Beef Stroganoff

This is one of my husband's favorite meals.  The original recipe called for cooking it on the stove.  I now use my Quick Cooker to make it.  It takes less time and the meat is so tender.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs round steak cut into cubes

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• ½ tsp garlic salt

• ¼ c butter

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 ½ c sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 c beef broth

• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 T flour

• 8 oz sour cream

Directions:

1.  Season meat with paprika, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

2.  Set Quick Cooker to SEAR.  Melt 2 T butter in the inner pot.  

3.  Add half of round steak and onions and brown.  Remove and add the other 2 T butter and rest of steak and onions.  Brown.  Press CANCEL.

4.  Add mushrooms, beef broth, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce to inner pot.  

5.  Set Quick Cooker to BEEF/PORK and set time to 35 minutes.  

6.  When timer is up, press CANCEL.  Release steam manually.

7.  Discard bay leaf.

8.  In a small bowl, stir together flour and sour cream.

9.  Set Quick Cooker to SAUTE.  Add the sour cream mixture to meat and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Cook for 1 minute more.

10.  Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

Tips:

• One of the benefits of using the Quick Cooker is one pot meals, however, when browning the meat, it takes two batches and that increases the cook time.  I brown the meat on the stove in my large skillet to save time.  

Click Here to Print Recipe.

Grandma Gauw's Swiss Steak

Tastes and smells are powerful memory triggers.  We all have memories of food from our childhood that brings a smile to our face.  One of mine was my grandma Gauw's Swiss Steak.  Last year in a conversation with my mom, she told me grandma's secrets.  Dawn Fresh Mushroom Steak Sauce and cooking it in her pressure cooker.  

Like any good cook, I found a recipe and adapted it.  I'm grateful that I don't have to use my grandma's pressure cooker.  I have my Quick Cooker.  

Ingredients

To prepare the beef:

• 2 1/4 pounds round steak (about 3/4″ thick)

• heaping 1/2 cup flour

• 3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

To cook the recipe:

• oil as needed (3 to 5 tablespoons)

• 1 large yellow onion, vertically sliced, about 3/8ths to 1/2 inch thick

• 1/4 cup beef stock

• 2 6 oz cans Dawn Fresh Mushroom Steak Sauce

Instructions:

1.  Mix together flour, seasoning salt, salt, and pepper on large plate and set aside. 

2.  Cut round steak into serving pieces. Dredge steak in flour mixture.

3.  Set the Quick Cooker to SAUTE.   Once hot, add a tablespoon or two of oil. 

4.  Add meat, working in batches, adding oil as necessary, browning each side until golden, removing and setting on a large plate or platter.

5.  Add onions and beef stock; cooking for several minutes until stock has evaporated.  Hit CANCEL.

6.  Add the meat and steak sauce to inner pot.

7.  Seal Quick Cooker and set to BEEF/PORK setting and adjust time to 35 minutes.  Press START.

8.  When the timer goes off, allow 10 minutes for natural pressure release and then manually release the rest.

PC Quick Cooker

9. Serve with rice or potatoes.

Tips: 

• One of the benefits of using the Quick Cooker is one pot meals, however, when browning the meat, it takes several batches and that increases the cook time.  I brown the meat on the stove in my large skillet to save time.  

• I buy my Dawn Fresh Steak Sauce on Amazon.  If you are fortunate enough to have a Meijer nearby, you can get it there as well.

Click Here to Print Recipe:

No Soak Pinto Beans

My daughter loves beans and rice.  I make this about once a week for lunch.  What I love about this recipe is that I can put the rice in the rice cooker ~we eat brown rice~ and this recipe in my Quick Cooker around 11:00 a.m. and lunch will be ready by noon.  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pinto beans

• 3 cups water

• 1 T. bacon drippings

• 1 t. minced garlic

• 1 t salt

• 1 t. ground cumin

• 1 t minced onion

• 1 t Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning

Directions:

1.  Rinse and sort beans in cool water, drain.

2.  Add beans, water, bacon drippings and seasonings to the inner pot of the Quick Cooker.

3.  Lock the lid and select the BEANS setting.  Adjust the time to 35 minutes and press START.

4.  When the timer is up, let the steam release naturally for 10 minutes.  Press the steam-release button to release ay remining pressure.  Press. CANCEL.

