Stuffed cabbages

Today, I'm taking a page out of my grandmother's cookbook. Seriously, it's page 187, and actually it's just a half a page.

The cookbook was done at the behest of my cousin Mitchell, and is a collection of my grandmother's Ukrainian recipes, as well as others from aunts, cousins and others. There's even one from me, but we'll get to that another day. Anyway, I'm very glad Mitchell had the idea to ask for them to be compiled, because its an awesome book to have.

When I was a kid, I always looked forward to family gatherings, because it meant huge trays of stuffed cabbage, or as we called them, "pigs in a blanket." Depending on where you grew up -- or where your grandmother grew up, more likely -- they might have been called golumpki, holishkes, holipces, toltott kaposzta, praakes or goluptzi. We called them pigs in a blanket. Imagine my utter disappointment when I went to sleep over at a friend's house one night when I was probably 8, and was told we were having pigs in a blanket for dinner ... only to be handed a hot dog wrapped in croissant dough. I never went back to that house.

My grandma, Nastazia Brick, credits this recipe to my great-grandmother, Babi Makitka. Which leads me to wonder how far back it really goes.

(I'm reprinting the quantities here as written in the book, but this makes a ton. So cut the numbers in half. Or plan on freezing some. Or make it for a party. Or go in really, really hungry.)

Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbages

2 lbs ground chuck
1 lb ground pork
3 cups cooked rice
1 tbls salt
1 tbls pepper
2 med onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup ketchup
2 heads of cabbage
2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed

bring a large pot of water to a boil. remove the cores from the heads of cabbage. submerge the cabbage in the water, pulling off leaves as they cook. drain the cooked leaves. While the cabbage cools, combine the beef, pork, rice, salt, pepper, onion and ketchup in a bowl and mix well.

put any small or broken cabbage leaves in the bottom of a roasting pan. fill the other leaves with the meat mixture, folding the sides in and rolling like a burrito. put each one in the roasting pan with the folded side down and pack them together tight. it's ok to layer them. top with the tomatoes and 2-3 cups of water. take leftover cabbage leaves and cover the rolls so the top ones don't burn. bake in a 350-degree oven for 60-90 minutes.

Sources: recipe, Babi Makitka; photo, Habeas Brulee

Fall back No. 1: Kung pao

I have three dishes that I keep in my back pocket -- figuratively -- because I know they will go over well, and I can make them with any meat I have in the house, or happen to feel like eating that night. Today, I offer up the first: Kung pao.

Between the ages of 16 and 23, I pretty much exclusively ate at Subway and Chinese restaurants. And when I went for Chinese, I would've been hard-pressed to tell you what they had on the menu other than chop suey, lo mein and egg rolls. On a trip to Epcot, I went to Nine Dragons, the Chinese restaurant there, and decided to try something different. I went for the kung pao. The waitress told me not to eat the chile peppers. Whatever, I thought. I should've listened. But beyond the burn, I liked it. So that became my new staple.

At least, until a study came out and announced it was just about the most unhealthy thing you could possibly eat. Then I found a recipe for a lighter version in a book called Don't Eat Your Heart Out, by a doctor named Joseph Piscatella. I've amended it over the years to suit my taste, but don't think I've done anything to compromise it too much.

I make it with chicken, but pork? Sure. Beef, shrimp? Absolutely. Tofu? Um, sure, I guess.

Kung pao

1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbls rice wine vinegar
2 tsp hot chili oil, more or less, to taste (if you don't have chili oil, Tabasco would  be different, but work in the same way)
3 dried chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbls ginger, chopped

2 tbls olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tbls corn starch
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
chopped scallion

put first seven ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. allow to steep while you cook everything else.

heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. add chicken. don't crowd the chicken, even if it means cooking the chicken in batches. after the chicken is added, don't touch it for 2-3 minutes. then, flip each piece to cook the other side. the side that went in initially should be golden brown. after another minute or so, remove the chicken to a plate, leaving the oil in the skillet. saute the onion, garlic and celery until the onion softens. then add the pepper, water chestnuts and cooked chicken and saute it all together.

strain the liquid mixture into the skillet. in a small bowl, whisk the corn starch into 1/4-cup of water. stir corn starch mixture into the skillet and bring to a boil until the liquid thickens.

serve over rice and top with peanuts and scallions.

Most searched recipes

I don't know what it is about Monday, May 19, 2008, or what it says about our interest in cooking but the most searched recipe on the Food Network Web site today is Bobby Flay's Grilled Spicy Filet Mignon Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing. It does sound tasty. It's classified as intermediate, not so much because it's difficult but because there are a lot of ingredients.

Maybe a lot of Floridians noodle around on the Food Network site looking for outdoor cooking recipes. It is getting hot and grilling keeps the oven off. Better news is that the price of beef has dipped slightly, making this recipe not dirt cheap or anything but a wee bit more economical.

Over at Epicurious, Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles and Mixed Berry Jam are the top two most-popular recipes. I guess we'll go to Food Network for the entree and Epicurious for dessert.

