Amish-Style Pork and Vegetable Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Even bad cooks have good days. My mother was not known for her cooking, but every so often she would make something that we all enjoyed. This Amish-style stew is based on one she occasionally made for us. It is a slightly sweet, mildly spiced dish that one might expect to find on an Amish table. If you are deft with a vegetable peeler, the stew can be made in about 15 minutes. It requires an additional hour to cook, but this is a dish that is really easy on the cook. I lost my mother's recipe ages ago, but came on one that is quite similar to it in the Land O' Lakes recipe collection. I used sirloin chops to make the stew because pork steaks were not available, but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as it was written. This is a great dish to prepare for small families. It will comfortably feed four adults, but leftovers, if there are any, will be scant. If you generally enjoy Amish cooking, I know you'll love this stew. I hope you'll give it a try. Here is how it is made.

The Long and Short of It - My Recipe Rotation - Short Ribs Côtes du Rhône

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of my favorite recipes. It's kissing cousin is, of course, beef bourguignonne, but this luxury version produces aromas that will drive you wild. Meaty short ribs replace stew meat. The ribs, along with some vegetables and herbs, soak for a day in a full bodied, deep crimson Côtes-du-Rhône, guaranteeing they'll be happily soused when they hit the saute pan. The ribs are browned in bacon drippings, then slowly braised at a temperature low enough to melt connective tissue while still allowing the beef to retain it's shape and glorious texture. The other usual suspects associated with bourguignonne - mushrooms and pearl onions - are assembled and tossed in the mix just before serving. Did I mention bacon? It's there, too. The braising liquid is reduced by half then used to nap the ribs, mushrooms and onions which are served atop a bed of noodles. Extra sauce is passed at the table. This is like no stew you have ever had. I hope you'll try it.

Moroccan Chicken and Onion Tagine - Djej Besla

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I haven't shared many Moroccan recipes with you since we returned from our last adventure. While Moroccan food is delicious, our meals while in-country were repetitive, and in some cases, quite involved to make. Tagines were served daily, and while their contents varied, it was difficult to get precise recipes for them because they were usually eaten in the home of Moroccan families. Morocco is a fascinating country and it seemed foolish to spend undo amounts of time rummaging in kitchens, when there was so much else to learn. So, I surrendered to the limitations of the day, bought cookbooks when I could and mingled rather than mixed. I still haven't gotten to those cookbooks, so, today's recipe comes from Saveur magazine. As soon as I saw the recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. It is for an extremely simple chicken tagine that can be made without purchasing special ingredients that you'll never use again. The word tagine describes a dish and the vessel that it is made in. They are basically stews that can be made with small amounts of well-seasoned chicken, lamb or beef and extended with simple readily available vegetables. They are served with an assortment of small-plate dishes that are collectively called Moroccan salad. Tagine is usually served with couscous or bread, but only one of them will be served at the same meal. I've made a few changes to the Saveur recipe. I blanched the lemon slices to keep the sauce that forms as the tagine cooks from becoming bitter. I used six chicken thighs instead of the combination of legs and thighs suggested in the original recipe. I also used a tangine, the cooking vessel, to make my version of this tagine and baked it rather than let it simmer on a surface burner. It is nearly effortless to make and it truly is delicious. While this may be an acquired taste, I'm happy to report it had my socks going up and down. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the tagine is made.

Chicken Peanut Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wanted to share this recipe with those of you who are still dealing with snow and frigid winter temperatures. I also think it will have some appeal to those of you who enjoy foods that are not on every one's radar. This simple dish is a riff on a peanut stew that commonly served in West Africa. Fortunately, the ingredients needed to make it can be found in any large supermarket and you can have it on the table in an hour without breaking a sweat. So, if you are at all tempted to make the stew, go for it. It is delicious and perfect to serve on a freezing winter day. I do, however, have a few cautions to share with you. The stew has some heat and that will be an immediate turn off to younger children. You'll also want to make sure that you do not serve it to anyone with peanut allergies. The stew can be made with rotisserie chicken, but if you decide to go that route, cut it into largish pieces. I've found these chickens, delicious though they may be, tend to shred when heated in a stew and I think you'll enjoy the dish more, if it has a chunky texture. I really like this stew and I think you will, too. Here is how it's made.

250 Pounds Later - A Braised Pork and Chorizo Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The rain here has stopped but the river is running high and the chill, as you walk along its banks, is pervasive. While we are a hearty lot, these old joints balk as the damp seeps in and they will stiffen until they feel the releasing warmth of a set fire. It is definitely a stew or soup day, and I have a wonderful one to share with you tonight. The Silver Fox and I first had this stew in Grenada at a restaurant that was obviously a popular local haunt. The stew was as delicious then as it is now, but unfortunately, save for a small bite, only the Silver Fox will get to enjoy it this evening. I'm beginning a yearly ritual that starts on the 1st of December, and for the next few weeks, I'll be living on a diet of yogurt, oatmeal and spinach. It's Christmas diet time and the goal here is to lose 5 pounds before the holiday, so I can gain 5 pounds during the holiday and still fit in my clothes come the 1st of January. It may not be the best or most sensible way to get from here to there, but it works for me and I can tell you that over the last 5 decades I've lost 250 pounds. It happens to be the same 5 pounds lost 50 times, but I'm counting on those of you who love me to view it as Sisyphean and give me a high five or fist bump for perseverance, if for nothing else. Those of you who are not dieting will love the robust, stick-to-the-ribs flavor of this homely and comforting stew. The recipe comes from Jose Pizzaro and he is a master of regional dishes of this sort. In Spain, his stew would be served with bread, an iceberg salad, French fries and copious quantities of red wine. If you are looking for a new stew recipe, I heartily recommend this one to you. Do give it a try. Here is how the stew is made.

Slow Cooker - Asian-Inspired Orange Pork Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's still quite warm here, but hot weather never stops the Silver Fox from his intended pursuits. He had planned a full day on the water and the thermostat was not about to slow him down. In order to make sure he didn't kill himself, I agreed to be his helmsman. While weather affects my appetite, it doesn't his, so I knew he'd be hungry when we came ashore. I also knew that I'd be in no mood to cook. I decided to pull out the slow cooker and see what I could come up with. This orange flavored stew was doable with the ingredients I had on hand, so I literally threw everything into the pot, said a hopeful prayer over the ingredients and followed him out the door. We came home to a lovely, ready to serve family meal that was devoured by the sailors sitting at my table. I think you'll love the ease with which this dish comes together. It is not an award winner, but it makes a wonderful busy day meal that you might want to try. Here is how it's made.