Ropa Vieja, March 22, 2017

Yesterday morning, I started a batch of ropa vieja, one of my favorite Cuban dishes, going in the crockpot. The name literally translates to "old clothes" in English. The messy, stringy appearance the beef gets makes it look, they say, like a pile of old clothes. The smell of it perfumed the air all afternoon, making my stomach growl. When it was nearly ready, I fixed a batch of lime rice, heated some Goya black bean soup, and had supper all done. The finished product tasted really good to my wife. To me, it needed something. It was good, just not as good as in Miami, a bit insipid. I think next time, I'll toss in some tomato paste and red wine, to give it a fuller-bodied flavor.

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

1/2 c. chicken broth (I will use beef broth next time)

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 lg. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 green pepper, chopped

1 bay leaf

15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 tbsp. cumin

Salt & pepper

1 1/2 lb. flank steak

Lime wedges

Mix broth, vinegar, onion, garlic, green pepper, bay leaf, and tomatoes together in your slow cooker. Combine the cumin, salt, & pepper. Rub all over the meat. Submerge in sauce. Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Remove from pot and let rest about 10 minutes on a cutting board. Shred and mix back into the sauce. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4-6.

Lime Rice

2 tsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lg. onion, chopped

1 c. rice (I like jasmine)

2 c. chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

Juice of 2 limes

Cook onion and garlic in oil until onion is translucent. Add rice. Stir and cook a couple minutes. Add broth, salt, and lime juice. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork. Serves 4-6. 

Brisket, April 25, 2016

Since the kids are moving away at the end of the week, I expect most of our dinners will be with them---and y'all should have seen Pie devour the fruit kugel I made last night! We weren't sure the kids, who both tend to like very basic food, would like last night's dinner, which was brisket, fruit kugel, tzimmes, and a romaine salad. Jeannene was very careful, when asked what those dark things in with the carrots were, to avoid the word "prune," but she wasn't being quite accurate when she told Bubbles they were a kind of date. I supplied, "Plums! They're a kind of plum!" I didn't notice whether or not she ate them. She said her favorite thing was the meat, but Pie said he really liked "the sweet noodles," and proceeded to go back for two more giant helpings. It wasn't the best kugel I've ever had, but I liked it pretty well, myself. I am not a big fan of sweet cooked carrots, but this version was better than any other I've had. They were a bit too tart for Jeannene and Pie, who are the big sweet carrot people of the family. I like my regular brisket recipe better, but this was also quite good and had the added bonus of not requiring my presence in the house during the long cook time.

Slow Cooker Brisket

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

3-4 lb. brisket, excess fat trimmed

Salt & pepper

32 oz. beef broth

Place onions and garlic in slow cooker. Season brisket with salt and pepper. Place atop onions, fat-side up. Add broth. Cover and cook on high 6-7 hours, until tender. Serves 4-6.

Fruit Kugel

8 oz. egg noodles, cooked and drained

2 tbsp. butter, melted (this can be omitted)

2 eggs, beaten

A small handful of raisins (I like golden raisins for this dish)

7 oz. cinnamon applesauce (cinnamon optional, but delicious)

7 oz. crushed pineapple

1 jar apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss noodles with butter. Mix eggs with fruit. Stir gently into noodles. Turn noodles into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Spread the preserves over the top (it helps to microwave them for about 30 seconds before spreading). Bake about 45 minutes. Serves 4-6

Carrot Tzimmes

1 1/2 c. tangerine juice (or use o.j., if you like---I had tangerine on hand)

1 lb. sliced carrots

1/2 c. prunes

3 tbsp. honey

Heat juice on medium heat and add carrots. Cover and cook 1/2 hour. Add prunes and cook, covered,  another half hour. Stir in honey just before serving. Serves 4-6. 

Beef Hash on Toast, April 15, 2016

My sweetie was suffering from a persistent headache Friday evening. We were also expecting the arrival of our oldest, a last visit home before graduating college and commissioning as an officer in the Army, so we wanted something simple that would allow us also to tidy up a bit, get the guest room ready, and so forth. He'd only announced he'd be visiting on Thursday. Since we had leftover pot roast in the fridge, making a quick hash seemed like a great option. I served it on toast with fried eggs. We had some peaches for dessert. I tell you what, that hash was absolutely terrific and I couldn't believe how easily it came together! Jeannene completely loved it and actually said she wished her dad could taste it, that he would love it. That's one of the very highest compliments she can give. Boot had stopped for dinner on the way, so he only tasted it, but he pronounced it excellent. I think I'm going to have to make it every single time we have leftover roast now.

Beef Hash

1 tbsp. butter

1 c. chopped leftover roast beef 

1 onion, chopped

14 oz. beef broth

1 c. potatoes, chopped

Salt & pepper

A little cornstarch, dissolved in water

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the beef and onion and cook for a few minutes. I also chopped up the cooked carrots from the pot roast and added them. Add broth and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until potatoes are tender. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened into a gravy. Serves 2-4. 

Pot Roast, December 15, 2015

My house smelled completely heavenly all day yesterday, thanks to the pot roast in my slow cooker. This rendition takes minimal prep and, when paired with store-bought mashed potatoes & steam-in-the-bag corn, makes a very simple dinner. Plus, it makes its own gravy!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

3 lb. boneless chuck roast

Garlic salt & pepper

1 onion, sliced

2 or 3 bay leaves

3 crumbled beef bouillon cubes

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use low fat, low sodium)

1/2 c. dry white wine

Rub roast with garlic salt & pepper. Brown on all sides in a skillet that's been coated with cooking spray. Place in slow cooker and scatter onions over top. Top with the other ingredients. Cover with just enough water to cover everything. Cook 8 hours on low. Serves 6. 

Beef Tips & Noodles, October 23, 2015

Since we intended to run around Friday night picking out nursery furniture, I popped dinner in the crockpot in the morning and we were able to eat quickly and hit the store. It was delicious & homey, a great fall meal. I made the beef tips in the crockpot, then cooked egg noodles at the last minute. I also made applesauce from scratch and baked an acorn squash.

Beef Tips

1 lb. beef tips

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet of crockpot pot roast mix

3/4 c. 7-Up

1/2 green pepper, chopped

Mix everything together in a crockpot that's been coated with cooking spray. I know the 7-Up sounds really weird, but it works. However, if you like, use beef broth, instead. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. 

Vaca Frita, August 20, 2015

I've had vaca frita (literally, "fried cow") in Cuban restaurants and really liked it, but had never made it at home before. I cooked & shredded the beef before going to a picnic with my friends, then marinated it when I got home. When Jeannene got home from work, all I had to do was fry it. It's not so healthy, but really yummy for an every now & then treat. I had some guacamole & tortilla chips waiting for her when she arrived. Not a Cuban dish, but she loves guac, so I decided to make it to go with our Cuban food. I'd made a Cuban green bean salad for the picnic, so I served that, instead of my usual avocado & onion salad. I also made black beans & rice.

Vaca Frita

2 1/2 lb. flank steak, cut in half

2 bay leaves

1/4 c. lime juice

1/ c. lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & pepper

Olive oil for frying

1 lg. onion, halved and sliced

Lime wedges

Cover beef with salted water. Add bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, on low for 90 minutes. Allow to cool, then slice into 2" wide strips and shred those so you end up with 2" long shreds. Mix the juices, garlic, salt, & pepper. Mix with beef and marinate at least an hour. Squeeze dry. Fry in a bit of olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add onion and cook another 5-7 minutes, until crispy. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 6-8. 

Cuban Green Bean Salad

2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/3 c. Spanish olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Heaping tsp. sugar

Heaping tsp. salt

A bit of minced parsley (dried is okay, if you don't have fresh)

1 small onion, sliced

Pepper

Drop beans into boiling, salted water and cook about 8 minutes. Make sure not to overcook them. Mix everything else together. Drain beans and toss with dressing. Marinate at room temp at least an hour. Serves 6-8. (If you want to make these ahead of time, they are also good cold.)

Beef & Apple Tagine, March 31, 2015

I got a tagine 2 Christmases ago and have only used it once because I keep finding recipes for tagines that require stovetop and oven safe ones. Mine is only okay for the oven. However, we do really like the flavor combinations, so I go ahead and make them in a pot or deep skillet on the stove. The other night, I made a beef and apple tagine, with crispy Persian rice (tahdig), garlic naan, and a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes with a lemon & olive oil dressing accented with mint and sumac. The rice was delicious, but didn't turn out to be so crispy because I didn't have a non-stick saucepan for it. I suspected just spraying the pan with nonstick cooking spray wouldn't do the trick and I was right. So, most of the crispy part just got stuck to the pan. Oh, well, there was plenty of non-crispy yumminess, anyway. The tagine here is my take on the one in my Moroccan cookbook from World Market and the rice is an amalgam of a number of tahdig recipes. In doing some research into more recipes, after the fact, I discovered a couple of tricks that might help next time (and might help you the first time!) even without a nonstick pan. One is to place a layer of flatbread or sliced potatoes in the bottom of the cooking pan. Another is to add a quarter cup of yogurt to the rice before cooking. If I experiment, I'll be sure to report back!

Beef & Apple Tagine

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 lb. stewing beef, cut into 2" pieces

1 red onion, sliced

1 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

A good grinding of pepper

Pinch saffron

14 oz. beef stock

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. honey

2 smallish apples, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oil in large pot. Add beef, onion, seasonings and cook until beef is browned. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 1 1/2 hours. Melt butter and honey together in a pan. Add apples and cinnamon, stirring to coat. Cover and cook on low 10-15 minutes. Stir into beef mixture and heat through, making sure apples and meat are tender. Serves 4. 

Crispy Persian Rice (Tahdig)

Large pinch saffron

2 tbsp. hot water

1 c. basmati rice

1 1/2 c. cold water

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. olive oil

Soak saffron in hot water for 10 minutes. Place rice in non-stick pan and fill with cold water. Swish around, then carefully pour out water. Add cold water, saffron, with its soaking water, turmeric, salt, and 1 tbsp. of the olive oil. Mix together and bring to a boil. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes over low heat (long enough to absorb all the water). Make 5 holes in the rice with the top end of a wooden spoon. Fill each hole with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Turn and tilt the pan so that the oil spreads evenly across the bottom, under the rice. Cover partially and cook on medium heat another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool a minute. Flip onto a serving plate. Serves 4. 

         

Steak with Sherried Onions, March 24, 2015

Since Jeannene hadn't been feeling so well, I wasn't sure how a real, full-bodied meal like steak with sherried onions would go over. So, when she called home and asked what was for dinner, I thought she might request something different. However, when I responded that we were having steak, she was ecstatic! She gave the meal a 9.5. I liked it quite a bit, too, although I'd've been just as happy with no sauce at all on my ribeye. I always like a good, fluffy baked potato with my steak and, because Jeannene's been sick, I decided to make one of her favorite veggies (which isn't mine), peas. We also had my current favorite bagged salad, the Dole spinach one with the cherries & white balsamic vinaigrette.

Steak with Sherried Onions

2 ribeye steaks, about 1 1/4" thick

Salt & pepper

1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 onions, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, minced

1 tsp. minced jalapeño

1 c. chicken broth

1 tbsp. dry sherry

1/8 c. red wine vinegar

Heat sugar in large skillet, stirring often, until it has gone to syrup and become deep amber. Keep a close eye on it, as it can burn in an instant. Add onions, green pepper, and jalapeño. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring every so often, until onions are caramelized. Add broth and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cook to reduce the sauce somewhat. Add sherry and vinegar and cook another minute or so. Rub the steaks with salt and pepper. Broil 4-5 minutes per side, for medium-rare. Let stand, tented with foil, for about 10 minutes before serving with sauce. Serves 2. 

Grillades & Grits, March 19, 2015

My wife absolutely adores grits. I never have liked them---until, that is, we tasted Anson Mills grits when we were in Charleston, SC. Oh, my word! Those were great! My tastes are changing on a lot of things, so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that I now like grits. Anyway, when I made grillades and grits last night, with lima beans to accompany them, Jeannene was so thrilled with the grits and the lima beans, she said she could have made a meal of just those. Don't get me wrong. She liked the grillades and their accompanying sauce quite well. I did, too---although I can't imagine eating them for breakfast, as is the practice in New Orleans, where the dish originates.

