Slow Cooker Spinach Ravioli Soup

2 cups of fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1 cup of thawed peas

1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 package of frozen cheese ravioli, cooked

Vegetable stock:

2 each, carrots and ribs celery, chopped

2 onions, chopped

1 plum tomato

3 cloves of garlic, halved

1 package of dried mixed mushrooms

¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper

2 bay leaves

Directions for Vegetable Stock:

In slow cooker, combine carrots, celery, onions, tomato, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper and bay leaves and 7cups of water. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are soft and the flavour is to your satisfaction. Strain into a saucepan, pressing vegetables to extract liquid.

Bring stock to boil over medium heat. Add spinach, peas, mushrooms and salt – simmer until spinach is wilted.

Divide ravioli among 4 soup bowls, ladle soup over top.

You will have to agree that this is one of the easiest recipes you have seen! Try it and let me know how you liked it – your comments, suggestions and experiences are always welcomed!

She just won second place in a Chili Cookout in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada – and I am sure it had to be a very, very close and the judges had a difficult decision to make!

Well – here it is – enjoy and “Thanks Granny”!

Granny Schmidt’s Award Winning Chili:

2 teaspoons of cooking oil

3 lbs. of lean ground beef

1-1/2 lb. of mild Italian sausage (casing removed)

2 stalks of celery – chopped fine

1 large red pepper

1 large green pepper

2 medium onions

2 small Jalapeno pepper (seeds removed and chopped fine)

2 large garlic cloves – minced

1 large can of diced tomatoes

2-8 oz. cans of tomato sauce

2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules

½ cup of honey

2 large cans (15 oz each) of red kidney beans

2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

3 teaspoons of sea salt

4 tablespoons of chili powder

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

¼ cup of white sugar

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 teaspoons of cocoa powder

1 can of dark beer

Cooking Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• In a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven pot, heat oil, add celery, peppers, onions and sauté for 8 minutes on medium high heat. Brown the ground beef and sausage in a separate pan (as you are frying the sausage, get the meat to come apart to have the consistency of ground pork) and when done, move all into a large oval roasting pan.
• Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and kidney beans.
• In a medium bowl, mix together honey, cayenne pepper, chilli powder, oregano, black pepper, salt, brown sugar and white sugar, cumin, cocoa powder and mix until well blended. Add to the ingredients in the roasting pan.
• Pour the can of dark beer over everything in the roasting pan and mix well. Put the lid on and bake in the 325F oven for 2-1/2 – 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Serve with garlic toast or crusty buns.

This recipe will make about 40 cups of chili – enough to feed at least 20 people!

And just a little note: If you have any leftovers (it usually doesn’t happen – but just in case) you can package them in smaller servings as you choose and freeze them with no problem!

Enjoy and send in your comments and experiences – they are always welcomed!

Here is a recipe that is perfect for the long winter days – I would definitely consider it a comfort food. I first posted it here almost 2 years ago and many readers sent me great comments. Most agree with me, that it is a stew just like grandma used to make. I updated the copy and hope you will continue enjoying it and may others!

I have done something a little different this time. I started making homemade beef stew yesterday and as I was cutting, chopping and mixing, I took pictures. I have to admit – most of my cooking and baking is now done without opening my recipe book – and some recipes are not even there. That is how my grandma taught me, that is how my mom cooked – and that is how I ended up doing it – so the legacy continues.

Hope you enjoy this step-by-step guide to Great Homemade Beef Stew!

I had a piece of rump roast - about 1-1/2 lbs.

I had a piece of rump roast – about 1-1/2 lbs. of it. You can see that it is nicely marbled (that’s the little white lines that go through the meat) and also has a bit of fat on the bottom. That is no problem – its actually good to leave a little fat in for the flavour.

Next step: Cup up about 4 slices of bacon  and chop one large onion. In a large pot, melt a tablespoon of butter and fry the bacon and onions in it.

Meat is cut into 1-inch chunks

Cut all the roast meat into about 1-inch chunks, add to bacon and onion mixture, add salt, pepper, garlic (I used 2 cloves, mashed), paprika (about a teaspoon) and Italian seasoning mix (about 1 teaspoon) and brown the meat in it. When that is done, add enough beef broth to cover the meat, turn the heat to simmer and leave simmering for about 1 – 1-1/2 hours.

Get your vegetables ready

Get your vegetables ready. Today, I used carrots, mushrooms, celery and potatoes only. In the past, I have added tomatoes, beans, green peas – pretty much whatever vegetables you or your family likes can go in.

Chop your vegetables into small pieces

Chop your vegetables into small pieces – how small depends on how you like them, remembering that the larger the pieces are, the longer they will need to cook. Leave them in a bowl, covered, until your meat is tender enough to add them.

Add prepared vegetables to your cooked meat

Add your vegetables to the cooked meat, mix and again add beef broth to cover the mixture. The amount of beef broth you add will depend on how much gravy you want to have – but you can always add more later!

After simmering the mixture of meat and vegetables for about 1/2 hr to 45 minutes (check your vegetables – if carrots and potatoes are tender, its good to get finished.

By finishing it, I mean thickening the gravy. Little note first – if you are planning to freeze some of this stew, remove the amount you want to freeze first and don’t thicken that. It is better to do it when you defrost it – then you have a meal ready in minutes!

Serve and enjoy!

Here is how I thicken the gravy:

Take about 3/4 cups of water, mix into it about 1/2 cup of flour and make a nice smooth paste. Bring stew mixture to boil, slowly add the paste while stirring continuously and add just enough to get the thickness and consistency you want.

As a last step, taste your creation and add any spices you think could be missing – like more salt or pepper.

And ENJOY! I am sure your family will!

Your comments, suggestion, experiences and pictures are most welcomed and appreciated!

]]> http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/homemade-beef-stew-recipe.html/feed 7 http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/gypsy-chicken-stew.html http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/gypsy-chicken-stew.html#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:05:58 +0000 Mama http://www.mama-knows.com/?p=79 INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• 2 1/2 cups dry sherry
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 8 cloves garlic, halved
• 3 onions, quartered
• 4 fresh green chile peppers
• 6 large tomatoes, peeled and quartered
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, stewing pot, place whole chicken, 1 1/2 cup sherry, stock, garlic, and onions. Simmer for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, place green chilies in a roasting pan, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until skins begin to blacken. Peel and seed the peppers.
3. Remove chicken from pot, and set aside to cool. Add green chilies and tomatoes to simmering stock.
4. When chicken is cool enough to touch, remove the meat from the bones. Return meat to pot. Also, add 1 cup more sherry, and salt to taste. Simmer at least 30 minutes more. Serve with a little shredded cheese on top.