Beef Stew

We purchased grass fed beef again this year from Dan of Prairie Lane Ranch. Except this year we bought beef by the cut rather than sharing a 1/4 beef. We bough lots of ground beef, cubed steaks, beef for stew, a few roasts, some steaks, and oxtails. 

This week a I used the beef for stew to make, well, beef stew and it was delicious. The meat was so tender and tasty and this was a simple recipe with basic ingredients. The recipe is from Paula Deen on the Food Network.

Old-Time Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

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Yogurt Dipping Sauce (for falafel)

A simple and tasty yogurt sauce found on the Food Network site followed by a falafel recipe. . .

Yogurt Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

Yield: 1 cup

Falafel in Pita

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus extra for frying
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chick peas, drained
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• Pitas, for sandwich
• Toppings: shredded lettuce and chopped tomato, sliced cucumbers
• Yogurt Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

In medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and sweat onion and peppers 2 to 3 minutes then garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse together chick peas, red chili flakes, ground cumin, the egg, salt and black pepper to form a coarse consistency. Then add flour, parsley, and cilantro. Pulse until mixture starts pulling from the sides of the food processor.

Remove mixture to a large bowl and mix in the onion mixture. Chill falafel until ready to cook.

Roll falafel dough into 1-inch rounds. Then form rounds into an oblong quenelle shape, like a football.

In a thick-bottomed skillet heat 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Cook falafel balls a few at a time, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be sure to turn them so they do not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

Open the pita bread to make pockets. Place 3 to 4 falafels inside. Stuff with lettuce tomato and cucumbers and drizzle sauce generously on the inside. Serve immediately.

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Lamb Kebabs

I made leblebi soup (recipe to follow soon) and wanted to use my ground lamb as part of our dinner meal. I found this recipe for lamb kebabs on the website called Kristen's Home Cooking. It looks like a great site!

I didn't make kebabs, though. I made lamb meatballs. Her recipe also includes the recipes for saffron rice and hummus. Gotta make the hummus because it looks pretty quick and yummy too.

Lamb Kebabs
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg
1/2 c fresh breadcrumbs
1 large shallot, minced finely
1/2 c chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint and cilantro)
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients just until blended, don't overwork meat. Form long, thin kebabs around wooden (pre-soak to prevent burning) skewers. Grill, turning, until brown on all sides and just cooked through.

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Portobello Burgers

A tasty burger!
Yes, a veggie burger!

Portobello Burger

Portobello Burgers

2 Portobello Mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
3 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp canola oil
Brie cheese, sliced
red leaf lettuce
heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1/2 an avocado, sliced
red onion, thinly sliced
mayonnaise
Dijon mustard

1. Mix garlic, water, Dijon, vinegar, herbs, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce in small bowl.
2. Remove stems from mushroom caps, discard or keep to eat on the side.

3. In large, shallow dish (or large resealable plastic bag, add marinade and mushroom caps. Turn a few times to coat and allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4. In oven proof sauté pan, heat 1 tsp oil over medium high heat.
5. Add mushroom caps, gill side up, searing until brown (about 3 minutes). Flip over and repeat. Flip third time, add Brie slices and finish in 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

6. Serve on warm, toasted buns slathered in Dijon and Mayo. Top with avocado, tomato, red onion and lettuce.

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Creamy Pasta (North Copycat)

I had a very tasty pasta dish at a local Italian restaurant early this year. I have made it quite a few times but am starting to forget the recipe. Here it is before it's a lost memory. . .

Sautee mushrooms and a minced garlic clove or two in butter and olive oil then add lots of fresh spinach. Once the spinach wilts, add heavy cream (oh, about 1 cup) and parmesan cheese (about 1/2 -3/4 cup). Stir until the cheese melts, about 3-4 minutes, and allow the sauce to thicken a bit. This recipe also has pine nuts. You can skip them if you want but they make a nice addition. Add them with the cream or after the cream

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Salt and Pepper Crusted (Prime) Rib Roast

We used a prime rib roast that came from a grass fed beef. I don't know if it was so good because of the recipe, the grass fed beef, or the chef (Charlie) but it doesn't matter because we really enjoyed eating it.

The recipe comes from Epicurious, of course.

Salt and Pepper Crusted Rib Roast

active time: 10 min

total time: 3 1/2 hr

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (4-rib) standing beef rib roast (bone-in prime rib; 9 to 10 pounds), at room temperature 1 hour
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup mixed peppercorns (pink, white, and green)

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Rub roast all over with oil, then sprinkle all over with kosher salt. Coarsely crush peppercorns in a folded kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with a meat pounder or bottom of a heavy skillet. Coat meat on all sides with peppercorns, pressing to help them adhere.

Roast on a rack in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat (do not touch bone) registers 110°F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer to platter and let rest, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of meat will rise to about 130°F for medium-rare).

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Hot Pastrami Sandwiches

Found the recipe for "Hot Pastrami Sandwiches" at My Recipes. Haven't made it but it's another recipe I'd like to try.

Hot Pastrami Sandwiches

Yield: Makes 16 sandwich halves

Ingredients

• 2 pounds thinly sliced peppered pastrami
• 2 pounds thinly sliced corned beef
• 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 16 slices rye bread
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• About 3 cups coleslaw (homemade or from the deli)

Preparation

1. Place pastrami, corned beef, and broth in a slow-cooker.* Heat, covered, on lowest setting until hot, stirring periodically, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

2. Set out bread slices and cheese on a platter, and mustard and coleslaw in small bowls. Cover with plastic wrap until served (up to 1 hour).

3. When pastrami mixture is hot, invite guests to make their own sandwiches, or assemble for them: Spread 2 slices of bread with mustard. Pile a generous helping of the meats onto 1 slice, then top with a slice of cheese, about 1/3 cup coleslaw, and the second piece of bread. Cut sandwiches in half, they're large, so consider sharing.

*If you don't have a slow-cooker, put the pastrami and corned beef with a little broth in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and warm in a microwave oven.

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Minute Steak Recipe

I purchased some grass fed beef recently and one of the packages in my purchase was "beef minute steaks". I'd heard of minute steaks before but have never cooked with them. Honestly, I didn't know what I would do with them so, of course, I had to do some research on the internets. I came across a few recipes that suggested you dredge the steaks in flour and pan fry them so I picked the recipe below. I picked this one because in my "research" I learned that these steaks can be tough and this one has you cook it for an hour in "juices". Sounded good to me!

This recipe was a winner! I've been cooking with little salt over the past couple of years so it was a whole lot saltier than we're used to but that can easily be fixed next time--less salt on the steaks and dilute the beef stock. We ate it with mashed potatoes and a garden salad.

Minute Steaks

Ingredients

Sirloin Tip Steak
2-3 Baby Carrots
1/4-1/2 Red Potato, sliced into small bites
Seasoning Mixture:
1/8 cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 TB Chopped Onion
1/4 Tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Tsp Soy sauce
1/4 Tsp Lemon Juice
A Dash of Black Pepper
A Sprinkle of Salt (Sea Salt - preferably)
Foil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
For the seasoning mixture: In a small mixing bowl, combine Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, Worstershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, Minced Garlic, Chopped Onion, Lemon Juice.
Place steak on center of foil sheet..
Place a small amount of the seasoning mixture to the steak, quickly turn the steak over.
Sprinkle Salt & Pepper on the steak, and then place potatoes and carrots on the steak, top with the remaining seasoning mix.
Carefully fold the foil into a "packet"..
Place packet on cookie sheet..
Roast in oven for 1 hour - reducing heat to 350 after 30 minutes.
At this time, take the steak packets out of the oven, carefully open them, to check the progress..
You will probably want to return them to the oven for another 30 minutes at this point.
Remove from oven, let set for 10-15 minutes, or until ready to serve!
Trust me, this will be the MOST tender steak you will ever try! =)

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Oven Fried Chicken

I wanted to make fried chicken using panko crumbs and found this one on Food Network, Oven Fried Chicken.

