You know, like when you know something is delicious and you want some but you don't eat it because your friends think it's cool not to. Lots of folks are like that today.
Hey, if that's you...naaah, you wouldn't have clicked on "Easy Beef" if you just wanted to read about what wonderful things you can do with it. You want to eat that nasty, delicious stuff.
And these remarkably quick recipes just might lure some of your I-hardly-eat-meat-anymore friends back to beef. Talk to those friends That's right, tell them about QuickEats Plus.com.
These quick and easy recipes aren't just the old favorites: hamburgers, pot roast, steak. Of course, we offer some of those but you'll also find some new and just as delicious ways to prepare it. And you will start and finish each sensational dish in about half-an-hour or less, like all our recipes.
So have a ball, Beef-Lover. Try one tonight.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high and rub it with a piece of fat from the steaks. Cook steaks, turning once and seasoning after turning with salt and pepper, to the desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks to warm plates.
Add shallot to pan and cook in the meat juices until translucent, then add a little butter if the pan seems dry.
Add the wine, bring to a boil and reduce by a third. Remove pan from heat, swirl in butter and spoon sauce over the steaks.
Ground Beef & Spinach Crumble
Serves 3 or 4
Mushrooms, spinach and beef; sounds like a great one-dish meal to me.
1 & ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground beef, crumbled
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 lb white & baby bella shrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp each pepper and dried oregano
Pinch ground nutmeg
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
3 eggs
Grated Parmesan cheese
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium temp, heat onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is soft .
Add ground beef and brown.
Add mushrooms; reduce heat and continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring occasionally,.
Stir in salt, pepper, oregano, nutmeg and spinach; cook for about 5 minutes longer, stirring several times, until spinach is limp.
Reduce heat to low and break eggs over meat mixture. Immediately stir just until eggs begin to set. Plate and sprinkle cheese over each serving to taste.
Sounds kinda crazy but it’s good and something new to do with ground beef.
Pepper Steak - Korean Style
Serves 2
A full meat, veggie and starch dinner too quick and easy to admit.
1/2 lb sirloin, sliced diagonally into thin strips
1 cup bite-size pieces red or green bell pepper (or 1/2 c of each)
1 cup bite-size pieces onion
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 Tbsp rice-wine vinegar
Put all the ingredients into a large ziplock bag. Zip and shake like mad.
Pour it all into a hot cast-iron skillet, stirring frequently until the meat is seared and the vegetables soften (about 2 to 3 minutes).
“Yeah, what else?”
Well, unless you want to eat this with a spoon like soup toss a done-in-90 seconds bag of rice in the nuker while the zippy concoction is cooking. You’ll serve a complete and exciting meal in about 15 or 20 minutes.
Asian “Salisbury” Steaks
Serves 4
Health concerns aside, 90% lean ground beef can be a little tasteless. But in this recipe there are enough flavoring agents that you won’t miss the other 10 or 20% fat content that makes for a great hamburger. This is NOT a hamburger, it’s a “steak”!
12 oz 90%-lean ground beef
3/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp hoisin sauce, divided
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 tsp canola oil, divided
4 bunches watercress, trimmed
1/2 cup seasoned rice wine
Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat the broiler. Coat a broiler pan and rack with cooking spray.
Mix beef, bell pepper, scallions, breadcrumbs, 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce and ginger in a medium bowl until just combined. Form the mixture into 4 oval patties and place on the broiler-pan rack. Brush the tops of the patties with oil. Broil, flipping once, until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat, add watercress and cook, stirring often, until just wilted, 1 to 3 minutes. Divide it among 4 plates.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add rice wine and the rest of the hoisin sauce. Stir until smooth, bubbling and slightly reduced, about a minute.
Finally, place the steaks on the watercress and drizzle with the wonderful pan sauce. What a dish you've made!
Almost-Chili Beef 'n Beans
Serves 4
"Almost" because it doesn't have cumin or chili powder and because it does have pork & beans and ketchup (or do you say, "catsup"). I think you'll like this a lot but don't expect "chili" even if it looks like it.
