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For a Quick Bite, Roll Your Own Spring Rolls

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:59 -0700

This past weekend, San Francisco experienced a couple of the hottest days of the year. After a blistering morning walk around the city with out-of-town visitors, I invited my friends over for lunch. To keep things appropriately light, I served wine spritzers and made fresh Vietnamese-style Spring rolls.

Although they may look and sound labor-intensive, non-fried Spring rolls - or Summer rolls, as they're sometimes called - can make for an incredibly speedy meal. While this recipe calls for deli roast beef (an unusual filling for Spring rolls), you can use any protein you like; I later made rolls with roasted turkey, which tasted great as well. The versatility of the filling is part of the beauty of the dish. Learn how to roll your own when you read more

Fast & Easy Dinner: Skewered Beef

partysugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:30:12 -0700

Get your grill on this weekend with Korean-style beef skewers. This recipe flash marinades strips of tender meat in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil. Don't despair vegetarians: this blend would be great for tofu; simply slide the tofu on in place of the beef.

Scallions and rice cake sticks round out the menu, but feel free to get creative. Mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, or red onions would be equally scrumptious. To make this tonight, get the recipe now

Fast & Easy Dinner: Hurry-Up Beef-Vegetable Stew

partysugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:58:31 -0800

Beef stew is not your average quick cooking meal. Most recipes take a couple hours, or even an entire day to fully develop a robust stew flavor. However, I've found a recipe for a super simple beef stew that comes together in under an hour. Red wine, thyme, mushroom and tomato soups, give this stew a slow cooked feeling. All you have to do is throw everything into a pot and wait for it to boil, making it the perfect end of the week meal. To get the recipe please read more

Hurry-Up Beef-Vegetable Stew
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine

2 cups water
1 10.75-oz. can condensed golden-mushroom soup
1 10.75-oz. can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth
2 cups chopped cooked roast beef
1 16-oz. package frozen sugar-snap stir-fry vegetables or one 16-oz. package frozen cut broccoli
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

In a 4-qt. Dutch oven combine water, mushroom soup, tomato soup, and wine. Stir in beef, frozen vegetables, and thyme.
Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender, stirring occasionally.

Serves 5.

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Sunday Dinner: Lighter Beef Tacos

YumSugar — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:00:36 -0700

Now that Spring is here, spend less time in your kitchen and more time outside enjoying your lush new surroundings. Dinner doesn't have to be heavy on the time or the calories for it to taste good, as evidenced by this recipe for piquant, spicy beef tacos. If you're looking for a gratifying meal that'll be ready in 20 minutes, then read more.

Lighter Beef Tacos
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
1 large onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound ground beef sirloin
12 soft corn tortillas (6-inch)
Store-bought salsa and shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and bell peppers; cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until water has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season taco filling with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon filling onto tortillas, top with salsa and lettuce, and fold to enclose.

Serves 4.

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Weekend Well-Being: Mediterranean Beef Stew

FitSugar — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:00:00 -0800

I know that Super Bowl Sunday is usually a day for chili, but think about switching it up with an equally filling and tasty beef stew - winter is the time for hearty beef stew, and weekends are the best time to make a slow cooking stew. Not only does stew make your house smell great, but it's a crowd pleaser and you can freeze the leftovers.

This beef stew is tasty and when shopping for stew meat always go for a cut that is low in fat and not labeled prime. I have added more veggies than the original recipe called for, because it is an easy way to increase my veggie intake. I like to make this recipe with beef stock, but doing so does add extra calories and sodium to the stew. You can use water instead of stock, but make sure to add a teaspoon of salt.

Interested in reading the recipe? Then read more

Mediterranean Beef Stew
adapted from Cooking Light

What you need:
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups halved mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
3 cups diagonally cut carrot
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
3 cups sliced celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups beef stock (or water)
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
coarsely ground black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

What you do:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef in two batches; cook for about 5 minutes, browning on all sides.
Remove beef from pan and place on paper towel to strain.
Sauté mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery, and garlic cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return beef to pan.
Add beef stock, wine, herbs and tomatoes; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.
Add olives, and cook for 30 minutes or until beef is tender.
Discard bay leaves. Stir in vinegar. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve over mashed potatoes (keep the skins on the potatoes because they contain lots of important nutrients and use low fat milk and olive oil for mashing). Keep the mashed potatoes thick and chunky.

