Beef and Sweet Potato Stew with Homemade Spaetzle

I know that I have been AWOL since before Thanksgiving, but I have a really good excuse. I've been sick since the day after Thanksgiving. Nothing life threatening. Just a very bad cold. But when you're old like me, a cold can really take its toll on your body.

I'm finally on the road to recovery and cooking.

We've had lots of rain since October and November, so I've been craving comfort foods like soups, chowders and stews, all of which have been on the menu at least twice a week.

Rather than serve the stews with just crusty bread on the side, I decided to use this spaetzle maker that had not seen the outside of my kitchen cabinet since it arrived in the mail a year ago and try the simple spaetzle recipe posted on Elly Says Opa! It is so easy, fast and delicious. It's actually faster than boiling dried noodles....and a whole lot tastier.

After removing the spaetzle from the boiling water, I strained it and put it in a frying pan with a little butter and chopped parsley. This batch browned a little, but it was still delicious and perfect with the stew.



The marsala wine adds just the right touch of sweetness to accent the flavor of the sweet potatoes.



Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely minced
1 cup Marsala wine
4 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

To season and coat the meat:

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

Put all the beef seasoning/coating ingredients in a bowl and mix together with a whisk, then transfer to a large zip-lock type bag. Add the beef chunks to the bag, close the bag securely and shake until all the beef chunks are evenly coated. Remove the beef chunks from the bag to a plate or bowl, shaking off excess flour. Set aside. Discard flour mixture.

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, rosemary and thyme and gently saute until the onions are tender and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute, being careful not to brown or burn the garlic.

Turn up the heat to medium high and add the coated beef chunks to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the Marsala wine and beef broth to the pot, making sure to stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring the stew to a full boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and simmer the stew for one hour.

After an hour, add the sweet potato chunks to the pot, cover and simmer on low heat for another hour.

Keep stew warm while making the spaetzle.

Spaetzle
Adapted from Elly Says Opa!

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (I always use freshly grated whole nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter butter
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Reduce to a gentle boil/simmer.

Using a whisk, mix the flour, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Add the eggs/milk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Secure the spaetzle maker over the simmering water and position the basket portion in the middle of the spaetzle maker. Add the dough to the basket and gently move the basket back and forth over the grater base. The dough will be thin enough to be forced through the grater base with the back and forth action and drop into the simmering water. Continue until all the dough is used. Cook just a few minutes until the spaetzle are done and rise to the surface. Lift the spaetzle out with a mesh strainer or slotted spoon.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the spaetzle. Stir to coat the spaetzle and cook about 2 minutes or until they start to get a little color. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Day One of the July 4th Holiday Weekend and My Garden

I do hope that all of you are having a fun and SAFE July 4th holiday.

Since our boat isn't back from the shop yet, we've decided to just hang out at home, do some yard work and work on the house to get it ready to sell in the near future (we hope). This morning was yard work. Tomorrow is painting, painting and more painting. But we started our weekend with dinner last night.

Grilled steaks with mushroom sauce, grilled yukon gold potatoes drizzled with truffle oil and a simple salad with white balsamic salad dressing.

I loved the potatoes cooked this way...


Tom sliced them about 1/2 inch thick and parboiled the slices until he was just barely able to pierce the flesh with a fork and the potato still had resistance. He removed the potatoes from the boiling water to a paper towel to dry. When the grill was ready, he brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled the slices on both sides with salt and pepper and cooked them on the grill until they were done all the way through. He removed them from the grill to a plate and drizzled each slice with a few drops of black truffle oil.

I had a sizable portion of the Mushroom Sauce in the freezer, which I thawed earlier in the day, but you can get the recipe HERE.

Tonight we are making Vinny's Chicken, a recipe we duplicated from a small, family owned Italian restaurant in Oceanside, California where we could be found nearly every Friday night. Vinny marinated chicken halves (we will use chicken breasts) for several hours in white wine, lots of chopped garlic and fresh rosemary. Simply delicious. Vinny (Vincent DeGallo), the chef/owner of the restaurant, learned to cook from his mother when he was a boy. I've never tasted better Italian food anywhere.

As our side dish, I'm thrilled to be making one of my favorites, Pan-Crisped Deviled Eggs on French Lettuces, a recipe that I copied from Debbie's blog, The Friday Friends. Of course, we can't get French lettuces here, but a spring salad mix works fine.