Grilled Spicy Filet Mignon Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 (12-ounce) filet mignons
Freshly ground pepper
Salad:
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
3 cups spring lettuce mix
1/4 cup chiffonade basil, optional
1/2 cucumber, halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 carrots, julienned
5 radishes, thinly sliced
8 each yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved
Ginger Lime Dressing, recipe follows
Salt and ground black pepper

For steak:
Whisk soy sauce, lime juice, chile paste, and peanut oil together in a small baking dish. Add the steaks, turn to coat, cover, and let marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling.
Heat grill to high. Remove steaks from marinade and pat dry. Season both sides with pepper and grill for 3 minutes per side or until slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness. Remove from the grill, let rest 5 minutes, and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

To make salad:
While steak is resting, combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with half of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter, top with the steak, and drizzle the remaining dressing over the top.

Ginger-Lime Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit 10 minutes before using.

Serves 4.

Source: Bobby Flay, Food Network

Photo from Foodnetwork.com

 

What to do with leftover margarita mix

Two things are conspiring today to make Southwest Margarita Beef Kebabs a good thing to make for dinner tonight. One is that leftover margarita mix sitting on the counter. Cinco de Mayo was a week ago; time to use it up and I'm out of tequila. AND ... and here's the big news ... beef prices are down. I bought a pound of sirloin to make these last week and it was only about 7 bucks. What's up?

My colleague Chris Sherman tells me that beef prices for sirloin and choice have come down because the big restaurant chains switched to other cuts when prices soared. They were using hanger steaks and other less-used cuts. That move cut into the profits big time because places like Outback are HUGE beef-buyers. so prices have dropped. Interesting, eh? Anyway, take a look next time you shop. Nice to see a price break somewhere!

Time to put beef back on the menu and this recipe is a good place to start. Yeah, it seemed weird to me too but the results are fantastic!

If I don't make them tonight, I can always have a virgin margarita. Cheers.

Southwest Margarita Beef Kebabs
1 pound chuck eye, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cup margarita drink mix
2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups melted butter
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into pieces
2 ears corn, cut into 8 pieces
4 to 6 skewers, depending on size

For marinade, combine margarita mix, salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Place beef cubes into resealable plastic food bag. Pour margarita marinade over beef, saving 1/2 cup of the marinade. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Thread beef cubes onto 4 skewers, alternating with jalapeno pepper and corn. Stir the reserved 1/2 cup margarita marinade into the melted butter and mix well. Grill beef kabobs over hot grill on oil racks for 15 minutes, basting with the butter mixture and turning frequently.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Thatsmyhome.com

Simple barbecue pleasures

Often, the simplest meals are the best. And those that can be made outside are doubly good because of the lack of dishes. I just love that when dinner is done and there aren't a lot of dishes.

We went out to brunch for Mother's Day yesterday but that didn't get me off the hook for dinner. Why do those wolverines need to eat so many times a day? Burgers were on the menu but I made them just a little more fancy-worthy by serving with blue cheese and thinly sliced red onions. Yes, my kid eats this kind of stuff. I made a quick potato salad with two honkin' russets, mayo, spicy brown mustard, diced red onion and grated carrot. You can keep your Yukons for potato salad ... I think the big bakers work best. I make it while the potaotes are hot and then put it in the freezer while the burgers/corn cook on the grill.

For the second time in three days, I prepared Fresh Chili Corn. Nothing to it really. On a piece of foil, place an ear of corn, a couple of pats of butter and chili powder to taste. (I used some green chili powder left over from my trip to Santa Fe, but red will do just as well.) Wrap tightly and place on the grate with the burgers. They'll be done when the burgers are.

I'm not kidding, they liked it better than the $100 brunch. Who'd a thunk it?

One of those days ...

Sometimes life is like a roller coaster. You've got to hang on until things level out. (That's me at left. Well, give or take a few pounds and put the martini in a bigger glass.)

The kid's night-time activities are kicking my butt this week. Seems like the end of the school year brings so many evening must-dos. When is there time to make a decent dinner? Some weeks are better than others on that front, even then, I try to do everything I can to avoid the drive-thru.

Here's a good dinner idea if you've only got a bit of time: Greek burgers. Grill the burgers (you can buy them already formed or even frozen) and top with thinly sliced onions and cucumber and feta cheese. I'm lucky: my kid will eat feta and onions, though he pull the cukes off. Put the burgers on whatever buns you like but I favor the French buns at Publix. Thick and sturdy.

Make a Greek salad or Mediterranean potato salad by dressing cooked chunks with an olive oil vinaigrette, scallions and chopped green pepper. Don’t forget the kalamata olives. (or buy a very plain potato salad and add olives ... and more feta.)

It's quick and pretty tasty. Now, about that martini.

(Illustration from the PR News Wire and Modernmom.com)

Cinco de Wow-Oh

You guys know me well enough to know I don't need much of a reason to eat Mexican, Southwestern or Tex-Mex grub. Ah, like it's 6 p.m. (or noon or midnight) and I'm hungry?

Cinco de Mayo has me thinking of nothing else. (You also know I'm often taken by exaggeration.) Anyway, I like Bobby Flay almost as much as Mexican food and his skirt steak taco recipe is really great. It doesn't take long to put this meal together but if you're planning a last-minute Cinco de Mayo gathering, grab some fresh salsa at the store (and hope you can find ripe avocados). Tell your buddies to bring the Dos Equis and tequila.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, halved and diced
Grilled Tomato Salsa, recipe follows
8 ounces sour cream

Heat grill to high.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and on the top rack of the grill while the steak is grilling.

