Category: Beef

Beef · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Fathers Day Friday

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Father’s Day is two days away and I began to think what I could possibly give Randy to express what he means to me. They always say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and that is partly true, but with Randy, I thought something that would mean something to him would be to make him a photo album from pictures taken throughout the year with the kids. So have been fervently working on this for several weeks, and still haven’t got it finished. So second thing I thought would be to not spend money this week, so other than the grocery store and a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, which when he learned last night that I didn’t buy something that I really wanted, he quickly pressed his hand to my forehead and ask me if I was sick, I have not spent money. BUT…since I did spend a little at HL, I thought that maybe I should make him a meal that would truly show him just how much I love him. So tonight, friends are coming over and thought that I would splurge and make a huge meal of some of Randy’s favorites. You almost have to have company to eat all the food that is being prepared and since Mr. RC doesn’t eat leftovers, if you drive down our street tomorrow, please stop by for some food that will surely be sitting in the fridge. The menu I planned is this: Pot roast with brown gravy, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, fresh green beans, deviled eggs, stuffed celery, hot rolls and homemade chocolate pudding layered with cherry pie filling, whipping cream and homemade chocolate cake. Surely this great feast will make up for the little shopping spree at Hobby Lobby yesterday.
When we think of what our husbands have done for us throughout the years, it is a great day to honor the model that they are to our children. One year after Randy and I had been married about 5 years, my son Jamin, sent Randy a Fathers Day card which thanked him for loving me, the way he did. He told Randy that he was a great example of how a husband should treat his wife and had taught Jamin how to love a wife. I think that blessed Randy’s heart so much.
On Sunday, I am really going to try to express to him how thankful I am that God has allowed him to walk these last 17 years with me through so many different seasons of our lives.
What an honor it will be to celebrate you this Sunday. In case I still don’t finish the photo book, guess I had better get out my recipe for chicken fried steak to cook tomorrow. Maybe that will buy me some time.

The roast recipe is as follows:
1 chuck roast
1 onion, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
1 can water
3 tables Kikoman sauce
1 teas garlic powder
Salt and Pepper roast and brow n on both sides in about 2 tables oil. When browned, sprinkle garlic powder over roast and pour both cans of sour over roast, the water, kikoman sauce and place sliced onion over the meat and sides of meat. Cover tightly and bake at 325for about 3 hours or until meat is tender when cut into chunks. This makes a great brown gravy that will be thick and doesn’t need any salt or any other flavor. Pour gravy over mashed potatoes.

Beef · Soups

Italian Wedding Soup

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

We have had family from Texas here all this week. I made them promise that they would not go home and tell that we didn’t have a home cooked meal here except for breakfast one morning. It is embarrassing to admit that, especially since I write this cooking blog and continually tell you how much I enjoy having company to cook for; but the truth is that we would run around all day to sightsee and by the time we got home, the last thing I wanted to do was cook, so we ended up taking them to several of our new favorite places. On Saturday night, we were all so tired from going all day, we ordered pizza. Today, we are back to being by ourselves and now it’s not as much fun to cook, just for two. Randy wants to know when it is “fun” enough to actually get a home cooked meal. He reminded me that I am always saying, “when we have company, it will be more fun to cook, because there is more than the two of us” but that didn’t work as we would just fall on the couch every night after touring Los Angeles with Don and Janece. Now it is back to the two of us and now it’s not fun anymore to cook, so guess I will wait until more company shows up from Texas. It  will surely be more fun to cook then.

Tonight, I had promised him a home cooked meal and this soup is a great way to, not only please my man, but so easy for me to fix. I already had cooked chicken breasts in the freezer and had bought a package of chopped soup veggie mix (the carrots, onion and celery) so how much easier can you get?

2 cups small pasta shells

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 tables olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 pkg frozen fully cooked italian meatballs (ok, this is where I have to leave this recipe) I just cannot buy meatballs, I love making them and they tastes so much better, homemade, but for convenience sake, I won’t tell if you use the frozen)

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 pkg frozen-chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cup chicken broth

2 teas minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teas dried thyme

1/2 teas each, salt and pepper

3/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, when tender and set aside.  Meanwhile in a large skillet, sauté chicken in 1 tables oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm.

