Crock Pot Brisket

This is a super easy and delicious recipe for "slow cooked" brisket!  I call this semi homemade.  It has a fantastic dry rub that is a mixture of ingredients that you need to make yourself but the sauce that is added at the end is from a jar and the combo is amazing!

Ingredients:

1st Cut Brisket 2-3 lbs
2 large sweet onions cut into chunks
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bottle of Soy Vey Hoisin Garlic Sauce

Preparation:

Mix together, brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper.  Spread the dry rub mixture all over the top, bottom and sides of your brisket.  Place your onions on the bottom of your slow cooker and then lay your brisket on top of the onions.  Cover the slow cooker and set on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.   After the full time is up, transfer your brisket to a cutting board and let rest for 10-15 minutes.  Slice brisket across the grain and place back into your slow cooker.  Pour the full bottle of Hoisin Garlic sauce over the top, cover and cook on high for at least another hour but it can braise in the liquid for longer if necessary.  Serve hot!

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

A spin on the traditional Stuffed Peppers.  My kids have been begging me to make Stuffed Peppers for them all week.  I only had 2 green peppers in the house so I decided to tweak my recipe a bit and make this into a casserole!  It was a huge hit, no leftovers anywhere to be found.

Ingredients:

2 peppers (any color) chopped
1/2 lb  cooked brown rice
1 lb ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1-6 oz can of tomato paste
1/2 can (6-8 oz) jellied cranberry sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese


Preparation:

In a large skillet brown ground beef until cooked through.  Drain oil and set meat aside.  Wipe out the skillet.  Heat oil in skillet and add onion, garlic, ginger sauté for one minute.  Add beef back in and combine with onion mixture.  Add tomato paste, water soy sauce and cranberry sauce and stir and cook for about 10 minutes until cranberry sauce is melted and evenly combined.  (If mixture is too thick, add a little more water).

Now to assemble the casserole:

Grease a 9x9 or similar size baking dish about 9x9 with non stick cooking spray.  Add raw chopped pepper at the bottom of the dish.

Next layer your brown rice.  I used the frozen brown rice from Trader Joes.  This makes it so easy.  Just open the frozen rice and dump in!

Now you can add your meat/sauce mixture on top of the rice.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle on parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.  Place back in the oven uncovered for 10-15 min until cheese is melted and browned.  (I took mine a little too far and my cheese is too dark, next time I won't get distracted LOL)

Meatloaf Sliders

A fun and delicious take on a typical hamburger slider.  I just made my favorite meatloaf recipe and formed the meat mixture into small patties and baked as usual.  Top with some crispy fried onions and YUM! Great little bite for cocktail party or just a fun dinner idea.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lb. meatloaf mix (beef/pork/veal)

1 package onion soup mix

1 egg

1/2 cup ketchup (plus extra to brush on top)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Crispy fried onions

slider buns or dinner rolls

 

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix meat with onion soup mix, egg, ketchup and breadcrumbs. Mix together until combined, be careful not to over mix.  Form into small patties and place on a lined baking sheet.  Brush the top of each patty with about 1/2 teaspoon of ketchup.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  On bottom half of bun place one patty and top with a teaspoon of crispy fried onions, place on top bun and Enjoy!!

Sweet n' Sour Meatballs

I got this recipe from my high school Home Ec. class. I loved that class. These meatballs have become a family staple over the years. We make this recipe all the time for family gatherings as well as for weeknight dinners. It is such a simple recipe and totally fool's proof. I made this for our Passover Seder this weekend. I just substituted out the bread crumbs for matzo meal.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1- 1.5 lb. pkg. ground beef or ground turkey
bread crumbs (Italian or plain)
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Sauce:
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce
2 cans of jellied cranberry sauce
garlic powder (to taste)
red pepper flakes or ground red pepper (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

Combine meat with bread crumbs, eggs and salt and pepper. Roll into balls.
Combine sauces simmer over medium heat. Add spices to taste. Drop raw meatballs into simmering sauce. Cook covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Beef Taquitos

I made these for dinner when I was on the search for finding something new to make using ground beef.  I can only eat meatloaf, chili and meatballs so many times.  While browsing on Pinterest I saw a picture of taquitos that looked so delicious.  I found this recipe which is super easy and really yummy.  Everyone in my family enjoyed it so I will be making this one again.  I'm also going to make these using mini tortillas and serve them as an appetizer at my next get together.  To make them healthier you can definitely use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef as well as using low fat cheese.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing on the taquitos

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 pound lean ground beef

1 cup salsa, plus more for dipping

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

10 (6-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack

Sour cream

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 400º. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, until it is no longer red, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the salsa, the chili powder, and the salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave them until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the beef mixture, spreading it to an inch from the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the beef.

