Queso Fundido Burgers

Yum.  The youngest two found these a little spices, but they liked them enough to eat them anyways. It seems strange to cook the chorizo before adding it to the burger, but it helps get rid of some of the fat in the chorizo.

Serves 5 -6, depending on the size of your burger

Queso Fundido Burgers
adapted from More Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

2 fresh poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and cut into 1/4" strips (optional-I left these out so the burgers wouldn't be too spicy)

8- 12 oz Mexican chorizo, casing removed
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4" thick
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 canned chipotle in adobo, seeded and finely chopped

jalapeno jack cheese, if desired
hamburger buns
guacamole
lettuce or mixed greens

Cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium heat.  Drain on paper towels.  Remove excess fat from the pan.  Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 T olive oil and add the onions.  Cook the onions over medium heat until they are nicely caramelized.  This took me about 20 minutes to get a nice, tender, browned onion.  If using the poblanos, stir them in with onions once the onions are caramelized. Sprinkle with salt to taste, remove from heat, and keep warm.

Combine the cooked chorizo, ground beef, and canned chipotle in adobo in a large bowl.  Mix thoroughly (but don't overly mix and compact the mixture too much).  Divide into 5 or 6 burgers, depending on the number and size of burgers desired.

Grill the hamburger over a hot charcoal or gas grill.  If using cheese, add cheese once burger is cooked and cook until cheese has melted.  Heat buns on grill, if desired.

Assemble burgers as desired--I like them with cheese, caramelized onions (and poblanos), guacamole, and lettuce or mixed greens.

Skirt Steak Salad

When we were in Chicago, I took something off my bucket list.  After years of watching Mexico! One plate at a Time on PBS for many years, I made it to Rick Bayless's restaurant.  Twice.  The first meal we ate in the city was at Frontera.  The last meal we ate was also at Frontera in the Chicago airport.  When we got home, I immediately bought a Rick Bayless cookbook.

A lot of the recipes in the book are "typical" Mexican dishes--enchiladas, tortas, tacos.  I enjoyed this one because it is a salad recipe.

Serves 4 - 6

Skirt Steak Salad
adapted from Everyday Mexican by Rick Bayless

8 c spinach (young or small), long stems removed (or 8 oz frisbee or escarole, cut into 2-inch sections)
2 medium large (1 lb) tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium avocados, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 plus 2 T olive oil
1 lb skirt steak

2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c beef broth or water
1 canned chipotle en adobo, finely chopped
1/4 c lime juice

1/3 c queso anejo, grated (or another hard cheese like Romano or Parmesan)


Put the spinach in a large bowl. Strew the tomatoes and avocados over top.  Heat 2 T olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium high heat.  Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper.  Lay in the hot oil and cook until medium-rare (or you can cook longer if you don't like meat medium-rare), about 1 to 1 1/2 on each side.

Reduce the heat to low.  Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds, until very fragrant.  Pour the broth (or water--which is what I used) in to the pan and release any browned bits.  Remove from heat and stir in the chile, lime juice, and 1/4 c olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the steak into roughly 3-inch lengths, then cut each piece across the grain into 1/4-inch strips.  Add to the bowl with the spinach.  Pour warm dressing over the top and toss to coat.  The warm dressing will help the spinach wilt a little  Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

Over the years I have gotten more discerning about my cookbook purchases.  I've purged old cookbooks and resisted buying ones that I was unsure that I would ever cook from.  In fact, I had decided I had enough cookbooks and could get by with the good, old internet.  Then I came across Ruth Reichl's newest cookbook/memoir, My Kitchen Year.  It was listed on several best books of 2015, so on a whim, I used my Barnes and Noble gift card to buy the book.  I figured if nothing else, it would be a good read, having enjoyed Reichl's other memoirs a great deal.

It has quickly become a trusted and true source.  I've made four or five recipes from it already and have been thrilled with all but one of them, which is pretty good success rate.  She has a mixture of vegetarian and meat based, international flavors and totally US fare.  There is equal number complicated with fancy ingredients as simple mostly pantry ingredients.   It was totally worth the buy, from both a literary (the memoir is about the year after Gourmet ceased to exist) and a cooking standpoint.

Thursdays are our current crazy days--three kids in three different directions over the same time frame.  From when Isaac leaves at 5:10 for gymnastics to 7:15 when Madeleine returns from piano, we are all over the place.  It makes a meal difficult when I arrive home from school at 4:15.  I've deemed Thursdays leftover or sandwich night.  Until this recipe came along.  I had the meal ready in less than hour and it was equally good reheated at 7:15 when kids were eating a second supper as the first time around.  Plus, it felt so special.

I found a kimchi I loved at Whole Foods.  I am sure it's not terribly authentic, but both Curtis and I love it (I love it so much I put it directly onto rice and just eat kimchi and rice).  I am thrilled to find a brand I like.  Kimchi is a fermented, spicy Korean side/condiment.  When it is made correctly, it contains lots of helpful fermented bacteria that makes for a healthier gut (like in yogurt, sauerkraut, probiotics).  The brand I found is WildBrine.  Kimchi quickly has found itself a permanent home in my fridge.

This serves 5-6.

Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
from My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl

6 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T sesame oil
3 t sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 bunch scallions, minced
1 1/2 lbs skirt or hanger steak, partially frozen and sliced thinly across the grain

1 head Boston lettuce
cooked white rice
kimchi
chili garlic sauce or Sriracha
toasted sesame seeds
sliced scallions
slice onions

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, and scallions.  Stir in the sliced steak and marinade 15 minutes to an hour (I did just 15 minutes because I was pressed for time).

Heat a wok with a bit of oil.  Drain the steak and add just the steak to the wok (discard the marinade).  Sear the meat for 3-4 minutes or until it is cooked.

To serve, take a lettuce leaf and gently lay some cooked with meat in the middle.  Top with kimchi, Sriracha, toasted sesame seeds, scallions, or sliced onions (pretty much anything you want).  Wrap the lettuce around it (John calls it tacos), and eat with your fingers if the lettuce leaf holds together.  Serve with a side of rice.  Of course, you can do as my kids did and put a little rice directly into the lettuce leaf as well.  The leaf probably won't hold together to use your fingers with it, but it's just as tasty if you eat it with a fork and knife.

Laab with Pasta

As is the theme with all my May recipes, this is another good swim practice recipe.  It is made quickly and there's nothing complicated about it.  It is good energy for the kids with some pasta to help hold them over to breakfast.

When I first read this recipe, I was a little unsure--turned out it was great.  My budding vegetarian wasn't a fan of this, but the other kids liked it fine.  I am learning the key to different eaters is not mixing everything all together at the end.  I served the laab in one dish and the angel hair in the another and everything worked out.

This serves 5.

Laab with Pasta

adapted from Food and Wine

1/2 lb angel hair pasta

1 T olive oil

1 T sesame oil

1/2 c sliced almonds

1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, minced (optional)

1 t minced, fresh ginger

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

salt 

1/4 c fish sauce

4 scallions, including green tops, chopped

1 c coarsely chopped fresh mint

1/4 lime juice plus 1 lime cut into wedges

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.  Transfer to a serving dish.

In large pan, toast the almonds over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes (I find the best way to test nuts for doneness while toasting it to smell them.  Once they develop a rich, fragrant smell, they are usually ready to remove from the pan).  Remove the nuts from the pan and set aside.  

Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium high heat.  Add half the jalapeño, if using, ginger, beef, and a teaspoon of salt.  Cook the meat, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon, until brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Remove from pan from heat and stir in the sesame oil, fish sauce, scallions, mint, and lime juice.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

To serve, put pasta on plates and top with beef mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining minced jalapeño, if desired, sliced almonds and serve with lime wedges.  

Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs

March, April and May are my absolutely nuts months, with the end of April/beginning of May being the absolute nuttiest.  There's a lot of juggling practice and game schedules with the usual piano lessons and school work.  This is the fifth year of daily swim practices right smack in the middle of supper making time, so thankfully, I know the key to not eating junk for the entire month of May--planning ahead.

This time of the year, there's lots of meals in the crockpot, meals made in the middle of the day, and meals pulled out of the freezer (that I made ahead of time).  When I choose new dishes to try, they have to be able to be either made ahead or incredibly quick.  Plus, thanks to swim practice they need to pack an energy punch, with the ability to replace the many, many calories the kids are expending during swimming in a nutricious-like fashion.

These was one find.  My picky meat eater even found the meatballs acceptable.  Next time, I want to increase the amount of seasonings in the meatballs, but other than that, it great.

Serves 6 - 8.

Baked Rigatoni with not so tiny Meatballs
adapted slightly from Deb at Smitten Kitchen who got it from Marcella Hazan

The Meatballs
1/4 c milk
1 slice good white or wheat bread, torn into small pieces
1 lb ground beef (or pork)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T parsley, chopped
1 t basil
1 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/3 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 c flour

The Bechamel
4 1/2 c milk
6 T butter
5 T flour
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper

The Assembly
1 lb rigatoni, cooked to al dente
3/4 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 T butter
1/4 c milk

Heat the milk (but don't let it simmer).  Add the torn bread and let it soak for 5 minutes.  If possible, squeeze excess milk from soaked bread after 5 minutes (it's ok if this is close to impossible to do, like it was for me).  Place in large bowl.  Add beef, garlic, parsley, 1/3 c grated Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper.  Stir with a fork until evenly mixed.  Pinch off a small lump of meat, about the size of a raspberry to a large grape (mine were on the larger size of course because raspberries seemed too tedious!), and roll into a ball.  Once you have made all your (not so) tiny meatballs, roll them in the flour.  Over medium high heat, heat enough vegetable oil in a skillet to rise 1/4 inch up the sides of the pan.  When the oil is hot, put as many meatballs as will fit into the pan without overcrowding.  Brown them until they form a nice crust all around.  Transfer to paper towels to drain and continue with remaining meatballs until all have been fried.  Set aside

To make the béchamel:  Heat the milk over medium low heat in a saucepan until it forms a ring of pearly bubbles (but don't bring to a boil)  *You can also do this in the microwave in a microwave proof measuring cup if you are challenged in the area of large saucepans.  In a larger saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it is combined.  Add 2 T of milk at a time to the flour and butter mixture, stirring steadily and thoroughly through 8 additions (1 c worth of milk).  After this, add milk in 1/2 c increments, stirring constantly to keep it smooth.  Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir the sauce until it thickens.

To assemble:  Combine cooked rigatoni with 2/3 of the béchamel sauce, half the grated cheese, and the meatballs in a large 9x13" pan.  Spread with a rubber spatula so it is smooth.  Pour the 1/4 c milk over top and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

Bake on the top rack of a preheated 400 degrees oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until a golden brown crust forms on top.

