Oriental Beef Salad

 

Ingredients

• 1 bag of coleslaw mix, shredded 
• 2 packages of Ramen noodles (chicken flavor)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
•  2-3 TBSP sesame seeds
• 1 seasoning packet from Ramen Noodles
• 1 cup rice vinegar 
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 TBSP sesame oil
• 4 TBSP sugar
• 1 flank steak
• 2 cups soy sauce 
•  salt/pepper

Instructions

1. Marinade the flank steak in the soy sauce for 30 minutes or more in the fridge. 
2. Season the steak with salt and pepper. In a grill pan, sear the steak over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes per side for medium rare; transfer to a plate to rest.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, sugar, and Ramen seasoning packet. 
4. In a large bowl, combine the slaw mix and dressing and toss. 
5. Crush the Ramen noodles into small pieces and spread out on a baking sheet with the almonds and sesame seeds. Broil until medium brown.
6. Add the dry Ramen noodles (right before serving) and toss again. Divide evenly among 4 shallow bowls.
7. Cut the steak into thin slices and distribute among the salads.

 

Another Beef and Broccoli

Another Beef and Broccoli

Once again, inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe, but sadly it was not orangy enough for my taste. But it was a delicious Beef and Broccoli recipe. So I've adjusted the recipe to make it a bit less misleading about the orange flavor. This also provided great leftovers for a good portioned lunch the next day. We made some homemade fried rice, but this would also go well with some plain rice, because the sauce is so flavorful. It served two of us with a third leftover comfortably.

Ingredients

• 4 cups broccoli
• 1 1/4 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons plum sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1 3/4 pound flank steak sliced thin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a pot, bring water to a boil.
2. Cut the broccoli into 1-inch florets.
3. Boil the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, then drain the broccoli and rinse under cold water. Save the pot.
4. In the pot, stir together the broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, plum sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Simmer on medium, whisking occasionally.
5. Slice the steak 1/4 inch thick, then cut the slices crosswise into thirds; toss with the remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
6. In a pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the steak and  cook, turning, until the meat is barely pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a paper-towel-lined plate.
7. Stir in the meat, broccoli and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Oven-Roasted Pasta Primavera with Real Beef Hot Dogs

This popped up when I was looking through my Rachael Ray Magazine and it looks so fresh and delicious, so I tried out the recipe from Johnsonville.com. Sadly, the sausage didn't make it on the grocery list (a mystery yet to be solved), so we used our beef hot dogs to fill in the gaps. It turned out AWESOME! My husband says he probably wouldn't have liked it as much if it hadn't been for the accidental slip. He didn't even know they were hot dogs! We also couldn't find zucchini. Both stores were out or had not received a shipment. Make it hard to cook healthy when stores don't provide healthy foods.


Ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium orange (or red) bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 pkg. (14 oz.) Kelement's Chicago Brand Beef Hot Dogs (cut at an angle)
• 12 oz. uncooked Cavatappi Pasta or pasta of your choice
• 1 cup grated pecorino cheese
• grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. Add the oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat.
3. Transfer to a greased shallow baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the sausage and pecorino over vegetables. Bake until sausage is heated through.
5. Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl.
6. Add sausage mixture and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

New Year Meatloaf

New Year Meatloaf
Serves 8-10

I am always trying to strike that balance between what my husband loves about meatloaf and what I want to get out of meatloaf. So I browsed recipe after recipe. I looked through different articles talking about how to replace this with that to make a healthier recipe. What I came up with is below and did an amazing job hitting the mark on all accounts. So I called it a New Year Meatloaf to include that idea of healthy foods, without misrepresenting the idea that it is healthy. Gluten Free, by the way. I just included healthy options in the loaf, so for me, it's a healthier loaf than what I've known before. For my husband, it was exactly what he wanted.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup egg whites (or 2 egg whites)
• 3/4 cup rolled Oates, minced in a blender until they resemble fine bread crumbs (or use a hand chopper)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 TBSP coriander
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 packet Onion Soup mix
• salt and pepper as preferred

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a bowl, mix the meat, carrots, bell peppers, onion, egg, egg whites, Oates, Parmesan, curry, coriander, chili, onion soup mix, salt, pepper, and garlic.
3. Mix with hands until thoroughly combined.
4. In a non-stick baking dish, form meat into a loaf shape.
5. Bake for 45 minutes.
6. Pull out, take off foil and spread the ketchup on top.
7. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Serve with Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash.

