Beef Stew

2 lbs stew meat

1 large onion, diced

6 cloves garlic 1 tbsp olive oil

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

8 cups beef stock 

1-2 cups diced carrots large chunks

1-2 cups diced celery

2-3 cups diced baby red potato skin on

Preheat oven to 250 degrees (you can also use stove top or crock pot)

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add stew meat and onions, cook for 5 mins.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes, seasonings and 4-6 cups of the stock.  

Cover and cook in oven for 3 hours.  Remove pot from oven and place on stove top over medium low heat.

Add vegetables to the stew and add more beef broth if low.  Taste and re-season if needed.  Cover and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours.  If you want the stew to be thick, add a slurry of cornstarch and cold beef broth, then pour into the stew while it is boiling, stir then reduce heat to low.  

serve and enjoy

PRINTABLE RECIPE

These are the tomatoes I used. I had them in my pantry.  The diced tomatoes with green chilies gave it a subtle bite. it was good

Gnocchi, Sausage & Spinach Soup

Gnocchi, Sausage & Spinach Soup

1 yellow onion, diced

1 roasted red pepper, diced (I used homemade pickled ploblono peppers that had some heat to it, yum)

sea or Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1 pound italian sausage ground like jimmy dean

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

32 oz chicken broth

1 lbs gnocchi (store bought or make your own)

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rough chopped

3/4 cups half and half or heavy cream 

In a large pot brown sausage, onion, peppers, garlic and dried basil until cooked. If there is any grease to drain, do so.  I didn't have much grease.

Add chicken broth. 

simmer for 20 mins.

Add the gnocchi and spinach, cook until gnocchi float to the top, usually 3 minutes.

Add the half and half.

Enjoy.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

 These are my diced onions and homemade pickled peppers I added

 This is the soup before I added the half and half

This is the soup done. 

Yum, boy was it good.  It had a spiciness to it from the peppers, so if you used roasted red peppers it wont. It doesn't make a large batch. So you can make it to see if you like it.  If you like it, next time double the batch.

This is the kind of gnocchi I used.  It was OK, but I have made homemade gnocchi before.  Really not that hard, but much better. Either way, the soup is great!!

These are what gnocchi's look like if you aren't familiar with them. 

Ham and Potato Soup

HAM AND POTATO SOUP

3 Tbls butter

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped carrots

1/3 cup chopped onion

4 cups diced potatoes1 cup diced ham

4 cups chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

5 Tbls flour

5 Tbls butter

2 cups milk

Directions

1. Melt butter in pot, add celery, carrots and onions and cook until soft.
2. Stir all but milk, flour and butter into pot. Boil then simmer 12-15 minutes, check tenderness of potatoes.
3. minutes before serving, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and gradually add milk, stirring constantly over med heat until thick.
4. Stir mixture into pot.
5. Cook 10 minutes more.
6. Serve with shredded cheese, bacon bits and green onions if you want.

PRINTABLE RECIPE