Stuffed zuchini

Meat, Tomato, and Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Cups 
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 large zucchini or yellow squash, about 12 inches long
2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil (may need more, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 T finely minced fresh garlic
1 lb. ground beef (10% fat or less)
12 oz. ground turkey (10% fat or less)
(use any combination of ground meat you'd like, but use low-fat ground meat for the South Beach Diet.)
1-2 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional but recommended)
2 C flavorful tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 cups low-fat mozzarella or other mild white cheese (I used low-fat blend of six cheeses called Italian blend.)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Chop onion and green pepper. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a non-stick pan, then saute onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl.

Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to the pan. Crumble in the ground beef and ground turkey, season with Spike seasoning, and cook over medium heat until the meat is well browned. Tilt pan to see if there is any extra fat, and remove with a spoon if there is, then stir cooked vegetables and garlic back into the meat. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture (it doesn't need to be completely cool), then spoon the meat-cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.

Bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and use remaining cheese to top each one with a generous pinch of cheese. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Hungarian goulash

I found this recipe on Saveur website. "The recipe for this hearty, savory soup comes from Katalin Bánfalvi, author Carolyn Bánfalvi's mother-in-law, who lives in the village of Bõny, in northwestern Hungary. Hungarian sweet paprika confers a singularly deep, rich color and flavor." What I liked about this goulash is that it used potatoes instead of noodles which makes this a gluten-free meal. 

4 tbsp. sunflower or canola oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 1⁄2 lbs. beef chuck, trimmed 
   and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground 
   black pepper, to taste
1⁄4 cup sweet paprika
2 tsp. dried marjoram
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1 1⁄2 lbs. medium new potatoes, peeled 
   and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1 tomato, cored and chopped
1 Italian frying pepper, chopped

1. Heat oil in a 5-qt. dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, stirring only once or twice, until the meat is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in paprika, marjoram, caraway, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, until the beef is nearly tender, about 40 minutes.

2. Add potatoes and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with rye bread, if you like.

SERVES 4 – 6

Slow cooker round steak

This is an easy meal to make in the morning before work and come home to a meal ready to serve. It was tender and tasty in a rich tasting gravy with vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 pounds boneless round steak
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes, onion, and carrots in slow cooker. Cut steak into six pieces, then place the meat on top of vegetables. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, soup, and water; pour over beef.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 10 hours.

Swedish meatballs

I've tried a number of Swedish meatball recipes but for some reason I always seem to comeback to this recipe from The Settlement Cookbook. I think the reason is the allspice that is added.

The recipe takes a little time to prepare. You can double the recipe and freeze what you don't use to serve for another meal.





Basic meatball recipe below
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.

Prepare meatballs. While they are browning, dissolve bouillon cubes in 1 cup boiling water. After meat balls are browned, add bouillon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour a little at a time. Add allspice and slowly stir in the evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water. Cook uncovered over low heat; stir occasionally. When the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes, stir in lemon juice and serve with buttered noodles or rice.


Basic meatball recipe:

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter

Combine the first 6 ingredients. Shaped into meatballs. Melt butter in a pan and brown the meat balls in the butter.

Pot roast cooked in foil

Still trying to get the old family favorites on my blog. I was going through some old cookbooks and rediscovered this favorite in The Settlement Cook Book. What I like about this recipe is you put it into the oven for a couple of hours and it makes an incredible tender roast that melts in your mouth.

Ingredients:

4 pounds chuck roast
1 package dehydrated onion soup
1 cup sour cream

Spread meat with dehydrated onion soup mixture and sour cream. Place the meat on a double thick square of heavy duty aluminum foil. Wrap with a double fold and fold ends over to seal package so that the juices with not escape. Bake at 300 degrees for 3-3 1/2 hours.

Maggie Kerrigan's Irish Beef Stew

I found this great recipe for Irish beef stew in our local Henderson magazine last year. The original recipe is from "Elegant Irish Cooking." Serve in a deep dish. This hearty dish makes a filling meal and is usually served with hot crusty bread.


2 1/2 pounds of boneless beef (rump or chuck)
1/4 C flour
4 T olive oil
2 cloves, crushed
3 C brown beef stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
3 slices lean bacon
2 small onions
18 button mushrooms
4 T tomato paste
12 small potatoes
4 T butter
2 t chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut beef into large cubes and roll them into flour. In a large skillet over high heat, fry meat cubes in olive oil until browned on all sides. Add garlic and cook with beef, one minute. Remove beef from the skillet and place in a 3 quart oven proof casserole. Bring stock to a boil. Add meat to cover, along with the bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for around one hour. Slice the bacon into 1 inch segments and fry in a skillet over medium heat with onions and mushrooms about 2 minutes. Pour off and discard the fat. Stir in the tomato paste. Add to stew. Continue cooking until the meat is tender. Around one hour. Skim fat. Peel potatoes and in a separate saucepan, boil 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain, toss in butter with parsley. Arrange over top of casserole when fully cooked.

