Better than Dragon King Beef and Broccoli

SERVES 6 to 8
COOKING TIME: 5 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds flank or sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain and cut into 3-inch pieces (Used sliced for stir-fry sirloin and it was tender in 3 hours)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick coins
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large heads broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound chopped florets)
• 6 cups hot cooked rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the sauce and preheat the slow cooker. Combine the broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic in the crock of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to dissolve the sugar and set the slow cooker to the HIGH setting.

Add the beef and carrots, cover, and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours. Add the sliced beef and carrots and use tongs to coat with the soy mixture. Cover and cook until the beef is cooked through and tender, 3 1/2 to 5 hours on the HIGH setting. Start checking at 3 1/2 to 4 hours, as flank steak tends to cook faster and may be tender at 4 hours.

Add the slurry and broccoli and cook for 30 minutes more. Whisk the water and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth (this is your "slurry"). Add to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the chopped broccoli and stir to coat the broccoli in the sauce. Cover and cook until the sauce is thickened and the broccoli is tender, about 30 minutes more.

Serve the finished beef and broccoli over hot cooked rice.

Wild Rice Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ cup cooked wild rice

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

½ cup evaporated milk

1 (10-3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup dry white wine

¼ teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375. Combine beef, onion, rice, salts, bread crumbs and milk; shape into 1-inch balls. Place in shallow pan; bake 10 to 15 minutes or until brown. In saucepan, combine soup, water, wine and spices.  Add meatballs and simmer 30 minutes.

4 servings

Political Barbecue

1 (3½ to4-pound) beef chuck roast

½ cup vinegar

I (28-ounce) bottle Brooks ® catsup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 bay leaves

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

Combine ail ingredients except sugar In large kettle or Dutch oven. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 hours until meat Is tender and breaks apart easily.  Break up meat.  Refrigerate overnight.  Skim off fat.  Add sugar and reheat. Discard bay leaves before serving on warm hamburger buns.

12 to 14 servings.

Stay-A-Bed Stew on Thursday

Yes, I'm back with another recipe that is circa 1971, Church of St. Leo's parish cookbook....
This actually is my own mom's recipe.  I remember her making it when I was a kid.  It's delicious!
It's Simple and the biggest bonus, my kids LOVED it! 
Louie asked if we could have this again on Thursday; that is his stamp of approval.  He doesn't remember all 7 days of the week, for some reason if he really likes something we need to have it for dinner on Thursday or "can we go there on Thursday?"


Stay-A-Bed Stew

2 lbs. stew meat
lots of carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
several onions, cut into big chunks
several celery stalks, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of peas (don't drain them!)
1 bay leaf

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a CrockPot or a dutch oven.  Gently stir in the can of peas and the liquid and the bay leaf. 
Cook on low for 6-8 hours (if using a crockpot).  If you're going the oven route, bake at 275 for 6 hours. 

Simple, delicious and easy on the wallet! Enjoy!

Another Hot Dish!

We're full of hotdish (aka: casserole) around here!  Dan has been very busy trying out new recipes.....
the most recent recipe he tried was really delicious and it was even more delicious the next day!
It is from the Nativity cookbook, that is a treasure full of wonderfully tasty things!
So, here goes another one: 

Lois' Hot Dish

1 lb. ground beef
1T  butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup sliced cooked carrots (fresh is really delicious)
1 pound flat noodles, cooked and drained (we used bow ties, but egg noodles would be good in this too)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef with onion and garlic.  Drain fat.  Stir in tomato sauce, add salt and pepper.  Simmer 5 minutes.  In a bowl, combine sour cream, cottage cheese, parsley, carrots and cooked noodles.  Mix well.  Spray 3 qt casserole with cooking spray.  Alternate noodles and meat mixture, beginning and ending with noodles.  Top with cheddar cheese.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until hot.
**it can be prepared and frozen.  If frozen, bake at 400 for 1 hour.

Sliders

Several months ago, America's Test Kitchen did an episode on how to make perfect old fashioned burgers, without having to get out the outdoor grill. Well, in typical ATK fashion, it had a bazillion ingredients and many steps that created lots of dirty dishes.
So, this past weekend, the kids and I were home alone and I decided to make them, but with just a couple ingredients....I also made them "kid sized" which they LOVED!
Each of my kids at two of these for dinner when made them. They were do delicious!

So, here goes, SLIDERS!

1 pound good quality 85-90% lean ground beef
Kosher Sale and fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter
6 Pepperidge Farms "Slider" sized buns (I used whole wheat)
3 slices deluxe American Cheese
thin sliced onion

On a large baking sheet, crumble the ground beef into small, loose pieces. Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper. Using your fingers, gently divide the meat into 6 equal mounds. Then, using your fingers, shape into a loose patty about 1/2 thick and about 2.5-3 inches in diameter. (dont' pick it up and mash it into a compact burger shape).
The edges should be ragged looking.
Either put the sheet pan in the freezer (or in a Minnesota winter, put the sheet pan outside). My burgers were outside for about 15-20 minutes.

