Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1- 1 1/2 lb stew meat
Galena Street Rub
1 lb carrots
2 russet potatoes
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
26 oz beef stock (I use this Swanson stock)
Bay leaf (optional)

Directions:

To prepare this stew mostly in advance (eg. the night before placing in crockpot):
Chop potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic into large chunks (no need to peel potatoes or carrots). Place into a large, flat container or a large Ziploc bag, and sprinkle liberally with Galena Street rub, freshly coarsely ground pepper, and a small amount of salt (the rub is fairly salty). Pour approximately 1 c stock over the vegetables & stir to coat. Marinate the vegetables overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to place into crockpot, add meat to crockpot, sprinkle liberally with Galena Street rub, and add vegetables & bay leaf. Pour in remaining stock, and cook on Low heat at least 4-6 hours or all day.

To prepare the day of serving (eg. if you have more time to spend preparing):
Heat a skillet (NOT a nonstick skillet) over high heat. Season meat with Galena Street, freshly coarsely ground pepper, and a small amount of salt. Add to skillet & sear; turn as soon as meat releases from pan without sticking. Quickly brown meat without cooking inside (2-3 minutes maximum). Pour meat into crockpot. Add 1/2 cup stock to skillet and deglaze, scraping up all browned bits. Pour this over the meat. Chop potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic into large chunks (no need to peel potatoes or carrots). Add vegetables & bay leaf to crockpot, sprinkle liberally with Galena Street & pepper. Pour in remaining stock, and cook on Low heat at least 4-6 hours or all day.

We love this with cornbread muffins!

Swiss Chard & Sweet Pea Manicotti

Ingredients

Pam, for greasing the pans
1 box manicotti shells
 
Filling
1 head Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
15 oz ricotta cheese
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves OR 2 t pesto
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Fontina Sauce
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups (6 ounces) fontina cheese, grated
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves (have just left this out)
1 cups (4 ounces) mozzarella, shredded (this is just for topping the sauce, if you want to use less is ok)


Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a 13x9 pan OR 2 8x8 pans (I like to to do this so I have one to cook & one to freeze).

Cook & drain pasta, toss with olive oil in colander while preparing filling.


Filling: 
Remove the stems from chard & discard. Roughly chop the leaves into 1 inch pieces. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Add onion & cook until soft, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add chard & cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat & allow to cool slightly. Place ricotta, peas, mozzerella, Parmesan, basil, salt/pepper into food processor, add cooled chard & blend until smooth. Spoon filling into a ziploc bag, snip the corner off, and fill shells. Place stuffed manicotti into prepared dish.

Fontina Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, bring milk & cream to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add the fontina cheese

For the Fontina Sauce: 
In a medium saucepan, bring milk and cream to a simmer, over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add the fontina cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil.

Pour the sauce over the stuffed manicotti and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. 

Adapted from Food Network's recipe

Chicken Curry

Serves 4

30 minutes

2 potatoes, diced to 3/4" cubes

3 T olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

1 1/2 T sweet curry powder

1 1/2 T garam masala

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t paprika (have left this out with no problems)

1 bay leaf (have left this out too)

1/4 to 1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t sugar

1 t salt (at least, to taste)

3/4 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 T tomato paste

1 small container plain yogurt

1 can chicken broth (will need less than full can)

Important: Prepare mise en place - this recipe cooks fast & requires a lot of spices.

Dice potatoes & place into a small glass bowl; cook in microwave on 70-80% power for 8 minutes while preparing other ingredients.

Saute onion in olive oil until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic & spices, stir & cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste, yogurt, and chicken broth to thin to a creamy consistency. Add chicken & potato. Simmer, stirring often, for approx. 20 minutes.

Serve over rice (brown or basmati).

Adapted from allrecipes