Korean-Style Minced Beef Bowl

Oh my, this is a MUST share!
I found the recipe on my long-time friend's  (gorgeous) blog; La Table de Nana, by Monique. She shared with us that she had discovered it on  The English Kitchen blog by Marie.
Both Marie and Monique are blogging cooks that I admire,  it helps that our tastes in food are quite similar.  If either of these two ladies give a recipe high marks, I know it will be popular at my house too. 



This recipe is very flavorful and it goes together in just minutes (a quick meal, especially if you steam some rice just before you begin to cook the beef.) The bonus is ~ it's budget friendly!
I just tweaked the original recipe a little bit:
- I increased the amount of fresh ginger, -Added a little very dry sherry (not cooking sherry) just before adding the soy sauce -Added a teaspoon of white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) with the soy sauce (it piques the flavor just a bit.)

Click image to learn more. Option to purchase if you cannot find it locally.
I used Sambal Oelek (fresh ground chili paste) instead of the chili flakes
The original recipe suggests serving it with sticky rice (which would be perfect, and would make it easier to eat with chopsticks)  I had Jasmine rice, so that's what I chose.



For garnish I added some julienned carrots, a sprig of cilantro and a wedge of fresh lime,  along with the sliced scallion in the original recipe.
If you like food with an Asian flavors, I am quite certain you will love this one.



If you would like the recipe, please hop over to Marie's blog, and say hello ... Here is the link. or 
(http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/03/korean-beef.html)
Many thanks to Marie and Monique for sharing this KEEPER! I'll make this one again and again ~ (it would make a wonderful filling for lettuce wraps too.)

I hope you'll give it a try. Thank you for coming by today ~ Cheers!

Chile Colorado

One of my favored ways of using my homemade Red Chile Sauce is in Chile Colorado.  Chile Colorado is made with chunks of beef, red chili sauce and just a few other simple ingredients.  Unadulterated, pure form of the dish we know in the United States as Chili.
You can use stew meat cubes from the market, or cut  your own from Chuck Steak or any of the less expensive cuts of beef; those which benefit from a long, slow cooking time.
The method is much the same for making beef stew. (I usually make mine in a pressure cooker, but you can make it in a traditional pot on the stovetop as well.)
Here's the method:
Heat a little vegetable oil in a heavy pot until quite hot, season the meat cubes with salt and pepper and brown in batches (don't crowd or the meat won't brown properly.) Turn occasionally so the cubes of meat are evenly browned on all sides.  Remove the browned meat to a large plate or platter and repeat until all the meat is browned.
Add a large white or yellow onion (diced) to the pan, and cook until translucent, you may add a minced clove of garlic (or two) at the end of cooking time. Place the meat back in the pot, add some of the red chili sauce (a cup or three, depending upon how much meat you have), and add enough water or beef broth to just cover the meat.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to barely a simmer and place lid on pan (slightly askew so steam can escape), and slowly simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is almost fall-apart tender. Add more liquid if during the cooking time if it is evaporating too quickly.
At the finish you want enough chili 'gravy' to generously coat the meat, with some extra to serve with rice and tortillas, if desired.


I truly like this better than chile con carne!

I usually serve this with sliced avocados, a few slices of lime, rice and beans; and any other condiments you like.
I always offer pinto beans from the pressure cooker, cookedwith just a chopped onion, a little garlic, salt and pepper and water, cook until tender.


Hope you enjoy!

Porcini Salt Minute Steaks with Rosti

When I first saw this recipe in Donna Hay's most recently published book "Fast, Fresh, Simple" I was quite intrigued by the concept.
Thinly sliced Sirloin beef steak, (or beef filet, sliced into thin steaks) are brushed with oil*,  then sprinkled with porcini mushroom salt ~ a unique twist on steak and mushrooms.
* I love this tip from Donna: When ready to sear the meat, heat skillet over high heat, while skillet is heating brush the meat with oil (rather than putting the oil in the pan), This saves clean-up, and there is much less spattering ~ brilliant!



Use a spice grinder, small food processor or blender to grind the dried porcini and sea salt into a fine powder. (if you don't grind it finely enough it will taste gritty.)



Because the steaks are so thin they pan sear in just a couple of minutes, then served with  the delicious rosemary rosti. I love the contrast in textures; tender, juicy steak and crunchy, flavorful potato!
The crisp and lacy potato discs can be made a short time ahead and held until ready on a rack in a warm oven until you're ready to plate.
Serve additional Porcini Salt on the side for those who prefer a more pronounced mushroom flavor.



It's flavorful and is quick to put together; perfect for a weeknight supper. I'll definitely make this one again.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you'll find it here on my recipe blog.
If you try it, I hope you like it too!
~mari xo

A Twist on Moussaka ~ Greece Meets France!

