Gluten Free Taco Soup

This recipe comes from Dan's mom and it's one that Dan likes to make. It's pretty simple and foolproof. You can use whatever ground meat that you want and any type of taco seasoning. #glutenfree

Taco Soup

Brown 1 lb. Hamburger, drain fat. Add 1 Envelope Gluten Free Taco Seasoning, 1-15 oz. can Corn, 1-15 oz. can Chopped Tomatoes, 1-15 oz. can Tomato Sauce and 1-15 oz. can Pinto Beans. Use the liquid in the cans. Add a pinch of Sugar and a pinch of Soda before serving.
Top with crushed corn chips, sour cream and grated cheese.

Perfect Roast Beef w/ Tomato Gravy

This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver's website, www.jamieoliver.com. I changed it up just a bit, but pretty much followed the recipe to a tee. Jamie's my favorite, so I don't mess around too much with his recipes. Anyway, I made this meal last night from ingredients that I bought at Kirkgate Market Leeds.


Perfect Roast Beef

• 1 kg quality topside of beef
• 1 medium onion        
• 2 carrots     
• 1 red chilli
• 3 bay leaves       
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme        
• olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pint cream sherry

To prepare your beef:
Take your beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F/ gas 9. There's no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.

Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper and fresh thyme leaves, rubbing it all over the meat. Place the beef on top of the vegetables and add the sherry to pan.

To cook your beef:
Place the roasting tray in the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour for medium beef. If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier. For well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes.

When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and put aside while you make your gravy. Slice the beef thinly for best results.

Tomato Gravy

1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup cream sherry
2 Tbsp. English mustard (I used Colemans)
Juices from beef dish

Add all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer 10 minutes. Pour over sliced beef.

Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup

 

 

 

From our balcony, we can see a shopping center that has a TK Maxx, yes TK here not TJ. Anyway , I needed a large saucepan/stockpot because the apartment did not have one, so I decided to walk on over there to find one. The walk turned out to be a bit longer than I thought and later I realized there was a TK Maxx a little closer and easier to get to, but I'm still learning. I did find my saucepan, plus a bunch of off price shops, so well worth the trek.
After dropping off my purchase, I walked up to Marks & Spencer, an English department store, to do a little grocery shopping. The grocery store located on their bottom floor is much larger than the local grocer and a little overwhelming. They had so many precooked meals, pre-chopped veg and packaged veg mixes that you could pretty much come up with any recipe. I decided to go with a beef and veggie soup. After spending about 15 minutes trying to choose vegetables, I came upon a package with carrots, an onion a leek and something I was unfamiliar with. I asked a couple of ladies if they knew what it was, they knew the flavor, but not the name. I bought it and thought it was worth a try. It ended up being a rutabaga and you prepare it pretty much like a potato. The flavor was like a sweet, mild radish, potato mash up. We both liked it! I also found this cute little Scottish Sweetheart cabbage that had a wonderful mild cabbage flavor. Here's the recipe I prepared. It's mostly in grams and such, because that how the food is packaged.

Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup


2 Tbsp Olive Oil
450 grams beef casserole steak (stew meat)
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Italian Seasonings
Salt & Pepper
1 onion, diced
1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
1/2 cup red wine
4 carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 rutabaga, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage
140 grams baby new potatoes
1 cup barley
500 grams beef stock
1 (400 gram) can of chopped Italian tomatoes and juice
1/4 cup water

Heat oil in stock pot or large sauce pan. Sprinkle meat with flour and seasonings and mix. Add to pan, in batches, brown and remove. Add onion and leek and sauté 5 minutes. Add wine to deglaze pot. Add the veggies, stock, canned tomatoes, barley and water, bring to boil cook 15 minutes. Reduce, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon more of Italian seasonings. Serve.

 

Sloppy Joes

I grew up eating Sloppy Joes that my mom made using a dry packet. I remember those sandwiches tasting so good. She would prepare them and then wrap them in wax paper before serving so that the buns would steam. A recipe in a little magazine called American Profile caught my eye and I decided to work off of it and try my own. Let's just say that mom's were still better. This was okay, but just not quite right.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

2 (15 oz. ) cans tomato sauce

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. liquid smoke

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. jarred barbecue sauce

1 tsp. sugar (optional)

Coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 cup water

combine meats, onion and garlic in large skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; until thick.

Serve on hamburger buns.

erves 8.

Slow Cooker Beef Barbecue

This recipe was in American Profile, a magazine that comes in a free weekly paper thrown in my neighborhood. I thought it sounded easy and am always looking for recipes that cook themselves! It's not bad for a crock pot meal and a cheap cut of meat. i would prepare this again and actually want to try it with a pork roast. I served it on toasted whole wheat buns.


