Bourbon beef roast

I watch "The Chew" everyday and I am a huge fan of Michael Si
mon.  Really I like all the hosts except for Daphne.  Remember folks it's just my opinion, but she acts like she's a know it all for healthy eating.  Ok enough of her on the my recipe.
Micheal made some short ribs a couple of weeks ago (something I really want to make but they are so pricey)  I decided to make a bourbon molasses roast and here is what I came up with.  And I might add YUM, YUM, YUM

3-4 lb. Rump roast (or any inexpensive cut of roast..if there is such a thing)
1/2 cup bourbon (I actually used Jack Daniels)you could use RED Wine -omit the molasses
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 - 14.5 oz of diced tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
3-5 TBL flour
2 medium onions
6-8 carrots
5-6 potatoes
4-5 stalks celery
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 - 2 cups of chicken stock
salt and pepper
olive oil for searing

In a Dutch Oven heat pan and when hot add oil and heat.  Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper, add to the pot (you should hear a good sizzle) brown on ALL sides, remove.  Add a little more oil then add 1/2 of 1 of the onions and cook till translucent and then add the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds.  Add the water and stir.  You should be cooking this over med-high heat.  Add the flour and stir, you will get a mixture that looks like wet sand.  Add the bourbon and molasses (or red wine) cook for about 5-10 minutes at a low simmer.  Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes and the meat back into the pot.  Add the rest of 1st onion.  Cook on the stove top for about 15 minutes.  Put in 300° oven and cook for about 4-6 hours.  Half way through add the other veggies and cook until all is tender.  You could thicken the sauce when it's all done with 1/3 cup of water and 3-5 TBL more flour.  Mix in a cup til you get a slurry and then add to the sauce while the meat is resting.  Enjoy.
With the recipe above I actually cooked the potatoes separately and had mashed potatoes.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day...stay warm if your in the cold part of the country and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU L♥ve.
D♥nna

Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Doing Low Carb can be challenging at times.  I have never been a big vegetable eater and there had not been many veggies I would eat.  I had just a small list of veggies which were.....corn, green beans (canned not fresh and not Julianne style) asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower...that's it.  Well last month I had eggplant for the first time and just love it.  Also had some different types of zucchini and so far like all of those.  I'm going to try brussels sprouts again.  I've seen several recipes for them so thought what the hey!  I adapted this  recipe from here.   She has some really good recipes so take the time to look at her many recipes.
I had this with a salad and boy was it filling.  I will make it again for sure.  She has several versions of these stuffed boats so will try adapting them to my taste.

4 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mild rotel
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
1/2 large tomato diced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar and velvetta mixed)
salt and pepper
chopped lettuce and sour cream for the top

Bring a pot of water of salted water to the boil.  Preheat oven to 400°
Cut zucchini in half then with a spoon or melon baller remove inside of zucchini leaving about 1/4 inch.  Put the zucchini 1/2's into boiling water and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove and let drain on paper towel.   Dice the zucchini you removed and set aside.  Put the zucchini boats in a roasting pan lined with parchment paper (easy cleanup).  In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute the onions and garlic, add the meat and zucchini and cook until almost done, add spices, salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 15 minutes until meat is done.  Fill the boats, pressing meat into them so they are filled good.  Top with cheese and cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes until cheese is melted and boats are tender.  Serve with sour cream and lettuce.  Enjoy
Hope you try this recipe, it's a great change from the norm.  Have a great day and Remember to Find the Time to Do all the Things you L♥ve.
D♥nna

Homemade Cannelloni

This is what we had at the family dinner.  YUM!  They are filled with meat and cheese.  One is braised beef (above) the other had braised pork.  The meat cooked this way just falls apart.  I have never made them this way,  I always just made them filled with cheese.  The pasta is homemade also, I used my normal recipe which I have listed below.
Printable

Pasta Dough:
2 cups AP flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 TBL water

In a food processor pulse the flour a couple of times to put air into it.  Put the eggs, water in a measuring glass and whisk until incorporated, with processor running, slowly add this mixture through the feed tube, run until dough forms a ball and comes away from the sides.  Remove, knead a couple of times then wrap in plastic and let rest for 1 hour.

Cheese/Meat Filling:
12 oz. ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 egg
2-3 TBL fresh parsley chopped
1-2 TBL fresh basil, chopped
2 cups shredded meat (either pork or beef)
5-6 slices provolone cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients and set aside

Roll you pasta out or put through pasta making machine and make lasagna sheets then cut them into 6 inch pieces. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil,  Cook for about 4 minutes, until they float to the top.  Fresh pasta does not take as long a boxed pasta so be careful not to over cook.  Drain and put in an ice cube and water bath to stop the cooking.

In a 9x13 pan put a small amount of sauce on the bottom.  Fill your cut, cooked pasta pieces with cheese meat mixture, placing the mixture at one end and then roll up and place seam side down.  Cover with sauce and put some mozzarella and provolone cheese on top.  Bake for about 25 minutes until, hot and bubbly and cheese has melted.  Just as you serve grate some fresh Parmesan cheese on top. This is a hearty dish and all you need to serve with it is some nice home made Italian bread and a salad.
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to do All the things You Love.
Donna

Spaghetti with Braised Beef and Sweet Sausage

 

This is a combo recipe.  I took parts from a couple of recipes.  The braised beef is from Cooks Country Italian  pot roast, part of the sauce is from my original recipe found here

 The night I cooked this we had a family dinner and my sister in law came too.  When she first tasted the sauce and meat she said "oh this taste a lot like the sauce my Italian neighbor used to make."  To me that's a real compliment.   Growing up I had some friends that were Italian and every Sunday Linda and Delores's Mom used to make an Italian feast, well to me it was.  The pasta, sauce and meat she always had was just out of this world delicious. 