Grillades

1/2 lb. round steak, cut 1/2" thick (veal is traditional, but I am not a veal guy)

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne (more, if you like spicy)

1 tbsp. oil

14 oz. stewed tomatoes

10 oz. beef broth

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, cut into strips

1-2 tsp. cornstarch

1-2 tbsp. water

Cut meat into 4 pieces. Mix flour with seasonings. Pound flour into meat as you flatten it to 1/4" thickness. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Brown meat in oil. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, broth, onion, and peppers. Cover and cook on low 45 minutes. Set meat aside and keep warm. Mix cornstarch and water, stirring until starch is dissolved. Stir in and cook, continuing to stir, until thickened and bubbly. You could also use a roux as thickener. Serve with meat over hot grits. Serves 2. I suspect you could make a similar sauce, using veggie broth instead of beef broth, and use baked tofu instead of meat, for a vegan version. 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Sunday Dinner, February 8, 2015

Yesterday, as soon as we got up, I popped a roast in the crockpot. We wanted to have the freedom to go to the grocery in the afternoon and still have Sunday Dinner ready at a reasonable hour. This roast is ridiculously easy and truly delicious. I served it with mashed potatoes (Bob Evans from the grocery cooler, heated in the microwave), corn, rolls left over from the sliders Jeannene made the night before, and a teeny, adorable chocolate cake we found in the grocery store bakery. Oh, and Jeannene made gravy using the juices from the crockpot and a packet of beef gravy mix. It was all super simple, but it was a perfect, all-American Sunday night dinner.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

3 1/2 to 4 lb. beef pot roast

1 envelope onion soup mix 

1 can cream of mushroom soup (reduced fat & sodium is particularly a good choice, given the onion soup mix)

1 2/3 c. water

Put roast in crockpot and sprinkle soup mix over the top. Cover with soup, then add water around the base. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Serves 6. 

Steak with Creamy Paprika Sauce, February 5, 2015

My wife really loves steak. I like it, too, but she adores it. So, every so often, I like to throw it into the mix when I'm planning dinners. Last week, she found some terrific-looking ribeyes at the grocery, so I made them with a creamy paprika sauce. I did egg noodles and lima beans to accompany the steaks. Ribeye is normally my favorite cut of steak, with filet mignon a close second, so I was really looking forward to dinner. Sadly, every bite I took had a bunch of chewy stuff and I finally gave up in disgust. Jeannene's, however, was really delicious. She offered to give it to me, because she's sweet like that, but I was already put off steak for the moment. I'd better get my steak appetite back, though, because we're going out to a steakhouse for Bubbles' birthday dinner later this week! Anyway, I do highly recommend this sauce, just on a good piece of meat. It would, by the way, be stellar over pork chops, as well. 

Steak with Creamy Paprika Sauce

2 steaks of your choice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 large onion, halved, then thinly sliced

1 big splash dry red wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. sweet paprika

2/3 c. sour cream (I used reduced fat, but wouldn't recommend fat-free)

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pat steaks dry. Season with half the salt and half the pepper. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté steaks until they are cooked to your preferred doneness. Remove to plate and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes. Wipe skillet, then heat butter in it until it has melted. Cook the onion 3-5 minutes. Add wine and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze. Add garlic, paprika, remaining salt, & remaining pepper and cook about 30 seconds, stirring. Add the other ingredients, mix well, and bring just to a simmer. Add any juices that have collected on the plate from the steaks. Serve over steaks. Serves 2. 

Beef Stew, January 11, 2015

Last night, I redeemed myself for the horrible pork chops I made earlier in the week. I started Sunday dinner, a long-cooking beef stew, Saturday night and cooked it an hour and a half then. Yesterday, I popped in into the oven in the early afternoon and let it cook the rest of the way. We'd planned to have Pie and Bubbles over for Sunday dinner, as we usually do, and had a beautiful round of crusty Italian bread, a honeydew melon (and blackberries to scatter on it), and a store-bought chocolate pudding cake all ready to serve them with the stew. However, we got a text shortly before serving time telling us that Pie wasn't feeling well, so we were on our own for dinner. They missed out on the best beef stew I've ever had or made. Next time you have a block of time during which you can run your oven, you should absolutely make this!

