Got Beef??

I like to think of my time in the kitchen as a "Time Management" project. Since the time when my sons were tiny, and being a single working mom attending college at night, my time was precious. So I improvised many kitchen activities to the best of my abilities and I learned how to maximize my time in the kitchen.

Span back to 1980 when I purchased two cookbooks that changed my life... They might not still be in print, but they are my 'go-to' bibles (it's worth checking into Amazon to see if you can find them).

The first is "Make a Mix Cookery" and the second bible is "More Make a Mix Cookery".. both written by three very talented ladies.. Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward and Madeline Westover - three terrific troopers in planning meals, saving time and money. The basic premise these ladies put down on paper isn't anything mystical... but rather quite simple and very smart.. cook once, store/freeze it and eat it several times. Here's an example...

Let's take a basic ground beef mixture, for example... Your local grocer has 85% lean ground beef on sale this week for $1.85 a pound. Grab it -- grab 5 or 10lbs if your budget allows!! And then try this mixture...

5 lbs. ground beef
3-4 medium onions, chopped
5 T. chopped garlic
1 T. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 T. worcestershire sauce
1 T. olive oil

In a very large skillet or Dutch oven.. warm olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until golden. Add ground beef, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Allow to cool. I then pack the cooked meat into serving sizes. I allow approximately one pound for each meal I'm planning. I'm an advocate of freezing these portions using my sealing machine.

In our home, this meat mixture is the basis for many meals during the month, such as.....

Stuffed Peppers
Shepherd's (Cottage) Pie
Tamale Pie
Beef Tacos
Sloppy Joes
Bolognese Sauce
Chili

What a time saver. It's all quite simple.. defrost, and then create another terrific meal by adding a few simple ingredients. And remember that defrosting plastic containers in a microwave is a definite 'no-no'.. due to the carcinogens that plastics create when warmed. To make defrosting safe, just let the plastic container sit in the refrigerator overnight.. or if pressed for time, place in lukewarm water until you can pop it out into a saucepan or skillet to warm it up.

Butt-Kicking Green Chili with Pork

I know a lot of people really insist on specific measurements for recipes, but I'm always trying something new. Yep, I've had a few bombs along the way.... I admit it.

While using specific ingredients and measurements in baking is imperative, casseroles and one-dish items lend themselves to experiments.

This once was an experiment in my kitchen but has now become a favorite. If you follow along I promise you will get a general sense of what works best for you and your family's taste.. the result is a wonderful concoction of green pork chili.

To begin, saute one medium onion chopped and 1 T. minced garlic in 2 T. olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

I added 1 1/2 lbs. of cubed pork and seasoned with salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste. Once the pork was lightly browned, I added Ro-tel tomatoes, green chilies, green chili sauce(salsa verde), a can of diced jalapenos (this is butt-kicking hot.. but we like it that way... use less, or omit, depending on your taste) three bay leaves and two cans of white northern beans (liquid drained).

For an authentic chili taste, and to add a smoky taste, I add a packet of Goya Sazon seasoning mix. The combination of spices in this little packet is great in so many Southwest and Mexican dishes such as Machaca, chili and Spanish rice.

Cover the pot and allow the mixture to simmer over very low heat about two hours. This ensures that the flavors really blend and the pork is fork tender.

If you are in the mood for some power cooking, make a large batch of this and freeze some. It's perfect comfort food for a chilly night (no pun intended). You could also allow this to cook in a crock pot on low heat for at least eight hours.

To defrost, place the container in a sink of warm water. Don't microwave in plastic containers!

I would love to hear from you if you get to try this dish.. and would love to hear how you conjured up your own variation.

Bon Appetit!!

Power Cooking at Operation M.O.M.

Yesterday was a ‘power cooking’ day… that means I cook once and freeze a huge amount for other days when I’m super busy.

So, I pulled out all of my spaghetti making supplies to make my East Coast spaghetti sauce with meatballs, sausages, braciole and some pork ribs. It makes the kitchen an absolute mess, but I’ve got a delicious sauce for dinner guests tonight, enough for us again later this week, and 20 meals frozen for use in the next few months…..yep, it’s a lot of work initially.. Also, I froze containers of just sauce which is ideal for meatless dinners such as ravioli and baked ziti.

You have to have a lot of freezer space to do this kind of cooking, but I promise you it’s well worth it, especially when you are using a tried and true recipe that you know will come out just perfect.

I freeze in plastic storage containers, and also use my vacuum sealer since food bags take up very little space. The trick is to make sure the container is air-tight to prevent frost. Don’t defrost in the microwave as plastic breaks down with noxious fumes.. just let the container sit in a sink of lukewarm water.. it’s much safer.

I really watch the weekly fliers for sale items. If lean ground beef is on sale, I’ll buy 10lbs or so… cook it up and then freeze into meal-sized packages using the vacuum sealer. On any busy day a package of frozen cooked ground beef can quickly become one of our favorite comfort food meals:

Beef Enchiladas
Chili
Shephard’s Pie
Tamale Pie
My husband’s favorite Sock-a-roni meat sauce
Spaghetti Bolognese
Mexican Goulash

The uses are pretty endless… Try power cooking with your favorite recipes…
Thanks for stopping by.. I promise to take pics next time... but this time my kitchen was sooo messy!!