Carne Guisada (Instant Pot)

 -Dad Cooks Dinner

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 jalapeno, stemmed and diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup beef broth or chicken broth (homemade or store-bought low sodium)

½ teaspoon of salt (if using homemade broth or water)

10-ounce can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (Rotel tomatoes)

 

CORNSTARCH SLURRY

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

 

ACCOMPANIMENTS

At least 20 small flour tortillas

Shredded lettuce

Diced onions

Sliced jalapenos

 

Sear the beef in batches: Heat the vegetable oil in an Instant Pot on Sauté mode adjusted to high until the oil shimmers. (Use medium-high heat with a stovetop PC). While the pot heats, sprinkle the beef cubes with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add ½ of the beef to the pot in a loose single layer and sear until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. (Don’t crowd the pot or the beef will steam, not brown). Transfer the browned beef to a bowl, add the remaining half of the beef to the pot, and sear until browned on one side, another 3 minutes. Move the second batch of beef to the bowl.

 

Sauté the aromatics, toast the spices: Add the onion, green pepper, jalapeño, and crushed garlic to the pot, and sprinkle with the chili powder, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally with a flat edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of beef or onion stuck to the bottom of the pot.

 

Everything in the pot: Pour the broth into the pot (and sprinkle in ½ teaspoon of salt if using homemade broth.) Bring the broth to a simmer and scrape the bottom of the pot one last time to release any browned bits. Stir in the beef and any juices left in the bowl, and then the tomatoes and green chiles.

 

Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a natural release: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes in an electric pressure cooker (“Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot), or for 12 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 more minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam.

 

Thicken and serve: Whisk the water and cornstarch, and chili powder together to make a cornstarch slurry, and then stir the slurry into the pot. If you have the time, set the Instant Pot to Sauté - low heat and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken even more. (Use low heat on a stovetop PC). Serve with the tortillas and other accompaniments and enjoy!

Carne Guisada

Delicious!

-Just a Pinch

1 green bell pepper

1 medium onion

3 large cloves of garlic

2 large tomatoes

3 lb boneless beef shoulder roast (or stew meat)

2 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp heaping tablespoon of lard (vegatable oil or olive oil can be substituted but will not give it the same flavor.)

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1/2 c water

1 Tbsp flour 

In a large stove top casserole pan add lard, (or oil), and turn heat to medium. Cut up shoulder roast to 1 inch cubes and add to pan. Roughly chop the tomato and add on top of meat.

Remove seeds from bell pepper, rough chop and add to top of ingredients.Roughly chop the onion and add to pan.

Chop garlic cloves small and thin and add to top of pan. Add cumin, salt and pepper. Stir well and cover with a lid. Cook on LOW for 2 ½ hours. 

Now you will notice that the vegetables have cooked down to practically nothing. They have converted to pure flavor! Stir flour into water and add mixture into pot and let simmer on low for the next 20-30 minutes.

Baked Ziti

My family prefers this meal over lasagna. It freezes well and is a winner when I need to take in a meal to a friend. Makes 2 8x8 pans, or one large 9x13.

-Six Sisters Stuff, modified

1 lb. dry rigatoni or ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
½ lb. ground beef (season with salt, pepper, onion powder)
½ lb. ground italian sausage
2 (26 oz.) jars spaghetti sauce (I like Classico)
8 slices provolone cheese
1 ½ cups sour cream
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion, ground beef and sausage over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8x8-inch pans with non-stick cooking spray. Layer as follows in each pan: ¼ of the pasta, ¼ of the sauce, 4 slices of Provolone cheese, ½ of sour cream, ¼ of pasta, ¼ mozzarella cheese and ¼ of sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.

If freezing, let cool, cover with foil, and place in freezer. To thaw, place in refrigerator at least 24 hours in advance.
If baking immediately, bake covered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.
When baking cold from refrigerator, 45 min.
When baking from frozen, 90-120 min.

Slow Cooker Stew

A yummy stew has got to be one of my most favorite comfort foods. I love this recipe - it's easy, versatile and delicious!

-Modified from Taste of Home

1 lb. beef stew meat

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth

1 can (11-1/2 ounces) V8 juice

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. cold water

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen peas

Directions

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender. Discard bay leaves.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into stew. Add corn and peas. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until thickened. 

Thai Beef Noodles

Another winner for the whole family! I thought the original recipe might be a little heavy on the peanut butter, so I cut that back and added a little more milk. Add more veggies if you have them!

