Frugal Allergy Mom: Beef

Showing posts with label Beef. Show all posts

12.05.2015

Sloppy Joes

Meals at dinner time can become repetitive for most families, mine especially. We have our usual favorites: Parmesan Crusted Sole Fillets, Hellmann's Parmesan Chicken, Fried Rice, Chow Mein, pasta, homemade hamburgers and pizzas.

Hamburgers were on the dinner rotation until I decided to switch it up and make sloppy joes instead. Believe it or not, until I made this recipe, I have never had sloppy joes! I had no idea what I was missing out on.

This recipe was a hit with all of us, especially my little man, who loves ketchup or any foods with lots of ketchup. Saucy, hearty and filling, this recipe is sure to please even your pickiest eaters. I served the sloppy joes on a toasted hamburger bun with a salad on the side. You can also serve it with roasted potato wedges if you are feeling rebellious.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 - 1-1/4 cup chopped bell peppers (I used yellow and orange bell peppers)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard

3/4 to 1 cup ketchup
1-1/2 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

4 to 6 Hamburger buns

Directions
1. In a medium non stick pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Drain off any liquids and fat. Add in onion, bell peppers and cook until the onions and peppers are soft.

2. Add in garlic powder, mustard, ketchup and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

2.21.2015

5 Minute Cast Iron Grilled Steak

I love my cast iron skillet. It is the best investment I have spent on a pan. Unlike my nonstick, which I have to replace every year, my cast iron skillet will be with me for a long time. The versatility of cast iron is amazing, as it can go easily from stovetop to oven. If you have a cast iron skillet or are curious what type of recipes cast iron skillets can make, check out my cast iron recipes here.

For Valentine's Day, I purchased a jumbo pack of strip loin steaks which was on sale. Each steak weighs about a pound. I looked for a recipe online that allowed me to use my favorite skillet to cook my steaks and came across this Alton Brown recipe. The beauty of this recipe is that the steak takes only 5 minutes to cook; great for any night really. Cast iron for the win again!

Ingredients
Steak (1 inch thick)
Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking to allow the meat come to room temperature. This allows the steak to cook evenly.

2. Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F.

3. Lightly oil the steaks and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

4. Once the oven temperature reaches 500 degrees, take the cast iron skillet out of the oven.

5. Turn the stove to high and heat the cast iron skillet for 3 minutes or until it just starts smoking. Do not add any oil to the skillet.

6. Place steaks on the cast iron skillet and sear for 30 seconds.

7. Flip and sear the other side for another 30 seconds.

8. Once both sides have been seared, place the steak in the oven and cook for 2 minutes.

9. Take the steak out of the oven, flip and cook for another 2 minutes in the oven.

10. Remove steak from the cast iron skillet and allow it to rest on a plate loosely covered with tinfoil for 5 minutes before serving. Are you hungry yet?

Source: Food Network

1.30.2015

Easy Shepherd's Pie

One of the key things I have learnt over the last few months to save time in the kitchen is Cook Once, Eat Twice (or many times). This means cooking a protein, vegetable or carbohydrate one night and using the leftovers for another dinner. This not only reduces the amount of work you need to do for dinner prep but also keeps your family happy with a little variety at the dinner table.

I had leftover mashed potatoes from the previous night when I made Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Gravy. It has been a while since I have made shepherd's pie so I decided to make it for dinner that night.

This meal had my husband jumping for joy. The cheesy mashed potatoes and vegetables over ground beef in a saucy gravy makes a delicious meal that is sure to make your family happy. The best part was that we even managed to have some leftovers (after my husband had second and third helpings) for lunch the next day.

Ingredients
5 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3 cups frozen vegetable mix (peas, carrots, corn, etc)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 lb lean or extra lean ground beef
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp ketchup
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add in frozen vegetables and blanch the vegetables for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add oil.

4. Add onions and cook until it is translucent.

5. Mix in the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Stir in the flour and cook until the flour is mixed in.

6. Add in ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick.

7. Spread the ground beef mixture in an even layer on the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish. Then spread on a layer of vegetable mix. Finally, spread mashed potatoes and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top.

8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

1.23.2015

Freezer Friendly Beef, Cheese & Beans Burritos

I love make-ahead meals, especially ones that require "virtually" no extra effort. Most of my make-ahead meals involve prepping an extra meal when I am preparing dinner. This time, I went out of my way to make these freezer burritos. The homemade version is healthier and cheaper; great for those nights when you need a quick dinner. Making these burritos made me hungry so I decided we would have beef burritos for dinner that night (see picture at the bottom of the post).

Mise en place: ground beef, cheese, refried beans and tortillas.

Ingredients
8 large 10" tortillas
1-1/2 lb ground beef, lean or extra lean
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
2 cups refried beans (try this homemade refried beans recipe) or 1 can of refried beans (398 ml/14 oz)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella but you can use any cheese)

Directions
1. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium high heat.

