Taco Meat

Okay, I get it. Those taco packets from the store are incredibly convenient. I'm guilty of using them. But, sometimes, when you are mid-taco, don't you ever think, "This reminds me of a chemical..." I do. That's why I love this recipe for beef tacos from my friend Janet.

Beef Taco Meat
2 T oil
1 small onion
3 medium cloves garlic
2 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp cider vinegar

Heat oil, add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic, spices, 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until fragrant. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, broth (true confession: I usually skip the broth and just dump a small can of tomato sauce in and call it good), brown sugar, and vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick.

Also, if I am feeding a crowd, I like to drain and rinse a can of red or black beans and toss those in with the tomato sauce.

Sloppy Joes

Some nights you just need an easy dinner- nothing fancy, requiring only the ingredients you have on hand, and something the kids will eat. Tonight the answer was:

Sloppy Joes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper. Drain off liquids.

Add remaining ingredients, along with about 1/2 cup water, let simmer for 15-30 minutes over low heat until thickened slightly. Serve on rolls or buns.

Lone Star Steak and Pasta

Lone Star Steak and Pasta

16 oz pasta, cooked according to package directions (you could easily substitute rice if that's what your family likes)
1 lb boneless top sirloin steak, about 1 " thick
2 T oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Trim fat from meat. Cut steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/8" strips.

Heat 1 T oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the steak, saute 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a plate, then repeat with remaining oil and meat, also removing second batch to the plate.

In the same skillet, add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until onions and pepper are slightly tender. (I hold the cilantro out until the very end.) Add meat and any accumulated juices to skillet and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until heated through.

Serve over pasta or rice, garnish with sour cream or chopped fresh tomato if desired.

Grandma Barratt's Meatballs

My dad has been asking me lately if I knew how to make his mother's meatballs, so I did some hunting and I did have the recipe!

Grandma Barratt's Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef
2 potatoes, grated
2 carrots, grated
1/2 of a medium onion, finely diced
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients. I used the food processor so that the carrots and potatoes were ground up very fine, but you don't have to do it this way. Shape into meatballs (this recipe will require a 9x13 pan) or do as I did: 12 mini-meatloaves in a muffin tin. Cover with foil and bake until cooked through (the "Hamburger Muffins," as Bruce christened them, took 45 minutes, so plan on about 35 for meatballs). Grandma Barratt made a sauce with 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup of water that she would mix together then pour over her meatballs before baking, but I skipped the sauce.

Orange Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Orange Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry

3/4 cup orange juice
3 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 T cornstarch
1 lb flank steak, cut into thin strips (freeze it for 10 or 15 minutes, then cut ACROSS the grain)
2 T oil
2 cups asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tsp grated fresh ginger (I substitute dried and no one has left my table in disgust)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts
Steamed rice

In a ziploc, combine orange juice, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch and steak. If you are thinking ahead, let it marinate a few hours. If not, go on to the next step.

Heat 1 T of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add asparagus and stir fry 4 minutes. Add bell pepper, green onion, and carrots, stir fry 1 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, stir fry 1 minute. Remove vegetables to a bowl.

Heat remaining 1 T of oil. Add the steak mixture and stir fry until steak is done. Add reserved vegetables and peanuts. Serve over rice.

Beef and Cabbage Wraps

Another one, courtesy of Liza. This is one of Bruce's favorite dinners. Let's agree not to tell him that I don't slave all day to make it for him.

Brown 1 pound of lean hamburger with 1 bunch of sliced green onions in a large skillet. Drain any fat. Add a bag of coleslaw mix (or if you like to work, thinly slice a half head of cabbage. Or, you could try it my easy way.). Put the lid on the skillet and let the cabbage cook down in the steam for 4 or 5 minutes. You can stir it a couple of times if you want. Pour hoisin sauce over the whole mess until it's as saucy as you want, and serve in tortillas or over rice.

Pepperoncini Roast

I got this recipe from my sister, and it is always a hit. It's another one for the crockpot, so if you have five minutes in the morning you will have dinner at night.

2-4 lb roast (I prefer rump, nothing too fatty)
1 sliced onion
3 cubes or teaspoons beef bouillon
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz jar of pepperoncini peppers, including the juices (this are the little green peppers in brine that are located in the pickle/olive aisle of the grocery store. Save yourself the headache and buy the pre-sliced ones. Also, I generally use the mild ones, but if you like a little heat, use the regular ones)

Toss this all in the crock-pot on low. 8 or so hours later, shred the beef and serve it on hard rolls with sliced provolone cheese.