Meatball Subs January 25, 2011
Posted by elly in beef, sandwiches.11 comments
Cooking with a little one has been much harder than I anticipated. It’s not that he’s fussy during dinner or anything, it’s just that there is NO time during the week. We’ve been trying to eat together as a family but that isn’t always easy or possible. During the week, it’s a blink of an eye between the time Zachary gets home from daycare and goes to sleep. I’d much rather be playing with him for that short time than be in the kitchen, that’s for sure. As a result, I’ve started trying to prep more things on the weekend or the night before, after Zachary’s gone to sleep to get things done quickly the next evening. We still don’t always eat as a family (Tom & I often eat dinner after Zachary is asleep), but either way, things are made easier with prep work.
Every minute of my day from about 6am to 7pm is booked solid. And I mean every minute. I’ve been using minutes I didn’t even know I had. Like those 10 minutes I normally have to sit down for a second in the morning before leaving for work? Those were used to chop and sauté the vegetables for these meatballs. The night before, when Zachary went to bed, I made the sauce (part of it was used for these subs, and the rest for chicken parmesan – look at me, so resourceful!).
With that said, these do come together pretty quickly and easily, even if you don’t make them in, like, 7 parts. :) They’re tasty and comforting and, since I used lean ground beef and part-skim mozzarella, really not bad for you, either. We had these with a Caesar salad for a complete meal.
I made the meatballs and sauce pretty similarly to the way I make them for spaghetti and meatballs. I had an extra half of a red bell pepper in my fridge so I decided to dice that and throw it into the meatball mixture, which was a nice addition that added a little bit of sweetness. I made a few other tweaks here and there.
Meatball Subs
Serves 4
Printer Friendly Recipe
2 cups pasta sauce (recipe follows)
1 recipe meatballs (recipe follows)
4 hoagie rolls
olive oil
1 garlic clove, cut in half
4 slices mozzarella or provolone cheese
Sauce
Makes about 3.5 cups
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (29 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup water or broth
salt and pepper to taste
Meatballs
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 cup parmesan or romano cheese
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
To make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook off for about a minute or two. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring the sauce to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes or longer. For a thicker sauce, simmer covered. For a thinner sauce, simmer uncovered.
To make the meatballs: Place the breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and sauté until tender, then stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
To the bowl with the breadcrumbs and milk, add the sautéed vegetables, egg, parsley, cheese, ground beef, oregano, salt (about a tsp.) and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs.
You can bake the meatballs (400 for about 12 minutes), pan fry them, or just plop them in the sauce to cook. This is your choice. I usually bake them about 10 minutes and then finish them off in the sauce.
To assemble the subs: Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the split hoagie rolls and place in a hot oven or under the broiler until toasty. Immediately rub the buns with the cut garlic clove.
Slice the cheese in half (into triangles) and place 2 triangles on each roll. Stick the buns in the oven or under the broiler once more, just until the cheese melts.
Spoon 1/2 cup of sauce and 3 meatballs into each roll, and serve.
Queso Fundido Burgers September 7, 2010
Posted by elly in beef, mexican/tex-mex, pork, sandwiches.14 comments
Dear readers, I may have found my new favorite burger.
First of all, I will never tire of roasted poblanos. Never ever EVER. I truly believe that I throw at least one poblano per week over a gas burner to char away. They are so earthy and delicious, with just a little bit of spice. They give amazing flavor to absolutely anything you add them to. Anything. I mean it.
Second of all, there is chorizo in this burger and well, how can you dislike anything with chorizo?
Third, chipotles in adobo. I don’t care that some people are saying the chipotle in adobo thing is a fad, or they’re overused or whatever. The fact of the matter is they cannot be overused because, like poblanos, they give new dimension to everything they’re added to.
I actually came across this recipe because I was googling away for chorizo ideas, since I had some leftover from the queso fundido. When I saw the title “queso fundido burger” I knew it would be a hit because, clearly, I love me some queso fundido. When I realized that the recipe was from Rick Bayless, who has never steered me wrong, I was dead set on making these.
