MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW - 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

We had a cool-ish start to the day on August 21st, 2025. It started out at 65 degrees F. (going up to 75). Still not wanting to put the oven on, and yet fancying a hot meal, I looked at our semi-retired slow cooker/crockpot beef stew by Patty at The Kitchn. You can find the original recipe at this link. A little early for beef stew as normally I don't make one until the Fall, but it was really excellent. I also always recommend you visit the original recipe to see the tips that are given. I will look forward to going back to see the other recipes.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew – 4 to 6 servings

If you are serving 6 people, the calories work out to approximately 506 calories per person.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 4 hours on high – 8 hours on low

This recipe does not require you to sear the beef and deglaze the pan. The best meat suggested for the slow cooker is boneless chuck roast.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 medium yellow onion

4 medium carrots

2 medium stalks celery

1 pound Yukon gold or red potatoes (about 3 medium)

2-1/4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast or beef stew meat

 

2 dried bay leaves

1-1/2 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving (optional)

 

Place 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker and stir to combine.

Dice 1 medium yellow onion (about 1-1/2 cups). 

Peel and cut 4 medium carrots crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds (about 2-1/2 cups). 

Cut 2 medium celery stalks crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (about 3/4 cup). 

Cut 1 pound Yukon gold or red potatoes into 1-inch pieces.

Trim off any large pieces of surface fat from the chuck roast, then cut into 1 to 1-1/2-inch pieces. Transfer to the slow cooker and toss to coat in the flour mixture. 

Add the vegetables and 2 dried bay leaves.

Place 1-1/2 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce in a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the beef and vegetables and stir to combine. Give everything a stir.

Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 6 to 8 hours on the LOW setting or 4 hours on the HIGH setting. 

Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. 

Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley leaves and more black pepper if desired.

What did we think? It was excellent! This isn't the first beef stew I have put on here, but each one we do seems to be 'the best'. Today we gave this one a 10 out of 10. When my dear other half came into the house after being outside, he said he couldn't wait to try it as the aroma was great.

I used the high setting for four hours and the meat and vegetables were cooked perfectly, meat was tender and veggies were just right (for our taste). 

The only thing we did to the broth today was add a cup of red wine (recommended on a cooking show years ago). I do this every time we make a meal that requires beef broth, and it gives it that added richness. We followed the recipe in every other way.

If a thicker broth is preferred, we talked about adding a little more flour next time. I said yes, Gregg said he would keep it as is.

He thought we should add more broth in the beginning, but I said we ought not to. Admittedly I could see his point but once the vegetables and meat had cooked down, there was plenty of liquid left.

Neither of us had any bread as we are trying to cut down on carbs, but rolls, crusty bread or cornbread would be a great addition. 

There were cobs of sweetcorn in our supplies, so we cooked one of those and ate it as a side.

I always try to add the address of the original recipe website below, for you to copy and paste, in case you don't want to use the link. I might sometimes forget but not today.

https://www.thekitchn.com/slow-cooker-beef-stew-recipe-23619698

Thanks for looking, 

have a wonderful week and... 

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MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - QUICHE FLORENTINE

Today's recipe came from Living Lou, hosted by Lou.  I have shared a few of her recipes before. I enjoyed it very much and made a few changes, which I have added below.

Quiche Florentine 

1 9" deep dish frozen pie crust

For the filling:

1 tablespoon salted butter

2 shallots, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

4 cups spinach (mature or baby spinach), roughly choped

3/4 cup cheddar cheese (Gruyere or Swiss will also work)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup 2% milk

4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pie crust on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Blind bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make spinach filling. 

Melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for about 2 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Transfer spinach mixture into a sieve, using the back of a spatula, push and stir the mixture to draw out excess liquid. I do this about 6 to 8 times, or until barely any liquid comes out.

Spread evenly in the bottom of the crust and sprinkle cheese evenly over the spinach.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs with remaining salt and pepper. Pour over the spinach and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated 375 deg. F. oven until quiche is golden brown and still slightly jiggly.

Lou's freezing instructions:

After baking, allow to cool completely before wrapping in aluminum foil and freezing. The quiche will last for three months in the freezer.

