Here's the beef

Who said cooking doesn't pay off? A Nevada woman recently won $50,000 in the annual Beef Cook-Off competition. Today's recipe is the "Kids in the Kitchen" winner. For this, an Illinois woman and her daughters got a mere $10,000.

For my money, which there isn't much of, the $10,000 winner is more doable and interesting than the grand prize, Nuevo Chipotle Beef in Butternut Squash Boats. (You can get it at www.beefcookoff.org)  Good enough to impress the judges but the squash boat totally turns me off. And I'm getting pretty darn tired of chipotle this, chipotle that.

What kind of attitude is this for a Tuesday? Sorry, it's the only one I've got today.

Go home early! Make dinner!

Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps with "Wowee" Sauce

Substitution alert:  ¾ cup crushed baked tortilla chips could substitute for the sliced water chestnuts.

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 cup orange marmalade
¼ cup reduced-sodium or regular soy sauce
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup sliced green onions
Freshly ground pepper
8 large lettuce leaves, such as Bibb, leaf or iceberg
¾ cup each: sliced water chestnuts, shredded carrots

Combine pineapple, orange marmalade and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce in a small bowl; set aside.

Cook ground beef, stirring occasionally to break meat into small crumbles, in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until beef is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Pour off drippings, if necessary; add green onions and remaining soy sauce; season with pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Evenly spoon beef mixture onto each lettuce leaf. Top with equal amounts of water chestnuts and carrots; spoon sauce over top. Wrap lettuce around filling. Serve with remaining sauce.

Serves 4.

Nutrition information per serving: 323 calories, 26 percent of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 69 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein, 637 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

Comments

[Shirley J. Buttacavoli]

I'm with you Janet. The $10K looks to be the better of the two. And it could be perfect for a tailgate party at home.