Bacon Meatloaf

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4 slices of thick bacon

½ small onion, diced

1 large celery, diced

1 large carrot, grated

1 small zucchini, grated

1 .25 lb ground turkey (or beef or pork, or a mix of all three)

2 slices of bread, diced and soaked in milk (I used a crusty, rustic bread)

1 egg

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

¼ cup of minced Italian parsley

Salt and pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

In a medium frying pan, cook two slices of the bacon. Roughly chop and set aside. Using the bacon grease, sauté the onion, celery, carrot and zucchini over med-high heat for 3-4 minutes.

 

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, cooked bacon, sautéed veggies, bread (squeeze milk out first), egg, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix just until ingredients are combined. Do not over mix so meat is mushy. If mixture is too wet, add dried cubed bread.

 

In a round pan, mold meat mixture into a ring with a hole in the middle. Place extra bacon slices on top. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until middle reaches 180 degrees.

 

Enjoy over mashed potatoes or rice. Makes great cold meatloaf sandwiches the next day!

Saturday Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash

I don’t even like corned beef, but I went to the grocery store starving and it was on sale (after St Patty’s Day), so I said – what the heck? My husband feels the same way about it, but we both loved the way this meat came out, as well as the breakfast we used it in the next day!

 

Then my co-worker brought me three fresh eggs from her own chickens. There was one brown and two with different shades of green. I was so excited to try them since I’ve heard you can really taste the difference between fresh verse store bought eggs. The yolk was larger and more yellow. They were delicious. A great accompaniment to the corned beef hash.

 

4 servings

 

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled until tender (make the day before)

2 cups chopped corned beef - see corned beef recipe below, make the day before

½ small yellow onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Salt & pepper, to taste

 

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, add EVOO. Once oil is hot, add potatoes, corned beef, onion, peppers and garlic. Press down with a spatula and let cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley, salt and pepper. Press down with spatula and cook for another 5 minutes, until potatoes and beef are browned and crispy. Serve with fried eggs and toast.

 

Crock Pot Corned Beef:

2 ½ lb corned beef brisket

Vegetable broth (low sodium)

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

 

In a crock pot, add corned beef. Cover with broth. Add garlic and bay leaves. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from liquid, place on cutting board and cut against grain.

 

Tip: Make the day before and use leftovers for corned beef hash.

NY Strip Steak Hash with Eggs

I created this breakfast using all the leftovers from our Valentine’s Day feast … and then added two eggs! Yum … and Valentine’s weekend continues!

 

 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 large red skinned potatoes, steamed or boiled, cubed

½ cup diced cooked steak

½ cup chopped steamed cauliflower

½ small yellow onion, diced

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

 

In a frying pan over high heat, drizzle EVOO. Add potatoes and cook until all sides are browned and crispy. Turn heat to medium, add steak, cauliflower and onion; mix together.

 

Create two holes in the hash mixture and crack an egg into each hole. Cover pan and let egg cook until the whites are settled, but the yolk is still soft (or cooked to your liking). Season with salt and pepper.

 

Enjoy with a few dashes of hot sauce and a side of fresh fruit.

 

Valentine's Day Feast featuring a 3-Cheese Fondue

Our Valentine's Day feast. It was a lot of work to prepare, but fun to enjoy this hands on meal together.

 

Our menu, except I forgot to add the fondue to the main course! :-(

To start, a mixed greens salad with sliced apples, spicy candied pecans and blue cheese.




Ben's signature NY strip steaks...cooked to a medium rare perfection!

Let the cheesy fondue fun begin!

3-Cheese Fondue

About 4 servings

½ Tbsp butter

½ Tbsp flour
½ cup white wine
½ tsp Dijon mustard
3-4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
3-4 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
3-4 oz Swiss cheese, grated
½ Tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Slowly whisk in wine. Add mustard. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in lemon juice.

Before transferring to a fondue pot, rub a raw garlic clove on the inside of the pot.

Enjoy with your favorite steamed veggies and cubed bread.

Check out my NY Strip Steak Hash recipe that I made with the leftovers for breakfast the next morning!

Three-Bean Chorizo Chili

We are having a chili cook off at work, so I tested out two recipes. I wanted to do a spin on the traditional chili by adding the chorizo pork and lentils. This batch was spicy and full of flavor. My other batch was a Three-Pepper Turkey Chili.

Which one do you like better?

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
½ cup diced green bell pepper
10 oz chorizo pork, remove from casing
½ lb ground beef
1 14.5 oz can of red kidney beans
1 14.5 oz can of pinto beans
3/4 cup dried lentils
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
Salt, to taste

In a large pot over med-high heat, cook onion and garlic in EVOO for 3-4 minutes. Add peppers; sauté for 3 minutes. Add chorizo pork and beef. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking apart meat and mixing together. Turn heat to med-low and mix in remaining ingredients (except salt). Cover and cook for 1+ hours, stirring occasionally. When lentils are tender, taste and add salt to your liking. Do not boil, otherwise the beans will turn to mush.

