Korean Beef

I have an inspiring bunch of ladies I run with early in the morning.  I am so grateful to have them! We run and visit about many topics of interest. One morning I asked if any of them had cooked anything new that they liked lately.  Des said she had tried this Korean Beef recipe from pintrest and even her picky eater liked it! My kids aren't to picky so I thought I would give it a try. I searched pintrest for the said" Korean Beef" and found many to choose from-that's always hard to pick which one to print out. It was good, my family liked it!  I find that we are liking the things we can copy cat at home more than eating out and it saves lots of money. :-)

Korean Beef is a very standard dish. Nearly every Chinese restaurant sells it but it's usually made with flank steak and sauteed with broccoli. This recipe I adapted from http://elizabethbryant.blogspot.com/2010/05/korean-beef to our liking. Using hamburger as suggested makes this  recipe is less expensive and easier than a flank steak. I like to use as lean of beef as I  can get for this dish so it will be oily and gross.  

KOREAN BEEF

1 pound lean ground beef

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low-sodium or use regular and add 1-2 Tablespoons of water))

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (see note)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness original said 1/2-1 tsp.)

salt and pepper

1 bunch green onions, diced (don't skip this!)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions. 

Note: Fresh ginger doesn’t keep forever but it can be frozen.  I have found that it zest on my microplane grater really well when its frozen.  I almost prefer to use it this way. Or I also love my garlic twist -its not just for garlic it does wonders on ginger too! One of my favorite kitchen gadgets Jack has given me.  

Ground Beef Roast

This recipe comes out of a cookbook my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas two years ago. She made this dish for dinner. I honestly don't care for meat loaf that much so I wasn't that excited about it, but I was SO HAPPY that someone else was the brainpower behind dinner (always a nice break ;-}). I was so surprise that I loved this dish! I don't know if it was because I was pregnant (no knowing it yet) and just need the extra protein, but I am banking on it just being a taste that suites me. I made it the other night when Cameron requested noodles and meatballs. I didn't feel like rolling individual meatballs, nor did I have the time, so this recipe came to mind. It was as good on my taste buds as it was two years ago. My kids LOVED it and requested seconds then expressing how many stars they thought it deserved. It was a hit for all of us. I was especially excited because of all the green bell peppers I have been getting in my basket and needed to use. This was a quick pull together meal, but it does need 1 hour to bake.

We like mashed potatoes or buttered noodle as or choice of side, as well as a salad or other vegetable. This is a family favorite and will make its appearance more in the rotation of favorites.

Ground Beef Roast (Big Flat Meat Loaf in a Baking Dish)

Original recipe from Nancy Schiffer, Kaycee, WY out of Eatin' with Sal cookbook p.11

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground sausage meat

1/2 cup milk

4 slices bread, torn in pieces, or 1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup dry parsley or 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons pepper

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

For the topping:

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup catsup mixed with 1.2 cup water

Place the bread and milk in a bowl, add the parsley, eggs, salt and pepper and soy sauce; mix well. Add the meats and blend all together lightly.I usually use my hands.

Pat the meat mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, or something sort of that size; sprinkle the onion and pepper over the top and drizzle with the catsup mixture over the top. Bake for an hour at 350.

**3 lbs of meat is a lot of meat for our little family so I halved the recipe:

Ground Beef Roast (1/2 recipe-my amounts and alterations)

1.5 lbs lean ground beef

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

1/8 cup (2 T.) Dried Parsley

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoons Pepper

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Topping:

1/2-1 cup chopped Green Pepper **

1/2-1 cup chopped Onion (I use sweet onions 99.9% of the time) **

1/2 cup catsup mixed with 1/4 cup water.

**I mixed some of the peppers and onions in with the meat mixture thought my kids would like it better that way. Then I sprinkled the remaining pepper and onion pieces over the top of the catsup layer.

Place the bread and milk in a bowl, add the parsley, eggs, salt and pepper and soy sauce; mix well. Add the meats and blend all together lightly.I usually use my hands.

Pat the meat mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, or something sort of that size; sprinkle the onion and pepper over the top and drizzle with the catsup mixture over the top. Bake for an hour at 350.

Crock-Pot Enchiladas

These were not anything fantastic, but it was good and keep us all happily fed. I always enjoy a good crock pot recipe that takes care of itself while I am busy doing other things and it doesn't heat up our house. We served it with a fresh green salad.

Crock-pot Enchiladas

1 lb. Hamburger

1/2 cup chopped onion (I always use the whole onion)

1 can chopped green chilies

1 pkg. Taco seasoning

5-6 Tortilla

1 can Enchilada sauce

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I use Colby Jack because its always on hand-Cheddar might have made it taste better!)