Roll up the tortillas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. Brush the taquitos lightly with vegetable oil, then bake them until the filling is heated through and the tortillas are lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve them hot with sour cream and/or salsa. Serves 4 to 6.

Easy Saucy Brisket

Our family loves a good brisket! We are always trying new ways to make it. This recipe comes from my Mom and seems to be the new family favorite.

Ingredients:

4-5 lb first cut brisket

olive oil

1/2 C ketchup

1/2 C bottled bbq sauce

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C apple cider vinegar

1/2 C duck sauce

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 C water

3-4 bay leaves

Preparation:

Brush oil on meat and sear on all sides to seal in juices. Place in a 3 qt. roasting pan. Combine ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, duck sauce, onion soup mix with water. Spread sauce over brisket and place bay leaves around the pan.

Bake uncovered for about 2 hours or until tender.

Cool. Cut meat into thin slices and return to pan, cover with foil and cook another 1/2 hour.

Before serving remove bay leaves from sauce.

Beef Teriyaki by Sharon

I LOVE this recipe.  My friend Sharon makes it often.  She brought it to my house for a potluck dinner I had with friends and it was a big hit.  I'm always amazed at how easy the recipe is.  She serves it with rice on the side.  You can also make this with chicken or shrimp if you prefer.  I love the steak!

Ingredients:

1 pound of steak (chicken or shrimp can be used too)
1 red pepper
1 large onion
1/2 of fresh pineapple
1/2 cup of terriyaki sauce (I use Soy Vey brand)

Preparation:

Thinly slice steak, pepper and onion. Slice pineapple into 1 inch cubes.  On high heat and in small batches, coat the bottom of the pan with oil and fry the vegetables, pineapple, and steak. Right before you are about to pull the food out of the pan, coat the food with the terriyaki sauce.  Let the sauce get sticky and caramelized and then pull the food out of the pan.  Serve with white rice.

Frito Chili Pie

I found this recipe on Eat Cake for Dinner.  The original recipe is from Pioneer Woman and it's a really delicious homeade chili recipe served in Frito bags.  I've never seen this before and I thought it was such a great idea.  I was already planning to make chili for dinner so I opted for this version and it was a HUGE hit.  The kids and my husband really loved it although none of them would take more than one bite out of the bag, which is the fun part! They all just dumped it out into a bowl and mixed the fritos in with their chili.  After dinner was over I looked back at the Pioneer Woman's recipe and realized that I forgot to add the shredded cheese.  Honestly, it wasn't missed at all.  The chili is so good on it's own and aren't the fritos fattening enough? ;) I also substituted black bean for the pinto beans because I LOVE black bean chili.  I thought the chili was fairly spicy but no one in my family including the kids said a word about it being too spicy so I kept quiet.  I think this is a must try chili if you haven't found a really good chili recipe yet.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 can tomato sauce

1 can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 cup water

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons masa or fine ground cormeal

Preparation:

In a large stockpot brown ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain excess fat.  Add in tomato sauce and Rotel tomatoes and chiles and mix to combine.  Now add oregano, salt, cumin and chili powder and mix well.  Add 1/2 cup of water to pot, stir and cover.  Let simmer on low for about 30 minutes.  Uncover pot and add drained and rinsed beans (add additional water, up to 1/2 cup if chili looks very thick).  Recover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.  Mix masa with a little water, it should look like a grainy, wet paste.  Pour into chili and stir to combine.  Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

To serve:

Turn Frito bags on their sides and make a slit across the bag using a scissor.

Spoon chili directly into each Frito bag.  You can use a basket to keep them upright.

                                                                    Serve and Enjoy!

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Asian Steak Marinade

We eat steak in my house at least once a week and my girls favorite type of steak is skirt steak.  I started marinating it in a light asian marinade that everyone loves.  I wanted to share the recipe with all of you.  You can also use this marinade for chicken or seafood.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons agave (or honey)

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together in a large ziploc bag.  Season meat with salt and pepper.  Add meat to marinade in ziploc bag, seal bag and let mariande for at least an hour but it's much better if you can wait 24 hours.  Remove meat from marinade and discard extra marinade.  Grill steak on BBQ on high heat for about 5 minutes on each side.  (I like when the marinade starts to caramelize).  Let steak rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing to let the juices redistribute.

