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Easy Recipe for: Beef Stroganoff

11 Aug

Easy Recipe for: Beef Stroganoff

Growing up-I would beg for this recipe because it is just the quintessential comfort food.  My version of beef stroganoff is a low fat recipe that speeds the entire process.  Another time saver is the fact that the recipe serves 8 so you have another entire meal for later–trust me people will fight for these leftovers. And as far as budget–you will be pleasantly surprised with how little this weighs on your wallet–for an even greater savings add additional cooking time and switch to stew meat–you will save even more.

Easy Recipe for: Beef Stroganoff

1 (8 ounce) package of white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 (8 ounce) package of baby portabellas, cleaned and sliced (often mushrooms are cheaper if you select them yourself–minus the packaging–pick up 2 large handfuls and you will have the correct amount)

Pam cooking spray (optional: I used to cut down on the oil for working in batches, otherwise use an additional 2 T olive oil in place of it)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, sliced

splash white wine (about 1/8 cup)

1 large (mine was 1.58 lb) Porterhouse steak, trimmed of excess fat, bone removed, cut into cubes (freeze bone for later use in stock)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cup beef stock

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

4 ounces of fat free sour cream

1 (1 lb) package egg noodles, (cooked according to package directions and coated with 1 tablespoon olive oil)

In a large nonstick saute pan with at least 2 inch sides, begin by sauteeing your mushrooms on high heat (work in batches to prevent overcrowding and to increase browning).  Spray pan with a coating of Pam and cook batches of mixed mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring several times, until mushrooms are golden brown around all edges.  Remove mushrooms to a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to your pan and add in your onions.  Cook onions for  4 minutes then add in a splash of wine and cook till wine has dissolved (another 4 minutes).  Remove onions to large bowl with mushrooms and add cubed beef to the pan.  Immediately season beef with salt and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes on high until all edges are browned.

Return onions and mushrooms to the pan and add beef stock.  Bring to a boil and then add garlic and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer mixture on medium-low heat until 1/2 of the liquid is gone (about 15-20 minutes) then stir in your cream of mushroom soup.  Cook an additional 6-8 minutes then finish by stirring in your sour cream.  Season once more with salt and pepper and mix in with egg noodles.

Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burger

6 May

What’s more fun and universally crowd pleasing than a cheese-stuffed burger?! The great American burger just got a little juicier and just got stuffed, with blue cheese that is.  Take this burger to your next outdoor barbecue and get your crunch on.


Blue Cheese Stuffed Burger with Zuchini Fries

Serves 4

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons minced chives

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 brioche buns

mayonnaise

dijon mustard

romaine lettuce

roasted red pepper

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, chives, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin.  Divide into 4 even balls.  Take 1 ball and divide in half.  Stuff with 1/4 of blue cheese crumbles in the hollow of 1 of the halves and top with the other half and seal edges to finish.  Repeat on 3 remaining burgers.  In a large saute pan over high heat, add olive oil and then sear burgers about 2-3 minutes per side and cover pan for 1 minute off heat to steam and fully melt cheese.

To assemble your burgers, coat your brioche buns with mayonnaise and dijon mustard and top with romaine, roasted red pepper, and blue cheese stuffed burgers.  Serve your burger with zucchini fries and cilantro yogurt dip.  Enjoy!

Zucchini Fries

I’m a girl who loves a good potato-don’t get me wrong.  But sometimes its fun to change things up.

2 zuchini

2 yellow squash

canola oil for pan frying

2 eggs

2 tablespoons warm water

3 cups panko crumbs

salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut your zuchini and yellow squash into thin matchsticks.  In a large saute pan, add enough canola oil to a depth of 1 inch.  Bring oil up to frying temperature, 350F.  In a large bowl crack eggs and whisk with water.  In another bowl, add your panko crumbs.  Wet your veggie matchsticks in egg wash and then dredge in panko.  Fry zuchini and yellow squash 2-3 minutes per side and then move to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt and pepper.

Yogurt Dip

This dip also makes a great salad dressing or can be served with crudite.

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix ingredients in a Cuisinart and pulse until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with your blue cheese stuffed burger and zucchini fries.  Viola, dinner is served!

Spicy Steak and Mango Salad

27 Apr

Warm medium-rare steak mixed with avocado and mango may just be the biggest aphrodisiac I know.  I have made this “salad” many times and it remains a well-loved, much requested favorite.  This is one of those meals that you want to keep firmly in the rotation.


