Beef Lo Mein

I found this recipe in our local newspaper tucked in between all the Christmas cookie recipes.

Baked Spaghetti

A spaghetti dinner is a weekly staple at our house.

Tamale Pie

Tuesday dinners around here usually have a Mexican  flair to them.

Marinated Flank Steak With Arugula Blue Cheese Salad

This steak salad is very satisfying and super delicious!

Irish Shepherd's Pie

This is as Irish as it got around here on this fine Saint Patrick's day.

Norwegian Meatballs In Brown Gravy With Pea Puree

This is one of the most traditional Norwegian recipes that I grew up with and which has become a staple in my own family's dinner rotation.

Enchilada Casserole

This is another healthy and tasty recipe from Cooking Light. Their recipes rarely disappoint although I adjusted the seasoning considerably this time.

Southwestern Steak Salad

This evening I made this really great salad. I don't even know where to begin in describing it. Everything about it was delicious!

Beef and Potato Stew

Today was a chilly day with snowflakes swirling in the air. The temperature took a nose dive from this week end's balmy mid 70s to barely reaching 40 today. There seems to be no end to the weirdness of the weather this season. Well, it was a perfect day for meat and potatoes!

Slow-cooker beef and tomato stew

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I came upon this recipe in Everyday Food, a small recipe booklet from the kitchens of Martha Stewart. I love this little magazine. It is always chuck-full of delicious recipes and ideas. I have made many of them and Martha never disappoints. I was so happy to see a slow-cooker recipe in the latest issue and it was the first meal I made in my new slow-cooker.

Creamy beef curry

Lately I have been really craving Asian food or more specifically Indian inspired flavors. But it has just been too hot and humid to cook something hot and spicy. Yesterday, however, we had a slight cool down and I finally had a chance to try this recipe that's been sitting on my desk for a while, just taunting me with its potential deliciousness.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Oh Boy, this has been a fabulous but busy week with little time for cooking and family dinners. The end of the school year is always a busy time with field trips and art exhibits and pic-nicks etc. The week started on a high note on Sunday with the completion of my first ever 5 mile (8km) running race. I did better than expected and it was so much fun to be a part of. Monday we had a pot-luck get-together and this was the perfect opportunity to make a treat I have have been eyeing for a while, Fresh Raspberry Bars with Goat Cheese (recipe to come).

I spent part of the day on a field trip with my daugthers 4th grade class on a steam boat on the Mississippi river. That was actually quite comfortable. But with no airconditioning in our house, it was brutally hot, not fit for man or beast, and certainly not for cooking. Wednesday we had the end of the year pic-nic at my daughters school. Food was provided there and we inhaled some burgers and hot dogs while following our kids around and socializing with other parents. Fun, but hectic. My two older kids didn't join us for all these events and I barely saw them this week. By Thursday the weather was back to normal and I could finally make a family meal and we could sit down and have a calm relaxing dinner (my oldest still missing from the table!). I had a recipe for Beef enchiladas I have wanted to try for a while and since it was a relatively cool day I decided to go for it. The outcome was delicious! The beef was fall-apart tender and infused with flavor. Everyone, even my 4-year-old liked this. Since it happened to be my birthday I made myself a delicious birthday cake, Brownie layers with Sour Cream Filling and Fresh Berries (recipe to come).

So there you have it. Life is crazy busy sometimes. But it felt good to take a breather and connect again around the dinner table.

Note! Cooks Illustrated used a top blade steak for these. I used a slightly different chuck steak. I think any chuck steak will work. Just cut it into smaller steaks for faster cooking. I also did not end up with enough sauce (evaporation),  so I just added a little extra tomato sauce.

Shredded beef enchiladas

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sugar

Table salt

1 1/2 lbs chuck steak

1 tablespoon grape seed oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or

mild cheddar cheese

1/3 cup copped fresh cilantro leaves

1 small can green chilies

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Combine garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Pat meat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook meat until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Reduce heat to medium, add onions to pot, and cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Return meat and juices to pot, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until meat is fall-apart-tender, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Strain beef mixture over a medium bowl, breaking meat into small pieces; reserve sauce. Transfer meat to bowl and mix with 1 cup cheese, cilantro and chillies.