Serve chili topped with grated cheddar cheese, diced raw onion and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Note: I cooked mine over the stove top  on low for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to mingle. You can also use the crock pot or slow cooker.

If you have leftover chili, try these stuffed potatoes.

Crock Pot Roast

This is the perfect cozy comfort food for a chilly day. Throw everything in the crock pot and come home to mouthwatering smells that will fill your whole house!

2-3 lbs chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1” cubes

3 large carrots, sliced into 2” long pieces

3 celery ribs, sliced

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

½ Tbsp salt

½ Tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes

2 cups beef broth (or water)

½ cup red wine

¼ cup chopped parsley (I like to use Italian flat leaf)

2 Bay leaves

In a crock pot, or slow cooker, combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours. The liquid should come half way up the meat, but do not cover completely. If there’s too much liquid, reduce the amount of broth, or water.

Serve in a shallow bowl over mashed potatoes or rice. Serve with carrots and spoon over extra sauce.

Meatball Stroganoff

A quick and tasty meal with a spin on the traditional beef stroganoff.

 

 

Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 small onion, minced

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

1 egg

¼ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (if mixture is too wet, add more) 

 

4 large white or Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

 

McCormik stroganoff seasoning (yes, I'm cheating and using a packet...that's what makes it quick!) 

 

In a large bowl, mix ingredients for meatballs together until well combined. In a large frying pan over med-high heat and drizzle oil. Using wet hands, form walnut sized balls from meat mixture and drop onto frying pan. Fry all sides until browned. 

 

Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring around meatballs. Following the directions on the seasoning packet, add water mixed with seasoning to the pan with the meatballs and mushrooms. Before serving , stir in one cup of sour cream.  

 

Serve over egg noodles or rice. Garnish with minced fresh parsley or sprinkle with paprika and freshly cracked pepper.   

Steak and Veggie Salad

Who says salads are boring?

½ sirloin steak
Cajun seasoning
2 crushed garlic cloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For Salad:

2 boiled eggs, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 small cucumber, sliced
3 large radishes, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
2 green onion sprigs, sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Crumbled blue cheese
Mixed green salad

In a bag, marinade steak in Cajun seasoning, garlic and olive oil for 30+ minutes. Over med-high heat, grill steak for about 4-6 minutes per side, until desired doneness. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

To serve, make a bed of lettuce, add veggies and top with sliced steak. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with your favorite dressing.

Variations:

-          Use marinated chicken instead of steak

Vegetable Soup with Turkey Meatballs

People ask me if I cook for myself when my husband is out of town. The answer is YES!!! I enjoy eating good food too! Cooking is also a stress release for me and a way to wind down after work. I made this pot of vegetable soup with turkey meatballs tonight, which I’ll eat (and enjoy) for the next few days. My husband was jealous that he wasn’t home to join me.

¾ lb ground turkey or chicken

3 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ yellow onion, minced
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 large carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 large jalapeno, diced (optional)
5 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp dried mushrooms
1 cup broccoli florets
1 tsp minced fresh Rosemary
1 tsp minced fresh Italian flat leaf Parsley
2 Bay leaves
2-3 green onion sprigs, sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until combine; do not over mix. In a large sauce pan, drizzle EVOO and preheat over med-high. With wet hands, shape mixture into walnut sized meatballs. Drop into sauce pan and brown all sides. Remove meatballs from pan and transfer to a plate; set aside.

In the same sauce pan, add more EVOO if necessary, sauté carrots, celery and jalapenos. In a large pot, add broth and dried mushrooms; bring to a boil. Add carrots, celery, jalapenos, broccoli and herbs. Carefully drop meatballs into the broth, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Serve in a shallow bowl, sprinkle with fresh green onions and enjoy with sliced, crusty bread.

Note: If you don’t have dried mushrooms, use sliced, fresh mushrooms, such as baby bells, and sauté with the other veggies before adding to the broth.

Variations:

·         Add corn, zucchini and/or diced potatoes
·         Add pasta or rice
·         Add a can of diced tomatoes
·        Make meatballs from beef, pork or a combination of both

Crock Pot Hungarian-Style Goulash

Serves: 4 

1 lb beef chuck roast, cubed

1 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced

1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/4 cups water, divided
1/4 cup flour
Egg noodles

Place beef and sausage in crock pot, and cover with onion. In a medium bowl, stir combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, paprika, mustard, and 1 cup water. Pour mixture over beef, sausage and onions.

Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours, or until meat is tender.

Mix 1/4 cup water with flour to form a paste, and stir into goulash. Cook on high for 15 minutes, until sauce thickens.

Cook egg noodles according to directions on packaging.

Serve goulash over noodles.

Corned Beef with Colcannon

‘Tis the day to wear your greenest sweater with matching socks, and to wash down green food with a cold Guinness. We celebrated by cooking traditional Irish dishes, in a not so traditional way. Instead of boiling the corned beef and cabbage, we roasted and sautéed.

Corned Beef

4 lb brined corned beef

Preheat oven to 380 degrees.

Drain and remove corned beef from packaging. Rinse off with water and place fat side down in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Add about 1” of water, or until its half way up the beef. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 40 minutes per pound, or until beef easily shreds off with fork.

Let rest for 10 minutes, place on cutting board and cut at a diagonal, across the grain, into ½” thick slices.

Colcannon

5 Tbsp milk
4 medium red skinned potatoes, cubed
1/3 head of green cabbage, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
½ yellow onion, sliced
Pinch of nutmeg
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a medium pot, bring milk to a boil and add potatoes; simmer for 15-20 minute until tender.

In a sauté pan, add a drizzle of EVOO over med-high heat. Add cabbage, garlic and onion, sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add cabbage mixture to potatoes. Stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper; mash together.

Plate a small mound of colcannon on a plate. Make a shallow hole at the top and place a slice of butter.

Plate colcannon with sliced corned beef. Serve Key Lime Pie for dessert!

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Chimichurri Steak

Chimichurri is a delicious South American sauce famous in Argentina. It’s a great marinade and sauce for steak or chicken.

3 garlic cloves

¼ small onion

1 ½ cup fresh parsley

½ cup fresh cilantro

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp lime juice

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Sea salt to taste

¾ lb sirloin, hanger or skirt steak

In a food processor, pulse garlic and onion until chopped. Add parsley, cilantro, EVOO, vinegar, lime juice, red pepper and salt; pulse until combine.

In a zip lock bag, marinate steak in Chimichurri sauce for at least 30 minutes. Save extra marinade to top steak.

Grill steak over med-high heat until medium rare, or to your liking. Let rest before slicing.

Arrange sliced steak over rice or green rice. Spoon extra sauce over steak. Enjoy!

Beef Involtini

I found this Italian recipe for rolled beef called Beef Involtini, which is similar to a Czech recipe I love called Spanish Birds.

4 servings

1 cup stale sourdough bread, chopped

1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

½ cup frozen chopped spinach, defrost and squeeze out excess water

1 1/2 lb round or flank steaks

sliced pepperoni, about 2-3 slices per roll

Salt and pepper

EVOO

½ small onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 large garlic clove, diced

1 can diced tomatoes with basil, undrained

In a large bowl prepare stuffing by combining bread, parsley, cheese and spinach; set aside.

Pound out meat into four ¼” thick steaks. Lay the meat out, place a couple slices of pepperoni on top and spoon stuffing over that. Roll up tightly. Secure roll with toothpicks or butcher twine. Repeat for remaining rolls. Season with salt and pepper.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, drizzle a little EVOO and add onion, celery and carrot. Cook until veggies are tender.

Add the involtini to the pan and lightly brown all sides; add tomatoes. Mix well, cover and cook for about 1 hour.

Remove toothpicks or twine from rolls before serving. Plate by creating a bed of rice, top with tomato mixture and finish with sliced involtini.

Empanadas

These aren’t traditional Empanadas, but I couldn’t think of what else to call them. They are kind of a mix of Empanadas, Egg Rolls and Samosas. I used the leftovers from my Picadillo dish for the filling in my Empanadas and it turned out tasty!

Picadillo recipe for filling
Egg Roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil

In a large frying pan over med-high, heat about ½” of oil. Test the readiness by dropping a little piece of food, if it sizzles, the oil is ready for frying.

Prepare empanadas by filling half of one egg roll wrapper and leaving ½” of space around the edge. With your finger, rub a little egg around the edges then press together to make a triangle. Fry each side for about 3-4 minutes, until crispy and brown. If it’s cooking too fast and burning, turn down the heat. Place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Serve with a green or chopped vegetable salad.

Mediterranean Meatballs over Couscous

1 lb ground beef, pork or turkey (I used beef in this dish)
1 egg
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 small red bell pepper, diced
½ yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp Moroccan Gourmet Garden Fresh Blends (found by the fresh herbs)
1 box of couscous (my favorite brand is Near East)
A large handful of fresh baby spinach
EVOO

In a large bowl, combine meat, egg, breadcrumbs, pepper, onion and Moroccan spice; mix well. Using wet hands to prevent meat from sticking, shape mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and cook meatballs. Brown all sides and make sure they are cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, make the couscous according to directions on the box. After 5 minutes when couscous has absorbed the liquid and is ready to be fluffed, stir in the baby spinach; cover and set aside.

