Showing posts with label Beef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beef. Show all posts

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Crispy Orange Beef



2020 Update:  This recipe gets a lot of traffic. Most people love it and a few have not. Our family still likes the flavor of this dish with the orange sauce and the crispy chicken pieces. I hope you enjoy this too!

One thing I really miss?  Chinese food.  I love the sweet and spicy sauces combined with crispy meats.  The smokiness that comes from the vegetables stir-fried in a blazing hot wok....YUM!

I have seen versions of Crispy Orange Beef on Pinterest several times. My mouth waters with each picture. I finally decided to give it a try and see if I could use "my ingredients" to make a tasty alternative.

I think I did. The beef is fried in coconut oil. I am able to use arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch. I use coconut-aminos in place of the recommended soy sauce.

I was very happy to have this for lunch with a bowl of rice and a few stir-fried vegetables along the side.  The combination of ingredients created a nice blend of flavors. Nothing too over-powering.  Subtle flavors that allow the meat to shine and the orange to be present with each bite.

My inspiration for this dish came from two blogs: Fifteen Spatulas and Table for Two. The links will take you to the original recipe if you don't need to make food adjustments due to allergies and intolerances.

NOTE:  Before you make this recipe, read the instructions. It does say to freeze the meet with coating for 45 minutes. I personally have not tried the recipe by skipping this step. 

Crispy Orange Beef
Makes enough for 2 very hungry adults or 4 adults with rice and side dishes

2 pounds of steak: sirloin, stir fry steak or skirt steak (what you see in the pictures)
2 tablespoons coconut-aminos or soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce
1/3 cup arrowroot starch or corn starch
1 cup of oil, for frying  (I used coconut oil)
Crispy Orange Beef Sauce, recipe below

1.  Cut meat into bite-size pieces.  I tried to have my pieces about 1inch by 1.5 inches.  Add coconut -aminos or soy sauce to the meat pieces and toss.  Add the starch and coat each piece of meat.  

2.  Using a wire rack inside a cookie tray, spread the meat pieces out in a single layer.  Freeze for 45 minutes.  This helps to dry the meat out and make it crispy when fried.

3.  10 minutes before the meat is done in the freezer, add oil to a large cast-iron pan or dutch oven.  Bring oil to 375 degrees F.

4.  Line a bowl with a paper towel and start frying meat.  Fry until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes)  You can add more oil if you want to coat the pieces and "fry".  I did more of a pan fry on mine and it worked out great.  Remove pieces to a paper towel and continue frying until all the meat is prepared.

5.  To prepare sauce-see below.  Toss sauce with crispy beef pieces, add garnish and serve with rice.


Crispy Orange Beef Sauce

2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup of orange rind, sliced very thin

1/4 cup green onion, chopped for garnish

To serve sauce on the side:  Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, whisk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about 3 minutes). 

To serve sauce over beef: Add ingredients to a small bowl and whisk.  When all of the meat has been fried, remove oil and toss sauce into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat for 3 minutes. Add beef pieces and stir to coat each piece with sauce.




Written by Sherron Watson

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Beef and Kale Rolls served with Rice




My family and I really love kale.  We first were introduced to kale about 4 years ago when we traveled the US in our motorhome for one year.  We found that our refrigerator was small and we had to look for new ways to eat our meals. In came the smoothie craze.

I could easily store vegetables and fruits in a large cooler much easier than I could store gallons of milk for cereal in my shoebox of a refrigerator.  This was also the start of discovering that we wanted to eat healthier. Smoothies fit in perfectly with our new lifestyle changes and so did kale.

Since this time I have been using kale in a variety of other recipes.  I add it to our pasta dishes, meatballs, make the ever-so-popular kale chips and then thought to myself, "what about using them in place of cabbage in our favorite roll?"

It worked and a star was born.  I actually like the kale more than the cabbage.  The kale has a different texture--it's sturdier than cabbage- and the flavor is different.  My kids like it better because the flavor of cabbage is not their favorite.

This recipe is another recipe I created in my attempt to use up left over rice in my fridge.  I have come to appreciate left over rice and look forward to finding it in the morning taking up extra room in my refrigerator.  Some of my favorite recipes are using up the rice that we made the night before.

This recipe is made with all homemade ingredients.  Let me just say that homemade is not store bought.  DUH-right?  But you would be surprised by how many people are used to the store bought flavors of so many premade ingredients.  Tomato Sauce is a great example.  Often times the store bought version is sweet and full of LARGE flavors.  I find that my tomato sauce is not so robust.  First it taste like tomatoes.  Simple tomatoes.  I add a few ingredients to build the flavor up a bit but it is not a sweet sauce.  Of course, you can change that by adding your own honey, molasses, maple syrup or refined sugar to match the flavor of store bought condiments.  We don't do that.  We are trying to eliminate sugar from most of our dishes.  Our taste buds have adjusted just fine and my kids don't miss the store bought varieties.

