Stews

Scottish Stovies

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If it is real Scottish food that you are looking for, then you won’t find a better option than this Stovies recipe.  Ask 100 Scots for the recipe, and you will get 100 different answers, which is much like the English bubble and squeak recipe. Where you live in Scotland and what you traditionally eat for lunch on Sunday, all will have an impact on the final recipe.
The word Stovies means “bits from the stove,” so it is a recipe using whatever you happen to have to hand on a Monday, after your Sunday roast. Think of all those leftovers, with the main constituent being the bits of meat from the roast the day before.  This sounds a lot like what my mother used to make every Saturday when we defrosted the refrigerator.  (Remember defrosting the refrigerator – ugh!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tab lard (or beef dripping)
  • 2 medium onions (or 1 large onion, skinned and roughly diced)
  • 4 Tab dark beer (or stout) optional
  • 4 ounces roast beef (or lamb, cold and diced)
  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes (washed, peeled, and cut into quarters)
  • 10 oz beef stock (or lamb stock or left over gravy) (1 1/4 cup)
  • Vegetables (any that you have leftover from the day before)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. Place a Dutch oven, or casserole dish, on the stove over medium heat.
  3. Add the lard or dripping, and melt.
  4. Add the onions and cook until soft, but not browned – about 5 to 8 minutes. Take care not to burn the onions.
  5. If using, add the beer or stout and turn the heat up and allow to boil for 2 minutes to burn the alcohol away.
  6. Add the meat and stir well.
  7. Add the potatoes in layers, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper as you go, before adding the next layer.
  8. Pour over the stock or gravy (or both).
  9. Cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, checking from time to time to make sure the stock is not boiling dry. If it is, add a little extra stock.
  10. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add any leftover vegetables to suit.
  11. Stir well, and check the seasoning.
  12. Cover with the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes. The meat and vegetables will break up to create a thick, hearty stew like consistency. Be careful not to over boil, as you need to retain chunks of meat and vegetables.
  13. Serve the stovies in a deep dish or bowl with rough oatcakes.
  14. Enjoy!

Serves:  6

Source:   The Spruce Eats

 

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Chili Love 4 Ways

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Serve this over baked potatoes or, over spaghetti.  Quick, easy, good!  Build your bowl of “almost” Cincinnati Chili with spaghetti, chili, and cheese, then top it off with onions, kidney beans, or even oyster crackers if you want to. Here’s the official guide to the “ways” Skyline Chili :  2-Way: Spaghetti, Chili
             3-Way: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese
             4-Way: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese, Onions OR Beans
             5-Way aka “the works”: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese, Onions AND Beans

Ingredients:

  • 90 oz chili with meat (beans or no beans – your choice.  No meat would make it vegetarian.)
  • 48 oz cream cheese – softened, cut into cubes
  • 4 c chopped onions (you can buy these already chopped you know)
  • 90 oz diced tomatoes (canned)
  • 4 c sour cream
  • 1/4 c chives
  • 1 1.2 lb grated cheese
  • 2 c more diced onions

Directions:

  1. In a Large pot, mix chili, tomatoes, 4 cups onions.
  2. Heat.
  3. Add cream cheese.
  4. Stir until mixed in.
  5. Serve with cheese, sour cream, chives/onions on top.  Crackers are sometimes served if no potato or spaghetti.

Serves: 50

Source:    GK

Garden Chili

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A tasty, not meat, chili.  You can vary the chili powder to your taste

  • 3/4 c oil
  • 3 lb 12 oz onion
  • 1 1/2 Tab garlic
  • 4 lb 4 oz celery
  • 1 lb carrots
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 Tab cumin
  • 2 Tab chili powder
  • 1 1/2 Tab salt
  • 1 Tab pepper
  • 1 lb geen pepper
  • 2 lb zuccini
  • 1 1/2 lb mushrooms – canned
  • 5 lb 6 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 qt water
  • 5# 6 oz beans (canned) = 1 1/2 lb dried
  • 1/3 c lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Saute onion and garlic until transparent.
  2. Add celery, carots, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
  3. Cook until tender.

Serves:  Makes 3 gal

Source:  MLK

Chili for 50

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It doesn’t matter whether you’re tailgating or preparing meals days in advance, because when the temperature drops outside, a hot bowl of chili is one of the most comforting dishes you can eat. Serve this with warm bread or corn bread, a crisp salad, and something cool to drink.   Chili is definitely better made the day before. 

Ingredients:

  • 10 lb ground beef (8 lbs ground turkey) drained
  • 8 oz onion (1/2 c dried with 3/4 c water)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 qt diced tomatoes (1 #10 can=12 c or 3 qt)
  • 1 qt tomato puree
  • 1 qt water
  • 3 oz chili powder (or more if you know your audience)
  • 1 1/2 Tab cumin
  • 1 1/2 Tab salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 oz sugar (2 Tab)
  • 9 1/2 lb beans (canned) or 3# dried (See notes)

Directions:

  1. Brown the beef/turkey.
  2. Add garlic.
  3. Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add remaining ingredients.
  5. Simmer for at least an hour – longer is better.

