Marsala Meatballs

Marsala Meatballs

Always looking for new meal ideas.  Found this one in Skinny Taste.  Chicken marsala meatballs but because the grocery store here doesn't sell ground chicken, substituted ground turkey.  Served on riced cauliflower with lemon and parsley.  Delicious. Thanks, Tim.

Alamo Chili

It's almost the end of Winter but this weekend just felt like a Chili weekend. This recipe is so flavorful without the heat.  Tim loads his up with hot sauce and jalapenos. We change out beans based on what we have in the pantry. 

Alamo Chili

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 15-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed, drained
Chopped red onion
Chopped fresh cilantro
Plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream

Directions:

        

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until light brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Add oregano and cumin; stir 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey; stir until no longer pink, breaking up with back of spoon. Stir in chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up with back of spoon. Mix in stock and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass red onion, cilantro and yogurt separately.

Pillsbury Barbecups

There are certain Gifts From God and one of them is Pillsbury Grand Bisquits.  We use them for just about everything imaginable. Great for mini breakfast cups, mini dinners, lunches etc.... We had a lot to get done this weekend plus taking care of Mom so we wanted something simple to make for dinner.  Tim loves any excuse to fall back on family recipes and Pillsbury Barbecups are one of them.  So easy to make and add a bag of tater tots in the oven with a salad - easy, breezy voila dinner is served.  Plus they are great for leftovers. A classic recipe from being a kid. 

 Ingredients:

1

lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef 

 1/2

cup barbecue sauce

 1/4

cup chopped onion

 1

to 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

 1

can (12 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Jr. Golden Layers® Refrigerated Buttermilk or Flaky Biscuits

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or American cheese (2 oz)

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 10 regular-size muffin cups with No-Stick Cooking Spray.  In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in barbecue sauce, onion and brown sugar. Cook 1 minute to blend flavors, stirring constantly. 

2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each muffin cup. Firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming 1/4-inch rim over edge of cup. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into each biscuit-lined cup. Sprinkle each with cheese. 

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges of biscuits are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from muffin cups.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

It has been a cold, dreary Saturday but that didn't keep us from working on projects, napping and Tim making one of the most delicious meals we have had in a long time.   The meatloaf was outstanding.  Mom gave it a thumbs up and has replaced one of Tim's favorite chicken recipes with this one in it's ranking of his favorite recipes!

Brown Sugar Meatloaf 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: Serves 4 - 6

• ½ cup loosely packed brown sugar
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ pounds ground sirloin or beef of your choice
• ½ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, rounded generously
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, rounded generously
• ¾ cups finely crushed saltine crackers (~12 crackers)
• Lindsey’s Secret Ingredient: chopped fresh rosemary for serving. It’s not necessary but it takes the dish to a whole other level!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix together brown sugar, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in small saucepan. I double this sauce, so that there is extra for serving. Trust me, you’ll want to too.
3. In a mixing bowl mix all remaining ingredients through crackers.
4. Shape into a loaf and place in a 9” x 9” pan. You can make it in a loaf pan but the larger pan allows the fat to drain away from the loaf.
5. Spread enough of the ketchup mixture on the top to generously cover the loaf. Allow it to drop down the sides. It will help keep the meat moist and add tremendous flavor.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear. I like to use a miniature meat thermometer, because I find judging whether or not the juices are clear incredibly stressful.
7. While the meat cooks bring the extra sauce to a boil and then simmer on low. Serve over mashed potatoes and drizzle with extra sauce and sprinkle with chopped, fresh rosemary to taste. 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Fifteen below and 4 feet of snow - no excuse but to stay inside and eat, eat, eat.  Valentines Day and Tim gave me a couple gifts.  He grouted a good portion of the back hall ( you know how much I hate grouting) and he cooked a great dinner.  Delicious!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Total Time:

8 hr 50 min

One 4-pound beef chuck roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for coating

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

3 cloves garlic, mashed

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup red wine

3 cups low-sodium beef broth

3 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped

Sprinkle the roast all over with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Coat in flour and shake off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast to the skillet and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the roast to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker, along with the carrots, celery, onions and garlic.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir until the oil begins to turn brick-red, about 1 minute. Add the flour and wine and whisk until thick (it's OK if there are some lumps). Add the beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.

Pour the gravy into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. The roast and vegetables should be tender.

