Beef Bourguignon

This recipe blew my mind! Both my husband and I kind of went crazy when we tasted this, it was so yummy and tasted like it was a lot more difficult to make than it was (which is always a plus). You can use stew beef or Venison (who regularly has venison? not us). Mr. chef and I LOVE LOVE LOVE steak and this was a really fun new recipe for using the frozen stew meat that we buy in bulk from Costco. Somehow, when we are there things like giant packages of meat always end up in our cart. MMM, why fight something that delicious?  We don't.

Anyway, make sure you give yourself enough time to prep it and then a few hours for cooking but the actual "hands-on" time was pretty simple.

MEAT MIXTURE:

1/2 to 1 lb. bacon, cut into strips 1/4 x 1 1/2 inch long
1 tbsp. olive oil
3-5 lbs. lean stewing beef or venison steak, cut in 2-inch cubes
2-3 sliced carrots
2 sm. onions, cut into ringlets
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. flour

Cook bacon until crispy, then add olive oil to saute bacon. Remove bacon. Saute beef or venison in "hot, smoking" oil. (Use dried beef and venison as it will brown nicer.) Remove meat. Saute carrot, onions in same fat. Add vegetables to beef mixture. Throw out remaining fat. Sprinkle meat mixture with flour and seasonings. Toss lightly in uncovered casserole dish in oven at 450 degrees for 4 minutes, mix. Return to oven for 4 minutes, mix again. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

WINE MIXTURE:

3 c. red wine (inexpensive)
2-3 c. beef stock or bouillon
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp. thyme
Bay leaf, crumbled
1 lg. onion, chopped and sauteed
1 lb. mushrooms, quartered and sauteed (when we made this last week we left off the mushrooms because I was too lazy to go to the store ad it was still yummy)

Prepare 1/2 cup wine with remaining ingredients, mix well. Pour over meat. Combine remaining wine with bouillon. Mix into meat mixture so that it is covered. Cook slowly at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until meat is tender.When ready to serve, saute mushrooms and onions. Distribute evenly over meat. Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice (we used egg noodles and they were great). Decorate with parsley.

DIVINE.

Parmesan Black Beans

I feel funny posting this recipe because the first step is, Open and drain one can of black beans. Enjoy this, it's a great little side dish.

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 grated Parmesan (or Romano, or mixture of both) Cheese
Salt

Heat beans in a small sauce pan, stirring frequently
Add cheese and salt.
stir until heated through and cheese is melted, enjoy.

Goes great with Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

I"M BACK!!! yay! This whole pregant thing has been killing me lately. Let's keep it simple and say, some of our dinners have been creative at best and NOT blog worthy! Ha ha don't be sorry you missed out. Food just hasn't sounded good ya know, my poor husband, who loves GOOD food almost as much as anything, has been a great sport though and I think i'm back in action. At least for today :)

Now, the latest love.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops with Parmesan Black Beans and Peaches. MMMMM!!!!!

This recipe was one of the easiest things i've ever made and was delicious. Best part, the whole house smelled like I was an insanely good cook, you should have seen the Mr's face when he walked in from work, a little smile and a sniff in the air. Pay off, right there. Make this. Tonight. and Tomorrow, and maybe the next day too....

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Pork Chops
Sour Cream (enough to coat chops, about 3/4 C)
Breadcrumbs to coat chops
a few shakes Basil, Rosemary and Thyme to add a little kick to the breadcrumbs, or just buy the Italian Flavored Breadcrumbs, that would be easier. 
3/4 C grated Romano/Parmesan Cheese. I mixed my cheeses and it was yummy but you could just do Parmesan if you wanted.
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Place cheese in one pie plate, sour cream in one pie plate, breadcrumbs and spices in one pie plate. 
Dry pork chops and season both sides, thoroughly, with salt and pepper. Dip in cheese, make sure both sides are well coated. Dip in sour cream, again make sure both sides are well covered, and finally dip in breadcrumbs, making sure both sides are well covered. If your breadcrumbs aren't sticking very well throw them in the fridge for a few minutes and that should help.

*to make this dish a little lower cal substitute eggs (2) for the sour cream. I didn't have any eggs (I know who doesn't have eggs, we are in need of a grocery run in a BAD way) so I used sour cream and it helped keep the pork chops super tender. You choose. 

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and cook Pork Chops through, about 6 minutes on each side.

(*If you are opposed to eating pork I think this recipe would make some amazing chicken too)

Done.
Can you say EASY!!!!!!!!
Enjoy this recipe, we loved it, let me know what you thought!

Pork Chops Agrodolce

THESE. ARE. INCREDIBLE.

Pork Chops tend to be our go-to meal so we've had them lots of different ways. This, hands-down, is my all-time favorite pork chop recipe. It's been about 2 weeks and my husband still brings it up. This sauce was perfectly sweet yet so savory, the chops were so tender and the taste was incredible. I think the best part though was that they are easy, fast and really don't use anything weird so no need for a special plan ahead trip to the store, everything is usually in my pantry. 

