One Dish Wonders: The Bulkogi Burger at Burger Tex

By Mike Sutter

AMERICAN-STATESMAN RESTAURANT WRITER

Bulkogi Burger Combo ($8.09)

There are a few Burger Tex locations scattered around town, each with its own personality. In Oak Hill, Sang Ook Ju and Kyung Im Ju set a friendly tone, neighborly even, sponsoring little-league sports teams and welcoming a local veterans' group. Originally from South Korea, the couple moved to Austin six years ago from Philadelphia, where they ran a dry-cleaning business. They were ready for a change. To put it in Kyung Im Ju's words: 'We love cooking better than dry cleaning.'

They bring something special to a menu of hamburgers, chicken-fried steaks and catfish — a Korean-style bulkogi burger made with rib-eye steak.

The steak hits the flat-top grill with a sweet, mahogany-colored sauce anchored by soy and brown sugar, made in-house. Sliced in thin pieces about the size of memory cards, the steak takes on a layered aromatic flavor and a little caramel color without being overly sweet, cooked just long enough to be tear-apart tender.

By itself, the steak is worth mentioning, but the extras turn it into a One Dish Wonder. First, the buns are rolled out and baked fresh daily. They're tall and light as angel-food cake in texture but sturdy enough to hold up under tomatoes, sliced onions, cold iceberg lettuce, jalapenos and pico de gallo. They let you pile on your own garnish from a salad bar. Second, a 50-50 split of crunchy-battered onion rings and french fries is worth the 66-cent upcharge from the combo's usual $7.43 price, which includes a soda or better-than-average iced tea. They also allow BYOB at the Oak Hill shop.

Burger Tex. 6705 W. U.S. 290, Suite 601B. 891-8800. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.

Latin flair at Austin Restaurant Week

By Mike Sutter

AMERICAN-STATESMAN RESTAURANT WRITER

Austin Restaurant Week is just coming off the first of two Sunday-Wednesday stretches. The second four-day run starts this Sunday and goes through Wednesday, with more than 70 restaurants offering three-course dinners for $25-$35. Some are doing lunch for $10-$15. Find the list and menus at www.restaurantweekaustin.com. Here's a look at three tiers: a $15 lunch at La Sombra Bar & Grill, a $25 dinner at Zandunga Mexican Bistro and a $35 dinner at Urban an American Grill.

La Sombra Bar & Grill

4800 Burnet Road. 458-1100, www.lasombra-austin.com .

Restaurant Week pricing: $15 lunch, $35 dinner

La Sombra's tiered brick facade and floral abundance made me think of Machu Picchu. And no, I'm not tripping on Peruvian farm exports. If you can plant a new building along the dusty rumble of Burnet Road and make people think of ruins a world away, good for you. It's how La Sombra transports you to a Latin place. The Old World with shimmers of the New. A bold and simple white sign, framed in red against tan stone. A patio shaded by whispering billows of cloth, low-cushioned couches in pipe-trimmed light fabrics and animal prints, polished tree-bark tables. The sharps of Latin horns. Mojito music. Hello-ladies music. Bahm-bahm-BAHM. Roll with it.

I'm guessing that a $15 Restaurant Week lunch or brunch doesn't fully express what Peruvian-born executive chef Julio Cesar-Florez can do. But it's more than a soup and sandwich. Well, it is a soup and sandwich, but a soup with the sweet-and-sour-tang of plantains, orange against a linen-colored broth with yuca and hominy. The sandwich stands out like those brassy horns, a humble ham-and-cheese Cubano raised to crescendo with buttery pulled pork and cucumbers with the vinegary defiance of the freshly pickled. As a side, more yuca, this time with aji amarillo, a sauce of yellow chiles as direct as the noonday sun.

Washed white, linen, beige, tan. Then the color, the sharps. La Sombra brings the color for effect against its neutral color palette. A deep purple corn punch called chicha morada drinks like a sangria, with a tannic pull and mulled-spice brio. It's $3.50 as a juice and plays a part in a few cocktails. Then the finish, the dessert, a drizzle of antique red over a rice pudding with raisins and crunchy almonds. The red is a reduction of port wine and chai, the effect is instant cinnamon serenity, a snooze button between the wide-awake-up calls of horns. So many horns.

Zandunga Mexican Bistro

1000 E. 11th St. 473-4199, www.zandungamexicanbistro.com .

Restaurant Week pricing: $15 lunch, $25 dinner

What was supposed to be a restaurant surge on East 11th Street has entered its afterlife, with 11th Street Station and Zandunga Mexican Bistro taking over where Ms. B's and Primizie failed to thrive. Zandunga took Primizie's spot, a big room with concrete floors and full-length windows (and again, so many horns), an interior Mexican venture from the same family that brought us the Tex-Mex taqueria Mi Madre's.

A menu card tells us Zandunga is `a Spanish descriptive meaning elegance and grace' and that in Tehuantepec in southern Mexico, the name refers to the region's charismatic matriarchs, who no doubt would like the Negra Modelo on draft, maybe a frozen guava-agave margarita. That second part was mostly me.

Explaining the name and the restaurant behind it will be Zandunga's biggest challenge. That's where Austin Restaurant Week can help. For $25, there was guacamole (usually $9) and a pork chop (usually $18) that would have cost $27. I've made back my money and change already, and then comes dessert, flan dressed out to taste exactly like the cinnamon-sugar coffee I love at Mi Madre's.

Zandunga's struggle, like so many other interior Mexican restaurants, will be rallying converts to the high-end possibilities of Mexican cuisine. I'm still just a student of the menu, where main courses start at $12 and go to $23, but I'll get professorial on a grilled bone-in pork chop with a chopped hybrid of ratatouille and pico and a Saltillo-tile orange spaetzle spiked with chile de arbol. Spaetzle with chiles, yes, crunchy outside, tender inside with that low herbal heat.

Mazzone, Baumgartner competing for Quackenbush House

Which would you like to see? Please vote in the comments section.

Two successful area dining entrepreneurs have submitted proposals to revitalize Quackenbush House in Albany with a new restaurant.

Angelo Mazzone, whose Scotia-based Mazzone Management owns five restaurant and catering operations around the region, wants to open an upscale cocktail-and-tapas lounge called Mix.

Matt Baumgartner, owner of Bombers Burrito Bars in Albany and Schenectady and Wolff’s Biergarten in Albany, envisions the building as a traditional pub called The Olde English.

Their proposals were considered this morning during a meeting of the board of Capitalize Albany, the development nonprofit that owns Quackenbush House. The building, located on Broadway at  the foot of Clinton Avenue, has been vacant since the beginning of this year, when Le Canard Enchainé Brasserie closed after 15 months in business.

The board tasked a committee with learning more about the proposals and making a recommendation to the board, according to Michael Yevoli, who is head of Capitalize Albany and is also the city of Albany’s planning commissioner.

The board was impressed by both proposals, Yevoli tells me.

“These are two (restaurateurs) who have proven track records of not only working with historical and significant urban structures but also of being very successful,” Yevoli says. “We could could not have asked for two more qualified individuals.”

The board will weigh considerations including what each proposed business would add to the mix of downtown offerings, the clientele they would likely attract and the effect each might have on the circa-1730s building, believed to be the second oldest in Albany, after 48 Hudson Ave. Quackenbush House was not well maintained for the 13 years it was Nicole’s Bistro, Yevoli says, and Capitalize Albany has recently spent more than $50,000 on repairs and improvements, including replacing the roof. A new operator who will respect the building’s historical significance and be attentive to its upkeep also will be important to the board, Yevoli says.

Mazzone

Mazzone tells me he is intrigued but cautious about opening another Albany restaurant, especially one that sits a few dozen yards down Broadway from his high-end steakhouse, Angelo’s 677 Prime. In Prime’s early years, he says, the bar was sufficiently packed with drinkers that he would have welcomed an annex of sorts. Now, with more downtown competition, including DP Brasserie/Yono’s and The Brown Derby, and an ailing economy that is still hampering business, he’s hesitant to risk another venture.

“It’s just a proposal,” Mazzone says. “We’re feeling out what might work there. I don’t know that I want to split my customer base more.”

Mix would feature creative cocktails, an open kitchen and a limited menu of tapas-style small plates, according to Mazzone.

