Pot Roast with Red Wine and Mushrooms

Whenever I spy a chuck roast on sale at the grocery, I grab one or two. While chuck is a tough and sometimes fatty cut of meat, it can be used for a tender pot roast, or any variety of tasty stews. Cooked long and low in a tasty broth, chuck roast is one of the most comforting cuts of beef I know. The tough gets all soft and most of the fat cooks down and can be skimmed off to make gravy.

On Sunday, I had a big cut of chuck roast, a lovely bottle of gifted Italian wine and 12 or so ounces of fresh cremini mushrooms. Sounds like pot roast. I have several recipes for pot roast, but none used much wine or mushrooms, so I varied my recipe a tad. You can never have too many chuck roast recipes.

I left the "sauce" loose, choosing to just pour it instead of thickening it for gravy. The buttered polenta soaked it right up. Yum.

Pot Roast with Red Wine and Mushrooms

serves 6-8

3 or so pounds chuck roast

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

1 onion (sliced like an apple)

1 1/2 cups good red wine, merlot, cabernet, or a blend (mine was an Italian primitivo, similar to a zinfadel)

1 can vegetable broth

2 t. beef base or bouillon cubes

4 T. or so tomato paste or ready-made tomato sauce

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. Italian seasoning (herbes de provence would work, too)

5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

8-10 carrots

2 stalks celery, sliced

8-12 ounces cremini mushrooms  sliced or quartered (if you have mushrooms detectives, just quarter them so they can push them aside)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat. Season roast with salt and pepper and place, seasoned side down, in oil. Season other side. Cook until lightly browned, and turn, cooking other side until lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium and add onions. Stir and let cook five minutes or so. Pour the wine and broth over roast. Stir in beef base, tomato paste/sauce, mustard and seasoning. Add garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in 325 degree oven. 

Cook for two hours until roast is beginning to fall apart.

Add carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook for 30-45 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Remove meat from sauce. Break up into serving-size pieces. Remove vegetables to a bowl or platter and keep warm with roast. Strain sauce and skim some of the fat off.  Season to taste. Serve in a gravy bowl with ladle.

Serve with mashed potatoes, hot noodles, or a bowl of steaming buttered polenta. Yum.

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Steak and Avocado

A couple of weeks ago my college boy was home for just a few days, between apartments. I planned a few meals I knew he would love and he actually prepared this one for me! What a treat. The taste of the steak and salsa is similar to this recipe, but the ingredients I loved most were the steak and avocado. The warm steak and creamy avocado, oh...yum. It was a combo I had never had before, but plan to make up for missing. If you like beef and you like avocado, you will love this one. I think you could use almost any steak, but make sure it's a quality cut, and nice and juicy. The flat iron steak I use for the Steak and Salsa Verde would be a nice, inexpensive alternative.

I found the recipe at Eating Well, and we followed it pretty closely except we grilled the steaks.

Steak with Pebre Sauce and Avocado

Sauce

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla

1 medium-large tomato, seeded and diced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 T. minced jalapeño (or serrano, we use jalapeño)

2 T. red-wine or cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 t. kosher salt

 Steak

3/4 t. paprika

3/4 t. ground cumin

3/4 t. dried oregano

3/4 t. kosher salt, divided

1/2 t. ground pepper

2 8- to 10-ounce New York strip (top loin) steaks, trimmed

2 t. canola oil

2 avocados, pitted and peeled

To prepare Pebre Sauce: 

Combine the onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeño (or serrano), vinegar, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

To prepare steak: 

Mix paprika, cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of steaks.

Preheat outdoor grill. When grill is hot cook steaks over medium grill until done to desired doneness.

(Alternately: Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet, such as cast iron, over medium-high. Add the steaks and cook just until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the steaks 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare, depending on thickness.)

Transfer to a clean cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash avocados with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Carve the steak into thin slices. Serve with the avocado and Pebre Sauce.

Menu suggestion: serve with Roasted Sweet potatoes and scallions, and Peppercorn

Source: Eating Well

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BBQ Beef Brisket

I have so many recipes to share with you, I don't know where to start. I have lost my oomph here and I don't know how to get it back. Do you ever feel that way about something? Something you previously enjoyed and then just suddenly didn't really care to do anymore. I did that with scrapbooking a couple years ago, but I really just replaced it with another craft. I am still cooking, I just can't muster the excitement to put the recipes here. And I just don't know what to do.

While I'm still figuring it all out, I'll try to share some really good recipes that I have made lately.