1-1/2 lb ground beef
1 red or green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
1 can (16 oZ) baked beans
1 can (15 oZ) navy beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup A-1 or other steak sauce
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat saute onion in veggie oil for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the bell pepper & ground beef and cook, stirring enough to keep the meat broken up about 6 or 7 minutes more. Pour off drippings; stir in salt and pepper.
Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, then reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve in bowls.
Click here if you want real chili recipes
Stinky Gorgonzola Burgers
Serves 6
Someone told me that, in Italian, gorgonzola means “smelly-socks-you-wore-all-day”. I didn’t believe him until I opened the package of cheese. But don’t be afraid; once you grill them these burgers smell fine and really taste great.
1-1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (4 oz)
1/3 cup snipped dried oil-pack tomatoes
1 Tbsp snipped fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
6 sourdough rolls, split and toasted
Sliced red onions
Sliced tomatoes
Combine beef, 3/4 cup of the Gorgonzola cheese, all but 1 Tbsp of the snipped dried tomatoes, the thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Shape mixture into 6 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.
Place burger patties on the lightly oiled rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat. Grill for 14 to 18 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in centers registers 160 F, flipping once once halfway through grilling.
Remove burgers from grill. Top with remaining Gorgonzola (?) and snipped dried tomatoes. Serve on toasted rye or sourdough rolls with sliced red onions and tomatoes.
Chicken-Fried Steak
Serves 4Why “Chicken-Fried”? I don’t know. If you do, please tell me.
1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons pepper, divided
1 to 1 & 1/2 lb cubed round steaks
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1//8 tsp baking soda
1 cup water
Vegetable oil
1 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth
Sprinkle 1 tsp each of salt and pepper evenly over steaks. Set aside.
Stir together remaining 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 1 & 1/2 cups flour in a shallow dish. Stir baking soda into 1 cup water in a bowl.
Dip each steak in water mixture, and dredge in flour mixture.
Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a large heavy skillet; heat to 360°. Fry steaks 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan. Keep steaks warm in a 225° oven. Drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 2 Tbsp drippings in skillet.
Whisk remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining 1/4 cup flour into drippings in skillet; cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat I minute. Whisk in broth; cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Serve with the steaks.
Click here for some real chicken recipes
Minute Steak with Mushroom Sauce
Serves 4-6
Sorry about the canned soup but we do use REAL mushrooms. You do want “quick and easy”,don’t you?
1 (10%-oz) can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 to 1&1/2 lb cubed sirloin
steaks
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 (8-oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Whisk together soup and next 3 ingredients until smooth; set aside.
Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper evenly over steaks. Stir together remaining salt, pepper, and flour in a shallow dish. Dredge steaks in flour mixture.
Fry steaks in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side. Remove steaks, reserving drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms and thyme, and saute 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir reserved soup mixture into mushroom mixture in skillet; cook 1 minute, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Bring to a boil (if you don’t have a boil a pimple will do – Just kidding AGAIN), and return steaks to skillet. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until done.
Click here for more quick and easy sauces
Burgers Argentine
Serves 6 (if no one wants seconds-and they will)
Why “Argentine”? It’s the sauce: chimichurri is the basic grilling sauce in Argentina. This recipe assumes you can’t find chimichurri sauce in a bottle. Even if you can, make your own anyway; it’s a lot cheaper.
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsn sea salt or coarse salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 lb lean ground beef
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
6 of your favorite buns or rolls, split and toasted
Sliced tomatoes and onions as garnish
Create the chimichurri in your blender, combining the cumin, cilantro, parsley, vinegar, red pepper,and salt. Blend on lowest speed, slowly adding the oil.
Squoosh (=to mix with your hands) the 1/4 tp salt, and the ground red pepper into the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Shape into 12 patties, then spoon about 1 Tbsp of the chimichurri onto the center of each of 6 patties. Top with remaining patties and pinch the edges to seal.
