Cheesy Onion Dip

With the World Series beginning tonight I wanted to come up with a dip recipe.  This one is easy to make and all the ingredients are easily found in the grocery store.  This dip is hot so it can be served on tortilla chips, pita chips or any other hearty chip.  The cheeses in this recipe can be substituted with Swiss, Mexican Mix, Asiago or any other shredded cheese you have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar jack, divided into 1 cup and 1/4 cup

2/3 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 large garlic clove, minced

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine all of the ingredients, except 1/4 cup cheddar jack, in a medium sized bowl.  Stir to combine completely.

Pour the mixture into a one quart casserole dish.

Top with the remaining cheddar jack.

Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven for twenty minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for twenty minutes more until the dip is hot throughout and the cheese is melted on top.

Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or your favorite chip.

Pot Roast with Tomato and Beef Gravy

I have not been posting for a while.  But I am  now home with a new baby so I hope to be able to create new recipes while I am home.  This recipe comes from looking into my fridge and pantry and putting it together.  The meat is from my CSA meat share and the veggies are a combination of CSA and organic from the store.  The beef stock is homemade but a store bought version works too.  If you can your own tomatoes use them, but I was out of them so I used San Marzano from my favorite  Italian market; but any brand or type works here.  As the weather gets cooler, this pot roast is a perct way to warm up.  This only takes 30 minutes to put together but a few hours to cook in the oven so make this recipe when you are home for a few hours.

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil

2 1/2 lb top round beef roast

1/4 cup flour

1 TBS salt, divided

2 tsp pepper, divided 

3 large carrots, cut into one inch pieces

3 large celery stalks, cut into one inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into one inch pieces 

8 oz sliced mushrooms, I used baby Bellas

2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 cups beef broth

1 sprig fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 Bay leaves

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Here's how:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

On the stove, heat a Dutch oven with the olive oil inside on medium high heat.

In a medium sized bowl, add the flour and half the salt and pepper.

Add the meat to the flour mixture and coat it completely.

Add the meat to the heated Dutch oven and brown it on all sides.  About 2 minutes per side.

Remove the meat from the Dutch oven and set it aside.

Add the carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms to the Dutch oven  Add the remaining salt and pepper.  

Stir and sauté for five minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.  

Add the beef broth and use your spoon to scrape of any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the tomatoes.  

Stir in the tomatoes.

Tie together the rosemary and thyme with kitchen twine and add it to the Dutch oven.  Add the Bay leaves.  

Nestle in the beef.  

Bring the liquid up to a simmer. 

Put the lid onto the Dutch oven.

Place the Dutch oven into the oven for two and a half hours.

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven.  Lift lid to see how it looks. 

Remove the Bay leaves and thyme and rosemary bundle.

Slice or shred the meat and serve it with the sauce and vegetable on top.  

You can make some egg noodles and serve that with the meat and sauce on top if you want a complete meal.  

Squash Quiche with Leeks and Goat Cheese

Here is another recipe inspired by my CSA share.  All of the main ingredients are from my local farm.  This time of year everyone has too many squash and this is a great way to use them up.  I used yellow squash but zucchini can be used too.  Leeks were from the late winter and early summer that I froze but fresh can be used.  This recipe is easy and a quiche can be a breakfast, lunch or dinner meal.  I used a store bought pie crust but your favorite homemade recipe would work too.  All of my ingredients are organic but conventional works.

Ingredients:

2 medium size yellow squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 pie crust, homemade or store bought

2/3 cup - 1 cup leeks, cleaned and sliced into half moon shapes 

1 TBS fresh chopped parsley

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

10-12 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the squash onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Keep them in a single layer and do not overlap them.

Place the squash into the oven for 45 minutes until they release their water. Do not brown them.  

Once the squash are done, set them aside to cool a bit while you prepare the rest of the quiche.

Place the crust into a deep pie dish.  You can make a fancy crust edge if you like, but it is not necessary.

Place the cooked squash into the bottom of the crust.

Sprinkle the leeks, parsley and goat cheese over the top of the squash.

