What’s Cooking in the Kitchen

What’s Cooking in the Kitchen?

Currently nothing is cooking because I’m working to renovate my kitchen, on a budget.

I have linoleum tiles that I were gifted to me and if I can properly install them they will perk up my kitchen a whole bunch.

I also have a used, but in great conditions, stainless steal kitchen sink I want to replace my old beat up cast iron sink with. The sink is going to require some plumbing help from my son and a new drain assembly and faucet but I have the sink at least.

I also need to install an oven vent above my stove which will require moving electrical wires from a never used plug behind the stove to the vent. I’m hoping I can avoid tearing out drywall but that may be a project I might have to leave for a little while longer. (Money is tight right now, meaning it’s not flowing at all, hence the budget) But I also have the oven vent so that’s one more thing I don’t have to purchase.

I installed the majority of the cupboards and cabinets in my kitchen so there are some unfinished touches I need to get done that were not finished after installing.

And lastly I have few ideas for a trash cabinet/counter-top that needs to be installed next to my oven.

But before I do all that I need to complete my de-cluttering and deep cleaning in the kitchen. I’m about halfway through my list. I hope to have it all done by tonight so I can start stripping the old linoleum and prep the floor for new covering.

But in the interim I would like to share this quick recipe for Crock Pot Beef Stew:

Read below or click here to watch the video!

This recipe made a very large batch that I had to freeze quite a bit of.

If I make a large batch of anything, that I plan to freeze left overs, I make it a point to freeze what I plan to, as soon as the batch cools. After dishing out the first meal, I put leftovers in the refrigerator and divide the rest into freezer containers and freeze right away. That way when I thaw the leftovers they taste as fresh as the day I made it.

For this recipe I used:

• About 2 to 3 cups cubed beef (Any cut you choose)
• 3 good size baking potatoes, (you can use any kind)
• One large onion (white or yellow)
• Two large cloves of garlic
• Several celery stalks (When chopped between a ½ to a full cup)
• Fresh or frozen carrots (about 1 to 2 cups when chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Season salt to taste
• One packet of beef gravy mix
• Miscellaneous freezer veggies

First I peal and cut the potatoes, onion and garlic. Potatoes about ¾ inch square cubes. Onions I chop and garlic chopped as well, you can mince garlic if you like.

Next cut the celery into thin slices, then forage in you freezer for left over frozen veggies.

I like to mix it up, I usually add frozen carrots, but you can use fresh if you like. In this case I had a small amount of green beans that I added.

You can add some peas, corn, anything you have on hand. If I add broccoli or cauliflower I add them about an hour before the stew is finished.

Take your cubed meat and fast fry it in a pan before adding to the stew. You don’t need to cook it through and through just brown the outside to help lock in the juices and flavor of the meat.

Throw everything in the crock pot, add salt and season salt or any seasoning you like in stew. Mix gravy mix in one cup of cold water then add to the mix. I add more water until it is about halfway up the mix that is in the crock-pot. I like to add a bullion cube for each extra cup of water but it’s not necessary if you don’t have it. You can also substitute beef stock for water if you have it on hand.

Then you just stir, add the lid, turn the pot on and wait. You can stir about every couple hours, but remember every time you lift the lid you are losing valuable heat so stir quickly and recover.

You can smell when the stew is finished or keep tasting to get desired tenderness.