Left over Delight: Lamb Curry

Being that we had almost half a leg of lamb left over from Easter, and being sick of eating lamb sandwiches, I decided to turn it into something completely different. This lamb curry was absolutely delicious and such a nice way to use left overs. I’m sure it would be good with a left over roast, too!

Ingredients:

2 c. cooked lamb, cut into tiny chunks

2 T. butter

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 T. minced ginger

2 T. curry powder

1/4 t. dried thyme

1 c. chicken broth

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 c. tomato sauce

1/2 bag chopped spinach

Directions:

In a food processor, puree the onion, garlic and ginger.

Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the pureed onion mixture and cook, not letting it brown.

Add the curry powder and thyme a cook for about 1 minutes.

Stir in the chicken broth and tomatoes and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Season this with salt and pepper to taste.

Add in the lamb and the spinach. Cover and cook until the spinach has wilted and the lamb is warmed up. Add some more water or broth if the sauce gets too dry.

Serve over rice.

Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy

This had great taste but it was a bit dry – I think I really need to watch the timing on this and not overcook it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. sliced cremini mushrooms

Dried oregano

Fresh thyme

1 c. chopped onions

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 c. bread crumbs

1/3 c. ketchup or tomato sauce

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 egg

1 cup chicken broth

1 T. flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Saute the mushrooms in some olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has almost all evaporated.

Chop half the mushrooms and add them into a bowl. Add in the beef, egg, breadcrumbs, ketchup and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Mix it with your hands until it’s all combined.

Grease a loaf pan. Add the meat mixture and place it in the oven for about 35 minutes.

While the meatloaf is cooking, add the broth to the mushrooms in a pan. Make a slurry with the flour and a little water and add that to the pan, too. Cook on low until the liquid is thickened.

When the meatloaf is done, cool it for about 5 minutes. Cut some slices and place the mushroom gravy on top.

Beef and Garlic Asian Noodles

Evidently Asian noodles are quite different than regular pasta noodles – luckily I thought of looking for some at the grocery store rather than just using the pasta noodles I had at home. I used chow mein noodles and they turned out great – plus, they cook really quickly!

Ingredients:

1 package chow mein noodles, cooked and drained

1 lb. beef  chunks (use a good quality meat) – I used sirloin tips

3 green onions, sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. soy sauce

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a wok. Add the green onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes.

Add the beef chunks and brown well.

Add the brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir well until all combined.

Add in the noodles and mix altogether. Serve!

Meatballs in Cream of Mushroom Sauce

The cream of mushroom in this recipe can be used as a sauce, or even as a soup (with maybe a little more added broth). In either case, it was delicious and kind of a comfort food for me. In the past, I made this with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, but seeing as I’m trying to make everything from scratch, I didn’t think opening a can of Campbell’s soup was very healthy!

Ingredients:

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

(I used designer mushrooms here, but really any will work)

2 T. butter

2 T. chopped onions

1-2 cloves chopped garlic

1 T. flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 c. heavy cream

1 pound ground beef

1 egg

1/2 c. breadcrumbs

Seasonings to taste

Cooked rice

Directions:

Combine the ground meat, egg, and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Add desired seasonings and mix well (I use my hands – they’re the best mixers!). Make individual meatballs and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms and mix well. Cook until the mushrooms have softened.

Add the flour and mix well until all the flour has incorporated. Add the chicken broth and bring to a slow boil. If it needs to be thicker, mix a bit of flour and cold water together in a separate container until the flour is all incorporated. Add this to the saucepan and stir. Continue doing this until you get the desired consistency. Once you are happy with the thickness of your liquid, add the cream and cook slightly. Set aside.

Cook the meatballs in a frying pan, browning all the sides. Cover and cook for a few minutes on low until the meatballs are almost cooked through. Add the mushroom sauce mixture and cook altogether to incorporate the flavors.

Serve over some cooked rice.

 

Beef and Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

This was tasty and really good – I used a good quality flank steak and cut it very thin against the grain.

Ingredients:

3 T. oyster sauce

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. marsala or sherry

3 T. water

4 t. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1 lb. flank steak – cut into thin strips

1/3 c. green onions – sliced on the diagonal into 1/2″ slices

1 T. minced ginger

1 lb. broccoli florets

Rice

Directions:

To make the sauce, add the oyster sauce, 1 T. soy sauce, the sherry or marsala, 1 T. water, 2 t. sugar and 1 t. cornstarch. Mix it well and set it aside.

