Playing Catch Up

Yesterday I finally shared an update about our Thanksgiving and how tasty it was. Today is the rest of the highlights from the past month....

I made a yummy meatloaf. Except I think I over cooked it. I was trying to get the bacon crispy, but in the process, the actual meatloaf dried out! Bummer. I used a ground beef/ground pork blend. I also added some yummy to it. I sauted some onions and chopped bacon the meatloaf mixture, along with herbs and spices. Mmmm, not only did I drape the meatloaf in bacon, it was inside too!

Here's the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn. Lots of gravy help with the dryness!

This was a delicious quiche. Sauted potatoes, a French herb pork sausage and Havarti and dill. So tasty and satisfying.

Here's the quiche just as it was about to come out of the oven. Yes, I used a pre-fabbed crust. It was a quick to do. All good.

Here was a thrown together Asian style stir fry with green beans and pork tenderloin medallions. I coated the pork with cornstarch and Asian 5-spice. The sauce was soy, ginger, garlic and oyster sauce.

I found hangar steak for cheap! It had been in the freezer for awhile and one night when I had no idea what was for dinner, I pulled it out, thawed and rubbed it down with a spicy blend of herbs and spices. Paprika, a few types of chiles, garlic, cumin...salt and pepper. Cooked until medium raw, sliced and tossed with sauted peppers and onions. A fast delicious dinner!

Mmm, steak

Mmm, steak! Steak with a red wine & shallot pan sauce.

When we explored the new Wegman's this past Sunday, I got very excited by all the nice cuts of meat they had. Our regular run of the mill markets around our neighborhood all had crap. If you wanted something nice you had to go to Eastern Market--which I love, but don't always have the time to go to. Or head to Whole Foods, which I also love, but can't afford on a regular basis. Wegman's had nice beef and it was the right price. We bought two vaccum sealed steaks (can't remember the cut). They looked like, and I thought they were filets, but they weren't. Regardless, they were tasty!

An hour before cooking, I prepped all my ingredients and let the steaks come to room temperature after I rinsed them and patted them dry. Prior to cooking, I seasoned them liberally with salt & pepper and an additional spice blend for super yummy flavor! I poured a small bit of olive oil the pan, to just coat the bottom, no pools of oil. Medium high heat. Drop the steaks down. These were some thick steaks, so I cooked them a total 8 minutes per side, for medium doneness. I flipped them at the 5 minute mark per side, then turned the heat to medium. This gave the steaks a great sear and didn't over cook them.

When I was done, I removed the steaks to a plate and covered with foil while I moved on to the sauce. Since I used very little oil, the pan was dry. Drop in a TB of butter, 3 diced shallots and a pinch of chopped rosemary. Saute until soft and starting to brown. Pour in dry red wine, a scant cup. Deglaze the pan and reduce to a thick syrup. Add 1/2 cup of broth and simmer until reduced by half. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Turn off the heat and add another TB of butter, swirl and stir until incorporated. Serve immediately over the steaks. Careful, you'll be tempted to finish the sauce with a spoon!

Enjoy.

Slowly but surely...

...Slowly but surely...I expect that life shall resume to something of an equalized state. I'm not promising a post a day, but I'll try more than once per month! It's embarrassing actually.

Yesterday was the first time in a long time when I actually "made" something for dinner. Not just something frozen. Granted, it was a Crock-pot meal, but it was something. I love a good pot roast/beef stew combo. I dropped the beef roast into the pot, dumped some red wine, beef stock and frozen pearl onion on top. Seasoned with various herbs & spices, covered and returned a few hours later to dump in some carrots and potatoes. Cover and return a few hours later. I scooped out all the goodies, strained the cooking liquid and made a quick gravy with it. Pulled the beef apart, dumped it in a bowl and poured on the gravy. Tasty!

Tonight...Bratwurst, sauerkraut and potatoes. I hope to be back tomorrow with another post!

