Thought for Food

The following marinade is great on beef, but would work well with chicken breasts. This is a good marinade for barbecuing, but would also work for meat grilled in the oven or on an electric grill.

Cooking times will vary depending on the style of cooking, cut of meat, required doneness, etc.

Ingredients:

• 2 green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 1 tablespoon of five-spice powder
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Directions:

1. Place the ingredients in food processor and whiz until blended.
2. Pour over meat and marinade for at least 2 hours.
3. Remove meat from marinade a grill until cooked.

Technorati Tags: Marinade, BBQ, Grilling, Recipe, Beef, Chicken, Ginger, Orange

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2  pounds boneless sirloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4  cup sherry
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
• 12 ounces cooked vermicelli

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, except noodles, in Crock Pot.
2. Cover, cook on Low 8 to 10 hours (High: 4 to 5 hours).
3. Serve over noodles.

NB: May be doubled for 5 quart models.

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

(NC)—Looking for a quick and easy way to liven up your burgers this summer? Here are two terrific recipes you can try on the barbecue. And safe? You bet, says Health Canada, as long as you cook the centre of your burger to a temperature of 71ºC (160ºF). Use an instant-read food thermometer to make sure the burgers are completely cooked. Both recipes are adapted from the Beef Information Centre and are available at www.beefinfo.org

Mexi-Grill Burgers

500 g (1 lb) lean ground beef

75 mL (1/3 cup) salsa

50 mL (1/4 cup) dry bread crumbs or small flake oatmeal

1 egg, beaten

5 mL (1 tsp) chili powder

2 mL (1/2 tsp) mustard powder

4 large flour tortillas or onion buns

Sliced onions

Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Corn relish

In large bowl, lightly combine ground beef, salsa, bread crumbs, egg, chili powder, and mustard powder. Shape into 4 patties, each about 1.5 cm (1/2") thick. Preheat barbecue. Cook patties on lightly oiled grill, over medium-high heat, 5-7 minutes per side, turning only once. When patties are almost done, remove from heat and insert an instant-read food thermometer sideways into the centre of the thickest burger. If the temperature registers at least 71ºC (160ºF), the burger is done, if not, continue cooking until a minimum temperature of 71ºC (160ºF) is reached. If a thermometer is not available, do not eat ground beef that is still pink inside. Serve each burger in a flour tortilla; and top with onions, cheese and relish. Makes 4 servings.

Greek Burgers

500 g (1 lb) lean ground beef

50 mL (1/4 cup) dry bread crumbs or small flake oatmeal

1 egg, beaten

15 mL (1 Tbsp) dried oregano leaves

5 mL (1 tsp) each garlic powder and crushed dried rosemary

2 pitas (20 cm/8" size), halved or 4 hamburger buns

Crumbled feta cheese

Sliced black olives

Chopped red onions, cucumbers and tomatoes

Tzatziki sauce

In large bowl, lightly combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, oregano, garlic powder and rosemary. Shape into 4 patties, each about 1.5 cm (1/2") thick. Preheat barbecue. Cook patties on lightly oiled grill over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes per side, turning only once. When patties are almost done, remove from heat and insert an instant-read food thermometer sideways into the centre of the thickest burger. If the temperature registers at least 71ºC (160ºF), the burger is done; if not, continue cooking until a minimum temperature of 71ºC (160ºF) is reached. If a thermometer is not available, do not eat ground beef that is still pink inside. Serve each burger in pita pocket half and top with cheese, olives, onions, cucumber, tomatoes and sauce. Makes 4 servings.

News Canada

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

over at Slashfood.

With the good weather arriving (in the northern hemisphere), it’s time to start thinking about grilling and barbequing. From steak-related how-tos to great recipes, Slashfood has it all at Welcome to Steak Day!

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A light marinade and a backyard grill are all you need to appreciate this beefy cut.

Right Flank - The Boston Globe

Two recipes:

• Grilled Flank Steak With Ballpark Mustard Glaze
• Flank Steak Fajitas

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Put stew beef in crockpot. Add flour and stir to coat meat.
2. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream.
3. Mix well. Cover and cook on Low 8−10 hours (or on High: 4−5 hours).
4. Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving, and stir in thoroughly.
   

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Posted by Ian McKenzie at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup maple bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup Portabella mushrooms, diced
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 egg
• 6 tbsp. BBQ sauce, divided
• 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. hot sauce
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup soft blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Saute bacon saute over med-low heat until it begins to brown.
2. Remove the bacon from pan and place into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add mushrooms and onion to pan and cook until transluscent. Add 2 tbsp of the BBQ sauce and cook for a minute longer.
4. Add the mushroom and onion mixture, along with the remaining ingredients, to the mixing bowl and blend well.
5. Place mixture in a loaf pan & spread the remaining BBQ Sauce over the top of the loaf. Cook in preheated oven at 375 degrees for approximately 60 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

You can also use the meat mixture to make burgers.

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[composed and posted with BlogJet]

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: Cooking, Recipes, Middle Eastern, Beef

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Posted by Ian McKenzie at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

INGREDIENTS:

* 1-1/2 lbs. beef fillet
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil
* freshly ground black pepper
* 1 5-oz pkg. baby spinach

FOR THE COUSOUS SALAD

* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
* 4 onions, very thinly sliced
* 2 cups couscous
* 2-1/2 cups hot beef stock
* 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTION:
Preheat the grill
1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the oil and onions. Cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are golden and very soft.
2. Coat the beef with the olive oil and season with the pepper. Cook on the grill to the desired doneness. Remove and keep warm. (May also be prepared on the stove: cook in a skillet over med-high heat.)
3. Put the couscous in a bowl and pour the hot broth over them. Cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes or until all the stock has been absorbed.
4. Whisk together the mustard, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, pepper and salt.
5. Add the onions to the couscous. Pour over the vinaigrette and toss to coat.

To serve:
Divide the spinach leaves among 4 plates. Top with the couscous. Slice the steak and lay the slices on top of the couscous to serve. Pass around some extra Dijon mustard.

Technorati Tags: Cooking, Recipes, Salads, Beef, Couscous

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

* 8 oz. NY strip steak
* 1 1/2 tsp. CORNED BEEF SPICES
* 3 TB. soy sauce, divided-we like Japanese style tamari soy sauce
* 16 sushi rice style slices of potato ( 4-6 good sized red potatoes)
* 2 TB. rice vinegar
* 1/2 tsp. sugar
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 6 TB. WASABI POWDER - we used Natural Wasabi powder for this recipe
* 4 TB. water (this is enough for 4 shamrocks and the little bit spread on the potatoes, cut in half to serve 2)

In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a simmer, add CORNED BEEF SPICES, simmer for 15 minutes while preparing the beef and potatoes. Bring another pan with 4 Cups water to a boil for the potatoes. Peel and slice the potatoes into rectangles about the size of sushi rice balls, though a little thinner. They don't all have to be exactly the same length, just big enough to hold the slices of steak. Cook the potatoes as you would for potato salad, boiling 5-7 minutes until tender but not mushy. Rinse just to stop cooking but not to completely cool, toss with rice vinegar, sugar and salt, set aside. Cut the steak into thin slices, removing fat from the edges as desired. 16 total slices is what you are looking for without getting to the thin end of the steak. Before the final step of briefly cooking the beef, prepare the wasabi. Mix the powder with water, it will be quite thick. Roll three little balls for each shamrock, work into heart shapes and place on the plate with a fourth piece forming the stem. Bring the water with the CORNED BEEF SPICES to a rapid boil. Just before adding beef, toss the potatoes again, place four potato slices onto each plate and place a small dab of WASABI onto each potato. Cook the steak by dropping four pieces at a time into the water and cooking about 15 seconds. Remove from the water and shake off any excess liquid. Place on the potato pieces and brush with soy sauce. Serve extra soy sauce with the wasabi shamrock to make traditional Japanese dipping sauce. Repeat 3 more times and serve immediately.

Serves: 2-4.
Prep. time: 5 minutes plus simmering time.
Cooking time: 10 minutes total.

Technorati Tags: Cooking, Recipes, Beef, Sushi, Irish

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This was an experiment that worked well with Sunday's roast of beef. This rub would work well for all cuts of beef and might even be tasty on pork or lamb. The coffee should be ground to as fine a consistency as possible.

3 teaspoons finely ground coffee
1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dry parsley flakes

Blend the ingrediants together well, cover the surfaces of the meat with the rub and let stand in refrigerator for at least and hour and up to eight hours. Cook according to the method for the cut of meat: roast, bar-b-q, grill, etc.

