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.