Caldio: Mexican Beef Stew

I learned to make this while visiting a friend in El Paso. I've seen it spelled a few different ways - Caldeo, Caldio, Caldillo. But no matter how you spell it it spells DELICIIOUS!

Ingredients:
2 lbs Beef Roast, cut into pieces
2 TBSP cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1/4 cup cold coffee (optional)
8 cups water-more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 pounds potatoes, cut to bite size
8 Green Chilies, roasted, peeled and chopped
3/4 Cup of Taco Sauce
Butter
Tortillas or Crusty Bread

Directions:
Heat the oil over medium high heat in a 4 quart dutch oven. Add the meat in batches, browning each batch quite well. When the last batch is done browning remove and allow to drain. Add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes or so then add the garlic, cook and stir for a minute more. Add all the meat back to the pot, then add the coffee and water to deglaze the pan. Scrape all the good browned bits up. Add the salt and pepper then cover and simmer for 2 hours. Check on the meat occasionally making sure it never cooks dry, add more water as needed to keep a soupy consistency. After the meat has stewed for several hours and is nice and tender add the taco sauce and the potatoes. Add more water as needed to cover the potatoes. Chop the chilies and
add to the soup. Simmer for another hour. Ladle soup into bowls along with a teaspoon of butter. Serve with flour tortillas or thick crusty home baked bread.

Feed Your Skin: Part 2

We read about items 1 - 5, avocados, mangoes, almonds, cottage cheese, and green tea. Now the rest of the list!

#6: Acerola Cherries
Your average cherry doesn’t supply a lot of vitamin C, but that’s not true for Acerolas. One of these cherries supplies 100% of your daily allowance for vitamin C. As an antioxidant, vitamin C fights skin damage and wrinkles. It also plays a central role in the production of collagen, the structural protein in your skin.

#7: Oysters
They fight pimples because they’re rich in zinc. The mineral affects sebum production, a deficiency may contribute to acne. Zinc also helps boost elastin (the skin's elastic protein) production with the help of vitamin C.

#8: Baked Potatoes
Eat one baked potato (with the skin) to get 75% of your daily copper need. Just be sure to eat only organic potatoes to avoid all the pesticides.

#9: Mushrooms
This fungus is rich in riboflavin, a B vitamin that’s vital to your skin. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is involved in tissue maintenance and repair, and improves skin blemishes caused by rosacea. This vitamin is so important for skin repair that the body uses large amounts after sustaining a burn or wound, or undergoing surgery.

#10: Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil is one of the best sources of the essential omega 3s. This essential mineral works with vitamin C and zinc to produce the elastin fibers that support skin structure. Too little copper in your diet can reduce your skin’s ability to heal and cause it to become rigid and lifeless. Just one teaspoon of flaxseed oil per day provides 2.5 grams of omega 3s, which, in turn, hydrate the skin. Essential fatty acids also dilute sebum and unclog pores that otherwise leads to acne.

#11: Pomegranates
They contain phytonutrients that appear to initiate wound healing. They also thicken the epidermis, and prolong fibroblast life to produce collagen and elastin.

#12: Wheat Germ
Wheat germ is a good source of biotin, a B vitamin that's crucial to skin health. A mild biotin deficiency can cause dermatitis, a condition characterized by itchy, scaly skin. Sprinkle wheat germ on yogurt for a tasty way to get more biotin in your diet. Or try these Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins.

RELATED POST: Feed Your Skin: Part 1

Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

Ingredients:
2 cups roughly chopped boiled red-skinned potatoes
2 cups diced cooked corned beef
1/4 cup corned beef cooking liquid or chicken broth
1/2 medium yellow onion, grated
1/2 clove garlic, mashed with a fork
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch nutmeg
pepper
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter

Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 tbsps montreal steak seasoning
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup carrots - cooked diced
1/2 cup corn , de-cobbed
6 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheese (opt)

Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey Pot Pie is one of my favorite comfort foods! Here is a great recipe for that leftover Thanksgiving turkey!

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless turkey breast (or 2 lbs cubed leftover turkey)
4 cups chicken stock
4 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 thyme sprigs
3 black peppercorns
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

30 Minute Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds ground beef
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped

Corn Chowder

A delicious corn chowder with bacon.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1/2 cup diced bacon
* 4 medium potatoes, chopped
* 1/2 medium onion, chopped
* 2 cups water
* 2 cans (12 ounces each) cream-style corn
* 2 teaspoons salt
* pepper to taste
* dash of Cayenne pepper