I’m so glad I did. These were absolutely delicious. The chorizo in the patties, combined with the chipotle, gives these burgers just enough kick. The poblanos and onions add a little sweetness and earthiness to the burger, and the cheese adds…well, ooey, gooey, goodness. My husband and I both loved these, and I definitely want to make them again soon. Tom also grilled up some sweet potato wedges, which served as an excellent side.
Queso Fundido Burger
Serves 4
Adapted from Rick Bayless
2 medium poblano chilies
2 tsp. canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced 1/4″ thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. chorizo, removed from casings, cooked/crumbled and cooled
1-2 chipotles in adobo, finely minced
salt
4 thick slices chihuahua, Monterey jack, or asadero cheese
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted
Place the chilies over a gas flame (you could also do this under the broiler), turning occasionally, until well-charred on all sides, about 5 minutes. Place the chilies in a bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Once cool enough to handle, rub the skin off and slice into strips, removing the stem and seeds.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to brown, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the poblano strips and the garlic and cook for two minutes. Season with salt and set aside, but keep them warm.
Combine the ground beef, chorizo, chipotle, and about a tsp. of salt until combined. Form the mixture into four patties.
Grill over medium high about 4-5 minutes total for medium rare. Spoon the poblano/onion mixture on top of the burgers, and then top each with a slice of cheese. Close the lid and continue cooking until the cheese has melted, about one minute. Serve on toasted buns.
Sirloin Burgers with BBQ Caramelized Onions & Cheddar August 23, 2010
Posted by elly in beef, sandwiches.9 comments
I’ve been on a burger kick lately. In fact, this is one of three burgers currently sitting on my camera’s memory stick, ready to be posted. And there may be another by the time I get around to posting them all!
This burger is pretty classic as far as burgers go. The patty is simply seasoned and topped with sharp cheddar. I love caramelized onions, so I decided to add those as well as some barbecue sauce to the burger, too. The barbecue sauce goes great with the cheddar and caramelized onions complement…well, pretty much anything.
I used ground sirloin for these. I know there is a “rule” that you should make burgers with 80/20 beef or something similar, but I have always preferred the taste of sirloin, and since I don’t overmix or overcook the patties, I don’t really have much of an issue with them staying juicy and tender. Plus, sirloin is so much healthier. Of course, if you prefer a ground beef with a higher fat content, by all means, use that here, or use a mix of chuck and sirloin – which is a great way to get some more fat and juiciness from the chuck, and flavor from the sirloin.
Sirloin Burgers with BBQ Caramelized Onions and Cheddar
Serves 4
Printer Friendly Recipe
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large vidalia onion, sliced
1 tsp. honey
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 to 1.25 lbs. ground sirloin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1.5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 toasted buns
In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once hot, stir in the onions and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the onions are a dark golden brown, about 20-25 minutes longer. Stir in the honey and cook an additional minute or so before adding the barbecue sauce.
Meanwhile, lightly mix together the sirloin, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Form the mixture into four patties. Grill, broil, or pan-fry (I cooked them stove-top, in a cast iron skillet) until done to your liking. Add the cheese and cover the pan or grill, just to melt. Top the burgers with the onions and serve on buns with your desired garnishes.
Chipotle Beef Tacos with Caramelized Onions August 2, 2010
Posted by elly in beef, goat cheese, mexican/tex-mex.19 comments
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Rick Bayless recipe. It’s also been a while since I’ve posted anything but chicken lately, apparently. Two birds, one stone!
Mexican Everyday has easily become on of my favorite cookbooks. Tom’s never used it, but he claims it’s one of his, too, since he’s really enjoyed every recipe from it. I do have one small qualm about the book, and that is that several of the recipes ask you to make a significant amount of marinade and “save the rest for another time” rather than just having you make a smaller portion or simply telling you to use, say, 1/2 cup of the marinade found on page 24. Similarly, this recipe calls for a can of chipotles in adobo, asks you to puree them, and then save what you don’t use for later. Instead, I just pureed about 4 chipotles and a little adobo sauce.