Lemongrass Beef Stew

In Austin, winter doesn't last long, so while it's here, I try to make the most of it.  We're a soup once a week or so type of family.  I embrace recipes that require long periods of time simmering on the stove or slowly cooking in the oven.

This recipe comes from my other Christmas present cookbook:  Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan.  I am so excited to cook out of this book, partly because I know I will learn some new cooking methods, some new ingredients, and some new recipes!

We loved this and our house smelled like loveliness for an entire day.  I started this in the morning, then set it aside and finished it later in the afternoon.

This serves 6 - 8.

Lemongrass Beef Stew
adapted briefly from Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan

3 lbs boneless beef ribs (I used chuck ribs, you could also use boneless short ribs or even boneless stew meat), cut into 1 1/2" cubes
4 T olive oil
1 t salt
1 large (about 2 c) onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c finely chopped lemongrass (cut in half, remove the thick out leaves and then finely chop)
3 T tomato paste
2 x 1" piece of ginger, peeled, then smashed or grated
2 whole star anise
6 c beef stock
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" lengths
8 oz daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1/2" lengths
2 T fish sauce
1/4 c basil (Thai preferable), finely sliced, for garnish (optional)
1 hot chile (a Thai chile or jalapeño is preferable), thinly sliced, if desired

Place the beef in a bowl.  Drizzle with 1 T olive and sprinkle with 1 t salt and 1/2 t black pepper.  Stir to coat and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 T remaining oil over high heat.  Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides.  Set browned beef aside.  In same pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is a deep golden brown, stirring frequently.  Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the lemongrass, tomato paste, ginger, and star anise and stir to combine.  Add the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.  Pour the stock over top.  Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat so the stock is at a gentle simmer.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is just tender.  Add the carrots and daikon, cover again, and cook an additional 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and the meat is very tender.  Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce.

To serve, top with basil and sliced chiles if desired.

Palestinian Meatball Soup

I went looking for this recipe thinking of an light Italian broth, tiny meatball, and vegetable type of soup.

This soup does not fit that description at all, what so ever.

This soup is a hearty, warm-your-healthy-bones soup (in other words, not a sick and I want to feel better soup).  This soup is the I spent an hour outside building a snow man with my kids and am freezing kind of soup.  Or, since here in our part of Texas we can't build many snowmen, it is the strong north wind, we're a bunch of wimps, it's 35 degrees out of type of soup.

This soup contains a spice mixture called baharat.  To make the baharat, you need a spice grinder (or mortal and pestle, which I can never figure out how to operate correctly).   The spices in baharat are pretty easy to find, especially if you can buy them bulk somewhere.  The recipe for baharat makes enough for three recipes of this meatball soup.  Make it all at once and set aside (in a tightly sealed container) and save it for next time.

The original recipe calls for freekeh, an ancient Middle Eastern grain.  The first time I made this recipe, I thought I had freekeh, but it turned out to be farro, so I used that instead.  The second time, I searched two stores (including Whole Foods) for freekeh and couldn't find it so I used the red wheat berries I had at home instead.  Both substitutions worked great.  Bulgur is also suggested by the original recipe authors.  Maybe one of these time I will visit a few more stores to attempt to find freekeh.  For now, I am happy with my substitutions, both of which were easy for me to find at Whole Foods.

We all like this soup, especially the meatballs.

This will serve 6 - 8 depending on the size of your eaters.

Palestinian Meatball Soup
adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Baharat Mixture:
1 t black peppercorns
1 t coriander seeds
1 small cinnamon stick, coarsely chopped
1/2 t whole cloves
1/2 t ground allspice
2 t cumin seeds
1 t cardamom pods
1/2 t whole nutmeg, grated

To make baharat:  place all the spices in a spice grinder and grind until a fine powder is formed.  It will keep for 8 weeks in an airtight container.

Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1 sm onion, finely diced
2 T flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 t ground allspice
1/4 t ground cinnamon
3 T flour
2 T olive oil

Soup:
2 T olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled if desired and cut into 3/8"cubes
2 celery stalks, cut into 3/8" cubes
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes (with their juice)
2 T tomato paste
1 T baharat mixture (see above)
1 T ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1 T superfine sugar
1 c cracked freekeh, farro, or wheat berries (red or white)
2 c beef stock
2 c chicken stock
3 1/4 c hot water

chopped cilantro
lemon wedges

To make the meatballs, combine ground beef, onion, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, 1/4 t pepper, and 1/2 t salt.  Mix well with your hands and form into 24- 30 meatballs (or more or less depending on how big  you like your meatballs).  Heat the oil in a dutch oven or soup pot and fry the meatballs over medium heat until golden brown on all sides and cooked through.  Remove from pot and set aside.

In the same pot, add a little olive oil if the pot looks dry.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, scraping the browned meatball bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, baharat mixture, coriander, cinnamon stick, sugar, 2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.  Stir in the grain (freekeh, farro, wheat berries, etc) and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.  Add the beef and chicken stocks, hot water, and meatballs.  Bring to boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 - 45 minutes (cooking time depends on the type of grain you are using), stirring occasionally, until the grain is tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro (don't skip this step.  This dish needs the cilantro) and with lemon wedges on the side (you can step this if you want).