Remove the roast and let rest for a few minutes. Discard the thyme stems and strain the vegetables, reserving the gravy. Toss the vegetables with half the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Stir the remaining parsley into the gravy and season with salt and pepper. Slice the roast against the grain. Serve the meat and vegetables on a platter, moistening them with some of the gravy; serve the remaining gravy on the side.

Beef and Red Wine Pot Pie

Perfect Meal for a Fall Weekend!

Beef and Red Wine Pot Pie

Boneless beef shoulder or chuck and cut into cubes
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1 carrot peeled and diced
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
20 oz.beef stock
12. 5 oz red wine - use a nice, gutsy cabernet or shiraz
10 sprigs of thyme
3 fresh bay leaves
1 dozen button mushrooms chopped
3 T plain flour
6 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg lightly beaten with 1 T milk
Sea salt
Pepper

1. Dust the beef cubes in plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper and shake off the excess.   Heat oil in a heavy based casserole pot over medium heat and brown beef cubes in batches, stirring to prevent the flour from catching and burning on the bottom.  Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

Add a splash more oil and add the veggies and garlic and cook for around 5 minutes or until softened.

Add stock, wine, herbs and the browned beef cubes and season lightly with sea salt and black pepper (it's always best to do most of the seasoning after everything's cooked and liquid has reduced).  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1.5 - 2 hours.  Add mushrooms and cook another 30 minutes or until meat is tender.

If it's still a little liquidy, place flour in a small bowl and add enough braising liquid to make a thin, smooth paste.  Add to casserole little by little, stirring, until it's smooth and thick.  Season to taste, add vinegar and cool.  Once cooled, spoon into a large pie dish, removing the bay leaves.  Alternatively, you can spoon into individual pie dishes or ramekins.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll pastry to to cover pie topping and place over filling, with edges overhanging.  Press with fork to seal edges and trim excess with a knife.  Brush with the eggwash and bake for around 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

It has been a crazy couple of weeks.  Travel to North Carolina, family health emergencies and work travel.  This winter is never going to end.  The snow may have melted but it's so  cold and damp that it's not worth being outside.  These were a couple recipes that I forgot to post from 3 weekends ago.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Mashed potato layer:   5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 -inch cubes 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise 1/2 cup soy milk 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese substitute (such as Tofutti ®) 2 teaspoons salt Bottom layer: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 tomato, chopped 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste 1 (14 ounce) package vegetarian ground beef substitute

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar-style soy
cheese

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low, and boil the potatoes until tender, about 25 minutes; drain.

Stir the vegan mayonnaise, soy milk, olive oil, vegan cream cheese, and salt into the potatoes, and mash with a potato masher until smooth and fluffy. Set the potatoes aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion, carrots, celery, frozen peas, and tomato until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic, and pepper.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, and crumble the vegetarian ground beef substitute into the skillet with the vegetables. Cook and stir, breaking up the meat substitute, until the mixture is hot, about 5 minutes.

Spread the vegetarian meat substitute mixture into the bottom of the baking dish, and top with the mashed potatoes, smoothing them into an even layer. Sprinkle the potatoes with the shredded soy cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and slightly browned and the casserole is hot, about 20 minutes.

Turkey Sloppy Joes with Kale Chips

It was impossible to move most of yesterday.  Christmas was great but too much road travel, too much eating, too much drinking and we were both comatose for much of the day.  It was really cold yesterday so we scrounged through the fridge and put this meal together.  Because of our current love affair with Kale we always have it on hand now and we always have ground turkey in the freezer - this was easy and delicious.  The Kale chips are the best and will become a staple now at every meal.



Turkey Sloppy Joes with Kale Chips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 medium white onion, diced small
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 large hamburger buns

1. In a large skillet, heat tablespoon oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sweet potato and cook until softened, 8 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds; season with salt and pepper.  Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned 6 minutes.  Add tomatoes, ketchup. and Worcestershire and cook until sauce is reduced by half.  5 minutes.   Serve on buns alongside kale chips.

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale, tough stems and ribs removed, leaves torn into pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss kale with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake on two rimmed baking sheets until crisp.  15 minutes.

Rib Eye with Horseradish Butter and Root Vegetables

I learned two things this weekend.  The first thing is kind of sad.  One of our favorite cooking mags is going out of business.   Everyday Food which is a staple in our household is no more.  We learned in the last issue that MS Living is absorbing it.  Tragic because we use it all the time where as we don't use recipes from Living at all.  I know MS Omnimedia is having financial problems but this mag was from my standpoint one of the best things they did.  Sad.