Doritos Nacho Platter

Doritos Nacho Platter
Serves 4-6

This recipe grew out of a frustration to cook something that we didn't have the typical ingredients for. As I continued to stare into the abyss of our pantry, I started to have certain items jump out at me and I realized I could attempt to make these nontraditional nachos.

Ingredients

• 1 bag Doritos Taco Flavored Tortilla Chips
• 1 10oz can of Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis
• 1 15.25oz can of Whole Kernel Sweet Corn
• 1 15oz can of Goya Black Bean Soup
• 1 15oz can of Hormel Chili with Beans
• 3/4 cup Cheez Whiz
• Sour Cream
• Taco Sauce
• Black Olives
• Jalapeno slices

Directions

1. Over medium heat in a medium pot, mix the corn (strained) , Ro-Tel with liquid, and Black Beans with liquid.
2. In a bowl, mix the can of Hormel Chili with the the Cheez Whiz. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Heat again for another minute. Stir. Repeat until heated through.
3. On 4-6 plates, pile on the chips. Then spread the Cheez Whiz mixture. Use a slotted spoon to spread the tomato/corn/bean mixture. Drain the liquid before putting them on the chips.
4. Add sour cream, sliced black olives, taco sauce, and jalapenos on top. Serve!

Beefy Tomato Rice Skillet

Beefy Tomato Rice Skillet
From Taste of Home: Simple & Delicious December 2008. If a skillet is too small (and it might be) cook in a pot. That will give the rice enough room to expand.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 large chopped yellow onion
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 1 can (11oz) whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cans (10 3/4oz) condense tomato soup
• 2 cups water or chicken/beef broth
• 2 TBSP Italian seasoning
• 1 cup uncooked rice (long grain or brown)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan or 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. In a large skillet or frying pan cook the meat, seasoning it with salt and pepper.
2. When brown, drain the meat and set aside.
3. Add the celery, onion and bell peppers to the skillet and sweat down.
4. When the vegetables are slightly soft, add the meat back into the skillet, and also add the tomato soup and water (or broth). Bring to a boil. 
5. Add uncooked rice, cover and cook on Medium for 20 minutes.
6. At 10 minutes, add the corn and Italian seasoning, recover and cook for the last 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
7. Sprinkle the cheese on the dish at the end.
8. Serve with steamed broccoli on the side.

Sweet and Spicy Meatloaves with Curry Broccoli and Potatoes

Sweet and Spicy Meatloaves with Spicy Broccoli and Potatoes
Inspired by Food Network's Sweet and Spicy Meatloaves.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 2 medium carrot, quartered
• 1/2 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
• 1/2 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• salt and pepper3
• 3 tablespoon ketchup
• 4 tablespoon apricot jam
• 2 medium red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 head broccoli (florets cut into pieces, stem peeled and thinly sliced)
• 4 tablespoons butter (for broccoli and potatoes)
• 1 table spoon curry powder (broccoli and potatoes)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Add the onion and carrot to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Transfer to the bowl with the breadcrumbs and add the turkey, beef, egg and 2 tablespoons curry powder, salt and pepper. 
4. Mix by hand until just combined. Shape into 4 small oblong meatloaves on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. 
5. Mix the ketchup and jam in a small bowl and brush over the meatloaves. 
6. Bake until just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. 
8. Add the potatoes and cook 4 minutes, then add the broccoli florets and stem; cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 6 more minutes. Drain; return to the pot. 
9. Toss with the butter and the remaining curry powder. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the meatloaves. 

Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwich

Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwich
Inspired by Rachael Ray's Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwich.

Ingredients

• 2 large onion, sliced thin
•  3 cups ketchup
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into two large pieces
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1 pound container  prepared coleslaw (we used Sendiks')
• 6 hamburger buns or favorite roles

Instructions

1. In a large slow cooker, combine the onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, cider vinegar, and paprika. Whisk together.
2. Add the chuck roast and coat with the sauce. Cover and cook on low heat until tender, 7 to 8 hours. Start the night before and let cook for longer.
3. Using tongs, remove the beef from the sauce; shred. 
4. Skim off and discard the fat from the sauce, stir in the shredded beef and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Sandwich the meat, topped with some coleslaw, on the buns.

