Taco Tuesday

#32 - Big's first season of basketball just ended

The little girls maximize our time running errands in the afternoon

Homework in Zeus's playpen

My three enormous humans!

When the girls got home one night recently and asked, "What's for dinner?"  When my reply was, "well, it's Tuesday!"  They yelled "Tacos!!"  Tacos are a go-to in this house (although it's not often actually on a Tuesday) and my usual recipe is ground beef and hard shells.  I've been looking for a shredded beef recipe and this one did not disappoint!  The rub & combination of orange juice and beef broth was delicious.  The last photo above is some of the citrus that the girls picked in our yard and our neighbor's yard so I used fresh squeezed juice.  We all have our own topping preferences so the most "work" involved in taco night is getting out all the toppings and putting them away.  I usually make a big taco salad for myself with black beans & I use the salsa as dressing.  

If you don't have an instant pot, this could go in the crockpot for 8 -10 hours.  I would usually sear the beef first if I wasn't going to pressure cook but it's probably not necessary.

Instant Pot Shredded Beef (serves 6)

from 365days of Slow & Pressure Cooking

1.5 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1.25 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 T olive oil

2-3 lbs beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat & cut into 4 equal pieces

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup beef broth

1 yellow onion, quartered

4 garlic cloves, minced

In a small bowl, stir together the spices and olive oil to make a paste.  Rub this mixture over the 4 pieces of beef.  Add the orange juice & broth to the pot. Lay the pieces of beef in the liquid and spread the onion slices on top.  Sprinkle the garlic on top.

Make sure the valve is closed and set the manual / pressure cook button to 50 minutes on high pressure.  I used a full natural release but you can move the valve to venting after 15 minutes if you want.

Remove the beef from the pot and shred.  I also fished out the cooked onions and served them as a taco topping.

Inspiration

What inspires you to make the food you make?  To try new recipes?  For the last year and a half, I've been more intentional about eating healthy (and, if I'm being honest, eating less).  It hasn't been the most inspiring since I don't bake as often or make many indulgent recipes.

But, for my birthday, my mom bought me an Instant Pot.  I've decided that sometimes having a new "toy" or a new method to experiment with is inspiring.  Last year, I got a spiralizer and I use it probably weekly.  I may not have bought myself an instant pot since I'm generally a late adopter but having a shiny new one as a gift got me cooking!  My sister gave me some invaluable tips and I got some recipes from a tennis friend and some cookbooks I found at the library.  I'm not yet ready to modify my existing recipes to work in a pressure cooker, but I've been using it a ton and really enjoying the Instant Pot experience.

One of the misconceptions about the instant pot is that it's, well, instant.  It's not.  There are things that cook much quicker than normal like the short rib recipe below but depending on the recipe, you also have to take in account the amount of time it takes to come up to pressure (about 10 minutes) and to release pressure (could be instant, could be 30 minutes or more).  So far, this recipe has been one of my favorites!  I served it with steamed white rice and some green veggies.

Five Spice Short Ribs  (serves 6)
from The Instant Pot Cookbook

6 boneless beef shortribs, trimmed
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
kosher salt
2 T canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar (or raw sugar)

Preheat oven to broil.  Coat both sides of the shortribs with the five-spice powder and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Line a sheet pan with foil and place the short ribs on top.  Place under the broiler for 3 minutes each side. 

Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting "Saute."  Add the oil.  Saute the garlic and ginger for 2 minutes, or until starting to brown.  Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute.  Select "Cancel" and add the broth, soy sauce, and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add the ribs and secure the lid.

Select "Manual" and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes.  Once the cooking is complete, use a natural release.  This took about 20 minutes. 

Remove the ribs and place them back on the same foil & baking sheet.  Brush with he cooking liquid and broil again for 3 minutes per side to form a crust.

Meanwhile, select "Saute" on high heat and reduce the sauce by half.  After broiling, brush the ribs with the sauce again and serve with the extra sauce on the side.