With oven rack in middle position heat oven to 35 degrees. Spread 1/3 cup sauce on bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish (or use 2 smaller dishes). Microwave 6 tortillas on plate on high power until soft, about 1 minute. Spread 1/3 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla, roll tortillas tightly, and set in baking dish seam side down.

Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and spread to coat evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and wrap with aluminum foil. Bake until heated through, 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is golden, 5-10 minutes more.

Serve with shredded iceberg lettuce and sour cream (which I unfortunately didn't have. I used it all for the dessert!)

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated, Make ahead recipes, 2011

Flank steak with creamy two-cheese potatoes au gratin

I usually talk a lot about what my kids like and what their favorites are, but this meal is one of my personal favorites. When I can't think of anything new and exciting to make I go back to this delicious and simple meal. I have mentioned it before, that flank steak is one of my favorite meats. It is always juicy and tender and flavorful even with only a sprinkling of salt and pepper. I love to broil it which gives me perfect results every time. About 8 minutes on each side is all it takes to reach medium rare for a 1 1/2 pound steak.

Beef stroganoff

Jack Frost came back for a last blast (hopefully!) this weekend, shattering our enthusiasm for warmer days spent outside. While I am looking forward to all the spring and summer dishes I will be making soon, I went back to an old family classic yesterday, the always tasty beef stroganoff.

My favorite toasted sub sandwich

This weekend I made these tasty sub sandwiches for lunch and I just love them so much I wanted to share them with you all.

Tri-color beef stir fry

As with the meal we had yesterday, this beef stir fry is another family favorite and I make it on a regular basis (probably once a month). It has been a family dinner staple since it appeared in Cooking light magazine way back in 2004. I have adapted it slightly to fit the size of my family. This stir fry gets its color and crunch from a variety of bell peppers and sugar snap peas. Serve over rice.

Three-pepper beef

3 t cornstarch, divided

1 1/2 t sugar, divided

1 t salt

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain

1/3 cup low salt beef broth

4 T low sodium soy sauce

1 t freshly ground pepper

1 t vegetable oil

1/2  cup thinly sliced green onions

1 t minced peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 small red bell pepper, cubed

1 small yellow bell pepper, cubed

1 small green bell pepper, cubed

Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt, and flank steak in a medium bowl, toss to coat, set aside.
Combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, broth, soy sauce and black pepper, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, ginger and garlic, sir fry 10 seconds.
Add beef mixture, stir fry about 5 minutes or until done. Remove the beef mixture from the pan, cover and keep warm. Add peas and bell peppers to pan, styr fry 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add beef and broth mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Serves 6

Skillet sloppy beef sandwiches



Sloppy Jo's is a very common weeknight dinner here in the US. I call it "Sloppy mess" !

Steak and potato dinner

Today's meal was a little bit more elaborate than I had intended, but it was really good! Flank steak is my favorite kind of meat. It is very lean but still very flavorful and it is very easy to prepare. The ideal way to cook it is grilling it. But with single digit temperatures I did not feel like going outside to fire up our charcoal grill. I opted for the next best method, which is flame broiling it in the oven. It is very fast and gives you that "crusty" outside, while not overcooking the inside. Flank steak usually benefits from some marinating, but I am happy with the results I have been getting without this step. The key is to slice it very thin. This way it can be used for a variety of dishes. It is great in fajitas, salads, stir fries, and just on its own, like today. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes, but I really wanted to make the parmesan roasted potatoes. They are really good! They would work well with pork too. I highly recommend trying them. Finally, I was looking for a side dish. Lemony broccoli would be nice with this, but lately I have come to really like kale (see picture in Odds and ends). It is a very robust, stalky, but nutritious green, with a somewhat bitter taste. That's why I thought the sweetness of caramelized onions would mellow it out a little. I Love caramelized onions! I use them on sandwiches, on mashed potatoes, you name it! And I was right! It was a great combination. Just a really good and  healthy meal altogether.  Make it your way!

Broiled flank steak

1 1/2 lb piece of flank steak

1 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground pepper

1T olive oil

1 T dried oregano

Bring the flank steak to room temperature.

Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the Olive oil on one side of the meat and sprinkle the oregano on top. Place on foil covered broil pan, herb side up. Broil on high for approx. 10 minutes on one side, turn and broil for 6-7 minutes more. Let rest for a few minutes. Cut into thin slices across the grain.

Parmesan roasted potatoes

1 1/2 lb. small red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1/2-inch slices

3 T olive oil

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat at the same time.