At any rate, these tacos were delicious and could not possibly be easier. Who doesn’t like a 1-ingredient marinade? Well, I guess technically this isn’t even a marinade, but I made it one. The chipotle was nice and smoky and spicy and paired wonderfully with the caramelized onions. I topped our tacos with some goat cheese because really, what’s a taco without cheese? The goat cheese was a tangy, cool counterpart to the spicy beef & onions. Quite honestly, I don’t think you need extra salsa or hot sauce because the tacos are flavorful enough, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
These are also fairly healthy. I don’t think I used a whole 3 Tbsp. of oil to be honest and even if you do, it’s less than a tablespoon per person with no other major calorie bombs. Flank steak is quite lean and corn tortillas are perfectly healthy, when they aren’t fried. :)
Chipotle Beef Tacos with Caramelized Onions
Serves 4
Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
4-5 chipotles in adobo
1 lb. skirt or flank steak
3 Tbsp. canola, divided
2 medium onions, sliced 1/4″ thick
12 warm corn tortillas
sea salt
goat cheese (optional)
Smoky chipotle salsa, bottled salsa, or hot sauce for serving
Puree the chipotles in a small food processor until smooth. Brush each side of the steak with a light smear of the chipotle (go a little heavier on flank steak). Marinate for an hour or two in the fridge or for up to 20-30 minutes on the counter.
Turn the oven to the lowest setting.
Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden but still a little crunchy, about 5 minutes. (I took them a little further, because I prefer my caramelized onions to be a little softer). Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and set in the heated oven.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, and add the remaining Tbsp. of oil. Once hot, lay in the steak, and cook until it’s done to your liking (3 minutes per side for medium-rare skirt steak, 5 minutes per side for medium-rare flank steak). Let the meat rest (it’s best to do it on a wire rack over a plate or dish in the oven) for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Toss the meat with the onions, and season to taste with the salt (about 1 tsp.).
Serve with the warmed tortillas, goat cheese, and salsa.
Marsala Burgers May 31, 2010
Posted by elly in beef, sandwiches.14 comments
Did you know that May is National Hamburger Month? Well, to be honest, neither did I. I made these burgers not because of the food holiday, but because they looked fabulous, and I finally had a bottle of marsala in the kitchen. Whatever the reason for making them, I’m glad I did! Tom and I love chicken marsala, and we both always get mushrooms on our burgers. In fact, I don’t really think a pizza is a pizza and a burger is a burger without mushrooms.
Tara is the one who thought to adapt Giada’s veal marsala into these burgers. I love adapting certain dishes to making other ones entirely – kind of like I did with the baklava French toast (um, disregard the pic) and French onion chicken, for example. The crusty baguette was a great touch, and instead of sharp cheddar I used smoked gouda. It’s one of my favorite cheeses and I knew it would complement the mushrooms and marsala well (it did). I used lean ground sirloin because I like the flavor and also because the patties go back into the sauce briefly, which makes them really moist, so there’s no need to worry about the lower fat content (in my opinion). These were great, and I’d definitely make them again. They’re a great spin on my standard mushroom burger.
Marsala Burgers
Serves 4
Adapted from Smells Like Home
1.25 lbs. ground sirloin or beef
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
a little olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 shallot, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup marsala
1/2 cup beef broth
4 slices smoked gouda
French baguette or crusty rolls, for serving
Lightly mix together the ground sirloin and Worcestershire. Form the mixture into four patties (if you are using baguette, you’ll want to make the patties oblong). Season on both sides with sea salt and fresh pepper.
Heat a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Add a little olive oil and when it shimmers, add the burgers. Cook the burgers until they are just undercooked to your liking (so if you like your burgers medium, cook until medium rare). Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the butter to the pan, and then add the shallot, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until tender and the mushrooms have lost all their juices. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the marsala. Scrape up any browned bits from the pan and reduce the liquid by half. Add the broth and reduce again by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the burgers back into the pan and continue cooking another minute or so. Top with the cheese and melt (cover with a lid if you have one to make this easier). Serve the burgers on the baguette/rolls and top with the mushroom mixture.