In a separate bowl, crack all of the eggs, add the milk, salt and pepper and whisk it all together.

Pour the egg mixture over the top.

Place the quiche onto another baking sheet lined with parchment and place it into the oven for 1 hour.

Remove the quiche from the oven.  The crust should be browned and the top should just start to brown too.

Serve immediately, let come to room temperature or refrigerate for another day.  Enjoy.

Steak Pizza

I know it has been many months since I have posted a new recipe so here is one.  I have been trying to find creative ways to use up leftovers and pizzas is my new way.  I use a store bought crust and then add whatever I have in the fridge.  This serves many people and prevents me from throwing away food.  If you do not have the ingredients here use what you have.  You can use mushrooms if you do not have peppers and onions, or add some if you do.  Use cheddar or provolone if you do not have Mexican mix and mozzarella.  If you are out of barbecue sauce, use steak sauce or tomato sauce.  The point of this pizza is to use what you have, not to go out and buy more.  Enjoy the pizza.

Ingredients:

1 store bought rectangular pizza dough

2 cups leftover cooked steak, small dice.  I used Ribeye.

1/2 - 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, homemade if you have it

1/2 cup diced peppers, any colors you have

1/2 cup diced onions, any kind you have

1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a 11 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray.  I used a pizza stone so no spray is needed.

Spread the dough on the pan to completely cover the bottom and make sure the dough goes up the sides to create a crust.

Bake the dough for 8 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven.

Spread the sauce on the bottom in an even layer.  

Add the meat and distribute it evenly.

Add the peppers and onions and spread evenly.  

Add the Mexican cheese and then the mozzarella.  Cover all the way to the edges.

Put the pan back in the oven for 8 minutes.

Turn the pan halfway and bake for another 7 minutes or until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Slice, eat and enjoy.   

Veal Stew

This recipe came to be after I saw a sale for veal stew meat at the local Italian grocery store.  First I made veal stock, the recipe is on this blog, then I made this delicious stew.  The recipe is here as a guide for you as items are easily swapped out.  If you do not have veal stock, use chicken stock or beef stock.  The vegetables in this recipe are based upon what I had in my fridge.  If you do not have leeks, use onion; if you do not have parsnips, add extra carrot; if you do not have baby Bella mushrooms, use white button and; if you do not have white wine, use red wine or just add extra stock.  This stew is hearty and warming on a cold winter day.  Enjoy.

Makes 3 quarts of stew.  Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs veal stew meat, cubed

1/2 cup flour

Salt

Pepper

8 TBS olive oil

2 large carrots, diced

3 large celery stalks, diced

1 small parsnip, diced

8 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, cut into quarters, stems removed

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups white wine, I used Chardonnay 

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 

2 cups veal stock

2 Bay leaves

5 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 tsp dried thyme

2 TBS fresh parsley, minced, or 2 tsp dried parsley

Here's how:

Heat a large Dutch oven or large soup pot on medium heat on the stove.

Meanwhile, put the flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a zip top bag or a bowl.

Dredge the meat in the flour.  

Add 2 TBS olive oil to the Dutch oven and brown the meat in three batches.  Brown on all sides.  Add 2 TBS of oil to each batch.

Remove the meat after each batch and set aside in a plate or in a bowl.  

Add the last 2 TBS of oil to the pot and add the carrots, celery, parsnip, mushrooms, and leeks.  Sauté for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom as you do it to loosen any meat bits from browning the meat.

 Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to loosen the rest of the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.  Cook 2 minutes until almost all the wine has evaporated.

Add the stock and tomatoes. Stir it all in. 

Add the meat and stir it in. Make sure it is all covered by the liquid.

Add the Bay leaves, thyme, parsley, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Stir it all in.

Bring the pot to a simmer, reduce the heat to a simmer and put the lid on the pot.

Cook for 2 to 2.5 hours until the meat is tender.  Remove the lid after 1 hour.  Do not over cook the meat or it will dry out.  Once the meat is tender and can be pulled apart easily, it is done.

Remove the Bay leaves and thyme stems.

Eat and enjoy now, place in the fridge for up to three days or freeze up to 6 months.