Beef Stew

Why do I love making stews?  Because they can be made in one pot and they fill the house with aroma that no candle scent can duplicate!! Another big plus is that you can use your favorite vegetables in them to cater to your personal taste.  I love to modify recipes I find to make them my own.

One item you may want to invest in is a dutch oven.  Whether you are making stews, sauces, braising meats, etc., you will find that you will never regret purchasing it.  They range in price between $40.00 to over $300!!!  Cook's Illustrated found that the Tramontina 6 qt., which is available at Sam's Club for $39.99, scored just as favorably as the Le Cuistot which retails for $139.47 on Amazon. Guess which one this gal has??? 

Ingredients you'll need:

2 1/2lbs Stew Beef (a $saver is to buy a chuck steak and cut it yourself)

4 Red Potatoes 

3 Carrots

1 Sweet Onion

1 Turnip

2 tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. Paprika

2 tsp. Sugar

3 Garlic Cloves

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Black Pepper

2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

3 tbsp. Tomato Paste

1/4 c. Flour

1 12 oz. Bottle of Dark Beer

4 c. Beef Broth

Using a large freeze bag, mix the flour, salt, pepper together before adding the chopped beef.  Make sure all the pieces are coated.  Then, add 1/2 the butter to the dutch oven and brown the beef. 

When the beef is browned on all sides, take it out of the pot.  Add the remaining butter along with the onions and garlic. Cook for approx. 3-4 minutes on medium heat.  Also, add the remaining flour to melted butter and onions to create your roux.This is the tricky part of making a stew.  Keep stirring until it is brown and pasty.

Pour the beer, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper into the pot. Add the beef, potatoes, carrots, and turnip and stir.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.  Resist the urge to check on the stew.  Once every 30 minutes should be enough.  If you find that the stew isn't as 'thick' as you'd like, you can mix 2 tbsp. of corn starch along with 1/4 c. of hot water to add to it. 

I find that cutting the vegetables into hardy portions also keeps them from turning to mush during the cooking process.  

I had great success with the Hazel Brown beer the Shipyard Brewing Co. makes.

This stew will feed ALOT. It also reheats even tastier!!

If you are a pumpkin lover, you can use a pumpkin beer and add sweet potatoes as well!!  It's fun to mix things up. 

The only thing that is missing with this stew is bread!!  My next blog will feature a super simple homemade bread that I make almost weekly during the fall/winter months!

Apple Pie!!!!

This is the perfect time to make apple pie.  Most apples are on sale and the flavor doesn't get any better than fresh, ripe apples.

Our family recently went to Boothby Orchards located in Livermore, Maine.  It's a family owned and operated orchard that is as beautiful as the apples their trees produce. If you visit during the weekend, you will receive a scenic tractor ride to the lush picking area.

The beautiful girl on the right is my granddaughter, Jaylin, who loved her trip to the orchard.

The recipe that I use for my pie crust is a very basic and extremely easy to make.  It comes from Fanny Farmer's Baking Cookbook.  I bought it when I was 19 and it has been a staple in my kitchen ever since.

Crust

 2 1/4 c. flour

3/4 c. softened buter

1/2 tsp Salt

6 tbsp. COLD water

Using a pastry blender add the flour, salt and butter. Chop with the pastry blender until the consistency is like sand on the beach. Then, add the COLD water gradually.  Keep adding the water and kneading until it forms a nice slick ball.  Divide into two equal portions.  Wrap the balls in plastic and chill for a half hour. A pastry blender is great tool to have for your kitchen and costs between $5-$10  If you have a food processor, you can use the pulse feature to achieve the same sand-like texture, although it isn't necessary to own in order to a make a nice pie crust.

During this time, you can make the filling.  I use about 6-7 LARGE MacIntosh or Courtland apples.  I sometimes like a tart Granny Smith.  You can also mix them if you'd like.

                                                                   

                                                                       Filling

                                                           6-7 LARGE apples
                                                             3/4 c. sugar
                                                           1 tsp. cinnamon
                                                             1/4 tsp. nutmeg
                                                       1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
                                                               1/4 c. flour
                                                              2 tbsp. butter

After peeling the apples and removing all of the skin, cut the apples into large pieces.  Some people are concerned the apples can be too big, but remember, they break down during the cooking process.  We want apple PIE not applesauce!!  Also, using the correct ratios of cinnamon and nutmeg will avoid an over-spiced pie that drowns out the apple flavor.

I like to sprinkle the flour and sugar on first adding the remaining ingredients after.  Toss them so that all of the apples are covered, leaving the butter to one side.

                                                                    Rolling out the crust

Putting the ball of dough into the center of a well-floured table, start by rolling North to South, East to West until the desired size is achieved. Ideally, you want the crust to have an overflow of about one inch around the pie plate.  I love the old Pyrex pie plates. You can purchase them in the grocery store as well.  They are inexpensive and last a long time.  Because butter is in the crust, there is no need to grease the pan.

Finally, fill the plate with the apple filling.  Add small dabs of  butter all around the pie and place the second crust on top.  Trim the excess crust with a paring knife all around.  With your finger tips, pinch ruffle all around to seal the two crusts together.  With the paring knife, make small slash marks around the pie for the steam to escape.  These only need to be a few on each side.  I like to finish off my pie by making simple leaves out of the extra dough. Using an egg white with 1 tsp. of sugar, I make an egg wash and brush around the entire pie. Place on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for an hour.

Everyone will develop their own way baking and that is great!!  Some like a more tart pie, some like it more sweet.  You can modify recipes as time goes on to make them your own.

If you are married or have a special man in your life, one word of advice: DO NOT try to reinvent his mama's recipe.   While my husband loves my pies, I will never be able to capture the crust Patty Roberts makes!!! I'm good with that.  My father in-law is fair game though, so I'm working on him down to this day!!  In all seriousness, it's okay to be different.  The personal twist that people add to their cooking is what makes it so fun and enjoyable!! 

Welcome

This being the first post on Entertain ME, I thought I would start off by introducing you to a few basic needs that you may want to consider for your kitchen.

I've learned over the years that you truly do not have to invest in a set of pots and pans.  My suggestion is that you purchase individual pieces over time that you find you will use regularly.  That way you can build a great set on your terms.  The bottom line is that some brands may be awesome at making frying pans, but deficient in regards to stock pots, dutch ovens, etc.

My first must have is the cast iron skillet.  You are cheating yourself horribly if you don't learn to cook on cast iron!!!  Coming from a poor family, I was raised with cast irons skillets. They are affordable and are pretty hard to destroy...unless you decide to sign up for the  frying pan throwing contest at the Monmouth Fair. They are priced at $20-30 and are an investment that will reward you over and over again. They also make a great wedding gift!

A medium sauce pan is another must have, as well as a medium stock pot.  A decent colander is another tool that will become one of your best friends.  I wouldn't buy a flimsy, plastic one that will break down over time.  I purchased the Pampered Chef set awhile ago. While they are nice, they aren't my favorites.  They are pretty pricey, too.  I found a nice one on sale last week I am finding is the most helpful, the Farberware over the sink collapsible colander.

This afternoon, I am taking a trip to Emery's Market, in Monmouth, Maine to check out their organic meats and cheese.  I'll post my findings tomorrow.