I only had drumsticks on hand and they turned out pretty yummy. Everyone had at least one. My opinion (now, remember, I'm pregnant), this is an okay recipe. I really like panko but think the "crust" was too dry. I'll make it again, though. I served it with macaroni salad from The New Best Recipe cookbook.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 -inch thickness

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack over pan and spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese, 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste. In a separate shallow dish, combine mustard, water, salt and pepper, to taste, and remaining olive oil. Coat each chicken breast with mustard mixture; dredge each in bread crumb mixture. Place on prepared rack in pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown. Serve immediately.

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Roast Leg of Lamb

I also purchased leg of lamb from the grass-fed "meat man" and used this Roast Leg of Lamb recipe I found on Martha Stewart. It was delicious and tender. The garlic flavor wasn't over-powering and it was quite simple to make.

I made the "gravy" using the pan juices but didn't use red wine since I had none in the house. Water was a fine substitute.

Roast Leg of Lamb
Ingredients

Serves 12

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 10 cloves garlic
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 leg of lamb, boned, rolled and tied (about 7 pounds)
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken stock

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a blender, combine the oil, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth and emulsified, scraping down the sides as needed.
2. Place the lamb, fat side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan; spread garlic paste all over lamb. Roast in oven until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 135 degrees.for medium rare, about 2 hours.
3. Transfer lamb to a platter, and discard string; keep warm while you make the pan sauce. Pour wine or 1 cup water into the roasting pan in which the lamb was cooked. Place over medium heat, and scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Add stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until liquid has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Skim fat from surface, as needed.
4. Slice lamb just before serving. Strain sauce into a gravy boat, serve hot with lamb.

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Crock Pot Texas Brisket

Made this using grass-fed beef brisket and the meat was still tough after 6-8 hours of slow-cooking. The bbq sauce is really good and I think it would have been a more successful meal had I slow-cooked it much longer--like 12-15 hours (maybe).

The recipe is Crock Pot Texas Brisket and I found it at Potato Patch Recipes.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup of Catchup
• 1 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 chopped large onion
• 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 minced garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 trimmed beef brisket. 5-7 lbs
• 2 tablespoon liquid smoke

Directions

1. Take a large saucepan and combine the ketchup, beef broth, onion, brown sugar, white wine vinegar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. Reduce the heat, then simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat.
4. Remove 2 cups of the sauce to a bowl and place in fridge until you are ready to serve.
5. Now place the Texas Brisket in your slow cooker or crock pot.
6. Brush the brisket with the liquid smoke. This is our way of making the Texas Brisket a smoking beef brisket!! It is optional of course.
7. Pour the remaining sauce over the Texas Brisket. This is not the sauce you put in the fridge. It is the sauce that is left in the saucepan.
8. Now set your slow cooker or crock pot to medium and cook this brisket recipe on medium for 6 hours or until tender.
9. When cooking is complete, shut off the slow cooker and let the brisket stand for 5 minutes. During those 5 minutes take the sauce you placed in the fridge and heat it up.
10. Thinly slice the meat across the grain. Kind of like making thin brisket steak.
11. Serve the warm sauce with the meat.

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Slow Cooker BBQ Briskett

A simple recipe. I have another recipe here and that one is probably "better" than this one.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Brisket from About.com

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 pounds beef brisket
• 1 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, coating the brisket well. Marinate overnight. Cook in crock-pot on low for 9 to 10 hours. Slice into thin strips, across the grain and serve on rolls or buns.

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caldillo

A quick meat dish that my mom makes often.

1 lb beef (thin steak or ground beef)
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 potatoes, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup of water

Cook meat and add onion and tomato and cook for 3-5 minutes. Once onion has softened add potatoes and water. Cover and cook until potatoes are softened. (Adjust water depending on how "soupy" you want this dish.))

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Tuna Casserole - comfort food!

It snowed lots today--a blizzard, I guess. For dinner I decided that tuna casserole was the perfect dish, especially since I had no real plan and I knew this would be a fast one.

I used the tuna casserole recipe from Recipe Zaar, but didn't have any cream of celery or mushroom soup. I decided to make a white sauce (thanks to Jodi's suggestion) to replace the soup and we all loved our dinner meal! Perfect on a winter-weather kind of day!

