I tell you the truth when I say we ate the whole pot to the last drop, and I think I personally ate six bowls, because I have the secret for an easy, delicious soup broth and you won’t believe how easy it is.

Before I list my ingredients, keep in mind you can replace or add in more ingredients as you see fit. There are no hard and fast rules for vegetable soup vegetables, but I do have a few tips on how to make sure the soup has flavor with a good broth.

Making the Best EASY Soup Broth

While the vegetables you add will certainly add flavor to your broth, you want to start with as much flavor as possible. This is why I do this:

• 2 Quarts of organic boxed broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable broth).
• 1 large can of tomatoes. (I squeeze the tomatoes with my hands and add in all the juices). I prefer using San Marzano Tomatoes, but you could also add in a good tomato puree. It’s the mix of the broth with tomato that tastes so good.

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Homemade Vegetable Soup

Paleo, Low Carb Vegetable Soup, Easy

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword vegetable soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 16 oz can San Marzano Whole Tomatoes or tomato puree
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 4 carrots diced
• 1 turnip
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole cauliflower head
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper more to taste
• 1 cup frozen peas optional
• parsley
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano for serving
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes to add extra heat
• 1 cup frozen peas or white beans optional

Instructions

• Put oil, broth, and tomatoes in dutch oven (or crock pot). Use your hands to break up the tomatoes out of the can and include all the juice.
• Add carrot coins, cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces, diced celery and diced onion.
• Season with herbs, spices, salt and pepper.
• Cook low and slow for two hours or four hours on low in crock pot.
• Add peeled, cubed turnip in the last hour.
• Add frozen peas or canned white beans. Rinse beans before adding. Add peas in the last 30 minutes. You can add the beans anytime.
• Make sure kale is ripped into bite-sized pieces. If using Tuscan kale, remove the rib.
• Add kale in last hour also.
• Add in red chili flakes if you want to add heat. You can add a dash or up to a teaspoon.
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese or pecorino. If you use pecorino, consider its saltiness before adding more salt.

Notes

Regarding vegetables. You can delete something you don’t have or like and add in other veggies such as broccoli, cabbage, or green beans. Make sure everything is bite-sized.

The post Recipe for Homemade Vegetable Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Osso Buco is Italian for bone with a hole. The bone marrow is cross cut and is typically made with veal. Originating in Milan and the Lombardy Region of Italy, osso buco showcases their culinary genius, transforming modest cuts of meat into long-standing recipes.

In its earliest version, osso buco was made with butter, onion, white wine and broth, using very typical ingredients found in many northern Italian dishes. Tomatoes are now part of a more modern recipe, and I think adds to its heartiness.

What is Osso Buco?

Basically ossobuco is a meat shank (usually veal) which used to be a very inexpensive cut with the bone marrow cut crosswise (thus, bone with a hole).

Osso buco requires a long braise in a tomato broth with vegetables. In this recipe, I served it with creamy white beans (it was New Year’s Day), but it’s most often served with risotto ala Milanese and topped with gremolata to cut through the richness.

Eat the Marrow

The marrow is considered a delicacy and is especially good with bread or eaten on a spoon. I recommend crusty bread like my sourdough to enjoy every bit of the sauce and marrow.

Why This Dish is Represents Italian Values

• Italians are known to take modest, humble cuts of meat to create spectacular gourmet recipes. Peasant food achieves elevation and Osso buco is now a proudly recognized Italian National Dish.
• Italians are known to respect the whole animal, wasting nothing, even bone marrow.
• Italians not only embrace slow food, Italians embrace eating ingredients which can be locally sourced, which is why the menu changes often radically in each region of Italy.

The History

The first mention of osso buco found its way in cookbooks in the mid to late 1800’s, particularly Pellegrino Artusi (1891) which helped it become a national Italian dish.

What Kind of Meat is Used in Osso Buco?

Veal is most often used, but other choices could include beef or pork shanks. This time, I served with cannellini beans, put in the pot at the last twenty minutes.

Top with Gremolata

Gremolata is a mixture of chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest and salt. It brightens up the dish and cuts through the richness.