With this thought in mind, if you need to use store bought ingredients--then do.  I will always encourage you to cook from scratch because I believe it is a healthy choice but I completely understand when, for a variety of life style reasons, a store bought item needs to be used in place of my suggestion.  This is part of learning to cook--to make adjustments that meet the needs of your family.

Look at the recipe and decide to make it as is OR make it with your own adaptations.  Just keep in mind that when you start substituting ingredients the recipe's flavor profile may change slightly.





Beef and Kale Rolls served with Rice
Makes 8-10 rolls depending on size of kale laeaves

1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
oil to saute
2 cups of precooked rice (divided into 1 cup portions)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese or soft cream cheese
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
10 large kale leaves, blanched for 2-3 minutes in boiling water
2 cups of homemade tomato sauce (see recipe below) OR premade red sauce (marinara)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start a large pot of water (for the kale). Let it reach a boil. Prepare the tomato sauce (recipe below).

2.  In a medium frying pan heat oil and saute onions for 4 minutes, add garlic and saute for 1 minute.

3.  Toss the ground beef into the onions and garlic and fry until cooked through.  Remove from heat and drain off any excess oil.

4.  Add the kale leaves to the boiling water and blanch for about 4 minutes.  You be the judge.  The longer they cook, the more tender they will become and may fall apart a bit when rolling the rice and meat inside.

5.  In a small bowl combine 1 cup of cooked rice, the cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Combine the meat/onion/garlic mixture with the rice/cheese mixture.  This is your filling.

6.  Take a 7X11 baking dish or something very close, and spread the remaining rice on the bottom of the dish.  Take a kale leaf, cut the hardy part of the vein out, and add your meat/rice mix.  Roll and line them up next to each other (see photo above).  The amount you add to the leaf will vary on size of leaf and how many leaves you are working with. Try to mentally divide the filling between what you have prepared.

7.  Top with your favorite red sauce (homemade or premade) and bake for 20-25 minutes.  The sauce should be bubbly and the inside of the kale rolls warm.  Remove from heat and serve.


Homemade Tomato Sauce
Makes about 3 cups (you will have some leftover from this recipe)

2 medium size tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 lemon, juice only
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1.  Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender.  I use my Vitamix and pulse 10 times. Taste and adjust flavors to suit your families taste buds.  Add more lemon, more olive oil, more seasoning, etc...

2.  You have two choices: transfer to a medium pot and simmer for 30 minutes to reduce or take two cups and cover the top of the cabbage rolls in the recipe above.  The rice will soak up some of the "loose" tomato juice in the recipe.


Written by Sherron Watson


Thursday, July 10, 2014

Gluten Free Steak Fingers with Gravy


I grew up eating chicken fried steak.  My grandfather was from Texas and this is one of those Texas dishes that we had once a week.  The other dish was SOS (s**t on the shingle).  I am not sure if that is a Texas dish but he thought it was.

I make these steak fingers instead of the whole steak for several reasons.  The primary reason is because I find that the breading stays on the fingers much better than the whole steak.  I don't really like it when the breading falls off.  I feel like I am constantly stabbing my food trying to get a bit of breading with a piece of meat.  I don't have time for such games.

The other reason I like using the fingers: my kids.  They like them and that is a bonus.  They have turned their noses up at the whole steak but the fingers make them happy.  The are kid friendly and kid approved.

The gravy may sound weird because it is made with coconut milk but honestly I love it.  I have several friends that are dairy free and I like to try and find ingredients they can use too.  You can always replace the coconut milk for regular milk in this recipe.

I would recommend frying them in lard or coconut oil.  These are two of my favorite choices when it comes to frying our food at home.

The only note I should make is that when you reheat them the next day they will lose that crispy bite. I have not tried warming them up in the stove.   This may make them crunchy again but I know that my kids are not going to take the time to do that and they are okay warming them up in the microwave.


Gluten Free Steak Fingers with Gravy
Makes 12-15 fingers, depends on how thick you cut them

4 medium size cube steaks, I used my hand as my guide (from my wrist to my middle finger)
Coconut oil for frying

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup water

Dry ingredients:

1 cup white rice flour
2 cups fine corn meal
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
(adjust the seasonings to your personal preferences.  Use less or more based on what your family likes)

Gravy
Remaining can of coconut milk


1.  Use a cast iron skillet if you have one.  If you don't then use a heavy duty skillet.  Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to the pan and heat oil.  Use the picture below to see how much oil I keep in the pan.  You will have to add more oil periodically to the pan.


