Beef in Claret Sauce

Everyone needs to know a few French recipes to impress company. This one isn;t hard or too time consuming.

Beef in Claret

5 oz lean bacon
6 to 8 small onions
2 cups chopped button mushrooms
3 lb stewing steak
4 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 bottle of burgundy or fruity claret
Salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
Bouquet of herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano tied in twine)

300°. Cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes.

Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly 1½" (4cm) square. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the cubes of meat. Place in a casserole, add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat. Place in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes to continue the browning process. Stir from time to time.

Add wine, sauteed veggies and herbs. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven.

Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes or boiled new potatoes.

Picadillo

This is a cuban-style sloppy joe. I've had it solo or with rice or even served on tacos, pitas and garlic bread slices. It's one of my favorite meals. traditionally it is served with raisins in it. I sort of skip that part.

Picadillo

2 1/2 pounds ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup stuffed green olives
1/4 cup brine from olive jar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef and garlic; cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and no longer pink. Place cooked beef in a mesh strainer to drain off the grease.

Return beef to the pan and add the tomato sauce, green olives, and olive brine. Season with garlic powder, adobo seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you are serving over bread cook down longer to soak in more of the liquid.

This is even better after being refridgerated over night.

Kitty's Meatloaf

This is my mom in law's favorite meatloaf. She requests it as a special occasion dinner no matter what the occasion or options. It has a sweet flavor between the maple sausage and red bell pepper that even the kids like. Also a great way to sneak in veggies.

Kitty's Meatloaf

1 (10 ¾ oz.) cream of mushroom soup, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 lb meat loaf mix meat (beef/pork)
1/2 lb Jimmy Dean Maple Sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped onion, divided
½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs with Romano Cheese
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup white mushrooms, diced, divided
1/8 cup diced sweet red bell pepper
2 tablespoons dry brown gravy mix
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sage
pinch of basil
pinch of paprika
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix ½ cup soup, meats, breadcrumbs, egg, 1 cup of mushrooms and bell pepper, gravy mix, basil, 3/4 of the garlic and onion, half the salt and black pepper together and form into a loaf. Place in a loaf pan and press down firmly. Bake for 4o minutes.

In a small saucepan mix the remaining onions, garlic, green onions and mushrooms with the olive oil and sautee until tender. Set aside. Pour off the drippings from the meatloaf into the saucepan after 40 minutes. Return meatloaf to the oven and bake until golden brown on top or 10 minutes longer.

Mix the remaining soup with the drippings and the sauteed vegetables. Cook over medium low heat until warmed through, stirring often so the sauce doesn't seperate.

Korokke Potato Croquettes

I like to add a little chive as well just for extra flavor.

Korokke Potato Croquettes

4 medium potatoes
1/4 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
flour
panko
vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
salt pepper to season

Peel and cut potatoes into medium chunks. Boil potatoes until soften. Drain and mash potatoes while they are hot. Saute onion and beef in a medium skillet. Mix mashed potatoes and onion and beef in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let it cool. Make flat and oval-shaped patties. Coat each piece with flouro. Dip in beaten egg and coat with panko. Fry in 350 F oil until brown.

Dashi - Japanese Mother's Day Meal

I have 1 Asian grocery in the area. It's a pretty place with usually only one person working it sadly. And that one person speaks very little English. Most of the packages are also not in English so I do a lot of wandering around trying to figure out what ingredients are really what I'm looking for. Shirataki noodles come in two flavors as far as I've seen: tofu that's been shaped to look like a noodle and a traditional brown flour and yam noodle.

This recipe to me sounds very yummy. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but the mirin tends to add a very sweet taste to most noodle dishes.

Dashi

1/2 lb thinly sliced beef loin, or pork loin, cut into 1 and 1/2 inch length pieces
4 potatoes, cut into quarters
1 onion, cut into wedges
1/4 lb carrot, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 package shirataki noodles
2 1/2 cups dashi soup (typically a fish stock. Vegetarian stock can be used)
2 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a deep pot and saute beef quickly on high heat. Add onion, carrot, potato, and shirataki in the pan and saute together. Pour stock in and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface. Simmer until potatoes are softened. Add sugar and mirin and put a drop-lid. Simmer for about 5 minutes and add soy sauce. Simmer until the liquid are almost gone.

Makes 4 servings

Salisbury Steak Variation I

I know it's completely unrelated (Salisbury Steak - Solsbury Hill) but I sing Peter Gabriel every time I make this recipe. It's fairly quick and very pleasing as far as comfort food goes.

Salisbury Steak Variation I

10 3/4 oz. condensed cream of mushrooom soup
1 1/2 lb ground round beef, lean
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8th teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 cup 2% or soy milk
1/8th teaspoon white pepper
pinch of dried basil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix 1/4 can of the soup with beef, bread crumbs, salt, black pepper, onion and egg together in a bowl. Press into 6 patties and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl combine white pepper, remaining soup, basil and milk. Spoon over patties and return to the oven for an extra 8-10 minutes.

Beef Stew Cassarole

As rainy as it is I want warm comfort food that you eat with a spoon and warms all your innards. It's stew time.

Beef Stew Cassarole

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
4 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Combine meat and flour in a large plastic food storage bag and toss to coat evenly. In a saucepan brown meat in hot vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add tomatoes, beef broth, carrots, potatoes and thyme. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover; and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender. Blend in mustard and serve.

The Secret Ingedient Party Meatballs

Gasp! Here it is! Anne's secret party meatballs (which I suspect came from Elise) These things are the reason why her parties are so well attended. No joke. When my dad is invited, before he decides he always asks, "Is she making those meatballs?" They are distinct because they're made with (don't tell your guests!) grape jelly!

And now the secret is out.

2 Lbs Ground beef

2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup dried minced onion

2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

roll small meatballs and bake at 350 deg F for 30 mins. May freeze to store

In a crockpot combine 12 oz BBQ sauce, 6 oz grape jelly and 1 1/2 tsp onion powder. Add meatballs (1 lb per batch of sauce), simmer for several hours and enjoy! May also be made on a pot on the stove.

Yvette's Short Ribs

4 lbs Beef short ribs

salt/ pepper

flour

2 med onions sliced

1 1/2 cups beef broth, water, or BBQ sauce

Roll ribs in seasoned flour. brown well in large skillet. Put onions in bottom of crockpot. Add browned ribs and liquid. Cover, cook low 8-10 hrs (High 4-6)

Stuffed Peppers

1 Lb Ground Beef

1/2 Cup Uncooked Rice

1 Cup Water

6 Smallish Green Peppers

2 (8oz.) Cans Tomato Sauce

1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 Tsp Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 Tsp Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Place the rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 20 mins. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.

Remove and discard the tops and seeds of peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upwards.

In a bowl mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can of tomato sauce, Worstershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.

Bake 1 hour, baste with sauce every 15 mins, until the peppers are tender.

PS- stuffed peppers can be frozen and saved for tv dinners! make extra to save for laters!

Kitty's Shepards Pie

This is another recipe that my mother and I go back and forth on how to prepare. She makes hers with taco seasoning, I like mine with a mushroom sauce. This is a very hearty stick to your ribs meal.

Kitty's Shepards Pie

3 cups mashed potatoes, seasoned to your liking
1 lb ground beef or veal, browned
2 cans of whole green beans
1 can mushroom stems and pieces
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
½ teaspoon pepper
2-3 cups shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese
1 ½ cup French’s french fried onions

400°. Pam the inside of an oven-proof baking dish (I’ve used everything from corning ware to a roasting pan) and fill the bottom layer with a mixture of the ground beef, soup and pepper. Top that layer with the drained green beans. Make the next layer out of potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the whole top with mounds of cheese and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melting. Top with the French fried onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the onions are a caramel brown.

Savory Pot Roast

Using a bag to cook really seals in the tastes of the ingredients and makes the meat super moist. This is a simple throw together pot roast that's really pleasing.

Savory Pot Roast

2 lb bottom round or rump roast
juice of one lemon
2 onions, thinly sliced
8 baby carrots
2 medium potatoes, peeled & quartered
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups V8

350°. Sprinkle roast with lemon juice; pierce with a fork. Put roast in a cooking bag inside a shallow roasting dish. Arrange veggies around the roast and sprinkle all with remaining seasonings and V8. Seal the bag and cut slits in the top. Cook for 1 hour.

Vintage Herbed Beef Roast

I'm a big fan of pretty looking food. A roast brined with peppercorns and herbs is a work of art. It can help set a mood for special dinners or themed events so easily. The hardest part is gathering the ingredients.

Vintage Herbed Beef Roast

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 ¼ lb boneless rib roast or tenderloin
¼ cup flat leaved fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon dried thyme

425°. Rub pepper evenly over the roast, press gently until peppercorns adhere to the beef. Chop herbs with kitchen shears and scatter on a sheet of wax paper. Roll the roast in the herbs until the roast is completely coated. Loosely tie the beef with twine and place on a roasting rack. Roast until meat thermometer reads 155° or for 30 minutes for medium doneness (170° and about 45-55 minutes for well done). Carve into thin slices.

Beef ala Mode

An aromatic and rustic dish bursting with color and flavor. The smell of it cooking will fill your entire house and welcome home your family.

