Beef Stew

Using potatoes to make a meal has only been in common acceptable use for a short time when you consider the history of other types of vegetables we eat. For the longest time no one would eat a potato or if they did eat potatoes, they mistakenly or ignorantly prepared and ate the leaves and stems of the plant rather than the root or tuber of the plant. The leaves and stems of course, are poisonous and will make you very ill. The tuber or root part of this particular plant is the edible part.

The history of the potato is actually very interesting. It is a plant and vegetable that originates from one part of the world but eventually made its way around the world. A plant that was revered and worshiped by the ancients. It is a vegetable that hardly anyone would eat long ago unless forced to do so. A plant that long ago in the mid-1700s became popular to wear in your hair if you were a woman in France at the time of Marie Antoinette, since she loved wearing these delicate flowers in her hair.

Beef Stew

Potatoes have come and gone a long way since they were first tossed into a cooking pot. They are the most popular type of vegetable today, since you can get servings of them on just about any town corner in the USA. One of the best things about them is that you can use them to make all sorts of great tasting dishes. For instance, if you like soups and stews, you might like to learn how to make this delicious cheesy potato soup.

Recipe for Cheesy Potato Soup

What You Need

• Water
• 10 medium red potatoes
• 1/2 package chopped bacon pieces
• 1 diced green bell pepper
• 1 large finely chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 package cubed Velveeta cheese
• 1 cup milk

How to Make It

Rinse, drain and then peel, slice chop and cut meat and vegetables into smaller bite sized pieces for easier handling and cooking. Set aside separately until needed.

Add just enough water to cover the potatoes and the diced red potatoes into a large stew pot. Add a dash or two of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid and cook until the potatoes are tender.

Into a separate large saucepan or skillet over a medium heat, you will add the chopped bacon pieces, diced green bell pepper, chopped onion, and minced garlic cloves. Stir constantly while cooking until the onions are transparent. Saute until the green bell pepper and bacon piece are tender.

Drain off bacon drippings with the exception of about 1 teaspoon. Stir in the celery seed, salt and pepper. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add this mixture to the pot of boiling potatoes and stir.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cubed Velveeta cheese and stir to help melt the cheese. Slowly add the milk, stir continually while heating the soup through until hot.

How To Make A Delicious Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe

Potato soup is just as good as making a beef stew recipe when you want something good to eat. If you visit us today, we will be happy to show you our best oxtail stew recipe. So, if you are hungry and searching for great ideas, stop by and visit us on our website.

Make Something Ordinary Into Something Extraordinary - EasyStewRecipes.com

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Sweet and sour sauces come in many varieties. The sweet part can be from sugar, brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, sweet fruits like pineapple, peaces or apricots, and more. This recipe uses honey. If you wanted to go completely sugar-free you could probably use Stevia. The sour part most often comes as vinegar or lemon juice but there are plenty of other sour fruits that could be used. I chose lemon juice because it seems to do better in my digestive system than vinegar. Feel free to modify this recipe to your own tastes and preferences.

This one turned out great and made two plus meals for the two of us. I served it over rice, but it could be served as it comes out of the crock-pot.

Beef Stew

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thigh meat
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large carrots, cut in 1 inch long pieces
1 large onion, sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1 cup water

Instructions

1 - Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika together until uniform.
2 - Cut the thigh meat into bite size pieces.
3 - Dredge the ground turkey and the chicken thigh meat in the flour mixture.
4 - Brown the turkey and chicken meat in a skillet (black iron skillet preferred)
5 - Put the carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the crock-pot.
6 - Remove the browned chicken and thigh meat and put into the crock-pot.
Note: Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet with a spatula.
7 - Combine the lemon juice and water and add to the skillet to deglaze, then add all to the crock-pot.
8 - Add the rest of the ingredients to the crock-pot.
9 - Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Serve over cooked rice.

Hearty and Delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken and Turkey Crock Pot Stew

My name is Frank Ernhart. I am a retired engineer, self-made chef with over 1600 recipes, some original, some previously published all FREE. The website is http://www.frankernhart.com

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Are you tired of the same old meals day in and day out? Don't feel like having pizza or fast food again? Well here is a great recipe that you and your family will love, and the best part is you can slow cook it and not really spend a whole lot of time preparing it. Slow cooker beef stroganoff is an excellent dish that can be made very easily with very little effort on your part.

All you need to make this dish is a pound of beef that is cubed for stew meat, a 10 oz can of condensed golden mushroom soup, half of an onion chopped into small pieces, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a quarter cup of water, and four ounces of cream cheese. That's all you need to make this wonderful dish, nothing more, nothing less.

Beef Stew

When you've got all the ingredients prepared and ready to be used, you can proceed to the next step which is combining the mean, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and the water in your slow cooker. The slow cooking process is important because it helps lock in the flavor and does not overcook the meat that is being used in the recipe. You could cook the meat in the oven, but that would require that you be more accurate with how long it is being cooked. Cooking it too long could result in the meat being too dry. You'll want to slow cook this on low heat for 8 hours. If you don't have that much time, you can save a few hours by cooking it on high for 5 hours. When the time has expired, check the meat to make sure it is moist and tender, which I guarantee it will be. When it is finished, the final step will be to stir in the cream cheese.

In the end you'll have a wonderful dish that you can serve over egg noodles or rice, whichever you and your family prefers. Your family will be ultimately impressed with this dish and you'll always be able to use it when you need a great meal on short notice or if you don't have a lot of time to devote to cooking for your family.

A Simple Stroganoff Recipe For the Slow Cooker

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When it comes to comfort foods, few are as comforting as a bowl of delicious and warm soup. Another upside to soup, as if it needed one, is that they can be incredibly healthy. The hearty soup below is as healthy as it is delicious. It is also a snap to prepare.

Herb-ilicious Vegetable Beef Soup

Beef Stew

1 pound lean ground beef

1 - 1/2 cups chopped onion

4 cups hot water

1 - 1/2 cups diced potatoes (white, red, or even sweet potatoes are all wonderful - I prefer a combination of white and sweet)

3/4 cups diced celery

3/4 cups sliced carrots

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf (crumbled finely)

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp chopped chives

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 jalapeno pepper - seeded and chopped (optional but recommended)

Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the onion. Brown over medium high heat so that the meat doesn't get overly dark. Drain off the fat.Add the herbs and seasonings. Stir the meat and onions until all the wonderful flavors are introduced.

In a large sauce pan, combine the water, celery, potatoes (white, red, or sweet), jalapeno peppers, and carrots. Add the meat mixutre, which by now will smell absolutely amazing! Stir everything together and simmer, coverd for for about 30 minutes. If the vegetables aren't tender after 30 minutes, simmer a little longer. Be sure you always have enough liquid.

Naturally, I recommend a couple of taste tests along the way. If you think a little more garlic, pepper, salt, thyme, or chives are called for - no one is standing in your way! That's the beauty of soups like this, you are able to adjust it to your own personal preferences.

This recipe makes about 8 servings and is delicious when served with fried cornbread or buttermilk biscuits. Try it, you'll love it.

Herb-ilicious Vegetable Beef Soup

Please follow me to my caffeinated Recipe blog, Get Cooking. Like me, most of the recipes have a southern accent, and you'll find great kitchen gadgets, kitchen appliances, reviews, and even a little table talk. I can't wait for you to visit!

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Vegetables are healthy to eat and add great flavor to crockpot meals, especially crockpot beef stew. Tomatoes, corn, green beans, potatoes, and onions are common to most of us. Not so common are some unusual vegetables that make nutritious add-ins. Make it easier to get your family to eat the foods resulting in a healthier lifestyle.

Turnips are usually white inside, with rough leaves having a hairy appearance. They grow best in cool weather. Turnips have been a popular root vegetable for thousands of years, because they are easy to grow nearly anywhere. The leaves have more nutritional value than the turnip itself. Both the leaves and the root are good to use in soups, stews, and salads.

Beef Stew

A hybrid of the turnip is the rutabaga, generally yellow on the inside, with smooth leaves, almost like a cabbage. It is also a cool-weather grown vegetable, and takes longer to maturity than the turnip. It holds texture better than the turnip when cooked, and is more nutritious. Although it is a staple crop in northern Europe, it has never caught on as a popular vegetable in North America. It is grown in North America in low quantities and sold in produce markets and sections.