Sunday Dinner Beef Stew

3 lb. lean beef, cut into 2" or so cubes

6 slices bacon, diced

1 small onion, chopped

5 larger-sized red potatoes, quartered

3 large or 5 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

8 oz. mushrooms, halved

3 medium onions, quartered

A big handful of mixed fresh parsley and dill, chopped

1 c. dry red wine (I used Gnarlyhead cabernet sauvignon)

10 oz. can beef consommé 

6 oz. can tomato paste

1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper, and thyme

1 tbsp. minced garlic

3 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brown beef, bacon, and chopped onion in a Dutch oven or oven-safe soup pot, about 10 minutes. Add everything else, stir well, cover, and bake, covered, about one and a half hours. Uncover and bake another 2-3 hours, stirring every so often. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serves 6-8. 

Beefsteak Pie & Peanut Butter Cookies for My Granddaddy Clyde, January 4, 2015

Today, had leukemia not taken him from us in 2007, my granddaddy would have been 96 years old---and probably would still have loved peanut butter cookies. I think his favorite kinds were the fork cross-hatch sort, which my grandmommy made for him, and Nutter Butters. However, when Jeannene offered to make the Hershey Kiss sort, I happily took her up on it. I'd mentioned liking them & she said, "I'll make you some!" I'd planned to make peanut brittle, but this is perfect for Clyde. So, we have those for dessert. Jeannene used the recipe on the Kisses package, but you can find it on the Hershey website.

He loved his mom, Grandma Sadie's beefsteak pie and that was usually what he requested for his birthday dinner. I made it for him a couple years before he died, but usually my grandmom or auntie made it. However, I have the recipe, so now that he's dead, I make it every year on his birthday. It's delicious with mashed potatoes and corn.

Granddaddy Clyde's Beefsteak Pie

Crusts for double-crusted 9" pie

2 lb. boneless sirloin, fat trimmed, meat cut into cubes (I have used filet before and I think Grandma Sadie used round steak)

Flour

Salt & pepper

Butter (a tablespoon or two)

1/8-1/4 c. beer (do not use light beer; you can use water here, instead)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fit bottom crust into 9" pie plate and trim edges, as necessary. Dredge steak in flour. Season with salt & pepper. Brown in butter in skillet. Add beer/water to skillet and cook until a sauce forms on the steak cubes. Place in prepared pie shell. Top with second pie shell, seal, and crimp edges. Prick top with a fork (I like to make a heart, with my granddaddy's name inside) to vent. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn heat down to 350 degrees. Bake another 45 minutes. Allow to stand 10-15 minutes before cutting into the pie, to allow the juices to settle back into place. Serves 6-8. 

My Year in Food + La Luna Cooks Gooseberry Patch: Steak, Potato Skins, Chopped Kale Salad, December 5, 2014

Jeannene's mouth was recovered enough from her dental work by Friday night for her to feel like eating steak, so we had a nice evening in. I'd picked up a New York strip steak for her and a ribeye for me. I rubbed them with a seasoning mixture I keep on hand (about half a cup of salt, mixed with a tbsp. of pepper, a heaping tbsp. of garlic powder, and a pinch or two of cayenne), then melted a little bit of butter in a skillet and panfried the steaks to medium-rare, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 on the other.

To accompany the steak, I made Stuffed Potato Skins from the Gooseberry Patch Fall, Family, & Friends cookbook I making my way through. To be honest, I've actually been avoiding making these for weeks now. They're the very first appetizer in the book, so this reluctance to try making them means I haven't made much appetizer progress at all in the book! I was afraid they would be too hard or too fiddly or not worth the trouble. I've never made potato skins before, even though I really like good ones. They always seem more like something to order in a restaurant, to me.

Even as I was making these, I was deeply skeptical about how they might turn out. The potatoes, cut into 8ths & sitting on the baking sheet all rubbed with olive oil, just didn't look right to me. I worried the insides would be a pain in the neck to scoop out and I worried the outsides wouldn't be substantial enough to hold the stuffing. I was also aggravated to discover that I was out of scallions, but I subbed some chopped leeks and dried chives, so that was fine. The rest, it turned out, was fine, too, and the potato skins were terrific! They'd be a nice appetizer, too, and the recipe seems easily adaptable to whatever number of people you have.