Heat grill pan over high heat. Brush steak with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill on one side until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook to medium-rare doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Let rest 5 minutes then slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Fill each tortilla with some lettuce, 3 to 4 pieces of meat, onion, grilled tomato salsa, sour cream, and avocado.

Grilled Tomato Salsa
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing tomatoes
2 serrano chiles
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
6 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat grill to high.

Heat oil in a small saute pan and saute the chiles, onion, and garlic until soft.

Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until slightly charred and soft.

Transfer tomatoes and serrano mixture to a food processor; add the lime juice and salt and pepper and process until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse a few times (there should be flecks of cilantro in the salsa.) Transfer to a bowl.

Serves 4.

Source: Bobby Flay, Food Network. Photo too!

Curry some favor

Here's a good beginner curry dish from the Associated Press. Look for red curry paste in the aisle that sells Thai and Asian ingrediencts. You'll find it in a small glass jar. Start slow on the curry paste, maybe a 1/2 tablespoon at a time to make sure it's not too hot.

Don't be put off by the number of ingredients. This dish will come together in the time it takes to cook the rice. The recipe calls for coconut milk which is a thin liquid (you can find it in the same place as the curry paste). It's not Coco Lopez, the thick, sweetned coconut cream, used for pina coladas. Ah, what the heck, get some of that too and have one while you're cooking. A nice Caribbean-Asian fusion meal!

Red Curry Beef
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup coconut milk
6 scallions, thinly sliced
5-ounce bag baby spinach
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
1/2 cup crushed unsalted peanuts

In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, combine the oil, curry paste, soy sauce and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and saute until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk. Return to a simmer. Mix in the scallions and spinach and continue cooking until the greens are just wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix in the lime juice and zest and the basil. Serve over rice, garnished with peanuts.
Nutrition information per serving: 392 calories; 213 calories from fat; 24 g fat (6 g saturated; <1 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 6 g fiber; 679 mg sodium.

Comfort food for a drizzly night

I loved Shepherd's Pie, especially on a gloomy day like today. It's cozy comfort food but it does take time. On the upside, it fills the house with great aromas. C'mon, go ask the boss if you can knock off early to go home and cook. By dinnertime, the house will smell fabulous.

This recipe calls for 3 cups mashed potatoes and I'm a big fan of the pre-made Diner's Choice variety. (So is the tasting panel at the Times.) If you read the label, the first items are potatoes, milk and butter. That's good compared to some of the junk you see on prepared foods.

Anyway, give this a whirl tonight or this weekend.

Shepherd's Pie
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup peas (thawed if frozen)
1 cup green beans, trimmed and diced
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme
3 cups mashed potatoes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium, heat the oil until it shimmers. Crumble the ground beef or turkey into the pan and saute, stirring occasionally until the meat no longer looks raw, about 5 minutes.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, peas and green beans. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and all the vegetables are hot, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and wine, if using, and bring to a simmer.

Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring from time to time, until the sauce has thickened, another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley and oregano or thyme.
Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. Spoon or pipe the potatoes into an even layer that completely covers the meat. Bake until the potatoes are very hot and have a light golden crust, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Adapted from The Culinary Institute of America's "One Dish Meals," Lebhar-Friedman Books, 2006

AP photo

No, I didn't leave you

Hey, I'm back with lots of recipes up my sleeve. Here's the deal. I took a week off for general r&r and fully planned to post from home everyday, but I couldn't log on to the blog program. After a day of trying I gave up. Hopefully, absence makes the heart grow fonder ... or the stomach hungrier?

I made this Beef and Bean Chili Verde last night for dinner tonight. My family thinks I'm so smart when I do that. If you've been following the blog, you know I've started doing that. I find it really simple when I'm in the cooking mode to make two meals. So last night I did beef strogonoff (again. boring but they love it.) but before I made that I threw together this chili and popped some homemade croutons in the oven. Go here to watch me make them.

The recipe calls for green salsa and I found a new version by Pace. It was quite tasty. This is an Eating Well magazine recipe so there's lot of nutrition. See the tale of the tape at the end of the recipe. We're having it with cornbread ...   

Beef and Bean Chili Verde
1 pound 93-percent lean ground beef
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 16-ounce jar green salsa, green enchilada or taco sauce
1/4 cup water
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream for garnish

Cook beef, bell pepper and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat, crumbling the meat with a wooden spooon, until the meat is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in salsa and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Garnish with cheese sour cream if you'd like.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each.

Per serving: 307 calories, 8 gm fat (3 saturated), 29 gm carbs, 27 gm protein, 6gm fiber, 516 mg sodium. Nutritional bonus: 100 percent RDA of vitamin C.

Source: Eating Well magazine. Photo from Eating Well magazine.

The Burgermeisters of St. Pete

Tonight is Burger Night at our house, which for some reason created a lot of excitement at the announcement. Or rather at the spying of the ground beef in the fridge. "Are we having burgers?" the baby wolverine asked last night. I swear, I saw him drooling.

Everyone loves grilled hamburgers and they may be the last affordable form of beef left. My husband likes them with everything piled high; my son asks for them with blue cheese crumbles melting ever so slightly and I'm partial to what I call Greek burgers. Feta cheese, thinly sliced cucumber and onions. I get those French burger rolls at Publix which are a big improvement over the doughy Wonder-bread type.