Pepper Steak

Each time I make Pepper Steak, I'm reminded how it was the first "Chinese" food I had. It was made a home and I'm sure it was more bland than what I'm making now, but I believe it was introduction to soy sauce. I like this dish for it's simplicity in preparation and for the complexity of flavor notes you get with Asian cuisine. Ginger, garlic, salty soy sauce, sweet hoisin, tangy-smelly fish sauce. Heat from jalapeno and hot sauce. More sweet from the peppers and onions. All very good. For some reason, this was far better than in the past when I've made it. Don't know why, but it's a keeper.

Stiry Fry

A nice spicy stir fry for dinner last night.


First, I cooked the beef and moved that to a plate while I worked on the veg. Onions, peppers and carrots in a wee touch of oil. Highest heat my stove can handle. Move fast. Have all your ingredients ready! When they are soft, add the garlic, ginger and hot pepper flakes. Almost immediately--to prevent scorching--add the liquid; soy sauce and water.

Add some brown sugar to sweeten the sauce and simmer for a minute.

Return the cooked strips of beef to the sauce and simmer for another minute or so. There is a light corn starch coating on the beef, which in turn helps to thicken the sauce. Serve hot, over rice.

Recipe here:
Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

Cheers

CHEERS! A tiny bit of a delayed celebration. Over the weekend, May 9, Eat With Me turned 5 years old. Yippee.

Sadly the past 6-9 months have really been slow for me. I still enjoy working on the blog, finding new recipes and certainly still love cooking. But I've been soooo tired. I'm going to keep going and see what I can do to improve my production schedule! I need to find my muse; I think she went on vacation and got lost on her way home. If you see her, tell her to get her butt back here!

"Kira? KIRA!!!??? Come Back! Zeus didn't mean to be a jerk."



In other news, last night we kicked it old school with Tater Tot Casserole.


The big difference though??? Instead of using the traditional can of "Cream of ____" soup, I made a my own roux based sauce and it was delicious!

1. Brown ground beef and 1 medium, diced, onion.
2. When cooked, drain off excess fat.
3. Season with salt, pepper and other spices you like. Add 3 TB of butter.
4. Add 3 TB of flour. Stir and cook for one minute.
5. Add one cup of broth (beef, chicken or combo of both). Stir and simmer.
6. Add 1-2 cups of frozen green beans or other veg (carrots, corn, etc.)
7. Dump into a baking dish, top with frozen potato tots.
8. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Dump on some shredded cheese, if you like. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
9. Serve piping hot.

Enjoy!

I have a menu planned for the next 7 out of 8 days. Hopefully that means a good solid weeks worth of blog posts! Thanks for sticking with me for the past five years. It's been a lot of fun and I'm really proud of how far I've come with my cooking skills! And frankly, if I wasn't willing to learn to cook, I'd probably be eating the same five, boring things, instead of branching out and trying new recipes, new ingredients and new processes!

Life is insane...

The past few weeks have been OUT OF CONTROL. I will probably get some semblance of a normal life back next week...if I'm lucky. In the meantime, we need to eat!

Last night I threw together a pot of Chili-mac. My home version of a Hamburger Helper meal. Ground beef, onion, plenty of spices, canned tomatoes, pasta and done. One pot. Dinner in about 25 minutes. Easy.

1) Brown ground beef, drain fat.
2) Add onion, cook for a few short minutes to soften.
3) Add spices (Chili seasoning, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, etc.) Use what you like.
4) Add a can of diced tomatoes and 2-3 handfuls of macaroni. You can add additional vegetables if you like. Corn. Bell peppers...other?
5) Stir to incorporate. Add 1 can of water--use the tomato can.
6) Cover and simmer until pasta is cooked.
7) Serve hot and garnish with cheese & sour cream if you like.

Meatballs!

I made Swedish Meatballs the other night for dinner...Oscar night. So good! I made a double batch and served with mashed potatoes. Decadent!

Hot Italian Beef!

So easy it's stupid!

And so delicious.

Italian Hot Beef

The only thing you need is time. Start with a low temp oven, 275. A chuck roast, a hefty pinch of salt and 3 TB of Italian seasoning.

Add some beef broth, half a jar of hot, pickled peppers and some of the liquid from the jar. Cover and cook for 6 hours.

