Category Archives: Beef

Picadillo Stuffed Peppers

Posted on March 28, 2013 by | 11 Comments

Piccadillo Stuffed Peppers sq

Here I am, stuffing meat into peppers again!  If you’re trying to limit your intake of carbs, making bowls out of vegetables instead of serving with rice, pasta, or tortillas is a great option.  Bell peppers hold a generous amount of stuffing, and also help make this a complete, healthy meal.  This is one of four stuffed pepper recipes we’ve posted – each with a bit of international flair.  In the past we’ve used lamb and feta, curried beef, and beef chili and poblanos.

Some of our favorite bloggers, Carrie and Brandon from Our Life in Food, recently posted a recipe for Cuban Picadillo with Sauteed Almonds that just made my mouth water.  I posted it on our Inspiring Recipes board on Pinterest, waiting for a good time to explore those sweet and salty flavors.  I modified the recipe a bit – one friend recently commented that I put onions in everything, which is not too far from the truth.  I also added cumin, and raisins and capers to add more sweet and salty notes – then stuffed it all into peppers.  The picadillo is just brimming with different flavors, with contrasting spices adding complexity to the dish (as Carrie noted).  One really good thing about this recipe is how versatile it is – adapt it to your own taste!  Thank you for the inspiration, Our Life in Food!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound grass-fed, ground beef
  • ~1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 12 ounces diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 10 Spanish olives stuffed with pimento, roughly chopped (just plain black olives work too, pitted and roughly chopped)
  • 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
  • 2-3 red or yellow, sweet bell peppers

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Cook the onion for a few minutes, until translucent.  Add the beef and brown until cooked through.  Drain off excess accumulated fat, if necessary, leaving about 2 tablespoons.

Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, allspice, bay leaf, tomatoes, tomato paste, and water.  Mix well, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add more water if necessary to keep it moist.

Add the olives and capers.  Mix well and simmer, partially covered, for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Discard the bay leaf.

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, and remove the core and seeds.  Use a smaller peeler to scape out the white spines.  Fill each pepper half with the picadillo, and set the peppers aside.  If you have excess filling (as I did using 2 peppers), place the extra picadillo in the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish.  Then put the stuffed peppers on top of the picadillo – this results in the juices from the peppers mixing with the meat, which will be extra delicious on its own.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, loosely covered in foil, until the peppers are tender.  Serve hot, and enjoy!

Piccadillo Stuffed Peppers from She Cooks, He Cleans

rtIt’s a rare event that compels us to leave the house, but we’re excited to go travel to the depths of Cobb County for this show…Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, with Richard Thompson opening. Oh yes! Electric is the latest from Thompson, and he doesn’t disappoint, with his passionate, intricate guitar work and his subtle wordplay in full force.

yellowEmmylou and Rodney were in The Hot Band together, and Old Yellow Moon shows they haven’t missed a step in the years apart. Great harmonies on such songs such as “Bluebird Wine” and “Back When We Were Beautiful”. Can’t wait for the show!

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Pot Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy

Posted on November 26, 2012 by | 20 Comments

Recipe modified from For the Love of Cooking

There were more important things to tend to than spending long hours in the kitchen – for that afternoon we were picking Brian up at the airport to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us.  It was also his first visit to what we hope will soon be our full-time home in New Mexico, and we wanted him have a good impression of this place that his father and I love so much.

What simple dinner might be comforting to a traveler after a long day of changing planes and cramped flying?  Pot roast seemed to be the answer – not too fancy, not time-consuming.  However it was a special occasion, so  I decided to veer a little from my basic recipe and add balsamic vinegar to the braising liquid.  Balsamic vinegar enhances the flavor of beef, and when reduced, the  gravy has more of a sweet-and-sour zing to it than plain onion gravy.  I planned on serving this with roasted carrots and bleu cheese polenta triangles.  It turns out that bleu cheese is too “melty” for making crisp polenta shapes…but it makes nice polenta pancakes.  Although this meal lacked in presentation, everyone enjoyed it as we sat around the table, relaxing and catching up with where life has taken us.  Mission accomplished!

Ingredients:

  • 3 pound chuck roast, preferably grass-fed
  • Kosher or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons oil, for high-heat cooking (I use coconut oil)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 shallot, sliced thinly
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • ~ 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 325F.  Heat the high-temp oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Sear the chuck roast deeply on both sides until well-browned.  Place the roast in a bowl; set aside.

Pour off the hot oil and add the olive oil to the pan, with the onions and shallot.  Cook for a few minutes, until the onion is softened (but not browned).  Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for about a minute, until aromatic.  Add the balsamic vinegar and broth; use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (scrape up the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan).  Bring to a boil.

Return the chuck roast to the pan.  Add the bay leaves.  If needed, add more broth or water so that the roast is at least half covered in liquid.  Cover the pan and place in the oven.  Cook for 3-4 hours until the meat is tender enough to cut with a wooden spoon.  (During the last hour or so, partially uncover the roast so some of the liquid will cook off.  Flip the meat over to keep one side from drying out.)

Remove the roast to a serving dish; cover and keep warm.  While the meat is resting, remove the bay leaves from the balsamic onion sauce, and skim as much fat as possible from the top.  Puree in the onions with a stick blender.  (Alternatively, you can strain the sauce if you would like it to be ultra-smooth.) Place on stove over medium high heat and reduce sauce to desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

Slice the pot roast and drizzle with the balsamic onion gravy.  Serve additional gravy on the side.  Enjoy!

A special occasion indeed, and the pot roast was a hit! As was LP shopping in Santa Fe…always find some good stuff. First up, John Hammond’s Country Blues, a early album from the renown blues guitarist. Just him on guitar and harp, doing Blind Willie McTell, Robert Johnson and more. Stellar stuff!

Any day you can pick up more Albert King is a good day, and I found King of the Blues Guitar, a compilation on Stax with great cuts like “Crosscut Saw” and “Born Under A Bad Sign”. Albert, like the pot roast, don’t fool around!

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Peppers Stuffed with Curried Beef

Posted on September 28, 2012 by | 7 Comments

I am overly fond of martabak, a savory, meat-stuffed pancake that one of our nearby Thai restaurants has on the appetizer menu.  It is meaty and a little spicy, with curry, minced onions, and garlic… and wholly addictive.  I’m not sure where this treat originates – according to Wikipedia it can be commonly found in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei.  I am trying to cut down on ordering martabak because I really want to avoid eating gluten, and the pancake most likely is not gluten-free.  To try to compensate, I invented these meat-stuffed peppers.  Although this is not an authentic recipe, the mixture of spices is reminiscent of the martabak filling.

As you can see from the photo, the meat filling in the peppers is pretty dense – it turned out almost like a small meatloaf.  That is because I added too much egg to the filling.  As a result, I reduced the amount of egg in the recipe that I have posted below – although there was nothing wrong with meatloaf-stuffed peppers! Another idea that might improve the presentation would be to mix some cooked rice in with the meat, to lighten the texture and add more color.

These stuffed peppers were great for a weeknight meal, with leftovers for lunch.  The recipe makes enough to stuff 3 bell peppers (6 “boats”).  If you choose to add about 3/4 cup of rice, you should have enough for 4 peppers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons oil (I recommend coconut oil or olive oil)
  • 1 pound ground grass-fed beef
  • 1 tablespoon ginger (grated or minced)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon hot curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup chopped dates or raisins
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 3 red or yellow bell peppers

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and saute until softened.  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  (Note: Do not drain the fat from the meat unless it is really excessively greasy, as the fat is needed to provide moisture to the meat, spices, and peppers.)

Stir in the ginger, coriander, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, and salt until well-mixed.  Add the chopped dates and walnuts.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the beaten egg and set aside.

Prepare the peppers for stuffing.  I find it easier to split the pepper lengthwise, but you may want to just slice the tops off to make the pepper more of a “cup” than a “boat”.  A vegetable peeler is useful for scraping out the ribs of the pepper from the inside.  If making pepper “cups”, you may need to shave some pepper from the bottoms so they will sit upright.

Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish or tagine.  Fill each pepper with the meat filling, and place upright in the baking dish.  Cover baking dish; bake for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender.  Serve hot!

