03.15.08
Good Burgers
Got the general idea from an article in the Chattanooga Times. I don’t do real precise measures so just use this as a guide.
For 2 large burgers:
1 Lb Hamburger meat – don’t use the lean stuff – something like 85% lean tastes better.
5 strips of bacon fried crisp
the equivalent of two 1/4″ thk slices of yellow (Vidalia or Walla Walla best) chopped into 1/8″ to 1/4″ pieces – go ahead and do half again more if you are going to do baked beans
1/2 cup or so of freshly grated parmesan or sharp italian cheese
give one piece of bacon to your wife and chop/crumble the rest. Add the meat, cheese,onion and bacon in a bowl – salt and pepper – few splashes of WhatsThisChereSauce. Mix well and divide into two patties. I leave mine thick but poke a hole vertically through the center. Sandy likes her’s thin and, therefore, larger diameter. Cook on a charcoal grill – I like the Weber Kettle with the lid on most of the cooking time. If you like cheese, throw on a piece of swiss or cheddar near the end of cooking – about 5 minutes the first side and 4 to 5 on the second. Usual buns and condiments.
03.08.08
Marinated Flank Steak
My mom’s fabulous flank steak recipe. This also makes for great sandwich leftovers (on rare occasions you actually have leftovers of this)
Note: I haven’t made this personally yet, but it seems like the cooking time on the second side might be a little bit long. I might be wrong, though.
- 1 to 2 lbs. flank steak
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Unfold flank steak and put in baking dish. Take a fork and pierce steak in a lot of places on both sides so marinade can soak in better. (Don’t know if this really helps but can’t hurt) Mix together all ingredients for marinade. Pour over steak making sure the entire piece is well coated and marinade got underneath as well. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for no less than 24 hours. Turn the steak over at some point around the half-way mark of marinating. If marinating for 2 days, like we usually do, then turn over after one day. To Broil the Steak: Preheat the broiler to 450. Pour off the marinade. Broil the steak 3″ from the heat. Broil 6 to 7 minutes on the first side. Turn with tongs and broil for 11 to 15 minutes on the second side. The steak should be slightly pink inside. To Carve the Steak: Allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes. It is imperative to carve the steak across the grain at a 45-degree angle. Cut in thin slices.
02.14.08
London Broil w/ Parsley-Horseradish Chimichurri
Another quick and easy recipe from Rachel Ray “365: No Repeats”. (Also a good reason to use the horseradish you bought for the fish!) The best part about this recipe is the left over meat. If you slice it correctly, it makes incredible sandwich meat!
Ingredients:
- 2 lb London Broil
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- Zest & juice of 1 lemon
Preheat broiler on high and set the rack closest to the flame. Coat the steak with the Worcestershire sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper. Put the steak on a broiler pan and broil for 6 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the broiler and allow it to rest for 5 minutes, tented with a piece of aluminum foil. Slice the rested steak very thin, against the grain and on an angle.
In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. (This meal goes well with broccoli as a side)
02.13.08
Mexican Beef Bake
I made the Mexican Beef Bake tonight for dinner. Ian posted it a while back. I enjoyed it, but I will be making some personal adjustments to it the next time I make it. It definitely needs lots more cheese! (I even used more than the recipe called for) I will also be cutting out some of the chili powder and adding cumin. I used my tortilla chips as a bed for all the yummy stuff, and I also made white rice to accompany it. It was very simple to make.
My 3-year-old son thought it smelled “good,” but he wouldn’t touch it. That is pretty common though. At least he thought it smelled good. I did make him try a bite, but that was still a no go.
Hopefully my husband will like it when he gets home!
02.02.08
Pizza Bake (again, untried)
Popover Pizza Casserole
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound ground raw turkey or ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/2 of a 3-1/2-ounce package sliced pepperoni, halved
1 15-ounce can or 1 15-1/2-ounce jar pizza sauce
1 2-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 6-ounce package thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. In a large skillet cook turkey or beef, onion, and green pepper until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain fat. Cut pepperoni slices in half. Stir pepperoni, pizza sauce, mushrooms, fennel seed, oregano, and basil into meat mixture. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, for topping, in a small bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add flour; beat 1 minute more or until smooth.
3. Grease the sides of a 13×9x2-inch baking dish; spoon meat mixture into dish. Arrange cheese slices over hot meat mixture. Pour topping over cheese, covering completely. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.