Serves:  Makes 3 gal = 50 cups

Source:  MLK

Notes:  

  • Soak It Up
    If you plan to use dried beans for your chili, there are two ways to rehydrate them. The easiest is to soak the beans in room-temperature water overnight or for approximately eight hours. Be sure that the beans are completely covered by at least three to four inches of water. For the quick-soak method, boil the dried beans in a pot of water (again, three to four inches of water on top of the beans) for a few minutes and then let them soak for about two hours off the flame.
  • Sweeten It Up
    If your chili tastes bitter, add a little dark brown sugar to the mix.
  • Top It Off
    When serving, set out bowls of toppings such as sour cream, shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese, diced avocado, lime wedges, chopped red or green onion, chopped cilantro, and oyster crackers.
  • Cool Off
    If the chili’s heat is too much to take, counter the chile pepper’s capsaicin with casein, a protein found in dairy products like milk and yogurt. Another option is to eat bread or rice to help quell the fiery sensation.

Stay-a-bed Stew

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Years ago I had a recipe called Slug-a-bed Stew. I cannot find it anywhere!  Nothing on the internet is close.  The book had a mattress ticking cover and I think it was called “Cooking in Bed”.  Cannot find the book either.  This is what I remember.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds beef-stew meat, cubed
  • 1 pkg onion soup mix
  • 1 can cream of celery or mushroom soup
  • 1 soup can of red wine
  • 1 can pearl onions
  • 1 pt sour cream

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 275°.
  2. Mix all the ingredients, except the onions and sour cream, in an oven-proof casserole that has tight-fitting lid.  (No, you don’t have to brown the meat.)
  3. Cover and cook in a preheated 275-degree oven for 4 1/2 hours.  DO NOT PEEK!
  4. Add onions and sour cream and cook 1/2 hour longer.
  5. Serve over noodles or rice.

Serves:  6

Source: See above.

Note:  Sometime I will add sauted mushrooms too.

 

Spanish Beef Stew

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Really hearty – good for the cold winter nights.  Even better when done ahead and re heated.

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs pot roast, trimmed and chunked
  • 1/2 c sherry
  • 1 c Manzanilla (dry white wine)
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • pinch of saffron
  • 1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes
  • 3 onions chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 red bell peppers
  • 1 # mushrooms (Italian brown)
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 c sherry
  • 1 c broth/water
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

Directions:  

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Combine onion, garlic, sherry wine, paprika, saffron. clove, salt and pepper in a zip-lock and marinate meat for 2 – 3 hours.
  3. Remove meat from marinade.
  4. Heat 1T olive oil in oven safe stew pot.
  5. Brown meat in olive oil.
  6. Remove meat – I put meat in storage container that I will use for leftovers.
  7. Add more oil if needed and saute onions.
  8. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
  9. Add meat, marinade, and tomatoes to pan.
  10. Cover and bake 350° for 1 1/2 hours.
  11. Heat 1T olive oil in large frying pan.
  12. Saute red peppers and remove to container.
  13. Add more oil if needed and saute mushrooms.
  14. Add nutmeg and remove to container with peppers.
  15. Deglaze pan with sherry.
  16. Add peppers, mushrooms, and broth to meat.
  17. Cover and return to oven and bake 1/2 hour.

If you want a thicker stew, place pot back on stove and add a roux of 2T flour and 2T butter blended together. Stir well and allow flour to cook and thicken stew.

Serve with noodles or rice

Serves: 8-12

Source: Margie’s imagination

Easy Cajun Jambalaya

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This recipe is loosely based on one from allrecipes.com. I cooked the rice separate from the jambalaya in order to use instant rice (for ease of cooking on a camp-out). I also added diced tomatoes because that is the way I like it. This version is lightly spiced, in response to those a little more sensitive to pepper.

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 ounces smoked sausage, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 bay leave
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups instant white rice
  • 4 cups chicken stock

Directions

  1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
  2. Saute chicken and sausage until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic.
  4. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper.
  5. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent.
  6. Add chicken stock and bay leaves.
  7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
  8. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.
  9. Prepare rice according to directions.
  10. Serve over rice.

Serves: 6

Notes:  You can use 2 pounds of chicken tenders instead of the chicken breasts.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

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We cheated – the recipe called for chicken pieces, but who wants to deal with bones at a dinner party?  You can also substitute/add shrimp.