Italian Beef March 22, 2010
Posted by elly in beef, crockpot, sandwiches.12 comments
A post about Italian beef sandwiches was one of my first posts ever on this blog – back when its only reader was, well, probably me. Since the post lacked an actual recipe (in terms of measuring ingredients) and picture, I thought I’d take some time to repost a meal that’s incredibly easy to make, and also delicious. It is especially delicious, in my opinion, when topped with hot peppers/giardiniera from Potbelly. I don’t want to point any fingers or start any lawsuits, but I’m fairly certain that Potbelly’s hot peppers are laced with crack. They have to be; otherwise, I would have some semblance of control when eating them.
Italian beef is a very common sandwich in Chicago, said to have originated here. It’s thinly sliced roast beef, usually served with giardiniera (or sweet peppers, if you want) on a roll. You can just have them put just the beef on there, you can have them spoon some of the meat juices on there, or you can even request it dipped, which means dunking the whole thing in the meat juices. That is definitely the sloppiest way to eat it, but also the most tasty in my opinion. I didn’t want to take a picture of a very soggy sandwich but rest assured that I served myself a little cup of juice on the side of this and slowly drenched my sandwich in it as I was eating it.
I was working from home the day I made this, so I didn’t start the beef until about 1:00 p.m. I wanted to slice it (even though I could never get those paper-thin slices) rather than shred it. That said, I usually just let this cook all day and shred when I get home to make it an easy weeknight meal.
Slowcooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
2.5 lb. boneless beef roast (preferably one that is lean and without a ton of fat, as you don’t want your broth and beef to be greasy)
a little olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
2.5 tsp. dried oregano
1. 5 tsp. dried basil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt and fresh pepper
rolls and giardiniera for serving
Season the roast liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Add a little olive oil to a large, heavy bottomed skillet and heat it over medium to medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown on all sides. Remove and place in the slowcooker.
To the pan, add the garlic and stir just until fragrant – about 30 seconds. Add the broth, herbs, Worcestershire, a little salt if necessary (depending how salty your broth is) and some freshly ground pepper (about 1/2 tsp). Scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, and then pour the mixture over the roast in the slowcooker. Cook on low for about 4 hours (or longer). Slice and then place back in the juices for another half hour or so.
Serve on Italian rolls, topped with hot (or sweet) peppers.
Tex-Mex Stuffed Shells February 7, 2010
Posted by elly in beef, mexican/tex-mex, pasta.12 comments
I sometimes wonder if I should rename this blog Elly Says ¡Olé! with all the Mexican and Tex-Mex type cooking I do. What can I say? I like spice and more importantly, cheese. :)
I wanted to use up some random ingredients that I had around that screamed Mexican to me, but I didn’t have any tortillas (or sour cream). I considered just making my own tortillas (because I do love making them with masa) but then I remembered I had half a box of pasta shells leftover from the last time I used them, so I decided to go with a Tex-Mex type stuffing, rather than an Italian one. I used spiced ground beef and made a tomato sauce that is somewhat enchilada-sauce like. I season ground beef for tacos, etc. myself rather than use a packet, because I always have the spices around and those packets are often a sodium bomb. But, if you want to make this recipe even easier and more quickly, you can just season your beef with a taco packet, and use a couple of cans of enchilada sauce in place of the tomato sauce I made. But I promise you that both are extremely easy to do and can cook simultaneously, so this recipe doesn’t take terribly long to prep. In fact, rather than sautéing onions and garlic like I normally would for an enchilada sauce, I just used garlic and onion powder to save myself some time.
I actually only made half the recipe below, but that was a result of having random things to use up, like half a green pepper, half an onion, half a box of shells from last time, and half a pound of ground beef. I figure most people don’t have these quantities on hand, which is why I’ve made the recipe below a bit more manageable.
Excuse the pic – I find baked pasta dishes nearly impossible to photograph. :)
Tex-Mex Stuffed Shells
Serves 8
Printer Friendly Recipe
1 box (12 oz.) large pasta shells
1 batch ground beef filling (recipe follows)
1 batch tomato sauce (recipe follows)
1.5 cups (6 oz.) shredded Mexican cheese mix (or cheddar, monterey jack, chihuahua etc.)