2.  While oil is heating.  Cut the steak into strips.  You want to cut across the grain. You know you have done this right if you stretch the steak and it stretches.  I tried to make each steak about an inch thick.  They will get a bit wider when the breading is added.  See picture above.

3.  In two shallow dishes, add dry ingredients to one and the wet ingredients to the other.  Dip each strip into the dry and then the wet and then back into the dry.  I like to double dip mine.  Press the breading into the steak.  This helps to keep the breading attached to the steak finger.

4.  Fry each finger until golden brown and crispy on each side. Preheat your oven to 200 and keep fingers warm until the whole batch is fried up.  Do not over crowd the pan when frying.  Also let the oil get hot again before you add a new batch of fingers.

5.  When all of the fingers are cooked, you will be left with a pan full of flour/corn grains sitting on the bottom of the pan and a little bit of oil.  To make the gravy I added the coconut milk that was left in the can.  Add more if you need more gravy.  If the gravy is not thick enough, sift any left over breading that you have (to remove the chunks) and slowly add a bit at a time.  Bring gravy to the point of right before a boil.  It should be thick.  Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning according to your families taste preferences: more salt, more pepper, etc....




Written by Sherron Watson

Friday, June 13, 2014

Easy Zucchini Bake



When I say this is easy--it really is.  This picture was snapped in a hurry as my family was waiting to consume the dish.  It is one of our favorite quick meals.

I use this recipe for my leftovers in the refrigerator.  It is not uncommon for my kids to eat pasta with "red sauce" at least 3 times a week.  They love it.  Red sauce is any kind of Italian sauce. We make ours from scratch but using a jar brand is okay too.

I always have zucchini in the fridge.  We use them for our spiral salad, as noodles (see the marinara recipe) and in smoothies.  I just find that when I get down to two zucchini's it is almost not enough to do much with them.

I ground one pound of hamburger with 1/4 cup diced red onion, 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic and salt/pepper at the beginning of the week. This saves me a ton of time on busy nights to have this combination already pre-made and ready to go. With this basic ground beef mixture, I can whip this casserole up, add taco seasoning for taco salad, add it to a soup or make a quesadilla for the kids lunch.

Do you find yourself using left overs to make casseroles?  I feel like my Mom.  LOL

I know that some may find that a casserole is cheesy and creamy.  Well, I love those types too but we are trying to cut back on that and so this is the closest I get to cheesy--a little bit melted on top.

Whats with the guacamole?  Again, another leftover in the icebox.  It was awesome with each bite.  The zucchini had a bit of a bite and the guacamole was smooth and creamy.  Hey, there is that casserole yumminess right there, in the guacamole.

Easy Zucchini Bake

Serves 4

4 fresh small zucchinis, washed and halved
2 cups of cooked ground beef, seasoned (see comments above)
2-3 cups red sauce (homemade or store bought)
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated
guacamole, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a small casserole dish (7X11) line up the halved zucchinis on the bottom of the pan.

3.  Sprinkle the meat, then pour the sauce, and add the cheese.

4.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  The idea is to steam/cook until the zucchini is tender.  The zucchini will produce a small amount of water at the bottom of the dish when baking is complete.

5.  Remove from heat, serve and top with guacamole.

Written by Sherron Watson


Monday, March 24, 2014

Enchilada Dip



My kids ask for enchiladas about once a week.  They love the combination of corn tortillas and cheese layered with lots of red sauce.

I have seen versions of this dip around and decided that it may be a bit easier than making a couple of trays of enchiladas--especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  On those two days I am usually running kids from 4:30 until 8:00.  I try to make meals in the morning so that those that are home can reheat and eat at their convenience.  I miss eating together but busy families do what we have to do to get everyone fed and out the door.

I was correct.  It was much faster to whip this up.  I served the dip with corn tortilla chips.

I found that I could portion up the leftovers in small containers. This made for a great snack after school.



Beef Enchilada Dip with Green Chilies and Black Beans

1 pound of ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced small
2 gloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of enchilada sauce (I make my own sauce--follow link)
2 cups of cheese, grated  (I used jack and mozzarella--but you can use any cheese you love)
1 small can (4.5 oz) diced green chilies
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 bag of tortilla chips

toppings:

diced tomatoes (optional)
avocado chunks (optional)
green onion (optional)
black olives (optional)
sour cream (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large frying pan, cook meat and onions together until the meat is no longer pink.  Add garlic, cook another 3-5 minutes and remove from heat.  Drain any fat from the meat.

3.  Add black beans, chilies and 1 cup of cheese to meat mixture.  Combine well.  Transfer mixture to a baking dish.  I am using a round stone dish that makes the dip about 1 inch thick.