(Crock)Pot Roast

It's finally getting colder here for days at a time.  The soup and roast recipes are coming out, for nothing says warmth like the smell of meat roasting at home.

This recipe started out as an oven recipe.  I however, needed a crockpot recipe, so I adapted it.  I must admit, I overcooked it the first time, but the flavor was wonderful.  Next time, I'll be sure to time it to take it out when it's done and not leave it on warm for two or three hours than it should be.

(Crock)Pot Roast
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 (2 lb) chuck roast
2 T olive oil
2 onions, cut in half
6 - 8 carrots, cut into 2 inch slices
1 c red wine or beef stock
2 - 3 c beef stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 lb potatoes, cut into chunks

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion halves and brown them on both sides.  Put onions in the slow cooker.  Brown carrots in oil and transfer to the slow cooker.  If the pan looks dry, add a little more olive oil.  Sprinkle the roast generously with salt and pepper.  Brown the roast in the pot, turning until it is nicely browned on all sides.  Transfer to slow cooker.  Pour wine or 1 c beef stock into pot.  Stir, scraping the bottom with a spoon to release all the tasty browned bits.  Pour into slow cooker.

Add the potatoes and sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the slow cooker.  Pour in beef stock (start with 2 c, if meat looks dry during cooking, add the third cup).  Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 - 10 hours.

To serve, meat from slow cooker.  Allow to rest for a bit (10 minutes will do) and then slice.  Serve on a platter with carrots and potatoes.

Shepherd's Pie

My library books are due tomorrow.  While that normally wouldn't make a difference to a recipe blog, if you have recipes from library books to modify, it makes a big difference.

While I have enjoyed the two recipes I made from Greenspan's Around My French Table, it's not one that is going on my "to buy" list.  Too fancy and time intensive.

This recipe started out in the fancy and time intensive way.  However, I strayed a great deal from the traditional French Hachis Parmentier (fancy pants French way of saying Shepherd's Pie).  I'm including a quick method and a slower method along with a couple of other changes I want to try next time I make this.

This serves 4 - 6.  If you want to make this ahead of time, do all but the potatoes.  Cook and mash the potatoes immediately before it goes in the oven.

Shepherd's Pie
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Around my French Table

Slow Version Meat
1 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1" cubes
1 small onion, sliced
2 carrots, sliced 1/4" thick
1 stalk celery, sliced 1/4"thick
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 t salt
1/4 t whole black peppercorns
6 c water

1/2 lb ground beef
1 t tomato paste
1-2  c mushrooms, sliced

Fast Version Meat
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, cut in half and sliced 1/4" thick
1 stalk celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 - 2 c mushrooms, sliced
1 t tomato paste
1- 3 c beef broth (you will use this as needed, amt will vary)
salt to taste
2 T parsley, chopped

The Topping (for both versions)
2 lbs potatoes, quartered (or cut into medium chunks)
1/2 c milk
1/4 c heavy cream (optional, can also just use an extra 1/4 c milk)
3 T butter, at room temperature
1/2 c Swiss type cheese (swiss, emmenthal, gruyere, comte, etc), shredded (optional)

For the slow version:
Put the beef chuck, onion, carrots, celery, cloves, parsley, bay leaf, salt, peppercorns, and water into a large soup pot and bring to a boil.  Skim off the foam that comes to the surface.  Lower the heat and simmer for 3 1/2 hours.  Strain the solids from the broth (meat and vegetables), reserving broth.  You won't use much of the broth, you reserve the extra broth for the next time you make the fast version of this.  Transfer the meat to a cutting board and chop into small pieces.  The meat will fall apart.  Set aside both the meat and the vegetables.

Put a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown the ground beef.  Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their juices.  Stir in the tomato paste. Add the reserved vegetables and chopped beef.  Stir in a cup of the reserved broth and bring to boil.  You want the beef and vegetables to be moist, but not runny.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour into a 2 qt oven casserole dish.  Set aside.

For the fast version:
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef.  Add the onions, celery, and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their juices and the onions have softened.  Add the garlic and saute another minute.  Stir in the carrots.  Add the tomato paste and 1 c beef broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the carrots are tender, adding more broth if the mixture gets dry.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the parsley.  Pour into a 2 qt casserole dish.  Set aside.

For the topping (both versions):

While the ground beef browns, put the potatoes in a medium pot and add just enough water cover potatoes.  Bring the covered pot to a boil and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain well.  As soon as you are able, peel the potatoes (potatoes should still be very, very hot).  Heat up milk/cream.  Mash potatoes (I use an electric mixer to do this, you can do it however you prefer).  Pour in milk/cream, add butter, and continue to mash.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Scoop the mashed potatoes over the meat and vegetables, spreading them evenly throughout the pan. Sprinkle grated cheese over top if desired.  If you want, you can also dot the top with small pieces of butter (use a total of 1 T butter).

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and the potatoes are golden. (If you don't use butter or cheese, the potatoes won't be quite as golden).

Asian Beef Stew

Once we discovered the wonder of the thermos we learned lunch options were endless.  This was another one of M's favorites to take for lunch, however, she did have to beware of the aromatics.