Marinate the steak in 1 T. cornstarch, 2 T. water, 1 T. soy sauce, and 2 t. sugar in a Ziploc bag for about 15 minutes.

Heat some oil in a wok. Add the steak and stir fry it for about 2 minutes. Remove the steak from the wok and set aside.

Add a little bit more oil and stir fry the green onions and the ginger for about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and 1/4 c. water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes.

Return the steak to the wok and stir in the oyster sauce mixture. Cook until the meat is just barely done and the sauce has thickened a bit.

Serve over rice.

Pinwheels and Arugula

Butterflying the flank steak was not easy – next time, I think I’ll have the butcher do it! But it’s really important to have a thin piece of meat for this!

Ingredients:

1 flank steak, butterflied

Prosciutto

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Arugula

Directions:

Lay the butterflied flank steak on a cutting board. Place some plastic wrap over it and pound it thin.

Orient the meat so that it is running from right to left. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle some olive oil on it.

Lay the prosciutto slices on top, covering the whole surface.

Top that with the mozzarella cheese.

Starting from the left, roll up the steak nice and tight. Squeeze it to keep it tight.

Using a really sharp knife, cut the roll into individual pinwheels about 1 1/2″ wide.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan.

Place the pinwheels flat on the pan. Cook on medium/high until browned on the bottom. Turn them over and brown the other side. If the meat isn’t cooked through all the way, lower the temperature and cover the pan. Cook until the meat is just cooked – do not overcook them!

Dress the arugula with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put it on your plate.

Top the salad with the pinwheels.

 

Mexican Casserole (Minus the Tortillas)

I omitted the tortillas and the sour cream to lighten up this dish and make it more “dash friendly”, but you can easily add them back if you use whole wheat tortillas and light sour cream. Even without these, it was delicious and very satisfying!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c chopped onions

1 can chopped green chiles (any size you want depending on your preference) – drained

1 can petite cut chopped tomatoes

1 can black beans – rinsed and drained

1 can corn kernels – drained

1 1/4 oz taco seasoning

Fresh chopped cilantro

Shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Brown the onions in some olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook through.

Add the chiles, tomatoes, beans, corn, and seasonings. Cook for a bit to combine the flavors. Add the chopped cilantro.  *

Transfer this to a large casserole dish and smooth it out. Top with the cheese.

Cook until the cheese has melted.

* If you add the tortillas and the sour cream, place the tortillas on the bottom, top with the meat mixture. Add the sour cream. Then repeat ending with the meat mixture before adding your shredded cheese.

 

 

Korean Beef & Broccoli

This is so tasty – it asks for brown sugar, so I only added a touch of it, but I think it would be delicious even without it altogether!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t. minced ginger

1 T. sesame oil

Green onions

One bunch broccoli, cut into florets

Directions:

Boil the broccoli in some salted water. Drain them and set them aside. Brown the ground beef and garlic in a separate.pan. Drain the fat and add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Season with pepper. Add the broccoli and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Top with the green onions and serve over brown rice.

Steak Roll Ups

I tend to really like these roll up types of dishes – they are fun and tasty…and can be elegant enough for guests!

Ingredients:

4 thinly cut beef scallopine

10 oz. chopped mushrooms

1/2 chopped onion

Baby spinach

Sliced white cheese

White wine

Seasonings, including spices like sage

Directions:

Saute the onions in some olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have release all their water. Season however you please.

Lay the beef scallopine on a cutting board. Cover each steak with the mushroom mixture.

Place a layer of raw baby spinach over the mushrooms. Cover that with a slice of cheese (you may have to break up the cheese slices to fit the steaks).

Roll them up and secure them with a tooth pick or spear.

Heat up some olive oil in a pan.

Brown the roll ups on each side. Add some white wine and reduce. Add your desired spices. Turn the heat down and cover until the steaks are cooked (this will only take a few minutes).

Hearty Winter Soup

This soup was kind of like a chili, but it didn’t have any beans in it! It was perfect for a cold winter night – and it was very filling and satisfying!

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato sauce

14 oz. broth

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Dried basil, oregano, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, and any other spice that suits your taste

Shredded cheese for topping

Directions:

Saute the meat in a little bit of olive oil until it is browned. Break it up as it cooks into little pieces. Remove from heat and drain fat, if there is any and set aside.

Saute the onions, peppers and garlic until they are soft and starting to brown.

Add in the tomatoes, spices, and broth. Bring to a slight boil. Once it starts to boil,. add in the meat. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes – stirring every so often.

Top with shredded cheese!