Pulled Beef

Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of this dish, but trust me when I say it made for a delicious and easy meal for my family. It's from the crock pot recipe book by Rival.

Yields: 8-10 serving

3 lbs beef rump or bottom roast (I used rump as it has less fat and it costs less per pound)

2 envelopes onion flavor dry soup mix

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 cans beef broth

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (your choice of flavor)

1. Trim and discard fat off beef. Place beef in crock pot. Do not add water to crock.

2. Combine soup mix, sugar, oregano, garlic, broth and beer in large mixing bowl.

3. Pour mixture over beef. Cover; cook on high 6-8 hours or until beef is fork tender. (I cooked mine for 7)

4. Remove beef. Shred. Return to liquid and mix well. 

Serve and Enjoy! The first night we made this, we used it as the meat for our French dip sandwiches. The second night we used it as a roast with rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy. We preferred this recipe more as the roast dish. 

Swedish Meatballs

This recipe is a re-do after I first posted it in January 2009. I love meatballs and I was overdue to make them again. These meatballs were demonstrated to me by an Italian woman I once for in 2001. She learned how when she lived in Stockholm. I had to make up some things of my own because when she showed me it was a bit like: "Ok, I add a bit of this and a bit of that and here you go." I have since then taken her demonstration and formed my own measurements with a few altered ingredients making it as close as I could get. I think I did pretty well. Try them for yourself. Smaklig måltid or enjoy your meal!

Meatballs-
Ingredients:
1 lb of Lean Ground Beef
1 lb of Ground Pork
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 small onion diced or equivalent dried onion (Sauted in oil)
1 pint of Heavy Cream
2 cups of bread cubed or crumbs (gluten free bread works great too)
1/2-1 teaspoon of California Garlic powder (or equivalent amount of garlic)
1/2-1 Tablespoon of Ginger
1/2-1 Tablespoon of Nutmeg
1 teaspoon of pepper and salt
Oil for making meatballs and sauteing onions

Toast your own bread crumb in a 400 degree oven for up to 10 minutes or more if needed to dry. You can always leave them out over night to dry. Grind them up into crumbs. (Food processor is a fast way)

Mash beef and pork together in one bowl. In another bowl mix eggs, cream, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and salt together. Mix all together with hands and then add sauted onions and bread crumbs, again mix with hands until meat becomes a lighter texture. Roll into small balls and cook on medium to high heat and keep turning them.

After cooking them on medium to high heat, transfer to a slow cooker set on high. Make sure they are mostly cooked (hardly any pink in the middle). You don't have to transfer them to a slow cooker, but since I make so many, I like to transfer them so I can keep cooking more in my pan while keeping the rest hot.

Gravy:
This can be with or without fat drippings. I use lean ground beef so, I hardly get any fat drippings really. Just use any fat drippings you have and add butter accordingly if desired.

Ingredients:
4 cups of water (reserve 1 cup for corn starch and 1 cup for bullion to dissolve in each)
2 beef bullion cubes
Butter if needed (depends on you)
1/2 to 1 cup of cream (any kind)
Ginger, Nutmeg, garlic, Salt and Pepper to taste and smell.

For a great thickener use corn starch, flour, and potato flakes. (Use one, two or all three).
Melt butter and/or fat in saucepan, add water with bullion.

While continuously stirring with whisk pour in starch, sift in flour, and shake in potato flakes. Add up to 4 tablespoons of each or as needed and bring to a boil or until thickened.

Helpful Hint* Pour gravy into a slow cooker and set on low to high while you cook the meatballs. Add meatballs into gravy as you cook them to keep warm and set in gravy.

Serve with Berry Sauce:
I Strongly recommend serving the meatballs with whole berry Cranberry sauce (unless you can find Lingon Berry sauce). The point is, the flavors that come together from the ginger and the sweet yet tartness of the berry makes a delicious combination. I was always told never to serve them with out the berries.

Garlic Mashed potatoes are also a great addition!

Braised Beef with Tortellini

This week we are challenging eveyone to make a special dish that includes noodles. March is hosts National Noodle Month and we at Saltbox House Cooking exchange are happy to celebtrate it. So, whether it is with homemade noodles or not, get those favorite noodle recipes out to share.

Braised Beef with Tortellini

This is a favorite of mine and my husbands everytime we go to the Olive Garden. I found a recipe online that was close to it and i altered it just a bit. I have to admit that this was probably one of the best and most delicious things i have EVER cooked for dinner and i am looking forward to it again soon!

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs Boneless Beef Shortribs(I used bonless beef country style ribs) cut into med size chunks

1 med. yellow onion, chopped

8 oz. red wine (you may substitute beef broth if you like)

1 14.5 oz. can of dice tomatoes(don't drain liquid)

2 c. beef broth

1 bay leaf

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs. sugar

1 pkg of fresh tortellini (i used Bertolli)

Preperation:

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan of some sort, sear chunks of meat untill well browned on all sides, remove meat from pan and set aside. Saute onions untill they are translucent, add wine or beef broth to deglaze the pan (be sure to scrape all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan-thats where the flavor is:) add tomatoes, bay leaf and sugar. Add meat back to the pan and add enough broth to cover meat half way. Cover and bake in 350 oven for 3 hours or untill meat is extremely tender. When meat is done, cook tortellini according to pkg directions, when they are done, add them to the meat and juices, let them sit for just a minute to soak in all of the flavor. Serve and enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day "A wee bit early"



Photo by Madeline L.

We had the traditional Corned Beef this week as an early celebration of St. Patrick's day. I wanted to make this in the crockpot, but not use the spice packet that the corned beef comes with. Here is what I did.


Crock Pot Corned Beef
3-4 pound corned beef brisket
2 small onions, sliced
zest of 1 orange
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup coarse-grain mustard
2 cups apple juice

Trim the corned beef of excess fat and throw out the spice packet. Place sliced onions in the bottom of the Crockpot. Lay the corned beef on top. Sprinkle orange zest and brown sugar over the corned beef. Spread mustard over top. Pour the apple juice over the corned beef. Cover and cook corned beef on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Photo by Madeline L.



Harevest Meatballs

This recipe is exactly what fall is. I can't eat it with out thinking of all the wonderful colors and smells. This recipe is my husbands favorite. It has been since before we were married when my Mom made it for him and a friend before we were even dating. I make it regularly and make it on his birthday as well. This was also a favorite of mine growing up.

Harvest Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 slice of bread crumbled (to make it gluten free just use gluten free bread)
1/4 cup chopped onion or 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 lb. ground beef

Mix ingredient well in a bowl and form into golf ball size meatballs. ( I do mine a tiny bit smaller). Bake uncovered at 350 F for 30 minutes or in the microwave on HIGH for 13 minutes.

Rice:
In a saucepan combine:
1 1/2 cup rice
3 cup chicken broth or 3 cups of water with 4 boullion cubes
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley or 2 T dried
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cover and simmer till rice is done

Fruit Mixture/Sauce:
In another saucepan:
Melt 1/2 cup butter or margarine
Add 1/2 cup brown sugar
Add 3-4 cups of desired fruit

Fruit can be apples, nectarines, peaches, grapes (cut in half) or cantelppe. Soft melons do not work well. Cut the fruit into small pieces. (apples, nectarines and peaches cut into quarters and then halves.

Cook fruit mixture for 2 to 3 minutes.

Blend in separate bowl:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup lemon juice

Stir into fruit mixture. Cook until thick and bubbly.

Add meatballs to fruit mixture sauce and serve over rice.

YIELD: 4-5 servings. (I always one and a half the sauce because it is so good and we like more sauce than rice.)