Remove from the oven and let cool down a bit. Break the roast apart, removing excess fat and and cartilage. Chop up some of the peppers. And optional, strain the cooking liquid of the excess Italian seasoning (there's a lot and after 6 hours of cooking, all the flavor has been extracted).

Serve on toasted hoagie rolls with the au jus on the side for dipping.

Sweet Mother! This was great. Dump everything in the pot and toss in the oven. And the flavor is awesome. Rich and beefy. Tangy and just a wee touch of spice. Sloppy and cheesy. I couldn't be happier. BTW, I'm pretty sure your slow cooker would work for this as well.

Italian Hot Beef
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
1 can Beef Consomme Or Beef Broth
3 TB (heaping) Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Salt
¼ cups Water
½ jars (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice
Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls


Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.

Cover and bake in a 275 degree oven* for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart. **If meat is not yet tender, return to oven for 30 minute intervals till it’s tender!**

Remove from oven. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.

May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

Steak & Peppers

This dinner should be reserved for a last meal before you hibernate for 6 months. Hefty! But you should try it. Very very tasty. Steak & Peppers with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes.

The inspiration is a Rachel Ray recipe, Steak & Pepper Hash. I started following the recipe, but it just didn't seem right to me, so I stopped and reassessed and did this instead. Basically the same, the flavors are a bit different, but process a touch simplified. But, credit, where credit is due, thanks Rachel for getting me started on this dinner.

1) Mashed Potatoes. Peel and cube potatoes, about 2 medium per person, for a full dinner. Put in a pot with cold water, small handful of salt and bring to a boil until the potatoes are tender. Using a masher, ricer or electric mixer, start breaking the potatoes up. Add butter, couple of tablespoons, mix together. The potatoes will be pretty much broken up at this point, but nothing resembling creamy or mashed. Pour in some heavy cream or milk. Keep mashing to combine. This will pretty much do it. Season with salt and pepper and an additional pat of butter if you like. Taste. Adjust seasoning. For Cheddar mashed potatoes, add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix to combine. If they potatoes seem dry, stir in another drizzle of cream. Keep warm.

2) For the steak. Use about a 1 lb steak, mine was a sirloin steak, about 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick, just shy of a full pound. Cut the steak into 2 large strips. Pat dry with a paper towel and season each side with salt & pepper. Preheat a frying pan over medium high heat. Barely coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Place the steak in the pan. About 3-4 minutes per side. When done, remove to a plate to rest.

3) Peppers. Slice 1/2 a red pepper and 1/2 a green pepper. Slice 1/2 an onion. Add 1 tsp olive oil to the pan the steak was fried in. Add the peppers and onions. Toss to coat with oil and saute until they start to sweat. Season with salt & pepper or a shake or two of season salt. Pour 1/4 cup beef broth into the pan. Stir to work up any bits of steak stuck to the pan. Lower heat to medium and allow liquid to start to reduce.

4) Final. Slice the steak into strips. Pile a scoop of potatoes onto the plate and place the steak to the side. Top the steak & potatoes with peppers and onions. Serve hot!

Simple. Easy. FILLING. And totally satisfying.

Lunch Lady Land

Who needs a can of "Manwich" sloppy joe mix, when you can make your own deliciousness.

Ground beef, onions and green peppers. You can make do without the green pepper if you don't have one, but if you do, use it. The onion is necessary. Brown the ground beef, get rid of most of the fat, leave a little for fun if you like. Add the green pepper and onions. If you like you can use other ground meat...turkey, pork, chicken. Also, if you want a low-fat ground beef version...brown the beef, the dump the whole mess in a fine mess strainer and run under hot water to rinse the fat away. You won't have fat free, but you will have lower fat.

Mix in a variety of seasonings, tomato paste, water and a bit of cider vinegar and/or Worchestshire sauce. Simmer for awhile, or turn the pan off and let sit until you are ready to have dinner. Serve on soft buns. Add cheese if you like. Just like Lunch Lady Land...only better!


Originally posted here.

Slightly altered here...

Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground beef
Hefty pinch of salt
Few shakes of Mrs. Dash

1 medium onion, diced finely
1 bell pepper, diced finely

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 TB brown sugar

1 tsp cider vinegar
1/8 tsp Worchestshire sauce

1 6 oz can of tomato paste AND 1 1/4 cup water
OR
2-3 TB tomato paste, 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water

In a large pan, brown the beef, while browning season with a little salt and Mrs. Dash....I always give my ground beef a little season, even if more is seasoning is coming later...it'll just taste better. Drain of most of the fat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for about 5 until the onions and peppers soft. When they are done, add in the spices and stir for about a minute. Add the water, cider vinegar and tomato paste. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes until hot, sloppy and bubbly.

Julia Child's Beouf Bourguignon

Here's some more of Thanksgiving 2009 prep. Julie Child's Beouf Bourguignon. So Good! I followed the recipe, almost exactly. Per one of my guests dietary restrictions, I used beef bacon instead of pork bacon...a fine substitute.

Start with the beef. I bought two large roasts and cut them into smaller pieces and cut some of the fat off as I went.


Carrots and Onions.


After the beef has been browned, you add some flour. This will help thicken the sauce as the stew cooks.


Because I needed my pans for multiple dishes, I seared the meat in a large skillet, then poured the liquid in to deglaze the pan, then I poured the whole mess into a foil baking pan.


Ready to go in the oven. You can tell in this photo how "lite" the sauce is, having not thickened at all.


After several hours. The sauce changes colors, the red dissipates, and becomes a dark brown. The meat was super tender. Remove the meat and strain the sauce. Discard the veggies.


I made the Beouf on Monday night, so serve on Thursday. Here we go, all ready for the fridge. I waited to do the onions and mushrooms the day of. Once they were braised and sauted, I added them to the beef and sauce and placed in a warm oven for about an hour or so while we enjoyed the first few courses of dinner.


Beouf Bourguignon served with creamy mashed potatoes. Amazing. But so rich and I was already so full from the first three course, I didn't really enjoy it!!! I still hate mushrooms. But I DID cook with them. In the future, will probably serve this with buttered noodles or boiled potatoes.

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon:

• 6 ounces bacon
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
• 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• Crumbled bay leaf
• Blanched bacon rind
• 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
• 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
• Parsley sprigs

Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

The Hot Tamale Pie

Last night's dinner was a simple, tasty one. Tamale Pie. This is a throwback to the days when I was cooking Rachel Ray on a regular basis. I think this was a Rachel Ray recipe, anyway. If it was, I feel it's a strong example of what she does right and where there could be improvement. As is, the recipe is easy, fast, anyone can try it and make it work. Dinner in a snap. Prep, toss in the oven, clean up, serve and enjoy. Where there is room for improvement is in the flavor department. The recipe can come off as a little bland, at least for me. So, you will need to start experimenting with flavors to bring the dish up a notch of two. Add some additional spices to base. Last night I added some shallot, coriander and chipotle chile powder. Combined with the onions, garlic, peppers and cumin, we now have a great base. The cornmeal topping, well, that is really bland if you don't play around. I cooked my topping with cream, chicken broth, Adobe seasoning, plenty of black pepper and at the end, stirred in some cheese. Now we're talking!

Of the few times I've made this, last night was spot on. We were very pleased.

You'll notice in the photos, I made the Tamale Pies in individual ramekins. With half the recipe I had 6 individual pies. I do this more as a convenience for saving extras for lunch. Just cover, reheat and go. It is also helpful with portion control. Except we each ate TWO instead of one! We didn't have a side, give us a break! Anyway, you have beef, tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers and lots of good, rich spices. Basically, a solid chili, without the soupy base.

Top the pies with cooked cornmeal/grits and sprinkle a little extra cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Enjoy.

Beef Stew

This recipe for Oven Beef Stew is adapted from one shared with readers in a recent Penzey's catalogue.

The key to this adaptation is to find a very tender cut of beef. The original recipe has this cook for 5 hours...I cooked it for an hour. Long enough to make most beef pretty tough and chewy. But having a tender cut that slow cooks, for only an hour, in a wet environment, is key.

That being said...I didn't read what type of beef this was and was surprised how tender it was after an hour of cooking! Trial and error my friends. Sorry.