Baumgartner

In contrast to the sophisticated, contemporary-lounge-with-food atmosphere of Mix, Baumgartner’s proposal embraces Quackenbush House’s historic character. The Olde English would offer boutique British beers, a small menu of traditional pub food and a homey, neighborhood feel, Baumgartner tells me.

“We’re looking for a quaint, small space,” Baumgartner says. “It’s such a comfortable little building; it would be the perfect home for a pub.”

Baumgartner would own the business with Jimmy and Demetra Vann, who are partners in Wolff’s Biergarten, and Mark Graydon, a Briton who is general manager of Wolff’s.

Graydon, who approached Baumgartner with the pub concept, says he relishes the opportunity to recreate the casual conviviality of pubs in his native England. In talking to Wolff’s customers about their favorite pub-style watering holes, Graydon says, many mention the Man of Kent Tavern in Hoosick Falls.

Graydon

“People always say they love it, but, funnily enough, when you ask them when was the last time they were there, they say it’s been two or three years,” Graydon says. “Imagine if you had a pub like that, but it was actually close to where a lot of people live?” The Olde English, he says, would be like a third home for customers, after their residence and their workplace.

In true pub fashion, he says, it would be the sort of place where one might go for a quick drink but wind up staying for two hours to debate with fellow soccer-mad patrons about the relative skills of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo or the lately flagging defense of Liverpool.

Says Graydon, “I want somewhere that a lot of the same regulars pop in every day. That’s what your local pub is.”

Much drama for local chef on ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

Melissa Doney, the Lake George chef who is among the competitors on the eighth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox, was a prominent part of the storyline on Wednesday’s back-to-back episodes. Details after the jump.

Doney suffered withering criticism and general verbal abuse from series star Gordon Ramsay for mistakes including undercooked ravioli and overcooked Dover sole (“It’s like Gandhi’s sandal!”), but it was her battles with bespectacled blondie Sabrina — a makes-your-blood-boil TV presence — that earned Doney the most screen time. The two cursed at and confronted one another, and they ended up as the women’s team’s two nominees for elimination.

They both survived to battle again next week, however, because the dinner service had been problematic for both teams, and Ramsay sent home Louis, a California children’s-camp cook who was the coolest head on the men’s side but who lacked culinary chops. The men’s team lost two people on Wednesday, the crazy-as-a-loon Raj having gone home, blessedly for us viewers, at the end of the first hour.

Last week’s annotated cast photo is here.

For what it’s worth, Doney tells me that Raj was even more unhinged than he was made to seem on TV, and Sabrina was more infuriating. Though she screwed up repeatedly, Doney appears to have cooking talent that could take her far this season.

Quintessence expands theme nights

Quintessence in Albany has introduced Italian night every Monday to go along with Mexican night on Sunday and German (and jazz) night on Wednesday.

Menus after the jump.

Quintessence  is located at 11 New Scotland Ave.

Italian Night

Appetizers

Greens & Beans – Great Northern white beans sautéed with escarole, fresh garlic and served with Italian toast points. 7.99

Fried Calimari – Lightly battered, served with marinara sauce and a wedge of fresh lemon. 8.99

Shrimp Sambuca – Fresh shrimp sautéed with roasted red peppers and black olives flamed with
Sambuca. 8.99

Italian Antipasto – Served cold on a bed of lettuce with prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, Fontinello cheese and a fresh array of our marinated vegetables. 9.99

“Famous” Bruscetta – Tomatoes, Scallions and fresh garlic seasoned with our own Italian
Seasoning recipe. 5.99

Jimmy’s Salad – tomato, basil, onion, fresh mozzarella and fresh garlic tossed in our own balsamic vinegarette. 8.99

Entrées
All entrees are served with salad & bread

Homemade meatballs or fresh sausage with a side of your choice of pasta and homemade meat sauce. 10.99

Pasta Primevera – Chef’s choice of fresh garden vegetables, sautéed in a light parmesean cheese and a white wine cream sauce with a side of pasta. 14.99

Chicken or Veal Francese – Your choice of chicken or veal cutlet served over with pasta in a homemade marinara sauce. 15.99 Chicken 16.99 Veal

Veal, Chicken or Eggplant Parmigiana – Tender slices of lightly breaded veal, chicken or eggplant topped with topped with homemade marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and a side of pasta. Eggplant 14.95 Chicken 15.99 Veal 16.99

Chicken or Veal Piccatta – Your choice of chicken or veal cutlet lightly sautéed in lemon butter, capers and a white wine, served with a side of pasta with our homemade marinara sauce.  15.99

Shrimp Genovise – Shrimp Sautéed in a light egg batter with garlic, white wine, lemon butter sauce and mushrooms served over pasta. 16.99

Chicken or Veal Marsala – Your choice of Chicken or Veal Cutler sautéed lightly with fresh mushrooms in a traditional marsala wine sauce, served with pasta and marinara. Chicken 15.99 Veal 16.99

S & S LaBella – Fresh shrimp and scallops sautéed with artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, roasted red peppers and fresh garlic tossed in a light creamy coral sauce and served over pasta. 17.99

Seafood FraDiavalo – Fresh shrimp, scallops and calamari, little neck clams and mussels, sautéed and simmered in a spicy fried Diavalo marinara sauce served over pasta. 18.99

Chicken Sorrento – Sautéed chicken breast layered with fried eggplant and prosciutto ham topped with melted mozzarella in our homemade marinara and mozzarella cheese, served with a side of pasta. 17.99

Eggplant Rolotini – 3 eggplant rolls stuffed with ricotta cheese, prosciutto ham and fresh basil topped with marinara and mozzarella cheese served with a side of pasta with our homemade marinara sauce 15.99

Desserts

Specialty Italian Desserts Available. Please ask your server for selections.

GERMAN NIGHT

APPETIZERS

Potato Pancakes with a side of honey mustard 5.99
Sauteed Pierogies with fresh veggies 7.99
Spatzle with paprika sauce 8.99

SPECIALTY ENTREES

Saurbraten with red cabbage and potato pancakes, served with our own homemade German ginger gravy. 14.99

Chicken Schnitzel – tender, breaded chicken breast with lemon, white wine and fresh veggies. 14.99

Knackwurst & Bratwurst with red cabbage and spatzle with paprika sauce. $13.99

Smoked Pork chops with Grilled Apples – served with salad and spinach fettuccini noodles (1) chop 11.99 (2) chops 19.99

BECK’S BEER ON SPECIAL – 2.50

MEXICAN NIGHT
Appetizers

Homemade chips served with fresh Guacamole & homemade Pico DeGalo For dipping. 5.99

Nachos Grande – layers of beans, cheese, guacamole and homemade pico degalo Served with your choice or beef, chicken or vegetables. 10.99

Grilled Quesadillas

Veggie – fresh quesadilla filled with fresh summer squash, peppers, tomatoes & onions. 8.99
Chicken – fresh quesadilla filled with savory grilled chicken served with homemade pico degalo, guacamole, roasted red peppers and cheddar cheese. 9.99

Burritos

Fresh Flour tortilla stuffed with rice and your choice of meat or veggies, then topped with sauce & cheese and served with mexican rice, red pinto and black beans.
Fresh Veggies 11.99
Chicken 12.99
Beef 12.99

Salad

Tostada Salad – Large Mexican Salad served in a homemade, crispy tortilla shell with lettuce, beans, cheese, rice and homemade pico degalo with your choice of chicken, beef or vegetables. 10.99

Fajitas

Famous Fajitas – Presented on a sizzling hot plate and served with a side of black beans, red pinto beans, rice and fresh flour tortilla shells with your choice of :
Veggies 12.99
Chicken 13.99
Beef 13.99

Ric Orlando battles for ‘Chopped’ Champions title, $50,000

Capital Region chef Ric Orlando returned to the Food Network series “Chopped” for the third episode on Tuesday night, this time competing for $50,000 and the honor of being named the very first “Chopped” grand champion.

His competitors were:

The judges: Marc Murphy, Geoffrey Zakarian, Alex Guarnaschelli.

Episode description and result after the jump. Do not click “more” if you don’t want to know what happened.

Appetizer mystery basket: Geoduck clam, Buddha’s hand fruit, black radishes, waffle cones.

What Ric made: Fried clams with waffle-cone breading, black radish slaw, Buddha’s hand-infused dressing.