Technorati Tags: Recipes, Beef, Roasting, Dry Rub

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ingredients:
• 3 cups chopped onion
• 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped green sweet pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or cooking oil
• 4 teaspoons Hungarian paprika or regular paprika
• 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Hot cooked noodles
• Dairy sour cream

Directions:
1. In 4- or 4-1/2-quart Dutch oven, cook onion, green pepper, and garlic in hot bacon drippings or oil about 5 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in paprika and cook 2 minutes. Stir in beef cubes, tomato paste, water, salt, and black pepper.
2. Cover and bake in a 325 degree F oven for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve over noodles; pass sour cream. Makes 8 servings.
Technorati Tags: Cooking, Recipes, Goulash, Beef, Stew

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 09:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

* 1 lb lean ground beef
* 1 large can of diced tomatoes (I like the kind with herbs), undrained
* 1 large can of red kidney beans, drained
* 1 green bell pepper diced
* Garlic, onion powder, basil to taste
* Cajun spice to taste
* Flour (optional)

In large skillet, brown beef well. Add garlic, onion powder, and basil. Once cooked through, drain fat. Pour in tomatoes with their juices and stir. Add kidney beans and green pepper. Toss in some Cajun spice. I don’t really measure it, but I use a few spoonfuls. It adds a nice zing without being crazily hot. If you can’t find Cajun spice in your local store, you can just use chili powder, but then you’re basically making regular chili. Stir well and heat through about ten minutes. At this point I personally like to throw in some plain flour because I like my chili to be thick and chunky instead of soupy, but it’s up to you and your preferences. Simmer on low until it thickens to your tastes and serve.

This chili is delicious but it always tastes even better the next day. Makes about 6 servings

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Technorati Tags: Recipes, Cooking, Chili, Tex-Mex, Cajun, Beef, Main Dish

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

1 lb ground beef, pref. lean
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 package dry onion soup mix
Basil, garlic powder, oregano to taste
2 cups macaroni or spiral type pasta (uncooked)
2 cups water
Brown beef in a bit of oil. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, and stir. Mix in soup mix and spices. Stir. Toss in uncooked pasta and water. Stir. Once mixture boils, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook approximately 25 minutes or until pasta is done. [TheRedKitchen]

Technorati Tags: Recipes, Food, Main+Dish, Beef, One+Pot+Meals, Cooking

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 08:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 Carrots, diced
• 2 Celery stalks, diced
• 1 19 ounce tin of Lentils
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cubed
• 2 medium Potatoes, cubed
• 1 28 ounce tin diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Directions:

1. Place large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and butter and heat until butter is melted.
2. Add chopped onion and cook until the onion is soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the spices, stir well and continue to cook for another minute.
4. Add the ground beef and scramble fry until no longer pink.
5. Add the remaining ingredients along with enough cold water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
6. Serve with warm flatbread

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Goulash (spelt Gulasch in German), a spicy beef stew, is one of the Austrian staple dishes, which you can get pretty much everywhere. Like the Brits enjoy a hot curry when they’ve had too much to drink at a party, Austrians resort to goulash, which is often served at parties around midnight or in the early morning. Goulash originated in Hungary, where the dish is called pörkölt (the similar-sounding gulyas is a soup rather than a stew). A defining quality of Austrian goulash is that you take the same amount of onions as of meat.

• 500g beef for stew (called “goulash meat” hereabouts), cut in cubes
• 500g onions, chopped into biggish pieces
• 80g fat
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway seed
• some marjoram, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 10g flour
• salt
• water

Heat the fat in a large pot and roast the onions until golden. Add the paprika and immediately pour in the vinegar and 4 tablespoons water. Add the beef cubes, salt, ground caraway seeds, marjoram and squeeze in the garlic with a garlic press. Let simmer, adding water from time to time, until the meat is tender. There should be little to no water left by then.

Add the flour, stir carefully, then add enough water so that you get a slightly creamy, but not thick sauce. Let simmer until the meat is well done.

Take care that the meat does not become too soft and that the sauce doesn’t burn. Add some more paprika to get a nicer colour and to make it a bit spicier.

Usually, goulash is not served fresh out of the pot, but pre-cooked and kept warm or reheated for the meal. It is usually served with no special side dish, just a bread roll, although boiled potatoes are acceptable. [The Aardvark Cooks]