Beefsteak Pie

Adapted from Felicity's Cookbook (American Girl)

Ingredients:

One generous pie crust recipe (Krusteaz brand is what I use)
1 to 2 lbs of beef rump roast
(I've even used sirloin steak)
salt and pepper
1 T cooking oil
2 T flour
4 T water
2 C beef broth
1/2 C sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/8 tsp. dried marjoram
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
(use what ever herbs you like ... I just use thyme and marjoram)
2 T butter

Directions Makes 6 servings

(The original recipe called for a top and bottom crust ... but I never use a bottom crust when making pies ... more figure friendly.)

1. Slice the rump roast into small, thin steaks about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Pound out the steaks until they are tender and thin. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Put the steaks into the skillet and turn several times to brown ... you may need to do this in batches ... don't overcrowd the pan. Put the steaks into a 9 inch pie pan and set pan aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
5. To make the gravy, mix the flour and water in a small bowl using a fork to break up any lumps and form a smooth paste. Add the beef broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Slowly add the flour paste and whisk to avoid lumps. Turn down the heat and let the gravy simmer for about three minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour the gravy over the steaks in the pie pan. Lightly toss in the carrots and herbs.
6. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot the top of the pie with butter.
7. Cover the pie with the crust pressing the edges against the pan to seal the edges. Make six slits on top of the crust.
8. Bake for 50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Slow-Cooked French Onion Beef Brisket

Yesterday I revamped a beef brisket recipe I made as a newlywed. You see, with all my cookbooks packed away, I'm having to stretch my memory back 25 years just to come up with new meals to serve my family.

Ingredients:
1 beef brisket (enough to feed your family and have a little bit left over)
1 small can of Swanson's beef broth
1/2 sliced sweet variety onion
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 large carrot peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1-2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet, browning and seasoning sauce

Rub brisket with Kitchen Bouquet on both sides and place inside crockpot. Add the broth, sliced onions, cut up carrot and salt around sides of beef in the liquid if possible. Cook on low if gone all day, or on high for at least 6-1/2 hours (at least until brisket is very tender).

Serving: Remove the brisket from crockpot, slice against the grain and place on a warmed platter. Strain as much of the onion/carrot mix from the broth with a slotted spoon and keep warm resting directly ontop of the meat (cover with foil). Gravy: Mix about 1/4 cup of all purpose flour with 1/2 cup cold water in a plastic container with a lid (shake well to get rid of lumps). Put the broth from crockpot in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly add about half of the flour/water mixture and whisk as it thinkens. Add more flour/water mixture if necessary until you like the consistency. Spoon a bit of the gravy over top the beef and veggies.

Serving suggestions: Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie or salad of your choice. I happened to bake some autumn butternut squash to go with our dinner. If you decide not to make the gravy, leave the broth and serve the next day as a delicious French onion soup. Enjoy!

Slow-Cooked Crockpot Ribs

As a new bride ... many moons ago ... I needed to experiment with cooking meals that took little time to make ... but tasted like I knew what I was doing :). One little method I devised for cooking ribs in the slow cooker is as follows:

Ingredients:

Large crockpot
beef or pork ribs (enough for your family and that can fit in the crockpot)
salt and pepper
garlic powder

Favorite BBQ sauce

Directions:
Cut ribs in portions that can easily fit in the crockpot. Lay out on counter two pieces of foil (enough to wrap around ribs) and place ribs on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder. Wrap tightly in the foil ... using more if necessary. Put "rib package" inside the crockpot making sure lid fits securely. I cook these all day on low, and when you're ready to eat at dinner time, just remove the foil ... place ribs on a baking sheet and brush on your favorite BBQ sauce. Stick under the broiler to carmalize the sauce just a bit ... or throw them on the BBQ just to give a smoky flavor. All of the fat just melts off from slow cooking all day long. No boiling necessary.