Oat Bran Meatloaf

Another way to get oat bran in your diet and it's DELICIOUS!  This meatloaf still has tons of flavor with the added addition of oat bran which give its a little bit of a nutty flavor.  Much healthier than using breadcrumbs.  Even the baby loved it!

Ingredients:

1 lb meatloaf mix (or ground turkey)
2 eggs
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup of ketchup (no sugar, organic)
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup of oat bran

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients until combined and shape into a loaf. Bake for 1 hr at 350 degrees until brown on top and bottom.  Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Chicken & Spinach Meatballs Arrabbiata

I have been trying to eat less carbs and fat. These meatballs are virtually carb free. But the little bit of carbohydrate is in the form of oat bran which is a very healthy grain and is said to help in weight loss. I love spicy marinara sauce so I was happy to find a jarred Arrabbiata sauce in the grocery store that was very low in sugar (only 3 grams per serving). The key is to use a lot of spices to add flavor. I went heavy on the garlic powder. The meatballs are really delicious and the look pretty with the bright green spinach laced throughout. You can substitute, beef or turkey ground meat for the chicken

Ingredients:

1 jar of arribbiata sauce (I used Bella Familiga)
1 lb. ground chicken (you can use beef or turkey too)
1/3 cup of organic oat bran
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained


Preparation:

Simmer sauce over medium heat. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Roll into balls and drop into simmering sauce. Cook in sauce for approximately 30 minutes.

*note....The meatball mixture will be very soft. Roll carefully and drop into sauce trying not to touch the other meatballs. If you can't fit them all in at once, wait about 10 minutes for the meatballs to firm up and then you will be able to move them around to make room for more meatballs to drop in.

Manicotti with Bolognese Sauce

This is my first time making both Manicotti and Bolognese sauce.....and I'm so glad I tried it.  YUM!  It's so nice to have new ideas to add to my family dinners instead of always making spaghetti and meatballs!  The kids really loved it too.  It's a little time consuming but defnitely worth the effort.

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce:

1 cup of onions, finely chopped ( I used frozen chopped onions)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup water

1 cup jarred pasta sauce

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Manicotti:
1 - 1 lb box of Manicotti shells
1 - 16 oz container of Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup of parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation:

Cook onions and garlic in oil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot or large saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.   Add beef and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, milk, wine, water, and pasta sauce and gently simmer, covered, until sauce is thickened, 20 - 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper and remove from heat. (Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before chilling, covered. Frozen, it keeps for 1 month).

Spread a little bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook manicotti shells in boiling water according to package directions.  In a small bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and put ricotta mixture in a pastry bag (with no tip) or a heavy duty ziploc bag.   Snip of end of pastry/ziploc bag and carefully squeeze mixture into each manicotti shell to fill (do not overfill)  Each shell should have about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture.  Place filled shells in sauced casserole dish and top with the rest of the bolognese sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on top if desired and bake in 350 degree F. oven for 40 minutes.

Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs

These meatballs are no joke. We grew up on this particular meatball recipe and we all still use it today (well, not Susan since she now has a kosher home). My mom never stuffed the meatballs with cheese so this was a little twist on the original. I served it recently at a Sunday dinner and everyone loved them. I think it is a must try.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 C. seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
1 T. parsley
1 clove garlic
1/2 C. milk
2 eggs
salt and pepper
mozzarella cheese cut into small chunks

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients. Roll into balls and one at a time, flatten ball in your hand. Place a piece of cheese in center of flattened ball. Form ball around cheese and roll tight. Place in a baking dish and brown in the oven for approximately 45 minutes (cook times will vary depending on the size of your meatballs. I made very large meatballs). Remove from oven when cooked through and add to marinara sauce.

Jamaican Turkey Patties

Nanci and I were together the other afternoon and decided to tackle these delicious patties.  They are commonly made with beef, not turkey but as usual we wanted to try to make it a bit healthier but still taste delicious.  I think they came out really good.  Next time we will actually make the dough from scratch instead of using pre-made dough.

