Crunchy Beef Tacos

My family participates in Taco Tuesday.  We loved the Lego Movie, as you can tell.  Good thing is, we're eating tacos on Tuesday for dinner and not trying to Kragle each other.  Tacos are one of my favorite foods.  Since Tuesday is taco night, I try to make a different type of taco each week to spice up our menu.  On a particularly busy night, a couple weeks ago, I introduced my children to Taco Bell's family pack of tacos with both soft and crunchy.  Well needless to say, the crunchy tacos were a hit.  Last week I tried to make my own crunchy tacos, and well they weren't as big of a hit.  This week I decided to try and re-create the Taco Bell flavor, minus the weird ingredients that I knew had to be in those tacos.  While researching the ingredients in Taco Bell crunchy beef tacos, I learned the main ingredients, the normal ones and decided I could use those as a starting point.  Here before you, for your viewing and maybe your eating pleasure, is the recipe I came up with.  These tacos were indeed delicious.  I actually used fresh ingredients and no dried or powdered substitutes.

 Oh my goodness, are those some beautiful looking tacos.

Ingredients:

12 Crunchy Taco Shells
1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 1/2 cups Whole Canned Tomatoes in Sauce
1/4 cup Water
1/4 Yellow Onion
2 Dried Chili Peppers
4 Baby Bella Mushrooms (You can substitute 1/2 beef bouillon cube)
1 clove of Garlic
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder
1 head of Romaine Lettuce
1 Tomato
1 cup shredded White Sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese

Using a blender blend the tomatoes, cocoa powder, onion, garlic, mushrooms, chili peppers,
and water until smooth.  I used my trusty Vita-Mix and created a very smooth sauce.
A little back story to adding the mushrooms.  Mushrooms are high in the molecule
responsible for the umami flavor or beefy flavor.  I used the mushrooms as a natural way to
 boost the beefy flavor of the taco meat.  If you want to, you could use bouillon instead.
Taco Bell uses autolyzed yeast to add beefy flavor.

 Smooth sauce, see how pretty it is?

Pour sauce into small sauce pan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  

Dice the tomatoes, cut the lettuce, and shred the cheese.  These will be your taco toppings.
You may also add sour cream and salsa.  We were out of sour cream.  I know, for shame.  

Cook the beef in a large skillet over medium high heat.  If you have a wok spatula, use that, or a
flat wooden spatula.  Cook and break up the beef into small chunks just until cooked through. 

Add the sauce and stir to combine.  Simmer for another five minutes to allow
flavors to come together.

I heated up our taco shells on a small cookie sheet in our toaster oven on low heat
before serving the tacos.  

Spoon some of the beef mixture into the shell and spread some lettuce tomatoes and
cheese on the beef.  Top with Sour Cream and salsa.

Enjoy!

Crunchy Beef Tacos

Ingredients:

12 Crunchy Taco Shells
1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 1/2 cups Whole Canned Tomatoes in Sauce
1/4 cup Water
1/4 Yellow Onion
2 Dried Chili Peppers
4 Baby Bella Mushrooms ( You can substitute 1/2 beef bouillon cube)
1 clove of Garlic
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder
1 head of Romaine Lettuce
1 Tomato
1 cup shredded White Sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese

Process:

Using a blender blend the tomatoes, cocoa powder, onion, garlic, mushrooms, chili peppers, and water until smooth.  I used my trusty Vita-Mix and created a very smooth sauce.

Pour sauce into small sauce pan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  

Dice the tomatoes, cut the lettuce, and shred the cheese.  These will be your taco toppings.  You may also add sour cream and salsa.  

Cook the beef in a large skillet over medium high heat.  If you have a wok spatula, use that, or a flat wooden spatula.  Cook and break up the beef into small chunks just until cooked through. 

Add the sauce and stir to combine.  Simmer for another five minutes to allow flavors to come together.

You can also heat up the taco shells on a small cookie sheet, in a toaster oven or an oven on low heat, before serving the tacos.  

Spoon some of the beef mixture into the shell and spread some lettuce tomatoes and cheese on the beef.  Top with Sour Cream and salsa.

Enjoy!

Swiss Steak

Back in January Julia Xanthos from the NY Daily News came to our home.  Julia had found this blog/website and was asking if I had a recipe I would share in a food feature.  With my three daughter's we shared the process of making Swiss Steak and Julia filmed us.  She asked a lot of questions for her article and took photos of the recipe process as well.  Today my recipe was featured on EthNYC Eats, isn't that so cool!  Maybe being the mom of five children makes my recipe an especially good choice for Mother's Day.  Who knows why my recipe was chosen, but the video turned out really well.  If you get a chance check out my recipe here.   The video is below as well.

Mini Beef & Potato Pasties

A few years ago, as my contribution to a church social I made beef pasties, and well I haven't made them since.  I tend to be a one hit wonder with certain recipes.  It is a fault I have.  Finally, after thinking about making pasties again, I finally did it.  Today was another bring dinner to a new mom day, just so happens it is the same mom I brought dinner to last Wednesday.  She said her husband doesn't like seafood, but she enjoyed the bouillabaisse and ratatouille without him.  Since seafood was a no go with the new dad, I tried to think like a man and realized meat and potatoes.  Pasties are an Irish meat pie, and are perfect for the meat lover in your life.  

 Meat and potatoes in a biscuit crust, what more  could a man want?  Mushroom gravy too.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Self-Rising Cake Flour
1 1/3 cup Buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar with milk added to 1 1/3)
4 ounces cold Butter
2 lbs. Eye Round Beef roast
1 Yellow Onion
4 Idaho Potatoes
2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Beef Flavor
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Egg Yolk
Cornstarch
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Garlic Powder

Make sure your butter is cold. Cut half the butter into pats and the other half into 1/2 inch cubes.  

Using your fingers to mix butter and flour to create pea sized balls of butter and flour.

See my flour butter globules?  These are what make the wonderful flaky layers.  Add the buttermilk and knead until a ball is formed.  Add flour if the dough is too wet.

 Voila we have our crust.

Roll on a lightly flour board into a large 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Fold into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll and repeat previous steps.  These steps are creating the flaky layers.

 Place folded dough on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate.

Butterfly beef roast.  Rub the beef roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Rotisserie for
30 minutes or roast in 350 Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature
reaches 145 Fahrenheit.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

  Rinse, peel, and grate the potatoes.

 Place grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes.

 Rinse grated potatoes under colder water and place in a flour sack towel, squeeze out the liquid.

Peel and dice the onion finely.

Preheat large skillet over a medium flame.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, grated potato and onion.
Stir to coat.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until
grated potatoes are browned and soft.

 Dice beef into small cubes.

 Add beef to potatoes and stir.

Roll dough into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.  Push a 3 inch round cookie cutter straight down into dough, this will ensure the layers are left intact and repeat till all the dough is cut.

 Add 1 heaping tablespoon of beef potato mixture to the dough, fold in half and seal.

 Place completed mini pasties on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.  Brush on the pasties and sprinkle pasties with salt.

Bake pasties for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rinse mushrooms and sit into slices.  Saute in large skillet over medium high heat with
1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add water and Better
 than Boullian.  Bring to a boil.  Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and tablespoon water to begin with.
Add cornstarch slurry to mushrooms and water.  If the gravy is thick enough, it is done, if not,
 make more corn starch slurry and add slowly until desired thickness is achieved.

Serve pasties with gravy to dip in.

Enjoy!

Mini Beef & Potato Pasties
Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. Self-Rising Cake Flour
1 1/3 cup Buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar with milk added to 1 1/3)
4 ounces cold Butter
2 lbs. Eye Round Beef roast
1 Yellow Onion
4 Idaho Potatoes
2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Beef Flavor
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Egg Yolk
Cornstarch
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Garlic Powder

Process:

Cut half the butter into pats and the other half into 1/2 inch cubes.  Using your fingers mix butter and flour to create pea sized balls of butter and flour.

Add the buttermilk and knead until a ball is formed.  Add flour if the dough is too wet.

