Beef Stir Fry with Broccolini and Red Peppers

Like Chinese take-out, but the greasiness and saltiness not so much? Yeah, me too. I like to cook dishes that remind me of all that I love about Chinese take-out but in a healthier way. Like Sriracha Pork Noodles and now this dish, Beef Stir Fry with Broccolini and Red Peppers.

Pleased to report it was a George family crowd pleaser, though one child would have preferred it with broccoli over broccolini. BTW, that would be a fine substitution if you can't get broccolini at your market or if you know it will be met with certain resistance.

XOXO,
Amy

Beef Stir Fry with Broccolini and Red Peppers
1 cup long-grain white rice
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 1/4 to 1 3/4 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1 pound broccolini, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced thin to the dark green parts
1 1/2 cups unsalted beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over high heat. Add beef and cook, tossing often, until only slight pink — about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Note that the beef will continue to cook through after you remove it from the heat, so you don't want to overcook it on the stove. Dump liquid left in the skillet into the sink.

Add broccolini, peppers and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Cover and cook, uncovering to toss halfway through, for 4 minutes. Uncover and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and green onions and cook until fragrant — about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with beef and toss gently to combine.

Whisk together broth, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Add to skillet and bring to a boil; cook until thickened and glossy — about 1 minute. Serve veggies and beef over rice and drizzle sauce on top.

Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew

Life's been super busy folks, as I'm sure you can relate.

Luckily, the Thanksgiving break freed up some time in the kitchen. This easy beef stew recipe comes from a meal prep class I took at a local grocery store. All of my boys loved it, so I made it again this week (with a few little tweaks) while we still had relatives in town.

A double batch will fit in a 6 quart slow cooker, so that you can feed a crowd or stock your freezer.

And like many stews, this one tastes even better the second day.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew
Inspired by a recipe from Hyvee

1 pound beef stew met, cut into bite-size chunks
1 1/4 cups carrots, diced
1 1/4 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons beef bouillon paste
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
5 cups water

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your slow cooker. Cook for 8 to 10 hours on low. Serve with dinner rolls or crusty bread. Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers.

Quick & Easy Asian Beef

I don't know about you, but I'm in over my head this fall. I need to get dinner on the table fast. And it needs to be easy. Bonus if it tastes good and at least one kid will eat it.

So I've been searching this here ol' blog for my favorite super easy meals. We've got six years (SIX YEARS!!) worth of recipes here on Hot Dinner Happy Home, and sometimes I need to turn back to the classics.

This Quick & Easy Asian Beef is a definite family favorite. The salty goodness of soy sauce, bite of ginger, and smokey sweet flavor of dark brown sugar make this dish kid- and grown-up-approved. Steam some edamame in the microwave and open a package of frozen, pre-cooked rice, and you can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes.

With Quick & Easy Asian Beef, hot dinner is within reach!

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Quick & Easy Asian Beef
This recipe was originally posted in December 2013.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Hot cooked rice for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef into bite-sized pieces with a spatula, until beef is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in dark brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and all the beef is evenly coated. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over rice.

Cranberry Pot Roast

Happy autumn, guys! It's always a bummer when summer comes to a close, but the cozy days of fall are some of my favorites. Sweater weather, apple picking, and comfort food? Yes, please!

Growing up, one of my favorite fall meals was Cranberry Pot Roast. My mom used cranberry juice in place of chicken broth. (Knowing my mom, she was out of broth one day and made an on-the-fly substitution. Way to get dinner on the table, Mom!) It's been years since I've had Cranberry Pot Roast, and when the crisp weather rolled in, I decided it was time to give it a whirl. Instead of cranberry juice, I used cranberry sauce. Just the canned stuff because...life, people. But if you have leftover homemade cranberry sauce, by all means, use that.

In addition to being delicious and make-ahead friendly, I love Cranberry Pot Roast because it's forgiving. After adding the veggies and popping the roast back in the oven for the final 45 minutes of cooking time, I decided to take the kids to the park. "Oh, we'll be back in time to turn off the oven. No prob!" So an hour later when we were flying down the slide, and I finally looked at my watch...whoops! We hustled back to rescue the roast, and this baby was no worse for wear. It was perfectly tender. Now this is the kind of meal that fits with my lifestyle.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Cranberry Pot Roast
Adapted from Pot Roast with Bacon and inspired by my mom

2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 pound beef bottom round roast
Salt and pepper
1 rib of celery, diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 1/2 pounds carrots, divided - dice 2 carrots, and cut the rest into 1" chunks
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (14 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce (or use homemade)
1-2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
8 ounces whole cremini mushrooms
Cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes for serving
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Add beef to pan and cook, turning as needed, until all sides are browned, about 8-10 minutes total. (You'll know it's time to turn the beef when it's easy to flip. If it's sticking to the pot, it's not ready. Give it another minute to cook then try again.) If the browned bits on the bottom of the pan start to burn, turn the heat down to medium. When the roast is browned, remove to a plate and set aside.

Add diced carrot (set aside the carrots cut into 1" chunks until later), celery, and onion to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, sugar, and thyme until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in cranberry sauce, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return meat to pan. Pour in enough chicken broth so the liquid reaches about halfway up the side of the roast. (For me, this was about 1.5 cups of broth.) Add bay leaf to the pan. Bring liquid to a boil. Cover, turn off the stove, and put the covered pot in the oven.

Allow the beef to cook for 3 hours, turning the meat over a few times while it cooks. Add the remaining carrots and parsnips to the pot, making sure they're submerged in liquid. Re-cover the pot, and cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1.25 hours (if you're at the park), until meat and vegetables are tender.

Remove meat and vegetables to the serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm. Skim any fat from the liquid remaining in the pot. (If you have one, you can use a fat separator to remove the fat and then return the liquid to the pot.) Bring the cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour cooking liquid over meat and veggies and serve over buttered egg noodles. Garnish with parsley if you're feeling fancy.

Shepherd's Pie II (The Remix)

Several people (including Mo. Hey, Mo!) have told me that Shepherd's Pie II is their favorite recipe here on HDHH. This is the perfect simple, make-ahead meal to get through the insanity that is September. And true confession: I usually don't make my own mashed potatoes. As I mentioned in my original post, I hate making mashed potatoes. So I buy the pre-made ones. No shame here, people. Sometimes I need to make my life easier, ya feel me?

It was high time I took some new, better pics of Shepherd's Pie II, but you know what I discovered? It's dang hard to take a good pic of Shepherd's Pie! So I gave it my best shot. Better than the originals.

Shepherd's Pie II (The Remix)

Adapted from Real Simple
Serves: 8

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
Salt and pepper
1.5 pounds ground beef (I used ground sirloin.)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 cups frozen peas
1 cup corn kernels (optional, but delicious)
5 cups mashed potatoes*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10" oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high. Add onion and carrots. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to soften. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet. Add the beef and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often to break up the beef, about 8 minutes, until meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the skillet. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for one minute to cook off the raw taste of the flour.

Stir in broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the flavor bits that have accumulated there into the sauce. Add peas, corn, and cooked onions and carrots. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Spoon mashed potatoes on top of the meat and vegetable mixture in your skillet. Bake 40-45 minutes, until filling is bubbling and potatoes are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

* If you're a better person than me and decide to mash your own potatoes, Real Simple suggests the following:
3 pounds potatoes (I like to use Yukon Gold when I do mash my own.)
Salt and pepper
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and return potatoes to the warm pot. Add milk, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash potatoes.

Andouille Sausage Skillet Macaroni

I recently made a Slow Cooker Low Country Boil and had leftover andouille sausage. Here's what I did with it — make Andouille Sausage Skillet Macaroni.

Disclosure: I Googled "andouille sausage recipes" and this one — One Pot Andouille Sausage Skillet Pasta — is the first that came up. (Congrats, Damn Delicious, your SEO worked!)You will see this recipe calls for 12.8 ounces of sausage. I had just 8 ounces of leftover sausage, but I had a little more ground beef than needed to make Easy Crockpot Mexican Lasagna, so I improvised and used some of that.

Verdict: The hubs liked it a lot. Penny and I liked it and Penny even took it in her Thermos for two day camp lunches. Lucy didn't like it; there's always one.

