Cheesy Beef & Zucchini Casserole

I have no idea why I made a casserole when it was 100°F in Los Angeles yesterday! Anyway, it was really good and easy to make.

Cheesy Beef & Zucchini Casserole

Serves 6-8

4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 can (15 oz) Italian tomato sauce

Place zucchini in strainer; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10
minutes. Squeeze out moisture.

Combine zucchini with the eggs, Parmesan and half of the mozzarella
and cheddar cheeses. Press into greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through.

Badem Joon

My friend Chris made this Persian eggplant stew called Badem Joon. You can make it with lamb or beef. He served it with basmati rice. It’s really delicious!

Badem Joon

Serves 4

1 lb stew meat
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 large eggplant
1 tomato, chopped
1 Tbs tomato paste
¼ cup lemon juice
1/4-1/2 cup water
½ cup peas

Cut meat into 1” pieces. Heat ½ the oil in a Dutch oven. Add meat and sear. Add onion, cook 5 min.. Add garlic, salt & pepper. Turn down heat and simmer 1-2 hours.

Cut eggplant lengthwise into ¾ inch slices. Place on baking sheet and salt both sides. Place in colander and drain for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dry eggplant slices with paper towels. Brush both sides with remaining olive oil and place on foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

When meat is ready, add tomato, tomato paste, lemon juice and water. Mix. Layer eggplant on top of meat and cook for ½ hour.

If using dry peas, add when meat is cooking (last 45 min.). If using fresh or frozen peas, add last 5 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar) with Gravy

When my brother-in-law, Russell, was in town he visited his friend Jim in Palm Springs, CA, who made these meatballs from his Swedish family in Rockford, Illinois. Russell and I went to Olson’s Delicatessen in LA, which is like walking into a time capsule.

Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar) with Gravy

from my friend Jim in Palm Springs, CA, from his Swedish family in Rockford, Illinois. Olson’s Delicatessen in LA had ready-made meatballs as well as the meat mixture ready to shape into balls, both frozen.

1 lb ground beef
¼ lb ground veal [I couldn’t find this anywhere]
¼ lb ground pork [I used twice as much in place of the veal]
2 cup bread crumbs [panko worked fine]
½ cup milk
1 onion, minced
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tsp allspice (or nutmeg)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup butter

Gravy:
fat left in skillet
¼ tsp garlic (powdered) or 1 clove fresh, minced
5 Tbs butter
[2 Tbs flour—my addition]
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp beef concentrate [I used half of a little Knorr’s tub]
2 cup beef stock
1 tsp aromatic bitters
1 cup sour cream

Meatballs:
Grind meats together twice.  Soak bread crumbs in milk. Add meat and mix well. Sauté onion in 2 Tbs butter. Mix rest of the ingredients, except the ¼ cup butter, with onions; put all together with meat. Mix well and form into 48 small balls. Brown the balls in the remaining ¼ cup butter. Remove from skillet and set aside (keep the fat in the skillet).

Gravy:
Add garlic and 1 Tbs of the butter to the fat left from browning the meatballs. Blend in the rest of the butter and the flour, cook for a minute over medium heat while stirring and then add the other ingredients except the sour cream. Stir until thickened. Pour the sauce into a casserole and let cool for a few minutes. Stir in the sour cream. Add meatballs. Cover and heat in a moderate oven, turning the meatballs in the gravy occasionally.

Tagliata

Today’s guest blogger is Julia from Lawrence, Kansas.

Tagliata means sliced beef in Italian. This recipe is from Nigela Lawson.

Tagliata
Italian Steak with Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 2

2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp dried Oregano
Just under 1 tsp of Kosher Salt
2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
12 oz New York Strip Steak (1 Steak)
8 oz halved Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
few sprigs fresh Oregano (to serve; optional)

In a small dish combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, salt, and red wine vinegar. Oil the steak lightly and place in a hot frying pan. Cook for 2 minutes each side, then remove to the dish of spicy marinade and let sit for 2 minutes each side in the dish.

Remove the steeped steak to a board. Meanwhile, arrange cherry tomatoes, cut-side down, in the marinade dish. Cut the steak into thin slices and arrange on a serving dish.
“Smoosh” tomatoes around in the marinade, then pour over the ribbons of meat. Add a few leaves of fresh oregano, then serve immediately.

Mini Kofta Patties with Tzatziki

The other night, when I made Chicken Zorba, I also made these mini Kofta patties.  They are meant to be made with lamb, but I hate lamb and I made them with ground beef.  Also, they are meant to be shaped onto skewers and grilled, but that’s too much work.  You can eat them in pita bread with the Tzatziki. Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce, that is very refreshing.

Mini Kofta Patties with Tzatziki

4 cloves garlic
1 Tbs kosher salt, plus a pinch
1 lb ground beef chuck or lamb
3 Tbs grated onion
3 Tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for brushing the grill
Tzatziki, recipe follows
Grilled flat bread

Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear mixture to a coarse paste. Mix the paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt with the meat, onion, parsley, and spices.

Line a pan with aluminum foil. Divide the meat mixture into 28 rough balls. Flatten each ball and place on a pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Working in batches, grill the patties, turning occasionally, until brown all over and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki and flat bread.

Tzatziki

Makes 1 1/4 cups

2 cups Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved, and seeded
2 tsp kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/2 clove garlic
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried mint, crumbled

Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into another bowl. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons salt and rub into the cucumber with your hands. Set aside 20 minutes, then squeeze the cucumbers to express as much liquid as possible.

Smash the garlic, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Stir the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mint into the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Japanese Beef Curry

Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912) by the British, at a time when India was under their administration. The dish became popular and available for purchase in supermarkets and restaurants in the late 1960s. It has been adapted since its introduction to Japan, and is so widely consumed that it can be called a national dish.