Roll on a lightly flour board into a large 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Fold into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll and repeat previous steps.  These steps are creating the flaky layers.

Place folded dough on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate.

Butterfly beef roast.  Rub the beef roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Rotisserie for 30 minutes or roast for in 350 Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 Fahrenheit.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Rinse, peel, and grate the potatoes.

Place grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes.

Peel and dice the onion finely.

Preheat large skillet over a medium flame.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, grated potato and onion.  Stir to coat.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until grated potatoes are browned and soft.

Dice beef into small cubes.

Add beef to potatoes and stir.

Roll dough into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.  Push a 3 inch round cookie cutter straight down into dough, this will ensure the layers are left intact and repeat till all the dough is cut.

Add 1 heaping tablespoon of beef potato mixture to the dough, fold in half and seal.

Place completed mini pasties on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.  Brush on the pasties and sprinkle pasties with salt.

Bake pasties for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rinse mushrooms and sit into slices.  Saute in large skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add water and Better than Boullian.  Bring to a boil.  Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and tablespoon water to begin with.  Add cornstarch slurry to mushrooms and water.  If the gravy is thick enough, it is done, if not, make more corn starch slurry and add slowly until desired thickness is achieved.

Enjoy!

Tetrazzini Sauce

Have you ever had chicken tetrazzini, or turkey tetrazzini?  This is the sauce that is made in that recipe. This is a great go to sauce over turkey or chicken or mixed with pasta.  Very yummy sauce, and it is what I'm making to go with a rotisserie turkey in the next post.  I apologize in advance.  This post doesn't have as many pictures because I was busy cooking and forgot to stop and photograph my progress.

 This sauce is delicious!  Not much else to say.

Ingredients for this Recipe Are:

2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

2 cups Water

2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Chicken Flavor

2 tablespoons Fresh Thyme

Cornstarch

6 cloves Garlic

1 1/2 cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Ignore the Spaghettis Squash!  It is photobombing my photo.

Clean the mushrooms well and slice thinly.  

Remove thyme leaves from stems.

Preheat a 12 inch skillet over a medium flame.

Add butter, olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms to pan and stir and cook until softened.

Pour water, Better than Boullian, cream, and parmesan cheese into skillet and bring to a boil.

Make a cornstarch slurry of equal parts cornstarch and water, about 2 tablespoons each to start.

Slowly add cornstarch to sauce and stir, only add enough to thicken to desired thickness.

Remove from heat and pour over noodles, chicken, or turkey.

Enjoy!

Tetrazzini Sauce

Printable Recipe Found Here

2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

2 cups Water

2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Chicken Flavor

2 tablespoons Fresh Thyme

Cornstarch

6 cloves Garlic

1 1/2 cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Clean the mushrooms well and slice thinly.  

Remove thyme leaves from stems.

Preheat a 12 inch skillet over a medium flame.

Add butter, olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms to pan and stir and cook until softened.

Pour water, Better than Boullian, cream, and parmesan cheese into skillet and bring to a boil.

Make a cornstarch slurry of equal parts cornstarch and water, about 2 tablespoons each to start.

Slowly add cornstarch to sauce and stir, only add enough to thicken to desired thickness.

Remove from heat and pour over noodles, chicken, or turkey.

Enjoy!

White Bean Vegetable Soup

Today it has been really cold and my fridge/freezer is still broken so I need to use a lot of vegetables all at once.  What better way than to make my own vegetable broth and soup.  Good news I'm going to explain the quick brining method for beans too.

Soup and flaky layered biscuits (recipe found here), what else could you possibly want to
eat on a cold day?

 Ingredients for brining small white beans are: 4 quarts boiling water, 3 tablespoons coarse salt
(Kosher Salt will also work), 1 lb. white beans.

 Add salt to boiling hot water in a large lidded container, stir to dissolve.  Add beans and let
sit for 1 hour, VOILA.  You now have brined and soaked beans.  Remove half the beans and
save for a later day.  I'm trying to not make soup for an army today.

