Beloved Classics

I am not quite sure, but I think I have created, with a little alteration, a couple new and favorite recipes…as far as my husband is concerned. I have always liked to cook, but sometimes I think there is a much more devoted love for the idea of cooking lying somewhere beneath me than I ever thought before. I have imagined it like it was an art, where the possibilities seem endless in all forms of creation…and I guess it is, if you were to think of it in a deeper meaning. I do enjoy searching for recipes online, since there is no limit to what you could find, and it saves me the cost of buying cookbooks. The only problem with this is, that I will find myself going to the grocery store for groceries to last us a month, only to find that we have to go back time and time again, just to get the few ingredients for the next recipe I happen to come across, that I can’t live without trying. I do not want to feel like I should be “living” at the grocery store, and it has become too much of a mundane task, to say the least. So, my experience here has been enlightening for me, as it has opened my eyes to many more opportunities for growth and knowledge in the cooking world, to avoid the dozen trips to the grocery store each week. About two weeks ago, I found a recipe online for a Hamburger Vegetable Soup, which can be found at http://www.sparkpeople.com/. Here is the link for the web page, on which I got the recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=23363. I am noting this recipe here, because it was the basis of what has become my own version of this soup. I did have to improvise a little, since I did not have all the ingredients (go figure), or a big enough pot. This is often the case, but with a renewed sense about cooking, I finally realize that I do not need all the ingredients or the same ingredients for the recipe to be good. Somehow, I have always known this, but until now, I have always been a firm believer in following the recipe to a “T”, just to make sure it turned out right every time. But, I had fun with this one. Here’s what I did different: I used part beef broth and water, instead of just water and substituted Worchester sauce for the Brown Bouquet sauce. I actually don’t even know what Brown Bouquet sauce is, but my alternate choice seemed to work fine. I also had to subtract the corn and green beans, and use only a ½ pound of ground beef, as I did not have enough room in the biggest pot I currently have for those ingredients. All in all, the recipe was a success! The flavor was great, and the best part is, it’s a relatively quick weeknight or weekend meal. I also love it with parmesan cheese bread. Below, I have posted my version of the soup recipe for anyone interested in trying something new. Or, if it suits you more, the previous, and shall I say, “legitimate” recipe. For those adventurous types, like me, you can mix different ingredients, or change the entire recipe to your liking for a different taste to an old familiar favorite. There is certainly a sense of freedom with this approach, as it allows you to “think outside the box”…and be you own chef. I have renamed this recipe, so as to call it my own. It shall now be called:
A Simple Beef Stew

½ lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 C. Diced Onion
1 C. Diced Celery
1 Can Beef Broth=About 2 Cups
1-1/4 C. Water
1 Large Diced Potato
1 C. Chopped or Sliced Carrots
28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
Salt & Pepper to Season Beef
Worchester Sauce (Vary amount to your taste)

Lightly coat a large pot with cooking oil or cooking spray. Season ground beef with salt and pepper and cook on high heat, along with onions, and celery until beef is browned and vegetables begin to soften. Add beef broth and water, potato, carrots, diced tomatoes, and Worchester sauce. Stir to combine. Heat on high heat until stew begins to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 45 min.-1 hr. Enjoy!
The other recipe was quite simple, really. This one did not derive from an online source, but rather, a made up version of Homemade Chili. I know there are more than a dozen ways to make Chili, but with limitations on the ingredients I had on hand, I just used what I already had…just six ingredients. Somehow, it too, became a favorite. I’ll post it here for reference…for all you Chili Lover’s out there.
Simply Chili (As I refer to it)

1 lb. Ground Beef
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chili Powder (As much or as little as you like)
Diced Onions (As many as you like)
28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Red Beans

Season ground beef with salt and pepper, and begin cooking on high heat, while adding onions and chili powder. Add diced tomatoes and red beans, and continue to cook on high until chili begins to boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 min. Enjoy!