Hi Sonia & Pat,

So glad that you both stopped by and I'm also glad that you both liked the Crawdad Recipe. Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads, whatever they are called, were definitely an acquired taste for me. My Mother-in-Law finally got me hooked on them. I know that they look like little Lobsters, to which they are related, but I don't think that I'd ever be as likely to eat Steak & Crawfish, as I would Steak & Lobster.

Sticking with the St. Patrick's Day theme, here's another of my favorites that my family eats at this time of year.

Beef Pot Roast with Beans in Red Wine

1 lb. dry white beans, soaked overnight
1 carrot, quartered
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, quartered
salt and pepper
3-1/2 lbs. beef pot roast, tied with string
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1-1/4 c. dry red wine
1 bouquet garni ** recipe below
1 c. beef stock

Wash beans under cold running water in a colander. Place them into a bowl, cover generously with cold water and leave to soak overnight, then rinse and drain again.

Place the beans into a large saucepan, cover with water and add the pieces of carrot, celery and onion. Bring to boing point. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are tender, adding more water to the pan as necessary. Drain the beans and vegetables and set aside.

Season the beef with salt and black pepper. Melt the butter with the oil in a heavy saucepan and brown beef all over. Remove the beef from the saucepan and add the onion and carrots. Fry over a moderate heat until they begin to soften. Stir in the crushed garlic and the wine. Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, then put the beef back into the saucepan and add the stock. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, turning the meat over several times and adding a little hot water if necessary.

Stir in the beans and cook for 30 minutes longer. Lift the beef out onto a plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before removing the strings and cutting the meat into thick slices.

Discard the bouquet garni and lift out the beans and vegetables into a warm serving dish with a slotted spoon.

Boil down the liquid in the saucepan to thicken it slightly, tasting it and adding seasoning if required. Serve the slices of meat on top of the beans and vegetables accompanied by the thickened juices and cooked potatoes or rice.

** Bouquet Garni
1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs of thyme, 4 large sprigs of parsley (including stalks), one 4-inch piece of celery stalk with leaves, two 4-inch pieces of leek (green part) and 5 whole peppercorns.

Place the bay leaf, thyme, parsley and celery on one piece of green leek. Cover with remaining piece of green leek. Tie securely with fine string, leaving a length of string attached so that the bouquet garni can be easily retrieved

For a touch of a little something different, you might try serving your family these...

Celtic Knots

1 prepared dough recipe for one loaf of white bread*
1 egg white
2 tsp. water
2 tbsp. coarse salt

Preheat oven to 375F.

Lightly grease baking sheets; set aside.

Divide dough equally into 16 pieces; shape each piece into a 10-inch rope. Form each rope into interlocking ring as shown in the photo; place on prepared baking sheets. Moisten ends of rope at seams; pinch to seal.

Beat egg white and water in a small bowl until foamy. Brush onto dough shapes; sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 16

* To save time, you may also use 1 loaf of frozen white bread dough, thawed, or a package of hot roll mix.

Happy St Pat's My Friends,

Phil

Hello Friends,

Here's a favorite Vegetarian entree of mine that's made hearty with plenty of potatoes, cabbage, onions, and carrots. My Ethiopian friend brought this dish to a potluck and I've been making it ever since. It's healthy and delicious. Do not add liquid since the cabbage and potatoes release enough moisture on their own.

Ethiopian Cabbage Dish

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the carrots and onion in the hot oil about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, and cabbage and cook another 15 to 20 minutes. Add the potatoes; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are soft, 20 to 30 minutes.

Have A Terrific Week My Friends,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

My family's been using this very simple and delicious recipe for sausage, peppers, and onions for years and years now. For an extra kick, try using half sweet sausage and half hot sausage. I just know that you're going to love it.

Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Ingredients

• 6 (4 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup white wine

Directions

1. Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet, and slice.
2. Melt butter in the skillet. Stir in the yellow onion, red onion, and garlic, and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Season with basil, and oregano. Stir in white wine. Continue to cook and stir until peppers and onions are tender.
3. Return sausage slices to skillet with the vegetables. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until sausage is heated through.

Have A Terrific Week,

Phil