(6sp)

Baked Italian Meatballs

First day of 3rd grade, kindergarten, and preschool

Girls U6 - Purple Pandas

Girls U10 - Tangerine Surfers

We're only two weeks into school, and I haven't started teaching yet, but I'm feeling the pressure of two girls with homework, two AYSO teams, and my involvement on two USTA (tennis) teams.  I'm going to be teaching a night class this term and we've decided that with soccer that evening, we'll pick up food.  But, other than that, I'm committed to still cooking at home the other evenings.  I tried this new recipe which was delicious and popular with the kids.  I made a double batch in the afternoon and put half in the refrigerator to bake after soccer practice and the other half in the freezer so we have a meal for another night.  

You can use all ground beef (I did the 93% lean), all turkey, or a combination of both.  I imagine that regular Italian sausage would be yummy as well.  You can make your own sauce or buy it (like I did) and adjust the other seasonings to your family's liking.  I left the cheese off of some of them because one of my kids has been struggling with dairy.

Italian Meatballs (makes about 3 dozen / 8 servings)

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey sausage
1/2 cup panko  bread crumbs
2.5 cups marinara (divided)
1 T chopped garlic
1-2 T Italian seasoning
3/4 c. grated or shredded parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 T dried onion flakes (or 1/4 cup diced onion)
1/2 - 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the ground beef, ground turkey, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup marinara, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, garlic, italian seasoning, and onion.  Stir until well combined.  Using your hands, roll into small meatballs and place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  I ended up with 3 dozen small meatballs.

Place cookie sheets in the oven and after 10 minutes, use tongs to turn the meatballs.  Cook for a total of 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are just cooked through.  You don't want them crisped or browned, just so that the meat isn't pink anymore.  You can make them more on the rare side if you use all ground beef.

Remove from the oven and let cool.  At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze the meatballs if you're not ready to eat right away.  I froze half and put half in the refrigerator to finish at dinner time.

When you're ready to eat them, put 2 cups of marinara in an oven safe pan or skillet.  Add the meatballs in a single layer.  Top with mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the marinara is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Football food!

How about them Broncos?  We had a great time with friends watching the Broncos victory over the Steelers last weekend and we have two more great football weekends left in the season.  If you need some food ideas for the big game, these mini french dip crescents are something new I made that turned out great.  In fact, they were pretty addicting and I think this sums up what happened to me as I watched the game:

I don't usually think of making french dip at home and what I liked here was using deli roast beef and making the simple au jus instead of a big roast and the au jus with the pan drippings.  I bought the horseradish sauce in the deli area at Vons but if you can't find it easily, I think a spicy mustard would be a good substitution.  You could also use a thinly sliced swiss cheese instead of provolone.  My husband's only critique was that the Pillsbury Crescent dough is a bit sweet and that something like phyllo or pie dough might be better.  I'll post an update if I give that a try.

Mini French Dip Crescents with Easy Au Jus (8 servings)
(recipe from Mama Loves Food blog)

2 T olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2.5 cups beef broth
1 T worcestershire sauce
freshly ground pepper

2 packages crescent rolls (8 count)
1 lb deli roast beef, thinly sliced
1/2 lb deli provolone cheese, thinly sliced
Horseradish sauce


Start by making the au jus - saute the red onion in olive oil until soft and slightly browned.  Add the garlic cloves and saute another minute more.  Pour a little bit of beef broth (1/4 cup or so) in the pan and deglaze.  Add the rest of the beef broth, the worcestershire sauce, and a couple grinds of pepper and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain and return to the pan.  I left it off the heat while I baked the crescents and then heated it back up to serve.  You could also make it ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to heat and serve.  I used the little dishes that are for soy sauce when we have sushi to serve the au jus on the side.

To make the crescents, unroll the crescents on a large lined cookie sheet (silpat, foil or parchment paper).  Spread 1-2 tsp. or horseradish on each crescent and lay one slice of roast beef and a half slice of provolone on top of the crescent.  Roll the crescents starting with the wide end and ending at the narrow end.

Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes, until crescents are lightly browned and cheese is melty.  Serve warm with au jus.  (makes 16 total).

Slow Cooker Beef Ragout with Polenta

We've had some rain and cooler weather and I can't quite get over how dark it is by 5pm!  It's time to use your slow cooker, that's for sure.  Although this is similar to dishes I've made in the past, it's a little different take on it - super simple ingredients and a tasty result.  I'm making it again this week because we're going to have soccer playoffs in the evening!

Slow Cooker Beef Ragout with Polenta (6 servings)

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 in. thick
2 medium onions, cut into thin slices
1 lg red bell pepper, cut into 1 in. pieces
1/2 cup beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (16oz) tube refrigerated polenta
Parmesan cheese
6 T prepared pesto (optional)

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and drain the fat.  Transfer to a slow cooker and stir in the tomatoes, carrots, onions, bell pepper, beef broth, salt and pepper, and garlic.

Cook for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high (give or take depending on your slow cooker).

Slice the polenta into 1/2 inch thick pieces.  Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.  Flip over, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and broil another 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the polenta is lightly browned.

Place the polenta on a plate, top with ragout, and about 1 tablespoon of the pesto.  Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

Balsamic Glazed Pot Roast

Do you ever have those moments when you look at your kids and think, "they just grew up so much!"  Recently, I was looking through some photos on the computer and couldn't believe how huge my 3 girls seemed.  It happened right in front of my face!  Since my next recipe doesn't have any photos (I bet you can close your eyes and picture a pot roast), here are the ones that made me think my girls are changing again and growing up too fast:

Big lost her first two baby teeth!

Who is this big sister??

I know she's still really little but she's changing so much so fast.

Everything here makes me smile - crazy hair, their own accessories, baby girl's expression

And, on to the food.  I love a good pot roast - slow cooked vegetables, tender beef . . . I could probably make it once a week.  These days it's a good meal to put together before my running to swim lessons, gymnastics, and Target begins.  Then, my house smells awesome and I can spend nap time actually napping (or sitting still).

My favorite way to make pot roast has been with  Lipton Onion soup mix but I'm trying to be more aware of the msg and other nasty stuff that I've been feeding my family (more in another post) so I tried this version with broth, tomato sauce, and vinegar.  It was delicious and easy.  I didn't always brown my roast before putting it in the crockpot but I really like how it turns out - worth the extra few minutes.

Balsamic Glazed Pot Roast

3 lb chuck roast
1 onion
2 russet potatoes
some carrots
1 cup beef stock or broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper, garlic powder, other spices

Sprinkle the meat with whatever seasonings you want.  Heat a pan over medium high heat and add a little olive oil.  Add the roast and brown it on all sides.  It'll take a few minutes - don't turn it too soon.  You want a nice dark crust on all sides of the roast.

While you're doing this, slice the onion into thick rings, peel the potatoes and slice them into quarters.  Put the onions on the bottom of the crockpot and then put the potatoes and carrots in a layer on top.

Remove the roast from the pan and put it on the potatoes and carrots.  Deglaze the pan with the beef broth and let it cook until it's reduced by half.  Stir in the tomato sauce and balsamic.  Pour the glaze over the roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Enchilada Casserole

How can it possibly be July already?  We're still away but I wanted to share this recipe that I made before we left for vacation.

I always make my enchiladas with green sauce and chicken.  I have a bunch of variations on those enchiladas and enchilada casseroles but this was something a little new:  beef and red sauce.  It was pretty good.  My girls are a little leery of casseroles but managed a couple of bites.  There aren't a lot of ingredients and it's super easy to make!  You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it (for up to a few days) but if you do that, add an extra 15 minutes or so to the baking time (or thaw it out first).