Parsnips are a root vegetable related to carrots and celery. Sweeter than the carrot, parsnips have a carrot appearance, but are closer to a creamy white color than orange. They can be eaten cooked or raw. Some people mash them, like potatoes, or roast them. They are another cool weather plant. When allowed to stay in the ground until late fall when it turns cold, the starches turn to sugars. Select parsnips as you would carrots, buying them crispy and firm. Limp parsnips are like limp carrots: they are not the best choice. Large parsnips are overgrown, so choose small and medium. When peeled, parsnips turn dark as they are exposed to air, just like potatoes. They are good in salads, soups, and stews.

Swiss Chard is a root vegetable primarily grown for the shiny green leaves. The stalks are slightly bitter at maturity, but lose the bitterness as cooked. Young leaves are great when used raw in salads. It looks quite a bit like spinach, and indeed cooks down like spinach. It is a member of the beet family. Chard is one of the Slow Foods. The nutritional value is incredibly high.

On The Go Crockpot Beef Stew

Beef and vegetables go together, with the flavors blending dramatically to make a fragrant, tasty main dish. Start this in the crockpot before you leave for work and enjoy a delicious meal when you arrive home.

What You Need:

• 1 pound stew meat, cut in bite-sized pieces
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in small pieces
• 1 package stew seasoning
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• Celery leaves from stalks, rinsed and cut
• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 1 pound carrots washed and sliced. Peeling is optional
• 1 can tomato soup

How To Make It:

Mix the water and stew seasoning together. Put the meat in the bottom of the dish, and add the vegetables.

Mix the soup with the seasoned water, blending well. Pour it over the vegetables and beef. Cook on low heat for 10 hours. Add water if needed.

Crockpot Beef Stew On The Go

A lot of favorite crockpot recipes are suitable for slow crockpot cooking and if you enjoy a ready meal when you get home, you might like to see more easy crockpot beef stew recipes which combine fresh produce and other quality ingredients for amazing results.

The Best Crockpot Recipes Start With Our Recipes - BestCrockpotRecipes.net

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Everyone loves spaghetti for dinner. It's one of those wonderful comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup and beef stew. However, sometimes we may get a bit bored with just plain spaghetti. Here are some tips to take ordinary spaghetti to something new and different.

1. Add vegetables. Not only do they add texture, they also add flavor. Vegetables can be added raw and cooked in the sauce or saute ahead of time. This is also a great way to use leftover veggies. Some popular spaghetti additions can include: mushrooms, artichokes, onions, green peppers, zucchini and eggplant.

Beef Stew

2. Use different types of pasta There are many different types of pasta that make it fun to eat, and this is especially fun for children. A few interesting pasta shapes to try are gemelli, farfalle and rotini.

3. Add meat. Meatballs are not the only go with in spaghetti. Other meats will also add flavor. Try cooked chicken, sausage, bacon or pepperoni in the sauce.

4. Spice it up. A sprinkle of hot pepper flakes is all it takes to add some fire to spaghetti. Add more or less according to taste.

5. Serve it differently. Changing the way food is served can make it more appealing and appetizing. Plate the spaghetti on a special platter or casserole dish. Top with sauce and it is ready for the table.

6. Add cheese. Freshly grated cheese can make the dish. Parmesan and romano are the most popular, but pecorino and asiago are delicious also.

7. Try a new sauce Experiment with different recipes until you find a few favorites. Alfredo and Vodka sauces are easy and delicious.

8. Make it fancy with shellfish. Shrimp, scallops, clams or crab can be added to the sauce toward the end of cooking time with little or no preparation.

9. Add texture. Turn a plain tomato sauce into a creamy, rich sauce with the addition of a little cream or half and half. Start with 1/2 a cup and adjust to taste.

10. Pour in some wine. Adding 1/2 cup of red wine to the sauce will add a rich flavor to either homemade or jarred sauce. Simmer at least 10 minutes to cook out the alcohol and never use cooking wine. A good quality wine is preferred as the flavor will transfer to the dish.

Have fun and experiment dressing up YOUR spaghetti!

10 Tips For Dressing Up Spaghetti For Dinner

Mary Crowther is a writer and webmaster. To learn more about family traditions visit her successful website FavoriteTraditions.com

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Typically a stew will be prepared on the stove top, while a casserole may be done in the oven. Having said that, we tend to mix up the words nowadays, and in reality both of the methods are equally very nice. It doesn't matter if making a stew or simply a casserole, the two very important factors are to give it a good deal of time, and not to use too much heat, otherwise it will dry out.

This recipe comes from a small book that my mother had and dates from 1950. I often ate this dish when I was young and I still eat it today. It is a great comfort food and wonderful to eat when it's cold outside.

Beef Stew

1 chuck roast about
2 pounds without bones, cubed
1 cup of carrots, cut into large dices
1 cup of turnips, cut into large dices
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 cups potatoes cut into chunks
1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence

Coat the beef cubes with flour seasoned with salt and pepper and sauté in olive oil. Add 1 cup of boiling water and deglaze, then add 3 cups of water. Cover and cook for about 2 1 / 2 hours.

Add vegetables and cook for 1 hour. Add dough by the tablespoon on top of beef. Cover and cook for 1 hour.

Dumplings 2 cups flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk

Sift flour with baking powder and salt, add milk and mix well to form a ball.

You can prepare the stew in advance (without the dumplings). Simply let cool and place in airtight containers. It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can then reheat on the stove top and proceed with the dumplings.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Beef With Dumplings - A Great Beef Stew Recipe

To find more great beef stew recipes, you can visit my blog http://beefstewrecipes.org/beef-with-dumplings/

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This is a great recipe for serving as a main dinner dish. It's easy to prepare and let cook while you are busy or away from home. It's also a budget friendly recipe and prepared using items normally stocked in most kitchens. You will be pleased with the results. The steak is quite tasty, and the potatoes are covered in gravy. Use any extra gravy to pour over your steak, if desired. Add a green vegetable when serving for a complete meal.

Ground Beef Steak and Potatoes Slow Cooker Recipe

Beef Stew

For steak:
3 pounds ground beef
3/4 sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Flour for coating steak
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For Gravy:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk

5 or 6 potatoes, thickly sliced or cut into eighths

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, saltine crackers, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and milk. Mix until well blended. Shape into round patties or ovals and set aside.
2. Grease the bottom of the slow cooker and put in potatoes.
3. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in the water. Put flour, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Add small amounts of water at a time, mixing continuously. Add milk and mix well to prevent any lumps from forming. Pour over potatoes in crock pot or slow cooker.
4. Dredge both sides of each beef patty in flour.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown beef patties on each side, turning once. Place patties on top of potatoes in cooker.
6. Place lid on cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 5 hours. On high setting, cook for 2 to 3 hours.

Ground Beef Steak and Potatoes Slow Cooker Recipe

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The Chicago Bears and the playoffs, now that is what I call a perfect pair!

It's that time of year to plan your playoff football parties, whether you are tailgating at Soldier Field or celebrating at home with friends. This month's column will be devoted to tailgating party food and wines that both complement these spicy dishes and stand up to those bold flavors.

Beef Stew

The Bears are "in" and so is California "Zin." Other wines that also work are France's southern Rhones and Australia's Shiraz. I will discuss all three of these reds, as they are fairly interchangeable and pair well with this menu. One of my goals with this column is to introduce readers to new wine experiences. So, I would encourage you to try something new at this year's football party.

Wine speak

Nothing beats the combination of a great grilled steak and California's Cabernet Sauvignons or France's Bordeaux wines.

However, football party menus tend to consist of chili, beef stew, braised meats and ribs. These flavors tend to be bold and spicy. To counter this, wines with loads of jammy fruit work well.

The following three wines, each worthy of its own column, will be briefly discussed today.

California (red) Zinfandel

Zinfandel is as unique as California. Its origins are European, but its exact lineage is the subject of much debate. Zinfandel tends to be loaded with fruit, has soft tannins and offers peppery spice notes. It is the second most widely planted red varietal in California, behind Cabernet Sauvignon. Key growing regions include Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley, Napa's Spring Mountain District, Mendocino's Anderson Valley and the Paso Robles region of Central California.

