BAKIN' BILL'S TRAIL STEW

This is another recipe I prepared at the Utah Boat Show. What a great opportunity to see friends old and new. I enjoy sharing with people what can be done in their Cast Iron pot whether they cook it indoor or out. This is great stew, that is again, quick and easy and delicious.

Bakin' Bill's Trail Stew

1-2 lbs stew meat - (for the demonstration we used Bison and Lamb chops)                                                      

6 potatoes cut into chunks                                        

1 cup baby carrots                                                     

1 cup celery, cut into 1-in pieces                                

1 onion, chopped

1 package beef stew mix

1 package beef & herb gravy mix

salt & pepper, to taste

water

Place meat in 12-inch Dutch oven with enough water to cover the meat.

Place on lid and heat until the beef is tender.

Add potatoes, carrots, celery and onion, and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Add gravy and stew mixes and stir to mix well.

You may want to add more water. Simmer about 10 more minutes.

Servings: 6-8

Again this was a great quick and very hearty meal, the only thing (I thought) it was missing was a side of biscuits...

Have fun cookin' 

Cyndi

Chicken & Dumplings

My original plan for dinner tonight was pancakes - we spent the morning helping the in-laws move furniture - they are getting new carpet this week - knowing my back and knees would be shot by dinner time pancakes sounded nice. Then I went to the Kohl's with my oldest and walked past a display of big cast iron dutch ovens - the package showed dumplings in their oven - So my quest for dinner began -

Chicken & Dumplings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
3-4 stocks celery chopped
4 carrots peeled and chopped
3-4 medium potatoes
2 C cooked chicken
1-11/2 quarts of chicken stock
3-4 tablespoons modified corn starch (for thickening)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

In a Dutch Oven, saute onions and celery in oil till tender,  add chicken, carrots, potatoes, and chicken stock. Cook till carrots and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle modified corn starch into the broth and stir till thickened yet still bubbly. Reduce heat. Add dumplings.

Dumplings
For tonight's dinner I cheated and used Bisquick
4 1/2 Cup Bisquick
1 1/3 Cup Milk
Mixed together and drop by spoonfuls on boiling soup/stew. Cook for 10 minutes uncovered then cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

I like a little parsley in my dumplings, so I add a little as I am mixing.

If you are feeling a little more ambitious, here is a link, to a Dumplings from scratch recipe.

There is nothing better that dumplings with a little butter and a bowl of stewed chicken. Mmmmmm. Comfort food at it's finest!

Have fun cookin'
Cyndi

Cowboy Chili

One of today's demos at the RV show was Cowboy Chili. This is a super easy dish and quite tasty, this is a very basic dish and again you can tweak it to your liking. 

 Cowboy Chili

Serves 10 to 12
1 lb ground beef (course ground)
1 onion, diced
4 cans (10 1/2 oz each) small red beans, drained
1 large can tomato juice
chili powder to taste

Brown beef with onions in Dutch oven. Pour off excess fat. Add beans to beef. Add tomato juice and chili powder. Add a little water if needed. Taste for flavor. Simmer for 20 minutes to two hours.
If desired, add Jalapenos for more flavor.

Recipe from Bakin' Bill Johnson 
So for this Demo instead of Beef we used sausage.


Some suggestions for variation, add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of green chilies, change out the meat for ground turkey for a "healthier" version. 


Super easy great meal for camping, or anytime. 


Have fun cookin'
Cyndi

Taco Soup

A few months ago - our Church group was learning about service and being prepared at a moments notice to be able to take in a meal to someone in need. We learned about Pantry Meals - these are easy meals that you can prepare with the food you already have in your pantry. I grew up calling them Food Storage meals - this was usually the food in the basement that was for emergencies only. Now that I am older and know, that food should really be rotated to prevent spoilage, it's good to have a few recipes to fall back on, and to use some of those darn beans.

This is another of my family's favorite soups - it also super quick and you can cook it in a Dutch oven or toss it in to a Crock Pot and let it simmer all day. 

Taco Soup

1 large can chili - or 2 regular size ones

1 can corn

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes (or a pint if you can your own)

1 Tbs dehydrated onions

1 package taco seasoning

Water as needed 

1 lb ground beef, browned

Tortilla chips

Shredded cheese (optional)

Sour Cream (optional)

Combine all ingredients - except the chips, cheese & sour cream in a Dutch Oven or Crock Pot.

Bring to a boil then simmer till desired flavor is reached. 

Serve with tortilla chips (add shredded cheese & sour cream if desired).

As I was preparing this today to take to a friend of mine - I thought of doubling it for their family and mine - I was looking at serving about 12 people with this - I decided to make 1 batch 1st and see how much it made then go from there - I promise you 1 batch is plenty - It filled my 6 quart oval Crock pot. If using a Dutch Oven this recipe would fill a 12" oven.  

This recipe calls for canned beans - I usually have the dried ones on hand - 1 cup of dried beans soaked in 3  cups hot water overnight will substitute nicely, just drain and rinse with cool water, before adding to your soup.  

