Roberta's Sloppy Joes

Since I got to do homage to my Grandma Pete in the last post, I thought I'd honor someone else's mom in this one. No, it's not my grandmother-in-law, Roberta, although she's sent me some fabulous recipes. This recipe comes from my August-Mom friend Sue, straight from her mom's recipe cards. And every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe. Super easy, super yummy, super sloppy. :)

Roberta's Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup ketchup
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dry yellow mustard
1 bag frozen corn (that's my mom's addition...gotta have corn in sloppy joes)
Hamburger buns

Brown the beef and drain off any grease.
Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes and serve -- OR -- spoon the meat mixture into a crockpot and cook on low for 2-4 hours.
Serve on hamburger buns.

Summer Garden Casserole

We picked a Napa cabbage this week and, it was so huge, I stretched it out into three meals. The first meal, we made a Napa cabbage salad. The second, we had cole slaw. And the third, I intended to make cabbage rolls. But, the leaves remaining weren't big enough to roll around the meat. So, I put together this summer garden casserole from a few different recipes.

Summer Garden Casserole
2-3 cups of cabbage leaves
4-5 carrots, cut matchstick-style
4-5 small onions, diced
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cup cooked steamed rice
10-12 small new potatoes, cut in half
1 pound ground beef, thawed
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
1 can pureed tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Sauted diced onion in olive oil until translucent. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix together ground beef, onion, minced garlic, rice, salt, and pepper.
3. Place cabbage leaves in a microwave-safe bowl with 3-4 tablespoons of water.
4. Microwave cabbage leaves in covered dish for two minutes.
5. Make sauce by combining tomatoes, garlic powder, white vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Heat to a simmer.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. In a dutch pan, place carrot matchsticks.
   
8. Layer steamed cabbage leaves on top of carrots.
9. Place new potatoes on top of cabbage leaves.
10. Mix meat mixture with 1/4 cup (or so) of tomato sauce. Mix well and form into 1-inch balls. Place meat balls on top of cabbage leaves.
11. Pour remaining sauce over meat balls.
12. Cover the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
13. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese for the last 5 minutes, if desired. And we desire it, because we are a cheese kind of family.

Best Hamburger Ever!

My menu, which I made back in December, said "inside out hamburgers." And so, I bought some hamburger buns, thawed some ground beef, and got creative.

The Best Burgers EVER

1 pound hamburger, thawed
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup cream cheese
5 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
5 teaspoons bacon bits
1/3 cup shredded cheese
5 hamburger buns
miracle whip

1. Preheat the grill.
2. Mix the hamburger, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper. Divide the hamburger in half.
3. Using half the hamburger, make five very thin patties and place on a plate.
4. On each patty, add a cube of cream cheese, a teaspoon of relish, teaspoon of bacon bits, and a sprinkle of cheese.
5. Make 5 thin patties with the remaining hamburger. Place the patties on top of the cream-cheesed patties. Seal the edges.
6. Grill the hamburgers. (Here's a how-to for the novice grillers.)
7. For extra pizzazz, toast the hamburger buns lightly on the grill.
8. Put a litte miracle whip on each top bun. Place the cooked hamburgers on the buns and serve.

Beef Stew

Thank you, Paula Dean, for the fabulous stew that is even better as leftovers!

Homemade Chinese Food: Jay's Broccoli and Beef

I give up. Round steak and I don't get along. No matter how I make it, it chews like beef jerky. Then, Jay decided to try a new recipe, just for kicks. And, WOWZA. Yum. Tender, and fast.

Beef and Broccoli

3 Tablespoons corn starch, divided
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pound boneless round steak, cut into 3-inch strips
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups broccoli florets
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
hot cooked rice

1. In a bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons water, and garlic powder until smooth.
2. Add beef and toss.
3. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 Tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness. Remove and keep warm.
4. Add remaining Tablespoon of oil to the skillet or wok. Stir-fry broccoli and onion in oil for 4-5 minutes.
5. Return beef to pan.
6. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to the pan.
7. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Beef Pot Pie

I love it when I come across a recipe that uses all my leftovers and allows me to create a completely different meal. This week's find is pot pie. I will modify it, though, because the crust is the best part. I plan on making a crust for the bottom and top of the pie. Enjoy!

