Slow Cooked Ropa Vieja

I'm not comfortable with the idea of leaving my crockpot on for over 10 hours so I push recipes like this off for the weekend but then I never actually get around to it. Well, today I finally got off my lazy butt and made something with my crockpot. Delicious juicy beef that falls off the bone and shreds with just a touch.



There are a lot of vegetables in the slow cooker with the meat so you can eat it as is with a side of black beans and rice or a salad. You can also do what I did - tacos! When it comes to tacos, I'm all about trying to make it as neat as possible. Sometimes I just prefer burritos because at least the bottom part of the burrito will stop anything from flowing out of the tortilla and onto my hands then down my arm. It's a mess! But thanks to shredded meat, tonight's tacos were not messy at all. The chunks of meat stayed in the tacos better than any ground meat ever will. I also spread the sour cream on the tortilla instead of top of everything to keep that from spilling out too.



These tacos reminded me of short rib tacos that I tried at a restaurant in San Francisco. It brought back great memories of that trip so this certainly was a great dinner. The one thing you might think is strange about the recipe is the addition of apples but definitely don't skip it - it does make a difference in the taste! It even smelled better while cooking. This recipe makes a lot so it'll be great for a dinner party and guests can have fun dressing up their tacos as they wish! Freeze the leftovers for yourself and have tacos whenever you feel like it! That's my plan!

Slow Cooked Ropa Vieja
From Crockpot 365

3 lb meat (get what's on sale. Stew meat, chuck roast, steaks, whatever.)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (could use white)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large red onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 med yellow apples, grated
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Combine all the dry spices in a bowl. Rub the spices all over the meat you are using. Put the meat into your crockpot (you'll need at least a 5 quart). Dump any extra spice on top.

Coarsely chop the vegetables and add to the pot. Smash the garlic, take the leaves off the cilantro stems, and add. Peel the apples and grate them into the pot with a cheese grater. Add the chicken broth and vinegar.

Cover and cook on low for at least 10 hours and on high for at least 7 hours. Check about 2 hours before serving to see if you can shred the meat with forks. If you can't shred the meat, cook for longer or remove the meat and cut in long slices, then return to the pot.

Serve over brown or white rice, with a ladle full of broth.

Cuban Burger

Unless I'm at a barbecue, I don't really go out of my way to make a burger on my own. I actually can't even remember the last time I had a burger! Beef does not appear very frequently on my dinner menu. Yet somehow, I still ended up with a pack of ground beef in my freezer. On weekdays, I usually don't have the time (or the patience) to make chili or sloppy joes. I also don't trust my slow cooker to behave while I'm gone for 10 hours. My brain couldn't come up with creative ideas to cook the beef since I really don't so I went a-searching on Foodgawker.



This is a burger I would go out of my way to make. It's a Cuban burger and I couldn't tell how it would taste just by reading the list of ingredients so I didn't have high expectations. I still wanted to make sure I did it right, so I went out to buy some pickles and ham as I didn't have any. I'm glad I did because every ingredient in this burger matters. I mean, I like each ingredient on its own but all together? Amazing!



Now, I didn't follow the instructions completely. I just used the bread that I had instead of getting rolls (I kinda forgot about that part) and I didn't toast it either. Next time, I'll have to as I think it will add even more to the flavor. Next time could be very soon. Make it part of your dinner menu as it's a change from the traditional that everybody will surely enjoy.

Cuban Burger
From Simple Comfort Food

1/2 lb ground chuck
1 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 cup of ham, paper thin
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp yellow mustard
Dill pickles, approximately 5 oval slices
2 slices of Swiss cheese
1 sturdy Hamburger bun
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Begin by shaping your hamburger patty. Lay down a bit of wax paper on a plate. Lay down another piece of wax paper on top of the patty. Take the back of a dinner plate and press down on the patty. Season liberally with salt.

Preheat your cast iron skillet or just a skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Once heated, add the patty, salt side down. Season the other side with salt. Let the burger cook, untouched, for a few minutes as you want to get a great sear on the patty.

Meanwhile, slice the buns, and add a bit of butter to each one. Add the buns onto a preheated skillet, and cook until they are lightly toasted. Once toasted, remove them and set aside.

Flip the patty, and cook another couple of minutes, or until your desired doneness.