Judges’ comments: “I was really seduced by Ric’s simple, smart preparation, but … was it the most creative way to use it?” And: “It might be simple, but it’s also thoughtful and appetizing.”

Moment of drama: When Cowan didn’t get a garnish onto each judge’s plate in time, he asked his competitors if he could add it. Orlando and Bynum agreed; Zukas declined to allow it.

Judges’ verdict: Bynum’s overuse of Buddha’s hand and bacon get him sent packing.

Entree mystery basket: Smelt, dried red currants, cheese curls, rack of wild boar.

Ric’s quote: “I’m very serious about not being serious about what I do. But the judges love the way I cook, and I’m trying to show them how badly I want to be the grand champion. … I think the judges will appreciate my wit and sensibility.”

Ric makes: Great Lakes surf ‘n’ turf with currant-madeira sauce and “wicked cheesey mac-n-cheese” with cheese curls and currants.

Drama: Ric’s wild boar does not caramelize as quickly as he would like, so he tosses it into the oven. With less than 15 minutes left he checks the boar, “and it’s dead raw.” Cuts rack into single chops and tosses on griddle again.

Drama, too: Zukas finishes hurriedly, lacking finesse. Ric says, “I look at Jason’s plate, and it looks like it was rushed, and he’s upset, and I feel elated.”

Judges’ comments: “Ric, I think it’s a very deliberative entree, and you’ve really thought about this. Very nicely composed, and the boar, on the outside, was really great flavor, but the inside was really tough.” And: “The mac-n-cheese is absolutely delicious, and that you threw the currants in there was, I thought, a brilliant idea.”

Judges’ verdict: “Everybody here is so close; they’re very talented chefs.”

But Orlando is chopped.

Zakarian: “Ric, you know we’re all flying really close to the sun here, and today you just didn’t make it. We loved you macaroni and cheese, but it just wasn’t enough.”

Ric’s parting comment: “I knew I just didn’t do it as good as I should have. Sooner or later good things come to an end. I was trying too hard to win and not trying just to cook.”

Ric’s 11 p.m. Facebook comment: ” F*ck me–That was the most exhilarating thing ever, except watching my kids get delivered, of course! Que sera–Back to work tomorrow! This experience made me a better person and a better chef, not doubt in my mind.Rock on, Baby!, Rock on! Thanks for all, and I mean ALL of the love! It is the greatest reward one can ask for.”

Dessert mystery basket: Champagne, dragon fruit, tahini, cake flour.

Competing desserts:

Cowan: Dark chocolate and tahini cake with a hint of cayenne, dragon fruit-champagne compoteZukas: Tahini ice cream cake stuffed with dragon fruit.

Judges’ verdict:  Cowan wins.

Rationale: “Fundamentally, there was a little bit of a lack of clarity in (Zukas’) use of the best ingredients.”

Oktoberfest at Brown’s to benefit Rensselaer Land Trust

Brown’s Brewing in Troy will host the third annual Oktoberfest to raise funds for the Rensselaer Land Trust‘s efforts to preserve the Tomhannock Reservoir, the source for all of the water used in Brown’s brewing operations.

Scheduled for 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, in a riverfront tent behind Brown’s, the festival will feature Brown’s Oktoberfest, pumpkin ale, other beers and traditional German food for sale plus live music and other entertainment. All beer proceeds will go to the charity.

Admission is free.

Jul 30, Basic Beef Stroganoff

Basic Beef Stroganoff is one of those elegant dishes that I've seemed to always shy away from in the past.

But it's really easy to prepare in spite of the long list of ingredients.

Basic Beef Stroganoff Recipe

1/4 pound beef tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons butter
3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups Beef Broth
3 tablespoons no-salt added tomato paste
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed, crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream

Put the meat in a freezer for 30 minutes for easier slicing. Slice the meat into thin strips about 2 inches long. Sprinkle with pepper.

Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Saut

Jul 30, Beef Stroganoff Recipe

This Beef Stroganoff Recipe with white wine is not a true "stroganoff" since it has no sour cream.

It is a very good stroganoff type dish however. Beef in a rich creamy sauce with onions and mushrooms.

The sauce is not very thick so it's better served over rice than it is over noodles.

Beef Stroganoff Recipe With White WineIngredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup white wine
2 cups beef bouillon
1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the mushrooms, onion and garlic in the butter until tender. Reserving the liquid in the saucepan, remove the mushroom mixture to a bowl. Return the butter mixture to medium-high heat.

Whisk together the flour and half-and-half until smooth; set aside.

Season the beef with salt and pepper; cook the beef in the reserved liquid until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir the wine, beef bouillon, thyme, basil, oregano, bay leaves, and pepper; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Slowly stir in the flour mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 20 to 30 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture and stir.

This recipe works well with ground beef or even leftover roast beef. All in all it's a good recipe even though it's not a true Beef Stroganoff Recipe.

Jul 30, Chicken Stroganoff

This Chicken Stroganoff Recipe is a good demonstration of the evolution of the stroganoff technique. Chicken is the star of the stroganoff recipe instead of beef.

The dish is good over rice or noodles and the green onion topping is really nice. Don't leave out the nutmeg because it really makes the recipe!

Chicken Stroganoff RecipeIngredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups half-and-half cream
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon browning sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/8 cup chopped green onion for topping (optional)

Directions

In a shallow dish or bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the boneless chicken breasts in the seasoned flour to coat. In a large skillet, brown the coated chicken breasts in melted butter or margarine until golden.

In a medium bowl combine the cream of chicken soup, the half-and-half, dry onion soup mix, parsley, minced garlic, sliced mushrooms, nutmeg and the browning sauce. Mix all together and pour the mixture over the chicken breasts in the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and let the dish simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Stir in the sour cream and heat through, but DO NOT BOIL! Top with chopped green onion and serve over noodles or rice, if desired.

You can alternately cut the whole chicken breasts into strips. Adjust the cooking time accordingly. The strips will cook faster than the whole breasts.

The nutmeg makes this dish taste wonderful. A great Chicken Stroganoff recipe!

Jul 30, Beef Wellington

Food historians generally agree that beef Wellington is named for Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington, and the man who crushed Napoleon at Waterloo.

That's about all they agree on.

This dish might seem a little intimidating at first. The 3 pounds of beef tenderloin, because of the expense, certainly intimidated me.

I admit it. I practiced first with a small eye of round roast. You can buy frozen puff pastry sheets in most groceries.

There are currently many versions of the recipe and this is just one.

Beef Wellington Recipe

3 lb beef tenderloin
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt

Mushroom Filling:

1/2 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 Tbsp snipped parsley
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp pepper
Frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg
1 Tbsp water

Brown Sauce:

2 cups beef bouillon
1/2 cup dry sherry
3 Tbsp carrot, finely chopped
2 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp crushed thyme leaves

Combine the ingredients for the brown sauce and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the sauce mixture through a fine sieve and discard the vegetables. Stir in 3 tablespoons dry sherry and simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, a little at a time.

Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Tie a heavy string at several points around the tenderloin. Place the tenderloin on a rack in a shallow pan. Spread the butter over the top and sides of the tenderloin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for 23 minutes and remove to a cooling rack. Put the loin in the refrigerator to cool. After cooling remove the string and pat the tenderloin dry.

Stack the puff pastry sheets to form a 12 x 11-inch rectangle approximately 1/2-inch thick. Spread the mushroom filling on the pastry to within 1 1/2-inches of the edge. Place the meat, topside down, in the center of the pastry. Roll tenderloin and pastry.

Seal the seam and the ends, securely moistening with water, if necessary. Make an egg wash with the egg and water. Brush over the top and sides of the pastry.

Reduce oven to 400 degrees. Place pastry wrapped tenderloin, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

Serve Brown Sauce over the tenderloin.

Tempura Tofu Burger w/ Chili Satay Sauce

burger from Queenstown’s world renowned Fergburger restaurant. If you have ever been to beautiful Queenstown, on the south island of New Zealand, chances are you heard of Fergburger, they have an awesome reputation for freshness, size and sheer deliciousness and let me tell you, it is justified.

They have two great veggie burgers on their menu the

Breakfast Lentils

Mineral-rich, high fiber and low GI, lentils make the perfect breakfast food. Packed with b vitamins and iron and high in cholesterol-lowering fiber, are a great healthy start to your day and are super hearty so they keep you feeling full right up to lunch time.

