Today’s event is being hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. They teamed up with their blogger friends to help raise awareness and support for Cancer and Hospice today in memory of Kim’s dad. We encourage everyone to read the posts and share their own experiences with cancer. We also would like to encourage everyone to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, the American Cancer Societyand also to the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Hospice was a key element during Kim’s father’s battle with cancer. They made it possible for Kim to care for him at home. So please show your support and donate if you can. You can also contact your local Hospice and donate directly to them if you wish. A little goes a long way!
In honor of todays event which also coincidentally falls on father’s day I decided to share what everyone dad loves best… Spicy Beef Sliders! The majority of the heat can be found not only in the beef patty but also in the spicy sauce that is made to go on the slider. This is a nice twist to the everyday slider.
These spicy beef sliders are also a spicy way to kick cancers butt! I’ve had a few family members whom I’ve lost to this horrible disease; my grandmother and my uncle to name a few. In this day in age, we should have a cure for cancer already–yet we still don’t! Today’s post is truly dedicated to all those we’ve lost to cancer.
Let’s get our enchilada on today, shall we? With just 3 days until Cinco de Mayo I hope I’ve been able to inspire you with a few new Mexican recipes this week to share with your family and friends. I’m the first to admit that enchiladas are not top on my list. I’d much rather prefer a chicken chimichangas or grilled chopped chicken tacos. But my husband on the other hand loves enchiladas. He has complained that my enchiladas were never that great over the years. That was until I created this recipe!
I also created this recipe during my husbands brew day back in March. The guys tore threw my beef and green chile enchiladas faster than I could even try a bite! Our friend Ricardo (who blogs at The Beer Guerrilla) even mentioned to me that he thought these were extremely authentic and asked where I got the recipe… of course, me being me, responded “I just created it“! To be honest I was taken back by that statement. I have finally gotten to the level of cooking where I’ve turned everyday recipes into authentic recipes. Now, don’t get me wrong–that was just one person telling me that but I feel like I’ve finally jumped to the next level in my culinary journey. I think a big part of the authentic flavor came from my homemade spicy enchilada sauce. The deep bold flavors of this rich sauce really bring this recipe to the next level. So I can also credit me taking a risk and making my own sauce. Let me just tell you… you will want to lick the jar clean. If you can reserve a little extra sauce for topping/dipping your enchiladas in. We were all scraping the jar dry. We couldn’t resist the homemade enchilada sauce.
So whether your hosting a fiesta this Sunday or just making a quiet meal at home with the ones you love… give these (authentic (I say that term loosely here)) Beef & Green Chile Enchiladas a try!
Cook the ground beef in a skillet on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Stir frequently, and break up the beef. Then add the chopped green chiles, garlic, and onions. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the drained black beans, mix well, and remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray a large rectangular glass pan with cooking spray. Spread a half cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Warm the corn tortillas in the oven for one minute. Remove and then begin to create the enchiladas. One spoonful of filling per corn tortillas, carefully roll, making sure not to tear the tortillas. Place seam side down. Repeat until all the tortillas have been used/filled. Pour the remaining 1-1/2 cups of enchilada sauce over top of the enchiladas. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese. Serve immediately and top with green onions and cilantro if desired.
For those who don’t know me in real life–I’m a quarter Polish. My husband is like 99.9% Polish. We both grew up eating Polish food (although the Polish food my husband grew up eating is a bit more authentic than what I grew up eating). Both of our mother’s make Stuffed Cabbage. This is a delicacy in the Polish world, because let’s face it… rolling cabbage leaves and stuffing it with ground beef and rice isn’t the most glamorous thing to do on the planet.
I will be honest. I have only made Stuffed Cabbage a few times. I always use my mother’s recipe. My mother’s version is sweet (hence the brown sugar) whereas my mother in-law’s recipe is salty. Both are equally delicious just very different. My mother learned how to make Stuffed Cabbage from her mother. This is a family recipe passed down from generations that one day (if I ever chose to) I can pass on to my children. I have not yet mastered the art of rolling Stuffed Cabbage. The cabbage leaves are delicate, the meat hearty… the cabbage must be at a certain consistency to easily roll without breaking. It is a lengthy process, but one that most of us take part in because, well… it’s tasty. Whether or not you are Polish–I feel that everyone should try Stuffed Cabbage at least once in their life (that is unless you hate cabbage and/or ground beef then maybe I won’t force you to try it)!
