Cooking thread

For some reason I began to think about beef recently.

I've realized I like ground beef a great deal, prepared in various ways, and I don't care much for other forms of beef. I do like steak and other forms, but not so much that I will want to make them or eat them often. So now I'm looking for other ground beef recipes.

I've used it in chili, burgers, meatloaf and have used it in spaghetti with tomato sauce. I could easily add it to the loose pasta bake, but that's not so different from making it in Spaghetti. The next logical step would be to make meatballs. Or I could try picadillo. Past that I can't think of much more. No doubt I'll pass some idle moments figuring something out.

After some quick research, I'm torn between making chipotle meatballs with rice or ground beef in a creamy mushroom sauce. The second would be far less laborious, but the first has all the makings of a disappointing outcome.

I've also been thinking about carrot soup. but I'll probably save it for next week. The idea is to boil lots of carrots in chicken broth, then run the result through the blender with cottage cheese, milk, ginger and curry.

I made ground beef with mushroom sauce. The results were that terrible enemy of dining: bland.

here's what I put in it:

Ground beef
Onion
Garlic
Potatoes
Chopped mushrooms
1 Can mushroom soup
4 Tbsp. light Jocoque
1 tsp dry pesto
Worcestershire sauce
Black pepper.

It's not bad. Just bland. It needs something. spices, perhaps, though I could think of none to add beyond what I'd already used. The consistency of the sauce was wonderful, though. perfect for eating alone or with plain white rice. But it's still bland.

I'll give it some thought and try it again soon. Next week I want to make something else.

Did a rib roast on the outdoor grill. I do say it came out properly prepared.

I tried the ground beef with mushrooms again. this time I hit the target dead center:

500 gr. ground beef.
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used a better one)
about 10 small mushrooms, sliced
1/2 big onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 potato, half boiled and diced
2 heaping Tbsp. light jocoque
2 cubes beef bouillon dissolved in 1/2 cup of hot water
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
black pepper to taste
oil as needed.

Ok, first you spread out the ground beef on a flat surface, like a cutting board, and sprinkle it with ground black pepper. Next take a big, deep sauce pan or a pot and sauté the onions with a little oil (only a little), for a very long time, stirring constantly to avoid burning them, until they're very, very soft. Next add the garlic and keep stirring and cooking for about 4 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown. Add the diced potato. Add the beef and cook to your liking (I cook mine until it browns), stirring and breaking up clumps of beef all the time.

Then reduce the flame to minimum and add the beef bouillon. Add the cumin, stir occasionally and let it cook until about half the liquid evaporates. next add the mushroom soup (straight from the can), the jocoque and the paprika. Stir everything well. Let it come to a slow simmer and keep it like that for 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time. When you get large bubbles, it's time to turn off the flame.

It went very well mixed with plain white rice when served.

After my impromtu visit to a health food store, I had some giant baggie filled with Textured Vegetable Protein but didn't know what to do with it. Asked around a bit and searched the internet a bit and came up with a simple idea: Throw it in a pan, add water, add a jar of Salsa, tumeric and sesame seeds. Bake for awhile at SpintheDial.

Didn't have the courage to actually taste it tonight but I'll nuke it tomorrow and see if its edible.

Now I need a new idea.

Yesterday I made my citrus cabbage pretty much because I wanted a rest from meat and something simple to do. Next week I want to try something new.

I have a lot of pasta of the kind I use on my pasta bake, but I don't want to do that. I'm thinking of mixing it with chicken and a hot salsa, sort of like Mexican-Italian chicken. Along the same vein, to mix it with rajas (ie strips of hot chilies sautéed with onions) and some rather plain tomato salsa. I'm just not sure how either would work out.

I wound up doing beans with sausages.

last weekend I was rushed, so I made ground beef with tomato sauce, onions, bell pepper, seasoned with a bit of powdered garlic, ground black pepper, fine herbs and a great deal of paprika. The result was much better than I'd expected. It might even go well as a sauce on top of spaghetti.

Nareed's Lazy Lasagna:

1/2 kilo ground beef
1 kilo tomato puree (sauce)
1 onion, sliced
1 Green bell pepper, diced.
4-6 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
1 jar spaghetti or pizza sauce
300 gr. pasta shapes, preferably flat bows (you'll be using it to make layers).
oil and pepper as needed (I add pepper mostly while the onions, mushrooms and meat are cooking; about 1 tsp. all told)
Grated cheese to taste.

On a pot stir fry the onions for about 5 minutes until soft, add the bell pepper and sauté for about 5 more minutes, then add the mushrooms and keep cooking until they're golden brown and have shrunk in size. Add the meat and cook it to taste.

Next add the tomato puree and reduce heat to minimum. Add the corn starch and stir well. When it begins to bubble, add the oregano, garlic powder and paprika, then stir some more. Let it boil and bubble for 10-15 minutes, uncovered, stirring on occasion, then remove from heat and let it cool.

While you're ding this, cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet, then drain it.

Pre-heat your oven to 150 C.

On an oven safe, deep baking dish, lay down a thin layer of spaghetti sauce. On top lay some pasta. On top of the pasta the beef and veggie mixture. Add some grated cheese, if you want. I used a mix of Italian cheeses bought at the store, but you can use any melty cheese you want. On top of the cheese add one more layer of pasta, then the rest of the spaghetti sauce, and top it off with a bit more cheese if you want.

Place it in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the sauce bubble and the cheese melts (but not too long to let the cheese brown). Let it cool a bit and serve.

I made it yesterday because I had that mix of ground beef left over.

Quote: Nareed

Nareed's Lazy Lasagna:

terapined's lazy lasagna.
Get on the phone, call Carraba's restaurant up the street, order take out.
Get on the bicycle, ride up to Carraba's, pick up lasagna, bring home and eat :-)