Gourmet Food on a Budget — Ever Forward, Ever Flavorful
These are recipes and methods for dishes that are made from beef or lamb.
This is the Boswell version of the classic Russian dish, Beef Stroganoff. One of the problems with making this is making sure the meat is tender, not having to chew meat forever. One solution is to use ground beef, but that’s not the classic version. Read on to find out my recommendation.
When you grind your own meat, you get the benefit of making Steak Tartare, chilled raw beef with your preferred garnishes.
Many, many moons ago, my friend, Chef John Farion introduced me to Machaca and Eggs. I fell in love – with the dish – not him! If you have never heard of Machaca, it is traditionally dried meat, either beef or pork, that has been rehydrated and used in local dishes in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. It’s kind of like a very well seasoned stew, often served with eggs. Next time you see a Mexican food truck, ask if they have Machaca and try it. You’ll be hooked, too.
There’s nothing like a “Bowl of Red” on a cold day, but who has time to let Chili sit on the stove for hours and hours, not to mention having to soak the beans overnight. Lordy, that’s a two-day operation!
Loin Lamb Chops with Balsamic Red Wine Reduction are easy to prepare and a great choice for a Spring or Easter dinner.
Sometimes, it’s nice to have something that is a little lighter fare. This Asain dish, Asian Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber Salad really hits the spot flavorwise. It’s very simple and quick to make, so you can make this for a weeknight dinner – I don’t know about having leftovers, this will probably get all eaten up! If you don’t like spicy food, you can leave the chili out of the cucumber salad.
We make this healthy by including wheatgerm in the meatballs, and we bake the balls in the oven instead of frying or sauteing them.
I made this a few years ago and forgot about it. It languished in my recipe box for many years, until as I was going through it to see what I could remove, I came across it and thought I should try it again.
It’s delicious. But be warned – if you don’t like blue cheese, you won’t like this. If you don’t like red wine, you won’t like this either. This is not a traditional risotto, it is very assertive and needs to be served with well-marinated beef. I think broccoli goes very well with this and steams quite quickly while the roast rests. Serve with a nice red wine and Sour Cherry Jellies for dessert.
You all have to forgive my surfer platter. Under the roast, it says “Seas & Greetings” – I just couldn’t resist it for the holidays a few years ago, and it has served me well.
I really love Lula Kabob. I was looking at some recipes and found out one of the main ingredients is grated onions that are pressed through a sieve to remove their liquid. It occurred to me this might be a good idea for my meatloaf. Usually, I make meatloaf with the vegetables chopped, but still large enough to see them. It’s good, but I wanted to experiment. The experiment was successful. The meatloaf had a more consistent flavor and texture. This will be my method of making meatloaf from now on.
The other thing that I have started adding to my meatloaf is wheat germ. It has a nutty flavor and is very good with yogurt and honey. It’s also very healthy for you. It’s an excellent source of vitamin E, A, and folic acid as well as a fiber-rich source of high-quality non-animal protein. If you like refined white flour and are missing the benefits of whole grain, this is a great way to supplement your diet – all that nutrition in something that tastes really good. However, if you are truly gluten intolerant, stay away as wheat germ does have gluten.
Roasted Red Pepper burgers and Aleppo Steak Fries are easy to prepare for a weeknight meal and fancy enough for company.
These burgers are called “Expert Burgers” because they have such great flavor , stuffed with Swiss cheese, with caramelized onion and coleslaw.