Add the mayonnaise to the bottom of one bun. Add the mustard to the other bun. To the bottom bun, add the ham, then one slice of Swiss cheese. Top with the cooked patty. Add the pickles, then top with the remaining Swiss cheese. Add the top bun.

Wipe the skillet, and return it back to the burner, setting the temperature to low, to medium low. Remember that any good Cuban sandwich has that crunch exterior, that when knocking on the bread itself actually makes a noise. Once the burger is on the skillet, add something heavy to the top of the bun. After a minute or so, take a look at the bottom and make sure you are not burning the bread. After cooking for a few minutes, flip the burger, and add the weight back on, flattening the other side.

Once you have achieved the crispy exterior on the other side, remove, and put that baby on a plate.

Cuban Picadillo

I had bought a jar of pimento-stuffed olives a while back as I meant to make black beans with them, but didn't get around to it. I actually just ended up mixing them in sandwiches. But I decided to save the rest of the jar for this recipe.

Only a few flavors, yet I really enjoy this dish. As much I love the taste of beef, I also love the fact that the cumin and tomato paste kind of cover it up here. The tomato paste thickens up the liquid. The olives add a nice kick. I though about dicing them up before stirring them in, but I'm glad I left them whole. It looks better, too. As for the salt, I would cut back by half.



I ate this as a taco and thankfully most of the filling stayed put, unlike as a sandwich where the filling fell out all over the place. It's a great idea to eat as a Sloppy Joe, but maybe in a hollow bread roll instead where it's guaranteed to stay in. I've also got some couscous that I should serve this over... Can't wait for the leftovers.



Cuban Picadillo
From Bitchin' Camero

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb lean or extra-lean ground beef
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt (to taste)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, saute the onions for about 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the beef and reduce to medium heat.

Brown the beef, using a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cumin and salt and stir until combined. If your pan is dry, add 2 tbsp. of water to help the tomato paste dissolve. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so, then stir in the olives.

Serve with white rice, over polenta, in tacos, etc.

Beef and Zucchini Burgers

Happy April Fools' Day! Trying to find a good way to trick people? Well, then you should make these burgers... It's a great way to make sure you or anyone else who doesn't like vegetables actually eat vegetables. You can clearly tell that my burgers have zucchini in them, so I couldn't trick somebody, but they at least wouldn't be able to taste that zucchini is in the burgers. At first, I was disappointed because I wanted the flavor to be more prominent, but it's still good. The zucchini adds a lot of moisture so even when I used extra lean ground beef, the burgers weren't dry. The only other seasoning I added was garlic to replace the steak seasoning in the original recipe. I wonder, though, if I could add anything else to make this more different and extraordinary. Any suggestions are welcome!



Does anyone have some tricks up their sleeves? I haven't participated in any April Foolery, but I know of some that my housemates are playing on others. Oh, the hilarity. It's always great when you get to watch the tricks being played on others and the tricks are not being played on you!



Beef and Zucchini Burgers
Adapted from Healthy Delicious

- 2 small zucchinis
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp garlic
- Salt and pepper

1. Peel the zucchini, then use the side of a box grater to shred it into thin ribbons. Place the zucchini ribbons between two paper towels to remove some of the moisture.
2. In a large bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, ground beef, and garlic. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until they are combined the zucchini is evenly distributed. Form into six patties.
3. Spritz a heavy skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When your pan is hot, add the burgers. Cook burgers for 5 minutes on one side, then flip and cook on the second side until they are done to your liking — about 3 minutes for a medium burger.

Bulgogi (불고기)

After I heard a funny story about Bulgogi from a housemate, I decided that I would cook it for my housemates (who eat beef anyway) to give them a taste of Korean home cooking. Of course I couldn't serve just beef and rice--it's just not the Korean way. Other side dishes included Ddukbokki (떡북기), fried tofu with a soy sauce-sesame oil sauce, and a salad with Kraft's Asian Sesame dressing. The recipes for the first two will come later, but let's focus on the main star of the dinner, shall we?