Manwich Pot Pies

Manwich Pot Pies

Ingredients

• 2 packages of Food Club Jumbo flaky biscuits (won't use both completely)
• 2 cans of Manwich
• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 3/4 cup shredded classic sharp cheddar cheese

NOTE: You might have leftover Manwich, but I suggest using as much of it as you can, because the biscuits will flake-up. You might use both whole packages of biscuits if you are using one large dish instead of individual dishes. These individual dishes have 2 servings, each, in them.

Instructions

1. Cook the meat and drain the fat. Preheat oven to 350.
2. While the meat is cooking, start to peel apart the biscuits and layer them in the serving dishes (bottom and sides, creating a lip around the edge to fold over). Make sure you spray the dishes with non-stick spray.
3. After draining the meat, add the Manwich sauces. Let cook.
4. Put a layer of shredded cheese on the bottom to cover the bottom.
5. When the Manwich is ready, fill the dishes to the top.
6. Put the rest of the cheddar on top.
7. Layer the top with biscuit pieces and fold over the lip to close. Seal by pressing the buscuit pieces together.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes (or until biscuits are golden brown on the top and you say see down the sides that it is cooking through.)

Steak and Eggs-in-a-Grits-Nest

I’m trying a new recipe tonight. I saw it in the March 2011 Rachael Ray magazine, but I’m going to put my own spin on it. I’ve never really eaten grits before. I hear people talk about them all the time all over the food world. They rave about them when they are made right. My husband, though, hates grits. So I pitched him this recipe idea and he decided to consider it. I call it:

Steak and Eggs-in-a-Grits-Nest

Serves: 2-3

Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking grits
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 TBSP butter
4 eggs
1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4-6oz flank steak
2 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil 2 1/4 cups water with salt and pepper seasoning. When boiling, add the grits and mix. Cover and turn to low until grits are thick and creamy.
2. Start grilling or broiling your flank steak. Cover both sides with 1 TBSP Montreal seasoning and grill to preferred temperature. Remember to let rest when it has cooked long enough for the length and thickness. Slice at an angle against the grain.
3. Add the cheese and butter and mix through the grits. Scoop into a 4x4 pan.
4. Make small indentations in the grits and drop your eggs in. Crack them one by one into a small bowl if preferred.
5. Then bake until the eggs are cooked, but the yokes are still a little runny. It took mine 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, slice the onion and bell pepper and slowly sautee on the stove until desired texture. 
7. Combine on a plate and serve.

Stuffed Cabage Rolls

I got this recipe from Liz's Cooking Blog. She was inspired by a recipe from "Sweet Tea in Texas as well as cabbage and onions from our CSA"

Ingredients:

• 12 Large Cabbage leaves
• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 1 Beaten Egg
• 1/4 C Milk
• 1/4 C finely chopped onion
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp pepper
• 1 Tsp paprika
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1 C Cooked Brown Rice
• 1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire

Instructions:
1. Start by browning your ground turkey. Season your ground turkey as it browns with garlic salt & lemon pepper. When this is done, drain and set aside.

2. Start water boiling in a large pot for your cabbage. The easiest way that I’ve found to get the leaves off is to submerge the whole head of cabbage for a couple of minutes and pull it out, taking as many leaves off as you can easily. Submerge again until you can pull a few more off. You want to keep the leaves as in tact as possible. Do this until you have about 12 whole leaves.

3. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, milk, onion, spices, & rice. Mix well. Take about 1/4 C of this mix and put into the center of a leaf. Fold in the sides, then fold up the bottom until it looks like a little burrito. Place them seam side down in the Crockpot until you have gone through your leaves or ran out of

4. In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, & Worcestershire. Pour this over your little cabbage burritos and put the lid on the Crockpot. Cook these in the Crockpot on low for about 6 hours.

