Archive for the ‘steak’ Category

Ally’s Enchiladas and Fiesta Rice

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

At the time I did these…. (last month. oops.) the WC board had gone enchilada crazy. EVERYONE was making them…. and man did I soon learn why. These are AMAZING. I highly recommend making them if you get a chance… just dont overspice them like I did. (oops- I put in tablespoons of cayenne instead of chili powder.)

Shredded Beef Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce
(based on Cook’s Illustrated, but I got it from Ally at Culinary Infatuation.)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb. chuck stew meat
  • salt, pepper, garlic powder for seasoning
  • 2 Tbs. oil
  • 1 15oz and 1 8oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup beef stock/broth/water
  • 1 poblano pepper finely diced
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbs. cumin
  • 3 Tbs. chili powder
  • 2 Tsp. ground coriander
  • dash of cayenne
  • salt and pepper
  • corn tortillas (I used flour… DH hates corn. sad.)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese (or a cheese you prefer)
  • Sour cream for serving

    DIRECTIONS

  • Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Season beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Dredge in flour shake off the excess and brown on all sides in the dutch oven.
  • Remove with tongs and reserve on a plate.
  • Add onions and poblanos to the pot (add more oil if needed).
  • Saute until onions are beginning to brown (about 5 minutes).
  • Add tomato sauce, beef stock, cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, sugar, cayenne and salt and pepper.
  • Add beef back to pot and let simmer for an hour and a half or until beef is tender.
  • When beef is ready, remove and shred using two forks add chopped cilantro and mix together.
  • Take some of the sauce and spread it around a 9 X 13 baking dish.
  • Spray tortillas with pam and place in a preheated 400 degree oven until warmed through.
  • Roll beef in tortillas and lay in baking sheet.
  • Top with the remaining sauce and then top with shredded cheese.
  • Bake covered for 10 minutes.
  • Bake another 10 uncovered to get the cheese nice and bubbly.

    The rice is from Tiny Kitchen Cooking- and watch out- it yields 8 cups of prepared rice… I halved it and there was STILL a ton. AND I also recommend cooking your rice BEFORE you start it in this recipe- it took me like 3+ hours to cook it… it just did NOT want to get soft!!! (I gave up and threw it in my rice steamer and let it sit until done.)

    Fiesta Rice
    Source: Cooking Light
    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (I halved everything but this. I put in the whole can and it was perfect!), rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

    DIRECTIONS

  • Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from pan. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.
  • Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute.
  • Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil.
  • Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans.
  • Cover and let stand 10 minutes.
  • Stir in cilantro and juice.

  • Pasties… no, not the type you wear.

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    This is another partial success… They were just okay. DH decided he hated the “pie crust” because it was flaky and dry (umm… its supposed to be.) I’ll prolly try these again, but I really do need to find a different crust. I want something nice and dense, that will actually KEEP the moisture in.  

    Another AllRecipes.com find :) 

    INGREDIENTS
    PASTRY:I recommend doubling this! The pastry was VERY thin and not enough to accommodate the filling.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup cold water

    FILLING:

  • 3/4 pound boneless beef sirloin, cubed<
  • 1 medium onion, sliced<
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup water, or as needed

    DIRECTIONS

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
  • Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
  • Stir in cold water with a fork until the mixture is able to come together in a ball.
  • Knead a couple of times then divide pastry into two pieces.
  • Pastry may be refrigerated for later use at this time.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half of the pastry into a 10-inch circle.
  • Place half of the potato slices in a line down the center of each circle, leaving at least 1 inch at each end uncovered.
  • Arrange onion slices over the potatoes, and season with salt, pepper and some of the dried parsley.
  • Place half of the beef cubes over each onion layer, then season again with salt, pepper and dried parsley.
  • Fold the edges over the pastry over the filling, and tuck in the ends.
  • Transfer the two pastries to a greased baking sheet, and cut a few slits in the top of each one for ventilation.
  • Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
  • Remove from the oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Spoon 1 teaspoon of water into each slit on the tops of the pasties.
  • Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Serve whole, or cut into halves.