This entry comes from The Cilantropist.

THANK YOU TO HER! loving her blog and recipes! This one has been my favorite!

{Recipe}
4 bone in pork chops, each about 3/4 in thick (to use chops that are 1 in thick, refer to the original recipe) I used boneless and these were still delicious. Just watch as you cook them.
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1 tbsp olive oil

For sauce:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1-2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth
1-2 tbsp unsalted butter

For serving: Chopped onions and peppers, sauteed in olive oil with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and seasoned to taste with salt and pepper 

To prepare pork chops, first season them with salt and pepper.  Then heat the olive oil in a large fry pan or skillet over medium high heat.  Add the pork chops and cook, turning once, for about 2 minutes per side, then transfer them to plate.

To make the sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and minced thyme to the same pan used for browning the pork chops. Cook the liquid until it is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chicken broth, and then increase the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the pork chops to the pan, cover and cook for about 2-3 minutes.  Then, uncover, turn the pork chops, and cook for 4-5 minutes more, basting with the sauce once. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.  

To finish the sauce, reduce the heat to high, and simmer for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is thick and syrupy.  Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter until it is smooth.  Drizzle the sauce over the pork chops and serve immediately with sauteed peppers and onions, or your favorite vegetables or salad and some Garlic Parmesan pull-apart bread. 

Garlic Parmesan Pull-apart bread

THIS WAS TO-DIE-FOR!!!!!

Any bread is my weakness but this stuff was amazing! The best part was how easy it was. Honestly besides rising it was maybe 10 minutes total. It stayed moist, tender, warm and it can be different every time which is soo much fun! I made my balls bigger than the recipe called for and they were great. (I did it because I was in a hurry and didn't have time to do loads of little balls, either way works). 
My one yr. old ate almost as many of these things as I did and they were just as tasty the next day with left-over soup!

I served this with Pork Chops Agrodolce and a Ceasar Salad and it was one of our favorite meals we have ever had! The pork chops are coming soon and are worth EVERY BITE!!!!!


I originally found this recipe on pinterest (my latest obsession) but through it was led to the cutest blog, The Pastry Affair. It is darling and the author has some GREAT ideas! Here is the link, thanks pastry affair!

Yields 1 loaf

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/3 cups barely warm water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose (or bread) flour
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour. If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, or until elastic. If you are doing this by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, 7-10 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size. (I was in a bit of a hurry as I made this and didn't let it rise for as long as it should have and they turned out great. I would still recommend letting it double but it is not super finicky dough)
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parsley flakes, and minced garlic. Set aside.
Punch down the dough. Tear off small pieces of dough (roughly the size of the bowl of a medium spoon), coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers. Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Serve hot with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.
 

You can do your balls any size, as you can see mine are on the big side, like golf balls, remember they rise a lot!

My bread fell apart as soon as I tipped it upside down out of the bundt cake pan, but I was totally fine with that because it made for a darling bread basket instead a cake platter.

Try these, love these and let me know your thoughts!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

So, i'm a little torn about posting this recipe. Was it really tasty, absolutely. Actually, in my opinion, it was better 2 days later as leftovers. The flavors had really combined and settled. HOWEVER, I think that I maybe burned my milk or the carrots had too much water in them or something because my texture was way grainy and I couldn't figure it out. The blogger i borrowed this recipe from used velveeta instead of Colby Jack but I don't actually count Velveeta as real food, therefore, I used Colby Jack. Could that have been the problem? Who knows. Like I said, the taste was amazing. The texture left something to be desired. What are your thoughts? 

Here is the original blog. http://www.mangiodasola.com She has some great ideas!

I borrowed her picture, isn't it pretty? I think I put in WAY too many carrots too because mine was almost orange, hers looks so yummy!

Good Luck, I definitely recommend it but hopefully your texture beats mine. I'll have to make this again and see if I can help it improve at all. 

{Recipe}

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, shredded and chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces grated Colby jack cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Hot Sauce (optional)

Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat. Remove the onions or leave the onions in there if you prefer to skip a step, i don't think it makes a difference and add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add in the half and half, milk, and chicken stock. SLOWLY Bring to almost a boil.

Add the onions back in(if you took them out), along with the broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Season the soup with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Stir in the cheeses (and you can play around with the amounts; use however much or little you like) and let simmer for 10 minutes longer before serving.

Crockpot Teryaki Chicken

Mmm! this was so easy, so fast (besides cooking time but that hardly counts) and so yummy! This is definitely going on the repeat list!

From this blog originally: http://lakelurecottagekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/crock-pot-teriyaki-chicken.html

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice

Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.  Skim fat from cooking liquid.  Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickened. (this step took several minutes longer than i was expecting, if yours takes a while, be patient)
Serve with chicken and rice.

Note:  I halved the recipe and it still worked fine in my crock pot.  It definitely does not need the full 4 hours time but it was fall apart tender and moist so 4 hours was not a bad thing, just not necessary.