01.29.08
Caprese polenta burgers
I saw this recently on a Food Network Challenge. I haven’t tried it yet, but Chris and I have been debating making it together on V-Day because he loves beef and I love caprese. If we make it I will let everyone know how it goes. One of the judges on the Challenge did say, however, this was either something you really love or something you might not be too sure of. If anyone decides to make it before the 14th let me know how it turns out!
What I really like about this recipe is that you can use prepared polenta as well as store-bought balsalmic syrup if you didn’t feel like making your own. I pasted the polenta recipe at the bottom.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 (16 to 18-ounce) package refrigerated prepared polenta, cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 4 slices each
Thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Preheat charcoal grill to medium heat. (We will definitely be using gas…too impatient)
Bring vinegar to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 9 to 10
minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup. Set aside. Meanwhile lightly shape ground beef into 8 (1/2-inch) thick patties.
Brush polenta slices with oil. Place patties in center of grill over medium, ash-covered coals and arrange the polenta around the patties. Grill patties and polenta, uncovered, 11 to 12 minutes or until patties are medium (160 degrees F) doneness, not pink in center and juices show no pink color and polenta is heated through, turning once and basting patties with 2 tablespoons reduced vinegar after turning. Season burgers with salt and pepper, to taste.
For each serving, layer 1 each polenta slice, burger, mozzarella slice and tomato slice.
Drizzle with remaining vinegar and sprinkle with basil, as desired.
POLENTA: Combine 3 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in 1 cup cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 15 minutes, stirring often. (Mixture will be very thick.) Remove from heat; cool slightly. Spoon polenta on aluminum foil-line baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and pat into 12 by 6 by 1/2-inch rectangle. Refrigerate 1 hour or as long as overnight. Cut chilled polenta into 8 (3-inch) circles using a cookie or biscuit cutter.
01.21.08
American Lasagna
This recipe was found by Amy on AllRecipes.com. It is the best lasagna I’ve ever had (and many people will agree).
Ingredients:
- 1½ Lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Onion, Chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Basil (1 Teaspoon Dried Basil)
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
- 1 (29 Oz) Can Diced Tomatoes
- 2 (6 Oz) Cam Tomato Paste
- 12 Dry Lasagna Noodles
- 2 Eggs, Beaten
- 1 Pint Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Lb Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
- 2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.
- In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 8.
Hamburger Casserole
I got this one from a coworker and it’s probably one of my favorite things to eat. It’s also every bit as good re-heated as it is served straight from the dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 bag of frozen tater tots
- 1 bag of frozen corn
- 1 family-size can of cream of mushroom soup
- 1 bag of shredded cheese (any kind will do)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Using a 13″x9″ casserole dish, layer the beef, then corn, then tater tots, and cover with cream of mushroom soup. I typically use about half a bag of the veggies and 3/4 of a bag of tater tots. Cook for 45 minutes. Add the cheese and put it back in for another 5 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let sit 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite steak sauce (or ketchup, or simply salt and pepper).
Serves about 6-8 people (or a family of 4 for two days).
Variations:
You can use any bag of corn or peas or a mixture of all sorts of veggies. Just about any bag of frozen veggies will do. Just make sure they are small (not like huge chunks of broccoli).
You can also experiment with the different types of tater tots (onion, garlic, etc).
Mexican Beef Bake
I got this recipe from my grandparents. By the looks of the printout, it came from my grandfather’s collection of recipes that he kept on his Macintosh. Who knows where this recipe originated.
Because Susan doesn’t like the olives, I only put them on one half of the dish. The whole meal takes about 45 minutes, from prep to eating. It uses one bowl, one casserole dish and one skillet. It warms up well the next day, even for people who despise leftovers!
—–
Mexican Beef Bake
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 cup pitted black olives, sliced
- 1 cup mild taco sauce
- 4 oz can chopped green chilies, drained
- 1 cup coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (I just use pre-packaged nacho chese!)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- Tortilla chips
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 400°
- In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef about 5 minutes until well browned.
- Stir in chili powder, cook 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, stir in taco sauce, green chilies and salt
- In a small bowl, combine corn and half of the green onions
- In a 1½ quart casserole dish, layer half of the corn mixture, half of the beef mixture, half of the olives, and half of the cheese.
- Repeat layering.
- Bake, covered, for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, green onions and tomato
Makes 4 servings.