Vermont Curry ready made curry roux is one of the most popular brands. Though, it is very good, it contains MSG. So here is a recipe from scratch.

Rangiri cut carrots….
Japanese Beef Curry
Matsusaka

1 lb beef, cut into bite-sized cubes
Salt and pepper for the beef
2 1/2 Tbs butter
1 onion, sliced as thin as possible
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into wedges, rangiri style
1 large apple, peeled and coarsely grated
5 cups beef stock
1 tsp salt
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

For the roux:
4 Tbs butter
7 Tbs flour
2 Tbs curry powder – Japanese S&B curry powder or Madras curry powder
2 Tbs garam masala

Season the beef with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a stockpot large enough to hold 5 quarts of liquid, over medium heat. Add the onions, ginger, garlic, carrots and beef. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent and the beef browned. Add the apple, beef stock and salt, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile make the roux. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour. Stir until the butter and flour are mixed. Don’t stop stirring, or the roux will burn! After about 20 minutes or so, the roux will become the “color of a fox,” as the say in Japan, a deep tan color. At this point, add the curry and garam masala, and cook and stir for 30 seconds, until the spices release their aroma. Turn off the heat. Add a ladleful or two of cooking liquid from the stock and mix into a paste.

Add the roux paste into the stockpot, and stir to combine. Add the potatoes. Simmer uncovered on low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 1 hour, or until the beef becomes tender and the curry thick. Serve the curry with Japanese short grained rice on the side.

Stew in a Pumpkin

Serve a beef stew in a hallowed out pumpkin for your Halloween party.

Stew in a Pumpkin

Serves 8-10

2½ Tbs oil, divided use
2 lbs rump or chuck roast, trimmed well, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
21 oz beef broth
1 dozen pitted dried plums (prunes)
6 oz dried apricots, snipped in half
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 new potatoes, cubed
10 oz frozen corn kernels
1 large pumpkin, interior seeds and strings removed

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Sauté meat until brown. Do this in batches if necessary.

Separately, in remaining oil heated in a large heavy pot, sauté onion, garlic and red pepper until tender. Add all other ingredients except corn and cook one hour. Add corn.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

If necessary to make it sit flat, trim the bottom of the pumpkin slightly. You will also want to make the opening at the top large enough to transfer the mixture into the pumpkin, and to serve it out with a ladle and/or scoop.

Place the pumpkin on a heavy baking sheet,and transfer the stew mixture to the interior. Cover with pumpkin top or foil and bake for 1½ hours, until the interior flesh of the pumpkin seems tender when tested with a fork.

Carefully remove pumpkin from the oven (this may require two people) as the shell will have softened. Serve the stew in the pumpkin, scooping out some of the pumpkin inside with each serving.

Do not store leftovers in the pumpkin.

Beef and Mushroom Stew

Last night I made this stew.  It’s kind of unusual because the only vegetables in it are mushrooms.  I love using cremini mushrooms, which are baby portobello mushrooms.   They have a have a deeper, earthier flavor than whites.

You can serve this stew over a bed of noodles or mashed potatoes.  I chose mashed potatoes.

Beef and Mushroom Stew

Serves 8

2 lbs beef stew meat (sirloin cut Into cubes)
2 Tbs flour
4 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
2 whole shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz, weight cremini or white button mushrooms, cut in half
½ cup red wine
½ can beef consommé
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta – cooked and drained
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbs flour

Sprinkle flour over meat. Toss to coat.

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy pot. Sear meat over high heat in batches; remove to a plate when brown.

Add shallots and garlic to pan; sauté for 2 minutes over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and consommé (and add an extra half can of water at this time as well.) Then add salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Bring to a boil, then add back into the mix the browned meat. Reduce heat to low. Add thyme sprigs to pot.

Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. After that time, mix 2 tablespoons flour with a little water and pour into the stew. Allow to cook and thicken for ten more minutes. Turn off heat and allow stew to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Goulash Soup

Last week, I posted a recipe for Goulash in a slow cooker. Here is another take on Goulash as a soup. It’s very simple to make and instead of serving it over noodles, you put in diced potatoes.

Gulaschsuppe (Goulash Soup)

2 Tbs olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 Tbs minced garlic
3 bell peppers, chopped
3 Tbs tomato paste
1 lb beef, in 1 inch cubes
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp paprika
6 cups beef stock
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 cup potatoes, peeled and cubes
sea salt
pepper

Heat oil.  Sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic, peppers and tomato paste.  Cook for 10 minutes.

Add beef, caraway seeds, paprika, stock and lemon juice.

Simmer for about 1 1/4 hours Add potatoes and continue simmering until meat and potatoes are tender.

Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Beef Goulash in a Slow Cooker

Goulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices originating in Hungary. It is one of Hungary’s national dishes and a symbol of the country. 

Beef Goulash in a Slow Cooker

Serves 8

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 lbs boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
¼ cup sweet paprika
1 Tbs ground caraway
1 tsp ground coriander
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
Sour cream and buttered noodles, for serving

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Brown half of the short ribs in the skillet over moderately high heat, about 12 minutes. Transfer them to a slow cooker with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining short ribs.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and carrots and cook over low heat, stirring, until the onion is barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, caraway and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the stock, thyme and bay leaves, cover and bring to a boil on high. Cook for 4 hours, until the meat is very tender. Discard the bay leaves and thyme and spoon off as much fat from the sauce as possible. Serve the goulash in deep bowls with a dollop of sour cream and buttered noodles.

Make Ahead –  The goulash can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.