 Ingredients for vegetable broth are: Dried onion (or 1 whole fresh onion if you have one),
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 pint of Baby Bella mushrooms,
3 stalks of celery, 2 bunches of green onions, 1 1/2 cups baby carrots or (4 regular sized carrots),
and 8 cups water.

 Cut mushrooms into quarters.   Cut celery into 4 inch pieces.   Cut roots off green onions and
cut into 4 inch pieces.  Add all ingredients to the pot of a pressure cooker or a large 6-8 quart
stock pot with lid.  Set pressure cooker to high for 15 minutes, or cook on stove in pot for 1 hour.  Allow vegetables to steep in broth if you have the time for at least 2 hours.

 Drain beans and put back into lidded container.  Place colander lined with cheesecloth or
coffee filter.  Pour vegetable broth onto beans, press vegetables with back of spoon to release all the broth you can.  Now place beans and vegetable broth in pressure cooker and set to high for 20
minutes, or on stove top in 6-8 quart stock pot with lid and cook till beans are

 tender (about 1- 1 1/2 hours).

 Vegetables for our soup include, but are not limited too: 1 zucchini, 2 ears of corn, 2 potatoes,
1 cup baby carrots (2 large carrots), 2 stalks of celery, and 2 cups whole tomatoes in puree.

 Cut corn off cob, dice carrots and celery, peel and dice potatoes, and using scissors or a knife
dice the tomatoes.

 Add vegetables to cooked beans and broth in pressure cooker pot or 6-8 quart stock pot.
Cook soup on high for 1 minute, or on stove top till vegetables are tender.

Again I ask you, (if you happen to be experiencing a cold day) doesn't this meal look delicious?

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

Many years ago when my oldest daughter was a baby and learning to walk, we went to Kansas to visit my husband's oldest brother.  My sister in law made beef stroganoff.  It was completely different from what my mom made and so delicious.   My mom, like every other mother of the 80s, used cream soup, you know the red can brand, for many casserole type meals.  For beef stroganoff she used cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup (sour cream if she had it), ground beef, and egg noodles.  My sister in law had used sliced beef that had been sauteed and was in a gravy type sauce and served over egg noodles.  When I got home, I searched recipe books (before Google) looking for a recipe that sounded similar to what I had enjoyed so much. I found a recipe and made beef stroganoff.  It was awesome.  To this day I make it in a similar fashion to that recipe I found so many years ago.  I don't have the recipe, so I make it from memory and also in my own way.

 It was delicious, you should try it, oh wait we ate it all (sorry).

 Ingredients for the sauce recipe are: 1-2 lbs. sirloin steak, 1 yellow onion, 2 pints of baby
bella mushrooms (or white button mushrooms), 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil
(not pictured), 1 tablespoon Better Than Boullion Beef, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used homemade yogurt, recipe can be found here, or use sour cream), and water.

 Slice steak against the grain.   Whatever direction the grooves/lines in the meat are going,
turn your meat 90 degrees and slice thinly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 Peel, then cut onion in half and slice thinly, slice mushrooms thinly.

 Ingredients for buttered noodles: 1 1/2 lbs. fresh egg noodles (use this recipe), 1/2 stick of butter.

 Add butter and olive oil to a preheated pan set to medium high. Add beef and saute just
until browned, only 2-3 minutes or so.  DO NOT OVERCOOK THE BEEF!

 Remove beef and set aside in a bowl.

 Add more butter, olive oil, mushrooms, and onion.  Saute for a couple of minutes until
onion is translucent. 

 Add one tablespoon of Better Than Boullion to pan. Add 2 cups hot water, Worcestershire sauce,
 and a sprinkle of garlic powder (optional).  Mix together 2 tablespoons of corn starch and cold water.  Now you can add the beef back in.   When Beef Stroganoff is boiling, add corn starch mixture.  Only
add enough to make it the thickness you want.  Remove from heat and add yogurt or sour cream,
my mother in law assured me many years ago this is the ingredient that makes Beef Stroganoff.

 Boil fresh noodles for 30 seconds or dry egg noodles according to package.  Drain, put back
in pan and toss with butter

Plate up some noodles and pour beef stroganoff on top.

Enjoy!