Homemade Beef Stew and dumplings

What do you think of when you hear Beef Stew? Do you get that warm sensation in your belly? Do you picture memories of eating your mom or grandmas? How about sitting on the couch cozied in a blanket on a rainy, cold day with a bowl of warm beef stew!  I believe this was my mothers thought today when she asked if I could make it for dinner! Because indeed it is a rainy, dreary, cold day and what better way to warm yourself up than with a bowl of yummy beef stew!!!  When it comes to cooking, my mother is one of my biggest fans and one of my biggest critics! She tells me how it is, with no beating around the bush!! Why? Because she is a fabulous cook herself!

Moms beef stew was one of my favorite meals growing up. Everyone loved it! Well now, she has told me herself that THIS RECIPE is the best beef stew and dumplings she has EVER tasted!!! For me….that is a HUGE compliment!!!  So here is my version of beef stew and dumplings! Enjoy!!! 🙂

 

Beef Stew and Dumplings:

 

1 pkg stew beef (cubed)

1 small pkg baby carrots

6 medium russett potatoes peeled and cubed

1 medium onion diced

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons parsley

1 pkg beef stew seasoning mix

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 bay leaves

pinch red pepper flakes

good pinch salt n pepper

1/2 cup red wine

4 cups beef broth

3 cups water

biquick

milk

 

Cut your stew beef pieces in half and place in large pot on medium high heat with olive oil, salt n pepper and all herbs and spices til browned. Add red wine and cook for 3 minutes, then add flour and beef stew mix.  Stir and let cook for 2 minutes, just long enough to cook out the flour taste.  Add beef broth and water mixing well, then add vegetables. Bring to boil. Once boiling take your bisquick, the dumpling recipe is on the side panel.  Continue cooking according to dumpling directions. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!!!

 

 

Herb chicken and gravy over rice

For all you chicken lovers, this is a must have!! There is nothing like chicken with gravy over rice! But its not your regular gravy! Oh you wait til you dip your chicken and rice in this gravy! The flavors just burst in your mouth and you cant get enough.  As summer quick approaches, I am trying my best to get in as many (heavy as I call them) meals and all of these chilly rainy days are perfect for them!  So try it out!!

 

Herb Chicken and gravy over rice:

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon basil leaves

3 garlic cloves minced

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 bay leaves

pinch of salt n pepper

 

Rice:

3 cups minute rice

3 cups water

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and place in bowl. Add olive oil, paprika, salt n pepper, onion powder, parsley, basil leaves, and minced garlic to bowl and mix. Place chciken breasts in pan on preheated medium/high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, turn and add wine, continue  cooking an additional 3-5 minutes. Mix chicken broth with can of cream of chicken soup and microwave  for 1 minute. Place chicken in 9×13 pan, pour cream of chicken soup over top and put in oven. Cook for an additional 20 minutes. Ten minutes before chicken is ready, cook the rice. Directions are on rice box. Serve and enjoy!! 🙂

Serves 6

White Lasagna

Okay for everyone that has been waiting for this recipe, here it finally is!! Been off here for a few days. Rain stopped, so took advantage of the beautiful weather and did yard work!!   But while I was gone I made a wonderful chicken dinner and also a superb beef stew! Those recipes I will be sharing with you all as well . Beef stew was what I made for dinner tonight as the rain has crept back on us…blah!  This year instead of April showers brings May flowers, its more like May showers bring June flowers haha!  Any who, lets get back to the recipe for white lasagna!  Here it is, and I hope you all enjoy it and it becomes a family favorite in your house too!!

White Lasagna:

Alfredo Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves minced

2 cups heavy cream

good pinch salt n pepper

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 mozzerella cheese

Cheese Filling:

small tub ricotta cheese

small tub cottage cheese

bag of shredded mozzerella cheese

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 egg

Prince lasagna oven ready noodles

1 pound turkey burger

1 small onion diced

1tablespoon parsley flakes

1 tablespoon garlic powder

good pinch salt n pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

For alfredo sauce, on medium/low heat combine butter and olive oil in pan til butter is melted. Add garlic, salt, pepper,  heavy cream and let simmer. Stir frequently.  Once simmering, add parmesan cheese and cook 10 minutes. Add mozerella cheese stirring nonstop until melted.

In seperate pan brown turkey burger with onion, garlic powder, salt n pepper and parsley flakes . Drain and add to alfredo sauce.  In a bowl mix together all the cheeses with one egg., but leave enough shredded cheese to sprinkle all over the top. Also, adding the egg will hold the cheeses together better.

In 9×13 pan place a ladle full of sauce, layer lasagna noodles, then cheese mixture, then sauce. Continue layering four layers, sprinkle shredded cheese on top.  Cover with tin foil and put in oven for 30 minutes, remove foil and cook an addition 10 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!!!

