Beef Stew

This month Food ‘n Flix was hosted by La Cocina de Leslie. The movie this month was a movie I had never seen before, Last Holiday. Georgia Byrd, a woman who lives just an average life has a life changing moment when she learns she has only a small amount of time left to live. Georgia regrets not going for her dreams while she had the chance, the dreams of being a chef, the dreams of traveling.. So she cashes in her life savings and goes on a European adventure before she dies. To enter Food ‘n Flix this month, go here to check it out. You have until the 29th!

Georgia seems to have a love affair with the Food Network, with the first dish she makes in the movie being from Emeril Lagasse. I decided that in the spirit of the movie I would make a dish of Emeril’s. This stew was perfect. The flavors were absolutely amazing. For something as simple as stew, I was surprised this could be full of so much flavor. Part of the recipe calls for Essence. I made way too much of the spice mixture just for this stew, so I’ve been including it in every recipe I’ve cooked since. It’s a wonderful combination. If you see me mention  Essence in the ingredients of my upcoming posts, this is what it is!

Beef Stew
(Emeril Lagasse)

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
3 lbs beef, cut into chunks
2 tsp salt
2 tsp Essence (recipe below)
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp butter
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
2 cups onions, chopped
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups beef stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp ground allspice
4 cups russet potatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions

1. Set a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and Essence. Add the meat to the pot and cook until brown on each side. Remove the beef and set aside.

2. Add the butter and mushrooms to the pot, and cook until well browned. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and saute until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, allspice, and beef. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes. Recover and cook 30 minutes more.

4. Stir in peas. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

* serves 6

Essence

Ingredients
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme

1. Mix all together thoroughly. 

Around the World in 52 Weeks: Jerk Chicken, Vegetable Patties, and Banana Fritters

This week for my 52 week journey around the world I found myself on the beach in Jamaica. While I was sitting on the beach with my toes buried in the sand getting a horrible sunburn (because I don’t tan and I will burn regardless of how much sunscreen I have on) I began to feel a bit peckish. To fill my belly with the cuisine of Jamaica I decided I needed some jerk chicken. With my jerk chicken I made some vegetable patties to accompany. And every yummy meal needs a dessert. So banana fritters it was.

Of course this is all my fantasy. I wish I was on the beach of Jamaica and I wish I could walk into a restaurant on the Jamaican shore and be served some real jerk chicken and some real plantain fritters (instead of banana fritters.) Since this isn’t a possibility for me, I just started my first week of the spring semester and all, I had to transform my kitchen into a Jamaican kitchen and my dining room into a beach.

I have no idea if my jerk chicken tasted like jerk chicken at all, because I’ve never had Jamaican food. The vegetable patties were an excellent accompaniment to the chicken, though frying the vegetables definitely doesn’t make them all healthy and vegetableicious.

For dessert I had banana fritters. They made a great dessert and would make a delicious breakfast as well. 

Now if only I could go to Jamaica for real.. Also, I didn’t have any travelers join me this week in the around the world challenge, but I hope maybe next week someone will come!

Jerk Chicken

Ingredients
1 tbsp rum
1/2 tbsp water
2 tbsp malt vinegar
3 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1.  Boil the rum and water in a small saucepan for 3 minutes. Transfer the rum mixture into a blender. Combine with the vinegar, green onions, garlic, thyme, vegetable oil, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. Blend until smooth. Transfer 1/2 tbsp jerk seasoning to a small bowl and combine with soy sauce and ketchup. Cover the sauce and set aside.

2. Arrange the chicken in a roasting pan. Pour lemon juice over the chicken. Rub the remaining jerk seasoning over the chicken. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for about 30 minutes, until juices run clear.

* serves 2
* 229 calories per serving

 Vegetable Patties

Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp jerk sauce from the jerk chicken
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 cups carrots, grated
2 cup canned peas, drained
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, jerk sauce, and salt and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the carrots. Cover and reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and remove from heat.

2. Mix the vegetables in a large bowl with the breadcrumbs, eggs, and milk.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Form 1/3 cup mixture patties and place it into the skillet with the hot oil. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 minutes on the other side. Set on a paper towel and let drain.

* serves 6
* 2 patties per serving
* 193 calories per serving

Banana Fritters

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Peel and mash the bananas. In another bowl beat together the egg, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Stir together the egg mixture and the bananas. Sift in the baking powder and flour. Stir in the milk.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot drop spoonfuls of the banana batter into the oil. Once the fritters are golden brown, flip and cook the other side.

* makes 26 fritters
* 61 calories per fritter

NOW! Come travel the globe with me this year.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time

Lentil Soup

Last week was soup week. It was kind of unintentional, but after I finished my meal plan I realized I had an abundance of soups on my list. This was hands down the best soup of the week and actually the only one I’m going to share, since I only share the yummiest of yummies. It’s been really cold here in Sacramento, reaching below freezing most nights for the past week. I had a final on Saturday and by 9 in the morning it was only 32 degrees. Brrrrrr….

Soup is good!

French Lentil Soup

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp lentils, rinsed
7 oz petite diced tomato in juice
balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic, sauteing until the vegetables are brown, about 15 minutes.

2. Add 2 cups of broth, lentils, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat over medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

3. Transfer 1 cup of soup to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the soup. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

* serves 3
* 333 calories per serving

Lentil Chicken Soup and Spinach Pinwheels

I’ve written about this before, but I’ll mention it again since it’s relevant right now because of the dish I’m posting. I’ve lost about 50 pounds since August of 2010. This has all been thanks to the website myfitnesspal. Besides the wonderful calorie database, it also has a great community of other individuals also losing weight. I’m part of a group over there called RECIPE SWAP. Each week two members of the group share a recipe for everyone else to cook.

Last week nattiec21 shared this recipe with the group. It definitely pushed me outside of my “normal” ingredients. I have never cooked with kale before and really, I’m not even sure if I’d ever eaten it before. Also, I had an unopened package of lentils in my cabinet, but I had never used them before. The nice thing about the group is I get stuck on the same flavors sometimes, the same ingredients, and the same dishes. This allows me try things I just wouldn’t otherwise.

I made this dish with those cute spinach pinwheels in the picture. They worked similar to croutons and were very delicious. Overall, I’d rank this dish high on the recipe chain and I would make it again.

Lentil Chicken Soup

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tbsp fresh basil
2 cups coarsely chopped kale
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 skinless boneless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup dry brown lentils

Directions

1. Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Preheat the pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic to the heated saucepan. Cook and cover for 5-7 minutes, allowing the vegetables to begin to tenderize, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the kale and the dried lentils. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 30 minutes.

3. Stir in the chicken, tomato, and basil. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.

* serves 3
* 228 calories per serving
* shared to be by nattiec21

Spinach Pinwheels

Ingredients
1 8-oz package refrigerated reduced fat crescent rolls
2 wedges Laughing Cow creamy Swiss cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
several handfuls of spinach, coarsely chopped (I didn’t measure this)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Split the crescent dough in half along the center to form a rectangle. Press the perforated edges of the dough together with your fingers.

3. Spread each rectangle with one block of the creamy Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with garlic powder and spinach.

4. Starting on the long side of the dough, roll together as if you were rolling a cinnamon rolls. Cut into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Continue until you have used up all of the crescent roll dough.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

* makes 10 servings
* 3 pinwheels per serving
* 165 calories per serving