The month of December is known for several religious holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah and Ramadan to name a few.  We do a lot of cooking and baking around the holidays. We also do a lot of eating.  What else is December known for?  It is Cookie Exchange week of the 4^th to 8^th.  It is National Tie Month so make sure you wear a tie at least once during the month.  National Hand Washing Awareness week is December 1-7^th.  It is also Exotic Fruit and Root Vegetables Month.  I know you are scratching your head and asking ‘What is a Root Vegetable?’  A root vegetable is one that grows under ground and absorbs a great deal of nutrients from the soil.  Here are a few examples of root vegetables. There are yams, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, radishes, artichokes, ginger and rutabagas.   Here is a recipe for Beef Stew with variations that include several root vegetables.  I hope you enjoy this!  It is in my new cookbook, Soups and Stews...Comfort by the Spoonful.  It will be available the end of November for $20.00.  I’ll have copies here at the house, so just email me at conniehope@comcast.net and let me know you’d like a copy. 

 

 Beef Stew (Basic)

 

2 pounds boneless chuck roast or stewing meat

3 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

3 yellow onions, cut into chunks

½ cup flour in a bowl

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine (optional)*

3 cups beef broth

½ teaspoon dried rosemary (or fresh)

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh)

4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch slices

2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch slices

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered**

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Several sprigs fresh parsley for garnish

 

Put the meat cubes in the bowl with the flour and coat them.

In large pot, heat olive oil, add beef cubes and brown.

Add salt and pepper to meat.

Once meat cubes are browned, remove from pot with a

     slotted spoon and set aside.  Add onions and saute until

     tender.

Reduce heat to low, add remaining flour, wire whisk it.

Add garlic and cook for several more minutes.

Add the wine and wire whisk the pan; get any little

      pieces stuck to the pot.  This will start to thicken.

Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add broth, bay leaf,

      thyme, rosemary, parsley and beef.

Cover and cook low for 1 hour. Remove bay leaf.

Add potatoes, carrots, celery.

Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

If  too thick, add a little beef broth. Add salt, pepper to taste.

Allow to set for about 15-20 minutes covered, then serve.

Serve with crusty bread.   Serves 6-8

Beef Stew © Connie Hope

 

              Beef Stew variations:

 

You can add some of these items or only one to the stew.  Your choice.

 

• 1/3 cup barley
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup  peas
• 1 cup  lima beans
• 2 cups diced turnips
• 2 cups parsnips
• 2 cups rutabagas
• 1 pound mushrooms, discard stems and slice thick
• 1 pound portabella mushrooms, sliced thick
• 1-2 cups chunked sweet potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Omit the cup of red wine and substitute 1 can of beer and ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• Omit the ½ teaspoon rosemary and substitute ½ teaspoon marjoram
• Put beef cubes in a low dish and pour some additional wine over it.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                      

December


The month of December is known for several religious holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah and Ramadan to name a few. We do a lot of cooking and baking around the holidays. We also do a lot of eating. What else is December known for? It is Cookie Exchange week of the 4th to 8th. It is National Tie Month so make sure you wear a tie at least once during the month. National Hand Washing Awareness week is December 1-7th. It is also Exotic Fruit and Root Vegetables Month. I know you are scratching your head and asking ‘What is a Root Vegetable?’ A root vegetable is one that grows under ground and absorbs a great deal of nutrients from the soil. Here are a few examples of root vegetables. There are yams, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, radishes, artichokes, ginger and rutabagas. Here is a recipe for Beef Stew with variations that include several root vegetables. I hope you enjoy this! It is in my new cookbook, Soups and Stews...Comfort by the Spoonful. It will be available the end of November for $20.00. I’ll have copies here at the house, so just email me at conniehope@comcast.net and let me know you’d like a copy.


  Beef Stew (Basic)


2 pounds boneless chuck roast or stewing meat
3 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 yellow onions, cut into chunks
½ cup flour in a bowl
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine (optional)*
3 cups beef broth
½ teaspoon dried rosemary (or fresh)
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh)
4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch slices
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered**
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Several sprigs fresh parsley for garnish


Put the meat cubes in the bowl with the flour and coat them.
In large pot, heat olive oil, add beef cubes and brown.
Add salt and pepper to meat.
Once meat cubes are browned, remove from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add onions and saute until tender.
Reduce heat to low, add remaining flour, wire whisk it.
Add garlic and cook for several more minutes.
Add the wine and wire whisk the pan; get any little pieces stuck to the pot.
This will start to thicken.
Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add broth, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, parsley and beef.
Cover and cook low for 1 hour.
Remove bay leaf.
Add potatoes, carrots, celery.
Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
If too thick, add a little beef broth.
Add salt, pepper to taste.
Allow to set for about 15-20 minutes covered, then serve.
Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8


  Beef Stew variations:
You can add some of these items or only one to the stew. Your choice.