Beef Enchilada Casserole (6-8 servings)
adapted from Sunset 9/02

1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 (29oz) can red enchilada sauce
salt
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded jack or cheddar cheese
chopped fresh cilantro


In a large skillet over high heat, stir beef, onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin until beef is browned, about  4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the beef mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, beef mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.

Bake in a 425° regular oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Weekend in Eugene

Last weekend, I took Little to visit her auntie in Eugene, Oregon.  Little was an awesome traveller . . . she loved going "up up up" and "down down down" and eating snacks on the airplane.  On our layover in Portland, she ran all over the airport making friends (and climbing on stuff).  

It took her a little while to warm up (figuratively and literally) and start talking, but once she started, she didn't stop.  On Saturday, we checked out the beautiful public library and took a photo with Eugene F. Skinner, the founder of Eugene (why isn't the city called "Skinner"?).  

It was a lot of fun to just chill on Paula's couch, play some scrabble, work on a crossword puzzle (weirdest clue - "Anatomical cul de sac") and talk.  We explored Paula's neighborhood and I didn't take a picture, but one thing I noticed was how there are bulbs planted everywhere - the daffodils were so beautiful.  My daffodils come from Trader Joe's but how fun to live somewhere where you see those annuals come up in the springtime.  

Now, on to the food.  Paula introduced me to a new beer, the Red Chair IPA (a local brew) and Little and I were treated to dinner at the Pizza Research Institute (thanks, David!).  I highly recommend both if you ever find yourself in that neck of the woods.

It was St. Patrick's Day while I was there so we made an Irish meal of Shepherd's Pie  and Irish Coffee Blondies.  I had a great time cooking with Paula and eating off of Grandma Vi's dishes.  We decided these recipes aren't just for St. Pattie's Day . . . Shepherd's Pie is really the ultimate comfort food and it was a lot easier (and less time consuming) to make than I had always assumed it would be.  The Irish Coffee Blondies were awesome . . . I ate way too much and the whisky icing was amazing.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe . . . we added dried thyme and some hot sauce but otherwise, followed the recipe.

Irish Coffee Blondies Recipe

Sloppy Joes from Scratch

Ok - it's taking a great deal of restraint not to put up a video of Adam Sandler singing the Lunch Lady Song since I"m writing about sloppy joes.  But, I'm not in high school and you're probably not either so we can move on to an adult discussion of this sandwich.

I really like Sloppy Joes and I usually make them with that seasoning packet and ground turkey.  I know that all sorts of weird stuff (or, if not weird stuff, lots of sugar) can be in those packets and I've had an interest in making mine from scratch.  What appealed to me about this recipe is that it wasn't very time consuming.  I used my mini chopper and chopped the mushrooms pretty fine so big sister couldn't pick them out.  It didn't take much longer than my usual way of making Sloppy Joes and we liked the flavor.  

Recipe notes:  The next time, I might add a little less molasses and a little more hot sauce.  If you use salted tomato paste, taste the mixture before you add the rest of the salt in the recipe.  Also, Cooking Light said "cremini offer deeper, richer flavor but you can also use regular button mushrooms."

And, my from 7th post ever, another ground meat sandwich

Beef & Mushroom Sloppy Joes (4 servings)

from Cooking Light June 2011

12 oz ground sirloin (or good quality ground beef)

2 (8oz) packages sliced cremini mushrooms

1 c. chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. tomato paste (no-salt or low sodium if possible)

1 T minced fresh oregano (or 2 tsp. dried oregano)

2 T red wine vinegar

2 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T molasses

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

4 Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add beef and cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.  While beef cooks, place mushrooms in a food processor.  Pulse 10 times or until finely chopped.  Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to pan.  Cook for 3 minutes or until onion is tender.  Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to pan.  Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates.  Stir in pepper and hot sauce.  Serve about 1 cup beef mixture on each bun. 

*filling is gluten free

Chipotle Carne Asada

The title of this recipe sounds more complicated than it actually is. You throw a few ingredients into the crockpot and end up with a great filling for tacos or burritos. Bonus: it smelled so good all day while it was cooking! I overdid the chiles a little bit and it was too spicy for big sister but I thought it was great.