Damhead Organic Deliveries Week 1

We got our first Organic Fruit and Veg box delivered on Tuesday from Damhead farms. Here is a breakdown of what we got:

Small Fruit Bag (23 fruit items 9.80pounds/0.41p an item)
4 oranges
5 bananas
7 apples
4 plums
3 pears

Small Fruit & Veg Box (43 total items 10pounds/0.23p an item)
2 oranges
5 bananas
5 apples
1 courgette
3 leeks
2 little lettuce heads
3 tomatoes
4 parsnips
1 rutabaga
4 carrots
4 small onions
8 potatoes (various sizes)

By Satuday, November 1st, we have already gone through almost everything. Here is what we have left:

4 oranges, 2 bananas, 6 apples, 4 plums, 1 pear, and 1 courgette.

We only ate out once since the delivery. The fruit we didn’t do anything special with. A recipe came with the bag of Fruit and Veg, but we didn’t find it until we were cleaning out the bag to return it. It was for Winter Vegetable Minestrone Soup. I hope to cook it, as it looks very delicious and hearty. Here are some of the recipes I made with the items we received:

Parsnip, Carrot, and Potato Pancakes
(Makes 10 medium pancakes)
2 parsnip
2 carrots
3 potatoes
2 onions
1 cup all purpose flower
3 eggs
Salt and Pepper
Butter or Olive Oil for cooking

1. Peel and shred parsnips, carrots, and potatoes. Dice the onion.

2. In a bowl, at 1 cup all purpose flour and 3 eggs (pre-whisk the eggs before adding). Add salt and pepper as you prefer.

3. In a hot pan, add the butter/olive oil and start spooning in mixture to make little pancakes. Cook through on one side and then flip to cook the over side.

4. Lightly salt when you take them out of the pan. Serve with apple sauce, sour cream or ketchup, as you prefer!


Parsnip, Carrot, Rutabaga and Leek Cream Soup
(Serves 3-4)
2 parsnip (peeled and diced)
2 carrot (peeled and diced)
1 rutabaga (peeled and diced)
2 leek (cleaned, chopped, don’t use dark green area)
2 Knorr Vegetable Cubes
8 cups water
1 cup heavy cream

1. Heat the water and Vegetable Cubes to boiling.

2. Add the parsnips, carrots, rutabaga, and leeks. Cook until tender.

3. Drain, saving broth, and put into food processors. Blend until smooth, adding liquid. Put through a fine strainer if you want it really smooth, but otherwise it’ll have a few lumps.

4. Put back into pot and add 1 cup heavy cream. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Oriental Lettuce Cup
(Serves 2-3)
2 heads lettuce (tiny cups)
2 pound ground beef
2 TBSP Chinese 5 Spice
3 eggs
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp diced garlic
1 jar Housin Sauce

1. Cook the ground beef in a pan with the Chinese 5 Spice. Drain off grease and set aside.

2. Mix three eggs in a bowl with soy sauce and diced garlic. Salt and pepper as preferred. Put 2 TBSP butter or margarine in a pan and scramble the eggs while they cook in the pan until light and fluffy and cooked as you prefer.

3. Lay out the lettuce slices, so that they appear like little cups. Make sure they’re dry.

4. Lay some of the egg on the lettuce. Then cover it with the ground beef. Add a tsp of housing sauce over the top. Wrap and eat.


Potato and Leek Cream Soup
(serves 2)
4 potatoes (skinned and diced)
2 leeks (chopped, don’t use the dark green part)
3/4 cup double cream (heavy cream)
2 Knorr Chicken Cubes
6 cups water

1. Heat up the water and chicken cubes. Put in the diced potatoes and leeks.

2. Cook until extremely tender. Drain and save the broth.

3. Put the potatoes and leeks in a food processor with 1 cup of the broth from the cooking. Puree until smooth. Add more liquid as needed.

4. Then pour back in pan and add 3/4 cup double cream and mix thoroughly on very low heat until fully combined. It should be a very smooth, thin cream soup.

Tuna and Potato Bake
(serves 2)
4 potatoes (skinned and diced)
3 tomatoes (+4 non-organic tomatoes)
2 small onions (diced)
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp yellow, spicy mustard
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 can preferred tuna (drained)
Salt and pepper

1. Roast Tomatoes in halves and then chop into quarters. Dice small onions and cook them in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil until slightly soft. Skin and dice potatoes and cook them in water under soft.