This is a very simple and healthy breakfast recipe, made even more effort-less with the use of tinned lentils, you could however substitute these with about 2-3 cups of cooked lentils if you prefer. With the addition of lemon and parsley you have a great quick meal full of all the good things to keep your belly and your body happy and healthy.

Serve over warm multigrain toast for a quick and easy to prepare vegan breakfast; also great with a little vegan cheese or a dollop of natural yoghurt for a vegetarian version.

Preparation time: 10mins
Serves 2

1 tbs olive oil1 x 390g (14 oz) tinned brown lentils2 garlic cloves, minced2 shallots/green onions, thinly sliced1-2 tsp soy sauce/tamari

Braised Tofu w/ Kumara Mash

Kumara is a rich orange sweet potato that is a favourite throughout New Zealand. So tasty and good for you; they are virtually fat fee, high in vitamin A and C, are a good source of dietary fiber and include vitamin B6, calcium and iron.

And with a love for that whole sweet/savoury flavour combination kumara is a favourite in my kitchen also. I have been thinking about something new to combine with kumara mash and really wanted to try tofu; the result is definitely an experimental dish but with a result I am very happy to share.

The kumara is baked whole and then smashed and mashed with natural yoghurt or soy cream and maple syrup. Topped off with cubes of tofu braised with sweet cherry tomatoes and baby spinach the dish is a great combination of subtly sweet flavours.

Two wonderful recipes by fellow bloggers Sala at Veggie Belly and Kathy at Lunch Box Bunch inspired certain parts of this simple vegetarian recipe and I thank them for the inspiration :) We served it as a main with steamed rice but it would also be great as a simple light vegetarian meal as is.

Preparation time: 45mins
Serves 2

Kumara Mash600g (1.3 pounds) Kumara (sweet potato)2-3 tbs natural set plain yoghurt or soy cream1-2 tbs maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 200

Aug 1, Fajita Marinade Recipe

To get the good flavor of a fajita you have to begin with a good fajita marinade recipe.

This one is a good general-purpose marinade recipe that can be used with beef, chicken pork or shrimp.

For the best flavor be sure to use freshly squeezed limejuice and the best chili powder you can find.

You can also augment the chili powder with a teaspoon of cumin if you like.

Fajita Marinade Recipe

4-5 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed limejuice
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped roughly

Mix everything above together. Let beef marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours and preferably 24 hours. Pork and chicken will do fine with about 2 hours and shrimp even less.

After marinating, the meat is best if grilled over hot charcoal. In a pinch it can be broiled and you will still have the good flavor of the fajita marinade recipe.

Yields: enough for a 2 lb skirt steak

Aug 1, Guacamole Recipe

To me this guacamole recipe is a must have to go with fajitas. Use Haas avocados--the ones with bumpy skins--and try not to make it to far in advance so the guacamole won't discolor.

Guacamole dates back to the Aztecs. They referred to it as ahuaca-mulli, which translates roughly to avocado sauce or avocado mixture.

Their concoction was very similar to what you might fix in your own kitchens today.

Guacamole Recipe

2 ripe avocados, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime
2 tablespoons minced white onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Roughly mash the peeled avocadoes in a bowl. Leave lumps. Stir in the limejuice. Add all the remaining ingredients and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve at once.

If you must refrigerate guacamole, cover it with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the surface. Contact with air will darken the guacamole. Use, however, as quickly as possible.

Guacamole heat preferences range from none to plenty. Obviously, the heat depends upon the quantity of jalapenos used. Some chiles are hotter than others, so experiment to determine your favorite proportion of ingredients.

Guacamole Variations:

Substitute serrano chiles for jalapenos
Add 1 small tomato, seeded, pulp removed, chopped
Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Add 1 small clove garlic, minced
Add freshly ground black pepper

This Guacamole Recipe will make enough for six people.

Aug 1, Pico De Gallo

cama, oranges, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and cucumbers, along with various seasonings.

Some say this condiment was so named because it was once purportedly eaten with the thumb and finger, an action that resembles a rooster's pecking beak.

Another story is that the original pepper used looked like a roosters beak.

Who knows? It's a great dish though and the perfect compliment to beef fajitas.

Pico de Gallo Recipe I

2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded, pulp removed, finely chopped
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely diced
5 radishes, finely diced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
3 or 4 fresh Serrano chilies, seeded, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh limejuice
salt to taste

Mix tomatoes, onion, garlic, cucumber, radishes, cilantro, chilies and vinegar. Sprinkle limejuice over all. Add salt to taste.

Best if refrigerated, covered, for at least 1 hour, and served the same day made.

Makes about 3 cups.

This second recipe is "unadulterated". Be sure that all the vegetables are very finely chopped.

Pico de Gallo Recipe II

4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped (about 1 pound)
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
4 fresh jalapenos, seeded, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt to taste

Mix the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapenos and limejuice. Add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and serve the same day made.

Makes 2 to 2-1/2 cups of Pico De Gallo.

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May 21, Taco Soup Recipe

Either Taco Soup Recipe listed here is easy to fix and great to eat. Taco seasoning mix gives the soup the tex/mex flavor and taco chips add the crunch.

Use any toppers that you like.

Taco Soup Recipe

1 lb. hamburger
1 can chili hot beans
1 large can stewed tomato wedges
1 pkg. taco seasoning or 2 tsp. chili powder
1 pkg. plain taco chips
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 head lettuce, shredded
1 onion, diced
12 oz. shredded cheese

Cook the hamburger and drain the grease. Add the beans, stewed tomatoes and seasoning. Cook on medium-low for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour over the taco chips in bowls.

On top of the soup, add the lettuce, tomatoes, onion and cheese. Also sour cream if desired. Top with a black olive.

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. Ranch style salad dressing mix (dry)
1 can yellow hominy
1 can red kidney beans
3 cans tomatoes
1 can pinto beans with jalapeno peppers
1 pkg. plain taco chips

Brown the hamburger and drain the grease. Add the chopped onion and saut

May 21, Beef Taco Bake Recipe

This Beef Taco Bake Recipe is extremely easy to throw together and yet so tasty a taco bake that your family will want it over and over.

The zing from the chilis really perks up the dish.

Beef Taco Bake RecipeIngredients

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
8 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
1 (18 ounce) package corn tortilla chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Add the diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, water, sour cream and taco seasoning mix. Let the mixture simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

In the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, place a layer of tortilla chips. Cover the chips with a layer of the meat mixture then a layer of cheese. Repeat this process until the last layer is cheese.

Bake the dish in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Like I said the zing from the chilis really perks up this dish but for a milder version you could use plain-diced tomatoes.

Either way your family will love it and it's so easy it will become your go to dish when time is short and dinner is due.

You Might Need:

Commercial Restaurant Taco Bowl Basket

May 21, 7 layer taco dip - layered taco dip - seven layer taco dip

A 7 Layer Taco Dip is a perfect dip for parties or family get-togethers. Everybody will love this meatless layered taco dip recipe. They'll gather around the bowl until it's all gone.

For those that are watching their weight there's also a lower fat version and you honestly can't tell the difference in taste.

Seven Layer Taco Dip Ingredients

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and the refried beans. Spread the bean mixture onto a large serving platter.

Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium sized bowl. Spread the cheese mixture over the refried beans.

Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese.

Garnish with black olives.

The vegetables may be varied according to your family's taste. Another trick you can use if you're into lower calories is to substitute fat-free sour cream, fat-free cream cheese and reduced fat cheddar cheese.

This layered taco dip is so good nobody will even notice that it's low fat.

Make your party even more memorable by serving your 7 layer taco dip with homemade tortilla chips. Here's a simple recipe for making corn tortilla chips spiced only with salt.

Corn Tortilla ChipsIngredients

1 quart oil for frying
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each
salt to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F.

In small batches, fry the corn tortilla wedges until crisp. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Salt to taste while warm.

If you're making the low fat version the chips may alternately be prepared by baking the tortilla wedges in a 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes, or until crisp.

You Might Need:

Commercial Restaurant Taco Bowl Basket

May 21, Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe

This Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe is light years ahead of the little packets from the grocery and no aftertaste. It's similar to the fast food restaurant but much better.

