Kathy’s Layered Enchilada Pie

My MAJEK group of friends have been exchanging recipes during COVID.  This is one that Kathy shared.  It is pretty simple, and very tasty.  

• My adaptations: I used a package Impossible Burger to eat lower on the food chain.  
• 2-4 T taco seasoning
• I used a 10" pie plate or 8 x 11 casserole dish
• After baking for 20 minutes, topped with more cheese, then returned to oven uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until bubbly.

1 lb ground beef                                

1 onion small size

1 can tomato sauce 8 oz or 14oz can of diced tomatoes

sliced black olives....sm can may be enough

1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese or more

3/4 cup water

Your favorite Mexican seasoning (Lawrys Taco is good or chili pwd….I used Penzeys Bold Taco) probably a tablespoon or more

6 corn tortillas...butter these

Brown meat and onion....drain.....then add tomato sauce and olives plus seasoning along with some salt and pepper.    

Layer the tortillas, meat, and cheese.  I end with tortillas on top.  Add water around sides.  Bake at 400* covered for 20-30 minutes.  

Serves 4-6 depending on how hungry you are.

You can have toppings like sour cream, cilantro, etc.

Cream of Steak Soup

This was on the menu of a San Francisco restaurant.  

I believe they grilled the meat for extra flavor.

1½ - 2 lb round steak, sliced into thin strips

½-1 C butter                              1 large can tomatoes, diced

1 C flour                                    3 qts beef broth

5 stalks celery, diced                1 T Worcestershire sauce

2 large carrots, diced                salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, diced                   

½ lb mushrooms, chopped          1½ C half and half

            Slowly brown beef in a large heavy pot with some of the butter.  Add raw vegetables, rest of the butter, and the flour.  Mix well and cook for 10 minutes or until the butter incorporates.  Add tomatoes, broth, and seasonings.  Simmer for about 1-1½ hours or until meat is tender.  Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan.           

            Add cream and cook for 5 more minutes.

          This soup can be frozen for later use.  If it gets too thick, add more broth or water; then adjust seasonings.

Mississippi Roast

        The picture of this recipe looked delicious, but don't all the pictures on food blogs look terrific!  I have made a few recipes that did not live up to their promised expectations.  You won't see those recipes here.  But this one had been on my list for awhile, and I finally picked up a chuck roast and tried it.  Yum!  After reading several of the comments, I made some adjustments and we liked it fine.  The roast was 3 pounds exactly, but I trimmed off at least 1/4 pound of fat before starting.  Even though there is really NO liquid required, there was plenty as it cooked, mostly fat.  I skimmed most of it off before serving with the meat.
         One time, I tried using the sliced pepperoncini, but that didn't work as well.  Buy the whole ones and use whatever number seems right to you.  If you use the whole jar, prepare for it to be pretty spicy.

• •  1 boneless chuck roast, top or bottom round roast, 3 to 4 pounds
  •  1/2 tsp kosher salt
  •  3/4 tsp black pepper
  •  3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  •  2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
  •  1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
  •  1 package dry onion soup mix
     1 cup beef broth (optional)
  •  10 to 15 pepperoncini (or more)
  
  
  
  
  Place roast on a cutting board and rub the salt and pepper all over it. Sprinkle the flour all over the seasoned meat and massage into the meat.
  
  
  Heat the oil in a dutch oven* (or large skillet) set over high heat until it is shimmering and about to smoke. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes a side, to create a crust. Remove roast from pan and place it in the bowl of a slow cooker.** Sprinkle the dressing mix and soup mix on top. (Pour the broth around the meat.)
  
  
  Add the pepperoncini on top of the meat. Put the lid on, and set to high for a 3-4 hours, if you will be around to turn it down later. ( I always start at high for the first hour or two.) Cook, undisturbed, for 6 to 8 hours, or until you can shred the meat easily using 2 forks. (Depends on your particular crockpot, whether it will be tender in that length of time.  May need longer.)
  
  

  Remove the meat from the slow cooker to a bowl and shred, removing any large clumps of fat.  Serve with rice, egg noodles, or roasted or mashed potatoes, or pile onto sandwich rolls, as burritos or tacos, however you like.

  
  
  *Using a pot with high sides keeps grease a little more contained and prevents getting your stove quite so greasy.
  **Or 300 degree oven for about 3-4 hours.
  
  
  
  
  This recipe comes from various sites.   

Korean Beef Bowl

I first discovered this recipe on Damn Delicious. But there wasn't enough sauce and the flavors were "almost" there for me, but not quite. I have played with the proportions but the addition of the water and sake seem to be more to our liking. My main attempt was to create more sauce, which the original recipe did not have.   Koreans also may put a fried egg on top, then quickly mix it into the hot rice and meat mixture so that it cooks the egg. Serve with the veggie pickles.  (I do not claim that this is authentic.)

3 T brown sugar, 
3 T soy sauce
1/4 C water
1/4 C sake, sherry, or more water
1 t Sriracha, or more to taste
1 T grated ginger 

2 t vegetable oil
2 t garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 T cornstarch diluted in 2 T water
2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

2 t sesame oil 

Cooked rice, for serving
kim chee
pickles--marinated for 30 minutes or more (see recipe below)
Optional: 4 fried eggs
2 t toasted sesame seeds (garnish)

If making pickles, make them now so they have time to marinate.

In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, water, sake, Sriracha, and ginger. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and green onions (if using) until well combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Add cornstarch mixture until thickened.  Mix in sesame oil right after turning off the heat.

Serve immediately over a bowl of rice. Lay fried egg on top and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve kim chee and pickled vegetables along side. These help to balance the flavors of the meat.

Pickles: 1/3 C each: sugar, vinegar, water, and a pinch of salt. Add sliced radishes, julienned carrots, or sliced onion. (Large quantities not needed.)

The original recipe came from here.

Lisa’s Tacos

This is a recipe that Lisa got from Girl Scouts or something when she was in elementary school.  She made it several times for us.  Now I am going to make it with her daughter.  Good served with Mexican Rice.

1 pound ground beef                                             Sauce:

½ onion, chopped                               1 16 oz cans stewed tomatoes

2 t. chile powder                                 1½ tsp crushed oregano

1 clove garlic, minced                         1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 C tortilla chips, lightly crushed       ½ tsp salt

2 C shredded cheese                           ¼ tsp pepper

2 C shredded lettuce

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook beef and onion with seasonings until brown.  Drain fat. 

Place crushed chips in a glass pie plate or small casserole dish.  Cover with beef, then cheese. 

Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Serve with shredded lettuce and sauce.

Beef Stroganoff

This is a wonderful treat, but especially in the winter.  I've been using this recipe for over 40 years.  There are many recipes that cook it for less time, but this is what I've always made.  Very tender and oh so good.

3-4 Tbsp butter or olive oil              1/3 C flour  
1 onion, chopped                            salt & pepper if needed  
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced                 2 C beef broth
2 lb. sirloin steak, cut in strips         1/2 C red wine (optional)                           
             1/2 C sour cream or creme fraiche*

Saute onion and mushrooms in some of the oil on medium heat until onions are softened and lightly browned.  Remove to a bowl.  Spread beef strips on a cutting board and sprinkle with flour.  (You may need more or less.)  Toss around until they are more or less covered.

Heat more oil and saute half the meat at a time until browned.  Remove to another bowl.  Saute rest of meat, then return first batch of meat to pan.  Add broth and wine.  Let simmer one hour.  Add onion and mushrooms to meat and cook another 20-30 minutes.  

Turn off heat and mix in sour cream.  (Sour cream will curdle if heated too high.  Creme fraiche isn't supposed to.)  

*To make your own creme fraiche, watch Chef John make it here:  creme fraiche

Cuban Ropa Vieja

     On a visit to Old Town, San Diego about 25 years ago, I ordered a dish called Ropa Vieja at one of the many Mexican restaurants.  It was a delicious meal.  Soon after there was a recipe in the newspaper for this dish.  But alas, the recipe has been lost.  Then I saw this recipe.  It wasn't quite what I remembered, but it was still a tasty meal.

• 2 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak  * (I browned it first, removed the meat, then added the onion to brown lightly after I turned off the heat.)
• 1 onion, cut in half, sliced

Cook later:

• 1 cup long-grain white rice (can also be served with tortillas)
• 2 t. olive oil
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, oregano, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  Add onion, then nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. 

Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.

 Heat the oil in a skillet. Stir-fry the bell peppers starting with medium high heat.  As they are browning, turn the heat down to medium and cook until desired texture.  Set aside.

Once the meat is very tender, using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid. Serve with the rice, peppers, and top with the avocado and cilantro.