Pot Roast with Red Wine and Mushroom Gravy

Happy St.Patty's Day! And what a better way to kick off St.Patrick's Day than with a ROAST! This was my first roast and boy was it tender and juicy! This is a Paula Deen Special. I cooked it on 250 degree F instead of 350 degree F and I added mushrooms to it and YUM is all I can say! I hope that you enjoy this Roast as much as my family did.



Ingredients

1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cube beef bouillon
3/4 cup water



Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Rub seasoning into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice., Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.

Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender. Serve on a large platter topped with the gravy and sprinkle a bit of chopped parsley and Enjoy!!

Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Toum-Middle eastern Garlic Sause

Mmmmm....Garlic! This stinky little wonder....how I LOVE thee. You're not Arabic if you don't eat this little wonder with EVERYTHING! I grow up eating this with eggs, chicken, lamb, beef, fish, etc. The only thing I didn't eat it with was fruit! After trying several different recipes I found this particular recipe by Fouad's The Food Blog to emulsify just right! Hope you enjoy this as much as my family and I did!


Ingredients
4 cups of canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup peeled whole garlic cloves
1 tablespoon salt

Put salt and garlic cloves in food processor and pulse. Scrape the sides a couple of times and pulse some more, until the garlic is nicely even in chunk size

Turn on the food processor and in a very very thin stream, add 1/2 cup oil very gradually. Adding too much oil too soon will split the sauce

Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice, also gradually, allowing them to mix together
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all your ingredients have been used up. Do NOT exceed the oil and lemon juice quantities in each repetition

After the 2nd addition of oil, you will notice the emulsion take place. If your sauce doesn’t split, then you’ve done well and added the oil in the required slow manner. You can add any left over lemon juice at the end, but add it slowly as the food processor churns through. If the sauce splits, just stop because it’s ruined. Abort the mission, add an egg white and make aioli instead! Enjoy!

Malfoof-Stuffed Cabbage with Basmati Rice and Ground Turkey

This is a true FAV! Traditionally, it's made with Ground Lamb. However, I just had a baby 10 weeks ago. So, I MUST get these dreadful 10 lbs off like yesterday! Therefore, I decided to substitute the ground lamb for ground turkey and MY-oh-MY was it tasty!


Ingredients Needed:

1 Cabbage Head
1.25 lbs. Ground Turkey
2 Cups Basmati Rice
1-2 small Russell Potatoes
E.V.O.O (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 Tablespoons Chicken Base
2 Tablespoon Cumin
1-2 Tablespoon Salt
1-2 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1-2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Cup dried Mint Leaves
6 Cloves of Garlic
A couple of Lemons

Over MED-HIGH heat place a large Non-stick Pan filled half way with water. Cut the core out of the cabbage and place cabbage into the pan. Once cabbage is semi-tender peel back each layer one leaf at a time (don't force it allow the leaves to become tender as they steam) and stack onto a plate. Once you cannot peel back any further you will come to the center/heart of the cabbage. Carve the center just enough for stuffing.

Heat some E.V.O.O in a large pan on MED-HIGH heat, once the oil is hot (running across the pan) add the ground turkey. Add 1 Tablespoon of the following: Cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Brown the turkey slightly. DO NOT fully cook. Strain and set aside.

In a medium pot add E.V.O.O and 2 cups of Basmati Rice to 3 cups of water on HIGH heat. Bring to a boil, then add 2 Tablespoons chicken base and mix until dissolved. Once the water reduces to half remove the rice. (DO NOT FULLY COOK)

In a large bowl combine the rice, turkey, 1 Tablespoon of the following: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder and cumin. Mix well.

