Beef Stroganoff

My family has been making this version of beef stroganoff for over 30 years now. It is easy to prepare and if you allow at least an hour to simmer, even the toughest beef turns out oh so tender! I sometimes add a little extra beef bullion to the broth for an even beefier taste. As a kid, this was always served over white rice, but my family now enjoys it with brown rice. Egg noodles work well too. Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff
You will need:
1 1/2 lbs. round steak (cut into pieces) or stir fry beef
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 cups beef broth
1 cup sour cream
Egg noodles or rice

Directions:
Combine salt, pepper and flour in shallow dish. Roll meat in mixture to coat. Brown meat in melted butter in a large skillet. Remove meat after it is browned. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms to skillet to brown for a few minutes. Then add meat and beef broth back into the skillet. Simmer approximately 1 hour until meat is tender. Add sour cream and heat through (but don't boil). Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Cacciatore-Style Chicken

I love my crockpot, but sometimes I forget it can be used for so much more than roasts and soups! This is one of my favorite crockpot chicken recipes from Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes. Serve with pasta.



Cacciatore-Style Chicken
You will need:
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped carrot
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 green, yellow, or red sweet pepper, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-1/2 pounds chicken pieces, skinned (drumsticks work especially well)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste
Hot cooked pasta

Directions:
In a 5- to 6- quart slow cooker combine mushrooms, celery, carrot, onions, sweet pepper and garlic. Cover vegetables with the chicken. Add broth, wine, tapioca, bay leaves, oregano, sugar, salt, and black pepper.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

Remove chicken and keep warm. Remove bay leaves and discard. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in undrained tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer on high-heat setting. To serve, spoon vegetable mixture over chicken and pasta.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

This is my mom's version of an update to homemade chicken noodle soup. It is very forgiving and easily adaptable. You can cut the recipe in half, or even double or triple it. Adjust the veggies to suit what you have available or add more chicken or tortellini if desired. Just a simple and wholesome recipe!

Chicken Tortellini Soup
You will need:
Water
3 lbs. chicken (whole or pieces)
1 T chicken bullion
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1 large onion (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup peeled carrots (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
4 cups fresh spinach
2 pounds tortellini (boxed or frozen)

Cook the chicken. Generally I boil a whole chicken and try to re-use the water for my soup broth. It makes the broth a little fattier and cloudier, but ultimately tastier- so it's your call. Remove all the bones from the cooked chicken and set aside.

To make the soup, start with 4 quarts of water (or broth from cooking chicken) and bring to a boil. Add your bullion, salt and pepper, onion, garlic, carrots, celery (or other dense vegetables) and boil for 10-15 minutes. DO NOT add spinach yet. Once the veggies are relatively soft, add the tortellini and simmer another 5-10 minutes, adding the spinach and chicken just before the tortellini is cooked. Season additionally as needed and serve!

This soup is great with crusty bread and makes great leftovers because it is even more flavorful the next day.