Tag Archives: menu

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Slow Cooker Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Happy New Year 2016!

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

In the Italian tradition, lentils-sausage stew was our New Year’s food for luck. It seems across the continents good luck is thought to be prosperity,  good health, happiness, success and longevity. We aren’t Italian, we  wanted to try another tradition to celebrate the New Year’s.  It would be interesting to prepare the New Year’s evening menu recipes from around the world which are noted to be Lucky New Year’s Food. 

Here is my suggestion for your 2017 New Year’s Menu celebration.

Italy:  Cotechino con Lenticcjie, pork and lentils
American South: Black-eyes peas, Hoppin’ John, cooked greens
Japan:  Toshikoshi Soba, long buckwheat noodles
Ireland  Buttered Bread Sandwiches
Spain:  12 grapes  referring to Champagne
Berlin:  Berliner Pfannkuchen, jelly doughnuts
Greece: Vasilopita, a New Year’s Cake with a coin hidden in it.                                                                        The person getting the coin will have good luck all year.

Slow Cooker Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Slow Cookers or Crock-Pot cooking are  great for winter hearty stews, soups or casseroles. Red Lentils-Sausage Stew is a good example of easy meal preparation.  We had a romaine tossed salad, crusty garlic bread, Cinnamon Apple Sauce and Brown Sugar Marble Pound Cake om/crock-for desert. No Champagne, however, we did have some Soft White Wine by Oliver’s Winery.  It was a quiet and satisfying New Year’s Eve. Looking forward to 2016 offerings. 

 

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Slow Cooker Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Julia Ann
A slow cooker makes a hearty stew of red lentils, sausage and vegetables. A winter time comfort food to enjoy with crusty bread.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course Entree
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 sausage remove casing and crumble, or crumble whole sausage
  • 1 cup red lentils rinse
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup carrots coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium potato chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
  • 14.5 oz tomatoes and juice
  • 1 cup frozen cut spinach
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Layer all the vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Add the crumbled sausage.
  • Pour in the broth and water.
  • Add the seasonings and stir into the broth.
  • Cover, cook on high for 3 hours.

Notes

3 links of bratwursts were used in this recipe; other sausages links or ground sausage could also be used. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Wishing you many blessings during 2016:  healthy lives, friends, safety and joys in abundance.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox

 

 

Roast Beef Dinner

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Having a Roast Beef Dinner is a big event at cookbookinabox’s  house.  Several reasons which many probably may identify . Health is our biggest reason, fat,  cholesterol is higher in red meats.  Expense, it is more expensive to have choice cuts on a regular basis.  Meatless meals is often our choice.  However, there are times when a nice Roast Beef Dinner brings good memories and is comfort food.  

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Grandmother’s Cast Iron Dutch Oven

We have the cast iron dutch oven that was my husband’s grandmothers.  It had made a long trip through Texas when the family travel by horse and wagon in the early 1900’s. So it is always a treat and fun to use this kettle.  I also like to use this kettle for soups as well.

Beef Bottom Round Roast

Beef Bottom Round Roast

Since there are only 2 of us in the home, I bought a small beef bottom round roast under 2 pounds.  The recipe was adapted from Joy Of Cooking’s, Beef Pot Roast, cooked in a convection oven instead of the stove.

Preparing the beef roast for the oven

After baking the beef roast and removing to a plate to keep warm, I decanted the juices and fat into a fat separator.  I poured off the juices into a measuring cup, and poured about 4 tablespoons fat back into the dutch oven to make the roux for gravy.  I used the juices and added cream to make 2 cups for the liquid to the 4 tablespoons of fat and  4 tablespoons of flour.

Making the roux for gravy

Roast Beef Dinner

Roast Beef Dinner

Julia Ann
A special Sunday Dinner Roast Beef, tender, juicy to be enjoyed with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pound beef bottom round roast
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup onions finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots finely sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups beef stock or bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • GRAVY
  • 4 tablespoons fat
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups meat juices
  • cream to make 2 cups liquid

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 F.
  • Trim off fat, make cuts into the side of the meat to prevent curling
  • Flour all sides of the roast.
  • Heat the oil in the Dutch oven.
  • Brown the roast on all sides.
  • Add the onions, carrots, and broth to the roast.
  • Cook about 5 minutes.
  • Bake in the preheated oven 2 hours or until meat is tender, to 155 F to 165 F for medium well.
  • Remove meat from pan to a dish; cover to keep warm
  • GRAVY
  • Strain off the vegetables.
  • Decant the juices and fat into a fat separator.
  • Pour off the juices, on top, to a measuring cup, add cream to make 2 cups liquid
  • Pour 4 tablespoon fat and juices to the Dutch oven, stir to loosen the bits and pieces of the meat.
  • With a whisk, add the flour, stirring until blended.
  • Gradually add the 2 cups of the liquid, stirring with the whisk to smooth.
  • Simmer the gravy up to 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Taste and correct seasonings as needed.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon thyme.
  • Serve over the meat and potatoes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

The Roast Beef Dinner menu

Marinated Vegetable Salad
Mixer Whole Wheat Bread
Roast Beef and Beef Gravy
Mashed Russet Potatoes
Steamed Asparagus
American Persimmon Cake

 

Visit these links:      Simply Recipes – Roast Beef;            allrecipes – All American Roast Beef

 

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinaboxJulia Ann and  cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.  ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery®  cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “ Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox®. All rights reserved.
            

Fourth of July Lunch Menu with Apple Pie Recipe

Fourth of July Lunch Menu with Apple Pie Recipe

Menus do not have to be elaborate to be tasty or for it to be a party or picnic. Lemon Bar-B-Que Chicken Breasts  pieces, served with baked beans, Summer Time Cole Slaw and American Apple Pie tops off an easy holiday lunch or picnic.

Fourth of July Lunch

                               Fourth of July Lunch

The zesty Lemon-Bar-B-Que recipe is in the cookbookinabox® Menu 101.  The Netta Belle’s Choice® Summer Time Cole Slaw is given in previous post for the recipe in this blog.  Use your favorite baked beans recipe or purchase sweet and spicy flavored baked beans. style American Apple Pie recipe follows.

American Apple Pie

American Apple Pie

American Apple Pie

Julia Ann
Celebrate July 4th with a Golden Delicious Apple Pie.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • DOUBLE 9-INCH PIE CRUST

Instructions
 

  • PIE CRUST
  • Combine flour, cold butter and cold shortening in large bowl.
  • Use mixer to blend to corn meal texture.
  • Add water by tablespoons just until dough begins to stick together.
  • Gather into a large ball.
  • Divide into two, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap to refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Roll out between wax paper or generously floured board.
  • Line the bottom of 9-inch pie plate.
  • Roll out second ball of dough for the top crust.
  • ------------
  • APPLE PIE FILLING
  • Preheat oven to 425 F.
  • Slice apples into lemon juice, stir to coat. (Prevents apples from browning.)
  • Mix sugars, tapioca and spices in large bowl.
  • Drain apples.
  • Pour apples into sugar mixture, blend to coat apples with sugar mixture.
  • Pour filling in prepared pie plate.
  • Dot top with butter,
  • Cover with second pie crust.
  • Make small holes to allow steam escape while baking.
  • Bake 15 minutes at 425 F.
  • Reduce heat to 350 F, bake 35 to 45 minutes more.
  • Cover with aluminum foil if top browns too fast.

Notes

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience. 2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.”Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com. All rights reserved.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

                      Enjoy your American Apple Pie with your Fourth of July Lunch Menu.

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com.  All rights reserved.