Tomato Sauce
1 large (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup broth or water
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 bay leaf
Ground Beef Filling
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, small dice
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water (or beef broth)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1.25 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 oz. cream cheese
Preheat the oven to 350. Boil the pasta shells until al dente.
Meanwhile, make the ground beef filling and tomato sauce. To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan, along with salt and pepper to taste (if you use broth, you won’t need much salt). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce slowly bubble and simmer, stirring occasionally, as you make your ground beef mixture.
To make the ground beef mixture: Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the canola oil and once shimmery, add the onions and green pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes until the vegetables begin to get tender. Add the beef and garlic. Cook the ground beef until browned, and then, if necessary, drain the fat off the beef. Add the water/beef broth, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat until most of the water/broth has been absorbed. Re-season to taste if necessary. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before stirring in the cream cheese.
To assemble: Pour about 2/3 cup of the tomato sauce over a large baking dish (or two). Stuff each shell with a tablespoon or so of the ground beef mixture, and place on top of the sauce in the pan. Continue until all the shells are stuffed. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the shells, and then sprinkle with the cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 until the cheese is bubbly and begins to brown.
Moussaka October 6, 2009
Posted by elly in beef, greek, lamb.20 comments
Moussaka was one of the only Greek foods I pretty much refused to eat as a kid. I just really, really did not like eggplant. At all.
A couple years back, I decided to give eggplant a try in some croquettes, and realized it was pretty good. Then I started using it in a few things here and there and realized that I actually like eggplant. This (and so many other things I’ve mentioned on this blog) is really a testament to how your tastes change over time.
Apparently some people make moussaka with potatoes and some don’t. My family has always made it with potatoes (not that I remembered that, since I never ate it…) and personally, I am all about sneaking a potato or two into a meal whenever possible. The potatoes add a little starchiness to an otherwise non-carby dish, and the best part is they soak up the drippings from the meatsauce and become so, so flavorful. For my first moussaka, this turned out fabulous. I made a few minor tweaks to my meatsauce and bechamel from the pastitsio (just to play around a little) and my only problem was that I made too much bechamel for the pan I was using (more on that below).
Sorry about the picture. In addition to the poor lighting and wanting to eat ASAP since I had already let the moussaka cool for 20 minutes, I built this in the wrong pan. I was thinking for the amounts I had 11×17 would be perfect, but it was too small–which I only realized after layering in about half the ingredients. As a result, I couldn’t fit all the bechamel on top of the moussaka, which is a real tragedy. I’ve modified the amounts below just a bit and asked you to cook this in a 9×13 (or even a 10×14 would work) pan, which should be perfect, and give you a nice thick layer of bechamel, just as god intended. :)
This recipe does have a lot of steps, but most of them can happen simultaneously so you aren’t spending forever in the kitchen. You should still leave yourself some time to make this, though, because the moussaka has to cook for about 40 minutes and you need to let it sit for about 20 before slicing into it.
Moussaka
Serves about 8-10
Printer Friendly Recipe
2 large eggplants
2 large russet/baking potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise
olive oil
1 batch meatsauce (recipe follows)
1 batch bechamel (recipe follows)
Meatsauce
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1.5 lbs. ground beef or lamb
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp. (just over half a small can) tomato paste
1.25 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 heaping tsp. ground allspice or cloves
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or about 1.5 Tbsp. dried
salt and pepper
Bechamel
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk (at least 2%)–kept warm
nutmeg (I grate maybe 1/4 of a nutmeg into it)
salt and pepper
1 cup kefalotyri (or Romano) cheese
4 eggs
a little extra cheese
Whether (or how) you peel the eggplants is up to you. I usually peel about half of it, leaving what appear to be strips on the eggplant. Then, slice the eggplants into about 1/3″ thick lengthwise slices. Layer them in a colander, sprinkling them with salt as you go, and then put that colander over a bowl. Let the eggplant sit for about 30 minutes. Then rinse the eggplant slices and pat them dry well.
