Beef | The Cookbook Smasher | Page 6

Santa Fe Burger

March 2, 2008 Author: Rachel
No comment yet
On Friday, the kiddos and I were at the grocery store, as I needed to pick something up for dinner. I was going to make a taco salad with one of those roasted chickens, when all of a sudden, our oldest requested burgers. I thought about it, and said ok, but then I was too lazy to put everything back, so I decided to make Santa Fe Burgers, and boy were they tasty! The burgers had a salsa mayo, roasted poblanos, caramelized onions, and guacamole…I forgot to add the pepperjack cheese, but we didn’t miss the cheese!

Ingredients:
- 1 poblano, roasted and sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- Olive oil
- 1 lb. hamburger, formed into 4 patties
- 2 avocados
- 2 TBSP onion, minced
- 2 TBSP tomatoes, chopped
- 1 TBSP cilantro, minced
- 1 TBSP jalapeno, minced
- juice of 1 lime
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 c. mayo
- 1/4 c. salsa
- Buns
Directions:
1. POBLANO AND ONION Roast poblanos on the grill or under the broiler until charred on all sides. Transfer to a ziploc bag and let steam for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove skin and seeds, and slice. Meanwhile, saute onion in some olive oil until onions caramelize.
2. BURGERS: Form Patties and season with salt and pepper. Grill.
3. GUACAMOLE: mash the avocados with a fork, then add onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. MAYO: combine mayo and salsa. You can also substitute chipotle peppers for the salsa.
5. Assembly: spread the salsa mayo on the bun, add burger, top with poblano peppers, onions, and guac. Enjoy!
Sante Fe Burgers:
Meatloaf Sandwich

February 6, 2008 Author: Rachel
1 Comment
If you are lucky enough to have any leftover meatloaf, it makes for a great sandwich the next day.

Ingredients:
- 1 Ciabatta roll, toasted
- 1 TBSP. mayo
- 1 slice of meatloaf
Directions:
1. Toast the ciabatta roll; then spread the mayo, place a slice of meatloaf on top and enjoy!
Meatloaf Sandwich:
Mom’s Meatloaf

February 4, 2008 Author: Rachel
3 Comments
Nothing says comfort food like a really good meatloaf. I probably make meatloaf once a year, and every time I make it I wonder why I don’t make it more often. Leftovers make for delicious sandwiches too. Not the prettiest main dish to photograph, but it was definitely a hit…my kiddos devoured their meatloaf!
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. lean ground meat
- 1 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 3/4 c. milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 TBSP minced onion
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- Top with 1 c. ketchup, or how ever much you like
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all ingredients (through pepper) together.
3. Bake in an ungreased loaf pan for 1 1/2 hours. After 1 hour add as much or as little ketchup as you want to the top of meatloaf, and then bake for the remaining 30 minutes.
Mom’s Meatloaf:
Spicy Beef, Broccoli and Orange Stir Fry

January 31, 2008 Author: Rachel
No comment yet
This recipe is adapted from a recipe in Great Food Fast. It was really good, and -s really liked. He’s not a fan of stir fry usually, but he liked this one. I made it spicy, because we like spicy food, but if you don’t leave out the crushed red pepper. I also removed some meat and sauce for the kiddos before adding the spice. It was a pretty quick dinner to prepare, so it’s a good one for weeknight meals.
Ingredients:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 TBSP. soy sauce
- zest of one orange, finely chopped
- 1 TBSP. brown sugar or honey, optional (depends on how sweet your oj is)
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 TBSP. cornstarch
- 1 lb of sirloin steak, but into 1/2 inch thick strips
- 3/4 c. orange segments (2-4 oranges, depending on their size)
- 2 c. broccoli florets, blanched in salted water
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper, optional
- 1/2 c. green onions, cut in 1 inch slices
- White or Brown Rice
Directions:
1. Combine the zest, orange juice, garlic and soy sauce in a bowl. If everyone likes spice add the crushed red pepper to the sauce. Set aside.
2. With a sharp knife, peel the oranges, and slice them crosswise 1/2 inch thick, then halve the slices; push out and discard seeds. Set aside.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and blanch broccoli for 30 seconds.
4. In a medium bowl toss meat with cornstarch until coated. Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Brown all sides of the beef, and cook until desired doneness, about 3-5 per side. Once meat is done, remove meat from pan and transfer to a plate.
5. Pour the juice mixture into the pan and boil until syrupy, about 2 minutes. (If not everyone likes spice remove some sauce and set aside with some beef, broccoli, oranges and scallions.) Return the beef to the skillet; add the broccoli, oranges and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through. Serve with rice.
Spicy Beef, Broccoli and Orange Stir-Fry:
Beef Tacos with Chipotle Sour Cream

