust.

Bake for 5-10 minutes watching carefully, until the meringue is lightly browned. Cool to room temperature; chill for several hours before serving.

Rating:
Even when it's runny, my family still gives this 5 stars! *****

Flop

Last night I had big plans for a wonderful dinner and new recipe to post. But several things got in the way, the first of which was no curry in the spice cabinet which made me too mad to make something other than Curry Chicken. Of course, this happens at times when you have plans for one meal and it doesn't work out quite right. I seasoned with the Pampered Chef Asian seasoning mix. I put in too much and it was really spicy! Tommy, Spencer and I still loved it but it was a little hot for Whitt and Lydia. Whitt liked it but he drank three glasses of water while he ate it.

I will try again this weekend with something that can actually be posted!

Mexican Roast with Olives

In our little town of Mason, when someone is sick, has a baby or loses a family member, you take food - lots of food! I was helping at a family friend's home after a member of her family passed away and one of Mason's greatest cooks brought this dish. I'm sure Martha Kothmann won't mind if I share this recipe as she shared it with all of us that day. It can be made with different kinds of meat. I have made it with pork roast, beef roast and last night chicken. This is a dish worthy of guests.

Mexican Roast with Olives
3-4 pound Pork Roast or Beef Rump Roast
2 cans Herdez Red Chile Sauce
2 cans Herdez Green Chile Sauce
1 large can of black olives
1 large jar of green olives

Place the roast in a large Dutch Oven. Pour the olives, with liquid, over the roast. Then pour the 2 cans of green chile sauce and the 2 cans of red chili sauce over the roast as well. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours uncovered. Take the cover off the roast for the last 20 minutes of cooking. I serve this with steamed white rice, a salad and some really good red wine!

Cook's Note: The cooking time will vary depending on the meat you use or the size of the roast you use. The chicken takes a little less time. You can also a different kind of chile sauce. I have used Hatch Green Chile Enchilada sauce before and that is also really good.

Rating: Tommy gives this one 4 stars and the kids give it 3 stars.

Green Chili Stew

This is some of the most delicious stew you will ever eat. It has a little kick to it but it isn't too spicy for kids. This is my mom's recipe and it is especially good on a cold, wintery day with some tortillas or chips and a big salad.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3-4 pounds pork or beef stew meat (I use tenderized round steak because we have a lot of it.)
3 7 oz. cans of chopped green chilies
1 onion, chopped
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
32 oz. carton of beef stock
1 lg. can crushed tomatoes with liquid
3-4 T. chili powder
3-4 T. cumin
salt/pepper
Flour
Cilantro

Directions:
Cut meat into bite size pieces and dust with flour that has salt and pepper added. Heat oil in a large stock pot. Divide meat, onions, jalapenos into two batches and brown in heated oil. After all the meat has been browned a little, return all meat, onions and jalapenos to stock pot and add all remaining ingredients except the hominy. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to very low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Be sure to check often and stir. You may choose to add a little more stock depending on the consistency you like. After it has simmered add the hominy and cook for another 10 minutes on low. Serve with cilantro as a garnish.

This is also a great dish to take to a sick friend. They will be feeling better in no time once they eat this Green Chili Stew!

The Best Spanish Rice

Several years ago, my sister made Spanish Rice for a party we all went to, and it was unbelievably good. I had to have the recipe. She had been to a block party where she had it and she had gotten the recipe from her neighbor. I had the recipe and made it several times and then lost the recipe card it was on. My sister couldn't find hers either and so we called the neighbor to get it again. Sadly, the neighbor didn't even remember making the Spanish Rice much less the recipe for it!

It was a near tragedy for this family. Thankfully, I found my recipe card a few weeks ago and have been so happy! After you try this, I'm sure you will want to make several copies so you don't ever have to be without this recipe. (There is no picture to go with this recipe as it was eaten before we could turn the camera on.)

The Best Spanish Rice
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup long grain white rice
8 oz. can crushed tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
(I use 2 small Poblano peppers instead because I love the flavor)
1 7 oz. can of chopped green chilies
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
1 12 oz. can of chicken broth
1 6 oz. can of Snappy Tom (I have used Clamato)
2 T. Olive oil
1 bunch cilantro

Directions:
Fry the rice in the bacon grease until brown, stir constantly so the rice doesn't burn. Add the tomatoes, onions, olives, peppers, green chilies, salt and chili powder. Mix well and continue to cook for a couple more minutes. Then add the chicken broth and the Snappy Tom. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Be sure to check so that the rice doesn't stick and burn. You may need to add a little more broth. Just before serving transfer to serving bowl and garnish with the crumbled bacon and the cilantro.

