Easy Korean Beef

So, again...my sister.

I like to blame things on her.

(Actually, I'm just joking....I don't, really.)

Culinary things, however, are a different matter entirely.

In light of this, when I say I am blaming my sister,
it is my intention to give her credit.

She deserves a lot of it.  Credit, that is.

When she told me (awhile back) that I had to make a new recipe

she'd found, I paid attention.  (I always try to pay attention.)

Well, this one sounded too simple for words.

She informed me that I was to double it or even triple it.

Good thing I listened, because there were no leftovers.  None.

 Since that day, I have made this meal over and over again.

It never fails.  Always hits the spot.  And, there are never any leftovers.

(That last point is not actually something I am happy about.)

Easy Korean Beef ~ Originally recommended by my sister who

found it and pinned it and tweaked it and made it her own.

I have subsequently done the same.  It's been a collaborative effort.

The secret is to use fresh garlic and ginger.
The powdered stuff just doesn't go far enough.
If you want the *wow* factor, use fresh.  Every single time.

Once again, a warning about the spice.  We like things fairly spicy.
If you don't, use less cayenne.  You can always add more.
But, you cannot go back once it's in the pot.  Forewarned is forearmed, right?
You're welcome.  ;-)

What you need:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp soy sauce (I use Kikkoman GF)
1 Tbsp sesame oil (important for flavour...don't skip it!)
1/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper
3 green onions, cut into one inch lengths

What you do:

Scramble-fry the ground beef in medium sized pot over medium heat.
Cook until no pink remains.  Drain, leaving behind some of the liquid.
(Don't drain off too much, or it will be dry.)  Stir in the fresh ginger and garlic.
Scramble-fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and cayenne pepper
to pot and stir all together until thoroughly combined.  Reduce heat and simmer,
partially covered, to allow the flavours to mingle for five to ten minutes.
Keep and eye on how much sauce is left in your pot, and add a little water, if necessary.

Just prior to serving, stir in the green onions.  You want them to stay crisp.
Serve over a bed of rice with steamed veggies
or a salad on the side.  The sides always change around here.

I always make triple.  Apparently, it improves with time.
So, leftovers would not be a bad thing.  Or, so my sister tells me.
One recipe will serve two (three?) moderately hungry people.

Happy Cooking!
With Love, Camille

*To make this gluten free, be sure to use GF soy sauce.

**Recipe credit apparently goes to this girl
when I clicked on the "adapted from" at the bottom of each post,
I ended up finding that she was the end of the line. 

Crowd Pleasing Chili

As promised in my last post, here's my chili recipe.

But first, I'd like to share a little of its history.

My little brother wasn't a fan of kidney beans in our growing up years.

So, my Mom altered her recipe to accommodate his preferences.

My sister and I still make our chili in the adjusted way.

See what an influence little brothers can have?  :)

Years ago, when our church would have pot luck meals,

I brought this.  And, it all went.  Every. Single. Time.

Hence the name it's been awarded ~ Crowd Pleasing Chili.

And, just a word on adjustments ~ this recipe is very forgiving.

Substitute your favourites in place of my suggestions.

I have had to alter and tweak it in the past to make it work for dietary

restrictions and requirements.  For example, I have used my own *from scratch*

baked beans and ketchup and soaked and cooked my own kidney beans.

I've sweetened the whole lot with honey.

You will find my old standby recipe below ~

adjust to suit your own needs.

What you need:

3 pounds ground Beef

3 medium cooking Onions, diced

3 coloured sweet Bell Peppers, chopped
(I like to use red, yellow, and orange...not a fan of green)

3 - 28 oz tins diced Tomatoes in their own juice, undrained

3 - 14 oz tins Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
(this is the equivalent of 5 cups cooked beans)

3 - 14 oz tins Heinz Baked Beans in tomato sauce, undrained
(again, the equivalent of 5 cups cooked beans)

2 cups Ketchup (adds sweetness...if you wish to omit,
then use a tin of tomato sauce and add sweetener of choice to taste)

3 to 4 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
3 Bay leaves (remove at the end of simmering time)
1 Tbsp Sea Salt (add at the end of cooking time)

What you do:

Scramble fry the beef until nearly done and add in onions and peppers.
Saute until meat is fully cooked and the onions are translucent.

Add in all remaining ingredients, except salt, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer (partially covered) for 1.5 to 2 hours in order to blend flavours.
If it's still a bit runny at this point, remove the lid completely and simmer it down.
Stir in sea salt, remove bay leaves, and adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve in bowls with grated cheddar sprinkled on top
and cornbread on the side.

This makes enough to feed about twelve hungry tummies.
I like to make lots to have some left over to freeze or to serve the next day.
This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or for a few months in the freezer.
Be sure to bring leftovers to a boil prior to serving.

Happy Monday Y'all!
With Love, Camille

Hobo Beans with Cornbread

Comfort Food.  Warm and Cosy.
Sounds lovely, don't you think?

We live in Canada.  Although it's not been a snowy winter in our area,
it has been chilly enough to crave some comfort food.
And, the recipes I am sharing here today fit the bill perfectly.

Good enough for company (it's what I plan to serve to friends on a future Friday night),
or for a warm-em-up-and-keep-em-home type of evening with the family.
Either way, I think you'll be satisfied with the effort put into it.
Oh, and the hobo beans simmer all afternoon in the slow cooker.