Ingredients:

  • 6 Tab oil (divided use)
  • 3 lb chicken tenders, cut in thirds (or boneless thigh meat)
  • 1 lb Polish sausage, sliced in ½ inch rounds (or, better yet, andouille sausage)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz)
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, diced
  • 4 c chicken broth
  • 1 Tab Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Tab Creole seasoning blend
  • 2 c uncooked white rice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a very large heavy Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium heat.
  2. Season the sausage and chicken pieces with Creole seasoning.
  3. Saute sausage until browned.
  4. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
  5. Add 2 tablespoons oil and saute chicken pieces until lightly browned on all sides.
  6. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
  7. In same pot, heat remaining 2 Tablespoons oil and saute onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until tender.
  8. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
  9. Stir in the chicken and sausage.
  10. Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
  11. Stir in the rice and chicken broth.
  12. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Serves: 10

Source: Based on New Orleans food, NewOrleansOnline.com

Comments: There are multiple “authentic” recipes for Jambalaya. You can add ham, shrimp, oyster, just about anything.

Creole Seasoning Blend

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tab onion powder
  • 1 Tab garlic powder
  • 1 Tab dried oregano
  • 1 Tab dried basil
  • 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp white pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 ½ Tab paprika
  • 2 ½ Tab salt

Directions:

  1. Combine ingredients.
  2. Store in air tight container

Serves: 10 Tablespoons

Source: Joslyn at allrecipes.com

Death Chili

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Dave likes making chili, and he likes it spicy — and he likes bacon. So when he saw this recipe on line, it was a natural for him to try it out. The below is a two-pass modification of the original: stuff he did before making it at and stuff he wishes he’d done differently after that first time. 

This is a large recipe (doubled from the original). How many it cooks for depends on how much people eat, but this filled up a very large pot on the stove. 

The name, by the way, doesn’t have to do with the heat, but with the bacon. 

Ingredients 

2 lbs. bacon

1 lb. chuck roast, cubed
4 lbs. chuck, ground
12 tbsp garlic ( = 1.5 x 4oz. tube crushed garlic)

4 large onions

8 tbsp ground cumin
8 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp cinnamon
3 tbsp seasoning salt
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 pint beef stock
2 x 32oz cans of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp maza / corn flour for thickener

2 x 8oz cans chopped green chilis
3 fresh Serrano peppers
4 tbsp chili pepper

Instructions 

  1. Fry bacon to a crisp. Pour off fat in the skillet.
  2. Brown meat and garlic, Set aside.
  3. Brown onions.
  4. Combine everything and simmer for a few hours.
  5. Let sit in fridge overnight

Note that it really is much better when it sits in the fridge overnight.

Serves: Lots. Like, dozens. Lots of left-overs. 

Source: Original is here, by “timmah.” This recipe (doubled) has been modified to use a bit less cinnamon, half-again the garlic, no tobacco, and half the Serrano peppers. What is not modified is the bacon. “The secret is the bacon,” Timmah says. “Bacon makes everything better.”

 

Posole

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Hands-down one of Dave’s favorites. This has evolved over the years and is a flexible recipe. It most recently made an appearance at my team’s YMCA chili fundraiser at the office – yes that chili fundraiser.

Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces Dry Posole (or 2 (two) 29 oz cans of Posole if available in your area)
    ——–
  • 2 pounds Pork Shoulder Roast, cubed
  • 2 Onions, diced
  • 1 can Beer (optional)
    ——–
  • 3 quarts Chicken Broth
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1¼ teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 Bay Leaf
    ——–
  • 14 ounces Salsa Verde
  • 14½ ounces Crushed Tomatoes
  • Salt, seasoning, to taste

Directions:

  1. (If using dry Posole) Soak Posole overnight in plenty of water.
  2. (Optional, for richer taste):
    1. Brown the Pork in a large stock pot, set aside.
    2. Brown the Onions in the same pot.
    3. Deglaze the pot with the Beer.
  3. In a large stock pot, simmer Pork, Chicken Broth, Onions, Garlic, Oregano, Bay Leaf and Cumin 1-2 hours, until Pork is tender.
  4. Remove the Bay Leaf.
  5. (Optional, if prepping the day before) Chill the Pork-Broth mixture, then de-fat before warming.
  6. (If using dry Posole) In 3 qt pan, cover Posole with plenty of water and cook until Posole pops and is tender, 1-2 hours.
  7. Drain Posole, saving some water/liquid if a soupier stew is desired.
  8. Add Posole, Tomatoes, and Salsa Verde to the Pork-Broth mixture. Season to taste.
  9. Heat and serve. Optionally serve with a dollop of sour cream and flour tortillas.

Notes:

  • Heat-wise, this Posole is pretty mild. “Season to taste” is your opportunity to bump it up some, but remember: you can always make things spicier, but you can’t (easily) make them less spicy.
  • Also sometimes called “Pozole,” “Pozolé,” “Pozolli,” or even mistyped “Possole”. The is from the Nahuatl pozolli. The key ingredient is also known as hominy.
  • Posole can be made in a crock pot: Combine everything except Tomatoes and Salsa Verde. Add extra water and cook as for stew. One hour before serving, add Tomatoes and Salsa Verde. Heat and serve.

Prep Time: 3 hrs. (Variables: Dry vs Canned Posole; if chilling before the final cook)
Servings: 10
Source: MLK