4.  Pour the enchilada sauce over the meat/cheese mixture.  The recipe says 2 cups but you can always use less if you prefer your dip not so runny.

5.  Top with remaining one cup of cheese  (add more if you want more)  I like lots of cheese so we usually add a bit more.  I also use what I have in the fridge.  This is a great way to use up small pieces of cheese.

6.  Heat in oven until cheese is melted.  In my oven this takes about 7 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve.

7.  While the cheese is melting, prepare your toppings.

Written by Sherron Watson











Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Filet Mignon



  
Cooking together in the kitchen has always been a favorite past time for Cory and I. We have 26 years of marriage under our belts and have spent many hours fine tuning our skills with a knife, opening bottles of wine and reading recipes; all the while, laughing and sharing stories about our work week, kids and upcoming adventures.

Early in our dating and courting days (which were few-2 months to be exact), we decided that weekly date nights needed to be a priority in our relationship. We wanted a way to keep the love alive. Often our dates involved going out to eat, seeing a good movie, visiting the bookstore or enjoying coffee at our favorite local Café. As the years went by, and kids came along, it became a bit more challenging to have our weekly date nights but we managed. We hired baby sitters and swapped childcare with friends in a similar boat. It worked for us. The time that we have spent together each week has made a huge impact on our relationship.

This year we have set some new goals and one of them is that we want to eat more home-cooked meals. We don’t want to eat out as often as we have in the past for a variety of reasons. One reason being, with my food allergies, it has just become easier to dine in. We will still do our weekly date night but the dinner part will be enjoyed at home, feasting and cooking together.

Hands down our favorite meal is what I am sharing with you today. Steak and sautéed mushrooms have always been an easy dinner that the two of us can work on together in the kitchen.

A romantic dinner can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make it. I think that there are times when a quiet romantic dinner is just as sweet as a more executed venture with more bells and whistles. I know, from personal experience, that my time with my sweetie is always appreciated, and vice versa, no matter what effort is put forth on either of our parts.

A dinner for two doesn’t just have to happen at home in the kitchen with a pretty table. Other ideas and suggestions would be a picnic, a BBQ at the beach, a wine tasting tour, going on a hike or spending time on the water. The list is endless of places that the two of you can spend time together eating, drinking and connecting through adventure and food.

Food in all of its many presentations, settings and preparations has always held a special place in my family.
  
         
I like my steak on the rare side--so that is what you see here.

Filet Mignon

2 Filet Mignon Steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Parsley Flakes (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a hot cast iron pan, heat oil on medium high heat.

3.  Brush olive oil on each side of steak and season with spices and parsley flakes.  Seasonings are not        measured so you can season to your liking.


4.  Sear each side of steak for 3 minutes.


5.  Turn oven off and put cast iron pan into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

6.  Steaks will be medium rare to medium depending on thickness.  To get exact temperature that is            desired, use a meat thermometer.

7.  Remove from oven and cover with a piece of foil and let rest for 8-10 minutes.



Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Homemade Beef Broth



I have been making my own beef and chicken broth for sometime now.

I love the idea of putting a soup together and knowing that I created and developed one of the main ingredients--the broth.

We have been buying our beef from an independent rancher in Pennsylvania for about 6 months now.  The reason I chose him is because his cows are grass fed, kept on a rotating grazing schedule, hormone free (unless they become sick) and are not given any type of supplements to increase growth or milk production.

I am not a farmer or a rancher so I don't know all the big words and terms to use in describing his process other than to say, he keeps a clean living space for the cows, they are minimally "handled" and the beef taste very good.

When we place our order I try to get as many bones that I can freeze.  These are not like the bones you get when you go to a grocer which are neatly cut, packaged and wrapped.  These are every joint, rib, socket and such.  My kids get a bit grossed out when the bones come in the front door.  They are pretty raw looking---extra meat and some blood.

It is great for homeschooling because we can try to "match up" the bones to where they belong on the cow.

I prepackage the bones in ziplock baggies and store them in my upstair freezer.  The night before I take them out to thaw.  This allows me to roast them in the morning and get the broth started early in the day.

I roast my bones at 400 degrees for about 1 hour. I usually toss some potatoes on the cookie sheet.  This makes the best, and I mean the best, potato wedges.  The potatoes are being cooked in bone marrow!  They are crispy on the bottom and tender and fluffy on the inside.

I really should take a picture one day and add them to this post.  It is hard to get in between my family and the potatoes when they are fresh out of the oven.

Once the bones are baked, I then place them in my large stock pot, add the water, vegetables and seasonings.

I try to simmer my stock for 12 hours.  Why?  Because this gives me what you see below.  A flavorful and well set stock.  This has been in the fridge overnight and it looks perfect.