Two new releases today, one a newcomer of sorts, the other longtime veterans. First up, trumpeter Christian Scott’s new one, Christian aTunde Adjuah. Born in New Orleans, Scott sounds like spent his entire life listening to Miles Davis…and Radiohead. One of the best CD’s I’ve heard in a while.

35 years along, Oregon never stops being amazing, and their new album, Family Tree, continues their unique blend of world music, jazz and folk. No one sounds like them- they’re in a class by themselves.

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Sirloin Tip Steak with Harissa Marinade

Posted on April 13, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Silly me, I made the mistake of assuming the grocery store would be open on Sunday, as usual.  Rediscovering that it was Easter meant that dinner plans had to be changed, subject to rescuing something from our freezer.  (Maybe there’s an analogy to be made, but I won’t go there.)  In the recesses of the freezer, there was a package labeled “sirloin tip steak” from the 1/8 grass-fed cattle share we got last year from Heritage Foods USA.  The sirloin tip steak is not top sirloin – it is a more “economical” lean cut of meat that can be tough and chewy if you don’t treat it right.  According to meatsource.com, the sirloin tip steak, aka “round tip”, can be used to make cutlets (fast fry), stir-fry, kabobs, stew, cube steak, or can be marinated and grilled.  I decided to do something in between kabobs and a marinated steak – - I’ll call this “faux sirloin tips”.

The recipe for the harissa marinade is slightly modified from Bon Appétit via epicurious.com (Harissa-Marinated Top Sirloin Tips) to make it more paleo-diet friendly – namely switching out the brown sugar for coconut palm sugar, and the soy sauce for coconut aminos.  I can’t take any credit for the harissa either, since I bought it pre-made from The Spice House.  Harissa is a common North African condiment made from chilies, oil, garlic, and spices. This organic version, made on a family estate in Tunisia, is not overly spicy and is a great complement to beef.  This turned out to be one of those happy meals that came together with minimal planning and effort.  We grilled some red and yellow sweet bell peppers to serve with the meat hunks, and washed it down with a nice Zinfandel.  Yum!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds sirloin tip steak (or top sirloin steak)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
  •  3/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
  • 2 tablespoons harissa sauce

Cut the steak into 2- to 3-inch-wide strips, then cut the strips into 2- to 3-inch triangles.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large glass (or non-reactive) bowl and mix well.  Add the beef triangles and toss in the marinade to coat evenly.  Marinate for up to an hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate to marinate up to one day.  Toss occasionally to mix.  (The longer the meat can marinate, the better.)

Set up a grill for cooking at ~400F.  When the grill is ready, grill the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until desired level of doneness.  (Medium rare would be best for this lean meat, in my opinion.)

Enjoy!

Got some great music recently! First up, Tragic Songs of Life/Satan Is Real by the Louvin Brothers. I’m currently reading Charlie Louvin’s book, and his description of the early days on the road with his brother Ira is hair-raising stuff! So is this set of some of their biggest albums. Their influence is vast on country music, and their harmonies are as good as you’ll hear anywhere. And “Satan is Real” is easily the best cover ever!

I’ve written about Guy Clark here before, so I was thrilled to hear of this- This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark. It’s a treasure, with some of the greatest songs ever, sung by some pretty esteemed folks such as Joe Ely, Emmylou, Shawn Colvin and a wonderful version of “She Ain’t Going Nowhere” by The Trishas. Sometimes tribute albums are hit or miss, but this one is two discs of hit!

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Latin Lasagna with Beef and Plantains

Posted on April 1, 2012 by | 20 Comments

A good casserole is one of the best comfort foods.  You just can’t beat a one-dish meal for convenience – just pop it in the oven and relax – or for the great way the ingredients play off each other.  This Latin-style lasagna is both sweet and savory, with cumin-spiced ground beef, layers of plantains, and mildly spicy pepper-jack cheese.

I can’t emphasize the importance of using RIPE plantains enough.  I was impatient – two of the plantains I used were perfectly ripe, but two were still a little green.  The difference between the taste and texture of ripe and not-so-ripe was huge.  After sauteing the ripe plantains, the slices were soft and buttery, with a subtle sweetness.  The green plantain slices were tough and dry, and had all the flavor you would expect from cardboard.  Be sure that you use plantains that have black skins, or that are yellow with lots of black spots on the skin.