In a large cast iron skillet, melt 1/2 tbsp of butter over medium heat until it is foaming. Add the bun tops, cut side down and toast until lightly golden brown (about 2 minutes). Repeat with remaining butter and toast the bun bottoms. Set aside.

Heat skillet on high heat and add 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil (I brushed it around the pan with a silicone brush, to coat the pan) until it is smoking. Using a spatula, transfer 3 burgers to the skillet, let them cook for 3 minutes without moving them. Flip the burgers and cook for 1 more minute. Top each patty with a 1/2 of a slice of cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Repeat with the 3 remaining burgers.
Transfer burgers to the bun bottoms, top with either raw or fried onions. (to fry them, I just threw the onion into the pan right after the first round of burgers were done cooking and fried them until they were soft and just turning golden brown, about 3 minutes.)
Cover with bun tops and serve.

**will post photo shortly**

Tater Tot Hot Dish (aka: Casserole if you're not from Minnesota)

Simple and delicious are two things that are key to any recipe that we make. I'd also like to add another criteria for me: not more than 8 ingredients....
I have a ton of cookbooks and recently went through my collection. I pared it down to 2 cubbies in my IKEA shelving unit, which is not many! Anyhow, I discovered that I had cookbooks on the shelf that had 15 ingredients PER RECIPE on my shelf, how about NO!
So, when my mom passed this on to me a few years ago, I realized that it would be a favorite....Not only because it is one of Dan's favorites, but it's got 6 key ingredients to it! Yes, I said 6! and those 6 are things that we have in the cupboard at any given time....
The recipe card dates back to 1965, so it is an oldie but goodie!

Tater Tot Hot Dish

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 cans french cut green beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package Tater Tots

Press the ground beef into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Evenly distribute 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix over the ground beef.
Spread the green beans on top of the soup mix. (note: often, I don't have canned french cut beans, you can use a bag of frozen ones too, I use this more often!) Evenly spread the canned soup over the top of the green beans and then arrange the tater tots on top of the soup.
Bake in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours.

Enjoy, this is a good one!

Grandma's Meatloaf

Grandma's Meatloaf

2 pounds ground beef (80/20 works great, meatloaf mix is even better - meatloaf mix is beef, veal and pork)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp dried chopped onion

Combine the first six ingredients and gently press into a loaf pan. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the meatloaf in pan.
Bank in 350-degree oven for 90 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and remove from pan, slice and serve.

Best Hamburgers EVER!

My sister-in-law, Tesa shared this recipe with me earlier this spring and I'm addicted and converted. I used to be strictly a Lipton Onion Soup Burger consumer. We have converted to Hidden Valley Ranch Burgers. They're delicious and super juicy.
Here's the recipe:

2# of 80/20 ground beef (the fat content in the ground beef is very important when putting burgers on the grill)
6 Tbsp of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Mix (I have the big Sam's Club jar of mix, it's much cheaper)
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thick
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp of vegetable oil

Mix the ground beef and the dressing mix thoroughly, but don't be too rough with it.
Divide the ground beef in half and each half into thirds. Or about 5.75 ounces each (for third pound burgers).
Shape each third of beef into a ball and shape into a burger.
or . . . you can use this handy dandy little gadget: Robinsons Tastee Ring Burger Press

This burger press makes perfect burgers that stay flat on the grill. No little burger balls that are charred and don't fit into your bun! This burger press works perfectly with 1/3 pound burgers. It is the perfect size burger.
Put a piece of plastic wrap in the bottom of the press and then put the ball of beef on top. Cover with plastic wrap and then press with the top of the Tastee Ring Burger Press.

Voila! a perfect burger for your prepared charcoal grill!

Here's our grill with the coals getting ready for the burgers.

Once your coals are ready, prepare your grill for direct grilling. Preheat your grill grate and clean the grate. Use a folded paper towel to oil your grill grate (carefully).

Drizzle the sliced onion with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the burgers and the onions on the grill and cover. Grill on each side for 5 minutes. Flip once (don't turn over again, they could break apart). Cook for an additional 4 minutes and add a slice of cheese if you'd like it (and who doesn't??). Put the lid on the grill for an additional minute and then remove the burgers and onion slices.

Serve on a good bun with the onion slices and condiments of your choice.

Enjoy! We enjoyed! That's why there aren't any pictures of the finished product!

These are great burgers.

Kona Crusted Sirloin

If you've ever been to the Capital Grill, you may have ordered the Kona Crusted Sirloin. It's delicious! Definitely, the best steak that I've ever eaten in a restaurant.
I tried to remember to take a picture of the steaks after they were done on the grill, but I was so excited to eat mine, that I completely forgot!


Coffee Rub:
(the recipe I found says this is for one steak, it's a lot of rub. I stored excess in a zip-loc bag in the freezer. it is enough for about 8 steaks!)

1/3 cup sugar
1 cup kona ground decaffeinated coffee
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/4 cup mustard powder
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lowry season salt
4 steaks (we used tenderloin on Sunday, although any steak will work)

Mix everything, except the steaks in a bowl. Depending on the cheese, you may want to pulse the blend in a food processor a few times.

dredge the steaks in the rub and pat into the meat. Let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you prep your grill for direct grilling. Grill each steak for 6-8 minutes per side (depending on thickness and desired doneness). The ones that I grilled were pretty thick, so we did all four sides.

