Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast

 

When the cooler weather hit us I was craving a nice warm stick to your ribs kind of meal and thought that pot roast could be just the right meal I was looking for.  Growing up my mom made stew, roast beef, pork roast and veal roast but not very often did she make pot roast.  I watched Ree Drummond make this on the food network and also had it bookmarked in my reader.  I'm glad I did because it was a very delicious, flavorful and tender pot roast.  I think next time I will thicken the juice a bit because it made a ton and it would have been a nice gravy.  Maybe you don't put pot roast on gravy?  I don't know but I bet it would be good.  I also followed her advice and served it with mashed potatoes.  I don't that I loved that.  It was a little too heavy for us (probably because I made loaded mashed potatoes which are a meal in itself!) Next time I'm going to try Giada's Italian Pot Roast!  Can't wait for that!

Check out Ree's post here for step by by step photos.

Pot Roast

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook Time 4 Hours  Servings 10 Difficulty Easy

Ingredients: 

1whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast

2 whole Onions

6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)

Salt To Taste

Pepper To Taste

1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)

2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock

3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste

3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions:

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours

Mom's Stovetop Meatloaf

I know I've told you all before that growing up my mom put a can of delmonte on or in every dish she made.  This is another one of those yummy dishes.  I like different varieties of meatloaf but for most of my life this is the only kind I knew.  It's made on the stovetop and is very soft just like a meatball. 

My mom doesn't use the onions but I love the flavor it gives.  I tend to add a little garlic powder and onion powder in it too...you know, just in case.

Mom's Stovetop Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cooked white rice, plus more for serving if you wish
extra virgin olive oil
1 -14 ounce can delmonte tomato sauce
garlic powder and onion powder, just sprinkle it on
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a small saute pan.  Saute onions and garlic until softened.  Reserve and allow to cool.
In a large bowl mix ground beef, egg, romano cheese, parsley, white rice, cooled onions and garlic, garlic powder and onion powder, salt and pepper.  Pack together and add to a large pan that was drizzled with oil.  Form into a loaf.  Add can of delmonte sauce over the meatloaf.  Cover and let cook over medium- medium low heat for 1 hour.  Slice and serve with sauce, with white rice and peas.

Click here for a printable vesion of this recipe.

Escarole and Mini Meatball Soup aka Italian Wedding Soup

This is my version of Italian Wedding Soup and I make a version of this soup quite often in the winter.  I've made it with chicken meatballs, with spinach instead of escarole, I've added beans and other veggies like a minestrone.  It's basically chicken broth with mini meatballs, veggies and pasta.  Make it this way or whatever works for you.  Use up whatever you have on hand, no need to make any special trips to the store!

When I make meatballs for soup I tend to use garlic and onion powder instead of fresh because it's cooking so quickly.  I don't want to have any raw chunks of onion or garlic but instead a smooth texture. 

.

Escarole and Mini Meatball Soup aka Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 heads of escarole, leaves separated, washed well and chopped

4 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 onion, diced
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 8 oz can of tomato sauce)
2 bay leaves
3 cans chicken broth and 2 bouillon cubes + water (or use 6 cups of all broth or stock or bouillon)
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Meatballs:

1 lb 85% lean ground beef
½ cup grated cheese
garlic powder, to taste
onion powder, to taste
1 egg
1/3 cup Italian Style Breadcrumbs

Directions:

Saute onion, carrot and celery in oil. Add plum tomatoes and season with Italian Seasoning, Salt and Pepper. When tomatoes start to break apart and let out their juices add chicken broth and bay leaves. Let come to boil and taste. If more flavor is desired and the bouillon cubes. Add escarole and let it cook down into the soup. Meanwhile mix beef, cheese, garlic, onion, egg and breadcrumbs and form mini meatballs. Makes about 20-22 meatballs depending on size. When the soup comes to a boil drop them in and then lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes until cooked through.

In a separate pot cook ½ lb of pasta in boiling salted water until al dente (do not overcook). Do not add pasta to soup pot or pasta will become mushy, keep pasta in a separate pot with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking. Serve a ladleful of pasta and 3-4 meatballs with each bowl of soup.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Italian Marinated Skirt Steak

It's almost grill season which really makes me happy!  It means dining al fresco and the change of pace to faster cooking.  I am by no means a grill expert but I can manage a few things.  This steak was made under the broiler but you can cook this meat however you see fit. It's this very simple marinade that is packed with flavor that I'm excited to share with you today. 