Lay out one cabbage leaf flat at a time and fill with 2-3 Tablespoons of the turkey and rice mixture; spread across the center of the leaf and fold the top over and roll to the end.The rolls should be the width of 2 fngers. (Repeat; smaller/larger leaves add more or less rice)

In a Large Pot; line the bottom of the pot with sliced potatoes. Place the stuffed cabbage heart in the center then layer the cabbage rolls around the heart until you reach the top. Make sure the fold is placed downward and the layers are tight knit (if loose the rolls with come undone while cooking). Fill the pot half way with water and place on MED-HIGH heat. Secure top of pot by placing a dinner plate face down. ( keeps the rolls from coming undone during cooking). 30-35 minutes or until tender.

Heat some E.V.O.O in a saute pan on MED-HIGH heat, once the oil is hot (running across the pan) add crushed garlic and flash-fry. Pour over top of cabbage. Then, crumble dried mint over top, finish with a squeeze of lemon and Walla!

Enjoy!

Kousa Mahsi with Rice and Lamb in a Tomato Sauce

This dish is going back to basics...."Old school style!"  A dear friend of mine has been craving and asking for this delicious dish!.....without further Ado, KOUSA MAHSHI ( stuffed marrows/zucchini).....This is for you...Brad! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

15 medium size Kousa (marrow squash)
1 LB. ground Lamb
2 cups Long grain rice or Basmati Rice (my preference)
4 cups water
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup Chicken broth
2 TB. salt
1 TB. black pepper
1/2 ts cumin
1/2 ts allspice
1/2 ts Accent
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup dried crushed mint
1 cup Extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:

Add 4 cups water
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup E.V.O.O
1TB salt
2 TB black pepper
1/2 ts Accent
1/2 ts cumin
1/2 ts allspice
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaves

Mix all the ingredients in a pot on HIGH heat and bring to a boil. Then, let simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

FOR THE KOUSA (marrow squash)
Scrub marrows well. Hollow/crave the marrows/Kousa out from one end (small end) with apple corer or small spoon. Soak the rice in water for 20 mins. Mix the rice, lamb and seasonings together. Stuff squash three-quarters full (rice will expand;over stuffing will result in thee Explosion of the Kousa). Lay several meat bones on bottom of a large pot. Arrange stuffed marrows in layers over bones. Pour the finished Tomato sauce over the Pot with Kousa. Cover the pot and simmer for an hour, or until squash is tender. Uncover and simmer to thicken sauce.


Place a saute pan with 1/4 cup of E.V.O.O on HIGH heat. Once the oil is hot flash fry 3-4 crushed cloves of garlic.Quickly pour over the top of the Kousa with 1/2 cup dried crushed mint. Allow to simmer a few minutes more.

Once the Kousa/marrows are tender serve in a Plate top with the Tomato Sauce!
Enjoy!

Lamb Shank with Navy Beans over Basmati Rice

I decided to go back to my roots and cook up some delicious and oooooh so tender.....LAMB. Lamb....lamb...lamb....lamb...lamb and more.........LAMB! My girls just absolutely LOVE lamb. They especially loved this delicious and oooooooooooh so flavorful dish!


Ingredients needed:

2 Lamb Shanks
Mirepoix (1 carrot, 1 celery and 1/2 white onion)
2 Bay Leaves
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
8 cups water
2 cups Basmati Rice
1 large can of whole tomatoes
2 Cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon chicken base
1/2 teaspoon 7 season spice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 Tablespoon Black Pepper
2 -3 Tablespoon Sea Salt
1/4 cup E.V.O.O

Let's get started...
First, boil the Lamb Shanks in a large pot with 8 cups of water on HIGH. Add the mirepoix, bay leaves, and 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper and E.V.O.O. Bring to a boil. Let the lamb cook on MED-HIGH for about  4 hrs....skim the fat/grease off the top as it's cooking. (the stock will reduce so add 1-2 cups of water as needed)

Second, Strain the the lamb stock. Place the stock , shanks and bay leaves back into the pot. Take the mirepoix and puree in a food processor with a little water. Puree the can of whole peeled tomatoes. Rinse the Lima and Navy beans. Small dice 1 carrot and 1 celery. Combine all the above ingredients with cumin, black pepper, 7 season spice and sea salt to the pot. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 2-3 hours (skimming any/or all impurities) or until beans are tender. Once the beans are tender.. flash fry 2 cloves of garlic with E.V.O.O and pour over the pot let simmer for 5-15 mins.

