Golubtsi

1 head of cabbage
2 lbs. of hamburger
1-1/2 Cups cooked rice cooled
1/2 onion grated
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 can condensed tomato soup
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 onion chopped
1-1/2 Cups sour cream
2 Cups water
Core the cabbage leaving it whole. Boil in a pot of water until leaves separate easily. Drain leaves and let them cool while you prepare the filling. Once the leaves are cool enough to handle you can trim some of the thick vein of the cabbage leaf to make it easier to fold.

Combine the hamburger, rice, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley. Place about 1/3 cup of this mixture onto a cabbage leaf and fold edges over and roll up. Place in baking dish. Continue until you use up the hamburger mixture and cabbage leaves.

Saute the chopped onion in a little oil until it is translucent. Add soup, tomato sauce, ketchup, and water. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Add a little of this sauce to the sour cream to temper it and then add the sour cream mixture to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour or longer.

Our nieghbor (who was assisting while cooking) doesn’t tolerate milk products the greatest so I made a small batch of the Golubtsi and covered them with the sauce before I added the sour cream to the rest of the sauce. We find that using hamburger that is 15% fat or more is better for these as the meat that has less fat in it can be dry.
Serve with your favorite green side dish and some good bread to soak up the sauce with!

Nachos

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 package taco season
• 1 small onion chopped fine
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 2 small tomatoes diced small
• 1 jalapeno sliced.
• 1 package Tex Mex or use 2 cups medium cheddar cheese.
• 1 large bag Nachos
• Salsa & sour cream

1. Brown the ground beef with taco seasoning. Set aside
2. On a round deep pie plate, start to build and layer all the ingredients in the following order:
3. Nachos
4. Cheese
5. Beef
6. Tomatoes
7. Black Olives
8. Onions
9. Jalapenos
10. Chili Powder
11. Sprinkle cheese on top
12. Your deep plate will be heaped. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, waiting till the cheese has melted.
13. Serve with side dish of Salsa and sour cream.
14. You can vary or adjust your amounts and make a large batch on a cookie sheet.

The Perfect T-Bone

 
In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, pepper, and garlic. Place the steaks on a shallow dish and rub the garlic mixture all over the meat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or, better still, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Turn the meat from time to time to coat both sides evenly.
 
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator an hour before cooking.
 
Do not salt your steaks just before cooking. Salt brings moisture (water) to the surface of the steak, and the water sits on the surface as you cook the steak. Thus, you are again basically steaming the steak. I know that some people do salt their steaks before cooking, but trust me and don't salt - the result will be juicy, delicious steaks to serve your family and guests! Salt after the steak is cooked to your liking, has rested the required time, and just before serving.
When you are ready to grill, preheat barbecue grill. Place steaks onto hot grill. Cover barbecue with lid, open any vents, and sear for approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done to your preference

Sirloin with Teriyaki Broth

Ingredients

• 1 bunch radishes (with greens)
• 5 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
• Vegetable oil, for the pan
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated, cut into
• 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling
• Roughly chop the radish greens. Cut the radishes into eighths.

Directions

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Mix 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then spread over the steak. Lightly oil the grill pan, then cook the steak about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.

Meanwhile, bring the remaining 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and 2 teaspoons ginger, the vinegar, brown sugar and 2 1/2 cups water to a simmer in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the sweet potatoes, radish wedges and scallion whites and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the radish and scallion greens and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Divide the vegetables, broth and steak among shallow bowls. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Strip Streaks with Red-Eye BBQ Sauce

(Yep Need to get a new cutting board if I am going to keep with the photos)

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1  tablespoon  unsalted butter
• 2  teaspoons  minced shallot
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1  cup  ketchup
• 1/4  cup  brewed dark-roast coffee or espresso
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
• 2  teaspoons  ground ancho chile powder

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring often, until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. Lightly brush the steaks on both sides with the oil. Season evenly with the salt and pepper. Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat.
3. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the steaks over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare, turning once. Remove from the grill and let the steaks rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the steaks warm with the sauce on the side.

Burgers and Chips

Emma's pick of the week is krabby patties with cheese and coral bits.  So heres whats cooking for dinner!

You will need:

Equipment:

• A bowl
• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A skillet or heavy frying pan ( or a Grill )

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground sirloin
• 1 half onion grated or finely chopped
• 4 pinches ground coriander
• 4 pinches paprika powder
• A dash of fresh ground black pepper
• A pinch of salt
• A tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg lightly beaten

First, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and using your hands, shape into four balls. Turn the heat to medium under the skillet and add a tiny amount of oil. When the skillet is hot, add the burgers, pushing them flat with a spatula. Cook for about 3 minutes each side for medium rare, longer for well done and less for rare.

Just before the burgers are ready, toast the inside of the buns under a broiler or over a grill or in a toaster. If using a grill or broiler, spread a little butter on the buns first. Add ypour toppings and serve.

And now for the best part....the chips!

You will need:

Equipment:

• A wide, thick based, tall saucepan
• A frying basket
• A serving dish
• A sharp knife
• A butcher block cutting board
• Paper towels

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Oil – Peanut oil is best.
• Salt

First, peel the potatoes and slice them into chips. Cut them lengthwise, about ½ inch thick, and then cut them into slices about ¼ inch wide. Fatter is healthier. Put the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to cover them We will wash the excess starch off in the water. Leave them to soak while the oil is heating.

Now, pour the oil into the pan, making sure that it doesn’t come more than a third of the way up the pan. This is also important – If there is too much oil in the pan, there is a risk of the oil bubbling over the top. This we do not want.

Next, heat the oil on a high heat to around 375F. If you do not have a thermometer, just drop a small piece of potato in the oil – when it floats, the oil is hot enough.

When the oil is hot, dry the potatoes thoroughly, place in a frying basket and lower them into the oil slowly.

When the chips are covered, and the bubbling has stopped, cover the pan and cook the chips for about 6 minutes. This is to blanch the potatoes and do the actual cooking. They should not be brown when you stop this, just cooked. Now take the chips out of the pan and allow the oil to heat back up to around 390F.

When the oil has reheated, put the chips back in the pan to brown.

This should only take a couple of minutes. A soon as they turn golden brown, remove them and place on paper towels in the serving dish. After a few seconds, the excess fat will drain of into the towels. Remove the towels, sprinkle the chips with a little salt and serve hot. They must be served immediately, or they will go soggy

Monday- Shredded beef tacos

• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 2lb top round roast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeded peeled and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• tortillas

Step One:

Combine salt, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Rub all over the roast.  Heat oil in a large pan on the stove.  Sear both sides of the meat.

Step Two:
Place the meat in the crock pot.  Mix tomato sauce, chipotle and garlic and pour over the meat.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Shred the meat and combine with enough sauce to moisten.  Serve with tortillas and your choice of toppings.

Its a great prep and forget about it meal.