Where's the Beef?

I wasn't always a vegetarian. Even after becoming a vegetarian, those in the house with me have enjoyed meat. Therefore, I've managed to collect (and invent) meat recipes over the years. Here are a few with beef in them, including Bean Burger and Oven Pot Roast.

Note: The first five recipes in today's post can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

BEEF STEW

One of my inventions; the recipes I had for stew seemed too bland.

2-3 lbs. stewing beef

3 T oil

2 C water

1 onion, chopped

8 oz. tomato sauce

1 C flour

1 T soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

4 carrots, cut up

1 large potato, peeled & cut up

6 oz tomato paste

4 T vinegar

3 T honey

salt & pepper

Cut beef into bite-sized pieces. Trim fat & dredge in flour & brown in oil. Add every-thing except carrots & potato. Cook 15 minutes. Add carrots & cook 15 more minutes. Add potato & cook 30 minutes. Add water as needed. Serve over noodles.

OVEN POT ROAST

This is from my Grandma Hallock. She added, "I sometimes add soy sauce to thicken & for color. This is an easy meal."

4 lbs. chuck beef (boneless)

1/3 C flour

1/4 C oil

2 C carrots, cut up

2 C onions, sliced

2 C celery, cut up

1 C tomatoes (opt.) or 1 small can tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 can mushroom soup (optional)

Wash & flour meat. Brown in fat on stove top (all sides of meat). Put in large casserole or Dutch oven. Cook at 400 degrees for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Put vegetables around. Last 1/2 hour, add soup. Add 1 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C water to thicken gravy (if necessary). Serves 6.

BEEF ROLLS

Another one of Grandma Hallock’s recipes. She wrote, "Made these a lot when we were young. Kids loved them. Used flank steak." She also sent a recipe for Baked Butter Carrots which, she also wrote, are "good with Beef Rolls."

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak, sliced thin

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C boiling water

1/2 tsp. onion flakes

2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 C bread crumbs

3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

flour

1/8 tsp. pepper

butter for browning

Wash meat, trim fat. Cut into 6 slices, making them as square as possible. Beat egg. Add crumbs & seasonings. Place in center of pieces of meat, then pin 4 corners of meat with toothpick or tie with string. Flour them, then brown in butter. Add 2 T flour to thicken sauce around meat. Put in casserole. Pour boiling water over it. Cover & bake in oven at 275 degrees for 3 hours or 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 6.

BEAN BURGER

The kids had this one evening when I had a class to go to; they loved it.

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger

2 T mustard (or to taste)

2 cans baked beans

2 T brown sugar (or to taste)

Brown hamburger. Drain grease, then add beans, mustard & brown sugar. Heat thoroughly. May be eaten on hamburger buns, taco shells, or plain.

HAMBURGER SPECIAL

One of my variations of the good, ol’ hamburger. One-half diced yellow pepper may be added along with the red and green peppers, if desired.

2 lbs. hamburger

1 - 2 carrots, peeled & cut into rounds

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 package dry onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients together & form into 8 patties. Cook immediately or freeze separately. Serve on hamburger buns.

OLD-FASHIONED MEAT LOAF

A.K.A. ‘BASIC’ MEAT LOAF

This last recipe is from Paula Deen on The Food Network website.

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Active Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy


To view this online, click here.
Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Topping:

Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

Wednesday Recipes

We're now half-way through the week, and more than half-way through January. Wasn't the beginning of the holiday season just last week? It seems that way. Today would have been one of my grandmother's birthday. I still remember her saying how she hated blinking, since every time she did, another month had flown by. I think most of us can relate.

In honor of my grandmother's birthday, the first five recipes are from my grandmother and come from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

OVEN POT ROAST

This is from my Grandma Hallock. She added, "I sometimes add soy sauce to thicken & for color. This is an easy meal."

4 lbs. chuck beef (boneless)

1/3 C flour

1/4 C oil

2 C carrots, cut up

2 C onions, sliced

2 C celery, cut up

1 C tomatoes (opt.) or 1 small can tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 can mushroom soup (optional)

Wash & flour meat. Brown in fat on stove top (all sides of meat). Put in large casserole or Dutch oven. Cook at 400 degrees for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Put vegetables around. Last 1/2 hour, add soup. Add 1 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C water to thicken gravy (if necessary). Serves 6.

BEEF ROLLS

Another one of Grandma Hallock’s recipes. She wrote, "Made these a lot when we were young. Kids loved them. Used flank steak." She also sent a recipe for Baked Butter Carrots which, she also wrote, are "good with Beef Rolls."

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak, sliced thin

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C boiling water

1/2 tsp. onion flakes

2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 C bread crumbs

3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

flour

1/8 tsp. pepper

butter for browning

Wash meat, trim fat. Cut into 6 slices, making them as square as possible. Beat egg. Add crumbs & seasonings. Place in center of pieces of meat, then pin 4 corners of meat with toothpick or tie with string. Flour them, then brown in butter. Add 2 T flour to thicken sauce around meat. Put in casserole. Pour boiling water over it. Cover & bake in oven at 275 degrees for 3 hours or 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 6.

BAKED BUTTER CARROTS

Also from my Grandma, who was a fantastic cook. She wrote, “Good with Veal Birds (Beef Rolls).” Eat & enjoy!

