Lamb and Smoke beef patties with Curry Sauce

Lamb and Smoke beef patties with Curry Sauce

Ingredients:

For the curry sauce
= 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
= 2 small onions, peeled and roughly chopped
= 2 level teaspoons mild curry powder
= 3 level tablespoons raisins or sultanas
= 285 ml fresh vegetable stock

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Asia Beef Burger

Asia Beef Burger

Ingredients:
* 500 gr minced beef
* 200 gr or 2 large flat brown mushrooms
* 1 tbsp light soy sauce
* 1 tbsp Fish sauce
* 2 small hot chillies, desseded
* 15 gr fresh coriander
* 2 sticks lemon grass, trimmed and roughly chooped
* 3 gloves garlic, peeled

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Crunchy Oriental Beef Salad

Since summer is in full swing and temperatures are in the upper 90's in my neck of the woods, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite salad recipes.  This salad is probably my all time favorite...ever.  I was a little worried that my kiddos wouldn't be satisfied with salad for dinner, but I was pleasantly surprised!  The whole family loved this so much, we all made total pigs out of ourselves.

This salad is so delicious and different.  I've had plenty of salads with chicken in them, but never beef.  It was delightfully different.  In fact, my hubby asked me if I got this recipe off a cooking show on TV.  What a compliment!  Actually, this recipe won the Idaho Beef Cook Off in 1990, and once you taste it you will totally understand why!

This recipe calls for flank steak, but that was way to pricey for my budget.  So I substituted a nice lean beef roast that I found on sale and had the butcher slice it nice and thin.

Crunchy Oriental Beef Salad
Serves 6 as a main dish


1 1/2 lb. beef flank steak (Or beef roast sliced thin)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. EACH  vegetable oil, apple juice, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. EACH  instant beef bouillon and garlic powder
1 (3 oz.) pkg. beef flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup EACH thinly sliced celery and shredded red cabbage
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Ginger Dressing


1/4 cup EACH sugar, vegetable oil, and rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. EACH ground ginger and black pepper

Partially freeze the flank steak until it is firm.  Meanwhile, combine the water, sugar, oil, apple juice, soy sauce, vinegar bouillon and garlic powder.  Mix well.  Stir in beef flavored packet from the noodle soup mix.

Slice the steak diagonally across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Cut the slices crosswise into 1 1/2 inch strips.  Place the beef and marinade into a plastic bag, turning to coat.  Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate 1-2 hours or overnight.

Prepare the ginger by combining all the ingredients and mixing well.

Drain the beef and discard the marinade.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Stir fry the beef in batches until browned.  Remove the beef and drain on paper towels.  Refrigerate beef for 30 minutes or until cool.  (If you are using sliced beef roast instead of flank steak, cut the meat into bite sized pieces once cooled.)

Combine the lettuce, celery, cabbage, green onions, almonds and 1 Tbs. sesame seeds.  Add the crushed ramen noodles, beef and ginger dressing and toss.  Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.

**This salad doesn't store well, so add the ramen noodles, beef and dressing immediately before serving**


Source:  Janeen T.

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Southwestern Haystacks

I know that almost everyone has tried Hawaiian Haystacks, but have you ever tried Southwestern Haystacks?  It is basically the same concept, just with taco ingredients!  I have an unhealthy obsession with Mexican food, so I created this recipe to help feed my addiction in new and exciting ways.  Over the years I've tweaked and refined it, and its always a hit with everyone who tries it.  The ingredients are simple and you probably have most of them in your pantry or fridge right now.  I make this on busy nights since I can have it on the table in 30 minutes.

My family, specifically my 16 year old son Colton, loves this so much that I have to make him his own 8 x 8 pan.  And HE EATS THE WHOLE THING!!  Its unbelievable!  I've never in my entire life seen anyone eat that much food.  I think he may have a future in competitive eating.  :)

Southwestern Haystacks

Serves about 10

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3/4 cup tomato juice

3/4 cup water

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2-3 cups hot cooked rice

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed (I like the Mexican flavored Velveeta)

Toppings

Shredded lettuce

Diced Tomatoes

Sliced black olives

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sliced jalapenos

In a skillet, brown the beef and onion until cooked through.  Drain.  Add the tomato juice, water, green chilies, black beans and taco seasoning and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed. 