Printable
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs blade chuck roast, cut into large pieces
3-4 link of Italian sausage (I used sweet and hot)
2 TBL olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 TBL tomato paste
2 tsp flour
1/2-3/4 red wine
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 fresh thyme springs
2 TBL fresh basil chopped.
Pasta
Directions:

In a dutch oven put about 2 TBL olive oil, add your meat and brown on all sides.  Remove the meat the add 1 chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 stalks of celery chopped, 1 carrot chopped.  Cook until onions caramelize, then add 2 TBL tomato paste, stir until well combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   Add 2 tsp flour, stir well.  Then add about 1/2 - 3/4 cup red wine (the kind you would drink)  Add about 14.5oz can of tomatoes, add water if needed. Toss in 2 fresh thyme springs and 2 TBL fresh chopped basil. Place meat back into sauce cover and put in pre heated 300degree oven and cook for about 2 1/2 hours.  At this point you can add some of the other sauce, heat all the way through.  Cook pasta, plate and serve.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You love.
Donna

Swiss Steak

I am an avid watcher of Cooks Country.  Just love all the great recipes they have.  Some I would make others, well ya know not all things appeal to all of us.  With that said maybe twice I've had Swiss Steak and both times thought to myself....EWWWW this is just terrible.  I am not particular fond of meat that is cooked to death, I don't like meat loaf or pot roast so when I made this my   thoughts were,  Gee sure hope it's better than what I remember.  According to Bridgette on cooks country the norm for Swiss Steak is to use Round Steak, which she said when it's cook long and slow can have the texture of Liver ....a Triple EWWWWW.  She said the meat does not have enough fat running through it and you should use a Blade Roast.  Well never heard of that but when I watched the show again ( I dvr them and save them) they showed the cut of meat came from the shoulder so that was a big help.  It's from the chuck family.
So here's the recipe and my thoughts of this dish are posted at the end.
You need a large Dutch Oven with lid. 5.5 or 6 quart
Printable:
Ingredients:
3 - 4 1/2 lb. blade roast (from the shoulder) cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch steaks
1  - 14 oz can  of diced tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 whole onion sliced
1 TBL vegetable oil
2 TBL tomato paste
1 TBL AP flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
 salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large dutch oven heat the oil.   Cut the roast in steaks and pat dry.  Salt and pepper each side.  When oil is ready sear the meat only doing about 4 pieces at a time. *that way you won't stew it and will get a good sear*.  Set aside.  Then add onions and saute until clear and slightly browned.  Add the garlic, tomato paste and flour and continue to stir (about a minute or 2).  Add the tomatoes, stir, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and add the meat and any juice from the plate.  Place in a 300 degree oven and cook on middle rack for about 2 hours.  I cooked mine 2 hours and 15 minutes.  When done remove the meat and place on a platter and cover and let rest 10 minutes.  To the sauce add 2 TBL sun dried tomatoes chopped and a good hand full of fresh chopped parsley.
When ready to serve spoon some sauce over the meat.  Enjoy!

For my comments:  I thought this was a very tasty dish and will make it again.  I was not sure what to have with it so since it had a tomato base sauce I had pasta and corn.  The meat was very tender and had lots of flavor.  It was of course cooked similar to pot roast but I will say I did enjoy it very much.  Maybe my taste buds are changing again.  They say that happens.  I think this would be a great comfort food in the winter.
Thanks for stopping by and hope you try this.  Have a great day and Remember to Find the Time to do All the Things You Love.
Donna

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

  Belated St. Patty's day all.  Of course we had our Corned Beef and Cabbage.  This is my daughters favorite meal.  On her birthday she always wants me to make it.  I always make 2 corned beef, one in the pressure cooker and the other in a pot cooked very slow on the oven.  Well I got to thinking last night laying in bed and said to myself, why can't I just cook the second one in the slow cooker.  I wasn't sure on how long to cook it so of course I searched the net.  It  took 6 hours.  This is the one from the slow cooker.

Ingredients:
3 lb corned beef
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
4 medium carrots, cut large pieces
2 stalks celery, cut in large pieces
1 small head of green cabbage
I cooked it for 3 1/2 hrs on high and then 2 1/2 on low.  Next time I will put the cabbage in a bit later, maybe just the last 2 1/2 hrs.  The potatoes were very good but we always have mashed potatoes with our cabbage and never have carrots or the celery.  I will for sure make this again this way.
Thanks for stopping by and Remember to Find the time to do ALL the things you love.
Donna

Salsa Verde Burgers

I recently came across this ingredient and have used it in several recipes.  It gives a very nice added spice to food and dressings.  Give it a try.  Sunday night I was craving grilled hamburgers so I decided to try this in them along with some sauteed onions and garlic, they all came together nicely and the flavor was nice and the salsa made the burgers very moist (another added plus).  My family loves cheese so they also had American White Cheese added.  I served these on homemade burger buns made from this recipe along with my macaroni salad and a green salad. (tomatoes from the garden)

Ingredients:
1- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 can Salsa Verde
1/2 Sweet Onion diced and sauteed
1 clove garlic (for cooking with onions)
salt and pepper

Take enough meat to make the size patty you want, flatten then add about 1 TBL salsa verde and 1 TBL onions.  Mix and form the patty (it will be very moist).  Grille and when just about ready add cheese if desired.  You can add additional onions and salsa if you want.  Enjoy

I'll be posting a raspberry pineapple muffin recipe tomorrow with pictures of Michael the new chef.
Have a wonderful day and always Remember to Find the Time to Do all the Things You  Love.
Donna