Original Recipes

Caprice’s Easy Beef Bourguignon

6 bacon slices, plus 3 tablespoons of the drippings

2 ½ pounds stewing cubes

2 cups flour

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Coat a 5-quart slow cooker with no-stick spray.

 

Fry bacon, then remove it from the drippings. When it is cool, crumble it and set it aside in the refrigerator. Save 3 tablespoons of the drippings.

 

Dry beef cubes as much as possible with food-friendly paper towels. Combine flour, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a Ziploc bag. Drop in a few stewing cubes at a time to coat them, then place the coated cubes in the slow cooker.

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup peeled and sliced carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 clove grated garlic

teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 cups beef broth (use Swanson for no MSG)

1½ cups white burgundy wine (red burgundy discolors the mixture)

4 or 5 red pepper flakes

Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, marjoram, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and the red pepper flakes to the beef cubes in the slow cooker.

 

Pour broth over the mixture, then add the three tablespoons of bacon drippings and the wine. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until beef cubes are tender. Stir every two hours for a smooth gravy base without flour lumps.

 

I serve over 1 pound of wide egg noodles and top each portion with crumbled bacon.

 

Serves six to eight.

 

Bella’s Lima Bean Casserole

2 16-ounce bags frozen lima beans, thawed
8 slices fried, crumbled bacon
¾ cup chopped fresh onion
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup water
8 ounces finely grated cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

Combine thawed lima beans, crumbled bacon, onion, salt, pepper, butter, water, and grated cheese. Turn into a two-quart casserole sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

 

Bake covered at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until bread crumbs are browned and beans are tender.

 

Serves six to eight.

 

Nikki’s Carrot Surprise Cake

 

Cake

1½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
1½ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1½ cups shredded carrots
½ cup crushed pineapple, drained
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup softened butter
1 8-ounce package softened cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 pound confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Grease and flour 9 by 13-inch cake pan.

 

Cake

 

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest in a large mixer bowl. Add sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until well mixed. Fold in carrots, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut until completely blended.

 

Pour mixture into the greased and floured cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Beat softened butter with softened cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and orange zest. Blend in confectioner’s sugar and beat until smooth and spreadable. Frost the cake and refrigerate until you are ready to serve it.