Have fun cookin'

Cyndi

Ham/Clam Chowder

Today we awoke to a long awaited, 6" of new snow, and it screamed to me - SOUP DAY! I was tossing a couple of different kinds and this is the one that won out. I am sure I'll be making the other soon and I'll share it as soon as I make it. 

Ham / Clam Chowder

Today was Ham / Clam Chowder

1 C Butter, divided

2 C Chopped Onions

6 C Diced Potatoes

1 C Chopped Celery

16 oz Heavy Cream

1 16 oz Sour Cream

½ C Flour

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

2 C Milk

1 8 oz Package Diced Ham

2 6.5 oz Cans Chopped Clams (do not drain)

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

Sauté onions and celery in ½ C butter, add diced potatoes and cover with water, cook till tender.  In a separate pan melt ½ C butter stir in flour to make a roux, thin with the heavy cream, sour cream then with milk. Mix the roux into the vegetables, season with salt and pepper. At this point, because I have family members who dislike seafood, I split this into 2 pans and in one I add the package of ham and to the other the clams. Add red wine vinegar, and heat through.

Topping ideas for the Ham Chowder, shredded cheese, bacon, or green onions. 

Some of the variations I have made with this is to add a can of Cream Corn, and if I do not have any ham I've been known to add chopped up chicken. I have also mixed in a couple of cups of cheese to make this more like a baked potato soup. This is a very hearty soup, by all means this is not a "low fat" recipe. It is truly a comfort food. It was perfect on this snowy January afternoon. 

Hope you enjoy. 

Have fun Cookin'

Cyndi

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1/2 C Vegetable Oil

1/4 C Chicken Base

3 C Diced Yellow Onions 

2 tsp Ground Cumin

2 tsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Minced Garlic

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 C Masa Harina

4 Quarts Water (divided)

2 C Crushed Tomatoes

1 lb processed American Cheese cut in small cubes (like Velveeta®)

3 lbs cooked, cubed chicken

In large pot (I used a 12” Dutch Oven), place oil, chicken base, onion and spices. Sauté until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes. In another container, combine Masa Harina with 1 quart water. Stir until all lumps dissolve (kinda paste like). Add to sautéed onions and bring to boil (ok so not really a boil more like poofs of steam). Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from Masa Harina. Add remaining 3 quarts water to pot stir to incorporate the paste and water. Add tomatoes; let mixture return to boil stirring occasionally.

Add cheese to soup. Cook stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Add chicken; heat through. I made this rather early in the afternoon it goes together quite quickly - so once I got every thing together I poured this in to my Crock Pot and set it on warm so that the flavors could blend and simmer all day. Amazing!!!

Makes 1 1/2 gallons or 16-20 servings.

Please note you MUST mix in the Masa Harina into 1 quart of water completely.  If you add the masa harina into the soup directly it will be difficult to mix in and may be lumpy. 

Suggested toppings:

• Corn tortilla strips (spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, cut corn tortillas into thin strips and place on baking sheet, spray the tops with more cooking spray and sprinkle with salt, Bake at 350° till lightly browned and crisp)
• Sour Cream
• Shredded cheese

This tastes a lot like the Chicken Tortilla soup from Chili's® 

IDOS Spring Gathering & Open House

Today my family and I spent the day at the IDOS Spring Gathering & Open House. We had the opportunity to cook in what is called the “Taste of Dutch”. This is where anyone who would like to can come, cook in their Dutch Ovens and sample to the public. Due to the many activities, I was unable to sample all the dishes, but there were so many wonderful smells. I have to say, the Gentleman who watched the Orange Rolls being put together, that patiently waited until they were finished cooking, made my day with his reaction when I cut them for the public, the look of awe on his face, was what this is all about, sharing my love of Dutch Oven Cooking.

I made 50 copies of my recipes for everyone to take, and that was short lived, so for those who took down my blog here are the recipes I prepared. Time did not allow me to make the Sourdough Pizza Braid, needless to say I came home and made it for my family for dinner, it was wonderful, please feel free to change it up to however you’d like it. I did one Friday night that had Alfredo sauce and some leftover chicken and cheese, it was delicious.

 Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 16oz can corn, drained

1 28oz can stewed tomatoes

1 28oz can kidney beans, un-drained

1 16oz can corn, drained

1 8oz can tomatoes sauce     

1 large onion

1 package dry taco seasoning mix

Optional – grated cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

Brown ground beef in 12” Dutch oven and drain grease. Return to Dutch oven and add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Let simmer on stove, (or over about 10-12 coals) for 30 minutes to one hour to heat and blend flavours.  Serve hot. Sprinkle with grated cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Add a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Super Simple Apple Cobbler

3 Lg Cans Apple Pie filling

3 Cans Refrigerated cinnamon rolls (like Pillsbury®)

In a 12” Dutch oven dump all 3 cans of pie filling. Open cinnamon roll and separate them into the cinnamon rolls, then quarter them and sprinkle over the apples. Bake at 350° (17 coals on top 8 on bottom) till cinnamon rolls are golden brown, drizzle icing on top.