I served this with sauteed spinach and Israeli couscous.  I bought a great couscous mix from TJ's and added some sauteed peppers and onion to bump up the flavor. 

Italian Marinated Skirt Steak

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. Skirt Steak
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, chopped


Directions:

Mix garlic, vinegar, shallot, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley in a bowl.  Pour over steak, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Turning over once. (I like to use my Tupperware marinator and just flip the container over and you don't have to worry about spilling.)

Let excess marinade drip off of the meat and discard marindade. Place meat directly under the broiler and cook for approximately. 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare.  Or cook on and indoor grill pan or of course, grill it outside. Let meat rest and cut on a diagonal against the grain.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Aunt Maryann's Not So Stroganoff Beef Stroganoff

Yikes!  This title sounds like those long titles Rachael Ray gives to her recipes.  I get it now, it's really difficult to come up with a name for a dish and it's very easy to get corny.    This is one of those recipes that does not yet have a proper name. My Aunt Maryann gave me this recipe years ago when I was first learning how to cook. I never made it probably because I thought some of the ingredients to be a little odd. I should have trusted her because she is an excellent cook. This recipe will certainly be making it's rounds in my kitchen! So Aunt Mare (but you've got to say it with the Brooklyn accent and leave out the R haha!) and I were chatting yesterday and I remembered this recipe. We got to talking about it and decided that it probably isn't Beef Stroganoff. Traditionally, Beef Stroganoff has mushrooms and sour cream in it. I do think mushrooms would go very nicely in this dish and if I had them I would have added some in. I threw in a couple of shallots because I had them and a couple of glugs of red wine which added body to the sauce. Neither of those ingredients are part of her recipe but you know how I like to make some minor adjustments to make it my own. I suggest you do the same thing!

Aunt Maryann's Not So Stroganoff Beef Stroganoff

 Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat (round)
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
2 tbsp. Teriyaki Sauce (I started with approximately this amount and added more later)
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (same as above)
1 bag egg noodles or no yolk noodles
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
flour
2 1/2 tablespoons of butter
vegetable or canola oil
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 can petite peas or a couple of handfuls of frozen peas

Directions:

1.  Cut the beef cubes in half so you have bite size pieces.  Season the flour with salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Toss beef cubes in the flour and shake off excess.  Brown the meat in a combo of butter and canola oil (the butter is for flavor and the canola oil has a higher smoke point) and then set meat aside. You may have to do this in two batches. 

2,  Add in more butter and oil if needed and this time some extra virgin olive oil and saute carrots and shallots.  Once shallots become translucent and soft add the garlic.  Be careful to not let the garlic burn. 

3. Add reserved beef to the pot and push to the side.  Add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of flour and stir until combined.  Then stir the whole pot.  Add Teriyaki, Worcestershire sauce, red wine and water to just about cover the beef.  Let liquid come to a boil and then reduce to simmer.  Cook for about 2 hours or until beef is tender.  Stir occasionally and add more wine or water if the sauce reduces too much. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, Worcestershire or Teriyaki) until desired flavor is reached.  Add drained peas until heated through.

4.  Boil and drain noodles.  Remove beef from pot and set aside. Toss noodles with the sauce and add half of the chopped parsley.  Spoon noodles out onto a serving platter and top with the beef.  Sprinkle with remaining parsley. 


Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Filet Mignon Giambotta

Nanny didn't get to really experience my cooking, it's sad since she inspired me a lot. Unfortunately as she got older her taste buds changed immensely. Foods that she used to love she wouldn't even look at anymore. She would still eat pasta though, it was the one thing she never gave up on. I can remember experimenting with different veggies and she would lean over the stove and look into the pan and ask what I was making. I didn't really know but she would say "Oh, it's giambotta" and she would nod in approval. I didn't realize what that meant at the time. Now that I've learned so much more about food, I understand that Giambotta is just a combination of different veggies or meats and veggies just kind of thrown together. I guess it's what I would call a one pot pantry meal. Meals like this really taste amazing and remind me most of my grandmother. I guess that's why when years ago I saw Lidia Bastianich make a recipe like the one I'm going to share with you today, I never stopped thinking about it. When I went through all my Lidia cookbooks I found the recipe and guess what she called it....Seared Filet Mignon with Braised Chunky Vegetables...Filetto di Bue con GIAMBOTTA de Verdure. So I guess my grandmother would approve!

This recipe is loosely based off of what I remembered Lidia make that day. I didn't follow all her ingredients or measurements but I was absolutely inspired by her and by of course, Nanny.  My recipe is a little rough because I was just winging it and I'm a little nervous about posting Lidia's recipe since it's not available online at all.  If you want Lidia's recipe just email me through the link at the top of the page and I will send it to you. 


Filet Mignon Giambotta

Inspired by Lidia Bastianich (recipe is not available online but can be found in her cookbook Lidia's Italian American Kitchen)

Ingredients:

About 1 pound of filet mignon steaks, sliced into 1/4 inch slices (or cut into chunks)
Approx 1/2 pound (a little over) of baby potatoes (I used a mixed bag from trader joes)
1 large onion, cut into large pieces
6 cloves garlic, smashed with side of a knife
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 handful of sliced frozen peppers or 1 red bell pepper cut into large pieces
1/2 pound string beans
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar
worcestershire sauce
Teriyaki sauce
extra virgin olive oil and canola oil

Directions:

1.  Trim string beans and slice potatoes in half (or the larger once in thirds) so they are all approximately the same size.  Par boil potatoes and string beans together until potatoes are just tender.  Do not over cook them because they will continue to cook them in the pan (but you don't want the outside to cook faster than the inside so do not skip this step). Drain well.  Seperate string beans from potatoes.

2.  Add sliced beef to a bowl and add a little balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, teriyaki sauce and chopped garlic.  Just enough to marinate the meat but not enough to cover.  Toss to coat all of the beef and let it rest in the marinade on the counter.  (You should never put cold meat in a hot pan or it will be tough.)

3.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil (the EVOO gives flavor but will smoke faster than canola oil so mixing the oil prevents that from happening) just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  Add potatoes and 3 cloves of cracked garlic to the pan.  Make sure the potatoes are cut side down so they get nice and brown. Season with salt and pepper. Once the potatoes have a nice brown color turn the potatoes and let them cook for a few minutes add half of the onion.  Stir the potatoes and onion (or just shake the pan) to make sure each side of the potatoes get a chance to touch the bottom of the pan. Season the other side with salt and pepper.  Once onions are beginning to soften and potatoes are fully cooked, transfer to a bowl and set aside.


3.  In the same pan add the rest of the onion, 2 cloves of the cracked garlic, string beans and peppers.  If the pan is dry add a little more oil.  Toss everything together until onions start to soften but not mushy. Everything  should soften but still have a crunch to it (think chinese vegetables). Season with salt and pepper. Add olives.  When veggies are cooked add them to the bowl with the potatoes. 

4.  Remove the meat from the marinade and add them to the same pan you've been using.  Sear for just a couple of minutes per side (depending on how thick or think your pieces are) until browned on the outside and still pink in the middle.  Once meat is cooked add all the veggies back to the pan with the meat and toss together.  Add a splash of  balsamic vinegar, toss again to coat with vinegar.  (You shouldn't need to add any salt to the meat because the marinade has plenty of salt.)


Printable Recipe for Filet Mignon Giambotta

Skirt Steak and Broccoli Rabe

I really like Skirt Steaks. My brother-in-law Tommy got me into them years ago but I don't make them that often. They tend to be fatty but the fat is visible and easy to trim. Steve didn't think he liked them so I shied away for them for a long time. Since I've been in the spirit of getting "The Boss" to try more things I like I decided to give them a shot. To my surprise, he actually approved of them. I love when I am able to get him to try (and like) new things. We have both been able to do this for each other. Steve got me into Sushi, Guacamole and Egg Drop soup! The soup is actually a funny/cute story. On one of our first few dates Steve and I decided to do Chinese Take-Out and a movie. When Steve took out the menu for his favorite Chinese Restaurant he went right to the Egg Drop - Wonton Mix soup and said that we have to get this because it's so good. I never had Egg Drop soup. One of my coworkers used to call it Phlegm Drop Soup and that's all I could think of. "Do you like that?" he asked. "Yes, yes, it's fine." I told him. I didn't want to seem like I was difficult. When the food came I was hesitant to try it but didn't let him know. So, I tasted it and LOVED it! From that moment on it's been my favorite thing to order at a Chinese Restaurant. I'll never order plain Wonton Soup again! Sometimes I'll even get just plain egg drop!

