carrots

Chopped Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
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Chopped Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing

My Dad used to call it Israeli Salad said he learned it from and Indian in the war but he said that about most everything. Anyway it was Wednesday which is salad night at our house so I open the fridge and went to town.

Pear, kale, lettuce, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, zucchini, green pepper, broccolini, celery, carrots, radishes, roasted chickpeas, bacon and I added some mayo to the balsamic vinegerete dressing we had.

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Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
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Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Got some ground turkey from a ButcherBox super sale and decide to use some and try a Shepherd’s Pie for the first time. Lyn usually made this using Lamb. I suppose you could use any ground meat. I had made a huge batch of mashed potatoes yesterday and used leftover for this. When very young my son insisted that everything be separate on the plate he had some rule about mixing foods. he also hated fat but loved pepperoni and Asian style ribs you known the red ones, which could be very fatty. Anyway I found a recipe and it had one of those handy how many you’re cooking for scalers so this is for TWO. I made some turkey burger patties for lunch today.

Ingredients for 2 servings

Meat Filling:

  • 0.67 tablespoons olive oil
  • 0.33 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 0.33 lb. 90% lean ground turkey, beef or ground lamb
  • 0.67 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
  • 0.33 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 0.33 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 0.17 teaspoon salt
  • 0.17 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 0.33 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.67 garlic cloves -minced
  • 0.67 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 0.67 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 0.33 cup beef broth
  • 0.33 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots Note: Did not have frozen carrots so I saluted with the onions
  • 0.17 cup frozen corn kernels

Potato Topping:

  • *Note: I used 2% milk and added the cheese
  • 0.5 – 0.67 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2.67 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 stick
  • 0.11 cup half & half *
  • 0.17 teaspoon garlic powder Note: I usually add 1-2 cloves when boiling potatoes so left powder out.
  • 0.17 teaspoon salt
  • 0.08 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 0.08 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make the Meat Filling.

  • Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the ground turkey to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated and no clumps of tomato paste remain.
  • Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Set the meat mixture aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Make the potato topping.

  • Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return the potatoes to the hot pot. Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.
  • Add butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.
  • Add the parmesan cheese to the potatoes. Stir until well combined.

Assemble the casserole.

  • Pour the meat mixture into a 9×9 (or 7×11) inch baking dish. Spread it out into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. Carefully spread into an even layer.
  • If the baking dish looks very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet so that the filling doesn’t bubble over into your oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.** Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
sneak peak before covering and baking
sprinkled paprika on top
Red Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro and Citrus
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Red Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro and Citrus

I had some red cabbage from Misfits and wanted to do something different I found this refreshing idea.

Our cilantro was starting to go to seed thanks to the 5 day heat wave so this worked perfectly.

But I did add some apple cider vinegar it jsut needed something to kick it up a notch.

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ head red cabbage, cored and finely shredded
  • 1 large carrot, cut into fine julienne
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 bunch green onions, diced
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp orange juice
  • ½ tsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • My optional 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Added a little kick in my opinion

How

  • In a salad bowl, toss together cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and green onions. In a small bowl, whisk together remainder of ingredients to make a light dressing. Toss cabbage mixture with dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Thicker Instant Pot Beef Stew
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Thicker Instant Pot Beef Stew

It was a cold day and the skies were threatening snow we were off to the grocery store and my stomach spoke up Beef…. Beef Stew. I wanted a stew that was thicker than the other Instant pot stew I made and this one looked good, so good I’m using their finished picture. It came out just like my mind’s eye had pictured full of flavor and the veggies cooked perfectly. The only thing I did was substitute some red wine for the sherry also had pre-cut stew meat. The extra effort and time was well worth it!

They said and I agree:

You’ll Enjoy Instant Pot Beef Stew Because:

  • Easy to make
  • Cut short half the cooking time comparing to cooking on stovetop
  • Huge flavors – packed with *umami!
  • Soul-satisfying, cozy comfort food
  • Healthy – packed with earthy root vegetables
  • Tenderized, juicy, moist beef in hearty thick sauce full of body & texture

Instant Pot Beef Stew are Great for:

  • Cold weather
  • When you’re craving for a filling & comforting meal
  • Dinner parties
  • Holiday meals

*Umami (/uˈmɑːmi/), or savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It has been described as brothy or meaty. People taste umamithrough taste receptors specific to glutamate.