Try this Taco Meat Seasoning!

Better Than Restaurant Taco Meat Seasoning MixIngredients

1 1/2 tablespoons corn flour
4 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/3 pounds lean ground chuck
1 cup water

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the corn flour, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, seasoned salt and garlic powder. Stir in the cumin, garlic salt, and sugar. Blend in the onion, bouillon, and ground red pepper. Give all the ingredients a good stir until the spices are well blended.

Crumble the lean ground chuck into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the beef, stirring, until it is well browned. Remove from the heat, rinse the meat with hot water, and drain the water and grease from the beef.

Return cooked ground beef to the skillet, and pour in the taco meat seasoning mix. Stir in the water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until most of the liquid has cooked away, about 20 minutes.

This is really an awesome Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe!

You Might Need:

Commercial Restaurant Taco Bowl Basket

May 24, Quick And Easy Taco Dip

This quick and easy taco dip is so good you might need to make a double batch. Everybody is going to love it. It's especially good when enhanced with homemade taco season and homemade corn tortilla chips.

You can increase the amount of the salsa as desired.

Quick and Easy Taco DipIngredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 teaspoon taco seasoning mix (Recipe Below)
1/3 cup salsa
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, taco seasoning mix and salsa. Spread the mixture into a shallow serving dish or an 8 inch baking pan. Top with Cheddar cheese. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 1 hour before serving.

Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips

Enhance your taco dip by serving it with your own homemade tortilla chips. These are only spiced with salt but you can add an extra kick by using homemade taco seasoning mix instead of salt.

The chips may alternately be prepared by spraying with butter flavored cooking spray and baking in a 350 degrees F oven for 5 minutes, or until crisp.

Ingredients

1 quart oil for frying
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each
salt to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In small batches, fry the corn tortilla wedges until crisp. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Salt to taste while warm.

Homemade Seasoning For Tacos

This mixture, in place of store-bought taco seasoning, nicely enhances ground beef tacos, taco dips and taco salads.

Mix up a batch and keep it in your pantry for quick tacos anytime.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder
5 teaspoons paprika
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons onion powder
3 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

Great to use in your quick and easy taco dip.

You Might Need:

Commercial Restaurant Taco Bowl Basket

Jun 6, Easy Taco Salad Recipe

This is a quick and easy taco salad recipe with black beans. It's not very spicy and actually has a slightly sweet taste from the Thousand Island dressing. A great ground beef recipe!

You can use purchased taco seasoning mix with this ground beef recipe but it's much better with the salt free seasoning mix recipe listed below.

Easy Taco Salad RecipeIngredients

1 pound ground Beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (10 ounce) bag tortilla chips, coarsely crumbled
1 (8 fluid ounce) bottle Thousand Island dressing

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef. Cook and stir until the ground beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink.

Mix in the taco seasoning mix as directed on package. Remove from the heat.

Combine the ground beef, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and tortilla chips in a large bowl. Toss with the Thousand Island salad dressing. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for an hour before serving.

This ground beef recipe makes a large amount. If you're not sure whether or not it will all be eaten immediately it might be a good idea to put the tortilla chips on individual servings. They will get soggy in leftovers!

Taco Seasoning For Easy Taco Salad Recipe

This is a delicious alternative to packaged taco seasoning. It's not only great on this ground beef recipe but will also spice up chicken or anything else where you desire a Southwestern flavor.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons dried minced onion
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. This mix will last up to a year if stored in an airtight container kept in a cool place.

If you're in a hurry for a delicious dinner with a Southwestern flair give a try to this quick and easy taco salad recipe.

You Might Need:

Commercial Restaurant Taco Bowl Basket

Jun 13, Simple Ground Beef Recipes

Every recipe file needs some Simple Ground Beef Recipes.

These ground beef recipes are simple enough for college students. But simple doesn't mean not good.

These two recipes are delicious!

This goulash recipe is one of my favorites. It's very hearty with the ground beef, noodles, corn and cheese. Add a salad and some crusty bread for an easy ground beef meal.

Simple, Quick and Easy Beef Goulash Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 onion, chopped
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the lean ground beef along with the chopped onion and then drain.

Add the jar of spaghetti sauce and the can of whole kernel corn and heat through.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the package of egg noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente and then drain.

Add the cooked egg noodles and the shredded cheddar cheese to the ground beef mixture and heat through. Serve it up and enjoy!

Note: This recipe is just fine with different types of cheeses and pasta. Try Mozzarella cheese with elbow macaroni.

Add a Tex/Mex flair to your simple ground beef with these Taco Nachos.

Simple Taco Nachos Ground Beef RecipeIngredients

1 pound ground beef
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup water
3/4 pound processed cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon milk
1 (12 ounce) package tortilla chips
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions

Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and mix in taco seasoning mix and water. Continue cooking 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place processed cheese and milk in a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until blended and smooth.

Place tortilla chips on a large, microwave safe dish. Spread with refried beans. Top with beef and cheese and mixtures.

Microwave approximately 2 minutes on high, until the cheese has melted into the beef. Top with tomato and green onions. Serve warm.

Sour cream and salsa are great sides to serve with the taco nachos.

Kids love this dish and it's a great snack but it can be a simple, healthy and delicious meal just by itself.

Add these Simple Ground Beef Recipes to your recipe file!

Jun 13, Ground Beef Casseroles

Ground beef casseroles are among the simplest and yet most satisfying of all recipes for ground beef.

These two casseroles simulate Philly Cheese Steak and Pizza. How versatile ground beef is!

The ingredients list of this ground beef recipe is nothing like an actual Philly Cheese Steak but the finished product is delicious.

Philly Cheese steak Casserole Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie or penne pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can milk
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the bowtie pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside in a large bowl.

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the chopped onions until they begin to soften.

Add the lean ground beef, and cook, stirring, until it is evenly browned. Drain off the grease and pour it into the bowl with the pasta. Stir in the condensed cream of mushroom soup and then measure the milk using the soup can and add it to the mixture.

Add the mushrooms and dried thyme and combine until well blended. Mix in the 3 cups of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the mixture into a baking dish.

In a small bowl mix together the dry bread crumbs and melted butter. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of shredded sharp cheese. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the baking dish.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until topping is crispy and golden.

This beef casserole has everything that makes a pizza good in a one-dish meal. Your family will request this ground beef dish often.

Pizza Casserole Ingredients

2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced pepperoni sausage
16 ounces pizza sauce
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the lean ground beef with the chopped onion, minced garlic and chopped green bell pepper. Drain any excess fat.

Stir in the cooked egg noodles, sliced pepperoni sausage, pizza sauce and milk, and mix well. Pour this mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes and then top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

These two recipes are real man pleasers. Kiddies will love them too. Hey they're good enough for when company's coming. Try both of these Ground Beef Casseroles.

Jun 17, Crock Pot Beef Brisket

This Crock Pot beef brisket is beef brisket at its best - slowly simmered in a crock pot with lots of flavorful additions.

It's moist and tender with a Texas style barbecue sauce built right in.

Beef brisket is usually well seasoned, wrapped in foil and left to roast in a low oven for hours.

This recipe uses an electric slow cooker or crock pot to achieve the same results.

There's ample room here to substitute flavorings of your choice, just give yourself 24 hours to let the brisket bubble away to perfection - hopefully you can wait that long!

Texas Style Beef Brisket in a Crock PotIngredients

8 pounds whole beef brisket, fat untrimmed
1 cup espresso or double-brewed strong coffee
1 bottle (14 ounces) chili sauce
1 can (12 ounces) soda - such as Coke, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper, regular or diet
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Directions

Cut the beef brisket in pieces if it is too large to lay flat in the bottom of the crockpot. Combine the kosher salt and black pepper in a small bowl and season the brisket evenly, covering both sides of all the pieces.

Whisk together the espresso, soda and chili sauce. Put the brisket in the bottom of the crockpot and pour the mixture over the meat. Set the temperature at low, cover the pot and let it simmer until the same time the next day (24 hours).

After it's cooked, remove the brisket from the pot and discard the fat. Shred the brisket with forks, then put the shredded meat back in the crockpot.

Mix together the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and the liquid smoke. Pour this mixture over the shredded brisket and gently mix it to completely cover all the meat. Cook on low for 1 more hour, then serve the meat and sauce together or separately.

