Week 1

Social Distancing Week #1 is complete. I'll be honest with you, it wasn't easy and that was with two added helpers (Mom and Dad were visiting). Week 2 begins tomorrow, without any helpers. School sent some awesome homeschool material but how exactly do you "work" and guide your kiddos through the curriculum? I'll let you know after this week!

In the meantime, have y'all been cooking at home a lot? Meal planning to make the most of grocery runs has been super important for us. I have been trying to plan out 5 meals at a time (main + sides). We gave this easy Beef Stroganoff a try tonight and it was great, ranking high on the effort vs reward matrix :) We made it with a mix of venison and beef because that's what we had and opted for the 2 hour stove version rather than the slow cooker. The dijon gives it a nice tangy flavor.

Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

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Mongolian Beef

I've been taking a break from Blue Apron meal delivery and trying out a few quick Weeknight recipes I've had my eye on in preparation for my return to work in a couple weeks.

This Mongolian Beef Noodle Bowl recipe (found here) was delicious! I doubled the recipe because there's not much better than cold Chinese take-out type food for leftovers the next day. I used 2 bags of pre-prepared coleslaw mix and low sodium soy sauce to make it healthier. Next time I make I will also try cut back on the brown sugar.

Mongolian Beef Noodle Bowls 

Description:  Mongolian Beef Noodle Bowls taste just like take out, swapping rice for chewy rice noodles!

Ingredients serves 4
8oz gluten-free rice noodles
1/2 cup low-sodium gluten-free Tamari OR low-sodium soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or more or less)
2 Tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided
1lb flank steak, sliced very thin against the grain
salt and pepper
5 green onions, green parts chopped into 2" pieces, white and light green parts into 1/2" pieces
3 cups coleslaw mix
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (from 1" piece of ginger)
3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions 
1. Pre-soak rice noodles according to package directions then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together tamari or soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and red chili pepper flakes then set aside.
2. Heat 1/2 Tablespoon oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over heat that's just a touch below high. Make sure oil is very hot before adding 1/3 of the beef in an even layer in the bottom of the wok. (If oil is not hot enough or you overcrowd the wok, the beef will steam vs sear.) Season lightly with salt and pepper then allow beef to form a crust on the bottom before flipping and stir frying until just barely cooked through. Remove beef to a plate then repeat with remaining beef, using 1/2 Tablespoon oil to stir fry each batch, and then set the plate aside.
3. Heat remaining 1/2 Tablespoon oil in the wok then add green onions and coleslaw mix, season lightly with salt, and then stir fry until coleslaw begins to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic then stir fry for another 30 seconds.
4. Add drained noodles and sauce to wok then stir fry until noodles are tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove wok from heat then add beef and toss until warmed through, and then serve.

Yum!

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Crockpot Korean Beef

Welp I can't seem to find pictures of this meal, which I made for dinner a couple weeks ago. So, once again you'll have to take my word that it was good. I think the fact that it only took 15 minutes to throw together made it taste even better.

I'd recommend doubling the recipe for some great leftovers; be sure to make some basmati rice to accompany.

Korean Beef

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large bowl, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, Sriracha, onion powder and white pepper.
• Place chuck roast into a slow cooker. Stir in beef broth mixture until well combined.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
• In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
• Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

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Remembering how to Cook

So it's been a really really long time since I've cooked anything. Babies will do that. But inevitably you gotta come out of hibernation sometime right? Well here are the recipes that we chose for our first "couple cooks together" meal in months. You may be able to tell that I picked these recipes... but they have been tested and approved by Ross too!

Turkey Burgers and Quinoa Caprese salad.

This caprese salad is a great twist on the basil+mozzerella+tomato classic with the addition of quinoa and peppery arugula.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes - halved or quartered depending on size
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella - either bocconcini or ciliegine - small round cheese - quartered
• 2 Tbs red onion - minced
• 2 Tbs minced herbs - I used a combination of parsley and basil
• ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups arugula
• 1 large handful of walnuts
• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove - finely minced
• 8 twists of pepper from a pepper mill

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
2. While quinoa is cooking, slice cherry tomatoes and add to a bowl.
3. Slice mozzarella balls in quarters so they are roughly the same size as the sliced cherry tomatoes.
4. Add sliced mozzarella, minced red onion and minced herbs to the tomatoes and toss gently.
5. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, finely minced garlic and pepper. Pour half of the dressing over the tomato and mozzarella mixture and toss gently.
6. Once quinoa is done cooking, strain if necessary so there is no water left in the pan, let the quinoa cool on a baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Give the arugula a rough chop and add to a separate bowl.
8. Once quinoa is cool, toss with the arugula and the remaining half of the dressing. Once combined, add the tomato mozzarella mixture and walnuts. Toss gently to combine and serve.