Place burger patties on the lightly oiled rack of the grill directly over medium heat and grill for about 20 minutes turning once halfway through.
Brush rolls with some of the chimichurri sauce. Top with burgers, the rest of the sauce, and tomatoes and onions.
Click here for more quick and easy BBQ recipes
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Burger & Salsa Wrap
Serves 4
I'd call these burritos but with one end open that would be incorrect. So it's a wrap. Make it a burrito by adding a little less filling and folding the top down.
1-1/4 lb ground beef
1-1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained well
1-1/4 cups prepared chunky salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
8 8 inch flour tortillas, warmed
Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking up into small crumbles. Pour off drippings; season with chili powder, salt, cumin and pepper.
Stir in spinach and salsa; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.
Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla, leaving 1-1/2 inch border at bottom. Fold bottom edge up over filling, right and left sides to center and you've made a Beef & Salsa Wrap.
Click here for more wraps & sandwiches
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St. Paddy's Day Steaks
Serves 4
Small, thick steaks are best. To honor the Irish origin of this quick & easy serve with mashed spuds, fried onions, mushrooms and peas.
4 8-12 oz sirloin steaks, small & thick, at room temperature
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1 & ¼ cups whipping cream
1Ttbsp butter
1 tsp o11
Salt and ground black pepper
Heat a heavy pan, over high heat. Season the steaks with pepper. When hot, add the oil and butter, swirl it around the pan and add the steaks one at a time to seal the meat quickly.
Lower the heat to moderate and, assuming the steaks are an inch to an inch-and-a half thick, cook for 1 & 1/2 to 2 minutes per side if you like them rare (like I do) or 2 & 1/2 to 3 minutes for medium. If you like them - Ugh - well done give them another minute per side. And don't keep flipping the meat; turn them just once.
When the steaks are cooked to your liking. transfer them to plates and place in a barely warm oven while you make the sauce.
Pour off the fat from the pan and add the whiskey stirring and scraping to remove the delicious remnants. Allow it to reduce a little, then add the cream and simmer over low heat for a few minutes, until the cream thickens. Add salt & pepper to taste and pour it over the steaks. Serve them immediately.
Seared Sirloin Steaks with Shrooms
Serves 6-8
A cast-iron skillet is my favorite for searing or blackening any meat or fish, and they’re not expensive.
2 sirloin steaks, ¾ inch thick, 6-8 oz each
1/4 c chicken stock
1/2 c thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper; to taste
Sear the steaks in a skillet on medium high (about 2 to 3 minutes per side), seasoning each side with a pinch of pepper as the other side cooks. Remove the steaks from the skillet, and reduce the heat to medium.
Put the olive oil, thyme, and garlic in the skillet & stir about 30 seconds scraping with a spoon to release those great crispy little bits left behind by the meat.
.
Add the stock (hey, how about red wine instead?) and mushrooms, stirring about 2 or 3 minutes until the mushrooms soften, but not so long that they get mushy.
Now pour that wonderful sauce over the steak and/or a mound of brown rice and dig in.
Cheesy Beef & Onion Casserole
Serves 6-8
I think this dish qualifies as “comfort food”, don't you? And don’t fret about using canned soup; it’s just so much quicker than making a sauce from scratch.
2 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 dashes Tabasco
1 tsp oregano
1 10-oz can mushrooms, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 10-oz can cream of celery soup
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8-oz package shredded Mozzarella cheese
Preheat: 350 degrees
Cook spinach; drain well, and squeeze dry. Set aside.
In a skillet, saute onions and garlic about 3 minutes until softened. Add ground beef and break it up as it browns to avoid ending up with a giant burger.
Add Tabasco, mushrooms, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer 5 minutes.
Add spinach, sour cream and soup. Heat thoroughly and pour into an oiled casserole and top with cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until brown and bubbly.
Steak & Spinach Roll-Up Roast
Serves 4
Serve a salad with this delicious meat & veggie combo and you've got one of the easiest meals ever.
8 slices bacon
1 to 1 1/2-pound beef flank steak
3/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 Tbsp fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
Dash salt
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
ln a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat for a few minutes just until brown but not crisp. Remove from skillet; drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Score both sides of steak by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals in a diamond pattern. Place steak between two pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. With a meat mallet pound steak into a roughly 12x8-inch rectangle. Remove plastic wrap (duuh) and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of the lemon-pepper seasoning and the 1/4 tsp salt. Arrange bacon lengthwise on steak.
For the stuffing combine spinach, bread crumbs, thyme, the remaining l/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning, and the dash salt. Spread over bacon.
Starting from a short side, roll up the steak and secure with cooking twine. Roast for about 12 minutes for medium doneness, more or less to taste.
Asian Pepper Steak
Serves 4
You'll keep moving putting this Asian delight together, but in only about 15 minutes you can take your bow and sit down to dinner.
12 oz 90%-lean ground beef
3/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp hoisin sauce, divided
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 tsp canola oil, divided
4 bunches watercress, trimmed
1/2 cup rice wine or dry sherry
Place rack in upper third of oven; preheat the broiler. Coat a broiler pan and rack with cooking spray.
Gently mix beef, bell pepper, scallions, breadcrumbs, 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce and ginger in a medium bowl until just combined. Form the mixture into 4 oblong patties and place on the broiler-pan rack. Brush the tops with 1 tsp oil. Broil, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3 or 4 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add watercress and saute 1 to 3 minutes. Divide the watercress among 4 plates.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add rice wine (or sherry) and the remaining 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce and stir until smooth, bubbling and slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
Top the watercress with the steaks and drizzle with the pan sauce. You've created a really exciting dish in about 15 minutes - aren't you proud?.
Carbonada (Beef With Onions & Wine)
Serves 4
Beef with onions. Ho-hum. No, NOT ho-hum. In a little less than half-an-hour this Italian version will become a very special easy beef favorite. A hearty red wine is the braising liquid but in a Belgian or German version it would probably be beer. Glad you asked.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz pancetta cubed
2 medium onions, sliced
2 lbs braising beef (boneless chuck works), cut into 1 1/2 in chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
2 tsp tomato paste
In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. When hot, add the pancetta. When it browns up, 3 to 5 minutes, reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat until hot, add the beef chunks in a single layer but don't crowd them. Stir them occasionally to brown all sides, then add the salt and pepper to taste.
Now add the beef, chopped sage, bay leaves, tomato paste and wine to the pancetta-onion mixture. Increase the heat until boiling, then immediately reduce heat to bring to a simmer.
Continue to simmer until the meat is tender and the wine turns slightly syrupy (say that 5 times fast), 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your pot.
Discard the bay leaves and serve immediately over polenta or rice, or with potatoes. While the dish is simmering you have time for any of them.
Click Here for More Easy Italian Recipes
A major newspaper recently interviewed butchers & other beef “experts” on tips for choosing steaks. The top tips or things to look for were:
Choose steaks with some marbling of fat (little white flecks in the center) to enhance flavor…
Steaks should be cut evenly to cook uniformly…
Go for no less than 1 inch thickness to reduce chances of overcooking (unless you’re one of those who like their steaks crisp).
Don’t trim fat until meat has been cooked since it helps steaks keep their shape & enhances flavor…
Cook round or chuck steaks slowly, not on the grill. Save the grill for Porterhouse, NY strip, T-bone or any steak with “rib” in its name…
Expect Select graded beef to be leaner and therefore tougher than Choice, the next grade up. Prime is best but hard to find except in very pricey stores or fine restaurants…
Don’t slash to check for doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer (about $10)…
Finally, what was the favorite steak of these experts? Almost unanimously, the rib-eye. In fact, that’s what the USDA looks at in beef carcasses to determine grade.
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Ginger-Orange Stir-Fry
Serves 4
Placed in the center of a large serving bowl of thin noodles this is as pretty a dish as it is delicious and exciting.