The star anise may be a little hard to source.  If you can buy it in bulk somewhere, it's very affordable and worth it.  The dried shitake mushrooms also look really expensive you buy them bagged.  They are also a lot cheaper if you can find them in bulk (possibly at Whole Foods if your Whole Foods is big enough).  If you can't find them, just substitute cremini mushrooms.  Shitake mushrooms give a nice meaty flavor to the stew.  If you aren't a fan of a slight wine taste to your beef stews, just leave out the sake (or sherry).  Just add a little of water to the pan to deglaze it.

This will serve 4 - 6  in these proportions.

Asian Beef Stew
adapted from monkeymom on Food52.com

3 lbs stew meat, cut into 1- 2 inch cubes
salt and pepper
1 - 2 T canola oil
3/4 c sake, sweet rice wine, or sherry (red)
1/4 c soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
3/4 t rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 c chicken stock
2 star anise
1" piece of ginger root, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, left whole
3 - 4 red chili peppers, fresh or dried (to taste)
3 whole dried shitake mushrooms, stems removed (can use fresh, just remove stems and quarter)
zest of 1 lime
3 - 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 lg daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1" pieces (optional)

Heat oil in a large dutch oven.  Sprinkle beef cubes with salt and pepper.  Brown beef in batches and set aside.  Return meat and accumulated juices to pot.  Add the sake (etc) or water to pot to deglaze.  Bring to a boil and scrape up browned bits.  Add the soy sauce and sugar.  Add the rice wine vinegar, stock, star anise, ginger, garlic, chiles (if using), and mushrooms and bring to a boil.  Add the lime zest.  If meat is not covered with liquid, add enough water so meat is covered. Once the stew comes to boil, cover tightly (either with a lid or foil), and transfer to preheated 325 degrees oven.  Cook for 1 hour.  Stir and cook for a second hour or until meat is tender.

Return the stew to the stove. Remove the lid and simmer on medium heat to cook reduce the liquid, about 30 minutes.  While the stew cooks down, in a separate saucepan, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Place vegetables in boiling water and cook for 20 minutes or until tender.  You want the carrots to stay bright orange and not to fall apart easily when stirred.  Add the boiled vegetables to the stew.

Serve hot with either brown rice or noodles.  Garnish with chopped green onion or a bit of lime juice.

Sloppy Joes

If your childhood was at all like mine, you remember Sloppy Joes. We had them as an easy meal at my house, sometimes over potatoes instead of buns (or more likely, bread). We ate them in school cafeterias in both elementary school and high school. They were everywhere. When too much beef became bad for you, we made them out of ground turkey (ewww....).

And then, I went years and years and years without eating sloppy joes because they somehow got a bad wrap. Maybe it was the ground turkey substitution. Maybe it was the commercials for ManWich (or whatever sloppy joe in a can was called). Whatever it was, sloppy joes weren't cool enough for me.

Then I had kids. I also had a split 1/4 of cow in my freezer which meant lots of ground beef. It helped too, that Ree of The Pioneer Woman fame had a sloppy joe recipe last year with fabulous pictures (as usual). The stars aligned correctly and I tried sloppy joes again.

We all loved them. Even Curtis, the one who doesn't love casseroles and jello salads, stated they were good. This past time I made them (yes, I've made them several times before posting), I used large whole wheat dinner rolls for the buns--we didn't need hamburger sized sloppy joes. These are sloppy (I had a very sloppy J picture that didn't make the cut because it was just way too sloppy!)

Sloppy Joes

adapted just slightly from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 lb ground beef

1/4 large onion, diced

1/2 large bell pepper, diced (any color will do)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 c ketchup

1/2 c water

1 T brown sugar

1 t chili powder

1/2 t dry mustard

1/2 -1 t Worcestershire sauce (I have to be honest, I didn't measure this)

1 T tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

buns, cooked/baked potatoes, or bread

Saute the ground beef in a large skillet until brown. Drain off excess fat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables soften. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in buns, over boiled or baked potatoes, or in bread.

Malaysian Beef Curry

The hunt for slow cooker recipes continues! I liked this better than anyone else in our family. I loved it, so, here's the recipe! It's a nice switch from normal slow cooker recipe flavors. Curtis said he would like this better if it had more spice. However, spice is a no go in our family, with M and her sensitive palate. The boys ate this fine.

I used stew meat instead of chuck roast. The stew meat worked fine.

This makes 6 generous servings.

Malaysian Beef Curry

from Bon Appetit

Spice Paste

4 - 8 large dried New Mexico chiles

2 - 4 lemongrass talks

1/2 c onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 t coriander

1 1 /2 t cumin

1/2 t ginger

3 T fish sauce

1 T brown sugar

Stew

3 lb boneless chuck roast or stew meat, trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2" cubes

1 (13.5-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk

zest from 1 lime

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 T tamarind paste

chopped fresh cilantro

cooked rice

To make the spice paste: Cover the chiles with very hot water and soak until soft, about 45 minutes. Drain, stem, seed, and chop chiles. Cut off the bottom 4" from the lemongrass stalks. Chop and transfer to food processor (reserve tops of stalks for the stew). Add onions, garlic, coriander, cumin, ginger, 1 t black pepper and process until finely ground. Add 1/2 c water, chiles, fish sauce, and sugar. Process to paste.

To make the stew: Smash reserved lemongrass stalks with a rolling pan (fun job!). Bend in half and bundle with kitchen twine. Mix beef and spice paste in slow cooker. Stir in lemongrass bundles, coconut milk, lime zest, star anise, cinnamon, and tamarind. Press meat down completely to submerge. Cook stew on low heat until meat is very tender, 4 1/2 - 5 hours. Spoon excess far from surface of stew before serving. Remove lemongrass bundles, stir anise, and cinnamon stick.