Ready when you are.  Sounds perfect, doesn't it?
Well, what are you waiting for?  You gonna give 'em a try?

Jennifer Jo and I share similar taste in culinary pursuits it would seem.
When she shares recipes, I sit up and take notice.
I often can be found, after reading her writings about food, 
gathering the necessary ingredients and cooking up a storm.

When she posted about Hobo Beans it was no different.  So, I made them.
Jennifer shares her recipes in the most creative of ways.
It's like reading a story...the story behind the food.  With humour.

And, the food is good.  Very good.

Hobo Beans ~ Altered and Adjusted from Jennifer's Blog.
(The alterations are not because her recipe is lacking ~ not at all.
Rather, the alterations were necessary due to the fact that 
Jennifer has secret ingredients along with stashes from the summer
and other countries that make improvisation a necessity.)

  1/2 lb Bacon ~ crisply fried and crumbled
2 lb Ground Beef
2 medium yellow cooking Onions ~ chopped
6 cloves Garlic ~ minced

1 lb dried Black Beans ~ fully cooked (soak at least 18 hrs prior to cooking)
(This translates into 2 cups dried beans, which become 6 cups cooked.
You can substitute any beans you like ~ red, white, etc.)

  2 tins Crushed Pineapple (12 oz size) ~ Do NOT omit
1 tin Diced Tomatoes (28 oz size)
1 cup Brown Sugar ~ lightly packed
1 tin Tomato Sauce (15 oz size)
1 Tbsp prepared Mustard
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Sea Salt added after the cooking time ~ to taste

Fry the bacon and remove from pan.  Drain some of the grease ~ but not all of it.

In the same pan, scramble fry the beef, onions, and garlic until cooked through.

Combine all ingredients together in your slow cooker.

Mix together, cover, and turn the heat to high for an hour or two ~ until bubbling.

Reduce heat to low and let simmer for another 4 to 5 hours.

(If your crock pot is not big enough, or, you don't own such a thing,

a heavy-bottomed stock pot on the stove will work nicely.

Mix all ingredients together in your big pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer,

cover your pot, and simmer away for a few hours, stirring occasionally.)

These beans do not require any toppings.  They are so yummy by themselves.

However, a good cornbread on the side, and maybe even a salad,

would round out the meal nicely.  Six hungry people will gobble it all up.

But, with these extras to make it go further, you could probably feed eight.

I could not improve on the Cornbread ~  I didn't even try.
It was so yummy my children exclaimed that it was like cake.
I had to agree.  It was amazingly good stuff.  Try it and see for yourself.

Click here to get to Bevy's place where she shares the recipe.
You won't be sorry you did ~ I'm sure of it.

Happy Weekend, Y'all!  
Now, go...cook up your own storm.  ;-)

With Love, Camille

A New Favourite and a Recipe

I have a new favourite around here.

I've always loved to read cookbooks and try new recipes.
Howie surprised me with a sweet cookbook that I spotted
in the cutest little kitchen shop a few years back.
It was right about the time when things were a little crazy in
my kitchen due to cooking so much new stuff for our precious oldest son.
This sweet book was set aside for awhile, but now, it's finally getting put to use.
I've made five things from it, and they have all turned out to be yummy.

Within its pages, you will find everything from starters to desserts, 
muffins, soups and main dishes ~ it's a keeper!  

**Goodness Gracious Cookbook ~ it would make a fabulous gift.
The illustrations are lovely and the recipes appear to be handwritten.
It's picture perfect ~ wonderful for a teacher's gift, Mother's Day,
Birthday, Christmas or *just because*.  It's just so pretty.  

One of my new favourites is found within its pages.
Skillet Dinner is one of the five new things I tried ~ have you ever made one before?
I hadn't.  It was easy and yummy and quick.  How can you miss?
It's not *gourmet*...it's just *down-home-good* comfort food.

Here's what you do.

Take a pound of ground beef ~ I used the organic ground beef
from Costco which comes in 1.33 lb packs.  
Why do they do that, I wonder?
Consequently, I used the full package rather than just one pound.

Scramble fry the beef in your skillet until cooked.
Drain off the fat if necessary.
Add in 2 cups frozen corn kernels,
28 oz tin of diced tomatoes with juice,
2 cups fresh carrots chopped,
 1 cup shaped pasta, uncooked 
(use a little more for a more hearty end product) ~ 
I like using rice pasta in this recipe,
and a sprinkling of chili powder (approx. 1 tsp).

Bring to boil over medium heat ~ add water if it's sticking.
Reduce heat and simmer with lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally,
until vegetables are tender and the pasta is cooked.
This will take about 20 minutes.
Add a little water as it cooks as needed ~
the end result is shown in the photo below.
I used some sea salt to season at the end of cooking ~
taste and see if it's necessary.
Sprinkle grated cheddar on each serving.  

Serves four generously.

This is on the menu this week ~ it's so easy and yummy.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Many Blessings,
Camille

*A note to my sister ~ Don't buy one of these cookbooks for yourself
or for any of our family as gifts...just sayin' ~ Love you!  XOXO

**I am not compensated in any way for my opinions...
I just enjoy sharing my finds with my friends.