Jean McDermott: Recipes

Main Dishes
Snacks

How to Make Gravy

Ole, I'm doing this page mainly for you!

Love,
Moom
I'll slowly add a few recipes here. Feel free to use them, however they do belong to me, and are copyrighted as such. I'll fill in all the blanks eventually. I'll add pictures, too, if I ever remember to do that before we eat it all up.
The same hearty food we ate in New Mexico is well-enjoyed up here in Alaska!

NOTE: These are not low-fat recipes. That being said, if you have heart disease or high cholesterol, alter these recipes as you need to! They don't use fake ingredients (like non-dairy, fake sweeteners, etc.) but they also taste great! We eat MEAT (and vegetables, too). If you want a persnickety diet, go on over to the Atkins site, the zillions of vegetarian sites (or god forbid, the vegan sites, vegans always look so pale and spindly and sick) or whatever. And hey, this is just my opinion! Don't get your knickers in a twist!

Irish Stew Jean McDermott’s Irish Stew Makes a great big pot!

2 lbs. lamb shanks or other lamb meat
LOTS of potatoes, there should be more potatoes than anything else
about 6-8 carrots
2-3 onions
4-6 stalks celery
2-6 cloves garlic--either fresh or granulated (NOT powder or garlic salt)
lemon juice, you use more than you think, buy a big bottle
salt & pepper
several teaspoons of vegetable oil

Sauteé the lamb in the vegetable oil in the bottom of a large pot. (If the lamb is very fatty, you won't need the vegetable oil.) Salt and pepper the meat. If using granulated garlic, go ahead and sprinkle a goodly amount on the meat at this time. Let meat brown, then pour about 1/4 cup lemon juice over it. Keep stirring.

When meat is fully browned, add cold water to cover.

While meat is browning and cooking, begin cutting vegetables.
Cut potatoes in both large and small pieces. The small pieces will disintegrate and create a lovely potato gravy within a day or so. Carrots should be cut in hunks, as should the rest of the vegetables.

Add vegetables to stew, adding water to cover, then add another inch of water if there is room.

Mince garlic and add. Add more salt and pepper. Add about a cup of lemon juice.

Bring to a boil and boil for an hour. Simmer until meat falls off bones, tasting and adjusting garlic, lemon, salt and pepper as it cooks. BEWARE: it’s really easy to add too much pepper, as the second day the pepper becomes much stronger.

Ideally, it should cook at least six hours before serving. If necessary, keep it in the refrigerator overnight and continue cooking the next day.

Black Bean Soup 2 cups pork, chicken, turkey or beef broth
Meat from the above cut up in small bite-size pieces if desired
One can, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups of black beans (that you have soaked overnight and already cooked to tenderness)
1 teaspoon cumin
A good sprinkle of granulated garlic, or a clove of fresh garlic chopped fine
1 teaspoon of minced fresh onion. If dried, use about 1/4 teaspoon
1/4 cup chunky salsa, or small amount of cooked green chile (note: you can buy chile in varying degrees of heat, I prefer mild and flavorful to hot and unbearable)
Fresh cilantro leaves
A huge dollop of sour cream
Combine all ingredients except the cilantro and sour cream. Cook until flavors nicely swapped around, about half an hour to forty-five minutes. Ladle into bowls and top off with huge globs of sour cream and sprinkle liberally with fresh cilantro leaves.

Note: I have been in restaurants that put such things as carrots and corn in black bean soup. These things do NOT belong in black bean soup!

Quick Burritos

Special Mexican Breakfast

Scotch Broth

Mom's Fried Chicken

Curried Cauliflower

Ramen Noodle Lo Mein

How to Make Gravy from Scratch

Snow Slushies Go outside and find some snow that isn't a) yellow, b) gray, or c) full of pine needles or other flotsam. In other words, nice, clean snow! Pack it in the glass you are going to drink from. Not too packed. Go back inside and slowly pour the juice of your choice (I use cranberry, but mango, grape, berry, and cocoanut sound great, too) slowly over the snow until it is saturated. Get yourself a spoon and a straw and enjoy!