INSTANT POT BEEF STEW

Classic American Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe: Make this soul-satisfying beef stew. Tender & moist pressure cooker chuck roast immersed in a rich, hearty, umami sauce.

Author: Amy + Jacky | Pressure Cook Recipes
Recipe type: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Meat, Stew, Vegetables, Easy
Cuisine: American

  PREP: 10 MINS |  COOK: 110 MINS |  TOTAL: 2 HRS
SERVING: 2 – 4

  

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 pounds (1001g) USDA Choice Grade Chuck Steak (Canada AAA Grade Blade Steak), 1.5 inch in thickness – I bought precut stew meat.
  • 3 medium garlic cloves (15g), crushed and minced
  • 12 white mushrooms (150g), thinly sliced
  • 2 small onions (214g), thinly sliced
  • 2 celery stalks (150g), cut in 1 ½ inch (4cm) chunks
  • 2 medium carrots (200g), cut in 1 ½ inch (4cm) chunks
  • 3 – 4 small Yukon gold potatoes (365g), quartered
  • ½ cup (65g) frozen peas
  • ¼ cup (63ml) of sherry wine – I used Juxtapoz red wine instead that I had opened.
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.35g) dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon (8g) flour
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

 

Chicken Stock Mixture

  • 1 ½ cup (375ml) unsalted homemade chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons (50ml) tomato paste

 

Note:

One batch of vegetables stayed in the pot to enhance flavor and acts as a natural thickener for the beef stew.

The other batch of vegetables was set aside and added back into the beef stew afterwards. This adds texture for the overall dish.

 

How

  1. Prepare the Pressure Cooker:Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button and click the adjust button to go to Sauté More function) over medium high heat. Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT).
  2. Brown Chuck Steak:Note: I had already cut up pieces but browned the same way except season all sides first.
  3. Season one side of the chuck steak generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil in pressure cooker. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place the seasoned side of chuck steak in pressure cooker. Generously season the other side with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown for 6 – 8 minutes on each side without constantly flipping the steak. Remove and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Make Chicken Stock Mixture:While the chuck steak is browning in pressure cooker, mix 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon (15ml) light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce, 3 tablespoons (50ml) tomato paste with 1 ½ cup (375ml) unsalted homemade chicken stock.
  5. Sauté the Mushrooms:Add sliced mushrooms in pressure cooker. Sauté until all moisture from the mushrooms have evaporated and the edges are slightly crisped & browned. Roughly 6 minutes. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary. Remove and set aside.

Their picture was better than mine.

  1. Sauté the Vegetables:Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) of olive oil in pressure cooker if necessary. Add thinly sliced small onions and sauté until soften and slightly browned. Add minced garlic cloves and stir for roughly 30 seconds until fragrant. Add all celery chunks, carrots chunks and sauté until slightly browned. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary.
  2. Deglaze: Pour in ¼ cup (63 ml) sherry wine and completely deglaze bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. Let the sherry wine reduce to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate.
  3. Pressure Cook the Vegetables:Add 2 bay leaves, ¼ tsp (0.35g) dried thyme, quartered potatoes, and chicken stock mixture in the pot. Mix well. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes and Quick Release. Open the lid.
  4. Cut the Chuck Steak:While the vegetables are pressure cooking. Cut the chuck steak into 1.5 inch – 2 inches stew cubes on a large chopping board. Place all chuck stew meat and the flavorful meat juice back in the large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon (8g) flour in mixing bowl and mix well with the stew meat. Don’t worry, your pressure cooker can get up to pressure with a small amount of flour.
  5. Pressure Cook the Beef Stew:Remove half of the carrots, celery, potatoes from pressure cooker and set aside. Place beef stew meat and all its juice in the pressure cooker. Partially submerge the beef stew meat in the liquid without stirring, as you don’t want too much flour in the liquid at this point. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 32 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. Turn off the heat. Release the remaining pressure. Open the lid.
  6. Thicken Beef Stew and Add Vegetables:On medium heat (Instant Pot: press Sauté button), breakdown the mushy potatoes and carrots with a wooden spoon. Stir to thicken the stew. Add frozen peas, sautéed mushrooms, and the set aside carrots, celery and potatoes in the pot. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary. We added 2 pinches of kosher salt.
  7. Serve:Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta or your favorite starch.

