Food goodness

One of L's most requested dinners, and a good way to use up extra squash. You can use yellow squash as well as zucchini, obvs.  I make some modifications to the original recipe because I found it underseasoned originally, and because something about using ketchup in a recipe is gross (to me; not yucking your yum if you love it). I usually put chili crisp on my own serving of this, too, but the rest of my family does not.  Ooo there's also a crockpot version ; I am going to try this.  Ingredients:  1 lb. Impossible beef (works really well here) or ground turkey or beef 1 chopped onion or 2 shallots 2 t paprika  2 t garlic powder dash of oregano or pizza seasoning  1 pound short cut pasta 2 medium zucchini, grated but not drained 2 c broth or Better than Bullion with water 1 1/2 cups milk (use what you drink) 1 c shredded cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon tomato paste (original recipe called for ketchup)  In a large pot, heat some olive oil and brow...

Adapted from Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food p. 254. So, in case it's not obvious, I've switched from an almost entirely vegetarian (except for bacon) diet to one that is high protein.  And I don't mean just eating lots of eggs and Greek Yogurt--I mean meat and lots of it.  Even red meat.  And lamb, which I don't eat a lot of but this recipe sounded so good that I had to try it out.  You can use beef just as easily if that's your preference.  Don't use bone-in meat for this, just cube it and trim it of any excess fat.  Also, I think it's good to have lots of veg with your meat so I added lots more than the recipe called for.  In fact, everything but the onion is an add-on.  And I think it turned out perfectly because the lamb is really rich and the veg just soaks up all that delicious juice. 2 lbs shoulder of lamb (or beef), cubed with excess fat removed 3 T vegetable oil 1 t ground ginger 1 t ground cumin 1/2 t allspic...

Until last week, I'd never looked at Annie's Eats . I saw the url on several posts from foodgoodness posters and finally took a peek. This one is summery and nice. I messed with it, of course, but I'll just post as is and spare you my usual "but then I did THIS instead" litany. Just one thing, if you have a bread machine to make the dough and the extra hour for rising, homemade buns are easy , you guys. >>> For the salsa: 1 mango, diced 1-1½ cups diced fresh pineapple ½ of one red bell pepper, diced small ¼ cup red onion, finely diced 1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro Juice of one lime Pinch of coarse salt For the sauce: (I halved it and had plenty for 4 burgers) 1 cup fresh chopped pineapple ½ cup low sodium soy sauce 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced fine 3 tbsp. brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ tsp. vinegar (apple cider or rice vinegar) ½ tsp. sesame oil 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1 tbsp. cold water For the burgers: 1 lb. ground sirloin 2 tbsp. finel...

Or, Homemade Hamburger (turkey/soy crumbles) Helper Adapted from: Annie's Eats 1¼ lbs. ground beef or turkey or veggie crumbles 12 oz. medium shells pasta (or another short pasta shape) 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 medium tomatoes, diced (or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained) 4 tbsp. taco seasoning 3 oz. cream cheese ½ cup sour cream Salt and pepper shredded cheddar (optional) Directions: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until almost cooked through. Drain off most of the grease. Add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the beef is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved...

Ok, this isn't really a recipe, because it kind of depends on how many peppers you have. But here's a description about what to do: Ground meat (beef, sausage, turkey, soy crumbles) - about 1 lb. butter - about 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour - about 2 Tbsp milk - about 2 cups dash of cayenne cheddar cheese - about a cup, shredded diced tomatoes, drained of liquid, optional peppers - banana, sweet Aruba, bell, etc. Amount depends on size. I used 3 med-sized sweet Arubas Crescent roll dough - 1 to 2 cans, depending on how many peppers you want to make Brown the meat. Drain. Make a cheese sauce - melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in all-purpose flour. Stir for a few minutes to cook out the flour taste. Add about 2 cups of milk. Whisk until thickened. Add a dash of cayenne pepper and shredded cheese; stir until well combined. You could add some diced, drained tomatoes here, too. Stir cheese sauce into meat. Cut the tops off the peppers. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Stuff ...

I get home from work between 5:30 and 6 p.m, and the kids are already clamoring for dinner. SuperDad Ernie has now taken on the task of finishing up whatever I start/plan for dinner, so that we can sit down to eat shortly after I walk in the door. So we're using the slow cooker a lot, and I went and bought a new oval one that has a timer. Exciting! Pot roast, slow cooker style This was the best pot roast I've made to date, and the recipe I'll be using from now on. The kids devoured it. adapted from The Kitchn Throw all the following in your slow cooker, in the following order: 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 2-4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 2-4 celery sticks, roughly chopped 2-4 cloves whole garlic, left in their skins 2-3 pounds beef - top round, bottom round, or shoulder (salt and peppered) 4 cups (32 ounces) stock - beef, chicken, or vegetable Fresh herbs: marjoram, thyme, oregano, rosemary bay leaf I cooked mine on low for 10 hours, but you could do less time...

This actually has a very French name, but when I presented it to Gaby, I just said "here's some beef stew." And then she gobbled it all up. Best part? I made it in the pressure cooker, which means the whole thing took 30 minutes, from start to finish. If you have no pressure cooker (and I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, I got one as a present a few years ago), you could easily adapt this to the slow cooker. I wouldn't even change the liquid amounts. Adapted from Serious Eats 2 cups drinking-quality red wine 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons tomato paste a couple teaspoons for anchovy paste (optional -- it's for saltyness) 2 1/2 pounds boneless chuck or round, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, trimmed of excess fat 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, sliced 1/3 cup pitted olives, preferably oil-cured (optional) Freshly ground black pepper 4 large carrots, peeled (leave whole) 1 tablespoon cor...

I had a flank steak defrosted earlier this week and needed something to do with it that was a little different than the norm. This was quick, easy and tasty. adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe 2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend (recommended brand McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning) 1/4 cup Tamari dark soy 2 tablespoons honey 3 Tbsp. garlic chili paste 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons toasted (dark) sesame oil, eyeball it 2 scallions, finely chopped 2 pounds flank steak In a shallow dish, combine grill seasoning, dark soy, a tablespoon honey, chili paste, chopped garlic, sesame oil, scallions and a drizzle of vegetable oil. Coat the flank steak in the mixture and let it stand 10 minutes. Preheat broiler, and cook 5-6 minutes per side for medium rare, a little longer for less pink. To serve, let meat rest 5 minutes for juices to redistribute. Thinly slice the meat on a heavy angle against the grain (the lines in the meat).

I made beef tenderloin for dinner, and wanted a sauce to put on top once I'd sliced the beef and put it on the plates, on top of the fried potatoes. This one worked really, really well. from Epicurious 1 750-ml bottle Merlot (I used Fish Eye -- it was $6 a bottle and pretty decent for cooking) 2 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth 1 14 1/2-ounce can beef broth 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 1/4 c. shallots 2 cloves garlic, minced Boil wine, chicken broth and beef broth in heavy large saucepan over high heat until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix butter and flour in small bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle tenderloin with salt and cracked pepper. Brown the tenderloin on all sides, then put in the oven to finish. Remove tenderloin from the oven, put on a cutting board to rest. Add shallots, ga...

This is from a cookbook I've got called "Food Network Favorites." It's from Dave Lieberman. And, was really good on a cold and snowy night. When we couldn't have gone anywhere even if we'd wanted. 2 lbs. beef chuck for stew, cut into cubes kosher salt and pepper 3 Tbsp. butter 4 medium carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks 3 small onions, diced 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 14.5 oz cans reduced-sodium beef stock 2 c. red wine 1 c. crushed tomatoes (I used diced, with the juice) 1 sprig fresh rosemary 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used 4) 2 handfuls green beans, ends trimmed (I used about 4 handfuls Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter starts to turn brown, add half the beef and raise the heat to high. Cook, turning the beef cubes, until all sides are evenly browned, about 5-6 minutes. If the pan gets too brown, turn down the heat. Scoop the browned beef ...

Every once in a while I make something that is so incredibly good that I eat it, sit back from the table and think "I am a really good cook." This was one of those things. from Pioneer Woman 8 (or 10) whole Beef Short Ribs Kosher Salt & Pepper To Taste ¼ cups All-purpose Flour 6 pieces Pancetta, Diced 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced 3 whole Carrots, Diced 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced 2 cups Red Or White Wine 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs) 2 sprigs Thyme 2 sprigs Rosemary Season the flour with salt and pepper, then dredge the ribs. Set aside. In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease. Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium. Add onions, ca...

I did a search for recipes a few weeks ago using Guinness...I bought a 6-pack this summer to make that cake (which was fantastic), but we don't drink Guinness. It's been sitting in my fridge since then. This was a good recipe, then, because it got rid of some of the Guinness, and also our leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving. And, it was totally easy and really tasty. 1 lb ground beef 1 onion, dinced 3 carrots, diced 2 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. rosemary 1 tsp. thyme 1 c. beef broth 1 c. Guinness 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1/4 lb. cheddar cheese mashed potatoes Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef for a few minutes. Add carrots and onions and sauté until the beef is cooked through. Mix in flour and herbs. In a bowl, combine the beef broth, Guinness and tomato paste. Add to the skillet, and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon into a 9-inch pie pan, and top with mashed potatoes. Top with grated cheddar cheese and bake for 25 minutes.

I adapted this recipe from Serious Eats , one my new favorite food Web sites. I decreased the soy called for and increased the mirin, and also doubled the marinade because my steak was twice as big as the one called for. Seriously good, Ernie was already planning when to eat the leftovers. 2 tablespoon miso paste, (I used shiro-miso) 3 tablespoon mirin 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon chili pepper 1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated Flank steak (mine was about 1.8 pounds) Add the miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili pepper, and grated ginger to a bowl. Whisk until combined. Add the meat to the bowl and toss until well coated. Let marinate for about 30 minutes, flipping the meat about halfway through. At this point, I threw this on the grill (set on high) for about 5 minutes on each side. Let the steak rest for a few minutes, and then slice against the grain into 1/4 inch pieces.

Have I mentioned that I got a new wok for Christmas? A real, cast-iron wok that I am having a lot of fun cooking with these days. In an attempt to look for more things to cook in the wok, I stumbled across this recipe. I usually buy marinated beef at the Korean market down the road from our house -- I'll never do that again, this was much, much better. Especially with some kimchi. Adapted from a recipe found on Serious Eats 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon mirin 1/2 medium onion, grated 1-2 Tbsp. granulated garlic 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 pound rib eye, thinly sliced Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, mirin, onion, garlic, ginger, and black pepper to a large bowl. Whisk until combined. Toss in the meat, cover, and set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat a cast iron pan or a wok to high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade, and then toss in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

This was super easy to put together, and while the tater tots baked in the oven, I threw the whole thing together. I'll never use a can of sloppy joe sauce again. I can vouch for its tastiness with a nice British beer. Because really, after spending the amount of money I did at the vet today, I needed a nice British beer. adapted from Simply Recipes 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced (or some granulated garlic) 1 1/4 lb ground beef (or ground turkey) 1/2 cup ketchup 2 cups tomato sauce 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp brown sugar Pinch ground cloves Pinch cayenne pepper 2 turns of freshly ground black pepper hamburger buns Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Remove vegetables from the pan to a medi...

From: Simply Recipes We thought the beer and wine gave this a really great flavor, different from the standard beef stews I usually make. Some of the beef cubes I used were too big, so I had to simmer the meat mixture longer to get the beef tender. You can avoid that by making sure your beef cubes are uniform and bite-sized. Also, I thought 1 Tbsp of thyme was way too much, but I added it anyway, and by the time the whole thing was done, it was actually really good. 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (NOT extra-lean) 6 large garlic cloves, minced 6 cups beef stock or canned beef broth 1 cup of Guinness beer (I used the whole 12 oz bottle) 1 cup of fine red wine 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons butter 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups) 1 large onion, chopped 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrot...

From: Smells Like Home , though apparently it's originally from Weight Watchers. This had good flavor and was different from what we normally eat. I used green bell pepper instead of the red, because we like green better. Other than that, I pretty much stuck to the recipe as is. This will feed us for several meals I think, because it made a huge pot of food. 1 1/2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp mild paprika, preferably smoked paprika 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper Two 1 1/2-pound flank steaks, trimmed of all excess fat 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced into rings 2 large red bell peppers, seeded, cored and chopped 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped 1. Whisk the broth, vinegar, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Submerge the meat, then add the...

From: Rachael Ray Made this for dinner tonight, and it was a winner. I only had 1 lb of chicken, so I halved the recipe and made it in an 8-inch baking dish. I made 3 layers using flour tortillas. I added a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes to the mixture. * 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil * 2 pounds ground chicken breast * 2 tablespoons chili powder * 2 teaspoons ground cumin * 1/2 red onion, chopped * 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained * 1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes * 1 cup frozen corn kernels * Salt * 8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market * 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack * 2 scallions, finely chopped Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire r...

adapted from Elly Says Opa! I was intrigued by this recipe but not sure how it would come out. It's certainly not the healthiest soup you could possibly make, but it's pretty tasty! It also satisfies my "it's not real food if it doesn't have meat" husband, who isn't always convinced that my veggie soups are substantial enough for a meal. I used a little less beef broth than the original recipe, but I made up for it by adding a can of diced tomatoes with their juice, and I swished some water around the tomato cans and added that as well. I skipped the rice step because I'm lazy like that. The soup is spicy, but not too spicy for us. If you don't like it as spicy, cut back on the chili powder or cut out the cayenne. 2 tsp. canola oil 1 large onion, diced 1 lb. extra lean ground beef 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce 5 cups beef broth (I used 2 small cans, which was 4 cups) 1 can diced tomatoes 2 Tbsp. aleppo (or any chili powde...

The quintessential British Sunday lunch, and one which always goes down well with my husband. The closest thing to Yorkshire puddings in American cuisine is the popover, which is something I didn't grow up with. I've been trying since moving to Scotland to conquer the Yorkshire pudding, and this is the best recipe I've found so far. It is, according to the husband, almost as good as his mother's. High praise indeed. All the recipes below are by Gordon Ramsay. Serves 6 (but that's British serving sizes - I'd say it serves 4 hungry people) For the roast beef: 1 3-rib (3-4 pounds) prime beef roast, bones attached (ask your butcher to remove the bones and tie the meat back onto them for easy carving) - I was naughty and just bought the beef from the supermarket, and the bones had been removed completely. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil For the Yorkshire pudding: 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1 1/4 cups a...