Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

6 strips bacon, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
3 pounds beef rump, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour
10 ounces beef broth, can condensed
2 cups red or Burgundy wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon whole thyme
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 pound white onions, peeled
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1. Sauté bacon in a skillet on stovetop set to medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.
2. Add beef cubes to skillet and brown well. Remove meat and set aside.
3. Brown carrot and onion in skillet and transfer to stoneware. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in flour, add broth, and mix well.
4. Add beef and bacon to stoneware, mix, and place in slow cooker heating base.
5. Add wine, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, onions, and mushrooms. Cover; cook on Low for 10-12 hours or on High for 5-6 hours.

Grilled Avocado Cheese Sandwich

Two big slices of artisan bread (I used rosemary olive oil this time)
Half of a ripe avocado slices thin
grated smoked Gouda cheese
thin slices tomato
thin sliced red tomato
bacon fat (yes bacon fat)

Butter the bread with cool bacon fat. Assemble the sandwich with avocado slices, cheese, tomato and onions. Grill on a griddle until browned and the cheese is melted. I discovered with this sandwich that the bacon fat makes the most incredible crisp bread.

Navy Bean and Spinach Soup

1 lb dry navy beans
1 quart chicken stock
1 large carrot diced
1 med onion diced
1 stalk celery chopped thin
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 quart water
2 cups chopped frozen spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

Place navy beans in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse the beans and add the rest of the ingredients except for the spinach. Simmer on low until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Add water as needed.

Removed the stems from the thyme and the bay leaves.

Mash about a cup of the beans well or pure in a blender or food processor. An immersion blender works best. Add the beans back to the soup and the spinach. Simmer another 15-20 minutes and adjust the seasoning as needed.


Serve with crusty bread and crumbled thick bacon on top.

Bacon and Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda

5 slices of thick bacon, cooked and rough chopped
1 cup smoked Gouda cheese  grated
1/2 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach, all the moisture squeezed out
1 medium zucchini cut into small julienne
6 eggs
salt an pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Saute the zucchini in a little bacon grease until tender to remove some of the moisture.Cool

Beat the eggs. Add the spinach, zucchini and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Mix well.

Heat a 10 inch oven safe omelet pan with a little butter. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Top with the the bacon and the remaining cheese.

When the eggs have started to firm up, transfer the the oven and back for 15 minutes until the frittata is firm. Cool slightly before serving.

Pecan Pie

This is an old family recipe, not sure which side of the family though.

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups pecans

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake at 375 F for 40 to 50 minutes.

Lamb, Potatoes, and Peas in Red Curry Sauce

2 lbs of cubed lamb
2 lbs of small red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced vertically into sections
1 can coconut cream
2 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
salt to taste
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and place them, along with the onions, in the slow cooker insert,

Mix the coconut cream, red curry paste, sugar, and soy sauce together and pour over the potatoes. Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours, or until the potatoes are somewhat tender when pierced with a fork.

Rub the lamb with a tablespoon of curry paste and brown. Add to the potatoes. Add the sweet potatoes, cover and continue to cook on low for another 2 to 3 hours, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the peas along with salt to taste and continue to cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes longer.

To serve, sprinkle each portion with 1 to 2 tablespoons cashews and some cilantro.

This recipe was based on one from The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker

Double Deepdish Apple Pie

I based this recipe on a recipe I found on the Food Network website. Really I just made it bigger and deeper! The pie looks best in a spring form pan, but it works well done in a casserole dish too and will travel well.

3 cups all purpose flour

1.5 teaspoon salt

1 cup 2 tablespoon shortening

Ice water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

In a large mixing bowl cut the shortening and salt into the flour by hand or with a pastry blender until the texture of cornmeal. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ice water over the mixture and mix until the dough is moistened. Repeat by adding 6 to 8 tablespoons water, one at a time, until all the dough is just moist. You can also do this whole process in a food processor, pulse the mixture a few time each to mix.

Divide the dough into thirds. Roll out two disks, one a little smaller than a 9 inch spring form pan, the other a pit larger. Roll the last third into a rectangle. I roll everything between parchment paper and I've never found another method thats easier to handle the dough.

Place the large disk on the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Press it in untill it fills the bottom and some of the sides. Cut the rectangular portion of the dough into strips as wide as the pan is tall. Press the strips into the pan to line the sides. Make sure the dough is completely sealed. Dock the dough slightly by poking it with a fork.

Filling:

3/4 to 1.25 cup all purpose flower

8-9 cups slices apples (6-7 apples, I like Granny Smiths, but don't be afraid to mix in what ever you have on hand)

1.5 cups white sugar

1.5 cups brown sugar

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

Mix all the ingredients except butter together. Add the flour a little at a time until the the apples are well coated.

Fill the crust in the spring form pan with the apples. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter over th apples. Place the smaller disk of dough on top of the apples and cut a few slits in to the crust in a design for allow steam to escape.

Back at 375. Check at 25 minutes. When done the crust should be slightly brown the apple mixture bubbling. Check at 5 minute intervals until done.

Let the pie cool completely before removing from the pan.