Hearty Vegetable Stew (Vegetarian/No-Oil)

Recipe from Cheeky Chickpea 

(Adapted just a bit) Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes about 6 servings

This stew is m-m-good!  Once the veggies are all prepped, the stew will be ready to eat in less than 45 minutes.  Serve with a crisp salad and thick slices of whole grain bread for a real treat of a meal.  

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water (Add more if needed)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely minced OR 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery salt or 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

3 medium carrots, sliced (2 cups)

1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (1 1/2-2 cups)

5 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 5-6 cups)

1/2 lb. (227 grams) sliced mushrooms

2 1/2 Tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No-Beef Base

1/2 cup beer** (Use gluten free beer to make this stew gluten free.)

1/2 cup red wine

3 cups water (Add more if needed)

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Stovetop:

Heat a soup pot to medium high.  Add 1/4 cup vegetable broth to the pot.  It will sizzle.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, adding additional broth if the onions begin to stick to the pot.  Add the garlic and saute an additional minute.  Add the tomato paste and stir it continuously for about 1 minute.  Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the peas.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat to a simmer and then cover the pot.  Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Remove a ladle full of stew to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended portion back to the stew. This will create a lovely "gravy" like sauce.  (You can also use a stick blender, as I did, and blend just a little of the stew right inside the pot.)   Add the frozen peas, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes or so.  Serve.

Slow Cooker:

Heat a skillet to medium high.  Add 1/4 cup vegetable broth to the skillet.  It will sizzle.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, adding additional broth if the onions begin to stick to the pot.  Add the garlic and saute an additional minute.  Add the tomato paste and stir it continuously for about 1 minute.  Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds.  Put the sauteed ingredients in a large slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the peas.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.  Remove a ladle full of stew to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended portion back to the stew. This will create a lovely "gravy" like sauce.  (You can also use a stick blender, as I did, and blend just a little of the stew right inside the pot.)   Add the frozen peas, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes or so.  Serve.

Notes:  

To make this stew gluten free, use gluten free beer.

Do not add more than 2 cups rutabaga or the stew will turn out too sweet.  The same goes for the carrots.

Add a bit more water or broth as needed if the stew seems too thick to you.

I have another vegetable stew recipe on my blog that is made in the Instant Pot.  I haven't tested the Hearty Vegetable Stew recipe above using the Instant Pot, but I'm thinking the timing would be the same.  High pressure for 10 minutes and then use natural release until the pin drops.  Add the peas and then cook on saute for about 2-4 minutes.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings without peas) 123 calories; 0.5 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 204.9 mg sodium; 22.8 carbohydrates; 8.5 g sugars; 2.7 g protein

Slow-Cooker Beer-Braised Short Ribs

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated

Husband-Tested in Ellen’s Kitchen (Alice’s Friend)

Serves 4-6

Recently, my good buddy, Ellen, invited me to spend a weekend with her.  She’s a terrific cook and always serves up wonderful meals when I visit.  Her husband is a meat and potatoes man.  Since he was in attendance for this particular meal, Ellen made this fabulous rib dinner.  She began this rib dish on the first morning, browning the ribs and prepping them in the slow cooker.  When they were finished cooking, she put the ribs in the fridge overnight so that she could scoop off the unwanted fat from the cooking liquid before serving.  She served the ribs with the succulent sauce with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots along with Beet and Apple Salad.  Next time you have special guests, do make these make-ahead ribs.

5 pounds English-style beef short ribs (6-8 ribs), trimmed of excess fat

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 pounds onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 (12 ounce) bottles dark beer (The dark beer creates a sauce with a lot of personality.)

2 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca (The tapioca will thicken the sauce as it cooks.)

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, divided

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

12 pitted prunes (The prunes will melt away over the long simmering time, adding color and deep, complex flavor to the sauce.)

3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Season the rubs with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add half the ribs, meaty side down, and cook until they are well browned, about 5 minutes.  Turn each rib on one side and cook until well browned, about 1 minute.  Repeat with the remaining sides.  Transfer the ribs to a slow cooker insert, arranging them meaty side down.  Repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet.  Add the butter and reduce the heat to medium.  When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 25 to 30 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook, coating the onions with the tomato paste, until the paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the beer; bring it to a simmer, and cook, scraping the browned bits from the pan, until the foaming subsides, about 5 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the tapioca, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, soy sauce, and prunes.  Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker insert with the ribs. Set the slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until the ribs are fork-tender, 10 to 11 hours.  (Alternately, cook on high for 4-5 hours.) Transfer the ribs to a baking dish and strain the liquid into a bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, use a spoon to skim off the hardened fat from the liquid.  Place the short ribs, meaty side down, and liquid in a Dutch oven and reheat over medium heat until warmed through, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the ribs to a serving platter.  Whisk the mustard and the remaining teaspoon of thyme into the sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the ribs.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately. 