Mexican Dip Many women at potlucks have asked me for this recipe.

Main Dishes Snacks How to Make Gravy
Ole, I'm doing this page mainly for you! Love, Moom		I'll slowly add a few recipes here. Feel free to use them, however they do belong to me, and are copyrighted as such. I'll fill in all the blanks eventually. I'll add pictures, too, if I ever remember to do that before we eat it all up. The same hearty food we ate in New Mexico is well-enjoyed up here in Alaska! NOTE: These are not low-fat recipes. That being said, if you have heart disease or high cholesterol, alter these recipes as you need to! They don't use fake ingredients (like non-dairy, fake sweeteners, etc.) but they also taste great! We eat MEAT (and vegetables, too). If you want a persnickety diet, go on over to the Atkins site, the zillions of vegetarian sites (or god forbid, the vegan sites, vegans always look so pale and spindly and sick) or whatever. And hey, this is just my opinion! Don't get your knickers in a twist!

Irish Stew		Jean McDermott’s Irish Stew Makes a great big pot! 2 lbs. lamb shanks or other lamb meat LOTS of potatoes, there should be more potatoes than anything else about 6-8 carrots 2-3 onions 4-6 stalks celery 2-6 cloves garlic--either fresh or granulated (NOT powder or garlic salt) lemon juice, you use more than you think, buy a big bottle salt & pepper several teaspoons of vegetable oil Sauteé the lamb in the vegetable oil in the bottom of a large pot. (If the lamb is very fatty, you won't need the vegetable oil.) Salt and pepper the meat. If using granulated garlic, go ahead and sprinkle a goodly amount on the meat at this time. Let meat brown, then pour about 1/4 cup lemon juice over it. Keep stirring. When meat is fully browned, add cold water to cover. While meat is browning and cooking, begin cutting vegetables. Cut potatoes in both large and small pieces. The small pieces will disintegrate and create a lovely potato gravy within a day or so. Carrots should be cut in hunks, as should the rest of the vegetables. Add vegetables to stew, adding water to cover, then add another inch of water if there is room. Mince garlic and add. Add more salt and pepper. Add about a cup of lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for an hour. Simmer until meat falls off bones, tasting and adjusting garlic, lemon, salt and pepper as it cooks. BEWARE: it’s really easy to add too much pepper, as the second day the pepper becomes much stronger. Ideally, it should cook at least six hours before serving. If necessary, keep it in the refrigerator overnight and continue cooking the next day.

Black Bean Soup		2 cups pork, chicken, turkey or beef broth Meat from the above cut up in small bite-size pieces if desired One can, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups of black beans (that you have soaked overnight and already cooked to tenderness) 1 teaspoon cumin A good sprinkle of granulated garlic, or a clove of fresh garlic chopped fine 1 teaspoon of minced fresh onion. If dried, use about 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 cup chunky salsa, or small amount of cooked green chile (note: you can buy chile in varying degrees of heat, I prefer mild and flavorful to hot and unbearable) Fresh cilantro leaves A huge dollop of sour cream Combine all ingredients except the cilantro and sour cream. Cook until flavors nicely swapped around, about half an hour to forty-five minutes. Ladle into bowls and top off with huge globs of sour cream and sprinkle liberally with fresh cilantro leaves. Note: I have been in restaurants that put such things as carrots and corn in black bean soup. These things do NOT belong in black bean soup!

Quick Burritos

Special Mexican Breakfast

Scotch Broth

Mom's Fried Chicken

Curried Cauliflower

Ramen Noodle Lo Mein



How to Make Gravy from Scratch

Snow Slushies		Go outside and find some snow that isn't a) yellow, b) gray, or c) full of pine needles or other flotsam. In other words, nice, clean snow! Pack it in the glass you are going to drink from. Not too packed. Go back inside and slowly pour the juice of your choice (I use cranberry, but mango, grape, berry, and cocoanut sound great, too) slowly over the snow until it is saturated. Get yourself a spoon and a straw and enjoy!

Mexican Dip		Many women at potlucks have asked me for this recipe.