Serve over rice.  

Click Here to print recipe:

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Several years ago, on a women's beach retreat, we had this soup.  I serve this when we have guests for Thanksgiving.  It's also great for Sunday Suppers.

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large onion diced

2 C diced celery ~about 5 stalks~

1 C sliced mushrooms

2 C dry wild rice blend made per box instructions

3 C cubed/pulled cooked chicken or turkey (about 5 chicken breasts)

½ C butter

½ C flour

3 ½ C heavy cream

2 C chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp sage

1 Tbsp marjoram

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 chicken bouillon

Directions:

6 qt Enamel Cast Iron
Dutch Oven

1. Boil chicken, cube, set aside.

2. Cook wild rice according to package instructions, set aside.

3. Slice mushrooms set aside.

4. Dice the garlic, onion, and celery.

5. In a Dutch oven, melt butter on medium low and add vegetables to sauté.  Once vegetables are tender (not mush), add flour and stir.

6. Turn heat to medium, add cream and stir.  Continue stirring as this thickens.

7. Once it reaches the thickness of gravy, add chicken and rice; stir.

8. Add chicken broth to thin the soup to your liking.

9. Add the bouillon and seasonings to taste.

10. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

11. Serve.  

12. To rewarm, add back to Dutch Oven and warm on medium high heat and add more chicken stock or cream to loosen the soup.

Click Here to Print Recipe

Vegetable Beef Soup

When my husband and I first started dating, he was in seminary.  He came back from classes one cold rainy day sounding awful with the beginnings of a cold.  I went home and made this soup to take to him.  It's still one of his favorites.

6 qt Enameled Cast Iron
Dutch Oven

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef

• ½ c butter

• ½ cup flour

• 1 ½ qts. water

• 1 c chopped onion

• 1 c sliced carrot

• 1 c sliced celery

• 1 c cubed potato

• 1 10 ox package frozen soup mix

• 1 28 oz can tomatoes, undrained and chopped ~or tomato puree~

• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce

• 1 ½ T beef bouillon ~I use Better than Beef Bouillon~

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• 2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef in a large Dutch Oven, stirring to crumble.  Drain

2. Melt butter in Dutch Oven, add flour and cook over low heat 3 minutes.  

Gradually add water, stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring occasionally.

3. Add ground beef and remaining ingredients.  

4. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Click Here to Print Recipe:

Tips:

Mix N' Chop

File this under, tools I never knew I needed.  LOL.  The Mix 'N Chop from Pampered Chef makes crumbling your ground beef easy.  

Sunday Suppers

One of the lessons of 2020 is the importance of relationships.  There is no substitute for in person and face-to-face conversations.  Zoom and FaceBook don’t cut it.  One of my intentions for 2021 is to find ways to encourage and deepen relationships.  

It’s time to revive some old traditions.

January is National Sunday Supper Month.  During the early years of our marriage, my husband was the pastor at a small church in a small faming community.  We started going to another young couple’s home after Sunday evening services for supper.  We went to their house because they had kids to get to bed.  Sometimes I cooked.  Sometimes Carie would cook.  Sometimes we were joined by their parents.  Sometimes we had waffles and bacon.  I made a lot of homemade pizza.  There was no Pizza Hut in town.  Sometimes we’d have soup with cornbread.  Carie made the best cornbread.  The key to great cornbread is cooking it in a cast iron skillet.

It doesn’t have to be fancy.  Your house doesn't have to be featured in Southern Living.  Your house doesn’t have to be spotless.  Make a pot of soup.  Invite a friend over to share it.   

Here are some ideas for simple Sunday Suppers

• Grammy Lou's Chicken Potpie

• Vegetable Beef Soup

• Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

• Baked Potato Bar w/Chili 

Let’s make 2021 the year that brings us together instead of the isolation that was 2020.

Lessons Learned from 2020

I am reminded of one of my favorite fictional characters, Mozzie from White Collar, when he quotes an old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”   Well, 2020 has definitely been interesting.  

