Beef Rendang

I made this like, erm, 6 months ago and just found the picture. Here's the recipe:

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/featured-recipe-coconut-braised-beef/

I'm going to be lazy and tell you that I just followed the instructions (though I halved everything) and that it was really really delicious. And went really really well with asparagus! (That's the night I made it-- I'm not sure why I didn't post this picture then.)

Goulash

It was chilly (only 75!) and overcast today, which made it perfect for stew. Goulash is Hungarian I think, and is essentially oniony, paprikay beef stew. Yum! It also happens to be very very easy to make, as all good stew should be. This is my parents' recipe (if you can even call it that), and they always make it in the pressure cooker, allowing one to go from raw to stew in about 30 minutes. I have no pressure cooker and didn't think far enough ahead to put this in the CrockPot (though you easily could), so I just made it in a pot on the stove, the old-fashioned way. The amount of this recipe is enough for 2 decently-sized portions-- two dinners or a dinner and leftovers-for-lunch!

Start with 1/2 lb stew beef (or lamb I suppose). I cut mine into smaller chunks to encourage it to cook more quickly. In two batches, brown it in a combination of canola and olive oils. You only want the meat to brown, don't worry if it's still raw in the middle. Remove from the pan and add two large handfuls of sliced onions. Brown those also, adding more oil as necessary. Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine, then add the meat back in, along with a beef boullion cube, 3-4 T. of [mild Hungarian] paprika, 1/2 t. cayenne or hot paprika and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender-- about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker, 90 minutes on the stovetop, or 4+ hours in a CrockPot. Keep an eye on it and add more water as needed. When the meat was almost tender I added about an extra half cup of water and when that reached a rolling boil, three handfuls of uncooked egg noodles. 9 minutes later I had a one-pot goulash+noodles dinner! Serve with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. On a whim I added some fresh basil for garnish and discovered that it complements the paprika and beef flavors excellently! I plan on throwing a few more leaves in with my leftovers.

Stew and Soda Bread

Happy belated St. Patrick's Day! I made the soda bread from an Epicurious recipe (where else?), link at the bottom. And stew is Irish, right? I made this up as I went along, threw it all in the Crock Pot, and it was delicious! There's nothing like a wonderful meal that cooked all day while you're in class. Perhaps we'll move on soon from winter comfort foods to spring foods, but for now I'm still enjoying casseroles and stew! (Besides, who wants to eat stew in August when it's 95? Not I.)

Irish-inspired Beef Stew
1/2 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
dash of olive oil

2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 large button mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, whole or halved
2 dashes of olive oil (and/or bacon grease and/or butter)

4 red-skinned potatoes, chopped
2 or 3 bay leaves
a few heavy pinches of dried thyme
black pepper to taste
enough water to barely cover

2 forkfuls AP flour

Brown the first two ingredients together, add to Crock Pot. Brown next group of ingredients, add to Crock Pot. Add everything else except the flour, and cook until potatoes are soft-- a few hours. A few minutes before serving, ladle out some of the liquid into a cup, mix in the flour until no lumps remain, and stir the flour mixture back into the stew. Allow to cook for 5 minutes more, or until stew has thickened. Serve with Brown Butter Soda Bread and a good stout (more details on the beer end soon, I think).

(Blogger's being weird with the pictures today, I don't know why this one is rotated...)

Penne Bake

It's been cold and rainy here for the past four days, so casseroles have been the meal of choice. We wanted something with pasta and sauce, but baked, and so Penne Bake was born. On a related note, check out: http://www.fred.net/tds/noodles/noodle.html for a scientific discussion of tubular pasta behavior (thank you Google).

1/2 lb. whole wheat penne pasta (or other tubular pasta such as ziti or rigatoni)
approx. 2 cups pasta sauce, homemade or from a jar (my recipe is here)
1/2 lb. ground beef, thawed
1 sm. onion, finely diced
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1-2 T. olive oil
Optional: a handful of mushrooms, 1/2 bell pepper, a few cloves of garlic, a couple zucchinis, a small head of broccoli, a handful of spinach, or other seasonal veggies*, in bite-size pieces

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 and:

• Saute onions in approx. 1 T. olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. (If you're using frozen beef, just use lower heat and a lid to help the beef thaw in the skillet as you go.)

• For veggies: In another skillet heat another T. of oil and saute veggies until softened or browned, as you like. Garlic is recommended here. I used mushrooms in ours, which I sauteed in olive oil and a little butter until they had lost most of their moisture and were slightly browned.

• Heat pasta sauce over gentle heat until hot.

Multitasking makes this recipe go more quickly:


Layer ingredients in a large casserole dish, lasagna-style. Don't forget a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the dish to help prevent sticking. The order we used was (sauce), pasta, meat, mushrooms, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce, repeat. End with a cheese layer on top.


Cover your dish with a lid or aluminum foil so it doesn't dry out. Cook until the edges of the casserole are bubbly, about 20-30 minutes. (Less if all of your ingredients are still hot.) If desired, remove the cover for the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Enjoy! (There'd be a picture of the finished product if it hadn't been devoured so quickly...I think we all burned our tongues.)


*A short note on eating in season: In the US you can look up what veggies are in season in your state here: http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Seasonalfoodguides . It all depends on climate; in NC we get the best vine-ripe tomatoes in August, while in CA they can grow them almost all year. Eating in season makes it easier for you eat locally-grown foods and support your local farmers and economy. Many farmers' markets run year-round, and you may be surprised how many things grow even in winter! (Google "farmers' market" and your town to find one in your area.) Our local farmers' market has lots to offer, and you can find local and seasonal produce at any grocery store if you look carefully. Enough from my soapbox...