Beef – Kara Cooks and Eats

Thai basil stir fry

Recipe

Recipe Notes

I had some leftover rice from Indian takeout, a basil plant that I didn’t kill this summer, and a lime. There was fish sauce already in the cupboard. All I needed to pick up was the onion, carrot, and meat…and voila, dinner is served. The original recipe had more fish sauce in it, but in these types of recipes I prefer less fish sauce and more umami so next time I’d definitely decrease it (and I wrote the recipe to reflect that already).

Recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping, September 2016.

Photos

2017-09-11 00.55.10 — Thai basil stir fry

Sweet potato cottage pie

I’ve had this recipe hanging around for seven years, and I finally made it! A traditional cottage is topped with mashed potatoes. Martha’s recipe calls for regular potatoes, and I decided to use sweet potatoes!

A pound of meat, mixed with onion, carrot, and peas makes a lot so I recommend using half the meat mixture and saving (freezing!) the other half for another night. It makes for a quick and easy weeknight meal — you just have to remember to pull it out of the freezer ahead of time and have a sweet potato on hand.

2017-04-18 17.19.22 — Beautiful and healthy sweet potatoes

2017-04-18 17.20.38 — Cooking the meat and veggies, I added turnip and omitted the peas.

Sweet potato cottage pie
Adapted from Everyday Food, November 2010
Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
2 large carrots, cut into 3/4″ pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dark (porter) beer
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 large sweet potato, very thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and carrots and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until onion is soft. Season with salt and pepper and stir in tomato paste.

2. Add meat and cook about 3 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until almost cooked through. Add thyme and beer and bring to a boil. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Add 1 cup water and cook until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in peas and season with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer half of the mixture to a greased 8×8″ baking dish. Top with sliced sweet potatoes, overlapping slices. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and brush with remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Bake until sweet potatoes are browned around edges and tender when pierced with a knife, 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

2017-04-18 17.44.56 — Sweet potato cottage pie

Beef and pineapple curry

This was something a little different for me…but I was inspired by the green beans I blanched and froze from last summer’s CSA. Speaking of CSA, I haven’t signed up for one yet and I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do!

Beef and pineapple curry
Serves: 4
Source: adapted from Everyday Food, October 2011

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup red curry paste
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and cut against the grain into thin strips
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 cups (12 ounces) diced fresh pineapple
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
Cooked rice, for serving
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions
1. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in curry paste and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add steak and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until browned.

2. Add green beans, bell pepper, and pineapple and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until pineapple starts to release juices.

3. Add broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until green beans are crisp-tender, 8 minutes.

4. Serve over rice, topped with basil.

Mozzarella-stuffed meatballs

Meat and cheese might be one of my favorite combinations…so it’s no wonder this video recipe caught my eye as I was scrolling through Facebook on my commute home the other day. I couldn’t wait to try this, and even better that I could make them in my slow cooker. I will hopefully have some exciting slow cooker-related news to share soon as well…so stay tuned!

Ninja at work

I also used my Ninja to make the oatmeal bread crumbs!

Mozzarella-stuffed meatballs
Source: adapted from YouTube, via Facebook
Serves: 6

Ingredients
Fresh mozzarella, about 4 ounces, cubed
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup ground oatmeal (or bread crumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup lowfat milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Meatballs, ready to be slow cooked

1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, broken up into small pieces
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix together beef, pork, onion, garlic, oatmeal, Parmesan cheese, eggs, milk, parsley and salt just until combined. Do not overmix.

2. Roll meat mixture into a meatball, then smoosh a cube of cheese into the ball and roll until cheese is completely surrounded. Repeat until all of the meat has been made into meatballs.

3. In the bottom of the slow cooker, mix together tomato paste and 6 ounces of water. Layer meatballs on top of tomato paste. Top with the broken up whole peeled tomatoes and any liquid from the can.

4. Cook on high for 2-2.5 hours. Mix together and enjoy with your favorite pasta or crusty bread. Note some of the cheese will probably leak out.

Slow-cooker corned beef and cabbage

I had very good intentions to make this last weekend, but then somehow the timing just didn’t work out as I attempted to calculate what time I would need to start and what time I would need to be home to eat or prep it for storage. Life is all about timing sometimes, isn’t it?

Add veggies

So save (or pin) this recipe for next St. Patty’s Day when you’re craving a good old fashioned boiled meal. Although I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this article says that corned beef and cabbage is “as Irish as spaghetti and meatballs,” and of course we all know that spaghetti and meatballs is Italian. Or not…I think both of those dishes can only be considered American. It doesn’t stop me from liking them though!