Serves 12 to 14

Good To Know - This makes a lot of barbecue brisket - consider freezing half of it, plus the sauce, tightly wrapped in plastic, for another time. Let it thaw out in the refrigerator overnight, then gently heat it up in the oven.

On Your Own - This recipe can be made using half the amount of brisket, but go ahead and make the full recipe of the sauce made from the ingredients listed above.

It can stay refrigerated for over two weeks, and if you simmer it for about 20 minutes, you have a great basting sauce and barbecue sauce to serve with chicken or burgers.

When you think brisket from now on think Crock Pot Beef Brisket.

Similar Crock Pot Recipes:

Crock Pot Brisket

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Jun 17, Easy Ground Beef Casserole

This Easy Ground Beef Casserole is not only easy but also fast and tasty. It's a quick ground beef dinner for mid-week or any time.

The taco seasoning and the salsa give it a Mexican flavor.

You can add to that flavor if you like. A little fresh chopped cilantro and shredded cheese over the top turn this ground beef casserole into something special!

You can also substitute pasta of your choice for the egg noodles.

Ground Beef Casserole - Easy, Fast and TastyIngredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) chili, without meat
1 can (14.5 ounces) peeled and diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup salsa
1 package (1 ounce) taco seasoning mix
1 bag (8 ounces) egg noodles, cooked according to package directions.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Season the ground beef with the kosher salt and black pepper and brown it in the oil. Add the chopped onion and chopped celery and saut

Jun 20, Ground Beef Taco Recipe

This Ground Beef Taco Recipe is for all the taco junkies that love Taco Bells Double Decker. The taco has a soft shell layer with refried beans and inside is a ground beef loaded hard shell.

These are great tacos and you can top them up with whatever you like but I like to really load mine up. One can be a whole meal at my house!

Homemade beef tacos that beats Taco Bell!!!

Double Decker Ground Beef Taco

This recipe calls for taco seasoning mix in the little packets from the grocery but you would be much better off making your own using our Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix, divided
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2/3 cup water
12 prepared crisp taco shells

2 avocados
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 fresh lime, juiced
salt and black pepper to taste

12 (7 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Place the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, and sprinkle about 3/4 of the packet of taco seasoning over the meat. Cook and stir the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, until the beef is browned and crumbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the excess grease.

Mash the refried beans with the water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with the rest of the seasoning packet. Heat the refried beans over low heat until simmering.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place the crisp taco shells on a baking sheet, and warm them in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

To make the guacamole, peel, seed, and mash the avocados in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of sour cream, the lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

To build the tacos, spread each flour tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of heated refried beans. Wrap the tortilla gently around a crisp tortilla shell. Spread about 2 tablespoons of ground beef along the bottom of the crisp shell, and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of shredded Cheddar cheese on top of the meat.

Top the cheese with shredded lettuce, a sprinkle of chopped tomato and onion, and a dollop of sour cream and guacamole.

I think these beef tacos are really better than Taco Bells. Just like Taco Bells, however, if you don't eat them right after making them up you'll lose the crunch of the hard shell.

You can really load them up, though, and not worry about the shell exploding. Great stuff! You just gotta' try this super Double Decker Ground Beef Taco Recipe.

You Might Need:

Commercial Restaurant Taco Bowl Basket

Jun 22, Ground Beef Casserole

Whether for family or a crowd, this ground beef casserole will become a family tradition. A single casserole recipe makes a substantial ground beef meal for at least 12.

So if you have a potluck coming up, this would be ideal. You can also make half the recipe easily enough, but don't be surprised if everyone is asking for more.

This recipe came from a family member's Mom, so you know it will be good!

Mom's Ground Beef CasseroleIngredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 package (12 ounces) egg noodles, cooked according to package instructions
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound processed American cheese, such as Velveeta, cubed
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10.50 ounces) condensed chicken and rice soup
1/2 cup milk, whole or skim
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F

In a large kettle or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with the bell pepper and chopped onion. When the beef has browned and the vegetables are soft, drain the fat from the pan. Season the beef and vegetables with the salt and pepper.

Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup with the chicken and rice soup. Add the milk, and then stir in the corn kernels and the cheese cubes. Add this mixture to the beef and vegetables. Carefully stir in the cooked egg noodles until all the ingredients are well combined.

This casserole can be baked in one large baking dish, or separated into 2 smaller ones. Spray the dish of your choice with cooking spray, then bake, covered with foil, for about 45 minutes. The cheese should be melted and bubbly.

Serves 12

Good To Know - You could have a head start on next week's menu if you split the casserole into 2 baking dishes and freeze one of them. Let it thaw out in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake it for about 10 extra minutes to make sure it is heated all the way through.

Food For Thought - You can easily add a little spice to this casserole by adding a few dashes of Tabasco, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon of crushed red chili flakes.

Whether it's for a quite family dinner at home or a potluck dinner at an event you just can't beat a great tasting Ground Beef Casserole.

Jun 25, Ground Beef Casserole Recipes

Ground Beef Casserole Recipes are extremely versatile. This casserole recipe is ground beef and noodles with an Italian flair.

Fresh rosemary and Italian spices are baked with Parmesan cheese and spaghetti sauce. The recipe yields a richly flavored Italian dinner that would go great with a simple salad and hot, crusty French bread.

You can use a jar of spaghetti sauce for this casserole recipe, but if you have some of your own home made marinara sauce on hand, by all means, use it. I like to use a lot of garlic with this, but you may find a little less to your liking.

It's not a recipe with hard and fast rules, so feel free to come up with your own Italian delight!

Italian Ground Beef Casserole RecipeIngredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 jar (14 ounces) spaghetti or marinara sauce
1 package (8 ounces) wide egg noodles, cooked
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 packet (.75 ounce) dry brown gravy mix
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat a large skillet and brown the ground beef. Add the minced garlic and diced onion, and saut

Jun 25, Easy Recipes For Ground Beef

Easy Recipes for Ground beef are simple and with few ingredients. This ground beef recipe makes a rich and satisfying dinner from primarily ground beef milk and butter.

It's similar to creamed beef but a traditional creamed beef would take a couple of hours to prepare. This version cuts down on the time but not the flavor.

This is really good served over hot mashed potatoes.

Easy Recipe For Creamed Ground BeefIngredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk, regular or skim
2 cups frozen peas, thawed and drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat - you don't want the butter to burn. Whisk in the flour until you get a smooth paste, and then slowly add the milk, whisking constantly.

Season the mixture with half (1 teaspoon) of the kosher salt and all of the nutmeg. Let the mixture come to a low boil then lower the heat and let it simmer, about 20 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

Season the ground beef with the remaining kosher salt and the black pepper and then add it to the skillet to brown. Add the chopped onions and saut

Jun 25, Fast And Easy Ground Beef Recipes

You need some fast and easy ground beef recipes in your recipe file. This one is so tasty, even the kids will love it.

The almonds and chow mein noodles gives this ground beef recipe lots of crunch, and the ground beef and cooked rice make it very filling.

This ground beef recipe is a great way to use up leftover white rice before it dries out. You can garnish this with a little chopped green onion to finish it with a little color.

Fast And Easy Ground Beef Recipe With Chow Mein Noodle RecipeIngredients

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup cooked white rice
1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 package (5 ounces) chow mein noodles
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup water
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

Season the ground beef with the kosher salt and black pepper, and then add it to the skillet. Saut

Jun 25, Ground Beef Casserole Recipe

This Ground Beef Casserole Recipe is made with ground beef and beans. A casserole recipe with ground beef and beans is hard to beat, unless it's topped with bacon like this one.

This is a great picnic casserole that has something for everybody. It's a blend of sweet and savory that will have everyone asking for the recipe.

Lean ground beef and canned beans also make for a quick and easy meal.

I like to use kidney and white beans, but you could easily substitute black and pinto beans if you prefer. Canned pork and beans work well, but you could use chili beans if you like a more southwestern flavor.

Beef And Bean Ground Beef Casserole RecipeIngredients

1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans
1 can (16 ounces) baked beans with pork
1 can (15 ounces) white beans, such as Great Northern
1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the diced bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels.