XOXO,
Amy

Andouille Sausage Skillet Macaroni

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 (12.8-ounce) package of smoked andouille sausage — or if you are short on sausage, supplement with some ground beef
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup milk
8 ounces elbow pasta, uncooked
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese — or cheddar/pepper jack, or whatever cheese you choose

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, meat(s) and cook, stirring frequently until sausage is lightly brown and ground beef is cooked through — about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, milk and pasta; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through — about 14 minutes.

Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover until cheese has melted — about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Easy Crockpot Mexican Lasagna

Confession: I'm off my cooking game. I've never been so off my cooking game. But I have good reason.

Reason: I started my own business in April, bidding adieu to corporate America and hustling all for myself. It's called By George Communications and I love it. But the thing is all of my creative energy is going into my business and writing and strategizing for my clients. I'm working from home, so I don't need to come home and unwind by cooking. I don't want to turn off my work brain the way I used to want and need to do.

These days when I do cook, it tends to be from recipes rather than something I create on my own. That has to be OK for right now. I mean we are eating here Chez George. Nobody is going hungry. And my Hot Dinner Happy Home cohorts Andrea and Erin keep telling me to give myself some grace. That's what we're about here. We recognize that we all want to put dinner on the table. But it's not always easy and so we take it one dinner at a time.

Here is an easy go-to dinner that I recently made for the third or fourth time and that everyone always loves. So, seriously, why am I complaining? This Easy Crockpot Mexican Lasagna is adapted slightly from America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution; Volume 2: The Easy-Prep Edition.

Instead of microwaving the meat, I fry it up on the stove. It's impossible to get the meat to cook up into a super fine consistency – that you want for easy layering – via the microwave. I also omit the jarred jalapenos, because the kids and hubby don't like them. Finally, I use 90 percent lean ground beef, not 85 percent lean; 90 percent lean is easier to find at the grocery.

I hope you enjoy this easy dinner!

XOXO,

Amy

Easy Crockpot Mexican Lasagna

2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
20 ounces of red enchilada sauce (I have seen this in 10 and 20 ounce cans)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese (I typically use the latter, which is easier to find)
1/4 cup jarred jalapenos, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced (optional, but I use it)
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Cook meat on stove top, breaking into super fine pieces, drain and return meat to skillet. Stir in one cup enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, jalapenos (if using), and 1/4 cup cilantro.

Line your slow cooker with an aluminum foil collar and spray with vegetable oil spray. (The purpose of the foil collar is to put a layer between your food and the heating element of the slow cooker. Without a foil collar or sling – the latter involves lining the bottom of your slow cooker – some dishes, like this one, and fish, will overcook and dry out. To make a foil collar, simply fold two pieces of aluminum foil to fit around the inside of your slow cooker.)

Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce at bottom of crockpot.

Arrange 3 tortillas at the bottom, breaking the third tortilla in pieces so that it will fit to fully cover the bottom. Top with a third of the beef mixture and 3 more tortillas; repeat layering two more times until all 12 tortillas have been used. Cover the top layer of tortillas with enchilada sauce and cheese. (See pictures of all these steps below.)

Cook for 2 to 3 hours on low, until casserole is heated through.

Remove foil collar. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve.

Repeat layers above two more times and you end up with this...

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

I think we can all admit that take-out is fantastic. Dinner on the table with no work? Uh, yes, please!

That said, it's not always the healthiest option. And sometimes I don't feel like leaving the house to pick it up. Can making dinner be lazier than take-out? With quick, easy, and tasty Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, it sure can.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Adapted from Life Made Sweeter

For the Stir Fry:
1 pound sirloin steak, sliced very thin across the grain
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Pepper, to taste
1 pound broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

For the Sauce:
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon Mirin
Pepper, to taste

Combine steak, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper in a small boil. Set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.

While the steak marinates, stir together the sauce. In a small bowl, mix broth, oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, Mirin, and pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

In the now-empty skillet, heat vegetable oil over high until it starts to smoke, about 2 minutes. Add beef and spread into a single layer. Allow it to cook until it gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. Stir the steak around and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes, being careful not to overcook the meat.

