American Goulash, attempt #1

The following is recipe based on one from FoodNetwork.com.


Sorry for the blurred photo. This is just 1 serving, by the way. The recipe is double this.

250 g lean ground beef
1 native onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can tomatoes, diced, together with the tomato juice
1/2 cup tomato sauce
dried basil
dried oregano
dried parsley
garlic powder
dried thyme
dried rosemary
garlic powder
salt
pepper
Tabasco
1 tsp soy sauce
1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
parmesan cheese

In a deep pot, saute the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains. (We sauteed ours in olive oil because our ground beef was very very lean.) Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until they are tender (about 3 minutes). Add water, along with the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, soy sauce. Season with dried herbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Top with parmesan cheese when serving.

Serves 2.

Not bad, but it needed more kick. Next time we'll try to put more spiciness--more Tabasco, or chilli flakes perhaps. And maybe more garlic. Before I poured in the elbow macaroni, the dish looked a little watery to me, and I made the mistake of leaving the lid slightly ajar. Twenty-five minutes later, the water was all gone and the macaroni almost burned, so I realize I should've followed the recipe and left the lid on, as instructed. The resulting dish was also a little "bitin" -- I think I'll add more macaroni next time.

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Spaghetti and meatballs

Mike made a yummy spaghetti and meatballs dish for dinner.



Meatballs:

250 g lean ground beef
whites of 2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground allspice
pepper, to taste
garlic salt, to taste
1 native onion, finely chopped
3 cloves native garlic, ground
cooking oil

Sauce:

1 pack ready-made tomato spaghetti sauce (we used Del Monte)
1 slice of cooked double-back bacon, finely chopped (we used Earl's)
2 native onions, finely chopped
1/4 tsp dried basil
olive oil


In a mixing bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the egg whites. Mix in the lean ground beef, allspice, pepper, garlic salt, and garlic. Mix well. Form meatballs. Sprinkle dried oregano and basil on the meatballs.

In a pan or wok, fry meatballs in oil until browned on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. Lay on a paper towel to drain oil.

Boil water for the pasta. While waiting for water to reach rolling boil, prepare the sauce separately. Heat olive oil in a separate saucepan. Add onions and allow them to caramelize. Add bacon until warm. Pour in spaghetti sauce. Allow to simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring from time to time to prevent bacon from scorching. Add dried basil. If sauce gets too thick, add a little water (not more than 1/4 cup at a time) and mix well. Add meatballs and allow to simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes to make sure that meatballs are cooked through.

Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain.

Serve spaghetti topped with sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

A yummy classic!

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Beef Stroganoff

Here's my experimental beef stroganoff. Updated on November 21. I'll keep trying to improve it.

Ingredients:

salt
200 g beef, sliced into strips
1 cup sour cream
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 can champignon mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp butter
dried oregano
1/4 cup beef broth

Marinade:

2 tbsp red wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 onion
pepper

Rub the beef with salt, then marinate for at least 30 minutes. Over medium heat, sautee the onion and garlic in butter. Add beef and beef broth. Simmer until beef is tender and broth is almost gone (around 1 hour). Add mushrooms. Season with dried oregano. When mushrooms are cooked, lower heat and stir in the sour cream little by little. Simmer awhile to thicken.

Serve on rice or pasta.

Serves 2.

Preparation time: 30 minutes.
Cooking time: a little more than an hour.
Estimated calorie count per serving (including 1 cup rice): 750 calories

Easy Carbonara

The original recipe is called "Quick and Easy Carbonara" by Ina A. Ledesma, from the Assumption Cookbook.

Updated Nov. 26: I'm not sure why but for some strange reason when Mike tried to replicate this recipe it came out a lot more watery! I think it's because he used a different brand of cream of mushroom soup--I suppose that's the difficulty that comes with relying on instant ingredients. Anyway, I've made some adjustments below.

250g bacon
1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup plus 1/4 to 1/2 can water
1/2 small tetra-brick of all-purpose dream
1 half can button mushroom, sliced
500 grams spaghetti noodles
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the bacon into strips and fry. Set aside.
2. Begin boiling water for the pasta (about 4 liters of water for 500 grams of pasta). When water is at a rolling boll throw in salt and drop in pasta. Bring back to a rolling boil.
3. Saute onions in olive oil. Add the cream of mushroom soup and water. Add more or less water depending on how thick you want the sauce. Cook until blended. Add the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Simmer for around 2 minutes. Add cream little by little, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer awhile to thicken.
4. When pasta is cooked al dente, drain, then add pasta to the sauce.

Serves 3.

Total cooking and preparation time: 30 minutes

Chicken al'Orange

The original recipe is by Nina Lagdameo-Alba, from the Assumption Cookbook. Mike and I adapted it for ourselves.

8 chicken thighs, deskinned and deboned
salt
pepper
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1-1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary
1-1/2 cups fresh orange juice
1/2 cup cream

1. Pat chicken dry and season well on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Brown half of chicken about 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a plate. Add 2 tbsp more butter in the pan and brown remaining chicken. Return all chicken pieces to the skillet and add onion, rosemary and orange juice. Cover pan and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken, transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.
3. Boil sauce uncovered until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.
4. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Serves 3.

Total preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

We've tried this with a green salad and steamed rice -- yummy!

This recipe can also be used as a pasta sauce. If serving with pasta, chop chicken thighs (or chicken breast fillets) into small strips and adjust cooking times accordingly. Use an additional 1/4 cup orange juice and an additional 1/4 cup cream so there is more sauce.