Alton Brown's Meatloaf

Kent tried Alton Brown's meatloaf recipe tonight, and we both really liked it.  Kent's been making this recipe for a long time but wanted to try something new.  They actually turned out pretty similarly - but I thought I would post it in case anyone is looking for something new.  It was really good!

Alton Brown's Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 18 ounces ground chuck
• 18 ounces ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.

Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.

Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.  Cook until it reaches 155 (it should take about 90 minutes).

Easy Lasagna - from Caroline W.

Riding a horse with Caroline at
Thanksgiving in the late '80s

My cousin, Caroline, sent me this amazing lasagna recipe last year as I was putting together our family cookbook.  Kent loves lasagna, so I'd been looking for a good homemade lasagna recipe (this one's great because you don't have to precook the noodles).  This recipe has so much flavor and makes enough to feed us for a week! 

Easy Lasagna - from Caroline
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 lg egg
1 (12 oz) container cottage cheese
1 1/2 tsp pepper
8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Brown beef and sausage, drain.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.  Combine egg, cottage cheese, and pepper. Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce in bottom of a 13x9 dish. Top with half each of uncooked noodles, cottage cheese mixture, spinach, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.  Cook at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Beef Tenderloin with Shallot Sauce

My in-laws made this wonderful Southern Living dish for Christmas dinner.  It was a big hit with the whole family!  This would make a great meal anytime you're entertaining for a large crowd - it serves 16!

Beef Tenderloin with Shallot Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pound shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 (8-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed (see note)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups beef broth
1 cup dry Marsala wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish: fresh thyme

Directions:
Toss shallots and 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside. 

Stir together 1 tablespoon salt and next 4 ingredients.  Rub tenderloin with 1/4 cup olive oil; sprinkle seasonings over top and sides of tenderloin, pressing gently with fingers.  Place tenderloin in a large lightly greased roasting pan; arrange shallots around tenderloin. 

Bake, uncovered, at 500 degrees for 25 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin registers 145 degrees (medium-rare) or 160 degrees (medium). 

Meanwhile, stir together beef broth and Marsala in a large skillet.  Bring to a boil; boil 8 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 2 cups. 

Remove tenderloin to a serving platter, and cover with aluminum foil; reserve shallots and drippings in pan.  Add broth reduction to pan, and place over medium heat on cook top, stirring to loosen particle from bottom of pan. 

Whisk together flour and water until smooth; stir into sauce in roasting pan.  Cook over medium heat 3 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  Add butter, stirring just until melted.  Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Thinly slice tenderloin and serve with sauce.  Garnish if desired.

Note:  Find beef tenderloin sealed in plastic in the meat section of your super market.  Once you trim the tenderloin, you should yield about 6 pounds of meat.  To save time, ask your butcher to trim it for you.

Irish Beef Stew with Dumplings - from Emma

Emma of 30by30 invited Kate of Bookworm to Bombshell and me over for lunch today.  Emma and Kate are fun friends from grad school.  We celebrated St. Patrick's Day a day early with Emma's amazing Irish Stew.  It's a very hearty stew - definitely a meal all on its own.  She just sent me the recipe, and I couldn't wait to share!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Beef Stew with Dumplings
Ingredients:
4 cups of vegetable broth

7 small russet potatoes peeled and chopped
5 carrots peeled and chopped
1/2 stalk of celery chopped
1.5 pounds of beef for stew
Salt and pepper
7 large cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely
LOTS of rosemary

Directions:
Put the broth, potatoes, carrots, and garlic in the pot and let them begin to soften.  (If the top of the veggies is not covered add water to cover.)  Brown the meat in a sauce pan and pour into pot with veggies.  Add celery, salt, pepper and rosemary.

Dumplings
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
3/4 cup milk
Chopped rosemary
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and spoon into boiling stew, cover to steam. 
Emma says, "the recipe for the dumplings said 12 minutes for steaming but I left them in for more like 30 while boiling."

Eggs Benedict

I saw Emeril make this recipe on the Food Network  last year and had to try it.  It was wonderful!  Kent and I both love eggs benedict, and this recipe was fantastic.  My mom used to make eggs benedict for me when I was in high school, but I had never tried making it before.  I think it turned out well.  If you are worried about poaching the eggs, you can always just fry them - with the Hollandaise sauce, they will still taste the same.  Enjoy!

Eggs Benedict
Ingredients:
4 English muffins, split in 1/2
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 (6-ounce) beef fillets, split in 1/2
Essence, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 eggs, individually cracked into a cup
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Creole mustard or other whole-grain mustard
1/2 pound butter, melted and warm
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions:
Preheat a griddle or large skillet. Brush the muffins with the butter. Place the muffins on the hot griddle and pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the muffins from the griddle and set aside. Using a sharp knife, split the fillets in half, horizontally.