Other Hearty Italian Dishes You May Like

• What is Bolognese? Answers to all your questions.
• Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
• Italian Meatball Soup
• Braciole – Italian Rolled Steak
• Beef Stock and Roasted Bones
• Beef and Veal Stew Shepherds Pie

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Osso Buco

Osso Buco, the quintessential veal dish from the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup onion
• 2/3 cup carrot finely chopped
• 2/3 cup celery finely chopped
• 4 T butter
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 4 veal shanks
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup meat broth
• 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• several sprigs fresh thyme
• several sprigs parsley
• freshly ground pepper
• sea salt

Gremolata

• 1 handful parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon garlic clove
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, for two to three hours of braising
• Pat Veal shanks dry. Season with salt and pepper. Coat veal in flour, and when pan is hot, brown veal on both sides in separate frying pan.
• Choose heavy pot (dutch oven with lid) to cook vegetables, which can be put in oven.
• Heat butter in dutch oven. Saute onion, carrot, lemon zest, celery on medium heat, 8-10 minutes. Then add garlic and cook a few more minutes.
• Once vegetables are done, stir in white wine and cup of broth. Cook on low for ten minutes to cook off alcohol.
• Add in tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. You want the veal to be covered 2/3 in broth.
• Add in veal shanks. Cover and braise for 2-3 hours, until fork tender.
• Serve with a garnish of gremolata.

Gremolata

• Chop together, parsley, garlic, lemon zest and add in sea salt.

The post Osso Buco Recipe with White Beans appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am super excited about this recipe for uncomplicated beef bourguignon.

Almost giddy. I’ve been wanting to make beef bourguignon for ever. The ingredients didn’t intimidate me, but the instructions sure did. There were too many pans and too many unnecessary steps, which is so very much like the French.  Beef Bourguignon started out as peasant fare originating in the Burgundy region using Charolais bulls.

It was elevated by Escoffier to haute cuisine as he used a whole piece of beef. It was Julia Child who chose to used beef cubes.  This reminds me of this Italian Beef in Red Wine I made some years back using the whole piece of meat.  Both recipes are amazing.

After Italian food, french food is my favorite and there are so overlaps in the cuisine. Italians seems to know how to cook with less ingredients and the recipes are usually more approachable.

Sometimes the French don’t know how to streamline and I’m thinking maybe all these steps were ways for the chef to boss his crew around or simply elevate peasant food as mentioned above.

Since I am Italian, I’m not about to compromise on taste or quality so even though this recipe saves many steps (and I won’t even go into them here), the result of this wine braised beef is amazing and should be your very next dish for company.

You Can Do the Prep in Advance

So much of the prep can be done in advance and honestly there’s about 30 minutes  of active cook time. The dutch oven does all the work, as well as a fine bottle of wine that takes plain old beef cubes to the next level and above.

I took some license with the flour that typically goes into a stew and used tapioca starch, also known as tapioca flour to keep this grain free, gluten free.

Let me take you through the ingredients and I ask you not to scrimp or make substitutions. If you do I cannot guarantee your beef bourguignon will be exquisite.

The French spelling is bœuf à la Bourguignonne. We can say Beef Burgundy in English. It’s basically beef stew braised in red wine and we refer always to Julia Child who made this dish famous. In fact all the recipes on line are versions of her dish.

This recipe has the same ingredients, while using some shortcuts that we believe make no difference to the gist and flavor of the dish.

What are the Ingredients for Beef Bourguignon?

• Beef Cubes
• Red Wine
• Bacon
• Tomato Paste
• Mushrooms
• Pearl Onions
• Carrots
• Garlic Cloves
• Beef Broth
• Flour or Tapioca Flour

Crock Pot or Dutch Oven

You can begin this recipe in a large pot and then transfer to a slow cooker. I prefer to make this in a dutch oven and put it into the oven on low for about 3 hours. Either way, it will be delicious.

My Favorites

• Slow Cooker
• Dutch Oven (This is the one I use every day. It’s Le Creuset and yes it’s worth the price).

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What is Beef Bourguignon?

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Beef Bourguignon

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon cut into lardons 1 inch cubes
• 3 pounds Stew Meat 2 inch pieces
• salt
• pepper
• 1 large white onion small diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced or thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour I used tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bottle dry red wine like a pinot noir
• 2 cups beef stock see notes
• 1 carrot cut into 2 inch pieces added in beginning
• 2 carrots cut into discs added later towards end
• 1 package pearl onions frozen
• Herbs parsley, thyme, 2 bayleaf which are removed later
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 package white or brown mushrooms quartered (more if you love mushrooms)