It is a pretty dish and delicious. We ate this a couple nights ago with tamales, beans and a salad. It also goes great with chili.

Tonight's Surprise!

I said I was going to only post once a week. Well................I lied! I went to the grocery store this afternoon and planned out a fabulous dish while shopping. Believe it or not, I was able to remember it and make the dish once I arrived home. This is a whole meal rather than one dish. It wasn't like Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals. It was a "Megan's 40 Minute Wonder!"

There is a little sadness for my 5 followers: there are no pictures for tonight's post because the photographer was at a school board meeting. I know you are disappointed. I was having a good hair day too!

Pasta Dish: Ravioli
I used 1 lg. pkg. store bought Buitoni 4 Cheese Ravioli
1 pkg. sliced, washed portabella mushrooms
Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, or 1 spoon of jarred garlic
1/2 cup good red wine (That you might be having a sip of while you cook!)
1 lg. can good diced tomatoes

Directions:
In a stock pot bring salted water to boil. Cook Ravioli according to pkg. directions. Drain and set aside. In same stockpot, heat about 4 Tbl. of good olive oil and saute the onions until clear. Add the garlic and continue to saute until there is some good brown stuff (frond) in the pan and it smells really great! Then add the wine or chicken stock if you don't have wine. Continue to stir then add the mushrooms. After a couple of minutes add the tomatoes. Let this dish simmer for just a few minutes. Once the sausages are done and you have drained off all but 1 Tbl. of the oil, add the mushroom/tomato mixture to this pan to get all the good flavor from the sausages. Let this cook just 3-4 minutes and then add the Ravioli and cook until heated through.

Meat Dish: Sausage
I used 1 pkg. of beer bratwurst and 1 pkg. of cheddar/jalapeno sausages from HEB. You can use whatever kind of sausage your family likes.

Directions:
In a skillet add 3-4 Tbl. of good olive oil. Heat on medium heat then add the sausages, cover and cook until done, turning every few minutes. Once they are done, remove to a serving dish with a lid to keep warm. Drain off the oil except for 1 Tbl. Then follow remaining directions for pasta dish.

I served this with sauteed asparagus and a salad made with only lettuce and grape tomatoes and tossed with Paul Newman's Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Rating: 1-5 Stars
Lydia & Spencer: 3, but if there hadn't been asparagus it would have been 4 Stars
Goerge Whitt: 5 stars (he likes asparagus)

Coq a Vin

Tonight I tried something that I thought would be really different. Of course it sounds fancy schmancy, but it really isn't. It is basically stew with chicken. This recipe is my adaptation from the Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics cookbook. There are so many great recipes in this cookbook. I wanted to try this one because I haven't ever made it before and I've heard this was a delicious dish.

Ingredients:

Good Olive Oil

8 ounces good bacon diced

6-8 pounds chicken breasts/thighs, without skin

Kosher Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 pound carrots, cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces

2 yellow onions, sliced

2 tsp chopped garlic (2 cloves)

1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy

1 bottle good, dry red wine such as Burgundy

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs

4 Tbl unsalted buttter, at room temperature divided

3 Tbl all-purpose flour

1 pound frozen small whole onions

1 pound porcini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Heat 1 Tbl olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. After the bacon is removed, add a few of the chicken pieces in a single layer and brown for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken pieces to the plate with the bacon and continue to add the chicken in batches until all the chicken is browned. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 1 Tbl salt, and 2 tsp pepper to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, then carefully ignite and stand back! Let it burn off the alcohol. Put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collect on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme sprigs an bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove from the oven and place on the stovetop.

Mash 2 Tbl of the butter and flour together in a small bowl and stir the paste into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute' pan, melt the remaining 2 Tbl butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Things I learned: This was the first time I had made this dish. I discovered this first time not to leave skin on the chicken because it was too greasy. I also realized that using the chicken pieces instead of whole chicken was easier for my kids to eat. I think I didn't use enough salt or enough thyme; it needed a little more flavor. Otherwise, it was a delicious dish and my family loved it.

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

What's For Dinner?

Don't you just hate that question that everyone always seems to ask? You've had a very long day and you just want to go home and do nothing. But you can't do that because you have a spouse and a bunch a kids who are begging to eat something, anything! You'd probably even appreciate if someone came in and said "Boy, I'd sure love to eat tacos for supper." Then you wouldn't have to make that decision of what to cook for supper.

Sometimes for me, the hardest part is deciding what to make, and not the actual cooking of the meal. My new year's resolution is to try one new recipe every week and blog about it. I have some great cookbooks that I've been collecting for years and I'm going to search for the best ones. I will also post some of my old favorites and hte standbys that my family really loves.

Enjoy your dinner!
Megan