Modified from Taste of Home

1/3 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

12 ounces uncooked spaghetti

1 beef top sirloin steak (1 pound), thinly sliced

1-1/2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh carrot

1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper

1 cup fresh snow peas

2 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Chili garlic sauce, as desired

In a small saucepan, bring the first eight ingredients just to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry beef in 1/2 teaspoon oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

Stir-fry carrot and red pepper in remaining oil for 3-4 minutes. Add snow peas and onions; stir-fry 2-3 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Return beef to skillet.

Drain noodles; add to the pan. Add peanut sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro. Yield: 6 servings.

Dijon-Rosemary Steak Kabobs

We had these kabobs for dinner at a friend's house and they were amazing! I made them for dinner tonight and although I need to fine-tune the grilling, they were really flavorful and delicious. Yay for an easy summer meal. This recipe was perfect for our young family, but you might need to increase it to accommodate your family.

-Food Network via Jessica Winger

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, stemmed
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
cherry tomatoes
onion, cut into 1 inch squares

Whisk together all of the ingredients (except the steak) in a bowl. Toss the steak in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Soak bamboo skewers for at least one hour to prevent burning on the grill.

Assemble kabobs and grill directly over heat source for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning 1/4 rotation every 2 to 3 minutes, or until the meat is cooked throughout.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

When our good friends the Hamptons lived up the street, they invited us over for a delicious St. Patrick's Day dinner. I've never cooked an Irish dinner myself, so Anna was gracious enough to share her recipes and this year we enjoyed a yummy dinner with Brandon's parents who were here visiting. 

-Anna Hampton

1 (3 to 4 pound) corned beef, trimmed
3 bay leaves
1 T. whole black peppercorns
1 T. whole mustard seeds
Water
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes (I've used small yellow as well)
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
1 head green cabbage cut into wedges

1.  Add the corned beef, bay leaves, peppercorns, and mustard seeds to a large Dutch oven and cover by 1/2 inch of water.  Bring to a simmer and cook, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, until a fork slides easily in and out of the center of the meat, 2 to 3 hours.

2.  Heat the oven to 200 degrees.  Transfer the meat to a large baking dish and ladle 1 cup of the cooking liquid over the top.  Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.

3.  Add the potatoes and carrots to the liquid left in the pot and simmer until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add the cabbage and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Fajitas

I've been looking for a good fajita recipe for a long time and finally found one that we all like!

-Your Homebased Mom

1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1/2 C Canola oil
1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combination of peppers – red, yellow, orange, green and onion, sliced.
Olive oil
Salt

Using a medium bowl,combine the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon or lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a large zip loc baggie and pour marinade over the steak. Turning meat to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Slice meat thinly going across the grain

While meat is grilling, saute onions and peppers in olive oil and salt until tender.

Serve with meat on a tortilla. Add sour cream, guacamole and or salsa

Green Chile Burros/Soft Tacos

This is a great 'pantry-friendly' meal that comes together quickly. I pulled this recipe from the Mesa Home Storage Booklet because it had the instructions written out :) , but my mom always makes hers almost exactly the same way - yum!

2 pints/large cans beef chunks (home bottled, or Kirkland brand)
2-3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup picante salsa
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
Jalapenos, optional
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped Tomato
Sour Cream

Saute onions in a little oil until soft, not brown. Drain the beef chunks and reserve the liquid. Add the chiles and the salsa to the onions and heat. Add flour to 1/4 cup of the liquid from the beef chunks to make a paste. Add remaining juice to the mixture, add more water as needed. Separate meat with fork and add to the mixture. Add the flour paste to the mixture and heat until thick enough to place on tortillas. You may add jalapenos if you like the extra heat. Garnish as desired.

Broccoli Beef

-esrecipecorner.blogspot.com also Family Fun Magazine

2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound flank steak
1 medium head broccoli
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
* Chili Sauce

Directions: For marinade, combine: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil in a medium-sized bowl. Add cornstarch and blend well with a spoon. Stir in garlic and ginger.

Trim any fat from steak and cut into thin slices - no more than 1/4 inch thick and no more than 1 1/2 inches long. Stir pieces into marinade and cover bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes.

While meat marinades, cut broccoli into small florets and set aside. Start cooking rice so it's all ready at the same time.

Pour 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil into wok or large saute pan. Heat up on high temperature until it's very hot. Add meat and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until slightly browned. Transfer meat to a plate. Immediately add broccoli and chicken or beef broth to pan. Uncover pan and stir in the meat and oyster sauce. Cook uncovered for another 1-2 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Makes about 4-5 servings. Serve over rice and enjoy!