I'll serve them with Alexia brand panko-breaded, frozen onion rings. Have you tried this brand yet? No trans fats, very little saturated fat and they're baked. Tasty, too. I've got their sweet potato fries in the freezer too, though we haven't tried them yet. Planning on serving them later in the week with a
spinach fritatta.

I'll either make a green salad and or do my cole slaw trick (store-bought mixed with shredded cabbage to
lessen he dressing). The family has a busy night tonight and we'll just have enough time to get this
dinner in. There won't be many dishes, either, and that's always a plus in my book.

Cook tonight for tomorrow

This photo has nothing to do with my post today, I just think it's funny.  Philadelphia Cream Cheese "angels" are giving away bagels with cream cheese to JetBlue passengers on morning flights in February. I guess it's better than a bag of nuts. The angel wings sort of throw me ... after all, the plane is headed off into the big blue sky.

On to cooking! I made a long-cooking Beef Stroganoff for my family last week and they requested it again this week. Huh? That one took hours to make so I whipped up a quick one last night at about 8 that's destined for the table tonight. Master this cook-without-a-book recipe and add it to your repertoire.

Here's how: Use a better cut of beef like sirloin which doesn't need so long to cook. Put the beef (I used about 1 pound) in the freezer for about an hour. Cut the firmed beef into thin strips. Shake the strips in a Ziplock bag of 2/3 cup flour to cover. Shake off the excess and brown the meat in three batches in melted butter and olive oil in a pot with a lid. Set meat aside.

Use some beef broth to deglaze the pan, scrapping up all the flavorful bits stuck on the bottom. Now add a chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and a package of fresh sliced button mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Let cook for about 5 minutes, until veggies are soft. Add the beef back in and about 2 cups of beef broth. Stir well. The flour from the beef will thicken the liquid. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1/2 cup sour cream. Adjust seasonings.

Heat through and serve over wide egg noodles and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

All I have to do is heat this up when I get home at about 5:30 and dinner is ready. I'll make a green salad too. Tonight, I'll be their hero.

 

It won't be chilly, but make chili

Two days to go until Super Bowl ... do you know what you're making?

I'm going to share my chili recipe with you and if you like a tomato-y, slightly spicy chili I think you'll like it. Make it the day before to let the flavors meld then warm it up in the slower cooker for game day. Make sure you put out bowls of grated cheese, sour cream, sliced scallions, maybe even some sliced jalapenos if you're so inclined, and a bottle of Tabasco Chipotle.

My secret ingredient is an ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate. I was inspired to try this in my chili by recipes for Mexican mole. Don't worry, it's not like you're throwing a Hershey's bar in there. It's unsweetened for one thing. The chocolate adds flavor depth that enhances the chili without being obvious. You can dump it in whole and it will melt as it cooks.

Another thing ... I like the fire-roasted canned tomatoes from Progresso but my family doesn't like big hunks of tomatoes in the chili, so I run puree the entire contents in the blender. The flavor is still there but not the chunks. Man, I'm giving away secrets right and left.

Just because I can't stand to leave you without a dip recipe, I'm including Buffalo Chicken Dip, too. If you like wings, you'll love this.

Game Day Chili
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 large can Progresso fire-roasted tomatoes, pureed in blender
1 small can tomato paste
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons chili powder (I mix 1 Tbs regular and 1 chipotle)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 bay leaf
1 square unsweetened baking chocolate
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

In a large pot with a lid, heat oil. Saute chopped onion and minced garlic until soft, about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper while sauteing. Add ground breef and brown. Drain mixture and return to pot. Add pureed fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, bourbon, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, bay leaf. Bring to a simmer then add unsweetened chocolate stir until it melts. Cook on low for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly. Add kidney beans and heat through.

Can be made a day in advance; when ready to serve, remove bay leaf. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese, scallion slices.

Serves 6.

Source: Janet K. Keeler

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
16 ounces cream cheese
1 5-ounce jar Kraft Roka Blue spread (look for it in the Velvetta aisle!)
8 ounces hot wing sauce (more if you like it hot)
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine cream cheese, Roka Blue spread, hot sauce and celery. Heat in microwave until cream cheese is melted. Stir. Add chicken and Cheddar cheese. Mix together. Put into a baking dish. Top with more shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with sturdy chips or plain bagel or pita chips and definitely celery sticks!

What to do with leftovers

Hash is this very retro dish and something I don't think about cooking much at all. I wrote a story about making hash in 2004, then never made it again.

So what came over me last night? I made hash complete with the fried egg on the top. The 12-year-old was "how gross" at just the mention of the fried egg slipped over what is essentially stir-fried meat and potatoes. "How gross," that is, until he saw his Dad's plate. "Hey, that looks pretty good." I fried him up one too, without the runny yolk please.

Anyway, I was staring in the fridge at a pretty good hunk of leftover London broil and a couple of ginormous cooked red potatoes. Plus, my two guys were alternately starring at me, then the clock. They were hungry. I was desperate.

So here's what I did: Sauteed some chopped onion and a minced garlic clove in a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron frying pan. I didn't have any green pepper which is sort of standard but rather sliced some peeled carrots and added them to the pan. A sprinkling of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper were added to that. It cooked for about 5 minutes. Then I dumped in the peeled, cubed potatoes and let them cook until they got a little brown and crispy; another five minutes or so. I stirred a few times. Next the grilled London broil cut into 1-inch long strips went in. I also tossed in a few shakes of dried basil. A little more salt and dinner was near ready. In a separate skillet, I fried the eggs and gently slid them into the individual bowls over the mound of the hash.