Roast Beef with pepperoncini

Roast beef cooked in a slow cooker with garlic and pepperoncini makes a delicious and simple sandwich served on a hoagie roll. Top the meat with provolone or mozzarella cheese zap in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese. Don't forget to use the pepperoncini in the sandwiches. Great recipe if your entertaining.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini

DIRECTIONS

1. Make small cuts in roast, and insert garlic slices in cuts. Place roast in the slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over meat.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Saucy Spiedini

4 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 3- to 4-ounce medallions
Granulated or minced garlic, to taste
Granulated or minced onion, to taste
Freshly grated Romano cheese
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Dried oregano to taste
Bay leaves
10 to 12 ounces freshly grated mozzarella cheese
1 medium yellow onion, julienned
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Flour
2 eggs, beaten
Unseasoned bread crumbs
Vegetable oil
Marinara sauce
Pasta (optional

Pound beef medallions to 1/8-inch thickness. Pieces should be oval shaped, 3 inches by 5 inches.

Set meat medallions on bread board. Top with a little garlic and onion. Sprinkle with Parmesan, Romano and oregano to taste. Pinch off 2 small pieces of bay leaf and set 1 on each end of each medallion. Add 1 to 2 ounces mozzarella.

In small pan, saute onion in olive oil and cook until lightly browned. Divide onions among medallions. Starting with short end of medallion, roll tenderloin around sauteed onions and cheese, tucking in ends tightly. If needed, secure with toothpicks.

Coat rolled medallions with flour, then egg. (If rolls have been secured with toothpicks, coat with egg using pastry brush.) Next coat with bread crumbs and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large frying pan, add vegetable oil to a depth of about half an inch. When oil is very hot, add spiedini and cook until golden on all sides. This will take about 5 minutes. You will have to do this in two to three batches. As spiedini are cooked, transfer to 13-by-9-inch oven-proof dish and bake in preheated oven 5 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness. Serve with marinara sauce, and pasta, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Note: After 5 minutes of cooking spiedini in the oven, the meat will be medium to medium-well done. Cook longer for well done. If you want spiedini rare or medium rare, cook only on top of stove.

Fajitas

I discovered this recipe in an old southwest cookbook a number of years ago. It continues to be a family favorite.

4 c. soy sauce

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

8 tbl fresh lemon juice

4 tsp ground ginger

1 skirt steak for every 3 persons

warm flour tortillas

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, lemon juice and ginger in a jar; shake to mix well and dissolve sugar. Let marinade stand in sealed jar overnight. Pour marinade over beef and let marinate 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator in sealed container. Remove fajitas from marinade and grill over very hot coals a short time, about 10 minutes per steak if meat is 3/4 inch thick. Brush meat with marinate two or three times while cooking. Chop meat with a cleaver and wrap in warm tortillas to serve.

Serve with cut up tomatoes, lettuce, grated cheese, your favorite salsa, guacamole, sour cream etc. Instead of skirt steaks I usually use sirloin steaks

Ropa Vieja

Ropa vieja means old clothes in Spanish. This meat is cooked, shredded like rags, then briefly cooked again which gives it the Spanish name. Cubans love peppers, both fiery ones and the green bell peppers. This is great shredded beef served on tortillas or over rice. Add sour cream, cheese, and fresh cilantro on the side. I served it with black beans, fried plantains and yellow rice. A nice Cuban meal.




INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds beef flank steak
1 cup beef broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded
and sliced into strips

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh
cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
2. Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar. Stir until well blended. Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours. When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with tortillas or rice.

The first time I made this recipe I served it with yellow rice, black beans and fried plantains. A couple of days later I served it wrapped in a tortilla. I put in the meat, some yellow rice, cheese, sour cream, cilantro and sprinkled some fresh lime juice over it. I thought this way tasted the best.

Four cheese pasta and beef

Four Cheese, Pasta and Beef


6 oz. Penne or other tube pasta
3/4 lb. Ground beef
1 can (14 ½ oz) Chunky Pasta Style Stewed Tomatoes
1 c. sliced green onions
1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese
½ c. shredded Swiss cheese
½ c. shredded Parmesan cheese
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese



Cook pasta as package directs; drain. In skillet, brown meat. Salt and Pepper to taste; drain. Add tomatoes; cook uncovered until slightly thickened. Stir in onions and cream cheese. Toss with remaining ingredients. Cover 2 minutes to melt cheese. 4 to 6 servings.

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes