Category Archives: Beef

Organic Beef or Buffalo Chili.

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Sunday’s are a perfect day for chili especially during football playoffs.  This can be made ahead of time or earlier in the day and left simmering on the stovetop.  I’ve used both organic lean beef and ground buffalo with this recipe and both work perfectly and are a bit healthier if you’re watching your weight.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of beef or buffalo (leaner the better)
Olive oil
1/2 of a large yellow onion, diced
1 large bell pepper (you choose the color)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans (16 oz) dark red kidney beans (I use reduced sodium)
1 (14 oz or smaller) can of diced tomatoes
1 – 6 oz can of tomato paste
3/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 jalapeño, finely diced (remove the seeds if you want less heat/spice to your dish)
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

In a large deep stock pot or Dutch oven, add a drizzle of olive oil to the bottom of your pan.    Turn the heat to medium.  Once hot, add the meat and break it up and cook until no longer pink. Add the onions, peppers and garlic.  Cook for about 4 minutes.  Then add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to very low and cover.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.  Right before serving, taste and adjust your spices.

Serve with cornbread muffins and top the chili with sour cream, Chobani plain yogurt, jalapeños, diced spring onions, cheddar cheese or whatever you like :)

 

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Drunken beef stew.

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Beef stew is one of those staples of cooler weather.  I normally make this in the crock pot but in my cleaning frenzy today, I thought I would slow cook it in my Le Creuset Dutch Oven in the oven all afternoon.   It’s just one of those things that makes you feel good.  In the middle of holiday craziness, it is a welcoming aroma for sure.

Stews are typically cooked in the same manner.  So once you get down the main components, you can customize it to what your family would like.  One tip:  Always remove the beef from the fridge and let it come to room temperature prior to cooking.  Placing very cold beef in a hot pan with oil isn’t recommended.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of stew meat
Red wine (about 3 cups)
2 bay leaves
Salt
Peppers
All Purpose Flour (1/2 cup)
Olive oil
1 onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped (still remaining in large pieces)
5 carrots, cut into large pieces
2 sweet potatoes or white/red potatoes
1 tsp of whole peppercorns (white or black)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried Rosemary

Directions:

To start, place your beef in a gallon size Ziploc baggie and add the wine,  salt/pepper, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns.  Seal the bag and give it a good massage.  Place in your fridge from 2-24 hours.  Once done, place a strainer over a bowl and drain the meat/wine.  Reserve the wine.

In a separate Ziploc, add the flour and salt and pepper.  Add the meat and coat well.  In the meantime, in your Dutch oven, heat some olive oil over a medium flame.  Once the oil is hot, work in batches, browning the meat for about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a platter to rest.  Once all the meat is browned, add the onions, and carrots.  Add additional olive oil if needed.  Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often.  Then remove the veggies and place with the meat.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Add the reserved wine marinade to the the Dutch oven and turn the heat all the way to high.  Bring to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that remained from cooking the meat prior.  This will add such great flavor to the wine for cooking.  Once the bottom of the pan feels cleaned, add all of the meat and veggies back to the Dutch oven.  Cover and place in the preheated oven.

Check on the liquid level about every hour and add additional wine or you can use beef broth as needed.  I let this cook for about 4 to 6 hours. Remove your bay leaves before serving.  Serve straight up or over noodles or rice.  Enjoy!

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Italian Pot Roast.

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Today was the first day in several that I was able to cook in my kitchen.  This renovation has taken over my life.  After church, we rushed home to finish up some painting and cleaning that I’ve been neglecting and I popped this roast in the oven.  My house smelled heavenly all day.  This is the perfect Sunday dinner that you really need to try.  Super easy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

4-5 lb chuck roast
Olive oil
2 cups of a good, dry red wine
1.5 cups of beef broth
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven, drizzle some olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high.  While the oil heats up, pat the roast down with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Place the meat into the pan (be cautious and the oil will be quite hot and sizzling).  Let the meat sear on one side for about 8 minutes or until browned.  Then flip to the other side.  Don’t rush this process as it creates a depth of flavor in the end result that is incredible.  Once browned, remove and place on a plate.  Add the onions and cook for about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute.  Then add the wine and scrape up the bottom of the pan to remove the brown bits from the meat. Add in the broth and the meat.  Bring to a boil.  Then turn off.  Cover with the lid and place in the oven.  Cook for 4-6 hours.  Check the liquid level periodically to ensure that there is enough for braising.  If not, add broth or wine as needed.

Serve over mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, rice or egg noodles.

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Gambino family sauce & meatball recipe.