France's Southern Rhone (syrah-based) wines

The Rhone Valley of France is divided into two regions, northern and southern. The southern Rhone's warmer climate, influenced by the Mediterranean, tends to produce wines with more fruit that are softer in nature. While the northern Rhone only uses syrah grapes in its reds, the southern Rhone's reds are primarily a blend of grenache and syrah, with small amounts of mourvedre, carignan and cinsaut. As syrah in the south does not have enough character on its own, these other varietals are blended to add complexity to the wine. Key appellations in the southern Rhone region include Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and the Cotes-du-Rhone.

Australia's Shiraz

The southern coastline of Australia is home to this country's wine industry. The sunny Mediterranean-like climate on this coast ensures a quality grape crop most every year. Shiraz is Australia's leading red grape varietal, and makes up 40percent of its red grape production. Its origin is France's syrah grape. Shiraz has been grouped into two styles, cool climate and hot climate wines. The cooler climate tends to produce a more elegant style while the hotter climates tend to produce wines that are bolder and "more in your face." Key growing regions include South Australia's Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and the Coonawarra region. New South Wales' Hunter Valley, Victoria's Yarra Valley and Western Australia's Margaret River region round out this list.

Food and wine pairings

What these three full-bodied, dark red wines have in common are loads of jammy fruit, lower tannin levels and peppery spice notes that work well with football party menus. While any of the three wines will complement your football food, there are subtle differences for optimal pairings.

o Zinfandels: Great with chili, hamburgers, ribs, beef teriyaki.
o Southern Rhones: Great with ribs, beef stew, braised meats.
o Shiraz: Great with char-grilled steak au poivre, BBQ ribs, braised meats, beef stew.

Picks

Wines that I recommend that should be available by your local wine shop include (retail pricing may vary):

range

St. Francis "Old Vine" Zinfandel (may be closer to )

Shenandoah Vineyards "Special Reserve" Zinfandel

Cycles Gladiator "Central Coast" Syrah

Twin Beaks Shiraz

Rosemount Estate Shiraz

Palandri - Western Australian Shiraz

range

Ridge Vineyards "Three Valleys" Zinfandel

Tobias Zinfandel

Domaine due Trapadis Cote-du Rhone

Pesquier from the Gigondas region of Rhone

Mr. Riggs "The Gaffer" Shiraz

Possum's Vineyard Shiraz (may be more difficult to find, but worth hunting down)

Until next month, happy tailgating and Go Bears!

Bears' Return to Playoffs Means Parties

Bill Garlough is a Level 1 Master Sommelier and an owner of My Chef Catering in Naperville, the winner of the U.S. Chamber's 2007 Small Business of the Year award. For more from Bill Garlough's Perfect Pairings check out My Chef. Bill can be reached at or wineparings@mychef.com

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What can be said about stew? I remember as a little girl that familiar smell of being in my Grandma's kitchen. I remember the fascination of watching her prepare a meal that did not require much preparation, but it had many different variations of flavor. I could not seem to get enough of it before you could hear the serving spoon clanging on the bottom of an empty pan. My Grandma Gracie is no longer with us, and how I long for her cooking. I decided to go to culinary school to try and become half the cook that she was. I did not get her recipes on paper, so I have to try and create from memory, and mine will be a little more health conscience.

Stews are a very unique dish for several reasons. You can add the staple ingredients such as onions, potatoes and carrots. There is so much freedom to this dish that you can add different herbs, and other vegetables that will make it your own. I use salt, pepper and flour in my stew to dredge the stew meat, and then I sear the stew meat before I start braising which is a low and slow cooking method. This will help thicken the stew and also give it flavor. I will give you a very detailed set of cooking instructions. This will be an easy to follow recipe without much prep and cooking time in the kitchen. The afternoon will be yours to do with what you wish and dinner will be served on time, and will be a meal that everyone will enjoy.

Beef Stew

This recipe has a little different twist to it. I have added cumin seed to this stew. I am sure you are probably wondering why? I love the flavor of cumin, and it has the flavor stamp of Mexican, or as I like to say Texican. I am of course from Texas and I love TEx-Mex food. I thought that I would take my stew recipe and add some new zap to it. The cumin can be omitted if you do not care for the flavor of it, as it is very distinct.

Ingredients list:

3-4 pounds of stew meat cut into bite size cubes

1 1/2 c of all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. of salt

1/2 - 1 tsp of black pepper or to your taste

1/4 c of canola oil

4-6 russet potatoes depending on size you want about 2-3 cups of large diced potatoes, and the skin can be left on if you desire. It will be more rustic.

3 carrots cut thick slices, un-peeled but washed if you like

1 large sweet yellow onion diced

1 small can of sweet corn drained

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1 cup of red wine your choice I think a good merlot is best, and would be better served with the dish :)

1 bay leaf

2 1/2 pints of beef stock or beef bouillion and water mixture

1-2 tsp of cumin seed, or you can use ground but use less about 1/2-1 tsp

1 tsp. of chopped cilantro for garnish

Serves 6 - 8

Lets make Stew:

1. Heat your large braising pan or stew pot on med to med high heat.

2. Take your stew meat and season with salt and pepper and dredge/coat it in the flour.

3. If your pan is hot add the oil, and heat the oil for about 20-30 seconds and then add your stew meat and get a good browning on it.

4. Take your wine and add it at this point but do it off of the fire so it will not blaze up on you.

5. Reduce the wine mixture by 1/2 or 3/4 and then add your onions and garlic until they are translucent.

6. Add your carrots, potatoes, beef stock, cumin seed, sweet corn, and bay leaf at this time.

7. Put the lid on your pot and turn down to a simmer. You will simmer for about 1-2 hours or until your carrots are done. When the carrots are done the dish will be fully cooked.

8. When done you can add the cilantro as a garnish if you like to give it the extra added flavor from Texas.

9. Do not forget to remove the bay leaf.

This meal is excellent served with jalepeno cornbread, or a sweet cornbread. I hope that you enjoy this Sunday afternoon stew, or have it on a cold winter night, as I have, and with many friends. It is a handy dish to complete when you would like to spend more time out of the kitchen.

Steaming, Hearty Choices Beef Stew With Cumin Seed For That Cold Winter Evening, Or Sunday Afternoon

Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and research and development chef for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA.

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Traditional goulash is made with beef, vegetables including onions, paprika, tomato, and spices. The name comes from the Hungarian word for herdsman or cattle stockman. This Hungarian dish is made either as a stew or soup.

You can use hot or mild paprika and a little caraway seed, garlic or wine is also nice in the recipe. In the traditional goulash recipe, onions are fried until they are golden and then the paprika and meat are added, so the flavor of the paprika comes out when it touches the hot fat but it does not get bitter or burn.

Beef Stew

You can make this dish using pork, lamb, or veal if you do not want to use beef. The meat is cut into chunks before you use it. Stock or water is also added and then caraway seeds or garlic can go in after it has been simmering for a while.

Parsnip, carrot, bell pepper, fresh tomato, or celery are optional ingredients, as are thyme, bay leaves, and hot chilies. You might like to add some diced potatoes to make the dish more starchy and therefore smoother and thicker. A little wine vinegar or white wine can also go into it, to round out the flavor.

International Variations

Many countries have a similar dish to this one, since it is quite a basic beef stew. For example, in Austria, the dish is served without tomatoes but with extra onions as well as little dumplings. In Germany, potatoes are added and the broth is tomato-flavored.

Lamb, beef, pork, or occasionally fish might feature in the Dutch version and many people prefer to use ground beef to make this recipe in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It is served with macaroni, noodles, or pasta. In some parts of New England, this ground beef and tomato sauce-based dish is known as "American chop suey" or "American goulash."

Slow Cooker Goulash Recipe

This recipe makes enough to serve four to six people and the resulting dish is really flavorful. You can use yogurt instead of sour cream if you prefer. For a more watery consistency (more like soup than stew), use a pound of meat instead of a pound and a half. Serve it with buttered noodles tossed with poppy seeds.

