Brunswick Stew

 

Brunswick Stew is an old recipe, dating back to pilgrim days when this country was raw and new and a refuge for those fleeing the Puritan wars in England.  Original recipes call for wild boar, squirrel, rabbits etc.

In the South I grew up in, Brunswick Stew has many variations and people have strong opinions about it.  Mama and Granny made their stew with a mix of cooked pork shoulder and boiled chicken.  Some folks add cooked ground hamburger (or venison) to their stew.  Some stews are sweet and thin, some are thick and meaty.  Some have tomato sauce as well as tomatoes.  It really does come down to what type most closely resembles what you're accustomed to eating.

In the small town where I once lived, there were two barbecue places that they sat right across the highway from each other.  A friend and I would have barbecue for lunch at least once a month and we had to go to BOTH restaurants because we did not agree on the Brunswick Stew.  The barbecued meats were equally good, but the Brunswick Stews were vastly different!

A Barbecue restaurant will usually offer a variety of meats.  Pulled pork, BBQed ribs, chicken quarters and these days you might find beef Brisket, but it was not common in decades prior to this.  The meat is smoked onsite. If you order the dinner, the plates are served the same regardless of which meat choice you make.   You get a serving of meat, two slices of white bread, coleslaw and Brunswick Stew.  If you order pulled pork, you generally get dill pickle slices to go with it.

Generally, when I serve Brunswick Stew, I keep it simple.  The recipe has plenty of meat in it and because I serve it in generous bowls, I don't feel the need to add a pulled pork sandwich on the side.  If we're especially hungry or it's especially cold a wedge of cornbread is a welcome addition.

My recipe base for Brunswick Stew comes from The Culinary Arts Encyclopedic Cookbook.  I have altered the recipe.  When I first made it, there was something missing and after tasting it Mama told me just what it was.  There were two ingredients that were required to give it the taste that I'd grown up on.  I've added those, increased the tomatoes and voila!  Taste memory is satisfied with every bite.

This recipe makes a lot.  My Dutch oven was full.  We ate big deep bowls for supper one cold night and then I put up 13 cups in the freezer.  So be prepared to freeze leftovers.

Brunswick Stew

1 whole chicken, cooked, meat pulled from the bones

2 onions, diced

2 tablespoons fat of choice

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 can whole kernel corn, do not drain

2 cups frozen small green butter beans

1 cup frozen Green Garden Peas

7 cups water (I used broth from cooking the chicken)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. ketchup (start with 2 tablespoons and increase to your taste)

1/ 4 cup vinegar (start with 2 tablespoons and increase to your taste)

Tabasco or hot sauce of choice (optional)

Heat fat in a large Dutch oven or stock pot.  Cook diced onion in fat until translucent.  Add all ingredients except the ketchup and vinegar. Bring to a boil then slow simmer for a couple of hours.  Add ketchup and vinegar to suit your taste.

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Ropa Vieja (Cuban Shredded Beef)

Years ago, I loved to watch a program called "Donna's Day" and she made Ropa Vieja.  It sounded absolutely delicious.  I thought about it for years, but I never made it.  Then Mandy In the Making shared her Crocktober Video with three recipes.  One was for Ropa Vieja.  She and her family raved over it as they ate.  I was determined to make it.

I made Biria Beef last year and it was good...but it had a long list of ingredients and a lot of steps.  It's my opinion that this recipe is every bit as good and it's much easier to make.  

I did not follow the recipe as Mandy made it.  She followed the original author's recipe which sounds awesome. I just didn't have one ingredient and then I started my roast from frozen in the slow cooker rather than thawing and searing as she suggested.  I can only imagine the added flavor searing the meat would give.  But I'll share how I personally made it because it was so good!

Ropa Vieja

2 pounds Beef Chuck roast

15 ounces tomato sauce

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 diced, seeded jalapeno (the recipe calls for a 4 ounce can of green chilies but I was out)

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Place roast and all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours.  As I said, I started mine from frozen and it cooked up just lovely.  

When fully tender, shred the meat and put back into the juices in the pot.

We made Burrito Bowls with a lovely Cuban Black Beans and Rice.  I made a corn relish to add to the bowls, too.   We topped with shredded cheese and had tortillas on the side.  We had some of the beef in tortillas the next day and that was delicious as well.  I'd love to try a bit as a quesadilla...

If you think this will be very tomato-y, it's not.  I don't know why it's not but it's not.  It is just full of flavor and tender. 

I had a ton of leftovers which I froze.  The recipe said the leftovers would freeze well. 

If you're looking for a different spin for your Taco Tuesday, give this recipe a try.  It's so good!

