Showing posts with label beef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beef. Show all posts
I have been craving Chinese food for weeks and weeks now. I could probably just take myself to a Chinese restaurant if I wanted to, but to be honest the food at the restaurant here in town is the pits. The best one is in the next town over and when I think about driving all the way there, I end up just eating whatever I have in the house.
Sometimes I do go with my father and his friends for a Chinese meal, but that is a very rare occurrence. I am not one to go out and eat all by myself. Where is the fun in that.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
It's not often that our local grocery store has flank steak for sale. When my sister and I were there yesterday we spied to packages of it. I snapped up one and she snapped up the other.
And then I headed to the produce aisle to pick up some broccoli so I could make myself a stir fry for my supper.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
I love, Love, LOVE Beef and Broccoli. It is one of my favorite Chinese dishes. I had spied a tasty looking Mongolian Beef & Broccoli recipe the other day however, and I wanted to try that.
I have adapted this recipe for Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with noodles from one I found on a page called Creme de la Crumb. The original recipe was sized for four people. I small batched it to feed only two.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
I chose that recipe because I happened to have all of the ingredients needed in my larder. I keep a whole shelf on the door of my refrigerator stocked with ingredients to make Chinese food.
I also love any Chinese dish that contains noodles. One thing I used to love ordering when I lived in the UK was the Singapore noodles with vermicelli.
My husband hated it because he didn't like noodles, but oh well, more for me!
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MONGOLIAN BEEF & BROCCOLI WITH NOODLES
It looks like a long list, but really once you have gathered all of the components, this is a dish that goes together in a flash!
- 1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
- 1 TBS hoisin sauce
- 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 TBS cold water + 1 tsp. corn starch (corn flour)
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 3/4 lb. (340g) stir fry beef - or very thin sliced steak
- 1 package ramen noodles - boiled until tender and drained
- chopped spring onions - for garnish (optional)
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
Use the freshest broccoli that you can find and then cut your broccoli into bite sized pieces. Cut any larger florets in half. You don't want anything larger than a bite.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
If you are slicing your own steak to use in this, it's much easier to slice it thinly if your steak is partially frozen. I don't really like buying stir fry strips of beef. I find them to be too thick. I prefer to cut my own.
I highly recommend using flank or sirloin steak for this, but you can use whatever steak you wish. It is so thin and so quickly cooked it won't be tough anyways.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
My son told me about these Ramen noodles a few months ago. The brand is Indomie Mi goreng fried noodles. They are lovely. I like them much more than other kinds. You can find them at Walmart and on Amazon and in the grocery stores.
They come with seasoning powders and oils in the packets. You won't need them for this recipe. Just the noodles.
My grandsons have gotten the prep of these noodles down to an art form. They delighted in showing me how they make them on their recent visit to me. They really are delicious.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
HOW TO MAKE MONGOLIAN BEEF & BROCCOLI WITH NOODLES
This is a really quick and easy dish to make, especially if you have all of your ingredients measured, prepped, gathered and grouped prior to beginning cooking.
Whisk the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice wine vinegar together in a cup. Set aside.
Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef strips and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes longer.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
Whisk the cold water and corn starch together in a small bowl until the corn starch dissolves.
Add ingredients in the sauce cup to the skillet and bring to a boil. Whisk in corn starch slurry until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low.
Stir in noodles, and heat through. Garnish with spring onions if desired and serve.
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
I really REALLY enjoyed this dish, and it satisfied my Chinese food craving, for the time being anyways! It was quick and easy to make and incredibly delicious.
You could serve it with steamed rice if you wanted to or add extra vegetables if you like. I was quite fond of it just as is. If you like your food really spicy why not add some dried chili flakes?
A sprinkle of chopped salted peanuts on top is also very nice. I was in such a hurry to eat this that I completely forgot to sprinkle the spring onions on top before I took all my photos! They do add a nice sharpness to the dish so don't leave them out!
.JPG "Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles")
VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN - What if I told you that you could fix a quick and easy Vegetable Chow Mien which is delicious and nutritious and contains plenty of crunch and color? I have used fresh cabbage, carrots, cooking onions, and spring onions along with some fresh bean sprouts, mushrooms and a few water chestnuts for plenty of crunch. This is simply delicious.
QUICK AND EASY FIRECRACKER CHICKEN - Quick, easy, spicy and delicious!Chunks of crispy chicken in a sweet and spicy glaze. This quick and easy dinner option is sure to be popular with the family! I served it with steamed rice and broccoli spears.
