• Bulgogi

    September 3, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    I love Bulgogi.  It just tastes so darn good! I found this recipe in Great Food Fast (shocking, I know!), and changed it slightly. You can serve this Bulgogi in lettuce wraps or over rice. It’s delicious both ways. You can also substitute chicken for the beef, which I bet is equally delicious! The sauce from this recipe would be really good in all kinds of stir frys or use it to substitute bottled Teriyaki sauce!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 lb. rib-eye steak, trimmed of excess fat
    • 1/2 c. soy sauce
    • 2 TBSP chili sesame oil (or 1 TBSP sesame oil with some crushed red pepper)
    • 4 TBSP brown sugar
    • 12 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 big hunk of ginger, minced
    • 1 large onion, halved and cut lengthwise into 1 inch wedges
    • 1 green pepper, sliced into 1 inch strips
    • 4 tsp. vegetable oil
    • lettuce leaves and/or hot rice

    Directions:

    1. Freeze the beef for 30 minutes; then slice diagonally (across the grain) into 1/8 inch thick strips.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger together to make the marinade. Place the onions and peppers in another small bowl and mix them with half of the marinade. Toss the steak with the remaining marinade; let stand for 15 minutes.
    3. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the peppers; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
    4. Heat remaining 2 tsp. oil over high heat. Cook half the meat, turning often, until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining meat.  Return the first meat batch and any accumulated juices to the pan; add the onion mixture. cook tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute.
    5. Serve in lettuce leaves and/ or over hot rice.

    Bulgogi:

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  • Taco Meat 2

    August 22, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    TT, our oldest loves taco meat from our local burrito place, so I decided to make tacos last night. I’ve made taco meat before, but I wanted to try something new. I came across a recipe in Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook, and the seasoning reminded me of taco meat, so I adapted that recipe for my own taste and for stove top cooking, and the result was tasty.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
    • 2 4 oz. cans chopped roasted green chiles
    • 1/2 small onion, chopped
    • 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 TBSP chili powder
    • 1 tsp. cumin
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • olive oil
    • 1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
    • salt to taste

    Directions:

    1. Combine tomato sauce through garlic in a bowl, mix and set aside.
    2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat, season with salt, and cook until nearly cooked. Add sauce 1/4 c. at a time until you’ve added the amount to your liking. Simmer meat in sauce until meat is fully cooked.

    Taco Meat 2:

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  • Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches

    August 21, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    What is one to do with left over flank steak with lime marinade? Why turn the page of Great Food Fast, and there it is…Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches. The only thing I would do differently next time is make more of the sauce, because the sandwich was a bit dry with the sauce amount in the recipe. Sauce recipe below is for twice the amount as printed in the original recipe.

    This sandwich is super tasty!

    Ingredients:

    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tsp. sugar
    • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
    • 2 TBSP rice wine vinegar
    • 2 carrots, grated
    • 2 green onions, chopped
    • 1/4 c. cilantro leaves, chopped
    • Rolls
    • Sliced flank steak

    Directions:

    1. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes, and vinegar.
    2. In another bowl, toss together the carrots, green onions, and cilantro leaves. Toss with half the vinegar mixture.
    3. Split and lightly toast the rolls, add carrot mixture and sliced steak; then drizzle with the sauce.

    Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches:

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  • Beef with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta

    May 15, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    It’s Thursday, and time for another crock pot recipe. I found this recipe at a great food blog dedicated to crock potting. I changed the cut of beef to top sirloin, since we can’t get tri-tip in our neck of the woods, and I also changed the cooking time. It was pretty good, and everyone actually ate it…even our youngest who has not been the best dinner eater of late. I created a quick couscous salad to serve along with the beef, which was really good.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 lb. tri-tip or sirloin, cut into bit size pieces
    • 1/6 c. white wine
    • 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
    • 4 oz. garlic and herb feta cheese cheese
    • Cooking spray

    Directions:

    1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Add beef to crock, then add wine, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
    2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
    3. Serve over couscous salad.

    Quick Couscous Salad Ingredients:

    • 1 c. couscous
    • 1 1/2 c. water
    • 1 tsp. olive oil
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
    • 1/2 basil, chiffonade

    Directions:

    1. In a covered saucepan bring couscous, water, olive oil, salt and pepper to a boil. Remove from heat, keep covered and let stand for 10-15 minutes.
    2. Fluff the couscous with a fork.
    3. In a bowl combine couscous, tomatoes, and basil. Mix well and adjust seasoning if necessary.