Season the fillets with Essence. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the fillets for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside.

In a large skillet, combine the water and vinegar. Season the water with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Slide 4 of the eggs into the water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the eggs are set, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Watch carefully and remove the eggs when the yolks are still soft, and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Return the water to a boil and repeat the process with the remaining eggs.

Hollandaise sauce:  In a stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water over medium heat, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice, water, mustard, and parsley. Season with salt and cayenne. Whisk the mixture until pale yellow and slightly thick. Be careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Remove the bowl from the pot and, while whisking vigorously, gradually add the butter, little by little, until all is incorporated. Season, to taste, with salt and cayenne.

To assemble, place the steaks on the English muffins. Top the steaks with the poached eggs. Spoon the Hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish the eggs with parsley.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Stuffed Eggplant

I'm making a switch from some of the German recipes that I've been posting to a few recipes from the Greek cookbook that I mentioned a few weeks ago.  Kent and I went to the Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Birmingham with our friends, Caroline and Franklin, in September.  I bought the church's cookbook, The Greeks Have a Recipe for It.  I've been wanting to try some of the recipes and chose two to try recently.  They were both wonderful!  I love eating eggplant, but it can take a long time to cook.  Since the eggplant is sauteed in this recipe, it doesn't take as long to cook as it might in other recipes.  It's also nice that this recipe uses ground chuck instead of more expensive ground lamb like many Greek recipes.  This meal is great to cook for two any night of the week, but guests will also love it since it's a little fancy!

Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients:
2 long, medium sized eggplant
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. ground chuck
2 tbsp. tomato sauce
 3 tsp. parsley
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup grated Kasseri cheese*
Salt and ppepper to taste

Directions:
Wash eggplant and cut in half lengthwisee.  Scoop out pulp and set aside.  Reserve shell.  Saute onion and garlic in oil until golden (add the garlic after the onion has cooked a few minutes so that the garlic with not begin to burn).  Add meat and continue to cook until brown.  Add tomato sauce, parsley, water, pulp from eggplant, salt and pepper and cook 15 minutes longer, or until most of thee liquid is absorbed.  Remove from stove and fill eggplant shells with meat mixture.  Place in casserole and sprinkle each shell with cheese.  Add water, about 1 cup, to casserole and bake in 350 degrees until shell of eggplant in soft.

*I used Parmesan cheese, which is similar to Kasseri.  Kasseri could probably be found at Greek or Mediterranean grocery stores.

Sirloin Steak with Tomato Caper Sauce

I recently posted a pork recipe with a tomato caper sauce. This recipe has a lighter flavor and is great if you don't like pork. Kent made this for me when were dating, and we decided to try it again recently. It was great!

Pan-seared Sirloin Steak
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 boneless shell sirloin steaks (top butt) or whole flap meat steaks, each about 1 pound and 1 1/4 inches thick (I used one large boneless sirloin, and it worked perfectly.)
Table salt and ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Place steaks in skillet; cook without moving steaks until well browned, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip steaks; reduce heat to medium. Cook until well browned on second side and internal temperature registers 125 degrees (or medium rare). This should take about 6 minutes.
2. Transfer steaks to large plate and tent loosely with foil; let rest until internal temperature registers 130 degrees for medium-rare or 135 degrees for medium, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare pan sauce.
3. Using a sharp knife, slice steak about 1/4 inch thick against grain on bias, arrange on platter or on individual plates, and spoon sauce over steak. Serve immediately.

Tomato Caper Pan Sauce
Ingredients:
1 medium shallot, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 medium tomato, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper

Directions:
After transferring steaks to large plate, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from now-empty skillet. Return skillet to low heat and add shallot; cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over shallot; cook, stirring constantly, until combined, about 1 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high; simmer rapidly, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom, until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 30 seconds; add broth and simmer until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium; add capers, tomatoes, and any meat juices, and cook until the flavors are blended, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper; spoon sauce over sliced steak.
(Recipe from America's Test Kitchen)

Meatloaf

Meatloaf may not sound very exciting, but it is such a great meal to keep in the dinner rotation. This is Kent's recipe, and it is so good! It would be great for kids because you can easily hide a few veggies in it.

Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 - 1 cup of bread crumbs
1 egg
1/8 cup of mustard
1/4 cup of ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup onions
1/3 cup carrots
1/3 cup celery (optional)
1/3 cup green bell pepper (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:
Finely chop the onions and carrots (and any optional veggies). Saute the vegetables in 2 tablespoons of butter and season with a pinch of salt and pepper - cook until the onions are clear. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, bread crumbs, mustard, ketchup, egg, salt, pepper, cooked vegetables, and garlic. Once everything is mixed, place it in a loaf pan and pat it down into the pan. (You could also form the mixture into a loaf and bake it on a sided sheet pan.) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Serve with ketchup!