Transfer to stew to bowl. Serve over top steamed rice and sprinkled with cilantro.

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

As my children get older, our schedule gets fuller. We are still trying to keep the extras minimal--soccer in the fall, swimming in the spring/early summer. With spring here (yep, we live in Texas, spring comes early!), swim lessons have started in preparation for swim team in May. We generally get home from swim lessons around 5:20 and we eat at 6:00--no small task for me. Even if I had a 30 minute meal to make, having 30 minutes in that time frame which didn't involve care for the boys (they're the younger two), is a stretch.

Thus, I am becoming re-acquainted with my slow cooker again. We also have taken a CSA break this month to get the cabbage and turnips that have multiplied in my fridge cleaned out.

I am also in the process of cleaning last years quarter cow out of the freezer--mostly stew meat and round cutlets left. I am dreaming of a new quarter in April/May, so I need to get rid of the old one first. Stew meat lends itself perfectly to slow-cooker. Round cutlets lends itself perfectly to absolutely nothing, I've found. That doesn't prevent me from trying to use my cutlets.

The goal: To consume round cutlets in the most pleasing, make ahead way possible.

The plan: Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Analysis: Awesome slow cooker meal which doesn't taste like a bland slow-cooker meal. Round cutlets don't lend themselves well to ropa vieja either, but with the overall taste of the dish, the round cutlets can be ignored, if not entirely forgiven.

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

adapted slightly from Food and Wine

1 2-lb flank steak, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 4 pieces

28 oz diced tomatoes, with juice

2 medium (1 large) bell pepper, thinly sliced--a variety of colors is nice if possible

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t cumin

1 bay leaf

1/2 c green olives

2 T capers, drained

3 T cilantro, coarsely chopped

Season the flank steak with salt and pepper. Set aside. In the slow cooker, combine tomatoes and juice, pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and bay leaf. Add the steak and cover. Cook on high for 5 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Transfer meat to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes (to seal the juices). While the meat rests, stir in the olives, capers, and cilantro. Use shred meat, using 2 forks is the easiest way. Return the meat to the sauce. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Serve over rice and sprinkle with additional cilantro, if desired.

Rioja Beef

After taking many, many months off of entertaining friends at our house, I think I am ready to start again. A cookbook I got for Christmas from brother is going to help that a lot! Perfect One-Dish Dinners is full of manageable dinners to make with optional menu pairings and wine suggestions. My favorite thing about it so far though, is that it takes one dish to prepare the food in and the two recipes I've tried were almost completely hands-off the last 45 minutes of cooking, allowing me to visit with my friends. Fabulous.

The first recipe I tried, just for our family, because I am never quite sure whether or not to trust new cookbooks/cookbook authors, was Rioja Beef. One things I will say about this cookbook, it is very meat heavy. It doesn't have a lot of recipes laden with the produce I find in my CSA book. This recipe was feasible for a weeknight meal because of the 1/4 cow that is languishing in my freezer.

This will serve 6 - 8 people.

Rioja Beef
from Perfect One-Dish Dinners by Pam Anderson

3 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 - 2" cubes and patted dry
3 T olive oil
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 6 pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 6 pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 lg garlic cloves, minced
2 T sweet paprika
1 T ground cumin
1/4 t saffron threads
3 T flour
1 c chicken broth
1/2 - 1 c dry red wine (rioja, if possible)
1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained
1 1/2 t grade orange zest and juice from 1 large onion

Heat a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 T oil to the pot and heat. Add the meat and sear, turning once, until 2 sides are darkly browned. Repeat until all the meat is browned. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Add 1 T oil to the hot pot. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until softened 4 - 5 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, and saffron. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about a minute. Whisk in the flour, then broth, wine, and tomatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Return beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Carefully place a sheet of heavy duty foil over the pot, pressing the foil down so that it touches the stew. Seal foil completely around the edges. Set pot in oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

While beef is in oven, add 1 T oil to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat until oil starts to smoke (just wisps). Add the peppers and cook, stirring until peppers are lightly browned and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside. (You can also do this in before browning the meat in the same pot you brown the meat in).

Remove pot from oven and set over low heat. Carefully remove foil. Stir in peppers, chickpeas, orange zest and juice, and a little water, if necessary, to make a gravy. Carefully re-cover the pot and simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Serve.

We loved this recipe. I really can't say much more about it than that. I made a couple of changes to the recipe, utilizing a second pan, but it made the flow seem better.

This recipe will serve 6- 8 people.

Not Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna

I thought I should clarify right off the bat that this isn't a vegetarian recipe. I am sure it could be adapted to be such, but I used meat.

I liked this ok. Baby I loved it. He scarfed this for I don't know how many meals. My complete was that it tasted too much like wine. I've decided that next time I make this, I'll do it differently so I am including two recipes--the original slightly adapted one I made, which Curtis liked a lot and I liked it ok, and the recipe I plan on trying next time. I'm sure if you wanted, you could leave out the wine entirely, just substitute more tomatoes or other liquid in it's place. M helped me make this which was a lot of fun. She and J ate it just fine the first time around (or so I am told, I didn't eat with the fam this evening), but neither of them would eat it as leftovers.

