Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Dad’s Favorite Beef Stew

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Learn to cook Dad’s Favorite Beef Stew! In this cooking video Karen Breyer and her dad will show you step-by-step how to cook this delicious, healthy beef stew. This recipe is an easy beef stew for the crockpot or slow cooker. If you are looking for new, delicious, easy crockpot or slow cooker recipes I think you will love this one! This is a hearty, healthy beef stew with plenty of vegetables. I think it will be one of your favorite crockpot or slow cooker recipes! Watch this video and try my Dad’s Favorite Beef Stew recipe today!

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Dad's Favorite Beef Stew

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 cups carrots, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup green pepper, diced
  • 2 - 3 cups potatoes, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary, dried
  • 1 teaspoon salt, Kosher
  • Black pepper, ground (to taste)
  • 5 teaspoons beef broth/seasoning, dry
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 - 2 pounds boneless beef chunks for stew

Instructions

  1. Dice the carrots, celery, green pepper, potato and onions.
  2. Add all the ingredients in a crockpot (or slow cooker) and stir together.
  3. Turn the crockpot on high and cook about 4 hours (or low for 8 - 10 hours) or until the beef and vegetables are cooked to your desired tenderness. If desired, adjust the seasonings.

Notes

You can experiment with different types of potatoes and onions in this stew. I often use red potatoes and yellow onions. My dad likes to use red onions.

You can vary the amount of vegetables, beef, and spices to how you like it.

You could leave out the beef and add cooked beans or a vegetarian meat substitute for a delicious vegetable stew.

If you use fresh rosemary instead of dried, use 1 tablespoon instead of 1 teaspoon. In general, 1 teaspoon of dried herbs are equal to 1 teaspoon fresh herbs.

You can use a different type of salt if you would like.

Choose a good quality beef broth/seasoning. Check the ingredients to make sure the ingredients are as natural as possible (no MSG!).

You can substitute 5 cups of liquid beef or vegetable broth in place of the dried seasoning and water.

This beef stew is delicious served with a crusty bread and a salad.

© Karen Breyer

 

Crockpot Sweet Potato Burritos

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Yield: 8 burritos

Crockpot Sweet Potato Burritos

Ingredients

  • 8 whole wheat, flour or corn tortillas
  • 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups sweet potatoes, diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried vegetable broth/seasoning
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1- 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Spray a crockpot or slow cooker with cooking spray.
  2. Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir.
  3. Cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours or until the sweet potatoes are as soft as desired.
  4. Add more salt if desired and stir.
  5. Spoon about 3/4 cup of sweet potato mixture into tortilla. Add additional optional ingredients like salsa, guacamole, and sour cream if desired.
  6. Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla up and over the sweet potato mixture. Next, fold in each side edge to form and open pocket. Serve.

Notes

These burritos are delicious topped with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, green onions and sliced or diced avocado.

If desired, you can warm the tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds or heat it in a skillet. before adding the sweet potato mixture.

You may use 1/4 cup of liquid vegetable broth in place of the water and dried vegetable broth/seasoning if you would like.

You can adjust any of the seasonings to taste.

This burrito mixture is also good served in crispy taco shells.

I recommend my Tofu Sour Cream recipe as an excellent topping for this burrito. You can find this recipe at Cookinglessonfordad.com.

© Karen Breyer

 

Easy Italian Meatballs

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Easy Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground meat (beef, turkey or chicken)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the meatballs start to brown, there is no pink in the center and the juice is clear.
  5. Allow the meatballs to cool down before picking them up to prevent them from breaking apart. Serve.

Notes

Wetting your hands will make rolling the meatballs easier.

To make evenly sized 1 inch meatballs, spread the meatball mixture out on a piece of wax paper (1 inch thick). Cut 1 inch cubes and then roll each cube into a ball.

If you would like 2 inch meatballs, spread the mixture out in a 2 inch layer and cut 2 inch squares. Then roll each cube into a ball.

You can make your own bread crumbs by placing torn, firm bread into a blender or food processor. Blend on low or process to make fine bread crumbs.

These meatballs are delicious served with my Crockpot Italian Pasta sauce over pasta. You can find this recipe at Cookinglessonsfordad.com.

© Karen Breyer

 

Pecan Meatballs

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Yield: About 30 meatballs

Pecan Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 4 cups bread crumbs, whole grain (soft)
  • 1 cup oats, quick
  • 1 cup pecan meal
  • 1 1/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt, Kosher
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce, low sodium
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
  3. Mix bread crumbs, oats and pecan meal in a large bowl. Set aside.
  4. Add remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend well leaving small bits of onion and celery.
  5. Stir blended mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well.
  6. Let mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb moisture.
  7. Form mixture into 1 inch balls. Press meatballs firmly together. Place on baking sheet.
  8. Bake meatballs for 30 minutes total, turning halfway (at 15 minutes). Meatballs are done when they are browned.
  9. See a cooking demonstration of this Pecan Meatball recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

Notes

Prepare bread crumbs in a blender or food processor. Blend small batches of bread on low speed (or pulse) until they are bread crumbs. Use whole grain bread or rolls.

These pecan meatballs are great served over spaghetti and topped with Crockpot Italian Pasta Sauce and Parmesan cheese.

© Karen Breyer

 

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