Monthly Archives: March 2022

Homemade Sloppy Joes

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Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/3 green bell pepper, minced
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar (or less, if you prefer)
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • dash of hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat butter and oil in large skillet over MED/MED-HIGH heat.  Add beef and brown, breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to colander to drain.
  • Add onion and bell pepper to same skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, until soft.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.  Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste.  Stir well.
  • Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper.  Stir well to combine.
  • Cook over MED heat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture has thickened to your liking.  Remove from heat and serve over toasted buns.

Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , cut into pieces
  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
  • brown or white rice, for serving
  • toasted sesame seeds, for topping
  • green onions or chives, for topping

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
  • Place the vegetables on the baking sheet and cover them with half of the sauce. Toss well. Roast in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the chicken in a bowl and cover it with the remaining sauce.
  • After 15 minutes, push all the vegetables to one side. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade on the baking sheet. Add the cashews on the sheet as well. Roast again for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Toss everything together on the sheet before serving. Serve over rice and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.

NOTE: Double or triple the sauce. Use half of one batch for the veggies and the other half of one batch for the chicken marinade. In a sauce pan heat up the remaining two batches (using some of the sauce to thicken with corn starch roux) as a thickened sauce to pour over the cashew, rice and chicken.

Irish Pub Lamb Stew

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb (I used Lamb Stew Meat, instead of three different cuts)
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast
  • 1 (10-ounce) bone-in lamb shoulder chop
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 medium yellow onions
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup Guinness Irish Stout
  • 1 large russet potato (about 12 ounces)
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 large parsnip (optional)
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 to 3 cups homemade lamb or beef broth, or store-bought low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
  • Worcestershire sauce, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Meanwhile, cut 1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb and 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast into 1-inch pieces, discarding any separable fat from the meat and discarding it. Season the lamb and beef pieces and lamb chop (leave intact) all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Halve and thinly slice 2 medium onions.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add one handful of the cut meat and sear until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and continue browning the remaining meat the same way, reducing the heat if the bits on the bottom of the pot begin to burn. Sear the shoulder chop on both sides until browned, then add to the bowl.
  3. Add the onions to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and well browned, about 8 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the onions from burning. Add 1 cup Guinness Irish Stout and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the stout has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Pour the onion and beer mixture into the bowl with the browned meat and turn off the heat.
  4. Peel 1 large russet potato and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Pour the beef, lamb, and onion mixture back into the pot over the potatoes. Do not stir.
  5. Peel 2 large carrots and cut crosswise on a slight diagonal into 1 1/2-inch wide pieces. Peel and coarsely chop 1 large parsnip, if using. Add the carrots, parsnip, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf to the pot. Pour in enough homemade or low-sodium beef broth to just cover everything. Cover and bake until the meat is fairly tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
  6. Peel and cut 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes into 1/2-inch chunks. Remove the pot from the oven. Skim off any fat that has surfaced on the top of the stew and discard. Put the Yukon gold potatoes on top of the stew but don’t stir them in. Cover with the lid slightly ajar. Bake until the meat and potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.
  7. Stir the stew gently to break up the potatoes at the bottom of the pot. Remove the shoulder chop bones and break up the chop meat with a fork, if necessary. Discard the bay leaf and thyme stems. Taste and season with Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper as needed. Garnish with additional chopped thyme leaves, if desired.

RECIPE NOTES

Make ahead: The stew is better the next day, so it can be made ahead, cooled, and refrigerated. Rewarm over medium heat.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Meat options: You can make the stew all-beef (skip the shoulder chop) or all-lamb, if preferred.