This is the basic recipe that I used, modified from Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for Cuban-Style Beef and Plantain Pie, and inspired by Ingrid Hoffmann’s Latin Lasagna from Simply Delicioso.  We really enjoyed this lasagna, despite the presence of unripe plantain interspersed in the casserole.  Next time I make this, aside from using riper fruit, I might add a layer of ricotta with cilantro mixed in, or top it with a decadent layer of  cheesy, white sauce.  My mouth is watering already!

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 pound ground beef (grass-fed)
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 16-ounces diced tomatoes (with juice)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked, hot paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ripe plantains (black-skinned, or heavily spotted)
  • coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (to saute plantains)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ~ 12 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving

Preparing beef:

Heat coconut oil (or EVOO) in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and red bell peppers; cook until softened, stirring frequently.  Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute or until garlic is fragrant.  Add beef and pork.  Cook until browned, stirring and breaking up clumps.  Drain off all but 2-3 tablespoons of fat, if necessary (will depend on fattiness of beef and pork used).

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, raisins, vinegar, oregano, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper.  Simmer for around 15 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; adjust seasonings to taste.  The meat mixture should be moist and a little saucy.  If it seems too dry, stir in some water or broth.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Preparing plantains:

Peel plantains. (They do not peel easily, like bananas.  I found it easier to slit the thick skin open, lengthwise, then slide the skin off in one piece.)

Slice in half, crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise into 3 long slices.  In a large skillet, heat ~1/4 cup coconut oil (or EVOO) over medium high heat.  Saute the plantain slices in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side.  Add additional oil, if needed.  Transfer the cooked plantain slices to drain on paper towels.

Assembling the casserole:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly oil a lasagna pan or large casserole dish.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and water until blended.

Place about 1/3 of the meat mixture in the bottom of the pan as a base.  Top with half of the plantain slices, and then about half the shredded cheese.  Add a good layer of meat (about 1/2 of what is remaining). Pour half the egg mixture into the pan, spreading it out over the ingredients.  Layer with the remaining plantains, meat, and cheese.  Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top of the casserole – spreading it out to distribute evenly.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake at 350F until hot throughout and bubbly (about 45 minutes).  Remove foil, and bake for around 10 more minutes to brown the cheese on top.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.  Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

XTC has long been one of my favorite bands, sadly they are no more. But what a brilliant collection of works they left. First, one of my “Top 10″ albums, Apple Venus Volume 1, their final release (sorta…). At this point the band was just Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, but what a glorious noise they made! This sublime release is complete ear candy, from the opening rain drops of “River of Orchids” to Moulding’s “Knights in Shining Karma”. Hard to believe this was released in 1999…or that it’s out of print. For shame.

Now, one of the first albums by XTC, Drums & Wires. This was the first release by the band that got noticed in America, and I can remember “Life Begins at the Hop” and “Making Plans for Nigel” seemed to be on constant repeat on my Walkman (kids, ask your parents…it was the precursor to the ipod!). Essential!

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Beef Braised with Orange

Posted on March 24, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Last week we ventured up to North Carolina to visit my parents.  The little town I grew up in has changed tremendously over the years – some good changes, and some not so good.  That’s the way change goes!  Big Box stores, like WalMart and the newly constructed Tanger Outlet Center, are blights on the landscape to my eyes; spaces that previously were green and lush, now covered in concrete and square, ugly buildings.  I’m sure not everyone agrees with my assessment – my parents seem to appreciate the convenience of nearby shopping, although they are less appreciative of the increased traffic.

In general, I don’t enjoy shopping.   I vowed to never enter that curse of an Outlet Center with the masses of bargain-hunters who swarm in off the interstate highway.  Then something happened – I searched for a Le Creuset outlet and found one RIGHT THERE in Mebane, North Carolina.  I was overtaken by the promise of deeply discounted braising pans and au gratin dishes, so the vow was broken.  Parking was a nightmare – cars stalking shoppers laden with purchases on the way back to their vehicles, hoping to snag a parking space.  We circled a few times, and finally squeezed into a spot on the far perimeter of the lot.  Luckily, we were relatively near the Le Creuset store, so no time was wasted.  No one was in the store except the two delightful ladies working there, so I happily perused all the deals to be had.  When asked if we were familiar with their products, James just laughed.  Familiar…ha!  I found just the braising pan I was looking for (and a few other things) – the outlet price plus a 20% “special” discount ended up being about half the retail cost of the pan, and I got a 1 quart casserole as a free gift!  Good deal!