When ready to bake, unwrap and bake in a 375 degrees F. oven for about 50 to 60 minutes.

Louisa's notes:

You can also use your own favorite pie crust recipe.

This recipe can be easily doubled to make two quiches.

Changes I made or would make in the future:

I didn't buy or make a crust for this quiche today. Simply because I wanted something easy and nourishing to put together.  I made the filling ingredients and poured those in my pie plate that had been coated with avocado oil spray. I didn't miss the crust at all. It was very tasty. 

I added four cloves of chopped garlic, put them in for about a minute, stirring, after I had sauteed the shallots.

I'm sure you can add any of your own favorite veggies here. I thought I would add mushrooms next time and even some halved cherry tomatoes.

I used Cheddar cheese.

I also didn't use the heavy cream or 2% mixture, but in the fridge I had a carton of whole milk used in a baking recipe. There was just enough left in there to make the 1 cup.

I used Lowry's seasoned salt and pepper instead of regular. 

Next time I will use the 9" pie plate as I had a larger one handy, and the quiche came out thinner than normal. It did not detract from the taste though. 

My dear other half was out of town for a few days, so I made this for myself. Next time I will cut into single portions and freeze individually.

I served it with a simple mixed veggie salad of crispy lettuce, sliced radishes, diced sweet red pepper and a couple of sliced mushrooms. No dressing as I didn't grow up with salads and to this day, still prefer my salads without.

That's about it. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section. 

Here is the full address of the recipe, just in case you prefer to copy and paste instead of using the link above.

https://www.livinglou.com/quiche-florentine-fresh-spinach/

Thanks for looking. I hope you all have a great week and Bon Appétit.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - SORT OF!

 Once again I have no new recipe but we did put together a very tasty salad. I wanted to add it here so that we could remember to do this combination again.  

Leafy Green Lettuce

Sweet red pepper, diced

Avocado, cut into sections

Hot house cucumber, peeled and sliced 

A few slices of tomato, sliced and diced

No measurements, just enough for the two of us.

Next, we had leftover sautéed mushrooms which Gregg added to a pan of freshly grilled onions, along with leftover pork, a few slices and diced. These additions were only in there long enough to heat through. All was added, still hot from the pan, on top of the salad veggie mix. Much enjoyed! 

Gregg also made a dressing of avocado oil, rice wine vinegar, a few drops of sriracha, honey, low-sodium soy sauce and a little mayo. No measurements here and just to taste, though he did say the oil to vinegar ratio was 2 to 1 (2 ozs. Oil to 1 oz. Vinegar). I enjoyed it very much and drizzled about a tablespoon over my salad. Very tasty!

Thanks for visiting, have a great day, and…

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE ON TUESDAY INSTEAD - EASY POTATO AND CORN CHOWDER - SERVES 4

The weather has turned decidedly chilly. I didn’t think I would be making any soups again until the Fall, but here we are. I found a recipe for an easy potato and corn chowder at Cook2eatwell hosted by Elizabeth Rodriguez. Thank you Elizabeth, it is a delicious soup. You can find her original at this link. She has great tips to make this, along with more delicious recipes.

This soup was a ten out of ten. I made it while Gregg was out of the house for the day, and when he came back and smelled the aroma, he couldn't wait to have a bowl. 

Easy Potato and Corn Chowder

Serves 4

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow or white onion, small dice

1 stick of celery, diced

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra at the end if needed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

2 (16 ounce) cans cream-style corn

10 ounces frozen corn, defrosted (cooked to approximately half suggested cooking time on the package)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes (russet potatoes preferred but Yukon gold, yellow potatoes, or red potatoes will also work)

1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk

4-5 bacon slices, cooked crispy for garnish (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped chives or green onions for garnish (optional)

Preperation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Preparation times above are just a guideline. It always takes me longer as I do everything in stages. Start early and make sure I am awake enough to prepare veggies, which I usually do sitting at the kitchen table. I take breaks to drink a cup or two of coffee. I try not to have any more after the noon hour, and have a cup of green tea in the afternoon, and in the evening have a cup of an herbal caffeine-free chamomile, honey and vanilla tea, which is my favorite at the moment.  

