Tag: dairy free

The Best Beef Stew

My kids Aunt Pam is a great cook and you will see a lot of her recipes here. I wish I had her talent. She is very brave and will try anything.  I am not so brave, but I will gladly copy her tried and true recipes and allow her to have all the glory.

The people who give your their food give you their heart – Cesar Chavez

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  • 5 lbs. sirloin tips (sometimes I use leftover roast beef cut into chunks and it is great)
  • 1 10z. package white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon flour (or corn starch to make it gluten free)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 large can tomato sauce (i.e. Hunt’s)
  • 1 large turnip (I prefer 1 small)
  • 5 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 6 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced

In large, heavy pot, brown sirloin tips, add mushrooms and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add flour (or corn startch) and mix well. Pour water over the beef mixture.  Add the can of tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and turnips.  If you are gluten free, leave out the flour and add a little cornstarch instead. Add more water and salt and pepper to taste.  I like to simmer for a few hours.

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YOU DEFINITELY NEED SOME BREAD TO GO WITH THIS STEW!

 

Allergens: Carrots, Gluten (unless switch flour for corn starch)

Perfect Roast Chicken

I spoke before of the fact that you need to learn how to cook three things in order to survive….one good breakfast, one good lunch and one good dinner.  Well this is the dinner. Roast Chicken is something I can make and be confident of.  Everyone is always so impressed and it is really quite easy.  Plus you can also make a great chicken soup after, which I will show you later. Here is a simple version for you to try….

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces. Just good food from fresh ingredients – Julia Child

Ingredients:

  • Roaster Chicken 7-8 lbs.
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • Softened butter
  • Lemon

Preheat the over to 375 degrees F. Remover the giblets (I have to admit, I did leave these in one time and the whole meal was ruined. I believe more people have done it than they care to admit). Rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat dry with a paper towel. Put the chicken in a heavy duty roaster pan on a rack.

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Salt and pepper the chicken well, inside and out. Loosen the skin on the breasts and insert some lemon slices under it.

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Add the remaining lemon (cut up) into the cavity.  Rub the softened butter all over the chicken (Messy, but worth it!). Add some water to the bottom of the pan, (this helps with broth for soup later on).


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Cook for approximately 2 hours until juices run clear when the leg is cut or pulled on. (Internal temperature should be app. 165 degrees at breast and 175 degrees at thigh).

I usually shoot for 170 degrees at the breast, but that is my preference.   Let the chicken sit for a bit before cutting into it. Everyone in my family loves this and that is very hard to do with five picky eaters. Serve with rice or potatoes and some seasonal vegetables. Great for leftovers also
roast chicken

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned Beef and Cabbage is that once a year meal I think I don’t like and then I make it and it’s great! I think the problem is, it’s not the prettiest meal to make. But it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in this Irish House without it.

 

May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows your dead – Irish Blessing

 

Ingredients: 

  • Corned Beef- 3-4 lbs in Brine with spices included
  • 4 potatoes, quartered
  • 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • One large onion
  • 1 medium size green cabbage
  • Mustard (optional)

Put the corned beef in a large heavy pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain off the water and cover it again with cold water. My friend Kristen gave me this tip and I don’t know what I did before. It takes a lot of the salt out. Add the seasoning packet. Bring to a boil again and then lower temperature and simmer for about 2 hours.

Add potatoes, carrots and onions. Bring to a boil again, then lower to simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add the cabbage and cook for about another 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve warm. Enjoy!

Just remember….everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

Additions: Mustard for Corned Beef

Allergens: Gluten Free, Nut free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Peanut Free, Soy free

Coq Au Vin

Growing up, this meal was one of my favorites. My dad, who discovered cooking in his 40’s enjoyed making this one. He got so much pleasure out of presenting such an impressive meal.  He never disappointed. It takes some time to make, but it is not hard to do, so I will give it a shot for my first official Sunday Dinner in a while. We will set the dining room table, pour some wine and have a traditional Sunday Dinner for this one.

The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. – Julia Child

  • 1/4 lb. butter
  • 12 tiny pearl onions
  • 1/4 lb. bacon strips cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 lbs. cut up chicken with bone (My kids like boneless, so I use a mixture of chicken thighs, boneless breast and breast with the bone)
  • 1/2 lb. white mushrooms – sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 1/2 cup flour (You can substitute corn starch to make gluten free)
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup of brandy
  • 1 1/2 cups of red wine (a burgundy works best)
  • 1/4 tsp. Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and Pepper to taste.