January 14, 2008 Author: Rachel
No comment yet
What does one do with all that yummy leftover brisket? Make the most delicious beef tacos!

Ingredients:
- Leftover brisket, chopped or sliced
- 2 poblanos, roasted
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 1 TBSP. olive oil
- 1 c. sour cream
- 2-3 chipotles in adobo, minced
- 1 avocado, chopped
- Flour tortillas
Directions:
1. Roast poblanos under the broiler. Once they are blackened on all sides, transfer to a ziploc bag to allow them to steam for 10 minutes or so. Remove from the bag, and remove the skins, stems, and seeds; then chop.
2. Meanwhile, slice the onion and saute the onion in olive oil until onions caramelize; then add the chopped poblanos.
3. Mix the sour cream and the chipotles.
4. Assemble your taco: first the beef, then the onion and poblano mixture, then the avocado, then the chipotle sour cream.
Beef Tacos with Chipotle Sour Cream:
Leftovers Turned Tacos

November 14, 2007 Author: Rachel
No comment yet
We had quite a bit leftover from last night’s dinner of Southwest Steak and Beans. Instead of just having the leftovers as dinner, we made tacos and used the leftovers as filling. Both -s and I agreed that it tasted better than last night. We just heated up the meat and bean mixture, put some in a flour tortilla, topped with cheese, chipotle Tobasco (undisputed king of all condiments in our house), and sour cream. The result was delicious and had both of us going back for seconds. As for the kids, they had bean and cheese burritos and loved every bite!

Ingredients:
- Leftover meat and bean mixture
- Tortillas
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Whatever else you like on your tacos
Directions:
1. Heat meat and bean mixture
2. Top with desired toppings
3. Serve with some rice
4. Enjoy!
Leftovers Turned Tacos:
Southwest Steak and Beans

November 13, 2007 Author: Rachel
1 Comment
We had some flank steak in the freezer that needed to get used up. -s doesn’t much care for frozen beef, so I figured crocking it would be a good preparation. I set out to find a flank steak crock pot recipe. This one sounded good to me, so we made it, and it was good. The only problem was that the meat didn’t turn out looking anything like this…no nice slices, it just kind of shredded itself. The flavors were good, though, so if we make this one again, we’ll use a different cut of meat. I put in an extra can of beans because our 3 year old loves beans, of course he wouldn’t touch dinner tonight. Next time I think I’d also double the salsa mixture.

Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 lbs. flank steak
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 oz. jar chunky salsa
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- Rice
Directions:
1. Trim excess fat from steak. Place onions and garlic in bottom of 3-4 quart slow cooker and top with steak.
2. Mix salsa, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper in small bowl and pour over meat. Top with drained and rinsed black beans.
3. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours until meat is tender.
4. Remove meat from slow cooker and slice into thin strips against the grain. Turn heat to high and return beef to slow cooker along with sliced peppers. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until peppers are tender. Serve with rice.
Southwest Steak and Beans:
Sloppy Joes

November 6, 2007 Author: Rachel
No comment yet
About once a year I get a craving for sloppy joes. They aren’t -s’s favorite, so once a year is about all he can handle. Even though he says he doesn’t really care for them, each year I get the same response “these really aren’t bad.” Still it’s about a once a year dish. We may have them more since the kids really enjoyed them tonight.

