ghoulish goulash

I really love easy dinners and there's nothing easier than pasta! Sometimes I do have to change things up a bit and doing Italian for every pasta dish gets a little boring. Alternative? Hungarian! American-Hungarian, that is. ^_^

---- o o o o ----

Old-Fashioned American Goulash
(Adapted from I Heart Recipes)

1.5 lbs lean ground beef
2 cups uncooked spiral macaroni
1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots

1 can mushroom, chopped

1 tbsp minced bottled garlic

1 tbsp Italian seasoning 

1 tbsp adobo seasoning 

1 tsp paprika 

3 bay leaves

2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce 

2 1/2 cup chicken broth

2 cans tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes in tomato sauce

1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

parsley for garnish

Brown the ground meat with seasonings and and bay leaf over medium heat.  Drain any excess fat.

Add in vegetables and cook for a few minutes. Add in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and tomatoes. Cook for 10 another minutes then add chicken broth and macaroni. Reduce heat and let simmer until pasta is just tender.

Stir in cheese then cover for 10 more minutes, garnish with parsley as needed before serving.

ragoût de boeuf en croûte.

Despite the fancy title, all this is is steak and ale pie. Heck, it isn't even French. If anything, this probably resembles more the Brits than the French. And what's more British that meat pies?

Since I've been eating a lot of fish lately, I had a primal urging for some red meat. I considered making a steak of some sort, but unfortunately, all I had in the fridge were chicken, pork chops, and beef stew meat. Well, since I couldn't have a nice juicy steak, I'll take a stew instead. Heck, Since I was already making a stew, I might as well add a lid to it and make it a pie!

I took this recipe from my favorite pie book, Pies:Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton. This makes a simple pie with simple flavors. While not fantastically great, it's a good base to add other umami flavors to really make this recipe pop.

For my dinner, I decided to make a fancy two-crust mini-pie for easier and more elegant serving. I served this with some baby potatoes and colorful carrots tossed in olive oil and my favorite seasoning blend: kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and some sweet paprika. Oven-roasted at 375F degrees for 30 minutes, the vegetables were perfectly fork tender. Steamed peas added color the plate as well as rounded out this Brit-inspired meal.

---- o o o o ---- 

Beef and Ale Pie
(adapted from Pies:Sweet and Savory)

For the Filling:
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lbs beef stew meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 oz. button mushrooms, halved
2/3 cup beef stock or broth
2/3 cup brown ale
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste

For the Dough:
18 tbsp frozen butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
flour for dusting
1 large egg, lightly beaten, to glaze

 
Make the dough:
Coarsely grate frozen butter into a bowl. Sift over the flour and salt and rub together until well-combined and crumbly. Starting with 1/3 to 1/2 cup water, mix with a fork then with fingertips to form a rough dough. If it is too dry, add more water. Shape the dough into a ball, then place in a clean plastic bag to chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Make the filling:
Season flour with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the beef in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan and brown beef over high heat in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and fry onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until brown, stirring frequently.

Add stock, ale, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and browned beef to the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat becomes tender.

Make the pie:
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Remove dough from refrigerator then roll out on a floured surface. Dough should be about two inches larger than the top circumference of a one quart pie dish. Using the dish as a guide, cut a circle one inch bigger than mouth of the pie dish then set aside for the moment. This is the top lid of the pie.

Discard the bay leaf from the filling then with a slotted spoon, transfer filling into the pie dish. Reserve 2/3 cup of the gravy then pour the rest over the meat mixture. Dampen the edge of the dish with a little water then use the scraps of dough to make a collar all the way around, pressing down firmly to adhere the dough onto the dish. Brush the dough collar with a little egg, then top with the dough lid. Using your finger and thumb, pinch and crimp the edges of the dough together to seal.

Decorate the top with any remaining dough as desired. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining beaten egg then cut 2 to 3 slits to allow for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet or until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot with the reserved gravy.

something fishy goin' on...

I don't know what it is that makes making dinner so difficult. Maybe it's the fact that there's so much possibility and that i could really make *anything* I want. Either way, I always struggle when it comes to dinner time.

Back when me and my husband were dating, dinner was fun for me to do. I think it was less stressful because the hubby used to cook more often then. For every four to five times that I cooked, he would cook once. Now, not so much. I've mentioned on more than one occasion that I would *love* for him to cook, but so far no luck. Here's hoping...

So in an effort to reduce my anxiety when I'm in the kitchen, I tend to pin a lot of recipes and make mental notes to remember ones that would most likely be made in the near future. I also have a handful of cookbooks that I really like, especially my Cooking Light cookbook. It's an older version but I found that I've actually made several of the recipes written inside. It's been a trusty companion when I'm lost in the kitchen.

I grabbed for the cookbook today, in fact. Flipping through the pages and remembering what I had in my pantry, I was thinking of doing chicken (my favorite protein). But then, I was in the seafood section and saw this recipe for flounder. Well, I didn't have any flounder...but I did have tilapia in the freezer. And frozen peas should be a good substitute for snow peas, right?

Well, that started the juices flowing and then pretty soon dinner was happily being made. I did a few substitutions to work with the ingredients that I had on hand--but that's pretty usual with the way I cook things. Also, when I made the butter, I thought that some spices needed to play just to make it a bit more interesting. Also, the same with the rice. Of course, I *do* have a rice cooker...so making the rice was just putting things in a pot and pushing a button. I decided to add the directions anyway...you never know. :P

So what did it taste like? Pretty good, actually! I'm not sure if making it as is would have been better...but I like that it ended up being a herby, savory dish that was still light despite the fact that it's got a rice side dish. Hubby liked it, so this is getting added to the "make-again" recipe pile. God knows, I need more of those. And now...what to make tomorrow?? :/

 

Confetti Tilapia Packets with Orange-Tarragon Butter
(adapted from MyRecipes.com/Cooking Light)

1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp water
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets (1/4 inch thick)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp Orange-Tarragon Butter

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place peas, carrots, bell pepper, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes.

Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Cut 4 (15 x 12-inch) squares of parchment paper. Fold each square in half. Open folded parchment paper; place 1 fillet near fold on each square. Top each fillet with one-fourth of carrot mixture; crumble or spread 1 tablespoon Orange-Tarragon Butter over carrot mixture. Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds. Place packets on a large baking sheet. Repeat for remaining fillets.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Place 1 packet on each of 4 plates; cut open, and serve immediately. Garnish with orange wedges, if desired.

 

Orange-Tarragon Butter
(adapted from MyRecipes.com/Cooking Light)

1/4 cup butter, softened
2-3 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp grated orange rind
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir with a spoon until blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

 

Citrus-Herb Rice
(adapted from Fine Cooking)

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 3/4 cups water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp orange zest
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Rinse the rice in a few changes of cold water. Drain the rice well in a sieve.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine 1-3/4 cups water, the rice, butter, onion powder, and tarragon. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover. (If you have an electric stove, use two burners: bring the rice to a boil on a hot burner and then immediately slide it to a burner set on low to continue cooking at a slow simmer.) Cook at a gentle simmer until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 12 minutes (it's okay to lift the lid to make sure the rice is fully cooked and the water is absorbed—just replace the lid quickly).

Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, undisturbed with the lid on, for at least 5 minutes and for as long as 30 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice gently with a fork and stir in orange zest. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, and serve with a sprinkle of dried tarragon on top.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

needing a quickie.

The hubby's been working super late lately and every time he calls to come home, he's requested nicely if dinner could be ready when he comes home. Not an unreasonable request. I tend to take my time in the kitchen experimenting so I sometimes forget that there's another person who's waiting to eat.

Tonight was one of those nights where something quick needed to happen in the kitchen.

So what to do? Pasta, of course. Saw this recipe a couple of weeks ago and decided that it would be perfect for a weeknight kind of meal. Handful of ingredients that didn't need anything fancy. Tasty... simple... quick. And, most importantly, something to fill my husband's tummy after a hard day at work. Huzzah and hip-hooray!

---- o o o o ---- 

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Peas in Cream Sauce
(adapted from Beantown Belly)

1 pound pasta
1/2 pound Spicy Italian Sausage, casing removed
1/2 pound Sweet Italian Sausage, casing removed
12oz frozen green peas
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt and Pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add pasta.

In the meantime, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes in a large pan. Add Italian sausage meat and cook until brown. Drain fat then add frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes.

Add flour and stir to incorporate. Add milk and butter. After mixture boils, bring to a simmer and add Parmesan cheese.

When pasta is al dente, drain and add to sauce. Mix and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. If sauce is too thick, add additional milk and adjust taste accordingly. Makes approximately 5 to 6 servings.

raising risotto.

often times, breakfast for me is kind of a quickie. fruit, yogurt, ice, blend. occasionally i'll have some cereal if i have some laying around. call it laziness...i'd rather wash my blender than think of what to make in the morning. sometimes, though, i get in the mood of making a legit breakfast. my go-to? oatmeal.

usually i like my oatmeal with brown sugar and a big handful of raisins. sometimes it's maple syrup. sometimes just packet of equal and milk. oatmeal can be pretty routine with everything tipping on the sweet scale. but then i found the world of savory oats that i never knew existed or even though about! man, what a find!

i've only ever made savory oatmeal twice. the first recipe was with spinach and a fried egg. while tasty, i found that the textures was kind of one-dimentional (read: "mushy") and after eating it, i wanted more of a chew...and not so soupy. so i decided to do one on the fly and ended up with a much thicker consistency and definitely more of the mouth feel i was looking for. bonus? i didn't even miss the egg. :)

Pea and Onion Oat Risotto
(makes one serving)

1/4 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup frozen peas
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 cup or so low sodium chicken broth
2 to 3 tbsp milk
grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil
small handful of fried onion

In a small sauce pan on medium heat, add enough oil to saute garlic and onions. After a minute, add the frozen peas and cook until the peas have slightly browned. Add the oats and cook until the oats have slightly toasted. Add the tarragon, paprika, and enough broth to submerge the oat mixture. Season with some pepper and a pinch of salt. Let thicken slightly then add the milk, stirring often. Once the oats have reached desired consistency, add in parmesan cheese to taste and season with additional salt and pepper. Serve with the fried onion (i used french's), a dash of paprika, and a drizzle of olive oil.

skillet for one and...cookies!

today was one of those days where me and the boyfriend had dinner at different times. i originally had plans to go out, so he had some leftover pizza and i was left to wait for my dinner date. which fell through. *sigh* so decided to take some fingerling potatoes that were gonna go bad, peas, and some small bits of chicken i save that i keep telling to myself i'm going to use one day (hah! and i did!) and made a skillet of some sort. i added some garlic cream sauce then a bit of pesto for good measure. lol, it's food. it's good. i just don't know what it is. :X

and whilst i waited for said dinner date, decided to whip up some toffee cookies. followed package directions for these. next time, tho, i think i'd double the toffee bits just cuz i like 'em. :)

oh and what the hell, i'll throw in dinner i made a few days ago but didn't get around to posting....

this was a turbot filet that i had bought from trader joe's. it was okay...a little too fishy for my taste. the squash concoction was good, and so was the middle east, mediterranean curry flavored couscous that i made with it. next time, i think i'll try another type of fish for this meal. and the verdict? i liked it, boyfriend did not. i had to make him a sandwich, lol. poor baby. XD