2. Add in the onion and saute until the onions are soft and translucent.

3. To the same pan, add in the ground beef, cumin, oregano, salt and cook the ground beef is no longer pink.

4. Heat the tortillas in the microwave with a damp paper towel. Remove.

5. Equally divide the ingredients among the 8 tortillas. Layer the ground beef, then refried beans and shredded cheese in each tortilla.

5. Fold over the ends of the tortilla and roll them up. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

6. Wrap each burrito tightly with plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc freezer bag. Store for up to 2 months. Remember to date and label your Ziploc bag.

Reheating Instructions
Microwave: Remove plastic wrap and heat in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and wrap the burrito in aluminium foil. Heat for 30 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with sour cream, salsa and shredded lettuce.

Dinner we had that night: I also added leftover rice, salsa and shredded lettuce.

Source: Adapted from Money Saving Mom

12.31.2014

12.06.2014

20 Minute Meatball Stroganoff

There is no denying that I love quick dinners that require little effort. That is why I stock my freezer with frozen meatballs. I use frozen meatballs in spaghetti and meatballs, meatball sliders, as an appetizer or in my version of a meatball stroganoff.

My meatball stroganoff is not an authentic beef stroganoff recipe. But it is hearty, delicious and ready in under 20 minutes.

So on a night when you are ready to call for takeout, give this recipe a try. My husband and little man ate this up in no time!

Ingredients
20 meatballs (roughly 5 meatballs per person)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 mushrooms, sliced
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup frozen peas
340 g egg noodles, broad noodles or bow tie pasta (you can also serve with mashed potatoes or rice)

Directions
1. Microwave the meatballs (if frozen) according to package directions. You can serve the meatball whole or quarter it if you have little ones.

2. In a large pot, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain; do not rinse.

3. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in another large pot and saute the garlic until it is fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute).

4. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Remove and set aside.

5. Saute the meatballs for a few minutes until the meatballs are lightly seared.

6. Pour in the cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas and sauteed mushrooms. Stir and simmer on medium for 10 minutes.

7. Serve over egg noodles or carb of your choice.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

10.31.2014

Perfect Prime Rib

I am betting some of you are wondering how prime rib is frugal. Let me tell you, it is not.

Easter 2014; the first time I made prime rib!

Prime rib is one of those things we almost never purchase. This is the second time I bought prime rib and I try to buy it only when it goes on sale. In Vancouver, $5.99/lb is a good deal for prime rib. I purchased a 5.412 lb of prime rib for $32.42. As a member of PC Plus, I received 6400 points (200 points for every $1 spent on fresh beef) which translates to $6.40 off. In addition, I received 4000 points off for spending over $30. After all the discounts, my prime rib costs $22.02 which worked out to be $4.07/lb and can easily serve 15 people (10 oz servings). Not too bad considering a 10 oz (300 g) prime rib costs $25 at my local Keg Steakhouse.

When you are forking over that much money for a prime rib roast, you want to make sure you buy the best available. I prefer to have a good marbling throughout the roast which yields in a tender and flavorful meat.

Nice marbling of fat throughout.

Quick Tips

Keep prime rib roast in the bottom vegetable drawer to prevent the juices from contaminating other foods.
Take the prime rib roast from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before as this helps to reduce the chill in the roast so the inside will cook evenly.
Allow the prime rib rest for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking to ensure the roast is moist, tender and juicy.

This is one of those show stopper recipes you will want to carve at table-side. Nothing beats tender and delicious prime rib served with yorkshire pudding and roasted vegetables. Yum indeed!

Thanksgiving 2014; beautiful medium rare prime rib with roasted vegetables.

Ingredients
5 to 6 lb prime rib
10 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme

Directions
1. Take the prime rib out of the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before you start cooking.

If your house tends to be colder, take the roast out up to 45 minutes earlier.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position.

3. In a small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, black pepper and dried thyme together.

A quick rub for the prime rib.

4. Place the prime rib in a roasting pan and rub the mixture all over.

Give the prime rib a nice massage.

5. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 450 degrees F. Decrease the temperature to 325 degrees F and roast for 13 to 15 minutes per pound. My roast took about 72 minutes to cook for a medium to medium rare prime rib. (Note that the roast will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven. If you like medium to medium rare, insert a meat thermometer to get an accurate reading. If you have guests who favor a more well-cooked prime rib, the end pieces are medium-well and you can always lightly pan fry it to fully cook the meat. This is what we did for our little man.)

6. Take the pan out of the oven and tent the prime rib loosely with foil. Allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and slicing.


Medium-rare prime rib. My little luxury in my frugal life.

Source: Allrecipes

Frugal Allergy Mom