Brown the hamburger, onions, green chilies. Drain and add taco seasoning according to package directions. Mix the enchilada sauce and soup together in a a bowl. Layer in crock-pot: 1 tortilla, meat, cheese, soup mixture. Repeat layers. Cook on low for approximately 4 hours. Top with favorite toppings-sour cream, avocado's, diced tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Hamburger Vegetable Soup W/ Corn Bread

Our community recreation department had a listing for Free Cooking Classes. So I organized a few women that I knew liked to cook, exchange and visit about recipes to come to my home for the classes. The teacher comes from the UW Cooperative Extension--She's the Cent$ible Nutrition Project Coordinator. It is a program that has several classes teaching you how to feed your families better for less money. We held our first class and got their cookbook (free!) Then they asked us to try recipes out of it over the next week so we could ask question or share with others what we did to modify it. I have had good luck with the few I have tried with a few if any changes of my own.

This soup was a last minute meal I decided to do because I had everything on hand and need something quick! I hadn't planned very well this day--happening more and more often as the weather gets better! :-) Both the Soup and the cornbread were done in 30 minutes or less. I also used the Variation suggestions with some changes.

Hamburger Vegetable Soup (p.328)

12 oz. Lean ground beef

1 (16 oz) can kidney beans (I rinsed and drained)

1 (20 oz) bag frozen vegetables or 3 cups of any combination of vegetables

3 Beef Bouillon cubes (I used 5! and I think it was just right)

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

6 cups water (This is why I added more bouillon you could add up to 6 cubes)

Brown ground beef in large pan. Drain.

Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. You may need to add more water.

Serves 8

Variation: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons dried minced onion (I added a fresh small sweet onion)

and 2 unpeeled, diced potatoes (my russell potatoes were really small so I used 3 potatoes).

This wasn't my favorite corn bread. It doesn't even come close to my mother-in-laws corn bread which I call "corn bread cake!" This one is dry and crumbly and not very sweet like Ruth's, but in a hurry it was a good side and my kids loved it regardless. Cameron liked it plain, Quin liked it with our honey, Hugh just ate it no comment, and Jack though it need more sweetness. I was just grateful that it was ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes. Ruth's takes almost an hour.

Corn Bread (p. 133)

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 eggs

1 cup lowfat milk

1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, grease an 8 x 8 pan. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir in cornmeal. Add eggs, milk, and oil. Stir until mixed. (Do not over beat.) Pour into greased pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into nine pieces.

Fry Bread

Jack had been requesting Fry Bread for a while now. So one night I was thinking we'd do taco's for a quick meal (I had meat in the freezer ready to go.) So I pulled out the new cookbook that I got at my class a few days before and gave this a shot. I love that it is all pantry items that I have to toss it together from scratch quickly and it made more than enough for my little family.

Quin's proud display of his Fry Bread Taco

Fry Bread (p. 141)

2 cups all-purpose flour or (1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder

3/4-1 cup warm water

Canola Oil (for frying)

Mix flours, baking powder, and salt together. Combine nonfat dry milk with warm water. (Mixing milk with water prevents white particles in the oil wen frying). Add enough milk to dry ingredients to form a ball of dough. Form into 12 balls and roll or pat each ball into a 5-inch circle. Fry in hot (350-375 degree) canola oil until puffy and golden, turning once. Stand upright in pan lined with paper towels or unused brown paper bags to drain fat.

Skillet Lasagna

I got this recipe idea from http://reliefsocietycookers.blogspot.com/search/label/Beef who gave the credit to http://sistersstuff.blogspot.com I modified it to our liking so if you want the original recipe check out sisters stuff.

It was quick, simple, and tasty! It was a hit with my kids! Which makes many recipes winners. I was happy that I happened to have cottage cheese on hand this week. We will be making this again. It is as delicious as Lasagna, to me, without all the labor and time.

Skillet Lasagna

1 pound ground beef (browning with salt and pepper)

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove minced garlic

1 (14-15 oz can) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups water

1 (8-ounce can) tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon salt (3/4 teaspoon because I salt and peppered the meat as it was browning)

3 cups bow tie pasta, uncooked

1 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, brown beef with onions and garlic; drain. Add tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt. Mix well.

Stir in uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover, simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring once.