1 lb lean Choice sirloin, cut into thin strips
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 Thsp light soy sauce
l tsp corn meal
l inch piece of fresh ginger root, finely chopped
1 Thsp sunfloweror canola oi
l
1 large carrot, julienned (cut into very thin ships)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Noodles to serve
Place the beef strips in a bowl and sprinkle with the orange rind and juice and marinate for 10 minutes. Use this time to do the noodles.
Remove the beef to another bowl and stir soy sauce, corn flour & ginger into the orange mixture.
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the beef. Stir-fry for a minute until lightly colored, then add the carrot and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes more.
Stir in the spring onions and reserved liquid and stir, until boiling and thickened.
Serve hot over noodles (or rice).
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15 Minute Beef Stew
Serves 6
Ok, so we use a few "prepared" ingredients for this easy beef stew. How else do you think you could do stew in a quarter hour?
Very important - use choice or prime sirloin or you might find it a bit chewy.
1 lb beef boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1-lb bag frozen stew vegetables, thawed and drained (Use the microwave to thaw or you won't make 15 minutes)
1 15 oz can chunky garlic-and-herb tomato sauce
1 14 oz can beef broth
2 5 1/2 oz cans spicy V8-type juice
Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray & heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef in skillet about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Maybe it took 20 minutes; that's still pretty great for hearty beef stew.
Asian Beef & Vegetables
Serves 6
Served with warmed flour tortillas you've got another Asian-Mexican cooperative venture - and a tasty one, at that.
1 cup spicy stir-fry sauce
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (grate zest first)
1 flank steak (about 1&1/2 lb)
1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb), cut in 1/2-in cubes (4 cups)
Nonstick spray
1&1/4 lb baby or regular bok choy cut crosswise in 1-in pieces (6 cups)
4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms(no stems), caps cut in 1/2-in slices
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup each chopped cashews and sliced scallions.
Heat oven to 500ºF with racks set to divide oven in thirds.
Mix 3/4 cup stir-fry sauce and the juice in a large ziptop bag. Add steak and shake it up - be real sure the zipper is zipped.
For quick and easy clean-up, line 2 rimmed baking sheets with nonstick foil then spread eggplant on 1 baking sheet; coat with nonstick spray. Remove steak from marinade and place it on the other baking sheet. Place steak on higher oven rack, eggplant on lower.
Roast 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted from side into thickest part of steak registers 145ºF for medium-rare. Transfer to cutting board; let rest.
5. Remove eggplant from oven, add bok choy and mushrooms; toss to mix. Coat with nonstick spray. Roast 5 minutes more and remove.
Mix remaining 1/4 cup of stir-fry sauce, the honey and zest. Pour over vegetables; toss to coat. Thinly slice meat across the grain. Serve steak and vegetables with cashews and scallions.
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Orange Beef Stir-fry
Serves 4
It would be a shame to eat this easy dish out of one of those white paper carry-out boxes with the wire handle. So make this terrific Asian beef creation yourself and serve with cloth napkins and a nice wine.
2 large oranges
3 Tbsp. dry sherry
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 lb. lean boneless top sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1½ Cups bean sprouts
1 & 1/2 Cups fresh Chinese pea pods, ends and strings removed (isn't that a pain-in-the-neck?)
Grate outer peel from 1 orange. Squeeze juice from both oranges. Measure juice; if you have less than 3/4 cup, add enough water to equal this amount.
In a small bowl, stir together orange peel, orange juice, sherry, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat a wok or wide nonstick fiying pan
over high heat, When pan is hot, add beef and ginger. Stir until beef is browned (3-4 minutes). With a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl.
Pour orange juice mixture into pan and bring to a simmer. Add bean sprouts and pods; stir about a minute until pea pods turn a brighter green. Mix in beef and, you know...eat 'em up, yum,yum.