Fill a large stock pot with water, and cook on high until water is boiling.
In a large skillet place ground beef and onions in skillet, and cook on medium-high. Breaking up ground beef as it cooks, and mixing around until all the beef is cooked. Drain well and set aside.
While ground beef is cooking either cook white rice according to package or heat-up leftover rice and set aside.
Add white rice to the beef/onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 tsp paprika.
Clean the cabbage well and cut the core off. Slowly peal each layer off the cabbage until you have 12 leaves (I like to peal two extra’s in case a few break or become over cooked in the pot)! Place a few leaves in the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until leaves are soft, but not falling apart. Gently remove the leaves, and repeat this step until ALL the leaves have been cooked. Rinse all the leaves under cold water and set aside.
In a sauce pan add both cans of tomato soup and brown sugar mix well and heat for a few minutes on medium heat. Once the mixture is hot add the half and half and stir until well incorporated. Turn the heat off and let it sit with a covered lid.
In a 9×12 pan spray with cooking spray and then ladle a few spoonfuls of sauce making sure that the bottom is well covered.
On a clean work surface place a cabbage leave open and add 2 tablespoons of meat/rice mixture. Roll like a burrito and place seam side down. Repeat until all the cabbage leaves have been stuffed. If you have enough mixture for the remaining two extra and there is enough room in your pan make them (you won’t regret it)!
Once all the stuffed cabbage is rolled and in your pan pour the remainder of your sauce over the top of the cabbage until all the rolls have been covered with sauce. Place tin foil on top of the dish and bake for 40 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes outside the oven. Plate and ladle on more sauce before serving. Enjoy!
I love meatloaf! If you asked me that when I was growing up I would have told you differently, but now that I’m older (and wiser) I can now tell you that I’m a big fan of meatloaf. Let me preface though… there is to be no ketchup slathered on my meatloaf. I think I’ve written about it before, but I hate ketchup. Like I can smell it from a mile away and it gives me the heebee-jeebees. I can’t deal with it. I was traumatized as a kid and still refuse to eat it as an adult. Except for last year when I tried homemade ketchup at Food Blog Forum.
So back to this meatloaf. Its divine. The crispy slices of bacon on top really bring all the flavor to this meat loaf. I never cook meat loaf in individual servings, but for some reason the idea was calling my name. I’ve had these mini loaf pans for almost a year now. My dear friend, Jaclyn, from Food plus Words gave them to me when she was moving away last year. I felt like it was time to give them a whirl. Plus for some reason why my husband doesn’t see me using certain kitchen items he is more prone to want them to be donated ASAP. So, in an effort to save these beauties from the dreaded donation bin… I needed to use them.
I only had three loaf pans, but this definitely will feed a family of four no problem. Just remove them from the pans and cut them into four slices. Plate up 3 hearty slices per person. Given that I’m a brown gravy girl and love to drench my meatloaf with it–it pairs well although even a salt-aholic like me thought at times it might be a tad too salty. My husband was craving ketchup with this one but since we don’t have that offering in my house he went the brown gravy boat as well.
Yesterday, I shared my Baked Cheddar & Chive Mashed Potatoes. My Individual Bacon-Cheddar Meat Loaves paired beautifully with them. I love when a great idea comes to life and proves to really be a good idea. Whether you’re entertaining or just looking for comfort food on a Sunday–this recipe duo is one not to be missed. Of course, I’m not sure if your waste line will be happy with you after this hearty meal, but remember; everything in moderation.
Yearning a moist and flavorful meatloaf? Give these Individual Bacon-Cheddar Meat Loaves a try. If you love it really cheesy then double up on your cheese both in the meatloaf and on top. The fat renderings from the bacon make this meatloaf magical.
Ingredients
1 lb. lean organic ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried minced onions
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup shredded cheddar + 3 tbsp
cooking spray
3 bacon slices
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).
In a large bowl add ground beef, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, beaten egg, minced onion, parsley, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix it well until just combined. Then using your hands divide into 3 equal parts.
Wash hands well then spray three individual loaf pans with cooking spray. Add the divide meat mixture into each loaf pan, and press down to fill gaps. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with 1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese then cut the bacon slices in half. Lay two mini slices on top of each loaf. Place the mini loaf pans on a larger baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees and the bacon is crispy on top.
I love curry. My husband on the other hand isn’t a huge fan. So I don’t get to make it that often, and when I do I am trying new recipes. I’ve made this recipe a few times this year and can’t get enough of it. Normally, when I cook curry I like my protein of choice to be either shrimp or chicken. So I was intrigued when I saw that this recipe called for beef!
My husband loved this twist on curry and even more so loved that I served it with rice noodles. Traditionally, I serve my curry up with a bowl of sticky rice. So given the fact that I switched up not only the protein but the carb made him fall in love with this dish!
To add an extra fresh taste to this veggie packed curry I added a healthy amount of chopped cilantro and green onions as well as a little lime. I really enjoyed the cilantro and green onion fresh rather than cooked in. It gives that additional layer of flavor that you wouldn’t be able to achieve without the fresh herbs.
1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk, shaken well
1/4 cup red curry paste
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light-brown sugar
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 baby corn (from 1 can)
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain
Cooked rice noodles
lime wedges
4 green onions, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Directions
In a large wok or skillet, heat 1/2 cup coconut milk over medium-high, stirring, until shiny and thick, about 2 minutes.
Add curry paste and cook, stirring it until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Add bell pepper and cook until softened (about 2 minutes).
Add baby corn and asparagus, cook until crisp-tender (about 3 minutes).
Add the steak and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 2 minutes.
Serve over noodles with lime wedges, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro.
I know what your probably thinking… sliders? Jalapeño & Bacon sliders? Where is the bacon you might ask? It’s mixed in the ground beef! That’s where it is at… hidden like diamonds in a mine. Yep, I just went there… I just compared bacon to diamonds.
I was inspired to make these sliders thanks to the abundance of jalapeños I have right now. If you’ve ever grown jalapeño peppers you know that they can be abundant. You’ll have more jalapeños than you’ll ever desire to eat off just one plant. And if you let them sit on the plant longer they turn red just like a bell pepper. The red jalapeño pepper is a tad sweeter than the green.
Preheat your grill to high, clean, then place two small jalapeño peppers on the grill and roast for 5-10 minutes, turning a few times to get a good char on it. Remove from the grill, lower the temperature of the grill to low heat.
Place the jalapeño peppers in the refrigerator to cool. While the peppers cool, in a large bowl add lean ground beef, white onions, parsley, season salt, chopped bacon, and garlic. Remove the jalapeño peppers from the refrigerator, remove stem and seeds if you want to keep the heat to a minimum. Finely chop jalapeños and add to the mix bowl. Mix well, but be careful not to over mix. Make 8 meatballs from the mixture. Once you've made the meatballs begin to flatten them down to hamburger patties. Remember, we are making sliders so you want them small. I like to really flatten out the pattie since it tends to bulk up once on the grill.
Place the beef patties on the grill, cook for 3 minutes on each side. During the last minute of cooking add the pepper jack cheese, and add the King's Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls to the grill to give them a light toasting. Remove the patties and sweet rolls from the grill. Assemble in the following order: Bottom of sweet roll, beef pattie, tomato slice, ranch dressing, sweet roll top. Enjoy!
Growing up, I remember eating these exact stuffed peppers at least once a month. Although back then, we only used green peppers. I assume that the cost of red, orange, and yellow peppers were too expensive for our families budget that or this is the way my mom’s mom aka my grandma made it and my mom never steered from the recipe. I don’t think my mom started making the tri-color variety until I was in high school and much more knowledgeable about food.
This is one of those recipes that I make a few times each year. It’s a tried and true recipe that goes into my cooking rotation; although my cooking rotation is not like the average persons rotation since I practically cook a new recipe every night! That’s not a lie–even when I have company over I almost always try a new recipe. We do not get bored with dinner in our home!