In same skillet, sauté the onion, carrot and celery in remaining oil until tender. Add the meatballs, soup, spinach broth and thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 min and then add pasta. Add to soup and sprinkle each bowl with cheese.

Beef · Daily Thoughts · Meats

Gingersnap Meatballs

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

I’m BACK! Ready to cook and had to share this recipe with you. Jane Warren, one of my mom’s friends who allows me to stay at her house while I am in Corpus, served these one night and I must say they are delicious. She had given me the recipe years back and I had never tried them. They are now going to  be served during the Thanksgiving holidays while the kids are here. They are simple and delicious. You can actually freeze them, as Jane did and she just pulled them out of the freezer and covered them with foil (still frozen) and baked them. The last 15 min of baking, she removed the foil so they could brown. I think it made them even more moist cooking them that way. The gingersnaps just give them a very deep, almost a sweet and sour flavor. Everyone there just went crazy over them.

 

1 1/4 cups gingersnaps, crushed
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground lean pork
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
parsley
Directions:

Crush gingersnaps, approximately 20, 2 inch cookies, to make 1 1/4 cups.
In large bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps with milk and egg.
Add ground beef, pork, onion, salt, pepper and allspice. Mix well to combine.
Refrigerate, covered for one hour.
With moistened hands, shape mixture into meatballs, 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Preheat oven to 325.
Place meatballs on a cookie sheet with sides and bake about 25 min or until meatballs are brown.

Remove to a 2 quart greased (pam) oven proof casserole dish as they brown. Pour off drippings to measure 1/4 cup, adding more butter if necessary.

Add drippings back to skillet heat and add flour stirring to make a smooth mixture.
Gradually stir in beef broth and bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly.

Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste simmer for 5 minutes for flavors to mingle.
Pour over meatballs and bake covered one hour.
Garnish with parsley and serve with noodles.

Beef

Dee’s Flank Steak

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

 

Dee made this steak for us when we were invited to her house for the weekend up in the mountains. It was just delicious and she has been kind enough to share it with us. Thank you Dee for sharing your cooking talent with us….it is such a great flavor and such a great dish to serve guests. Will always be a winner!

DEE’S FLANK STEAK MARINADE

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup of wine vinegar

¼ cup of soy sauce

¼ cup salad oil

¼ cup light corn syrup

1 tsp. crushed rosemary

½ tsp dry mustard

Mix and Marinade 1 flank steak that has been tenderized. I have the butcher do this for me. I ask him to run it through the tenderizer once. If not then you can do it yourself by using a fork and “punching” the steak all over.

It’s best if you marinade over night, but if not at least a few hours…then bar-be-que.

I usually double this recipe and marinade 2 flank steaks.

Beef · Casseroles

Beef Tips & Caramelized Onion Casserole

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Have been cleaning out some magazines from past years and came across this Paula Deen Recipe from 2008. I cannot believe that I missed it the first time around. This is so right up my alley and combines two of my favs……beef tips and caramelized onions. So here it is. I think you will like this and it will become a household favorite.

2 tables olive oil

4 pounds sirloin tip roast, trimmed and cut into 1″ cubes

1/2 teas salt and pepper

2 tables butter

4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 (10.5 oz) cans beef consomme

1 (14 oz) can beef broth

2 tables Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 springs fresh thyme (or 1 teas dried)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 (14 oz) package French bread, cut into 1/4″ thick slices, toasted

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Brown roast, in batches for 3-4 min per side, remove from pan and set aside.

In same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring frequently for 15-20 min or until onions are tender. Increase heat to medium-high and cook for 3-4 min, stirring until onions are caramel colored. Stir in garlic and flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 min. Add the roast, consomme, broth, Worcestershire, bay leaves, and thyme. Simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered for 1 hour. Stir in cream, and simmer, uncovered for 30 min. Discard bay leaves.

Spoon roast mixture into prepared baking dish. Place toasted french bread slices evenly over roast. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil, 5 in from heat, for 3-4 min or until cheese is melted. Watch closely to be sure bread and cheese to do burn. Serve immediately with rice or potatoes and veggie of your choice. This dish is so company worthy…..it is a winner!

