Eagle Home Inspections Blog

The Eagle is taking a little time off. Click above to find out what we’ll be doing and when we’ll be available again!!

How can rainbows teach us to solve problems? Click the photo and find out! Special bonus – a brilliant St. Patty’s Day recipe!!

Not into Corned Beef and Cabbage? Try our brilliant beef stew instead this St. Patty’s Day!!

Pot O’Gold Beef Stew

Total cooking time: about 2 3/4 hours.

Ingredients for stew (8 servings):

2 ½ pounds good stew beef chunks (make sure it’s good quality and marbled stew beef, such as chuck, for a tender stew)

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup canola or other vegetable oil

1 very large onion or 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

1 container (32 oz) beef stock (I use unsalted. If using salted, you might want to adjust how many bouillon cubes you add.)

4 beef bouillon cubes (Herb-Ox has no MSG)

Salt – 1 tsp and extra for coating

Worcestershire sauce – 1 T

Ketchup – 2 T

Pepper – ¼ tsp and extra for coating

Garlic Powder – 1/2 tsp and extra for coating

2 lb very small potatoes (Red and yellow are nice. You can buy these together in a combo bag). If a little larger, cut half or quarters so that they are approximately 1 inch size chunks.)

4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup fresh green beans cut into 1 inch pieces. (I usually just buy about a dozen or so fresh green beans.)

2 bay leaves

Ingredients for Dumplings (makes 8):

1 1/3 cups Biquick mix

6 T milk

2 T fresh finely chopped parsley

Place flour in large Ziploc bag with several shakes each of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Shake until mixed. Add several pieces of stew beef at a time. Coat and then remove each of the pieces shaking off the excess flour and put on a plate. Repeat until all beef is coated. Save flour.

In an 8 qt Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot with lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown meat a few pieces at a time. Remove pieces as they brown.

Reduce heat to medium and add onions, cooking until almost tender. Stir in the reserved flour, then gradually add stock, stirring until mixture is slightly thickened. Add bouillon cubes, Worcestershire, ketchup, bay leaves, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then add beef. Heat to boiling, stirring. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 1 hour.

Add carrots and potatoes and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cook covered for 45 minutes.

Stir in green beans and frozen peas. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes until all vegetables are tender.

While these are cooking, mix dumplings according to instructions on Bisquick box. Add a little extra milk if too thick. Consistency should be similar to corn muffins or corn bread batter  – thick and wet, not dry. You can even mix the dough earlier if you’d like. Just refrigerate until ready to use.

Uncover stew, remove bay leaves (if you can find them!) and bring back to a boil. Drop dumpling dough by large spoonfuls (I use a regular flatware soup spoon) onto top of stew so dumplings are barely touching. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes.

Serve stew in bowls with one or two dumplings each.

 

 

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Are you buying a home in CT or already a CT resident? Do you know what your radon levels are? If you don’t, you may be putting yourself and your family at risk. Learn what radon is and what you can do about it. Just click the map!

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Memories of Mom and an amazing recipe for cocoa cupcakes make for a lovely Valentine’s Day. Click above and share the love with Eagle!

Mary Ellen’s Cocoa Crème Fraiche Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes.

1 cup plus 3 T all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

1 stick plus 6 T unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs (at room temp)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

¾ cup crème fraiche, at room temperature and stirred until runny, plus more for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and do same with remaining 6 cups in either another 12 cup muffin pan or a 6 cup muffin pan (if you have one).
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy with a hand mixer or a stand mixer. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. At low speed, alternately beat in some the dry ingredients and then some of the ¾ cup of crème fraiche until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Batter will be extremely thick! Using a large spoon with a small spatula or frosting spreader, as carefully as you can, put the batter into the foil cups, filling each one until two-thirds full. I sometimes use my finger with the help of a small spatula to even out the batter in the foil cups.
4. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes or until springy when gently pressed and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then remove from the pan.
5. To serve, place a dollop of crème fraiche (or fresh whipped cream, if you prefer) on each cupcake and serve with fresh raspberries or fresh strawberries.

Eagle Home Inspections is once again sponsoring the ECAR RESource Conference and Trade Expo! It’s coming up quickly – February 12th and 13th, but there’s still time to register. Click above for more info and for a great personal story about how Mary Ellen met Kevin Costner!!!

Are we in for a longer winter? Whether the answer is yes or no, Eagle has some super tips for staying toasty! Click above for our house-warming advice and a tasty heart-warming recipe!!