Not Vegetarian Spinach Lasagne
adapted from Gourmet

The first time around bolognese sauce recipe:
1/4 lb bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c whole milk
1/4 c tomato paste
1 c diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 t thyme leaves

What I am going to do next time:
1/4 lb bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c whole milk
1/4 c tomato paste
2 c diced tomatoes with juice (or maybe even more than this. I'll let you know!)
1 1/2 t thyme leaves

For the Ricotta filling:
10 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped or 2 (10-oz) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 (15-oz) containers ricotta cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 Parmesan cheese
1/2 t grated nutmeg
3/4 c whole milk, divided

To assemble use the above plus:
12 no-boil dried lasagne noodles (from 1 box, original recipe recommends Barilla brand)
1/2 c grated Parmesan

To make the sauce: Cook bacon until it is crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Drain some of the fat, but leave 1 - 2 T in the pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pan, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden and softened, 12 - 15 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally to break up any lumps, until meat is no longer pink, 6 - 10 minutes. Stir in wine, milk, tomato paste, thyme, 1/4 t salt, 3/4 t pepper, and diced tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated but the sauce is still moist, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the ricotta filling. Whisk together the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, 1 1/4 t salt, and 1 t pepper in a large bowl. Transfer 1 1 /2 c of mixture to another bowl and whisk in 1/4 c milk. Set aside. Whisk spinach into remaining filling with remaining 1/2 c milk.

To assemble lasagna, soak noodles in a bowl of very warm water until pliable, but not softened, 3 - 5 minutes. Place on kitchen towel (but you don't need to pat dry). Spread 1 1/2 c bolognese sauce in baking pan and sprinkle with 1 T parmesan. Cover with 3 noodles (leaving space in between). Spread half of spinach filling on top, then 1 c bolognese sauce, and top with 1 T Parmesan and 3 noodles. Repeat. Top with remaining bolognese sauce, 1 T Parmesan and remaining 3 noodles. Pour reserved ricotta mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c Parmesan.

Cover pan tightly with parchment paper and foil (to prevent cheese from sticking to foil. You can also just butter the foil). Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned in spots, about 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 - 30 minutes before cutting.

If you are making this ahead of time, you should probably bake it you are making it a day or more ahead of before you are going to serve it (because the noodles aren't cooked prior to going into the oven). To serve it, reheat in 350 degrees oven, loosely covered with foil. If it is just a couple of hours ahead of time, you are safe to refrigerate until you need to bake it.

Lamb Rogan Josh

Since discovering a new Indian restaurant that I love, I've been wanting to try to make Indian food at home again. Years ago, I made bland chicken curries I didn't love and was a little hesitant to try a random recipe. But I did. It was wonderful!

I supposed you could also use beef stew meat to make this. We loved the lamb. This made 4 - 6 servings. I served it over rice and with some wonderful aloo paratha (a naan--which is a flatbread--stuffed with potatoes and peas) from that Indian restaurant I loved. It was a wonderful meal. I will definitely make it again and again and again.

Lamb Rogan Josh
adapted from Food and Wine

1/4 c olive oil
2 lbs lamb or beef stew meat, cut into 1" pieces
kosher salt
2 onions, thinly sliced (about 3 c)
2 T fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T plus 1 t curry powder
1 t turmeric
1/2 t cayenne pepper (optional---the curry powder provided enough spice for us so I omitted)
2 bay leaves
1 14-oz can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 c plain whole milk yogurt
2 c water (1/2 - 1 c water if using a slow cooker)
1 t garam masala
cilantro leaves, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron casserole dish (Dutch oven does just fine). Season the stew meat with salt and cook over high heat in batches, stirring occasionally until the meat is browned, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Add the onions to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, turmeric, cayenne (if using), and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato, yogurt, and water and bring to a boil. Season with salt. Return the lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot. Cover an simmer over low heat until the lamb is very tender about 2 hours (you may want to check it around a hour and half). Stir in the garam masala and cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice and naan.

Slow Cooker variation: Follow the recipe as follows until you get to returning the meat to the pot. Instead, dump the boiling tomato/yogurt mixture into the slow cooker with the meat. Cook on high for 3 - 4 hours or until the meat is very tender. Add a little more water if the meat looks dry.

Meatball Banh Mi

(Sorry, another dark picture....)

I've read about banh mi sandwiches for quite some time. Then a couple of months ago, I saw a recipe for them in Bon Appetit that looked like something I could possibly handle. I've yet to have an authentic banh mi, so I don't know how well this recipe rates. We loved it though. Curtis and I had sandwiches as pictured above. The kids just had meatball sandwiches (alas, without the veggies).

Cooking teaches me things about culture and geography. For example, it's only been since really getting interested in food that I've learned that there are French and Vietnamese connections. If I am remembering correctly, the French occupied ("colonized") Vietnam for about 50 years. Thus, in Vietnamese cooking, there are some French influences, for example, meatball and carrot/daikon vinegar sandwiches on baguettes.

These were tasty sandwiches. The original recipe says it will serve 4, but that is if each person eats a 10" long sandwich. I don't eat 10" long sandwiches (nor does anyone in my family). I think this will serve more like 6, possible 8 if the the sandwiches are made very small. I will definitely make these again!

