EZ Beef Stew version 2.5

Family vacation in Lincoln City
(this guy was Rick's stand-in)

 The new and improved version. My brother likes the meat more than the vegetables (naturally!) so I increased the beef and slightly decreased the potatoes. To pump up the flavor even more, I also added some Campbell's French Onion Soup and some minced garlic.

2-1/2 pounds beef, cubed

(I used boneless beef strips--believe they're from what is known as the "rump roast" section, but I've also had good luck with cross rib roast)

2 - 3 Tbs oil

2 onions, chopped (I usually use Maui or Vidalia)

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 Parsnips, peeled and chopped into about 3/4-inch pieces

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into about 3/4-inch pieces

   (or you can substitute a similar amount of the ready-to-eat “baby” carrots)

1-1/2 to 2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into about 3/4-inch pieces

one 14-1/2 oz can petite-diced tomatoes

about 20 oz beef broth (about 1-1/2 cans)

about 3/4 of one can French Onion Soup

3 or 4 Tbs red wine (optional)

2 or 3 minced garlic cloves

3 to 4 Tbs Minute Tapioca

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend (or you can use a little Oregano & Thyme)

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325° F. Peel and chop the vegetables; reserve a little less than half of the onions. Place the remaining vegetables and onions in a large bowl and mix. Cube the beef. Heat oil in large dutch oven and brown in oil in batches. Remove to separate bowl. Place reserved onions in bottom of dutch oven, top with beef, then cover with the remaining chopped vegetables and onions.

Combine the tomatoes, broth, onion soup, garlic, tapioca, sugar, spices and herbs and pour over the vegetables and beef. Mix it just slightly (mainly the top vegetable part). Cover and cook for 3-1/4 hours—do NOT peek!

Sherrie's Meatloaf

Rick's first birthday
(he's slightly less messy these days!)

My brother Rick loves this meatloaf--this is the recipe we used to "inaugurate" his new stove.


8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice 

(I use S&W petite cut with roasted onion & garlic)

1 egg

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup uncooked oats

1/2 cup minced onion

1 pound ground beef (I usually use 80%/20%)

Topping:

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with plastic wrap. Sauté the onions slightly to eliminate the "raw" flavor. While they are cooking mix the tomatoes, egg, salt, pepper and onions into a "slurry" in a large bowl. Stir in the onions. Gently mix in the ground beef, using your hands. Press (don't pack!) the mixture into the loaf pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour—this lets the oats absorb the liquid.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a small pan (such as a broiler pan) with foil and invert the meatloaf onto it. Mix topping ingredients together and spread over meatloaf.  Bake about 55 to 60 minutes.

NOTES: I normally buy the beef they grind "in-store" because the meat in the "tubes" seems a little too compacted for me, plus I like to see what I'm getting. I also sometimes buy a little more than one pound (more beef!). Since the canned tomatoes are in a 15-oz can, if I make two meatloaves I usually just use the one can and add a spoonful or so of salsa to bring it up to 16 oz. If I only make one loaf I sometimes cook the remaining tomatoes with a little brown sugar and vinegar and make a sauce to serve on the side.

Blue Deviled Eggs

Friends Chuck and Merry
(no, those aren't eggs--different party!)

By definition "blue deviled" is an archaic term meaning sad and dreary, but these eggs are anything but! My friends Chuck and Merry introduced me to these, and now I'm hooked. There are other recipes online that call for using blue cheese and mayonnaise, and if you've got some blue cheese on hand, by all means add some, but my version uses a good-quality refrigerated blue cheese salad dressing (such as Lighthouse). My friends' version included salad shrimp and also water chestnuts for  a little "crunch," but I've listed these as optional ingredients, since not everyone likes (or can eat) shellfish, and some people may feel the same way about water chestnuts.

Blue Deviled Eggs

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2 or 3 green onions, finely sliced
About 1/2 cup Blue Cheese dressing
1 tsp Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard (adds a little "kick," but can be omitted)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
optional: Crumbled Blue Cheese
optional: cooked Salad Shrimp, finely chopped

optional: About 4 or 5 canned Water Chestnuts, finely minced OR a little finely minced Jicama (which is what my friends add when they are in Mexico)

Place egg yolks in medium bowl and mash with a fork. Add green onions, Blue Cheese dressing, seasonings and other optional ingredients as desired. Spoon or pipe mixture into egg white halves and refrigerate until serving. Can garnish each half with a little piece of green onion and/or a shrimp (which is probably a good idea if you're including them, as it lets people with shellfish allergies know what is in them).

Gluten Free Beefy Dog Biscuits

Cousin Becky with Baxter & Sophie
at Gleneden Beach, August 2013

Since I've learned that some dogs are sensitive to gluten, I've changed some of the ingredients in the recipe I posted last year to make this gluten-free version. Any dog will love this version!

Gluten free 
Beefy Dog Biscuits

1 cup ground beef

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 cups rice flour

2 cup cornmeal

1 cup oat bran

1 tsp salt

Using the paddle blade of a stand mixer stir the ground beef, broth, vegetable oil and eggs together on a low setting until well mixed. Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl then mix them into the wet ingredients. Pat or roll the mixture out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut to biscuit size. Bake on foil-lined cookie sheets at 350 F for 25 to 35 minutes until solid and slightly crispy. When cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes: You can usually purchase smaller amounts of rice flour, cornmeal and oat bran in the bulk foods section of the grocery. 

I’ve found it easiest to just pat the “dough” out on a piece of waxed butcher paper or another cookie sheet, then use cookie cutters near the edges of the dough and just slide it away from the rest of the dough (peel any excess from around the biscuits after cutting). Transfer the biscuits to the cookie sheets and re-pat the dough to cut more.

This recipe is easiest using a large “stand” mixer, but can be mixed by hand using a large wooden spoon and plenty of “elbow grease.”