Instructions

• Brown bacon to crisp. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels.
• Dry meat with paper towels
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Flour the meat and brown in the bacon grease. Remove to a bowl.
• Using same pan or dutch oven, soften onion and add carrots.
• Add garlic and sauté briefly.
• Put beef cubes and bacon back into a dutch oven or crock pot.
• Add wine and tomato paste, pearl onions.
• Add enough beef stock to cover the meat.
• Cook in dutch oven for three hours.
• You can do this on top of stove, but I prefer to place dutch oven in a 325 degree oven.
• OR, you can put in a crock pot on high for 3 to 4 hours.
• One hour before serving, add the carrot discs. (remove the carrot that is in there).
• Remove the carrots pieces in the stew along with the bay leaf and other herbs.
• Thirty minutes before serving sauté mushrooms in olive oil.
• You can cook the carrots separately and add at the end if you desire.
• Add in cooked mushrooms.
• Cook until carrots are done.
• Top with fresh chopped parsley.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.

Notes

I replace wheat flour with tapioca flour to make this recipe gluten free, paleo and lower carb. There is no taste difference.

The post Uncomplicated Beef Bourguignon, Paleo, Keto Friendly appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

• Italian Pot Roast of Beef – After browning the roast, prepare a mirepoix, which is traditionally onion, celery and carrots. Add red wine tomatoes and beef broth.  
• Doug’s Five Minute, Five Bean, Five Hour Chili – From a true chili lover.
• Ropa Vieja – Flank steak which requires long, slow cooking to get that delicious shredded meat. Slow cooking will build a complex flavor profile, while tenderizing at the same time.
• Carnitas – Wow. This slow roasted pork is so good.
• Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragu – Great for pasta, gnocchi, etc.
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce

Cook Once, Eat Twice

What’s great about these dishes is the leftovers are even better and there’s versatility.

Kitchen Equipment (Amazon)

• My Favorite Simple Crock Pot
• My Favorite Progammable Crock Pot
• Le Creuset Dutch Oven 5 1/2 quart round
• Le Creuset Dutch Oven 8 quart Oval
• Lodge 7 1/2 Quart Oval Dutch Oven

Why You Should Invest in a GOOD Dutch Oven

I went through several cheap dutch ovens until I finally got a Le Creuset dutch oven. I use it almost every single day and it stays on the stove. There are other good brands but stay away from the $60 ones you can find. They do not last or cook well. If you need to start at the low-end, try Lodge. I have this one and while it doesn’t have the same quality as Le Creuset, it will work.

The post Six Slow Cooker Recipes on Repeat for Beef and Pork appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Last year we went to an Irish cooking class. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, but thought it would be a fun social event. This class surprised me. It was delicious, comforting, and exceeded our expectations. On a side note, I’m only 3/4 Italian heritage; the rest is a mix of Scotch, Irish, English, and it was fun embracing this cuisine.

The menu included Irish Stew, Colcannon, Shamrock Salad and a delicious Irish soda bread. I’ll share the recipe for the Irish stew and the Irish soda bread. This makes a great snow day meal, and that’s exactly what we did last week.

Irish Stew – What is it?

So what is Irish Stew anyway? It’s a true meat and potatoes dish, but a little different from a typical beef stew. Often known as Mulligan Stew, it developed as a meat and vegetable dish sometime in the 17th or 18th century, for farmers and shepherds who would welcome a simply made, hot meal on a damp, cold day.

Irish stew is typically made with beer, and usually no thickener is used to make a more gravy-like stew. Since we are major soup and broth lovers in this house, we love it more broth-like.

The Irish also relied on cabbage, turnips, and onions, in addition to milk, cheese and beef from cows. You could replace the potatoes with turnips for a low carb stew, but cook only at last twenty to thirty minutes because they cook fast and will turn to a bitter mush.

Beef or Lamb Irish Stew

Lamb is more typical in Ireland, but beef is used more in the states. If you love the idea of a lamb stew, you have to make this Hunger Games Lamb Stew I made years ago.

Or go ahead and use lamb for this recipe. Many people don’t give lamb a fighting chance, and a leg of lamb can be very tasty and affordable (Costco has a good price).

Beer for Irish Stew

The typical beer for the best Irish Stew is Guinness. I was snowed in and used what this beer I found in the fridge. It worked fine. You could also sub with a cup of red wine, but this is Irish stew, so use beer if you can.

If you can’t use beer for whatever reason, substitute with more beef broth, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce.

Process for Making the Best Irish Stew

Just like all other stew recipes, the meat should be a little marbled, seasoned with salt and pepper and browned really well before adding it to the broth. This stew doesn’t require flouring first, but if you want a thicker stew you can do that.