Recipe:  Homemade Beef Stock
Makes 3-5 quart jars, depending on how long you let it simmer and reduce

4-5 pounds of beef bones, grass-fed if possible
12-14 (estimate) cups of water, fill pot until bones and veggies are covered
6 carrots, chopped in large chunks
2 large onions, quartered
4 gloves garlic, minced
6 stalks of celery, chopped in large chunks
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons of herbs.  I use an assortment of dried and fresh herbs--this is really up to you and what you have in your cupboards or refrigerator.  The broth might be flavored differently each time but this does not bother me.

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  On a cookie sheet, place your bones.  Cook for one hour.  (Your house will smell amazing.)

3.  In a large stock pot, add all of the other ingredients.  When bones are done cooking, add the bones and marrow that has melted on the cookie sheet to the stock pot.  Cover with water until bones are just beneath the water.

4.  Set stove top to medium high to heat water and get the water to a slow boil.  Turn the heat down to a medium low and let it cook all day. If your stock is not reducing then increase the heat a little bit more.

5.  Check back ever few hours and stir.

6.  When you are ready to bottle up the stock, turn the heat off and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

7.  I always strain my stock several times to get it as clear as you see above.  The first time I use a metal strainer for the big pieces of vegetables or bone.  The second time I strain it with a mesh bag that I have.  It is great for catching all of the tiny bits.

8.  When the bottles are portioned I let them cool to room temperature.  I cap them with a canning lid and ring but not too tightly until they are completely cooled.

9.  You will notice that as you portion the broth, the fat will rise to the top.  I keep this fat and use it for making gravies, biscuits and Yorkshire Puddings.  I use my turkey baster and suck it off the top.  I try to leave about a quarter inch on top so that when I do add this to my soups, the fat will add flavor and body to my next recipe.

10.  You can freeze the broth too.  Just use a freezer approved container, leave enough head space for expansion and make your containers. I try to use mine up within 3 months.

Written by Sherron Watson









Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tortilla Casserole


Snow, sleet and rain.

Three things we have had in abundance in Maryland over the last month.

I hate to complain about the cold weather but boy it sure gets to you after a while. It starts affecting your life which in turns messes with your mind.

Isabella told me that she has "cabbage fever". I laughed so hard when she said this. I didn't have the heart to correct her because it was so cute and memorable. She will figure it out and until then I smile each time she mentions "cabbage fever".

I can relate though, I am starting to feel a bit of it myself.


Cooking in the kitchen always helps me to clear my mind.

I needed something cheesy and warm. I decided to make this tortilla casserole and I am glad that I did.

I think we found a new family favorite for the winter months. It helped that I made the tortillas from scratch. I followed the directions on the back of the masa harina package (see comments below).

My wish is that everyone has stayed warm this cold cold winter.  

We are wishing for Spring almost daily.  I guess without the wintery blues we would not be able to fully appreciate the warm sunshine when it finally arrives for Spring.  I love the changing seasons.  This is one of the reasons that Maryland is so beloved by my family.  

We. Can. Not. Wait. For. Spring!

Enjoy



Tortilla Casserole
12 corn tortillas, (homemade are amazing)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz cream cheese, soft
1.5 pounds ground beef, cooked
2 green onions, diced with green and white parts
4 cups of shredded cheese. You can use jack or cheddar or a combination of both.

To make the tortilla's from scratch I used Bob's Red Mill Masa Harina and followed the directions on the bag for one batch. This made 12 tortillas. You do have to let the dough rest for one hour and then the making and baking of the tortilla's takes about 30 minutes. It is a few extra steps but the freshness of the tortillas really shines in this recipe.

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 7X11 baking dish (or close to this size) with cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, sour cream, salsa , salt and cream cheese.

3.  Layer the casserole in this order:  cooked ground meat, cream cheese sauce, cheese and then tortillas.  Repeat one more time.  You should have enough tortillas for two layers and everything else you will have enough for 3 layers.  You want to end with the cheese on top.

4.  Bake for 30 minutes.

5.   Serve immediately with sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and/or jalapenos.

Written by Sherron Watson

Monday, November 12, 2012

Traditional Roast Beef



A few months ago I had a request for a roast recipe.  I had to be honest with the person and tell them I was a bit of a failure when it came to making a normal roast in the oven,  I know prime rib is a roast and I do enjoy cooking these; in fact I having been making one a year for 20+ years.  They turn out excellent and my family looks forward to this special dinner every December.  I don't know if the bone in the roast helps this particular type of roast turn out each time or not.  

I always associate the success of the prime rib because of the cut of meat that I am purchasing.  The price is quite high and I assume that it will be perfect every time ( that might be wishful thinking..LOL).  My family likes their roast rare or medium rare and so I don't worry about over cooking it.  I think in my early days I overcooked the roast.  I grew up with meat having to be "dead"or  "brown" which meant no pink.

