Tailgate, game and a meal?

Each fall I am presented with the same old challenge. Can I wake up early on a Saturday, tailgate all day with friends and family, go to a 4 hour long football game (many times in heat, wind, rain, or snow), walk home after the game and then cook a satisfying and tasty meal? Many Saturdays in the past, especially those which have included many guests, the answer has been no. Sometimes it is just easier (and nicer) to go out or eat leftovers. But after a day of tailgate food and beer, sometimes a nice, healthy homemade meal is what everyone really needs. So this last weekend I vowed to turn that “no” into a “yes” and I had the perfect tool to do it with: a dutch oven.

As a little kid I was never a big fan of the “one pot meals.” I stuck my nose up at the beer stews I was served, I would stare in disbelief if soup was the main attraction and I only stirred my chili around in my bowl rather than eating it. Now that I am older and cook for myself, I have come to love those one pot meals with all my heart. You can throw several different ingredients into a pot, turn it on low and let it be for hours on end. The results are tender meat, flavorful gravies, perfect vegetables and a happy family after a long day. Trust me, this method of cooking can save both you and me every Saturday this fall.

Although we did not have family in for the weekend, we had lots of friends to meet  and tailgates to hit before the big game. So first thing Saturday morning I was off to the store. I grabbed beef, onions, carrots, beef stock, mushrooms and red potatoes: my staples. The rest of the meal could be created from items already at home.

Once at home I seasoned the meat with an array of spices: rosemary, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. I then seared the meat in a large pan to lock in the juices.

Next I chopped up my vegetables - all at once - so that the rest of the process would be simple and quick.

I heated up a little bit of olive oil in my dutch oven until hot and then added in my sliced onions. 

After letting the onions sweat for a few minutes, I then threw in the carrots and potatoes and allowed them to begin to soften. 

After a few more minutes I added in a bit of flour so that when it came time to pour in my liquids they would begin to thicken more easily.

Finally I added in the meat, beef stock and the drippings from the pan in which I had seared the meat and raised the heat to medium-high.

To add some additional flavor I added a bit of mustard, tomato paste, a touch of cooking sherry and a splash of red wine to taste. All these flavors worked together to create a full-bodied sauce. Lastly for some richness and since I had it on hand, I added Guinness (my sister, who studied abroad in Ireland last year, was a huge proponent of this addition).

After those ingredients had cooked together for about ten minutes, I added my final ingredients: mushrooms and spices to taste.

At this point everything was ready to go. All that was needed was time to cook. I turned the flame down to low and let it dutch oven work it's magic for the next 8 hours. By the time the festivities and football game were all over, the house was bursting with the succulent smell of stew. 

Right before dinner was ready to be served, I removed the meat for the pot and put the husband in charge of slicing it. I then made a simple rue out of flour and butter. Once complete, I added the liquid from the pot, turned it on high and allowed the sauce to thicken into the perfect gravy.

The only thing left to do at this point was warm up some crusty bread for dipping, strain the vegetables from the stew pot and serve! 

This was a great meal that was much needed after a long day of football activities! It filled us up and there were plenty of leftovers to save for the rest of the week. I hope you take advantage of this slow cooking method when you need a great meal on a busy day!

And here is the quick appetizer I whipped up before dinner. I simply chopped up tomatoes and added balsamic, fresh oregano from the pot I planted earlier this summer, fresh basil, pepper and sea salt. I also made an olive tapenade. I topped bread slices witch each of the toppings, a bit of the parmesan cheese and threw it in the oven for about 10 minutes. The husband loved them and they could not have been easier to make!

Happy fall cooking to all you great chefs out there!

Birthday Celebration

We celebrated the husband's birthday last week and as tradition goes, he picked the meal of his choice - with no vetoes from me. Throughout the year, he often requests certain dishes that result in disappointed, and even quizzical looks from me. Sometimes his request are granted, others, not so much. Although he does select many of our meals (think various pots 'o meat, meatballs, meatloaf, roast beef, brisket, barbecue pulled pork, etc - are you seeing a trend here?) birthday dinners are usually more extravagant and include higher quality cuts of meat or fishes, nice wines and elegant cakes. In past years, his birthday dinners have consisted of filet mignon, beef tenderloin with mushroom gravy, twice baked potatoes, mushroom risotto, glazed carrots, chocolate ganache cake, coconut cake and various pies.  This year his selection, true to form, was all boy: Chicken Pot Pie and Pumpkin Cake. So in honor of his 26th, I attempted my first ever Chicken Pot Pie.


Having never made a Chicken Pot Pie, I skimmed a few recipes, but could not find one that met my exact expectations. With a few ideas in mind I got to work. I started off by sautéing half an onion in a bit of olive oil until fragrant. 

Next I chopped and added 3 stalks of celery to the pan and allowed them to soften for several minutes.

Once the celery had softened a bit, I add roughly 3/4-1 cup of flour and allowed the flour to heat up in the pan for a minute or two. Once warmed, I scrapped the pan loosening any scraps before adding in my liquids. 

Next, I added in the liquids: approximately 2 cups of chicken stock and about 1/2 cup of white wine and mixed the ingredients together until thick and creamy in consistency.

Once I had the right consistency, it was time to add in 1/2 cup of low-fat milk as well as 2 large chicken breasts which I had chopped earlier. I allowed the chicken to cook in the pan for about 5-7 minutes.

Once the chicken was cooked through, it was time to add all of my chopped vegetables: carrots, peas and corn. I used 4-5 large carrots, 1 cup of peas and 1 cup of corn. Feel free to include as many vegetables as you would like. It is a great way to bulk up the meal and keep it healthy. Finally, I seasoned the dish with freshly cracked black pepper, a bit of salt, and a touch of paprika. 

I cooked the mixture on the stove for a few more minutes allowing the vegetables to heat up. Once this was complete, I poured the entire mixture into a glass pan to finish off in the oven.

I have seen several other cooks make Chicken Pot Pie with biscuits on top rather than in the tradition flaky crust. The birthday boy was all for this idea, so rather than whip up a pie crust, I topped my mixture with biscuits and threw it into a preheated oven 35 - 40 minutes or just until the biscuits were golden brown and the mixture was bubbling. (Note: if the biscuits are beginning to brown before the pot pie is ready, cover the pan with tin foil to avoid burning the biscuits and continue cooking until done.)

When reheating any leftovers, you can do so in a sauce pan on the stove. Feel free to add more flour or chicken stock if necessary.

While the Pot Pie was cooking, I got to work on the Pumpkin Cake. I had recently found a recipe for Pumpkin Cake at The Spice House, a wonderful spice store that I could spend far too much money in if allowed. Their recipe seemed like just the one to finish off the birthday dinner.

First, mix white sugar, brown sugar and eggs together in one bowl.

Next, add in pumpkin and oil and mix until just combined.

Lastly, add in white flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. 

Pour into a greased cake pan and cook at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until done. 

The cream cheese frosting for this recipe called for Brandy. I did not have Brandy on hand, so I substituted a little Cognac instead. Here is how:

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Add in a few tablespoons of pure maple and 1 tablespoon of Cognac. Although the recipe did not call for it, I also added in a bit of cinnamon. Lastly, add in powdered sugar until the frosting is thick and spreadable. 

Once the cake has cooled, top with the frosting and celebrate another great year!

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband!