Shortcut Beef Bourguignon

Shortcut Beef Bourguignon

This is a stove-top version, of Julia Child's famous dish. It's a little faster, but still, fairly time consuming. It's worth it.
My son Aaron, loves this. He once said " This is so good, it makes you wonder, what else is out there" It's comments like these, that keeps me, trying classic recipe's.

For the Beef:
2lbs. sirloin-cubed
3Tbl. flour
4slices of bacon-cut into lardons
1 onion-sliced
2Tbl. oil
2cups robust red wine- like burgundy, pinot noir
2cups beef broth
1Tbl. tomato paste
1/2tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper

For the vegetables:
1 potato per person-cubed
8 to 16oz. fresh mushrooms-quartered
1 onion-sliced 
1tsp. oil
1slice of bacon-chopped
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of thyme
4Tbl. of sauce from the cooked beef.

Coat the beef with the flour, set aside.
Fry the bacon,in a 4quart pot, until crisp.
Reserving  the drippings, remove the bacon, and set aside.
Heat the bacon drippings, caramelize the onion in it.
With a slotted spoon, add the onion, to the bowl of bacon, reserving the pan drippings.
Add 2Tbl. oil to the pan, and heat on a high flame until very hot.
Brown the beef, a little at a time, and add them to the bacon and onion.
Deglaze the pan with 1cup of the wine, scraping the bottom, as you simmer, a few minutes.
Add the remaining cup of wine, the broth, tomato paste, herbs, the reserved beef, onion, and bacon.
Cook on high, until the liquid reduces to a semi-thick sauce.

While the beef is cooking, boil the potatoes, until they are just beginning to soften. Drain and chill them, with cold water. (as if making potato salad) drain.
In a skillet, fry the bacon and onion, over a low flame, until the onion has browned.
Add the mushrooms, and cook until they sweat.
Add the potatoes, and all other vegetable ingredients, and cook, gently stirring, until heated through.

Toss the beef, in the flour, and set aside.

Fry the bacon, until crisp. Remove it with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Caramelize the onions, in the bacon drippings. Remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the bacon.

Add 2Tbl of oil to the drippings, brown the beef, a little at a time, remove it from the pan, and add it to the bacon and onion.

You'll have a lot of browned flour, and drippings, in the bottom of the pan, but that's a good thing.

Add 1-cup of the wine, and cook on a high flame, for a few minutes, while scraping the bottom of the pan, to loosen. Add all other beef ingredients, and cook on high heat, until it reduces to a semi-thick sauce.

For the vegetables: boil the potatoes, until they are just beginning to soften. Drain, and run cold water over them, until cold. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet, add the bacon and onions, brown the onion, over a low flame. Add the mushrooms, and cook until they sweat.

Add the potatoes, and all other vegetable ingredients. Heat until cooked through.

Red wine- Beef Stroganoff with Fideo

Red wine- Beef Stroganoff with Fideo

I love the addition of red wine in this sauce, it really compliments the other ingredients.
I don't really care for packaged egg noodles, so I try a different pasta, every time I make this dish, trying to find the perfect one. Still looking.

Ingredients:
2lbs. sirloin-sliced very thin
2tbl. oil
1 onion- diced
2tsp. minced garlic
8oz. fresh mushrooms- thin sliced- then cut
1/2cup dry red wine-like merlot or pinot noir
1/4tsp. black pepper
1tsp. salt
2cups beef broth
2Tbl. prepared mustard
2cups sour cream
1Tbl. cornstarch
1-1/2lbs. cooked pasta

Heat the oil, over a high flame, in a 4-quart pot.Add the onion and garlic, saute 1-2minutes.
Add the beef, and cook until it's a little browned, about 5-minutes.
Remove the beef from the pot, set aside.
Add the mushrooms to the pot, and cook in the pan juices, until they sweat.
Add the wine, salt, and pepper, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the beef, back to the pot, along with the beef broth and mustard. Stir to combine.
Cook over a high flame, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
This is when I start cooking the pasta.
Stir together the sour cream and cornstarch, and add it to the pot. Mix to combine.
Turn off the burner, and add the cooked pasta. Serve Hot.

It's easier to thin slice, if it's partially frozen.

Heat the oil, in a 4quart pot. Add the garlic and onion, saute 1-minute. Add the beef, and brown a few minutes.

Remove the beef, from the pan. Add the mushrooms, to the pan, and cook in the pan drippings, until they sweat.

Add the wine, salt, and pepper. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated.

Add the beef, back to the pot, along with the beef broth, and mustard.

Cook on a high flame, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir together, the sour cream and cornstarch.

Add it to the sauce. Stir to combine. turn off the heat, and add the cooked pasta. Serve hot.

Cabbage Patch Stew

Cabbage Patch Stew

I love brussel sprouts, when I was a little girl, I thought they were cute little, baby cabbages. They're not a very popular vegetable. I can't understand why, they go great with almost anything, steak dinner, Italian meatloaf, in a pot of soup.
I'm always trying to find ways, to use these little super-veggies (nutrients).
Combining brussel sprouts,and tomatoes, (Both are very high in vitamin-C) Makes this a highly nutritious meal, loaded with several anti-oxidants.

For the meatballs:
2lbs. ground chuck
1cup Italian style bread crumbs
2eggs
Combine and roll into small meatballs. Drop them in boiling water for 15-minutes. Drain, set aside.

For the stew:
1tsp. oil
1 diced onion
1tsp. minced garlic
1 rib celery-diced
1 green bell pepper-diced
Two-29oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1tsp. basil
1tsp. sugar
2 bags of frozen brussel sprouts-( I cooked them whole, but I'll halve them next time.)
cooked meatballs
2cups cooked rice

Make the meatballs, drain and set aside.
Heat the oil, on medium, in a 4quart pot.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes brussel sprouts, salt, pepper, basil,and sugar.  Simmer about 25-30 minutes, until the sprouts are tender. stir in the cooked rice, then fold in the meatballs. cook 5 minutes more, and serve.

Corn Dogs

Corn Dogs, everyone's favorite.

 This batter sticks really well, so there is no need to coat your hotdogs, with flour or cornstarch.
The batter is enough for 12-14 hotdogs.

Ingredients:
1cup flour
1cup cornmeal
1/2tsp. salt
2Tbl. baking powder
1tsp. chicken bullion or base
1/4cup sugar
1cup milk
1 egg
12-14 hotdogs- with skewers
oil for frying

Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Whisk the milk and egg, until well combined.
Add the milk mixture, to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
Dip  the hotdogs in the batter, Putting the batter in a drinking glass makes it easier to coat them. Twirl until well coated, allow some excess batter to drip away, but letting it drip too long, will only give you a thin coating.
Fry over a low/medium flame, until golden. I prefer to make these ahead, then reheat them in the oven, they taste better, and some of the oil cooks out of them.

Meatball Subs with (Baked) Italian Meatballs

Meatball Subs

I prefer to bake the meatballs, instead of cooking them in the sauce, which I think, is too oily. Using slices of bread, instead of breadcrumbs, makes them very moist, and not too firm. I start the sauce, as soon as the meatballs, go into the oven, and they both are done, about the same time.

For the meatballs:
Preheat the oven to 375*F.
2lbs. ground chuck
6-slices white bread
1tsp. basil
1Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2tsp. salt
1/2tsp. garlic powder
1/2tsp. cracked fennel 
1/4tsp. nutmeg
1/4tsp. pepper
2 beaten eggs

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and knead well, to incorporate.
Roll into 1-inch balls and bake about 25-minutes, or until cooked through, and just beginning to brown.

For the sauce:
1Tbl. oil
2tsp. minced garlic
2Tbl. diced onion
1Tbl. tomato paste
29oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
1tsp. sugar
1tsp. salt
1tsp. dried parsley
1/2tsp. basil
1/2tsp. cracked fennel
1/4tsp. nutmeg
2Tbl. grated Romano cheese

You'll also need:
2Tbl. Parmesan
8oz. shredded mozzarella
Buns- we use hot dog buns
 
Heat the oil in a 4-quart pan. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onions are transparent.
Add all other ingredients, and simmer on low, until it becomes a thick sauce. About 15-20minutes.
Loosen the meatballs from the baking pan, with a metal spatula. Using tongs, add them to the sauce, along with 2Tbl. grated Parmesan. Stir gently, to coat the meatballs. Add meatballs to a bun, top with mozzarella, and microwave, or toast them in the broiler, to melt the cheese.

Lengua Burrito Grande (Beef Tongue) The things we do for love.

Lengua Burrito Grande

Halloween is just two weeks away. What better time, to bring out my all-time scariest dish... ever. Muahahaha.