Doesn’t their picture look so good?

I did notice that leftovers required a little more liquid when reheating

 

Cooking Tips for Instant Pot Beef Stew

  1. Why are we browning the chuck steak as a whole before cutting it up?
    Due to less surface area, browning the chuck steak as a whole will retain more moisture. Maillard reaction excels in dry and high heat environment, so the chuck steak will also brown faster and better when compared to cubed stew.

The caramelized flavors from browning is one of the secrets to a rich hearty beef stew.

  1. Can I use other beef cuts for this recipe?
    Chuck roast is one of the most suitable cuts for the pressure cooker. For optimal result, choose one that is well marbled! Beef Brisket is also a good choice, but it will take a longer time (~70 minutes).
  2. Can I skip the sauté steps and dump everything into the pressure cooker for this beef stew?
    Yes, you can dump everything into the pressure cooker and cook for 32 minutes. But if you want to up your beef stew game, give it some time and love.
  3. In Step 7 – Dried thyme:Release the flavor of dried thyme by scrubbing them against your fingers while adding them to the stew.
  4. In Step 9, why did we remove half of the carrots, celery, potatoes from the Instant Pot?
    We first perfectly cooked all the vegetables and separated them into 2 batches.

 

Instant Pot Thai Carrot Soup
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Instant Pot Thai Carrot Soup

Lyn made this last time and it was good, I made it this morning it came out good very spicy. If you want to calm it down maybe leave out the Cayenne or cut the amounts in half.

 

Slightly modified Whole Foods recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other fat
  • 1 medium yellow onion, rough chop
  • 1¼ pound carrot, rough chop
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, with seeds, rough chop 2 teaspoons grated ginger
  • 4 cups broth, veggie or chicken
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt OR 1 tablespoon fish sauce (to taste for saltiness)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon curry powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Cilantro, chopped (added in after cooking, before pureeing) if you don’t have I have substituted some ground coriander about teaspoon.
  • ½ cup cream or full fat coconut milk
  • 3 tablespoons honey, optional

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions

Using the sauté feature, heat the oil and add the onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften but not brown.

Add in the chopped carrot and pepper, sautéing for a couple of minutes.

Add in the broth and all the spices, stirring.

Lock the lid and set manual pressure for 12 minutes.

When time is up, do a quick release, unlock the lid, add the cilantro, and puree the soup in a blender, food processor, or try using your immersion blender.

Add back to pot and stir in the cream and honey

 

Garam masala

Garam masala is a blend of ground spices common in India, Pakistan, and other South Asian cuisines. It is used alone or with other seasonings. The word garam refers to “heating the body” in the Ayurvedic sense of the word, as these spices are believed to elevate body temperature in Ayurvedic medicine.

Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb with Carrots and Parsnips
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Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb with Carrots and Parsnips

Last week Lyn went shopping for a few things on her own and there were a few impulse buys. We all do that I did it yesterday and ended up with American Chop Suey nice comfort food for a snowy day. Anyway she got a 4 lb. boneless leg of lamb. I used 1 lb to make ground lamb last weekend for Gyros. Today we made this roast and it was well worth the impulse buy well worth it.

Ingredients

Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cup Pomegranate juice
  • 3 tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

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Veggies

  • 4 whole carrots, peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced – STEVE NOTE I did not have parsnip so I used potatoes
  • 1/3 cup Water

Lamb

  • 3 lb Boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 teaspoon Minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds – STEVE NOTE I did not have used ground Cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon Chopped fresh mint

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How:

Look for a mini boneless leg of lamb roast that weighs approximately 3 lb. These small roasts sometimes come prepacked in netting. For a leaner, cleaner tasting lamb we like to trim the fat off the surface. This requires removing the netting, trimming the fat, and retying your roast. The extra work is definitely worth it.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine pomegranate juice, sugar, 1/2 tsp. of the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

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Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 20 to 25 minutes.