Add the chopped onion and ground beef to the bacon fat in the skillet and saut

Jul 10, Crock Pot Roast Beef Recipes - Beef Roast Slow Cooker Style

The Crock Pot Roast Beef Recipes in my recipe file really get a workout. I use them a lot!

My family and friends love it when I make this very easy beef roast slow cooker style.

It's a slow cooker pot roast that makes its own gravy! Talk about tender and juicy, Oh my goodness!

(If you're in the market for a slow cooker don't buy one until you've read our slow cooker reviews!)

I like to serve slow cooker pot roast with mashed potatoes topped with lots of delicious gravy and steamed Brussels sprouts along with crusty rustic bread. Any cut of roast beef is fine with me and will work in this recipe.

Because of its ease of preparation and its juicy tenderness this could easily be my favorite of all my Crock Pot Roast Beef Recipes.

Delicious Beef Roast Slow Cooker StyleIngredients

2 pounds boneless beef roast
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, quartered
16 baby carrots
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a large skillet over medium high heat, saut

Jul 17, Crockpot Brisket - Corned Beef Brisket Recipe

This is a good crockpot brisket recipe. It's actually a homemade corned beef brisket recipe cooked in a slow cooker. It has a really mild corned beef flavor because of the short marinating time.

I guess a better name would be a corned beef style brisket.

It's comparatively quick, however, and making corned beef from scratch means you are in charge of what goes in it. No chemicals mean better corned beef brisket.

Other than that this is a pretty straightforward corned beef and cabbage recipe done in the slow cooker.

Corned Beef-Style Crockpot BrisketIngredients

1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves, crumbled
8 whole black peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 (4 pound) beef brisket
1 cup water
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 small head cabbage, sliced into strips

Directions

Stir together the minced onion, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, crumbled bay leaves, crushed peppercorns, salt, chopped fresh parsley, and celery seed in a bowl.

Rub the brisket with the corned beef mixture, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

To cook the brisket, place it into a slow cooker along with the cup of water. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours. Add the peeled cut carrots, and cabbage strips, and continue cooking until the brisket is tender, about 3 hours more.

Good to Know: This corned beef brisket recipe has a very mild corned beef flavor. That's because it's not true corned beef.

For a traditional corned beef use our Homemade Corned Beef recipe.

On Your Own: A typical New England boiled beef dinner should have potatoes. Feel free to add potatoes to this recipe as you like.

Another twist is to use beer instead of the water. Not typically New England but very good anyway.

This recipe turns out great as is. It's a good change from a typical boiled dinner and a great twist on Crockpot Brisket.

More Crockpot Recipes

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Crock-pot Sauerbraten

Crockpot Beef Brisket

Crock Pot Beef Brisket

Crock Pot Brisket

Crock Pot Brisket Recipe

Jul 17, Crockpot Beef Brisket Texas Style - Shortcut Texas Brisket

This crockpot beef brisket is a BBQ beef brisket recipe that you could call a faux Texas brisket.

Texans really like their beef brisket slow smoked and this one is in the crockpot.

The fact is that this recipe is a variation of one passed along by a true Texan. I guess everybody likes crockpot beef brisket. Even Texans!

Even though this recipe is not smoked it does get smoke flavoring from the liquid smoke in the recipe. And it is slow cooked because it stays in the slow cooker for 24 hours!

An unusual ingredient is the cola beverage. It adds some sweetness and a unique flavor to the brisket.

Crockpot Beef Brisket Texas StyleIngredients

8 pounds untrimmed beef brisket
1 cup strong black coffee
1 (14 ounce) bottle ketchup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can cola carbonated beverage
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

Directions

Place the untrimmed beef in a large slow cooker with the fat side up. Pour the strong black coffee over the meat. Cook the meat on LOW for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, stir together the bottle of ketchup, cola beverage, Worcestershire sauce, prepared yellow mustard, liquid smoke flavoring, and brown sugar in a bowl until well blended. Refrigerate until needed.

After 24 hours, remove and discard any fat from the brisket. Use a fork to pull apart and shred the meat. Pour the sauce over the meat, stirring to coat evenly, and cook 1 hour longer.

This recipe makes great BBQ Texas brisket. It is slightly sweet and mild flavored with good texture. The great beef flavor definitely comes through because the fat is not trimmed off prior to cooking. Fat is flavor!

Serve on plain white bread slices, hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls. A slice of cheese is nice too. And don't forget Cole slaw!

Good To Know: Follow the directions for this Texas brisket recipe and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Don't worry about the size of the brisket because leftovers are a good thing. They also freeze well. And things really are bigger in Texas!

On Your Own: If you like a bolder flavor in your Texas brisket you can add some additional spices.

Salt and black pepper won't hurt a thing.

I'm partial to spicy in my BBQ beef brisket recipe so I throw in some red pepper flakes or some powdered cayenne pepper.

This recipe is great for a party crowd.

I'm thinking Super Bowl or some other special event. Invite a crowd to a party of your own and show off your skills as a Texas BBQ chef with this Crockpot Beef Brisket.

Related Crock Pot Recipes:

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Crock-pot Sauerbraten

Crock Pot Beef Brisket

Crockpot Brisket

Crock Pot Brisket

Crock Pot Brisket Recipe

Jul 17, Crock Pot Brisket - Almost Texas Barbeque Beef Brisket

This Crock Pot Brisket Recipe, even die hard Texans will have to agree, is on a par with traditional Texas barbeque beef brisket.

The dry rub for brisket in this recipe is the key.

The brisket is first given a generous lathering with liquid smoke and then rubbed with the dry rub. It's then slow simmered in the Crock Pot until it's juicy and tender.

Texans usually shun barbeque sauce but the amount of sauce in this crock pot brisket is just enough to give it a delicious bbq flavor while still maintaining the meaty flavor of the brisket.

Easy Day Barbeque Crock Pot BrisketIngredients

3 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of fat
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce

Dry Rub For Brisket Ingredients

1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Combine the dried thyme leaves, paprika, freshly ground blackpepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin in a small bowl. Set the mixture aside.

Rub the beef brisket all over with liquid smoke and then rub with the spice mixture.

Pour the Worcestershire sauce and the barbeque sauce into a slow cooker. Place the beef brisket on top. Cover, and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or until the brisket is fork tender.

I encourage you to make this brisket recipe once just as it is. The liquid smoke amount is perfect. After that, if you must, make adjustments. However, you will not believe the smoky barbeque beef brisket flavor this recipe yields from a crock pot.

It's not often that you run across a recipe that's so good and yet so convenient.

Good to Know: Believe it or not it's possible to make this great recipe even better. After applying the dry rub for brisket wrap the meat in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate it overnight.

The extra marinating time gives the brisket and even greater depth of flavor.

On Your Own: The size brisket called for in this recipe will easily fit in a smaller sized crock pot. However if you have a larger 6 quart crock Pot you might want to cook a larger brisket.

It freezes well if you have leftovers.

Come home to a delicious bbq dinner with this easy Barbeque Crock Pot Brisket.

Related Crock Pot Recipes:

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Crock-pot Sauerbraten

Crockpot Beef Brisket

Crock Pot Beef Brisket

Crockpot Brisket

Crock Pot Brisket Recipe

Jul 26, Crock Pot Brisket Recipe - Jewish Cholent Sabbath Lunch

This Crock Pot Brisket Recipe is served for Sabbath lunch.

It's call Cholent and is one of the better Jewish brisket recipes.

A crock pot is not necessary but it's the ideal cooking vessel.

Cholent is traditional Jewish food with an unknown origin. It is, however, hundreds of years old. It's development came about because of the Jewish laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath.

The dish is started on Friday before the Sabbath begins and kept hot in the slow cooker to be eaten the following day.

This particular Jewish brisket recipe is ideal for that task because the longer it cooks the better it tastes.

In addition to brisket the dish includes potatoes, beans and barley, which not only adds flavor and texture but also makes it extremely frugal. A little beef is stretched with veggies to feed a lot of people.

Crock Pot Brisket Recipe - Jewish Cholent Sabbath LunchIngredients

1/2 pound cubed beef brisket
6 potatoes, diced
1/4 cup dry kidney beans
1/2 cup barley
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon onion soup mix
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Combine the cubed beef brisket, diced potatoes, dry kidney beans, barley, chopped onion, minced garlic, honey, ketchup, barbeque sauce, soy sauce, onion soup mix, salt, pepper, and paprika in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Cook on High for 1 hour. Then, turn to Low and continue cooking for another 7 hours.