Add sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil. Allow sauce to cook and thicken for 2 minutes. Stir in cooked broccoli. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

We at Hot Dinner Happy Home have found a culinary pot of gold -- a Slow Cooker Corned Beef recipe by a college friend of mine and Andrea. Andrea and I haven't exactly had the luck of the Irish when it comes to corned beef. Quite frankly, ours stinks, so we were ecstatic last night when our friend Malissa Bodmann, of Cleveland, Ohio, told us how she prepares corned beef.  

If you don't have time to get the corned beef going today, there's always this weekend. Or, keep this in mind for next year! 

Here's the lowdown from Malissa. XOXO -- Amy

Here in Cleveland, we take St. Patrick’s Day very seriously. The parade attracts 10,000 participants and tens of thousands more flood the streets downtown to watch the parade. I’m not Irish, but that doesn’t keep me from craving a good Reuben sandwich on St. Patrick’s Day. I’m the only one in my household who likes corned beef, but that doesn’t stop me from making a whole corned beef brisket all for myself. (Editor's note: Malissa, we like how you operate!)

In years past, I cooked the corned beef in a Dutch oven on the stove top. The results were mediocre -- a little dry, but it didn’t matter too much because I just slapped those leathery pieces in between some pumpernickel/rye swirled bread, slathered on some Thousand Island dressing, and topped it with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. But this year, I vowed to do better. And I did.

The key to cooking corned beef is treating it like the brisket it is. The key to a good brisket is to braise it low and slow with some flavorful liquid to break down the connective tissue. The only skill required for this recipe is patience. You will be rewarded with juicy, fall-apart corned beef.

Cheers and Happy St. Paddy's from  Cleveland!

Malissa

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

2-3 pound flat cut corned beef brisket

Pickling spice (usually included in the brisket)

12 oz. beer, such as Guinness or Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout

Potatoes, small such as baby Yukon golds or red potatoes. If all you have are larger potatoes, cut them in quarters

1 head of cabbage

Aromatic vegetables, such as carrots, onions, celery, rough cut into big chunks

Remove your corned beef brisket from the package and rinse it. Reserve the pickling spices. 

Layer the bottom of your slow cooker with your potatoes, carrots, onions and celery. Place your corned beef on top of the vegetables with the fat layer on top so it will keep the meat moist. 

Sprinkle on pickling spice packet. Add one 12 oz. bottle of stout. Add enough water to barely cover the brisket. 

Put on the lid and set your slow cooker to high. Cook for two hours and turn the slow cooker down to low. Cook for two more hours. Remove potatoes if they are becoming too soft.

Cut a head of cabbage into wedges, place on top of the meat and cook on low for another 1.5 hours. 

Remove corned beef from the slow cooker and allow to cool until you can handle it. Trim off the fat cap. Cut against the grain or shred. You will have a lot of braising liquid left over; you can serve this as a jus, or thicken it for a delicious beefy stout gravy.

Serve with the potatoes and carrots, turn into a delicious hash, or make a Reuben sandwich.

Note: You can set your slow cooker on low and let it go for 7 or 8 hours. Add the cabbage for the last hour or so. With any luck the result will be tender, juicy corned beef like mine. My husband asked me if I was going to eat all of that gorgeous corned beef this week by myself. Yes. Yes, I will.

Amy's Yummy Year

This time last year, my friend Erin invited my friend Andrea and I join her on this delicious blog she created. Andrea and I bellied right up. Thank you, Erin for the creative culinary outlet. It's been a sweet year blogging with two awesome foodie friends who share the goal of putting food on the table and keeping the tradition of family dinner alive.

Here are some of my happiest Hot Dinner Happy Home moments from the past year as well as some of my favorite dishes by Andrea and Erin.

Enjoy!

XOXO,
Amy

Happiest Moments

• Cooking with my kids, including "baking"  sugar cookies with them on live TV. Check out these posts:
• Good Day Charlotte Features George Girls and Sugar Cookies
• Chocolate Madeleines
• Ginger Cookies
• Smokehouse Spaghetti

• Creating Spring on Toast with Erin while my Lucy and Penny "babysat" her Danny-boy. (Love that Erin shared this memory in her Friday post.)