Yield: 2
Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Perfectly cooked beef and crispy tender broccoli in a spicy sweet and garlicky sauce with noodles. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce -
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
- 1 TBS hoisin sauce
- 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 TBS cold water + 1 tsp. corn starch (corn flour)
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 3/4 lb. (340g) stir fry beef - or very thin sliced steak
- 1 package ramen noodles - boiled until tender and drained
- chopped spring onions - for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice wine vinegar together in a cup. Set aside.
- Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef strips and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes longer.
- Whisk the cold water and corn starch together in a small bowl until the corn starch dissolves.
- Add ingredients in the sauce cup to the skillet and bring to a boil. Whisk in corn starch slurry until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in noodles, and heat through. Garnish with spring onions if desired and serve.
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Not too long after I moved into my new place, I purchased myself an Instant Pot. This is the model I bought here. It is a multi use pressure cooker. I can even make yogurt in it if I want to.
I am ashamed to say that today is the first time I used it, inspired by my sister having used hers to make a stew yesterday. It sounded so nice, I thought I would give it a go!
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
I picked up some stewing beef at the grocery store yesterday. I was shocked at how expensive meat it getting. I paid $7.69 for .388 kg, which is not even a pound.
Stewing beef sells for $19.82 a kilo here, which is 2 1/4 pounds. Outrageous when you think that stewing beef is not even the best quality beef around. I do not know how families can make ends meet and feed themselves these days!
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
That is where making something like a stew can be a delicious economy. You don't need a lot of meat and by adding a lot of vegetables to it, you can stretch that meat even further!
My recipe today makes four servings out of one pound of meat, and nobody will feel shortchanged because there are loads of delicious vegetables and there is lots of tasty gravy, ready to be mopped up with bread and butter.
This is a meal made in heaven.
One thing which I did differently than the usual here, was to use a package of fresh potato gnocchi. This is the brand I used. I am a huge fan of gnocchi. Little potato pasta dumplings that you can use almost like potatoes.
I have always used them just like potatoes myself. I boil them and fry them with onions, etc. They always come out most delicious!
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
The gnocchi add a lovely heartiness to the stew and doesn't break down like potatoes do. You add them at the very last. They only takes about 2 minutes to cook.
I really love the way they hold together in things like this.
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE INSTANT POT BEEF STEW
Aside from the Instant Pot, very simple ordinary kitchen ingredients. It looks like a lot but most of them are seasonings/flavorings.
- 1 pounds boneless stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 TBS oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp dried summer savory
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf, broken
- 1/4 cup tomato ketchup (61g)
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup beef stock (360ml)
- 4 1/2 cups peeled and prepped vegetables (see note)
- 1 package refrigerated fresh potato gnocchi (4 serving size)
- 2 TBS flour
- 2 TBS cold water
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
I used the Knorr beef stock concentrate for this. Ordinary tomato ketchup (adds a nice tang) as does the Worcestershire sauce. Normally I would add sweet pickle juice to my stews, but lacking that, today I added balsamic vinegar with excellent results.
I used a variety of vegetables for my stew. Parsnips, carrots, onion, rutabaga and celery. The onions and celery break down quite a bit and are not really all that discernable in the end.
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
I left my vegetables quite chunky because I didn't want them breaking down too much. Although the instant pot does cook the stew in a fraction of the time that you would normally need to cook a stew, it's still long enough to break down your vegetables.
I love soft vegetables in my stew, but not mush. So, do keep them in largish chunks.
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT BEEF STEW
It's really easy and quite quick, once you get over your initial fear of pressure cooking. If you follow the instructions that come with your instant pot, you needn't fear!
Add the cooking oil to the Instant Pot insert. Select sauté, adjust to normal. Add the beef cubes, cooking in two batches. Cook 2 to 4 minutes on one side until browned. Repeat on the second side.
Once all of the meat has browned return it to the pan along with all of the herbs and seasonings, along with the broken bay leaf. Give it all a good stir and cook for a few minutes. Select CANCEL.
Place all of your prepped vegetables on top of the beef in the pan.
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
Whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar and stock to combine. Pour this mixture over top.
Secure lid. Set pressure valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Select CANCEL.
Set pressure valve to VENTING to quick-release pressure.
Add the potato gnocchi, cover and keep warm on the warm setting until the gnocchi have cooked through. (Should only take a few minutes.)
Whisk together the flour and water until smooth. Whisk this into the pot. Select SAUTE, adjust to normal. Brint to a simmer and then cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, and any flour taste has been cooked out. Select CANCEL.
Serve hot spooned into bowls along with crusty bread to sop up all that lush gravy.