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3. Cut carrots and parsnips in half lengthwise and then cut into 3-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and toss vegetables with 2 Tbsp. of the pomegranate glaze.

4. Place lamb in the center of a large baking dish or roasting pan. Rub garlic into roast. Season with 1/2 tsp. of the salt, remaining 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and cumin seeds. Brush the top and sides of lamb liberally with pomegranate glaze. Distribute vegetables and their liquid around the roast. – STEVE NOTE – I rubbed the roast with garlic and the spices wrapped in plastic wrap and set in refrigerator for a few hours. Took out and let get to room temperature.

5. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring vegetables once or twice, until meat is cooked to about 115 degrees. Brush roast with any remaining glaze (if it has thickened, microwave for 15 seconds). Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Cook until meat begins to brown in spots and the temperature reaches about 125 degrees for medium-rare, 140 degrees for medium, and 160 degrees for well done, according to your preference (about 10 to 20 minutes).

6. If you prefer your lamb more well done and it begins to overbrown, lower heat to 475 degrees and cover meat loosely with foil.

7. Transfer lamb to cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spread vegetables evenly over baking dish and return to oven to bake until all the juices have evaporated and vegetables have begun to caramelize, about 4 to 5 minutes; watch that they don’t burn. Remove baking dish from oven and stir butter and mint into the vegetables.

8. Remove strings and use a sharp knife to cut lamb into thin slices. Transfer vegetables and lamb to platter and serve warm.

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Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, September – October 2008
Crockpot Beef Stew with Red Wine
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Crockpot Beef Stew with Red Wine

I love when the temps turn to sweatshirt weather, a time when your cheeks get that slight wind chill burn when you’re out for a walk. Work is located downtown and I walk 2 miles every lunch time to keep in shape, get some fresh air but mostly just to clear the head. I have come up with many solutions to the days pressing issue while walking. I’m and IT guy with 35 or so users spread out in 5 locations with an additional 6 servers/PCs to service. To top it off sales is on the road here and in Asia a lot of the time. So every call I get it is 99.99% chance of being issue call. As anyone in my situation will tell you every caller does not give a _____ about anyone else problems just theirs. Oh yeah you take care of the president first, no matter what.

Anyway back to my daily walks, some of the shop owners, police and the mentally challenged give me the nod as I walk by with ear buds blocking out the sounds of downtown Milford and the local neighborhood. I have become a townie it has been since I was in my teens that I’ve been there. Different town different times.

Lyn and I finally broke down and bought a new crockpot, one that you can put the pot on the burner and brown saving those great little flavor bits on the bottom. With sweatshirt weather there is nothing better than coming in from outside and smelling the rich flavors of a great beef stew, heck even a bad one smells good.  As promised here is that quick beef stew recipe I made. I made a small batch since I am still on the fend for yourself diet but made sure I had left overs.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pounds stew beef like bottom round, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. ground pepper
  • *********
  • Pinch or two of red hot pepper flakes
  • 1-2 Tbsps. olive oil (plus more if needed)
  • 1 medium to large onions, ruff chop
  • ¼ cup ketchup – I did not have tomato paste that would probably be about 1-2 Tbsps.
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 large potato, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup bay carrots
  • ¼-1/2 cup chicken broth would have been better with beef broth but again I did not have.
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • *********
  •  ¼-1/2 cup frozen peas put in when almost ready to serve
  • ¼-1/2 cup frozen corn put in when almost ready to serve

 

Directions

1. Coat the beef in the flour and pepper. I like to put in plastic bag and shake to coat. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a crockpot pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, adding more oil as necessary. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and coat the onions. Remove and set aside.

3. Place pot in crockpot, pour the wine into the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, thyme, red pepper flakes and bay leaf.

4. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 ½-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Add the peas and corn and heat through.

I was nervous because it was a small batch but it came out pretty darn good.

My pictures did not come out that great so I admit it I borrowed one from the web. Thanks Susie Cushner interestingly enough her recipe was real close to what I did. Our gut instincts must be close.