  • Steak Fajitas and Beans!

    Saturday, May 24th, 2008

    I got this great fajita recipe from AllRecipes.com . We tried it yesterday and it was FANTASTIC! 

    INGREDIENTS
    1 (1 1/2-pound) beef flank steak (we used sirloin b/c it was cheaper.)
    1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
    1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    1 teaspoon ground coriander
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1 teaspoon chili powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 medium onion, sliced (we used 1/2 the onion.)
    1 medium green pepper, julienned (1/2 the green pepper)
    1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned 
    1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
    2 teaspoons cornstarch (skipped it as everything was too soft :( )
    1 tablespoon water
    12 (6 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
    3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
    3/4 cup salsa

    DIRECTIONS
    Thinly slice steak across the grain into strips*; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker.
    Add tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and salt.
    Cover and cook on low for 7 hours**.
    Add onion, peppers and cilantro.
    Cover and cook 1-2 hours longer or until meat is tender.

    Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker***.
    Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
    Using a slotted spoon, spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture down the center of each tortilla.
    Add 1 tablespoon each sour cream and salsa.
    Fold bottom of tortilla over filling and roll up.

    * : I did 1/4″ slices. They were WAY too thin. The meat just FELL apart. I’d recommend 1″ strips for easy removal.
    ** : We cooked for 6 hours and added the fresh ingredients. 7 hours total was more than enough.
    *** : We didnt bother with this. Everything smelled so good we just dug in. One warning- if the meat is too small, it becomes VERY hard to pick things out. (It becomes a very tasty mush.) If the ingredients were larger, I would have done this. The fajitas were VERY runny, but SOOOO good. 


     

    The beans were really easy too. DH really enjoyed them, but they were too spicy for me. (and I only put 1/2 the spices in!)

    Another AllRecipes.com find! 

    INGREDIENTS
    1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed (I did 2 pounds/cans of Bush’s beans - one pinto, one black.)
    2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided (I did one)
    1 medium tomato, diced (skipped)
    2 tablespoons ground cumin (1 TBSP)
    1 tablespoon chili powder (1/3 TBSP - I’m a wimp!)
    2 tablespoons olive oil 
    salt to taste<

    DIRECTIONS
    Place the undrained beans in a large saucepan.
    Place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
    When the beans have come to a boil, stir in 1 tablespoon of garlic, the tomato, cumin, and chili powder.
    Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until the beans are very soft, about 20 minutes.

    Once the beans have cooked, mash them with the remaining tablespoon of garlic, the oil, and salt to taste; use additional water as needed to achieve desired consistency*.
    Place over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.

    * : I slow cooked them over 30 minutes on the stove. They were nice and mushy by the time they were done!

    Breakfast Bake!

    Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

    This was inspired by a post on the WC board… and the leftovers in the fridge. I took what I had and hoped it worked.. it was great! I made it twice… and forgot to measure BOTH times. (sorry!)
    Here are rough directions…..

    INGREDIENTS
    tater tots (about 15)
    leftover steak (if its been seasoned great, if not, add a seasoning of some sorts. about 1/2-3/4 cup diced pieces)
    5 eggs
    optional : other meats or veggies. (make sure to add enough egg to cover if you’re adding more to the bake!)

    DIRECTIONS
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Pam loaf pan.
    Microwave tots for a minute or so so they’re soft.
    Cut/break them up and arrange them in the bottom of the loaf pan.
    Don’t pack them in.. leave a bit of space for the eggs to get in there!
    Chop up your steak and layer it over the tots in the pan.
    More is better here- the steak really gives it the flavor since its the only seasoned thing in here.
    Crack and scramble your 5 eggs in a separate bowl and pour over the top.
    Stick it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. (If it wasn’t done, I microwaved it for about 2 minutes to complete the cooking. I’m impatient.)

    This served the two of us… but we both needed more… so serve with sides! (we did fruit salad.)