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of margarine
1 onion chopped
1 lb of ground turkey
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
2 ready made pie dough
1 beaten egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of curry powder or tumeric for color

Preparation:

Melt margarine in a skillet over medium heat.
Saute onion until soft and translucent.
Stir in ground turkey.
Season with curry powder, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Cook until turkey is evenly brown, stirring constantly.
Stir in chicken broth and bread crumbs.
Simmer until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.
Set aside to cool a bit

Assemble:

Roll out pie dough and cut 6" circles using a glass bowl or a circle cutter.  Spoon equal amounts of filling into each pastry circle.  Fold over and press edges together, making a half circle.
Use a fork to press edges, and brush the top of each patty with beaten egg mixed with a little curry powder or tumeric for color.  Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Surf and Turf Kabobs

I was at a friend's house today and we decided to cook dinner together.  I used her husband's marinade for skirt steak which is delicious.  We found whatever vegetables were on hand which happened to be peppers and onions and decided to add some frozen shrimp and together we created these really yummy surf and turf kabobs.  It was great to grill for the first time this season even if it's still pretty chilly out. 

Can't wait for summer!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of skirt steak cut into large cubes

24-30 small shrimp

1 green bell pepper cut into large chunks

2 small onions cut into large chunks

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

2 cloves of garlic crushed or finely minced

1/4 cup prepared BBQ sauce

Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:

In a large ziploc bag add soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic, 1 onion sliced in chunks, fresh ground black pepper and BBQ sauce.  Mix all ingredients and add steak and marinate for 2 hours or up to overnight.  Leave tails on shrimp and coat with olive oil and season with coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Skewer steak, onion, shrimp, and green bell pepper alternating until all ingredients are used.  Grill on BBQ until cooked through and steak is seared on all sides and shrimp is pink.

Cheesy Italian Meatloaf

My husband wanted meatloaf for dinner but I wanted to have something different.  I settled on making a different type of meatloaf and it was really delicious.  This is my Italian interpretation of our family meatloaf.

Ingredients:

1 lb meatloaf mix (or ground beef)

1 egg

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup italian flavored bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese

2 tablespoons italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup pasta sauce

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix all the ingredient until combined (do not over mix).  Shape meat mixture with your hands into a loaf and place in a loaf pan.  Spread pasta sauce over the top of the meatloaf and bake for 45 - 1 hr.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Honey Teriyaki Skirt Steak

Skirt steak is my favorite type of steak to eat.  I love it on the grill but in the winter a grill pan on the stove top works great too.  This is the one meal that we NEVER have leftovers.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

1.5 lbs skirt steak (fat trimmed)

Mix soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and honey in a small bowl until combined.  Place skirt steak in a large gallon ziploc bag and pour marinade over steak.  Seal bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hrs.  Preheat grill pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, add steaks and grill 5-7 minutes on each side until outside of steak is seared and caramelized and inside is medium rare.  (Grill longer for thicker steaks).

Beef Tagine Stew w/ Butternut Squash

Tonight's Dinner 1/14/11


Love a good stew recipe. Especially when it is cold outside and there is snow on the ground. This was a new one for me. It came out fantastic. The kids loved it.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 shallots, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can of condensed tomato soup. plus one can of water
• 2 cups of cremini mushrooms quartered
• 2 cups small yellow potatoes, halved
• 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, tomatoes, tomato soup and water; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add potatoes and mushrooms; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour. Add squash; cover, and simmer 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Mom's Meatloaf

Tonight's Dinner 1/13/11

This is the meatloaf we grew up on as kids.  I love this recipe, it's easy and delicious.  It also makes great sandwiches for the next day.

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground beef

1 package of onion soup mix

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup ketchup

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix ground beef, onion soup mix, egg, bread crumbs and 1/2 cup ketchup together until combined (do not over mix).  Form into a loaf and put into a ungreased loaf pan.  Spread remaining 1/4 cup of ketchup on top of meatloaf(optional).  Bake for 45 min - 1 hr.  Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Bistro Style Pasta Napolitano

Tonight's Dinner 1/3/11

Super easy one pot dinner that tastes sooooo much better than you would think.  Something about having the pasta cook in the sauce makes this dish.  Really yummy, reheats perfectly so great for left overs and your whole family will love it.

*note: you can make this dish with ground turkey and whole wheat pasta and its still totally delicious.

Ingredients:

4-5 T. vegetable oil
2 lbs of ground beef or turkey
1 large onion chopped
16 ounces of pasta (penne, fussili, rigatoni)
1 jar of pasta sauce
2 cups of water
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Preparation:

Saute' onion in vegetable oil, add beef and cook until browned. Stir in pasta, sauce, water, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Cook over low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes until pasta is cooked.

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