Once the meat is browned add garlic and cook for just a minute to bring flavor. Add in remaining vegetables (except potatoes), broth and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, add in the beer. Cook for 30 minutes. Add in bite-sized potatoes and cook for another 60 minutes. I keep the carrots in quite large pieces and put them in from the beginning. If you are going to substitute turnips for potatoes, add them in at the last 30 minutes of cooking or you will have mush.

Tips for Best Irish Stew

• Irish stew is typically brothy. You can thicken, but our family likes the brothiness.
• Keep carrots in large pieces so they don’t get mushy.
• Add potatoes at last 30 minutes. I prefer golden yukons.
• Make sure to brown the meat on all sides.

Finish: Taste for seasoning. Add chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Irish Soda Bread in the Oven

This recipe for soda bread is glorious. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and just a tad sweet with golden raisins. Feel free to use brown raisins, currents, or dried fruit of choice.

Traditional Vs. This Recipe for Soda Bread

• Traditional Recipe: No Butter, Egg or Sugar. Made on top of the stove. (per my Irish Cookbook)
• This Recipe: Baked on oven. Butter in recipe similar to American biscuits.
• Both recipes use flour, buttermilk and baking soda.

Tips for Irish Soda Bread

• If you don’t weigh out the flour, please spoon in your measuring cup.
• Keep ingredients cold, especially butter.
• Mix egg into the buttermilk first.
• Make your own buttermilk: add a teaspoon distilled vinegar or lemon juice, and wait about 10 minutes.
• Keep dough sticky and don’t over-mix. Treat soda bread same way you would treat American biscuits. Sticky is good.
• Cold butter (pea size) that doesn’t get smeared into the flour. Makes for fluffy inside.
• Raisins: I prefer golden raisins, but you can leave them out or replace with other dried fruit.
• Best eaten same day, and out of the oven, but can be reheated up to two days.

Don’t wait until St. Patrick’s Day to try these recipes. They are perfect for comfort and chasing away the winter blues. Please leave me a comment, letting me know if you have ever made Irish Stew, and if you have a different version, I’d love to hear about it.

More Stews from Spinach Tiger

• Hunger Games Lamb Stew
• Italian Beef Stew
• Veal Stew with Onion Sauce
• Beef Bourguinon
• Veal Stew with Turnips and Purple Potatoes

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Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread

Easy Irish Stew made with beef, carrots, potatoes with Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Course Stew

Cuisine Irish

Keyword Irish Soda Bread, Irish Stew

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 6

Ingredients

IRISH STEW

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds Beef chuck stew meat
• salt, pepper
• 1 onion diced
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 16 ounce bottle Beer (Guiness or Your Choice)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 t dried thyme
• chopped parsley for garnish
• 3 cups cubed (large) yellow yukon potatoes or russet

IRISH SODA BREAD

• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 4 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted cold butter
• 1/2 cup raisins optional

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in dutch oven you will be making stew in.
• Season cubed meat with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. You may need to work in batches so as to not steam the meat. Transfer to a plate. Meat does NOT need to be cooked through. It will cook in the stew broth,
  
• Add more oil if needed and cook onion, carrots and celery for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme.
• Add meat back.
• Add broth and beer.
  
• Cook on very low for about two hours. Add potatoes in during the last 30 minutes.
  
• Garnish with parsley. Serve.

IRISH SODA BREAD

• Mix flour with salt, sugar, baking soda.
• Add raisins if using.
• Cut in butter. Butter should be cold and pea size.
• Add buttermilk (can make with regular milk and teaspoon of white vinegar).
• Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix. It should be sticky dough. Use some extra flour to form into a round. DO NOT OVER MIX.
• Bake in cast pan or griddle at 375 degrees F. for 35-50 minutes. My oven cooked very fast. Internal temperature should be 208 degrees F.

The post Best Irish Stew, Oven Baked Soda Bread appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This key to this soup is time, slowly cooking a medley of zucchini, onion, squash, green beans, a variation of peppers (some mild, one hot) in a large can of San Marzano tomatoes. Of course the other key ingredients are olive oil, and basil.

This is more of an idea of recipe than an exact recipe. I was out to use up all the summer vegetables purchased at the Farmer’s Market.