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I grew up in the most basic, tiny (I mean seriously tiny) kitchen with two amazing cooks that shaped my life by turning out mouth-watering, delectable foods.  I’ve taken those recipes and put my fingerprint on them and today, my family enjoys my grandmother & aunt’s food with a touch of me.  Now, I don’t stick with one specific hardcore recipe.  I morph recipes to suit my mood.  This recipe represents me today.

Sauce and meatballs to an Italian, are staples, much like a chicken soup is when you’re sick.  I strive to be healthy, working out and eating right but I will NEVER give up pasta.  I can’t even fathom how to do that.  With that, here is my recipe.

Meatballs:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of bread crumbs or panko (seasoned or plain)
1 egg
2 teaspoons of salt
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced
Pepper
Hot pepper flakes
1/2 lb of each – ground sirloin, ground pork and ground veal

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, add the bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, garlic, onion and hot pepper flakes.  Once mixed, add the meat and blend well without over-mixing.

In a large skillet with about 1/2 cup of olive oil, heat over medium flame.  Once hot, use a melon baller and scoop out the meatballs and place into the skillet cautiously (the oil may spray up).  Cook until a nice crust is on each side (about 2-3 minutes).  Then remove and place on a paper towel lined plate tto soak up the excess oil.  Work in batches and avoid over-crowding.  Once all of the meatballs are browned, gently place them in the sauce to finish cooking.  Be cautious when stirring not to break them up.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped into small pieces
2 cans of San Marzano crushed tomatoes (28 ounces each)
1 can of tomato paste
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of a better quality red wine
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
3 tablespoons of dried parsley or 1/4 cup of fresh
2 tablespoons of Italian Seasonings
Olive oil
Optional:  grated parmesan (for garnishing)
Fresh basil (for garnishing)

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven (I used Le Creuset) over medium heat,  pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of your pan.  Add your onion, garlic, carrots and green peppers.  Cook this down for about 6-8 minutes.  Then add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and then turn down to the lowest setting.  Cover and simmer for at least 3+ hours.  I normally let this simmer for about 6 hours.

Cook your favorite pasta according to package instructions.  Top with your sauce and enjoy!  Grate parmesan atop if you prefer or add fresh basil.

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Crock Pot Beef Stew.

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I know it’s Meatless Monday but with all of the work and painting I’ve been doing in my house, I needed a good crock pot recipe for dinner that I could fix and forget about until I needed it.  This is a wonderful recipe that you can prepare for a big crowd by adapting the ingredient amounts or for an intimate family dinner. Perfect fall, chill-in-the-air kind of meal that warms  you right up.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of all purpose flour
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoon of olive oil
2.5 lbs of ground chuck (cut into chunks)
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup of red wine
1 cup of beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions:

Place the flour, salt and pepper into a deep dish or ziploc baggie.  Add the meat and toss to coat.

In a pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Once hot, add the meat and let brown on each side for about 5 minutes.  Remove and place in your crock pot, turned to low.  Then add your wine, broth and paste and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom bits.  Boil this mixture for about 3 minutes then pour over your meat in the crock pot.  Add your carrots, garlic and onions on top of the meat.  Cover and cook on low for 6- 8 hours or high for 4 -6 hours.  Season with salt and pepper before serving.

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Hamburger soup.

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Today started out with a 5am run.  Then the rain, once again, came back.  Rainy, drizzly and just kinda yucky out.  Weather like this… means one thing to a foodie like me.  SOUP!  Finally the rains have gone, the sun is out and I’m once again a bit more rejuvenated.  Yay. It has also been a bit of a celebratory day for me.  My little Facebook blog has officially grown up.  It now has over 7k fans.  My website has 91,801 hits in the past month.  I’m in shock and love what I’m doing.  I thank all of you guys who follow my crazy antics in the kitchen.  I’m humbled by all of this…

Okay enough sappiness… time for the awesomeness of the hamburger soup recipe!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1.5-2 lbs of ground beef (I used local organic)
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
Salt and Pepper
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
5 garlic cloves, smashed and given a rough chop
6 tomatoes cut into diced pieces or you can use a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
32 ounces of broth (I used Organic Pacific Chicken Broth) but beef broth would also work – I was out so I used chicken.
1 teaspoon of Italian Seasonings
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley or dried if you don’t have it
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
Cheddar cheese (garnish)
Chopped onions (garnish)

Directions:

In your dutch oven (I use my Le Creuset dutch oven), add a about a tablespoon of olive oil and adjust the flame to medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the beef and cook until no longer pink.  Add the carrots, onions and salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients.  I cook this all afternoon on very low heat, covered.  If you have less time, cook it over low-medium heat for at least one hour.  Adjust the seasonings to your preference.

