Corned Beef

For as long as I can remember, we've always had Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day. I'm sure most of you have already made your St. Patrick's Day dinner, but you can always have a belated holiday dinner and be festive later in the week. Plus the leftovers make yummy sandwiches or corned beef hash. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Homestyle Corned Beef
Source: My mom (not sure of the original source)

2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lbs. corned beef brisket
2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place corned beef brisket and water in Dutch oven; cover tightly and simmer in oven, 1 hour. Turn brisket over and continue cooking, covered, 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove brisket from cooking liquid and place, fat side up, on rack in broiler pan so surface of meat is 3-4 inches from heat. Combine honey and Dijon mustard, brush half the mixture over the top of brisket and broil 3 minutes. Brush with remaining mixture and continue broiling 2 minutes, or until brisket is glazed.

Makes 6-10 servings

Tips

• Simmer corned beef since boiling will make meat tough.
• Do not use seasoning packet that comes with the meat.

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Short Ribs

One of the great things about this blog is that I get to try new recipes that I would normally never make for myself. Short ribs have been one thing I've always wanted to make but have never had enough time in the day to cook them.

Usually, I reserve the weekends to try labor intensive, attention seeking recipes. While this recipe doesn't need a ton of labor to complete, it does take a long time. Especially if you don't read the recipe carefully like me. Don't be like me. This one time, at least. :)

I felt like I was on Worst Cooks in America and could picture Anne Burrell shouting at me from a perch in my kitchen. If you haven't watched that show, watch it at least once and you'll understand what I'm talking about. I didn't leave out major ingredients, but I read the cook time wrong, which resulted in me cooking for 5 hours and not eating until 9:30pm. So, start early and read the recipe thoroughly!

Short Ribs with Fettuccine

Adapted from Giada

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 pounds short ribs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried fettuccine
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate

Directions
Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

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Lasagna Soup

Confession time.

Are you ready?

Sitting down?

I don't like soup.

There, I said it. Shocking, I know since I've posted a couple of soups and here I go again, bringing you another soup recipe. Soup has just never called out to me and said "eat me." I'd much rather eat other things that aren't healthy for me.

Every once and a while, it gets cold outside and soup is just the right thing to have for dinner. Brian got burned out on taco soup, so I had to switch it up. We liked this soup, but next time, I'll add more noodles because we all know I love pasta. :)

Lasagna Soup
Adapted from Tara Cooks as seen on Tasty Kitchen

1 pound lean ground beef
2 cans beef broth
28 ounces, weight Diced Tomatoes With Basil And Oregano
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
1 cup Uncooked Spiral Noodles
1 cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook the 1 cup of spiral noodles until a few minutes before recommended on the package. (It will continue to cook in the soup, and you don't want mushy noodles.)

While noodles are cooking, brown the pound of ground beef and drain any fat. Add the beef broth, canned tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the ground beef. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the cooked spiral noodles about 5 minutes prior to serving.

Garnish soup with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and serve with fresh toasted bread.

Printable Version

Manicotti

It may come as no surprise that I give you another pasta dish. But if you try any pasta dish that I've made, let this be on your list.

Oh my, is it fantastic! It's a bit of work to put together, but the result is amazing. Brian took a few bites and said "Oh wow. Oh wow. This is a DEFINITE make again!" Even after we were full, we kept eating it.

To stuff the pasta, you can do one of two things. You can either place the stuffing mixture into a large Ziploc, cut of one of the corners and use it as a piping bag. I tried this and could not make it work. So I just used a spoon and pushed it down with my fingers. It's the messy route, but it worked for me.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti
Source: Giada as adapted by Elizabeth's Edible

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound 50% less fat Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups marinara sauce
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and onion. Cook until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic, sausage and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

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Taco Soup

What can you make that's quicker than chili but tastes somewhat the same? Why, by George, you can make taco soup.

It's been so rainy and cold here lately that I've been craving chili but with our crazy schedules, I haven't had time to make a good pot of the stuff. This taco soup is so easy that a 5 year old could put it together. Brown some ground beef, throw in a diced onion, and dump in a million cans of things. Simple!

Taco Soup
Recipe courtesy of my mom (Not sure the original source)

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
1 (15 oz) can Bush's Chili Beans
1 can Ro-Tel
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
16 oz frozen corn
1 packet Taco Seasoning
1 packet Ranch dressing mix

In a Dutch oven, brown the beef and onion together. If necessary, drain the fat. Add in all other ingredients, ending with the seasonings. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer for additional 10-15 minutes.

Serving size=1 cup
Serving = 1-2 WW Points
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Chicken Fried Steak

I've always LOVED chicken fried steak. However, I don't do gravy. It's true. When it comes to food, I'm a purist. I don't like ketchup, mustard, mayo, gravy, or Ranch dressing. The Ranch is something that Brian just can't get over. When I made the chicken fried steak, the recipe includes instructions for gravy. I didn't make it because I knew I wouldn't eat it and that Brian would just put Ranch on top of the steak, which he did.

For some reason, I've always been intimidated by chicken fried steak. Fear no more because this recipe is so easy. Plus it's a Cooking Light recipe, so it's healthy!

Chicken Fried Steak
Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) sirloin cubed steaks
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Combine 3 tablespoons milk and egg whites in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/3 cup flour and next 4 ingredients (1/3 cup flour through pepper) in a shallow dish. Working with 1 steak at a time, dip in egg mixture; dredge in flour mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining steaks, egg mixture, and flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steaks from pan; keep warm.

Goulash

I honestly don't ever remember having goulash growing up. One day, I was watching the Food Network and Paula Deen made her son's favorite goulash. Since then, I've wanted to make it. So, I got all the ingredients, started browning the meat in the dutch oven and Brian walks in. He asks, "What's for dinner?" and I told him "Goulash." He turned his nose up and said "But I don't like goulash."

Isn't that the most frustrating thing?

So, what did I do? Continue to make it anyways. I think he actually changed his mind about the ole goulash because he had two plate-fulls of it.

I would recommend using Low Sodium Soy Sauce in this recipe. Also, I didn't make the House Seasoning, but I included the recipe for it just in case you wanted to make it.

Goulash
Adapted from Paula Deen

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups water
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

Directions
In a Dutch oven, saute the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sauteing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving.

Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months. Use as a seasoning on meat and when cooking vegetables.