This recipe comes from my Aunt Kathy, and since my mom made it while I was growing up, it’s one of my feel good comfort foods that reminds me of my youth. Not sure if it’s Aunt Kathy’s recipe or from someone or somewhere else. Regardless, it’s a good classic sloppy joe recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef (I actually used ground turkey)
- 1/2 c. chopped onion
- 1/2 c. chopped green pepper
- 1/2 c. ketchup
- 1/4 c. water
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- salt to taste
Directions:
1. Cook meat, onion and green pepper in skillet until lightly browned and cooked through. Pour off excess fat.
2. Add ketchup, water, mustard, salt and pepper.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Serve on buns.
Sloppy Joes:
Bev’s Classic Baked Ziti and Meatballs

October 25, 2007 Author: Rachel
No comment yet
If you live anywhere outside the Northeast, you probably don’t know what Baked Ziti is, and if you do know what it is you probably haven’t had really great Baked Ziti. There are few things I think Italian restaurants do better in the Northeast than anywhere else, and one of those is Baked Ziti.

These recipes come from -s’s Aunt Bev. They are both super tasty, and I served them both at a baby shower I hosted a few years back, and the dishes were very well received.

Be prepared, this makes enough for an army, but it does freeze well.

With -s out of town on business, I needed to make something I knew the kids would eat and would last multiple nights, so I made both the ziti and the meatballs (I did half the meatball recipe, but below is the full recipe). This is a great meatball recipe, because there’s so much less mess. The meatballs are baked (not pan fried), so they are much easier to prepare. We will be having leftovers at the very least for another night or two.

Bev’s Baked Ziti:

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ziti, penne, or rigatoni
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 24 oz. cottage cheese
- 16 oz. shredded mozzarella (divided into 2 8oz portions)
- 1/2 c. parmesan cheese (can use up to 3/4 c.)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 (42 oz) jar of pasta sauce
Directions:
1. Cook pasta in boiling water for about 1/2 the time it says on the box (it will finish booking in the oven)
2. Mix all other ingredients in a big bowl
3. Stir in pasta
4. Spread 1/2 of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan
5. Put pasta mixture in the pan
6. Top with the remaining sauce
7. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350F. Last 10 minutes, remove foil and spread the remaining 8 oz of shredded mozzarella on top.
8. If you don’t make the accompanying meatball recipe, I’d serve some sauce on the side and your diners can add some additional sauce if they’d like.
Bev’s Meatballs

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground meat
- 4 eggs
- 1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 c. of Parmesan cheese (my addition)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 (24 oz.) jars of your favorite sauce (or however much sauce you like)
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together and shape into meatballs.
2. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375F for 25 minutes.
3. Place meatballs and a jar of your favorite sauce in a crockpot and simmer for as long as you can.
4. Serve meatballs on the side with the Baked Ziti and spoon additional sauce over the ziti-if you’d like.
Baked Ziti:

Meatballs:
Chili

October 17, 2007 Author: Rachel
No comment yet
One thing I love about chili is that anything goes. I’m no purest when it comes to chili, so I will not enter the debate of tomatoes or no tomatoes, beans or no beans etc. I threw this chili together tonight, not exactly having a plan, and it turned out really well. -s even said he’d love to have it again, and it was kid approved…always a plus. One great thing about this recipe is that it’s not spicy, and yet it has loads of flavor. Each diner can add his/her own spice with the topping choices.

Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 1 lb. of ground turkey (you can use beef too or leave the meat out entirely)
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 2 15.5 oz cans of kidney beans
- 4 15.5 oz cans of chili ready diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes (has chili spices already in the can)
Directions:
1. In a large pot heat a bit of olive oil over medium high heat; then brown the meat with the chili powder, cumin, coriander, and paprika
2. When meat is just about cooked through, add beans and tomatoes
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or more
4. Serve with cornbread or you can actually serve the chili over the pasta to make a quasi Cincinnati Chili. Top with cheddar cheese, diced onion, green onion, sour cream, tobasco sauce etc.
Chili: