Chicken Fried Steak

"It's Hammer Time!" This recipe is time-consuming, but it's a fun way to take out aggressions while I pound away at the beef. I am so lucky to have a daughter who can be my line cook to help me out with the side dishes and a husband who is happily willing to clean up the massive pile of dishes afterwards.

I fry my steak using the standard, 3-step method:
1) coat the steak pieces with flour, then
2) dip in egg mixture, and then
3) coat both sides with breading.
The steaks are then fried in a generous amount of oil (enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan). Any type of vegetable oil will do, but I like the flavor of corn oil for this. Brown the steaks on both sides on medium heat. Then place the cooked steaks in foil to keep them warm in a 300 degree oven while finishing up the remaining steaks.

Preparing the steak - I like to use about 1 to 2 pounds beef flank steak and hammer it as thin as possible with a meat pounder. I suppose thin "breakfast steaks" will work and save a lot of labor, but I've never tried them. My pounded flank steak comes out incredibly tender. We really like the texture doing it this way. Before pounding the steak, I cut it into pieces about the size of a playing card. I then pound both sides of the meat using the bigger teeth of the meat pounder. Once I'm satisfied with how thin my steak is, I then smooth both sides of the steak using the smaller teeth on the meat pounder.

Egg mixture - For 1 to 2 pounds of steak meat, mix well: 2 beaten eggs and 1/4 cup milk or half & half cream.

Breading - (Use one of the two blends below. Cornmeal is another option to mix into breading.):

Standard breading blend: Use equal parts of plain or seasoned bread crumbs and flour. Add salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings to taste.

French's Onions breading blend:
          *one whole container (2.8 oz) of French's original French Fried Onions (crush these in a baggie); save the container to measure the bread crumbs
          *one whole French's onion container of plain bread crumbs
          *1 tablespoon "Montreal Steak" seasoning blend (e.g., McCormick's)

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This chicken fried steak (with the French's onion breading) was served with white cream gravy, honey-butter glazed carrots, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Everything was made from scratch - fresh is best!
 

I love my meat pounder! Do you have one buried in one of your kitchen drawers?

 





Beef with Stewed Tomatoes

The recipe below is a crockpot dinner for a large meal, up to 8-10 (or more) servings. If you don't have a crockpot, see my note at the bottom for instructions how to cook this meal on the stovetop.

This recipe can be halved and cooked in a medium-sized crockpot. This is a quick and easy recipe for busy mamas who want to please their family with comfort food. I can never go wrong with this dinner when feeding my Meat and Potatoes Man. With my small family, I'm able to turn this recipe into at least a couple leftover dinners.

Mix the following ingredients in a LARGE crockpot:

     > 2 lb. pre-cut stewing beef
     > 1 lb mushrooms, sliced or quartered
     > 2 x 14.5 oz cans of Stewed Tomatoes
     > 1-Half "tomato can" amount of cooking wine, any flavor
     > 3 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
     > freshly ground black pepper to taste
     > optional extra herbs: marjoram, rosemary, bay leaf

Cook per crockpot instructions for the required number of hours to cook any recipe with beef stew meat. Use your schedule to determine whether to cook the meal on a high or low setting. Prior to serving, make sure it is thoroughly heated up on the high setting and then thicken it with a water-flour(and/or cornstarch) mixture. After it has been thickened, add salt for more flavor, if needed.

Serve over potatoes.

Other suggested side dishes: peas, green beans, salad, rolls, etc.

Notes:
     > The same recipe can be made on the stovetop by cooking the meat in all the ingredients except the mushrooms. Simmer in a regular covered pot (adding extra water if needed) or cook in a pressure cooker. When meat is tender, add the mushrooms and cook until they are done. Then thicken the sauce.
     > If your family doesn't like mushrooms, they can be omitted.
     > If you don't have cooking wine handy, substitute the same amount of water instead.

Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Dinner

Kielbasa & Kraut
For the main dish, combine the following ingredients in a covered casserole dish and bake at 400F (about a half hour or so???). When it looks cooked through, remove the lid and bake a little longer to get the top browned a little.
     *Sliced Kielbasa sausage
     *Drained sauerkraut
     *Cooked spaetzle or alternative cooked pasta

Heavenly Asparagus
For the side dish, I made "Heavenly Asparagus." It tasted heavenly with this particular artisan cheese I found, called, "No Woman" cheese, made by Beecher's of Pike Place Market in Seattle. I found this cheese at a local vegetable stand store. I remember seeing this cheese at regular grocery stores up in the Seattle area. The cheese is a hard cheese infused with Jamaican spices.

