15 Minute Beef Ramen

 2 Tsp Olive Oil

1 lb ground beef

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tsp brown sugar

2 (3-oz) packages ramen, flavor packets can be discarded

9 oz slow mix (about 4 cups)

1 cup shredded carrots

Instructions

1. Heat large, high-sided skillet or heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and ground beef, breaking apart meat into small chunks. Cook for 3 minutes until beginning to brown.

2. Add the salt and garlic, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 2-3 more minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add soy, stock and sugar. Turn the heat to high and bring to a strong simmer.

4. Add the ramen noodles and cook 2-3 minutes or until noodles begin to soften but are not fully cooked, flipping the ramen several times to evenly coat the noodles in the broth.

5. Add the slaw and carrots, stirring to combine. Cook additional 2-3 minutes for the noodles to completely cook and the vegetables to soften. Serve immediately. 

High Protein Loaded Fries with Jalapeño Ranch Dressing

*original recipe from hunt4shredz instagram 

*I made a few adjustments which I noted below.

These were really, really good. Very filling. Pretty quick to make. The longest part is cooking the sweet potatoes.

(4 servings)

Ingredients

For the Fries:
• 600g (about 2 medium) russet potatoes, cut into fries ( I used sweet potatoes)
• Olive oil spray
• 2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp chili powder 
• Salt & pepper to taste

*Bake in an oven until tender, and then broil to crisp. Original recipe called for an air fryer, but we don't have one of those. 

For the Beef:
• 1 lb (454g) lean ground beef (93/7)
• ½ white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp beef bone broth
• ½ cup (56g) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
•2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Salt & pepper to taste

Sautee onions until brown, then add garlic until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients, and sauté for 10 min to meld the flavors. Since Kev is dairy free, I saved the cheese for an optional topping, and it was really good even without the cheese.

Jalapeño Ranch Drizzle:
• ½ cup (120g) non-fat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup (113g) low-fat cottage cheese (blended smooth)
• 1 tbsp ranch seasoning
• 1–2 tbsp jalapeño juice (from the jar)
• 2–3 pickled jalapeño slices (blended in)
• Water to thin

*Serve the potatoes on the bottom, with meat layered on top. Optional cheese sprinkled on the top and drizzled the ranch dressing.

Macros per serving (1/4 recipe):
Calories: 475
Protein: 40g
Carbs: 42g
Fat: 15g

Izmir Köftesi

 Preheat oven to 180.

For the Meatballs:

1 kilo ground beef

1-2 c. bread crumbs (can use gluten free)

2 onions, grated 

Fresh parsley

1 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

Grate the onions and squeeze the juice out of them. Chop the parsley finely. Mix all of the ingredients together and form into flat meatball shapes.

For the Vegetables/Potatoes:

4-5 potatoes (enough to cover the bottom of a glass baking pan), peeled and cut into 1-in wedges

2 green peppers, diced

Onions, diced

2 large, peeled, chopped tomatoes (or 1 1/2 -2 cans of diced tomatoes)

1 T. tomato paste

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt

Pepper

1 T. chopped fresh thyme (or you could use some dried if you don't have fresh)

Pan fry the potatoes with salt and pepper to begin until partly cooked and browned. Layer them in the bottom of a lightly oiled glass 9x13 pan. Sauté the green peppers and onions in the pan until tender and layer them on top of the potatoes. Next, brown the meatballs in the pan, and lay them in rows on top of the veggies/potatoes.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, paste, sugar, salt, pepper and thyme to a sauce pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, and put it in the preheated oven until everything is cooked through. 

*If you are in a hurry, you don't have to fry the potatoes first, but wait and add the meatballs to the pan in the oven until the potatoes are mostly cooked to avoid burning the meatballs. 

Afiyet Olsun!

Cheeseburger of Champions

 This is my go-to burger recipe. It came from a Weber's Real Grilling cookbook I got decades ago.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 T Ketchup

1 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (I skip this now because of the kids)

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Mix everything together well in a bowl. Portion out the burgers into 1/4-1/3 pound portions and flatten. Grill over direct high heat 8-10 minutes, turning once. This will be about Medium, so longer if you prefer them more well-done. 

Easy Ground Beef Goulash

 This is probably nothing like traditional Goulash, but it is delicious, easy and everyone in my family likes it, so that is a huge win! We serve it over spaghetti for the kids and spaghetti squash for the adults. You can also add some shredded cheese to the top, though it is delicious without it.

*Originally from iwashyoudry.com. I made some changes to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup of onion, diced

2 lbs ground beef

3 tsp minced garlic

2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I puree these because one of my kids doesn't like tomatoes)

1 6 oz can tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbs Italian seasoning

3 Bay leaves

Spaghetti/macaroni, uncooked

Directions:

The original directions called for cooking the macaroni in the Goulash, but since we serve it to the adults over spaghetti squash, I cook the pasta separately.

1. Add olive oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and beef and cook until beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat and return to stove. Add garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds)

2. Pour in tomatoes, paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves (and pasta if you are cooking it in the sauce). Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 min.