Back home, I was ready to break in the new braising pan with a new recipe.  I had a nice grass-fed chuck roast in the freezer, but decided on some new flavors – fennel and orange.  The orange really stands out in this dish, but isn’t overwhelming.  I wanted it to be a spicier, but my red chile peppers were pretty mild.  Next time I will kick it up a notch with crushed red pepper flakes for more heat.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 pound chuck roast (grass-fed)
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and sliced into strips
  • 2-3 red chile peppers, seeds and stems removed, sliced
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • Zest of one orange; rest of orange cut into 8 slices
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger root
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 cup beef broth

Browned roast ready to put in the oven. Isn't that braising pan beautiful?

Preheat oven to 325F.  Season the roast generously with salt and pepper.  Heat ~2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive in in a braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Brown the roast on both sides, about 4 minutes per side or until deeply browned.  Remove roast from pan and set aside on a plate.

Pour off the hot oil, and add ~2 tablespoons fresh oil to pan.  Saute onions, fennel, and chile peppers, stirring frequently, until softened.  Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.

With the pan off heat, add the remaining ingredients except for the orange slices; stir well to combine.  Place back over medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Be sure to scrape up all the browned parts off the bottom of the pan to incorporate them in the sauce.  Add the fennel, onions, and chile peppers to the pan, then place the  browned roast in among the vegetables.  Give the orange slices a little squeeze over the pan, then nestle them in alongside the roast. The roast should be about 2/3 covered with liquid – if not, add a little more broth or water to the pan.

Cover and put the roast in the oven to braise for approximately 2 1/2 hours, until the roast is fork-tender.  Check on the roast occasionally to make sure there is adequate liquid in the pan (don’t let it get dry).  Toward the end of the cooking time, partially uncover the roast to encourage the top to brown, and to reduce some of the liquid if necessary.  Remove the orange pieces before serving.

Serving suggestions:  Serve over rice or mashed sweet potatoes.  Roasted carrots and/or broccoli are great accompaniments!

Blast from the past today. I grew up listening to Bill Nelson and Bebop Deluxe. Nelson’s guitar adventures are imaginative and melodic, and his lyrics sound like they were written by PK Dick. First up one of the greatest live albums ever captured, Bebop Deluxe with Live in the Air Age. Dynamic, soaring guitar lines atop a prog-rock base. She gave me her body, I gave her my brain…it’s a fair exchange…

Once Bebop broke up, Nelson scored a hit with Sound on Sound, a more keyboard based work that had the hit “Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric)” and was hugely influential to folks such as Bowie, Ultravox and more. Get it!

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Beef and Vegetable Soup

Posted on February 22, 2012 by | 1 Comment

It has been cool and a bit blustery in New Mexico this week – and what better to warm up with than a big pot of soup.

This soup has an Italian twist to it, so I wanted to add just a bit of pasta.  Here’s my big confession (followed of course by my justification) – I did not use gluten-free pasta!  I fully intended to use gluten-free pasta, because I had no desire to intentionally add wheat to our diet.  However, as I was browsing the shelves of Whole Foods for a suitable gluten-free rice-pasta to add to the soup, I suddenly found myself looking at boxes of Jovial einkorn pasta.  I squealed and literally jumped up and down with excitement, as James backed away, looking askance at me.  I have read about Jovial pasta, but have never seen it in person.  It was like finding the holy grail!

Einkorn is the purest, most ancient species of wheat known, grown more than 12,000 years ago before wheat was hybridized by man to increase the gluten content and yield.  You can read more about einkorn wheat and the history of wheat here.  Since this einkorn pasta is much lower in gluten, I was interested in how my body would react to eating it.  I am happy to report that there were no adverse affects.  However, I do not have celiac disease, and the makers of this pasta warn that more clinical studies are needed to determine if it is safe for celiac patients to consume einkorn wheat.  Jovial also produces gluten-free pastas which are reported to be among the best available in taste and texture, and I am also going to try those pastas.

