Aside from seafood, which I can mostly just forget about living so far from the “sea”, my two favorite meals are Red Beans, Sausage and Rice and Beef Fricot. I sometimes feel like, since Vince’s favorite meals are my least favorite meals (spaghetti with meatballs and red sauce and lasagna – anything Italian with red sauce), that it isn’t right for me to fix my favorite meals so I don’t fix red beans and beef fricot as much as I would like but today was the day for beef fricot.
I cut up a roast that was defrosted and browned it.
I chopped 3 onions, 4 ribs of celery, a large bell pepper, a bulb of garlic and rehydrated some freeze dried jalapeno peppers. It was early and I was going to fix breakfast after I finished chopping the veggies so eggs and frozen blueberries made it into that photo.
Then I simmered it all for a couple of hours to get the meat really tender.
I divided it all up into enough for 5+ meals. Four in bowls for the freezer and the fifth stayed in the pot. Once potatoes are added, a bit more broth and then it’s all thickened if needed, there should be enough for each of us to have two meals in each of those containers. Tomorrow it will all be frozen solid, I will dump it from these containers, vacuum seal it into bags and stick it back in the freezer.
I added potatoes to what was left in the pot. The potatoes thickened the gravy, then I added green onions and it was delicious! There was enough left to fill a quart jar so that will be more than enough for another meal for both of us.
While we were eating and I was talking about how much I love this dish, Vince said “Why don’t we have it very often.” I didn’t want to admit that I feel guilty because I so rarely cook spaghetti or lasagna so I said “I didn’t know if you like it as much as I do and there are so many other things to cook.”
Afterwards, I thought . . there’s no reason why Vince can’t cook spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna! Lots of men can and do cook. I am no longer going to feel bad about cooking the meals I love. I’ll still fix things Vince likes . . though maybe not red sauce that often but I will do it sometimes. It seems like almost every husband we know does at least some of the cooking at their homes. I’m not going to expect him to cook but for the things he likes and I don’t like to eat and don’t like to cook .. there’s no reason he can’t do it.
Sibyl says
If I were to have done that–my husband would have never got stuff he liked. He did not cook one meal in over 40 years. The most he might have done is rewarmed something in the microwave. But he never cooked, not even eggs for breakfast. I always loved cooking for him, even if it was something I didn’t like. I am not a fan of chili, nor is my daughter, but my son and husband loved it. So I’d make a big batch, like fill my electric roaster full of it. Then freeze it into portions for them to have. Then when they were in the mood for it I’d have it thawed and finish it for them. Same with clam chowder. But ask him to cook. Nope it never would have happened. At least at our house.
Jo says
My sweet husband did quite a bit of cooking – especially the second half of our marriage due to the hours I worked. Many nights he started dinner and I added the finishing touches. Since the kids were out of the house I guess meal’s changed to what he preferred. Now. I cook just for me, and I often want to throw in extra garlic or onions since I know he loved them.
Carol says
never heard of beef fricot. seems to be a soup? you did not write what the liquid was you added to the beef and veggies, was it water or some kind of broth? then you only add potatoes later? what seasonings–seems like the jalapeño would not be enough seasoning. maybe this is a cajun recipe? I will do a google search and see what comes up.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
There’s a link in the post.
Nancy H says
My husband has been cooking all our meals since I broke my arm just before Christmas. I sometimes have to supervise but most of the time he just cooks.
After I got hurt he also sewed down the binding on a quilt I was giving for Christmas. I had finished the quilting minutes before the break.
Sheryl says
..Donnie cooks almost as much as I do. He’s a pretty good cook but he only knows one level of flame…..hot. I have to go behind him and turn things down to keep them from burning. He never complains.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I’m pretty bad about using the burner too high – get it done quickly and get back to my project but all it takes is to walk away and forget about it and I’m starting over with dinner.
Becky says
My husband can’t boil water. He has never fixed a meal for us in 45 years. BUT he never complains about anything I cook. He will eat the same pot of soup 5 nights in a row and not complain, and he always thanks me for the meals. AND he cleans the kitchen. He’s the absolute best.
Sibyl says
Becky it sounds like your husband and mine must have been long lost brothers. Mine would help, but never fixed a meal either, mine never complained about anything I ever made him. He would clean and help,but just didn’t cook. Wish mine was still here. 🙁
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I know I’m very lucky that Vince never complains about what I cook either. I’m not sure he wouldn’t say something if I served the same pot of soup for five nights in a row though. 🙂
Vince doesn’t clean the kitchen but after 25 years of marriage, he has almost learned to bring his dishes to the kitchen. He does a lot of other good things though.
Susan says
Paul loved to cook and was good at it – and I love canning and baking, but not cooking. So he did ALL the cooking, for years. His language of love for me. I loved eating everything he cooked, too. I had also not ever heard of beef fricot, so will look that link up. What I have trouble with is seasoning. I know I don’t like spicy, but I never know how much of anything I should put in. I made hamburger soup the other day, and it was okay, but it wasn’t as strongly beef as when my friend made it and hers was delicious. I guess I’m afraid of ruining food, but Regan likes bland and Paul spices everything hot, so I should just figure out what I like and fix it and they can do what they want with it. LOL My spinach-apple-chicken-iceburg salad was good today, at least!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Most additional spices can be added at the table. Because I don’t like oregano, I’ll often stir in a bit more oregano to dishes after getting my food on my plate. You can always experiment a little with small portions at the table. I love the Cajun Redhead seasoning. I has very little salt and I find none of the spices to be overwhelming so I almost always add that to my plate at the table.