Wow, I certainly went off topic. Anyway, I came up with this marinade after looking at a few marinade recipes in my Weber cookbook. None of them jumped out at me so I used some of their ideas in combination with what I had in my pantry and spice cabinet. I was very happy with the result. It was a little on the salty side so don't add any salt to this at all. Marinate the steaks for an hour or longer. I have a nifty marinator from Tupperware that can be flipped over without leaking. It's great for steaks. A good tip whenever you are using a thick saucy marinade is to pat the meat dry before you grill it, especially if you are using a grill pan like I did. This prevents the sauce from burning and causing smoke which will set off the smoke alarm. Yes, I am talking from experience. It happens to the best of us, right? So besides the marinade there really isn't a recipe because we all like our steaks cooked differently. I cooked these for about 8 minutes on each side and they were nice and red in the center. Leftovers are great for fajitas the next day (as long as you don't overcook them on day one)!


Marinade

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp cumin
t tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp terriyaki sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp honey

Rachael Ray's Chili Mac

It was another cold day here in New Jersey and I needed something to warm me up. I had a pound of ground sirloin defrosting in the fridge but wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. I didn't want to make soup because I have photos of Escarole and Mini Meatball soup that I still haven't blogged about. After some internet searching I found a recipe from Rachael Ray for Chili Mac. There was only one ingredient that I didn't have which was Jalapeño peppers. That didn't stop me because I knew I had chipoltle hot sauce in the fridge and that would provide enough heat that this chili needed.

This recipe makes a lot (8 servings) so I have halved it so I would have enough for me and Steve and some leftovers for lunch. I have more than enough for lunch so I will be sharing that with my coworkers (taste testers!). I'm very happy with the way it came out. I wish I had some Mexican cheese to add to my dish but I didn't so I did sprinkle a little Romano. I know, I know, it's not an Italian dish but I was desperate. It's hard for me to eat any pasta without cheese!

Besides using only one pound of meat and half pound of pasta these are the changes and additions that I made. Did not use the Jalapeños but used 1/2 red bell pepper (because I had it) and a few shakes of chipolte sauce. I didn't use another hot sauce like Rachael uses but did add some smoked paprika, additional chili powder and adobo seasoning. Season this however you would normally season your chili. I don't measure the seasonings I just taste and adjust. I used two cans of diced tomatoes and broke them up with my wooden spoon as they cooked. With the amount of meat and pasta I had adding crushed tomatoes would make this dish too saucy for me. I wish I had scallions for garnish but I just finished my scallions a couple of days ago.

Here is the recipe in it's original form which could be found on the Food Network Website.


Ingredients:

1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta with lines or elbows with lines
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 palm fuls) dark chili powder
2 tablespoons (1 palm ful) cumin
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
Coarse salt
1 cup beer or beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Chopped scallions, for garnish
Directions
In a large pot, boil pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a big, deep pot, brown beef in oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Season meat mixture with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Cook together 5 minutes, stir in beer or broth, and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain pasta. Add hot pasta to chili pot and stir to coat pasta evenly. Remove from heat and garnish big bowlfuls of chili mac with chopped scallions.

Rigatoni with Flank Steak and Mushrooms

Here is another Giada De Laurentiis recipe from her cookbook, Everyday Italian. The first time I made this recipe I didn't make any changes besides the type of steak I used (I used London Broil) and it was fabulous! I really loved it. I wanted to make this again but I also wanted to use ingredients I had in the fridge already. That meant no arugula but it was still a very tasty dish. I think that this recipe can be used as a guide and all different things can be substituted. I sauteed some cremini mushrooms, added some kalamata olives and used flank steak instead of a strip steak. You could add some sliced red onion, some sort of beans such as chick peas or cannelini beans, maybe some broccoli or green beans. There really is no right or wrong way to make this. Just use what you like and what you have. I haven't changed up the dressing at all but I'm sure you could add some other flavors if you want. Just be careful not to add all the dressing before you taste it. It makes a lot and if you use it all it could overpower everything.

Penne with Beef and Arugula
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula

Directions:

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Toss, pack for the picnic, or serve.

So Good You'll Burn Your Tongue Chili

Yes, it really was that good. I burned my mouth and tongue in several places while eating this chili. I just couldn't wait for it to cool off! So consider this a warning!!!

This was the very first chili recipe I ever made and I am sticking with it. There has been no need for me to try any others. Don't be put off by the amount of beans, it really is very tasty. However, you can substitute the beans for whatever you like or leave out the ones you don't like. This time I used what I had in the pantry, dark kidney beans and pinto beans. This dish is very hearty but can also be very lean. Substitute the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken and you have a very high protein low fat chili. Of course, watch out for those toppings! Choose low fat sour cream and reduced fat cheese to keep this healthy.