I made this Beef Brisket on the Fourth and it was a huge hit. We had 10 people for dinner and we polished off all but a tiny bit of three whole briskets. The college kid took the rest home. It was that good. Everyone loved it. My only complaint was that it was a tad dry, but no one else complained. I think the next time I'll whip up some homemade BBQ sauce to drizzle over the top. It tasted very barbequey (not a word) but wasn't saucy.

The recipe came from Pots and Pins (with a funny story about her husband), and I followed it almost to a T except it turns out there is Heinz 57 Sauce and Heinz 57 Steak Sauce. I used the sauce sauce and not the steak sauce. But it was good, so why mess with a good thing? Also, since I was cooking three briskets, I doubled the rub, but not the sauce. Maybe next time I need to make more sauce.

 57 Beef Brisket

1 brisket (6 lbs.), fat slightly trimmed

2 T. brown sugar, packed

1 T. salt

1 T. onion powder

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. ground dry mustard

1 T. smoked paprika (I used sweet paprika)

1 T. ground black pepper

1 bottle (10 oz.) Heinz 57 Steak Sauce (or sauce sauce, whichever is handy)

1/4 cup liquid smoke 

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl combine brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika and pepper.  Rub the mixture all over the brisket, both sides.  Put brisket in baking dish, fat side up and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning, take brisket from refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl combine Heinz 57 Steak Sauce, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour over brisket.  

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.  Bake in 300 degree oven for 7 to 8 hours.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes on counter before slicing.  Slice against the grain.  

Note: I roasted mine in an electric roaster that I plugged in down the basement so the house wouldn't heat up. 

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Hot dogs and potatoes

From one day to the next I never know how dinner is going to be received in my house. That can be a frustrating thing. You go to all that work and then the kids stick their noses up at it. Not that they are permitted to be rudely critical, but if they don't eat, then that's a pretty clear criticism.

I can take the criticism, but I hate wasted food. Period.

I also hate to fight over food, so I gave up a long time ago making kids sit at the table until their plate is clean. My sanity is more important than my pride.

Anyway...short story long, the other day I was asked, as I am every day, "What's for dinner?" When I said, "hotdogs and potatoes," I was met with mixed comments. I told them all to "Shut it" and they could eat it or not. They all ate it. It was good, simple, and really easy to make food.

The bottom line is, kids like hotdogs (and I use good beef hotdogs) and fried potatoes (and just dice the onions really small and encourage them to cover it in ketchup -- hey, it has lycopene!). So what's not to like? Serve some fresh fruit on the side, like sliced watermelon, or bing cherries, and some yummy buttermilk biscuits with strawberry jam. It's a good, easy meal. And it's cheap. Yey.

Hotdogs and potatoes

oil for frying (I use canola for this dish)

one large white Idaho potato for each person, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced across in 1/4 inch pieces.

1 to 2 T. minced onion for each person

1 to 2 sliced hotdogs for each person

salt and pepper

In a large skillet (non-stick or cast iron, I use non-stick for easy clean up) heat oil over medium high heat. 

When oil is hot, add potatoes and then onions on top of the potatoes. Arrange them in a single layer (or as close as possible) and them leave them alone for about five minutes. Toss the hotdogs on top and then stir, attempting to get the potato pieces flipped over. Cook for about 30 minutes, until potato pieces are tender and everything is lovely and browned.

Mongolian Beef and Sesame Green Beans

This recipe has become a regular at our dinner table. It's easy -- you can easily put it together in under 30 minutes, in less time than it takes for the rice to cook  -- and the flavors are a winner with all my family. The recipe is modified from Cooking Light.

The Sesame Green Beans are a recipe I have been making for years. I first ate them at my friend Gina's house and all my kids eat them. They are a great side with the Mongolian Beef and steamed white rice.

Mongolian Beef

serves 4-6

2 T lower-sodium soy sauce

1 t sugar 

1 t cornstarch

2 t dry sherry

2 t hoisin sauce

1 t rice vinegar

1 t chile paste with garlic (I use Sriracha)

1/4 t salt

2 T vegetable or peanut oil

1 T minced peeled fresh ginger

1 T minced fresh garlic

1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain 

8 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces 

Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until smooth.

Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and beef; sauté for 2 minutes or until beef is browned. Add green onion pieces; sauté 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Serve over white or brown rice.

Sesame Green Beans

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed and washed

1 T. vegetable oil

1 t. sesame oil

1 t. sesame seeds

1/2 t crushed red pepper

salt to taste

Cook green beans in hot water until just tender (or if you are using a rice cooker with a veggie basket use that - that's what I do). Drain and set aside until serving time.

Just a few moments before serving time, heat vegetable oil in a skillet. Add beans and cook on high heat for several minutes tossing a few times. Add sesame seeds and crushed red pepper. Drizzle with sesame oil and salt to taste.

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Goulash

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I have a memory from my childhood of a food my mother called goulash. We are part Hungarian and so I always thought it was authentic goulash, except every goulash I have ever eaten since really tastes nothing like it. My mother has no recollection of this goulash so I can't compare recipes. It looked like authentic goulash (to my memory) but was much sweeter, almost like a barbecued beef. I tried this recipe for Beef Goulash from Tastes Like Home Cooking and it was not exactly the goulash from my memory, but it was really good. My husband loved it and even the kids ate it (except one picked out the onions, ugh). I will definitely make this recipe again -- it's easy and budget-friendly. It's been a couple weeks so my memory is fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure I added about a tablespoon of sugar to it, so I am listing that in the ingredients. Can't hurt, right?

Beef Goulash

serves 5-6

1 1/4 pounds chuck roast, excess fat trimmed, cut into large cubes
2 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 T. paprika (use the good stuff or another good Hungarian paprika)
15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 T. tomato paste
2 t. flour
2 cups beef broth, divided
1 T. dried thyme

1 T. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
sour cream for topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in a oven safe casserole dish and add beef, cooking until brown. Add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are transparent. Add paprika and stir.

Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Dissolve flour in 1 cup beef broth and add to pot. Add thyme and sugar, then salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

Cover tightly and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour. After an hour, if the mixture looks dry, add another 1 cup beef broth. Cover and cook an additional hour. Serve with egg noodles and a dollop of sour cream.

 

source: modified slightly from Taste of Home Cooking

Steak with Salsa Verde

It's been rather quiet around here. I can't tell if you're not reading, not cooking, or just not talking. I have been trying a variety of recipes here, so hopefully one if these days I'll hit on something that interests you.

Today's recipe is another Jamie Oliver recipe, and my family loved it -- six out of six thumbs up. They love beef, and they love spicy, bold flavors, and I love that all the ingredients were whole, fresh foods. Unfortunately, Jamie jinxed me when he wrote "watch your fingers here" in regard to chopping the salsa ingredients, because I cut the begeebers out of my left index finger. Fortunately, the salsa was pretty well finished when I did it. And fortunately, my little sous chef was perfectly able to prepare the salad.

This is a good, healthy, budget-conscious recipe, with the flank steak, and will be even more so during the summer when veggies are growing in the garden.

Steak with Salsa Verde

1-pound flank steak (I used an almost 2-pound steak for six of us)

1/8 t. sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 T. olive oil

1 clove garlic, halved

For the salsa verde:

a small bunch of fresh cilantro

a small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 to 2 fresh jalapeno or serrano chiles, seeded (I used one large jalapeno)

4 large scallions, trimmed 

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped 

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

juice of 1 to 2 limes (I used one)

1 T. olive oil

1/8 t. salt

Jamie's Note: Make sure your meat is at room temperature before you start cooking – that way it will cook at the same temperature all the way through.

It’s really important to rest the meat once it’s cooked. It allows the juices to settle, so you don’t lose them all when you slice or carve the steak.

Method 

Take your steak out of the refrigerator and let it get up to room temperature while you make your salsa.

Get yourself a good knife and a big cutting board. Set aside a few of the cilantro leaves, then chop the top of the bunch, stalks and all, with the mint leaves, garlic, chiles, scallions, and tomatoes until it’s all very fine – watch your fingers here! Sprinkle over a pinch of the salt and pepper, then add most of the lime juice and a good lug of extra virgin olive oil. Mix together on the board, taste it, season with the remaining salt, pepper, lime juice, or chile, and put it into a bowl ready to go.

Get a frying pan, grill pan, or outdoor grill screaming hot and season both sides of your steaks with the salt, pepper, and a good lug of olive oil (we grilled it on the gas grill).

Add the steaks to the pan or grill. Your steaks should take about 6 to 7 minutes per side to cook depending on how you like them. As it cooks, rub the steak with the cut side of the garlic clove for some extra flavor.

When the steaks are perfectly cooked to your liking, move them to a plate to rest for a few minutes.

Cut the flank against the grain and with the knife at an angle to the board into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange them on a large serving platter or divide between your plates.

Finish with a few dollops of salsa, and scatter over your remaining cilantro leaves. Drizzle over any resting juices and let everyone tuck in.

Source: Jamie Oliver

Budget soup

I don't like to use the word "budget" because I think it has negative connotations, but I am also one who calls a spade a spade. This is budget soup. The ingredients are inexpensive to buy, and when feeding a large family that's something.

Though it is far from haute cuisine, it is most edible, and, in fact, quite tasty, and I would definitely make it over and over. I found the recipe after a friend told me she had purchased a jar of soup ingredients at a holiday craft sale. She mentioned the name of the woman who put the soups together, and I remembered that I had seen this same person's recipe in a school cookbook. The recipe was originally created to assemble a jar of it and give it someone else. The only thing the jar needs in addition to the ingredients in the jar, is a pound of ground meat and a can of tomatoes. I never assembled it in a jar, just measured the ingredients as listed and dumped them in a pot.

The leftovers were great for lunch on the go.

The recipe gives the option of using chili powder for seasoning or Italian seasoning. I used my own combination of Italian herbs, shown below. I did not have barley or split peas when I made it so I subbed more lentils for the peas and more rice for the barley. I also used all star shaped pasta instead of the recommended ABC pasta and additional shaped pasta. I wouldn't mind using the other ingredients, but it's all grain and I think you would be fine with almost any combination.

I ate the leftovers for lunch several days later (as well as took two jars to my neighbors) and it was a little more like stew left over -- the grains swelled and absorbed the broth. You could add more broth or another can of tomatoes, but it was really very good like that.

Budget Soup

(aka Love Soup -- I guess for when you are giving it away)

1/3 cup beef boullion or soup base (see note)

1 T. chili powder OR 1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning (see note)

1/4 cup onion flakes (see note)

1/2 cup split peas

1/2 cup ABC macaroni

1/4 cup barley

1/2 cup lentils

1/2 cup rice

pasta (any shape)

1 pound ground meat (I used ground chuck)

1 can chopped tomatoes (see note) 

salt and pepper

To give away in a jar: Layer ingredients, in order listed, in a 1-quart jar. Use shaped pasta to fill the top. Close jar with a ring and cap. Add preparation instructions on a tag.

To prepare: brown 1 lb ground meat ; drain.

Reserve shaped pasta to add later. Add remaining ingredients to beef and add 12 cups water. Add can of tomatoes with juice. Simmer for 45 minutes. Taste and season. Add reserved pasta and cook until pasta is tender, 10 to 15 minutes, Serve.

Notes: 

If you prefer not to use soup base, you can use beef broth, but that will raise the cost. You'll also have to adjust seasoning. 

For Italian seasoning, use equal amounts of dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and marjoram to equal 1 1/2 tablespoons.

I used 3 T. onion powder instead of onion flakes.

The recipe called for 28 oz. of tomatoes, however to reduce acid I used a 14 oz can with fine results. Use whatever suits your taste.

Meat can be left out for vegetarian soup.

Source: St. Paul School cookbook

Steak Seasoning

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I can not explain my lack of posting here lately, except I feel pretty yucky and I have no energy. No particular reason except maybe the summer doldrums. I'm also worried about my kids (yeah, who isn't?) and I'm not up to coping well with life. I'm sure it's just a phase and I'm holding out hope that when the first brisk fall wind comes a blowing, I'll perk right up. In the meantime, I'm lying low, doing everything that needs to get done, with a little less oomph.

I will tell you that this steak seasoning perked me up the other night. My third son requested steak for his birthday dinner on Monday -- Filet Mignon, no less. While normally I allow Filet Mignon to stand on its own, I just wanted to jazz it up a smidge. I found this recipe online -- supposedly the seasoning Outback Steakhouse uses. I have never been to Outback, so I have no idea if it is authentic, but it tasted really, really good and jazzed up those filets just right. I altered the recipe I found for less salt and less cayenne and omitted both coriander (which I can't stand) and tumeric (which I didn't have) and doubled it for seven small filets. They were cooked to perfection -- medium -- and very, very tasty. I imagine this seasoning would be tasty even on hamburgers, however. You could mix up a nice big jar and use it on everything you grill.

Steak Seasoning

1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. paprika
1 t. freshly ground black pepper (it's important that it be freshly ground)
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
 

Mix all ingredients in a small glass jar or shaker. Sprinkle over both sides of steak before grilling and grill to desired doneness.

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Summer Supper #3

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Today's Summer Supper is really not a true summer supper because it was prepared indoors, but it was simple and easy to eat, so I count it as a summer supper.

I admit I actually was not completely gaga over this dish. It was very tasty, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure I'm really a cheesesteak kinda girl. My husband and sons, however, really liked it a lot. Faith and I split a sandwich and we were all happy.