While the meat is simmering, make the cheese sauce.  In a sauce pan, melt the butter.  Stir in the flour until smooth.  Gradually add the milk.  Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat and stir in the Velveeta until melted.

Spread the hot rice in the bottom of a  9 x 13 pan.  Then spread the meat mixture on top of the rice.  Pour the cheese sauce over the meat.  Top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, shredded cheese and sliced jalapenos.  Serve with tortilla chips.

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Taco Meatball Ring

Tragedy struck our house a few weeks ago and it is really cramping my style.  My oven died.  (Sob! Sniffle! Sniffle!)  For the last few weeks, everything I've made has been either on the stove top or in my dutch ovens.  I've never been so glad that I know how to dutch oven cook!  For those who don't know, I spent every day of 2010 cooking in my dutch ovens, so I'm a fairly experienced black pot chef.  You can see that adventure here.  I did cook this in my dutch oven, but I'll give you the normal oven directions.  :)

This is a great twist on everyday tacos.  And if your a meatball connoisseur like me, you'll really love it.  I also love the presentation.  Everything you need is right there on the platter.  No need for bowls of lettuce and other toppings.

Taco Meatball Ring
Serves about 8

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3 Tbs. water
4 Tbs. taco seasoning
1 lb. ground beef
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomato
Sliced green onions
Sliced black olives
Sliced jalapeno peppers
Sour cream and salsa

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of cheese, water and taco seasoning.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Shape into 16 balls

Place the meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.  Drain the meatballs on paper towels.  Reduce the oven heat to 375°.

Arrange the crescent rolls on a greased pizza pan, forming a ring with the pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and the wide ends overlapping.

Place a meatball on each roll.  Fold the point over the meatball and tuck under the wide end of the roll.  The meatball will still be visible.  Repeat with all the meatballs.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.

Transfer to a serving platter.  Fill the center of the ring with lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, jalapenos, remaining cheese, sour cream and salsa.  Serve.

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Beef-Vegetable Stew

Beef-Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

    2 cups water
    1 10.75-ounce can condensed golden mushroom soup
    1 10.75-ounce can condensed tomato soup
    1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth
    2 cups chopped cooked roast beef
    1 16-ounce package frozen sugar snap stir-fry vegetables or one 16-ounce package frozen cut broccoli
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed


Methods

1.    In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine water, mushroom soup, tomato soup, and wine. Stir in beef, frozen vegetables, and thyme.

2.    Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

3.    Makes 5 servings

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Mongolian Beef



Too bad that's a terrible picture of a great meal.  This is another one of my family's favorite meals.  The sauce is rich and thick and the meat is tender and flavorful.  This is supposed to be a knock off of PF Chang's Mongolian Beef.  Once again, I've never had PF Chang's version, but I can tell you that this is worth making.

Originally, this recipe called for sliced flank steak.  Have you seen the price of flank steak?  No way could that fit in my budget!  And I'm all about good food on a tight budget!  So I perused the grocery store ads and found a nice beef roast on sale for $1.78 a pound.  I had the butcher slice it thin and I was ready to go.

This dish comes together really fast.  Cooking the meat takes the longest, but that can be done ahead of time to get dinner on the table even faster.  Just be sure not to crowd the meat in the skillet.  You want it to get nice and browned, so cook it in batches.

Mongolian Beef

Serves 6

4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 c. low sodium soy sauce
1 c. water
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
2 c. vegetable oil
2 lbs. thinly sliced beef roast
½ c. cornstarch
3 large green onions

Make the sauce by heating 4 tsp. vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to medium and boil the sauce 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens a little bit. Remove sauce from heat.

Dip the meat pieces into cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit about 10 min. so the cornstarch sticks. As the beef sits, heat up 1 c. oil in a wok (or skillet). Heat the oil over medium heat until its hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and saute for just 2 minutes, or until beef just begins to darken on the edges. Stir the meat around a little bit so that it cooks evenly.

