Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings

Happy Monday.  Welcome to my new followers.  Thank you all for stopping by my blog and reading my posts.  It is so nice to have you here.  Hope that you find the information I post useful.

Although it is still warm here, I recently was hungry for stew.  Pork is more tender than beef so it cooks more quickly.  This makes it a good choice for making stew in the summer.  Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings fits the bill.

Either pork shoulder or loin may be used, but the shoulder will be slightly more flavorful.  As with all stews, the vegetables can be changed to suit personal preferences.  Although I usually use frozen peas for this dish, the stew in the photos has drained, canned peas in it.  I had some of those left over in the fridge that needed to be used up.

Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings
1 to 1 1 /2 lbs. boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 c. flour
1 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper, coarse ground if possible
2 T. or more vegetable oil
3 medium/large potatoes (about 1  1/2 lb.) peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c. coarsely chopped onion
2-3 medium carrots (1 c.) cut into 1x1/4-inch matchstick pieces
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch bias slices
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. frozen peas
Dumplings
1 c. flour
2 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. dried dill weed
1/3 c. milk
2 T. vegetable oil
1 egg

Place flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a plastic bag and shake to combine.  Add pork cubes and shake until the cubes are coated.  Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven.  Add pork cubes, but do not let them touch.  (You may need to do this in two batches.)  Brown cubes on all sides.  Remove and set aside.  Continue until all cubes are brown, adding more oil if necessary.  Return pork to Dutch oven and add potatoes,  onion, carrots, red pepper, celery, bay leaf and garlic.  Stir in remaining flour.  Pour in chicken broth and stir well.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes.  While stew is cooking, prepare dumplings.  In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and dill weed.  Stir to mix well.  Combine milk, vegetable oil and egg in a small bowl.  Add to flour mixture and stir just to  moisten dry ingredients.  Add peas to stew and bring back to a low boil.  Drop dumpling mixture by tablespoonsful into hot stew.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.  Makes 6 servings.  Store dumplings and stew separately if there are leftovers.

Linking to these great parties:
What'd  You Do This Weekend
Make the Scene Monday
Monday Funday
Mix It Up Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Marvelous Monday
Inspiration Monday
Made by You Monday
Busy Monday

Easy Chicken Bake

I love to cook and consider myself very middle-of-the-road when it comes to cooking.   There are days when, as much as I like to do DIY groceries and make dishes from scratch, I just don’t want to do it. Yesterday was one of those days.  I thawed out a pound of chicken breasts and just wasn't motivated to do anything very creative with them.  So I turned to a freezer/pantry shelf recipe that I have had for years.  Quick, easy, and good that is what I wanted.

This recipe came from the back of a Stove Top box.  It can be varied by using different flavor stuffing mixes and other vegetables.  In fact, last night I used some chopped sugar snap peas that I cooked separately in boiling water for a few minutes and some chopped red pepper.  One can vary the mixed vegetables by using California Mix or other combinations, peas and carrots, chopped broccoli, etc.  If using frozen veggies, I put them in a strainer or colander and thaw them out under running hot water.  This dish can also be made with already cooked chicken, just reduce the baking time.

Easy Chicken Bake
1 Pkg. (6 oz.) Stove top Cornbread Stuffing Mix, prepared
1 to 1 /2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup (or make your own)
2 to 4 T. water to rinse out soup can
1/3 c. sour cream
1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

Prepare stuffing mix with water and butter according to package directions.  Set aside.  Put chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Use water to rinse out soup can and add.  Mix together well.  Top with prepared stuffing mix.  Cover.  Bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes.  Remove cover and bake 15 minutes more or until chicken is done.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Linking to It's a Keeper Thursday and It's A Keeper Co-Host
Full Plate Thursday

Meat Loaf Tater Tot Casserole

This is one of my favorite recipes for stretching a pound and a half of ground beef to feed up to 10 people.  It is easy to put together, can be made ahead, and can be a one-dish meal.  Add a salad and some hot bread for a wonderful meal.  This easily comes in at less than $1.00 a serving.

I have seen recipes for Tater Tot casseroles that call for browned-up ground beef.  This one, however, is a thin meatloaf topped with Tater Tots and gravy and a vegetable if you like.  It can be made ahead and frozen.  Just thaw in the refrigerator and bake.