The Taylor Farms bagged kale salad, on the other hand, wasn't so delicious. I ate my salad out of obligation to have something healthy with my steak & potatoes. It had looked so good in the grocery, with not only kale, but also slices of brussels sprouts, radicchio, and a lemony vinaigrette. I think Jeannene's objection was the tartness of the dressing and the bitterness of the salad, but for me, I suspect it was the sweetness of the dressing. Ah, well, the rest of the meal was great!

La Luna Cooks Gooseberry Patch: Cranberry Pot Roast & Creamy Butternut Squash (also, My Year In Food, November 14, 2014)

I am all for a nice, cozy pot roast, especially on the chilly evenings we've been having in the last week here in Michigan! Whenever I happen across a buy one, get one deal on a roast, I stick the other one in the freezer. So, I was all set for this recipe. However, I have to admit approaching it with incredible trepidation. I've posted before about my intense dislike of sweet & meat paired together. Well, let me tell you, as if the cranberries in the recipe were not enough, the very first direction in the recipe asked me to "dredge roast in sugar." Dredge roast in sugar??? Were they serious??? That goes a great deal farther than an apricot glaze or cooking pork with apples (both of which I oppose for my own personal plate).

Yes, yes, that was not an error in printing. Dredge roast in sugar. Really. Perhaps there are some of you out there who are thinking to yourselves, "Mmm, sugary pot roast?!? How soon can I make this deliciousness? What's wrong with her?" You can have my portion!!! Add in 12 ounces of cranberries and the zest and juice of an orange and I am pretty much ready to eat peanut butter and jelly for supper. I was so sad, juicing the orange, because it smelled absolutely divine. They are really starting to come into season and this one was a really lovely specimen that should have been eaten out of hand. I felt sad to waste the cranberries, as well, especially when the beautiful red went to a murky brown due to the long cooking and the beef juices. However, I am doing the whole cookbook and, besides, I rationalized, Jeannene does like sweet glazes on meat. We both ate it and Jeannene liked it, but it's not something I would ever, ever eat on purpose. Very definitely sweet.

I'd honestly been dreading the butternut squash casserole, as well, but not for reasons of flavor. You see, I am a complete wuss when it comes to cutting up those squashes with the super-hard shells, like butternut. Luckily, my mom was with me when I was looking for pre-cut squash and failing to find it. As she admired the beauty of the whole butternuts and I bemoaned my fate at having to figure out how to dice it, my mom shared that she uses a serrated bread knife to cut it at her house, with much success. I sincerely doubted that would work for me, but since my mom often has terrific ideas about using the proper tool for the job, I decided to give it a try despite my skepticism. And, what do you know? It actually worked! Sure, it was still a tough go, but man, that bread knife worked a heck of a lot better than any of my other knives have ever done. The casserole, along with steamed green beans, turned out to be the saving grace of the meal. Very yummy, even though I'd forgotten I needed carrots for it & had given them all away. Next time, I'll add carrots, too.

Salmagundi Casserole

As fall arrives in the Northern Hemisphere, my thoughts begin to turn to casseroles that will stick to our ribs and keep us warm. In a rainy, chill Michigan April, this casserole did the trick admirably and I believe it will be a cold weather staple in our house. It only needs a big, gorgeous salad and a loaf of warm bread to make a wonderful meal. The spices will make your house smell completely homey. Serves 4-6.

Salmagundi Casserole

1 c. rice

1 tbsp. oil

1 onion, minced

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground beef (I use the extra-lean)

16 oz. tomato sauce

1 1/2 c. corn

1 c. chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread rice evenly in the bottom of a greased 13x9 baking pan. Heat oil in a pot. Cook the onion, green pepper, and salt in the oil until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add spices and cook until fragrant, just a minute or two. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add beef and cook until browned. Add tomato sauce, corn, and broth. Bring to a simmer. Carefully pour over the top of the rice. Cover tightly with foil and bake 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving. 

Curried Beef Skewers

In the summer, my dear wife loves to grill, especially when she has tunes going and can dance as she makes dinner. I am not so much for actually using the grill, but I like to prep food to go on it. This is a favorite of mine. You can make these as an appetizer or they can serve as a main course, with rice and cucumber salad. As a main course, they serve 4-6 people.