Oven Beef Stew
adapted from Penzey's

1 1/2 lb beef, cubed and trimmed.
2-3 large potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 onion, large diced
4-5 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
Salt/Pepper
2 tsp Oregano, dried
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB vegetable oil
Broth-chicken or beef or combo

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat the beef with the vegetable oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Sear the beef in a large pot, over medium high heat. You are trying to get a browned crust, not cook the meat through. Remove the beef to a bowl.

Add the onions to the pot and stir. Add the oregano. Stir. Add the tomatoes. Cover with broth and add the beef. Stir. Cover and place in the oven for 1/2 hour.

At the 1/2 hour mark, stir and add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook for another 1/2 hour, or until the vegetables are tender.

Serve hot!


Notes: If you want the broth to be thicker, you can stir in a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold liquid) to thicken it, or bring to a simmer over the stove, uncovered to allow the broth to reduce.

Cold Meets Warm!

I'm not a big follower of the belief that there are certain foods that are appropriate or in appropriate based on the seasons. Sure, I try to use as many seasonal items as I can, but if I am craving a bowl of chili in the summer, I'm going to have it. Or if I want a light tangy salad in the middle of winter, I'll find a way to make it happen.

But there are certain times when you just need to fire up the stove to pull together a pot of chili when it's chilly! The past few days have been damp and cool. Last night were were hovering around 50 degrees and rainy. Perfect for a bowl of Cincinnati Chili full of warm, aromatic spices like cinnamon, all spice and cayenne pepper. Rich and mellow, a perfect chaser on a chilly night**.

Cincinnati Chili

...served with buttered pasta (best with spaghetti, but most any type works. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced onions or tomatoes, beans, whatever your favorite chili garnish is, use it!

**And if you are a scrooge like me and are unwilling to turn the heat on; just waiting for the temp to drop just a bit more, you can temporarily avoid the chilly spousal wrath by providing a belly warming meal like this.

Weekend Catch Up

Let's play catch up on what we've been eating at Eat With Me shall we?

Sesame Noodles with Chicken. Very tasty, filling and easy when using a roasted chicken from the store!


Friday night was a night for wine and friends. This was a very satisfying bottle of Sauvignon Blanc!


Really great taco fillings. Skirt Steak and Pork Tenderloin with...Roasted Corn with Chipotle & Lime, Sauteed Peppers and Onions, Avocado and Lime, Roasted Tomato Salsa.

Skirt Steak was seasoned using this recipe.
(Roasted Tomato Salsa recipe is in this link as well)

Pork Tenderloin was mostly jerk seasoning with a plethora of spices thrown in the mix for fun.


Inn-effing-credible. Totally satisfying on all accounts!!!!


A pork roast hash. Leftover pork, potatoes, onions and red peppers.

Two Meals

Two fairly tasty meals the past two nights. The first was one I realized I never put the recipe up...again, I don't have the recipe in front of me...but it's really. Braised chicken thighs with shallots, fennel and bacon. This time I added some potato for some starchy goodness. VERY GOOD. This will be an amazing meal in the winter!



Thursday night's meal was also a recipe I've made before, Pepper Steak. This batch was a bit on the spicy side, but at the end of the day, you want some of the extra spice to cut through the sweetness of the Asian sauces.

Two meals

Here are two meals we've done in the past few days. The first is a so-so recipe from Everyday Food. Thai Beef with Chile and Basil over Coconut Rice. Something needs to be worked on in this recipe to balance the flavors some. Fish sauce was too dominate. Also, this is strange coming from me, but I need to kick up the veggie component to this meal. Perhaps additional peppers? Green beans or broccoli? I was excited about the coconut rice, but the recipe didn't work, I had to add additional water part way thru the cooking process. I also ended up with something more like a coconut risotto. Not the best meal.


Thai Beef with Chiles and Basil over Coconut Rice
1 1/4 cup jasmine rice
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
Salt
2 TB plus 1 tsp fish sauce
2 TB plus 1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 TB vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 long hot peppers or red jalapenos, seeded and sliced into matchsticks
1 1/4 lb ground beef
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
lime wedges for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk and 3/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

2. When rice is almost done, combine fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Heat a skillet or wok over high. Add oil and heat; add garlic and half the chiles. Cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon until completley browned, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and cook for 30 seconds. Add basil and remaining chiles and stir to combine. Serve beef over coconut rice and with lime wedges.