The second thing I learned was that I love celery root.  Wow, it's delicious. Tastes almost like parsnips.  As a tribute to Everyday Food - we made one last recipe from them for dinner on Saturday night.  Sheet pan rib eye with root vegetables.  It's supposed to be easy and quick be we found that we had to adjust the time considerably.  That's unusual for the original recipe to be that far off but I guess because they are closing that they didn't double check this one.  It was incredibly easy to make just adjust the broiling time based on how you like your steak cooked.

Rib Eye with Horseradish Butter and Root Vegetables

1 large head celery root, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/4 inch wedges.
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless rib eyes ( 1 pound each; 11/4 inches thick). Excess fat trimmed.
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature.
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish.
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
1/4 cup sliced fresh chives.

1. Heat broiler with rack 8 inches from heat.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss celery root and carrots with oil and arrange in an even layer.  Pat steaks dry and add to sheet; season vegetables and steaks with salt and pepper.  Broil until vegetables are tender and steaks are browned. 8-10 minutes, flipping vegetables halfway through.  Tent steaks with foil and let rest 10 minutes.

2. Stir together butter, horseradish and mustard season with salt and pepper and spread on steaks.  Sprinkle with chives to serve.

Really simple and Delicious!

Smoky Beef Tacos

Columbus Day Weekend - What a washout!  Dreary, grey, wet weather - all the red maples have lost their leaves in one week.  Lots of gold and orange still but deep red is gone.

We had Michael and Jeff over for dinner and Tim made these incredible Tacos with great toppings and we watched this bizarre movie that was filmed in downtown Fleishmanns called Julian Po starring Christian Slater from the 90's.  Very, nice evening and we talked well past midnight.  The tacos were spicy and delicious and Tim made several side relishes to top the tacos and they will follow in subsequent postings.

Smoky Beef Tacos

2-3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast ( about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed
16 corn tortillas (6 inch), lightly toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano,  2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Cut beef into 4 equal pieces.  Add to pot, and turn to coat.   Cover, and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork -tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

3. Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid.  Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper.   Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings.

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs

Chilly Weekend.  Nice time to get cozy and cook and bake and catch up with inside projects.  After 3 years of living here, we still have several boxes that still have never been unpacked.  Tim made Beef Stroganoff Meatballs which I never liked when I was a kid but this recipe was very good.

INGREDIENTS:
Coarse salt and pepper
3/4 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots diced small
1 pound ground beef chuck ( 80% lean)
1 pound mushrooms, such as button or cremini, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick.
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions.  Reserve 2  1/2 cups pasta water; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  In a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium.  Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.   Remove from heat; transfer 1/4 cup shallots to breadcrumb mixture, along with beef and stir until just combined ( do not over mix).  Form into 1 inch balls and place, 1 inch apart, on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes; turning halfway through.

3. Add mushrooms to pot with remaining shallots and cook, stirring, over medium until mushrooms are softened, 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add reserved pasta water, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon , and bring to a rapid simmer.  Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and 2 tablespoons dill. Add meatballs and toss to coat.  Divide pasta among four bowls and top with meatballs, sauce, and remaining 2 tablespoons dill.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Charred Red Pepper Sauce

Tim and I had a list of chores to complete but right before we were going out to dinner Saturday night - our closet collapsed.  So, Sunday we headed to Ace Hardware and bought shelving, 2'x4's, and 2'x2's and 1'x3's and assorted screws, I spent the entire day in the closet.  By end of Saturday afternoon, we had a custom closet and started moving in the clothes.  Tim and I sat out on the porch and listened to Audra Macdonald and had cocktails and started dinner.  This was an amazing new sauce we tried on skirt steak - incredible!

1 Red Bell Pepper
2/3 cup canned or fresh tomato puree
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon molasses
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 Teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon onion powder
1/8 Teaspoon ground  all spice

Preheat your broiler.  Place your pepper on a baking sheet and cook it under the broiler until all sides are charred, turning with tongs as needed.   Don't skimp on the charing as this skin will add a fantastic flavor dimension.  Mine took about 15 minutes.  Yours might only take 5 to 8 minutes .  Transfer pepper to a mesh sieve set over a blender jar or food processor work bowl to cool until you're able to handle it, about 15 minutes.

Tear open the pepper and remove the seeds and membranes with your fingers or a paring knife.  Add the pepper ( with it's skin) to the blender along with the remaining ingredients .   Puree mixture until as smooth as possible. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan . Simmer it gently over low heat for 15 minutes , stirring from time to time.