Recipe makes 6 servings

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Brisket Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:30:24 -0700

Tonight, Passover begins at sundown. At a loss about what to make that's still kosher for the holiday? You can never go wrong with brisket, a timeless classic and crucial component of Jewish holiday cooking. If you're looking for a simple, straightforward basic, opt for a recipe that slow-cooks the beef in the oven with minimal attention. If you're more experienced, spring for an elaborate rendition that's served with dried fruits and vegetables in a rich red wine reduction. To see both recipes, read more.

Beginner Brisket
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 well-trimmed beef brisket (3 1/2 pounds)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup light-brown sugar
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rub beef with salt, pepper, ginger, and allspice. In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup water.
Spoon half of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Place brisket in dish, and spoon remaining sauce over the top. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or a double layer of regular foil.
Bake until brisket is falling-apart tender, about 3 hours. Remove brisket from dish. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce.
Transfer sauce to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Slice brisket against the grain; serve with sauce.

Serves 8.

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Expert Brisket
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-pound flat-cut (first-cut) brisket, well-trimmed
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
24 whole dried apricots, divided
10 garlic cloves, peeled
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Turkish bay leaves
2 cups dry red wine
1 tablespoon matzo cake meal
Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Stir first 8 ingredients in small bowl. Arrange brisket in large roasting pan; spread spice mixture evenly over both sides. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat broiler. Uncover brisket. Broil until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Turn brisket fat side up in pan.
Set oven temperature to 325°F. Sprinkle leeks, onion, 12 apricots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves around brisket. Pour wine over. Cover pan with heavy-duty foil and bake brisket until tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Uncover; cool 1 1/2 hours.
Transfer brisket to work surface. Pour juices into large measuring cup. Spoon off fat, reserving 1 tablespoon. Thinly slice brisket across grain on slight diagonal; overlap slices in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 cup degreased pan juices over brisket; cover with foil. Stir reserved 1 tablespoon fat and matzo cake meal in medium saucepan over medium heat 3 minutes. Add remaining degreased pan juices; add remaining 12 apricots. Simmer until sauce thickens and boils, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (To make up to 2 days ahead, cover brisket and sauce separately and chill.) Rewarm covered brisket in 350°F oven 30 minutes or 45 minutes if chilled. Rewarm sauce over low heat.
Sprinkle brisket with cilantro and serve with sauce.

Serves 8.

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Monday's Leftovers: Thai Beef With Coconut Rice

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:15:44 -0800

Last night I made an Eastern European-inspired ground sirloin stew with egg noodles, and tonight I'm going to use the leftover beef to make something on the opposite end of the spectrum! I'm craving takeout, but - inspired by my recent successes - I'm going to continue my pattern of preparing Asian foods at home.

Spice up the sirloin with the help of minced garlic, lime, and Asian fish sauce, and wake up your senses with freshly-torn basil and julienned chiles. Complement the fiery protein with a soothing side of milky coconut rice. The result, which is healthier and cheaper than takeout, after the break.

Sunday Dinner: Sirloin Stew With Dill Noodles

YumSugar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:30:02 -0800

Earlier this month, Party and I were enticed by one reader's rendition of beef stroganoff. If you, too, found yourself salivating over her creation, here's another dish that you need to bookmark! Unlike the classic course, which has sour cream and mushrooms, the ground beef in this recipe becomes a stew with the help of a roux, beef broth, and Worcestershire. Pile it on top of herbed egg noodles, serve with a salad, and you've got a speedy (and guest-worthy!) dinner. Curious? Then read more.

'Wich of the Week: Classic Reuben

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:00:24 -0700

The Reuben is such a classic American sandwich that two people claim to have invented it: Reuben Kulakofsky of Omaha, NE, who enjoyed the sandwich at a weekly poker game, and New York deli owner Arthur Reuben, who said he first made the sandwich around 1914.