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
I was really pleased with how delicious this stew turned out and how very quickly it was ready in comparison to the traditional method.
My friend Glenna stopped by right after it was done. She has just bought herself an Instant Pot, so she was quite interested in how it went together. I gave her a bowl of it to take home with her. (She just lives across the road from me.)
I think I have found a new way to make a tasty stew! Many thanks to my sister for inspiring me!
.JPG "Instant Pot Beef Stew")
If you would rather make stew in the traditional way you might enjoy the following recipes:
BEEF STEW FOR TWO WITH BISQUICK DUMPLINGS - A down-sized version of my favorite beef stew, perfectly sized for two. It may be smaller in size but is every bit as delicious as the full-sized version!
IRISH LAMB STEW - There is nothing fabulously outrageous ingredient-wise about this stew. Simple ingredients put together in a very simple way. Stewing Lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery. Thyme, stock and seasoning. A bit of oil for browning the meat.
EASY OVEN STEW - This has to be the easiest and tastiest stew around. I clipped the recipe from a newspaper many moons again and I have been using it ever since. It pretty much cooks itself. With just a bit of peeling and chopping, your work is pretty much done, and if you use frozen chopped onions and buy your meat already cubed, then it doesn't take long to throw together at all.
Yield: 4
Instant Pot Beef Stew (with Potato Gnocchi)
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M
You won't believe how quickly you can make a delicious stew in an Instant Pot! This is quick easy and incredibly tasty!
Ingredients
- 1 pounds boneless stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 TBS oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp dried summer savory
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf, broken
- 1/4 cup tomato ketchup (61g)
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup beef stock (360ml)
- 4 1/2 cups peeled and prepped vegetables (see note)
- 1 package refrigerated fresh potato gnocchi (4 serving size)
- 2 TBS flour
- 2 TBS cold water
Instructions
- Add the cooking oil to the Instant Pot insert. Select sauté, adjust to normal. Add the beef cubes, cooking in two batches. Cook 2 to 4 minutes on one side until browned. Repeat on the second side.
- Once all of the meat has browned return it to the pan along with all of the herbs and seasonings, along with the broken bay leaf. Give it all a good stir and cook for a few minutes. Select CANCEL.
- Place all of your prepped vegetables on top of the beef in the pan.
- Whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar and stock to combine. Pour this mixture over top.
- Secure lid. Set pressure valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Select CANCEL.
- Set pressure valve to VENTING to quick-release pressure.
- Add the potato gnocchi, cover and keep warm on the warm setting until the gnocchi have cooked through. (Should only take a few minutes.)
- Whisk together the flour and water until smooth. Whisk this into the pot. Select SAUTE, adjust to normal. Brint to a simmer and then cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, and any flour taste has been cooked out. Select CANCEL.
- Serve hot spooned into bowls along with crusty bread to sop up all that lush gravy.
Notes
I used carrots (3 large), parsnips (3 small), 1/2 a small rutababa/swede, 1 medium onion, 2 stalks celery. Peel all of your vegetables. Cut the carrots and parsnips into thick coins. Cut the swede into 1/2 inch cubes, chop the onion. Slice the celery into 1/2 inch pieces.
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Add the vegetables and add water as needed.
Cover and cook on low for a further hour or so, or until the meat and all of the vegetables are tender. Add the potato gnocchi. Cook for several minutes until the gnocchi are tender.
Whisk together the flour and water until smooth. Whisk this into the stew, whisking constantly, until the mixture has bubbled and thickened. Cook for a few minutes to cook out any flour taste. Serve as above.
Leftovers taste even better the day after, and this freezes beautifully.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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When it comes to comfort food, it doesn't really get much more comforting than Pot Roast. This has long been one of my family's favorite meals to enjoy. Especially on Sundays when you want to pull out the stops a little bit.
This slow cooker pot roast is hearty and delicious. Guaranteed to please all of the carnivores in your home, with plenty of tender, juicy beef, carrots, potatoes and a tasty gravy to ladle over top of everything when done!!
This version differs a bit from my usual pot roast which I cook in the oven. That recipe I have been making for years and years and is one I adapted from a packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix.
They call it Recipe Secrets Soup and Dip mix now, but it was always just onion soup mix before. I love using it to do pot roast and often use it for meat loaf, and only ever very rarely have used it for dip.
Normally I don't brown any of my pot roasts, but this time I decided to do so, with excellent results. It actually tasted better for having browned it, as if that is possible. And the gravy had a deeper color.
