Getting ready for the after surgery days and weeks.....

[ucsbgal1971]

Heavenly with mashed potatoes! What about the stew recipe?

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Here's the stew recipe.

Hearty Beef Stew (Cook’s Illustrated)

(I also usually need to add more of the liquid and tapioca mix as I like more of the sauce-but do it towards the end as needed)



Note: The recipe calls for cooking in a slow-cooker. If using a stove top pot, cut the cooking time in half and make sure it is a thick-bottomed pot.

If you're going to be away from your slow cooker for more than 10 hours, cutting the vegetables into larger, 1 1/2 - 2-inch pieces will help them retain their texture.

5 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium onions, chopped fine
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth (I used about 3-4 cups of a combination of both)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (I skip the parsnips and use more carrots and potatoes-just a personal preference)
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used russet.)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 bay leaves (I always use three.)
2 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1. Dry beef with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker insert and repeat with remaining beef. You shouldn't need more oil. (Note: After trying the first batch, I switched to a wok and used peanut oil to brown the meat only because it will withstand the heat of a wok, which cut down the cooking time - 3 minutes per batch - and got a crisper sear on the beef. It did take about 4-5 batches to cook that much meat because you can't overload a wok and get the anticipated results, but I think it was worth the effort.)

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to empty skillet and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring well, for 2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce, bring to simmer, and transfer to slow-cooker insert.

3. Toss carrots, parsnips, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon thyme (I actually added all the thyme to the vegetables instead of the recommended 1/2 tsp.), and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap vegetables in heavy duty foil packet - sealing the edges - that will fit in the slow cooker (or pot). Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow-cooker insert; set vegetable packet on top of beef.

4. Set slow cooker on high, cover, and cook for 6-7 hours. (Or cook on low for 10-11 hours.) Transfer vegetable packet to plate. Remove bay leaves. Carefully open packet (watch for steam) and stir vegetables and juices into stew. Add remaining 1 teaspoon thyme (or not if you put it all in the vegetables earlier) and peas and let stand until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

[Bionic woman2]

Here's the meatloaf recipe I made. It's not mine and I forget where I got it, but I've used it for a long time now and love it.

I haven't made meatloaf in a while, I may need to try this before I go down for round 2. I too love to cook (and sew, but I put that on the back burner for now.)

I truly miss getting in the kitchen and gourmet-ing it up! You are smart for making and freezing things ahead of time, because you won't be able to stand up in the kitchen long time for a while. Sometimes I just bite the bullet, slap on my Cryo machine and get to baking! It's one of my major joys.

 

[lookingforward]

makes me hungry just reading your posts. Perhaps we could all come and recover with you and tast your yummy cooking.

 

[ucsbgal1971]

Thanks. My mouth is watering just reading the recipe. I like that it calls for using a slow cooker but I think I will try the stovetop method. My mom made hers on the stovetop and it was the best. Will let you know how it comes out.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Please do let me know how it comes out, ucsb. I like the slow cooker because I can control the temp with no burned bottom and don't have to stir or check on it. I also love to bake-I don't bake as much these days as there are just the two of us and lord knows we don't need the calories........lol. But baking is on my list of joyful tasks.
lookingforward-welcome to BS! You'll get a lot of support here, as have I. I have a RTKR in my near future-what about you?

 

[ucsbgal1971]

You have a point about the slow cooker. Never thought of that. My vegetables always come out mushy in the slow cooker but since they will be in a foil packet that won't happen. Good idea. I like to bake too but we won't go there. I too do not need the extra calories. I am scheduled for a TR Sept 26, assuming all goes well. I need both knees done but my OS will only do one at a time. Will more than likely have the left done first. Cooking is going to keep my mind off of the surgery. I am pretty scared so that will be a good diversion to keep my mind off of things and I will have some nice meals ready for when I return from the inpatient rehab that I will go to after the surgery. I live alone and will have no help so I am trying to prepare so that everything will be as easy as possible. Have you selected a doctor yet? I have interviewed several per the suggestion here. The only trouble with that is that they each wanted their own x-rays so I have been x-rayed 5 times including when I went to the ER after injuring my knee in January. I really worry about too much radiation especially if they do the computer alignment thing.

 

[kneeper]

You're making me hungry, lovestocook! You're much more ambitious than I was but I may use some of your ideas for my next knee.

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Looks good. i'm so old-fashioned in my cooking that I don't even own a food processor. I bought a mini one once but it didn't do a very good job and I could cut up an onion by hand faster than it took to clean the thing. I am good at chopping and make lots of soups in the winter. Maybe I'll get energetic enough to make some to freeze prior to my surgery. However, my left knee has gotten so bad! Yesterday I went to the gym, didn't do much involving knees except the non-weighted machine that you push back and forth while seated, but last night my knee was excruciating even while I was seated with it elevated (and I take 4 Vicodin daily).

I love reading and crocheting (much more sedentary that gardening and cooking) but hope to get back to a more active life post surgery. My son thinks I'm a great cook but that's mostly because I cook what he likes in the way he likes it (spicy and highly seasoned) but he doesn't have a lot to compare to!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Oh, uscb and all-when I made the stew, since I made a huge batch (I think it was 5 times the recipe) I put some of the veggies in the crockpots in the foil packs, but had waaaaay too many to fit them all, so I tossed the remaining foil packs on trays in the oven and baked them. I think there were 6 or 7 large foil packs in all.
vancouvergal-I'm pretty up to date with appliances-I guess I'm either lazy or picky or spoiled, but I tend to have a lot of small appliances and gadgets. But I still cut, slice and chop by hand often. It depends on the size and texture I want. I wish there were some of us bonesmarties nearby me in the Sacramento area to commiserate and support one another in person...............But this site is very helpful, so I am thankful for everyone here. I love to read, also-I usually have my library card maxed out with books checked-out and books requested. I can have 30 checked out and 30 reserved if that gives you an idea how much I read...lol. I tried knitting but for some reason it drove me nuts. I took a knitting class, but didn't enjoy it for some reason. I'd rather sit at my sewing machine and make something that way. My oldest daughter loves to knit, so I do her mending and she does the knitting and crocheting, and jewelry making and repairing and any art projects I need. Works well for us. If any of you want to see the things I cook and sew, or pictures of my garden and its bounty, message me privately with your name too so I know who it is that's requesting and I'll give you my Facebook name and you can friend request me. Kim

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Oh, vancouvergal, I am so sorry about all your pain. I take a lot of Ibuprofin, but can only take Dilaudid other than the Ibuprofin, so don't take anything else for my knee pain. Luckily I'm not bone-on-bone yet so the Ibuprofin takes much of the pain away and I can function. Vicodin makes me vomit, as do all the oral meds, except dilaudid, and even that gets me at times. Makes it rough to control my after-surgery pain so I often have to stay longer in the hospital on IV pain meds to get the pain under control until my stomach accepts the dilaudid.

 

[possum_here]

lovetocookandsew they look and sound great. I am off to the shops soon to get ingredients as my Dad loves lambs fry and bacon so seeing he is coming while I am in hospital I thought I would treat him and make him his favourite. I usually visit him in the winter and make a huge boiler of it for him (only time he gets it) and then he just thaws as he wants.

My family hate it but Dad always asks me to make it. How can you refuse your Daddy

I made a couple of fruit cakes as well thinking ahead but my son's have already ate them. So maybe I better do some more. Rule is to remember to hide them better.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Ok, I give up....what is lambs fry and bacon? I made a ton of zucchini bread from my garden, and I keep everyone out by freezing them then vacuum sealing them. Then I bring them out during the winter. I used to have 6 kids at home and it was hard to keep everyone out of things too, so I laid down the law, left plenty of fruits and veggies out for snacks, and forbid anyone eating anything else without permission. Otherwise the boys would have eaten everything in sight, too...........lol.

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Ok, I give up....what is lambs fry and bacon?

I was wondering that myself, but I love hearing the different terms. Like "broiler" - is that a huge pot or what? What kind of fruit cake do you make? Here fruit cake is a Christmas thing and mostly a joke about the "gift" that no one eats but just passes on to the next unsuspecting person. I'm betting yours is something much better if your boys were grabbing and eating it so quickly.

message me privately

I'll see if I can figure out how to do that.
Linda

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Linda-mouse over inbox at the top right, then click on start a private message.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I love all the different terms too. My favorites are from the UK so far. I love the term loo for some reason, among others. My favorite accents are Australian. I even had the sexy Aussie male voice on my GPS when I had one before I got my smartphone and then my Sync in my car and started using those instead....That's another fun thing about this site-all the different terms I'm learning.