Taco Spaghetti

A one-pot nutritional meal.
Fast and easy to make,

sure to satisfy children and adults alike.

Ingredients

1 onion chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 lb. ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

8 oz. spaghetti 

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

How I do it
In a large skillet, with oil, 
 brown the beef with the onions and garlic.
Stir in taco seasoning.
Add the can of diced tomatoes,
tomato paste and
3 cups of water.
Add spaghetti.


Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until
 pasta is cooked about 13-16 minutes.
Stir occasionally. 

Remove from heat and top with the cheeses.
Cover and let sit for about 2 minutes 
or until the cheeses have melted.

Garnish with parsley and serve.

Enjoy

 Bye for now friends.

Keep safe and well.

Thanks for your visit xo

Beef Pot Pie - Day 15 of Quarantine

My sister Annie and I are starting a Jigsaw puzzle 
tomorrow, my niece Linda, mailed to us. 1000 pieces.
Obeying quarantine rules, we had to be carefully 
how we handled the package to avoid germs.
It was as if we were handling a bomb.

We are living in strange times.

I made 2 beef pot pies with leftover

 beef from my previous blog,
Crock-Pot Roast Beef.

I made 2 pies in 8 inch square pans.

Ingredients

4 carrots cubed
4 medium potatoes
1 small turnip cubed
1/2 onion 
3 shallots
1 garlic clove
2 celery stocks
 3 cups cubed beef, approx.
1 14 oz. can corn
1 14 oz. can peas
2 cups vegetable, (beef
or chicken) broth.
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
optional 1/4 parsley.


Instructions

Cube up carrots and potatoes
boil until tender.
I put a small turnip in the the carrots.
My potatoes is a mix of white and yellow potatoes.

I cubed the leftover beef.

In a skillet with vegetable oil,
fry the onion, shallots, garlic and 
celery for a few minutes.

Place all the ingredients into the large skillet.

In a measuring cup add enough
 liquid broth (I added my leftover gravy and broth) 
to make 2 cups.
Add also 2 tbsp tomato paste, 
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce,
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, beware this is hot. 
(optional 1/4 cup parsley)

Pour liquid into the vegetables 
add salt and pepper to taste,

Place in 8x 8 dishes or one large 12x8 dish.
I will freeze one for later.

Roll out a crust for the top.
I used a store bought crust and 
I like it thick on these type of meat pies.

Brush the top with milk 

Bake 425 for 20-25 minutes or 
until the crush is nice and brown.

I  took a long walk to get some fresh air.
Came back hungry and 
really enjoyed this pie for supper.
So delicious.

I made these pies with beef 
that I cooked in this recipe. Crock-Pot Roast Beef

Cooking, baking, cleaning, 
reading and going for walks.
We are all in this together.
Stay safe, stay home
 and stay well friends,

Thanks for your visit xo

Crock-Pot Roast Beef - Rationing The Asparagus

A quick way to prepare a meal 

with tender beef and gravy and so tasty.

Day 12 of Quarantine 
We must stay home to stay
healthy and flatten the curve.
Here in Canada, our government has
 closed borders between provinces
 and U.S., except for trucks that
transport food, medication and fuel only.
Only essential stores are allowed to remain open.

I am rationing the asparagus
during this pandemic. 
We usually have more on our plate.

I have done a lot of different roasts 
in the crock-pot and
 they were all tender and delicious.
Pork tenderloin is delicious this way also.

Today I did a blade roast with
 cream of mushroom soup

Steam from the hot beef, made my photo cloudy.

Grease the crock-pot for easier cleaning.

Chop up one onion and a garlic clove,

 3 options

During this pandemic, 
 we have to use what we have on hand.

I have three options for the liquid
 over the beef. I have used them 
all at one time or another, and they
are all good.

1.  Add one can of cream of mushroom or 
celery soup with 1/2 can water. .

2.  If you don't have cream soup use about

about 1 cup of beef broth.


3. If you don't have cream soup or beef broth
  you could put  a cup of water,
and some flavouring/spices,
 bovril and worcestershire sauce.

Place the roast beef in the greased crock-pot

with the onions and garlic and pour the liquid on top.
Add some pepper and salt.
Avoid lifting the cover while cooking,
this will interrupt the cooking time.

I do halfway, to turn over the beef.

If my meal is for supper, 
I like to have it in the crock-pot for 10am 
and cook it for 8 hrs. 
Then my day is free to do other things.

I've also have cooked for 5/6 hrs. and 
it came out delicious and tender also.

When it is done, remove the roast and slice.
Keep the liquid from the roast and 
strain in a saucepan,  to make a gravy.

To make my gravy

 Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch,
 or flour, in a small jar with
 about 1/2 cup water and a cover.
Shake to mix.
This will prevent lumps in the gravy.