There have been many lessons in 2020 but I’m going to focus on three.  We’ve learned the importance of Faith, Friends and Family, and Health.  

One of the things that has disappointed me the most this year has been the fear and panic of those who claim to know Jesus Christ.  I understand that if you believe that this life is all you have, then fear and panic is logical when this life is threatened.  But as Followers of Jesus Christ, our Hope is that this life is temporary.  We are just passing thru.  We are citizens of Heaven.  As Paul says in Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  

That isn’t to say that we won’t have trouble.  We will.  Early in the Covid fear, I saw friends posting things like I claim in Jesus’ name that I won’t get Covid.  Uhmm, no.  That is taking the Lord’s name in vain.  We live in a broken and fallen world.  Death and disease are a part of the curse of sin.  

Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33. 

2020 has been a great opportunity to show the world that we are different.   Since the beginning of the Christian church, when crisis arose, it was the Church that rose up with courage and met the crisis.  When unwanted babies in the Roman Empire were dropped off bridges, it was the Christ Followers that rescued and adopted them.  When disease hit, it was the Christ Followers that took care of the sick.  Why are so many hospitals named after Saints and Christian groups?  My daughter’s kidney transplant took place in St. Louis Children’s Hospital.  It is connected to the Washington University Medical campus along with Barnes Jewish Hospital.  Barnes Jewish Hospital is where her donor had his procedure.  When Yellow Fever hit Memphis in 1878, it was the Church that stayed and cared for them.  Many died as a result of caring for the sick and dying.  

What did the Church do in 2020?  It closed down like the rest of the world.    Oh, it was couched in terms of being good neighbors and not wanting to spread the disease.  We were told that the Church isn’t a building, but a group of believers.   We were told that we could worship God anywhere.  Group of believers?!?  The word literally means assembly.   Where was the assembly of believers taking place?  The early Church met In homes.  They broke bread together.  They had fellowship.  So big groups weren’t a good idea.   What about meeting in small groups in people’s homes?  What a novel idea!

We missed a golden opportunity as the Church.

Which brings me to the second lesson of 2020; the importance of friends and family.  We were created for relationships.  We all felt the impact of isolation.  The impact will be felt for decades.  No, Zoom and Facebook are not a substitute for face to face; voice to voice; and hugs.  I have several friends who lost parents this year.  The heartbreak of not being able to be with their loved ones as they died or gather for a celebration of their lives will be emotional scars that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.  I’ve had friends who have been hospitalized with no one to be with them.  I’ve had family who have had to deal with hurricanes and insurance companies all alone.  No family or friends to offer them a hug.  One of the risks for Failure to Thrive in older adults is social isolation or loss of loved one.  Sound familiar?  The solution?  Get involved in social activities.  Hello?!?  What social activities?  We’ve shut down schools, churches, sporting events and restaurants.  Many were afraid to get together for Thanksgiving or Christmas with family.  Thankfully, many decided that getting together was worth the risk.  

The third lesson of 2020 is the importance of health.  The highest risk factor for complications from Covid is age.  It’s not even close.  8 out of 10 deaths in the US with Covid have been above the age of 65.  The percentage of US population in this age group is 17%.  Risk of hospitalization in this age group increases by 5 – 13 times.  

The next highest risk factors are certain medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.  These are conditions that are highly influenced by nutrition and lifestyle.  I am not saying that if you have cancer or heart disease, that it is your fault.  Death and disease are the reality of living in a fallen and broken world.  My own daughter is testament of that.  She caught an e coli bug when she was 8.  Her body couldn’t shake it and she ended up in kidney failure.  I could beat myself up for mistakes that I might have made, but the reality is that we live in a fallen and broken world that death and disease are a part of.  What we can do is take steps to mitigate our risk.  A healthy immune system is important.  There are actions that we can take to build up our immune system; like taking Vitamin D; lessening our body’s inflammation thru cutting out sugar and bad fats; getting proper sleep; and controlling stress.  

As we look forward to 2021, the question is, have we learned any lessons from 2020?  If we haven’t, 2021 isn’t going to look much different than this year.  What changes are you going to make?  What changes am I going to make?