    Beef with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese:

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  • Slow-Cooked Chile Con Carne

    May 9, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    This week’s crock pot recipe comes from the April 2007 issue of Cooking Light. It was really good, and not spicy, which was good for the kids, but we added some chipotle to our bowls to give the chile a bit more punch. I also made it thicker by making a cornstarch slury, because I like my chile a little thicker than this recipe turns out. -s really enjoyed it, and it’s one of those dishes that doesn’t taste like it was made from a crockpot.

    Our oldest has been asking for chili mac, so I mixed some of this chile with some pasta. He liked it, but he definitely loves that chile mac, so we’ll be having the chili mac next week.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tsp. olive oil
    • 1 1/2 c. chopped onion
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 lb. sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
    • 2 1/2 cups diced grape tomatoes
    • 1 TBSP chili powder
    • 2 tsp ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
    • 1/2 c. cooking liquid + 1 tsp. cornstarch
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 3 chipotles with adobo sauce, minced.

    Directions:

    1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Combine beef mixture, tomato, and next 6 ingredients (through broth) in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or until beef is tender. Uncover; cook 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. If you’d like it thicker, remove about 1/2 c. of liquid and put in a bowl; then mix in 1 tsp. of cornstarch; dissolve the cornstarch; add back to crock, and bring to a boil. Stir in salt, if desired.
    2. Top with chipotle, sour cream or whatever you like.

    Slow-Cooked Chile Con Carne:

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  • Korean Beef BBQ and Korean Cucumber Salad

    April 28, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    I love cooking Asian food, and I do believe this was my first attempt at Korean inspired cuisine. It was so delicious, and the ENTIRE family not only ate it but LOVED it! I found the beef recipe at recipezaar and the salad recipe is from the June 2007 issue of Cooking Light.
    Korean Beef BBQ Ingredients:

    • 1 lb. sirloin, cut into thin strips (1/16 of an inch…or as close as you can get it)
    • 1 TBSP brown sugar
    • 3 TBSP soy sauce
    • 1 TBSP mirin (rice wine)
    • 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tsp. sesame oil, divided
    • Lettuce leaves
    • Jasmine Rice

    Directions:

    1. Place the beef in the freezer for about an hour before you want to use it. This will allow you to cut the meat thinly.
    2. In a ziploc bag, combine the meat through 1 tsp. sesame oil, and marinate in the fridge for an hour.
    3. Heat remaining teaspoon of sesame oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Remove meat from marinade, discard marinade, and add meat to the skillet and saute until done.
    4. Take a lettuce leaf, add some rice, then add the meat and enjoy!

    Korean Cucumber Salad Ingredients:

    • 3 1/2 c. English cucumber, sliced thin
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 2 TBSP green onions
    • 1 TBSP rice wine vinegar
    • 1 tsp. sugar
    • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
    • 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

    Directions:

    1. Combine all ingredients and mix. Serve chilled.
    2. Tastes excellent on the side or even add it on top of the Korean Beef BBQ—great flavor addition!

    Korean Beef BBQ:

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    Korean Cucumber Salad:

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  • Beef Stroganoff

    April 18, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    It’s time for the weekly crock pot recipe, and this week we had beef stroganoff. I really enjoy beef stroganoff, while -s is not so much of a fan. He said “this is good, but something I can eat only once every 2 years.” So there you have it. The original recipe calls for cooking 7 to 8 hours, but mine was done at 5 1/2 hours when I checked it, so I’d cook it for 5 to 6 hours. The only other thing I would change from this recipe is to decrease the salt, so the version below calls for less salt (a lot will depend on how salty your broth is). This recipe comes from the October 2004 issue of Cooking Light.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 (1-pound) top round steak (1 inch thick), trimmed
    • 1 c. chopped onion
    • 2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
    • 2 TBSP Dijon mustard
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp dried dill
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
    • 1 c. beef broth
    • 1 (8-ounce) container low-fat sour cream
    • 2 c. hot cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 ounces uncooked)
    • Garnish with fresh dill

    Directions:

    1. Cut steak diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place steak and next 8 ingredients (though garlic) in a 3-quart electric slow cooker; stir well.
    2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add broth mixture to slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 3 to 4 hours or until steak is tender. Turn slow cooker off; remove lid. Let stroganoff stand 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serve stroganoff over noodles and garnish with dill.

