A Dinner Journal: #1
In my little apartment, cooking for myself, I've been gradually refining some of my old recipes and occasionally trying out some new ones. Both as a way to keep these recipes, and to share them, I've decided to post the successful ones here for your enjoyment. Some are simple, some are more complex, some are "from scratch" some are highly dependent on packaged ingredients. In any case, the final product is my own invention - I won't be posting here anything I directly copy from another source. That said, I'm sure something almost identical to any recipe I create can be found somewhere, but that's not where I got it. I will be posting them as I make them, so if you're reading about it, I just made it (and enjoyed eating it).
One last thing - I very seldom measure things out. All amounts are approximate.
Tonight's dinner:
A Basic Stew
3/4 lb ground beef
1/2 of a large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large Idaho potato, chopped
about 2 biggish handfuls of peas
a number of baby carrots, cut in half
2 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
granulated garlic
black pepper
sea salt
dried sage, crushed
dried rosemary leaves, crushed
In a large saucepan, melt half of the butter and begin browning the beef over medium-high heat. As the beef gets about 2/3 cooked, add the onions and the seasonings. Be generous with them, but don't go overboard. You'll be adding more later. Stir it frequently at this point, as you want the onions to cook. but not to brown much. When the beef is just about done, add rest of the butter, the potato and the carrots, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir it occasionally, adding a little more of the seasonings, until the aroma of the vegetables becomes apparent when you aren't directly over the pot. At this point, add the water and the peas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. As soon as it's cool enough not to scald you, dig in!
Notes: This dish has a wholesome old-world flavor to it, and is unusual in my cooking in that it has a water base. The herbs, together with the oils and the starch from the potato, make the broth cloudy and delicious. It's very filling, and makes a perfect meal on its own. I'd avoid sugary drinks like soda or juice with this dish, picking water or a light European-style lager, or perhaps a moderately dry red wine. I used 7% fat beef when I made it - if you are using beef with a higher fat percentage, you could probably get away with less butter.
One last thing - I very seldom measure things out. All amounts are approximate.
Tonight's dinner:
A Basic Stew
3/4 lb ground beef
1/2 of a large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large Idaho potato, chopped
about 2 biggish handfuls of peas
a number of baby carrots, cut in half
2 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
granulated garlic
black pepper
sea salt
dried sage, crushed
dried rosemary leaves, crushed
In a large saucepan, melt half of the butter and begin browning the beef over medium-high heat. As the beef gets about 2/3 cooked, add the onions and the seasonings. Be generous with them, but don't go overboard. You'll be adding more later. Stir it frequently at this point, as you want the onions to cook. but not to brown much. When the beef is just about done, add rest of the butter, the potato and the carrots, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir it occasionally, adding a little more of the seasonings, until the aroma of the vegetables becomes apparent when you aren't directly over the pot. At this point, add the water and the peas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. As soon as it's cool enough not to scald you, dig in!
Notes: This dish has a wholesome old-world flavor to it, and is unusual in my cooking in that it has a water base. The herbs, together with the oils and the starch from the potato, make the broth cloudy and delicious. It's very filling, and makes a perfect meal on its own. I'd avoid sugary drinks like soda or juice with this dish, picking water or a light European-style lager, or perhaps a moderately dry red wine. I used 7% fat beef when I made it - if you are using beef with a higher fat percentage, you could probably get away with less butter.