Hello Friends,

Hope that you all are Hungry, because this is a very substantial beef stew that is enhanced by roasting to the vegetables prior to adding to the stew. I have perfected it over the years and my family and friends love it. Serve over steamed rice or noodles, together with a good loaf or two of Crusty Bread for a "real" meal.

Roasted Vegetable and Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cubed
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 onion, chopped
• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 6 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 6 large russet potatoes, cut into quarters
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 bay leaf
• 3 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place beef cubes in a metal roasting pan and stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Put in the oven, on the middle rung and cook for 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown and tender.
2. Meanwhile, put onions, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, celery, and garlic in a roasting pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place in oven underneath beef. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove both beef and vegetable mixture from oven.
3. Remove beef from roasting pan and set aside. Place roasting pan, on medium high heat. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up the bits of drippings, stirring. When the bottom of the pan is clear of all browned pieces, remove from heat.
4. Put beef and wine mixture in a Dutch oven and stir in beef broth and add bay leaf and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
5. Add 2 tablespoons flour to cooked vegetables and toss until all vegetables are coated. Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are heated through and tender. Serve hot. Serves 6.

This hearty bread has excellent flavor and a wonderful crust. Simply delicious!

Crusty Potato Bread

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select White Bread Cycle; press Start.

Yield: One 2 lb Loaf - Approx. 15 Slices.

Have A Delightful Week,

Phil

Hi Myrna,

Potato Bread has always been one of my favorites as well. Both my Mother and Grandmother used Mashed Potatoes whenever they made it, just like yours did.

Since we had a somewhat rich and heavy Stew for Dinner, how about a slightly lighter meal today, along with a little Sweet Treat as our reward.

Here's a tasty little salad, topped with tender slices of pistachio encrusted chicken. To save time, I buy the pistachios with the shells already removed. Also, if you don't care for spinach, you can substitute field greens. Serve with some crusty French bread, and a little Sweet surprise as well.

Spinach Salad with Pistachio Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• garlic powder to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 1 (10 ounce) package baby spinach leaves, rinsed and drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 2 green onions, sliced
• grated Parmesan cheese for topping
• bottled balsamic salad dressing, to taste

Directions

1. Place pistachios in a food processor or blender, and pulse until finely diced. Sprinkle half of diced pistachios onto a large plate.
2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Press chicken breast halves into the pistachio pieces, adding more diced nuts to the plate as needed. Sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic powder and black pepper. Place in the skillet, and cook until golden brown. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove chicken to a cutting board, and slice into thin slices.
3. Into four bowls, place equal amounts of spinach leaves, tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, and green onions. Place chicken slices on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan, pour on Balsamic vinegar, and season with black pepper. Serves 4.

Next, we have a simple European style country bread. Just enough whole wheat to give it some flavor, but not so much that it's heavy. I also use an overnight starter to give it extra flavor.

French Country Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

1. The night before baking the bread prepare this starter: In a medium sized non-metal mixing bowl dissolve 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast in 1 cup warm water. Add 1 1/2 cup bread flour and mix well. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature.
2. The next day: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the 2 teaspoons yeast in the 2 cups warm water. Add the starter mixture, the whole wheat flour, 3 cups bread flour and the salt; stir until well combined. Add the remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into the prepared pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Yield: Two 9x5 Loaves.

My mom used to make these for us after school in the fall, with the apples we'd pick each year. They're warm, crisp, and a perfectly sweet treat. Aren't Memories marvelous?

Mom's Apple Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup cinnamon sugar

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or electric skillet to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in the milk, eggs and oil and stir until well blended. Mix in apples until they are evenly distributed.
3. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes depending on the size. Fry in smaller batches so they are not crowded. Remove from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. Toss with cinnamon sugar while still warm. Yiels 2 Dozen.

Wishing You A Wonderful Week,

Phil

Hello Friends,

Today we're going to try a little something special. Fancy Chicken, if you will! Broiled peppers, tomatoes, and onions become a luscious topping for quickly sautéed chicken breast cutlets. The fried caper garnish adds a crisp, salty note, without all of the harmful Salt itself.

Chicken Cutlets with Bell Pepper Ragout

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb. ripe plum tomatoes (6 to 8), cored, halved lengthwise, and seeded
1 medium red or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into medium dice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. piment d’Espelette or 1/2 tsp. cayenne
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium clove garlic, mashed to a paste with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into cutlets
2 Tbs. nonpareil (small) capers, rinsed and patted dry

Preparation

Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high.

Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with foil. Put the tomatoes cut side up on one side and the peppers and onion on the other side. Drizzle everything with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil and sprinkle with the piment d’Espelette, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Toss the peppers and onions. Broil until the tomatoes are collapsed, about 7 minutes. Flip the tomatoes, toss the peppers and onions, and broil until the tomato skins have large black spots and the peppers and onions are tender, about 5 minutes more.

Use tongs to pull the skins off the tomatoes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board. Put the peppers and onions in a large bowl; add the garlic paste. Chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl with the other vegetables. Mix well, season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Put the flour in a shallow pan. Season the chicken with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper; dredge in the flour. Working in 2 batches, cook the chicken, flipping once, until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and fry the capers over medium-high heat until they pop open and become crisp, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle them over the chicken. Serve with the ragout. Serves 4.

Have A Wonderful Week,

Phil

Hello Everyone,

Well, tomorrow night is Friday night and you all know what that means here at my house. It's gonna be some kind of Fish. This is the best and most delicious salmon recipe that I've ever tried, and it's also very easy to prepare. I love maple in everything and put this together one night. The tantalizing glaze was inspired by a chicken dish I enjoyed while vacationing in Vermont. I decided to try it with salmon, and it's just as good if not better.

Maple Salmon with Mushroom Couscous

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup uncooked couscous

Directions

1. Line a small baking pan with foil; coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the syrup, soy sauce and garlic. Place fillets skin side down on prepared pan. Brush half of the syrup mixture over salmon. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 7 minutes. Brush with remaining syrup mixture. Broil 6-8 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the broth, mushrooms and pepper to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Return to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve with salmon. Serving for 4.

This recipe goes well with any meat, however I'm particularly fond of it with Fish.

Baby Carrots With Dill Butter

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package baby carrots
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place carrots in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 10 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat, and drain. Gently toss with margarine, dill, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

Have A Wonderful Thursday My Friends,

Phil