Cinnamon Almonds

2 C Raw Almonds                   

1 C Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Cinnamon extract (not oil)

2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon      

¼ C Water

In a Cast Iron skillet, place Almonds, sugar, cinnamon, extracts and water. Stir over a medium heat until moisture has evaporated and nuts look dry. Remove from heat and let cool.

These can be made with other nuts.

Orange Rolls

2 Cups of warm water            

1/2 Cup sugar
4 Teaspoons SAF dry yeast      

2 eggs
1 Teaspoon salt                       

1/3 Cup Vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon orange zest      

6 to 7 Cups of flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let sit for a minute or two. Add the sugar and salt. Mix. Add the cooking oil or shortening, 2 eggs, 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth.
Stir in 3 more cups of flour and the orange zest. Begin kneading the dough, adding the final cup of flour. If the dough seems too sticky, knead in more flour, a quarter to a half cup at a time. I used my Kitchen aid and added flour till it no longer stuck to the sides of the bowl.
Roll the dough into a rectangle that's 24 to 30 inches long by about 16 inches wide. Spread with soft butter and sprinkle with orange zest, nutmeg and sugar. Starting at the wide end, roll into a log.
Cut the cinnamon rolls into equal sized slices approximately two inch wide each or slightly more and place into two greased 9x13 pans. Put in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn out of the pans. In a 12” Dutch Oven cook with 17 coal on top and 8 on the bottom. 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Frost with;
1 pkg Cream Cheese              1/4 Cup Butter
1 Tablespoon Orange zest       2 Tablespoon Orange juice
2 Cups powdered sugar

Combine Cream Cheese, Butter, Orange Zest, Orange juice, mix powdered sugar.

Sourdough Pizza Braid

Dough

4 3/4 cups flour

3 tsp white sugar

2 1/2 tsp salt

2 ¼ tsp SAF dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

2 tablespoons margarine, softened

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter

Filling

1/3 C Olive oil

½ lb Shredded Mozzarella

Sun Dried tomatoes (to taste)

1 tsp Paprika

Chopped olives (to taste)

Fresh Basil thinly sliced

1 tsp garlic powder & 2 cloves minced

1 tsp Seasoned Salt

½ C Asiago

8 oz Sliced Pepperoni

Egg wash

1 extra large egg

1 tsp water

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and dry yeast. Add milk and softened butter or margarine. Stir in starter. Mix in up to 3 3/4 cups flour gradually; you may need more depending on your climate.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to oil surface, and cover. Allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

Punch down, and let rest 15 minutes. Roll out into a 18 x 24 rectangle, brush dough lightly with olive oil, score dough in 3 columns in the center column sprinkle dough with garlic powder, garlic, basil, and seasoning salt, sprinkle (in thin layers) on mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes (thinly sliced) and chopped olives.  lace in a lightly greased oval DO. Cover Dutch oven and let rise for 15 minutes.

Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Place in Oval Dutch Oven. Allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, or till golden.

After all the cookin' was done there was a really great Auction, with some really neat items. Then a meeting for all the members of IDOS. It was very informative, as to how IDOS works. If you have any questions or want new ideas to do with your Dutch Ovens, I recommend becoming a member, you get quarterly an awesome newsletter with great recipes, and stories, trials and successes. Absolutely worth the investment of the annual fee. Check out http://www.idos.org/

Have fun cookin’

Cyndi

Happy Halloween

We have a tradition every Halloween, we make chili, it seems like a perfect time, with the cool weather it just taste so good. This year I made a rather large batch and intend on sharing with the parents of the little trick or treaters  and anyone brave enough to trudge through the rain to bring their little ones over. Hope to see ya'll. Have a Happy Halloween!!

Mom’s Old Fashion Chili

1 1/2 lb Pinto beans

32oz Can V8 – (store brand works fine)

1 qt. Stewed Tomatoes

1 pt salsa

1 1/2 lb hamburger

½ lb sausage

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 onion

1 bell pepper
Wash the pinto beans look for small rocks and dried pieces of mud. Put beans into a bowl and cover with water 1 –2 inches above the beans and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of baking soda – this will help with the “gas” problem. Soak the pinto beans all day and night. Pour off any excess water and rinse the beans. Put the beans in a pot cover with water – about an inch above the beans and place on medium/low heat when the water is looking like you need to add more – instead of adding water pour in the V8 and stewed tomatoes.   Chop the onion and green pepper and place in a separate pan with the burger and sausage cook till meat is browned and veggies are tender.  Drain any excess grease – Add to the beans and tomatoes – Add bottle of salsa (hot, medium, or mild whatever you like)– let simmer for a few hours -  season with Salt, Pepper and Chili powder

Tip: The chili powder you buy in the bag is much better and has better flavor that the kind you buy in the bottle.