Corned Beef : remodel dinner #32

I was walking through the grocery store the other day and passed by some corned beef. Immediately my mind said "Hey, that's something that can be cooked in an electric skillet!" And so, it found it's way into my cart, and last night it found it's way into the electric skillet. Along with a can and a half of Guinness and some potatoes and carrots.

I made a variation of my usual corned beef recipe with oranges and onions, but no celery. I also didn't wrap it in foil, which is why I had to use so much more liquid. It still turned out passable, but it is not as good as my sweetie's home made corned beef!

Steak Fajitas : remodel dinner #29

I went a little crazy at the grocery store. In addition to the whole chicken I bought for the rotisserie, I also bought a skirt steak and boneless chicken breast. My original thought was beef and chicken fajitas, but I realized that would be way too much food, so we saved the chicken for another night and just had steak fajitas. My sweetie made a simple marinade with achiote paste, orange juice and cayenne pepper (and probably a few other things, I wasn't watching closely).

Steak and Risotto : remodel dinner #26

First meal on the new grill : yummy yummy steak. (With a side of summer squash risotto.)

Pot Roast : remodel dinner #19

This one was a big hit. After having less than zero energy or motivation to cook the previous night, yesterday I decided to take a leap of faith and make a pot roast in the electric skillet. I had read myriad rave reviews about the process on line but remained skeptical. I also remained hungry for a good dinner, so I decided to give it a go.

This was a somewhat simplified version of my usual pot roast recipe. I bought about a 3 1/2 boneless chuck roast. Heated up the skillet to 350 and browned the roast on all sides after sprinkling liberally with salt and pepper all over.

I removed the roast back to the paper it came in (It's going to cook for at least 3 hours, any buggies it picks back up will be killed!) And sauteed one large diced onion for about 5 minutes. Then I added one can of beef broth and one can of diced tomatoes, with their juice, and a few shakes of Worcestershire Sauce.
Brought this up to a boil and returned to roast right in the center. I put on the lid and let it cook for about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Some quartered red potatoes and one-inch pieces of carrots went in, the lid went back on, and the whole thing cooked for about another hour. It turned out great! We really enjoyed it. I served it with fresh French Bread and roasted broccoli.

Smoked Tri-tip : remodel dinner # 6

My sweetie made this delicious tri-tip. I don't know exactly what he did, but it looked like a wet rub of garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme. Into the smoker it went, then was finished on the grill. Yummo!

Teriyaki Skirt Steak

Wow. It's been awhile since my last post. I have to admit, I have been pretty un-inspired when it comes to cooking, except, of course for St. Patrick's Day. I think I am suffering from between-season blahs, if there is such a thing. The time for winter food is definitely past, but the spring produce isn't quite available yet. But with this gorgeous, sunny weather, that is bound to change soon!

In the meantime, here is an easy recipe for Teriyaki Skirt Steak that you can enjoy any time. (If grilling outdoors is not an option, this steak can be prepared indoors on a grill pan or under the broiler.)

Teriyaki Skirt Steak

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Canola or Peanut Oil
2 Tbsp Mirin
2 1/2 Tbsp Sugar (more or less to taste)
3 Green Onions, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 Skirt Steak, 1 1/2 - 2 lbs.
More sesame oil for brushing steak

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, canola or peanut oil, mirin and sugar in a shallow bowl. Add in the green onions, garlic and toasted sesame seeds. Add the skirt steak, and turn to coat well with the marinade. Marinade in the refrigerator, turning occasionally for 2 - 4 hours.


Heat your grill (or grill pan) over high heat. Remove the skirt steak from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Brush the steak with sesame oil, both for added flavor, and to prevent sticking. Grill the skirt steak to desired level of doneness, turning once during cooking. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your steak, ours took about 14 minutes total to get to medium-rare. Let rest for 10 minutes, slice thinly across the grain and serve.


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Oven-Braised Corned Beef

This is a variation of a recipe I saw on All Recipes about 6 or so years ago. I decided to go out on a limb and give it a try, and boy am I glad I did! It is a very unconventional way to cook corned beef, but it turns out great every time, not at all stringy like it can be when boiled.

Go ahead, take a little risk of your own and cook your corned beef this way this year. You will be glad you did!

Oven-Braised Corned Beef

1 Corned Beef Brisket - About 5 Pounds for 6 servings with leftovers
Spice Pack from the Corned Beef, or 2 Tbsp Pickling Spice
1 Large Orange, Cut in Rounds
2 Celery Stalks, Cut in 2-inch Pieces
1 Large Onion, Peeled and Sliced
1/2 - 1 Cup Guiness Beer (or Beef Broth or Water)

Preheat the oven to 300

Line a 9 x 13 inch roasting pan with aluminum foil, leaving about 8 inches extra on both ends, enough to seal in the roast.

Pat the roast dry and rub with the spices.











Place it in the prepared roasting pan and cover with the orange slices, celery pieces, and onion slices, stacking along the sides of the roast as well as covering the top. Pour in 1/2 cup - 1 cup of Guiness (it should come about 1/2 up the roast, not cover it completely) and seal up the aluminum foil.









Bake in the 300 degree oven for 3 1/2 - 4 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove to a cutting board and let rest about 10 minutes before slicing.










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Braised Short Ribs

I guess it must be winter, since I am preparing so many 'winter foods'. This is a great recipe that you can put together and then leave in the oven for a bit while you do other things. Read a book, play board games, enjoy a nice fire... You get the idea. It's also nice, since the oven is already on, to cook the side dish in the oven at the same time.

Braised Short Ribs

3 - 3 1/2Pounds Beef Short Ribs
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Cups Onions, Diced
1/2 Cup Celery, Diced
1/2 Cup Carrots, Sliced
1/4 Cup Shallots, Diced
3 or 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Pressed
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Dried Thyme
1 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
2 Bay Leaves

Preheat the oven to 350

Trim the excess fat from the short ribs. Season them with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Heat the canola oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the short ribs, in batches, and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Remove the short ribs from the dutch oven and pour off all but about 2 Tbsp of the fat. Add the vegetables, pinch each salt, pepper, and dried thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Return the short ribs and add the bay leaves. Bake, covered, until the ribs are tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone, 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Remove the ribs and tent with foil. Remove the vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour the broth into a gravy separator. Pour back into the pot, leaving the fat behind. Reduce the sauce over medium-high heat until syrupy, then add back the vegetables and short ribs. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or butternut polenta.

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Old Fashioned Pot Roast

This is a great recipe for those winter afternoons when you have no place to be. A fire in the fireplace, writing holiday greeting cards, reading a good book, playing board games. The aroma slowly fills the house. Are you hungry yet?

Old Fashioned Pot Roast

Preheat oven to 300

2 tsp Canola Oil
Chuck Roast (You can use boneless or 7 bone) between 2 and 4 lbs depending on how many eaters
1 Tbsp Salt
1Tbsp Pepper
1 Large Onion, Large Dice
2 Cups Beef Broth
1/4 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 14 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained (Or a cup or so chopped fresh if they're in season)
1 1/4 Pounds Red or Yellow Potatoes, Cut up if Larger, Whole if they are small.
1 Pound Carrots cut into one-inch pieces

Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Sprinkle the roast all over with the salt and pepper. Brown the roast in the hot oil on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the roast from the pan and the onions. Sautee until browned, about another 10 minutes. Return the roast to the pan. Combine the broth, ketcheup and Worcestershire sauce and pour over the roast. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

Cover and bake in the 300 degree oven until very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and add the potatoes and carrots. Return to the oven and continue cooking until the vegetables are done, about 30-45 minutes.

Beef Barley Soup Recipe

I wasn't initially planning to post this recipe, but this soup turned out to be too good to keep to ourselves. It even inspired my DH to write the following introduction:


Beef Barley Soup is one of those soups that you eat in college. You get a can, you dump it out, you heat it up and it's instant fuel. It's not flashy. It's not gourmet. But it is what your college-age son is dumping into a tiny aluminum pot and eating while watching football. I must have had a hundred cans of it when I was in school.

Then, there is this soup. Like the stuff out of the can, it's not gourmet. It's simple food, but it's so good. The meat chunks have texture and are chewy. You can taste the fresh leeks and the thyme shines through. The barley actually lends something to the soup and isn't the bland filler that permeates a can.

This soup is one of the reasons why cooking at home and making even the simple things can be so rewarding.

Excuse, me, I have to watch some basketball.

Allrighty, then. On to the recipe. (And I make him eat salad!)


Beef Barley Soup

1 1/2 lbs Beef Stew Meat (I like Chuck, or you can get the pre-cut stew meat from the store) cut into 1 inch pieces
4 tsp Canola Oil, Divided
3 Cups Sliced Leeks
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Carrots
3 Cups (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
2 Garlic Cloves, pressed or minced
4 Cups Water
1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
3 Bay Leaves
3 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
3/4 Cups Pearl Barley
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste

Heat 2 tsp canola oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the beef and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove beef from pan. Add more oil, if needed, and the leeks and carrots and cook until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes more, then add in the garlic.

Add the water, thyme, bay leaves and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Add barley, and cook until the barley and the meat are tender, about one hour more. Discard the bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.