Welcome to Sunday All Day Brunch. This is an open topic thread so help yourself to the goodies and sit a spell and let us know what is new with you. I love to cook and one thing I use a lot of is herbs and spices. When I was engaged back in the 70s my then fiancé gave my Mom a spice cabinet. Mom dutifully hung it on the wall and proceeded to ignore it. When I moved in to take care of her I emptied the 30-year-old spices out and relabeled and filled the jars with the spices I use.
I have two different spice cabinets and they are organized according to like spices or how I use them. All the peppers are together for example, all the “sweet” spices that I use in cookies, the leafy spices I use in casseroles etc. I have an overflow shelf for spices and keep the spices up to date.
I love experimenting with different spice combinations and I am always looking for new and different spices. One of my absolute favorite spices has to be fresh gingerroot. I use it in all of my Asian inspired recipes as well as my Ginger cookie. That recipe has three different types of ginger in it.
One of my favorite stews I make in a crockpot and the house smells so fantastic. I don’t use fresh herbs too much because I can’t keep Pixie out of anything live. I do try and get fresh basil though when the Roma tomatoes are at their peak season to make the salad with tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella.
What spices do you like to use? Feel free to share recipes that use your favorite spices.
Spicy Beef Stew in a Crockpot
Serving Size: 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 pounds beef stew meat, R-T-C -- cut in 1" pieces
4 medium potatoes -- cubed
4 medium carrots -- sliced
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
21½ ounces low sodium tomato soup, canned
2 cans water -- soup cans
1 cup Burgundy
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Coat stew meat with flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Place in crockpot.
Place rest of the ingredients in the crockpot.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Per Serving: 341 Calories; 10g Fat (27.5% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 74mg Cholesterol; 350mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1½ Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; ½ Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
The Ultimate Ginger Cookie
Cookies: 60
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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¾ cup butter -- softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar -- packed
¼ cup molasses
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 whole egg
1½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ginger root -- finely minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ ounces crystallized ginger -- ground fine (I use a mini food processor)
4 tablespoons sugar
Heat oven to 350°F.
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in the molasses and egg.
Add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, crystallized ginger, and ginger root.
Shape dough into walnut size balls and roll in sugar. Put on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool on rack.
Per Cookie: 64 Calories; 2g Fat (34.2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 67mg Sodium. Exchanges: ½ Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; ½ Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrates.