Guiness Beef Stew

Another autumn comfort food staple...Beef Stew. I have many renditions of this family favorite--but this one is basic, hearty and flavorful.

1/2 C. Flour
3 lbs. Beef (Chuck, Stew Meat, etc), cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
4 Potatoes (Russet are the heartiest), cut into bite-sized pieces
3 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used 1 cup baby carrots because that is what I had)
1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. Worchester Sauce
2 C. Chicken Broth (beef or veggie--- this is what I had on hand)
1 Bottle Guiness
Ground Thyme
Smoked Paprika (don't substitute with regular paprika--- VERY different)
Sea Salt
Pepper
Bag of Frozen Corn
Crushed Red Pepper
Red Wine
Steak sauce, to taste
Olive Oil

Heavily season the flour with salt and pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Pat the bite-size pieces of meat with paper towels to dry and toss in the flour till lightly covered.
In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter and add meat (setting aside the bowl of flour). Brown the outside of the meat, but don't cook thoroughy. Add the bottle of guinness and let simmer. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get the flour bits up to thicken and create a gravy.

In the flour bowl, toss potatoes until lightly covered.
In a large pot, heat more olive oil and 2 tbsp. of butter. Add onions and garlic until soft. Throw in potatoes and saute for a couple minutes. Add the carrots, bay leaf, chicken broth, meat and guiness mixture and worchester sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Season heavily with smoked paprika, salt, pepper and thyme.  I, of course toss in some crushed red pepper. Add the frozen corn. Turn down to a simmer.

The stew should be fairly brothy at this point, so let it cook for about an hour or until it cooks down. I add a good splash of red wine (maybe 1/3 cup)  and 2 or 3 tablespoons of steak sauce (like A-1, I used an English Steak Sauce) for an extra sweet kick .
It's rich and delicious. Enjoy with a frosty beer or a glass of red wine.

Cheers!
-E

Quick and Easy DIY Decor Project : Fabric Wrapped Canvas

So, true story: My roommate and I at the time had moved into our new apt, just painted and were going to have a party. However, we had nothing on our new accent wall...and it looked really blah. Having zero budget per usual, buying art was out of the question. By buying art, I mean shopping at
Marshalls or Homegoods, nothing fancy! So I looked around the house... I managed to find 3 canvases... (although not everyone has these laying around... they are easy to find at thrift stores, typically with an ugly painting on front.) Mine were old paintings that I had done and hated and just never painted over. SO, I started thinking....what can I cover them with, or should I paint something else?? Time was of the essence, so I took a tablecloth I had bought at World Market (approx. $8), cut it into 3 pieces and wrapped the canvases like a present and hot glued the edges!

Voile! An easy fix to a boring wall. You can use fabric, paper, wallpaper or anything you can wrap with a clean folded corner. I used hot glue becuase that I what I had- but a staple gun would be ideal.


I used a fun print that looks different on each panel, but you can use different fabrics or prints-- I like the cohesiveness of the same solid color- it adds a punch but isn't too busy.

Quick, Simple and Inexpensive.


-E

My Version

If you need a step by step, check this out:
http://fabyoubliss.com/2012/02/13/fabulous-diy-fabric-covered-canvas-wall-decor/

Galumpki (Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

A traditional family dish in my house growing up was a good ole Polish comfort food classic: Galumpki, AKA: Guh-wump-kee. It's basically a pot of delicious cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice that stew in pickled juice. Because of it's humble roots... its cheap and can be made with any ratio of rice and meat ( the poorer you were, the more rice you used!). I like to mix ground meats..any combo would work...veal and pork, beef and turkey...heck, mix em all up!

My dad would make 2 pots. In one, the cabbage stewed in chicken broth and tomatoes- in the other, straight pickle juice and IT IS GOOD.Well last night, I merged the two..and because the Italian Wedding Soup I made was in our one big pot, I baked them...and what a sweet surprise that was!