Beef ala Mode

4 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
8 carrots, sliced
½ cup flour
1 ½ large sweet onions
1 ½ teaspoon salt
6 potatoes, quartered
½ teaspoon pepper
2 (1 lb 13 oz.) stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons bacon fat
1 tablespoon dried sweet marjoram
1 tablespoom dried chervil (Optional)
1 tablespoom dried basil
1 tablespoom summer savory

325°. Roll meat cubes in mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Brown cubes in bacon fat. Arrange meat in a casserole dish. Add carrots, onion, potatoes and the pulp drained from the canned tomatoes. (Reserve tomato juice.)

Stir remaining seasoned flour into fat left in pan. When mixture bubbles add reserved tomato juice in gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until slightly thickened. Add herb mixture. (If you dislike seeing herb flecks in the liquid it may be tied in a square of cheesecloth.)

Pour liquid over meat and vegetables, adding, if necessary enough water to come one inch from top of casserole. Cover. Bake for 4 hours. The longer the cooking the better the dish. Serve over biscuits or with crusty bread.

**If you don’t know what chervil is, don’t worry. It's a relative of parsley with a faint licorice taste. It's often used in soups, omlettes and pultry dishes. Very popular in French cuisine.

Magic Meatloaf

It's called magic because it does a really good disapearing trick. I'll write out the way my mom gave me the recipe, but I have to say "season to taste" for me means Italian seasonings (usually garlic, oregano, parsley) with a hearty amount of pepper. TBH, I make the whole thing from memory, by feel, but this is the jist of the idea. (also makes good meatballs). Chris looooves this left overs to make into sandwhiches, so I often double the recipe, make 3 medium loaves, and make meatballs to freeze.

2 lbs ground chuck

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 cup cracker crumbs

1 packet (7.8 oz) brown gravy mix

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

Season to taste

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Shape into loaf. Place in slow cooker 8-10 hrs on low or 4-6 hrs on high. can add potatoes and carrots to crock pot if desired. Alternatively (since I sometimes don't think ahead early enough) shape into two smaller loaves and bake in glass baking dish, covered, at 450 deg for about an hour or more (check to see when it's cooked through)

slow cooker variation: omit gravy mix and milk; add one 8 oz can tomatoe sauce; stir half into loaf and pour half over loaf

Traditional Yankee Pot Roast

If you don't have a lot of time and need a crockpot recipe that resembles comfort food, this is a good hearty recipe.

Traditional Yankee Pot Roast

1 beef chuck pot roast (2-1/2 pounds)
Salt and black pepper
3 unpeeled medium baking potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into quarters
2 large carrots, cut into 3/4-inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large parsnip, cut into 3/4-inch slices
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
Flour
Water

Trim and discard excess fat from meat. Cut meat into serving-size pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Combine vegetables, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme in your crockpot. Place beef over vegetables. Pour broth over beef. Cover; cook on LOW 8-1/2 to 9 hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Transfer beef to serving platter. Arrange vegetables around beef. Remove and discard bay leaves.

To make gravy, ladle the juices into a 2-cup measure; let stand 5 minutes. Skim off and discard fat. Measure remaining juices and heat to a boil in small saucepan. For each cup of juice, mix 2 tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup of cold water until smooth. Stir mixture into boiling juices, stirring constantly 1 minute or until thickened.

Serves 10.

Dietary Exchange: 1 Fat, 3 Meat, 1 Starch. 3g Fiber, 75 mg Cholesterol, 15g Carb, 4g Sat. Fat, 10g Total Fat, 270 Calories, 28g Protein, 99mg Sodium.

Jeweled Beef Stir-Fry

When all else fails stir-fry comes to the rescue. Crisp veggies, juicy chunks of protein laden mean and a light sauce that soaks into rice or buckwheat noodles. Yum.

Jeweled Beef Stir-Fry

1/2 pound beef flank steak
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 tomato, cut into wedges
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups hot cooked white rice

Cut flank steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Heat vegetable oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef; stir-fry 3 minutes or until beef is browned. Add bell peppers, tomato and onions; stir-fry 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

In another bowl combine cornstarch, beef broth, soy sauce, sugar, garlic powder, ginger, sesame oil, salt and black pepper in medium bowl. Stir sauce mixture into the wok. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Makes 4 servings. Serving size is 1 cup of stir-fry over 1 cup of cooked rice.

Food Exchange = 2 Meats, 1 Veggie, 2 Starch. 263 Calories, 6g fat, 23 mg cholesterol, 34g carbs, 3g protein, 584 mg sodium

Gyu Donburi

Investing in the initial expense of mirin, sake and other oriental cooking ingredients might be expensive, but they're so diverse.

Gyu Donburi

2 cups white rice, cooked
1 1/4 cups low sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 medium onion, sliced very thin
7 ounces sirloin beef, sliced as thin as possible
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 eggs, lightly beaten
cooked rice

Combine the beef stock, sake and mirin in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the sugar, stir until it dissolves. Reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Add the onion, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the beef, cook for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and cook an additional 3 minutes. Pour the eggs over the top, do not stir! Cover pan with a lid and let cook 2 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.