The things we do for love. My husband lived in California, for ten years, before we met. One of the things he mentioned a lot, and missed was, lengua burritos, from a roadside taqueria, he frequented. I'd curl my lip in disgust, every time he brought it up. Finally I decided to surprise him, and attempt to make them for his birthday.
 He mentioned that it had rice and cheese in a red sauce, topped with fried lengua and salsa verde. I didn't think I could duplicate it, from such vague details, but I gave it a go. I'll bet I was pretty funny, that first time I put one in a pot, I remember, having to look away, as I was washing it in the sink. Could there be anything, more disgusting looking, than a GIANT tongue? At that point I decided, I'd prefer to take a bullet, to prove my love, but since I had already started this project, I might as well finish it. I was hoping it wasn't going to be another, liver and onions fiasco, from a previous birthday. ( The smell of liver cooking, has a hurl factor of 10 to the nth power, for me.)
I had not planned to even try it, but the finished product smelled so incredible, that I couldn't resist. If you can get past the image of the tongue, these are really good. Although a lot of people have liked the taste, but still could not eat them.

Ingredients:
1 beef tongue
3 bay leaves
1 Tbl. minced garlic
1 whole peeled onion
1tsp. salt
1/2tp. pepper
1cup of beef broth- or 2Tbl. bullion, or base
water as needed

For the rice:
2-1/2cups water
1/2tsp. salt
1/2cup taco sauce
3cups instant rice
1/2cp shredded sharp cheddar
Bring the water, salt, and taco sauce to a boil. Turn off the flame, and add the rice and cheese. Cover and let stand 5-minutes.

You'll also need:
oil for frying
a diced onion
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/4tsp. salt
salsa verde- also called tomatillo sauce and green taco sauce
flour tortillas

Preparation:
Wash the tongue thoroughly, add it to a 4qt. pot, along with all other ingredients. I've been told, you should remove the layer of fat before cooking, but I don't.
Fill the pot with water, until 3/4 full. Boil for 3-4hours, or until tender, adding water as necessary. You'll know it's done when a meat fork pierces all the way through, without resistance. Remove the beef from the pot, discard the broth.
Allow to cool slightly, then peel the skin, and remove the fat, from it. If you wait until it cools too much, it's difficult to remove it, the hotter the better.
Cut or shred it into small chunks, and let it cool 30 minutes.
Heat about 1/8-inch of oil, in a skillet, until very hot. Add the beef, diced onion, 1/2tsp. minced garlic, and 1/4tsp. salt. Fry/brown it for about 5-minutes. You want it to get a bit of a crispy crust, but not too much.
Dump the beef into a colander, and let it drain, while you make the rice.
Warm a flour tortilla, on a griddle, or in the microwave. Add equal amounts of the rice mixture, and the beef, then top with a little salsa verde.
The beef also makes a great filler, for the classic-tacos and burritos.

Cook until very tender. Now doesn't that look appetizing? I told my sister, I should dress up like a zombie, and try to pass it out to, trick or treat-ers. She started singing "♪ I frenched a cow, and I liked it ♪" Ya, we've been at it all day, with the tongue jokes, most of them, too lewd to post.

Are you still there? Remove the layer of fat.

Cut it into about 4 pieces, then peel the skin, and remove any gristle fat or tissue.

Cut or shred, into small pieces.

Heat oil in a skillet until almost smoking. Add the beef, onion, garlic, and salt. Fry until somewhat crispy.

Warm a tortilla, and fill with an equal amount of beef and rice, then top with a little salsa verde

Sliced Beef with Gravy

Sliced Beef with Gravy
A hearty homestyle dish, loved throughout the Midwest.

Ingredients:
1-1/2lbs. round steak or roast- very thin sliced
5cups cold water
2 envelopes brown gravy mix
mashed potatoes
sandwich slices

Preparation:
In a 4quart pot, whisk together the water and gravy mix. Add the beef, and bring to a boil.
Continue to cook on medium heat, until the gravy begins to thicken. About 1 hour.( By this time, the beef will be tender.)
Make sandwiches of the beef, and place them on opposite sides of the potatoes. Spoon gravy over the potatoes and the bread. Great with corn or peas.

Slice the beef, as thin as possible. It's much easier if it's mostly frozen.

Baked Stuffed Peppers

                                          Baked Stuffed Peppers
I grew up, eating the stove top version, both are great.

Preheat the oven to 375*
For the Sauce:
A 29-oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1/2tsp. garlic powder
Combine all ingredients and dump into a 13"x9"x2" pan. Set aside.

For the peppers:
5-6 large, green, bell peppers-with the top cut off, and seeded
1-1/2lbs. ground chuck
1-1/2 cups- instant rice or breadcrumbs
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1/2tsp. garlic powder
In a bowl, combine the beef, rice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and lay them in the sauce. Make a tent of aluminum foil, and lay it over the peppers. bake for 1-1/2 hours, remove the aluminum foil, and bake 30-minutes more.