I didn't get a picture of the burgers, but here's the recipe. See link above for pictures:

Turkey Burger with Feta

Ingredients

•     1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
•     2 Cloves garlic, minced
•     1 Egg
•     1/2 Cup breadcrumbs
•     1 Cup crumbled Feta Cheese
•     1/4 Cup drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
•     1/4 Cup diced onions
•     2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
•     2 Tsp. dried oregano
•     salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Method

1. Pre-heat barbecue grill to high for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine burger ingredients and mix to combine, being careful not to over mix. Shape into 6 patties, each 1/2–inch (1 cm) thick.
3. Reduce heat to medium and place burgers on lightly greased grill, cover and cook for about 8 minutes.
4. Serve with tzatziki on the bottom and topped with some baby arugula
5.  Enjoy!

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Thai Beef Salad

I'm not sure that I've actually posted this recipe before, but it's one of our Huebel family favorites. I think Roma would concur (she usually gets a couple bites of beef)... Here's the recipe for Thai Beef Salad curtesy of Ellie Krieger.

Ingredients
1 pound top-round London broil or flank steak, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons red curry paste or chili-garlic sauce
1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
3 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup), divided, for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and dried
1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons


Directions
Rinse and pat the meat dry. Place in a sealable plastic bag or small glass dish. In a medium bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Pour half the mixture into the bag with the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice to the bag. Seal tightly, and marinate meat in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Reserve the rest of the mixture refrigerated, to dress the salad.

Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat. Grill steak until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Let rest until room temperature then slice thinly against the grain.

Combine lettuce, sliced shallot, cilantro, basil and beef in a salad bowl, reserving a few shallots for garnish. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates and garnish with reserved sliced shallots.

3 years ago: Huebel Acrobatics

2 years ago: Girl Date

1 year ago: Meet Mr & Mrs Van Patten

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Sweet Potato SlowCooker Chili

It's so nice coming home from work to a home cooked meal. It's even better when you get a couple pre-made leftover lunches for the rest of the week :) If you like sweet potatoes, check out this recipe for Sweet Potato Chili made in the slow cooker.

I used ground turkey only, and I'd suggest adding some adobo sauce to kick it up a notch. For toppings I used red onion, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Yum!

Recipe from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 sweet potatoes, diced 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced stewed tomatoes with chili seasonings 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 3/4 cup diced sweet onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch salt 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1 pinch garlic powder 1 pinch onion powder 1/2 pound ground turkey 1/2 pound ground beef 1 (12 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup corn 1 TB chipotle in adobo sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place sweet potatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, celery, water, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a slow cooker. Cook on high, stirring occasionally, for 5 hours.
2.	Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground turkey and ground beef. Cook and stir until meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease. Add cooked ground turkey, cooked ground beef, black beans, and corn to sweet potato mixture in the slow cooker; cook until flavors have blended, 1 to 2 more hours. Serve warm.

3 years ago: Eyeballs- Step 2

2 years ago: Under the Weather

1 year ago: Gemsbuck

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Blue Cheese Burges

Burgers can be so much more than burgers with recipes like this. I guess that's what happens when you go and make a red wine onion jam topping. Some burger sophistication? Maybe for a minute, but that disappears when you make a mess while trying to inhale your burger. Not the best meal for a first date.

Blue Cheese Burgers with Red Wine-Onion Jam

source: adapted from Bobby Flay, Grill It!, pages 50-51

• 1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin
• canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 oz Gorgonzola, cut into 4 slices
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 4 hamburger buns or kaiser rolls, split
• Red Wine-Onion Jam (recipe follows)

1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Shape the meat into 4 burgers, each 1 inch thick.  Brush with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.  Place the burgers on the grill and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 3-4 minutes.  Turn the burgers over and continue grilling to medium, about 3 minutes longer.  During the last minute of cooking, place a slice of cheese on top of each burger, close the cover of the grill, and allow the cheese to melt.  Remove the burgers to a plate and let rest while you grill the buns.
3. Butter the cut sides of the buns and season with salt and pepper.  Place on the grill, butter side down, and grill until lightly golden brown, about 30 seconds.
4. Place the burgers on top of the buns and spoon some of the onion jam on each burger.  Top with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Red Wine-Onion Jam

Make 3/4 cup

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan on the grates of the grill or on a stovetop over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft, stirring occastionally, about 10 minutes.  Add the wine, vinegar, honey, and thyme and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.  The jam can be made 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

The grilled corn salad and the zucchini were tasty too!

3 years ago: Chase Manhatten

2 years ago: Tree Faces

1 year ago: Salmon Cakes

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Albondigas Soup

Did you know that "Albondigas" means meatballs? I didn't know what the word meant before tonight- I figured I needed to look it up before I recommended a recipe with that name :)

I found this recipe for Albondigas Soup in my Everyday Paleo cookbook and I kind of love it. The soup is a distant cousin of chicken tortilla, which is one of my favorites.

Basically you make the meatballs, then the broth, then cook the meatballs in the broth, then add a bunch of yummy toppings: cilantro, cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, salsa, avacado, etc.