What You Will Need:

• 1 1/2 lbs round steak or beef stew meat, in 1 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped onion

How To Make It:

Put the beef, garlic, and onion in the crockpot and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the mixture. Mix half the water with the paprika and tomato paste and pour this over the top. Cover and cook for eight or nine hours on low. Mix the rest of the water with the sour cream and flour and stir this into the goulash. Cook for fifteen minutes uncovered or until it is thick.

How To Make Goulash In A Crockpot

Beef features in many of the best crockpot recipes and the long, slow cooking really brings out its meaty flavor, making it tender and delicious too. Crockpot recipes are great for people who are at work all day and want to come home to a wonderful-smelling house and a dinner which is ready to serve.

The Best Crockpot Recipes Start With Our Recipes - BestCrockpotRecipes.net

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Back in my military days I did a lot of traveling. One day I might be in Rome, another day heading towards Beirut or in a few fortunate times a lay over in beautiful Greece. For some strange and unusual reason every time our plane would transcend Greek airspace it developed a mechanical problem and forced us to land at Venizelos Airport for repairs, gee such a life.

Our ending location for the evening would be the lovely city of Athens with all her beauty and splendor. We would put up for the evening at one of the fine hotels and there usually was a stew brewing at one of the local eatery that evening. I don't imagine that I will ever completely duplicate that fabulous stew but I have included my personal version in this article. More then likely the Greek version used Lamb as its meat of choice and judging from my grandfather who was from Greece there was likely mint added to its list of ingredients. Spices of particular note were cinnamon and cloves which are frequently employed to flavor much of Greek foods.

Beef Stew

The Greek name for this particular stew is translated as stifatho. It is braised beef or possibly lamb with onions which is usually prepared differently according to the family who is cooking it. Every family has their own versions of this stew with each slightly different. This recipe would be considered typical of the Greek cooking so common in and around the city of Athens.

The satisfying tastes associated with this stew are perfect during the approaching cool weather. Keep in mind the recipe can be modified as you desire just as a Greek family would do. Perhaps you would wish to add carrots or potatoes the choice is entirely up to you.

Ingredients

2 pounds of lean beef or lamb stewing meat
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 Cups of water
1 can of tomato paste
3 tablespoons of Red wine vinegar
2 ½ teaspoons of Salt
½ teaspoon of Sugar
½ teaspoon of Ground pepper
½ teaspoon of Minced garlic
1 stick of cinnamon about 4 inches long or substitute ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
7 whole cloves or ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
2 pounds of small white pearl onions

Start by trimming all the excess fat from around the meat and then slice it into 1 inch chunk pieces. Pre-heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over a medium to high heat. Add the chunks of meat to the olive oil and brown the slices on all sides.

In another medium saucepan combine and whisk together the water, the can of tomato paste, salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar and garlic bringing the mixture to a rapid boil and pour immediately over the beef or lamb that is in the stock pot. Now, add the cinnamon stick or the ground cinnamon to the pot.

During this next step add the whole cloves into one of the small onions and place them into the mixture or if using ground cloves add it now. Cover the stock pot and simmer the mixture for 1 and a half hours.

Peel the remaining onions at this time and add them to the stew pot. Continue to cook for another 45 minutes until the onions and the beef become tender. Prior to serving remove the cinnamon stick as well as the clove stuffed onion. Serve your stew over rice or pasta complimented with a rustic crusty type bread. Your family will enjoy the unique nature of this Greek stew.

Greek Style Beef Stew

By Joseph Parish

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish
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Even though this recipe basically consists of nothing but canned or frozen vegetables, it is surprisingly good. It's very easy to prepare and let cook in your slow cooker. The most complicated part of the whole process is chopping an onion. If you feel so inclined, you can substitute fresh vegetables for any of the canned or frozen ingredients listed.

Also, if you are a vegetarian, you can omit the stew beef and make a splendid soup. Just add more vegetables and spices to your taste. A little garlic is a great addition to this recipe when making a hearty soup.

Beef Stew

Lazy Day Beef Stew Slow Cooker Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound stew beef
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
2 cans peeled potatoes, drained
1 can green beans, drained (or 1 small package frozen beans)
1 can corn, drained (or 1 small package frozen corn)
1 can carrot slices, drained (or 1 small package frozen carrots)
1 can sweet peas, drained (or 1 small package frozen peas)
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

There is no need for the stew beef to be thawed before adding it to the slow cooker. Just place it in the cooker and add all other ingredients at once. Mix ingredients together. Place lid on slow cooker. Using low setting, let stew cook for 7 to 8 hours.

Tip: This is a versatile and forgiving stew recipe. You can add or substitute any vegetables that you like. I'm very fond of adding lima and kidney beans to this slow cooker dish.

Lazy Day Beef Stew Slow Cooker Recipe

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit subzeroparts.org to find quality SubZero Parts.

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Hearty homemade soups make great meals for babies and toddlers. These
soups combine meat and vegetables into one easy meal, they are
inexpensive to make, and they freeze well for later meals. My twin boys love this split pea soup recipe!

Beef Stew

Beef Stew

1/3 c. flour

1 1/2 lb. stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 c. water

4 medium potatoes

3 medium carrots

Coat meat with flour and brown in oil. Place all ingredients in
crock pot and cook on low all day or on high for 4-5 hours. Other vegetables like green
beans or peas can also be added.

Split Pea Soup

3 c. split peas, rinsed

1 c. ham, cut into small cubes

1 medium carrot, cut into small cubes

7 c. water

3 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low all day or on high for 4-5 hours.

After soups cool, blend in blender or food processor, adding more
water if necessary for desired consistency. Blend soups until
completely smooth for younger babies. These soups are suitable
for babies 6 months and up who are eating a variety of solid
foods and also for toddlers.

To freeze soups for later, pour the cooled soup into ice cube trays and freeze
until solid. Transfer frozen cubes to Ziploc freezer bags. Happy cooking!

Hearty Homemade Soups for Babies and Toddlers

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

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The discount store I shop at carries Angus beef only. It's top-quality meat and shoppers pay for this quality. I bought a boneless roast beef and it cost . Though the price is shocking, I was able to get four meals (there are four in our family) from this roast.

I don't know if the beef is certified Angus, but it may be. According to the Certified Angus Beef website, this beef is better quality than USDA Prime. Angus beef has more marbling (lines of fat) than other beef and this keeps it moist.

Beef Stew

A standing rib roast is the most expensive. Boneless roasts are also available. Before I roast the meat, I season it with low sodium salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. To sear the outside of the roast, I cook it at 425 degrees for 25 minutes and then lower the heat to 350. After it comes out of the oven, I cover the meat with aluminum foil and let it rest before my husband carves it. Four delicious meals came from this roast.

1. Our first meal was Christmas dinner. It was a traditional British dinner of sliced roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, green beans, salad, and store-bought chocolate cake. I froze the remaining beef and gravy.

2. French dip sandwiches were our second meal. I make the dip with beef bullion and two tablespoons of leftover gravy for flavor. Buttering and toasting the rolls beforehand is the secret to this famous sandwich. When I'm short of meat, I add a slice of Romano of Cheddar cheese.

3. Roast beef salads came next. They're a meal on a plate: lettuce (Romaine or Iceberg), cooked green beans, cooked sliced potatoes, and strips of cooked beef. I drizzle the salads with homemade dressing or bottled Italian dressing with Romano cheese.

4. Our fourth meal was Roast Beef and Mushroom Oven Stew. Easy to make, this is an ideal recipe for a chilly winter night. You can make it too.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked roast beef, cut into one-inch cubes

8-ounce box of sliced mushrooms

6 green onions (white and green parts), chopped

1 cup petite carrots

6 Klondike red potatoes, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 one-ounce envelopes Herb Gravy Mix for Beef

2 cups cold water

Method

Cut off any extra fat before cubing the beef. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, mushrooms, green onions, carrots, potatoes and seasoning. Make gravy mix according to package directions. Pour over stew mixture and toss gently. Transfer stew mixture to a large, buttered casserole and cover. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Ladle into stew bowls and serve with crusty bread and a green salad. Makes 4-6 servings.

So you see, buying an expensive roast beef may be a smart move. It makes four or more meals and cuts down on grocery shopping, which saves gas. Every so often, it's nice to indulge yourself and at my house, that indulgence is roast beef.

Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson

Four Meals From One Roast, Including Roast Beef and Mushroom Oven Stew

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30+ years. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal with 100 writing prompts. The company has also published her latest book, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul."