Slow Cooker Beef Barbecue

1 (2 - to 2 1/2 lb) boneless chuck roast
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium celery stalk, chopped
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. liquid smoke
1/4 cup all-purpose flour



Sprinkle roast with garlic salt. Place in bottom of greased 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Top with onion and celery.
Combine brown sugar, ketchup, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and liquid smoke in a small bowl. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove meat and place on cutting board.
Ladle 1/4 cup of liquid into a small bowl. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Stir into sauce in slow cooker. Shred beef with a fork and return to slow cooker. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Serve on buns.

Black Bean and Sirloin Chili

I've had this recipe for a long time and use it to create other chilis from. It's a favorite in our house.

Black Bean and Sirloin Chili

1/3 cup olive oil
2 lb. sirloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1/3 cup Masa Harina
1/3 cup regular chili powder
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 ( 14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 cups cooked black beans (rinsed and drained if using canned)

Brown sirloin, in batches, in a heavy pot with olive oil, transferring it to a plate with a slotted spoon as it is browned. In remaining fat, cook onion, garlic and peppers over moderate heat, stirring until onion is softened. Add Masa, chili powders and cumin, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth and sirloin and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Stir in beans and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve.

Sloppy Joe

The other day, I saw a commercial for Manwich that gave me a craving for Sloppy Joes. My mom made the best ones while I was growing up and I was longing for the comfort of those wax paper wrapped sandwiches. I turned to my copy of Joy of Cooking and used the recipe there. I will start off by saying that there was way too much bell pepper and way too much Worcestershire in the recipe for me. Against my better judgement ,I followed the recipe (so unlike me) and was disappointed. I will have to get mom's recipe and have another go at it.

Sloppy Joe

Heat in a large skillet over medium heat:

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Add:

1 small onion , finely diced

1 small red or yellow bell pepper, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 large celery ribs, finely diced

Sat and black pepper to taste

Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, transfer to a plate. Add to the skillet and slightly increase heat:

1 1/4 lb. ground chuck

Cook, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, just until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. (I removed some of the fat here). Add onion mixture, along with:

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/2 cup beer

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Hot pepper sauce

Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Serve on toasted French rolls.

Beef Brisket Chili

When I received my October 2008 issue of Bon Appetit, I immediately wanted to make the brisket on the cover, it looked so good. Of coarse, I ended up making a different version, but pretty much followed their recipe. I left out the autumn squash and used different chiles, spices and added beans, but the concept was close and it turned out great. I have a similar recipe for a steak and black bean chili that i will post when I come across it again.

Beef Brisket Chili

6 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed, seeded and coarsely torn

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/4 lb. onion, chopped

1 4lb. flat cut beef brisket, cut into 2 to 3 inch cubes

Coarse kosher salt

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 (12 oz) bottle Mexican beer

2 (4 oz) can diced fire-roasted green chiles

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed

Place chiles in medium bowl. Cover with boiling water. Soak, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onion. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt over beef and add to pot; stir to coat. Set aside.

Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Place chiles in food processor. Add 1 cup of liquid, garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Puree, adding more liquid if too thick. Pour over beef in pot. Add tomatoes with juices, beer, green chiles and cilantro stems. Stir to coat evenly.

Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in oven. Cook 2 hours. Uncover and cook another hour. Add beans and cook another 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Tilt pot and spoon off any excess fat.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream or grated cheese.

Sloppy Giuseppes

I used to have this great recipe for an Italian version of Sloppy Joes and lost it. I decided to recreate it and this recipe turned out just as good, if not better. The beef and Italian sausage mixture tastes so good on a toasted Hague. The recipe is simple, so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner and will make six nice sized sandwiches.

Sloppy Giuseppes

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small shallot, minced

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage, crumbled

2 (8 oz) cans of tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

6 slices Provolone cheese

6 Italian hoagie buns, sliced and toasted

In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add beef and sausage, cook until cooked through and browned. Drain fat from pan and return to heat. Add tomato sauce and Italian seasonings, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add some crushed red pepper for some added heat if desired.

Serve on toasted hoagies with Provolone cheese.

La Nueva Ropa Vieja

I found this recipe a few months back in The Kansas City Star and thought it look good and simple. It goes together simply and turns out really nice. I served it over rice with warm tortillas, but it would also taste great on toasted onion buns. You can do all you chopping the night before and assemble it in the morning pretty fast. I changed this slightly from the written recipe, they called for 2 teaspoons of bottled garlic and I hate using that stuff and I used 2 red bells as opposed to 1 red and 1 green.