All that said, the addition of pasta (of any kind) to this soup is optional.  The beef and vegetables are quite substantial on their own.  Also, since this is soup, the actual quantities of the ingredients are not all that important.  Feel free to add a little more or less of anything.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef (grass-fed)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup green beans, snapped into ~1-inch pieces
  • ~28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry pasta (optional)
  • kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper
  • grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

In a large skillet, heat ~ 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute the onions until softened, then add the ground beef.  Brown the beef, and season lightly with salt and pepper.  (If beef is excessively fatty, pour off and discard some of the fat.)

Partially cook the pasta in salted, boiling water.  I  like to boil it for just a little over half the time recommended on the package.  The pasta will finish cooking after you add it to the soup, and will adsorb more of the soup’s flavor.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat; add ~ 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Saute the zucchini, carrots, and green beans for 6-8 minutes in the oil until they are starting to get tender.  Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, with oregano, thyme, crushed pepper flakes, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then add the cooked beef and onions, and the cooked pasta.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaf and discard. Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Two today from the great Aimee Mann. Years ago I worked for a band that opened for Til Tuesday (“Voices Carry”), and was impressed by Mann’s stage presence and artful lyrics. Since those days she’s gone on to be one of our great songwriters. First up is her debut, Whatever. It featured one of her best songs, “I Should Have Known”, as well as fan favorite “Jacob Marley’s Chain”.

Mann did the soundtrack for “Magnolia”, featuring some of her finest songs, such as “Deathly” and “How Am I Different”. More from that era is collected on her 2000 release, Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo. If you haven’t given her a spin, why not?

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Roast Tenderloin of Beef with Madeira Sauce

Posted on February 9, 2012 by | 10 Comments

From The Fearrington House Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Flowers and Herbs by Jenny Fitch

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and I know many of you are looking for something really special to surprise your sweetheart.  Well, if the love-of-your-life also loves red meat, I promise that he or she will swoon over this recipe.

The Fearrington House Inn and Restaurant is just outside of Chapel Hill, NC.  If you get a chance to visit, you will find it at the center of it’s own country village – surrounded by green pastures and Belted Cows.  The Fearrington experience is the epitome of Southern grace, elegance, and hospitality.  I bought The Fearrington House Cookbook more than 20 years ago with dreams of living in a sunny cottage in the country with open windows, gardens bursting at the seams with wildflowers and herbs, making my own dried flower arrangements, wreaths and herb-infused oils, and serving miniature ham biscuits to friends that dropped by for tea.  Ha!  I guess I forgot that I’m not independently wealthy and have to work for a living, not to mention I can’t even keep houseplants alive.

Well, enough about the delusions I had in my 20′s.  (My current dreams involve an adobe house, but otherwise aren’t all that different.  There’s always hope!)  Regardless, this cookbook has a wealth of information and a multitude of fine recipes.  This recipe for Roast Tenderloin is a favorite – readily identified by the pages with the most food splatters on them.  What really makes this recipe extra-special is the velvety, creamy, caramel-y sauce, so don’t even think about skipping it. There will be some leftover sauce, if you can restrain yourself from tasting it over and over.  It is also great on pork!

Enough rambling….here’s the recipe, scaled down a little for a cozy romantic dinner (and leftovers) .

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 pounds beef tenderloin roast, trimmed of fat (preferably grass-fed)
  • Kosher salt or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 slices bacon, diced, fried, and drained (reserve pan and drippings)
  • 3-4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons oil, suitable for cooking at medium-high to high heat
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup Madeira
  • 1/2 cup ruby port
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 2 cups brown beef stock or broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons butter (pastured), at room temperature

To make sauce:

Combine orange juice, Madeira, port, and brandy in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half.  (Note: To easily gauge how much the sauce has reduced, I stick the handle of a wooden spoon, straight up, into the pan, then make a shallow gash in the wood to mark the liquid level.  The sauce may boil around the stick, so you have to let the boiling settle before determining the level.  I then use that mark to determine when the sauce has been reduced by half.)