Greece meets France in this twist I devised as a shortcut for the Greek dish Moussaka, using what I had on hand  (most noticeably not enough eggplant to make the traditional Greek version!)
Instead, with some odds and ends of fresh vegetables from the  late harvest I made a batch of oven roasted Ratatouille, then proceeded with an adaptation of Moussaka.

Ratatouille ~ deliciously French!
I don't really use an exact recipe for ratatouille and that's just  what I love about dishes like this ~the option of adapting it to  suit ones own taste (or according to what combinations  of vegetables you happen to have.)

You see in the photo from back to front: Red and Green Bell Peppers, Onion, whole garlic cloves and Zucchini, Slender purple eggplant and ripe tomato chunks.

That being said, I prepare oven roasted Ratatouille  much like this as found on about.com/French Food.
It's wonderful to have a bowl of this savory treat in the fridge; good on toasted baguette slices, as a topping  or base for scrambled or fried eggs, as a side dish with fowl or meats, or main dish with grains, rice, or pasta.
 If it's not served warm, it's really best at room temperature so take it out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes to an hour before serving.

Moussaka ~ Delightfully Greek!
This time when making moussaka, instead of the usual eggplant  (or combination of eggplant and potatoes) as the vegetable layers  I used the ratatouille as the base layer, then a layer of spiced, sauteed minced lamb (you can use ground beef, or a mix of lamb and beef). I've seen versions omitting the meat altogether.


Right out of the oven.  (It serves more neatly if allowed to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.)

Over the meat another layer of the ratatouille,  and finally topped with a layer Bechamel sauce  ( medium-thick white sauce) and a dusting of grated  Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan cheese sprinkle on the  Bechamel sauce develops an appetizing golden brown while baking.
Keeper!! This can be assembled ahead and refrigerated until baking time; and it reheats well, too.
Using the ratatouille for the veggie(s) may not be "real" moussaka, but it is very, very good!

If you would like a recipe for authentic Greek Moussaka, this one is a favorite.  (I'm not sure I'll go back though!)

Thank you for stopping by today!
Blessings ~ m. xo

Grilled Burgers with Roasted Green Chile Aioli

For the Labor Day holiday (here in the US) on Monday I grilled   burgers using roasted Hatch New Mexican Chiles in two ways;  as a spread as well as adding a few strips tucked beneath the burger.  Yum!
A vendor at our local Farmer's Market sells a variety of  fresh peppers and they also roast peppers on site in a large,  expanded metal, rotating drum fired with a propane burner. I love the fragrance of the chiles roasting ~ sensory pleasure!! 
This past weekend I was happy to find they had  Hatch New Mexican Chiles, warm and freshly roasted. :) (You could use any mild, roasted green chile  if you cannot find Hatch Chiles.) This sauce/spread is also good served with slices  of roasted pork, grilled chicken, shrimp, as well as a spread on BLT sandwiches, and in chicken or egg salad.
Here's all you need to make the flavorful Green Chile Aioli:

A cup of mayo, the chiles, roasted garlic, and a little fresh lime juice.

Simply mince the peeled and cleaned chiles, and stir into the  remaining ingredients.  I opted to mix it up in the  small food processor instead, giving it just a couple of pulses.


Besides the Chile Aioli and chile strips, I served the burgers on  crispy La Brea Bakery Torta sandwich rolls, a slice of  Monterey Jack cheese (added a few minutes before removing  the burgers from the grill), ripe garden tomato slices and fresh greens.
Oh, and I highly recommend McCormick's Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning (no compensation from the company ~ I just love this seasoning for burgers!)

These were voted right up there among the best burgers we  ever have had.  They were very good ~ I hope you'll give them a try!

For a printable copy of the Green Chile Aioli recipe click here.

Thanks for coming by today!
Blessings,  Mari xo

Ginger Beef or Chicken Patties with Lime Noodle Salad

In my previous post  I mentioned that sometimes even in the midst of a certain season I like to switch things out; for example right now lighter colors on the table rather than the traditional oranges, golds and browns of Fall. And
I find the same goes for food in my world.

  At the beginning of colder weather we crave the traditional comfort foods that the season seems to call for.  Then after a couple of weeks of that kind of eating we're ready for something lighter and more colorful, something fresher tasting than long-simmered soups or stews.

So that's where this salad fits in ~ brighter flavors using fresh ingredients which are generally available year round.  In this salad there is a nice little mix of vegetables ~ quickly blanched snow peas, cherry tomato halves, scallions (0r slivered red onion), red bell pepper and a mix of fresh mint and/or cilantro. You could easily add thinly sliced celery, carrots, or jicama too.