La Nueva Ropa Vieja

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

3 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 large onion, sliced

2 lbs. skirt or flank steak

2 red bell peppers, sliced

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, seasoned with garlic and olive oil

2 cups cooked rice

Put tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, vinegar, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add sliced onion and place beef over them. Spoon some of the liquid over the beef. Add the sliced peppers and pour diced tomatoes evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Before serving, use two forks to pull beef into shreds. Stir together and serve over rice.

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Low-Fat Meatloaf

On Sunday night, I prepared this meatloaf from a recipe put of the April/May 2008 Cook's Country. I'm not the biggest meatloaf fan, but I thought this one looked pretty good and it was. It was very moist and the topping is fantastic! My picture wasn't very good so I didn't post it, but it did look really good. This is definitely a Sunday dinner type of meatloaf, because of the time to prepare it and bake it, but it is worth it.

Low-Fat Meatloaf

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato juice
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1 1/2 lbs. 90% lean ground beef
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375. Set wire rack into rimmed baking sheet and arrange an 8 by 6 inch piece of foil in center of wire rack. Poke holes in foil at 1/2 inch intervals.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion and 1/4 tsp. salt until soft, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato juice and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Let mixture cool for minutes, transfer to food processor, add bread and process until smooth.
Whisk egg, soy sauce, mustard, parsley, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper in a large bowl. Add beef and bread mixture and using hands, gently mix until combined. Shape into a loaf covering entirety of prepared foil. Bale until loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and heat broiler.
Combine ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce and brown sugar in small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread glaze over loaf and broil until glaze bubbles, about 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Seared Rib-Eye Steaks w/ Edamame & Garlic

This recipe comes from the Fall 2007 issue of Fine Cooking. It's a simple recipe that turns out really nice and was the perfect dinner for 2 on Valentine's Day. The most time consuming part of the recipe is peeling and slicing the garlic in half, so that shows how easy this is to prepare. Althought the flavor was good, I still prefer my steaks on the grill as opposed to cooking them on the stove top. It's also a really pretty dish, but my pictures did not turn out, they were a little fuzzy so I decided not to post them.

Seared Rib-Eye Steaks with Edamame & Garlic

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
2 1-inch thick, boneless rib-eye steaks (6 to 8 ounces)
Coarsely cracked black pepper
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
Pinch cayenne, more to taste
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Lemon wedges for serving

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm oil with the garlic and a pinch of salt. When the oil starts to bubble gently, reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, until it's light golden brown and perfectly tender when pierced with a fork, about fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat.
Generously season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and the steaks. Don't disturb the steaks until they have a nice brown crust, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until the steaks are done to your liking, about another 3 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
While the steaks rest, add 1 teaspoon of salt and edamame to boiling water. Return to a boil and cook, uncovered, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons garlic oil, cayenne and parsley. Toss to combine, add salt to taste.
Slice steaks on an angle into 1/2 inch slices and divide between two plates and scatter with remaining garlic. Serve with edamame and lemon wedges.

Beef and Bean Chili

I made this chili last night with ingredients that I had on hand. Since I had a couple of leeks, I used them instead of using an onion and the chili turned out really good. I used a spicy garlic olive oil to saute my veggies and that added another nice layer of flavor to the dish.

Beef and Bean Chili

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbsp)
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 1/2 Tbsp. Ancho chili pepper powder
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 (14 oz) lower-sodium fat-free beef broth
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven on medium heat, add the leeks, garlic and peppers and saute for minutes to soften, stirring often. Add the beef and cook until browned. Add the chili powder and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Beef and Noodles

This is one of those easy kind of recipes that Sandra Lee would prepare. I almost redid my kitchen to match my outfit while I cooked it. Since I was home getting ready for the party, I decided to find something I could stick in the crock pot. After going through my cabinets and freezer, this is what I came up with.

Beef and Noodles

1/4 cup all-purpose

2 lbs. beef stew cut in 1-inch cubes

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 (18 oz) can Creamy Mushroom Soup (like Progresso)

1 (12 oz) jar fat-free beef gravy

1 cup milk

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

hot cooked noodles

Place flour in large resealable plastic bag, season with salt and pepper and add beef. Toss to coat. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat, brown beef in batches. Transfer to 5qt. slow cooker. Add red wine to skillet, stir to de-glaze pan and add to crock pot. Add soup, gravy, milk and soup mix to crock pot and stir. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Add thawed vegetables and cook another 15 minutes. Serve over noodles.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Since today was a snow day, I took a personal day from work. When you live north of the river and work in Lee's Summit, the drive can be a little on the scary side. Plus I need to get ready for a party we are throwing on Saturday for some of our neighbors! I decided to make my meatballs in tomato sauce. When they were done I put them in the freezer, so all I have to do Saturday is thaw them and place them in the crock pot. This recipe is one that I adapted from my mother.