Ingredients

• 6-8 zucchini, yellow squash
• 1 large can san marzano tomatoes
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 banana peppers
• 1 red chili pepper
• 3 cups green beans (optional)
• 1 large onion
• olive oil
• salt, pepper
• basil
• Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese
• 4 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

This Italian Summer Vegetable soup is perfect comfort food in hot weather. This is even more delicious with a generous helping of freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread as this soup is great for dipping.

Variations for Italian Vegetable Soup

You can make this a more complete meal for the family by adding the following.

• Add 2 cans white beans.
• Add 2 cups small macaroni.

More Vegetable Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Italian Summer Vegetable Soup

Zucchini, Squash, Peppers, Onions, Green Beans and Tomato, a perfect medley for summer vegetable soup.

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword vegetable soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Ingredients

• 6 zucchini and yellow squash cut crosswise
• 1 large onion large dice
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 red chili pepper or banana peppers
• 3 cups green beans trimmed and cut in half
• 1 large can San Marzano Tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• basil
• Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
• 1 quart boxed broth (chicken or vegetable)

Instructions

Preparation

• Cut ends off zucchini and yellow squash. Use a variety. Keep in mind yellow squash tends to stay more in tact than zucchini, so do use some. Cut across about 1/2 inch thick.
• Trim ends of green beans and cut in half.
• Peel and dice onion.
• Seed peppers and cut into large dice. I like using green bell pepper for this soup, but you can include red bell pepper. Use one pepper than has some heat like banana pepper or red chili pepper.
• Tomatoes: Use your hands to squeeze the tomatoes into a bowl and have them ready to add to soup.

Soup

• Heat oil in large pot. Add onions, peppers and soften for a minute or two. Add in remaining vegetables except green beans. Add Tomatoes and broth, salt, pepper and seasoning. Cook on low for one hour. Then add in green beans and cook for one more hour. Serve with more basil and grated cheese.
• Slow Cooker: You can put everything into a slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours, if need be. You can add more broth or water if it's too thick.

The post Italian Summer Vegetable Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

What is Duck Confit?

Confit means to cook food in its fat. Initially, confit was used for preserving food prior to refrigeration. Duck was was salted, slow cooked, and preserved in its own fat.

Duck confit in simple terms is typically duck legs cooked in duck fat. Actually duck confit has always been the whole duck cooked in duck fat, as peasant food or farm food, always including nose to tail cooking.

Here in America when you see duck confit, you will most likely be served duck legs that have been slow roasted in duck fat, and often served on top of french lentils.

Duck confit has always been a bit of a mystery to me, as I didn’t grow up eating this dish, but I’m always drawn to order it every time it’s on the menu (which is not that often).

I purchased these duck legs at the Nolensville Farmer’s Market directly from the farmer who processes them with a few directions on how to cook duck confit.

After browsing several recipes for how to cook duck confit, I chose my favorite earthy herbs, (sage and thyme) and braised them with a combo of oil, duck fat and a little bit of broth, long and slow. After 7 hours on low, I then placed them in a hot oven to crisp the skin. You could fry them on top of stove skin side down as an option.

Lentils are often coupled with duck legs and adds to the earthiness of this dish. Don’t confused earthiness with gamey. The duck legs remit a fork tender, fall apart delicious meat, not far from chicken, which at once feels fancy and simple.

If you can find duck legs, you should totally try this recipe and serve with a crusty french baguette and side salad with a simple champagne vinaigrette. If you want to go all out french, try this Frisee Salad with or without a Poached Egg.

Fast and Easy Lentils

I prefer French lentils in this recipe, as they hold together well for a side dish, however, brown lentils will be just fine.

• Make sure to rinse well, looking for little pebbles.
• No soaking required. Add lentils to boiling water.
• Use plenty of water, and infuse with herbs like bay leaves, rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic cloves.
• Cook covered on low for 30-45 minutes. I tested at 30 minutes and then again to make sure they were soft enough.
• Salt at the END, so they don’t become tough.
• Stir in some olive oil throughout the lentils. Season with salt and pepper.

How to Cook Duck Confit

• Marinate overnight with salt and herbs, up to 24 hours.
• Warm Duck fat so it can be poured over duck legs prior to cooking. I didn’t have enough fat, so I used olive oil (and a little broth). This did not affect the recipe. The good news is that after making this recipe, you will be left with duck fat (from the legs cooking, and you can freeze for another time).
• Cover completely with duck fat (and olive oil, if needed). I was able to arrange the legs in my large crock pot on low for 7 hours. If you are going to bake in oven, bake for 2 to 3 hours at a low temperature (300 degrees F. ).
• Carefully remove the legs to a dish you can use under the broiler. By this time the duck legs will be falling apart.
• Broil for five minutes or so to crisp skin. Picture below is what the duck legs will look like before crisping.