For dessert we'll have sweetened blackberries (from our garden) spooned over no-sugar, low-fat ice cream (hey, you gotta cut down somewhere. It might as well be the ice cream).

I will have photos of tonight's dinner tomorrow.

I haven't shared much about my garden so far this season. It started out quite stunted because of all the rain in May. Then our weather turned from cool to unbearably hot, nearly 100 degrees every single day in June. My plants have been very confused. But they are perking up and starting to produce.

My French Tarragon is doing nicely...


I've already used four large poblano's for a meal of Roasted Poblanos Stuffed with Black Beans and Rice with a Suiza Sauce

And the plants are still going strong...

My orange bell peppers are just now starting to turn orange...

But my red bell peppers are still green with no sign of changing color yet...

The fruit has set on my tomatillo plants...

And we will have Snow Globe cherry tomatoes soon...

After last year's dismal failure, it looks like I will have heirloom tomatoes...


From the looks of things, we will be overflowing with produce very soon.

Apps ~ And I'm Not Talkin' iPhone

I love creating and making appetizers.

I have always been fascinated by how just two or three or four ingredients could be combined for a flavorful amuse-bouche (a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre) or layered on a piece of toasted baguette for a tasty crostini. Yummy.

Appetizers can be as simple or as complicated as you like and, when I have guests, I like to offer a little bit of both.

Here are five of the appetizers I've made recently. Let's start with the most simple.

1. I don't quite remember where I got the idea for this. Instead of making a Caprese Salad, I think I saw someone on a television program serve a slice of mozzarella, a slice of tomato and a basil leaf in a stack on a slice of baguette. I decided to eliminate the bread and put the ingredients on a skewer.

When I was in the store the other day, I saw a package of fresh mozzarella "pearls" and thought those would be perfect for making the skewers. All I would need to add were some flavorful grape tomatoes and some fresh basil leaves from my garden. When ready to serve, I drizzled them with some nice extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

These are addicting. The pop of the tomato. The creaminess of the mozzarella. The softness and subtle flavor of the olive oil. The tangy sweetness of the balsamic. And the basil leaf acts like a little cup to capture everything all together.

2. Another one of my favorite appetizers started out as a main course. I blogged about these Asian Turkey Meatballs awhile back and I'm still hooked on them.

They are flavorful, but light and low in calories. For the appetizer, I just make the meatballs smaller by using a 1-1/2-inch diameter ice cream scoop and I cut the baking time by about a third. The meatballs and the sauce can be made earlier in the day, then bake the meatballs when you are ready to serve. Easy peasy.

3. The next appetizer is an adaptation from Paula Deen's Tomato Pie recipe.

I loved all of the ingredients, so I honestly expected to love the pie. Yuck. It was soggy and nearly flavorless. But I kept thinking, those ingredients should taste good! So, I decided to make Tomato Pie appetizers and after a couple of times, I opted to roast the tomatoes first. Perfect!


Roasted Tomato, Basil & Cheese Crostini
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table
based very loosely on Paula Deen's Tomato Pie

5 Roma tomatoes, roasted (see instructions below)
10 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped green onion, green & white parts
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
kosher salt & pepper
1 baguette, sliced about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick
olive oil (for drizzling on the baguette slices)

To roast the tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and arrange on the baking sheet cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are somewhat caramelized. Remove from oven and allow to cool. These can be made a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

To prepare the baguette slices: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle a large baking sheet with olive oil. Lay the baguette slices flat on the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the tops of the slices with olive oil and use a small brush to evenly distribute the oil on top of the baguette slices. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until they are toasted to your liking. The longer they bake, the crunchier they become. Keep in mind that you will bake them again when making the appetizers.

For the cheese mixture and assembly of the crostini: Combine the green onions, cheeses and mayonnaise and mix well. Set aside. Stack all of the basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up. Slice the rolled leaves in thin slices and separate the slices. This technique is called chiffonade. Set the basil chiffonade aside. Cut each of the roasted tomato halves in half which should give you 20 pieces of roasted tomato. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To assemble the crostini, spread each of the baguette slices with some of the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the basil chiffonade on top of the cheese mixture. Top with a piece of roasted tomato. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese mixture is hot and bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE

4. When we were in Savannah over the Memorial Day weekend, my son had the June issue of Bon Appetit magazine. One of the recipes in the magazine was for a Grilled Bruschetta with Teleme, Honey and Figs. It sure looked simple enough, but ... well, you know where I live and you know how much I complain about the lack of availability of ingredients. When we got home....no fresh figs. Not even at Fresh Market or Whole Foods in Little Rock. And forget Teleme cheese.

