Curried Lentil Sweet Potato Stew

Curried Lentil Sweet Potato Stew (Wholeliving.com)
Cook Time: Approx 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil (I use avocado or coconut)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 medium celery ribs, chopped (I've used dried celery flakes instead)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or more... more garlic is always better!)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 cups dried brown lentils, rinsed
•  2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice

1 package (9 ounces) frozen cut green beans

 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional - the kid hates cilantro, so we leave it out)

Coarse salt and black pepper

Plain yogurt (or sour cream), for serving

Directions

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high.
•  Add onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf.
• Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant - about 1 minute more.
• Add 7 cups of water and lentils.
  Bring to a boil
• Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes.
• Add sweet potatoes and continue to cook, covered, until lentils and potato are just tender
   (about 15 minutes.)
• Add green beans
• Add diced tomatoes
• Cook until warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf.  
• Add cilantro (if desired) and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream

My meat-loving husband loves this dish. It's very filling and quite delicious!

Delicious Chicken & Dumplings

This is one of our favorite meals! Adapted from the No-Guesswork Cookbook - to be made wheat-free!!

Delicious Chicken & Dumplings (from scratch)...
Yield: 8 servings
Cook Time: 30 mins + 20 mins

Harvest Stew...

This is a recipe my sister made up, based on a dish she *tasted* at a restaurant... and began craving [during her pregnancy]. It's a creamy beef soup, made up of a variety of Fall squash, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, & veggies... all pulled together with a spicy hint of nutmeg. It's a fairly simple, but very delicious recipe.... one that has quickly become a family favorite! (and for good reasons, too!!

Harvest Stew

1. In a stock pot, cook some Beef or Venison roast ** in oil (I use olive oil or coconut oil) with a Medium onion (chopped), salt & pepper
   
   ** (I usually get just under a pound of meat. Last time, I used boneless shoulder roast - basically one of the cheapest roasts the store had.... this time I used something else, that I already had in my freezer.)
   
   
2. Once meat is cooked through, add to the pot:
   
   • celery ribs - sliced (I have used dried celery flakes when I didn't have fresh, and it works fine.)
   • 2 medium carrots - diced
   • 1 med. Sweet potato - peeled & cubed
   
   • 1 lrg or 2 small potatoes - peeled & cubed
   • 1 -2 cups of Butternut squash - peeled & cubed (I use half a medium sized squash)
   

   And I have even been known to put zucchini in mine... and contemplate how some chopped up pumpkin would work... ??

   • 4 cups of beef broth (beef bullion cubes + water)
   • Seasonings - Rosemary, Thyme, parsley, nutmeg - Season to taste!
     
   • Garlic
     
   
3. Let simmer for 25 - 30 minutes.
   
   
4. Meanwhile combine together:
   • 1/3 cup water
   • 1/3 cup of cream
   • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
   • 1 Tbsp of ketchup
   
   
5. Add to pot, once done simmering.
   
   
6. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer
   
   
7. Cook (covered) for 10-15 minutes.

Our Thanksgiving...

Finally getting around to posting pictures of our Thanksgiving! - It was a wonderful day, filled with family, laughter... and LOTS of cooking & yummy food! We are certainly blessed!

**warning: large picture post ahead!! :) **

The table...

Crockpot Chili & Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Today was B's first day with the new job!! Since I knew he wasn't going to be home until late... and probably would have worked up a pretty big appetite... I wanted to make something filling & comforting for dinner. The decision? This super easy, and very delicious Crockpot Chili... Garlic Cheddar Biscuits... a salad... and sweet tea! Yum!

Crockpot Chili...
Ingredients:

• 2 cans of Kidney beans
• 1/2 -3/4 lbs of Ground Beef
• 1 cup of onion (I used minced)
• 1 tsp Garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can stewed tomatoes (approx 18 oz)
• 1 can (approx 10 oz) Tomato Sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cubes beef bullion
• 4 tsp Chili powder
• 3/4 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• generous pinch of pepper

Directions:

1. Brown beef in a skillet, along with onion & garlic - pour into crockpot
2. Rinse and drain beans - add
3. Mix in the diced tomatoes & the stewed tomatoes.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the Tomato sauce, Water, & Spices - whisk until smooth.
5. Add ;liquid mixture to the crockpot
6. sprinkle with additional garlic, to taste.
7. Cover & cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or high heat for 4-5 hours.
   
   
   
   
   
   Note: You could also add raw vegetables to this recipe, if you wish...

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits...

Recipe coming soon...

Stovetop Bratwurst Dinner

What does one do with Bratwurst, besides sticking it on a bun like a giant hot dog, squirting the same old monotonous condiments on it, and eating it with a side of beans and/or coleslaw? That was the question I faced with, when making dinner tonight. We don't normally eat sausages... but since that is how God provided for this week... I ran to one of my favorite recipe websites, http://allrecipes.com, and set out to find something that would work with the ingredients I had on hand. The result? Stovetop Bratwurst Dinner (original recipe here) - not bad!!

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups and 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1-1/4 pounds fully cooked bratwurst links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  (I had & used Turkey Bratwurst)
  
• 2-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans (Picked & frozen straight from the garden - thanx Marmee!!)
  
• 5 ounces processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed
• 7-1/2 cups hot cooked noodles
  
  I also made a few additions...
• 1/4 c. minced onion,
• some garlic
• 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce.
• and I sprinkled the top with Colby Jack cheese when it was done.

Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine the milk and soup until blended. Add bratwurst and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve over noodles.

Once again, DH liked it enough that he took seconds... and it made enough for two meals!

Easy Crock Pot Lasagna

I made this recipe the other day... and it's so quick & easy.... and SO delicious... it almost seems to good to be true!!

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or beef
• 1-2 medium onion(s), chopped
• 1 large jar spaghetti sauce (32+oz)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp minced onion
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1-15 oz container ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese  (or [shred] Italian Cheese Blend)
• 3+ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• about 10-12 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:

1. Spray crock pot with non stick cooking spray.
2. In large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink. Drain.
3. Add sauce and seasonings, mix well, reduce heat to low.
4. In bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.
5. Spoon 1/4 of the sausage mixture into the crock pot
6. Top with noodles broken to fit.
7. Top with half of the cheese mixture,
8. then 1/4 of the sausage mixture and noodles.
9. Continue with one more layer of each cheese mixture, sausage/sauce, and then noodles.
10. Finish with remaining sausage mixture.
11. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
12. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese, cover and cook 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

This could easily feed 6-8 people. With generous portions, it made enough for two meals for us!

Tacos a la creativity....

I am stating to find that I really do enjoy cooking.... and am even becoming braver in the creativity department. Tonight, tacos sounded really good, but I didn't have any shells. (hm...) So I decided to make homemade Mac & Cheese. Then I suddenly got a great idea! I browned some ground beef and made some taco seasoning to put on it. Then I layered the Mac&Cheese, seasoned ground beef, and some cut up some lettuce & tomatoes... then I topped the dish with a dollop of sour cream! It was so easy... and turned out SOOO tasty!! My hubby liked it so much, that he even took seconds.. something he only does, if it something he *really* likes!!