Spicy Steak and Mango Salad

Servings: 4

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 rib eye steak ( 3/4 to 1 lb), diced

salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad:

2 cups green cabbage, shredded

2 cups vermicelli

1 1/4 cup mango, diced

1/2 cup daikon, shredded

1 tablespoon fresh jalapeno, minced

1/2 cup scallions, diced

2 tablespoons mint, minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade

Mixed in carefully:

1 cup avocado, diced

Dressing:

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

4 tablespoons sriracha

Toppings:

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

3 tablespoons red pepper flakes

lime wedges, for garnish

In a medium skillet over high heat add canola oil.  Season rib eye steak with salt and pepper and sear in skillet about 3-4 minutes per side until medium-rare.

Meanwhile in a large bowl combine salad ingredients.  In a small bowl mix dressing.  Once steak has cooked, allow to rest for 2 minutes and then dice and add to salad.

Coat salad with dressing and then carefully mix in avocados.  Finish with roasted peanuts, red pepper flakes, and lime wedges.  Voila: a steak and mango salad worthy of fine dining but also well suited to a night enjoyed at home.  Enjoy!

Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness Braised Beef

16 Mar

Our Favorite Irish holiday is quickly approaching and to feed those drunken masses what better than a hearty shepherd’s pie.  Enjoy the video, cook sober–if you can manage, and drink it down with your favorite spirit because this is one St. Patty’s Day treat you do not want to miss! Everyone’s a little bit Irish but with this stew in your belly you will be in full fighting spirit!

Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness Braised Beef for St. Patrick’s Day


Serves 2-4

1/2 medium onion (3/4 cup), diced

1 pound (1 package) ground beef–(options: ground lamb)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme

4 cloves garlic (3 teaspoons), minced

1 bottle Guinness extra stout

1/2 cup small dice carrots

1/2 cup chicken stock (option: substitute beef stock)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons adobo sauce

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 1/2 cups prepared mashed potatoes (the richer the better!)

In a large skillet over high heat, add your diced onion and cook until translucent (about 3 minutes).  Add ground beef and season with salt, freshly ground pepper, rosemary, and thyme.  Cook until fully browned (about 5 minutes).  Remove beef and onion (reserve in a separate bowl) and de-grease pan.

Return skillet to high heat and flash fry your minced garlic to release its juice and aroma.  Quickly add your bottle of Guinness and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil for 3-4 minutes and add your carrots to tenderize.  Add your chicken stock and return to a boil.  Add your Worcestershire and your adobo sauce. Reduce your Guinness mixture down to a thick, rich liquid (4-6 minutes).  Return the de-greased beef and onions to the pan along with the frozen peas.  As mixture is fully incorporating, finish with tomato paste and cook an additional 4-6 minutes.

In a small casserole dish or bread pan large enough for 4 servings (optional: you can fill souffle cups for individual appetizer servings as well-great for a party) add Guinness and beef mixture, making sure to get every drop of that delicious liquid.  Top with mashed potatoes (either using a pastry bag with a star tip or even using the tongs of a fork to create a design). Broil for about 5 minutes.  Serve hot, feed the hungry, and get back to the drinking!

About your Chefs:

Travis Healy likes it on the rocks.  Catch him reciting his favorite limericks as he cooks this holiday but catch him early because they get bawdier as the night progresses.

Aurora Nessly is a true Irish lass who likes her liquor, wet. Most spirits suit her but this holiday you’ll find her pounding down a whiskey ginger or two as she quotes famous lines like “don’t be a stingy baby” as she orders.

Beef Sirloin Tacos with Guacamole and Queso Fresco

9 Jan

serves 8

16 soft corn tortillas

1 lb beef sirloin slices

1 cup queso fresco

1 cup green salsa

toppings:

homemade guacamole

fresh cilantro-one small bunch

2 scallions, sliced thin

lime slices (from 2 limes, each cut in 4)

hot sauce of your choice to top (Cholula is a great sauce to keep around)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble:  in a medium sized casserole pan lay out tortillas in a “U” shape, side by side, and fill with sirloin slices.  Top with queso fresco and green salsa.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Serve with guacamole, fresh cilantro, scallion slices, and lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Ultimate Shredded Beef Nachos

4 Jan

Okay, honestly this might be the most arduous nachos anyone has ever attempted. I can make regular nachos in two minutes, grate cheese, combine with corn chips, and microwave.  But honestly…these are not your ordinary nachos.  These are ultimate nachos.  With perfection comes a little effort.  I also got the inspiration from Rick Bayless’s recipe for Gorditas con Carne Deshebrada.  Tender, succulent, tantalizing, mouth-watering…all these words describe my first bite of Bayless’s perfect shredded beef.  I knew it must be mine; thus the ultimate nachos. Pure delicious!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb beef stew meat (cheap and uber-delicious when cooked slowly with love)

2 quarts water

3 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 dried chile negros peppers

3 corn tortillas-(6″ in diameter)

1/2 cup diced Spanish onion

1 cup San Marzano tomatoes, from can, crushed

3 T jalapeno hot sauce (diced fresh/canned jalapenos or any green hot sauce will suffice)

1 hass avocado

1 lime, cut into wedges

1/4 cup green salsa (I use Trader Joe’s or La Costena)

small handful fresh cilantro

1/2 cup queso fresco

olive oil-to coat tortillas and 2 T for onions

salt and pepper-to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Add stew meat, 2 quartz water, bay leaves, thyme, crushed garlic, and chile negros peppers to a stock pot.   Bring to a boil on stove top and then reduce to a simmer.  Salt to taste. Simmer for one and a half hours.

