Beef & Barley Stoup

Ingredients:
1 (12oz) can beef chunks
6 cups water
1/4 cup carrots
3 tbsp minced onion
3 tbsp celery
2 tbsp red or green pepper
2 tbsp beef bullion
2 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup pearl barley
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except barley in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add barley and simmer, covered for 45-55 minutes until barley is tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Can be adapted to the crock-pot and or pressure cooker.

Shredded Beef Tacos

I love love love shredded beef tacos and find them especially enjoyable when eaten away from the house. For whatever reason I have never loved a recipe from home. They always seem so watered down and bland. This recipe is the exception to that rule. I swiped this recipe from the website http://gimmesomeoven.com/ and I am excited, after trying this, to check out some of her other recipes.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds beef (boneless chuck roast)

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Flour tortillas

Favorite taco toppings (**ideas below**)

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.

Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly. Once the oil is hot (it will shimmer a bit in the skillet), place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side.

Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef stock to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker.  Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the slow cooker, and mix into the shredded beef.

Serve the beef in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.

Some topping ideas include:

guacamole or avocado

fresh salsa

Mexican rice

grated cheese

fresh lettuce

tomato

onion

cilantro

squeeze of lime juice

Burgandy Beef Stew

AHHH....stew. The ultimate if comfort. What is not to love. Okay, when I was a kid I HATED stew, but I think it was because the ratio of vegetable to beef is lopsided. But I love it now!

1/2 C. olive oil
3 lbs. top round, cubed
3 C. full-bodied red wine
8 C. beef broth
1 T. tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt
2 large carrots, washed and sliced
4 small (pearl) onions, cut in half
3 large quartered potatoes (Yukon golds are best)
3 stalks of celery, washed and chopped
In a large stockpot, heat the oil. Add beef and brown evenly on all sides. Add wine, 2 cups of broth, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until beef is tender and liquid is thickened and dark. Add in the rest of the broth and the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes.
If broth needs additional thickening, mix 3 T. water with 1-2 T. flour and whisk until smooth. Add to stew. Let boil until thick.
Serve.

Chili Mac

So... I am getting ready for Thanksgiving. In fact, on Saturday we are having Thanksgiving with my husbands family and then on Thanksgiving day we are going over to my grandparents house. I absolutely love this time of year. The traditions, the food, the family and the opportunity to really think about things to be grateful for. I have been cooking and preparing foods for our get together for the last two days already and tonight, well I am not cooking. Therefore, I am having a really hard time thinking of a recipe to post for today (because honestly we are going to see Harry Potter and then going out for Mexican food (: ) So I have decided to post a family favorite.

This recipe is a family recipe. I can remember my mom making it when I was a kid, probably because it is cheap and it can make a ton (there were 7 kids!). Everyone in my family LOVES it and my kids really like it when they get to have it. People who know me will know that I don't like the flavor of chili powder, therefore this recipe and I are not best of friends - but it IS easy and it IS cheap and kids DO like it.

2 C. Elbow Macaroni
1 lb. Ground Beef (of leftover taco meat)
1/2 Onion - diced
small can Tomato Paste
8-12 oz Tomato Sauce
1-2 T. Chili powder
1 tsp. Cumin
salt & Pepper
1-2 C. Cheddar Cheese - grated.

Cook the macaroni noodles according to package instructions (keeping it on the al dente side). Reserve some of the water.

Meanwhile, saute the onions in a pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray, until translucent. Add in the ground beef. Cook until it is browned throughout. Drain off any excess fat (I read in magazine once, that a great way to cut calories on ground beef is to actually drain it in a colander and then rinse it with hot water after it has been cooked, then return it to the pan and add seasonings - I do it and it works!) 

Add half the can of tomato paste (or more if you are using the full amount of sauce, but start with half), chili powder, and cumin to the browned meat. Add enough of the pasta water to make a sauce-like texture. Simmer for about 20 minutes, adding pasta water as needed. 

When the macaroni is cooked, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the beef mixture, tomato sauce and salt & pepper and more chili powder and cumin if you feel that it is needed). Stir to thoroughly mix. 

Add the cheese or you can have people add their own cheese to their own bowls.  

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Tonight I am not going to be home, so I have to make a dinner that my husband can figure out. I am going to get everything made ahead of time and then he just has to cook the noodles, and heat up the sauce and meatballs.

Traditional Tomato Sauce (you should have some leftover from last week)

2 slices white sandwich bread, stale

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground turkey

1/2 pound ground beef chuck

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 medium onion, grated (about 1/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg, beaten

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil, divided

Serving suggestions: 1 pound cooked spaghetti or linguine

Pulse the bread in a food processor. In a small bowl toss the bread crumbs with 1/3 c. cold milk to rehydrate. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, meats, Parmesan, parsley, salt, onion, garlic, and egg and mix until combined. Season the meat mixture with pepper.
Using your hands, gently form the meat mixture into 18 slightly larger than golf ball-sized balls. (Packing the meat mixture too tightly together will result in tough meatballs). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Drain the oil and wipe out the skillet, return to the heat, and repeat with the remaining oil and meatballs.
Drain and wipe out the skillet again. Return all the meatballs to the skillet and pour in the marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, swirling the pan occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through about 15 minutes. The cheese in the meatballs will start to melt when the meatballs are ready. Serve immediately.

Chicken Fried Steak

I can't help it! The cooler weather makes me want heavy, fatty, delicious foods! Just go with it. We have 6 months before it is swimsuit season.  This recipe is a straight-up Alton recipe. I am not going to lie... it is perfect as is, so I don't mess with it.

2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 whole eggs, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device or the spiked end of a meat mallet, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.
Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.

Serve with mashed potatoes

Meat Rolls & Gravy, with a little help from Gramma Eddie

My kids love these things! Which is great, because I am horrible at getting rid of leftovers so this recipe helps me a lot! This is my Great Grandmother's Recipe for rolls, and then I just add the meat to them but if you are ever looking for a roll recipe then this is the one! These are the most amazing rolls in the whole wide world!

leftover pot roast & carrots
1 pkg yeast
1/4 C. warm water
1 C. milk- scalded
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 1/2 C. flour

Shred and chop the roast and the carrots together. Mix them  up well.

Soften the yeast in the warm water for about 10 minutes.

During standing time, scald the milk. Add sugar, shortening, and salt. Mic well. Cool to lukewarm. Add 1 1/2 C. four and mix well. Add yeast mixtures and the eggs mixing quickly and thoroughly. Gradually add the rest of the flour until you have a soft dough. Cover and let double. Pinch off small 1 1/2" balls of dough. Stretch out and flatten, Using a Tablespoon scoop a ball of the meat mixture into the middle of the dough. Wrap the dough around the meat and pinch off at the bottom. Place in a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Continue with other rolls, spacing about 1 1/2" apart. Bake at 375 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Serve with leftover gravy or a pre-made gravy.


*If you are wanting to make this recipe as just rolls:

Soften the yeast in the warm water for about 10 minutes.

During standing time, scald the milk. Add sugar, shortening, and salt. Mic well. Cool to lukewarm. Add 1 1/2 C. four and mix well. Add yeast mixtures and the eggs mixing quickly and thoroughly. Gradually add the rest of the flour until you have a soft dough. Cover and let double. Form into golf-ball shapes and place in a buttered 9x13 baking dish about 1 1/2" apart. Bake at 400* for 12-15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool. Brush tops with butter.

Jan's Pot Roast

Pot Roast on a chilly November Sunday. That sounds awesome! It just goes good - it doesn't sound the same if I were to say ' Pot Roast on a steamy July Sunday'. gross.  Pot Roast is meant to be eaten in the cooler weather and I love it!! Plus this recipe is a two-fer! If you have leftovers of the meat and carrots then save them! We will use them tomorrow.

1 Chuck Roast (look for one that is shaped like a Roast - not a steak, and yes, it is fatty but that is what makes it yummy and shreddy and delicious)

1 envelope McCormick's Beef Stew Seasonings
5-7 Carrots - chopped into 2" pieces
5-7 Celery Stalks - Chopped into 2" pieces
5-7 Red or Yukon Gold potatoes - Cubed in quarters
1 yellow onion - chopped into quarters

Spray a saute pan with cooking spray over med-hi heat. Sprinkle roast liberally with salt & pepper. Place the roast in the hot skillet for a couple of minutes on all sides to give it a good brown crust. While it is searing chop the veggies.

In a slow-cooker, put half of the veggies in the bottom, followed by the roast, and then the rest of the veggies. Mix the seasoning packet with 1/2 C. cold water and pour into the slow cooker, covering everything.

Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 4 Hours.

Mom's Meatloaf

Meatloaf? Really? Whoever invented this recipe couldn't think of anything more appetizing to call it? It is like they were asking for the kids to automatically hate it  before they ever try it. If you really think about it, can you blame the kids? Meat-loaf it just sounds gross! But it is delicious, and this recipe of my moms is awesome even my kids love it!

3 slices of white bread
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion - peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves - smashed & peeled
1/2 c. fresh parsley - loosely packed
1/2 c. + 3T. Ketchup
4 1/2 t. dry mustard
12 ounces pork
12 ounces ground round
2 large eggs, well beaten
2 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 t. Tabasco
1/2 t. fresh rosemary- chopped
2 T. dark brown sugar - packed

Heat oven to 400*. Remove the crusts from the bread  and place in a food processor. Process until you have fine crumbs, about 10 seconds. .Transfer crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Do not substitute dried bread crumbs, they have a tendency to make meatloaf rubbery.  Place carrot, celery, yellow onion, garlic, rosemary and parsley in the food processor. Process until the vegetabes have been minced fine, about 30 seconds. Stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the bread crumbs. Add the 1/2 c. ketchup, 2 t. dry mustard, meat (any combination of meat would work as long as it equals 1 1/2 pounds), eggs, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Using your hands, knead the ingredients until thoroughly combined. Do not over knead, as this will result in a tough meatloaf.
Set  wire rack inside a 11x17 baking sheet. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the rack, placing in the center of the rack to prevent the meat from falling through. Cut a second sheet to fit under the rack to catch the drips (for easy clean-up). Using your hands, form an elongated load or two small loaves on the parchment covered rack. Place the remaining 3 T. ketchup, remaining 2 1/2  t dry mustard and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Brush onto loaf. Bake approximately 50-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf registers to 160*. Let the meatloaf cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

This recipe is an adaptation from a Rachael Ray recipe. My family loves sandwiches - so of course anything between two pieces of bread is delicious. This recipe feeds 4.

For the onions:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or enough to lightly coat the bottom of a skillet 

2 large yellow skinned onions, sliced very thin

Coarse salt and pepper or steak seasoning blend

For the steak:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds lean beef tenderloin or sirloin, ask butcher to slice the meat very thin

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 slices provolone cheese, from the deli counter

4 Italian sandwich hogie rolls 

Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add onions and season with salt and pepper or steak seasoning blend. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until onions are soft and caramel in color.
Heat a heavy griddle pan over medium high to high heat. Wipe griddle with a drizzle of oil using a paper towel. Sear and cook thin sliced steaks until brown but not crisp, about 1 minute on each side. Cook steaks in single layers in 2 batches and tenderize by cutting into meat with the side of your spatula while they cook. When the steaks are browned, just before you remove them from heat, sprinkle them with garlic salt and pepper. When all of the steaks are cooked, line each of your split rolls with 2 slices of provolone cheese. Put under the broiler to melt the cheese, but don't brown the cheese. Pile 1/4 of your meat and onions on to the griddle and mix together with your spatula. Pile the meat and onions into rolls on top of the cheese.  Repeat for remaining servings and serve

Beef & Broccoli

I love stir-fry. I love the ease and of course the flavors that come with a stir-fry. This recipe is no exception. It it effortless and delicious. If you don't have a wok then a large skillet would work just fine.

London Broil - sliced  paper thin
1-2 bunches broccoli - chopped into bite-size pieces
4 stalks celery - sliced into bite size pieces

Sauce:
2 C. chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 t. ground ginger
2 T. sherry or orange juice
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar

Thickener:bee
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. cold water

In a separate bowl whisk together all the sauce ingredients, set aside.

Season meat with salt & pepper, lemon pepper and season salt. Heat 2 T. oil in a Wok over medium high heat. Stir-fry beef until browned, add in broccoli and celery and stir-fry until the broccoli turns bright green. Add sauce mixture, bring to a boil. Combine the cornstarch & water and drizzle into the boiling sauce, stirring constantly, until a good consistency is made, using more or less thickener as needed. Serve over hot steamed rice.

Dad's Grilled Flank Steak

ummmm, delicious. I have never had a marinade flavor a meat like this one does. It tastes amazing, smells amazing and it IS amazing. Plus, this is a grilled recipe, which is super handy because usually someone else does the bbqing. I usually like to serve this with twice baked potatoes and some grilled asparagus. mmmmm.



1 to 1 1/2 lb flank steak

Marinade:
1/2 c. light soy sauce (full sodium works fine too - just don't blame me when you are all swollen from water retention)
1/2 c. orange or pineapple juice
3 T. dijon style mustard
2 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
2 T. tomato paste or ketchup
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. black pepper
2 small cloves garlic - minced

In a ziploc bag mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add the flank steak and allow to marinade 4-8 hours.

When you are ready to eat: heat up the BBQ, grill the flank steak on each side 8-12 minutes or until desired doneness (8 minutes per side = medium). Remove from heat and cover with foil for about 5 minutes to allow to rest. Cut the steak into slices on the bias.  Serve.

Aunt Suzie's Lazy Stroganoff

I know! I know! This is not a true stroganoff because I am not cooking it the right way.....blah blah blah. However, this recipe is delicious and super easy! This is perfect for cooler days that are busy. Sometimes cooking in the kitchen for hours is not logical! Trust me - everyone will love this!

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 envelope Onion Soup Mix (like Lipton's)
1 lb Stew Beef - * I like to cut them into small bite size pieces
1 C. Sour Cream
Wide egg noodles or Spaetzle

Spray a saute pan with cooking spray and cook the stew beef over medium high heat. Don't stir it around - let it cook on a couple of the sides for a while so they can get a good crust - you are not trying to cook them through, we are just giving them some texture (and you can completely skip this step if you want - the beef will cook in the slow-cooker). While the beef is searing, add the cream of chicken & celery and the onion soup mix to a slow-cooker. Fill one of the cans halfway with water and add to the slow cooker, mixing well. Add in the beef. Cook on high for 3 hours or Low for 5 hours. Right before serving add in the sour cream*. Serve over cooked noodles or spaetzle.

*If you are worried about presentation then use the full-fat sour cream. It blends in beautifully. If you would rather cut some calories the Light sour cream tastes just as delicious but it doesn't blend in as smoothly.

Steak & Onion Sammy's

This recipe, I once again cannot take credit for, it's actually a weight watchers recipe (shhhhh... I won't tell). My younger kids are not big fans of the onions on the sandwich but they do love the steak, so I will usually have some sort of veggie side dish so they are not just eating beef for dinner.

3 Large Onions (if you can find Vidalla's - they are the best)

1 Flank Steak

Salt & Pepper

Thyme

1 T. Balsamic Vinegar

2 T. Sugar
Marble Rye Bread (or regular rye)
Dijon mustard
Lettuce & tomato
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cut the onions in half then use a mandolin (or your super handy knife skills) to slice the onions into paper thin slices. Heat a tiny amount of the olive oil (or you can even use cooking spray) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onions, sugar and 1/2 t. thyme. Allow to cook until golden brown and caramelized.

While the onions are cooking:
Pre-heat the oven to Broil or start up your BBQ. Season the steak liberally with salt & pepper (and maybe a dash of cayenne pepper is you like a little heat). Cook the steak for about 7-8 minutes per side for medium doneness.  When the steak is cooked, let it rest on the cutting board for at least 5 minutes so the juices don't run when you slice it.

Once the onions are golden add the balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt & pepper. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

Slice the lettuce & tomatoes and thinly slice the steak. 

Layer the steak, onions, lettuce & tomato on the rye bread that has been slathered with a thin layer of Dijon mustard.

makes 6 hearty sandwiches - depending on size of steak.

Amie's Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Well my first addition to my second attempt at a food blog will be a family favorite of ours. It is perfect now that the weather is getting cooler and our days are busy (who can deny the love for the crock pot?) - and Thank You to my good friend Amie from Texas that shared this recipe with us over five years ago. We miss their family so much!

1 pound ground beef cooked drained or leftover shredded beef (Mexican flavors)
1 onion chopped
1 (16 oz) can chili beans, drained
1(15oz) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4oz) can canned green Chile peppers, chopped
1 (1.25oz) package taco seasoning mix


Throw it all in a crock pot stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2-4.


Notes: I usually cook the onions with the ground beef so they are a little sweeter or you can use dried onions.  You can either puree the tomatoes or substitute with tomato puree if you or your kids don't like chunks of tomatoes.  And lastly I don’t usually add the whole 2 cups water because I like it thicker. 
You can be really creative that’s why I like this recipe it’s hard to screw up.


Once you ladle it up top it with crushed up tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, & black olives


Corn bread is a great side dish for this stoup.

BTW - this dish feeds a small army, so be prepared for leftovers. It can easily serve 6 HUNGRY adults or a family of 10.