Quick Chili with Chiles
Serves 4 TO 6
Real chili from scratch in under 30 minutes. Wow! If you want to "beef up" this beef-y dish serve some cooked elbow macaroni and oyster crackers with it. Now it'll serve twice as many - and I'll bet they'll love it twice as much.
1 & 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 7 or 8 oz can diced green chiles
1 large onion,chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 or 15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Salt
1 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Crumble beef into a 4-5 quart pan; add chiles, onion, garlic, and vinegar. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and onion is soft (about 8 minutes). Spoon off and discard fat.
To beef mixture, add chili powder, oregano, and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes and their liquid; then stir in beans. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt.
Serve with shredded cheese to sprinkle over individual servings.
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Quick and Easy Beef Sukiyaki
Serves 2
Easy to make, yummy to eat, hard to spell.
1/2 Cup condensed beef consommé
1/4 Cup dry sherry
1/4 Cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
4 oz. packaged triple-washed baby
spinach
1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
8 oz. lean sirloin, trimmed and thinly sliced across grain
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 medium-size onion, thinly sliced
1 Cup sliced mushrooms
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
Hot cooked rice
Stir together consomme, sherry, soy sauce, and sugar. Set aside. Remove any coarse stems from spinach and set it aside.
Heat oil in a wide nonstick fiying pan over
high heat. Add beef and ginger; stir until beef is browned (2 to 3 minutes). With
a slotted spoon, transfer beef and ginger to a bowl.
Add sliced onion and mushrooms to pan;
stir about 3 minutes or until onion is soft and mushrooms are tinged with brown. Add green onions and spinach; stir a minute or so until spinach is wilted.
Add consommé mixture, then return beef to pan and bring to a boil, stirring.
And that's it. Serve over rice (brown rice is better for you but that white stuff is really good.)
Viennese Beef Cutlet & Onions
Serves 4 or 5
In the Old Country, they call this "Zwiebelrostbraten" - and you thought "sukiyaki" was tough to spell.
How about if we just call it "Easy Beef & Onions"?
2 thin slices boneless sirloin steak (1 & 1/2 to 2 lbs. in all)
2 Tbsp. oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Place the steaks between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper and pound with a kitchen mallet to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Make shallow cuts at I-inch intervals in the outside rim of fat so the steaks will lie flat and cook evenly.
Heat 2 Tbsps. of oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle meat lightly with salt and pepper and dip one side in flour, shaking off excess. Brown the floured side first for about 5 minutes and turn with kitchen tongs to brown the unfloured side for about 3 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in another skillet, add the sliced onions, and sauté until golden, turning them frequently to avoid burning.
Remove the steaks when done leaving a tablespoon or two of fat in the pan, add about 3 or 4 tablespoons of water to the pan drippings, and with a wooden spoon scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir for a few minutes over medium heat until well blended.
Transfer steaks to a warmed platter, pour the gravy over, and top with sautéed onions.
Since this is an Austrian recipe how about spaetzle as an accompaniment. What's spaetzle? Teeny-Tiny little noodles you can probably find in the imported food section of your most upscale supermarket.
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Steak with Warm Tomato Salsa
Serves 2
Use rib-eye, sirloin or filet — whatever. This delicious combo of beef, tomatoes & scallions will quickly create a terrific dinner.
2 Steaks, about 3/4 inch thick
4 Large plum tomatoes
2 Spring onions (scallions)
1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
To peel tomatoes place them in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. After a minute or two the skins start to loosen & split and you can just zip 'em off.
Drain and peel the tomatoes, then halve them and scoop out the seeds. Dice the tomato flesh. Thinly slice the spring onions.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the steaks for about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare or a little longer if you like your steak well done (Bo-o-o-o!). Transfer the steaks to plates.
To the cooking juices in the pan add the vegetables, balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tbsp water and a little seasoning. Stir briefly until warm, scraping up any of that wonderful steak residue.
Spoon the salsa over the steaks and serve with a nice (not a nasty one, please) salad and a quick and easy green veggie.