 

Beef

Ginger-Marinated Flank Steak

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tables brown sugar

2 tables lime juice

2 teas ground ginger

1 teas dried crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves

1 (2 lb) beef flank steak

Combine vegetable oil and next 6 ingredients in a shallow baking dish or large zip top plastic bag; add steak, turning to coat. Cover or seal and chill 8 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill covered with grill lid, over medium high heat (350-400 degrees) 8 to 10 min. on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 min; cut into thin slices diagonally across the grain.

Beef · Chicken

Slow-Cooker Swiss Steak

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Again, taken out of an old Southern Living, this recipe is so good and so easy and perfect for those nights when you are gone all day but want to come home to a comfort dinner.

1 1/2 lbs round steak, cut into pieces *you could substitute chicken if you are trying not to eat a lot of beef

1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup sliced onion

1 cup diced celery

1 tables minced garlic  (yum….love lots of garlic)

1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can tomato suace

1/2 cup water

1 (.87 oz) package brown grave mix

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas black pepper

In a 4-6 qt slow cooker, spray Pam to the inside and combine steak, mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic.

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, gravy mix, salt and pepper. Stir and pour over steak. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice with a green salad.

Beef · Meats

Friday With Friends

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Tomorrow night, we are having some friends over for dinner. With the cooler weather here, Randy requested that we have Swiss Steak with tomato gravy over mashed potatoes, so that is what we will be having. This is a great dish for company because you can put it in the crock pot and just let it cook all after noon, allowing the steak to get tender, no need for a knife when serving it.
The menu will be Swiss Steak, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans wrapped in bacon, salad, rolls and pumpkin cream cheese pie or old fashioned chess pie.
For table decor, the small little real pumpkins are in stores for $.99 at this time, so that will be my place cards..names will be written on the sides and a ribbon hot glued to the top. This is a easy and lovely idea for company coming in through the holiday season.

Swiss Steak
2 lbs beef top round steak, trimmed of extra fat and cut into small pieces. Sprinkle flour, salt and pepper over steak on both sides and quickly brown each piece in a skillet, which you have heated about 1/4 cup oil. When all pieces have been browned on both sides. Place steak in crock pot and pour a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes over steak and add 1 cup each,chopped onions, chopped green bell pepper and chopped celery. Stir, mixing well. Add 2 teas garlic powder, 1 teas salt and 1 teas pepper. Fill the tomato can half full and pour over mixture in crock pot. Cover and cook on hi for 4 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours. You can use the tomato gravy to pour over the mashed potatoes.

Beef · Casseroles

Swiss Steak and Potatoes

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

This is one of my very favorite meals and I can remember eatting this over 40 plus years. It makes a great Sunday meal or a great dish to serve company or take to those “pot luck” dinners.
5 cups thinkly sliced small red potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 pound beef top round steak, trim off all fat and diagonally cut into 1 in strips
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tables packed light brown sugar
1 tables cider vinegar
1/2 teas dried thyme
1/4 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper
1 large bay leaf
Combine potatoes, onions and garlic in a 2 1/2 qt saucepan and cover with water.Cook until potatoes are partially done. Drain water off of potatoes. Set aside. Lightly coat a dutch oven with Pam cooking spray. Add meat and saute over medium heat until meat is browned. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Stir in the potato mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25-30 min or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Beef

Country Fried Steak with Creamy Salsa Gravy

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 (1.25 oz) packet chile seasoning mix
1 to 1 1/2 pounds cubed sirloin steaks
1/3 cup veggie oil
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, 1 can drained and 1 can undrained
2/3 cup whipping cream
Whisk together milk and egg in a medium bowl. Stir together flour and chili seasoning packet in a shallow bowl. Dip steaks in egg mixture; dredge in flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
Fry steaks in hot oil over medium high heat in a large skillet (if you have a cast iron skillet, get it out of the closet for this, it is worth it) 4 to 6 min on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan. Keep steaks warm in a 220 degree oven.
Stir indrained and undrained tomatoes and green chiles, and cook 1 to 2 min; stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Whisk in cream. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. reduce heat and simmer 5 min. Serve with steaks.