Ways to Serve Duck Confit

• Serve as is on top of french lentils for authentic touch or whatever you choose.
• Shred, make duck ragu and serve with pasta. (recipe coming)
• Shred and make duck tacos. (recipe coming)
• Use for Cassoullet (recipe coming)
• NOTE: When making pasta or tacos, you won’t use skin, so no need to crisp up.

More Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Lentil Sausage Soup
• Beef Bourgignon
• Steak Au Poivre
• Keto Chocolate Pots de Creme
• Sole Meunière
• Keto French Chocolate Mousse
• French Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese

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Oven Baked Duck Confit with Garlic Rosemary White Beans

How to Make Duck Confit in the Oven with Rosemary White Beans

Course Entree

Cuisine French

Keyword duck, Duck confit, duck legs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Marinating Time 12 hours hours

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Duck Legs

• 4 duck legs with thigh
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots sliced
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme thyme, sage, rosemary
• 1 cup duck fat See Notes for Substitute
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley for ending garnish

Garlic Rosemary White Beans

• 3 cans white beans see notes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 squeeze lemon
• dash red chili flakes
• 2 rosemary

Instructions

Duck Legs

• Marinate Legs in fresh herbs, salt, pepper, overnight. Rub garlic onto the meatiest part of the legs.
• If using duck fat, gently heat before pouring over duck. If using olive oil, no need to heat.
• Rinse off under cold water. Use large baking dish for oven. Don't overlap and make sure you fully submerge in fat.
• Oven Bake: 290 degrees F. for 3 hours, prior to taking out of the fat and crisping.
• Crisping Duck: FRY METHOD: You can transfer skin-side down to frying pan to crisp skin. You can place something over to press duck into frying pan. I take parchment and then place heavy pot over the duck to ensure a crispy skin. BROIL METHOD: You can place duck skin side up under the broiler.
• Save the fat. You will now have some duck fat. Drain and freeze.
• Freeze: You can freeze the duck confit in the fat prior to crisping skin for up to three months. Defrost and then follow instructions for crisping.
• Rosemary Garlic White Beans
• Rinse canned beans and drain well. Dry with paper towels to get most of water off.
• Slice garlic thinly and cook in olive oil until golden. Add beans. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes. Hit with squeeze of lemon.
• Add chopped rosemary and stir.
• Serve crispy duck over white beans.

Notes

Herbs: Use fresh thyme and Bay Leaf for Duck. Add in some sage if you have it. 

Fat: Duck fat is expensive. You can use a light olive oil or avocado oil in its place. I  also used a little broth in the crock pot. 

Lentils:  Use French Lentils or Brown Lentils. 

The post How to Cook Duck Confit with Lentils appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I posted a picture of this dish on an instagram story (that was not even a great pic) I had several comments requesting the recipe. The good news is that it’s a pretty easy dish, as long as you have some left over bolognese sauce.

I usually make more than ample bolognese because the boys LOVE it, say it’s five stars and now that they eat lunch here several times a week, I have reasons to make it.

Personal Life Update

The twins (the boys you’ve seen my videos when they were little) are now 16 years old. This year they decided to step away from public school and do a hybrid home school program. This means they have two days a week to work in the bakery along with another one of their friends, Addison. All are in same program, and on the same mountain bike team. Their hard work and exercise deserve a real lunch at least twice a week.

Sixteenth Birthday with Friends

If this is your first time here, the twins Marshall and Ryder have been cooking in my kitchen since they were two years old, the same year I launched this blog. They have eaten almost every recipe here and have grown up around food preparation, cooking and baking. You may recognize them from early videos when they were only six years old.

When we go to restaurants, they keep a rating star system, which is a lot of fun, and they are spot on with their critiques. They give this bolognese FIVE STARS! (Although they eat this with pasta).

Bolognese

You can read all about bolognese at any of my several posts. My most recent post will round up all the various bolognese recipes I’ve made, and they are all great. Make anyone of them, but I’ve listed here a simple bolognese recipe. You can make double and freeze the rest if you like.

Spaghetti Squash

I like to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta for bolognese and that led to this delicious Italian casserole with ricotta cheese. Mix it all up, but save some bolognese and dollops of ricotta for the top.

What I Love About Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

This is Italian comfort food without too many carbs. It’s gluten free, keto friendly and delicious. It’s also good left over, makes a great post workout lunch. It’s versatile. You can use any kind of ground meat you desire, and put your own spin on it. You might not want to take the three house to make bolognese sauce (although you should), and you could use a quick stir-fried ground beef with carrot, celery, onion.

More Italian Dishes Using Spaghetti Squash

• Mushroom, Sausage Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Italian Sausage
• Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp, Tomatoes
• How to Make Spaghetti Squash

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Spaghetti Squash Bolognese with Ricotta

Low Carb Friendly Italian Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Bolognese 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked spaghetti squash (medium sized)
• 3 cups bolognese
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs

Bolognese Sauce

• 2 carrots finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup San Marzano Tomatoes (canned)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Bolognese Sauce

• Saute finely diced carrot, onion, in a tablespoon of butter and oil until softened, in pot. You can cook bolognese in this pot or once all ingredients are added, put in crock pot.
• Crumble ground beef into pan, stirring frequently until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
• Once meat is cooked, add milk. Add nutmeg.
• Once milk in incorporated and cooked down, add wine.
• Cook for ten more minutes to cook alcohol off, then add 1 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes. Mix through.
• Cook in crock pot for three hours or on top of stove. You can add a little water if bolognese gets dry. If you've used fatty meat like chuck, you might want to scoop off the extra oil.
• Make Spaghetti Squash
  
• Mix spaghetti squash with 1 cup of ricotta cheese. Save 1/2 cup to dollop.
• Mix with 2 cups bolognese. Save one cup to add to top.
• Add remaining bolognese and ricotta cheese to over top of casserole.
• Bake until heated through about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
  
• Once out of oven, top with herbs.
• Serve with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.

Notes

Regarding Bolognese, you CAN use your own meatsauce.

The post Spaghetti Squash Bolognese with Ricotta appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Cuban Picadillo, cooked low and slow, is a medley of layered flavors, balanced with the right amount of heat and acid. The active cook time is about 30 minutes as you chop veggies and layer in the flavors. After that, all you need to do is put in your slow cooker or dutch oven. I promise that after one bite, you will add this to your weekly rotation and make double batches to freeze.

My bakery continues in a fast and furious mode so I need dinners with little prep time or ones that I can freeze.  I’ve mainly been making fast dinners that take little to no prep.  I realized I was craving cooking something that would deliver a little more flavor and little more comfort. Cuban Picadillo fits that bill, and I’m so glad I doubled the recipe so we could have a lot of leftovers.

It feels good to get back to cooking, chopping, and building flavors.

Serve with rice and black beans. 

This is as close to an authentic Cuban Picadillo recipe as I can get with what I have no hand. The first thing you have to do is make Sazon Seasoning. You can buy Sazon, but I made my own.

How to Make Sazon Seasoning for Cuban Picadillo

The basics of Sazon Seasoning includes ground coriander, peppercorns, dried oregano, garlic powder, sea salt, cumin and ground annotto seeds.

You probably have most of this on hand outside of the annotto. However, you can substitute with paprika and a dash of nutmeg.

You can also buy Sazon seasoning like this.

What is Annotto?

The annato seeds, known as achiote, grow on the annato tree and  are used for the red coloring, and elicit some flavor.

What is Cuban Picadillo?

Cuban Picadillo is Latin American brought to various countries from Spain, each touting their own version. This is closest to the Cuban version. You will sometimes see picadillo with veggies thrown in or potatoes.

The basic ingredients are ground beef, onion, carrot, garlic, tomato, oregano, capers and olives. The flavors are layered and brought to life with acid much like a bolognese. I was happy to find fresh oregano was still growing in a flower pot today.

Picadillo can be eaten as is, over rice, or stuffed into a taco or empanada. Doug likes to add avocado.

This is super delicious when reheated, so make plenty.

More Ground Beef Recipes from Spinach Tiger

The BEST Taco Meat

Ropa Vieja (Cuban Shredded Beef)

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Cuban Picadillo Recipe

Braised Ground Beef with Sazon Seasoning, Peppers, Olives, Onion, Tomatoes

Course Entree

Cuisine Cuban

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 clove garlic sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 bell pepper seeded, diced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 12 green Spanish olives cut cross wise
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 cups diced tomatoes can use canned
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey optional
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano or thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon sazon seasoning homemade recipe below
• 1 teaspoon salt season to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper season to taste

Sazon Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon toasted coriander seed
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano or can use thyme
• 1 tablespoon annatto seeds ground (or paprika)
• 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

Sazon Seasoning

• Toast peppercorns and coriander seeds in frying pan until warmed through. Add all ingredients to spice blender and grind.