Venison Strips with Caramelized Onions (Pressure Cooker Recipe)

Serves 6-8

Recipe from Pressure Cooking for Every Occasion

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen and Janet’s Kitchen

It’s hunting season right now in Hoosier country and those who enjoy such things are happily spending their early autumn mornings in deer stands.   We are not hunters, but we have friends who are and who often share their bounty with us.  I made this recipe (see photo) and we thought it was great, but I adjusted the recipe to shorten the cooking time because the venison was quite lean.  (The original recipe was for sirloin steak.)  My walking buddy, Janet, tried it and used an entire bottle of beer.  She said her husband loved this and so she will be making it again too.  The meat and veggies along with the yummy sauce tastes great over brown rice.  I’ve made other serving suggestions at the end of this recipe.

Lost River Market & Deli has everything you need including local beef (not venison) to make this delicious dinner.  

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, cut in half and sliced thin

1 large red bell pepper, seeded, cored, sliced into thin strips

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 strips lean bacon, chopped into small pieces

2 lbs. venison steaks or lean sirloin steak, cut into fillets and sliced into ½ inch strips

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup to 1 bottle of dark beer

½ teaspoon ground allspice or 2 whole allspice berries

1 bay leaf

1 Tablespoon honey mustard

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in pressure cooker over medium high heat. Add onion, red pepper, dried basil and sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add sugar and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove from pressure cooker to a bowl and set aside. Raise heat to medium high, add the bacon to the pressure cooker and cook until just browned.  Remove bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the bacon drippings.  Raise the heat to high and brown the beef or venison on all sides in batches, if needed.  Return all browned meat and any collected juices to the pressure cooker. Lower the heat. Sprinkle the meat with the cornstarch and cook about 30 seconds.  Add the browned bacon, the beer, allspice and bay leaf.  Stir well. Position the lid on the pressure cooker and lock in place.  Bring to high pressure, stabilize and cook for about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and release pressure using the cold-water release method. Open cooker, add the sautéed onion and red pepper and the honey mustard.  Replace the lid, bring up to high pressure and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and release pressure using the cold-water release method.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving. Serve over brown rice, whole-wheat couscous, egg noodles or mashed potatoes. 

Leek and Cheddar Dip

Serves 6

Recipe from Everyday Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We began a recent St. Patrick’s Day dinner party with this fabulous dip.   It’s creamy, cheesy with a hint of stout in each bite.  Wow!  Serve this dip at your next party, hand each guest an Irish Buck to go along with and you’ll get rave reviews.  (This can be made a day ahead, popped in the fridge and baked just before guests arrive.)  Lost River Market & Deli, our community-owned grocery store, has everything you need for this delicious dish!

1 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 leek, sliced into thin half-moons (Use the white and pale green part.)

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups shredded cheddar (I used a sharp white cheddar.)

¼ cup mayonnaise (I used Hellman’s.)

3 Tablespoons stout or Guinness (I used an Oatmeal Stout.)

Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F degrees.

In a skillet, melt one tablespoon of unsalted butter over medium. Add one leek to the skillet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cook until tender and slightly caramelized, about 12 minutes.

Transfer leek mixture to a large bowl and the shredded cheddar, the cream cheese, the mayonnaise, and the stout.  Mix until smooth and well incorporated.

Transfer to a 1-quart baking dish and bake until bubbling and browned on top, 18 to 20 minutes.

Serve on slices of rye toast, baguette or on plain rice crackers.

Beer Bread

By Gerald Norman via http://www.food.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I made this bread when I had leftover beer (Pale Ale) from making some Gorgonzola Ale Dip for a holiday event at Lost River Market & Deli.  Putting this bread together took no more than five minutes.  There’s no kneading or rising, so this is definitely a great bread for beginner, in-a-hurry bakers. The beer does the job of the yeast.  This bread makes a great snack slathered with butter and jelly and would also taste great with a steaming hot bowl of soup. The really important thing to remember when making this bread is to be sure the flour is well sifted before measuring.  Otherwise, you will end up with a brick-like doorstop. 

Ingredients

3 cups sifted flour (Be sure to sift the flour before measuring.  To measure, carefully spoon the sifted flour into a measuring cup and then level it off with a knife.  In other words, do not just scoop the measuring cup in the flour canister and level it off because that compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a hard brick-like biscuit.)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

1 (12 ounce) cans beer (I had about 10 oz. of beer, so I just added water to make up the amount.)

¼ cup melted unsalted butter

Directions

Grease a loaf pan.  (I used cooking spray.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the beer and stir.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.

Pour melted butter over mixture.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.