2. Let the tomatoes and onions cool. When cool, add mayonnaise, mustard, and tuna.

3. Drain potatoes and spread on the bottom of a small baking dish. Let cool slightly. Salt and pepper. Pour tuna mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

4. Put under broiler for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly brown. Serve.


Next week we’re debating over what box we want to get. We like the amount of fruit, but we want more veg, I think. There was a salad bag they had listed which gives us peppers and things. We’re actually discussing testing the Large Fruit and Veg box which seems to have everything and will probably give us the amounts we want, since we do cook at home pretty much every night.

As of week one, I think it was really great. I’m worried about how soup seems to be the primary recipe to work with having so many vegetables. So I have a lot of research to do to try to find out how to expand what I can cook, because Ray does not like having soup every single day, despite it being winter. I can't wait to see what next Tuesday will bring.

Beef and Potato Burritos

Beef and Potato Burritos

For less spicy burritos, remove the jalapeno ribs and seeds before chopping. I think I got this recipe from marthastewart.com, but I am not sure. It was part of a list of recipes I compiled from online that I wanted to try. This one turned out pretty good.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 large baking potato
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped
1 can (14 ounces) chopped tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
Coarse salt
flour tortillas (10-inch)
cup sour cream
grated Monterey Jack or preferred taco cheese

Directions
1. Peel potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch dice. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add potato; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

2. Add beef, onion, and jalapeno; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until beef is thoroughly browned, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes.
3. Heat tortillas, one at a time, in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning once, until lightly browned, about 10 seconds.

4. Leaving space on bottom and sides, layer tortillas with sour cream, lettuce, beef mixture, cheese, and cilantro, if using; squeeze lime juice on top. Fold bottom upward, covering filling by 2 inches. Fold each side to overlap, leaving the top end open. Serve garnished with lime wedges.

Cheese Sauce with Vegetables, Meatballs, and Tagliatelle

Cheese Sauce with Vegetables, Meatballs, and Tagliatelle


Veggie Medley
2 courgette (zucchini) - cut into chunks
1 Ramiro Peppers (long red pepper, usually has a sweet taste) - cut into chunks
1 large onion - cut into chunks
15 cherry tomatoes (or however many you want) - halved
1 head of broccoli - cut as close to the top in small pieces

On a tray lay down the courgettes and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and salt and paper on them, cover them with foil and put in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Then move to the broiler, uncover. Drain off any water before broiling. Broil until slightly browned.

In a frying pan, on medium-low cook the chunked onions and chunk peppers until tender or preferred crispiness.

Cook the broccoli in water in a pot until at desired tenderness.

When everything is almost done, put the tomatoes under the broiler until slightly tender, but still whole.

Combine in a bowl together.

Meatballs
500g ground beef (a little over 1lb beef)
1 egg
1 TBSP Worchester Sauce
2 TBSP whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red peppers
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Make the meatballs as small as possible, or to whatever size you would prefer. Just make sure they are not too small, or they may get too dry. Cover with foil and cook for about 15 minutes at 350. If you make them very small, it will take less time. Just check on them often.

When done, put into large mixing bowl with vegetables, unless you have large meatballs and want to designate a certain number per serving.


Jarlsburg Cheese Sauce
2 TBSP water
1 Knorr chicken bullion cube
286g jarlsburg cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup double cream (heavy cream)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small (very small) onion or half a normal sized onion
2 TBSP butter

Sautee onions, bullion, and garlic on a low heat with butter until lightly colored. Then, still on a low heat, add the shredded cheese, butter, pepper and cream. After a bit creamy, add water to thin it out.

Make sure not to curdle the sauce, so keep it on very very low.


How to serve:
In a bowl, place the noodles. On top of that place your vegetable and meatball mixture. Then top with 2-3 spoonfuls of cheese sauce, depending on how much you want.