If your family doesn't like spicy, make sure the salsa you use is mild and maybe start with 1 tablespoon of the chiles. Here are some ideas for the leftover chipotle chiles: Stir a little into sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and use the dip for chips, nachos, or veggies. Stir a little into Caesar dressing for a "Mexican Caesar Salad" or stir a little into Ranch dressing to make taco salad.

The cooking time will vary depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks and the cut of meat you use. If it doesn't fall apart or shred easily after 6 hours, let it cook a little longer. I haven't tried a shorter time on high heat with this recipe yet. We made soft tacos with corn tortillas, onion, avocado, and shredded cheese. They'd make great filling for beef enchilladas, burritos, or hard tacos.

Chipotle Carne Asada (4-6 servings)

2 lbs lean beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks
3/4 c. mild salsa
2 T chopped chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
1 c. beef stock (or water or beer)
salt and pepper, if desired.

Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 -8 hours. Use a fork to shred up the meat a little bit and use a slotted spoon to serve.

Food from other people

No photo of food this time around but this is what the view looks like for me these days . . . holding baby girl and getting a chance to rest. Some of the reasons I'm able to rest and recover is because a) I have had a lot of help from family and friends - particularly my mom! b) baby girl is a good sleeper and big sister has been doing pretty well with the transition to not being the only kid and c) we've been blessed with food that others have made for us in the past weeks since baby girl was born.

Friends are bringing us meals for a few more weeks and it's been such a huge help in the evening to not have to cook and have a hot, wonderful meal delivered by people we love! If you'd like to bless a friend with meals, check out www.mealbaby.com. It's an online meal registry and works really well.

I thought I'd share two recipes of food we've had recently. My friend Will brought over some Nutella Brownies which were awesome . . . we polished them off before he even left our house (not the full batch below). He made them in mini muffin tins this time but I'm not sure of cooking times for that modification.

The other recipe is for meatballs that my mother-in-law has been making for church potlucks. Now, as my family can attest to, I'm not a huge meatball fan. But, I really like these - they are more like mini meatloaf and there isn't too much sauce (which I prefer). These also disappeared really quickly in our house after they were delivered!

Will's Nutella Brownies (8 large brownies)
originally in Sunset magazine

About ½ cup butter
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter or spray 8 muffin cups

2. Microwave ½ cup butter in a heatproof bowl to melt. Add chocolate, stirring until melted, then add sugar and cocoa and stir to blend. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add flour and stir until smooth. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.

3. Using a small spoon, make a depression in each portion of batter 1 in. wide and ½ in. deep. Spoon 1 tbsp Nutella into each.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into brownie part comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 20-24 minutes. Let cool on a rack about 10 minutes. Using a small metal spatula, loosen brownies from pans, move to rack, and cool completely.

Judy's Barbequed Meat Balls

Meatballs:
2 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups milk
1 small onion, chopped
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp pepper
Diced celery and green pepper if desired

Sauce:
1 cup tomato catsup
2 1/4 T worchestershire sauce
1 1/4 cup water
3 3/4 T vinegar
3 T sugar

Mix the meatball ingredients and form into balls. Brown in skillet. Transfer to oven proof pot or casserole dish. Combine sauce ingredients and pour the sauce over the meatballs and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Easy Summer BBQ

I know the dad at the grill thing is a bit of a cliche, but I really appreciate all the meals my dad and my husband have made me on the grill. A wise woman once told me, "Don't ever start mowing the lawn or grilling or it'll become your job." So, I haven't. Now and then, I'm tempted to try my hand at the BBQ but I remember what she said and it's so nice to host a party or prepare a meal where the main dish is already taken care of. My husband does a great job grilling.