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. 

Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the onions and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook and stir to mix together for at least two minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Stir almost constantly.

Gradually add the broth while stirring briskly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Continue adding and stirring until the flour is fully dissolved.

Stir in the creamed corn.

Raise the heat to bring the soup to a simmer, which will take about 5 minutes.

Once simmering, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir occasionally, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.

While the soup simmers, cook the frozen corn enough to defrost—usually about half the recommended time on the package. Drain well.

Add the potatoes and defrosted corn to the pot. If the soup doesn’t begin simmering immediately, raise the heat slightly. Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the half-and-half (or milk), cover, and cook gently for 2–3 minutes, until heated through.

Taste the soup and add salt if needed. As a reference, ½ teaspoon was added to ours.

 Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with crispy bacon and chopped chives or green onions for garnish.

If you have to watch such things, our blog host suggested using reduced-sodium ingredients like unsalted butter, low-sodium broth, and low-sodium bacon for garnish. We always use low sodium chicken broth.

I wondered if this soup might have been a bit bland but we both agreed it was very tasty. We served it with a crusty roll but feel that it is hardy enough on its own. 

I had whole milk in the fridge especially bought for this recipe. It was one of the ingredients, that or half-and-half. I thought of using my regular 2 percent and might try it next time but my dear other half says I wouldn't mess with it, that's how much he enjoyed it as is. When I went to the fridge this morning I saw the milk I had put in a measuring jug that I was going to add along with the rest of the ingredients. Just saying, because if you ever find yourself without it, we didn't miss it one iota.

We added the bacon and green onions. Gregg ate his on the side while I added mine on top. I ate another bowl without cooking any bacon, just adding the green onions. I think it would be fine without those too.

Other half also suggested a tablespoon of sour cream on top for garnish sometime.

The first bowl I added a few dashes of Siracha hot sauce, the second time left it off. Great either way.

I also made a double batch of soup, so there will be leftovers for the next two or three days.

I left the blog address out in full below, just in case you prefer to cut and paste rather than to use the link I provided above.

https://www.cook2eatwell.com/easy-potato-corn-chowder.

I always try to reread everything to make sure I don't have any typos, but sometimes they get in there. If you have any questions, please feel free to put them in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by, 

have a great day and 

Bon Appétit!

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - JUICE BAKED PORK CHOPS - 4 servings

We made these on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025. Dear Other Half had bought home pork chops that were very thick, and as neither of us wanted to fuss much in the kitchen, I found this relatively simple recipe at The Endless Meal hosted by Kristen Stevens. The original recipe is here.

I found Kristen's suggestions for cooking times very useful, including them below. 

"How long do pork chops take to bake at 400 degrees?

"Boneless pork chops should cook for 7 minutes per ½ inch of thickness in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven. 

If you use bone-in pork chops, cook them for 8 minutes per ½ inch. 

Boneless pork chops 1-½ inches thick should be baked for 21 minutes.

Bone-in pork chops 1-½ inches thick should be baked for 24 minutes.

If you're new to making roasted pork chops, using an instant-read meat thermometer is the best way to tell if they are fully cooked. Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. We use our meat thermometer to make sure the meat doesn't overcook."

Other tips:

"Baking dish: Choose a baking dish that is just the right size for the pork chops. There shouldn't be too much room between them, or the juices will evaporate in the oven. If you don't have the right-sized baking dish, use a cast-iron or ovenproof frying pan instead. 

Elevation: This recipe has been tested at sea level. As elevation affects cooking time, you may need to cook your pork chops a little longer if you live at a higher elevation. 

Spice blend: You can switch up the spices in this recipe. If you have a seasoning blend you love, go ahead and use it!"

Juicy Baked Pork Chops - 4 servings

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 18 minutes

Total time: 23 minutes

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

4 boneless pork chops

Turn your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Measure the thickness of your pork chops so you know how long to bake them – see above for notes on that.

In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano.

1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over both sides of the pork chops. Sprinkle the spice mix evenly over both sides of the pork chops, then place them in a baking dish.

