Beef Stew ~ by Sarah

I love stew.  I got this recipe from Mary Hunt of Everyday Cheapskate.  It's easy and delicious!  The meat will shred itself and be so, so tender after cooking so long!  I added peas to the recipe, but you could add green beans, instead.

Ingredients:
3 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup red wine
4 cups beef stock
1 can diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
zest of 1/2 an orange
8 small red potatoes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut
1 small bag frozen peas
salt and pepper

Directions:
Marinate beef in red wine overnight.  Place meat, wine, beef stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, peppercorns, thyme, garlic, and orange zest in a covered casserole dish or crock pot.  Cook for 12 hours in a 250 degree oven, or on medium in a slow cooker for 10-12 hours.  Add carrots and potatoes in the last two hours.  Add peas in last 20 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

*One thing I will probably do next time is, after marinating the beef, take it out of the wine and dredge it in flour before adding it to the crock pot.  I like my stew really thick and this was a little more runny than I prefer.

Pasta Fagioli Soup ~ by D'Lynn

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lbs of ground beef

2 cans (14oz) chicken or beef broth

(if using chicken broth compliment it with a TBLS of beef bouillon seasoning, it will make the broth richer

1 can (15oz) Great Northern Beans (white beans), rinsed and drained

1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 medium Zucchini (shredded)

1 TB of EVOO

1-1 1/2 tsp of garlic

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 to 3/4 Cup of Ditali (any type of "small" shell pasta)

Garnish: with shredded Asiago, Romano, or Parmesan cheese and serve with fresh baked french bread.

Pretty Darn close to Olive Garden!~

It's winter time still, even though the tulips are breaking thru the ground. I am tired of the gray, damp days, even more tired of this head cold, and because I have become more like my mother than I'd care to admit....I love making homemade soups (I will say I'm a better cook than her though!) and because this soup has Zucchini in it...I know anyone close to Kelsey's garden will be required to give it a try!

In a large soup kettle brown beef, drain off extra fat. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, evoo, and seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and turn down to simmer for an hour or so, then add the dry pasta, let it cook 30-40 minutes...the pasta will soak up the broth quickly, so make sure you have enough liquid.

Smoky Beef-and-Bacon Chili ~ by Sarah

This recipe originally came from Sunset Magazine, but was given to me by my co-worker, MaryRuth.  It is so delicious and will definitely be replacing our regular chili recipe!  It is a bit spicy, so you might want to back down on the cayenne pepper and chili powder if you're wimpy like me.

Ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2-2 lbs. ground beef (she said this is also really good with elk burger)
1 T plus 1 1/2 t. chili powder
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. smoked paprika (You might have trouble finding this in the grocery store--I had to borrow some from MaryRuth!)
1/2 t. to 1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
1 can (14.5-oz.) crushed or diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can (8 ox.) tomato sauce
1 c. Indian Pale Ale (IPR) or pilsner
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
sour cream, green onions, and/or grated cheddar cheese for topping

Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring until it just begins to brown, about 4-7 minutes.  Stir in garlic and onion and cook for about 1 minute.  Add ground beef and break up.  Cook 6-8 minutes; until it loses its raw color.  Stir in spices and cook 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beer, and Worcestershire and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes.  Add beans and cook 10 more minutes, uncovered.  Season to taste with additional salt.

Corn Salad ~ by Sarah

I had this at Ainslee's birthday party last Sunday and it was so good.  Very refreshing!  It calls for a full red onion.  When I made it, the red onion was hot, so I would have preferred a little less since it kind of overwhelmed it.

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen corn
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper
1 T. chopped parsley
6 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped

Dressing:
2 T. vinegar
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup beef broth

Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Mix the dressing in a separate bowl and then add to the corn mixture.  Stir well.  

Spicy Bean Soup ~ by Molly

This is a delicious recipe--but some of the ingredients are a little hard to find in The Dalles. I've used other kinds of beans when I couldn't find cannellini, and used other colors of lentils and it worked just fine.
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network)

Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
45 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
10 servings
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, optional
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 (11 1/2-ounce) can tomato juice
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (3-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried green lentils
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 2 yellow crookneck squash, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Heat the oil in a heavy large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, tomato juice, tomato paste, cheese rind, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the broth, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, and lentils. Stir in the broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender and the mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Season the stew to taste with more salt, if desired.

Ladle the stew into bowls. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and basil, and serve.