• 1/3 cup barley
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup lima beans
• 2 cups diced turnips
• 2 cups parsnips
• 2 cups rutabagas
• 1 pound mushrooms, discard stems and slice thick
• 1 pound portabella mushrooms, sliced thick
• 1-2 cups chunked sweet potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Omit the cup of red wine and substitute 1 can of beer and ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• Omit the ½ teaspoon rosemary and substitute ½ teaspoon marjoram
• Put beef cubes in a low dish and pour some additional wine over it.
• Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

• 

November 2016

The north is getting cold and maybe even a little snow.  Here is Florida we have less humidity and the temperatures are in the 60 to low 70’s.  It is delightful.  Some of the  snow birds have returned, but most are waiting until after the holidays. 

What is November known for?  We remember that November 11 is Veteran’s Day and we honor all veterans.  It is also National Piano Month, and National Novel Writing Month.  As you know, I qualify for that as I have written my novel, The Bonnie Neuk Tea Room:  Friends and Uninvited Guests (Ghosts). Also it is Banana Pudding Lovers Month and Lung Cancer Awareness Month.    

I think I’m just going to go with the November is Thanksgiving and we all make that wonderful turkey.  I know I do and then I give a lot of meat to everyone that has come to my  Orphan’s Thanksgiving dinner. (Everyone there has family in some other state and we have not family here in Florida.)

I still have lots of turkey left over after giving some away.  I cook a very large turkey.  So let’s try something from my new cookbook, Soups and Stews...Comfort by the Spoonful that has turkey in it.

I hope you enjoy the Hearty Turkey and Vegetable Stew. 

 Hearty Turkey and Vegetable Stew

2 Tablespoons butter

2 turkey breasts, skinned, boneless, and cubed
¼ cup flour
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and ½ inch cut
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and chunked
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can corn (optional)
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 Bay leaf
3 cups chicken broth (turkey broth if you can find it)

Toss turkey in flour.

In a soup pot, add butter and cook and simmer  turkey, until
   browned.
Remove and set aside.
Add onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, pepper, and
   simmer until tender, 5-10 minutes.
Add turkey, spices, broth and corn.
Cover, simmer and cook 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Remove bay leaf.   Serves  5-6

October


Even in Florida, October starts to get a little cooler.  It is always good to have something to cook that
is warming.  Here is several chili recipes that should do the trick.  Enjoy!

Basic Chili

3 Tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder (or use packaged chili powder)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 pounds ground beef (or use ground turkey)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chopped jalapenos or green chilies, drained

Shredded cheese, sour cream and scallions for garnishing

Put oil in a large soup pot and add ground beef, spices and vegetables.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, skim fat if any.

Add tomatoes, and beans.

Simmer 1 hour on low.

Serves 5-6

White Chili

 1 pound turkey or beef ground meat

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cans Great Northern beans (15 1/2 oz each)

1 box or can chicken broth (14 1/2 oz)

2 cans green chilies, chopped ( 4 oz each)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream ( 8 oz)

1/2 cup heavy cream

In a soup pot, sauté meat, onion, garlic in oil.

Add beans, chilies and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 40-50 minutes.

Stir in sour cream and heavy cream, slowly.

Reheat to serving temperature.

Serves 5-6

September

September in Florida is still very warm, but it starts to cool down in the North.  September is Labor Day and the kids return to school.  What else is the month of September known for?  Here’s my favorite, it is ‘Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month’.  That is right up my alley.

It is also known for  ‘Update your Resume Month’, and ‘Mold Awareness Month’ as well as ‘Pleasure Your Mate Month’  Hummmm.

 

It is also ’National Chicken Month’ and ‘Eat Chicken Month’.  So let make something that uses chicken.  My new cookbook, Soups and Stews...Comfort by the Spoonful, I have many chicken recipes for both soups and stews.  It will be available from me in late October.  Just email me.  It will be $20.

 

When I was twelve, my family went to Williamsburg and one of the restaurants made this stew. It was wonderful, so I asked if I could have the recipe.  Even at twelve, I was in to cooking and finding new recipes. 

 

I hope you enjoy this one.  I have listed some additional spices I have used in this recipe.

 

Brunswick Stew

 

4-5 chicken breasts (I use boneless) or chicken parts

8 cups of chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (10 oz )package frozen or canned  baby lima beans

2 large onions, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1  large can tomatoes

1 ½ cups diced potatoes

2 cups sliced okra

4 cups whole kernel corn, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon sugar

 

Place chicken parts in a Dutch oven, add broth and salt ,

     cover and simmer for about 2 ½ hours. (or I have used a

     crock pot and cooked it for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.)