The recipe called for making a cheese sauce, but I drew the line at that. I like the creamy, stringy texture of melted provolone, so I placed a slice on each sandwich and it melted perfectly. I say don't bother with cheese sauce. I also upped the steak sauce per the original recipe from Rachael Ray. I like the addition of the peppers, however (what's a cheese steak without peppers?) so my recipe is a combination of both recipes. Recipe below modified to my taste. You can Google the recipe to find Rachael Ray's original.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
4 to 6 servings

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1 T. olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4-6 dinner rolls (meat mixture is enough for 6 rolls, so use enough rolls for your family -- I used this recipe to make roundish sort of sub buns)
4-6 slices provolone

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Turn off flame and drain off fat (or use paper towels to sop it up -- my method). Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft and liquid is thickened.

Split open rolls and toast briefly for a little color and texture. (Or don't -- up to you)

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls. Top with a slice of cheese.

Serve with sliced watermelon and cole slaw for an easy summer meal.

Source: modified from Taste of Home Cooking

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Summer Supper #1

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After my recent post about summer cooking I decided to take a look at the dishes I prepare in the summer, and find a way to make over the dishes we enjoy, making them simple to prepare on these hot summer days. I will share with you all the (successful) meals I makeover and hopefully we'll all have a cool, laborless summer of good eats.

It's just the first week of June and already the temps are in the mid 90s, so I not only don't feel like cooking, but I hardly feel like eating. I had a recipe for a Balsamic Steak I wanted to try, however, and I chose some other simple sides that made a quick and yummy meal. I altered the steak recipe to throw it on the grill and added a simple salad and Camp Potatoes for a yummy, super simple supper . Everything that is cooked goes on the grill and it took no longer than five minutes to prep any item.

Though I have listed exact ingredients and preparation methods, these are such simple recipes they can be enjoyed the way you like them. Add some other veggies to the salad if you like, or some Blue Cheese sprinkles for a little extra tang, or some croutons for crunch. And add whatever spices you like to the potatoes -- paprika is nice and mild, cayenne gives them a nice kick, or thyme is wonderful to go with some grilled chicken.

The skirt steak is a very tender cut -- I really prefer it over flank, but my grocer only had flat iron when I was there -- also a really great tender cut.

Balsamic Steak and Salad with Camp Potatoes

serves 4-6

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Steak:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

 1 T. Worcestershire sauce

 2 t. dark brown sugar

 1 garlic clove, minced

 1-2 pound skirt steak (I used a 1.5 pound flat iron)

 1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

 

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak, turning to coat; seal and marinate at room temperature 25 minutes, turning once (or for several hours in the fridge). Remove steak from bag; discard marinade.

Preheat grill. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Add steak to grill and turn down to medium low; cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from pan and cover with foil; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices and serve next to or on top of salad.

Salad:

2 heads romaine lettuce, cut and washed

several thin slices red onion, quartered

2 Roma tomatoes washed and halved and sliced thinly

Dressing
1 clove garlic, minced
½ t. kosher salt
3 T. white balsamic vinegar
3 T. olive oil oil
1/8 t. black pepper

Place lettuce, tomatoes and onion in a salad bowl.
Mix all dressing ingredients in a jar.
Shake for a minute to completely blend. Toss salad just before serving.

Camp Potatoes 

serves 4-6

4 to 5 large Idaho potatoes, washed and sliced thin

1/4 red or Vidalia onion, sliced thin and quartered

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

several teaspoons of melted butter (optional)

sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)

Preheat grill.

Spread a large sheet of aluminum foil on your work space (or smaller sheets for individual servings).

Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of oil.

Place a layer of potatoes (about half) on foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with half the onions and the remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the remaining onions. Drizzle with several teaspoons of oil. Fold up top and sides of foil to make a sealed packet.

Place on grill and cook on low for 40 to 50 minutes. Check potatoes to see if they are fork tender (the ones on the bottom will get a lot of color, but that's o.k.)

Remove from packet (or serve from the packet for really easy clean up). Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Drizzle with melted butter and/or cheese for extra yum.

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Nigella's Meatloaf and Noodles Romanoff

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I'm always on the lookout for a great meatloaf recipe. I think I have lamented before that my children are not big fans of meatloaf. One of the boys really enjoys my Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy, but another has decided he does not like mushrooms and can't quite get past them to eat the meatloaf. Picky kid.

Anyway, I saw this recipe in Nigella Lawson's Nigella Kitchen and was intrigued by the recipe, mostly because of the eggs that are enclosed inside the meatloaf. It reminded me of our family's favorite Chicken Pot Pie with the hard boiled eggs. Also, completely topped with bacon -- who can resist? I wouldn't serve it regularly with all that bacon on top -- not very healthy -- but it's definitely worthy of a once in a while treat.