Hodgson has another new book out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey: Words of Comfort, Words of Hope," also available from Amazon. Please visit her website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

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You can't stay away from the French food, while in France, the country known worldwide for its numerous gastronomic delights and specialties. Certainly, the French cuisine is extremely diverse including a wide variety of foods and recipes from national and regional cuisines. France really offers one of the richest cuisines in the World.

French cuisine is often categorized as National Cuisine and Regional Cuisine. National Cuisine includes the foods that have been integral part of the French culture for ages. These foods include a variety of breads, savory dishes, desserts & pastries, and some preserved foods. Common breads in the French cuisine include Ficelle, Baguette, Flûte, Pain, and Pain Poilane (large xed vegetables), Bouillabaisse (fish soup), Les endives (Belgian endive), Boudin blanc (Delicatethick crusted circular loaf).

Beef Stew

Savory dishes include Biftek frites (steak & fries), Poulet frites (chicken & fries), Blanquette de veau (blanquette of veal), Coq au vin (chicken in red wine), Pot au feu (beef stew with mi flavored sausage similar to bockwurst), Civet de Lapin (rabbit), Foie de veau (calve's liver), and Andouillette (chitterling sausage).

Desserts & pastries include Chocolate Mousse, Crème Brûlée, Mille-feuilles, Choux à la Crème (cream puffs), Tartes aux fruits (fruit tarts), Religieuse (chocolate éclair shaped to resemble a nun), Madeleine (small cake-like cookie), Tarte Tatin (caramelized apple tart), Gâteaux (cake), Éclairs, and Profiteroles (baked puff pastries (choux) filled with cream or ice cream). And, some typically French preserved foods include Cassoulet, Choucroute garnie, and Duck confit.

Greatly influenced by the French geography, the French cuisine also includes a wide range of regional cuisines, including foods & dishes of Lorraine, Alsace, Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Artois, Flanders, Hainaut)-Picardy, Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley/Central France, Burgundy, Poitou-Charentes, Limousin, Bordeaux, Perigord, Gascony, Pays Basque, Toulouse, Quercy, Aveyron, Roussillon, Languedoc, Cévennes, Provence, Côte d'Azur, and Corsica.

LORRAINE dishes include Quiche Lorraine, Potée Lorraine, and Pâté Lorrain. ALSACE specialties include Choucroute garnie (sauerkraut with sausages, salt pork and potatoes), Spätzle, Baeckeoffe, Kouglof, Bredela, Beerawecka, Mannala, Tarte flambée, and Baba au rhum.

NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS (ARTOIS, FLANDERS, HAINAUT) - PICARDY dishes include Andouillette of Cambrai, Carbonnade (meat stewed in beer), Potjevlesch (four-meat terrine), Waterzoï (sweet water fish stew), Escavêche (cold terrine of sweet water fish in wine and vinegar), Hochepot (four meats stewed with vegetables), and Flamiche.

NORMANDY dishes include Tripes à la mode de Caen (tripe cooked in cider and calvados), Matelote (fish stewed in cider), Moules à la crème Normande (mussels cooked with white wine, garlic and cream), and Tarte Normande (apple tart). BRITTANY specialties include Crêpes, Far Breton (flan with prunes), Kik ar Fars (boiled pork dinner with a kind of dumpling), and Kouign amann (galette made flaky with high proportion of butter).

LOIRE VALLEY/CENTRAL FRANCH dishes include Rillettes (spreadable paste made from braised pork and rendered fat, similar to pâté), and andouillettes (sausage made with chitterlings). Burgundy specialties include Boeuf Bourguignon (beef stewed in red wine), Escargots de Bourgogne (snails baked in their shells with parsley butter), Fondue bourguignonne (fondue made with oil in which pieces of meat are cooked), Gougère (cheese in choux pastry), and Pochouse (fish stewed in red wine).

RHÔNE-ALPES dishes include Raclette (the cheese is melted and served with potatoes, ham and often dried beef), Fondue savoyarde (fondue made with cheese and white wine into which cubes of bread are dipped), Gratin dauphinois, and Tartiflette (a Savoyard gratin with potatoes, Reblochon cheese, cream and pork).

AVEYRON dishes include Tripoux (tripe 'parcels' in a savoury sauce), Truffade (potatoes sautéed with garlic and young Tomme cheese), Aligot (mashed potatoes blended with young Tomme cheese), Pansette de Gerzat (lamb tripe stewed in wine, shallots and blue cheese), and Salade Aveyronaise (lettuce, tomato, roquefort cheese, walnuts).

LANGUEDOC dishes include Brandade de morue (puréed salt cod), Cargolade (Catalan style of escargot), Trinxat (Catalan cabbage and potatoes), Bourride (Monkfish stewed with vegetables and wine, garnished with aïoli), Rouille de seiche (Similar preparation of squid), and Encornets farcis (Cuttlefish stuffed with sausagemeat, herbs).

PROVENCE/CÔTE D'AZUR specialties include Bouillabaisse (stew of mixed Mediterranean fish, tomatoes, and herbs), Ratatouille (a vegetable stew with olive oil, aubergine, courgette, bell pepper, tomato, onion and garlic), Pieds paquets (Lambs feet and tripe 'parcels' in a savoury sauce), Soupe au pistou (bean soup served with a pistou (cognate with Italian pesto) of fine-chopped basil, garlic and Parmesan), Salade Niçoise (varied ingredients, but always black olives, tuna), Socca, and Panisses.

A Guide To French Food - Some Interesting Facts And Information About French Dishes

James Burrows writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for Hotels, Villas, Holidays in Paris, France, and Holiday apartment Rentals.

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Are you too busy to cook healthy? Think again. Get tricks with slow cooker meals to save you time in the kitchen and on the go. Get your favorite dinner recipes put them on the pot and leave your slow cooker to perfect all the goodness. You will find that having a busy lifestyle works well with slow cooker meals, and the result? Hot and healthy dinner for the family!

Beef and Beer Stew with Onions

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds lean beef
• Stew meat
• 6 cups sliced onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon HERB-OX® beef flavored bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 2 cups dark
• Beer, with or without alcohol
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Procedure:

Heat butter in large skillet and brown the beef. Place browned beef in a slow cooker. Add onions and garlic to skillet and brown lightly; place in slow cooker with beef. Add water, beef granules, thyme, beer, brown sugar, and mustard to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours. Add cornstarch mixture to stew and continue to cook for 20 minutes, or until thickened. Serves 8.

Barbecued Short Ribs

Ingredients:

• 6-8 short ribs, about 3 pounds
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons
• HERB-OX® beef flavored bouillon granules
• 1 cup hickory smoked barbecue sauce
• 3tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in small amount of water

Procedure:

Over a medium high heat, brown short ribs on all sides using a large skillet. Place ribs in a slow cooker and top with onions. In bowl, combine water, beef granules, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Pour sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or until tender. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook 20 minutes or until sauce thickens. This serves 4 to 6.

Wild Rice and Chicken Slow Cooker Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 can cream of chicken & mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 (4-ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, drained
• 6 slices HORMEL® Fully Cooked Bacon, crumbled
• 1 cube HERB-OX® chicken bouillon, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Procedure:

In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Place in 3 to 4-quart slow-cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6-7 hours or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Make 6 to 8 servings.

Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 (21/2-pound) boneless eye of round beef roast
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (6-ounce) can Italian flavored tomato paste
• 6 teaspoons HERB-OX® beef flavored bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup water
• 12 Kaiser rolls
• 12 (1-ounce) slices provolone cheese

Procedure:

Place the roast in a 31/2-quart slow cooker. Add onion, tomato paste, bouillon granules and water. Cover and cook on HIGH 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove roast from cooker. Using two forks, shred meat. Return meat to cooker, stirring to coat with sauce. Divide meat evenly among Kaiser rolls. Top with cheese. Serves 12.

Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy People

Terry Retter
chef@yoursmartktichen.com
Your Smart Kitchen
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Specializing in Fissler, Chasseur, Swiss Diamond, Clay Bakers, L'Equip, Bosch.