Cook asparagus, cut into one-inch pieces, in a small amount of water with a sprinkling of chicken bouillon granules. Cook for a few to several minutes until water is boiled off and add small amounts of water as needed, so it doesn't dry out the bottom of the pot. When the asparagus is tender-crisp, just about ready to eat, add a generous amount of butter and saute for a minute or so. Transfer into serving bowl. Mix in artisan cheese that has been crumbled or cut into crumble-sized pieces.

Tamale Pie

1) For the "filling," make chile con carne using a pressure cooker, but make it less saucy than you would prepare it as an entree. I like to add raisins to this for my tamale recipes.

2) While beef is cooking, make the dough. Preheat oven to 400 with a roaster pan filled with water placed on the bottom rack of the oven.

3) Dough...mix dry ingredients first, then add wet:
     >3c masa harina
     >1 tsp salt
     >1 tsp baking powder
     >1 tsp california red chile pepper
     >1 cup corn oil
     >2 c water
Mix with batter attachment in Kitchen Aid mixer. Once well blended, crank up to highest speed and beat for a minute.

4) Spread batter on bottom of 9x13 glass casserole. Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in oven on next rack above the water. Bake for thirty minutes.

5) Spread chile con carne over the baked masa. Then top with grated cheese, such as cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican cheeses, etc. Bake until cheese is bubbly and staring to brown.

Let it sit for a little out of the oven before trying to cut it. Garnish with desired condiments, such as sour cream, salsa, and/or hot sauce. Serve with a healthy side of veggies.

ALTERNATIVE: Green chile tamale pie: Instead of spreading chile con carne over the baked masa, spread chopped green (or poblano) chiles on top. Add tomatillo sauce to the chiles, if desired.

Yakisoba

Yakisoba can be made with many different combinations of vegetables, meats, seafoods, and seasonings. This vegetarian combo I describe below is quick, easy, and delicious. Use vegetable amounts per your preference and number of people you are serving.

1. Prepare tofu. Dice a package of FIRM tofu into bite-sized pieces. press as much of the water out of it as possible with paper towels. It's easier to fry tofu when it has less moisture.

2. Prepare vegetables by washing and dicing them: yellow onion, garlic (mince or crush), red bell pepper, mushrooms (sliced). Also, set aside pre-washed whole baby spinach leaves.

3. Have pre-cooked yakisoba noodles ready. These are usually found in the produce (refrigerated) or organic section of the grocery store, usually next to the tofu. I like Fortune brand yakisoba noodles (7.7 oz package). I don't bother using the seasoning package because I use my own ingredients, but the seasoning package can, of course, be used. I like to cut the noodle bundle once crosswise, to make them shorter and easier to stir-fry.

4. It's important to have everything ready to go beforehand because the stir-fry happens quickly and there's no time to leave the stove to prep or fetch other ingredients. Also, have ready: soy sauce, sesame oil, and asian-type hot sauce or chili sauce(like, the one with the rooster on the label). Alternatively, you can use the seasoning packet from the yakisoba.

3. Heat oil in wok (enough oil for a stir-fry. Add all at once: the tofu and all the vegetables except spinach. While stir-frying, keep the heat up high and keep the spatula moving, flipping the ingredients around in the wok (or pan) constantly. Do not walk away from the stove! When the vegetables are cooked about half way through, add the seasonings. When the vegetables are almost all the way cooked (don't overcook--this is not American Stew!), add the yakisoba. Once the noodles have separated and are mixed in well with the other ingredients and heated through, add the spinach leaves. Keep stir-frying until spinach leaves are wilted. Enjoy!

***Note, for other meat or vegetable combinations, it may require cooking ingredients separately or adding things one at a time. For example, cook meats first, then add the vegetables. Vegetables that take longer to cook, such as broccoli and carrots, should be fried for a few minutes before adding the quicker-cooking vegetables.

Bacon-Infused Meatloaf

This recipe makes two meatloafs. If desired, one cooked loaf can be frozen and then reheated later. When cooking the frozen meatloaf, place it in the refrigerator the day before and allow it to thaw out for a day in the fridge before cooking.

1) Chop up some bacon into small bits. I use Oscar Meyer thick, center cut bacon - the whole package. Start frying it in a skillet. When it's about half cooked, add:
>>> one chopped onion and
>>> one chopped green bell pepper.
Continue cooking until the ingredients are most of the way cooked. Transfer to a big mixing bowl and allow it to cool off a little.

2) Add to the mixture:
>>> 3 slices white bread, crust removed - tear the bread into small pieces.
>>> salt and pepper as desired
>>> 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
>>> 2 pounds lean ground beef
>>> 2 eggs

3) Mash the ingredients together thoroughly for several minutes, until it becomes dough-like. This can be done with a wooden spoon and/or your hands.

4) Divide the meat mixture into two aluminum "2 pound" loaf pans. Pat the meat down firmly into the pan and smooth out the top. Place the two loaves side by side in a 9x13 cake pan.

5) Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Turn the pan around halfway through, to help get more even cooking in the loaves.

6) Remove the loaves from the oven and put the oven on broil. Drain out the extra fat from the loaves. Then put BBQ glaze across both loaves. Here is the recipe for the glaze:
>>> 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
>>> 1/2 cup ketchup
>>> 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
>>> dash of black pepper
>>> 2 tablespoons soy sauce
>>> dash of tabasco sauce

7) Place the loaves back in the oven under the broiler. Keep an eye on it. Remove the meatloaf once the glaze gets all bubbly.

8) Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, a vegetable side, salad, rolls, and a warm smile!

Fajitas

My fajita recipe has evolved over the years, currently at its simplest version. I don't even know what authentic fajitas are really supposed to be like anymore, but I'm going to call this recipe "fajitas" anyway. I don't bother marinating the meat for fajitas because my life is too busy. Leftover fajita filling makes a great breakfast when cooked in a cast-iron skillet with scrambled eggs. Fajitas should be a recipe that people customize to make their own best version, so feel free to customize it with your own secret ingredients!

Meat version - Use beef or chicken strips
Vegetarian version - Use black beans or Quorn Chik'n Tenders (found in freezer section)
Breakfast version - Mix in fajita leftover filling with scrambled eggs

1) Fry in hot oil in a skillet or wok (I prefer cast iron):
    >Beef steak strips or chicken breast strips or grilled chicken thigh pieces or Quorn Chik'n Tenders
    >Red and green bell pepper strips
    >Sliced onion
    >Minced garlic

2) When the meat and vegetables are cooked all the way through, add seasonings and beans, and then heat through:
    >Canned black beans (optional) - rinsed and drained
    >Lime juice, from fresh-squeezed limes**
    >Chipotle chile powder*
    >Chopped fresh cilantro**
    >Salt, as needed
(*Alternatively, use "fajita seasoning," or any type of Mexican seasoning or chile powder; but I like the chipotle powder best)
(**Limes and cilantro can be served on the side as a garnish instead of being cooked in the pan with the other ingredients.)

3) Serve with flour or corn tortillas and Mexican condiments.

An even EASIER version:
Buy at the grocery store: pre-packaged fajita-seasoned vegetables and pre-packaged fajita-seasoned meat. Fry everything together in a skillet. These are usually found in the meat and produce departments.

Fajitas are ready to be served up. These were made with chicken breasts. Limes and cilantro were served on the side. I don't normally use sour cream with my fajitas, but I needed to use some up from my fridge, and the sour cream tasted good on the fajitas.

Plate is served up. Fajita mix was topped with cilantro and some squirts of lime juice. Tortillas can be stuffed like a sandwich/taco. I like to tear off bite-sized pieces of tortilla and grab a biteful of fajita filling in each individual bite.  

Oyster Sauce Beef with Asparagus

This was one of our favorite meals when we were growing up, which I have tried to recreate from memory. This can be made with broccoli or asparagus. Fried tofu can be used instead of beef for a vegetarian version.

Do all your cutting, chopping, and measuring of your sauce ingredients ahead of time, BEFORE you start cooking. Cut all ingredients stir-fry style. Once you have everything prepped, start cooking the rice, which should be finished at about the same time as the rest of the meal (or, if you have a rice cooker with a warmer setting, you can even start cooking the rice before doing the prep work). After the rice has started cooking and all the ingredients below have been prepped, THEN start cooking the oyster beef recipe. Make sure you have everything handy next to you at the stove because everything happens quickly once you start stir-frying.

1. Prepare meat mixture below, then stir-fry in oil. Set aside in a large bowl after meat is cooked through.
     > flank steak, cut stir-fry style (a pound or so)
     > 2 tablespoons cornstarch
     > 2 egg whites
Because of the egg whites and cornstarch tending to stick while cooking, it's probably better just to use non-stick skillet; otherwise, if you are using a traditional wok, make sure it is very well-seasoned.
(OPTIONAL: Fry pieces of extra firm tofu instead of using the beef mixture.)

2. Stir-fry vegetables in the wok:
     > asparagus, cut diagonally in one-inch pieces (1 bunch)
     > garlic, minced (1-2 cloves)
     > green onion, sliced (1-2 bunches)
     > ginger root, minced (1-2 inches of root)
     > with a little oil and 4 tablespoons chicken broth.
Cook until asparagus is tender but still has a little bit of crisp left. Add to the bowl of cooked meat.
(OPTIONAL: Broccoli may be used instead.)

3. Add the sauce mix below to the wok. Stir and cook until bubbly and thick. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. For sauce mix, prepare ahead of time in a large measuring glass, and mix ingredients thoroughly so that everything is dissolved:
     > 1/4 c. oyster flavored sauce
     > 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
     > 3 Tablespoons cooking sherry
     > 1 Tablespoons sugar
     > 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
    > Add enough COLD water to make it all equal to 2 cups

4. Add the beef and vegetables back to the wok, mix through, then serve while still hot.

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Egg Foo Yung is a good a side dish with this recipe.

Ready Spagetti!

This is pretty much the standard way I make spaghetti if I'm in a hurry. Below is my alternative recipe, which takes up a little more time but makes it slightly more homemade. Serve over regular noodles or high fiber noodles. Serve with garlic bread and Caesar Salad. For spaghetti topping, use fresh grated parmesan cheese or "fresh" mozzarella slices.

Sauce:
Ground Beef
Sliced mushrooms (optional)
Saute beef and mushrooms together until cooked. Then add...
Ragu "Garden Combination"
1 small can Contadina brand tomato paste (regular/plain flavor, don't get Italian flavored!!!)
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Splash of sherry cooking wine
Dash of Italian seasoning herb blend
1 bay leaf
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Simmer sauce on low heat with a lid while noodles are cooking.

Alternate recipe ideas:
Make same as above, except...
Saute onions and garlic with the meat, with a little salt and pepper added.
Substitute for the Ragu sauce--large can diced or crushed tomatoes and regular sized can tomato sauce.
Add extra Italian herbs, use fresh herbs (oregano, basil) if available.
Add about a teaspoon of sugar.
Add some spicy sliced Italian sausage or beef/turkey/pork meatballs.
For a vegetarian version, use TVP, eggplant, or falafel

Peanut Sauce for Stir-fry

This sauce can be used with any Asian noodle or rice stir-fry dish. Note: "creamy" peanut butter will yield a creamier sauce, but I prefer to stay away from hydrogenated fats.

1) Mix together in a bowl and set aside:
     > ½ cup natural peanut butter
     > ½ cup water
     > 2 tablespoons soy sauce
     > 1 tablespoon brown sugar

2) Make your stir-fry (meats, veggies, etc.). For additional flavor, you may include any or all of the following in the stir-fry:
     > minced hot peppers
     > ginger root
     > garlic
     > green onion (or leave out of cooking and use as garnish)

3) Once stir-fry is cooked, mix in the peanut sauce mixture and cook through until it's at desired consistency. Serve over rice, pasta, or any type of Asian noodles.

4) For more flavor after cooking, add any or all of the optional garnishes:
     > chopped fresh cilantro
     > green onion
     > fresh-squeezed lime juice
     > extra soy sauce
     > Spiracha hot chili sauce

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ALTERNATIVE RECIPE: Almond Sauce

1) Saute some minced garlic in a little bit of oil, then add...
2) sauce ingredients, mixed together before adding to the garlic-oil (cook until thickened):
    > ½ cup almond butter
    > 1½ cups water
    > 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
    > 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
    > 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Arabic Dinner

I think this was Ra'chel's favorite dinner growing up....

Vermicelli-Rice
In rice pot, brown together:
1 cup vermicelli (broken into little pieces)
1 cup rice
1/4 cup (half-stick) butter
Once browned, add 3 cups water, bring to boil, then reduce heat and cover to finish cooking about 15-20 minutes.
***I suppose a similar rice mixture could be made with a beef-flavored rice-a-roni, too.

The Main Event
Put in large pot and brown together:
Beef, cut in cubes (1-2 lbs.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chopped onion
And, enough oil to brown the beef

Once the beef is browned (and onions and garlic cooked), add:
fresh cut green beans*
2 small cans tomato paste (be careful not to get seasoned tomato paste!)
3 beef bouillon cubes
And, enough water to come just to the top of the ingredients.

Cover and simmer until beef and green beans are tender, which is kind of forever. If it's too watery at the end of cooking, take the lid off and simmer to let the extra moisture evaporate.
*If using canned green beans, add them at the END of cooking.

Serve the tomato-beef mixture over the rice.

Not sure why this is called "Arabic Dinner," but I think this dinner came from Aunt Lois back in the day.

Golden Mushroom

This was my favorite meal as a kid, and I always asked for this dinner on my birthday. Now it's my favorite "cheap" dinner.

1) Brown steak strips or baked tofu slices in a skillet.
2) Add Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup, with enough water to make gravy-like. Cook through.
3) Serve over rice or pasta.

Serve with a side dish of broccoli or some other green vegetable.

St. Patty's Day Dinner

This dinner is EASY, EASY, EASY. And it is oh-so delicious! (But, not very healthy, that's why we eat it only once a year.)

1) corned beef brisket - buy the packaged corned beef kit. Get O'Gallagher brand. Put the beef in crockpot and rub spices into meat. Pour ½ cup water in. Cook on low setting all day. During the last hour of cooking, prepare the rest of the meal. The corned beef can also be baked in the oven, following package directions.

2) potatoes - quarter red potatoes into a 9 x 12 baking dish. Coat potatoes with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If desired, add chopped onions. Bake at 400°F until done.

3) cabbage - cut cabbage into large chunks. Steam-cook in large pot with small amount of water. When cooked (but not soggy!), drain water out. Add generous amount of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

4) soda bread - buy this from the bakery dept. Slice and butter, then oven-toast.

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Irish Blessing...

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Beef Stroganoff

I might as well include old standards in my recipe collection.

1. Fry together in a pot:
butter-oil
beef (ground or steak strips)
sliced onions and mushrooms
salt, pepper, nutmeg

2. Once cooked through, add a splash of cooking sherry. Cook another minute or so. Then mix in sour cream. If desired, add a little Kitchen Bouquet to make the sauce less white.

3. Serve with:
cooked spinach, with lots of butter and a little cider vinegar
rice or pasta

***I tried this once with fake vegetarian "ground beef," and it turned out lousy. So...for now, stroganoff is with real beef.

Beef Pot Roast Dinner

1. Mix 1 envelope Lipton's Beefy Onion soup with 2 c. water in pressure cooker. Add the beef and pressure cook for 45(+) minutes.

2. After beef gets going, cut up:
carrots, potatoes, onions. Optional, whole mushrooms.
Mix together with s&p, parsley flakes, and olive oil.
Put in baking dish. Then turn oven on to 400. Put in oven and bake until done. Can transfer to different/smaller serving dish to make it more presentable. In the big dish, the vegetables shrink and the oil appears to grow.

3. After beef is cooked (re-pressurize if needed to get it real tender), remove from pot and place into serving dish, cut up for serving. Add water to broth in same pressure cooker pot. Add just enough water to the broth to get it to the right amount of saltiness. Make a gravy out of it, using corn starch/flour/water mixture.

4. Sides: green salad and rolls or bread.

I dedicate this dinner to Howard and Elsa Kalber, who would have truly enjoyed this dinner. Howard would have topped it all with orange marmalade. Elsa would have stacked the white bread slices two feet tall in the middle of the kitchen table.

I also dedicate this dinner to my most wonderful hubby. This is the kind of dinner that makes my man happy!

OVEN VERSION....for a cold winter day:
1) Put beef in a covered casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 packet Lipton onion soup over it, then pour 1 c. water on top. Put lid on and bake at 325 for 1 hour. If it's a huge roast, bake an hour and a half.
2) Add vegetables to oven in another casserole dish. Carrots, potatoes, onions, mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and coat veggies with olive oil. Bake until done, 30+ minutes.
3) Make gravy from the beef juices. Serve peas and bread/rolls with this dinner.