Serve in a shallow bowl by making a bed of couscous and topping with meatballs. Drizzle with any remaining pepper and onion bits that might be left in the pan.

Picadillo

I came across this Latin American dish called Picadillo when I was searching for a recipe to make with the ground beef I had. There are several different versions with a variety of different spices and ingredients depending on the region it’s made. After reviewing several recipes, I decided to make a combination of the Costa Rican and Mexican Picadillo.

1 lb of beef or pork

EVOO

1 small onion, diced

1 russet potato, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced
Juice from one lime

1 cup of thick & chunky salsa

1 small can of tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed thyme

2 Tbsp freshly minced cilantro, same some to sprinkle as a garnish

½ green bell pepper, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

10 large green olives, pitted

Salt and pepper to taste

*If the mixture seems too thick, add ½ - 1 cup of broth or water

Heat a few drizzles of EVOO in a skillet over med-high heat. Start to brown meat. Add onion, potato, carrot, garlic, lime juice, salsa, tomato paste and spices. Cover, lower heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peppers and olives, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. If the mixture seems too thick and the potatoes aren’t cooking, add broth or water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve Picadillo over rice, sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe serves 4. Or you can serve 2 and use the rest for taco or tamales filling. I’m going to try to make Papas Rellenas, so stay tuned!

Lentil Chili

This dish was really tasty. Next time, I'll probably add kidney and mung beans then call it 'three bean chili'. 

1 cup lentils
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
2 celery ribs, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (with jalapenos if you want to add some spice)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin

In a pot over high heat, add lentils and cover with water - about one inch over lentils. Bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer; cover and cook for about 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain any excess water and set aside.

In a sauté pan, brown meat; drain any excess fat. Add veggies and cook together until vegetables are soft. Stir in diced tomatoes, sauce, chili powder, cumin and lentils. Cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with a few dashes of hot sauce for an extra kick.

Note: If you don’t have chili powder or cumin, you can add a package of chili mix instead of the individual spices.

Philly Cheese Steak Potato

You might remember me talking about my eatery idea, Spuds, my gourmet potato bar. It’s my make-believe restaurant that I create recipes for and then try then out on the hubby at home. Here’s one of Spud’s specials.

1 large russet potato
¾ lb beef loin
Salt
Pepper
1 small green bell pepper, sliced
½ small yellow onion, sliced
2 mushrooms, sliced (I used baby Bellas)
2-3 slices of Provolone cheese
A couple slices of butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean one large russet potato, cut in half, pierce with a fork, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minute minutes. You can use one whole potato per person but we usually just split a large one, especially since this dish contains meat, which is really filling.

Slice beef into thin slices and season with salt and pepper. Heat a few drizzles of EVOO in a pan over high heat. Sear each side of beef for 30-45 seconds, just until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more EVOO and sauté veggies for a few minutes until tender. When veggies are ready, lay slices of cheese on top, cover pan to let steam melt the cheese a little.

Remove potatoes from oven, unwrap, push ends together to insides open up. Sean with salt, pepper and a slice or two of butter. Using a spatula, scoop veggies topped with melted cheese from pan onto potato.

HELPFUL HINTS:
• Place beef in freezer for about 30-45 minutes so it hardens and is easier to slice thin.
• Melt cheese over veggies once potato is prepared to prevent over melting and it becoming runny.

Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chili

1 lb beef (80/20)

3 Italian spicy hot links, meat removed from casings

2-15 oz kidney beans
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large jalapeno, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1-16 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1-8 oz tomato sauce
1 package of McCormick chili seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Break up meat and gently mix ingredients together. Cover and cook on low for 8+ hours. Stir before serving.

Garnish with cheddar cheese and minced onion. Serve with sliced bread.

Short Ribs Rigatoni in Tomato Sauce

Whenever we have company in town, the hubby takes advantage of requesting his favor dishes for dinner. So this one was back by popular demand…with a tomato twist.

2-3 lbs boneless short ribs

Few Tbsp of flour
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Parsley seasoning
Red wine
Beef broth
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season ribs with salt, pepper and garlic parsley seasoning. Coat in flour.

In a large pan, which you are able to transfer to the oven, heat oil over high heat. Add ribs and brown on all sides. Add half wine and half beef broth to cover about half way up the ribs. Bring to a boil then turn off heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and roast for about 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.

Remove pan from oven. Transfer meat to a bowl and shred using 2 forks; set aside. Add sauce and vegetables from pan into a blender. Add tomato paste and puree until smooth to your liking. (I even added 2 more raw garlic cloves to the blender to add a stronger flavor.) Season with salt and pepper. Stir in sauce to shredded meat.

Toss with cooked rigatoni. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnish with freshly minced Italian parsley.