3. Meanwhile, I cook the pasta to al dente.

4. Remove the bay leaves and serve over pasta/spaghetti squash. You can add shredded cheese on top if desired (mozzarella or cheddar work great).

Korean Barbecue Beef

*Originally from Damn Delicious
*Original recipes doesn't include any veggies, but I add frozen veggies such as broccoli, peas, starry veggies. Depending on how many veggies you add, you may need to make a little extra sauce.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce or Tamari sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 T vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger.
2. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium high. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 min. Add ground beef and cook until browned, crumbling as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
3. *This is when I add the veggies and cook until tender
4. Stir in sauce and green onions until well combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.
5. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice garnished with green onion and sesame seeds if desired.

Steak Bites with Garlic Butter

Super easy and yummy way to enjoy steak without a grill. The key is having a super hot pan to get a good crisp outside on the steak. We ate these with sides of mashed potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts... yum!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lbs steak cut into cubes
1 T Olive Oil
2T Butter
2t minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil in the pan over high. Season steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak in the pan in a single layer. You may need to work in batches. Cook 3-4 min. stirring occasionally until browned. Repeat with remaining meat as needed.

2. Add butter and garlic to the pan with all of the browned steak bites and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to coat the meat in the sauce.

Pumpkin Chili

This recipe has lots of veggies and healing foods, mixed together into a delicious flavor. Sam even ask us to save him some for lunch because it was so delicious! Recipe courtesy of The Healing Kitchen

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hr 50 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef (we used ground turkey)
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced into 1/2-in rounds
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound sliced mushrooms
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 (15-oz) cans pumpkin puree
2 c. beef or chicken broth
2 T apple cider vinegar
sliced green onions, for serving

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until cooked through. Stir in ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, and mace until the meat is evenly coated in the seasonings. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in the same saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and salt and stir well. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened and tender.

3. Pour in the pumpkin puree and broth and stir to incorporate into the vegetables. Add the meat back to the saucepan and bring the mixtures to a boil. Add the bay leaf, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer, and cook, covered with a lid for 1 1/2 hours until the vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in the vinegar and remove from the heat. The chili will be thick like a stew.

5. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Top each bowl with a  generous sprinkle of green onions.

Italian Beef Sandwiches (crockpot)

These are a recent find. Delicious and easy crockpot recipe. Serves 6. Originally found on iowagirleats.com

3 lb roast with visible fat trimmed and cut into large chunks
1 envelope of Zesty Italian dressing mix
8 oz. pepperoncini pepper slices plus a splash of juice (Patrick and I loved the hot peppers, but the boys preferred the mild ones. We bought spicy peppers to throw on top of our sandwiches.)
8 oz. Giardiniera (chicago-style italian sandwich mix). I've never been able to find this so I leave it out.
14.5 oz. beef broth
provolone cheese slices
hoagie buns

Place all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 9 hours or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred meat and put back in crock pot for 1 hour on low.

Split buns length-wise. Top with shredded meat, cheese and additional peppers if you want.

Take-out Style Steak and Peppers

Super easy, quick and delicious. Tastes like Chinese take-out. The veggies are very flexible, so you can add others that you have or leave out any you don't have. The original recipe only calls for peppers and onions. I have added frozen broccoli and water chestnuts. Other veggies would be yummy too.

Serves 4-6

2 T oil
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into thin strips (I use whatever steak we have in the freezer. I have also used stew meat that I had accidentally thawed, and that was just fine)
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2-3 large bell peppers, sliced thin
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c honey
1/3 c red wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar that I had on hand. Regular vinegar would probably be okay too)
1-3 t. corn starch or other thickener (optional if you want a thicker sauce)
Cooked rice


1. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and brown on each side. Remove steak.

2. Add onions, peppers, garlic (and any other veggies you want to add) and cook until veggies are tender.

3. Add meat back to the pan. Add soy sauce, honey and vinegar, and cook 10 min or so, until heated through. Sprinkle the cornstarch into the pan and mix it in. Cook until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Shepherd's Pie

*Originally from Foodnetwork.com

For potatoes:
1 1/2 lb russet potatoes
1/4 c. half and half
2 oz butter
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg yolk

For filling:
2 T. oil
1c. chopped onion
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (or beef)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T. flour
2 tsp tomato paste
1 c. chicken broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme (I just used use dried)
2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary (I just used some dried)
1/2 c. corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c. fresh or frozen peas

Peel and dice potatoes. Place in medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set on high heat, cover and bring to boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain simmer and cook until tender, approx 10-15 min. Drain and return to pan.

Microwave half and half and butter on high until warmed, about 35 seconds. Mash potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the egg yolk until combined.

Preheat oven to 400. While potatoes cook, prepare filling. Place oil in large sautee pan over medium high. When oil shimmers, add onion, carrots and sauté 3-4 min. Add garlic and stir to combine. Add lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through.

Sprinkle meat with flour and toss to coat, continuing to stir. Cook for one minute. Add tomato paste, broth, worcestershire, rosemary, thyme and stir to combine. Brint to boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer 10-12 min, until slightly thickened.