Drizzle them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Bake the pork chops uncovered for 7 minutes per ½ inch of thickness, or until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit – for 1 ½ inch pork chops, you'll bake them for 21 minutes. 

Once you remove them from the oven, let them rest in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Gregg made a sauce to drizzle over the pork  I don’t have the measurements but he used a little peanut butter and low-sodium soy sauce, plus a little hot sauce. 

We served it with a leftover baked potato from the day before, sliced them and sautéed in a little olive oil until they were brown and crispy.

Also a nice mixed salad went very nicely.

These pork chops came out of the oven perfectly. As they were thick, we sliced them thinly to serve. 

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - 20-MINUTE HONEY GARLIC SHRIMP - SERVES 4

Hello My Friends, I wanted to let you know that I have one more post tomorrow, and then I will be going on a blog break while getting ready for family who are arriving in a few days.  Lots to do between now and then. While they are here we will be busy and devoting all our time to them.  I will be back in May sometime. 

A delicious meal found at Sally's Baking, original recipe is here. It is ready from prep to table in approximatey 20 minutes, as the title would suggest. One of our favorite shrimp dishes we have made so far, a 10 out of 10 (at least to suit our tastes).

20 Minute Honey Garlic Shrimp – serves 4

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce (we usually use reduced sodium)

2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic)

optional: 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 lb. medium uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (we used frozen and thawed that had already been peeled and deveined, and couldn't tell the difference)

2 teaspoons olive oil

optional for garnish: chopped green onion

Whisk together in a medium bowl, the honey, soy sauce, garlic and (if using), the ginger. You will use half for the marinade and half for cooking the shrimp.

Place shrimp in a large sealable container or zipped-top bag. Pour 1/2 of the marinade/sauce mixture on top, give it all a shake or stir, then allow shrimp to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or for up to 8-12 hours. 

Cover and refrigerate the other half of the marinade that will be used in the cooking process.

(Time-saving tip suggested in the recipe: while the shrimp is marinating, steam broccoli and microwave some quick brown rice.)

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Place shrimp in the skillet. (Discard used marinade.)

Cook shrimp on one side until pink, about 45 seconds, then flip shrimp over.

Pour in remaining marinade/sauce and cook until the shrimp is completely done, about 1-2 more minutes.

Serve shrimp with cooked marinade sauce and a garnish of green onion. The sauce is excellent on brown rice and steamed vegetables on the side.

Sally’s notes and please take a look at her website if you would like to see more: 

Shrimp: If using frozen cooked shrimp, thaw, marinate, and cook as directed above. You’ll really just be heating the shrimp up in the sauce. 

I have left Sally’s full website address here:

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/quick-healthy-dinner-20-minute-honey-garlic-shrimp/

A lovely dish that we are looking forward to making again, and didn't make any changes, except to use frozen shrimp which was already mentioned in the recipe.

Thanks for looking, 

enjoy your week and Bon Appétit!

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - HEALTHY EGG ROLL IN A BOWL

A transfer from my old blog (now closed) originally published on March 4th, 2014

I found this recipe here at a blog called "Mostly Homemade Mom" (fortunately the link still works). We have made it quite a few times since its original posting, the second time modifying it more to suit our own tastes. 

Healthy Eggroll in a Bowl

1 lb. ground sausage (we used ground pork the first time, ground turkey the second and both were very good)
1 bag fresh coleslaw mix with shredded cabbage and carrots
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger
A sliced green onion

In a large, deep skillet, brown the sausage.  Meanwhile in a small bowl combine garlic, soy sauce and ginger; set aside.  

Once the sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, add the fresh coleslaw mix to the skillet and stir to combine.  

Pour soy sauce mixture into the skillet and stir, continuing to cook over medium heat for five minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted but still a bit crunchy.  

Serve with sliced green onion.

I liked the fact that this was a fast, simple and nutritious meal.  It was on the table from start to finish in 20 minutes.

You can add a few drops of hot sauce, or not.