Stir in cottage cheese. Cover with and Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle in basil and pepper to taste if desired. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Our Homemade Lasagna

I got this recipe from my friend Lisa F. in Lake George, NY. She is allergic to eggs so this lasagna is made without them (lower-fat content a plus). We have made our own modifications to the recipe as well so here it is:

LASAGNA

Sauce:

1 lb pound lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 gloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil, or 1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped when you have it

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes or stewed. (If you use the stewed chop up the tomatoes a little)

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

12 dry lasagna noodles

Cheese Filling:

1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese (cottage cheese small curd works too)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb Mozzarella cheese, shredded (I don't know if I have ever used the full lb. Maybe more like 3 cups)

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese

In a skillet brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain off fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until al dente (best to follow package instructions here); drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.

In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.

(* Sometimes I just through the mozzarella cheese in with this mixture. It takes out one step of layering in the assembly process. **IF you want to ADD EGGS add 2 eggs, beaten to this mixture-we never have and it is wonderful lasagna)

Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a prepared 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

* This recipe easily feeds 4 Adults and 3 children at least twice. I can't say that I have ever frozen it because I usually make it when I have a crowd. I don't see why you couldn't put it in 2- 8x8 dishes and freeze one for later.

Baked Beef Penne Pasta

This is a crowd pleaser every time I make it. I love that it comes together quickly and that it makes enough to feed my family and have some to freeze for later. This recipe is a combination of a 5 star dish off of meals.com and my friend Lisa Fox's Lasagna sauce.  We serve it with a steamed seasonal vegetable or a nice toss salad. When company joins us we add a nice bread too.  

1 lb dried penne pasta prepared according to package directions

8 oz lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups water

1 (14 oz) can Tomato Sauce

1 teaspoon Basil leaves

1 teaspoon Oregano leaves

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 red cooking wine or water

1 Tablespoon INSTANT beef flavor bouillon

2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook beef and onion in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink.  Add water, tomato paste, wine and bouillon; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until flavors are blended.

Layer ingredients as follows in UNGREASED 13 x 9 baking dish: 1/2 pasta, 1/2 sauce, and 1/2 cheese. Repeat layers; cover

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Season with salt.

Freeze (for later use)

Prepare as above, do not bake.  Cover, freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Season with salt.

Pasta e Fagioli--Jill's version Olive Garden Copy cat

This is one of our favorite soup dishes to make when the weather starts to turn cold.  The twins loved it as babies and could self feed themselves because everything was cut to finger food sizes for them. Every time I make this it gets good reviews and family and friends alike have asked for the recipe. We serve this soup with a nice green salad and Ciabatta bread or other Italian bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  If we are really making it special we serve a Tiramisu for dessert.

1 lb ground beef (or Italian Sausage)-sometimes I do 50/50

1 onion, diced (1 cup)

1-3 carrots, julienned (we love carrots, but if you don't lean toward the 1 carrot)

3 Stalks celery chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14.5 oz each ) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz ) can tomato sauce

1 (12 oz) can V-8 juice * this is a new ingredient I have added for those of you who have my recipe already (11/12/08)

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained (can substituted other white beans too)

3 cups beef broth or 2 (14.5 oz) cans beef broth

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8-1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (optional if you like your food with a little kick) 

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 lb Ditali pasta (small tube shaped)

Brown the ground meat in a large saucepan/pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.  Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, except the pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.  About 50 minutes into the simmer time, cook the pasta in a separate pot for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain and rinse (this helps the pasta not absorb the soup). Add the pasta to your pot of soup and simmer for 5-10 minutes then serve.

**This makes a ton of soup--Italian stew.  It freezes nicely, but I have learned from experience that it turns out better if you freeze the soup without the noodles and add them when you thaw and reheat. If not the pasta really breaks down and turns to mush. If you decided to freeze you might want to cut your amount of pasta down in the recipe so you don't end up with a warm pasta salad ;-)

Danish Meatballs

This is a Foodies menu from Jeana Pope.  She got this recipe from a friend who served in Denmark. I made some modifications noted with and *.  Thank you Jeana for this recipe and cultural experience.  This recipe will have to be cut in half if I make it for my little family again. This recipe served 6 adults (3 men, 3 women) and 6 small children with some leftovers.

1 lb ground beef  *Diet Lean meat 93% Fat 

1 lb ground pork (just ask your butcher for it)

2 large eggs

Mix meat and eggs together then add:

4 Tablespoons of breadcrumbs

1/4 cup milk or cream *1 % milk

1 medium onion finely diced

1 clove of garlic minced

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 3/4-1 teaspoon pepper

Form golfball size meatballs/patties and put them in the frying pan over medium heat covered for about 30 minutes. Check temperature of meat to make sure they are done. Use drippings from the meat as a gravy. Serve with pickled red cabbage and mashed potatoes. 