Toss potatoes with oil in a bowl. Combine Parmesan, bread crumb, and parsley; add potatoes and toss gently until potatoes are coated.

Arrange potatoes on preheated baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender, 30-35 minutes.

(Recipe from Cuisine Tonight/Quick and easy menus)


Sauteed Kale with caramelized onions
2T Olive oil

1/2 red onion , diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t crushed red pepper

1 bunch of Kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup vegetable stock or water

2-3 t Sherry vinegar

Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons (or tongs) until bright green, about 1 minute. Add stock, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, approx. 15 minutes. Stir in vinegar to taste and salt.

caramelized onions:
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
Pinch salt and pepper


Heat Butter and oil in a medium saute pan. Add onion slices and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are very tender and caramel colored (not fried!), 20-25 minutes. Spoon over kale.

Nora requested Jello for dessert and who can say No to that? Serve it with vanilla sauce or whipped cream.

A new twist on Lasagna

It is another chilly day here in Saint Paul. Thursdays are usually a good day for cooking a nice meal, but today it is a busy one. Lots of picking up and dropping off and waiting around. I realized last night that with Vilde's piano lesson @ 5pm (not our normal time), it would be tricky to get dinner made, so again I had to find something that can be made earlier in the day, and ready to serve when we all get home around 6pm. My plan was to make Chicken tetrazzini, a chicken spaghetti casserole with mushrooms, but when I arrived at Super Target, I discovered  I had forgotten my shopping list and my Cooking magazine containing the recipe. So, what to do? I went to the magazine rack and picked up the latest issue of Rachael Ray's magazine. I looked through it and decided to make her Lazy Bolognese-style Lasagna, with some modifications. She didn't specify what kind of ground beef to use, so I mixed 1lb of lean ground beef with 1/2 lb of extra lean. In addition, I used low -sodium beef stock. I also had a half of a green pepper that needed to be used asap., so I added that too. Since there is no layering involved here, this dish comes together really quickly. Love that! I will keep it warm in the oven until we are ready to eat. A green salad and Ciabatta rolls are also included. Can't wait to dig in!

Lazy Bolognese-style Lasagna
Salt and pepper

1lb wavy lasagna noodles, broken into irregular pieces

1 T extra- virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs  lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
A sprinkle ground cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup white wine
2 cups low sodium beef stock
3 T butter
2 rounded T flour
2 cups whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it (optional), add the pasta and cook until al dente.
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil, over medium high heat.
Add the beef and brown well. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, rosemary, cloves and lots of salt and pepper and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the wine for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and simmer for a few minutes longer.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk, and let thicken enough to coat a spoon; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Toss the pasta with the meat sauce and arrange in a baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top in an even layer. Top with cheese. Broil in oven (middle rack) until golden brown.

Quick tip: For easy release of the tomato paste, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray before use.

Comforting in the cold!

Today the temperature took a nose dive again here in Saint Paul, MN, from the balmy 20ies (-6C ) to 6 Fahrenheit right now (-15C). It is the kind of day where I light lot's of candles and drink hot tea. In the winter season I also love to eat soups or stews paired with crusty rustic bread. Today's dinner recipe Carrot Chowder came to me from my friend Brooke. She had received it from her friend. It would be interesting to know where she had found it. Anyway, a great example of how recipes travel. Brooke made this when I was visiting for lunch a while back. She typically cooks a big lunch that serves as dinner later in the evening. Pretty smart! I immediately liked it, and so did my family. It is a great way to get the kids to eat some veggies. The original recipe calls for ground beef, but today I am using lean ground turkey. It would probably be just as tasty with mild Italian sausage. To save time use pre-shredded carrots and pre-chopped veggies. Enjoy!

Carrot Chowder

1 lb. (450 grams) lean ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup green or red pepper

4 cups tomato juice

1 1/2 cup water

2 cups cream of celery soup

2 1/2 cup grated carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8- 1/4 t marjoram

1 t sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in a large pot. Add celery, onion, and pepper.

Cover and simmer until veggies are tender, approx. 10 minutes. Add tomato juice, water, celery soup, carrots, garlic, sugar and marjoram. Season to taste. Simmer 30 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and green onions (optional), bread and a green salad. I always have a bowl of fruit on the table too.

Stay warm!