Heat 4 tbsp. butter in heavy, pan (I use a french dutch oven). Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove from pan.

Add onions and cook until lightly browned. Remove and put aside.

Add the chicken to the pan drippings and cook until well-browned on all sides. Now set the chicken aside.

Add mushrooms and garlic to pan, cook until mushrooms are wilted. Remove from pan.

Add remaining butter to pan drippings. Remove from heat and gradually stir in flour until golden brown. Slowly add chicken stock, stirring constantly until well blended.

Return to heat, stir until sauce thickens. Add brandy, red wine, thyme, herbs and bay leaf.

Add chicken and veggies (If needed, transfer to a deeper pot). Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.

Alternative: Final stage – Add to roasting ban and cover. Cook in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until chicken is tender to the fork.

Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or even rice.

It is better the next day!!!

Allergens- Gluten (if susbtitute flour with corn starch it can be gluten free), garlic

Banana Bread

There are days when cooking is just not my thing and the first time I made banana bread was one of them. Even now…… twenty five years later, I still feel the sting of humiliation.  I was newly married and wanted to make it for my husband.  My sister had given me one of those homemade cookbooks, that you buy at church fairs and school fundraisers, and it had a recipe I thought I would try.  As I was reading it, even I thought maybe 5 tbsp. of baking powder was a little much, but hey, what did I know?  I am alone in my apartment experimenting and at the exact moment I add the baking powder, it begins to rise like Mt. Vesuvius into some strange, freaking, elementary school science project! As it overflows the bowl, onto the counter and then the floor, the front door opens and who walks in… my husband and is brother!  I must have looked like a deer in the headlights, because they saw their prey and pounced. These are the two most hilarious, sarcastic men I know and they had a field day.  This is one of the many cooking disaster stories that they tell and even I have to say, if it was anyone else but me, it would be hysterical.

After all these years, and lots of practice, I make a great banana bread and they both will agree.

Don’t be afraid to take whisks – Unknown

Banana Bread

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed

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The bananas need to be ripe….not pretty, just over ripe.  I actually freeze the bananas, so I always have some available.  The skin will turn black, but they are perfect inside.

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Sift all dry ingredients. (Hint: if you don’t have a sifter, use a whisk and very carefully whisk the dry ingredients together).

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Add in all the other ingredients.

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Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour.  Check with toothpick and if it comes out clean, it is done.

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Allergens: Eggs, Gluten 

Sunday Chefs jamblaya

Super Bowl Sunday!

My husband and I have a tradition of making Jambalaya on Super Bowl Sunday and we have become quite superstitious about it. I have recently finished a long battle against breast cancer and last year I was too sick to do anything. Too sick to cook, eat or even watch the game and the Patriots lost! Well this year I am cancer free and feeling good. So the menu for today is Jambalaya, corn bread, cheese steak calzones and homemade onion rings. Don’t worry there was a salad made so we could say there was something healthy! Lets hope it helps the Patriots in their battle against the Rams! If not, we will at least get a great meal.

It’s not whether you get knocked down, It’s whether you get up. – Vince Lombardi

Serve over white rice with a side of corn bread.

Sunday Chefs jamblaya

Jambalaya Recipe

Sunday Chefs
This easy and allergy friendly recipe never fails to impress.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, cajun
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Onion Large, chopped
  • 1 Green bell pepper Chopped
  • 3 Celery Stalks Chopped
  • 2 Garlic cloves Chopped fine
  • 1 15 oz. can Diced Tomatoes No salt, undrained
  • 1.5 cups Smoked Sausage Fully cooked and chopped (Andouille or Chorizo)
  • ½ tsp. Dried Thyme Flakes
  • 1 tbsp. Parsley Chopped or 1/2 tsp. dried
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • ¼ tsp. Hot Sauce (red pepper based) or more if you like
  • 1 lb. Shrimp Uncooked, peeled, non-frozen and de-veined

Instructions
 

  • Saute the sausage in a large cast iron skillet or heavy pot on medium heat. Once browned remove the sausage and set aside. Add the onions, peppers and celery to the pot, saute for 2 minutes and add garlic. Saute for another minute. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the shrimp. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and curled up.
  • (Even works great in the crock pot, just throw everything in and cook on low for 4-6 hours and add the shrimp in cook for another 20 minutes).
    Additions: Can substitute chicken for shrimp if you want. Okra
    Allergy information: Contains Shrimp. Nut Free, Peanut Free (depending on the sausage you use, so double check), egg free and dairy free.
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