• Conquering the pressure cooker. See these posts:
• Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup
• Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
• Pressure Cooker Potato Soup
• Shrimp Curry Under Pressure

Favorite dishes by Andrea

• Having an Italian BFF means access to recipes for classic, authentic dishes. It also means I get to know how each member of her family tweaks their own interpretations of the classics. Check  out:
• Traditional Italian Meatballs
• Sunday Gravy (Tortora family tomato sauce)
• Family Lasagna
• My favorite of Andrea's non-Italian dishes and a fantastic lighter dinner paired with a green salad: Buttermilk Spoonbread.

Favorite dishes by Erin

• Erin's Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork is the first HDHH dish I ever made and I chatted it up A LOT on my Facebook page. I couldn't even tell you how many friends have made that dish. Suffice to say it's a hit from coast to coast and all points in between.
• Parmesan and Yogurt Crusted Chicken is a George family go-to dinner. My younger daughter Penny requested it for her birthday dinner last month.
• I see Spiced Pecans becoming my go-to holiday party nosh. I didn't make them last year like I intended. But in 2014 my friends walked off with the few remaining nuts after the Thanksgiving feast Chez George. I don't blame them, because, after all, we call these crack nuts.

Smokehouse Spaghetti

I'll keep this entry short. You will make this dish. You will make this dish for one reason: bacon.

Smokehouse Spaghetti is one of my favorite dishes my mom made when I was growing up. I've tweaked Mom's version ever so slightly -- mainly leaving out the can of mushrooms with juice called for in her version. Mom also uses garlic salt if she doesn't have fresh garlic around, but I always have fresh garlic on hand. Now, this baked pasta is a favorite with my kids and hubby, too.

Penny and I recently made a double batch of Smokehouse Spaghetti. I asked Penny why she likes it and her response: "Because it's like spaghetti and lasagna together."

You will make this dish. I hope you will tell me about it, too.

XOXO,
Amy

Smokehouse Spaghetti
12 ounces spaghetti
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound bacon, cut up
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Pepper
15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup shredded provolone, mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, divided
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired

Start water for pasta to boil. Add spaghetti when water is boiling and cook until done.

In your biggest skillet, fry beef, bacon, onion and garlic together, seasoning with pepper as desired. Drain.

Stir in tomato sauce, oregano and basil into the beef  and bacon. Add a little water -- just enough to basically clean out the inside of the can of tomato sauce. (If you are making my mom's version, here is where you would add the mushrooms and juice.) Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add spaghetti, which you have drained by now, to the meat and sauce mixture. Stir to incorporate fully.

Spray with Pam the bottom and sides of a 9X13 dish. Place half of spaghetti and meat sauce mixture into dish. Top with half of each kind of cheese. Repeat layer. Bake in 375-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Smokehouse spaghetti can be frozen, so I always make two at one time. Keep in mind that once thawed you will have to up the cooking time on the previously frozen smokehouse spaghetti,  because it is not going straight from stove to oven.

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

I was pleasantly surprised this Christmas to see that my husband paid attention to our kitchen equipment gift guide – especially when I found a pressure cooker under the tree.

It took me a while to finally give the cooker a try.  Sam (my youngest) and my DH started to wonder if I was afraid to use it . (I was! I've never seen anyone use a pressure cooker except on TV and I kept envisioning a kitchen explosion if I put the lid on wrong.) Amy kept assuring me it was foolproof – and she was right (see her recipes for Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup, Shrimp Curry and Potato Soup.) I am now a convert!

I took the plunge with a pot roast. Every time I cook one in my slow cooker it comes out a little dry. Not so with the pressure cooker. This roast was moist and packed with flavor. The boys loved it and there were hardly any leftovers.

The cooking process was pretty fast and easy –  once I got the hang of turning on the pressure cooker. It shut off on me twice after just a few minutes. I eventually realized that I didn't let the cooker cool off long enough after browning the meat and sautéing the onions.

After solving this problem, it was smooth sailing. I did text Amy at the end of the cooking process to figure out if I really needed to follow the manufacturer's recommendation for using the Natural Pressure Release when cooking roasts. This is when you let the pressure reduce on its own (as opposed to releasing it all at once) while the cooker is on the "keep warm" setting. This method also extends the cooking time.

I ended up doing a quick release after letting the pressure cooker sit for about 20 minutes and I'm glad I did. The roast might have become dry if it continued to cook much longer.

So, dear readers, do you use a pressure cooker? What's your favorite recipe for this kitchen appliance?

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

1 3-pound pot roast (bottom round)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup beef broth, low sodium preferred

Use a sharp knife to score (or cut an X into) any large portions of fat on the beef. Season beef on all sides with salt and pepper.

My Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker. 

**Note: If your pressure cooker does not have the brown and sauté functions, simply use a large non-stick skillet to brown the meat and sauté the onions, and then place them into the pressure cooker.

Select browning function on the pressure cooker. Add olive oil to cooking pot. When hot, add meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove meat and put it on a plate.

Change setting to sauté, and add onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add thyme, basil and oregano and cook for another 5 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and beef broth an cook for another 5 minutes.

Return the meat to the pot and cover with some of the onions and tomatoes. Let cool for 5 or 10 minutes.

Cover with lid and lock into place. Select High Pressure and set timer for 99 minutes. When beep sounds, do a quick pressure release. Be sure to tip lid away from you when you open it, to let the steam escape.

Place the pot roast and most of the tomatoes and onions on a serving platter and keep warm. Skim fat from sauce in pot. Select simmer function and cook for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken.

Slice pot roast and serve with sauce.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

As I mentioned last week, I try to limit my visits to the grocery store to once a week. I inevitably make an extra trip on Friday afternoon for drinkable yogurt, cheddar bunnies and ice cream because emergencies happen, amiright?

A weekly shopping trip requires meal planning, and I totally shop the grocery store circular to determine my weekly menu. Not only is it thrifty, but it also reins in my creative juices. If I could pick any old thing to make, there would simply be too many choices. I mean, we live in the age of Pinterest, people.

Maybe it's just my friendly Fred Meyer, but sirloin steak is always on sale. And beef is expensive, man! So sirloin steak it is. This quick and easy Beef Stroganoff was a total winner and a great way to use the sale-priced sirloin steak. If you have a different cut of steak on sale at your market, give it a whirl and let me know how it goes!

How do you plan your meals every week? Do you stick to the circular?

Let's get cooking!
Erin

P.S. This post has me thinking about grocery stores. To our readers in western New York, Milwaukee, and the South—I can't tell you all how I miss Wegmans, Sendiks, and Publix, respectively. Please think of me next time you go grocery shopping. That is all.

Easy Beef Stroganoff
Gently adapted from MyRecipes.com

1 pound sirloin steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
1 cup beef consomme or beef broth, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sour cream
Cooked egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes, for serving
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Cut steak in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4" thick strips. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add steak and cook until browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to skillet. Once it's melted, stir in onion, mushrooms, and paprika. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine 1/4 cup beef consomme and flour in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add to skillet. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup beef consomme and 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon to incorporate browned bits into the sauce. Return steak and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in sour cream. (Stirring in sour cream off the heat helps prevent it from curdling.)

Serve over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

Taco Pie

The husband is the middle child of three boys. Needless to say, my mother-in-law spent a lot of time in the kitchen when they were growing up. (It's no surprise that she's a fantastic cook.) Taco Pie was one of the fast and easy meals she relied on to quell their endless appetites. The boys loved it. No...they love it. Present tense. And so do I.

Whenever the husband has had a particularly rough week, Taco Pie makes its way to the dinner table. If I'm going out of town for a few days, I'll leave a Taco Pie in the fridge for him to heat up. Whenever I need a fast, easy, delicious dinner, it's time for Taco Pie.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Taco Pie

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1/3 cup chopped onion (optional)
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning (or make your own with Andrea's recipe)
1/3 cup sliced black olives (optional)
1 can refrigerator biscuits
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Saute beef and onion (if using) until the beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and olives (if using) and remove from heat.

Press biscuits into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate to form a crust. Add taco meat on top of biscuits. Spread sour cream on top of meat and sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips. Bake for 20 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese is melted. Allow taco pie to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

A while back a friend on Facebook posted about preparing cabbage rolls. While I wanted to make them, too, there are just way to many steps involved for a cabbage dish I wasn't sure anyone in my family but myself would appreciate.