I like serving this in bread bowls (I purchased these from Panera today) but a regular old bowl will work too.  I like bread bowl to serve as the bun, the meat is the hamburger, tomatoes/spinach as the toppings — you get the point.

Enjoy

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Flax seed beef garlic meatballs.

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I harvested several pounds of tomatoes from our garden today and I thought I would whip up a batch of ground sirloin beef flax seed meatballs.  The flax seed takes the place of the bread crumbs or panko and add great soluble and insoluble fiber & omega 3′s.  My house smells so good… I do love a good meatball.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of ground sirloin beef
1/4 cup of ground flax seed
1 egg
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
8 basil leaves, chopped or torn
Salt and Pepper
Ground red pepper (about 1 teaspoon)
Italian seasonings (about 1 teaspoon)

Directions:

In your stand mixer, paddle attached, add all of the ingredients and mix until incorporated.  When well-blended, but not over-mixed, make one tiny meatball and set aside.

Over medium flame, add a small amount of olive oil in your sauté pan and let it get hot.  Once heated, add the meatball and cook until nicely browned on all sides. Remove, let cool and taste.  Check for seasonings… adjust the remaining meat mixture as needed and then cook in batches.  Add olive oil as needed.  Sauté the meatballs until browned on all sides.  Place the finished product on a paper towel lined platter to absorb any extra oil.  Serve or add to your favorite sauce and enjoy!


 

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Sweet & Sour Meatballs.

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Two words to describe this dish:  INSANELY EASY!  If that doesn’t get you… they are also very delicious!  In fact I had extra sauce left and my father implored me to make another batch tomorrow!  Okay… so that’s a winner :)

This recipe is easy and very flexible.  You add more or less to impact the sauce flavor.  We like it spicy so I made it spicy.  You can cut that back and make it more on the sweet side. Whatever you want.  Awesome party idea too!

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs of ground beef (I used 92% lean)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 egg
1/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs
4 ounces of Sriracha sauce
10 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of lemon juice

Directions:

In a stand mixer or mixing bowl combine the meat, garlic & onion powders, egg and bread crumbs.  Scoop with a melon baller and place on a platter.  Repeat until you’ve used up all the meat.

In a saucepan over medium/high heat, add the Sriracha sauce, crushed tomatoes, sugar and lemon juice.  Whisk until combined.  Once it starts to boil, add the meatballs gently and cover.  Turn to low/medium flame and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  I garnished with spring onions.  Could easily prepare ahead of time and keep warm in your crock pot for a party :)  Serve & enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef.

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We don’t eat a lot of red meat but wow this is such a great recipe.  I found it in my old archives of recipes & so glad I did.  Super easy, economical dinner that turns into fabulousness via the slow cooker.  Perfect for a busy family.

Ingredients:

2 lb flank steak
1/4 c of cornstarch
1/2 c of low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup of good drinking quality white wine
1/2 tbl white wine vinegar
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of molasses
2 tsp of grated ginger
1/4 c of onion, diced
1/4 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
3 heaping tbl of brown sugar
1 tsp of nut butter (I used organic almond butter)
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 spring onions, chopped
Sesame seeds, toasted, for topping
Dried parsley, topping

Directions:

Slice the meat (with the grain) into thin strips and then coat with the cornstarch.  Add the ingredients from soy sauce through spring onions.  Mix well.  Turn the slow cooker on low and add the meat.  Toss and cover.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low.

I served this mashed potatoes but brown rice or egg noodles work perfectly too.  Top with some parsley and enjoy.

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Beef Burgundy.

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I’ve been on a bit of a crock pot frenzy lately.  Toss in a few ingredients & several hours later… POOF!  Magic in my plate.  I also gravitate towards it because my kids eat at different times due to swim practice so this can be ready when they are therefore making my life so much easier.

1 c of all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2.5 chuck roast, trimmed and cubed
3 tbl of vegetable oil, canola oil or olive oil
2 c of a dry, full-bodied red wine
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
24 baby white onions

Combine the flour and salt in a ziploc baggie.  Shake to combine.  Add the meat and shake to coat.  Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat with 2 tbl of oil.  Brown the meat in batches – should take about 5-7 minutes.  Using tongs, remove and place on a plate with paper towels to drain.  Then add the meat to the crock pot.

Add the wine to the pan and deglaze (scraping up the brown bits).  Stir frequently until it begins to thicken.  Add some salt to taste.  Then add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves.  Pour over beef.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

One hour prior to the stew begin served peel and trim the onions.  Leave them whole but just remove the outer layer.  Over a medium flame, place 1 tbl of the oil in the pan.  Then add the onions.  Cook until browned.  Then add them to the crock pot.

Serve over rice, whole wheat egg noodles etc.  Great on a cold winter night.

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