I think the only thing that was missing was maybe a spoonful or two of sour cream stirred into the hash while it was cooking. Didn't much matter. My wolverines were as happy as clams.

And get this ... I was totally overachieving last night. After dinner, I made a French Country Beef Stew that took about 2 hours to cook. We're having it tonight. I'll share the recipe later this week ... 

Monday night nachos

Here's another one of those Sunset magazine recipes I made while I was visiting my mother after Christmas. Kind of a weird Monday night meal but you might want to give it a whirl as a consideration for a Super Bowl party. That's Feb. 3 and the underdog New York Football Giants are going to take down the New England Patriots. Yeah, I cook, but I like football too. Giants by 3 points.

Okay, here's what I did to shorten the prep on this recipe. I used ground beef over skirt steak (because there wasn't any at the store), I bought already chopped onion and prepared guacamole. Normally I would make my own but all the avocadoes where rock hard. I've forgotten the brand but it had a lizard (iguana?) on the front and it was in a plastic pouch. Of course, homemade would have been better but the store-bought worked quite well.

Mom and I had fun munching on these while everyone else was playing in the snow for a couple of days. Nachos are a fun, communal dish, perfect for casual noshing. Give these a try.

Chorizo-Beef Nachos

5 ounces skirt steak (see Notes), chopped, or lean ground beef
5 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed, finely crumbled
1 medium onion
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp. mild to hot salsa verde
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles, drained
1 large, ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
Kosher salt
9 cups tortilla chips
2 cups (1/2 lb.) shredded jack cheese
1 quart finely shredded Iceberg lettuce

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown steak and chorizo, stirring, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop onion and mince garlic. Add onion and all but 1/8 tsp. cumin to pan. Stir often until onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in 1 1/2 cups salsa. Simmer until thick, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While steak mixture simmers, combine black beans, 3/4 cup water, oregano, 1 tsp. garlic, and chiles in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until all but about 1/4 cup liquid has evaporated, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make guacamole: Pit and peel avocado. In a bowl, mash avocado with remaining 1 tbsp. salsa, remaining 1/8 tsp. cumin, remaining garlic, and the lime juice. Stir 1 tbsp. cilantro into guacamole and add salt to taste.

Line a large, rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Arrange chips in a 12-in.-wide circle. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.

While chips are baking, arrange lettuce around rim of a large serving platter (at least 16 in. wide). With a wide spatula, loosen chips from parchment. Carefully lift parchment from pan, then slide chips off paper into center of platter. Spoon meat mixture over chips. With a slotted spoon, top with beans. Spoon guacamole over center of nachos and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp. cilantro.

Makes 6 servings

Source: Recipe and photo by Sunset, January 2008

It feels like a meatloaf night

The idea of a staff meal is a cool one. I wish they had them around here.

Basically, the staff meal is what the chef feeds to the kitchen and wait-staff before the hectic service begins. This one is from Chanterlle in New York City. Slightly more low-brow than the menu (Seared Duck Breast with Smokey Tea Jus) but it really sounds better. Especially after a loooong day at work. This has been one.

Italian-Style Meatloaf

1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (or equal mixture of ground beef, pork and veal)
4 ounces prosciutto, cut to a 1/4-inch dice
1 cup tomato sauce
2 large eggs
1 medium onion, cut to a 1/4-inch dice
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and wine and let soak until the soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the beef, prosciutto, half of the tomato sauce, eggs, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and any wine in the bowl, then use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a roasting pan and shape it into a loaf. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to an ovenproof glass or ceramic loaf pan. Top the meatloaf with the remaining tomato sauce and bake until nicely browned and a metal skewer inserted into the center comes out hot, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Transfer the meatloaf to a platter and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thick slices.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: Recipe from David Waltuck's "Staff Meals from Chanterelle," Workman, 2000

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

Baked Tacos?

I made this recipe from Cook's Country magazine last night and my family loved it. I thought it was a little gloopy myself and wondered if I just shouldn't have made tacos. But it was sort of fun and looks showy when you bring it to the table. (Especially when no one has had a homecooked meal in a week. Yes, even I get too busy.)

I didn't like the off flavor of the packaged taco seasoning. Sort of metallic and every now and then I'd get a big bite blast of harsh spices. Weird. You can make your own taco seasoning with this recipe from cooks.com. Mix 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano and sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (3 tablespoons equals what's in a packet.) I am going to do that next time.

Anyway, do not forgo the scattering of scallions. You need the brightness. Serve with sour cream and fresh salsa. Here's the recipe with a few tinkers by me. (Why does it have to be cooked at 475? The shells nearly combusted in the last few minutes.)

Beef Taco Bake
2 cans of Ro-Tel tomatoes (drained, 1/2 cup of juice reserved)
1 can refried beans
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 taco shells
1 1/2  pounds ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning mix (or make your own)
Sour cream and salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix 1 can tomatoes, refried beans, hot sauce and cilantro in a bowl. Spread evenly over bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with one cup of cheese.

Cook ground beef in a skillet until no longer pink. Drain off any fat and add taco seasoning. Fill each taco shell with some cheese and beef. Place in bean mixture so standing upright. Once all shells are filled cover the pan with tinfoil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Serves 6.