Flash forward to a couple weeks ago, a friend on Facebook posted a link to unstuffed cabbage rolls. Genius. Now, we're talking. I whipped up these unstuffed cabbage rolls, adding red wine vinegar to the original recipe.

The verdict: we loved this meal. Well, Jeff, Penny and I did and we ate it for two dinners in a row. I couldn't believe it. The husband is not a big fan of cabbage or eating the same dinner back-to-back. Lucy, however, couldn't get past the mere sight of cabbage in her bowl.

Next time I might add a dash of paprika in keeping with the Eastern European heritage of the dish. You could easily add rice, provided you added more water along with it.

Next time you are searching for old school style comfort food, I hope you think of unstuffed cabbage rolls. I certainly will.

XOXO,
Amy

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Serves 6 to 8

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small to medium-sized cabbage, chopped, making sure to remove the hard stem that runs up the middle
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) no salt added diced tomatoes, not drained
1 can (8 ounces) added tomato sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.

Add garlic and continue cooking for one minute.

Unless your skillet is big enough to accommodate all the other ingredients, transfer the beef mixture to a large pot or stock pot before adding the other ingredients.

Add the cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

Amy's 2015 Christmas Menu

It's late on December 21. Do you know what you're cooking for Christmas dinner? I thought I'd share my family's favorite Christmas main course: Real Simple's Peppered Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce.


Photo by Real Simple

This year, I will serve  this roast beef with steamed green beans, Julia Child's Potato Dauphinois (scalloped potatoes) and an apple pie from Tootie Pie Co. in Texas, a delicious gift from a client who is way too good to me.

A word about the main dish. This beef is so good that I regret all the years I wasted serving ham on Christmas. This beef is so good that one year we heard my dad humming as he ate. This sauce with this beef is so good that my mom and mother-in-law have each made it repeatedly. This dish is so good that I don't think hubby would  like me serving anything else on Christmas -- not that I ever plan to.

Another tradition in my family: Christmas crackers -- wherein we pretend we're British (the hubby is good to put up with this) and crack open the traditional favors and don paper crowns. We always snap some pics, exclaiming "Happy Christmas!" just as the Brits do. The kids love it and so do I! To read more about Christmas crackers, click here.

Happy Christmas!

XOXO,
Amy

London Broil

When the weather starts getting nice, I typically send the husband out to the grill when I want beef for dinner. (Thanks for being the grill master, honey!) But some days it's rainy. Or neither of us is in the mood to grill. Or I'm just looking for a change of pace.

And that's when I turn to the broiler.

A quick hit of high heat from the broiler caramelizes the exterior of your London broil while leaving the interior rosy pink. And doesn't it seem appropriate to cook London BROIL in the BROIL-er? Yeah, I thought so, too.

One last tip. London broil can be a tougher cut of beef. Cooking the meat to medium-rare or medium, letting it rest for 10 minutes before serving, and slicing it thinly across the grain helps to make sure each serving is perfectly tender.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

London Broil
Serves: 3-4

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Pepper to taste
1 pound London broil*

Whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Set aside.

Use a sharp knife to score both sides of the London broil in a diamond pattern. (Scoring just means making shallow cuts in the meat. I think this helps the marinade absorb better. But mostly I just do it because that's what my mom did. Seems a good enough reason to me.) Place meat in a shallow baking dish or a Ziploc baggie. Pour the marinade over the meat and turn to coat. Cover the dish or seal the baggie and place in the refrigerator for a couple hours or up to overnight. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before you're ready to cook so it comes to room temperature.

Adjust an oven rack so it's about 4" from the broiler element. Heat the broiler to high. Place the meat on a broiler-safe baking sheet (not glass!) and place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes per side, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees for medium rare. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. (This will allow the juices to redistribute and the meat to come up to temperature another 5-10 degrees.) Thinly slice the London broil against the grain and serve.

*They sell a cut of beef called "London broil" at my grocery store. If you don't see it at the butcher counter, try using flank steak instead.

Baby Bok Choy & Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce

I could eat this dish Every. Single. Day.