After a few minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour most of the oil out of the skillet. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sauce, cook for 1 minute while stirring and add green onions. Cook for 1 more minute. Now at this point you can either remove the beef with a slotted spoon or tongs and discard the sauce (this is what P.F. Chang's does) OR thicken the sauce with a cornstarch-water mixture to desired thickness and serve it over rice with the beef.  (The sauce is so good, its a shame to pour it off!)

Source:  Adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

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Smokey Chipotle Chili

Did you know that there are actually 7 food groups (9 if you're a mom)?  Of course there are the fruits/veggies, dairy, meat and grains.  The other 3 (or 5 if you're a mom)  are so delicious that they should be granted food group status.  Those would include bacon, chipotle peppers and chocolate (and ketchup and ranch dressing--again, if you're a mom).  I don't know what it is about chipotle peppers that delights me so much.  I get all giddy just thinking about cooking with them.  Maybe its because they add a flavor and smokiness that you just can't find anywhere else. 

So what are these little beauties?   A chipotle pepper is a red Jalapeño chili, ripened, dried, and smoked through a special process. Derived from the Aztec word meaning smoke, jalapeños are placed over huge pits and smoke is blown through tunnels running underground.
Chipotle peppers have a unique warm heat and smoky flavor.  Chipotles are packed in a red adobo sauce made from lightly seasoned tomato broth.  Medium-thick fleshed, with a subtle deep rounded heat, they are excellent in sauces, soups, and as a seasoning for meats and stews.

Really, whats not to love about these little baby's?

Chipotle peppers and Chili are a perfect marriage.  The great thing about it is you can make it smokey with just a bit of spice, you can make it "Holy crap!  Call the fire department!  My mouth just went up in flames!", or somewhere in between.  This Chili is smokey with a subtle burn as it goes down.  I'm afraid it was too spicy for my little ones, but from my 8 year old up, it was just right.  Feel free to adjust the spices to your tastes.  But add the chipotle pepper a little at a time and taste between additions to be sure you don't get it too spicy.

Smokey Chipotle Chili
Serves 12-15

2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
~2 tsp. cumin
~3 tsp. chili powder
~2 tsp. black pepper
~2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water (use only if your chili seems to be too thick)
2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 oz.) cans chili beans, undrained

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, cook the ground beef, onion, peppers and garlic until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender.  Drain off any liquid or grease.  Add the remaining ingredients except the beans.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.  Add the beans and heat through. 

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Smokey Chipotle Shredded Beef and Homemade Taco Bowls

This is an original recipe!  I wanted to have shredded beef taco salad for dinner, but I didn't have a great recipe for the meat.  Well, I do now!  This was fabulous!  Chipotle peppers are one of my favorite things!  They fall into the "food of the Gods" category with bacon, chocolate and  peanut butter.  You can find them canned in the Latin section of your grocery store. You can make it as spicy or mild as you want by adjusting the amount of chipotle peppers.  Just be sure to taste the sauce before you put the meat in. 

The taco bowls are awesome!  A lot of the time when I'd buy them from the store they would be soggy and greasy or broken by the time I needed to use them.  These taco bowls are baked fresh rather than fried.  They are not quite as flaky as the fried bowl, but they are nice and crispy!

Smokey Chipotle Shredded Beef
Serves 8-10

3 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast

2 Tbs. canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
3 cups water
8 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (7 1/2 oz.) can El Pato Jalapeno Salsa (it is available in the Latin section of most grocery stores.  It doesn't add heat, it just adds flavor)

In large heavy pot, stir together everything except the meat.  Over medium high heat bring the mixture to a boil.  While the sauce is coming to a boil, cut the beef into pieces, trimming off the fat.  Add to the boiling sauce.  Bake at 350° for 2-3 hours or until fork tender, stirring every 30 minutes and adding more water as necessary.  Keep in mind that when the beef is finished cooking you want the sauce to be thick.  Remove the pot from the heat and shred the beef with 2 forks.  Allow it to sit in the sauce for about 5 minutes before serving.  Serve in tacos, burritos, chimichangas, or any Mexican dish.  Serves 8-10.