And yes we loved it so much we made it yet again only this time with Tofu which I crisped up a bit in a small amount of peanut oil.  Have to say, that version was my favorite and even my non-tofu lover enjoyed it this way.  In fact, I think from now on we will use the Tofu as I am trying to add more meatless dishes into our weekly menu.

Instead of using fresh ginger I put in a teaspoon of powdered.  Only because I had forgotten to put the fresh on my list and just left it that way for the other meals.  I will be trying the fresh next time.

To the coleslaw mix we also added extra vegetables, sliced celery and mushrooms, sliced bamboo shoots, beansprouts and sweet basil leaves.   There were even more leftovers which we enjoyed eating for a few days.  

This is a good recipe to adjust ingredients to fit your own taste. 

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - THE BEST EVER BEEF STEW RECIPE

I have a few other beef stew recipes on my blog, but have always enjoyed looking for others. This is our favorite so far and one we will be making from now on. We gave it a 10 out of 10.  It comes from Tatyana's Everyday Food and the original recipe is here. Tatyana has a step-by-step video on YouTube which you can find at this link. My mother always made suet dumplings with all her beef stews. The last time I went to the pasty shop I picked up a box of Atora. Their recipe is below this one.

The Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe - 8 servings

Preparation time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Calories: approximately 373 per serving

2 lbs beef tri-tip, roast or short ribs

2 tbsp cooking oil

Salt and black pepper

3 medium carrots, diced

1 large sweet onion, diced

3 medium celery sticks, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

10 small mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup red wine

1 cup tomato sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 cups beef broth

2 1/2 tsp Italian herbs blend

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tbsp sugar

Ground black pepper

3 to 4 cups halved baby potatoes (you do not have to peel them)

1 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Cut the beef into 1 1/2-inch chunks. 

Preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of oil. 

Once the pan is hot, add the cubed beef, season generously with salt and fry for 7 to 10 minutes, until well browned all over. 

Transfer the beef into a large soup pot. 

Deglaze the frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add the liquids to the soup pot.

Into the same frying pan, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and the carrots, celery and onion. 

Sauté the mixture over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. 

Once the onion is tender, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. 

Transfer the mirepoix mixture into the soup pot. 

Into the frying pan, add the butter and allow it to melt before adding the mushrooms. 

Sauté the mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes, until well browned all over. 

Season the mushrooms with salt and then add the flour. 

Toss the mushrooms in the flour so they're evenly coated and cook for 1 minute; transfer the mushrooms into the pot.

To the soup pot, add the red wine, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, beef broth, spices and herbs. 

Season generously with black pepper and about 1-1/2 tsp salt. 

Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering the soup for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.

Add the potatoes and frozen peas; if using fresh peas, add them 10 minutes later. 

Cook the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until fork tender. 

Garnish the stew with chopped parsley and enjoy.

Optional: for a richer stew, add the potatoes and continue cooking for an additional hour, bringing the total cooking to 2 or 2-1/2 hours.

Tatyana's Italian Herbs Seasoning:

Combine 1/2 teaspoon each of the following dried herbs: basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. If you enjoy fennel seed, add about 4 to 5 seeds. This is a great herb blend for the stew and can also be used for other recipes!

What did we think? Our best beef stew recipe so far. 

We forgot to add the peas but this was not missed when we ate this delicious stew.

We doubled on the beef broth and used 2 cartons. We've found that there isn't enough broth in other recipes we have done, for our taste anyway, and added an extra carton, so 8 cups beef broth instead of 4.

We bought a jar of already minced garlic that came in a small glass jar, and used the equivalent 4 cloves garlic. 

I already had a container of Italian Herbs in the pantry, and used those. Making our own would be a nice way to go, next time.

Gregg is not a fan of paprika so we left that out.

The other thing he said was that although our suet dumplings were very nice and he would no doubt enjoy them again, he preferred the Bisquick dumplings. I had to admit that though I also enjoyed them and thought they were excellent, they weren’t like how I remember those my mother made. Products, such as suet, are not like the big pieces of suet she purchased from our butcher. She used to grate this herself. I, however, also enjoyed the fact that ours were made from scratch and didn’t have any of those ingredients that we may be told to avoid  I really need to investigate this further.  