Good to Know: The amount of potatoes called for in the recipe sounds like a lot but don't use less. They are incredible.

On Your Own: During my research I've encountered recipes that include adding in shell washed eggs. When the dish is ready the eggs are shelled and even though they are very dark colored they are reportedly delicious. I'll try that sometime.

In my opinion this recipe is among the best of all the Jewish brisket recipes. However, even if you're not Jewish, you really should try this Crock Pot Brisket Recipe. It's absolutely delicious!

More Crockpot Brisket Recipes

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Crock-pot Sauerbraten

Crockpot Beef Brisket

Crock Pot Beef Brisket

Crockpot Brisket

Crock Pot Brisket

Vegetable Medley w/ Wasabi Tahini Dressing

Roasted vegetables are a simple and delicious way to serve up a colourful and healthy combination of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Root vegetables are fantastic for roasting and the preparation time is next to nothing, perfect for an almost effortless vegetarian dinner.

For this recipe I used a combination of organic carrots, potatoes and kumara (sweet potato), but any root vegetables would work wonderfully, including beetroot or parsnip. I added fresh zucchini towards the end for added vitamins and yum. The pumpkin and sesame seeds not only add a delicious texture and flavour but are a good source of zinc and calcium, respectively, for added nutrition : )

The dressing is simple to make and very, very tasty; add wasabi to taste, for the recipe below I have been a little restrained, I usually add about 1 to maybe 2 tsp because I simply adore it!! This vegan recipe is perfect for a filling dinner or great as a side when entertaining. Also delicious the next day, if there is any left over, it would make a great addition to your lunchbox.

Preparation time: 55mins
Serves 4

2 tbs vegetable or rice bran oil500g (1 pound) potatoes300g (10.5 oz) carrots450g (16 oz) Kumara (sweet potato)100g (3.5 oz) shallot bulbs2-3 tsp sesame seeds250g (9 oz) zucchini50g (2 oz) pumpkin seeds

Tempura Udon

Mmm tempura Mmm udon!! When in Japan a few years ago, a dear friend and I stumbled upon the most amazing little Udon Restaurant in Yuzawa. It was a cold and rainy day outside but the tiny restaurant was so warm and filled with amazing smells and sounds of people slurping and enjoying udon.

To this day I still rate the Udon I ate for lunch, filled with amazingly fantastic mushrooms, as one of the absolute best meals I have ever eaten, it was so good we returned with the rest of our friends for dinner that night : )

Udon soups are a favourite but I am always a little hesitant to order them at restaurants as they will quite often be made with a Dashi (stock) that has binto (dried fish flakes) added. So inspired by a comment left by a wonderful Veggie num num reader Chooch on facebook, I embarked on making my own vegetarian dashi from kombu (dried seaweed).

I have included the stock in the recipe below. Not sure if it is very traditional, but I added miso paste to the kombu stock in place of binto to add a salty/sweetness. Look for dried kombu or readymade kombu stock in your Asian Supermarket, if buying readymade check to insure it does not include binto (fish).

With the traditional stock and ingredients this vegetarian udon recipe turned out simply delicious!

We added tempura because it is a favourite of ours; try using whatever in season vegetables you prefer. Udon is enjoyed many ways, with tempura, with deep fried tofu (Kitsune Udo), poached egg (Tsukimi Udon) or you could simply add steamed vegetables for a delicious and healthy vegan meal. Oishii!!

Kombu Stock

Preparation time: 25mins
Makes 1

Spanish Chickpea Balls ~ Vegetarian Albondigas

This fantastic little vegetarian tapas recipe is adapted from a simple recipe for traditional Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs). Chickpeas are an excellent substitute in things like meat balls as they retain good texture but combine together well to make perfect little balls, very similar to falafel.

Here minced chickpeas are combined with plenty of aromatic spices, fried till golden and cooked in a rich tomato based sauce; spicy, tasty and oh so very good. Tapas are ideal to serve when entertaining, especially for an informal and casual meal, where everyone can mingle and help themselves to little morsels of delicious food.

Try serving these Spanish Chickpea balls with the Spice Roasted Chickpeas, slices of the Moroccan Pizza, Eggplant Balls and platters of olives or dips for a great Tapas feast. Alternatively serve the Chickpea Balls with Spanish rice for a tasty and filling meal. Easy to prepare and simply delicious these Chickpea Balls are simply awesome :)

Preparation time: 45mins (

Korean Rice Bowl

Num Numers you’re in for a treat!! This recipe is one of my absolute favourites and I really have no idea why I haven’t shared it before!! But, here it is, a great hearty and healthy bowl or rice layered with delicious ingredients and topped off with a spicy, chilli sauce… Oh Yeah!

This recipe has its origins in Bibimbap, those beautiful rice bowls you can order in Korean restaurants, where the egg sits on top and you stir it through the hot ingredients to allow it to poach slightly. I hesitate to call this dish Bibimbap, because I have used quite a few non-traditional ingredients and the result is not quite the same, but is still a wonderfully interesting and very tasty vegetarian meal, full of delicious flavour.

I used tempeh in this recipe but, have made the same dish before with tofu, try either or use your favourite mock meat or seitan strips depending on what you prefer. The vegetables you add to this dish are entirely up to you, use peas or beans instead of the edamame, carrot or even tomato instead of the cucumber and capsicum. Really add or omit any veggies you like. For vegans simply omit the egg and if you are cooking for 4 hungry bellies I recommend doubling the tempeh portion for 4 hearty rice bowls. Enjoy!!

Preparation time: 35mins (

How to Make Souffles with Mushrooms and Parmesan

Parmesan cheese is grated into Mushroom Souffles - rosevita, morgue fileCooking for one? Or planning a dinner party? Try this recipe for mini mushroom souffles with Italian Parmesan. You can freeze them in advance for stress free catering.

Osso Buco Demonstrates How to Braise

Osso Buco - Lindsay McSweeneyA braised dish like Italy's Osso Buco requires a simple, easily-understood technique; once learned, it's easy to be creative with different ingredients and flavors.

Homemade Aubergine Gnocchi with Butter and Sage

Use fresh sage leaves for butter and sage sauce. - mrmac04, morgue fileFreshly made gnocchi are a delicious Italian dish and easy to prepare at home. In this recipe, these traditional potato dumplings are served with a butter and sage sauce.

Gnocchi the Nonna Way

Scoop Sticky Dough Onto Floured Surface - Jeff ArmstrongGnocchi is expensive to buy but cheap and quick to make. Home-made gnocchi tastes better, is nutritious and fun to make with the kids. Here's the technique.

How to Cook Artichokes with Garlic and Parmesan

Serve Globe Artichokes with Parmesan and Garlic - kconnorsArtichokes can look daunting, but make a stunning dinner party dish. This recipe for artichokes with Parmesan is easy to follow and looks impressive topped with gold.

Easy Mushroom and White Wine Risotto Recipe

The I-talian Diet Cover - Kate WhitakerIf you're on a diet but craving carbs, try this delicious recipe for risotto with porcini mushrooms and white wine. It's easy to make too - so ideal for beginner cooks.

How to Make an Easy Italian Souffle with Asparagus - Recipe

Make an Italian Sformato with Asparagus - jason webber, morgue fileIf you like souffles, but think they're too difficult to make, try this recipe for sformato instead. It's an Italian version of a souffle and easy to make.

Gourmet Cooking on a Budget - Steak and Polenta Chips with Pesto

Gourmet Food for a Fiver - Yugi SugiuraYou don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy a delicious gourmet meal. Try this Italian inspired recipe for steak with polenta chips and rocket pesto sauce.

How to Preserve Tomatoes - Easy Recipe for Tomato Jam

Preserve Tomatoes with Sugar and Cinnamon - doctor_bob, morgue fileThis is a Spanish recipe for homemade tomato jam; it's a great way of preserving tomatoes for use in Italian cookery - especially in pasta sauces.

How to Make Italian Risotto with Fresh Strawberries and Cream

Make an Italian Strawberry Risotto - Andy SewellThis deliciously creamy strawberry risotto is a delicate pink colour and a great way of using fresh fruit. It makes a striking Italian dinner party dish.