This recipe was created by Food Network Chef, Ellie Krieger and can be found on their website www.foodtv.com. I followed the recipe exactly but added extra cumin because I can never get enough of that smoky flavor. I didn't plan on making chili so I didn't have any sour cream in the house so instead I topped the chili with shredded cheddar and crushed tortilla chips. I think I like the added crunch better than the sour cream. If you are doing this the low fat way you should skip the chips.

Three Bean and Beef Chili

Copyright 2005, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I am a pot roast virgin. I've never made it before and it isn't something my mother made often but I have eaten it and I've wanted to make it for a long time. I decided that this fall I'm going to try to use my slow cooker more often. It's so nice to come home from work to a kitchen that smells like I've been there cooking all day without having to do any watching or stirring. So this morning I prepared my crock pot for some pot roast. In hindsight, I can laugh at what I must have looked like rushing to get dinner started and get dressed and ready for work at the same time. It resulted in a cut finger and the smoke alarm blaring which means I'll need to do some preparing the night before the next time I make this. I may have rushed around but when I came home I was nice and relaxed and ready to enjoy my dinner. I have only one complaint and it's not with the recipe but just something that comes with using a slow cooker....I could not make the gravy in the crock. I took all the meat out and the potatoes, added my thickeners (tried three different methods) and it just did not thicken up to a gravy like consistency. I took out the juice and added it to a small pot and put the heat up, within minutes I had a delicious thick gravy (Dad, you would approve!) I assume that the crock pot does not get hot enough for the liquid to boil and that's why it didn't thicken. If anyone has any tips for this I would love to hear them!

I found the recipe just by searching for healthy slow cooker pot roast recipes. This recipe was found at about.com I searched for healthy recipes because most of the ones I found contained canned gravy or condensed soup. Although I'm sure those would taste equally delicious it's just not what I was going for.

Give this recipe a try, it's definitely a keeper in our house!

Crock Pot Pot Roast Dinner

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1-1/2 lb. boneless beef top round, cut into 6 pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
16 oz. pkg. baby carrots
14 oz. can ready to serve beef broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Preparation:

Combine flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in small bowl and coat beef with this mixture. Cook beef pieces in olive oil in a nonstick skillet for 2-3 minutes on each side to brown. Set aside.

Combine potatoes, carrots and onion in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Place meat on vegetables. Pour beef broth and Worcestershire sauce over meat. Cover crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours until beef is tender.

Remove meat and vegetables from crock pot and place on serving platter. Cover with foil to keep warm and place in slow oven.

Combine rest of broth and the cornstarch in a small bowl and mix well with wire whisk. Add to liquid in crock pot, turn to high and cook for 10-15 minutes until gravy is thickened.

Serve with beef and vegetables. 6 servings

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs and The Dinner Divas

If you ever moved to a new state you know how difficult it is to make new friends. It's hard enough on children but eventually they make friends in school, during sports and other after school activities. If you're an adult it's even harder. There really isn't anywhere to meet people if you have moved to a state where you don't know more than one person. This was my problem when I moved to New Jersey with Steve. I decided to be brave and reach out to people on the Internet and join some groups. I'm a busy girl these days. The group that is closest to my heart is "The Dinner Divas". We are a group of young women who get together once a month and eat wonderful homemade food that we have made. Each month one of us hosts a themed meal of our choice and the rest of the members contribute an appetizer, dessert or wine. I've made some great friends through this group and I hope it's something that we'll continue for years. I'd like to take this time to thank my Dinner Divas friends, you guys are great! I truly appreciate the commitment that everyone makes to the group each month and always look forward to seeing my friends!

If you have any questions about how to start a dinner group in your own area feel free to email me at myitaliangrandmother@hotmail.com.

This past weekend Janet hosted a Sweet and Savory themed dinner. My job was to make an appetizer so I decided on Sweet and Sour Meatballs. A friend's mother used to make these but I never made them myself and didn't have a recipe. I looked it up online and found a recipe from Sicilian Home Cooking. Check it out. I have adapted the recipe to meet my tastes which was my basic meatball recipe with some raisins and pine nuts mixed in to continue the sweet and savory theme and used their directions for making the sweet and sour onions. I made them Swedish meatball size but of course they can be made larger.

