Whether or not you have or will finish this year’s NaNoWriMo on Sunday, you’ve got to celebrate that the month is over and you’ve made it through.

Not to mention, if you’re American, you’re probably that tired of Thanksgiving left-overs that you WANT to have something entirely different!

Beef Tip au Jus

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 lbs beef tip chunks
salt & pepper
1 can beef stock, or 2 c home made stock
1 c water
1/2 c dry red wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme leaves (dried)

Directions

Brown tips in heavy frying pan with olive oil. Add diced onion and garlic, just to brown lightly, not cook through. Salt and pepper to taste, then put into crock pot. Deglaze the pan with a little of the wine.

Add liquid ingredients and seasonings into the crock pot, and cook on high for 2 hours. Turn to low, and let cook for 4-5 hours.

We don’t thicken the gravy for this recipe, we let it stay runny and serve with country mashed potatoes, done with butter and heavy cream. A favorite side dish is roasted carrots and parsnips.

Vegetarian Ratatouille

Ingredients

1 lg + 1 med onion, halved, sliced
5 zucchini, sliced (we use the smallish ones, about 8″ length)
3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 gr. bell pappers, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
5 Roma, quartered or 2 lg tomatoes cut in eight wedges
1 sm can tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley or similar greens, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Layer half the vegetables in the crock pot and sprinkle with half the seasonings, then dot with half the tomato paste. Layer the last of the vegetables etc., finally sprinkle with the olive oil.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Serve with freshly grated parmesan, or a friend uses feta crumbles, and crusty bread.

Enjoy!

’til next week, when we’re back on a normal posting routine.
<3 JL