It's Friday, Get Grilling

I woke up this morning thinking about flank steak. Weird. I guess something was telling me I hadn't found many grilling recipes for Stir Crazy lately. It's probably because I really, really hate to go outside this time of the year. I think I was destined to live in Vermont or something. I am also not much of an indoor griller because I seem to set off the smoke alarm a lot, or at the very least, stink the house up for days.

Remember those sliders I told you about yesterday? I am still smelling them today. Any hoo ...

Flank steak has gotten pricey, like all beef, but cut across the grain thinly, it can feed a lot of people. This Korean-style dish can be served sliced thinly and wrapped in lettuce leaves with a spoonful of rice. Or, serve it with a veggie and big green salad.

That's a good TGIF meal. Have a great weekend.

Korean-Style Grilled Flank Steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 to 1 1/4 pound flank steak
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, Sriracha, sugar, and sesame oil.

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat.

Oil grill rack, then grill steak, covered, turning over once, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and drizzle with 2 tablespoons sauce, then let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Thinly slice steak across the grain. Serve with remaining sauce, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Makes 4 servings.

Source: Gourmet magazine, July 2007

Get sloppy tonight

Still coming around from your three-day weekend? It's always hard to get back to it after that extra day off. For those of you who read yesterday's entry you know I had to work so I've got a jump on you this week. No, I am not bitter.

This recipe comes from Kathy Manweiler who writes a non-diet diet column for the Wichita, Kansas, newspaper. Less than 400 calories for a sloppy joe is pretty good. I know it's got a lot of ingredients but many of them are pantry items. You might be able to get away with just buying a few things depending on how well-stocked your kitchen is.

Serve the joes with  luscious fresh fruit and maybe carrot sticks and you've got a satisfying meal. You can add cole slaw or potato salad but that'll add more calories if you're concerned about such things.

Speaking of fruit, we bought Watsonville, Calif., strawberries at the grocery store over the weekend and they were fantastic. Red all the way through and  dripping with flavor. Watermelon is pretty tasty right now too.

Light Sloppy Joes
1 pound 96 percent lean ground beef
1¼ cups chopped green pepper
1¼ cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef, stirring to crumble. Add the green pepper, celery, onion and garlic, and cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the next nine ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring occasionally. Spoon p cup meat mixture onto bottom half of each bun and put the other half of the bun on top.

Serves 6.

Per serving: 365 calories, 38 carb grams, 800 mg sodium, 6 fat grams, 3.8 fiber grams.

Adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

Make Monday sloppy

It's Monday ... make life easy.

Here's a simple, homemade Sloppy Joe recipe. I like this much better than the stuff that comes out of the can. Pillowy hamburger buns are the best; don't get fancy! Serve sandwiches with macaroni salad and carrots and celery sticks.

Sloppy Joes
1 to 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 can of water
About 3 or 4 tablespoons ketchup
About 2 or 3 tablespoons brown sugar
About 2 or 3 tablespoons vinegar

Brown ground beef and celery. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes. (Add enough water to bring it to the thickness you want.) Serve on buns with sliced cheese, if desired.

Source: about.com

Chili for a chilly night

Darn it, if it isn't cold again.

If you aren't completely and totally sick of football food, I recommend making this chili tonight. It'll take less than an hour to make this quick version and you can freeze what you don't eat. (Cool it in the fridge first.)

Sorry for leaving you hanging late last week but other duties got the best of me. This week should be better. Any recipe requests? Any specific type of food you're hankering for?

Weeknight Chili

2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large carrot, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large stalk celery, peeled to remove strings and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 to 4 teaspoons mild chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground beef (80 percent lean)
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce (may substitute 1 cup homemade tomato sauce)
One 15- to 16-ounce can red kidney beans with liquid
1 cup water
1 dried bay leaf, preferably imported

4 to 6 slices day-old crusty Italian or French bread, for serving (optional)
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and cook about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Resist the urge to stir frequently, so the vegetables will caramelize rather than steam. Add 3 teaspoons of the chili powder, the salt, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Push the vegetables to the outside edges of the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and place the ground beef in the center. Use the edge of a wooden spatula or spoon to break the meat into 3/4-inch pieces. Sear the beef until it begins to brown on the bottom; don't stir it until the beef sears and you see steam rising. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink.

Add the tomato sauce and the beans and their liquid. Rinse the tomato sauce can (or container from leftover sauce) with 1 cup water and add it to the pot along with the bay leaf. Bring the chili to a rolling boil, then quickly reduce the heat to low. Taste; add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a spicier chili or 1 teaspoon chili powder for a deeper flavor. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the largest pieces of carrot are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
If serving over bread, tear 1 slice of bread into 3/4-inch pieces and place in the bottom of each wide, shallow soup bowl. Ladle the chili on top; serve hot.

Makes about 2 quarts (4 to 6 servings).

Source: Washington Post

Homemade Hamburger Helper

I haven't forgotten you I've just been exceptionally busy today. Ever have one of those days? The meetings can just kill your day. Anyway, I've been slapping dinner together for the last few days and feel like a little cooking tonight. This recipe sounds good ... and pretty quick.