2 1/2 lbs. carrots

1 T salt

2 T oleo or butter

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

dash of pepper

2 tsp. lemon juice

Peel carrots. Cut into lengthwise slices. Put them & rest of ingredients into casserole. Cover & bake at 275 degrees for 3 hours. Uncover & brown on top for 15 minutes. Serves 6.

GRANDMA'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This and the next recipe (Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies) are from my Grandma Hallock (my mom's mom). They can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.





1/2 C butter

1 1/4 C flour

1/2 C peanut butter

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 C sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg, well beaten

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter & peanut butter together. Add sugar gradually & cream thoroughly. Add egg. Sift flour once before measuring. Sift flour, soda, baking powder & salt together & add to creamed mixture. Chill dough well, then form into balls the size of walnuts. Place balls on lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten with fork dipped in flour, making criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

GRANDMA'S OATMEAL COOKIES

Cookies were one of Grandma Hallock's specialties. Both of her cookie recipes included here were extremely popular.



1 C flour

1 C butter or margarine

1 C brown sugar

1/4 C boiling water

3 C quick cooking oatmeal

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix flour & brown sugar. Add oatmeal; stir. Melt butter; add to dry ingredients. Mix baking soda into boiling water; add to other ingredients, stirring well. Place batter into loaf pan, lined with aluminum foil & place in freeze for several hours. Slice & bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

FRENCH GREEN BEANS AND SHALLOTS

This is the only recipe not from my grandmother, though I suspect she would have approved of this. It comes from Jacques Pepin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Jacques wrote, “These are perfect green beans: simple flavors combined into an elegant dish that goes with almost anything. Mr. Pepin suggests a roast chicken, but they would pair equally well with a celebratory roast.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 21 minutes.

This was featured in “The Chicken Dinner, Both Humble and Noble” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 pound very small, firm green beans, cleaned

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons peeled and chopped shallots

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation

Bring the water to a boil. Add the beans and cover the pot. Continue cooking the beans, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes until tender but firm. Drain and rinse under cold water.

At serving time, heat the butter in a skillet, add the shallots and saute for about 1 minute, until the shallots start to brown.

Add the beans, salt and pepper, and saute briefly. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with the chicken.

Beef up that meal!

I wasn't always a vegetarian. Even after becoming a vegetarian, those in the house with me have enjoyed meat. Therefore, I've managed to collect (and invent) meat recipes over the years. Here are a few with beef in them.

BEEF STEW

One of my inventions; the recipes I had for stew seemed too bland.

2-3 lbs. stewing beef

3 T oil

2 C water

1 onion, chopped

8 oz. tomato sauce

1 C flour

1 T soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

4 carrots, cut up

1 large potato, peeled & cut up

6 oz tomato paste

4 T vinegar

3 T honey

salt & pepper

Cut beef into bite-sized pieces. Trim fat & dredge in flour & brown in oil. Add every-thing except carrots & potato. Cook 15 minutes. Add carrots & cook 15 more minutes. Add potato & cook 30 minutes. Add water as needed. Serve over noodles.

OVEN POT ROAST

This is from my Grandma Hallock. She added, "I sometimes add soy sauce to thicken & for color. This is an easy meal."

4 lbs. chuck beef (boneless)

1/3 C flour

1/4 C oil

2 C carrots, cut up

2 C onions, sliced

2 C celery, cut up

1 C tomatoes (opt.) or 1 small can tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 can mushroom soup (optional)

Wash & flour meat. Brown in fat on stove top (all sides of meat). Put in large casserole or Dutch oven. Cook at 400 degrees for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Put vegetables around. Last 1/2 hour, add soup. Add 1 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C water to thicken gravy (if necessary). Serves 6.

BEEF ROLLS

Another one of Grandma Hallock’s recipes. She wrote, "Made these a lot when we were young. Kids loved them. Used flank steak." She also sent a recipe for Baked Butter Carrots which, she also wrote, are "good with Beef Rolls."

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak, sliced thin

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C boiling water

1/2 tsp. onion flakes

2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 C bread crumbs

3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

flour

1/8 tsp. pepper

butter for browning

Wash meat, trim fat. Cut into 6 slices, making them as square as possible. Beat egg. Add crumbs & seasonings. Place in center of pieces of meat, then pin 4 corners of meat with toothpick or tie with string. Flour them, then brown in butter. Add 2 T flour to thicken sauce around meat. Put in casserole. Pour boiling water over it. Cover & bake in oven at 275 degrees for 3 hours or 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 6.

BEAN BURGER

The kids had this one evening when I had a class to go to; they loved it.

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger

2 T mustard (or to taste)

2 cans baked beans

2 T brown sugar (or to taste)

Brown hamburger. Drain grease, then add beans, mustard & brown sugar. Heat thoroughly. May be eaten on hamburger buns, taco shells, or plain.

HAMBURGER SPECIAL

One of my variations of the good, ol’ hamburger. One-half diced yellow pepper may be added along with the red and green peppers, if desired.

2 lbs. hamburger

1 - 2 carrots, peeled & cut into rounds

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 package dry onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients together & form into 8 patties. Cook immediately or freeze separately. Serve on hamburger buns.