So, Tom and I improvised and it came out like this...

We make our toasted baguette slices pretty much the same way every time, so we took each slice and topped it with a piece of good quality brie. I had some beautiful dried figs that I purchased from NutsOnline.com. I swear, they have the best dried fruit I've ever purchased anywhere. Anyway, Tom sliced the dried black mission figs and placed a couple of slices on top of the brie on each piece of the toasted baguette. He baked them in a 400 degree oven until the brie was melted and a little bubbly, then removed them from the baking sheet to a serving tray. I then drizzled each appetizer with Truffle Honey. Oh. My. God. Sooooo delicious. If we can ever get them, I cannot wait to try these with the fresh figs!

5. Finally, the most time consuming appetizer. Tom and I were watching a program called "The Heat with Mark McEwan", a Canadian chef. He and his staff were preparing food for the restaurant's anniversary and one of the appetizers created by his executive chef was a Seared Beef Tenderloin & Mushroom Duxelle with Bearnaise. I searched in vain for the recipe and couldn't find it anywhere, so, once again, I improvised and came up with this...


These, my friends, are simply to die for and worth every second of the preparation. I cheated on the Bearnaise. I didn't make it from scratch. I used a package of Knorr Bearnaise sauce, but along with the milk and butter, I added a couple of teaspoons of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of dried tarragon.

Tom and I made these one night for dinner. We had these and a bottle of Merlot. Mmmmmmm.

Seared Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Mushroom Duxelle & Bearnaise
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table
adapted from "The Heat from Mark McEwan

1 baguette, sliced about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick
2 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1-inch thick (total weight about 1 pound)
16 ounces button mushrooms, sliced then roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup port wine
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 - 0.9 ounce package Knorr Bearnaise Sauce
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon

To prepare the baguette slices: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle a large baking sheet with olive oil. Lay the baguette slices flat on the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the tops of the slices with olive oil and use a small brush to evenly distribute the oil on top of the baguette slices. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until they are toasted to your liking. The longer they bake, the crunchier they become. Keep in mind that you will bake them again when making the appetizers.

For the Mushroom Duxelle: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the mushrooms and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Season with kosher salt and pepper, then add the port wine to the mushrooms, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the port wine has reduced and there is not liquid left in the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the Bearnaise Sauce: Dump the contents of the envelope of sauce mix into a small pot. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. Once the sauce begins to boil, add the butter and whisk into the sauce until melted. Add the lemon juice and tarragon and whisk again. Keep warm.

For the Tenderloin: Heat a frying pan or griddle over high heat. Do not allow the pan to get so hot that it smokes. Season the steaks with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and place the steaks in the hot pan or griddle. Allow to cook about 4-5 minutes, then using tongs turn the steaks and cook on the other side for about 4-5 minutes. They should be medium rare. Do not cut or pierce the steaks with a knife or fork. Using tongs, remove the steaks to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes and as much as 10 minutes.

To assemble: Place the baguette slices on a large serving tray. Top each slice with about a tablespoon of the mushroom duxelle. Slice the steaks so that the slices are about 1/8-inch thick and lay 2 to 3 slices of the steak on top of the mushroom duxelle on each baguette slice. Top the steak with a tablespoon or so of the warm bearnaise sauce and serve immediately.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE

My Top 5 Most Googled Recipes for 2009

I have been blogging about food and sharing recipes for over 2-1/2 years now. Like many of you, I have a site tracker that gathers statistical information about each visitor to my blog: their location, time spent on my blog, pages viewed and how each visitor ultimately landed on my blog. Most first time readers used a link to my blog that was part of a list of links that was a result of a Google search of recipes. Of those, most Googled a specific recipe or list of ingredients.

My readership increased quite a bit in 2009, but new readers generally visited because they were looking for something very specific or a specific recipe. The following 5 recipes are the posts that were visited most often during this past year.

I hope you find them interesting and appetizing, too.

#5. Salmon with Herb Sauce, an oven roasted salmon fillet, nestled on a flaky square of puff pastry and topped with a delicious herbed cream sauce.

First posted in 2008, my son, Chris, developed this recipe for the grill a couple of years ago. I prepare it in the oven, too, which is what this particular recipe calls for, but it is delicious both ways.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE.

#4. Ava's Stuffed Buns is a recipe that I posted back in February. Most people simply Googled "stuffed buns" and, in doing so, my post for these invariably came up in the list of links.

The buns are simple, cheesy and flavorful, and freeze really well.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE.

3. Beerocks. Originally posted in March 2008 under the title of "What Is a Beerock, And How Did It Get To Fresno? or How Did Fresno Cooks Corrupt the Bierock??", this recipe is Googled by folks all over the U.S. It amazes me because I didn't think anyone outside of Fresno, California ever heard of them.

These meat pies originated in Germany, but certainly not in the form my mother prepared when I was a kid. Just the same, if you like a peppery, savory filling, you will love these.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE.

2. Mexican Marinated Carrots was my first ever post back in July 2007.

I was surprised to find that this simple recipe was the second most visited on my blog. It is one that I copied from a restaurant we frequented in Oceanside, California when we lived there. I make these all summer long.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE.

#1. Timpano. I posted this entry back in March of 2008 and it is by far the most visited entry of my entire blog, with several links back to my post from other food blogs and forums. Timpano is a traditional Italian dish which consists of a pastry crust filled with pasta, meatballs, ragu, cheese, hard boiled eggs and salami, served with pasta sauce.

I am particularly proud of this post. Besides giving the recipe, I give step-by-step instructions, with photos, on how to prepare and assemble all of the ingredients. It is a big job. It takes Tom and me a couple of hours to assemble, but it's worth the trouble. It is a delicious meal for a crowd and a real show stopper.
I first saw this dish in a movie called "Big Night," with Stanley Tucci and Tony Shaloub, a real foodie's flick.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE.

So, I wonder what recipes people will be Googling this year.

I'm Back....Sort of

I know it's been a while. It's not that I haven't cooking. I have. I just haven't been sharing much of it because my life is just kicking my butt. I'm swamped and over committed (yes, I know it's my own fault), but I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Today is sort of the last day of an over committed schedule. I volunteered Tom and I to organize and cook for a church picnic. In about 45 minutes, we will be heading out to the park.

What else have I been doing? You mean besides my Strong Woman class, a Photoshop class, the church newsletter, shopping and planning the picnic and about a week's worth of the flu....well, as you can see, absolutely nothing. On top of it all, I'm planning, God help me, a new blog, but the new one will be completely separate from this blog, my personal diary blog and my food blog for our local online newspaper. I finally got mad enough and I'm going to start a blog that focuses on all those people out there whose health insurance has been denied or canceled (yes, I'm a bleeding heart Democrat, she's says proudly). Luckily, I'll have a little help now and then from some like-minded people.

So, wish me luck. It won't be long until I'm back in the food saddle again. I've still been cooking and taking photos. Until my next post....

Shredded Beef Tacos...Mmmmmm, they were delicious!

Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce & Deviled Egg Salad

It seems everyone has received free bottles of POM Pomegranate juice. Everyone, that is, except me. I had to buy mine. But, that's okay, I actually buy it regularly because I make a refreshing afternoon drink with it. I fill a tall glass with ice, pour pomegranate juice to fill the glass about a fourth full, then pour orange juice until the glass is half full, then fill to the top with diet ginger ale. It's sort of like an afternoon snack for me.

We were planning a cookout this past weekend and I wanted something different. I had been seeing a lot of POM recipes in the blogosphere lately and thought about making a Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce. I did some looking around the internet and every single recipe called for Pomegranate Molasses. Now, com'on folks, I live in Arkansas. There are times during the year when the grocery stores don't even carry regular molasses because it is considered "seasonal" (like nobody would use it any time other than the holidays ~ go figure). So, I KNEW there would be no way I would find pomegranate molasses. I had to use my creative genius. I decided to reduce the pomegranate juice down to a glaze. So what do you think? Looks delicious, huh?



Here's what I did. I had some sliced smoked beef brisket in the freezer that I had smoked back in November and vacuum sealed. I made the barbecue sauce and then warmed the brisket slices in the barbecue until we were ready to eat.

Last week, Debbie @ Friday Friends posted a recipe for Deviled Egg Salad...well, actually the recipe's specific title is Pan-crisped Deviled Eggs on French Lettuces, but as I said, I live in Arkansas. The only thing French you will find here are Fries. But, in defense of the state where I now live, I did find a really nice herb and spring mix at WalMart. They don't carry it often, but when it's there, I buy it because it is really tasty. I like biting into my salad and being surprised with a taste of fresh dill or basil.

So, anyway, we love deviled eggs at our house and this salad looked so darn good I just had to try it and I can tell you, I will make it again and again. It was delicious.



Okay, so technically, we didn't actually cook out, but we did eat outside. And we enjoyed every single bite.

Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons (about 2 cloves) garlic, finely minced
1-3/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook about a minute. Pour in the pomegranate juice and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for about 9 or 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by a third.

Add the vinegar the remaining ingredients, stirring well, bring to a boil and reduce the sauce to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened. Use as a glaze or sauce.

Note: I initially did not add the white wine. I only added it later after the sauce has simmered for awhile and still had too much of a vinegar bite for me. The white wine cuts that bite very nicely.

Debbie's Deviled Egg Salad
adapted from Debbie's recipe @ The Friday Friends

For The Eggs:
8 large eggs, hard cooked and peeled
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 med. garlic cloves, minced
2-1/2 teaspoons minced onion
2-1/2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, coarse chopped
2-3 Tablespoons milk
2-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar (I only had cider vinegar, so I used that)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons chives, chopped - I had to add them. They are growing beautifully in my herb garden. I also used them for garnish on the finished salad.

For The Dressing:
the leftover egg stuffing
3 Tablespoons good tasting extra virgin olive-oil
1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 1/2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar.(The original recipe called for 2 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

For The Salad Greens:
4 generous handfuls of mixed greens such as Bibb lettuce, mache`, and dandelion greens or frisee`, washed and dried. (I used a full plastic container of herb and spring mix

To Make The Hard Cooked Eggs:
Place 8 eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, cover the pot, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to sit for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain the water from the pot and cover the eggs with ice and cold water to stop the cooking and cool the eggs so they can be easily handled.


1. Cut the hard cooked eggs in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolks with your fingers and place them in a medium sized bowl. Set the whites aside on a plate.

2. To the yolks, add the mustard, garlic, onion, parsley, milk, mayo, vinegar and chives. With a fork, crush everything together into a thick paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pack the egg yolk mixture back into the hollows of the egg whites. Fill so that the stuffing mix even with the surface of the egg white. DO NOT mound the stuffing. You will have leftover stuffing and this becomes the base for your salad dressing.

4. To the bowl with the leftover egg stuffing mix, add the salad dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

5. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Gently place the eggs in the pan, stuffed side down. Cook until the eggs are beautifully browned, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper as they cook.

5. As the eggs saute`, put the salad greens into a large bowl. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the dressing to the greens and toss until well coated. Remove salad greens to a large platter.

6. Gently lift the eggs from the pan, turn them filling side up and set them on the greens. Be careful! They are really slippery little suckers. I had one casualty.

7. To serve, drizzle remaining dressing over eggs, sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.

Hanger-On: n. A person who remains in a place or attaches himself or herself to a group, another person, etc.

Or is it Hanger-On-er? Either way, I can't believe I have done this. Me...the former executive director of student fiscal affairs for a private college...a presumptuous, unabashed follower. Nothing creative is happening for me, so I shamelessly latched on to someone else's idea.

No, I'm not part of the Friday Friends group. I don't know Debbie personally, but I have been to Winnemuca, Nevada, for a street fair, I think sometime in 2002 before we moved from the Lake Tahoe area back to Arkansas. Sadly, I don't think that counts. Anyway, I have somewhat attached myself and given myself permission to participate in the What's Outside My Kitchen Window postings.

And, I am about to also answer her questions about hamburgers... that simple summer food on a bun, with potato salad or macaroni salad or french fries or onion rings. Aren't they incredibly versatile?

So, Wednesday, I will once again post What's Outside My Kitchen Window. I'm actually excited to do that because my yard is changing daily. I just love this time of year! But, for today...

What do you put on your hamburger? Mayo, mustard, ketchup (it's a McDonald's secret sauce thing from the early 60's), always request cheddar cheese, sliced onion, tomato and sometimes dill pickle slices. Lettuce is completely optional. Although, I did really like the Carls Jr. low carb burger with no bun and wrapped in lettuce. So maybe it's the bun that's optional.

Do you even eat hamburgers? Yes, but not very often. Maybe three or four times a year. It's not that I don't like them very much. In fact, it is the opposite. I absolutely love them if they are flavorful, hot and juicy!

Is there a special place from your youth....that made great hamburgers. Your "hang out" joint, if you will. The place that made the burgers of your dreams? When I started high school in northern California, my mom got a job as a clerk at Los Gatos Pharmacy, a small town, family owned pharmacy that not only dispensed drugs and other sundries, but also had an old fashioned lunch counter. They made the very best hamburger I've ever eaten in my life. The ground beef was fresh and the patties were hand made, as was the "sauce" they used. You could have your burger with french fries or salad with a homemade roquefort cheese dressing, which I have tried repeatedly to duplicate with little success. I used to love when my mom had to work Saturday mornings and she would take us to the pharmacy where we would have lunch and then explore the sidewalks outside until it was time to go home. I've never tasted a better burger since, but I'll keep trying.

Beef Marsala Stew

I've been sick for almost two weeks. I've had that horrible crud that has been going around and finally broke down last Monday and paid a visit to my doctor. She prescribed meds and bed rest and by yesterday afternoon I was finally feeling human again.

Since I hadn't eaten much of anything for over a week and a half, by mid-week this week I was looking for something that would stick to my ribs and with lots of flavor. God bless Mike Mulligan at Mike's Table. He came through like a champ and didn't even know it.

As I was sitting in front of the computer, wading through 127 entries in my Google reader, I came across an entry from Mike, Beef Short Ribs Marsala Pasta. I wasn't in the mood for pasta, but beef cooked in Marsala wine over mashed potatoes...Mmmmmm!! Oooo, I was hungry!

I had a brand new bottle of Marsala in the pantry, plenty of potatoes and a package of four very large boneless beef short ribs in the freezer and I got started.

This dish was a hit and made enough beef in that wonderful savory, rich gravy for dinner for the three of us, plus Tom vacuumed bagged enough for another meal. Next time, I'll try it over the pasta as Mike originally suggested.



Beef Marsala Stew
Adapted from Beef Short Ribs Marsala Pasta at Mike's Table

This recipe contains my changes to Mike's recipe.

3 strips bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 pounds boneless beef (I used boneless beef short ribs, but I think this would be good with almost any cut of beef)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 of a large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 cups Marsala wine
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed from stems
handful of chopped parsley
2 cups beef stock
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (they're called Baby Bellas here)
Mashed potatoes

Cut the boneless beef into approximately 1-inch cubes. Put the cubed beef into a gallon size plastic bag. Add the flour, kosher salt and pepper to the bag. Seal the bag and shake well to coat all of the pieces of meat. Set aside

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium high heat until crispy and remove from the pan to a paper towel. Add the olive oil to the bacon drippings, then add the pieces of meat a few at a time, browning each piece for 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and add more beef pieces until all pieces are browned. Set aside.

Saute the celery, carrot and onion in the pan until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.

Deglaze the pot with the 3 cups of wine, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom. Allow the wine to come to a boil. Add the beef stock, mushrooms and the herbs, mix well, then return the beef and the cooked bacon to the pan. Bring to a boil again, cover, reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook for about three hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so.

After three hours, the beef should be fork tender and the sauce should be thickened nicely. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you make your mashed potatoes.

Casseroles = Comfort

Debbie over at The Friday Friends posted an entry about casseroles.

Now, while I love a simple Beef Wellington with Truffled Mushroom Sauce, or Grilled Salmon with Herbed Cream Sauce, or Veal Picatta, or Chicken Marsala, you could prepare a casserole for me for dinner and I'd be a happy camper.

Like Debbie, when I was growing up, my mom made lots of casseroles. I also prepared tons of casseroles when my kids were growing up. Casseroles were, and still are, fast, filling, tasty and cheap. Back in the day, I remember shopping for the week for only $25 or $35. Now, I can't walk out of the market without spending at least that for just a few items. But, that's another post.

Now what can you do with a little hamburger, a few potatoes and some cheese? How about Cheesy Shepherd's Pie...

