not my lowest sodium meal ever.....

 A crock pot, some stew meat, a can of cream of celery soup and an envelope of onion soup mix.

8 hours later, dinner is ready.

Gyudon and more vegetarian cooking

 This one came from Instagram, I think?  A Japanese beef and egg bowl. 

It was easy and quick, the kids hated it, the adults liked it. 

Gyudon 

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Last weekend The Boy decided that he wants to become a vegetarian (again).  He did this once before, last year, or maybe even the year before, and lasted just long enough for me to buy a bunch of stuff for him before he changed his mind.  This time we're a full week in and he seems to be sticking to it.  He's 12 now (!!!) and I have no problem with him trying this out as long as what he's eating isn't complete crap.  He had meat once this week - we told him not to put any pressure on himself, if you want to eat meat one day, do it.  He said he might eat meat once a year, so I guess that day has come and gone until 2023.  :)

I have been working A LOT and now trying to figure out meals feels like it just got harder.  The Mister likes vegetarian meals but he also likes meat.  The Girl hates everything.  I'm too tired to care much.  Hoping to sit down today with some books and find some good things to try.  

Got suggestions? I'll take 'em!

Brisket

My dad - aka The Grandpa - had a hankering for a brisket, so he made a deal - he would buy it and I would cook it.  I had never cooked a brisket before, so I combed the internets for a good recipe, and found one that had oven and slow cooker options - I was pushing for the slow cooker version to ensure it was nice and tender.  The Grandpa wanted the oven version, so I nervously went that way.

The brisket turned out pretty darned tasty - although I did not put enough liquid in the bottom and it started to get crispy in there, so I wasn't able to add any of the juices to the sauce, but it was amazing - AMAZING anyway.

And The Grandpa like it so much he went out and bought a corned beef brisket, so now my recipe search has started anew.

Recipe:  Juicy Beef Brisket

Sunday Dinner - Instant Pot Beef Ribs

(We did have more than just ribs and taters.......there was some bbq corn and....carrots?  Cauliflower?  Something else for sure.)

On a trip to Costco I got to talking to this lady in front of a cooler of beef ribs.  She was telling me that she buys them and cooks them in coconut milk with lots of onions and garlic and hot peppers.  It sounded so good that The Grandpa picked up a package, even though I insisted that I didn't know how you would cook ribs in coconut milk.  Boil?  Bake?  

So in the end I went on a hunt for a beef rib recipe that would make delicious ribs (of course) but wouldn't take up too much time because we had plans that Sunday too.

I found some instant pot recipes, but The Grandpa was skeptical.  I can't blame him since the first recipe we made him with our IP was truly hideous, a dish not mentioned and best forgotten immediately.  But he left the choosing in my hands and with much prodding from The Mister I chose this recipe for Instant Pot Beef Ribs.

It was super easy, and took less than 2 hours, and we had gorgeous fall off the bone ribs.

A few things I did differently that I liked for me:

I browned the ribs in a frying pan so I could do them all at once rather than in batches, but while I was frying them, I added the broth and rosemary to the IP on saute.  By the time the ribs were browned and I had cooked the onions and garlic, the sauce was simmering which cut down on the amount of time it took the IP to get to pressure (about 20 minutes).

I also didn't thicken the sauce because I am ok with a thin sauce.

I got impatient waiting for the IP to release all the pressure naturally, so after 20 minutes of "natural release" (ew) I vented it out.

These were so good - so flavorful and tender.  Beef ribs and the instant pot go together well.

A blast from the past - the first and last time I cooked beef ribs - so long ago!

Creamy Baked Beefaroni

This was another easy to make ahead meal that I found in my newly organized binder of recipes.  I written many times before about all my notebooks and binders and at times boxes full of recipes I'd copied out of books, torn from magazines, been given by different people....When I was working on organizing my newly moved office area I sat down and went through the papers yet again, pulling out what I knew I would never use and trying to organize the keepers before sticking them all in a binder.  They all fit in one binder!  Now this does bring me a bit of satisfaction, but I also have a huge amount of recipes bookmarked on my computer and saved in Pinterest.  I guess I need to sort those out too.