Curried Beef Short Ribs - from Sally

My friend, Sally, sent me this recipe today. I am sure it is wonderful! For those of you who don't know Sally, she is an amazing cook! She learned growing up from her mom. And now - she's a food writer!! I always love cooking or going out to eat with Sally because she has such great tips and ideas! If you would like to visit her blog, this is the link: http://cometothetable-sally.blogspot.com/. I can't wait to try this recipe!

Curried Beef Short Ribs
Finishing this dish with lime zest and juice brightens its rich flavors.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces ribs, 2/3 cup rice, and about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/3 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/4 cup light coconut
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 cups hot cooked basmati rice

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add half of ribs to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place ribs in an electric slow cooker. Repeat procedure with remaining ribs.

2. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water and curry paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, sugar, and fish sauce. Add coconut milk mixture to cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours.

3. Remove ribs from cooker; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid through a colander over a bowl; discard solids. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Stir in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, rind, and juice. Shred rib meat with 2 forks; discard bones. Serve sauce over ribs and rice.

Sally says... "I doubled the sauce to have extra cause it was so good. I poured the extra all over the rice. But it was so good and so easy. And it sits in the crock pot all day. I made bok choy with it and served it in bowls."

French Dip

Several friends have mentioned being interested in more crock pot recipes. This one was given to me by a sweet friend at church. It is so good - and an easy first recipe to try out in a crock pot. It makes great leftovers and is a good "guy food." I e-mailed it to one friend earlier this week, and it received great reviews!

French Dip
(For 4 people)
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs boneless round steak
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
1 can beef
loaf french bread
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Method:
Put steak in crock pot, pour beef broth over top and sprinkle dry soup mix over all. Cook on low heat 6-8 hours. Slice french bread in half, lengthwise. Layer beef (shredded) and cheese then cover with top of loaf. Wrap whole loaf in foil and heat at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes on a cookie sheet. Remove from foil and slice into sandwiches. Use broth as dip for the sandwiches. (For best results, turn the meet over about half way through cooking to avoid drying out one side.)

Beef Stew

I first tried this recipe about a month ago. It is a great meal to have during all of this cold weather! I'm planning on cooking it again this week! I made it in a stock pot the first time. It was good, but better when we had it the next day because it was able to cook longer so the meat was more tender. This time I may try it in the crock pot so I don't have to watch it, and it will have enough time to simmer.

Beef Stew
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds stew beef
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 to 2 medium carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, or a dash of crumbled dried rosemary

Method:
Trim stew beef and cut in small bite-size pieces. Put in a food storage bag with the flour, onion powder, and seasoned salt; toss to coat well.

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat; add beef to hot oil and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the onion and celery; continue cooking, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, broth, wine, and rosemary; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for about an hour*, or until beef is tender. Serve with biscuits or hot cooked noodles. Serves 6.

*I would suggest letting it simmer for about 3 hours. It will be good after an hour, but the beef may not be tender enough to eat without a knife yet. If you have time, let it cook for several hours until the beef starts to fall apart easily - the flavors will also be better. This is a really rich stew - so yummy! And it's a meal all on its own. Enjoy!

Beef Pot Roast

Many newlyweds receive crock pots as wedding gifts but don't know exactly what to do with them. After about six months of being married I finally decided to try to use my crock pot. It is such a great way to have a full meal waiting on you when you get home for dinner! The best part is that there are so many different ways to make a pot roast - you can really use whatever you have in the kitchen.

Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 or 2 yellow onions
2 large baking potatoes (any kind of potato will work)
4-5 large carrots (or a handful of baby carrots)
Sliced mushrooms
Beef roast (any large type of roast - they have many different names, 3-4lbs)
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 cup beef broth (or french onion soup)
1/4 cup Worcestershire
1/2 cup red wine

Preparation:
Cut the onions, potatoes, and carrots into chunks. Place in the crock pot with the mushrooms. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Brown in on all sides in a skillet in oil (this should only take 10 seconds or so on each side - I use tongs to make sure I can get each side easily.) Put it in the crock pot on top of the vegetables. Stir together all of the other ingredients in a bowl; pour over the top of the pot roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (Almost any of the ingredients can be left out or exchanged for other ingredients.)
Click here for a similar recipe from Sandra Lee (with frozen vegetables and a different marinade)http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/beef-pot-roast-recipe/index.html