I also have cooked all kinds of roast in my slow cooker.  I use this meat for french dips.  It is so simple with large crowds to add the meat in the morning, go and spend the day with family and come home to a roast that is tender and ready to be added to sandwiches.

Now a plain, simple roast cooked in the oven was for me a bit daunting.  In my early days of being a new bride I would, on occasion, buy a roast and try my best to prepare it in the oven.  Every time it would come out like shoe leather.  Cory was so sweet and still ate every bite…LOL

I soon realized this was not my cup of tea and stuck with my once a year Prime Rib and occasional French Dip roast prepared in a slow cooker.  


This recent request came as a challenge to me and so I wanted to try once again to see if I could make a regular roast in the oven.

I love, that with age, comes experience. My roast turned out really good this time.  I did not over cook it so it was not tough.  I seasoned it with salt and pepper.  I let it rest for 20 minutes under a foil tent. 

I was patient with my roast and allowed it to be prepared the right way and not just slam it into a hot oven, take it out and serve it.  I believe these were the mistakes of my youth.  

The kids were thrilled to see the roast on the table.  I found that the next day when I warmed up the meat it was even more tender and delicious. 

I love my roast with a dab of horseradish and sourcream with every bite.  

This is a great resource for the types of roast and their various names:  HERE

Please share your recipes of success for Roast Beef. What do you do different?  How do you season your roast?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.


Recipe:  Traditional Roast Beef

any size Top Loin Roast
olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic salt


Preheat oven to 425.

Unwrap the meat and coat with a thin layer of oil, I use olive oil.  Add your seasonings to the roast.

In a skillet or cast iron pan that is hot, sear roast on all sides.  

To bake the roast in, I use a shallow baking dish with a rim (the roast does drip during cooking). Lay roast in pan.

Put roast in oven and cook for 20 minutes at the 425 temperature.  

Reduce heat to 325 and cook until the desired temperature has been met.

I strongly recommend using a meat thermometer so the roast is not over cooked or taken out too early.

It will cook, depending on size of roast for 2-4 hours at the lower temperature.

Remember that the meat will continue to cook for a bit after it is removed from the oven. Cover with foil and finish side dishes.

Cut meat and serve.

To reheat the next day, cut slices and microwave until warm.  If you over cook it in the microwave it will get tough. You can also warm the meat up in a sauce pan for a few minutes on each side.

  




Monday, March 19, 2012

Beef Noodle Soup



If I had to eat one style of food for the rest of my life it would be a toss-up between Italian and Asian. 

 We love the flavors of Japan, Korea, and Thailand.  I don't eat a lot of Chinese food because everything I like is fried…LOL  

I love rice and noodles.  I love soups.  We love the flavors of soy sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, spicy, sweet and salty.  These are the flavors that I find when we cook Asian meals.  

I always feel good after eating a meal like these because they are not heavy and usually have a ton of veggies.

This soup can be made without noodles too.  In fact, I usually make the noodles separate and add the noodles to each bowl and then pour the soup over it.  The broth is the best part, in my opinion, and so when the noodles are all gone and the veggies have been fished out…I still keep the broth and have it for a quick lunch the next day.  No need to waste the tastiness of this yummy soup.

The broth is what always remains the same and the veggies or meat change base on what I have on hand.  You are seeing two sets of pictures from two different days of preparation.  You can really customize this dish to what you and your family enjoy.




Recipe:  Beef Noodle Soup

1 package of Asian noodles.  I use the Ho Fan (Vermicelli)  These work best for us.  You can use any rice noodle that your family enjoys.

2-3 cups of meat.  I have used chicken, shrimp, and beef in this recipe with excellent results. I usually don't mix the three types of meat, but you could if you like that combination.

10 cups of beef broth  It sounds like a lot, but our family loves this soup and we eat it for two days.

1/3 cup of soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce

1 head of bok choy

5 cups of veggies:  carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, garlic, or anything your family enjoys.

cilantro for garnish


Prepare your noodles according to the package.  Read your directions for the noodles.  Depending on which noodles you buy they have different preparation methods and this can mess you up if you have to let your noodles soak for 30+ minutes.

In a large pot, add your broth, soy sauce, and fish sauce.  You will want to taste your broth to make sure the flavor is to your liking.  Some like more fish sauce and soy sauce.   I have given you the minimum recommended amount.

Cook your meat.  I have used ground hamburger, sliced flank steak, grilled chicken or precooked shrimp.