It's all about the simple sauce, which tastes delicious with the crunchy bok choy and earthy shiitake mushrooms. The combination is so fresh and healthy. We even got Max to eat his first mushroom in six years (!!) — all thanks to this recipe.

This vegetable blend makes a great side dish. The oyster sauce is also divine with broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas and whatever else you have on hand. Serve it along side cashew chicken or Asian glazed pork tenderloin. Or make it a complete meal by adding stir-fried strips of chicken or beef or sautéed shrimp.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Baby Bok Choy & Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

4 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
8 heads baby bok choy, trimmed but leaving heads intact
1 cup water (for microwave steaming)
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic
10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms (or substitute your favorite fungi)

In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Mix cornstarch and water, making sure cornstarch dissolves. Combine water and oyster sauce mixtures, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

Steam bok choy in microwave or blanche on stove top. Place bok choy in microwave safe bowl or dish with 1 cup water. Cover with vented lid and cook on high about 4 or 5 minutes until tender and bright green. Alternatively, bring pot of water to boil. Add bok choy and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until shiny and green. With either method, drain and set aside on a serving platter.

Heat oil in large pan. Add onions and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring often. This should take about 20 minutes. Add oyster sauce mixture and mix to coat mushrooms and heat through. Pour mushroom sauce over bok choy. Serve with white rice.

Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup

I have been on a big soup kick. This is in part due to the colder than usual winter here in Charlotte and how we Southerners do hate to be cold. Bless our hearts. It’s also due to my new love — my pressure cooker — which makes preparing soup so easy and fast. The chopping is the most time intensive part. My sous chef daughters Lucy, 8, and Penny, 6, are the perfect assistants.

This soup is inspired by my mom’s, which I grew up eating. It took me just 40 years to give it a whirl in my own kitchen. I call it Midwestern vegetable-beef soup, because I grew up in Ohio and it reminds me of Mom.

NOTE: The following directions call for the pressure cooker. You could also cook everything on the stovetop. I may be finishing my second bowl and packing up the leftovers when you sit down to eat, but please carry on.


XOXO,
Amy

Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup

1 pound lean ground beef
3 large carrots, peeled and diced ½” inch thick
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
15 oz. diced tomatoes, with juices
32 oz. beef broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup peas

Using the sautee setting on your pressure cooker, cook the ground beef, adding some salt and pepper in the process. Do not drain. (If you are  not using lean meat, you might want to drain off  a bit of the fat.)

Add all of the veggies, except the corn and peas, as well as the thyme, bay leaf, diced tomatoes and broth. Cover and cook on high pressure for six minutes.

When time is up, do a quick release on the pressure cooker and remove the lid when it is safe to do so. Remove bay leaf, add in the frozen corn and peas and allow the soup to heat through.

Serve and enjoy!

PS: Don’t have all of these veggies on hand? Use what you have. My neighbor followed up on my version with her own variation, which involved her stovetop (no pressure cooker,) green beans and cabbage. She shared some leftovers with me. Yum. You could even add a cup of pasta like farfalle to make beef-vegetable-noodle soup. If using pasta, toss uncooked noodles into the pressure cooker with the other the ingredients.

PPS: Vegetarian? By all means, skip the meat and use vegetable broth instead.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

My dad tries to avoid tomatoes because they give him headaches. When I was a kid, if my dad was away for dinner, we would have spaghetti smothered with sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese that my mom would melt in the oven. It was special occasion food, and it was so, so good.

Since I grew up and married a wonderful man who also gets headaches from tomatoes, spaghetti continues to be a special occasion meal. Recently my mom came to visit without my dad. And the husband was out of town, too. So us girls got crazy...and we made spaghetti with homemade meat sauce.

It was indeed a special occasion.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman and allrecipes.com

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
Cooked spaghetti, for serving
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high. Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until browned, about 6-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove ground beef and set aside. Drain grease from the pot and return to medium-high.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty pot. Add onion and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, until slightly reduced, 1-2 minutes.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, Parmesan cheese rind, and reserved cooked ground beef. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and allow sauce to simmer about 2 hours. Remove Parmesan cheese rind and bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over spaghetti and top with plenty of Parmesan cheese.

*I bet you could use tomato sauce if you wanted to avoid any chunks of tomatoes.