On this particular evening that I cooked the stuffed peppers it was extra special. You see, the green peppers pictured were grown from our garden. I didn’t want to just dice them up and have them blended into another dish–I wanted them to be the star of our dish. So, I gave them the respect and attention that they deserved and stuffed them with lean ground beef, rice, zucchini, and tomato sauce and during the last few minutes of baking I topped them off with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating begin cleaning and hollowing out the bell peppers. Once the water is to a boil carefully place each bell pepper in the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. *You want your peppers to be firm not mushy. REmove the peppers from the boiling pot of water and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, In a large skillet begin browning the lean ground beef on medium heat. Half way through the browning process as your breaking up the bits of ground beef add the diced onion and zucchini to the skillet.*Because you are using lean ground beef you should have little to no oil created in the pan therefore you don't need to drain the fat from the meat. Once the ground beef is cooked through add the rice, and begin stirring until rice and beef are incorporated. Then add 3 cups of tomato sauce and mix well.
Carefully begin spooning the rice/beef mixture into each of the bell peppers until the pepper is packed full. Using the remaining rice/beef mixture place it on the bottom of the baking dish. Then begin nestling the peppers in the dish. The remaining rice/beef mixture makes for a good base to hold the peppers up so they don't fall over, plus the crispy rice and beef is a nice addition to the already stuffed pepper.
Tent a piece of tinfoil over the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of the baking, remove the peppers from the oven and top equally with the 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Notes
*Serving size will vary depending on the size of the bell pepper and how hungry the people are you are serving dinner too.
For some reason, beef brisket has always intimidated me. Not sure why… but it has. The Wednesday before Memorial Day weekend I read about a fairly easy recipe in our local paper, and decided that I wanted to attempt to conquer beef brisket. And I did just that. It was not as difficult as I had thought it would be.
Yes, it is a slow process. You are essentially slow cooking the beef for a few hours depending on how large of a cut you have. I also had another chance to use my fabulous Le Creuset french oven that I won at the Food Blog Forum Seminar a few months back. Any time I can use this amazing piece of cast iron I jump on it. Now, maybe that’s why I was ready to tackle the brisket?
This brisket was surprisingly easy to make and required very few ingredients. The flavors were robust, and after slicing the beef instead of serving the sauce on the side I dipped each piece into the sauce. It was delicious and makes for a perfect bbq or picnic out.
Ingredients: 2-1/2 – 3 lbs beef brisket (flat cut) 2 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp packed brown sugar 1-1/2 tsp garlic powder 3/4 cup barbecue sauce 1/2 cup dry red wine
Directions: 1. Mix the chili powder, brown sugar, and garlic powder in a bowl. Press onto the boneless beef brisket until it’s fully covered and powdered mixture is used.
2. Place in Dutch oven, flat side up, on medium heat (on your stove top). While the brisket is browning, mix the barbecue sauce and red wine. Pour around beef, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours.
3. Check occasionally and add water if it gets too dry. Remove brisket; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes until liquid reduces to one cup.
4. Trim fat from brisket. Carve across the grain into thin slices and serve with sauce or dip each slice in sauce.
*With leftovers you can make beef brisket sandwiches!
First off, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Although I’m practically a vegetarian I love corned beef, and if a diner has corned beef hash 9 times out of 10 I’ll order it! For some reason though I’ve never made it at home. After looking at a few recipes I decided that the time has finally arrived, and I would try to some corned beef hash. I was pleasantly surprised with my version. My version was healthier, and tasted delish!
I love soups and I’ve learned to start loving stews. Some days it’s nice to have a hearty stew for dinner. What ultimately drew me to this recipe was the fact that it had beer in it. I knew my husband would approve of it even though the beer would eventually cook down and would only add an extra layer of flavor. I loved the ruggedness of this stew. The unpeeled carrots and potatoes intrigued me. This stew was delicious, and in the end I only had one serving left which I froze and will be consumed at a later date. *Thaw and reheat within 2 months of freezing. I served this stew with the amazing Buttermilk Cornbread!
4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
Minced Parsley (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.
2. Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.
3. Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
4. Serve in bowls next to crusty French bread. Sprinkle with minced parsley, if desired.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