Curried Beef Skewers

1/4 c. curry powder

1/2 c. peanut oil

2 lb. filet of beef, cut into 1" cubes

Salt 

Toast the curry in a dry skillet on very low heat for about 10 minutes. Place in a bowl and allow to cool. Add oil and stir to a smooth paste. Add beef and toss to coat well. Refrigerate overnight (or at least a few hours). When ready to grill, bring to room temperature and preheat the grill (or broiler, if need be). Thread onto skewers (if you're using wooden skewers, you'll want to soak them overnight), placing about 3 cubes on each. Grill or broil until medium-rare, a minute or two per side. Season to taste with salt. 

Crockpot Roast

When it's vile outside & all you want to do is hibernate (something we saw entirely too much of this winter), this roast, my adaptation of a recipe from Paula Deen, is perfect. It makes the house smell cozy and, boy, is it good! Easy, too. I serve it with mashed potatoes and corn. It would be great for busy clergy types to throw on before worship on a Sunday that includes a congregational meeting, serving at a soup kitchen, and youth group. Even when you work all day Sunday, you can have a proper Sunday dinner.

Crockpot Roast

3 lb. boneless chuck roast

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 c. oil

1 thinly-sliced onion

3 bay leaves

3-4 beef bouillon cubes, crushed

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c. chardonnay

1/2 c. water

Rub roast with seasonings. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown all sides of the roast. Place the roast in your crockpot. Put onions, bay leaves, crushed bouillon, garlic, and condensed soup on top. Mix wine and water and pour over roast. Cook 8 hours on low. Serves 6. 

Asian Flank Steak

This meal was one I found quite delicious and which my wife hated. As in, would not eat. I'd knocked it out of the park with 3 meals in a row, then hit upon two in a row which she simply refused to eat. She is not a big fan of anything Asian, for the most part, and she has definite (negative) opinions of hoisin sauce and anything to which it has been applied. I had mistakenly thought this had changed when she used hoisin sauce on our Cornish game hens for Super Bowl Sunday. So, beware if you have a picky eater. This may not be the dinner for them. If, however, you enjoy those flavors, dig in! It comes together really quickly, too, if you throw everything into its marinade ahead of time and need to get dinner on in a hurry.

Asian Flank Steak

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. hoisin sauce

4 tsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. Asian chili sauce

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. dry sherry

2 tsp. minced ginger

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 1/2 lb. flank steak

Mix together everything but the steak. Add the steak and turn to coat completely. Marinate at least 3 hours and up to overnight. Broil steak 5 minutes or so per side. Allow to rest 15 minutes, then slice for serving. Serves 4. 

Sesame Noodles

1 lb. egg noodles

3 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

4 scallions, thinly sliced, green part only

3 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice

Salt & pepper, to taste

Cook & drain noodles. Heat 2 tbsp. oil on high & stir fry scallions until soft, about a minute. Add Chinese 5-spice and cooked noodles. Stir fry 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. sesame oil & sesame seeds & stir to incorporate. Season with salt & pepper. Serve piping hot. Serves 4-6.

Sesame Green Beans

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Steam green beans just until crisp-tender and mix with everything else. Marinate 2 hours. Serve cold, drizzled with marinade, or toss in skillet for a few minutes to heat through, if you want it warm. Serves 2-4. 

Good, Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

With all the single digit and below-zero temperatures and snow we're having, you won't be surprised to know that we're really digging comfort food this month. Last week, I made a big pot of soupy beef stew, plenty for nice hot lunches, too. I served it with a beautiful loaf of Pugliese bread (Jeannene has fun calling it "pugilist bread") from the grocer's bakery and my new favorite orange, the pink-fleshed Cara Cara. Have you tried them? Fab!

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

2 lb. beef, cubed (I buy the pre-packaged stew beef for convenience.)

2 tbsp. butter

Flour 

3 cloves garlic, halved

1 tsp. thyme

2 bay leaves

48 oz. beef broth

3 potatoes, diced

7 small carrots, sliced

1/2 lb. frozen pearl onions

1 can diced tomatoes

Salt & pepper

Melt butter in soup pot. Toss beef with enough flour to coat all the pieces, shaking off any excess. Brown in butter. Add the rest and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 1 1/2-2 hours.