Add beef stock and reduce again by half.  Add cream and reduce by half.  Set aside.  (This takes some time, so be patient.)

To prepare beef:

Butterfly the roast by making a deep incision down the length of the roast so that the meat opens (like a book) and lies flat.  Salt and pepper the inside of the roast, and spread with Dijon mustard.

Saute the mushrooms in the pan with the bacon drippings until the mushrooms are beginning to soften.  Add garlic and shallots; continue to cook for another minute.  Remove from heat.  Add the cooked, diced bacon to the pan and mix.

Spread the bacon mixture down the center of the roast.  (All of the mixture might not fit in the roast, depending on size of roast.  It’s pretty good to eat out of the pan.)  Roll the tenderloin to its original shape and tie with butcher’s twine at 1-inch intervals.  (It helps to tie both ends first, then the middle, to keep the stuffing from falling out.  However, it will fall out while you are doing this.  Just poke it back in once you have finished tying the roast.) Season the outside of the roast with more pepper.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add the roast and sear on all sides until nicely browned.  Remove the roast, and place it seam-side-up in a roasting pan with a rack.  (Note: the roast may be prepared to this point earlier in the day and set aside, covered, at room temperature until ready to be finished.)

To finish:

Preheat the oven to 450F.  Place the roast in the oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 375F.  Roast until internal temperature is 125-130F (medium-rare), around 20-30 minutes depending on size of roast.  Remove the roast, cover, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Bring the sauce to a boil and adjust seasonings.  Remove from heat and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Slice beef  into approximately 1-inch slices, and serve with the sauce.

Two exceptional albums for Valentine’s Day. First up is John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, one of the most treasured recordings of Coltrane. His playing is subdued and emotional, but never steps on the rich vocals of Hartman. Even those who wrinkle their nose at jazz love this record.

Can’t have Valentines without Sinatra! And this one, Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings, was created during the heyday of bossa nova in the ’60s, and it hasn’t lost a bit of its understated brilliance since. When Frank croons “Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars” against Jobim’s soft guitar, its heaven.

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London Broil with Lime-Garlic-Ginger Marinade

Posted on January 9, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Last year we bought a 1/4 grass-fed cattle share – most of which has been consumed.  There were a few odd cuts of steak remaining, like this large package labeled “London Broil”.  Now best I can tell, “London Broil” is not the name of a cut of meat, it is more of a preparation method.  My guess is this piece of meat is a top round steak because it is very lean and it is pretty large (around 2 pounds).  Top round steak has a nice beefy taste, but it can also be chewy and tough unless prepared correctly.  You could also use flank steak, sirloin, or skirt steak for this recipe.

I marinated this steak for about 6 hours for additional flavor, using a marinade recipe with lime, garlic, and ginger slightly modified from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.  He suggests leaving the meat in the marinade for 1 to 2 days to really soak up those flavors, which I would recommend.  At six hours, the garlic and ginger flavors were there, but subtle.  However, I probably overcooked our steak a little, trying to photograph it in the dark by lantern light.  Even so, the steak turned out pretty well and was great with grilled multi-color bell peppers and eggplant slices!

Since this is not a tender cut of meat, it should be sliced thinly across the grain when serving – this keeps it from being chewy.

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 pounds top round steak, flank steak, sirloin, or skirt steak
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (gluten-free, soy-free sauce)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 heaping teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine lime juice, fish sauce, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, and honey.

Make shallow slashes across the surface of the steak with a knife.  Place the steak in a resealable bag or shallow glass dish.  Pour the marinade over the steak and rub it into the surface well.  Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.  Turn occasionally so that all surfaces of the steak have good contact with the marinade.  When near the end of the marinating time, remove from the refrigerator and allow to return to room temperature.

Prepare a grill for direct cooking at 450-500 degrees.  Dry the steak well with paper towels.  Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.  (Go lightly on the salt since coconut aminos and fish sauce may be salty.)

Grill the steak for approximately 5 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 125F.  Let steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, covered, to allow the meat to relax.

Went to Memphis a few weeks ago- talk about food!- but in between bouts of ribs, saw some local history at the Stax Museum. Fascinating place, with loads of exhibits and music of one of American’s foremost and influential labels. For a great look at its history and the legendary artists who recorded there- Otis, Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes and more, I recommend Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story. Vital. America wouldn’t be the same without it.