SKILLET LASAGNA
1 pound meatloaf mix (OR use 1/2 pound EACH lean ground beef and pork)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
6 ounces curly-edged regular (do not use no-boil) lasagna noodles (8 noodles), broken into 2-inch pieces
1 (26-ounce) jar tomato sauce, such as marinara (about 3 cups)
2 cups water
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Ground black pepper
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
Cook meat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon until fat renders, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain meat and return it to skillet. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Sprinkle broken noodles into skillet, then pour in tomato sauce and water over top (you may need to add extra water if noodles are especially dry). Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.

Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over noodles, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand off heat until cheeses melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Makes 4 servings

SKILLET LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE AND RED BELL PEPPER: Substitute 1 pound hot OR sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, for meatloaf mix. Add 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped fine, to skillet with sausage.

Source: "The Best 30-Minute Recipe," by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated.

Happy Monday

Tamale Pie is delicious and so easy to make. This recipe calls for a casserole dish but I'd make it in a 11 by 7 inch pan. You could also make it in two 8x8 pans; eat one and let the other cool, then freeze for later this month when you're too busy to cook.

See you back tomorrow.

Tamale Pie
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 lb ground beef (turkey or something else that's ground)
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 can corn, drained
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup corn meal
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cheese
Salt to taste
Brown the meat and add the onion then the pepper. Fry a bit, then add the chili powder. Dump in the corn and the tomatoes and let cook.

Mean while, bring your chicken broth to boil in a seperate pan and slowly add the corn meal as to not get it lumpy. Cook until thickened.

Then, get out a casserole dish, grease it. Take 1/2 of the corn meal goo and put it on the bottom. Then goes the meat mixture. Then top off with the rest of the corn meal mixture and cheese. Back for about 1/2 an hour in a 350 degree oven.

This also freezes well.

Hearty casserole

What's not to like about this casserole? It's easy and very family friendly. Cooking LIght suggests Slightly undercooking the pasta because it cooks again in the oven.

Something easy is in order tonight, don't you think? Salad, bread and dinner is served!

Baked Rigatoni with Beef 
4 cups tomato sauce
1 pound ground round
4 cups cooked rigatoni (about 2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Drain well. Combine beef, rigatoni, Tomato Sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Source: Cooking Light

Sloppy sandwiches

It's Thursday, the day on which Stir Crazy offers up a kid-friendly dish.

Sloppy Joes are a guilty pleasure for adults, don't you think? This recipe, from www.allrecipes.com, has all the flavor, and then some, of those canned versions. Kids are especially susceptible to the charms of this messy sandwich.

The question becomes, what to serve with. I like cole slaw but I know a lot of kids don't. Corn chips come to mind but that's not very healthy. How about corn (creamed?) and some fruit kabobs? Man, that really sounds like lunch lady fare. But better since it's homemade.

See you back tomorrow.

Sloppy Joes for Eight
3 pounds ground beef chuck
1 cup chopped onions, about 2 medium onions
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups ketchup
2 1/2 cups water
8 split and toasted sandwich rolls
Cook ground beef with onion, salt and pepper until beef is no longer red, stirring to break up. Sprinkle flour over beef; stir to blend thoroughly. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and water. Simmer, stirring often, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until thickened.

Serve on toasted rolls.

Serves 8.

Make this tonight!

Don't you just love those frozen meatballs? All ready to go, with just a sauce needed to dress them up. Oh, but you can do way more with them than plunk them in jarred tomato sauce.

This Meatball Stroganoff recipe is kid-friendly and cook-friendly too. It's from a Better Homes and Gardens special interest publication called EAT. I've made a version that's got condensed soup in it so it's got a lot more sodium. This one is a bit healthier.

Meatballs Stroganoff
1 12- to 16-ounce package frozen cooked meatball
1 cup lower-sodium beef broth
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 8-ounce carton sour cream
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cups hot cooked wide egg noodles
Snipped fresh, flat-leaf parsley (optional)

In a large skillet, combine meatballs, broth and mushrooms. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.

In a bowl, stir together sour cream and flour. Whisk in milk and mustard. Stir sour cream mixture into skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; simmer 1 minutes more. Serve over hot, cooked noodles. If desired, stir in snipped fresh parsley. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Per serving: 424 calories, 25 g fat (12 g saturated), 696 mg sodium, 36 g carbs, 3 g fiber.

Burgers with a Twist

Kid friendly alert! This recipe is easy enough for the offspring to help with and tasty enough to put on the regular rotation.

Not all burgers have to be served on a bun and these are a good example of that. Serve them with corn (or corn muffins) and a green salad. Maybe even carrot and celery sticks with Ranch. I know that sounds sort of like lunch lady stuff but something familiar is always welcome when you're trying something new. That might be the spicy enchilada sauce for some kids.

The ground meat this recipe calls for is exceptionally lean so the prepared black bean dip and ketchup brings back some flavor and moisture. You could even use refried beans but look for the vegetarian variety that don't have saturated fat.

Beef and Black Bean Burgers with Enchilada Glaze
1 pound ground beef, preferably 85 percent lean
1/2 cup prepared bean dip
2 tablespoons ketchup
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
No-stick spray
1 can (about 10 ounces) enchilada sauce
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix the beef, bean dip, ketchup and salt and pepper in a bowl until well-blended. Form into 4 burgers. Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat for several minutes. Spray the burgers and brown on both sides.