Tuna Casserole:

• 8 ounces egg noodles
• 1 (10 1/4 ounce) can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 ounces mushrooms, drained (optional)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (7 ounce) can tuna, with juice

Directions

1. Cook egg noodles to al dente in boiling salted water; drain well.

2. Preheat oven to 325°F.

3. Mix all ingredients together in a large casserole dish, reserving 1/2 cup of cheese.

4. Sprinkle reserved cheese over the top.

5. Bake for 30 minutes.

6. Serve hot.

White Sauce:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in milk, stirring constantly as it thickens. Add more milk depending on desired consistency.

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Beef Bourguignon

Beef bourguignon, a hearty winter meal also from Everyday Food.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 4 slices bacon (1/4 pound), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, large pieces of fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks, patted dry
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices
• 1 bottle dry red wine (3 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Roasted Mushrooms and Pearl Onions

Directions

1. In a 6-to-8-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, cook bacon uncovered over medium-low heat until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
2. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Raise heat to medium. Working in two batches, brown beef in bacon fat on all sides, without crowding, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a bowl.
3. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, to loosen browned bits, until liquid has reduced to a few tablespoons, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
5. Add carrots, meat (with juices), wine, thyme, and reserved bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, but not falling apart, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
6. Skim fat off surface of stew; discard. Stir Roasted Mushrooms and Pearl Onions into beef; season with salt and pepper. Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to overnight.

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Diner Dinner

This dinner was a hit with all! JP ate everything on his plate, asked for more and never realized there were no chips (or as he says, "kips") involved.

It comes from, where else, Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. Online, you can find the recipe here. In the magazine this meal is called the "lighter blue-plate special" and includes:
meatloaf
buttermilk mashed potatoes
steamed green beans

The meatloaf reminds me of the "secret ingredient" cooking style of Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. It was moist and tasty. The buttermilk mashed potatoes were flavorful and didn't need butter! A great combo of foods for a great dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 small carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/4 medium onion
• 1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 pound ground beef sirloin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce
• 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 pound green beans, stem ends removed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, chop carrots, celery, onion, and panko with egg white until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
2. On a foil-lined baking sheet, form meat mixture into a 6-inch-long loaf; brush with half the barbecue sauce. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in loaf registers 160 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes, brushing halfway through with remaining sauce.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with cold salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; return to pan. Stir over medium until a starchy film forms on bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; mash with buttermilk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. While potatoes cook, set a steamer basket in a saucepan filled with one inch water; bring to a gentle boil. Add green beans; cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans.

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Thanksgiving Dinner 2008 @ The Miller's

This year I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family. There are 5 of us in my immediate family and we will be having 7 guests. A small number of guests since my parents have traveled south to be with extended family and one of my brother's is hosting dinner at his house for his wife's family. A perfect year to host! Would you agree?

I'm very much looking forward to it, so much so, that I started cooking tonight! Charlie and I can be a bit counter-cultural and this year's Thanksgiving dinner is no exception. Our dinner will not be offering a traditional roasted turkey. No! Instead we decided to make a prime rib roast with all of the traditional Thanksgiving fixin's, of course. I think it's like roasting a turkey because prime rib roast is not a cut of meat that is made often. In fact, it's more of a traditional Christmas meal but since we will be away this year, it's like hitting two birds with one stone. The most exciting part of this beef is that it is grassfed! We can't wait!!!

So, I figured I'd post our menu for the main course because, who knows, this year's dishes may become our new traditional dishes? Next year I'm sure I'll want to remember what I made this year!

•Prime Rib Roast - made in a simple and traditional way so as not to serve it undercooked, recipe from The New Best Recipe cookbook.

•simple stuffing with mushrooms and sage, Everyday Food, November 2007, pg. 100

•mashed potatoes, don't know how I'll dress up the potatoes but will remember to add warm milk because it helps keep the potatoes smooth and rich!

•mushroom gravy, from the Instructables webiste

•sweet potato casserole, Everyday Food, November 2008, pg. 79

•stewed green beans with bacon, Everyday Food, November 2008, pg. 79 (I was considering making cream of asparagus soup, but decided to go with the more traditional green beans instead.)