Beef Pot Pie

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups beef broth
• 3 cups cubed leftover beef
• 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas and carrots, cooked and drained
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• pie pastry for 1-crust pie
• evaporated milk or regular milk

1. In a medium saucepan, cook onion in butter until onion is tender.
2. Stir in flour and salt until smooth and bubbly.
3. Stir in beef broth. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.
4. Add leftover beef, peas and carrots, and parsley; heat through.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt if necessary.
6. Pour beef mixture into a 2-quart casserole.
7. Prepare pastry; roll out to about 1/2-inch larger than casserole top.
8. Place over hot beef mixture. Cut several slits in the top for steam escape, turn edge under and crimp all around.
9. Brush lightly with milk.
10. Bake beef pot pie at 450° for 20 to 25 minutes.

This beef pot pie with leftover beef serves 6.

Pikes Peak Roast

Pikes Peak Roast is not a very tender cut of meat, unless you cook it long and low. It's perfect for a crock-pot meal, especially if you are like me and are gone from the house for 10 hours on workdays.

I make up the roast recipes every time, changing it up a little bit here and there based on what I have on hand. This week's roast turned out yummy, so if you'd like to replicate it, here's the info:

1 pike's peak roast (3-4 pounds), thawed
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can mushroom stems and pieces
1 cup beef broth (or boiling water and beef bouillon cube)
about 2 tablespoons salt
about 2 teaspoons dry mustard
about 2 teaspoons dried sage
1 garlic clove

1. Mix the salt, mustard, and sage together. Rub it over the roast.
2. Place the roast in the crock pot.
3. Mix in a separate bowl the beef broth, mushroom soup, mushrooms, and garlic. Beat until smooth.
4. Pour soup mixture over roast.
5. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
6. Remove from the crock pot and let set for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Soup, improvised and improved

There are thousands of variations of taco soup out there, but the one we made tonight was fantabulous. It's a thicker soup, with a chili consistency but without the spice.

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
2 cups (or 1 can) cooked beans (We used a combination of pinto and black beans. Kidney beans would work too.)
1 can kernel corn, UNdrained
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 bell peppers, diced
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet Taco Bell taco seasoning
2 tomatoes, diced

toppings:
sour cream
cheddar cheese, shredded
tortilla chips

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet or saucepan. Drain. Add corn, canned tomatoes, peppers, dressing mix, taco seasoning, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low to medium-low (4 on a scale to 9). Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Beef Stew

I feel like a slacker, or out of the loop, either one. This week was the first time I made beef stew that wasn't in a crockpot...and it was delicious! Give it a try; it's perfect for a cool fall day. I think mine was even better because I used our home-raised beef, our homegrown potatoes, carrots, and onions, and Jay's mom's homemade ketchup.

1-2 tablespoon oil
1 pound beef stew meat, chopped (or get a cheap cut of beef and cut into pieces)
3/4 cup flour
salt, pepper to taste
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 beef bouillon cubes
5 medium potatoes, diced
3 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon A1 sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup water

Heat the oil in a large pot. Meanwhile, mix flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Roll the beef in the flour mixture. Add the onions, garlic, and beef to the pot and cook until the beef is just browned, stirring often. Add the water, bouillon cubes, A1 sauce, and ketchup. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Increase heat to boiling. Mix 2 tablespoons flour in cold water. Stir flour mixture into the boiling stew, and boil for 2 minutes.

Serve and enjoy. (Makes FABULOUS leftovers!)

Grilled steak

I wasn't going to post this as a recipe, because I assume everyone knows how to grill a steak. But then again, does everyone know how to grill a good steak?

• First step: get a good steak. The more marbling (white specks of fat throughout the meat) the steak has, the more tender it will be.
• Here's a great publication on meat quality and preparation.
• Don't get in a hurry. I tend to screw up steaks by essential flash-burning them. I love the crunch of the fat (I know; that's just gross) but it's not the correct way to cook the steak.
• Make sure you get the safe internal temperature for the meat: minimum of 145 degrees F.
• Add whatever spices or seasonings you want. If I'm eating it as a grilled steak, I'll just add a little worchestershire sauce to it. If I'm going to use the steak in fajitas, I'll just add some southwest seasoning as a rub. A tender, top quality steak won't need anything at all. For the more tough the meat (usually also the cheaper cuts), a marinade can help break down the "tough" part of it and improve the flavor and tenderness.
• Consider adding an extra steak or two to the grill, while you've got it fired up. Leftover steak makes excellent fajitas!

When in doubt, go to the NCBA or your state beef organization. They KNOW beef like no others. Another great source: the K-State meat science department. Dr. Hunter KNOWS his stuff.