While meat is simmering, tenderizing, and approaching its succulent potential, coat two muffin tins with olive oil and sea salt.  Cut each tortilla into four equal pieces and lay your individual pieces in each of the muffin tins.  Bake at 450 degrees for five minutes.  Salt  your oven fresh tortillas and lay them on a paper towel to cool.

After meat is fully cooked (it should be tender to the prongs of a fork once tested) remove it from the stock pot and place it into a medium bowl to cool.

Strain stew stock and RESERVE (this makes the most delicious broth for French Onion soup).  Discard garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and dried peppers.

Once meat has cooled, shred by using two forks.

In a medium stockpot add 2T of olive oil and cook your diced onions on medium heat.  Add your San Marzano tomatoes, shredded beef, and 3 T jalapeno hot sauce.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook about five minutes.

As meat if finishing, in a medium bowl, mash your avocado.   Add the juice from half a lime, fresh cilantro, and 1/4 cup green salsa.  Season to taste with salt.

To assemble these glorious nachos, begin with a large tablespoon beef.  Top with a teaspoon guacamole and finish with crumbled queso fresco.

Savor your first bite as the tender, moist shredded beef melts in your mouth with the creamy guacamole and queso fesco.  Smile and grab the next one before they are all gone.

Enjoy!

Sexy Steak Salad

28 Oct

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Do you ever go to a restaurant, eat something, and say to yourself “I HAVE to make this at home.”  Well this was one of those recipes.  A salad so filling and delicious that enticed so many parts of the palate that I knew I not only was obliged to make it…I simply HAD to.

There was also the small factor of redeeming my reputation from a horrible meat purchase which influenced my quest…I had bought the most vile steak (don’t even ask me whether it claimed to be flank/skirt/hanger it was worse than stew meat.  I wouldn’t feed it to my dog (okay I don’t have a dog–but I wouldn’t even feed it to my neighbor’s dog ten doors down).  I had unfortunately fed it to my starving boyfriend and after about three attempts at this bovine jerky of sorts we resorted to simply eating the french bread it was served on and sopping up excess meat juices (beggars dinner to be sure). I had been hoping for the lovely french dip of my childhood.  Alas. So–forgetting my past failures, I flung myself into this new, wonderful recipe:

Sexy Steak Salad

serves 2

ingredients:

Ramen noodles-1 package

2 6oz steak (okay-generic I know, bad chef…just chose what looks best and what is your favorite and slice it nice and thin–I did big meaty chunks for mine but for a more delicate portion, fine strips will plate better)

1 avocado-large dice (again-you can do slices and fan, upscale away if that suits you)

1 mango-large dice

roasted, salted peanut halves-4 T for topping

1 Napa cabbage-shredded (you will not use the whole cabbage, 1/2 should suffice)–I also don’t use the entire leaf, I discard about a 1/4 of the coarsest part.

fresh cilantro and mint–2 sprigs each, chiffonade/coarse chop

chili vinaigrette:

sweet chili sauce-5T

sesame oil-3 T

Chinese rice vinegar-3T

hot pepper flakes-2 T

Preparation:

Shred your cabbage.  Chiffonade your cilantro and mint.  Dice your mango.  Mix your vinaigrette but do not toss.  Set all aside, separately.

Cook your Ramen noodles (do not use the package of seasoning!)  Drain, sprinkle with sesame oil to separate the noodles and coarsely cut the long noodles to allow for more bite sized portions.

Next, prepare your lovely red meat.  If you can grill–grill your steak to med-rare.  Let it rest and then carve as desired.  If you can’t–I live in a small apartment in NYC with strong smoke alarms and no backyard–then pan sear it to med-rare.  (it is best if the steak is slightly warm after resting because then when you get a bite of it pared with mango and avocado the tastes explode in your mouth).

As your steak is resting, slice your avocado and mix your cooled ramen noodles with your Napa cabbage (if the ramen is not cooled it will cook your cabbage).  Next add your mango, fresh herbs, and avocado.  Delicately toss with vinaigrette till coated to your desire.  Top with steak and peanuts.

As you sit down to this meal, enjoy the satisfaction of a hearty salad with definite sex appeal.  Compliment yourself on the execution and don’t be too shy to lick your plate clean.

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