Meatballs


3 lbs. lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, roll into 1-1/2" balls. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, in batches, cooking until browned on all sides. Remove meatballs to baking dishes. When all the meatballs are browned, place into heated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove to plates lined with paper towels to drain. Add to prepared tomato sauce.

Mixed-Herb Gremolata

This is the topping for the Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs. It adds a nice fresh herb flavor to the ribs. The lemon peel helps to lighten and brighten the dish.

Mixed-Herb Gremolata

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 Tbsp. finely grated lemon peel
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over prepared short ribs.

Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs w/Mixed Herb Gremolata

I have wanted to prepare this recipe ever since I received my October issue of Bon Appetit. My picture is a little to dark, but the dish looked really good and the ribs were excellent. The polenta recipe, which will follow, was a little overpowering and seemed to fight the flavor of the ribs. On it's own the polenta was incredible, but if I made this recipe again, I would probably cut the cheese amount in half. Otherwise, this is a nice hearty meal to serve in the fall with a nice salad and some good bread. I made an incredible foccacia to go along with this. The magazine's recipe served 8, I cut it in half to serve 4.

Cabernet Braised Short Ribs

4 pounds meaty beef short ribs
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. coarse kosher
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 750-ml bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
1 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 tsp. all purpose flour

Gorgonzola Polenta(recipe to follow)
Mixed-Herb Gremolata(recipe to follow)

Arrange ribs in single layer in glass baking dish. Mix rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in small bowl; sprinkle all over ribs. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.
Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in heavy wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer ribs to large bowl. Pour off drippings from pot; discard. Add wine to pot and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Return ribs to pot and any accumulated juices;bring to boil. Cover; transfer to oven and braise until meat is very tender and almost falling off bones, about 2 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer ribs to large bowl; cover tightly to keep warm. Skim any fat from top of braising liquid. Boil liquid until reduce to 1 generous cup, about 10 minutes. Mix 1 butter and flour in small bowl until well blended. Whisk into braising liquid Whisk over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Place ribs onto polenta, top with sauce and gremolata.

Skillet Beef Sroganoff

I prepared this dish on Wednesday evening and it was actually very good. This came from Cook's Country April/May 2007 issue which has gotten a lot of use from me. The sauce is very creamy and the brandy makes it rich and tasty.The leftovers are good, too. I'm not sure how I feel about cooking the noodles in the same pot, it does save on clean up, but it seemed to take longer for them to cook. The meat used in the recipe is called sirloin tips or flap meat. You pound the meat into an even 1/2-inch thickness, then cutting with the grain, slice the meat into 2 inch wide strips. Slice those strips against the grain, into 1/2-inch pieces.

Skillet Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 lbs. sirloin tips, pounded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and Pepper
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped fine
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 low-sodium beef broth
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 pound wide egg noodles
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp. lemon juice

Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of beef until well browned. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and remaining beef.
Heat remaining oil in now empty skillet until shimmering. Cook mushrooms, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated, about 8 minutes. (If pan becomes to brown, pour accumulated beef juices into skillet.) Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in broths, then brandy and return beef and juices to pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low until beef is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Stir noodles into beef mixture, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Leftover Sandwich

Monday night I took the leftover beef, topped it with shredded Colby/Jack cheese and placed under the broiler until the cheese was melted and light golden in color. The broiler and I don't always get along so well, I have burned many a meal this way, but I got it right this night. I then topped the sandwich with some of the leftover salsa and enjoyed a very good sandwich.

California Barbecued Tri-Tip

This was the other recipe from my Cook's Country June/July '07 issue. It's a simple recipe that results in a lot of great flavor. You need to watch the temperature though, because the cut of beef I used could probably be a little drier than a tri-tip. The Santa Maria Salsa and California Barbecued Beans were perfect with this beef.

California Barbecued Tri-Tip

1 tri-tip roast (about 2 lbs.) trimmed or bottom round

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. salt

2 cups wood chips, preferably oak (I used hickory)

1 tsp. pepper

3/4 tsp. garlic salt

Pat roast dry with paper towels. Using fork, prick roast about 20 times on each side. Combine garlic, oil and salt and rub over roast. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Soak wood chips for 15 minutes. Open bottom vent on grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal and burn until covered with gray ash. Pour coals over one half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, open lid vents and let grill heat for 5 minutes. Scrape grill clean.

Using paper towels, wipe garlic paste off of roast. Rub pepper and garlic salt over meat. Grill directly over coals until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Carefully remove roast and cooking grate and scatter chips over coals. Replace grate and arrange roast on cooler side of grill. Cover, positioning lid vents directly over meat and cook until roast registers about 130 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 to 20 minutes. Slice thinly across grain and serve.