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

Thanks for your visit xo

Beef Pot Pie

This beef-pot pie is sure to warm 

you up on these colder Autumn days.

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

A quick way to prepare a meal 

with tender beef and gravy and so tasty.

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 use 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. 

I'm short on the asparagus portion,

because when the pandemic first

started, I avoided going to stores.

Ordered on line.

Delicious!

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

Keep safe and healthy everyone, 


Thanks for your visit xo

Old-Fashioned Baked Beans

My Mom baked beans often

 when we were growing up, 

to feed our large family.

I remember helping to shell the different 

types of beans that grew in our garden.

Another favourite were kidney beans.

Beans are full of protein and fibre.

I use Thompson's pea beans for my recipe.

I bake them in bulk and they freeze well.

I freeze them in small containers and

have them for months. 

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 adding more 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

3/4 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 beans, on medium heat  
 in a large pot, covered with water,

 for 30 minutes, or until nearly tender.

(Beans will not become any

 softer when placed in the oven)

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 to the top of the measuring cup, 

which thins and makes pouring out easier.

 

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.

Check after 6 hrs., they could be done.

Stir the beans 1/2 way through.

Add more water is not enough.

After 7 (or 6hrs.) 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.

(I did this blog post in 2020.

Thankfully the Covid has eased)

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. (2020)
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, 
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 cup 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