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Everybody eats, but not everyone's got money to spare! That's okay, though, because with a few basic tools, cooking techniques, and ingredients, you can cook some seriously tasty and frugal meals. Here's a recipe for my favorite beef stew that you can replicate for less than 15 dollars...

Step 1: Cheap Beef and Veggies

Beef Stew

Head on out to your favorite supermarket or budget food store to gather the ingredients for this frugal recipe. You'll need a store that has at least a basic meat counter or butcher's section, as well as some decent produce.

At the meat counter, look for a cheap, somewhat fatty cut of beef. Chuck is my favorite, and you can find it for just two to three dollars per pound if you check the right places! Don't worry about the fat, either, as much of it will render, or melt off, during the cooking process.

After you've picked a good two, three, or perhaps four-pound roast, head on over to the produce section to get your favorite stew veggies. The staple vegetable of this hearty frugal recipe is the potato, but look out for deals on carrots, celery, and onions - this humble but potent combination adds a wallop of flavor to any meal!

After getting the beef and veggies, you should be right at about 12-15 dollars. This dish is going to take some herbs and spices, as well, but you should have those on hand. If you don't, you'll want to go ahead and buy some, but remember that those products are going to stretch a lot farther than just this meal!

Step 2: Prepping the Stew

You could simply chop up the veggies, cut the meat into a couple of big hunks, and toss the whole pile into a crock pot with some water. That wouldn't make a half-bad stew, either, but if you really want to kick the flavor up a notch on your frugal recipes, take 15-20 minutes to do a more involved prep job.

First, heavily salt and sear the chuck roast on high heat in a cast iron skillet. Putting a golden-brown coat on the outside of the meat will go a long way in enhancing and deepening the flavor!

Next, chop your celery, onions, and carrots if you bought them, and throw the lot into the cast iron pan where you seared the meat. Add some olive oil or canola oil to cook them well on medium heat.

When the veggies are soft, it's time to add some liquid. If you're seriously short on ingredients, water will definitely do the trick. However, if you've got some cheap beer or chicken stock on hand, try throwing that in and reducing the liquid volume by half with the heat for a rich, deep flavor.

Finally, add plenty of dried herbs and spices to the veggie mixture in the pan. I like garlic, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram, but you can use whatever you've got.

When the meat is seared, and your veggie-spice mix is done, throw the lot into the crock pot with as many chopped potatoes as you like. I love potatoes, so I usually fill the pot nearly to the brim with all of that good stuff. Add some water or chicken stock to bring the liquid level to about one inch below the rim of the pot.

Step 3: Easy Cooking

Now that everything's in the pot, just set it to low and give the stew a good eight to ten hours to cook. If you can't wait half a day, you might try the high setting, but slow and low is the way to go for the best flavor! At the end, you'll have one of the best frugal recipes for an insanely low price.

Frugal Recipes: Easy Beef Stew For Less Than 15 Dollars!

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France is reknowned throughout Europe and the world for its cuisine, and rightly so - French cuisine is generally considered one of the most refined and elegant in the world.

In French cuisine, there are some dishes which are considered national dishes, eaten throughout France, and others with specific regional origins. One common factor in all French dishes is an emphasis on good quality ingredients (especially local produce), and careful preparation.

Beef Stew

Here are some popular French dishes:

- Bouillabaisse - A fish stew, originally from Marseille. Usually a variety of different fish and shellfish are used to prepare the soup, as well as celery, leeks, onions and tomatoes. The stew and the fish are usually served in separate bowls, with the stew poured over French bread seasoned with bread crumbs, olive oil and chili peppers ("rouille").

- French onion soup - A soup made from onions and beef broth, topped with cheese and croutons. According to legend the soup was invented by King Louis XV of France.

- Coq au vin - Chicken fricasseed with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic. Traditionally, older roosters are used in the dish, as they contain more connective tissue resulting in a richer broth.

- Beef Bourguignon (French: Boeuf bourguignon) - Beef stew cooked in red wine, flavored with garlic and herbs, carrots, onions and lardons (bacon from the back fat of a pig), and then garnished with onions and mushrooms.

- Escargot - Land snails cooked with parsley butter - often served as an appetizer.

- Blanquette de veau - Veal, mushrooms and onions cooked in a thick cream sauce.

- Pot-au-feu - A spiced beef and vegetable stew. Typically carrots, celery, leeks, onions and turnips are used in the dish.

- Quiche Lorraine - A baked dish made with heavy cream, eggs and bacon (but traditionally no cheese) in a pastry crust. If onions are added, the dish is known as quiche Alsacienne.

- Andouillette - A traditional French sausage, from Lyon, Troyes or Cambrai. It may be eaten hot or cold, and has a very strong odor that some people consider very unpleasant, and is very much an acquired taste. Please note: The prepared version of andouillette sold in the United States is not the same!

- Crêpes - Thin pancakes made from wheat flour. Originally from Brittany (French: Bretagne), they come in both savory (crêpes salées) and sweet (crêpes sucrées) varieties.

- Chocolate mousse - A creamy dessert made from eggs and cream, and flavored with chocolate.

- Crème brûlée - A custard base, usually flavored with just vanilla, and topped with a hard layer of caramel made by burning sugar under a grill or other intense heat source.

- Éclair - A hollow baked pastry, allowed to cool, and then filled with pastry cream (crème pâtissière), custard or whipped cream, and then topped with chocolate or icing.

- Profiteroles - Small baked pastries filled with pastry cream (crème pâtissière) or whipped cream. Often served with chocolate sauce.

French Recipes and Cuisine

By S. Tanna. Originally published at http://www.recipesmaniac.com/cook_french.php - visit this site for more information, photographs and cook books.

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Although called Hungarian paprika, the spice was actually introduced to the country of Hungary by the Turkish people during the 16th and 17th centuries. Paprika, which is made from grinding dried sweet red peppers, features prominently in countless Hungarian dishes including one of the country's most well known meals, goulash.

By simply cooking onions in butter or oil and seasoning with paprika, you have the base needed to create a variety of Hungarian themed soups and stews. Adding paprika to hot oil or lard will bring out its full flavor and aroma; however, take care not to burn the oil as burnt paprika takes on a distinctive bitter taste that can ruin the entire dish.

Beef Stew

At one time, paprika was dried in the sunshine first and then in earthenware ovens and then crushed by foot before using a mortar and pestle. Today the commercial process of creating paprika is considerably quicker and you can find several different varieties of the spice that vary by color and pungency.

The mildest paprika is the brightest red color while the hottest will be a light brownish orange color. The most common type of paprika used is referred to as Noble Sweet, which is slightly pungent and bright red.

Use paprika for flavoring soups that feature beef, chicken, fish, lamb, potatoes, and rice.
Always store your paprika in a cool, dark, and dry place inside of an airtight container for up to six months. Sunlight or heat will cause paprika to taste stale so it is best to keep smaller quantities on hand rather than large amounts to avoid spoilage.

Hungarian Goulash Soup Recipe

What You Need

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, peeled, diced
• 3 large tomatoes, seeded, diced
• 2 large potatoes, peeled, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded, diced
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

How to Make It

In a large stockpot, heat the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Brown the cubes of pork and beef stew meat on all sides in single layers. Brown one batch of meat and set aside while browning the rest. Set the browned pieces of meat aside.

Add the diced onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and green bell peppers to the stockpot and saute for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Add in the browned pieces of meat along with the beef broth, tomato sauce, marjoram, red pepper flakes, the Hungarian paprika, and the salt and black pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat.

Partially cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours or until all of the meat is tender.

Serve the Hungarian goulash soup while hot and add in more salt and black pepper to taste if desired.

Serves 6.

Seasoning Soups With Hungarian Paprika

If you feel extra creative, a French onion soup recipe makes an excellent base for creating a host of other filling soups or stews made on the stovetop or in the crock pot. A classic French onion soup will always be the right choice to serve for dinner especially during the colder months when a hot soup offers comfort as well as nourishment.

FrenchOnionSoups.com - Simple, Elegant, Perfection; Soup the Way it Was Meant to Be!

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Your complete dinner in one pot! This meal has been a family favorite for years, it appeals to the meat and potato lovers and is also quite low fat. It is quick and easy to assemble in the morning and can be left to cook all day in your slow cooker. Add the dumpling batter to the pot ½ hour before dinner. Serves 6.