The result was awesome! I'm really excited about this recipe and I plan on making this more often! So, without further adieu, here is my recipe!

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 lbs ground beef (85% lean)
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup milk
1 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup bread crumbs
Garlic powder and onion powder
1 handful raisins
1 handful of pine nuts

Sweet and Sour Onions:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virigin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Sprinkle beef with garlic powder and onion powder. Just enough to lightly cover meat. Then add all ingredients, mix to combine. Form meatballs and fry in olive oil. Set aside and drain on paper towels.

Add onions to pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté onions in extra virgin olive oil on low heat until they become tender. Do not allow them to brown.

Stir in vinegar, sugar and water.

Return meatballs to pan and gently toss in sauce. Let them cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and cool. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

No Excuse Steak Pizziaola

When people tell me they can't cook it baffles me. I understand that some things may be too difficult, have too many ingredients or may even be too exotic. I get that, however, there are some dishes that are so easy to make it's difficult NOT to do it. Well folks, it doesn't get easier than this. There are only a handful of ingredients and there is no special technique but the taste is so great that if you serve it to guests they will never know how easy it is!





Steak Pizziaola

Ingredients:

1 package small steaks (sometimes labeled chicken steaks)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Italian seasoning
dried basil
salt and pepper
2 – 14 oz cans Delmonte Tomato Sauce or 1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
½ can petite peas

Directions:

Add garlic, Italian seasoning and basil to oil on medium low heat. Add the steaks and brown on both sides.




Add tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Let simmer for 1 hour.




Remove steaks from pan and cut into bite sized pieces, removing vein. I took a close up picture of the steak so you can see the vein. It goes right down the middle of the steak and is very easy to remove.


Return steak pieces to sauce and add peas and stir. Let peas heat through.
Serve over egg noodles ( I like to use no yolk noodles).

My mom makes this dish a lot and she never cuts out the vein. We always did it in our own plates. Well, my honey is a little finicky and to save myself the aggravation I do this before it gets in his plate. Sigh, the things we do for love...

Mom's Meat Sauce

Growing up I always thought that this was bolognese but now I know that a traditional bolognese has some veggies and wine in it and takes a long time to cook. This is a much simpler version but still adds another layer of flavor and depth to the sauce. As always I change some minor things like how I season the meat but the end result pretty much comes out the same. We were over my parents' house on Sunday and my mom made this with rigatoni. It was delicious and I'm proud to say that mine and hers tastes almost exactly the same!

Ingredients:

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
6-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sugar


Brown ground beef in about 1 Tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the meat so you don't have any large chunks. Drain oil from meat and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in EVOO. Return meat to pot and add tomatoes. Swish water in the cans and add about ½ can of water or as needed so it’s not too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add basil. Let cook for ½ hour, stirring occasionally so sauce does not burn. Taste again for seasoning. Add 1 tsp of sugar or a little more if needed. Allow sauce to cook for ½ hour more and taste again.

Serve over pasta.

Mom's Stuffed Peppers

My mom has always been my biggest fan and supporter and I haven't given her any credit yet on my blog. Sorry Mom! My mother has a great love for food and unfortunately had to deal with picky children and a picky husband for many years! Sorry Dad (but when are you going to eat like an Italian?!?!) lol When I was a child there were many things I refused to try but my mom was always there encouraging me to taste new things. I got there eventually and now the tables have turned. Now it's me helping my mom to explore her palate...but this is not a fight like it was for me! I can always count on my Mom to sample a new recipe I've made, cook with me, clean up after me and basically be whatever I need her to be in the kitchen. In fact, I hate that she is so far away (1 hour!) and rarely gets to taste my food anymore. (I'd like to think I've gotten much better!)

I've tried making stuffed peppers many different ways, some that I love, some are just okay and some will stay with me forever. This recipe is one of those. My mom's recipe for Stuffed Peppers is one of the first things she ever taught me to make. I've made some very minor tweaks which has only improved (not changed!) Mom's recipe.

So here it is! You're going to love this one! It's like a big meatball stuffed inside a pepper!

Here is my Mother's recipe and below are the additions I have made.

Mom’s Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

6 red peppers
2 lbs. ground veal, beef or meatloaf mix
1 egg
locatelli cheese, grated
approx. ¼ cup dried parsley
garlic pepper
1 cup cooked white rice
salt
1 can crushed tomatoes

Mix veal, parsley, egg, salt garlic, cheese and rice.
Wash peppers, cut off tops (save for another time), fill peppers with meat mixture. Put peppers in a chicken fryer, pour tomatoes on top of peppers and around them. Sprinkle with cheese. Cook on stove top until peppers are cooked approx. 1 hour. Serve with Rice and peas.

