Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Beef with Broccoli (Crockpot)

I am making this for supper tonight.  I just tried a bite of it and couldn't wait to share the recipe with you!  It's SO good and easy!
Beef with Broccoli (Crockpot)
Recipe and photo from Key Ingredient


Ingredients

1lb. boneless, beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips ( I actually saved back some of our Rump Roast from Sunday.  I cut some off before I cooked the roast and froze it until today) 
1cup beef consumme or beef broth (I used water and beef bouillon)
½cup low sodium soy sauce
cup brown sugar
1tbsp. sesame oil
3garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder)
2tbsp. cornstarch
4tbsp. sauce (from the crockpot after dish is cooked)
Frozen broccoli florets (as many as desired, I believe I used almost 2 cups)
Brown Rice , cooked



Directions

1.In the insert of the crockpot, whisk together beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
2.Gently place your slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat. 
3.Turn crockpot on low and cook for 6 hours. 
4.When done, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cooking liquid to create a slurry, pour into crockpot, stir to mix well. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes to thicken up the sauce. 
5.Toss in your broccoli florets then serve hot over brown rice

Friday, May 3, 2013

Lasagna Soup (Yum!)


Another recipe winner!  We tried this tonight because we thought it looked good, and we were right.  It looks good, and tastes even better!  I would definitely recommend you try this soon!
This recipe is from A Farm Girl's Dabbles



Ingredients 
    (I used some alternative ingredients so I wouldn't have to run to the store, it was still amazing. I included my notes for your reference)
    for the soup:
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
  • 3 c. chopped onions 
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder)
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I omitted this)
  • 2 T. tomato paste (I actually used a small can of tomato sauce and cooked it down a little)
  • 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (I used Hy-Vee's petite diced tomatoes in Garlic and olive oil)
  • 2 bay leaves (I omitted this)
  • 6 c. chicken stock (I used water and bouillon)
  • 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta (I used bow tie)
  • 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves 
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • for the cheesy yum:
  • 8 oz. ricotta
  • 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • pinch of freshly ground pepper
  • additional cheesy yum:
  • 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

EASY and Delicious! Crock Pot Tortellini (Or you can make on the stove)


\Adapted from Little Fellows

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) bag of frozen cheese tortellini (This is good, but rich.  I might just use bow tie pasta next time!)
1 small bag of fresh spinach (Optional)
1 (14.5 oz) can of petite diced tomatoes, drained (I used a variety with onions, you can use what you like best)
1 block (8 oz) of cream cheese or neufchatel (less fat)
1 lb. of ground sausage or chicken/turkey sausage (I omitted this too)
2 cups of chicken broth  (Or I used water and bouillon)

Brown the sausage and put all ingredients in crockpot,
chunking up the cream cheese.
Cook on low for 4-6 hrs. or mix together and cook on the stove until heated through and cream cheese has melted and mixed.