A few notes on the recipe -- I used butter to cook the onions instead of the duck fat offered as a choice. A few days later I saw Jamie Oliver cook with duck fat and he has me convinced that it would well be worth it once in a while to use it, though I'm not certain I could even find it at the store. I did not use 4 onions, but one large which was probably close to a pound. Also -- I had no intention of making gravy so I used the bread slice trick (seen at the Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy recipe) to soak up the fat.

Also, on the Noodles Romanoff -- simple, simple recipe, but the kids loved it so much I decided to post the recipe.You can probably use a teaspoon of dried chives if you don't have fresh, but you won't get the same exact flavor.  If you don't have chives in the garden, or even just in a bed outside the back door, definitely pick up a plant. In no time at all you'll have plenty of chives (in fact, you might want to put your plant in a pot because they take over the garden).

Nigella's Meatloaf

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4 eggs (only boil three)

4 onions, 1 pound

5 T. duck fat or butter

1 t. kosher salt or 1/2 t. table salt

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds ground beef, preferably organic

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

10 ounces (approx. 20 slices) bacon

1 large roasting pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and then boil 3 of the eggs for 7 minutes. Refresh them in cold water.

Peel and chop the onions, and heat the duck fat in a thick-bottomed frying pan. Cook the onions gently sprinkled with the salt, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden and catching in the fat. Remove to a bowl to cool.

Put the Worcestershire sauce and ground beef into a bowl, and when the onion mixture is not hot to the touch, add to the bowl and work everything together with your hands.

Add the remaining raw egg and mix again before finally adding the breadcrumbs.

Divide the mixture into 2, and in the pan, make the bottom half of the meatloaf by patting half the beef mixture into a flattish ovoid shape approximately 9 inches long. Peel and place the 3 hard-boiled eggs in a row down the middle of the meatloaf.

 

Shape the remaining mound over the top of the eggs and pat into a solid loaf shape. Compress the meatloaf to get rid of any holes, but don't overwork it.

 

Cover the meatloaf with slices of bacon, as if it were a terrine, tucking the bacon ends underneath the meatloaf as best you can to avoid its curling up as it cooks.

 

Bake for 1 hour, until the juices run clear and once it's out of the oven let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes. This should make it easier to slice. When slicing, do it generously, so everyone gets some egg. Pour meat juices over as you serve or do what you will gravy-wise. 

 

Noodles Romanoff

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8 ounces wide egg noodles

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup or more half & half or cream

1 T. chopped fresh chives

1 t. salt

1/8 t. ground black pepper

1 clove crushed garlic

2 T. butter

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain. 

In the noodle pot, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese, chives, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic. Add a few tablespoons of half & half or cream. Heat on low and stir to a smooth texture.

Stir in butter or margarine to hot egg noodles. Stir into sour cream mixture. Add more cream as necessary to get a creamy texture.

Arrange noodles on warm platter and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

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Patty Melt Burgers

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I don't know how that little piece of cabbage snuck around the burger. He must be a photo bomber. ;-)

When I was a little girl we almost never went out to eat. We weren't what I would call poor, but we definitely had limited means. I never knew that, of course, because I was happy and provided for in every way possible. I realized when we were older and my father had a better paying job because there were perks, such as eating out, more often.

The thing is, when we were younger we appreciated the rare meals out so much more. Even when it was just a burger at the nearby Frisch's restaurant. My mom always ordered a Swiss Miss or a Patty Melt, and so I wanted one as well. What's not to love? She always ordered onion rings on the side and added a few on top of her burger under that delicious rye bun or grilled toast.

This week I decided to try to recreate that yummy Frisch's burger that I haven't had in so very long. Topped with Swiss cheese, special sauce and onion rings, it was the same flavor from my childhood. Yum. And the kids and my husband enjoyed them so much I know they will be a regular menu item.

Patty Melt Burgers

6 burgers 

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2 pounds ground beef or chuck

6 slices Swiss cheese

special sauce (below)

salt and pepper

12 slices rye bread

softened butter

one box or bag of frozen onion rings

Heat oven and cook onion rings according to package instructions.

In the meantime, form meat into six patties -- just a little bit larger than the bread slices.

Heat a large frying pan (preferably cast iron) over high heat and salt and pepper burgers on one side. Place burger seasoned side down in hot pan. Cook burger until browned on one side and flip. Cook until burger is medium well inside, or until desired doneness. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each burger and turn off heat.

While burgers are cooking, heat a griddle over high heat and butter one side of each bread slice. When griddle is hot, place bread, butter side down on hot griddle. Add a burger and top with another slice of bread, buttered side up -- just like grilled cheese. Serve with special sauce and onion rings.