The Asian-inspired lime dressing can be made mild or spicy, either way it enhances everything in the bowl-- the little meat patties (beef, chicken, turkey, or pork ~ your choice) plus the veggies and noodles. 

The meat mixture contains ginger, garlic and scallions, plus a couple of  readily available Asian ingredients not usually found in western meat patties.  (Oh, these are VERY good, and I would consider making them a little larger, served with Hoisin sauce and served up in lettuce leaf wrappers.) 

To assemble the salad I cook the noodles first, rinse and set aside. Then I prep the veggies and toss them with the noodles. The dressing goes together in moments and can be tossed with the noodles and veggies as the meat is cooking.

The patties are quickly pan fried so I do that step last as the warm meat provides a wonderful contrast to the cool vegetables and noodles.   Place on top of the veg-noodle mix and garnish with additional scallions, and mint or cilantro.

This time for the noodles I used Barilla whole grain very thin spaghetti,cooked al dente, but you can also use rice noodles (cellophane noodles) which require no cooking, just a brief soak in hot water.

If you like Asian flavors, I think you'll like this noodle salad very much ~ if you would like the recipe, you can find a printable copy on the Once Upon a Plate recipe blog.

Click HERE.

Individual Beef and Veggie Pot Pies

 

Do you have a favorite stormy weather comfort food?

When the weather turns chilly, damp, rainy or snowy there is nothing I like better than a warming bowl of soup.

Mr. OUaP loves homemade soup as well, but he loves pot pies as much or more.  I gladly oblige him! 

Containers filled and ready for their pastry topping.

I just used my favorite stew recipe, browning the meat chunks (cut a little smaller that I would for stew, and salted & peppered), then added some diced onions and minced garlic allowing them to turn translucent and tender. 

Beef stock (or broth) added to the pot to nearly cover the meat, (a splash of red wine if desired), and some sliced carrots,  and any herbs you would like... I like thyme.  I allowed it to simmer for about 30 minutes (keeping in mind that this beef was tender to begin with, so it didn't need to actually "stew".)

During the last few minutes I stirred in some diced sweet red pepper frozen peas, and frozen pearl onions.  Once all of the ingredients were heated through, I thickened the mixture with a Beurre Manié . 

  Note: Sauteed mushrooms. or other slightly cooked vegetables of your choice are also delicious additions. 

Bubbling and piping hot from the oven.

 I rolled out pastry, and cut the crust to size of each container, tracing with a sharp knife.   Brushed the bottoms ( the side of the dough that will rest upon the filling)  with a beaten egg.  I like to utilize different sizes and shapes of oven proof containers for these pies...  well ... just because I just like they way they look, not matching each other.

Ready to serve !

I pressed the edges of the dough to the container with the tines of a fork, cut a small cross in each pastry top to allow steam to escape, then brushed the tops with beaten egg.

Then placed them on a baking sheet and baked in a 425* (F) oven for 7 to 10 minutes or so until filling was bubbling and crust was nicely browned.

Ummm!  Soo Good!!

When heated through, and crust is perfectly browned, remove from oven and allow to cool for several minutes before serving.

Of course you can use this same method using all veggies, chicken, shrimp or fish in place of the beef. 

And if there happen to be any left over ~ just cover and refrigerate, when ready to eat either heat them in a 325* oven until hot (loosely cover crust with foil if it begins to brown too quickly before filling is heated through), or zap the little pie in the microwave.  (I prefer the radiant oven, because it retains most of the integrity of the delicious crust.)

If you try these little pies, I hope you love them as Mr. OUaP and I do.

So, what is YOUR favorite cold-weather comfort food?

I would love it if you would please share it with us.

I'm joining my friends at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.  I hope you'll go by and see what's cooking this week. 

Red Onion-Tomato-Ginger Jam Hamburgers with Fresh Basil

With 30 pounds of organically raised, grass-fed Angus ground beef in the freezer, um... we prepare it for dinner nearly once a week.

Since I had made some 50% whole wheat sandwich buns over the weekend I wanted to experiment with a couple of different condiments to go with the hamburgers we grilled.

It's the season for home grown tomatoes, the new crop of garlic, lots of fresh basil, and wonderful red onions so I decided to make two condiments (which happen to go very well together on grilled burgers.)

Since I'm sure (if you eat burgers) you already know how to shape and grill them... so I thought I'd share these very simple ways to dress them up.

First I made a simple Red Onion-Tomato & Ginger Jam,

then a Roasted Garlic Aioli, and served the burgers with fresh, tender leaves of fresh basil. I had thought of whirring the basil leaves into the aioli, but decided against it at the last moment to retain that appetizing emerald green color.