    Beef Stroganoff:

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  • Cincinnati Chili

    March 27, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    I love Cincinnati Chili. I came across a new recipe and wanted to give it a try. I followed the recipe exactly and by the time the cooking time was up, the chili was super thick–too thick for my liking. I like mine a bit saucier. It’s been so long since I’ve made Cincinnati Chili that I can’t remember what my other recipe tastes like to compare, so maybe Cincinnati Chili Take 2 will be on next week’s menu.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 TBSP chili powder
    • 1 tsp ground allspice
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp red (cayenne) pepper
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
    • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 TBSP cider vinegar
    • 1/2 c. water
    • 1 lb. spaghetti
    • Toppings: kidney beans, cheddar cheese, onions, or oyster crackers

    Directions:

    1. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, saute onion, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked. Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayene pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat. Ladle chili over spaghetti.
    2. Two way: Chili over spaghetti
    3. Three way: Add cheese to the two way
    4. Four way: Add onions to the three way
    5. Five way: Add kidney beans to the four way

    Cincinnati Chili:

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  • Stuffed Cabbage

    March 21, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    Stuffed cabbage is a nostalgic meal for me. My Grandma Boden made the best stuffed cabbage. Unfortunately she never wrote down her recipe. A few years ago, my step-mom made a recipe from her Jewish Cookery cookbook, and her stuffed cabbage tasted almost exactly how I remembered Grandma’s tasting. The original recipe calls for adding water to the sauce, which I did, but I like my sauce thicker, so next time I’ll leave the water out. I confirmed with her after I made the recipe that she too leaves the water out. The sweet and sourness of the sauce go really well with stuffed cabbages. While it’s probably not Grandma’s exact recipe, it’s as close as close can be:
    Ingredients:

    • 1 lb. ground beef
    • 2/3 c. cooked rice
    • 1 egg
    • 1 onion, grated
    • 1 carrot, grated
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 1 head of Savoy cabbage leaves (savoy cabbage is more tender and pliable), leaves removed and washed (or 2 heads of regular cabbage, don’t use the dark green outer leaves as they are tough even after cooking)
    • 1/2 c. lemon juice (+ a bit more)
    • 1 c. brown sugar (+ a bit more)
    • 3 c. tomato sauce (about 24 oz. preferably Del Monte, because that’s what Grandma used)

    Directions:

    1. Combine meat, rice, egg, grated onion, grated carrot, and salt.
    2. Soften cabbage leaves in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes; then drain. I used about 20 leaves, but depending on the leaf size and how much meat you put in each one, you may need more or less leaves.  If the ends of the leaves are tough, remove the tough part.
    3. Combine the lemon juice, brown sugar, and tomato sauce in a mixing bowl.
    4. Working with one leaf at a time, place a leaf on your work surface. Depending on the cabbage leaf size, place a small mound of meat (about the size of a medium sized meatball) at the bottom of the leaf (closest to the end where the leaf was attached). Roll the leaf, tucking the sides in securely, like you roll an egg roll.
    5. Place stuffed cabbage closely together in a heavy pan. Add sauce. Cover and cook over moderate heat for 30 minutes; then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 more minutes. Remove the lid and place in a 350 oven for 20 minutes to brown the top–mine didn’t brown, but were still delicious.
    6. CROCKPOT: prepare stuffed cabbage as above except put stuffed leaves in crockpot, cover with sauce and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

    Stuffed Cabbage:

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  • Reuben Sandwiches

    March 5, 2008 Author: Rachel
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    It’s that time of year again….for corned beef that is! Corned beef is the perfect crock pot meat, because it cooks long and slow (8 hours) and comes out perfect every time. I found a Russian dressing recipe for Reuben sandwiches on the Closet Cooking food blog, and yesterday I crocked the corned beef, and then we had the most delicious Reuben sandwiches for dinner. -s’s only complaint is that I didn’t put enough corned beef on his sandwich!

    Corned Beef Ingredients:

    • 1 flat cut corned beef with spice packet that comes with it (point cut is fattier)
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 1 c. matchstick carrots or chopped carrots
    • 4 garlic cloves smashed with back of knife
    • water

    Directions:

    1. Add corned beef and spices to crock pot; top with onion, carrots, garlic, and enough water to cover the meat.
    2. Cook on low for 8 hours.

    Reuben Sandwiches:

    • Rye Bread
    • Russian Dressing (See below)
    • Sauerkraut
    • Sliced Corned Beef
    • Swiss Cheese, sliced
    • Butter

    Directions:

    1. Heat skillet on medium high heat. Assemble sandwich: take rye bread, spread dressing, add sauerkraut, then the corned beef, then the swiss cheese. Place another slice of bread on top. Butter the top of the bread, and place the sandwich butter side down in the hot skillet. Butter the other side of the bread, and when the bottom is golden brown, flip the sandwich and cook until golden brown and cheese melts.

    Russian Dressing:

    • 1/4 c. mayo
    • 4 tsp. ketchup
    • 2 tsp. prepared horseradish
    • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
    • Combine all ingredients

    Reuben Sandwiches:

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