Special Sauce

1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1 1/2 T. sweet pickle relish or minced sweet pickles

1 1/2 T. dill pickle relish or minced dill pickles

1 1/2 T. minced onion

1 hard boiled egg finely chopped

1 t. worchestershire sauce

1 t. horseradish sauce

Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to use.
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Maple and Soy Glazed Steak

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All the members of my family are big beef eaters, except me. I'm not much of a meat eater at all, so I have to remember to put beef on the menu once in a while to keep my people happy. They were really happy with this dish, and I enjoyed it as well. The flavors of this dish appeal to three of the tastes our tongues perceive -- sweet, salty, and umami (if you haven't heard of this one, it's because it is more recently known to Westerners, and comes from "meaty" flavors). The combination of all of those flavors made a really yummy dish. I started with a skirt steak, instead of flank -- a cut I had never tried before. It was better, in my opinion, than flank steak -- less connective tissue and more tender. I will definitely keep an eye out for this cut in the future. It was not expensive either. The recipe, which came from Cooking Light, is easy peasy, so no excuses.

The key to keeping the meat really tender is to not cook it past medium -- it will continue cooking a bit after you take it from the heat, but if you get it too done, you'll have shoe leather instead of steak. My husband cooked ours on the outdoor grill, so I can't say if the time under the broiler is accurate. I used the same time for the grill.

Note: The sriracha sauce you should be able to find in the Asian or Indian food section at the grocer. My oldest son turned us on to it a few months ago as a sort of Asian Tabasco -- my kids love it. It's very garlicky, but not too spicy.

Maple and Soy Glazed Steak

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1  (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed (I used an almost 2-pound piece of skirt steak with the same amount of glaze)

3 T.   lower-sodium soy sauce 

3  T. maple syrup

2  T.  sake (rice wine) or dry sherry

2  t.  dark sesame oil

1 t.  Sriracha (hot chile sauce)

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat broiler (or grill).

Pierce steak gently on both sides. Combine steak and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish; turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Place steak on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Pour marinade into a small skillet; bring to a boil, stirring well. Cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

 Brush steak with half of glaze; broil 5 minutes. Turn steak over, and brush with remaining glaze; broil 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Source: Cooking Light

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BBQ Meatballs

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A couple of weeks ago I popped over to the Pioneer Woman Cooks and spied these tasty little meatballs. Nothing special, really --basically meatloaf mix cooked into balls and topped with a zesty homemade BBQ sauce. Inexpensive, homey, simple, yet delicious -- perfect middle-of-February-and-bored-with-the-cold-and-being-stuck-indoors food. Perfect for some friends and a college basketball game. Perfect for sitting around a nice crackling fire and a good family movie. Just good, old-fashioned simple food.

BBQ Meatballs

serves 6

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1 1/2 pounds ground beef

¾ cups oatmeal (I used old-fashioned)

1 cup milk

3 T. finely minced onion

1 t. salt  

black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 t.)  

1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating for chilled meatballs)

Canola Oil

1 cup ketchup

2 T. sugar

3 T. vinegar

2 T. Worcestershire

4 T. minced onion

dash Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients*. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Serve with noodles or mashed potatoes to use up extra sauce.

* Double or one and a half times the sauce for enough to use as "gravy."

Source: Pioneer Woman Cooks

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Chicken Fried Steak Fingers and Jalapeño Gravy

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I saw this recipe at Homesick Texan a few months ago and parked it in my sidebar until it went on my menu a few weeks ago. My son's girlfriend was over and it was a Friday night, so everyone was in a fun food mood. These steak fingers did not disappoint. I admit they were pretty labor intensive with all the frying, but with the raves I  got at the table, I say they were worth it.

I started with cube steak, and I can't imagine adding pounding the steak to the prep, so do yourself a favor and start with cube steak. The jalapeno gravy is definitely a must with these steak fingers, but I did switch things up and make it after I fried the fingers, using a little of the frying fat instead of bacon grease. I don't doubt that bacon grease would make an awesome gravy, but I don't keep a can of bacon fat around (gasp!). I upped the quantity of cube steak to about 2 1/2 pounds for 6 people, but I wouldn't change any other quantity. I made just a few modifications in method, which I think make for a less complicated recipe.

Chicken Fried Steak Fingers 

with jalapeño cream gravy

serves 6

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Gravy:
2 jalapeños cut in half lengthwise, stems and seeds removed
2 cloves of garlic
2 T. bacon grease or oil
2 T. flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 t. ground cumin
Salt to taste

Steak:
2-3 pounds top round steak or cube steak
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 t. black pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 t. cayenne
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk or buttermilk (I used buttermilk)

Oil for frying

Method:
To make the cream gravy, place the halved jalapeños skin-side up and the garlic on a sheet and place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until jalapeños and garlic are blackened (or, if you have a gas stove, place on top of your grate over the flame). Remove from the oven. Place in a plastic bag until cool. Rub off the blackened jalapeño skin and then dice. Mince the roasted garlic.