It makes sense really. I have only never browned it first because of laziness. Yes, I can be that lazy. I never thought that it made a difference, but somehow it does.
I also chose to use fresh herbs this time rather than dried. I have them in the garden and they will soon be dead from frost so I thought I might as well use them while I could. You can use dried if you wish. Just remember to use half the amount.
One of the things I really like about using my slow cooker for cooking a pot roast is that I don't need to keep an eye on it. I can get on with whatever my day holds and know that at the end of the day I will be rewarded with a delicious supper for everyone.
I do have a small batch Classic Pot Roast recipe here, for the smaller family, but where I have my own family around this weekend, I thought why not cook a full sized roast!
WHAT YOU NEED TO COOK A SLOW COOKER POT ROAST
Simple, natural, every day ingredients. There is nothing overly special here. This is a barebones recipe which you can certainly build on if you wish.
- 11/2 TBS light olive oil, divided
- 1 (3 pound/approx 1 1/2 kg.) beef chuck roast
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 TBS flour
- 1 medium brown onion, peeled, halved and cut into thick half moons
- 1 1/2 TBS minced garlic
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) beef stock/broth
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TBS minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 TBS minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 1/2 pounds medium to small Yukon gold potatoes, halved if medium, leave whole if small
- 5 medium carrots peeled, halved and cut into 2-inch lengths
There is no need to buy an expensive beef roast for this, and actually a cheaper chuck roast will give you the best flavor. If your roast is wide like mine, then you can just set the vegetables on top of it when cooking.
For Beef stock I use the condensed stock that comes in the little cartons. You need to reconstitute it with water. I probably use less water than recommended on the carton because I like a stronger beefy flavor.
If you are really keen you could add a touch of red wine, but only if you have it. It does add a certain amount of Je ne sais quois! I wouldn't add much more than 1/4 cup/60ml.
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER POT ROAST
Other than the browning this is a really simple make. You don't have to brown it, but I highly recommend doing so as it really adds flavor to the juices and the meat.
Wipe the roast and pat dry with some paper towels. Season with salt and black pepper all over and then dust with some flour.
Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large deep skillet. Sear the roast on both sides and then transfer to the slow cooker. Scatter the carrots and potatoes around the roast.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the onion. Cook for a few minutes without browning. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Cook and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour this mixture over top of the roast and vegetables in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low until the roast and vegetables are tender. (8 - 9 hours)
Remove the roast and vegetables to a platter. Tent with foil and keep warm while you make the gravy.
Skim any fat from the drippings in the slow cooker. Pour them through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook on low for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve the roast torn into large chunks along with the vegetables and the gravy on the side.
You really don't need anything else. Sometimes I will add some rutabaga/swede/turnip to the slow cooker, or even parsnips. I will also sometimes cook some peas on the side.
If you are looking for the full roast experience, you could make Yorkshire pudding. That's my late father in law's recipe. He was an army cook and they are brilliant!
We also like to enjoy this with some horseradish and sometimes a tossed salad on the side to round out the meal. It was fabulously tasty. Tender and juicy.
Plenty for the family and a few leftovers to make a nice roast beef hash with the day after. In all truth I often enjoy the leftovers even more than the main meal! No waste here. Happy days!
Yield: 6
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 9 HourTotal time: 9 H & 25 M
This easy pot roast is the ultimate comfort food and comes in especially handy when you are having company for supper and don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. With basic, all natural ingredients. Delicious.
Ingredients
- 11/2 TBS light olive oil, divided
- 1 (3 pound/approx 1 1/2 kg.) beef chuck roast
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 TBS flour
- 1 medium brown onion, peeled, halved and cut into thick half moons
- 1 1/2 TBS minced garlic
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) beef stock/broth
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TBS minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 TBS minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 1/2 pounds medium to small Yukon gold potatoes, halved if medium, leave whole if small
- 5 medium carrots peeled, halved and cut into 2-inch lengths
To finish:
Instructions
- Wipe the roast and pat dry with some paper towels. Season with salt and black pepper all over and then dust with some flour.
- Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large deep skillet. Sear the roast on both sides and then transfer to the slow cooker. Scatter the carrots and potatoes around the roast.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the onion. Cook for a few minutes without browning. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Cook and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour this mixture over top of the roast and vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low until the roast and vegetables are tender. (8 - 9 hours)
- Remove the roast and vegetables to a platter. Tent with foil and keep warm while you make the gravy.
- Skim any fat from the drippings in the slow cooker. Pour them through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook on low for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve the roast torn into large chunks along with the vegetables and the gravy on the side.
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