Asian markets sell meat that has been specifically cut to make Bulgogi, but I doubted a Wal-Mart in the South would have the same cuts, so I just looked for a chunk of ribeye so that I could cut thin slices myself, but I was surprised to find that Wal-Mart did sell them! But when I went back to buy the meat yesterday to make this, they didn't have it anymore. Instead, they had thin slices of sirloin, so I just bought that. It tasted great anyway. Usually, my mom adds a slice of Asian pear or a tiny piece of a kiwi or a pineapple to soften the meat, but I just pounded the slices with the back of a knife and that helped a lot. My friends really enjoyed this dish. Just one step closer to my mom's level of cooking.



Bulgogi (불고기)
From my mom

- 1 2/3 lb sirloin or ribeye, sliced thinly
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp water
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 small onion, sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped

1. If you can't find pre-sliced sirloin or ribeye, buy a chunk of either and slice into 1/8" thick pieces. My local Wal-Mart sells thinly sliced sirloin steak, so I'm sure yours does too. Pound the beef with back of knife to soften it.
2. In a bowl, mix together sesame oil, sesame seeds, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, onions, and green onions. Add the beef slices and knead the beef about 4 times until covered in marinade. Leave in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (Even longer is better.)
2. Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until no longer pink.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

I had some ground beef leftover from making burgers and instead of making more burgers, I wanted to do something different, i.e. make meatballs. Plain meatballs, that is. Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and whatnot would be tasty, but I didn't want anything fancy. I turned to Pioneer Woman for this simple version and added herbs to my own liking. I've never thought of adding milk to meatballs and didn't realize how weird it would be until I actually did. The meat turned really soft and I was afraid the shape wouldn't hold. But I followed Pioneer Woman's advice and placed them in the freezer for five minutes and, though they were still a bit mushy, they held their shape fine when cooking. These meatballs are very tender thanks to the milk! I loved the plain taste of beef with the background flavors of oregano, salt, and pepper.

As for the sauce, I knew I wanted to cook the meatballs with the sauce, so I searched around and found one that sounded delicious! I love balsamic vinegar in tomato sauce, so I instantly chose this recipe. It smells amazing as it is simmering. I adjusted the instructions so I could cook everything in the same pot, so click on the link if you'd like to read the original post. The meatballs are originally baked with barbecue sauce smothered on top, so head to Pioneer Woman's site for that recipe, too.




Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman and The Kitchn

- 1 1/2 lb ground beef
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp onion, finely minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs (oregano or basil works)
- Black pepper, to taste

- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 (28-oz) cans peeled plum tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt & pepper

1. In a bowl, combine the beef, oats, milk, onion, salt, herbs, and black pepper. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.
2. Heat oil in pan and add meatballs. Brown on all sides for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, crushing them with a spoon or your hands as you add them.
4. Add the garlic, bay leaf and balsamic vinegar and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes, and then taste and add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.

Beef and Bulgur Burgers

After I made my own Curry Beef Burgers, I've been wanting to make more homemade burgers. It just feels so much healthier than eating out. I need to vary my sources of protein, too, instead of eating just chicken, tofu or eggs. I love bulgur so I'm totally up for trying it in burgers. I actually saw a recipe for Bean and Bulgur Burgers in a cookbook, but decided to go for beef instead. This burger was on the brink of falling apart so beans probably would have been more difficult to work with.

I made the rookie mistake of forgetting to season my food. Before eating, I just sprinkled some salt and pepper all over, but of course, that doesn't help the inside. I prefer not to season my food sometimes because you can fix something that is bland, but you cannot fix something that is salty. The bulgur, however, was a bit bland. Maybe if I had seasoned correctly, it would have been fine, but I actually think that it wouldn't have helped much. Next time I make this, I might try adding flavors to the bulgur while it's cooking for even more flavor in the end results. Otherwise, the spices blend together deliciously and this is definitely a keeper for me.

Here is what Whole Foods had to say about this recipe:

The addition of bulgur wheat to these burgers not only helps stretch a meal but it also achieves a more delicately flavored burger with a lower fat content and higher fiber than traditional burgers. Substitute ground lamb for the beef, if you like.

Beef and Bulgur Burgers [Makes 6 burgers]
From Whole Foods

- 2 cups water
- 1 cup bulgur wheat
- 1 1/4 pounds (95-percent) lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion, plus sliced onion for garnish

1. Bring water to a boil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add bulgur, cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until water is almost absorbed and bulgur is just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Uncover pot, fluff bulgur with a fork and set aside until cooled.
2. In a large bowl, mix together beef, bulgur, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, allspice and chopped onion. Form mixture into 6 patties and season all over with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook patties, flipping once, until deep golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve!