Remove chicken and remove meat from bones.  Set aside.

Skim fat from broth.

Add remaining ingredients except chicken, cover and

     simmer for 1 hour.

Add chicken, salt, pepper and heat for 2-5 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread or rolls.

Serves 7-8  

 

Okra really adds a lot to this stew.  If you’ve never tried it, now is the time.

 

I like these Variations:

I added ¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon basil, dried

July 

July is just as warm as June.  The difference is that late afternoon we have a rain shower. Then the humidity gets up there and it is really hot.  Here is something that is a little cooler for that dinner.  Hot dogs or hamburgers and some potato salad.  This is my special potato salad.  Hope you enjoy!

Connie’s Potato Salad

2-2 ½ pounds white potatoes (about ½ of a 5 pound bag)

¾ cup celery, chopped fine

¾ cup onion, chopped fine

¼ cup red pepper, chopped fine

½ cup olives, cut in half or more (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

Lime pepper (see appendix) Jane’s Krazy Mix-Up Pepper ®

6-8 hard boiled eggs, shells removed

¼ cup fresh parsley

About 1 cup mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon celery seeds

Peel potatoes and boil while whole.

Save the potato water for soup.

Allow the potatoes to cool for several hours, then cut in

    chunks.

Add the celery, onion, red pepper, sugar, and olives.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cut eggs in several pieces and add to potatoes.

Add mayonnaise a little at a time to cover mixture. May

    need more than the one cup. 

Serves 6-8 people.

Make it with a Greek Flair

Replace regular onions with red onions

Add  ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Replace the celery, with Fennel

Make it with a German Flair

Instead of white potatoes use small new potatoes, boiled and  cut in half

Remove the olives, celery, red peppers

Hard boiled eggs can be removed or not

Add 3-4 slices of bacon, crumbled

Instead of the Mayonnaise use ¼ cup vinegar

1 Tables spoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup olive oil

2 T sugar

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

In a tablespoon of  bacon fat, cook onions, add vinegar, mustard, oil and sugar.  Stir

Toss to coat over the potatoes

Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or  refrigerate for an hour.

June 2016

June is a warm month in Florida.  It is the kind of month that you just want to have a glass of wine and a salad for dinner.  I have just the salad for you.  It can be made ahead and served outside on the lanai.  Enjoy

Feta Cheese Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked pasta (your choice of size and shape)*

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tomatoes cut in wedges

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin or chunky

1 green pepper sliced in thin strips

15 black olives (can be cut in half)

1 ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

8-10 radishes, sliced thin or chunky

¼ cup green onions, sliced

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Cook pasta as per direction on package.

Drain well and cool.

Combine dressing--oil, salt, pepper, oregano, lemon juice

      and garlic in small bowl.

Wire whisk until blended.

Combine pasta,  tomato wedges, cucumbers, olives, green

     peppers, feta cheese, radishes, onions, and parsley in

     large bowl.

Pour dressing over salad and gently coat pasta.

Serves 4-6

* My favorite pasta with this salad is rotini.  These are the curly noodles and you can get them in multi-colors.  The other possibilities are cavatappi or fusilli noodles.

May

May

It's starting to get warm and things lite and tasty are good.  Here is one of my favorite salsa recipes.
It can be served with fish, pork chops, and chicken cutlet.

Mango Salsa

1 ½ mango, diced

½ red pepper, diced

½ yellow pepper, diced

15 oz can pineapple chunks

½ red onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup honey

¼ cup molasses

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional) 

Put 1/3 of the mango into the blender and puree.

Combine with the remainder of the cubed mango.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate before serving.

Can be refrigerated for several weeks. 

March is a great month. Need something to serve that is warming to the body!

Lemony Chicken Soup with Orzo

Broth:

1 left over roasted chicken with 1-2 cups meat

12 cups water

2 bay left

4 teaspoons salt

Soup:

1 cup diced onion or leek

1 cup diced celery

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons toasted coriander seeds (or ground fine)

¼ cup fresh dill

½ cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

Zest from 2 lemons 1 Tablespoon

1 cup orzo

Garnish with sour cream and sprigs of dill (Optional)

2 eggs (if you want to try the variation to the left)

Broth:

Pour 12 cups of water over chicken carcass w/2 bay leaves

Simmer covered for 1-2 hours.

Strain over a large bowl, reserving stock and meat.

Let cool. Then separate meat from bones.

Soup:

In pot, saute onion  and celery in oil until tender,  5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and meat.

Add coriander seed, dill, and lemon zest.

Bring to a boil. Reduce.

Add orzo and let simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes.

Add the lemon juice. Heat for 5 minutes.

Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and sprig of dill.