Slow Cooker Spanish Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef stew meat
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped Spanish onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped red potatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (12 ounce) jar sofrito
• 1/2 cup pitted and halved green olives

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook beef in hot skillet until completely browned, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer beef to a slow cooker, retaining some of the beef drippings in the skillet.
2. Return skillet to heat and heat the retained drippings. Saute onion and garlic in hot drippings until softened, about 5 minutes; add to beef in slow cooker.
3. Stir potatoes, diced tomatoes, sofrito, and olives into the beef mixture.
4. Cook on Low until beef and potatoes are fork-tender, 4 to 5 hours.

Egg in a Nest

With the approaching winter storm, I’ve had a craving for warm, tasty comfort food.  The kind that goes great with a cold winter day.  I am reminded of eggs in a nest like my grandma used to make.  A delicious, runny-yolk egg cooked in the center of a piece of toast and eaten with a fork is a great way to enjoy an egg in a slightly different way. This recipe is sure to make you feel warm and cozy like an egg in a nest.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon grease
• 1 slice bread
• 1 egg
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the bacon grease in a non-stick pan over low heat.
2. Cut a 1 1/2 to 2-inch hole from the center of the bread slice; lay in the hot skillet. When the side facing down is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes, flip and crack the egg into the hole; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the egg is cooked and mostly firm. Flip again and cook 1 minute more to assure doneness on both sides. Serve immediately.

Chicken Apple Sausage with Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 links chicken and apple sausage
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 cups apple cider or apple juice
• 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
• 1 1/2 pounds finely shredded green cabbage
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add sausages and cook until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Stir onion, pinch of salt, and pinch of pepper in with the sausages. Cook and stir until onions are slightly translucent and caramelized, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir garlic into sausage mixture; cook and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Pour apple cider into sausage mixture; increase heat to medium-high and stir in potatoes. Bring to a simmer.
5. Pour cabbage over top of sausage mixture and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove sausages and potatoes from the Dutch oven and set aside.
6. Increase heat to high, simmer liquid until thick and reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
7. Return potatoes and sausages to the Dutch oven and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with mustard and parsley.

Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea, Wild Rice, and Kale Stew

This Black Eyed Pea stew provides all the good luck that you’ll need for the new year.  Well, don’t quote me on that. You may need some other luck besides this stew.  So cross your toes and buy a rabbit foot. Southern tradition is to eat black eyed peas for luck and greens for wealth.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black eyed peas
• 1 large ham hock
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 1 cup dried wild rice mix
• 1 quart low sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups of chopped kale leaves, stems removed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Soak dried black eyed peas overnight by placing them in a large stockpot and filling with 6 to 8 cups of water.  Pick out any bad black eyed peas that look shriveled and float up to the top. After soaking overnight, drain and rinse the black eyed peas.
2. Add soaked black eyed peas and remaining ingredients (except kale) to large slow cooker (crockpot). Stir to combine. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.
3. Remove the bay leaves and the ham hock from slow cooker. Carefully use two forks to shred off the cooked ham from the bone. Return shredded ham and kale to slow cooker.  Stir to combine and allow the kale to wilt, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Eggs Benedict Casserole

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound Canadian bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 6 English muffins, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 (.9 ounce) package hollandaise sauce mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup margarine

Directions

1. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Whisk eggs, 2 cups milk, green onions, onion powder, and salt together in a large bowl until well mixed.
3. Layer half the Canadian bacon in the prepared baking dish. Spread English muffins over meat and top with remaining Canadian bacon. Pour egg mixture over casserole. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Sprinkle casserole with paprika; cover with aluminum foil.
6. Bake in preheated oven until eggs are nearly set, about 30 minutes; remove foil. Continue baking until eggs are completely set, about 15 more minutes.
7. Whisk hollandaise sauce mix with 1 cup milk in a saucepan. Add margarine and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer, and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Drizzle sauce over casserole to serve.

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

These taste just like Loft House sugar cookies and are just as soft.

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons milk, or as needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Beat vegetable shortening, white sugar, 1/4 cup milk, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Slowly beat flour mixture into shortening mixture to make a smooth dough.
3. Roll dough out 1/4-inch thick on a floured work surface and cut into shapes. Arrange cookies on baking sheets.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
5. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until frosting is spreadable and slightly fluffy. Frost cooled cookies.