In a large heavy skillet, heat up the bacon grease or oil on medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about a minute. Slowly pour in the milk and stir until thickened, which should take a couple of minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the diced jalapeños and garlic. Add the cumin and add salt to taste. If too thick for your tastes, add more milk. Reheat on low for serving.

To make the steaks, if you using top round steak, you’ll need to pound it with a meat mallet until flattened and doubled in size. If using cube steak, you can skip this step. Cut the tenderized steak into 1-inch strips.

Mix together the flour with the salt, black pepper and cayenne in a shallow dish. Whisk together the eggs with the buttermilk in a shallow dish. Lightly sprinkle the steak strips with salt and pepper then dredge each strip in the flour. Dip the flour-coated steak into the egg/milk and then dredge again in the flour.

Heat oven to 200 degrees. In a large heavy skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet, heat up an inch of oil to 300 degrees (until a small bit of flour dropped in bubbles up). Place 4 strips into the skillet and cook until you see red juices bubbling on top of the meat, about 2 or 3 minutes. With tongs, turn over the fingers and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and place in the oven while you fry the remaining strips.

Serve with mashed potatoes and southern style green beans.

Source: modified from Homesick Texan. 

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Chili Dog Casserole

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I'm almost embarrassed to post this recipe...almost. My youngest son loves, loves chili dogs. He has been asking for a chili dog casserole for quite a while and I just didn't think I could make it palatable. But it was! It was actually pretty tasty, and incredibly easy. And because I used some fairly decent ingredients, I can't even say it was unhealthy. If you like chili dogs, or someone in your family does, it's a sure winner. Doug and I ate ours with a squirt of yellow mustard and chopped onions, but the kids enjoyed theirs as is.

A note about ingredients: I used reduced fat Hebrew National Beef hot dogs. While I do love a cheap hot dog once in a while, it's worth the splurge on a "healthy" dog for dinner. The same goes for the chili -- I used Campbell's Chunky Roadhouse Beef and Bean Chili (regular, not spicy) and it was very, very good. I would eat it straight from the can.

This would make a great weekday (or weekend) lunch for a group of kids, or a fun addition to your Superbowl spread.

Chili Dog Casserole

serves 6

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1 package quality hot dogs, cut crosswise in quarters

(2) 19 oz cans quality canned chili, with or without beans -- your choice

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (use another cup if you really like cheese)

5 oz. package cheese croutons (I used these), crushed slightly

yellow mustard and chopped onions, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with baking spray; pour one can of chili. Layer hot dogs, croutons and one cup of shredded cheese. Top with second can chili and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until chili is bubbling.

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Corned Beef Hash

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My family thoroughly enjoys having New England Boiled Dinner, and I recently learned that this meal can be a real treat a second night when the leftovers are turned into Corned Beef Hash. I truly don't remember ever eating Corned Beef Hash before, ever. My mom wasn't big on corned beef, so I suppose there were not leftovers to deal with. The last time I made the New England Boiled Dinner, I bought an extra big roast and I was delighted with this leftover dish, as was my family, as well.

I used a recipe found at Simply Recipes and only modified it a little bit, primarily by adding some diced red pepper. It added some good flavor. I chopped my corned beef in the food processor so it was nicely minced. I didn't bother with the parsley and I'm pretty sure it was not missed. I cooked my potatoes for about 5 minutes in the microwave to get them almost all the way done.

Corned Beef Hash

serves 5-6

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2-3 T. unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup red pepper, diced in a small dice

2-3 cups finely chopped, cooked corned beef

5 potatoes, cooked and diced, preferably Yukon gold

salt and pepper

chopped fresh parsley

Heat butter in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium heat. Add the onion and cook a few minutes, until translucent.

Add the potatoes and red peppers. Spread out evenly over the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and press down on the mixture with a metal spatula. Add corned beef, sprinkling it over the top of the potatoes.

Do not stir the potatoes and corned beef, but let them brown.  Use a metal spatula to lift the hash to see if it is browning. If nicely browned, use the spatula to flip sections over in the pan so that they brown on the other side. Press down again with the spatula. If there is too much sticking, you can add a little more butter to the pan. Continue to cook in this manner until the potatoes and the corned beef are nicely browned.

Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and add salt to taste.

Serve with poached eggs if desired, and a fresh fruit salad.

Source: modified from Simply Recipes

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