Yummy!

I haven't forgot about my NYR. I just needed to make a slight adjustment. I suspect I will only be able to handle one to two new recipes a month. We were gone and then we were hit with nasty colds (ear infection for Evan) but last week in the midst of feeling horrible I was able to make this tasty recipe my friend Courtney supplied me. It is easy as pie and so good.

Chicken Cacciatore with Cremini Mushrooms (Crock Pot Recipe)

1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces, skin removed (except wings)
8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled plum tomatoes in juice, drained, broken up
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup of dry white wine as Sauvignon Blanc
1 celery stalk thinly sliced
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 sprig of rosemary or 1/2 tsp of dried rosemary, crumbled
Coarse salt and pepper

1. In a 5-quart slow cooker stir together chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, flour, wine, celery, onion, rosemary, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
2. Cover; cook on high setting until meat is tender, 4 hours. Do not lift lid of slow cooker while cooking. To serve, discard rosemary sprig.

I didn't take a picture because I was starving when it was finished and was feeling pretty bad. It was very good and my husband gave it a 4.5 out of 5! They suggest serving it with brown rice (which I did and it was good).

Make this one! It is super easy and very tasty! Thanks Courtney!


Hope to make a new recipe next week when Glenn is home.

Cookin' #3: Beef Burgundy in Slow Cooker

Well I don't feel the picture does this rich dish justice. I know the two days I worked on it don't clearly show the labor behind it. Had I known the number of steps pre-slow cooker and the step post pre-cooker I may have not attempted this dish.

This dish was courtesy of Cooks Illustrated Magazine Soups & Stews Winter 2009. My first introduction to Cooks was with my SIL. She is a subscriber and a great cook! This magazine is for those I consider real cooks. I DO NOT fall into this category although I one day hope to. I do enjoy reading it and find helpful hints and they taste test a lot of products to give you what they think is the best in any one category. This issue they discussed Chicken Broth. Anyway, back to the cookin'.

I will not reprint this recipe due to copy write infringement (the law in all). It is a good recipe but for me, a bit time consuming. It required to fry up some bacon, brown some meat, brown up some carrots and onions, put some wine in the bottom of fry pan and scrap the bits.... and that was just yesterday. Today was the slow cooker day (9 HOURS), and I still had to cook some pearl onions, glaze them and the mushrooms, add them to the pot along with the bacon, fresh chopped parsley & a cup of red wine that I had to reduce down in a frying pan before adding.... you get my drift. If I were to make it again I would make it for a dinner party (which I never have) so more adults could enjoy it. Plus from what I read, it may not keep as well because of the alcohol in it. Yup learned a tip after I was mid-way making it that may have stopped me in my tracks from doing this one. Anyway, it was good and although it may not supply us with the same great tasting leftovers I don't think Glenn or my palate is that sophisticated to know the difference (well maybe a little). Anyway I will leave you with a recipe of mine, well my mom's, actually her Great Aunt's (which would be my great great Aunt...).

It's for homemade spaghetti sauce with meatballs. This takes a bit of time to put together but it is sooooo good and it makes plenty to have 4 meals out of it (or maybe 3).

CAROL'S HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

1 medium to large onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 to 4 cloves of garlic minced (I usually use 4 to 5… I like it spicy)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp oregano
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes – prior to adding to sauce put in blender on puree
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 heaping Tbsp granulated sugar

In 3 quart sauce pan pour oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper & oregano. Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Then add tomato sauce, tomato puree, tomato paste. Then add blended crushed tomatoes through sieve (this gets out all the seeds). Take empty tomato paste can and fill with water and add to pot (I usually don’t fill it to the brim…I like my sauce with some consistency). Cook 3.5 to 4 hours on low heat. Check sauce half way through cooking. If needed, add 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar (I always add it otherwise it’s too bitter)

Meatballs
1 lb of ground round beef (chuck if you want soft meatballs)
1 piece of fresh bread blended until crumbs
1 large egg
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried parsley

Combine all ingredients. Roll into 1 inch diameter ball and add to sauce for last hour of cooking.

If you wish to add Italian sausage to sauce: Brown Italian sausage (I use 2 sweet and 2 hot) in a separate pan. After browning cut Italian sausage links into 2 inch pieces and add to pot after adding all tomato products. Keep sausages in sauce the entire duration of the sauce cooking.

Helpful tip: The sauce ALWAYS tastes better the 2nd time around (after it has been in the fridge). I typically make it in the afternoon and then let it cool before I put it in containers to freeze or place in the fridge. I usually don’t eat it the first night but I have but it’s so much better if you wait. Just reheat on the stove. Can take about 15 – 20 minutes so the meatballs and sausage can heat all the way through.

Cookin' Update

I've received several recipes thus far and I am appreciative of all of them but I must admit there seems to be a common theme. Here's the list of what I got:

Meaty Cheese Manicotti
Baked Mac-N-Cheese
Chicken Noodle Tettrazzini
Califlower Mac-N-Cheese
Lasagna
Barzi Tuno - Tuna/Pasta
Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas
Fiesta Burrito Bake
Taco Bake (which I cannot find but I know I have it somewhere)
Easy Chicken Santa Fe
Baked Pork Chop Casserole
Baked Chicken w/French's Onions
Chicken Pot Pie
Garden Harvest Stuffed Peppers
Turkey Meatloaf
Pizza Rolls
Pumpkin Soup

Do you see it??? Yup we love our pastas & our American-Mexican. I say American Mexican because looking at these recipes, I don't think their authentic (not that I am an expert in this department). Anyway, they all look yummy and I am excited to try some. I did actually do a new recipe this week that my friend, Jeanne gave me. It was from Cooking Light and it was a Raspberry Balsamic Chicken. Now, I had great plans to post it and take pictures but I messed it up a bit. The chicken breasts I use were much larger than what the recipe called for (tisk, tisk, must follow them better) so the chicken wasn't cooked properly which in turn made the sauce a bit overcooked too. My husband & I did see the potential, however our daughter didn't like the sauce. I may revisit this recipe at a later date. So far I've been staying true to doing a new recipe a week. My hope is to try the Turkey Meatloaf this coming week (probably Thursday). I will let you know how it goes!

Did you think I forgot...

UPDATE 1/6/09
Getting several recipes put together. You folks like your pasta & enchiladas! I am excited to start trying them. My hope is to either post them on this blog or a new blog specific to food. Thanks, and if you haven't sent one to me get on it!



I know, I know... you two readers out there are just dying to know what my New Year Resolution will be so here goes:
I vow to cook 1 meal a week that I've never have made! That's my personal resolution and I NEED your help. I am going to be harassing all of you for recipes. I am hoping I can get a recipe from all my friends/family to try throughout the new year. Now I have tons of cookbooks, and I plan to use them too. Plus I go scouring the web for recipes too. I actually enjoy cooking but I tend to go through spurts. This year I am going to try my best to be more consistent.
So far I have made my resolution stick. Last night I made Stromboli. It is a recipe I found through a friend of a friend's blog. My friend Alisa, is connected to a blog called A Simpler Life and I was checking it out a few days ago and saw this recipe. She had previously posted pictures of her Stromboli in this post and it looked so yummy I just had to try it! It was simple and tasty and something Ryleigh could help with making which always leads to some family fun!
Now the fun part, I am asking you my fellow readers to send me a recipe of your favorite meal even if your a friend, of a friend, of a friend... if you have ever checked in on me please send me your recipe. You can email it to me at mbecorby@yahoo.com!
Happy cooking!