Prepare all of your veggies :

Carrots: sliced or shredded
Mushrooms: sliced or whole
bok choy: I leave about 3 inches of white rib and then slice the leaves in 1-inch strips.
onion: sliced or diced
garlic: minced
bell pepper: diced

Throw these veggies and your meat into your hot broth.  Stirring occasionally to mix the things that float to the top of your pot.  This should cook for about 15 minutes.

In a soup bowl, add your noodles.  Top with broth and veggies.  I like to serve mine with cilantro if I have it on hand….it tastes amazing!

ENJOY



Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Prime Rib and Creamy Onion Gravy


Every year I make a prime rib dinner on the years that this meal is at my house.  Some years we have gone to family or friends and we enjoy turkey or ham dinners.  We love all three but the Prime Rib is different and so I think my family likes the change.  We have turkey for Thanksgiving, Prime Rib for Christmas and Ham for New Year's Day…this way no one gets left out and we don't get too tired of one thing.

This year I experimented with two new recipes.  Thanks to the suggestions of a friend, I aged my prime rib.  I was a bit scared because I had spent a hefty price on this piece of meat and I did not want to see it ruined.  I studied lots of recipes and suggestions and took from each of the best parts and did my own thing.

These are the steps that I took to prepare, age and roast my prime rib.

1.  I wrapped the prime rib in cheesecloth and bought enough to change the wrapping once in a 9 day period.

2.  I found a cookie sheet with a drip rack that I could place in my fridge to collecting any drippings from the prime rib.

3.  I let the prime rib sit for 24 hours undisturbed and checked on the wrapping of cheesecloth. I changed it this one time.

4.  I used our refrigerator downstairs that has very little use.  This allowed the temperature in the fridge to stay constant.  I did not return to check on the meat until Saturday.

5.  On Sunday, I removed the roast from the fridge, unwrapped the meat, carved off the hard exterior meat and fat, cut the meat out of the bones (see picture above) and trimmed some of the fat. I added salt, pepper, and some fresh thyme.

6.  I preheated my oven to 450 degrees.  Let the roast cook inside for 30 minutes.

7. Lowered the temperature of the oven to 325, inserted my thermometer and set the timer for 1 hour.  The time to cook your prime rib will vary based on its size.  A rough estimate is 15-18 minutes per pound.

8.  Once my roast reached 130 degrees, I removed it to the counter, tented it with foil and let it sit for 35 minutes while I finished the other dinner items.

The meat was tender and very flavorful.  I will definitely be doing this again with the other cuts of red meat that I get from the butcher.

There are other resources for the aging process for a prime rib in the refrigerator.  I will list a few here so that you can understand the process and this may answer any questions I did not cover in the above instructions.

Guy Fieri has this one  HERE from the Food Network.

Fine Cooking as this one HERE with some reasons as to why aged is better.

This is a great link to all things prime rib with excellent pictures, go HERE.



Recipe:  Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Garlic

1 large bag of brussel sprouts or a stalk (they sell them like this in my grocery store)
1/4 cup of EVOO
1 T. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
7 pieces of crispy bacon.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Toss the sprouts, EVOO, garlic, salt and pepper.  Bake the sprouts for 20-25 minutes until charred.  Do not over cook or they will be mushy and most people do not like them this way.  They should be like biting a nectarine…not hard like an apple and not soft like an overripe peach.

Remove from oven and mix with bacon pieces.  Serve immediately.


French Fries were not on the menu.  But things change.  I got a really cool device that takes a fresh potato and cuts it into french fries.  My son loves sweet potato fries and regular fries so he thought this tool would come in handy. It has!  LOVE IT!  I used to eat french fries in Texas with brown gravy and thought why not do this instead of a roasted potato.  I cut the potatoes and fried them in oil for 10 minutes.  I let them drain on a piece of brown paper bag, salted and peppered them and wallah…easy peasy.





 Yorkshire Puddings are something that my family absolutely would duel over, if we still practiced such a thing…LOl  I can never make too many.  Especially when served with gravy.  YUM
I used this recipe from About.com British & Irish Food, it was submitted by Elaine Lemm.  The directions and ingredient list can be found here.







 Recipe:  Creamy Beef Onion Gravy


Trimmings from the aged prime rib, I used about 1 cup full, very  little fat
4 cups of water
1/2 cup of chopped carrot
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1 small onion, cut into pieces
1 tsp. of beef flavoring (boullion, paste, etc…)
3 T. flour
1 cup of cream

I placed the first 6 ingredients in a medium size pot.  Brought to a boil, then let simmer for about 3 hours.  The broth reduced to about 2.5 cups and was a very rich brown.  In a small bowl I mixed the flour and cream together and added it to the broth.  I slowly brought it back to a boil and then turned off the heat.  We like our gravy runny…if you want it thicker you can always add more flour and cream and repeat the process to thicken your gravy.  (see picture below for gravy)


So there it is…our Christmas dinner and Prime Rib Feast.  We ate like kings, remembered our English and Scottish roots, celebrated with family and had the best day ever.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Rouladen with Brown Gravy

 

What the heck is Rouladen?  You might be asking yourself this question or you already know.  It's a German dish made with beef and served with gravy. I was introduced to this dish in my husband's family.  His mother made this dish on nice occasions and for special birthday requests.  This week I was watching Guy's show Dinners, Dumps, and Dives and he featured a restaurant where it was made.  Like food usually does for me, it triggered a memory.  I was reminded of our time spent traveling to his family home for special dinners where this was served.  I never got the recipe and this is why I needed to do some snooping around for myself.