Add corn and peas. Spread mixture in 11x7 baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, starting at the edges to create a seal to prevent bubbling over. Smooth potatoes. Place pan on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake 25 min. until potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 min.

Beef Burgundy

Beef Burgundy

2 lbs. lean beef cut in 1 ½ in. cubes.  Do not brown.  I usually buy sirloin tip roast and have butcher cut it up.

4 med. carrots, sliced

1 c. celery, sliced

1 lb. can of whole tomatoes.  I use whole tomatoes and then cut up a little.  You could use diced if you want.

½ pkg. onion soup mix (dry)

1 c. mushrooms (6 ¾ oz. jar)

4 oz. sherry (I used burgundy)

3 T. cornstarch

1 T. paprika

1 T. salt – I usually use ½ T.  Seems like a lot of salt to me.

2 T. sugar

Combine in a casserole and cover.  Bake 6 hours in 250 degree oven.  Can also be baked in a crockpot on low. Serve over noodles or rice.

Cincinnati style chili

I know dad won't like this, but my kids deemed it better than Skyline! A few years ago there was a chili cook off published in Cincinnati Magazine. This recipe was submitted by the chef at Daveeds and is so, so good. Serve over spaghetti or hotdogs with cheddar cheese on top.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1t chili powder
1/8 tsp ground cloves
6oz tomato paste
4 1/2 c beef stock
1oz dark chocolate

Put everything in a large soup pan. Set temperature to medium high., and bring it to a simmer. Then reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. Add salt and pepper if desired. It also said to blend it at the end, but I don't do that. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chili

*From "Simply in Season"

1 lb ground beef
*Brown in large fry pan

1 onion (chopped)
1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 c. green pepper (chopped)
1 c. celery (chopped)
*Add and saute for 3-5 min. Place in Slow Cooker

4 c. cooked kidney beans or pinto beans
4 c. tomatoes (chopped) OR tomato juice OR canned tomatoes
1-2 Tb. Chili powder
1 Tb sugar, honey or molasses
1 tsp salt or seasoned salt
1 c. corn (I used frozen)
1 c. mushrooms (chopped. optional, but a yummy addition!)
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 hot chili pepper (minced; optional) - I didn't use this. I used a little hot sauce instead.
*Add everything (except mushrooms if using) and cook on high for 15 min. Then cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Add mushrooms during last hour. Serve as a soup or over rice or pasta.

Yields 8 c.
(this lasted us more than two meals)

Jess's Crockpot Beef Stew

When we were at a play date a few weeks ago, my sweet friend Jess served this for lunch over mashed potatoes, and it was DELICIOUS!! And it's an easy slow cooker recipe, which makes it that much better.

Serves 4 : 1 1/2 cups per serving

3- to 4 1/2 quart round or oval slow cooker

Slow cooking time: 8 to 10 hours on low, plus 10 minutes on high

OR 5 to 6 hours on high plus 10 minutes on high

Dark beer gives this stew its complex flavor.   You'll definitely want to soak up all the sauce, so serve the stew over whole-wheat no-yolk noodles, brown rice, or mashed potatoes

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless sirloin steak, all visible fat discarded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/4 cups fat free, low sodium beef broth

12 oz dark beer

2 medium turnips or potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

1 medium rib of celery, chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tbsp cold water

2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley (optional)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Spread the beef on a large plate.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the beef.  Toss to coat.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over the medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom.  Cook the beef and onion for 5 minutes, or until the beef is browned on all sides, stirring frequently.  Transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in the broth, beer, turnips, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme.  Cook, covered, on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours., or until the beef and vegetables are tender.

Put the flour in a small bowl.  Add the water, whisking to dissolve.  Quickly pour into the beef mixture, stirring until well combined, and re-cover the slow cooker.  If using the low setting, change it to high.  Cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Stir in the parsley and vinegar.

Cook's tip:  If you don't care for dark beer, you can use light beer instead, or for a nonalcoholic alternative, substitute an additional 11/2 cups of fat-free, low sodium beef broth for the beer.

Old-Fashioned Meatballs

I know most people have a go-to meatball recipe. What I liked about this is that it stretches the ground beef by adding high-fiber bulgur. They were really good, and we were able to make 1 lb. of meat stretch to two meals. We served them one night as meatball hoagies and the next night over spaghetti. I also found this one on Eating Well.

Ingredients:
1/3 c. bulgur (found near the flour in the baking aisle)
1/2 c. hot water
4 oz. lean ground beef
4 oz. hot Italian sausage (I didn't use the sausage and just doubled the ground beef)
1 med. onion finely chopped
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3 cloves garlic
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (I just used store-bought)

Directions
1. combine bulgur and water in small bowl. Let stand until bulgur is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 min.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a rack with cooking spray and place it over a baking sheet lined with foil. (I just put them on the baking sheet).
3. Combine beef, sausage, onion, egg whites, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and soaked bulgur in a large bowl. Mix well. Form 1-in meatballs (about 24).
4. Bake 25 min. Blot well with paper towel.