Who first grilled up that savory stack of rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing, we'll probably never know. But that won't stop me from enjoying an endless parade of Reuben recipes, from pastrami to tempeh. Of course, it's hard to beat a good, old-fashioned corned beef Reuben, grilled on rye bread that's buttered to perfection. So try this classic recipe

Sunday Dinner: Beef Stir Fry

YumSugar — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:28:32 -0800

Yesterday I invited my sister over for dinner because I decided that we were going to try and master one of my mom's classic dishes. It's best described as stir fried beef with gravy and vegetables, but we lovingly call it "na ge niu rou" (which literally translates to "that cow meat").

Now, my mom has made this dish (or a variation of this dish) a thousand times and you'd think that I'd have tried cooking it by now. However, I never knew where to begin. See, my mom's a fantastic cook (in fact, she actually used to teach classes), but she never measures anything and getting a recipe from her is nearly impossible. So when I went home for Christmas, I followed her around with a pen in one hand and a camera in the other and forced her to come up with a recipe.

My end result ended up being pretty tasty (although I didn't cut my meat as thin as I could have) and I'm surprised by how easy it was. It wasn't as tasty as my mom's dish (but come on, is ANYTHING ever as good as mom's?), but I think with practice I'll be able to make it my own. To learn what goodies my mom cooks up in the kitchen, read more

Stir Fried Beef with Gravy
Adapted from a recipe by YumSugar's Mom!

Vegetables:
2 small-medium sized carrots
1 good sized green bell pepper
1/2 cup water

Beef Mixture:
1 lb of beef (I used round tip)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp soysauce
oil (I used olive, but you could use vegetable, canola, etc.)

Garlic Mixture:
1 dried chili pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 slice of fresh ginger root
1 shallot

Sauce:
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water

- Peel carrots and then thinly slice on the diagonal. Stack slices and cut into sticks. Cut and slice bell pepper into thin sticks. Set carrots and bell pepper aside.
- Slice beef into short thin strips.
- In a large bowl combine cornstarch and garlic powder. Place meat into bowl and coat with cornstarch mixture. Add 2 tsp soysauce and mix well. (By the way, you're going to do this whole step with your hands, it's much easier than trying to use an utensil.) Set aside.
- Mince chili peppers, garlic, ginger and shallot together. Set aside.
- Combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Place vegetables into large, deep frying pan. Add 1/2 cup water. Place frying pan over high heat and cover. If the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat. You are just looking to steam the vegetables until they are soft. Do not overcook, as you want them to stay slightly crispy and colorful. If there appears to be too much water, remove lid and let water steam off.
- When vegetables are finished, remove them from pan and place on serving platter. For a decorative look, create a circle with the vegetables.
- Add enough oil to coat pan (approx 1 1/2 tbsp). When oil has started to shimmer, add beef. Be sure to spread the beef out (it will be clumpy from the mixture) so that it will evenly heat.
- Stir-fry for several minutes, until the meat is just about finished. The sauce on the beef should have thickened and appear a little "gooey." Remove from pan and set aside (I rinsed the bowl I used to coat the beef and re-used it).
- Place pan back over heat and add garlic mixture into pan (the pan will also contain a lot of the meat drippings). Sauté for several minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add soy sauce mixture to pan and let simmer for a minute or two. The sauce should begin to reduce (thicken). Stir often to ensure that the garlic mixture does not burn.
- When sauce has reached a syrupy consistency, add beef back into pan. Mix until everything is coated.
- Remove from pan and put onto serving platter (into the center of the vegetable circle). Serve with rice!My Mom's VersionMy Version (I forgot to cut the carrots!)

Note: There are several variations to this dish. The first one is a simple visual change. Instead of serving it inside of a ring of vegetables, you could mix everything together.

The second variation has to do with the sauce. When you remove the meat the first time, make sure it is completely done and then add it to the platter. Create the sauce as mentioned above, but instead of adding the meat back in to the pan, simply pour the sauce over the meat. This will result in a thinner sauce.

Also, this recipe can be doubled if necessary.

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