Pan fried pork chops with smashed tomatoes

Happy Friday everyone!! Any plans over the weekend? I know my weekend is full!!  My sisters wedding is fast approaching and so we have lots to do! We also will be attending a friends sons birthday party, then enjoying some nice, relaxing  time with great friends!  Last night I didnt cook…we ordered out..Chinese!  I love chinese food!!!  However, I do have a few recipes to post!

One of them being the white lasagna friends of mine have talked about in other posts!  This is a fan fav for sure!!! But the first one I am going to post is another wonderful pork dish! A favorite since I was a child my mom would make, with a twist of my own! 🙂 Whether you make it with a starch, vegetabes or both,  it all flows together beautifully. I love to have it with a side of rice myself.  A good tip though!!….when you are smashing the tomatoes, be sure to do it lightly, so you dont splatter the juice all over you! Or that could be a note to self….seeing so I did it to myself, due to being a huge mess maker in the kitchen! Anywho!  Here is the next recipe!

Pan fried pork chops with smashed tomatoes

1 large can whole tomatoes

4 thin boneless pork chops

1/3 cup beef stock

1/3 cup dry red wine

1 tablespoon onion powder

4 cloves garlic minced

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon parsey

1/4 teaspoon basil

good pinch salt n pepper

Get pan hot on medium high heat with olive oil. While pan is heating, season chops with parsley, basil, onion powder, salt n pepper. Put chops in pan, add bay leaves and fry. Turn after 5 minutes and fry other side for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add wine and cook an addition 2-3 minute to burn off alcohol before adding tomatoes. Once you add the tomatoes, grab potato smasher and smash down the tomatoes lightly. Cook  another 3-4 minutes. Where they are thin chops, it only takes roughly 15 minutes to cook. Serve with your choice of side and Enjoy! 🙂      Serves: 4

Last nights Chicken

Happy Mayday!!!

Last night was a “hmmm…what do I have in the freezer to make kinda night.”  Didnt have anything planned, and completely spaced taking anything out to thaw. Was feeling pretty icky all day, so was looking for something quick and that didnt require a lot of standing! So…there was chicken in the freezer. PERFECT!!…I can bake it. A quick rice on the stove and a vegetable that didnt require a lot of my attention, because yesterday it werent getting any. I am sure you have all had those kind of days. But today is a new day, and I have food taken out for tonights dinner. That recipe will be coming soon!!!

But when you are feeling icky, here is a quick meal that doesnt require a lot of thought or movement, but at the same time gets your families taste buds going and they think you have worked on it for hours, due to it being so juicy and moist and very tasty! Mission accomplished!!

Garlic and Herb Chicken with Uncle Bens long grained rice

3 boneless chicken breasted halved

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 tablespoon onion powder

i teaspoon parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

good pinches of salt n pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put chicken in bowl with all ingredients, mix well. Place chicken on ungreased baking pan, and pour remaining mixture over the top. Put in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Oven may vary.  Ten minutes before chicken is done, start your rice. Follow directions on box. When chicken is done, strain fat from that juice the chicken has been cooking in this whole time. Use it. It has THE best flavor and it serves the purpose as a gravy, minus all the fat from the butter and flour! Serve and Enjoy!!

Oven Baked Mayo Crumb Pork Chops and Chicken herb rice

Oh my gosh dinner came out great!! Definitely going to be making it more often!! The kids loved it too! The pork chops were a beautiful golden color and tender and juicy!! Super excited to share this recipe with you all and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!! Your feedback is important, so once you make it I would love to hear what you thought!!  It tastes like its fried, without all the fat! So its delicious and healthy! Ok…on to the recipe! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

4 thick cut boneless pork chops

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup panko japanese style bread crumbs

1/2 cup mayo

1  teaspoon cayenne

1  teaspoon garlic powder

1  teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon seasooning salt

Rice:

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups minute rice

1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9×13 pan with pam. Cut pork chops in half to make them thinner.  Put flour in one bowl, the bread crumbs in another bowl and then mayo with all the spices mixed well in a third bowl.  Put pork chops in flour, transfer to mayo and dont be afraid to rub it in, then transfer to breadcrumbs. Continue to do that with every pork chop and arrange in pan. Put in oven for 20-25 minutes. Oven may vary.

Ten minutes into the baking, boil your chicken stock with parsley and garlic powder, take off heat and add rice. Stir and cover five minutes.  Serve and Enjoy!!