Any meatloaf recipe can be use in this recipe.  So if you have a favorite of your own, go ahead and use it.  Other crackers can be used instead of the butter-flavored ones the recipe calls for.

The recipe uses two cans of cream soup.  You may use your favorite flavor or make you own.  I like one each of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken.  I just pick out the larger mushroom pieces so hubby doesn’t notice.  Add the vegetables for a one-dish meal.  Leave them out if you have eaters who would object.  I find that if they like potatoes and gravy, most kids will eat this with the vegetables added with few objections.

Meat Loaf Tater Tot Casserole
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2/3 cup finely crushed round butter-flavored crackers (about 16)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped red pepper, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground sage OR poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground preferred
1-1/2 pounds (675 g) lean ground beef
1 (2-lb.) pkg. frozen Tater Tots
1 1/2 c. frozen loose pack vegetables of your choice (peas, peas and carrots, diced carrots, chopped broccoli, mixed vegetables), optional
2 cans (10 1/2 oz.) cream soup of your choice
1 c. milk
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, crushed crackers, onion,  red pepper, salt, sage or poultry seasoning and pepper.  Add ground beef, mix lightly but well.  Spread mixture into the bottom of a well-greased 9x13-in. baking pan.  Use two 9x9-inch pans for a smaller family and freeze one.  Place Tater Tots over the meat loaf mixture, standing them on their ends and pushing them in slightly.  (You will probably not need the whole package).  Scatter the chosen vegetable between the Tator Tots.  Empty the soup into a medium bowl.  Use the measured-out milk to rinse out the soup cans.  Add the Worcestershire sauce.  Beat with a wire whisk until well combined.  Pour soup mixture over the top of the Tater Tots and vegetables, spreading evenly.  At this point, the dish maybe well wrapped and frozen.  Thaw in the refrigerator.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Let set 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 10 servings

Linking to Hunk of Meat Monday
Cast Party Wednesdays
These Chicks Cooked
Ingredient Spotlight

Steak Cubes with Butter Crumb Dumplings

This  recipe originally used 2 lbs. of round steak cut into 6 portions.  I  cube the meat instead and use 1 to 2 lbs. round steak, depending on how many people I am feeding. The meat seems to go further that way.  I also use the Cream Soup Mix that I posted on Monday and add vegetables to the original dish to make it a one-dish meal.  We like our dish saucy, so I double the gravy ingredients.

If you choose to cut the steak into larger pieces, coat the meat with some seasoned flour, then pound it with a meat mallet, and coat it with the flour again before browning it.  This will help to get some flavor into the meat.  Round steak is inexpensive, and I use it a lot; but sometimes it does not have much flavor..

You can make this without rolling the dumplings in the buttered crumbs, but it is much better if you take the time to do it.  You may omit the poultry seasoning in the dumplings or use another herb.

Steak Cubes with Butter Crumb Dumplings
1-1 1/2 lb. round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 T. salad oil
1/3 c. flour
salt or seasoned salt
pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup or 1/3 c. Cream Soup Mix and 1 1/3 c. water
1 can water
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen vegetables (mixed vegetables, peas and carrots, broccoli, California blend, carrots, etc.)

Heat salad oil in a skillet.  Combine flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag.  Shake steak cubes in the flour to coat.  When oil is hot, add steak cubes and cook until well browned on all sides.  Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Add the frozen vegetables to the meat.  Combine the soup or soup mix and 1 1/3 c. water, with the 1 c. water and the salt and pepper in the skillet in which the meat was browned.  Heat until boiling.  Pour over the meat and vegetables.  Cover.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until meat is tender.  Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Butter Crumb Dumplings
1 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 c. melted butter, divided
2 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. poultry seasoning (omit or use other seasoning if you want)
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk

Mix 1/4 c. melted butter into the bread crumbs combining until all the crumbs are well coated.  Combine flour, baking power, poultry seasoning, and salt.  Stir well.  Combine 1/4 c. melted butter and the milk.  Stir into the flour mixture.  Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.  Mixture will not be smooth.  Spray a kitchen tablespoon with cooking spray.  Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls into the buttered crumbs; roll dough in the crumbs until coated.  Place on top of meat and vegetables.  Bake 20 to 30 minutes until lightly browned on top.  Makes  6-8 servings.

You will probably have buttered crumbs left over, put in a freezer bag, freeze, and use later.

I am linking this recipe to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Monday:  DIY Groceries-Cornell Mix