I had to do some research with this dish because I wanted to make sure that when I made it, the rouladen was not dry.  I wanted lots of flavors too.  In reading about this dish, I found that there are several ways to make it.   This made sense to me because the way my MIL made the dish was very different from the way I had just seen it on Guy's show.  The main difference was the addition of pickle and possibly mustard.  I don't ever remember tasting those flavors and this, for me, sounded awesome!  I love both of those ingredients and then together…match made in heaven.


I learned that the dish is prepared differently based on the regions that you may live in around Germany. I also found that there were slight variations on cooking, gravy, and types of mustard and bacon that were used.  It's hard to decide on one recipe with all of the options available.  I did the only thing that I could do.  I decided to take what I liked from several recipes and combine them to make what we ate tonight.  

If you are a seasoned cook this recipe is not difficult.  It does take time to cook and a bit of time to prepare the rolls but it's not hard.  As with most of my recipes, I encourage you to look through the recipe and add what you like to it or take out what you don't like.  Some of the folks did not include the pickle and this dish still tasted wonderful, in their opinion.  The mustard is the other option that could easily be changed to meet your needs.  I used honey mustard, but you may want to use a Dijon or one of your favorites, or simply what you have on hand.



Recipe:  Rouladen with Brown Gravy
make 8 rolls ( I planned on 2 per person)

NOTE: You will need thinly cut pieces of steak.  I used Chip Steak, which is London Broil.  I read that some recipes used Flank Steak as well.  If you use Flank Steak, I would use a mallet and pound to a thinner thickness…1/8 thick.  The steak pieces should be about 3 inches by 6.  I had some pieces that narrowed at one end, which was fine.  I used this end to start the rolling process.   You want enough meat to roll multiple times. I was hoping for three rolls and found that I was able to get pretty close.

8 pieces of thinly cut beef, roughly 3X6 inches in size
1 large dill pickle, cut very thinly or diced very small
8 pieces of bacon, uncooked and thin
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
honey mustard
1 package of Onion dry soup mix, like Lipton
2.5 cups of water (the measurement is two and a half  cups)
1 T. oil
1/4 cup of flour (GF, use brown or white rice flour)
cooking twine or toothpicks

Preheat your oven to 325.

Prepare your pickles and onion by cutting them very thin.  I ended up chopping up my pickle because I did not cut them thin enough.  Either way works fine.  Take your 8 slices of raw bacon and cut them in half.

Remove your meat from the packaging and line them up side by side.  Doing them in batches saves time.  I did 4 at a time.  With a spoon, take about 1 tsp of honey mustard and spread all over one piece of meat. Separate your slices of red onion and scatter them on top of the mustard.


Take two strips of bacon and lay them long ways on the honey mustard.


Lay a pickle slice or the chopped pieces last.



Cut enough twine for each one to have at least two pieces of string. I had a few that needed three.  Try to tie one on each end and this is where the third might come in handy.  If the middle is bulging and things are trying to escape out of the center add a third-string to it.

In a large frypan, add the oil.  Lay the rouladen bundles in the oil and cook on all sides.  I used a medium-high heat and this took about 4-6 minutes to complete.




In a large stockpot, add your water and package of onion soup mix.  Stir well.  Lay your bundles down inside the pot and add the drippings from the pan.  This will enhance the gravy as it cooks.



I cooked my rouladen for 2 hours.  The first hour the heat was set to 325 for one hour.  The second hour, I bumped up the stove to 375 and cooked for an additional hour.  This last hour is when I started preparing the mashed potatoes.

You will know the rouladen is done if the meat is very soft to cut, you should not need a knife.  Remove the rouladen to a serving bowl.  Put the gravy onto the stovetop and add your flour.  Bring the gravy to a boil and it should thicken.  If the gravy is not as thick as you like,  then remove from heat and add a bit more flour and return to a boil.  Pour the gravy over the rouladen in the serving bowl.  I also added gravy to a gravy bowl for those that wanted some on their mashed potatoes.

Written by Sherron Watson

Donut Breakfast Casserole

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