No recipe is really needed for the Red Onion-Tomato & Ginger Jam ~ you can just "wing" this one without much effort.

I used one medium-size red onion to about 4 to 5 smallish-medium size tomatoes.

Here are the ingredients, and the way I made mine:

Red Onion, peeled of outer skin, then sliced or chopped.

I like red onion here as it is milder than yellow or white, and just mildly sweet.

Ripe tomatoes, chopped

(although you could substitute good quality canned if it is not tomato season)

Slices of Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped.

(Alternately, a few slices of fresh ginger and some sweetener to achieve some sweetness)

A bit of good olive oil

Water as needed to keep the sauce moist as it cooks

Sea salt and/or a pinch of sweetener, optional

Special equipment?

A food mill, or sieve with a wooden spoon or pestle (to eliminate seeds, skin and to smooth the jam at end of cooking.)
How to do it:

Heat the oil in a pan over low heat; when oil is very warm add the onion and allow to slowly become translucent and begin to caramelize (this can take from 15 to 45 minutes depending upon your pan, and your stove top.)
Add the chopped tomatoes and ginger, stir. Cover pan with lid askew so steam can escape, cook over low heat for 45 minutes, up to two hours adding water as the liquid evaporates, check it and stir occasionally to assure it is not scorching or sticking.

At the end of cooking time the onion, tomato and ginger should be very tender and melding into each other.
Remove pan from heat, allow contents to cool slightly and run through the medium-fine of a food-mill, or press the mixture through by hand using a medium-fine sieve/strainer and the back of a wooden spoon or pestle. This step is necessary to refine the texture; to remove the tomato skins and any bits of tough onion bits.

A food processor just won't produce good results for this step.

Taste for seasonings, add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Note: If the tomatoes and onions are sweet you won't need to add anything to improve the flavor, just taste it to decide.

Most likely you have a favorite recipe for Roasted Garlic Aioli ~ I just slowly roast the garlic, drizzled with olive oil in a wrap of aluminum foil in the oven until very tender, squeeze the flesh from each clove--as little or as much as you like, then stir it into mayonnaise (homemade, or fine quality store bought... (such as Best Foods TM)


Finally, add freshly plucked basil leaves as desired, and ENJOY!

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead.

xo~m

Brazilian Grilled Steak with Artichoke Salsa

I'm late!

An eventful week prevented me from participating in the weekly Saturday Showcase yesterday hosted by my friends Lori at All That Splatters, and

Ann at Thibeault's Table.

Each week Lori and Ann alternate hosting the Saturday Showcase event. This week was Lori's turn to host. Please click their links to learn more. Everyone is invited to participate! The object is to share a recipe you have made from another blog site, feature the recipe and refer to the original blog where you found the recipe.

It's lots of fun to share what you've learned from another blog and I hope you'll join us. You can go to either Lori's or Ann's blogs to find out the particulars.

This week I chose to make my new friend Sook's recipe for Brazilian Grilled Steak with Artichoke Salsa which Sook featured on her blog "My Fabulous Recipes" just last week. Here's a direct link to the recipe on her blog: Brazilian Grilled Steak with Artichoke Salsa.

Artichokes are one of my top 3 favorite vegetables so this recipe immediately caught my attention.

This is one of the most flavorful ways of preparing grilled steak that I have ever tasted ~Taste Testers at my house gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Yes!

I'll bet you can tell how much I loved this recipe by the number of pictures I made.

:)...:)...:)

Yum, yum, yum.

Sook used flank steak, I used sirloin because that's what I had on hand (plus it was on sale.)... ;)

Use any boneless steak you like, just make sure you try this recipe!

You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of jalapenos in the marinade and in the salsa. The jalapenos I bought were mild, with just enough bite to add a nice hint of background heat.

The meat is brushed with oil, sprinkled with steak seasoning (I used Montreal Steak Seasoning just as Sook did), some minced garlic and minced jalapeno, then marinated overnight. It's such a great marinade that I would use this for plain grilled steak even if I didn't make the salsa. But the salsa adds a wonderful dimension, it puts this dish right over the top.

The salsa is simple to assemble ~ ingredients are fresh tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes because they are better than any other variety at this time of year where I live), chopped artichoke hearts (I used canned), minced garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, red wine vinegar and a tiny bit of salt. Delicious!

The meat and salsa also make a fantastic sandwich when served on a split toasted baguette, and I know it would be excellent served in a warm flour tortilla as well.

This one is a real keeper and I want to thank Sook for sharing it on her blog.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe you can find it on my recipe blog by clicking here:

Once Upon a Plate

Thanks for visiting today, and I hope you'll consider joining us next Saturday!