Stew:

Beef Stew

3-4 medium potatoes, cut into small chunks

3-4 stalks of celery, sliced

2 cups of whole baby carrots

1 ½ cups frozen peas

1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 can low fat cream of chicken soup

1 can low fat cream of celery soup

½ cup low fat milk

½ cup water

1-2 tsp poultry seasoning (according to taste)

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

Dumplings:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3 ½ tsp baking powder

2 tsp parsley

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp melted butter or margarine

2/3-1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Put potatoes, celery, carrots and chicken into the slow cooker.

2. Mix soups, seasonings, milk and water together and pour over vegetables and chicken.

3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender. (You can cook on high for 4-5 hours but results are better on low).

4. Add peas during the last ½ hour of cooking.

5. To make the dumpling batter: mix flour, salt, baking powder & parsley together; add egg, melted butter and milk to dry ingredients. Use enough milk to make a soft dough.

6. Turn heat on slow cooker to high and drop 6 spoonfuls of the batter on top of stew.

7. Cover and cook for approx. 30 minutes or until dumplings are well done. (The dumplings will expand to touch each other during the cooking, so separate them with a knife about half way through to make sure the dough on the sides gets cooked as well).

Hint: Check the stew before you add the dumpling batter to make sure there is plenty of liquid. You can add a can of chicken broth or water if necessary to make sure you have lots of gravy once the dumplings are cooked.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew and Dumplings

Pat Lockhart is the author and publisher of the website: SuperCookbooks.com a comprehensive cookbook resource. It includes a cookbook directory, information about how to create your own cookbook , a weekly featured recipe, and articles and reviews. Currently, we are collecting recipes for an exciting project: The Valley Cookbook which will feature healthy recipes from food produced locally in the Okanagan region of BC, Canada. We welcome submissions to this and other cookbooks. Visit our website at: http://www.supercookbooks.com

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Beef stew is one of the most simple dishes there is and if you enjoy making soup recipes such as classic French onion soup, you should also find stews to be easy to make. A stew is basically a very thick, chunky soup, so the two dishes are not all that different.

Different Kinds of Beef Stew

Beef Stew

There are various beef stew recipes. Some are very simple and just combine meat, potatoes and perhaps one vegetable with water and herbs or bouillon. Others are spiced or contain fresh or dried herbs. There are international recipes for beef stew and you can add one or two ingredients to an existing recipe to give the dish a more exotic flavor.

For example, add a little Burgundy wine for a taste of France, some fresh basil for an Italian flavor or a little curry powder for an Indian touch. What about using corn kernels and cilantro for a taste of Mexico? Beef stew is versatile and you can tinker with such a recipe, to discover new ways of making it delicious.

The following recipe serves four people and it is a one-pot meal, since it contains meat, potatoes, vegetables and plenty more. This is a sweet and especially juicy stew, thanks to the apple juice and sweet potato.

The celery, onion, tomatoes, butternut squash and carrots add flavor and color, as well as nutrients, and the broth, salt and pepper are the only other flavors required, since the beef itself gives this wonderful stew recipe most of its flavor.

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 lbs lean beef, in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 trimmed, diced stalks celery
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 1 cup apple juice
• 14 1/4 oz can beef broth
• 1 peeled sweet potato, in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 peeled carrots, in 1 inch pieces
• 1 peeled, de-seeded butternut squash, in 1/2 inch cubes

How to make it:

Heat the vegetable oil in a pot over a moderate to high heat, and then add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for about four minutes or until the vegetables are golden brown. Take them out of the oil using a slotted spoon.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the meat. Brown it on all sides for about eight minutes, then add the flour and stir well. Cook for three minutes, stirring sometimes. Add the broth and scrape any stuck-on bits off the bottom of the pot.

Add the apple juice and tomatoes and let the mixture reach a boil. Turn the heat down to moderately low, cover the pot and cook the stew for forty five minutes. Add the sweet potato, butternut squash and onion mixture and keep cooking until the vegetables and meat are tender. This will take about fifty minutes. Season to taste and serve.

How to Make a Sweet and Juicy Beef Stew

You might like to make a classic French onion soup if you enjoy making stew recipes, either choosing an authentic French onion soup recipe or one of the many other versions of this delicious dish.

FrenchOnionSoups.com - Simple, Elegant, Perfection; Soup the Way it Was Meant to Be!

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Many people think that when they go on a diet of any kind, they will have to give up food that tastes good. Actually, there are all kinds of delicious foods that can be enjoyed by dieters. This is also true for people who are on high protein diets.

Like many diets, high protein diets allow you to eat a number of times throughout the day, with three meals and three or more snacks. Here you will find some delicious high protein recipes to get you through the entire day, from breakfast right through to your bedtime snack.

Beef Stew

Prepare Meals With Protein Supplements

If you are looking for ways to add more protein to your diet, there are plenty of protein supplements on the market today. Many powdered supplements are available unflavored and can be incorporated into a number of your favorite recipes.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives you energy to start your day off right, and when you feel fuller, you get more accomplished. Unfortunately, many people don't have time in the mornings and tend to skip breakfast frequently. Here is a recipe for a high protein meal replacement shake that you can take on the road with you, and it only takes a couple of minutes to make.

High Protein Banana/Strawberry/Pineapple Breakfast Shake

- 1 Banana, sliced

- 1/2 C Frozen Strawberries

- 1/2 C Fresh or Canned Pineapple

- 1 C Skimmed Milk

- 2 Scoops Fruit Flavored Protein Powder

- Ice

Mix ingredients in blender and pour into a take-along cup with a built-in straw.

Mid-Morning Snack

Usually about half-way between breakfast and lunch, people start to feel a bit hungry and need a little bit of a pick-me-up. For a tasty and protein-rich mid-morning snack, enjoy a handful of unsalted almonds, peanuts or cashews with some water, diet soda or herbal/green tea, sweetened with a teaspoon of honey. Or try this deliciously sour, protein-rich slushie:

Protein Powered Super-Sour Slushie

- 1/2 C Frozen Strawberries

- 1/2 C Frozen Raspberries

- 1 C Sugar-Free Lemonade

- 2 Scoops of Fruit or Berry Flavored Protein Powder, or for a really sour slushie, add one Raspberry Protein Shot (or whatever your favorite flavor is...try different shots for amazing flavor combinations)

- 1 C Ice

Mix ingredients in a blender or personal smoothie maker, and enjoy this protein-rich slushie. Kids will love this too, especially if you add some lemon juice to make it even more sour! If you are serving this to kids, cut back on the protein by half (or more, if you are using protein shots).

Lunch

Now that you have an hour to sit down and enjoy a warm meal that will get you ready to tackle the afternoon, you need to find one that is quick, tasty and loaded with protein and other essential vitamins and nutrients. Here is a recipe for a delicious lunch that is terrific for those cold winter days, and it only takes a few minutes to make. (You can even bring the ingredients to work and put them in the fridge until you're ready to heat them up at lunch.)

Protein-Packed Poultry Soup

This is a tasty soup you can make ahead and put in a thermos to take to work with you.

- 1 Can Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

- 1/2 C Cubed Chicken, cooked

- 1/2 C Egg or Rice Noodles

- 1/4 C Frozen Mixed Vegetables

- 2 Scoops Unflavored Protein Powder

- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients with seasonings, and heat until noodles are soft and vegetables are heated through.

Mid-Afternoon Snack

Just like the mid-morning, many people start to feel their stomachs rumble around mid-afternoon. Because it is so close to dinner time, it isn't a good idea to eat anything heavy, but a tasty snack rich in protein will help to get you through the rest of the afternoon.

Peanut Butter/Trail Mix Protein Bars

- 1 C Crunchy Peanut Butter

- 2/3 C Applesauce

- 2 C Packed Brown Sugar

- 3 Eggs

- 1 C Flour, minus 2 Tbsp

- ½ Tsp Salt

- 1 Tsp Vanilla

- 2 Scoops Protein Powder

- 1/2 C Chocolate Chips

- 1/2 C Unsalted Sunflower Seeds

- 1/2 C Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together well, and spread into a greased, 9X13 cake pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until center springs back when you touch it. Cool, and cut into bars. To turn these into high protein dessert bars to enjoy after dinner, mix 1 C icing sugar and 2 Tsp. (or so) water, and ice the bars. Then, melt chocolate chips and a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil, and drizzle on top of icing. These bars are high in fat, so eat them in small servings.

Dinner

After a long day at work, probably the last thing you want to do is come home and make dinner. What if there was a delicious, high-protein dinner all ready and waiting for you when you get home? Below is an awesome slow cooker recipe that will cook while you are out. Gather your ingredients before you go to bed, and throw them in the slow cooker before you head off to work.

High Protein Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken or Beef Stew

- 2 Cans Low Sodium Cream of Chicken or Beef Soup

- Enough Water to equal 2 cans of soup

- Boneless Chicken Breast or Lean Stewing Beef, Cubed

- Potatoes, cubed in water, set aside in refrigerator

- 1 C Frozen Vegetables

- Fresh Garlic and Onions

- Salt, Pepper, Other Seasonings, to taste

Combine soup, water, chicken and seasonings in slow cooker. Cook on low for seven or eight hours. When you get home from work, add potatoes (drain the water) and vegetables, and cook for another half hour or so on high. Serve with a slice of French bread, toasted with garlic butter. If you want, you can also add dumplings in the last half hour of cooking, but if you do, skip the bread.

Evening Snack

For a tasty, protein-rich bedtime snack that won't make you feel full, try this fun treat you used to enjoy when you were a kid:

- 6 Whole Grain Crackers, unsalted

- 3 Tsp Chunky Peanut Butter

- 3 Banana slices

Spread one teaspoon of peanut butter on each of three crackers. Place banana slices on top, and top with remaining crackers

Tasty Recipes For High Protein Diets

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com.

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com.

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Beef or Venison Stew

This is one of those great recipes to make on chilly fall day or a cold winter day. I used to put it on the wood cook stove and let it simmer for hours back in the day when we lived in rural VT and heated with wood. The combination of the wine and the selection of herbs in this is heavenly and I especially love the flavor that the sour cream gives it. Very unusual combination but extremely tasty!

Beef Stew

• 3 pounds boned venison or stewing beef

• ¼ cup flour

• 2 tsp. salt (optional)

• Lots of freshly ground black pepper

• 3 to 4 TBS. vegetable (or olive) oil

• 1 cup chopped onions

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1 TBS paprika

• 1 cup water (I put a beef bouillon cube in for extra flavor)

• 1 TBS tomato paste

• 1 ½ cups dry red wine

• 3 carrots peeled and sliced on the diagonal

• 2 potatoes peeled and chopped

• 1 small package frozen petit corn

• 1 small package frozen green beans

• 1 cup sour cream

Add salt and pepper to flour. Roll meat in the flour mixture to coat thoroughly. Brown meat and onion in the oil in a dutch oven pot. When the meat and onion are starting to brown add the garlic. If you add the garlic too soon it will burn easily so I always add it later just a couple of mins. before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Add paprika, water, wine and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for a couple of hours.

Then add carrots and potatoes. Simmer for about 15 mins. more, then add the frozen veggies and simmer for about 10 to 15 more mins.

Add the sour cream just about 5 or 10 mins. before serving. (This is an optional ingredient. It's really great with it added but if you'd rather leave it out the recipe will still be delicious)

The Tastiest Beef Or Venison Stew With Sour Cream

http://atastydish.com - Sally Cevasco
Great Free Recipes

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With the help of a crockpot, you can put in minimal effort to create a thrifty and delicious meal for the whole family. The best crockpot recipes are hardly recipes at all; simply throw in as little as two ingredients and let them cook away while you are at work or attending to other responsibilities. These five quick and easy ideas are the most popular crockpot entrees. With as few as two-or-three ingredients, these ideas are economical but the slow-cooked meals will still taste impressive.

Three Ingredient Crockpot Soup

Beef Stew

Some of the best crockpot recipes only have three ingredients! Soups are a great example of three ingredient crockpot recipes. Why buy canned tomato soup when you can make your own in the crockpot? Simply take a pound or two of fresh chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped onion and combine with a pint of chicken or vegetable stock. Simmer for 2-3 hours on low heat. Then puree with a hand blender or blend in batches. You can leave out the onion and/or add fresh chopped basil while cooking. If you like a creamy tomato soup, simply stir in some milk before serving. For more three ingredient crockpot recipes, give French Onion soup a try.

Whole Crockpot Chicken

Slow-cooking chicken in the crockpot with most crockpot chicken recipes has the added benefit of creating delicious, homemade chicken broth. Anyone who makes broth will tell you that store-bought broth just cannot compare to homemade. You can use the chicken for a number of crockpot chicken recipes, while freezing the broth in 1 cup batches for future use. To cook chicken and make broth, Cut a 3 ½ lb. chicken into pieces (including giblets) and cover with water in crockpot (about 4-5 cups). Add celery, garlic, onion, carrot, and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook on low overnight or for 10-12 hours. Skim fat off the top of the broth, remove chicken and separate broth into 1 cup batches.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is a classic dish for picnics and family dinners. With the help of the crockpot, you can make easily make a large amount of meat to serve on burger buns or rolls. For the easiest pulled pork crockpot recipe, simply combine two cups of your favorite BBQ sauce and 4 pounds of pork butt in your crockpot. Make sure meat is coated on all sides, cover and cook on high for 5 ½ hours. 

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

White chili, made with chicken instead of beef, is a delicious, healthy and economical dish to make in the crockpot. For the cheapest crockpot chili, use dry beans as they are perfectly suited to slow-simmering in the crockpot. Cover a pound of northern beans and chopped onion with chicken broth and simmer in the crockpot for 3 hours on low heat. Once soft, add chicken, chopped vegetables and herbs and simmer for another hour. 

Heart Crockpot Beef Stew

Heart crockpot beef stew is another easy way to feed the family with minimal effort and great taste. Simply cover a pound of stew beef and chopped vegetables (carrot, onion and potato) with beef broth (water and beef bouillon cubes) and cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can also add garlic and/or herbs such as bay leaves, thyme, or rosemary. Experiment with what works best for your favorite hearty crockpot beef stew.

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Cook With Your Crockpot

Caley Walsh is an editor for the recipe and cooking website, http://www.RecipeLion.com Find tens of thousands of free recipes, cooking tips, weekly meal planners and more. Reader favorites include Crockpot Recipes, Pork Chop recipes, Budget Friendly Recipes and Chicken Casserole Recipes.

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Cooking for two has now become easier with the mini 1 1/2 quart crockpot or crockette, as it is affectionately called. Now you can still cook the meals you love with your crockpot in smaller portions.

When you hear the word crockpot you immediately picture big families sitting down to meals of beef stew or chicken,now families of one or two can take advantage of cooking in a crockette and still enjoy slow cooking, just enough for a meal for 2.

Beef Stew

You can even use the mini crock pot to keep your sauces and dips warm.

The crockpot has always been a popular item in the kitchen, now that there are "mini crockpots" the crockpot has grown even more in kitchen use. The smaller crockpot is perfect for the single person, childless couple and the empty nesters allowing them to prepare a meal in the morning, head off to work and after a hard days work have a wonderful hot meal waiting for them. So popular are the mini crockpots that there are now even cookbooks specifically for the mini crockpot. Sometimes when you scale down a recipe it does not come out the same, these recipes are specifically for the mini crockpot.

When set on low for all-day simmering, the crockpot slowly tenderizes meat, turning even budget cuts into juicy meals. There are different sizes of mini crockpots ranging from one quart and up so you can use the size that's best for your needs. They also come in round or oval sizes with temperature setting low, medium, high and warm. The liners are removeable as with the larger versions and are easy to clean. Disposable liners are also available.

The slow cooker is ideal for smaller families and singles, after all even if you're dining alone or with your spouse, you still deserve a hearty healthy meal, don't you?

Coming home to a hot, hearty and healthy dinner will make it seem as though someone came to your home while you were out to work and cooked for you.

Mini Crockpots - Cooking For 2

Ann Cohen is a mom, wife, friend and caterer who love babies, "green", decorating and holiday's. Being able to entertain and decorate on a budget is important today and loves finding that "great deal." Get some more great information on mini crock pots and also browse her selection of how tos.

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