Third, Take 2 cups of Basmati Rice, 3 cups of water 1 Tablespoon of chicken base and a heavy splash of E.V.O.O. Cook on HIGH uncovered until the water reduces by half. Then, cover tightly and let it cook on LOW for about 10 mins or until rice is tender.

Grab a plate add some rice top with Lamb and  beans sqeeuze a bit of lemon over it and sparkle with chopped parsley! Enoy!

Simple Tomato with Meat Sauce

My little girls said,"Mommy I'm hungey!"
We decided on the famous "Pasta".....Mmmmm.
However, I wanted it to be much more tastier than the basic pasta served with thee "jar" of spaghetti sauce. So, tonight we're cooking a very simple tomato with meat sauce. I hope you enjoy this!

You will need the following ingredients:

1 can peeled whole tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (plain)
1/2 lb. ground beef
3 cloves garlic
4 pearl onions or (1/2 white onion)
1 large carrot
1/2 large celery
olive oil
sea salt, black pepper & white pepper
basil, oregano, thyme and crushed red peppers

First, brown the ground beef on HIGH in a saute pan with some olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Use a fork to break up the meat as it's cooking. Once it's cooked drain the grease/fat and put the meat to the side.

Next, you will need a medium sauce pot. Peel and crush the garlic. Then, small dice the onions, carrots and celery. On MED-HEAT pour some olive oil in the pot and sauté the garlic, onions, carrots and celery until they are tender (not carmelized). Then, add the tomatoes to the pot; using a masher, mash the tomatoes up in the pot. Add a little chicken stock, the cooked ground beef, Bay leave, basil, thyme, oregano, crushed red peppers, sea salt and white pepper (black pepper will do as well). Let simmer for 30-45 mins. During this time choose your favorite pasta and boil it with sea salt and olive oil until cooked for al denta 5-7 mins.)
Drain the pasta and serve in a large bowl with the Meat sauce sparkle some chopped parsley over it and DONE!

Enjoy!

Middle-eastern Spicy Chicken Dumplings Soup

Mmmmm...Mmmmmm! This is a delicious quick and fairly easy soup to make that will last a few days...if you're Lucky. My girls, Hanna and Amani literally duke it out ...I mean elbows in the air; for this tasty soup. I hope you enjoy my soup as much as we do! Enjoy!






Ingredients Needed:

2 Chicken Breasts, cut into small pieces (I prefer Amish Chicken)
1/2 cup small diced white onion
1 cup small diced peeled carrots
1 cup small diced celery
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 corn
8 cups cold water
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 TBSP curry
2 TBSP black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 TBSP Crushed red peppers
4 TBSP sea salt
1 TBSP ACCENT
1/4 cup E.V.O.O
2 TBSP chicken base
1 cup flour

First, Place all the vegetables ( NOT the garlic), spices, E.V.O.O and chicken base into the pot with the water on HIGH heat.Bring to a rapid boil then turn down to MED heat let that cook uncovered for 30 minutes, then let it simmer. Next, place a saute pan on HIGH heat with some E.V.O.O, add the cloves of crushed garlic and quickly flash fry (once you smell the strong garlic aroma its done...DO NOT BURN!)pour over the soup(oil and all). In the same saute pan, heat on HIGH with E.V.O.O and add the chicken season with salt and pepper and only brown the chicken. Once browned drain the oil and fat and add to the soup.

 Now for the dumplings....mix a little water with the flour until it becomes dough like. Once it is dough like pull small pieces off and drop them into the soup until there is no more dough left. Let the pot continue to simmering for 30 more minutes during this process skim the top of the soup for impurities.

Pour a bowl squeeze a little fresh lemon over it and garnish with some chopped parsley! Enjoy!