Sarah's Chili Con Carne

(Serves 6-8... good for bulk cooking and freezing)

Ingredients:

2 500g packages of ground beef (or preferred mince)

400g tomato paste

3 cans diced tomatoes (with liquid)

2 green bell pepper (diced and deseeded)

2 Ramiro Peppers (long red pepper, usually has a sweet taste) - (diced and deseeded)

2 cans kidney beans (drained and rinsed... if they have them with chili sauce, get those... I know Sainsbury does)

2 onions (yellow or white... diced)

8-10 slices of the jarred jalapenos in vinegar (dice them)

2 beef bullion cubes (Knorr brand is the best)

1/3 cup Worchester Sauce

1-2 cups water (depending on how thick you want it)

5 TBSP Cumin

5 TBSP Coriander

1.5 TBSP Chili Powder (hot)

1 TBSP Salt

1 TBSP ground black pepper

For Serving:

Preferred rice (wholegrain, brown, white, etc)

Sour Cream

Cheese

Jalapenos

Brown the meat with the onions. Drain off as much grease as possible when it's done. You can also, after you drain it, dump it on a plate covered in paper towel to pat off the excess.

Put the meat into a slow cooker. Depending on your slow cooker setting, I had mine turned on high (I only have high, medium, and low) and it cooked well in 4 hours. The key is to let it simmer. So if you don't want to use a slow cooker, turn your stove on medium low or low and cover everything.

To the meat add the rest of the ingredients, saving the water for last. Add one cup and if you still feel its too little, just add a little more until you feel it'll be the right consistency. I only added 2 cups and it didn't look like enough, but once the veggies started cooking it became more liquidy. So just be lean on the water. You can add more as you go if you don't feel you added enough.

Let simmer until the peppers are soft or until at desired taste/style. You should be able to tell when it's the type of done you want. Just cook it slow and it'll turn out great!

Use brown or white rice. Some also prefer noodles. It's up to you what you do with the chili when it is done. Enjoy!

Meatballs and Veggie Rice

Meatballs and Veggie Rice
Especially for Those Comfort Days

Meatballs:
500g ground beef (a little over 1lb beef)
1 egg
1 TBSP Worchester Sauce
2 TBSP whole grain mustard
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp corriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Rice:
2 Uncle Ben's microwave packets of Long Grain Rice
1 Uncle Ben's microwave packet of wholegrain rice
2 chicken bullions
1 can cream of celery soup
3 cups water
1 head of broccoli (mostly the tops)
1/2 onion cut into 1/2in chunks
4 carrots thinly chopped
3 TBSP hot chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
2 TBSP favorite mixed Italian herb seasoning
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 TBSP minced garlic

Mix all the meatball ingredients together, then roll into 1x1in balls. Place in baking pan. Cover with foil and cook for 7 minutes. Then remove the foil and put them under the broiler until nicely browned.

In a pot start to boil the water and add the chicken bullion. Start the add the skinned and chopped up carrots. Make sure they're sliced thin enough to cook quickly. Then add the celery soup (turn the heat to medium) and start to chop of the broccoli into small pieces (or do this all as prep work and throw in all at once). Cut as close to the head of the broccoli flourrets as possible. Then add the onion and minced garlic. Followed by all the seasonings. Once it is mixed together, add the packets of rice. Do not microwave them first.

Let that cook until the liquid is mostly gone. Then serve in a bowl with 3-4 meatballs as pictured. Grate a little parmegion or gruyere over the top and serve.

Note: To reduce heat limit the amount of chili powder that is added. Ours was spicy hot chili powder.

Jim’s Magnificent Ravioli of Power

As part of a new project I am working on, I decided to use our friend Jim as my first participant. He filled out a questionnaire about his tastes in food and from it, I tried to come up with a recipe that he might like. It doesn’t have to be his favorite, but it will hopefully be something that he could potentially enjoy cooking and could claim as a special dish to cook when company comes over. I don’t know. So here is the dish I created for our friend Jim.

Jim’s Magnificent Ravioli of Power
(AKA Jim’s Meat and Potatoes Ravioli with Gruyere Cheese Sauce)
(6-7 Servings/ 4-5 ravioli each)

The Filling
2/3 package skirt steak
McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 peeled, cubed potatoes
1 head of broccoli
1/2 diced yellow/white onion
1 TBSP butter or margarine
150g cubed Camembert
1/2 TBSP dried chilies
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 TBSP butter or margarine

First bring a pot of water to boil and put the potatoes in. Cook them until they are ready to be mashed. Once drained, place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them with 3 TBSP margarine or butter.