Start your meatsauce. Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion and let it sweat for a little bit before adding the beef or lamb. Brown the meat completely and drain if necessary. Then stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook it off a little before adding the water. Stir to combine the water and paste well, and add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, parsley, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 35-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, roast your prepared eggplant slices. Heat your oven to 375. Lightly brush a baking pan or two with olive oil, place the eggplant slices on the pan, and brush the tops with a little more oil. Season the eggplant with pepper and roast about 20 minutes or until tender, but not mushy. Leave the oven on.
While the eggplant is in the oven and your meatsauce is simmering, make the bechamel. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and then add the flour. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until your roux is golden and the flour is cooked off. Slowly add the warm milk, switching to a whisk if necessary to get rid of any clumps. Heat the mixture until it thickens and can coat the back of the wooden spoon. Then, stir in the nutmeg and off the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and the cheese. Then, mix in the eggs well. Be SURE to taste your bechamel and add any more seasonings to taste. A batch of bechamel this big will require quite a bit of salt and pepper. If you don’t want to eat raw eggs, just taste it before the eggs go in, as eggs will not really alter the taste much.
In a nonstick pan, heat some olive oil. Sprinkle the potato slices with salt and pepper and pan-fry in the oil until they are almost, but not completely, cooked through. Place the fried potatoes in a 9×13″ baking dish. After the eggplant has roasted, layer half of it on top of the potatoes. Then, pour the meatsauce on top, followed by another layer of eggplant. Layer the eggplant as closely together as possible, trying to not leave any holes where the bechamel would slip through. Finally, pour the bechamel on top and sprinkle a little bit of extra cheese on top. Bake the moussaka for about 40 minutes or until the bechamel has firmed up and is golden on top. Let the moussaka set for 20 minutes before slicing into it.
Mongolian Beef August 13, 2009
Posted by elly in asian, beef.64 comments
One of my favorite things to order out when we get Chinese is Mongolian beef. I love ginger and garlic together (one of the world’s most perfect pairings in my opinion), and I love the slight heat from the red pepper mixed with the sweetness from the sugar. I do enjoy making Asian cuisines at home (especially because it ends up being so much healthier), but my repertoire is still a little thin. I’ve never tried Mongolian beef at home, so when I saw this post at Confections of a Foodie Bride a few months back, I bookmarked it immediately.
I reduced the amount of sauce (but not the amount of ginger and garlic) since I used less steak, but next time I might keep the sauce the same. Also, looking at the recipe now, I’m trying to remember if I actually added the water. Hmm. I think I did? But, I’m not so sure. I made this a couple weeks ago so I don’t remember it very clearly. I should probably start posting things as I make them, or at least drafts of them since I tend to be forgetful…
I also had, umm, a slight incident with some sticking to the wok (the leftover sugar burning as I was cooking the meat). Hot wok + sugar = not the best situation for me.
But anyway, this was a great recipe. All the flavors worked so well together, and it was just like delivery. The bonus is it takes no time to make and uses ingredients I almost always have handy. I’ll definitely be making this again (and trying not to burn some of the excess sauce).
Mongolian Beef
Serves 2
Adapted from Pink Bites
2/3 lb. flank steak, sliced across the grain
3 Tbsp. corn starch
3 tsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. (heaping) red pepper flakes
2-3 large scallions, sliced
Pat the steak pieces and make sure they’re dry; then, toss the steak and cornstarch together. Be sure all pieces are fully coated, but shake off excess corn starch. Mix together the soy sayce, water, brown sugar and red pepper flakes.
Heat half the oil in a wok at medium-high heat and add the ginger and garlic. Once fragrant (30 seconds or so), add the soy sauce mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl.
Turn the heat up on the wok and add the remaining oil. Add the beef and cook, stirring until just browned. Pour the sauce back in and let it cook with the meat. Let the sauce thicken to your liking, and then add the green onions in just before plating.
Pastitsio (slightly revamped) February 25, 2009
Posted by elly in beef, greek, pasta.18 comments
I’d venture to say that pastitsio is one of the most popular Greek dishes. It’s right up there with spanakopita as my most requested recipe, or the dish others tell me they order in Greek restaurants. Pastitsio is basically the Greek’s version of lasagna. It’s a layered dish of pasta (traditionally, bucatini/good ol’ Misko No. 2), slightly spicy meat sauce, and a cheesy bechamel. My yiayia usually added a few breadcrumbs on top (in addition to more cheese), so I do that, too.
If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you may remember the first time I posted pastitsio based on my grandma’s “recipe.” I’ve modified this recipe a bit since then (but if you want to see the original source, my yiayia, click here :-P). I noticed my friend Peter was asked to be on the judging panel for a “Taste of the Mediterranean,” sponsored by igourmet. The Greek dish for this event is pastitsio, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to make it (I’d been craving it, anyway) and update the version in my blog. If you would like to make your own version of pastitsio and participate in this event, you can see the details in Peter’s blog, as well as Tony’s, but hurry up because you only have a few more days!
Every version of pastitsio I’ve had has had an aromatic, spicy meatsauce, and mine is no different. I think without the spice, this turns into your standard lasagna with bechamel on top. I make the meatsauce very similarly to the way I make the kima for pasta. It’s a very thick, flavorful sauce and holds up well against the creaminess of the bechamel. Sometimes I have whole cloves around, sometimes I have allspice berries, sometimes I only have ground…this is really about what you have and how you want it to taste. Play around with the amount to suit your tastes. To someone not used to cinnamony/clovey meatsauce, you may want to reduce the amounts. Who am I to school you on your tastebuds? After all, this blog is about learning both for me and for you – why do you think I have adapted my own version over the last two years?!
Tom and I both love pastitsio. To me, it’s comforting not only because it’s pasta, slow cooked meatsauce and creamy bechamel, but because it reminds me of home.
If you can’t find kefalotyri or myzithra, just use a good salty cheese like pecorino romano or parmesan. Just please no green can! :)
Now, I will say that pastitsio should be a little taller that the pics you see here. I decided to make mine in a larger pan (too large) because I wanted to get more pieces out of it. The pan I used was about 14.5×12″ so I’d recommend a smaller pan if you want to make a higher pastitsio, with a thicker layers. I’d recommend the larger pan if you’re like me and like to make yourself think you’re eating more food than you really are because it takes up more surface area on your plate. :)
I did freeze a few pieces of this for easy access when I don’t feel like cooking, but want something delicious, anyway.
Pastitsio
1 lb. bucatini pasta (use penne or something similar if you can’t find it)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup grated myzithra cheese
1 batch Greek meatsauce (recipe follows)
1 batch bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
1/4 cup kefalotyri cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375.
Cook the bucatini until barely al dente in a large pot of lightly salted water. Drain, and then mix well with the beaten egg, butter, and the myzithra cheese.
Lightly grease your baking dish, and pour half the pasta mixture into the pan. Layer the entire meatsauce mixture over that, followed by the remaining pasta. Finally, pour the bechamel sauce over the noodles, and spread the mixture evenly. Top with the kefalotyri cheese and the breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbly. Let it sit for about 15 minutes or so before slicing into it.
Greek Meatsauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground beef (or lamb)
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 cups water (or broth)
1 cinnamon stick
5 or 6 whole cloves or allspice berries, or about 3/4 tsp. ground
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, or about 1.5T dried
1 or 2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat your olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender. Add the beef and onion, cooking until browned. Stir in the tomato paste and cook off for a minute or two before adding the water, cinnamon stick, cloves/allspice, parsley, bay, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Bechamel
6 Tbsp. butter
2/3 cup flour
1 qt. milk (at least 2%, warm or at least room temp)
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup kefalotyri
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the flour and make a roux, cooking for a few minutes until golden brown. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk to combine well and avoid lumps. Bring the mixture up to just barely a boil. Continue cooking (and stirring) until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Add the nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Off the heat, whisk in the cheese, eggs, and egg yolk.
elly says opa! 