Picadillo

• Sauté onions and carrots in olive oil until onions are softened, about three minutes. Add in garlic, peppers.
• Add ground beef.
• Once meat is browned, add saźon seasoning.
• Add in olives, capers, can of tomatoes, vinegar, honey, and bay leaf. If the meat is extra lean, add in two more tablespoons of olive oil.
• Simmer over very low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, this can be put into a slow cooker to simmer on low for 4 hours. Remove bay leaf and fresh oregano before serving.
• Garnish with fresh oregano or thyme.

Notes

Picadillo is great left over and can be frozen. 

The post Cuban Picadillo Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Big Fat Healthy Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragú is a mouthful. It’s almost as rich as a beef bourguinon without the fuss and whole bottle of good red wine. This is more of Wednesday night dinner with a Sunday feel.

Beef Cubes are cheap, and yes it hurts me to talk about cheap beef, because I’m not talking unhealthy and I don’t want you to misunderstand. This is going to taste good from your mouth to your gut to your soul.

Cheap Beef Cubes turn into Delicious rich, provencal, shredded beef.

I do want you to get out the slow cooker (honestly something I don’t do enough of), and turn cheap beef into a rich, provencal, shredded beef full of flavor and ready to be eaten over rice, over pasta, over polenta, over grits, over zoodles, over potatoes or simply in a bowl.

The leftovers can be placed into crepes, omelettes, frittatas, tortillas, dinner rolls, gnocchi, or simply served in a bowl. Here I used a store-bought gnocchi and left-over shredded beef ragú. This is Italian meat and potatoes and kids love it!

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragú Process

You can play around with this recipe for this ragú, sort of. You can’t believe some of the emails I get where people change the recipe to nearly unrecognizable and then tell me how it didn’t taste as good as they anticipated. So allow me to guide you on what you can and cannot do to this recipe.

• The main ingredients are onion, carrots, celery, crushed tomatoes, beef, cream, wine.
• Beef cubes can be replaced with pork cubes or veal cubes.
• Crushed tomatoes can be replaced with a can of Italian peeled tomatoes (not diced tomatoes).
• Celery can be replaced by apples, fresh fennel or nothing. NO celery salt!
• Carrots can be replaced by 1/2 cup cubed sweet potatoes.
• White wine can be replaced by red wine.
• Add in some milk, cream or skip this. Don’t add milk substitutes like almond milk or coconut milk. Just leave it out.

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragú is Easy and Affordable.

This should  be a very easy dinner. You will have to prep for about ten minutes. How easy is that? You will need to chop some onions, celery, carrots and brown your beef. If you skip browning the beef cubes, they will be gray and you will miss the flavor browning meat makes happen.

Beef cubes are the least expensive beef on the market and this dish can turn into several leftover meals. This is one way to eat , big fat healthy food without a lot of fuss and on a budget.

Remember beef cubes the next time you’re in the grocery store. They are not just for beef soup or beef stew, but I have those recipes for you too.

Italian Beef Stew

Beef and Veal Shepherd’s Pie

Paleo Vegetable Beef Soup

Beef and Cabbage Soup

Tomato Beef Soup with Einkorn Berries

Uncomplicated French Beef Bourguinon

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Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragú or What to do with Cheap Beef Cubes

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragú, fork tender and versatile, can be served on pasta, rice, gnocchi, polenta or by itself.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds beef cubes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots small dice
• 2 celery sticks small dice
• 1 large onion small dice
• 1 large can tomato crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup cream (optional
• 2 cups dry white wine can use red wine
• salt pepper
• fresh herbs for garnish such as flat Italian parsley

Instructions

• Warm olive oil on medium heat.
• Remove any excess fat or gristle from beef cubes.
• Generously season beef cubes with salt and pepper.
• Brown beef cubes on all sides. Remove.
• Add to same pan onions, carrots, celery, and cook for about two minutes.
• Add garlic cloves.
• Add tomatoes, followed by cream.
• Once cream is incorporated, add wine.
• Transfer to your slow cooker for 6 hours on high, 12 hours on low.
• If you are cooking on high, add 1 cup water.

The post Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragú or What to do with Cheap Beef Cubes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.