So, in honor of Father's Day, I'd like to say "thanks" to dads who give a hand with the cooking (or the dishes!) and share two great recipes for your next BBQ. First up is a marinade for steaks. I usually have everything on hand except green onions and I've had amazing results with this recipe. It originally came from an Omaha Steak brochure.

I have no idea where the second recipe originated. It's scribbled on a scrap of paper with the title "Corn Sauce" and I've been making it for 7 or 8 years. I have used it on cooked frozen corn, cooked fresh corn kernels, and corn on the cob. You could also stir it into cooked carrots, green beans, or broccoli. It has a smoky, southwest flavor to it and I usually add a little more spice (extra red pepper flakes) unless I'm making it for kids.

For more marinade ideas, check out this previous post.

Steak Marinade (enough for 4 or 5 steaks)

1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/3 c. cooking oil
2 T. green onions with tops, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard (plain ol' yellow from a bottle)
1/8 tsp. pepper.

Combine marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag or shallow dish. Add the steaks and marinate for 3-4 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator, turning the steaks several times.

Corn Sauce
(not sure on amounts . . . probably enough for 1/2 - 1 bag of frozen corn)

1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. red pepper
2 T butter
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. chicken broth (or water)

Melt butter in saucepan. Add first 4 ingredients, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch. Add chicken broth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir into cooked vegetables.

Broccoli Beef Stir Fry

I don't do a lot of stir fry at home but when I do, I always think, "I should do this more." Tonight, dinner was ready, from start to finish, in 15 minutes. I like the combination of flavors in the stir fry sauce that I've come up with and I've learned from reading lots of other recipes, that cornstarch is key in getting a thicker sauce. If you need a little extra incentive to buy the chili oil and toasted sesame oil, you can also make this soba noodle salad.

You could substitute the broccoli with another green vegetable (zucchini, asparagus) and add some steamed shelled edamame at the end for some extra protein. I also think that chicken would work fine, just make sure it's done all the way through before you add the sauce and vegetables to the pan. My daughter gobbled up her steak but needed a little encouragement with the broccoli. I served it over quinoa but steamed rice would be a perfect accompaniment as well.

Broccoli Beef Stir Fry (2 or 3 servings)

2 teaspoons of cornstarch
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger (peeled)
1 garlic clove minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp chili oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
About 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb of steak, sliced into thin strips (I used a London Broil cut, flank steak would work well)
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (and then I cut the strips in half)

Dissolve the cornstarch into 3 Tablespoons of water. In a separate small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, onion, chili oil, and sesame oil and set aside. Drizzle a little vegetable oil in a wok or heavy skillet and heat it over high heat. Add the broccoli and stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until softened. Remove from pan.

Brown the beef in two separate batches, just so the outsides are nice and browned but it's still red in the middle. When the second batch is browned, add the first batch back to the pan with the red bell pepper and stir fry until the red bell pepper is a little soft, about 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli, the sauce, and the cornstarch to the pan. Stir fry until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.

St. Patrick's Day

On Saturday night, my friend Amber hosted her annual St. Patrick's Day party. While I was sitting there eating her amazing corned beef with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, I commented that I've never made corned beef. The main reason is that I've never had to - Amber has made it for me for the last eleven or twelve years. In fact, the first time I ever had corned beef, she made it. Aside from the food, which is delicious, her parties are always fun with St. Patty's decorations, games, cute place cards, kids, desserts made by friends, drinks (I enjoyed green lemonade this year . . . no Guinness for me).

So, if you don't have an Amber in your life to cook you delicious food for St. Patrick's Day, here is what she does:

Purchase a mid-range (quality and price) corned beef (ours was from Vons this year). The amount will depend on how many people you're cooking for. Add the meat and the juice and spices from the package to a pot and cover with water. Cook on low for at least 3 1/2 hours (Amber cooked hers for 6 hours this year). You can also use a crockpot. Occasionally skim the fat off the top as it's cooking. Take the meat out of the pot to rest and heat the oven to 350 degrees.



