BEEF BORSCH

This recipe came from Valerie Phillips’ book “Soup’s On!” She credits the recipe to Masha Kirilenko, wife of former Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilinko.

I have tweaked the recipe a bit, cutting back on the beets and adding more meat. I also added lemon and garlic, and substituted butter for vegetable oil. I used stew meat, cooked in the oven, (instead of stir fry strips and browned in a sauce pan).

I used fresh beets, as the original recipe called for, and attempted to chop them. It was a huge pain and my kitchen (and clothes) are now splattered in red stains. Next time I am trying canned beets for convenience – it may not taste as good though.

Makes a huge pot of soup – four 1½ cup servings.

4 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

4 TBSP butter

1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed

4 medium beets, chopped

1 ½ cups chopped carrots

1 lb stew meat

2 14 oz cans beef broth

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 TBSP fresh or dry dill
juice of 1/2 lemon

Sour cream and more dill to garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

1.    Place potatoes in pot. Cover with water and bring to boil. Cook until tender. Drain and cover to keep warm.

2.    Saute onions and garlic in butter.

3.    Bake beef in oven.

4.    Combine broth and tomatoes. Add dill, salt, pepper. Add carrots and beets. Add onions and beef.

5.    Simmer until vegetables are tender (about 30 minutes).

6.    Serve topped with spoonful of sour cream sprinkled with dill.

Sausage Cream Cheese Dip! :)

This AWESOME dip comes from my sister-in-law Sheri Stewart!
SAUSAGE CREAM CHEESE DIP:
16 ounces sour cream
16 ounces cream cheese
2 packages (one hot, one regular) Jimmy Dean ground sausage
2 small cans chopped green chile peppers
1 large sweet onion, chopped
Mix onion and sausage and cook thoroughly in a large skillet. Combine ingredients in crock pot and simmer on low for several hours. Serve as a dip for tortilla chips or fresh vegetables such as celery, carrots and broccoli. The dip is also great on top of chicken breasts topped with mozzerella cheese and spinach! You can also do a low-fat version of this recipe by buying low- or non-fat sour cream and cream cheese and by using turkey sausage! :)

"Paul's Patch" Farmer's Market

Cuzin Karen's Awesome Crock Pot Beef Stew!

2 lbs. stew meat

3 cups potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)

25 to 30 baby carrots

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can water

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients in greased Crock Pot. Cover and cook on high heat 4 hours or on low heat 6 to 8 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

*** Use low-fat low-sodium soups for healthier option.

Holy Guacamole! :)

I made my special guacamole for a few friends when I was in LA recently. No photos since the guac tastes better than it looks! Here are the ingredients: avocados, lemon juice, garlic salt, tabasco or hot sauce, chopped tomatoes, salsa or picante. Eat with chips or sliced vegetables -- or put on tacos or fajitas!