I ate this without a bun. I like big meaty burgers on their own. A leaf of lettuce, slice of tomato, and baked corn tortilla chips were great additions to make up today's lunch.

Curry Beef Burgers

I can't remember the last time I had a burger. I tend to stay away from burgers because of their artery-clogging effects and the big portions that the restaurants serve. I'm also paranoid and very suspicious of them because of some bad experiences with McDonald's and Burger King.

But that's fast food, so I should give them another chance, eh? Exactly my thought when I looked in my freezer and saw leftover ground beef. If I'm going to make burgers at home though, I don't want plain flavors. I wanted something exciting so I searched and searched until Whole Foods gave me one that sounded promising. I never would've thought to put curry powder in burgers, but the fact that there are raisins fascinates me! I had to try it immediately.

Curry Beef Burgers
From Whole Foods Market

1/3 cup plain Panko breadcrumbs [I omitted]
1/3 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground dark meat turkey [I used beef]

1. In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine breadcrumbs, carrots, raisins, cilantro, curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper. Add turkey and gently bring all ingredients together with your hands, being careful not to overwork the meat.
2. With dampened hands, form turkey mixture into 6 patties of even thickness. Arrange patties on a lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Light the grill or preheat the broiler. Cook burgers, turning once with a spatula, for 6 minutes per side, or until no longer pink inside.

I used these burger buns from Vermont Bread. Fantastic little things caught my eye when I was browsing the bread aisle. Besides looking like they would taste great, they've got the taste and also the strength to hold up to my burger.




I expected a stronger curry taste from the burger, but because I had to reduce the servings, my measurements could have gotten messed up. I will put in more next time. The raisins added random bites of sweetness. Another burger recipe I've been wanting to try has an Asian flair with the addition of Kimchi. Can't go back to the boring ol' flavors now!

Mushroom Beef Barley Soup

No matter how hot it may be outside, I'm still in the mood for a warm earthy soup. I had bought a pound of ground beef from Trader Joe's over the weekend, thinking I would put it on the Super Supreme Pizza, but never did. My mind travels from beef to barley to soup all the time, so that's what I went for on this 95-degree Tuesday.

I wanted to try this recipe because I loved that it uses dried mushrooms. The only ones we have in the house are shiitake mushrooms, but those taste great anyway. It's funny how just a few years ago, anytime my mom was making dinner with shiitake mushrooms, I would shut the door to my room and stay in there for the rest of the night. I absolutely hated the smell. Anything the mushrooms touched, I avoided. Now I am the total opposite. I actually love the smell.

I also had white button mushrooms left over from pizza on Sunday so I threw those into the soup. It's all mushroom anyway! My version is probably not as earthy as it should be because I had no beef broth so I used chicken broth instead. But it was still good and the addition of the ground beef made this soup even meatier and packed with protein.



Mushroom Beef Barley Soup
Adapted from The Kitchen Sink Recipes

- 3 oz dried mushrooms [I went for shiitake]
- 6 cups water, divided
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 8 oz white button mushrooms
- 1 quart (4 cups) beef broth [err, I had only chicken]
- 3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme [1 tsp dried for me]
- 1 cup barley

1. Boil 2 cups of the water. Pour it over the dried mushrooms, cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain and chop the mushrooms and reserve the steeping liquid.
2. In a large pot, cook the ground beef until no longer pink on the outside. Set aside on a plate. Drain the fat from the pot, leaving a little to saute the vegetables. Add the onion and garlic and cook for several minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add the flour add stir to coat the vegetables; cook one minute stirring constantly.
3. Add the beef broth, remaining 4 cups of water, steeping liquid, cooked ground beef, thyme and barley. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour, until the barley is al dente. Discard the thyme and add the chopped mushrooms, cooking briefly until the mushrooms are warm.

It always takes me a long time to eat barley. I have a strange desire to make sure that every piece needs to be chewed. Barley doesn't fall apart as easily as white rice does so even after an hour of simmering it still holds its shape. No hurry. Just as I sat down to scarf down this soup because I thought I'd be late to work, my boss called to tell me I can go into work an hour later. Sweet.