From Everyday Paleo

Albondigas (meatballs)

2 lbs grass fed ground beef

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp black pepper (in the demo I said 2 tbsp but I meant 1)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sea salt

Soup

4 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot minced

3 garlic cloves minced

5 carrots chopped

2 1/2 cups shredded purple cabbage

2 1/2 cups fresh (not canned) diced tomatoes

1/2 to 1 full can of El Pato Jalepeno salsa (the small 7 oz can)

10 cups water

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp oregano

2 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)

Enjoy!

 3 years ago: Weekend at Last

2 years ago: Meet Skeeter

1 year ago: Tour of Anchorage

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Albondigas (Meatball) Soup

I was pa-rousing one of my "healthy" cookbooks and this recipe caught my eye. I'm not really sure why, but it did.

And I made it.

And it was delicious.

Ross thought so too, so it must be true, right?

It's got some heat to it too! Top it with freshly sliced avocado and you won't be disappointed.

I don't really have a great picture of the final product. That's the problem when cooking! It's hard to take a time out for pictures...

Here's the recipe!


Albondigas Soup
Adapted from Everyday Paleo

Meatballs
2 lbs 93/7 ground beef
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Soup
4 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot minced
3 garlic cloves minced
5 carrots chopped
2 1/2 cups shredded green and/or purple cabbage
2 1/2 cups fresh (not canned) diced tomatoes
1/2 to 1 full jar of salsa
10 cups water
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)



1 year ago: Date Night
2 years ago: Cold Weekend When you're Camping

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Thai Beef Salad v2.0

I had the page for Thai Beef Salad in Cooks Illustrated earmarked for a couple weeks, so it was high time we tried it out once we got our stove top installed. It turned out to be really good :) The salad includes some spice from serrano chiles, coolness from fresh mint/cilantro, citrus from lime juice, bite from sliced shallots... all served over crisp cucumber slices.

I wish I had the recipe to share with you all, but Cooks Illustrated is really strict about online distribution of recipes and I can't find it online without a subscription. If you don't have Cooks Illustrated already and you like to cook, I would definitely recommend getting the magazine or online subscription! (This was not a paid advertisement :) )

On another note, I got 4 cavities filled today... I was dreading this dentist trip a full 24 hours in advance. The novicane puffed up my cheeks for a couple hours at least. It made dinner with friends all the more exciting.

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Grill Master

We tried some Bobby Flay burgers a couple weekends ago at the lakehouse. We try to keep it pretty simple on our mini getaways, but we like to eat too. It's a conundrum. I know. We made Turkey Burgers and Grainy Dijon Potato Salad. I liked using turkey for a change, but it's definitely not as flavorful as a beef burger. The thyme & onion relish was great on top. If you like potato salad but not mayo, check out the recipe above. It uses greek yogurt to achieve the same texture. Dessert was cinnamon grilled pineapple. Yum in the sun.

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Authentic Mexican Cooking

How about some authentic Mexican cooking?? Here's a Rick Bayless recipe for Grilled steak with spicy Guajillo sauce.  Guajillo is a type of pepper, usually found dried, with a warm, smokey roasted flavor, a slightly different than an ancho pepper. We had Rick Bayless Browned Vemicelli with Roasted Tomatoes to go with the steak. In the recipe, you flash fry the pasta in olive oil, rather than the traditional method of boiling in water. It gave the pasta a little al dente bite, which was quite nice.

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Nacho Burger

If you like burgers and southwest flavors, you NEED this burger. It needs you too.  Please fire up your grill and make 'em. Do it. Yes, it's another Bobby Flay. (It's been a Bobby Flay kinda week because that was the cookbook I had in the car when I made a grocery run). NACHO BURGERS include a tomato chipotle salsa, avocado relish, pickled jalapenos, and monterey jack cheese. YUM in a BUN.

Ross's Big Bite is my favorite. You can even see some of the tomato salsa falling out the back end. I love it.

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Someone is 28!

We had a great weekend at the lakehouse and also celebrated Ross's 28th Birthday! Here are some of my favorite snapshots from the weekend...

Roma is helping Ross steer the boat.

Natural Skipper

The wind whips her ears around

Ross's Bday dinner: Bobby Flay's Blue Cheese Burgers with Red Onion Jelly

Ross's Bday Cake!...Dorie's Carrot Cake!

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Burger and Fries

My college friend Chris came over for burgers on Monday night. We had a good time catching up and the food wasn't so bad either :) We had green chile burgers, sweet potato fries, Mexicali corn salad, and Dorie's applesauce bars for dessert.

Bobby's Flays Mexicali corn with lime butter sauce.

Bobby Flay's Green Chile Burgers

Dorie's Applesauce Bars

We have so many more kinds of burgers to try out of the cookbook! These burgers were good, but not flat out amazing like I thought they'd be. The dessert was delicious! Cinnamon, apples, raisins, pecans... it tasted like "Home".

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