* We served ours with mashed potatoes, squash, fresh tossed green salad, and homemade rolls. I couldn't find the pickled red cabbage. Jeana said you can find it near the pickles in her local Albertsons you might have better luck than we do here in our small town. I also did some looking on the internet these meatballs are a staple for most Danes. They serve it with potatoes broiled, baked, mashed or with rice--take your choice. Most of their recipes are pretty basic without a lot of spices so this was kid friendly.

**Because I used lean meats I didn't have drippings for gravy, so I made a cup of beef base/broth and deglazed the pan with it and then added a flour thickener and salt to taste to make a small amount of gravy.  

Three Cheese Beef Enchiladas

I got this recipe from one of my girlfriends in Billings at "Foodies". She admits she is a picky eater. She loves this as does her kids, and all of my family. It is high calorie and fattening, so how can it not be delicious?

1 lb Hamburger

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese

1- 3 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup salsa (I use my homemade salsa)

1/2 sliced green onion

1 teaspoon cumin

10 flour tortillas (7 if they are Burrito size)

Brown hamburger (I also added some chopped onion), and drain off fat. Combine 1 cup of each cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 onions (I leave out if I have added chopped onion to the brown beef.), 1/4 cup salsa (salsa) and the cumin.  Mix well with the hamburger. Spoon into tortillas and roll. Place in baking dish seam side down. Spoon remaining salsa and remaining cheese over all tortillas. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until desired crunchiness.

Fudderuckers Hamburger Seasoning copy-cat

Okay I love Todd Wilbur and his website TopSecretRecipes.com I have many favorite recipes from his free recipes on his site. We were pleased when we tried his seasoning for Fuddruckers Hamburgers. If you haven't ever been to his site and you love certain foods at a particular resturant check out his site and see if he has your favorite in a copy-cat recipe.

2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper.

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle on hamburger patties before cooking.
Makes 2 Tablespoons

*After making hamburgers with this a couple of times. Jack and I want to try actually mixing it in the meet directly before pounding them into patties. We used 1 Tablespoon per pound (or more depending on how strong you like your flavor).

Tastey Taco Meat

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Echo. It is GREAT! Kid approved! I love it because it is simple, I have all the spices, and I don't have to buy a package from the store.

1 lb Hamburger
¾ cup water
1 medium onion chopped
2 Tablespoons Chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed

Brown hamburger and onion, add remaining ingredients and reduce to desired thickness.

*I love to double or triple this batch and then freeze it. It makes for fast meals when you need something last minute. I am picky about beef after it has been cook then refrigerated. It taste funny to me, but this is one recipe that I can't tell. My family LOVES IT!

Jill’s Crock pot Lasagna (Created 5/3/08)

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon, minced garlic (from a jar is easiest)
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup red cooking wine
1 6 oz can tomato paste
4 cups spaghetti sauce (I used my 1 quart jar of homemade)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked—I use Barilla No Boil Lasagna noodles
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 dash fresh ground black pepper
2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (To cut cost I used 1 cup and only added it on the top finished layer. I didn’t add it in between layers like you typically do on lasagna.)

Brown meat and onions in large skillet and drain off excess fat. Add garlic, mushrooms, salt, wine, spaghetti sauce, and paste, mix well and set aside. In a medium bowl combine egg, ricotta/cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes, and set aside.

Spray crock with cooking oil. Layer in a 5 or 6-quart crock-pot: 4 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread ¼ the cheese mixture over noodles, ¼ of the meat mixture over noodles, and ¼ shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat this layering ending with meat.
Cook on high for 2-3 hours and Low 4-7 or until the noodles feel tender. About 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle with the rest of your mozzarella, cover and let stand until cheese is melted. (This will make it look pretty.) I personally didn’t want to hassle with it so I put it in to cook for the duration with everything else.

The recipe I modified from said it would serve 6. That would be a huge portion!! I fed 6 adults a very nice portion and 6 small children portions and still had leftovers. We also had a slice of bread and a side salad with it.

This recipe brought back a childhood comfort food for Jack and I. My oven has not been so reliable since our move 6 months ago. So I experiment often with my crock-pot. During the summer I have enjoyed using it so I don't have to heat up my non-air conditioned house!

Tater Tot Casserole

32 oz bag frozen tater tots
1 lb. Ground beef, browned
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 (14 ½ oz) cans green beans, drained
10 ¾ oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 Tablespoon dried onion. (I used ¼- ½ cup fresh diced)
¼ cup milk.

Line slow cooker with frozen tater tots.
Combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over potatoes.
Cover. Cook on High for 3* hours.
Sprinkle individual servings with your choice of grated cheese.

*(Time may vary depending on how hot your crock-pot cooks mine took 2 hours on high)