Before Stax, future members of Booker T. and the MGs- Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn and Booker T, hooked up with high school classmate Charles “Packy” Axton and cut a bunch of sides to regional success. Packy was the son of Estelle Axton, who would go on to found Stax with Jim Stewart. These early southern soul sides have been collected on Late Late Party, and it’s great. Raw, gritty blues and soul, and you can tell future Hall of Famer Steve Cropper’s stinging tone early on.

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Beef Chili Rellenos

Posted on December 9, 2011 by | 6 Comments

Stuffed poblano peppers are a great way to make a pot of chili more interesting, whether you’re having guests or just using up some leftovers.  This is not a quick recipe because there is a lot of preparation, but your hard work will pay off!

The chili in this recipe is mildly spicy.  If you’d like for it to be hotter, stir in a chopped chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce) to the chili mixture before it goes into the oven.

This recipe is part of our feature on U.S. Wellness Meats, “Music and Meals to Warm You Up“.  Visit their website for free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, and other great products!  Also, special thanks to our friends Susan and David for the inspiration for this recipe!

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place the stew beef in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.  Toss well.  (Note: if you are using chili powder containing salt, you may want to omit the salt in this step.)

In a large Dutch oven (or other oven-proof pot), heat 2 tablespoons of beef lard over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, brown the stew meat in the lard.  Do not crowd the beef in the pot or it will steam instead of browning.  Remove each batch of browned beef to a clean bowl.  Add more lard to the pot, as needed to brown all the stew beef.

After browning the beef, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.  Saute the chopped onion until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to loosen the fond (browned bits on the bottom) from the pot.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant (about a minute).  Return the stew beef and accumulated juices to the pot.  Add the chili powder and stir well so that the chili powder coats the meat.  Stir in the diced tomatoes and beef broth.  Bring to a simmer, then cover and move the pot to the oven.

Cook the chili for around 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.  Close to the end of the cooking time, partially uncover the pot so that the liquid will reduce, but do not let the chili become dry.  It should be saucy, but not soupy.  When meat is done, remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to comfortably handle.

In the meantime, wash the peppers and dry thoroughly.  Turn on the hood if you’re roasting on the stove top!  (If you don’t have a gas range, you can also put them under the broiler in the oven, or use a grill outdoors.)

Using tongs, place the pepper over the flames (or under the broiler).  Turn frequently, until the entire pepper is well-charred.  Place the blackened peppers in a paper bag (watch out that there are no embers on the peppers!) and roll the top of the bag closed.  This will allow the peppers to steam and continue to cook.  Put the bag aside and allow the peppers to cool.  [If you don't have a bag, you could wrap them in paper towels and place in a glass bowl to cool.]

When cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin from the peppers with your fingers.  It may help to use some running water to get the skin off, but be careful not to get the peppers too wet or you’ll dilute their flavor.  It’s okay if there’s some charred skin left here and there on the pepper, and it’s okay if they tear a little in places.  Slice the peppers open on one side, remove the stem, and lay them out flat to scrap out the seeds and white ribs.  Dry the peppers with paper towels.

When ready to assemble, heat the oven to 400F.  Fill each pepper down the center with chili, fold the pepper “sides” over the top of the chili so that the chili is enveloped by the pepper.  Place each pepper into a shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle cheese over the peppers (reserve some cheese for serving).  Return to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until hot throughout and the cheese is lightly browned.  (There may be leftover chili – perfect for lunch on another day!)

Serve hot, with limes, sour cream, additional cheese, and a sprinkling of roasted pumpkin seeds.  Enjoy!

Nancy’s Chili Powder (no-salt)

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon hot, smoked, Spanish paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons raw (turbinado) sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Store in a lidded glass jar at room temperature.

A bit of “south of the border” spiciness in our dinner, and in the music to boot! Mexican-American Border Music, Vol. 1: Pioneer Recording Artists (1928-1958) is a great collection of early Tex-Mex music. You can hear strains of Tejano and country music in it, and it’s passionate and vibrant- sorta like the peppers!

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