NOTE: The rice didn't cook properly. I had to add almost an additional cup of water to the recipe. I'd either go with plain rice or try using more water and less coconut milk. See if that works. As for the beef. I'd add some veggies as I suggested, maybe pre-cook them, then stir into the beef at the end. I'd also cut back to 1 TB of fish sauce next time. This was too much.


~~~~~


Last night I made Italian Sausage & Peppers. I was looking forward to using up the vegetables. They are on their last leg in our un-refrigerated house. But when all was said and done. I was very unsatisfied with the meal. This can be traced directly back to the Italian sausages I had purchased. Quality ingredients are key. So for your viewing pleasure, I will only give you sauteing peppers and onions. This would have been a far more satisfying dinner just like this! Oh well.

Murder Burger

The only thing I can call this is a Murder Burger. The consequences of consuming this beast is nothing short of deadly. Ground beef, a variety of seasonings, grilled on a skillet and covered with cheese, bacon and sauted onions (in bacon fat), then put on a buttered bun (Mmm, Butter Burgers from back home in WI). I love a good burger and I will do what I can to put a full one away. This, was just too much. I couldn't finish!!!! After dinner I had this heartbreaking feeling. I think my arteries were clogging and I could feel it. It will be awhile before I try this again. The fries...those aren't so bad. A little olive oil, salt, pepper and a few other seasonings of your choice! Oven roasted until crispy and golden. Just writing this made me feel 'heartbroken' again, I need to go lay down...

Oh, it was a whole wheat bun!!!! That's a bonus point!

Not Vegetarian Friendly!

I'm giving you all a fair warning now. This is a big, fat, beefy, meaty mess. If you avoid meat and/or beef, turn away now. I don't want you to see the carnage that will ensue.

OK, meat eaters, thanks for staying. This is tasty and a great alternative to a traditionally grilled steak. Also, it's a great, maybe even for me, preferred, alternative to stir-fried beef!

Soy-Marinated Flank Steak

The marinade. Soy, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and some Dijon mustard. Mix it all together and let the steak marinate for 1-2 hours. The recipe calls for flank steak. As is the case, 99% of the time, I can't find flank steak in my various markets, so I used a large steak...of which I don't know the cut.

120 minutes later...fire up the grill. Before you go to cook the steak, SAVE the marinade. We're going to turn it into a glaze for later.

It's finally summertime in Washington, DC. That means one thing to me. It's too damn hot & humid outside. So this time, I fired up the grill pan. I also had no vegetables, so I sliced up some potatoes...this is really a pantry/freezer meal, so again...it's all meat & potatoes!

Over medium high heat, my steak took 6 minutes per side and after 3 minutes on one side, I turned the steak 90 degrees to get nice grill marks.

While the steak is cooking pour the marinade into a sauce pan and bring to a rolling simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the marinade is reduced by half. Be careful not to have the heat too high, or the sauce could overflow your saucepan. I used a pan that was a touch too small and came close a few times. Stir frequently and watch closely, or you'll have a hell of a mess to clean up.

Allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut into strips for easy serving.

Spoon the soy marinade/sauce over the beef and serve hot. This would be great with some rice and even some spicy/garlic broccoli. Sweet. Little tangy. Touch spicy. All sorts of crazy savory!

Soy-Marinated Flank Steak
from Everyday Food

1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 TB cider vinegar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp red-pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 flank steak (about 2 pounds)
Vegetable oil, for grates

Directions

1. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, red-pepper flakes, and pepper. Place steak in dish and cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Swirl dish so that marinade coats the top of steak. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, turning steak occasionally.

2. Heat grill to high. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off. Pour marinade into a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

3. Clean and lightly oil hot grates. Grill steak, covered, 6 minutes; turn, brush with glaze, and grill until medium-rare, 6 minutes more. Let rest 8 to 10 minutes before slicing.