Strain the broth that the beef cooked in and add large chunks of carrots, potatoes and onions and simmer until tender. Add sliced cabbage the last few minutes. Drain.



Make a glaze of yellow mustard and brown sugar - I asked Amber the proportions and she says that she does it by look - until it's carmel colored. Trim the fat off the meat, slice, and brush with the glaze. Put it on a baking sheet and cook about 10 minutes. Serve with the vegetables & cabbage and enjoy!

Peppered Beef Stroganoff

I've been missing the farmer's market in South Pas lately (Lisa - let's go when it's not raining!) so I bought some grass fed beef from Henry's in Monrovia last week. I was planning to make a nice Saturday dinner for my husband but we got invited to a birthday party and I didn't make this until Monday - the fanciest Monday night meal I've made in a long time.

I haven't been feeling like eating much meat lately but this tasted SO good to me - it was awesome and pretty easy to put together. Stroganoff isn't one of my favorite dishes and this is a lot different because it uses steak instead of ground beef and the dijon mustard in the sauce was a nice twist. I'm making it again on Sunday night for my cousins who are in town.

Couple of cooking notes: It cooks quickly so get your water boiling for the pasta well before you begin with the steaks and sauce. I used thin rib eyes (the grass fed ones are pretty lean) and pre-sliced mushrooms from Trader Joe's. You could probably use cooking Sherry or other wine in place of the brandy if you don't have any (Cognac would also work). Let me know if you like this!

Peppered Beef Stroganoff (serves 4)
from Bon Appetit January 2008

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 8-ounce beef tenderloin steaks
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
1 1/4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 8.8-ounce package wide egg noodles (I used egg pappardelle from TJs)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Sprinkle ground pepper and salt over both sides of steaks; press to adhere. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer beef to plate; tent with foil. Add 1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms to same skillet; sauté until browned, about 4 minutes.

Add broth and brandy; boil 2 minutes. Add cream; boil until slightly thickened, about 5-15 minutes, depending on the consistency of sauce that you want. Whisk in mustard.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Return to pot; toss with parsley and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates. Slice steaks; place atop noodles. Spoon sauce over.

Teriyaki Beef Bowls

When I went to Ralph's last week, they didn't have the cut of beef I was looking for so I bought something else. Then, I was at Whole Foods and they had exactly what I wanted and it was way on sale.

So, today I was trying to think of a recipe to make with the beef I bought and didn't really want from Ralphs (boneless top round steak). I found an old bottle of teriyaki marinade in my refrigerator and then looked at the expiration date - August 2007 . . . yikes! I tossed it in the trash and went through some of my recipes and found an old recipe for a Teriyaki Marinade, made some adjustments, and marinated the meat.

We grilled it to about medium and sliced it thinly. I prepared brown rice, steamed some broccoli, red bell pepper, and onion, and made these teriyaki bowls. They were very satisfying and the marinade was flavorful. You can adjust the vegetables to your liking or make a vegetarian version by marinating a grilling some veggies instead of the steak.

Teriyaki Marinade (makes 1.5 cups)

1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. sugar
2 T worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar
2 T vegetable oil
1 1/2 T dried onion flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 T sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients and stir until the sugar dissolves. Marinate meat or vegetables 2 hours before grilling.

For the Bowls (2 servings)

Marinate about 1 pound of steak (flank steak, skirt steak, etc would work well) in the marinade for a few hours (or overnight). Make 2 cups of brown rice. Steam some broccoli, red pepper, onion or other vegetables (mushrooms, bean sprouts, zucchini). Grill the steak to your liking and slice thinly against the grain. Put the rice in a bowl, top with the vegetables, and then the beef. Sprinkle with soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Tonight I finally asked my husband if he was sick of having this for dinner. Luckily, he doesn't have a great memory and told me that we don't have them very often. I've made this recipe a couple times a month all summer and I still love it. The great part is that it's super easy and by using the slow cooker, you don't need to turn on your stove or oven.

I know that I could make my own barbecue sauce (if you have a good recipe, email me at whatsformeat@gmail.com) but I've been using bottled. One big lesson I learned is that a lot of commercially made BBQ sauces have high fructose corn syrup (as the first or second ingredient!) in them. So, I've switched from "Sweet Baby Ray's" which I had to doctor up with hot sauce and dijon mustard anyways to cut the sweetness to the Trader Joe's Hickory Smoke kind. Yeah, I know it seems weird to cook anything smoke-flavored if you live in the San Gabriel Valley and are smelling and seeing smoke all day from the fires.

For those of you who don't love BBQ sauce (Stephanie), or can't stomach it during wild fire season, I'll put my variation on this recipe with no hint of BBQ of any kind at the bottom of the recipe.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches (4-6 servings depending on the exact size of the cut of meat)

3 lbs beef, roasting cut (I usually use rump roast or brisket)
A can of beer
1/2 onion, sliced (optional)
1/2 bell pepper, sliced (optional)
1 - 2 cups bottled BBQ sauce
olive oil
salt and pepper

Put your beef in a crockpot and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn it over and do the same to the other side. Sprinkle the onion and bell pepper over the top (if using) and pour about half a can of beer over the top - just so it's surrounded in the crock pot but not totally immersed. Cook it for 6-8 hours. I usually do 4 hours on high and another 1-2 hours on low.

You're waiting for the beef to shred apart easily with two forks. At this point, scoop out most of the liquid (from the beer and the juice of the meat), shred the beef, and add the BBQ sauce. Stir in the BBQ sauce until it's as saucy as you like it and then leave it in the crock pot on low until it's all warmed through. Serve on bread, hamburger buns, in pita, with tortillas, or by itself. The leftovers are great.

Tip: If there's a lot of fat on the surface of your meat, don't cut it off. Before you shred the beef, take a pair of tongs and scrape it off the surface and throw it out. It'll make the meat more tender but you don't have to eat all the fatty parts.

Variation: Along with the onion, pepper, beer, salt and pepper, add 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1T oregano, 1/2 tsp parsley, 1/2 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. thyme, some crushed red pepper, a bay leaf, 1/2 cup of sliced pepperoncinis and 1/4 c. juices from the pepperoncini jar. When you shred the meat, don't discard as much of the liquid. Serve it on toasted italian or French bread with the juice, more pepperoncinis, and slices of provolone cheese. I've been told that this is "Italian pot roast."

Finally, some red meat!

If you're wondering about the title of my blog, it came from something our family in Connecticut used to ask. Instead of asking, "What did you have for supper?" the question would sometimes be, "What was for meat?" To us, it was funny because we often ate supper without any meat. I didn't mean it to be ironic on my blog but it's taken me more than a week to actually have red meat for supper. While this dish could probably be made with ground turkey or chicken, I used lean ground beef. My Grandma Vi would be proud, even if she probably would have used a hamburger bun instead of a pita pocket.

I ripped this recipe out of a magazine somewhere and I have no idea which one or how old this is. The other day I was looking through a notebook with a bunch of untried recipes and I happened to have pitas, mushrooms, and frozen spinach (and, in the cellar, a bottle of open brandy) so I decided to give it a shot.



Not Sloppy Joes (but still a ground meat sandwich) Serves 4

1 1/2 T olive oil
10 oz pkg of sliced white mushrooms
1/2 tsp kosher sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb ground beef
1/4 c. brandy
10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
3/4 c. grated parmesan
4 pitas (white or whole wheat)

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the mushrooms, half the salt, and half the pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink. Spoon off any fat. Add the brandy and cook, stirring, until it's almost evaporated (only took about a minute or two). Stir in the spinach and cook for a couple of minutes until it's heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Fill each pita with the sandwich filling.

PS - Would it be Bec's blog without some games? How about "Name that Sandwich"? Put it in the comments and there will be a prize for the winner.