Oktoberfest Stew

 This is a quick and easy "stew" but more like soup. It's good for those early fall evenings when the cool weather has hit and you want to celebrate Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest Stew

serves 4-6

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 (14oz) pkg beef smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 small head of cabbage, halved, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp ground caraway seeds

pinch salt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 c German lager beer/Oktoberfest variety

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

2 1/2 c chicken stock

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

 

Place a soup pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot add in the smoked sausage and all to caramelize and brown for about 4-5 minutes. When the sausage is browned add the sliced onions, stir and allow the onions to caramelize with the sausage for another few minutes until golden brown and softened. Once the onions are caramelized add in the sliced cabbage, stir to combine and allow the cabbage to soften and take on the flavors of the sausage and onions for a few minutes. 

 

Add the pepper, caraway seeds, salt, and stir to combine. Stir in the garlic and once it becomes aromatic, add in the cup of lager and stir the mixture to combine; allow the beer to slightly reduce for about 3 minutes or so. Add the potatoes and chicken stock, stir and allow the mixture to come to a boil; once it comes to a boil place a lid on (slightly askew) and reduce the heat to low to gently simmer for about 40 minutes. After 40 minutes turn off the heat and finish by stirring in the apple cider vinegar.

Serve in large bowls with some hearty rye bread or rustic rolls.

very slightly modified from The Cozy Apron

Quick and Easy Instant Pot

Still not loving my instant pot like some people out there but it's growing on me and I do use it more. I still find it to be a tool to make ingredient prep easier rather than cooking a meal in it. It's just what works for me. I think I've said it before that I don't have little kids pulling on me, asking when dinner is so I don't really need something where I can throw stuff in, set it, and not worry for 20 minutes. I find for meal making I have other tools that are easier, just as convenient, work better. Just the stage of life I'm in. I wanted to put a few of my instant pot go-to's in one place so it was easy for me to find.

Chicken breasts
2-3 breasts
1/2 c water
Cook 8 minutes fresh/10 minutes frozen; quick release

Hard boiled eggs
6 eggs
1 c water
Cook 7 minutes; quick release

Corn on the Cob
4-6 ears of corn (either whole or cut in half)
1 c water
Cook 4 minutes; quick release

Grilled Thai Beef Salad

It's been a hot minute since I've been here. Life. Covid. I've been cooking, taking pictures, eating, just not posting. Anyway....I made this the other night. Wasn't sure if Bob would like it or not since he doesn't like spicy food but this was good, just a bit of heat but not too much. It's on the "will make this again" list.

Grilled Thai Beef Salad
serves 4

1 lb top round London broil or flank steak

3 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1tsp)
1 1/2 tsp peeled & minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 tsp red curry paste or chili-garlic sauce
1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, torn (about 5 cups lightly packed)*
3 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 c coarsly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 c fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

Place the meat in a sealable plastic bag or small glass dish. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red curry paste. Pour half the mixture into the bag with the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice to the bag. seal tightly and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Reserve the rest of the mixture to dress the salad.

Prepare your grill - get the charcoal going or preheat a gas grill on medium-high heat until hot. Grill the steak until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes until room temperature, then slice thinly against the grain.

Combine the lettuce, shallots (reserving a few slices for garnish), cilantro, basil, and beef in a large salad bowl. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates and garnish with the sliced shallots.

* I used a spring mix lettuce that our store had.

from "The Food You Crave" by Ellie Krieger

Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles

This recipe! Since Whitney had an apartment last year (for her senior year in college) and since she was on a budget she used the Budget Bytes website and recipes a lot. This was one she made often, told me how good it was, and made it for me one time when I was up visiting. I've made it a couple of times for the two of us this fall when Bob was gone (he's not a spicy food kind of guy). It's so good! And spicy! And best of all it's pretty inexpensive and quick to make and leftovers are good for the next day's lunch.

Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles
serves 3

dragon sauce
1/4 c chili garlic sauce (found in the Asian aisle with the sriracha)
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c brown sugar

pork and noodles
1/2 lb ground pork
6 oz. ramen noodles*
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 c unsalted peanuts, chopped

Combine the dragon sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Add the ground pork to a skillet and cook over medium heat until it is fully browned. If there is excess fat drain the skillet. Once browned, add the prepared dragon sauce and chopped peanuts. Allow the pork and peanuts to simmer in the sauce for another 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half.

While the pork is browning begin boiling water for the noodles. Once boiling add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander.

Once the sauce has reduced add the noodles to the skillet and toss until everything is combined and coated in sauce. Top with sliced green onions and serve.

*you can either use a couple of ramen packages(or however many equals 6 oz) and toss the seasoning packets or we have found Simply Asia brand ramen noodles in the aisle with the Japanese/Asian foods.

Another great recipe from Budget Bytes

Sesame Kale

We've had a lot of kale in our veggie box recently and I need new ways to use it. I came across this recipe when I was looking for the dragon noodles recipe on her website. Both are delicious and if we had a side dish with the dragon noodles this would be a good one.

Sesame Kale

1 bunch of kale
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Remove the stems from the kale by slicing down each side with a sharp knife. Stack the leaves and slice crosswise into one inch wide strips. Wash the leaves well.

Mince the garlic and add it to a large pot with one tablespoon of cooking oil and saute for about a minute over medium heat. Add the kale to the pot. Stir and cook the kale until it is wilted and glossy (about 5 minutes). If you prefer a more tender leaf, cook longer.

Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds to the pot. Stir to coat. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Serve warm.

From Budget Bytes

Tomato Soup

I had gotten some tomatoes in my veggie box last week and hadn't yet figured out what to do with them. Then I saw Debbie Macomber's blog post about tomato soup and grilled cheese. Bingo! And today was the perfect day. This was really good and pretty easy as well, perfect for lunchtime. Goes perfect with a grilled cheese.

Tomato Soup
serves 2-3

1/4 c olive oil
4 tomatoes
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp basil, more to taste
1 c vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 Tbsp half & half, optional

Preheat oven to 425*. Pour oil onto a baking sheet. Slice tomatoes in half and arrange on baking sheet, cut side down. Cut onion into eights and put onto baking sheet. Peel garlic, leave whole, and add to baking sheet. Roast in the oven about 35 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered and the onion and garlic are soft.

Transfer the vegetables to a pot and scrape all the leftover oil into the pot as well. Add the salt and basil. Puree with an immersion blender until no chunks remain. Add broth, puree until smooth. Heat the soup over medium, just until boiling, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir; add half and half, if using.

modified from Debbie Macomber's recipe

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

We were out of town over the weekend and I haven't had time to hit the grocery store so I had to make dinner with whatever was at home. I pulled some chicken out of the freezer last night and knew I had some broccoli in the fridge. I was thinking stir fry, chicken, broccoli, carrots since I was pretty sure I had some. When I got home from work I found facebook was reading my mind and had a Food Network chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe waiting for me. Creepy. But the stir fry was so good!

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
serves 4

2 chicken breasts, cubed
3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on the bias
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
about 1/3 c water
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
5-6 c broccoli, trimmed, sliced stalks and medium florets (keep them separate)
3/4 to 1 tsp red chili flakes, optional
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

In a medium bowl toss the chicken with the scallions, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup of water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl.

Let the skillet heat up hot again then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken browns, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce; return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir the cornstarch/water again then add and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more wwater if needed to think the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds.