Even-ing the Score

So here’s the score:  This Week-20  Me-0

That’s right.  This past week Kicked. My. Butt.

So Friday night I was too tired to cook, too tired to go out (even though the hubby offered and with shopping!), and too tired to think.  But I had leftover sauce, a french baguette, and some mozzarella.  We were all set for a quiet night in with a little comfort food in the form of pizza bread!

The Sauce (I had made this for spaghetti on Wednesday so I just reheated it for the pizza bread):

1 tube italian turkey sausage, browned

1- 32 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil

2 Tbs tomato paste

onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and italian seasoning….all to taste (I know it sounds like I’m cheating but with the turkey sausage you don’t need much.  Just depends on your palate.) Once the sausage is browned add the tomatoes and paste and seasoning and simmer until the flavors have blended.

The Pizza Bread:

2-3 cups sauce

1 sourdough french baquette

sliced mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the baguette into thirds and then slice each third in half.  You will end up with 6 pieces.  (We had four pieces because we ate the other two with the spaghetti!)  Put the bread on a baking sheet and spoon the sauce on top. Then add the cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes until the bread is crusty, the sauce is heated, and the cheese is melty.

It was really quick, really easy, and really good!  There’s nothing like a little comfort food, a hot bath, and a relaxing night by the fire to de-stress!  (and please ignore the yucky pan…it’s clean, I promise…but if anyone knows how to remove those baked on spots let me know!!)~s

Happy Fall Y’All!

It’s officially November!  How did that happen??  And it’s officially *chilly*…..and about to get a whole lot worse.  (Sorry, we just got back from a fun weekend in Tucson with friends and it was so sunshine-y and warm and *sigh*).  So in honor of chilly fall weather and also because my handsome hubby asked, we are having beef stew for dinner.

Here’s the thing.  I HATED beef stew.  Tried a ton of recipes and still hated it. But it’s his favorite and I was determined to find a recipe that we both liked.  I mean really, the man is smart, funny, loves me, and puts up with all my crazy. The least I can do is make one of his favorite meals now and then.

I honestly don’t know where this recipe came from but it is a winner!!  So if it is your recipe, or even remotely looks like your recipe, please let me know and I will link to it and give you all the credit.   It’s easy, it’s fresh, it’s healthy, and I can drink the wine instead of putting it in the stew!!

Beef Stew

1.5 pounds lean steak or stew meat

1 32oz box salt free beef stock

3-4 small potatoes, large dice

1 onion (or 1 Tbs dried minced), diced

3 cloves garlic (or 1/2 Tbs dried powder), minced

4 carrots, diced

1 can green beans, drained (I used about a cup of fresh beans in the summer)

1 32oz can crushed tomatoes

1 palm-full of italian seasoning (not the dressing mix)

3 Tbs tapioca beads

1 tsp dried parsley

1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 375.  Brown the meat in 2 Tbs olive oil in a dutch oven pot (or something that can go directly in the oven) on medium low heat, adding a little salt and pepper.

When brown, add carrots, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and all seasoning.  (If you are using fresh garlic and onion, drain beef and add this to the pot and cook until translucent, then add beef back in and add veggies).  Add 2/3 of the box of beef stock.  I save the rest for reheating leftovers the next day. Add the tapioca and the bay leaf and bring to a simmer.

Stir, put a lid on it (hey mom, I’ve heard that a few times!!), and then bake for one hour or until thickened and veggies are tender.  Remove from the oven, keep the lid on it, put it on the stove without heat and let it rest while you bake the biscuits.  (See the 2nd post on the blog for “granny’s biscuits”.)

It is so good that the dog literally camps out in front of the stove while it bakes! It will look exactly like the above picture only a little thicker.  I check it halfway through baking and if it is too thick I thin it out with a little more stock.

Now for the wine that I didn’t have to put in the stew….Happy Fall Y’All ~s