If you're looking for the perfect stuffing recipe, check these out!
How about butter-pecan sweet potatoes?
With Martha Stewart and her crew, you can never go wrong!!!

•basic cranberry sauce, Everyday Food, November 2008, pg. 24

Wishing you a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

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Pumpkin Ravioli w/Creamy Spinach & Herb Sauce

The kids gave this one TWO thumbs up!

Pumpkin Ravioli (made using round dumpling wraps instead of making my own pasta)
from All Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the cheese, pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the nutmeg. Set filling aside.
2. Mix the flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the flour. Beat the tomato paste, oil, and eggs until well blended, and pour into the well in the flour. Stir with a fork, gradually bring the flour mixture to the center of the bow until the dough makes a ball. If the dough is too dry, mix in up to 2 tablespoons water.
3. Knead lightly on a floured cloth-covered surface, adding flour if dough is sticky, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover, and let rest for another 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll the dough, one part at a time, into a rectangle about 12 x 10 inches. Keep the rest of the dough covered while working.
4. Drop 2 level teaspoons filling onto half of the rectangle, about 1 1/2 inches apart in 2 rows of 4 mounds each. Moisten the edges of the dough, and the dough between the rows of pumpkin mixture with water. Fold the other half of the dough up over the pumpkin mixture, pressing the dough down around the pumpkin. Cut between the rows of filling to make ravioli; press the edges together with a fork, or cut with a pastry wheel. Seal edges well. Repeat with the remaining dough and pumpkin filling. Place ravioli on towel. Let stand, turning once, until dry, about 30 minutes.
5. Cook ravioli in 4 quarts of boiling salted water until tender; drain carefully.

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Cream Spinach & Herb Sauce (for pasta)
from Cooks.com

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (I used fresh spinach and sauteed it in olive oil to wilt it)
1 tsp. dried oregano, powdered
1 tsp. dried basil, powdered
1 1/2 c. half and half
1 1/2 c. (15 oz.) whole milk ricotta cheese
Salt
Fresh pepper

Cook spinach in water, breaking it up as it thaws. When it's heated all the way through, drain well and press out excess water. Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Stir the mixture in a saucepan over low heat until hot. Correct seasoning if necessary; the sauce must be adequately salted. Refrigerate until needed, then reheat and stir into hot pasta. 4 servings.

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Chili

This recipe is adapted from Better Homes & Gardens. I've been making it for years and absolutely love it because it's yummy, fast, and easy. It tastes even better as left-overs!

1 15 oz. can of kidney beans
1 15 oz. can of navy or cannellini beans
1 15 oz. can of pinto beans
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups of water
2 T. chili powder
minced garlic, to taste
1 t. oregano
salt and pepper, to taste

Place the above ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover pot, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

("Vegetarian" recipe: add,
1 15 oz. can of corn
1 1/2 cups of cubed zucchini or yellow squash
Stir and bring to a boil again. Cover pot, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender, not soft. Serve.)

(Meat recipe: add
1 lb. of cooked ground beef or buffalo
Stir and bring to a boil again. Cover pot, reduce heat and simmer until for another 20-30 minutes. Serve.)

It's nice to serve this recipe with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and corn bread.
If you make your own corn bread, a nice twist is to add 1/2 cup of red or green bell pepper and 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese to the batter before you bake--called "Confetti Corn Bread".

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Buffalo Chili

This recipe comes from Kelly. She brought it over just after JP was born and we all loved it, especially the girls!

Buffalo Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground buffalo meat or lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) red beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 red onion chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
¼ tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 can (11 oz) can tomato juice
sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. brown the ground buffalo meat in the hot olive oil, string until crumbly. Drain if using ground beef. Stir in the undrained corn, undrained tomatoes, red beans, black beans, onion, bell peppers, chili powder, salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, black pepper and garlic. Add the tomato juice and mix well.

2. Simmer, covered for 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently. Ladle into chili bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro, or serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Servings: 4

Cooking Tips
You may substitute Bloody Mary mix for the tomato juice and add one 4 oz can chopped green chiles for a spicier chili.

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