Anywhoo - this Beefaroni is a homemade version of that beefy cheesy classic.  A bit more time consuming as it contains 2 sauces you make separately and then mix together, but it was so delicious so it was worth it.  This might not be the most appealing recipe in Summer, but save it - you'll want this in the cooler months.  Or soon, if Summer keeps rolling this way...

Recipe here - Creamy Baked Beefaroni

Skillet dinner

I hit a home run with this recent quick and easy dinner, and dinner prep that night was even quicker and easier because I made it in advance! 

I found a freezer bag with a half pound of ground pork and half pound of ground beef so I popped over to Pinterest to see what I could find, and quickly found a recipe 

for an Italian beef and rice recipe.

The recipe suggested pasta instead of rice to mix things up a bit and I had some small pasta shapes to use up, so I chose these sweet little stars.  I mean, come on!

Now, they are small and visually got lost in the dish, but that was ok because it was super awesome.

The grownups added a bit of heat to our bowls.  So good.

This is a recipe I will try again - with rice, a bigger pasta, some different veg - there are endless possibilites.  

Recipe here - Italian Beef Rice Skillet

Recipes I've made - no photos

I am always on the lookout for new pancake recipes and this one was a real winner. Light and fluffy and a hit with the kids. I froze the leftovers and they reheated quite nicely. Pete's Scratch Pancakes

I made these ham quiche cups for a Sunday dinner and they were easy and tasty.  The leftovers were delicious for breakfast.

Another Sunday dinner was this very very delicious slow cooker creamy beef stroganoff which was amazing!  Of course the kids didn't like it, but the adults did.

For dessert one night I made these peanut butter and jelly bars which were good but very very rich.  But good.

I have made this Asian peanut butter pork three times since finding the recipe.  Delicious tender pork with a killer sauce.

My end result looked nothing like the photo in the recipe- I either over cooked  my squash or over mixed it, so it lost the  individual strands, but the flavor of this yakisoba spaghetti squash was really great.

Sunday Dinner - stew and cookies

Well, Blogger just ate the cookie recipe link, but it wasn't that big of a loss as 

I wasn't going to highly recommend them anyway.

The rest of the dinner was delicious - beef stew with mashed potatos and buttered cabbage.  

We've gotten a few heads of cabbage from Thistle Farms this fall, and so far 

this was my favorite recipe using it.

The stew was extremely unappetizing to look at - The Mister cut the beef pieces too small, in my opinion, and it got a bit mushy - but it tasted very nice.  I added some extra veg, 

and if I were to make it again, I would add even more.  

Carbonnade flamande

Buttered cabbage

Slow Cooker Beef Roast

We had a cheapie beef roast in the freezer that I wanted to use up, 

but I wanted, nay, needed the recipe to be quick and easy.  

First I pulled out the crock pot, then I headed to Pinterest to see what I could see.

I found this slow cooker french dip sandwich and ooooh boy, was it tasty.

We didn't follow the recipe exactly, we don't have any creole seasoning, 

and The Mister added a big glug of red wine from the previous Sunday dinner, 

we added some carrots and other spices, but this is a good recipe to 

follow to the letter or play around with.  

The meat was tender and flavorful and the sauce was delicious.  

I did omit the mayo on the bun because that just doesn't seem right on a beef dip sandwich.

Is that just me?

Meatball Sub Cupcakes

I found this recipe on Pinterest when I was menu planning for a recent visit from my 

Mother in Law.  I figured it would be an easy dish to prepare and sneak arsenic into, to off her.  Kidding!

She is a lovely woman.

I thought they were adorable, and that The Boy would like them.  And I had everything 

in the fridge or freezer already except for the crescent roll dough.

I went off recipe in two areas; I made my own meatballs - 12 from one pound of beef, seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic, and I used herb and garlic cream cheese instead of plain.  I loved the flavor that it added to the dish.  If I only had regular cream cheese I would definitely 

spice it up before using it.  

Other than finding pressing the dough into the muffin cups a bit annoying, this was a really easy and really delicious recipe.  And the leftovers reheated well too, which is always a bonus.

Recipe : Meatball Sub Cupcakes

Mexican Casserole

This is a long time favorite, from Notebook 4.

5 medium potatos, cut into bite size chunks

2 TB oil

4TB taco seasoning

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced bell pepper

2 cups salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar or mozza cheese

Preheat oven to 425'.  Toss potatos with oil and taco seasoning and spoon into dish.  Bake, stirring once, for 30 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef, onions and peppers over medium high heat, then stir in the salsa.  Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  

Remove potatos from oven, cover with the ground beef mixture, top with cheese.  

Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Grocery shop December 22 and Egyptian Hawawshi sandwich

This was hopefully my last trip to any sort of store before Christmas - just for odds and ends.  

I love that the Superstore is open 24 hours a day at this time of year.  I am an early riser, so for a couple of weekends a year I can go and do my shopping, be back home and have everything away before anyone else in the house is even awake.

Coffee, coconut milk, pineapple, english muffins, avocados, lemons, limes, oranges, chicken, sausage, ham, crackers, juice x 3, peas, corn, fruit snacks, granola bars, beef bouillon, jam, smoked oysters, smoked mussels, ginger ale, sparkling water, cream cheese, gingersnaps.

$85

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I made the most wonderful dish that I found on Pinterest last week, but my pictures are so horrendous that I can't post them.  

But check out this Egyptian Hawawshi sandwich - ground beef seasoned with veggies and spices and stuffed raw into pita, which is then brushed with butter and baked.

We loved them, and I will make them again.

Meatballs and spinach and baked oatmeal

I finally got around to making these Lion's Head Meatballs, and they were so worth it. Very flavorful. I rinsed a couple off for Paxton, as he declares pretty much any unfamiliar food "Too spicy!" so I didn't think he would enjoy the coconut curry sauce. The grown ups did though. 

Lion's Head Meatballs 

I made the Jamie Oliver pea and spinach recipe to go with the meatballs. It's such a great and easy side dish. I noticed that the link I provided to what I thought was the original recipe actually has some changes, so I thought I'd give you a quick low down of how I make it (which again is slightly different than the original). 

Heat a spoon or two of butter in a pan with the same amount of olive oil. Finely chop 3-4 green onions, add to the pan, and cook over medium heat for a few minutes to soften. Add a good cup or more of frozen peas, stir, and let cook for a few more minutes. Pour in a cup of vegetable or chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add some big handfuls of spinach and stir into the pan until wilted. Serve.

 My boy was quite interested in the can of coconut milk I bought for the meatballs and asked every day if he could drink some. I used up the rest of the can to make my first ever batch of baked oatmeal, then poured some regular milk into the can, swished it around, and poured it into a glass for him. He drank it and then asked coconut related questions for the next hour.

 I am reserving judgement on the baked oatmeal until breakfast this morning. It doesn't look like I expected, and last night even after I let it cool for a while the texture wasn't what I had hoped for. I can't stand oatmeal - so soupy and mushy - but I know it's good for you. So I'm hoping this will be a way to make it more palatable. Hang on to your seats, and I'll report back later.

Indian Tacos

Since the food channel rarely shows cooking shows anymore, my favorite shows to watch on the channel have become what we call "restaurant" shows - Diners Drive Ins and Dives, Eat Street, and You Gotta Eat Here - especially the last 2 since there are slim chances I may eat at one of the Canadian locations featured one day.

 I found this recipe on Food Network - Indian Tacos - and thought it would be a fun, different dinner. 

It was, and easy and delicious to boot. 

Indian Tacos

Mom's Meatloaf

Simple, delicious.  

Comfort food rules.  

Mom's Meatloaf

One pot spaghetti

1 tb oil

1 lb ground beef 

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 jar spaghetti sauce (650 ml) of your choice

2 1/2 cups water

8 oz. spaghetti broken into pieces

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

 In a large pot over medium high heat, heat the oil, and add the beef , onion and garlic, and cook stirring often, until the meat is cooked through.  Drain fat off if necessary.

Add the spaghetti sauce, water and spices and stir well.  Add the noodles, stir again and cover.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and sauce is reduced to the consistency of your liking, 10-15 minutes.  You  may want to remove the lid near the end of cooking to reduce the liquid.

Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve.

Recipes lately

I have either not been taking pictures or taking bad pictures with my phone.  Here's some stuff I've made recently:

Portobello prosciutto burgers  I LOVE portobello sandwiches.  The basil mayo in this was a super addition.

Spanish Tortilla  I made one a few months ago that was just a little better, but this is a good recipe, and it gives you nutritional information, which I love.

Meatzza  I follow Nigella Lawson on Twitter, and I was happy to see she has a new book coming out next year.  She linked to this recipe which was fun and delicious.  I used some marble cheese instead of the fresh mozza, and added fresh basil in the 'za.

Spiced shredded pork  I have mentioned this one before, very delicious.

Chinese Pork Chops Very, VERY delicious.

Gyoza stir fry This was fun and I got to use up some odds and ends in the freezer and fridge.

Souper Spaghetti It cooled down here for a week and I made this during that time.  So comforting and homey.  PS- Paula, you have not posted in 2 months.  Please come back.

Vegetarian chili with fries I have made this before as well.  OMG, so good.

Beef noodle salad bowl I added sauteed onions, pepper and zucchini to this.  I would make it, my way, again.

Salted peanut butter chocolate chip cookies Yes.

Green Chile Cheeseburger

I have always liked hamburgers. But when I was pregnant, I LOVED them. I ate them nearly every week, more often if possible. We mostly made our own at home, but we did eat them out occasionally - a few times at Red Robin (teriyaki burger with pineapple), if I was lucky enough to get my prenatal appointment scheduled just before lunch. I was not above fast food burgers either, and may have waddled over to McDonalds (more than once) on my lunch break for a hamburger (regular burger, extra ketchup). At home my favorite was a burger cooked on the barbecue with barbecue sauce and topped with cheese and relish. I never got very fancy, because spending time on fancy burgers meant it took longer before I could start eating.

We haven't had burgers very often lately, and I'm not sure why. It seems I am always looking for fast and easy and cheap and healthy meals, and I guess I forgot that a burger can fit that bill. Hey, 3 out of 4 ain't bad.

We were talking about burgers a few weeks ago and this recipe popped into my head - Robert Olguin's Buckhorn Burger recipe from Bobby Flay's Throwdown cookbook.

A green chile cheeseburger sounds like a lot of work, but this one really isn't. Cook your burger, and while it's cooking, heat a small pan, with a touch of oil, and add some diced red onion. Let that cook for a couple of minutes, then divide into piles (1 pile for each burger you are cooking). Top each pile with some cheese and let it sit over low heat to melt the cheese and soften the onions. In another pan mix some diced green chiles (we used canned) and some granulated garlic and warm through. Spoon the chiles on to the onion and cheese piles. Put your burgers on the buns, top the patty's with the onion/cheese/chile piles, and garnish with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mustard.

Yum, yum.

chicken fried steak

Here's what I can tell you about this plate of food:
It's chicken fried steak, mashed potatos, green beans and gravy. It was delicious. It was sort of time consuming, but overall easy to make.

Here's what I can't tell you: the freaking recipe.

I swear, my brain has gone to complete mush since the end of November. I cobbled the CFS recipe together from a few sources, trying to remember what I liked about the one chicken fried steak I'd had before. A good 5 or more years ago. I did a good job and was very happy with the results. However my notes are gone. Again. Dam-mit.

FNCCC - Rachael Ray

It's Rachael Ray's week at Sarah's Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge.

Love her or hate her, you've got to admit that the woman has amassed an incredible amount of recipes. I have made a lot of her recipes the past few years. A good number of them have been pretty tasty too.

But I think that this one might be the best Rachael Ray recipe I've made -


It's a beautifully seasoned turkey patty with a olive, tomato and cucumber salad. There was supposed to be spinach in the salad as well, but I forgot to add it. The problem is, I made this a few weeks ago and I can't find the recipe. I can't remember where I found it, or its name. I do remember that it wasn't made with turkey in the original recipe; I subbed that in because I found some ground turkey in the freezer. Argh.

So I bit the bullet and found another recipe to make for FNCCC. And this time I made sure to mark the magazine page so I could share it with you!


Behold the deliciously wonderful Beef and Bean Burrito Burger. This was so good! Ground beef mixed with black beans, brown rice, cumin, coriander, and served with guacamole. I skipped the bun (cough DIET! cough ha, nice try Sara, who am I kidding) and served it with chopped tomato. and salsa.

I really enjoyed this and it does taste like a burrito. I made 6 patties, not 4 as the recipe calls for. 4 would have been insanely huge. We will have these again for sure.

Recipe: Beef 'n Bean Burrito Burgers


ps - if anyone knows the recipe for that first burger, let me know!