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Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

I found this recipe this week when I was planning meals and thought I'd give it a try.  The truth is, as I said on my Blue House Journal post, I love the look of acorn squash and butternut squash and all the winter squashes... But my enthusiasm wanes the moment I start planning to cook one.  I've tried myriads of recipes and to date none of them have been what I'd call a keeper.  Not one of them made me excited to think, "Winter squash are in season, oh boy!"

Well, this year I got smart and bought the very smallest squash I could find.  I thought I'd get to decorate with them for a little while, but they were not the keeping sort.  It was time to cook or plan to toss in another week.  I opted to cook.  

And then began the search for a 'new' recipe.  

I found a recipe on Paleo Running Momma's site.  I highlighted her recipe in the post.  I didn't have all of the ingredients listed but I took inspiration and ran with it.

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 Acorn squash, about 1 pound each

Cut the squash in half, seed and then place on a baking sheet.  Roast at 350F until just tender.  I did this a couple of days ahead.  

1 pound pork sausage 

1 large apple, finely diced

1 onion, diced

1 tsp. dried crumbled sage

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely minced

1 tbsp. garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the sausage until just brown, crumbling well.  If needed, add 2 tbsps. butter or oil to the pan. Once the sausage is lightly browned, add in the diced apple and onion.  Season with the herbs and garlic.  Once the apple is tender, salt and pepper to taste.

Salt the insides of the acorn squash.  Fill with stuffing, packing it down slightly.    Bake until squash and filling are fully hot at 350F.  Since my squash had been in the fridge it took about 40 minutes to come up to full temperature.

It was at this point I found myself wishing I had some sort of sauce or gravy to in the meat mixture.  In the end, after viewing several more recipes online I thought I'd just put shredded cheese on top.  Most recipes recommended Parmesan.  I was going to use cheddar, which I had, but then I saw the log of Smoked Gouda we'd bought last week at Sam's Club.  I thought the creaminess and smokiness of the Gouda would suit the filling.

This was absolutely delicious.  John ate it all and then told me he'd happily eat it again.  Which was great since we have leftovers, lol.

Chicken with Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes and Gnocchi

 

I saw a recipe recently that reminded me I had spinach and sundried tomatoes in the freezer.  Then I saw another recipe entirely for another chicken dish that I can't find.  But I remembered one ingredient in that dish and happened to have purchased it.  I decided to make up my own recipe for this dish and it turned out soooo good.   John's no fan of spinach but he ate every bite and told me "It isn't bad!"  

By the way, I dislike recipe titles that include the bulk of your ingredients but I am not creative enough today to figure out a better name for this recipe.  

The recipe I'm sharing will feed three.  Just double ingredients to feed more folks.

Chicken With Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes and Gnocchi

1 chicken breast

1/4 cup Italian dressing 

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (NOT in oil)

Cook on low heat in slow cooker until chicken is done.

Add:

5 ounces baby spinach (mine was frozen fresh)

1 tsp. garlic

half of a 7.5-ounce container of cream cheese with chives and onions

1/2 cup of half and half

I cooked this on medium for about an hour since my spinach was frozen, then mixed well.  If you need to thin the sauce add more half and half or some of your pasta cooking water.   Then add:

1/2 of a 1-pound package of Gnocchi, cooked and drained.  

Heat through and serve.  This serves three generous servings.

Chicken Shawarma

 

I've been trying Chicken Shawarma recipes for years and finally created a recipe we absolutely love.  John complimented me on it multiple times tonight as we ate and again after.  I wish I'd followed my inclination and taken a picture of my plate because it came together as a pretty meal once it was plated up.

I had put Chicken Shawarma on our menu plan for the warmer months because it can be grilled or cooked on the stovetop.  Tonight I baked it in the oven which worked very well.  

To arrive at this recipe, I sat down and read several and then combined similar elements.  Then I read through all the recipes and determined what I had on hand and what sounded good to me.  I made up a combination of spices that were well-balanced.  I plan to make this mixture up in bulk and keep it on hand for ease in preparing this dish.

You'll note that ground cloves and ground coriander are included.  I highly recommend you use both ingredients.  The cloves add depth and the coriander is almost floral and balances out the cloves nicely. I no longer had ground coriander on hand, but I did have whole coriander seeds which I crushed and used.

Not all Shawarma recipes include yogurt.  I have tried recipes that do and recipes that don't.  I think the yogurt helps hold moisture in the chicken and keeps the spice mixture on the meat.  

For tonight's meal I cut the chicken into strips but you can leave the pieces whole if you'd like.  I knew I was going to cook mine in the oven this evening.

Do give it a try.  I'll share serving suggestions with the recipe.