Meatball Banh Mi
adapted from Bon Appetit

Pickled Vegetables
2 c carrots, coarsely grated
2 c peeled daikon, coursely grated
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1 t coarse kosher salt

Hot Chili Mayo
2/3 c mayo
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 T hot chili sauce (like sriracha)

Meatballs
1 lb ground beef or pork
1/4 c finely chopped fresh basil (I omitted this because I didn't have)
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 T fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 T hot chili sauce (optional)
1 T sugar
2 t cornstarch
1 t black pepper
1 t coarse kosher salt

Sandwiches
1 T sesame oil
2 long baguettes, cut into sandwiches of desired size
thinly sliced jalapeno chiles (optional)
16 fresh cilantro sprigs

Pickled Vegetables: Toss all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Hot Chili Mayo: Stir all ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt. Cover and chill until you are ready to use.

Meatballs: Gently mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll meat mixture in to 1" meatballs (about a scant tablespoon per meatball). Place on baking sheet, plate or desired surface until ready to cook. Heat 1 T sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs (or however many will fit without crowding). Saute meatballs until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack lined with paper towels to drain, then put on baking sheet and place in preheated 300 degrees oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

To assemble sandwiches: Cut each baguette piece in half horizontally. Pull out enough bread half to leave 1/2" thick shell. Spread hot mayo over each shell. Arrange jalapenos and then cilantro in bottom halves. Fill each with enough meatballs to fill. Drain pickled vegetables and place a generous spoonful or two on top of meatballs. Press on baguette tops and serve.

Beef Daube

We enjoyed this version of beef stew. It made about 4 - 6 servings. My one thought on it is that it had too much Worcestershire sauce, however, it has no Worcestershire sauce in it. Hmmm...not quite sure about how that happened. I am guessing it was the wine and herb combination. I really liked it though and it was a nice variation of our typical beef stew. I was very excited to have fresh herbs from my flower (herb) beds to use for this. We ate this with roasted beets and warm homemade whole wheat bread and strawberry freezer jam.

Beef Daube
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

1 T extra virgin olive oil
4 oz bacon, diced
2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1 1/2- 2" cubes
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lg onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 t dried rosemary
2 - 3 strips orange peel
1 c rough red wine (like one from the Cotes du Rhone region of France)
1 T red wine vinegar
beef or chicken stock (or water), as needed

Cook the bacon in the olive oil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Brown meat, working in batches in leftover bacon drippings in pan. Turn cubes as they brown and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove browned beef with slotted spoon and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium and saute the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, rosemary, orange peel, and more salt and pepper. Cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar, and boil for 1 minute. Return the beef to the pan (not the bacon though).

Cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour, then add the bacon. Continue to cook until meat is tender, another 30 - 90 minutes (my grass fed stew meat took about 1 1/2 - 2 hours). Add stock or water if mixture starts looking dry (the meat should be mostly covered with liquid).

Adjust salt and pepper as needed and serve.

Steak Diane

I don't know if this is actually French or not, but I decided it could be since it had a cream sauce over top. I made this for Valentine's Day using some beef tenderloin I discovered in my freezer a couple of weeks ago. This was wonderful. I'll definitely consider this again next year when I am trying to decide how to use my beef tenderloin. This will serve 4.

Steak Diane
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

4 tenderloin fillets, 4 - 6 oz each (I suspect mine were much smaller than that, about 4 oz tops)
freshly ground black pepper
3 T butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 T minced shallot
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c cream
salt and pepper, to taste

fresh chives or parsley for garnish

Flatten the steaks to about 1" (or slightly less) thick. Sprinkle steaks liberally with pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature for up to one hour. Melt 2 T of butter into the skillet. Once melted and no longer foamy, turn heat up to medium-high and put on steaks. Cook for about 3 per side (for medium-rare steaks, longer for more well done steaks). Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan. Add 1 T butter to the pan and saute the shallot until it softens, about 1 minute. Add mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cream to the shallots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce at a steady bubble and add the seared steaks and any accumulated juices to the pan. Cook, turning 2 - 3 times, until the meat is done to your liking. Transfer to serving platter and spoon sauce over meat. Garnish with fresh chopped chives or parsley

Unstuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Yay! For two weeks in a row we've gotten cabbages. I have an interesting relationship with cabbage. I've learned to like it just in the time I've been a part of a CSA. I am always excited the first couple of times we get cabbage, but by May, my crisper usually has at least 2 or 3 large cabbages just hanging out.

This recipe is going to help change that. I love this recipe. Curtis loved this recipe. Baby I loved this recipe. The two older ones? Well, they didn't, but they will by the third or fourth time we have this in the next 6 months.

This was pretty easy to make--the cabbage took a little to cook, but not too bad. We will be eating this again. I served this over rice. It would serve 4 - 6 people.
Unstuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage
adapted from Gourmet

1 (2 lb) head green cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cored
1/2 c chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb onion, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/3 c dried cranberries
3 T red-wine vinegar
1 T packed brown sugar
2 T parsley, chopped

Place cabbage in a deep 12-inch skillet with broth (I used my cast iron/black skillet), 1 sliced garlic clove and rounded 1/4 t salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered, turning cabbage occasionally until very tender (from about 20 - 45 minutes. I know that's a wide range, but cook until it's the tenderness you like). Add more broth or water if skillet gets dry. Meanwhile, cook onion and remaining garlic in oil in heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and stir in ground beef and 1/2 t of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.

Pour sauce into skillet with cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.