Cameroon Beef

Cameroon Beef -the curry powder I make, is very mild, you could add more to suit your taste.

There are a lot of really great dishes, from Cameroon, but this is my favorite. It is an incredible combination of flavors. I top mine with a little chutney, and drizzle it with the African hot sauce.
I'm squeezing in a lot of recipe's on this post. But they all go together. This is a bit of work, making the sides, but well worth it. They can be made, a day in advance.  The fried bananas are a perfect side for this dish. I add coconut chips, to the water, when I cook the rice, too. If you can, use fresh pineapple for this, it tastes so much better.

Ingredients:
2 diced onions
1Tbl. mild curry powder
2tsp. salt ( I know it sounds like a lot, but you'll need it)
1/2tsp. pepper
2Tbl. oil
2lbs. chuck roast-cubed
1/2 of a fresh pineapple or 1 can chunks
1/4cup raisins
1 can of coconut milk
1/2cup water
1/2 of a fresh coconut- chopped or 1-cup unsweetened coconut chips
1 mango-cut into strips
cooked rice


I use chip ribbon coconut, instead of fresh.
Preparation:
In a 4qt. pot, heat the oil. Fry the onion, curry, salt, and pepper, until the onion, softens.
Add the beef, and cover the pan. Don't allow the beef to brown. Simmer on low, for 45-minutes.
Add the pineapple coconut milk, water, and raisins. Cover and continue to simmer, until the beef is tender. ( about 30 minutes)
Add mango and coconut cook about 10 more minutes. serve over cooked rice.
Serve with a choice of, chopped peanuts, African hot sauce, pineapple chutney, chopped coconut, pili-pili sauce. It was great with fried plantains.

                             Pili-Pili sauce: from the Congo cookbook
Make 3-Tbl.
3-4 ripe red jalapenos-minced (Or any ripe pepper)
juice of one lemon
1tsp. minced garlic
 1tsp. dried or 2tsp. fresh parsley
2Tbl. cooking oil
pinch of salt
Either grind, or use a food processor to puree. Simmer for a few minutes in a saucepan, to remove the raw flavor. Refrigerate before using.

            African hot sauce: from the Congo cookbook. I love this sauce!
Makes 1/4-cup:
3 red ripe hot peppers- diced ( I used jalapeno)
An equal amount of green bell pepper- diced
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/2 of a small onion-diced
2Tbl. tomato paste or ketchup
1Tbl. vinegar
1/4tsp. sugar
 1/4tp. salt
Either grind or use a blender, to puree. Simmer for a few minutes in a saucepan, to remove the raw flavor. Refrigerate before using. I love this sauce, it's good uncooked too.

As a stand alone dish, I don't really care for these, but drizzled with African hot sauce, they are the perfect side for Cameroon Beef.


1 plantain (or any banana) for each person-sliced or split horizontally
oil for frying
salt or African hot sauce (sugar if your using them for dessert)
Heat about 1/2-inch oil, in a skillet. Wait for the bottom to become golden brown, then flip it, and brown the other side. Drain on a paper towel. Serve with your choice of, salt, hot sauce or sugar.

      Pineapple-Mango Chutney- This tastes great with fresh pineapple.

makes 1-cup:
1/2 of a fresh pineapple-diced or 1 can tidbits
1 mango- diced
2 ripe red hot peppers-minced (I used jalapeno)
1/4tsp. mild curry powder
The white section of 6 green onions-chopped
1/4tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. vinegar
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. sugar
 Add everything to a saucepan, simmer on a low flame, about 5-8 minutes, or until it thickens somewhat.
Chill before serving.

Beef and Homemade Noodles

                                                Beef and Noodles
I've been in the mood for, good ol' country cooking lately. Rich and beefy, this makes a very full pot.

Ingredients:
1 chuck roast- whole or cut up (Cutting the roast, reduces cooking time)
1 diced onion
1Tbl. garlic powder
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
2 envelopes brown gravy mix

Preparation:
Add everything, except the gravy mix to a 4quart pot. (Larger is better) fill 3/4 full with water, and cook until the beef is tender and falling apart, adding more water as needed. Cool.
After it has cooled, shred the beef. Before adding it back to the pan, whisk in the brown gravy mix, add the shredded beef. and add water to the pot until it's 3/4 full.
Make the noodles. bring the pot to a boil. Add the noodles, a few at a time, stirring gently after each addition.
Once you've added all the noodles, wait for the broth to come to a boil again. Turn the burner off, and serve.
It's great alone or with mashed potatoes, peas, and a roll.


Ingredients for noodles:
12 eggs
1tsp. baking powder
5-1/2 cups flour-plus more for rolling

 Whisk together, the eggs and baking powder, until well beaten.
Stir in 3cups of the flour, beating with a spoon until it looks like a batter.
Stir in as much of the 2-1/2cups remaining flour as you can, kneading in the rest, until you have a firm dough, that is still a bit sticky, in the center. Set aside 30 minutes, to let the dough cure. (This makes it easier to work with) Sprinkle 1/2cup of flour onto a flat surface, Split the dough into 2 pieces. Roll out 1 piece into a 1/8inch rectangle.( It doesn't have to be perfect) Add more flour to the top, and run your hand across it to distribute it evenly. ( This keeps it from sticking together, when you roll it.) Roll the dough like a jellyroll. cut.

 Whisk the eggs and baking powder, stir in 3cups of flour, and beat into a batter.

 Knead in as much of the remaining flour, as you can, to make a firm dough. Let it rest 30 minutes.

 Sprinkle1/2cup of flour onto a flat surface. (I use a large cookie sheet, easier to clean than a counter-top) Roll into an 1/8 inch rectangle. Sprinkle more flour on the surface, and use your hand to distribute it across the dough.

Begin rolling one of the longer sides, toward the center. Smooth more flour across the folded dough. It takes a lot of flour, to keep the noodles from sticking together.

                Continue rolling and smoothing more flour, after each roll.

 Cut the dough, unroll the noodle, and toss it in the flour on the rolling surface. Continue cutting and tossing them in flour.

 I've found, the best knife to use, is a sharp bread knife, dipped in flour. As long as it has short "teeth?" Let the knife do the work, If you press too hard, it will crush the dough, and the noodle will stick together. Now they are ready to go into the boiling broth.

Simple Stove-top Roast with Potatoes and Carrots-My homage to "The Lord of the Roast"

                   Simple Stove-top Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

As far as taste is concerned. I prefer roast cooked on the stove-top, over the oven, or crock-pot methods
I used to brown the roast in butter first, until a happy accident happened one day.
On my day off, about 15 years ago, I had promised to make a roast for my family. But I was unexpectedly called in to work. I got the roast started in the pot, and gave my husband instructions, to finish it. Just keep adding water for three hours, pretty simple.
When I came home, he met me at the car, with- "I burned the roast."
Judging from the look on his face, he must have thought I was going to be pretty mad, lol. I thought I'd tease him for just a little while, and pretended, it was the end of the world. I gave it a taste, to see if it could be salvaged, but instead, I found a better way to cook it. Wow, it was way better, than any roast I ever made. Even the carrots and potatoes tasted better.
After asking him what he did, he said "I accidentally, let it run out of water."
The next time I made a roast, I had him show me, exactly what he did. Apparently, his technique is... Start the roast...Then go mow the grass, or whatever, but just totally forget about it, until you smell it burning, and the house is filling with smoke. Then...make a mad dash, for a glass of water, refill the pan, and open all the windows. I use his 'technique" but I don't let it brown, as long, as his tutorial. I bow to " The Lord of the Roast."

Ingredients:
a 2 or 3lb. chuck or round roast (I prefer chuck)
1 whole onion-peeled
1-1/2 Tbl. Lawry's seasoned salt
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2tsp. black pepper
Lots of water
1 or 2lbs. of carrots-halved
1potato for each person-sliced in half horizontally-peeled or un-peeled

Preparation:
In a 4quart pan, add the roast, onion, and seasonings. Fill the pot 3/4 full of water.
Cook until the "water runs out" and the pan drippings turn a rich brown. Quickly add 2 cups of water, to stop the browning, or it will burn. (I added a photo, to show you) This could take anywhere from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, I haven't actually timed it.
Add the carrots to the pot, and fill the pan 3/4 full again.
Once the carrots are just starting to get tender, Add the potatoes, and refill the pot with water.
Cook until the potatoes are soft and serve.

I often make a side dish, for the roast, out of the broth. Add a little more garlic powder to the broth, and throw in a package of egg noodles.
Once the noodles have cooked, add a package of brown gravy mix.

I pulled out some of the roast, to show you. It's almost out of water, and just beginning to brown.

               I brown it until it's almost burned. Then quickly add water.

                                Add the carrots, and refill with water.

Once the carrots are starting to soften, add the potatoes, and enough water to cover. cook until the potatoes are tender.