Add the enchilada sauce, reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer until the sauces reduces to a glaze, turning the burgers several times to glaze evenly and cook through. Top with the cheese; cover the pan and cook until he cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes, before serving.

Source: "Homemade in a Hurry" by Andrew Schloss (Chronicle Books, 2006)

It's Thyme for Tuesday

Happy new week. Did you labor over the long weekend or lounge by the pool drinking pina coladas? I spent part of the weekend looking for a new purse. Man, is that frustrating. Can never find the right one; even the most promising ones have something wrong with them. Strange pockets, bad zippers, too narrow, too big, too deep, too shallow. Argh.

I think these Thyme Pepper Burgers, from allrecipes.com, might make a frustrated shopper feel, oh, so much better. I wouldn't serve them on a bun but with some rice or buttered noodles and a steamed fresh veggie.

See you back here tomorrow for a little rotisserie chicken ...

Thyme Pepper Burgers
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips

In a large bowl, mix together the egg, milk, bread crumbs, salt and nutmeg. Add ground beef, and mix by hand until well blended. Shape into 4 patties. Place a skillet over medium heat. Add patties, and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet.

Add onion to the skillet, and cook until tender but not browned. Drain off excess fat. Whisk together beef broth and flour. Pour into the skillet, and stir in Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened. Return patties to the skillet, and add green peppers. Cover, and simmer until burgers are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

Tonight, it's Mexican

Chile Rellenos are quite tasty but not so simple to make. This recipe, from www.allrecipes.com, combines the flavors and texture in an easy-to-prepare casserole. The one-dish meal is perfect for a weeknight. You could even make it tonight and serve tomorrow, or later in the week.

See you back here tomorrow for Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday!

Chile Relleno Casserole
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (4 ounce) cans whole green chile peppers, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
4 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, combine the ground beef and onions and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned; drain excess fat.

Arrange 1 can of the chile peppers on the bottom of a 7x11 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese and top with the meat mixture. Sprinkle the meat mixture with the remaining cheese, followed by the next can of chile peppers.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, flour and milk, whisking until smooth. Pour this into the baking dish over the chile peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.

Serves 4 to 6.

Chinese take-out, at home

Beef and Broccoli is a very popular dish for Chinese take-out. It's simple to make at home, with the help of bottled terriyaki sauce. There are more complicated recipes than this but who's got the time?

Give this a try. (But do stop on the way home for crab rangoon appetizers!)

Beef and Broccoli
1  pound beef tenderloin steaks 
2  teaspoons minced fresh ginger 
2  cloves garlic, minced 
1/2  teaspoon vegetable oil 
3  cups broccoli florets 
1/4  cup water 
2  tablespoons bottled teriyaki sauce 
2  cups hot cooked white rice 
      
Cut beef crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Toss beef with ginger and garlic in medium bowl.

Heat oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of beef mixture; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until beef is barely pink in center. Remove. Repeat with remaining beef. Remove and reserve.

Add broccoli and water to wok; cover and steam 3 to 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

Return beef and any accumulated juices to wok. Add teriyaki sauce. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

Serves 4.

Source: Favorite Brand Name Recipes (www.fbnr.com)

New Bohemians and Burgers

How lucky am I? I am at work listening to the spankin' Edie Brickell and New Bohemians CD and looking through cookbooks for something yummy to share with you. If you like Edie and her Bohemians, you should check out "Stranger Things," especially "Oh My Soul." Edie sounds like Rickie Lee Jones. Reminds me of how much I loved her first album. (I am also lucky to sit near my guest blogger Sean Daly who has a tower of CDs on his desk.)

So I am cruising through a new cookbook called "Stonewall Kitchen Favorites" and all the recipes look darn good but some have too many ingredients for a Friday night. (Stonewall Kitchen is a Maine-based maker of gourmet foods and a favorite of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.) I am a sucker for a really good burger and when there's blue cheese involved, well, who wouldn't love that? Here's my end-of-the-week suggestion:

Grilled Stilton Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Stilton cheese, or any good-quality blue cheese, cut into four 1/2-inch thick slices
4 crusty burger rolls, split
4 tomato slices
4 crispy Romaine lettuce leaves

Preheat a grill on high heat or preheat the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes.

Form the ground beef into four burgers, each about 3/4 inch thick. Be careful not to over-handle the meat or your burgers will be tough. Sprinkle both sides of the burgers with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers for 7 minutes without moving them or pressing down. Using a wide spatula, gently flip the burger over and press down only once. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cheese to the top of the burger and grill or broil until it melts, about 2 minutes. The burger will be medium rare.

Meanwhile, grill or broil the buns until warmed through. Place the burgers on the rolls and top each with a slice of tomato and a Romaine leaf.

An easy casserole

Here’s a simple-to-put-together casserole that the kids will love. (Don’t tell them about the cream of mushroom soup.) If you want to use fresh corn, trim the kernels off of three ears. Your casserole will have a bit more crunch.

Hamburger Corn Casserole
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 12-ounce can of corn, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups noodles, cooked
Bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream

Lightly brown ground beef. Add onion and cook until tender. Add drained can of corn, both soups, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Stir in 3 cups cooked and drained noodles. Pour into 2-quart casserole. Top with buttered bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese. (Can be divided into two casseroles prior to baking, one to freeze for later.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Serves 8-10.

Source: Diane Cwik, Citrus Federated Republican Woman