While the potatoes are cooking, start boiling your broccoli. Should only take 8-10 minutes, or until tender. When the potatoes are mashed, drain the broccoli and add it to the mixture, mashing the broccoli into the potatoes.

If you have a third burner and can multi-task, cook the onion with the 1 TBSP butter or margarine. Sautee until somewhat translucent. Add to the mixing bowl.

Add the salt, pepper, and dried chili.

Rinse and prepare your steak. Season each side of the steak lightly with the Steak Seasoning. Either grill until medium or use a frying pan. Once ready, cut as thin as possible at an angle. Then dice the meat and add it to the mixture. Use your masher to integrate everything. Then remove the masher.

Take your camembert and cut off the white outer layer. Then cut into small pieces to add to the mixture. Mix them into the bowl using a spoon. Put this mixture aside while you make the pasta.

Vegetarians: Simply take out the steak. Everything else should be fine.
Non-Beef Eaters: Do not substitute another meat, just take out the steak and eat it as is.


The Pasta (makes about 28-30 ravioli)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

By Hand: On a clean surface make a well with the flour. This well should go all the way to the bottom of your flour mound so that the mixture doesn’t spill out everywhere. In a measuring cup mix the eggs, water and oil and salt. Pour the wet mixture slowly into the flour and mix until all of the wet is incorporated. Do not force the dough to take all of the flour. If you are going to use a pasta machine to roll out the dough you may at this point form the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. If you going to roll this by hand you should knead the dough on a floured work surface for 8 to 10 minutes.

By Food Processor: In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour and salt and pulse 2 to 3 times. In a liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, water and oil. While pulsing the machine pour this mixture in a continuous stream and continue running the machine until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Follow directions above for hand rolling or machine.

Make sure the dough is incorporated well and roll it out as thin as you can make it. Then cut 3-4in x 3-4in circles (a coffee mug is a good mould if you don’t have one). After you cut out each, roll it out a little more with your pin or use your hand so that you are sure it’s a good, thin circle.

Then place 1 TBSP of the mixture into the ring and fold over. Seal the pasta edges. You can either use an egg wash or make little pie crust folds along the edges to ensure it staying together. Put these aside until the water is ready to boil.


To Cook Pasta: boil a pot of water with 1 TBSP of vegetable oil and 1 TBSP salt. Once the water is rapidly boiling, drop in your pastas. Depending on thickness you will probably want to cook your pasta 10-20 minutes.

NOTE: If you really don’t want to make fresh pasta, you can buy wonton wrappers at the grocery store and follow the directions listed on the package.

The White Cheese Sauce
1 chopped onion
2 oz butter
2 oz flour
2 cup milk
2 handful of grated gruyere cheese

Sautee butter and onion on medium heat in saucepan for 2 minutes, add flour and milk and bring to a bubble on high. Add cheese, stir and cook until liquid consistency.

1 large ladle of cheese sauce should cover 4 pastas.


Storage: store your uncooked pastas in a Tupperware container, separating levels with foil if necessary. Store the sauce in normal Tupperware. Reheat carefully in microwave (cheese does burn easily).

Please check back later to find out what to do with leftover mixture, if you have any.

Sarah's Flavorful Burgers

Sarah's Flavorful Burgers
(Serves 6-8 depending on burger size)

2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayo (or 2 eggs)
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 TBSP cumin
1 TBSP coriander
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 diced green chili (remove seeds to reduce heat and emphasize flavor)
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP pepper


Mix all ingredients VERY WELL in a large bowl. Then make your preferred sized patties. The larger/thinner the patty, the more flimsy it might be. Grill or use your oven. Cook as desired on each side. Don't flip back and forth frequently, because the patties might be tender. The grill might not be the best way to do it, if you feel the mixture isn't staying together. A double layered drainable cooking pan might be best. (we aren't allowed to grill in the backyard, so we have to cook inside)

Prepare other ingredients as desired (buns, ketchup, etc.).

For a more fun flavor, sauté mushrooms and put them on the bottom of the bun. Then mix curry (1 TBSP) with ketchup (1 cup). Add this ratio for however much you need to make. Put the ketchup on top with the rest of your cold desired additives. Onions can go on the bottom with the mushrooms. If you want to add cheese, add your desired cheese on top.