Galumpki-

1 white/ green cabbage, cored with the bottom cut off
1/2 lb ground turkey, raw
1/2 lb  ground pork, raw
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. Caraway seeds
1 Cup Rice (Cooked according to bag) --- I used brown rice, typically white is used.
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes, drained
1/2 C. White Vinegar
3 Tbsp. Sugar (I used raw)

Preheat oven to 350.
Start cooking the rice per directions. Once done, set aside to cool.
While the rice is cooking, bring a large pot of slightly salted water to boil and add the cabbage. Cook covered for about 15 minutes or until leaves start to unravel. Remove cabbage and let cool in a colander. Reserve 2 cups of cabbage water.

In a large bowl, mix meat, onions, garlic, egg and breadcrumbs. Add the rice (it doesn't need to be cool, just not hot enough to burn your hands when kneading the mixture). Add salt, pepper and coriander, stir.

Take your first cabbage leaf , cutting off the hard core bottom, add a large tablespoon of the meat mixture and fold the large part of the leaf over, tuck in the side and place fold side down on plate (like a burrito!). Continue until the mixture is done.

Now prep your pan (13x9 glass), add a little olive oil to the bottom and layer the bottom with whatever leftover cabbage you have, sliced to create barrier from the bottom of the pan to the rolls. Add the rolls on top, they can be very close together, but don't double layer.

Set pan aside and start the tomato sauce. Mix tomato paste, canned tomatoes, cabbage water, vinegar and sugar. Taste- if its too vinegary, add more sugar, if its too sweet, add more vinegar-- I personally added another 1/4 C. vinegar-- but I love the tang!

Once mixed, poor over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. Check after an hour just to make sure it's not bubbling over.

It's best served with rye bread and butter-- a true Polish dinner!



Na Zdrowie!
-E

Italian Wedding Soup

As the autumn cool rolls in, cravings for comfort food follow close by. An easy favorite of mine is, Italian Wedding Soup. It's simple, healthy and so delicious.

Side note: I cook VERY casually, a handful here and a pinch there. I give substitutes and allow for variation- cooking is not a science- but a tasty art form.
Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

1/2 lb. Ground Pork
1/2 lb. Ground Turkey
1/2C. Breadcrumbs
Italian Seasoning (Typically a mixture of Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Marjoram and
Thyme)
1 Egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 White or Yellow Onion, Sliced thinly
12 C. Chicken Broth
4 Large Handful of Kale, washed and chopped (You can also use spinach, escarole or other leafy green-- must be fresh though!)
1 Can, Stewed Tomatoes
1/2 C. Orzo, if desired (or you can skip the carbs)
Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper

First, Make the meatballs: Mix ground meat with beaten egg, breadcrumbs, a generous amount of Italian seasoning (about 2 fingerfuls), garlic, a couple pinches salt and a generous peppering.
Don't be scared to get dirty- use your hands to massage the meat to make sure the spices get infused!
Make the meatballs small--an oversized tablespoon will do the trick, roll in your hands and set aside on a plate.

Next, start the soup! Put a little olive oil in a large pot, and heat over medium. Add the onions and saute until soft and light brown-- do not let them burn, or your soup will have a bitter aftertaste! Add the broth and lightly drop the meatballs in. Bring to a boil and at about 3 minutes, you will see the meatballs starting to float-- this is good! Add the stewed tomatoes, lightly stir, cover the top of the pot with kale and cover with lid.

10 minutes later, stir, add salt, pepper and orzo-- cook another 10 minutes and serve... generously top with Parmesan cheese and a good sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

In the picture above I served with garlic toast.

Simply: Wheat bread, buttered, sprinkled with sea salt and garlic powder and toasted in a toaster oven for a couple minutes. Croutons are a simple solution as well.


Enjoy this scrumptious soup!
-E

Welcome!

This is a place for my creative endeavors to be documented! I cook all the time, but am so bad at writing down my recipes and I never photograph my food...but this is about to change!! My craftiness, decor attempts and crude paintings will also be displayed! This includes my partially DIY wedding and other endeavors I take on! Enjoy :)

-E