Chicken Shawarma

Serves 4.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (you could also use boneless skinless thighs)

1/2 cup thick Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 tbsp. of each:  Turmeric, Garlic, Paprika, ground Coriander, Cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice of half a lemon

1 whole onion cut into thin strips

Olive oil

Warm pitas

Combine the yogurt, spices, seasoning, and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Add chicken and coat well.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

On a foil-lined sheet pan, pour enough olive oil to coat the foil.  Top with the onion slices and then lay chicken over the top of the onions.  I spread any remaining yogurt mixture over the top of this, too.

Bake at 425F for about 15 minutes.  Pour off any accumulated watery juices in the bottom of the pan and return to the oven to cook for another 10 minutes.*remember this was for sliced strips of meat, not whole pieces.  Use a thermometer to ensure meat is at a safe temperature if cooking whole pieces.

Serve meat and cooked onions in a warm pita. 

Serving suggestion: Rice Pilaf, Cucumber, Tomato, and Feta Salad, Pickled Red Onion, Warm Pita.   We topped our meat with pickled onions too.  This was so very good.

Rice Pilaf simply means rice cooked with other ingredients.  I made my own, you can buy boxed mixes.  You could also substitute Couscous.  

Good Dinners Fast: Chicken and Pasta Soup

It was pouring rain Tuesday, and I was chilly.  I had a menu made for the week, but I wanted soup...and yet, it being so near spring, I didn't want an old-fashioned super hearty sort of soup.  I wanted something just a bit lighter and different.

This is the recipe I made up as I went.  It was so good!  John told me repeatedly how much he liked it.  It was the perfect sort of soup for an almost but not quite spring day.

Chicken and Pasta Soup

1 large chicken breast, cut into chunks

1 small to medium onion, chopped

1 large stalk celery, cut into small pieces

1 medium carrot grated (This is the way John prefers it.  You can slice it if you like.)

Olive oil

Garlic (about 1 teaspoon minced)

1/2 teaspoon each: lemon pepper, onion powder, salt and pepper

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)

1 cup whole milk

2-3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tbsps. butter

1 cup white wine

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven to medium high.  Add in chicken and after cooking for 3 or 4 minutes, add in onion, celery and carrot.  Allow to cook for five minutes more.  Add garlic and cook about another minute.

Add broth and seasonings and bring to a gentle rolling boil.  Lower heat, cover and let bubble gently for about 20 minutes.  Uncover and turn up heat to medium high.  Add uncooked pasta and cook until past is tender about 9 minutes.  Add wine and butter.  Mix cornstarch with milk and add to soup, stirring and heating until broth thickens slightly.  

Good Dinners Fast: Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

The original recipe for this dish is at the website Julia's Album.   Like most cooks, I altered the recipe slightly to accommodate what I had on hand.  This was very good and my take on it was not so far off the original that the flavors would have been altered.  If you're looking for 'something different' and chicken is on the menu, I think this recipe is a great one to try.

The recipe as it was written in the original looks complicated and has a long list of ingredients.  Honestly, it's not a hard recipe to make. Even with me cutting up my own chicken breasts and shredding mozzarella, I daresay the meal was on the table in around 30 minutes.  If you use the cut of chicken she lists and pre-shredded mozzarella, I think you can beat my time.

Julia's Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

8-ounces Penne Pasta (I used a whole wheat rotini)

water recommended for pasta

1 teaspoon salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 ounces sun dried tomatoes (I sliced mine prior to cooking them)

2 tbsps. Olive oil

1 pound chicken breast tenderloins (I used diced chicken breast)

1/2 tsp. salt (I increased this amount)

1/2 tsp. Paprika (also increased this one)

1 cup Half and Half

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (Do not use fresh mozzarella.  You want the aged mozzarella)

1 tbsp. basil (I used 1/2 tsp of dried basil)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 cup reserved pasta water

salt to taste

Bring water to boil.  Add pasta, cook until al dente.  If you drain, be sure to reserve some of the pasta water.

Heat olive oil over medium low heat in a large frying pan.  Add garlic and tomatoes and cook gently, stirring often for about 1 minute.  Do not let your garlic burn!  Remove from pan and set aside.

Increase heat to high.  Add 2 tbsps. more oil if needed.  Toss chicken with seasonings.  Add to pan and cook for 1 minute on each side.  Remove from heat. (I cooked mine a little lower heat and a little longer, until the outer pink had turned white).  

Add Sun-Dried tomato and garlic mixture.  Also add the half and half and mozzarella. My alteration here: I added 1/4 cup of the ricotta cheese I made earlier this week.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Immediately reduce heat to simmer. Stir gently until cheese melts.  If sauce seems a little too thick, add pasta water a little at a time until it reaches the consistency you desire.  Add seasonings and pasta and toss well.