The broth was the best we have ever tasted.

My thanks to Tatyana for such a great recipe.

I am including the full address of the food blog, for copying and pasting instead of using the link above.

https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/beef-stew/

I also added suet dumplings to our stew, and used the recipe from Atora's home site:

There is also a recipe at Erren’s Kitchen that I followed for the Imperial Measurement System we use in the United States. You can see her dumpling recipe at: https://www.errenskitchen.com/suet-dumplings/.

Thanks for visiting, have a great week and...

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - HEARTY CABBAGE SOUP WITH SAUSAGE AND POTATOES

One from my old blog today that I am thinking of making now. This is from January 2010.

I saw this recipe on a food blog called "A Smart Mouth". The link I provided no longer works after checking.

When I made it back then it was also a snow day. We woke up to a couple of inches, not nearly as bad as another snow two weeks before this one, but enough to keep me from wanting to go out, and I was in the mood to spend time in the kitchen. The aroma that wafts through the house is very welcoming. I usually get a "Wow, that smells great! What are we having for dinner?"

Today it is: 

Hearty Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Potatoes

Serves 10 to 12 people

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Vidalia Onion, 1/2 inch dice (5 cups)

3 large cloves garlic, minced (3 tablespoons)

1 large green cabbage, cored and chopped in 1 inch dice (18-20 cups)

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed but not peeled, 1 inch dice

1-1/2 pounds cooked Andouille or other pork sausage, cut into 1/4 inch coins

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 can tomato paste

8 cups chicken broth, homemade if possible or two 4-cup cartons of low sodium chicken broth)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon rosemary (about 4 inch sprig), fresh or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste

2 teaspoons sea salt

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium low. Add the olive oil. Sauté sausage until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

A note about the sausage that was in the recipe, if you would like to use another sausage, try to find a high quality, sturdy pork sausage that has some heat, or your preferred. You can also use less sturdy or raw sausages, but you will want to handle in the following manner. 

If it is the cooked sausage cut into coins, brown it in a pan on each side for 5 minutes, set aside. 

If it is raw sausage, cook whole in a pan on medium until done in the center and browned on the outside. For cooking time, I would use the instructions on the packet, then cut into coins and set aside. 

In both cases, add the sausage 5 minutes before the soup is done to prevent it from falling apart. 

Add the onion and garlic, sauté until they begin to soften. 

Stir in the cabbage and potatoes.

Put on the lid and cook for about 5 minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt.

Making the roux: Put the tomato paste in a small bowl with 1 cup stock and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Stir 1/2 cup flour into the vegetables. Stir it in completely until there is no trace of flour left.

Add the wine. Stir.

Add the tomato paste. Stir.

Add the broth. Stir.

Season and simmer: add the paprika, sugar, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and salt. Stir.

Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. If it is too thick for your liking, add 2 more cups of either water or broth, and return to a slow boil for 5 minutes more. 

Taste and adjust seasonings. 

The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to one month.

I served this soup with a crusty baguette the first time. The second time I made cheese straws which you can find here at Blue Ridge Baker's blog (link still works). They were great. Hubs decided to break his up like regular crackers and put them into the soup. They were very good that way.

We have also added a few dashes of the above hot sauce which I can get at most supermarkets. It makes it extra hot and spicy. If you use I would add it sparingly. Soup also tastes great without.

I had to smile at this old photo of our fridge. It broke down too many times, threw up its hands finally and would work no more. We bought a new fridge that would not take a magnet. I didn't know this and missed the old magnets, but it was very nice to have a new fridge.

My mother was a collector of them and so was I. Some we have picked up on our travels and some are from friends who gave us ones from theirs. I also have a few photos in frame-magnets. Now the special ones are in storage boxes, but most have been given away. 

I hope you like this old recipe. It's been a long time since I made it. The ingredients are on our shopping list now. Might change the sausage to turkey this time, or even go without any protein. We could add beans instead. I think that would be nice. I will have to swing that one by my dear other half. Most of the time our tastes are the same, other times we work around it.

Thanks for looking, have a great day and...