Cheesy Shepherd's Pie
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oil
6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
6 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
1 can tomato paste
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup cream
grated cheddar cheese (2 large handfuls into potatoes and 2 large handfuls for the top)

In a large saucepan, add potatoes and enough water to cover. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 12 to 18 minutes. Drain well and place back into the hot pot. Cook over low heat, stirring, until any excess liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the cream and 2 large handfuls of grated cheddar cheese. Mash to desired consistency, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the carrots, celery, onion and thyme and cook until the onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring until crumbled, until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, flour and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the beef broth and let simmer for about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Coat a 9 X 13 baking pan generously with cooking spray. Scoop the beef mixture into the baking pan and spread into an even layer. Drop dollops of the mashed potatoes all over the top of the beef mixture and gently spread evenly over the beef mixture. Sprinkle the top with 2 large handfuls of grated cheddar cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until the cheese on the potatoes is almost browned and the filling is hot, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Ava's Stuffed Buns

In the late 1970's, my husband and I moved from the San Jose Bay Area to the north shore at Lake Tahoe in California. My husband worked for Placer County Sheriff's Department and our sons attended school at Kings Beach Elementary and North Tahoe Middle School. I worked at Truckee High School as the Registrar.

Truckee High School was small, about 500 or so students. I knew just about every student by name. The gathering place for breaks and lunch for students, teachers and staff alike was the school cafeteria, which was ruled with a jovial but iron hand by Ava Glenn.

When it came time to register for classes, "Kitchen Assistant" in Ava's kitchen was a coveted class, available to only a limited few juniors and seniors who would arrive to their "class" to clear tables, empty trash, wash industrial size pots, pans and trays and cut vegetables and meat and mix them with copious amounts of noodles and/or potatoes and sauces to create the casseroles that would be served as the day's lunches to anyone venturing into the cafeteria for nourishment.

Ava was everyone's Grandma. Her daily uniform was a house dress, apron and white nurse's shoes. She wore no makeup and her short, unruly hair was bright red with gray roots. She was always smiling. Ava called everyone by their given name and always added "honey," so my name was Terri Honey. Even our principal, Vince Honey, was subject to her familiarity, but he didn't seem to mind.

Ava was stronger than her stature would suggest. She easily slung huge pots of meat and gravy or trays piled high with sandwiches or vegetables from the stove or oven to the work-table, barking directions to her students, telling them what to do, how to do it and when to do it. And, even through the chaos of clanging dishes, silverware, pots and pans, and a cafeteria full of talking students, teachers and staff, every so often you would hear Ava break into a laugh, a high pitched bawdy cackle, and her laugh would pierce the noisy room as if she broke the sound barrier and the entire cafeteria would be eerily silent for a couple of seconds, then the noise would resume normally.

Ava's warmth and generosity extended beyond the school cafeteria. She would often prepare and donate her special Stuffed Buns for the Booster Club to sell at football and basketball games. I had one of the Stuffed Buns at a football game and I had to have the recipe. I've been making them ever since, although I have tweaked the recipe to some degree. I make at least a dozen or so at a time and what I don't use for dinner, I freeze for another time.

Ava's Stuffed Buns
adapted from Ava's recipe by Terri Powers for Terri's Table
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons pepper
3 to 4 cups cheddar cheese (I use nearly all of a 1 lb. bag of grated sharp cheddar)
14 to 16 large unsliced buns or rolls

In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef until it is cooked through. Add the onion and cook on medium heat until the onion is transparent. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and stir well over medium heat until combined well. Remove the meat mixture from the heat and allow cool slightly.

While meat mixture is cooling, prepare your aluminum foil sheets, one sheet to wrap each bun. The sheets should be about a 12-inch X 12-inch square.

Sprinkle the cheese over the meat mixture and stir well.

To fill the buns, cut each one almost all the way through, but leaving it still attached (like a hot dog bun). Spoon the mixture generously into the bun, pressing the mixture into the bun with the spoon.



Place the stuffed bun on a foil sheet and press down gently to close with your hand. If the meat starts to push out of the sides, use a spoon to hold it in place while you press.



Wrapped each stuffed bun tightly in foil.

Preheat the oven to 325º. Place the buns on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. They should be hot all the way through and the cheese should be melted.



These babies freeze very well. I throw them in a large zip lock bag just to keep them from getting lost in the freezer. When we want them for lunch, dinner or snack, we just pop them frozen into a 325º oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

I think Ava would be proud.