Pour the jar liquid in the sauce from the roast,
in the saucepan, and bring to a boil 
and simmer a few minutes.

Served with steamed asparagus,
potatoes and baby beets. 




Delicious!

With the leftover beef, I made Beef-Pot Pie.

Keep safe and healthy everyone, 
 stay inside, let's help "flatten the curve"
 and destroy this virus.

Thanks for your visit xo

I am linking up with:

TUESDAY WITH A TWIST
TUESDAY TURN ABOUT
SHARE YOUR STYLE
TO GRANDMAS HOUSE WE GO
SATURDAY SPARKS
SATURDAY SPARKS

Old-Fashioned Baked Beans

I use Thompson's pea beans for my recipe.

Beans are full of protein and fiber. 

I bake them in bulk and they freeze well.

I have tried many recipes over the years,
and this recipe is my favorite.

I use the recipe on the package above,

omitting the brown sugar and salt,
and doubling the molasses.

The recipe on the package is for 1 lb.
 of beans. I use the whole bag,
which contains 2 lbs., doubling the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. white pea beans

1 large sliced onion

4 tsp. vinegar

2 tsp  prepared mustard

1 cup molasses

1 cup low-salt ketchup

Pinch black pepper

1/4lb. bacon chopped

Instructions

The night before.

Rinse the beans.

Soak overnight or at lease 12 hrs.

Drain, boil on low,  
 in a large pot for 30 minutes.

I like the bitter aroma in the kitchen,
 during beans boiling.
It bring back childhood memories.
My Mom made these often,
 to feed her large family.

While the beans are boiling 

I prepare my other ingredients.

Chop up an onion and bacon.

Preheat oven to 250 deg.F.

In a large measuring cup

add the vinegar, mustard, molasses,

ketchup, and pepper.
Before dumping this on the beans,
I add hot water which thins 
and makes pouring out easier.

Spring colours on the first day of Spring. 

Drain the beans after 30 minutes of boiling.

Place the chopped onion in the bottom

of a roaster pan, a large bean crock, 
or a 12 cup casserole pan.

Place beans on top of the onions.

Add the measuring cup mixture

  over beans.

Place chopped bacon on top.

Add enough hot water to cover mixture.

Add any other spices you like,

I add some parsley.

Cover with lid and bake at 250 deg.F. for 7 hrs.

After 7 hrs., I remove the cover and let bake 1/2 hr. longer.

they are soo good.....

Social-distancing,
self-isolation, 
new vocabulary, 
which is so important,
to "flatten the curve".

As the world is still,
stay positive, 
nothing lasts forever.

Thanks for your visit xo

Cookies with Baileys Irish Creme Icing

In this pandemic, here in Quebec,

 mostly everything is closed , 
except the pharmacies

 and grocery stores. 
Our Prime Minister announced
today, the U.S. Canada border
will be closed for nonessential travel.
but not for trucks transporting food,
medications etc.
A lot of our food comes from U.S.

I made these cookies
 yesterday, St. Patrick's Day.
The recipe called for buttermilk.
 I didn't have any on hand.
 I didn't want to use my milk supply,
in this pandemic, stay at home, 
 so I substituted for condensed sweet milk
 that I had in the pantry, 
expiry date the end of March,
and I didn't add any sugar in the recipe.
The cookies are delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted cold butter cubed

1/2 dried cranberries

Grated rind of one orange

Approx. 3/4 condensed sweet milk 

1 egg lightly beaten

Heat oven to 425 deg. F

In a large bowl, whist together the flour, 
baking powder and salt.

Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Mix in the orange rind and cranberries with a fork

Beat the egg in a measuring cup and 

 add the sweetened condensed milk, 
 to make 1 cup.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk 

 and egg mixture into the flour mixture.

Keep a little to brush on the top of the cookies.

Roll out with a rolling pin
 approx. 1/4 to 1/2  inch thick

 on a floured surface

Using a 2" floured cookie cutter, cut out biscuits.

Place on a cookie sheet

Brush tops with reserved milk mixture.

Bake 425 deg. about 15-17 mins.

The cranberries and orange combined, create
a divine aroma in the kitchen, while baking.

Icing/ Frosting

1 cup of icing sugar/confectioners sugar

2 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream

and add a few tsp. of milk to make

 an icing constituency.

Spread over cookie and sprinkle some green.

Our coffee for the day.

I froze most of them. 

We're gaining weight in this pandemic. 

We have to watch our sugar intake.

After taking this pic,

 I opened the blind to let the 

sunshine in to brighten the day.

It's a beautiful Sunny day here.

The snow is melting.

Social distancing is important.

We are all in this together.

Keep well my friends.

Thanks for your visit xo