Grilled to perfection! Medium rare! Yummy.

Enchilada Hot Dish

Yes, I'm in Minnesota and it's called a "hot dish."

When I got my second job at Norwest, it was in downtown Minneapolis. My first job downtown. The department that I moved to would use any excuse to host a potluck. Our crazy co-worker (seriously, she was nuts!) brought this one of our potlucks and it was delicious! I've made it many times over the last several years and have kicked it up a notch by switching out some of her ingredients for something a little more flavorful.

Here it is, Enchilada Hotdish:

2# ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup (no minnesota 'hotdish' is complete without it!)
1 can of Campbell's Pepper Jack soup (or nacho cheese soup)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (with green chiles is good too)
1/2-3/4 cup salsa
2 bags of cheddar, co-jack or whatever cheese you like
16-20 corn tortillas

In a dutch oven, brown the ground beef, drain off the fat. Add chopped onion and celery, cook until soft. Add the two cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. To the ground beef, add the soups and the tomatoes and salsa. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes, until flavors incorporated.
While the soup and beef mixture is heating, begin to lightly fry the tortillas on a hot griddle or skillet. Add a couple spoonfuls of the soup mixture to a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Top with 4-5 tortillas and a 1/4 of the cheese. Repeat the layers until you have 4 layers of tortillas and you've ended with cheese. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes. (remember to spray the foil so the cheese doesn't stick).
Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to set and the layers will slice nicely. Serve with a little sour cream and salsa. This is really good the next day too!

My sister-in-law shared a recipe similar to this called "King Ranch Casserole" made with chicken. I'll see if she is ok with me posting that recipe and share that later. It's really good. An excellent dish to make with a shredded rotisserie chicken.

Steak Tacos

We watched the episode of America's Test Kitchen last night and this was one of the recipes. I'll definitely be giving this a try this summer, cooking the meat on the grill and heating the tortillas on the grill too. Served right up outside at the table with margaritas or cold beer! Sounds delicious.

Steak Tacos - America's Test Kitchen

For a less spicy dish, remove some or all of the ribs and seeds from the jalapeños before chopping them for the marinade. In addition to the toppings suggested below, try serving the tacos with Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions (see related recipe), thinly sliced radishes or cucumber, or salsa.

Serves 4 to 6
Herb Paste

1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 medium garlic cloves , roughly chopped
3 medium scallions , roughly chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 medium jalapeño chile , stemmed and roughly chopped (see note)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Steak

1 flank steak (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut lengthwise (with grain) into 4 equal pieces (see below)
1 tablespoon kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tacos

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas , warmed (see note)
Fresh cilantro leaves
Minced white or red onion
Lime wedges


See Illustrations Below: How to Warm Tortillas

1. FOR THE HERB PASTE: Pulse cilantro, garlic, scallions, jalapeño, and cumin in food processor until finely chopped, ten to twelve 1-second pulses, scraping down sides as necessary. Add oil and process until mixture is smooth and resembles pesto, about 15 seconds, scraping down sides of workbowl as necessary. Transfer 2 tablespoons herb paste to medium bowl; whisk in lime juice and set aside.

2. FOR THE STEAK: Using dinner fork, poke each piece of steak 10 to 12 times on each side. Place in large baking dish; rub all sides of steak pieces evenly with salt and then coat with remaining herb paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

3. Scrape herb paste off steak and sprinkle all sides of pieces evenly with sugar and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place steak in skillet and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip steak and sear until second side is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, stand each piece on a cut side and cook, turning as necessary, until all cut sides are well browned and internal temperature registers 125 to 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 7 minutes. Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

4. FOR THE TACOS: Using sharp chef’s knife or carving knife, slice steak pieces across grain into 1/8-inch-thick pieces. Transfer sliced steak to bowl with herb paste-lime juice mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt. Spoon small amount of sliced steak into center of each warm tortilla and serve immediately, passing toppings separately.


Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions

The pickled onions can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes about 2 cups 1 medium red onion , sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 jalapeño chiles , stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin rings
1/4 teaspoon table salt

Place onions in medium heat-resistant bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, jalapeños, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture over onions, cover loosely, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Once cool, drain and discard liquid.

Beef Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

This recipe is from my friend Mary Owen (aka: Ted's step-mother). I have not made it, but it sounds delicious. We really like sweet potatoes at our house and they are so much better for you than just a regular potato.
It sounds delicious!

½ cup chopped onion
2 large sweet potatos, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 celery root (celeriac), peeled and chopped
1 (5 lb) boneless beef roast, trimmed of fat
Sea salt and ground black pepper
3 tbsp. flour
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup real maple syrup
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
*I like to add a small handful of chopped parsley*

Arrange onion, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and celery root in bottom of crock pot. Season beef all over with sea salt and black pepper. Rub flour all over beef. Place roast on top of vegetables. Whisk together tomatoes, maple syrup, and seasonings. Pour mixture over beef.
Cover and cook on LOW for 12 hours or HIGH or 8 hours.