 

Homemade Taco Bowls

Flour tortillas  (Thinner is better)

Cooking spray (such as Pam spray)

Heat your oven to 350°.  Spray both sides of the tortilla with cooking spray.  Drape each tortilla over an empty quart jar.  Place on a baking pan and bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy.  Carefully remove from the jar and allow to cool.  Fill with your favorite taco salad fillings.

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Hot And Sour Soup

Hot And Sour Soup
Serve : 4-6

Ingredients:

• 100 gr beef
• 100 gr peeled, uncooked prawns
• 5 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and chopped
• 1,5 ltrs water
• 2 ½ pints chicken stock
• 100 gr bamboo shoots, sliced
• 3 spring onions, shredded
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• ½ tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsps chili sauce
• 1 ½ tbsps vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt and pepper
• Dash sesame seed oil and rice wine/sherry
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 2 tbsps water mixed with 1 tbsp corn flour

1. Slice beef into shreds about 5cm long and ±5mm thick

2. Soak the mushrooms in boiling water until softened.

3. Place the beef in a large pot with the prawns and rock.

4. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to allow to simmer gently for ±5 minutes.

5. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the egg and corn flour and water mixture.

6. Cook a further 1-2 minutes over low heat.

7. Remove pan from the heat and add the egg gradually, stirring gently until it forms threads in the soup.

8. Mix a spoonful of the hot soup with the corn flour and water mixture and add to the soup, stirring constantly.

9. Bring the soup back to simmering point for 1 minute to chicken the corn flour.

Serve while its hot.

Hot and Sour Soup is very versatile.

Subtitle other ingredients such as chicken, crabmeat, bean sprouts, carrots, spinach or green cabbage.
The soup must be hot enough to cook the egg when it is added, but not so hot that egg sets immediately

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Chili Beef Stew

Chili Beef Stew
Serve : 6-8

Ingredients:

• 900 gr beef chuck, cut into 2.5cm/pieces
• 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 red peppers, seeded and cut into 2.5cm /pieces
• 2 red chilies, seeded and finally chopped
• 3 tbsps mild chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 850 pints stock/water
• 225 gr canned tomatoes, pureed
• 2 tbsps tomato puree
• 250 gr canned red kidney beans, drained
• 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• Pinch salt
• Olive oil

1. Pour about 75 ml olive oil into a large saucepan or flameproof casserole. When hot, brown the meat in small batches over moderately high heat for about 5 minutes/batch.

2. Set aside the meat on a plate or in the lid of the casserole. Lower the heat and cook the onion, garlic, red peppers and chilies ±5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin and paprika and cook for 1-minute further. Pour on the liquid and add the canned tomatoes, tomato puree and the meat.

3. Cook slowly ±2 hours. Add the bean ±45 minutes before the end of cooking time.

4. When the meat is completely tender, add salt to taste and serve garnished with the diced tomatoes.

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Meat Vindaloo

Meat Vindaloo

Ingredients:

Grind the following 5 ingredients in a coffee grinder:
2 tbsps coriander seeds 1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsps mustard seeds 8 dried red chilies
½ tsp fenugreek seeds

= 1 kg shoulder of lamb or stewing steak
= 4 tbsps white wine vinegar
= 1 tsp ground turmeric
= 2.5 cm cube of root ginger, peeled and finally grated
= 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
= 5 tbsps olive oil
= 1 large onion, finely chopped
= 2 tsps chili powder
= 1 tsp paprika
= 1½ tsps salt or to taste
= 450 ml warm water
= 3 medium-sized potatoes
= 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1. In a large bowl, make a thick paste out o the ground spices, by adding the vinegar.

2. Add the turmeric, ginger and garlic. Mix thoroughly.

3. Trim o excess fat from the meat and cut into 2.5cm cubes.

4. Add the meat and mix it well so that all the pieces are fully coated with the paste. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate for ±6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

5. Put the meat in a pan and place this over medium heat, allow the meat to heat through, stirring occasionally, this will take ±5 minutes. Cover the pan, and cook the meat in its own juice for ±20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to a thick paste. Stir occasionally during this time to ensure that the meat does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and keep aside.

6. Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onions until they are soft (±5 minutes)

7. Add the meat and fry for ±10 minutes stirring frequently.

8. Add the chili powder, paprika and salt. Stir and fry for a further 3 minutes.

9. Add the water, bring to the boil, over and simmer for ±45 minutes or until the meat is nearly tender ( beef will take longer to cook, check water level and add more water if necessary).

10. Meanwhile, peel and wash the potatoes. Cut them into ±3cm cubes. Add this to the meat and bring to the boil again. Cover the pan and simmer until the potatoes are cooked (±20 minutes)

11. Turn the vindaloo on to a serving dish and sprinkle the coriander leaves on top.

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Spiced Beef

Spiced Beef

Serve : 2-3

Ingredients:

= 500 gr fillet of beef, cut into 2.5cm strips
= 1 tsp sugar
= 3 star anise, ground
= ½ tbsp ground fennel
= 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
= 3 cm fresh root ginger, peeled and crushed
= ½ tsp salt
= 2 tbsps oil
= 4 spring onions, sliced
= ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
= 1 tbsp light soy sauce

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together

2. Add the beef strips, ginger and salt, and marinade for 30 minutes

3. Heat the oil in wok and stir-fry the onions for ±1 minute

4. Add the beef, ground pepper and soy sauce and stir-fry for ±5 minutes.

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Stuffed Loin Chops on Rice

Stuffed Loin Chops on Rice

Serves : 6

Ingredients:

= 6 very thick loin chops
= Salt and pepper
= 2 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
= 80 gr butter
= 1 medium onion, minced
= 1 medium sweet potato, diced
= 1 cup soft breadcrumbs, firmly packed
= 1 egg
= 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
= 40 ml white wine
= 60 ml chicken stock
= Boiled rice
= 3 medium potatoes, cut in wedges
= Sprigs of parsley

1. Slit each chop to make a pocket and sprinkle the cavities with salt, pepper and mint.

2. Melt half the butter in a pan, add onion and sauté until transparent, add sweet potato, cover and cook over moderate heat for ±10 minutes, shaking pan often, until soft.

3. Remove pan from heat and mash the sweet potato, add breadcrumbs, egg, chopped parsley, wine and stock and mix well.

4. Spoon into the pocket in each chop, fasten with skewers and brush with remaining butter, place in a baking pan and cook in a moderate oven for ±35 minutes until tender.

5. Serve chops over hot rice and garnish with tomato wedges and parsley sprigs.

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Smoke Beef and Pasta Frittatas

Smoke Beef and Pasta Frittatas

Ingredients:

* 50 mg piece smoked beef, trimmed of fat cut into 1-cm dice
* 20 gr macaroni
* 2 tsps olive oil
* 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
* 1/4 red pepper, cut into 1-cm dice
* 10 gr unsalted butter
* 30 gr rocket
* 3 large eggs, beaten and then strained
* 1 rounded tbsp grated parmesan
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Way to make it:

1. Put a small pan of salted water on to boil for the macaroni. Heat 1 tsp of the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan, add the chopped onion and saute over a low heat until soft and golden (5-7 minutes). When the water has come to the boil, add the macaroni and boil for about 12 minutes, until all gentle. Drain, refresh with cold water, drain again, then pat dry with kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture.

2. Add the diced pepper to the cooked onions and continue to cook over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until tender.

3. Add the butter to the mixture in the frying pan, stir the rocket leaves in and cook for 2 minutes, until they have wilted. Remove from the heat and tip the contents of the pan into mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Mix the beef, macaroni and the beaten eggs in, stir well and season.

4. Take the frying pan, add the olive oil and put over moderate heat. Ladle the frittata mixture into the pan; it will start to puff and bubble around the edges, so press it down with the back of a wooden spoon to make sure that all the filling is covered the egg.
5. After a few minute, lower the temperature and cook for 6-8 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, preheat the grill. The frittatas are cooked when there is no liquid egg running out when you tilt the pan, and the consistency should be a little soft but set in the centre. Sprinkle the parmesan over the place the pans under the grill for 2-minutes or so, until golden.

7. Remove from the grill and allow to cool for 10 minutes before loosening with a flexible spatula and sliding on to a plate, cheesy-side uppermost. Allow to cool completely before covering with clingfilm and chilling overnight in the fridge.

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