Serves 6

After washing the peppers and removing the tops, I make small cut on the bottom of the pepper. This keeps the peppers upright and provides a hole for the sauce to go into. Be careful not to cut off too much because we don't want the filling to fall out, just enough space for the sauce to get in. I also sprinkle the inside of the peppers with kosher salt and little fresh black pepper.

I saute one onion and 3 cloves of garlic in a small frying pan. Once onions are softened and garlic is cooked (not browned) I set it aside to cool. This gets added to the meat mixture.

Once peppers are stuffed I put a little extra virgin olive oil in the pan and saute the peppers on all sides for a few minutes, until the skin blisters. I saw this done on a cooking show and it really does add some additional flavor.

Other than those few things I do exactly what the recipe says and they really were delicious!

Bakespace Challenge 3 - French Onion Salisbury Steak

It looks like we have a new favorite salisbury steak recipe!!!

Things worked out very well for me and challenge number 3. The idea was to find a recipe that was popular the year you were born or around the year you were born. I looked it up on the internet and I found that Nouveau cuisine was popular. Not something I was too keen on recreating. Then I found a website that mentioned meatloaf and I started to think about some American dishes my mom made when I was growing up in the 80's. Salisbury steak was one that popped up in my mind. It was great for us kids because it was like eating a hamburger with gravy and it was easy for my mom to make when she came home from work. The recipe I found is very different from the traditional salisbury steak I've made or my mom has made. I found it while looking through some old cooking magazines. This is from the April 2005 edition of Cuisine at Home. Great magazine by the way. I should probably renew my subscription.

French Onion Salisbury Steak

Makes 4 Steaks; Total Time: 45 Minutes

1 1/4 lb. ground chuck
1/4 c. fresh minced parsley
2 TBS. scallion, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 TBS. all-purpose flour
2 TBS. olive oil
2 cups onions, sliced
1 tsp. sugar
1 TBS. garlic, minced
1 TBS. tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
4 tsp. minced, fresh parsley
4 tsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cheese Toasts
4 slices French bread or baguette, cut diagonally (1/2" thick)
2 TBS. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
Pinch of paprika
1/4 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1 TBS. Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine chuck, parsley, scallion, salt and pepper. Divide evenly into 4 portions and shape each into 3/4"-1" thick oval patties. Place 2 TBS. flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. Reserve 1 tsp. flour.

Heat 1 TBS. oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add patties and saute 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan.

Add onions and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; saute 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown. Sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth and wine, then add the salt and thyme.

Return meat to pan and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion soup ladled over. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

For the Cheese Toasts

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Place bread on baking sheet.

Combine butter, garlic and paprika and spread on one side of each slice of bread. Combine cheeses and sprinkle evenly over butter. Bake until bread is crisp and cheese is bubbly, 10-15 minutes.

This was the recipe as printed in the magazine. I made a few slight changes. I had to buy two packages of ground beef so that gave me a little over 1 1/2 pounds of meat and I got 5 patties out of it. The scallions at shoprite have been looking pretty funky lately so I substituted red onion. I don't think it changed the flavor at all though. The only other change I made was that I used shredded mozzarella instead of the swiss. I've had french onion soup with both types of cheese so either is good for me! Everything else I did the same and I was very happy with the results. Steve really liked it as well. There are only two slight changes I would make in the future. First I would drain the fat from the patties after they are browned. I usually do this with my ground beef but I thought that the flour would absorb more. Turned out to be a little more greasy than I would have liked. The other thing is that I would use half the amount of dried thyme. It is very strong and too much can be very overpowering. I had to add a little water to try to dilute that. Other than that this recipe was great and I would definitely recommend it!



I forgot to take a picture of the meat mixture so I took a picture of the patty instead.



Patties dredged in flour.



Patties in my favorite all clad pan. (I'm such a kitchen label whore! lol)



Sliced onions and tomato paste.



Broth and patties returned to the pan.



Voila! Doesn't that look yummy?

It's not too late to join in the latest bakespace challenge! I believe it runs until August 15th! If you don't want to do the challenge but you are curious about bakespace come check it out at www.bakespace.com. You will find me there in the forums!