Then corned beef

Slow-cooker corned beef and cabbage

Serves: 6

Source: Everyday Food, March 2012

Ingredients

4 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces

3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces

1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges (leave root end intact)

2 medium red skin potatoes, cut into chunks

6 sprigs thyme

1 corned beef brisket (about 3 pounds), plus pickling spice packet or 1 Tablespoon pickling spice

1/2 head green cabbage, cut into wedges

Grainy mustard, for serving

Directions

Dinner!

1. In a 5-to-6 quart slow cooker, place celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and thyme. Place corned beef, fat side up, on top of vegetables and sprinkle with pickling spice. Add enough water to almost cover the meat (4-6 cups).

2. Cover and cook on high for 4 1/4 hours until corned beef is tender (or 8 1/2 hours on low). Arrange cabbage over corned beef, cover, and continue cooking for 45 minutes on high, until cabbage is tender (or 1 1/2 hours on low).

3. Thinly slice corned beef against the grain and serve with vegetables, cooking liquid, and grainy mustard.

Slow cooker beef and broccoli

This month has been perfect slow cooker weather, so I decided to give this beef and broccoli recipe a try. I ended up making this in two stages, because I didn’t start cooking until dinner time one evening. So I cooked the beef for four hours (step one) and then put the whole ceramic dish in the refrigerator overnight. This worked well because I was able to remove a lot of the fat that had solidified overnight before reheating the beef and adding the broccoli. Unfortunately going from fridge to table took longer than the additional 30 minutes in step three. I cooked it for about another hour and unfortunately the broccoli was still pretty frozen.

I used stew meat for the beef, and since I like my dishes veg-heavy I used the whole bag of broccoli, This may have thinned the sauce a bit more than would be desired, so I probably would decrease the broth a bit for next time.

Dinner is served!

Slow cooker beef and broccoli
Serves: 4-6
Source: adapted from Table for Two via Pinterest

Ingredients
1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into thin strips
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup tamari
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sauce (from the crockpot after step 1)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 pound frozen broccoli florets (or about 4 cups fresh)
White or brown rice, cooked, for serving

Directions
1. In the insert of a crockpot, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Add slices of beef and toss to coat. Cook on low for 4 hours.

2. When done, remove 4 Tablespoons of sauce from the crockpot and, in a small bowl, whisk sauce together with cornstarch. Pour mixture back into crockpot and stir to mix well.

3. Add broccoli florets and cook on low for additional 30 minutes to cook/heat broccoli and thicken the sauce.

Beef stroganoff

I attempted to organize an Olympics potluck, but life (and work and school and marathon training) got in the way. It’s kind of a good thing because I was a little disappointed in the way this dish turned out, which was supposed to represent Russia. I just don’t cook meat that well…this time the beef got overcooked. Apparently in Russia this dish is served with fried potatoes. I decided to make it with egg noodles instead.

When I was trying to figure out what to make for the potluck that wasn’t meant to be, I searched for “Russian recipes”. I found a recipe I liked on Ruscuisine.com (which claims to be “authentic Russian recipes, cuisine, and cooking”), but for the life of me I could not figure out what was meant by this part of the instructions: “fry 1 tb flour pounded with butter for few minutes”. Was I supposed to pound flour into butter? Or butter into flour? How much butter?

If I had a do-over, I would probably decrease the beef to 1 pound, add mushrooms, and use the slow cooker. I think I could probably reduce the sour cream as well.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef browning action

Source: adapted from Ruscuisine.com and Food Network
Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 pounds top sirloin roast, trimmed
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup light sour cream

Directions

Finished product

1. Cut the beef against the grain into narrow 2-inch long strips about 1/2-inch thick. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Place beef strips in a gallon ziploc bag with flour and toss to coat.

2. In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef strips and brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a large bowl. Repeat process with the rest of the beef.

3. Add another Tablespoon of olive oil to the saute pan, if needed, and add the chopped onion. Cook until light golden, stirring and adding 1/4 cup beef stock to deglaze the pan. Stir in the remaining beef stock and add the beef with any resting juices back to the skillet. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.

4. Stir in the ketchup and sour cream and heat through, but do not boil. Transfer the stroganoff to a serving platter and enjoy!

Meatloaf

I recently had a little craving for meatloaf…and I found this recipe for “classic meatloaf” in an old Everyday Food. While I had the oven on, I roasted up the last of my CSA potatoes, carrots, and turnips. It made perfect little lunches for the week, though I ran out of veggies before I finished the meatloaf.