Makes 4 Servings

A quick hello :)

Phew…..dont you hate those days when you feel like there isnt enough time for everything!! Well these past two days have felt like just that! So last night it was a quick ham on the grill with potatoes and a vegetable. Nothing fancy, and it was done in ten minutes. Love it when that happens!  Tonight on the other hand I had a little more time on my hands before heading off to Alexis’ Spring Concert. The recipe that I will be sharing with you all later this evening is Oven Fried Mayo Crumb Pork Chops, with Chicken and herb rice and corn. Oh I cant wait to eat…it is baking right now!! Only ten minutes left and it smells fabulous in here!!  And it took only ten minutes to prep!  Almost all of my recipes are done pretty quick, which is always great for everyone!

But as I said above, there are only ten minutes left until dinner is done. So I am going to scoot off here and set the table.  I shall return with this fabulous recipe!

Portuguese Spaghetti

So here it is! My very first recipe!  Its funny how deciding to do a blog changes things….it has brought new challenges for myself in cooking and making these recipes just right for everyone to try.  I have been making them for years, but now its different. I am sharing it with all of you!!

This recipe has a very special place in my heart. It was the very first recipe that my husband showed me. His own spin on Portguese Spaghetti.  At that time I had never heard of Chourico, Portuguese Sausage. Oh boy am I glad I do now!! One of my favorite sausages out there! It took me a few try’s to get it just right, but I did it and it is a favorite amongst family and friends. I hope that your family and friends enjoy it as much as mine does!

So from me to you…here is our twist on Portuguese Spaghetti!! Enjoy and I am excited to get all your feedback!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion diced

4 garlic cloves minced

1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

a dash of paprika

2 bayleaves

1 pkg Chourico ( Hot Portuguese Sausage)

1 eight ounce can Hunts tomato sauce

2 and 1/4 cups milk

6 slices of american cheese (white or yellow)

1 lb spaghetti

salt n pepper to taste

First, get your water boiling in your pan for spaghetti, when that comes to a boil, add salt and put in your spaghetti and let cook, stirring occasionally.  While pasta is cooking get another pan heated on medium high heat with olive oil. Add onions and cook until slightly caramelized.  Add sliced chourico, bay leaves, parsley, minced garlic, and paprika, cook for 7-10 minutes (stove may vary). Then add the tomato sauce and cook another 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk until mixed thoroughly and cook to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium and add cheese.  At this point the pasta should be done. Drain and rinse pasta with hot water, add your sauce and voila there ya have it!!! Your very own portuguese spaghetti!!!  Enjoy!!! 🙂 🙂

The decision has been made!

Good Morning,

Day two of my blog, and the recipes will begin tonight!

Last night when I finished my first post I was so proud of myself! I had so many things going through my mind. I discussed different recipes that I would put up here for all of you with Nani. There are so many to choose from, I werent sure which recipe to start off with.  Well, after going to bed at 10 and not being able to turn my brain off  until after 1, I do believe I have made a decision!!  I decided that since this is my first blog, I should give  you the first recipe that made me excited about food and cooking!!  So tonight I will be sharing my very first recipe!! Stay tuned, I shall return!!

 

Hello world!

I have been contemplating whether or not I should start a blog. All sorts of things run through my mind. Am I going to be able to do this….are people going to read it…can I be a blogger. Well, I read that if you are going to start a blog…just do it!! So here I am….just doing it!
My name is Katrina, I am a 33 year old wife and mother of two children. Lance who is 14 and Alexis who is 12. We reside in the state of Maine. I am a stay at home mom and LOVE anything to do with food!! I have not always been one to say that. When I was a teenager, my mother would try and have me cook different things, or just watch her to learn, but I never had any desire. I couldnt even cook rice! I never even liked cooking until I met my husband, Nani, a portugues food lover! He shed a whole new light on the food world and made it fun and enjoyable, rather than being a chore! And nine years later…here I am, starting a food blog!! Who would have thought, definitely not me!!! Now food is a whole new world for me!
I then started watching Rachael Ray and fell in love with her personality and all the fun that she has in the kitchen. She inspired me. She never went to cooking school and just went with it and look where she is now!! I would cook her recipes and I would find myself talking as I was putting the ingredients in the bowl and just really enjoying myself. Then I became hooked to the Food Network channel, and still am!! But of course, who is my favorite, Mr. Gordan Ramsey!!! I just LOVE him!!!!!
For the past couple of years I have really gotten into cooking. I am constantly changing things up and making them my own and discovering my own flow and who I am in the kitchen. My family and friends give me the biggest compliments and also when its not the best….they tell me!! Which is GREAT! I dont want them to say its good if its dry, or overcooked, or not cooked enough!! I, as I am sure everyone else, am my biggest critic!! But now I am ready to share my journey of food with all of you. Food and Cooking is my passion and I hope with reading my blog, trying and liking my recipes you will get the same joy out of it as I do, and it will no longer be a chore!!!
So welcome!! And lets get started!!!!!! Enjoy!!