Lunch box

The original recipe, for “classic meatloaf”, called for white bread (to make fresh bread crumbs) and milk. I decided to take the easy way out and used dried bread crumbs instead. I also used ground turkey instead of ground pork.

Meatloaf prep

Meatloaf
Source: Everyday Food, October 2007
Serves: 6

Ingredients
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork or turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs (panko or regular)
1 small onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced

Ready for the oven

1 large egg
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, mix together ketchup and barbecue sauce and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork (or turkey), bread crumbs, onion, garlic, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup mixture, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix gently with your hands or a fork; do not overmix.

The final product

4. Place meat mixture on prepared baking sheet, and form into a loaf about 9 inches long and 4-5 inches wide.

5. Bake, brushing twice with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup mixture during baking, 45-55 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Let meatloaf rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Irish beef stew

This week I decided to channel my inner ginger in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. For more Irish-inspired recipes, check out the dishes from last year’s St Patty’s Day potluck.

Prepping the slow cooker

Slow cooker magic

Irish beef stew
Source: allrecipes.com
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium potatoes, cut into large pieces
2 sweet potatoes, cut into large pieces
1 white onion, cut into large pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions
1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pieces of beef lightly with flour, then brown half the meat in the hot oil. Remove cooked meat, add another 1 Tbsp olive oil and brown the rest of the meat. Meat does not need to be cooked through.
2. Place the carrots, potatoes, onion, and garlic in a large slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. Mix together the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika and pour into the slow cooker along with the beer.
3. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn down to low for 6-7 hours. During the last hour before serving, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and then stir into the broth. Simmer on the high setting for a few minutes to thicken, then return to low.

Try it gluten-free: Omit the flour coating on the beef and substitute gluten-free beer

Dinner is ready

Boeuf bourguignon

Inspired by Jerel, Julia (Child), and some actual free time, I finally decided to crack the spine on my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and attempt the famous Boeuf bourguignon. This recipe is not for the faint of heart, or for heart patients.

Brand new cookbook

Since the recipe is a bit complicated, I’m not going to retype it here. But here’s a link to the Knopf Doubleday web site; Knopf originally published the cookbook.

Recipe

My adventure started at the grocery store, where I could not find a “6 ounce chunk of bacon”. I improvised and bought thick-cut sliced bacon and attempted to cut lardons from that. The first step is to simmer the bacon and rind (which I did not have) in 1.5 quarts of water. I’m not sure why I was supposed to do this, but I wasn’t going to question Julia’s wisdom, so that bacon simmered for 10 minutes as instructed.

Browning the beef was kind of a nightmare because my kitchen has terrible ventilation. I’m surprised I didn’t set off the smoke alarm. I opened all the windows as a preventative measure, which definitely helped…except it was 37 degrees outside so I was freezing. I also had to keep adding more oil to the pan in addition to the bacon fat because the meat started to stick to the bottom. I probably also should have cut the meat into more uniform sizes, but that would have required more browning, my least favorite part of the process. No wonder I don’t cook meat very often.
Tip: Open the windows! Also, don’t brown the meat in the dish you are going to be putting in the oven.

The recipe called for a “full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy”. I bought a bottle of 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau. The recipe calls for three cups of wine, which perfectly leaves one glass for drinking…would have been great except I didn’t like it!
Tip: Buy a wine you also like to drink.

Beaujolais-blah

While the beef is cooking (2.5-3 hours once it gets in the oven the second time), the recipe calls for making two additional recipes: Brown-braised onions (18-24 pearl onions) and Sautéed mushrooms. I opted to skip the pearl onions, but I did make the mushrooms. The dietitian in me just had to decrease the butter a bit (the recipe called for 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp of oil for 1/2 lb of mushrooms).
Tip: 1 Tbsp of butter works fine too, with a 10-ounce package of mushrooms.

Champignons

Once the meat comes out of the oven, you’re supposed to separate the meat from the sauce and simmer the sauce to thicken it. It did not thicken up as much as I would have liked, but I was getting impatient, hungry, and a little tired of cooking. After all, I started the project at 2 PM and finally got to eat around 6:30 PM.
Tip: Patience is a virtue.

Finally!

So was it worth the effort, or more importantly, would I make it again? It was delicious…the meat just fell apart, no knife required. And I am glad I finally got to try the recipe. I think I’d make it again if I had a sous chef who could be in charge of the bacon lardons and the beef, and perhaps someone to do all of the dishes. Any volunteers? Bon appétit!